Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: The Only Hope
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Only a handful of people knew about Go Yohan's condition and his awakening.
“…Thank goodness.”
The four believers, who could be called founding members of the church, were among that select few.
“Really… thank goodness.”
One of them, Park Doyoung, kept repeating it to Go Yohan with a face on the verge of bursting into tears.
“Pastor.”
“It’s just… thank goodness.”
There were others present besides Park Doyoung.
“Are you all right?”
Kang In, who was in charge of the Black Hall, chewed his lip as he spoke.
“…Hic.”
The one who finally couldn’t hold back and burst into tears was Shin Seolhye, who had been operating externally for a long time under Lee Hayeon’s orders.
“…….”
The one who couldn’t even bring himself to speak was Choi Changsu, who had now become the association president and changed his name.
“Why is everyone making such a fuss?”
As Go Yohan tossed out the words like a joke into the heavy atmosphere, the sobbing seemed to subside a little.
He hadn’t expected this kind of reaction.
“Did you doubt me?”
Did they really think he wouldn’t wake up?
“…Doubt.”
Park Doyoung, who had nearly collapsed, pulled himself up and spoke.
“We never doubted you.”
It was too earnest an expression to call it a lie.
Not just Park Doyoung—the others were the same.
‘These people are special.’
Just as he thought, they probably hadn’t doubted him at all.
“We were just at a loss, not knowing when it would happen.”
They hadn’t doubted that he would awaken, but they had been anxious about the timing.
“Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness.”
With that anxiety now resolved, this was their reaction.
“You guys and the kids too—why make such a big deal? I’m disappointed.”
At Go Yohan’s words.
They froze, as if broken machines, staring at Go Yohan.
After a moment of silence, something like strange resolve was forming in their eyes.
“I thought you’d stop the kids if they were plotting world destruction or some weird plan.”
“Why stop them?”
“…?”
“If it meant you could return? Yes! Absolutely.”
Park Doyoung’s eyes were shining.
“You have a tendency to undervalue yourself too much.”
Undervalue? It was a topic he’d never bring up normally.
‘Why are these guys so quiet?’
He’d been wondering why the other apostles, who would normally make a fuss at Park Doyoung’s words, weren’t stepping in even though they were surely watching from somewhere.
“What do you think you are?”
His resolute expression almost looked like the shout of a loyal retainer prepared even for death.
“What’s wrong?”
“No. You need to know.”
Park Doyoung stepped forward.
“…….”
Seeing no one stopping him, it seemed they had already discussed this among themselves while Go Yohan was down.
“Know what?”
“You are.”
Park Doyoung stood at the front like a representative.
“The one and only hope.”
“…….”
“After you fell, we realized it again. Watching the world fracture and fight over that brief moment—we felt it once more.”
Heat was rising on the face of the aged Park Doyoung.
“About how this world is even being held together.”
“Enough.”
Go Yohan spoke, thinking it was too much.
Only then did Park Doyoung suppress his boiling emotions.
“Welcome back.”
*
*
*
Three weeks had already passed since Go Yohan had vanished from the outside world.
When the world knew nothing of Go Yohan’s existence, there had been no issues.
But after learning of him, his absence was shaking the world.
Especially at a time like this.
“Looks like everyone’s here, so let’s start the meeting.”
Sanctuary Alliance.
They were the largest faction in Korea’s player community and had called a meeting.
Over fifty guilds belonged to them, and counting total members, they could mobilize tens of thousands of players.
The Sanctuary Alliance, a union of mid-tier guilds.
Leading it was Yoo Baek.
“…There are still no signs of the gates activating….”
The meeting proceeded under Yoo Baek’s lead.
“Global anxiety and….”
It was a meeting no different from usual, but changes had occurred in the past few weeks.
Murmurs.
A wave starting from unease.
“Quiet down a bit.”
At Kim Cheonseok’s words, one of the murmuring guild masters straightened up and lifted his head.
Kim Cheonseok, who had received a favor from Go Yohan, sat right next to Yoo Baek as vice alliance leader.
No one had questioned that appointment before.
“Is this the Sanctuary Alliance or the Bestowal Alliance? I can’t tell.”
Things were different now.
“…?”
“Exactly. Both the alliance leader and vice leader are from Bestowal Guild.”
“What are you trying to say?”
Go Yohan.
Just that one difference.
“‘That person’ still hasn’t made contact?”
The atmosphere of the meeting—the faction itself—was changing.
“I hear….”
Kim Yujung, guild master of Storm Guild from Seoul, spoke up.
“‘That person’ is dead….”
Boom!
At that moment, Yoo Baek slammed the conference table.
“Are you trying to spout nonsense?”
A tense silence fell over the meeting room at his menacing aura.
‘What the….’
Yoo Baek had always been a powerful ranker in the Sanctuary Alliance.
But at some point, he was no longer just a ranker.
Rumble!
Now, he exuded an aura that overwhelmed the alliance members.
“I’m just saying we’re uneasy.”
Kim Yujung steadied his breath and said.
“We lowly ones get no information at all.”
Others nodded in agreement with Kim Yujung.
“No gates appearing, the system down, and ‘that person’ connected to the reason— the whole world knows that.”
“I asked what you’re trying to say.”
“If.”
Kim Yujung said.
“If ‘that person’ really died, shouldn’t we think about the Sanctuary Alliance’s future?”
“…….”
“‘That person’ vanished, and the funding stopped. Are we a charity?”
Indeed, problems had started popping up everywhere the moment the apostles secluded themselves and Lee Hayeon holed up in the temple.
“So?”
Then Kim Cheonseok spoke.
“You bastards we saved from dying, now demanding tribute?”
Kim Cheonseok’s voice was icy.
“Seoul folks, thinking you’ve got some edge? Joined the Sanctuary Alliance when your guilds were collapsing, got a breather, and now you say anything.”
“Kim Cheonseok!”
“What? Scared of Yoo Baek?”
Whoosh.
Aura began emanating from Kim Cheonseok’s body too.
“Do I look like an idiot?”
“…!”
The alliance members could only be shocked again.
Unlike Yoo Baek, who had always been exceptional, Kim Cheonseok had been merely average.
But the aura now.
“People who couldn’t utter a word when ‘that person’ was around, now cheering ‘perfect timing.’”
It was more sinister and ominous than Yoo Baek’s.
“Let’s stop here. Meeting’s over for today.”
In the end, with the atmosphere overheated, Yoo Baek ended the meeting.
*
*
*
“Sigh.”
Yoo Baek, riding in a vehicle, let out a deep sigh.
-What are you expecting?
Kim Cheonseok’s voice came from the phone.
-Haven’t you had enough disappointment from humans?
His usual indifferent tone.
-No info for the grunts, so they feel discriminated? Funding cut?
Kim Cheonseok was speaking to Yoo Baek.
-Bullshit. They know we’re not curious about that crap.
It was true.
There was no hidden info at their level.
Of course, as believers, Yoo Baek and Kim Cheonseok were different, but nothing necessary was withheld.
-Funding? No issues this month either.
The church’s support continued unabated.
-What they mean is side pockets.
Even with Lee Hayeon holed up in the temple, the rest operated like precise machines.
The only change was external views, external investments.
Because the Sanctuary Alliance was deeply tied to Go Yohan, people were reaching out even to the fringes.
Normally, that wouldn’t happen.
-Don’t expect anything.
It was a problem from ordinary people infiltrating the Sanctuary Alliance.
Amid the ongoing black gates and threats.
-Humans, that is.
People who’d begged on their knees to join.
Those ignorant of the church’s true nature were now stirring trouble.
-If you can’t move, I will.
Kim Cheonseok’s voice.
“No need. I can’t burden you with that, brother. I’ll handle it myself.”
-Don’t disappoint ‘that person.’
The call ended.
“…….”
Yet Yoo Baek’s face didn’t relax.
Rumors were flying, even that Go Yohan was dead, as Kim Yujung said.
The frustrating part.
‘No contact yet.’
Even they, as believers, knew nothing about Go Yohan.
He had no complaints about that.
But.
Crack.
He couldn’t help being angry.
Not at Go Yohan or the church hiding the info.
“Only three weeks have passed.”
At the alliance members who’d flipped attitudes in that short time.
And not just them.
Signs of division were appearing across Korea—no, everywhere their influence reached.
From what he’d heard, Kim Yujung was even contacting external forces to discuss leaving the Sanctuary Alliance.
That was when.
“…!”
Sensing something, Yoo Baek’s eyes widened as he drew up his energy.
At the same time.
“Guild master?”
He reached out toward the guild members in the driver’s and passenger seats.
A magic field spread to protect them.
Boom!
The vehicle Yoo Baek was in exploded.