Chapter 49 Great Peace Sect (5)
The Great Peace Sect (5)
Episode 50
Whoosh—
A violet flame erupted from the center of an underground chamber.
The surrounding darkness only grew thicker. Normally, flames should bring light, but this fire seemed to devour it instead.
A man stood before an old brazier, rolling up the sleeves of his robe adorned with golden embroidery. Each time ashes fell from his hand into the brazier, the purple flames rose quietly, as though quenching a deep thirst.
"Since the Goddess is pleased with this harvest, this humble servant rejoices as well."
But his joy was short-lived—the flames soon died down, leaving only black smoke behind.
"..."
This was yet another sign of the capricious and demanding nature of the goddess he served.
"Still as finicky as ever."
He forced a bitter smile, murmuring as he placated the flame's whims.
The goddess' attention was rare, and when it came, it vanished just as swiftly.
Yet despite this, he remained devout, unwavering in his faith.
His hands formed a complex gesture of prayer. But no matter how fervently he prayed, the flames in the brazier refused to reignite.
"We give thanks for the gifts the Goddess has bestowed."
He knelt in reverence, offering his devotion.
As he rose from his prayers, a woman who had been standing behind him approached. Though time had left its marks on her face, traces of beauty still lingered.
"Great Leader."
Her voice carried nothing but reverence and awe for him.
"Speak."
He spoke while staring at the brazier, which had grown even colder despite the dying flames.
"The inspector has just arrived at the site where the 'star' fell."
"And the other two locations?"
"One is Korea University, the other is the Swordplay Dojo. It will take some time to reach them."
After a brief silence, the Great Leader asked:
"Then where is that woman?"
At the mention of that woman, the Deputy Leader's expression stiffened momentarily before she answered.
"...The Enforcer went with the inspector to investigate the 'abnormal incident.' I tried to stop her, but she does as she pleases, as always."
The Great Leader smiled.
"If it's a high school, there must still be many surviving children."
He flashed her a satisfied grin before adding:
"But returning to the Goddess' embrace would be a blessing for them. Even if misfortune befalls them, it would still be a form of grace."
"Yes. All things proceed according to the Great Peace Sect's tranquility..."
They exchanged glances and smiled.
As the mist in the underground chamber slowly dissipated, a pair of red eyes flashed before them.
The crimson glow belonged to the dance of the dead. Zombies, threats to humanity, circled around them in a sacred dance offered to the goddess.
"Let us pray for the children's peaceful rest."
* * *
Only a hundred survivors remained on the second floor of Seongmun General High School. The first floor had been breached, forcing everyone to barricade the entrance with desks and chairs as they moved upstairs.
They kept watch, preparing for any external threats.
And yet, the young man from the Great Peace Sect ascended to the second floor with eerie ease.
"Hello?"
The students tensed at the appearance of the unsettling youth. Park Se-eun was no exception. But what she sensed was something far worse—a sinister energy radiating from his gaze.
"!"
A stench reminiscent of death assaulted her, and her instincts screamed in rejection.
Ugh. Disgusting. I feel like throwing up... Why is he so vile? Why does it feel like my insides are twisting...
The young man's dark aura felt as though it was absorbing all the malice in the world. It sent chills crawling down Se-eun's entire body.
I have to kill him.
The thought wouldn't leave her mind. Mana surged in her eyes.
[Park Se-eun Twists the target.]
In that instant, a distortion appeared on the young man's thigh. But Kim Yeong-han quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Huh?!"
Her ability interrupted, Se-eun glared at him. Yeong-han flinched at her gaze but pressed on.
"Can't you see the emblem on his clothes? That's the Great Peace Sect's mark. He's here to rescue us..."
Even as Yeong-han spoke, the young man's darkness continued to seep into the space around them.
"You're the one who—what are you even saying right now? Can't you see that?!"
"See what? What are you talking about?"
"Huh?"
Se-eun froze at Yeong-han's utterly clueless expression.
[Park Se-eun's Sensitive Sense <Rare> proficiency has increased.]
...Am I the only one who knows?
She glanced around, but no one else seemed to perceive the young man's aura.
...Even though he reeks of something this foul... No one else can sense it?
Then, Yeong-han muttered under his breath:
"Why would you suddenly try to kill someone out of nowhere?"
But Park Se-eun couldn't hear his words. Her mind was filled with nothing but the absolute conviction that the young man had to be eliminated—quickly.
'I have to get rid of him. He's dangerous. Dangerous.'
Yet at that moment, Kim Yeong-han spoke to her again.
"Why were you about to use your ability on a person?"
Park Se-eun's brows furrowed tightly.
"You're the one who needs to think. How do you know he isn't some cultist who killed the real inspector and stole his clothes?"
"!"
Kim Yeong-han's face stiffened, as if realizing something belatedly.
Park Se-eun kept her narrowed eyes locked on the young man.
Then, slowly, the young man smiled—an unnatural, twisted smile—and placed a hand over his chest.
"Ah, I suppose my introduction was overdue. I am Son Yeong-hu, bearing the undeserved title of Inspector within the Great Peace Sect. I've been dispatched from our main order to extend a helping hand to those in need during these troubled times."
His smile contorted even further, grotesque.
"Now, rest assured. With us here, you are all safe."
'Us?'
The moment those words registered in Park Se-eun's ears, white-robed devotees silently materialized behind the young man—without so much as a sound.
In that instant, Park Se-eun was struck with horror, as if she couldn't believe the reality before her eyes.
'There were people behind him...? No, how could so many have entered without any of us noticing...?'
Neither Park Se-eun nor the other students could hide their shock at the fact that countless devotees had infiltrated the second floor.
"Now that the formal introductions are over—"
As the young man's words trailed off, some of the students raised pipes or baseball bats in wary defense.
But the young man—Son Yeong-hu—barely spared them a glance, his gaze sliding elsewhere.
Where his eyes landed, there stood a group of strikingly beautiful girls.
"Ooh~!"
The moment he spotted them, Son Yeong-hu's expression brightened unnervingly.
The girls recoiled in alarm, but before they could retreat, Son Yeong-hu closed the distance with startling speed.
"Huh?!"
Lee Ji-hyeon, who had let her guard down, let out a startled scream when Son Yeong-hu suddenly seized her hand.
His grin widened, his breath coming out in an excited rush as he drank in the sight of her.
"Wait, is this Lee Ji-hyeon? The Lee Ji-hyeon from Signature?"
Lee Ji-hyeon, the main vocalist of Signature—the fastest-rising female idol group of the moment—could only stare blankly at his shocking reaction.
"Uh... Y-yes? But... why?"
The moment she confirmed it, Son Yeong-hu burst into an even more repulsive laugh.
"Wow, hahaha, the real deal?! No way... No way! How can a person be this beautiful?! I always knew you'd be even prettier in person than on screen. I've been buying dozens of your albums since debut, watching every single one of your YouTube videos daily, keeping up with all your interviews—even the one from Idol World last time. And your overseas concert a while back? You killed it!"
He clung to her hand without permission.
Lee Ji-hyeon tried to pull away, discomfort flashing across her face, but he only latched on tighter.
He exhaled a heated breath toward her, his gaze crawling over her body like something viscous—her flustered face, her heaving chest, her toned waist and hips from rigorous training, down to her legs. His eyes devoured every inch of her.
"Don't worry anymore, Ji-hyeon-ah. I'll make sure you get special protection. Ah, I'm not usually like this, but in times like these, shouldn't your oppa fan step up? There's no one safer in this world than you. Because I'll be the one protecting you."
His grotesquely distorted face leaned closer.
"If anyone bothers you, just whisper it to me."
Lee Ji-hyeon froze at his murmur. As he pulled back, his eyes raked over the girls behind her.
"Of course, our Ji-hyeon's friends are all pretty too. Lucky me. I'll take special care of you all as well. Only because you're Ji-hyeon's friends, though. You should all thank her for that."
'This bastard.'
Park Se-eun watched Lee Ji-hyeon's face pale at his words, and once again, disgust and murderous intent surged within her.
She didn't know what position Son Yeong-hu held in the Great Peace Sect. But one thing was clear—her friend was suffering.
'How dare he treat Ji-hyeon like this—'
Park Se-eun's eyes burned as she glared at Son Yeong-hu.
[Twist the target.]
'I should still eliminate him here—'
But at that exact moment—
"...In...spector?"
The air shifted.
That filthy voice slithered into Park Se-eun's ears like tinnitus, each syllable drilling through her eardrums, crawling into her brain like centipedes burrowing into flesh.
"!"
In that instant, an inexplicable terror seized her, plunging her vision into darkness—as if someone had pressed up against her from behind in a pitch-black alleyway. Overwhelming. Suffocating.
The terror felt strangely familiar to Park Se-eun. It bore an uncanny resemblance to the indescribable fear and despair she had felt from her older sister during childhood.
Se-eun's heart sank into depths where no one's hand could reach.
And in the shadows she had instinctively turned to look at...
"Ah......"
...stood a being more dangerous than anyone. It carried a despair unlike anything she had ever felt from anyone in this world.
『「Park Se-eun」's 「Sensitive Sense <Rare>」 perceives the terror of death.』
『「Park Se-eun」's 「Spatial Assumption <Rare>」 trembles at the abnormal heaviness of space.』
"W-what are you... doing here right now?"
The eyes that emerged from the shadows were dull, as if drained of light.
No—nothing reflected in her pupils at all, casting confusion upon everything they gazed upon. That unfocused glint in her eyes was as though her very soul had been shattered.
She smiled—a smile whose intentions were impossible to discern, one that could erupt into anything at any moment. It was a beautiful yet broken grin, the kind worn by those whose minds had long since fractured.
#
'W-what the hell...'
Se-eun felt a chill run down her spine under Tirpe's gaze, as if she were being dragged into a swamp.
'How can a person feel this suffocating...?'
Instinctively, Se-eun hunched her shoulders slightly in front of Tirpe, barely managing to steady her breathing. It felt like the blood in her limbs had frozen. No—in front of Tirpe, she couldn't even let that reaction show.
『Park Se-eun 「Twists」 her presence to avoid detection by the target.』
Her body outright refused to let Tirpe perceive her existence. Under no circumstances could she draw Tirpe's attention. If she did, the terror of impending death would become reality in an instant.
"M-my, my introduction was late."
Tirpe's pupils trembled violently, hollow and restless as they darted around. Then, without warning, she burst into a chilling laugh.
"Ahahahahaha!!"
The laughter created an eerie tension, but Tirpe immediately composed herself, her expression turning solemn.
Outwardly beautiful, Tirpe placed a hand over her left breast and bowed slightly.
"I am an executor of the Great Peace Sect. Baptismal name—Tirpe. I have come to rescue you all."
Her stature was tall but gaunt.
Yet despite that, her face—marked by deep dark circles—exuded a decadent allure that men couldn't resist.
"N-nice to meet you."
She narrowed her filthy, tainted eyes, a murky sensation seeping from between her eyelids. She looked profoundly lethargic, but that only made her seem even more detached from reality.
"Huuuuuh?"
Tirpe stared unblinkingly at Son Yeong-hu. He flinched momentarily under that dazed gaze but tried to mask his discomfort.
"Uh, um... Executor. When did you... arrive?"
Tirpe showed no reaction. She simply watched Yeong-hu with those gloomy eyes.
Her deep dark circles only amplified her sinister aura, making her appear downright grotesque.
The usually flippant Yeong-hu broke into a cold sweat before finally forcing out words.
"...Ah, actually, I was just about to leave."
"...D-don't forget... the words of... our l-leader..."
Clutching herself, Tirpe staggered away. As her long hair disappeared into the darkness, Yeong-hu exhaled deeply and scanned his surroundings.
That was when his eyes landed on a silver-haired beauty.
"Wow, you're seriously pretty too? Can people really look like this?"
Yeong-hu's serious expression melted as he approached Se-eun. He studied her pale face carefully, stroking his chin.
"But you're not my type. Too strong-willed looking. I don't really go for girls who seem tough. Women should be warm and approachable, like our Ji-hyeon. But don't worry—I'll protect you. Beauties are precious in this world, after all."
Finishing his words, he glanced briefly at the massive club Se-eun was gripping. But he said nothing, instead turning to the other students with a smile.
"Let's eat first, then talk. Everyone?"
His smile carried the air of someone enjoying the Apocalypse. The new threat lurking behind that grin wasn't easily dismissed. As if this Apocalypse were his stage, his mere presence made the air itself feel heavier.
'No... I can't lose.'
Se-eun's heart pounded violently again. She clenched her jaw and widened her eyes.
This Apocalypse wasn't over yet. No—was it only just beginning?
His laughter echoed through the gray world before fading. And in that moment, it felt as if a mournful bell tolled, piercing her ears—a sign that something had begun.