Chapter 54 Great Peace Sect (10)
The Great Peace Sect (10)
Episode 55
There should have been only one supreme leader of the Great Peace Sect.
But now there were two.
A deep unrest spread among the believers at the sight.
Two identical leaders standing before them—every detail matched perfectly, from the jet-black hair and dark skin to the striking facial features, as if one were a mirror image of the other without the slightest discrepancy.
Originally, there should have been only one, reigning supreme as the sole leader. But now that absolute authority had been shaken by the existence of two.
Even if one were merely a shadow double acting as a stand-in, it was still a problem.
The leader couldn't even control his own shadow, and if this were some divine power that had split him into two, it would be an issue unless they were true avatars.
Yet despite the gravity of the situation, even the executives who had served alongside the leader for years could only stare in confusion, unable to comprehend what was happening.
Their shifting gazes, alternating between the two leaders, betrayed the same unease as the believers. They couldn't tell whether the leader who had arrived with them was the real one, or if the one who had just appeared was genuine.
And in the midst of it all—
'What the hell?'
Kim Yeong-han stood frozen.
Park Se-eun, dressed like a priestess, had appeared, led by the leader's hand.
But what angered him even more...
'Why...? Why?'
...was the way Park Se-eun was smiling—an expression so disbelieving it bordered on laughter, or perhaps tears. A face he had never seen before, a smile she had never once shown him, was now directed at the leader across from them.
'...What is this? ...Why are you reacting like that to him?'
He didn't want the girl he liked to give such an unreserved smile to another man. Especially when he had never received that kind of warmth from her.
'Who the hell is that guy... Just who is he, that you...'
Would show such an unguarded smile?
Park Se-eun's gaze was fixed solely on the leader opposite her, burning with intensity. He didn't want to acknowledge it.
"......Fuck."
A glare laced with resentment shot toward the leader. But Kim Yeong-han was ignored by everyone.
The deputy leader had moved.
The woman who conducted services in the leader's stead, who always threatened believers with harsh words.
Yet at the same time, she was deeply trusted by the fanatics.
"...."
The onlookers' breaths hitched at the sight of her. She was the one who, during every service, would issue grim warnings—that those who violated doctrine would be thrown into the crematorium.
But if anyone could discern the truth, it would be the deputy leader, who had stood by the leader's side all this time. That expectation now gathered around her.
Finally, the deputy leader—the one who could deliver the answer to them all—
Click.
—stopped before the leader on the dais.
"!"
There was no hesitation in her action.
Her gaze was solemn and sharp.
I have always stood unwavering by the leader's side.
Her posture declared it with confidence.
Then, the deputy leader's finger extended decisively. The moment she pointed at the leader standing by the entrance, a furious outcry erupted from the crowd.
Her face twisted in anger as she proclaimed to the believers:
—That is an impostor, a heretic pretending to be the leader!!
『The ability 「Wave Enhancement」, borrowed from Lee Ji-yeong, deputy leader of the Great Peace Sect, has been activated.』
A shrill, hysterical shriek, far surpassing human vocal capacity, shook the chapel.
The sheer density of the noise was enough to send dust trembling from the rafters. There was no doubt—this was the deputy leader's power, carving jagged noise into the very air.
'This is the real deputy leader's ability...!'
Which meant...
'The leader who appeared first is the real one, acknowledged by the deputy leader.'
Following that realization—
"Heretic!"
The saint candidates snarled, glaring at the other leader.
"Heretic! That bastard's a heretic!!"
"That fucking bastard!!"
Encouraged by their words, the saint candidates nodded one by one, raising their voices in unison.
"He's a heretic!!"
"The fake leader is right there!"
"Kill that blasphemer!!"
The saints screamed, straining their vocal cords to the limit. Yet even their shouts couldn't drown out the venomous glares directed at the lone leader. The believers, swayed by the fervor, soon joined in, one after another.
"F-Fake!!"
"Drag out the heretic!"
Just as the leader clenched his jaw so hard the tendons bulged—
『Twists』
Blue eyes flashed with light.
Krrrzzzt—!
In the leader's moment of distraction, his left arm was wrenched into a warping space.
"Gaaahhh—!"
Park Se-eun tore free from his severed arm and lunged forward.
"!"
The leader's eyes frantically chased her retreating figure. But Park Se-eun didn't even glance back at him. She merely wiped the tears streaking her cheeks and kept her gaze fixed on the leader ahead.
Hiking up the long hem of her dress to avoid tripping, she sprinted across the distance without hesitation. When she reached the end, she bent her knees and leapt without pause, throwing herself toward the leader with outstretched arms.
"Damn it..."
Grumbling, the leader nevertheless opened his arms to catch her. Well, what else could he do?
His one and only little sister was sniffling as she threw herself at him.
As her older brother, he had no choice but to catch her.
Thud!
Gray hair scattered against his chest as she collided with him.
The warmth in his arms was accompanied by a muffled sob.
"...B-Bro... W-what do I do if you really come..."
Gazing down at the slender, trembling silver-blue head buried against his chest, the false cult leader smiled bitterly. Though the tone was petulant, there wasn't a trace of actual resentment—only remorse, gratitude, and awkwardness remained within it.
...This child still had a long way to go before learning true honesty.
An incredulous smile crept across the imposter's lips.
"Take away my loyalty and I'm just a corpse, aren't I?"
Though his appearance differed from before, the familiar baritone of family—along with its scent—reached Park Se-eun's senses.
Se-eun lowered her heavy lashes.
Not a trace remained of the tension that had gripped her moments ago.
"Hey, hey, you're getting mascara on my robes. Stop crying already."
"...Just a little longer."
"..."
"...Stay like this just a little longer."
The cult leader's expression smoothed as he wordlessly stroked his sister's back, needing no hesitation to comfort her.
She clung to him, trembling violently. He lacked the heart to push away a crying sister—nor did he want to be that cruel. He could sense her guilt over driving her brother to mortal peril, along with countless other anxieties.
So for now, he pretended not to notice, lending his chest freely. Even as it grew damp with tears, he'd willingly sacrifice this much if it eased her mind.
Besides, he never liked these desert robe getups anyway.
As he absently patted his sister's exposed back, lost in thought—
"...Thank you."
The muffled voice emerged from his chest.
"Bro..."
A whisper so small it seemed stuck in her throat.
His sister likely had much more to say. But for Park Si-hyun, that single word sufficed. The girl who usually called him "hey" or "you," who never uttered "brother" unless in moments like these—what a brat. Yet...
'And here I am getting emotional over something this trivial.'
Si-hyun acknowledged he was just as pathetic.
Still, no matter how many times he reconsidered, it didn't feel bad.
"If you're grateful, buy me dinner later. No homemade crap, though."
He distinctly felt the laughter vibrating against his chest. Gradually, the tremors in her shoulders subsided.
Yeah. This was enough.
Just knowing his family was safe—
That alone overflowed with reasons for enduring everything to reach this point.
"Seize the unbelievers!"
The deputy leader bellowed while activating his ability.
"E-execute the heretic impersonating our leader!"
Lee Ji-hun, the Holy Sword Obsession ability user clad in cult robes, took his cue and shouted after glancing at the deputy.
"E-execute him!!"
Beside him, Jeong Hye-seong—the Corpse Affection ability user—sprang up and roared.
Their faces half-twisted with tears as they desperately yelled.
Otherwise, Park Si-hyun would beat them to a pulp.
Other followers quickly joined the chorus.
"Judgment upon the impostor defiling our leader!"
"To lay hands on our leader is a capital offense!"
Nearly a hundred voices strong.
Those who had infiltrated the Great Peace Sect with Si-hyun.
The genuine followers wavered among the agitators. Even ordinary members now glared at their leader with hostility.
"Protect our leader!!"
The mob surged forward, surrounding and driving the cult leader toward the entrance.
Yet despite their fury, the leader's expression remained unchanged as he clutched his reattached wrist, staring at Si-hyun. No further hesitation lingered in that gaze.
Si-hyun followed the leader's line of sight and turned.
'As expected...'
Every high-ranking member of the Great Peace Sect was glaring at him with icy disdain. Their eyes held none of the reverence reserved for their leader.
Well, with Se-eun sobbing and clinging to him like this, it'd be weirder if they didn't notice.
Not that Si-hyun ever believed such flimsy methods could conquer the Great Peace Sect.
Simply...
"Has the farce concluded?"
The cult leader's voice resonated. By now, dark energy swirled within their vision.
The mist-like darkness seeped from beneath the leader's feet.
Forced Dark Attribute Correction.
Like black dye dispersing through liquid, the undulating darkness gushed from the leader's pupils.
CRACK-CRUMBLE.
The pristine floor beneath the followers collapsed. Pale hands erupted through the gaps.
—KYAAAAAH!
—KEEEEEEH!
Zombies, unmistakably.
Corpses with bloodshot, bulging eyes clawed their way through the shattered floor.
Terrified followers scrambled back toward the podium.
The darkness-wreathed leader advanced without slowing.
The punctured floor seamlessly repaired itself as if nothing had happened.
The chapel darkened under the seething tide of zombies mingling with the panicked crowd.
A subspace skill bestowed by the Lord of Corpses.
Graveyard Coffin.
Necromancers used it to store special corpses separately.
Yet even so...
—KEEEEEEEEH!
No early-stage ability user could unleash thousands of corpses simultaneously.
—KEEEEEEEEEEK!
The flood of zombies showed no signs of stopping.
They kept emerging, rupturing the floor anew.
Jolted alert by the undead shrieks, Park Se-eun's eyes flew wide.
"To think your grand infiltration culminates in such amateurish chaos—how profoundly disappointing."
The sect leader twisted the corner of his mouth.
"Still, I'll commend your courage for barging into enemy territory. That disguise ability deserves recognition too. But—"
He spread his palm open.
"For the sake of honoring our late deputy leader's spirit, you'll die."
A single command was enough.
The high-ranking members lunged at Park Si-hyun's back.
"Oppa...?!"
Park Se-eun jerked her head up. Upon recognizing Si-hyun's face, she froze solid.
"Why don't you just die quietly instead of dragging pretty girls into this?!"
The first to pounce was Inspector Son Yeong-hu.
In that instant, Si-hyun merely turned his head to glance at Yeong-hu—an inorganic gaze that didn't even treat him as human.
Somehow irritated by that look, Yeong-hu smirked arrogantly instead.
"Yeah. Let's see you sob to your little sister with a broken spine!"
Yeong-hu's fist moved. The ability imbued within it was...
『Impact Focus』
Even to Se-eun's eyes, its power was extraordinary. A fist wreathed in heat haze shot forward. The image of Si-hyun's profile being blown away flashed through Se-eun's mind.
She tried hastily activating her ability, but she was too late.
Yeong-hu's fist drove into Si-hyun's cheek. Yet Si-hyun had already seen the punch's trajectory clearly. He chose not to evade regardless.
The moment Se-eun let out a faint scream—
KGWAAAAAANG!
An earthquake rumbled as the ceiling collapsed.
—KEEEEEEK!
A massive palm stitched together from zombies descended from above.
#
The Law Officer pitied him. The sect leader who'd tried to swallow the Great Peace Sect whole.
'So that bastard is Park Si-hyun, Park Se-eun's brother. What a madman. Does he really think he can just crawl in here and devour our entire order?'
The sect leader's appearance, voice, and mannerisms had been replicated perfectly—he'd been thoroughly fooled.
But that was all.
No one in this world could copy abilities too.
The darkness that instinctively made devotees tremble in fear—only the true sect leader could emanate such an aura.
Thus, he felt sympathy for Si-hyun, who'd already penetrated their stronghold.
Only death awaited him now.
GROOOOWL.
"Die."
—KEEEEEEK!
Yes. That shudder-inducing power was unmistakably the Great Peace Sect's leader, who'd seized his opportunity in this world of corpses.
Clicking his tongue, the Law Officer averted his gaze, glancing sideways at the deputy leader protecting the impostor.
'Hmm. Best to assume the deputy leader is already dead. Since he knew the sect leader's abilities, exposing this farce would require either stupidity or—'
Which meant the current deputy leader's identity was singular.
A skill user capable of replicating not just appearances but abilities too.
Unfortunately, the owner of such an impressive ability didn't seem particularly bright.
'If only they'd copied the sect leader's abilities and appearance instead, the situation might've improved.'
Then they could've caused far more effective chaos.
Whatever reasons prevented that didn't matter now—the heretics had essentially dug their own graves.
This pure white tower was the 「Divine Domain」 bestowed by the goddess.
Within it, the goddess's Blessings grew stronger.
Therefore, defeating the sect leader was impossible.
GRGRGRGROOOM!
Thousands of corpses burst through the floor, overrunning the chapel.
A trap prepared specifically for dealing with the dangerous element named 'Park Si-hyun.'
Though perhaps such large-scale preparations were unnecessary.
Because—
'No one on Earth could possibly be stronger than our order.'
Right then—
"Just die already!"
Inspector Son Yeong-hu surged forward faster than anyone.
A man in his early twenties brimming with vigor, whose combat sense and abilities even the Law Officer acknowledged. His only flaw being his weakness for women.
Rumor had it he'd recently demanded the idol girl among the Saintess candidates.
Regardless, with the Inspector joining the fray, the outcome was decided.
Even that powerful skill user who'd ruled over survivors hiding in Seoul had been effortlessly crushed by the Inspector.
No matter how renowned 'Park Si-hyun' had become these past few days, facing the Inspector alone would be overwhelming. The other high-ranking members seemed to share this sentiment, showing no intention of intervening.
Only one person had been trembling anxiously since earlier.
"......Why, why, why is that monster..."
He was just gnawing at his nails relentlessly.
'...Why is that man...?'
It was then that the Law Officer felt something amiss.
"!"
KWAANG!
The chapel's ceiling exploded.
Something emerged through the dust and debris...
—KEEEEEEK!
The hand of a Zombie Swarm.
"Huh...?"
The Inspector, mid-punch, froze solid. A massive hand was descending toward his face.
"Uh, uhhh...!!"
This couldn't happen. He needed a shield.
But when he turned his head, the impostor was already gone—now waving from a distance.
"Hey, bye bye, dumbass. Our Ji-hyeon hated your guts."
'Our... Ji-hyeon?'
GRROOOOM!
The descending hand obliterated the podium.
Yet the giant's fingers stopped just short of the impostor's toes.
The fake sect leader grinned spasmodically while looking up.
Upon the giant's shoulder—where zombie faces writhed—a beautiful woman floated mid-air.
Her brown hair whipped violently in the wind.
Eyes with a brown base that shimmered with multicolored light gazed downward.
『Kang So-eun uses 「Control」 on the 「Zombie Swarm」.』
Dressed in the sexy Saintess candidate outfit, Kang So-eun stood with arms crossed.
Then she drew a cute finger-heart toward Si-hyun with an apologetic expression.
"My bad."
For his mental health, Si-hyun chose to interpret it that way.