71. The One Chosen by the Dragon God (3)
As Baek Seol-hwa's blue eyes—identical to Choi Yu-na's—glared at Kim Tae-sik, Ha Jin-woo, and Seo Un-jae, the leaders of Pohang's three major camps felt a chilling sensation creep over them, their bodies gradually growing cold.
A tremendous power and overwhelming presence emanated from Baek Seol-hwa. This young girl, who hadn't even lived half her life yet—a mere child in their eyes—was dominating Pohang's three camps with sheer aura alone.
'Me? Am I... am I scared of a kid who hasn't even lived a fraction of my life?'
'D-don't mess with me. This isn't the situation I wanted!'
As if unwilling to admit they'd been cowed by nothing more than presence, complaints soon erupted from Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo's sides.
"I can't believe it."
"Right? Can you really believe she's Baek Seol-hwa?"
They couldn't accept that the Dragon Priestess before them was truly Baek Seol-hwa. Her appearance differed greatly from the Baek Seol-hwa they knew. Taking that as their pretext, Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo launched their attacks, while only Seo Un-jae quietly observed the situation.
If Seo Un-jae wanted the trust of the two camps, the best move would have been to join their criticism of Baek Seol-hwa. But...
'The tide has turned.'
Instead of aligning with Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo, Seo Un-jae chose to watch and wait. There was a chance this mysterious girl wasn't Baek Seol-hwa at all, but he was certain the Balhut Cult—more eager than anyone for stable rule in Pohang—wouldn't make such a blunder.
They called themselves a cult, but the Balhut Cult that Seo Un-jae knew was less a den of religious fanatics and more a rational government organization. Which meant the girl before them was indeed Baek Seol-hwa, and the fact that Son Sang-hee followed her without complaint only strengthened his conviction.
'In that case, I have no need to honor my loyalty to Pohang's three camps.'
If turning the Dragon Priestess into a puppet—as per their secret pact—proved impossible, Seo Un-jae had no reason to uphold his allegiance to the three camps. This priestess was the servant of Dragon God Bahamut, and she could be seen as Bahamut's proxy ruler over Pohang.
Proxy of the Dragon God! That title alone convinced Seo Un-jae that even the arrogant Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo wouldn't dare challenge her boldly.
"Hmm. Do I seem suspicious to you, Mr. Kim Tae-sik and Mr. Ha Jin-woo?"
"Isn't it obvious? The Baek Seol-hwa we knew had black eyes and black hair, like any Korean."
"Did the Balhut Cult ignore the agreement with Pohang and deceive us?"
In response to Baek Seol-hwa's incredulous question, Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo pointed out the features of the Baek Seol-hwa they remembered, insisting she was completely different, and invoked the agreement with the Balhut Cult. They even accused the cult of breaking the pact and tricking them—but their hearts weren't at ease.
If this girl really was Baek Seol-hwa, then what of the secret deal they'd plotted before coming here? As calculations grew complicated, Baek Seol-hwa—who had patiently listened to their grumbling—opened the dialogue first.
"Then, as light proof... boom."
As if to demonstrate her specialty to the doubting duo, Baek Seol-hwa triggered a soft boom. It wasn't an explosion meant to kill, but a mere visual effect.
Compared to the blasts she'd unleashed on zombie hordes, it was pathetically weak—but the real show came next.
"Freeze!"
"Ugh!"
"Cold..."
The explosion rapidly heated the room's air, only for her to plummet the temperature just as fast. In an instant, the room dropped below freezing, everything encased in ice. Ha Jin-woo and Kim Tae-sik muttered about the cold without thinking, overwhelmed by the intense chill.
"Well? Have you already forgotten my abilities?"
"A-ah, aaah!?"
A light explosion followed by unimaginable cold. Pohang's three camps could never forget the supernatural phenomenon she casually displayed. It was the power Baek Seol-hwa had shown in Pohang.
"Next, watch me melt all this ice in the room in a flash."
As if the explosion alone wasn't enough, she spiked the temperature again, melting every bit of ice inside. As the ice thawed, the entire room erupted in azure flames.
"Wh-what is this!?"
"Hot... h-hot? Wait, it's not hot."
But the blue flames didn't burn Pohang's three camps. Devoid of scorching heat, they enveloped the group in gentle warmth. Yet they quickly realized that if those flames heated up, they'd be reduced to ash in moments. Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo paled as they stared at Baek Seol-hwa.
They no longer doubted she was Baek Seol-hwa. She'd perfectly showcased her signature explosion, flames, and ice—who could question that?
'Haha. A monster. I remember her powers weren't this strong before. To grow this much in such a short time... as expected, Dragon contracts defy human logic.'
Seo Un-jae, who knew her original abilities, realized they'd grown far stronger and reaffirmed that Dragon contracts couldn't be judged by common sense.
It was overwhelming. Simply displaying that power was enough to captivate and dominate the crowd. Everyone here was an Awakened, leaders of their factions with guaranteed strength—yet Pohang's three representatives couldn't even think of resisting her.
'One wrong move...'
'And we'll burn or freeze to death!'
Above all, realizing their lives hung by Baek Seol-hwa's whim finally made them grasp what a Dragon Priestess truly meant.
Even back when she was Pohang's strongest Awakened, Baek Seol-hwa had mesmerized the masses with her overwhelming might, positioning herself as a leader candidate. Though misfortune had destroyed her, many in Pohang still remembered her name. Now, resurrected unscathed and demonstrating such power, she'd have supporters in abundance.
And the title of Bahamut's proxy meant Pohang would bask in the Dragon God's protection—inevitable popularity.
'Can I win? Me?'
'No chance.'
They'd initially considered challenging her with their own strength. But Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo had no desire to lead a hopeless fight. They'd rather let someone else go first as a shield, merely watching each other—no bold challenge arose.
'Their internal dynamics are a mess. But I get it. It's probably the normal reaction.'
Seo Un-jae scorned the cowardly pair but empathized too. Faced with such dominance, survival strategies trumped resistance.
"Then, shall we forget the past and unite as one to serve Lord Bahamut?"
"Y-yes?"
"Right here, right now—let's put all old grudges behind us."
Baek Seol-hwa's side had no intention of spilling blood. Rather than purges, she extended a hand to start anew. It was the magnanimity of one in total superiority, pressuring Pohang's three camps with her strength. Refuse, and no second chance might come.
"I... I..."
"I, Seo Un-jae, pledge my loyalty to Lord Bahamut and Lady Baek Seol-hwa."
Without hesitation, the watchful Seo Un-jae knelt and bowed, swearing fealty. It looked pathetic—a grown man baring his crown to a child—but he felt no shame. It was a calculated move, certain that Pohang's bloody civil war future was averted.
No one in the three camps could oppose this Awakened, and even betrayal would be crushed by her power. With no loyalties left to uphold, siding with certain victory was only natural.
"S-Seo Un-jae!?"
"What about you?"
Seeing Seo Un-jae pledge without pause shook Ha Jin-woo deeply. Follow him? Or stick to the original plan of puppeteering Baek Seol-hwa? He glanced at Kim Tae-sik, but the sweating man was just as indecisive, eyeing him back.
Ha Jin-woo sensed the end and bowed his head.
"...I pledge my loyalty to Lord Bahamut."
Pohang University Campus leader Ha Jin-woo submitted. No path to victory appeared. Better to grovel while mercy was offered. He knelt and swore fealty.
As two of Pohang's key leaders knelt, Kim Tae-sik shot to his feet, unable to endure it.
"Have you lost your minds? Pledging to fanatics and their cult? Seo Un-jae, you have no political convictions whatsoever!"
"The apocalypse has come—do we need factional logic or ideological clashes now?"
"What."
Seo Un-jae dismissed Kim Tae-sik's outburst: such things were irrelevant now. Convictions? As a politician, he had them—but upholding them in this apocalypse? Ideology held power, but survival came first when everyone hungered and yearned to live.
Korea's endless factional squabbles held no place in this apocalypse.
"You call them fanatics, but the Balhut Cult is a government ruled directly by the Dragon God. The Dragon God Himself expressed His will and negotiated with us—can those serving such a being truly be called fanatics? It's a legitimate government."
He flipped the fanatic argument. Unlike shady cults, the Balhut Cult was governed by a real Dragon God who negotiated directly. Could that be called a cult or fanaticism?
"Fanaticism twists divine words for selfish ends. Has the Dragon Priestess here distorted Lord Bahamut's will to harm Pohang? Forced the cult's doctrines on any of you?"
"No."
"...Ugh."
The Balhut Cult and its priestesses had never twisted Bahamut's words. Interpretations might stretch, but they aligned with His desires, making rational, convincing choices. Their actions in Pohang had always seemed reasonable and logical. Seo Un-jae's words rang true; Ha Jin-woo nodded heavily, unable to refute, while Kim Tae-sik—who'd suffered from their rationality—stayed silent but didn't argue.
"Then that's settled. Dragon God Bahamut kept His promise to us. From now on, Pohang is under the great Dragon's protection. In this apocalypse, if we can live safely without threat to our lives, we can abandon any ideology or political conviction."
Why cling to beliefs when safety was guaranteed? Bahamut had upheld the deal; Pohang now enjoyed draconic safeguarding—a massive boon everyone craved.
"Above all, ideologies and convictions require basic survival first. No distractions. Pohang needs urban reconstruction—nothing else."
Pohang was destitute now. Its industrial legacy meant nothing amid zombie-ravaged ruins. What they needed was one thing.
"Just the will to push reconstruction with unified strength under one banner. So people can live like humans again."
"......"
No one could deny Seo Un-jae. Unanimously, Pohang's three camps submitted to Baek Seol-hwa, handing her complete control.
With internal politics stabilized and Balhut Cult aid, Pohang launched reconstruction. Soon after, a welcome guest arrived.
"So this is... territory under the Balhut Cult?"
Mysterious transport planes and escort fighters appeared over Pohang, landing at the airport. As the unidentified airships materialized, the Balhut Cult security forces stationed in Pohang rushed the airport, wary of the sudden intruders. The unknowns addressed the soldiers in clear Korean, asking if this was Balhut Cult domain.
"Who are you?"
"We're from America."
"America!?"
The mysterious guests were none other than visitors from the United States.