Union (2)
Jeong Dong-gun used the return stone given to him by Dragon God Bahamut, allowing only him and Han Seong-geun to arrive instantly at the Balhut Cult headquarters' teleportation magic circle.
Han Seong-geun suddenly felt the world flip upside down before realizing he was no longer at Ulsan Airport but in some unknown place. He looked around in a panic, utterly flustered.
Jeong Dong-gun, sensing his turmoil, gently patted his shoulder to calm him. Han Seong-geun flinched at the warm touch but relaxed upon realizing it was Jeong Dong-gun. With a bewildered expression, he asked,
"Wh-where is this?"
"We used a return spell. Ah, would teleport make more sense to you?"
Before the apocalypse, such words would have been pure fantasy, but now they were reality in this end-times world where the impossible happened daily. When Jeong Dong-gun mentioned teleportation magic, Han Seong-geun accepted the sudden relocation even as he exclaimed in shock,
"Does the Balhut Cult have a mage who can use teleportation magic!?"
The idea of anyone wielding teleportation was astonishing. No official awakener in Korea could use it yet, and even abroad, community consensus held that it hadn't reached humanity. Sure, there might be a hidden ace keeping it secret, but that would be rare—most mage awakeners predicted it would emerge far in the future.
Han Seong-geun had never dreamed he'd experience it like this.
"Ah, no."
"Pardon?"
"None of our cult members can use teleportation magic."
What was this man saying? He'd just called it a miracle of teleportation himself, yet now he claimed no one in the cult could do it? A complete contradiction.
If they'd used teleportation magic without a cult member capable of it...
"Th-then, was it a tool made by an awakener? Or a magic item?"
"Sort of, yeah?"
Everyone knew the apocalypse brought things defying old laws. Crafter awakeners infused tools and weapons with special powers and magic, sometimes enabling pre-apocalypse impossibilities. If no awakener could cast it directly, a special tool or magic item was the only option left—Han Seong-geun's guess was natural, and Jeong Dong-gun confirmed it half-right.
"Haha, so there are items like that now. Crafting skills with that kind of power..."
Han Seong-geun sighed in relief, finally piecing it together within reason. Sure, what he'd just seen transcended common sense, but he could rationalize it...
"Ah, it's not made by a human."
"What? Don't scare me like that."
Before he could fully convince himself, Jeong Dong-gun grinned mischievously and revealed the return stone wasn't human-made. Han Seong-geun's composure crumbled on the spot, his mouth gaping wide in dismay. But who wouldn't? Witnessing something beyond reason without losing their cool would make them inhuman.
"Oh? You returned faster than expected."
Only when Choi Yu-na—able to contact Bahamut in real-time—heard of Jeong Dong-gun's arrival and came to greet them personally did Han Seong-geun snap out of it and close his mouth. Her ornate priestess robes made her seem utterly out of place in this apocalypse.
"Sorry for the trouble."
"No, no. There might be wounded, so I had to come. More importantly... is this Han Seong-geun?"
"Yes. Ulsan Airport's deputy leader."
'Huh? Did I introduce myself to her?'
Above all, his arrival here was unplanned—yet this girl knew his name. Had he mentioned it without realizing? No, he hadn't. Time-wise, Jeong Dong-gun couldn't have relayed it, and Han Seong-geun hadn't seen him contact anyone.
'Right, one of the other squad members must've tipped her off. Yeah, that explains it.'
Pushing aside the nagging unease, he bowed politely to the girl before him.
"I'm Han Seong-geun."
"The one leading the resistance at Ulsan Airport."
"As Jeong Dong-gun said, I'm the deputy leader of the Ulsan Airport resistance. And you are...?"
Assuming she was a high-ranking cult figure despite her youth, he humbled himself and addressed her respectfully. His guess proved right—Jeong Dong-gun introduced him formally too—and Han Seong-geun followed up, asking about her identity.
He figured she was some important cult official.
"I'm Choi Yu-na. Nice to meet you."
"Choi Yu-na? Isn't that the Balhut Cult's leader!? She's even younger than Jin A-yeon!"
Why was the final boss here, acting so casually? She was the cult's pontiff, the awakener who'd fully seized Gyeongju.
"Ahem. You're nothing like the rumors."
Most shocking was how different she was from the tales. Community gossip painted her opposite: a pot-bellied old man, greedy geezer, or hag witch. Yet here she was, a smiling young girl chatting amiably. The disconnect dizzied him, but as Ulsan Airport's representative, he couldn't afford embarrassment. Steeling himself, he refocused.
"Ah, I hear that stuff on the communities a lot. Pot-bellied uncle, greedy old fart, witch hag— all wrong, so I just laugh it off!"
"Th-that's all about you, isn't it?"
"? People who curse me haven't received the Dragon God's teachings. They're just lost souls. Once they hear His words, their view of me will change for sure."
Han Seong-geun admired her thick skin as a leader. But one phrase stuck out.
"Uh, the Dragon God...?"
"Today, I'd like to request an audience with Dragon God Bahamut for him."
He really exists? Like the Immortal Cult's mentions, did the Balhut Cult have a Dragon God too? Yu-na and Jeong Dong-gun spoke His name casually, unlike the Immortal Cult—but it unsettled Han Seong-geun.
'If He's real... doesn't that put my life at risk?'
Fear of the unknown, fear of death. Did an atheist like him even qualify to face a god?
"No problem. If it's needed, the Dragon God will allow it."
"Thank you."
Despite Han Seong-geun's silence, their conversation continued, and Jeong Dong-gun secured the audience. He'd get to meet the Dragon God for real—but his mood darkened further.
"Ah, and Steven seems to have business at the temple today too, so if you're lucky, you might meet him."
"I see. He's at the temple? Perfect."
The silver lining:
"Uh... who's Steven?"
A foreign name from Yu-na's lips—Han Seong-geun clung to it like a lifeline, asking Jeong Dong-gun. No reason to hide, and it could sway Ulsan Airport, so Jeong Dong-gun explained without hesitation.
"Special envoy from the White House."
"...For real?"
Proof of U.S. ties. Han Seong-geun stared in disbelief, but
"Yes, the real deal."
Jeong Dong-gun affirmed, leading him to the temple. The path and interior were quiet, letting them reach Bahamut's temple unhindered.
"You've rebuilt better than I imagined."
Along the way, Han Seong-geun observed Gyeongju closely. Unlike Ulsan, it felt free, vibrant with life, streets like pre-apocalypse society. Most impressive:
"Buying things with money. How long's it been?"
"Do I owe you now?"
"Haha, let that slide."
Money-for-goods transactions, a forgotten norm amid bartering elsewhere. He couldn't know the efforts and enforced peace behind it, but on the surface, Gyeongju was normalizing as the peninsula's sole nation.
"Who's that?"
"Hm? Oh, Steven. Looks like he just finished his audience."
Chatting about city life, they entered and spotted Steven leaving, dazed like he'd seen something bizarre. Jeong Dong-gun noted it meant his meeting with Bahamut had ended.
"Oh, Jeong Dong-gun? Back from Ulsan already?"
"Yes. Found a survivor from there too."
"Oho. That must be him."
"Ah, yes."
Steven eyed Han Seong-geun curiously, making him doubt if this young man was truly a U.S. diplomat. Too young! Jeong Dong-gun's deference confirmed his status, though.
"Haha, nice to meet you. I'm the special envoy from the White House. Think of me as the liaison for Balhut Cult-U.S. diplomacy."
"Are you... really from America?"
"Haha, suddenly meeting like this, of course you'd doubt me. Can't blame you. Hmm, this might be the perfect chance to owe the cult one."
Sensing the scrutiny, Steven smiled warmly, confirming his role and brushing off the suspicion amiably— even joking it could earn cult favor.
"If it's needed, I'd gladly borrow your influence, Steven."
"Haha, kidding. I just begged Bahamut for too much anyway—we're in no position to ask more."
Jeong Dong-gun's earnest plea made Steven backpedal. Absent the prior audience, he'd have happily dispelled doubts to build goodwill, but now he had no pretext—America had already asked Bahamut for a favor.
"A favor?"
"Demand for Bahamut coins has spiked in the U.S. lately. Proven effects plus new tech using them. So I requested a big increase in production and exports."
U.S. demand for Bahamut coins was surging; current supplies couldn't keep up.
"I see."
"Fortunately, the Dragon God accepted. In exchange, we're providing massive pure silver shipments. Refined silver makes anti-undead weapons, apparently. We're excited."
No free lunch—Bahamut demanded silver, sealing the deal. Steven called it undead war prep.
"The cult's working hard to win against the undead."
"Haha, with the Dragon God developing weapons Himself? Even better."
Jeong Dong-gun affirmed the cult's dedication; Steven expressed optimism. Realizing they too sought Bahamut,
"Ah, holding up a busy man like this is rude. Survivor from Ulsan—brace yourself for what's next. Stay sharp."
"Ah, yes."
Steven gave cryptic advice and left. Han Seong-geun blankly acknowledged it, but
"Gaaaaah!?"
soon understood. As always, the massive dragon statue and Bahamut beneath it floored him.
"Hm. Same reaction today."
"Haha, did I startle you too much?"
Jeong Dong-gun, now enjoying it, and Bahamut, ever amused, just laughed heartily.