14. Bahamut (2)
A colossal dragon landed near Choi Yu-na, displaying its mighty form to the survivors. It looked larger than a typical villa or apartment building, standing proudly on the city's outskirts with its sturdy legs. Even with hordes of zombies swarming before it, the dragon showed no fear—instead, it observed their approach with leisurely calm.
"What size..."
From the dragon's perspective, those zombie hordes were no more than ants. This dragon, easily over 50 meters long, possessed such overwhelming mass that simply walking could crush zombies like insects underfoot. Those witnessing it were utterly awed by its sheer presence, and the mage could only cackle maniacally, proclaiming that the end times had finally arrived.
[Climb aboard.]
"Ah, thank you."
Various reactions erupted from the survivor camp, but Bahamut prioritized his contractor Yu-na's safety above all. Having landed beside her, he knelt down, extended a hand, and scooped her up. Perched on his broad shoulder, she now gazed down at the zombie hordes from Bahamut's eye level...
"Ahahaha! From up here, those zombies that tormented us all this time look so pathetic!"
From Bahamut's vantage, the zombies were utterly insignificant—reduced to the size of passing ants. Seeing Yu-na grin wickedly like a villain, Bahamut pondered his next move.
'Should I just wipe them all out with magic right now?'
With Yu-na's remaining mana, he could easily eradicate every zombie gathered here.
'No, this is the time to show off my physical power too.'
He wanted to demonstrate overwhelming might, but relying solely on magic would make him seem like just a giant body with spellcasting tricks. Having decided on his approach, he eyed the advancing zombie hordes, raised one massive leg...
"Huum!"
And slammed it down like a stomping foot.
Boom!
A deafening roar tore through the air, sending shockwaves like an earthquake across the entire city.
"Amazing! Incredible! That one strike wiped out all those zombies!"
[Easy work.]
The zombies nearest the impact didn't even retain their shapes—they were shredded to pieces. Those just emerging from the city outskirts survived the shockwave's distance but mindlessly trampled their own fallen kin, shambling toward Bahamut without fleeing.
'Just mop up the remnants. Simple enough.'
Confirming survivors from the blast, Bahamut set his enormous body in motion. Despite his size, he moved with terrifying leg strength, swiftly reaching the city edge. There, he slashed and crushed the emerging zombies with claws, tearing them apart effortlessly. Fragile zombie flesh couldn't withstand his strikes.
With all hordes cleared, Bahamut...
"Rooooaaarrr!!"
...let out a victorious roar toward the heavens.
The stunned survivors, who had watched the dragon's charge in a daze, snapped to attention at the bellow.
"Behold! This is my god!"
And Choi Yu-na seized the moment to introduce him as such.
'Whoa. Hearing that just tanked my motivation hard.'
Bahamut, who had instinctively roared in triumph from his flawless debut, felt his battle-heated body cool like ice at Yu-na's words.
A colossal dragon appeared and massacred the zombies in Gyeongju!
Naturally, this monumental event spread across Korea via the internet—but reactions were lukewarm.
Most dismissed it as unbelievable—likely game CG. If real, the country would already be doomed. Some joked, but the majority rejected the idea of such a dragon existing in reality.
Even in a zombie apocalypse where slaying zombies could awaken status windows and grant powers, many clung to pre-apocalypse common sense. Logically, no satellite had ever spotted such a massive dragon before—impossible for it to appear out of nowhere.
But...
Reports of fantasy monsters like goblins and orcs spread through online communities. This shifted perceptions—even the Gyeongju dragon post, dismissed as bait, gained traction.
Actually, it was all fact. As Korean communities plunged into chaos over fantasy monsters, the most bewildered were Gyeongju's own citizens.
"Did we hallucinate that?"
"No idea."
Survivors scraping by daily, and even dominant camps, were equally dumbfounded. With all inner-city zombies annihilated by the dragon, the urban core was now relatively secure. It was prime time to reclaim supplies or seize infrastructure abandoned due to zombie threats.
"...Don't panic! This is Choi Yu-na's trap!"
Yet the dragon's emergence—wiping out every zombie—also paralyzed survivor camps with fear and intimidation. Gyeongju's groups cowered under its aura, the only ones boldly moving in the city streets...
"Alright then. As promised, time to start Gyeongju's reconstruction."
...were Choi Yu-na, who had forcibly conquered the Shincheonji cult expanding in Gyeongju through sheer power, and the Shincheonji members reluctantly following her after submission.
"""As the Leader wills it!"""
...But from today, cult members weren't coerced—they followed Yu-na willingly. She had proven her worth and power to Gyeongju's camps, and the pseudo-cult Shincheonji, witnessing it all, abandoned their old doctrines without hesitation, converting to Yu-na's teachings and pledging loyalty.
Discarding lifelong faith was tough, but surprisingly, many Shincheonji followers shed their beliefs effortlessly.
"Now you've all discovered true faith."
"Your words opened our eyes, Leader."
Most converts were apocalypse-born devotees, ill-equipped for the crisis. In their weakened state, Shincheonji's apocalyptic "divine judgment" narrative had swayed them.
"With God Bahamut, we will survive!"
"We believe!"
"Long live Leader Yu-na!"
Having witnessed such immense power firsthand, faith bloomed inevitably. The zombie-slaughtering flash birthed devotion; realizing it was Yu-na's god sealed their conversion chants.
This held for executives too.
"Lady Yu-na, here's the ledger our former leader hid. Marks all the secret supplies."
"I see. Quite the stash."
While rank-and-file sought spiritual comfort, executives exploited religion for power and gain. During the leader's fall to Yu-na, they'd prepared to flee in despair. They'd waited for her departure to grab hidden goods and bolt.
But they saw it too—the sky-piercing flash, the dragon's arrival. Learning it was Yu-na's god, executives knelt, swearing unwavering loyalty.
'Follow her, and survival—no, riches and glory are within reach!'
'With that dragon protecting us, no reason to leave a safe haven!'
Of course, calculations lingered. Some eyed profits tailing Yu-na; others craved security.
"Once they're used up, shall we discard them?"
[...Is that necessary? They're just trying to survive—let it slide.]
Yu-na quickly sensed their disloyal thoughts, asking Bahamut if they should purge them post-utility. Feigning calm at her ruthless words, he suggested overlooking it since they fought to live.
"Even though they're devotees who could betray us?"
[They're following us willingly now, aren't they? Keep proving our power, and they'll stay loyal allies.]
"Right! As long as we prove our strength, no issues!"
From Bahamut's view, these executives were practical insiders knowing cult ops. Purging them would delay uncovering hidden assets—that was reason two. Reason one: personal qualms.
'This is veering straight into actual evil cult territory!'
'...This'll really be fine, right? It has to be.'
The fool dragon panicked at becoming a true pseudo-cult god. He'd expected easy pickings to discard, but Shincheonji converts embraced Yu-na's evangelism(?), and she accepted them all without hesitation. Thrust into godhood for pseudo-devotees, Bahamut self-criticized: Where did it go wrong? No answers came. Fine, you chose Yu-na—tough it out.
"First order: a name. We discard 'Shincheonji.' We no longer follow its doctrines."
Securing loyalty, Yu-na's initial act severed ties with the old cult. Declaring rebirth under a new name, a devotee asked:
"What’s our cult's name, then?"
"Our new name...? Ah, let's consult God first."
Pondering the newborn cult's name, Yu-na opted for "God chance." She pulled out the Oracle Mirror for divine contact.
"God! God!"
[What is it?]
"What should we name our cult?"
[......What?]
Bahamut fell silent at "cult name." After a pause, suspecting he'd misheard:
[...Name?]
"Yes! The cult's name! I decided God should choose!"
Her innocent reply hit like an express train to hell.
'Ended up as a pseudo-cult god somehow...'
Where did it go wrong?! The fool dragon froze in confusion, yet his mouth worked fine.
[Call it Balhut.]
His alternate name, a nickname. Thoughtlessly blurting it—'Wow, sounds cool.'—the fool dragon named the cult after himself.
"Perfect! Balhut Cult. From now on, we're the Balhut Cult—worshippers of Dragon God Bahamut!"
'Wait—while I blinked, I really became a pseudo-cult god!?'
The bus had left; the fool dragon was now Balhut Cult's god. Too late to protest necessity, as:
"""Long live Bahamut! Long live Balhut Cult!"""
'No clue. That's scary.'
Hundreds cheered the name and his own vigorously. Bahamut shuddered but...
[...Very well.]
...couldn't bear crushing their eager gazes. Shattering that would undermine unity's symbol. For this fool dragon, rebuilding order per Yu-na's wish: 'Tch! No choice.' He grinned through the head-splitting cheers.
'Eh, if a real religion pops up soon, it'll debunk and vanish quick!'
His casual optimism on personal matters unchanged. A "proper" religion debunking Balhut? Unlikely—legitimate faiths held no meaning in this apocalypse, letting doomsday cults thrive by framing it as end times.
Believing proper religions lingered was futile hope itself.
'Yeah, all-in on the "debunked by real faith" coin!'
A fool's bet on a crashing stock. Wise folks, ignore this dragon's investment advice.