Chapter 55 When You Think You've Won, That's When You've Truly Won
When You Think You've Won, That's When You've Truly Won
Episode 56
KWAHAAAAANG!
『Kang So-eun 「controls」 the 「Zombie Swarm」.』
The temple, believed to stand firm for eternity, was destroyed. A massive hand breached its walls, shrouding the ceiling.
"Ah, ah..."
At this moment, the believers' minds were in turmoil.
They had trembled in fear every day, fleeing from zombies.
No matter how desperately they searched, the gods of Earth never answered their prayers—only the Great Peace Sect had performed visible miracles in this darkened world.
None of them had seriously believed in the cult before joining.
They had pledged themselves to the Great Peace Sect for one reason alone: to survive.
But when they offered sincere prayers to the goddess, she mercifully answered.
Just days ago, she had descended a sacred temple upon the earth, granting those who prayed within it the stats needed to survive in the Tower.
A glimmer of hope had appeared. But now, even that hope stood at a perilous crossroads.
The temple, the symbol of their faith, had crumbled.
And standing there, just like Kang So-eun, was a false sect leader who blew them a hand-heart.
Kang So-eun, too, blew a hand-kiss toward Park Si-hyun as if she found him adorable.
#
The law officer couldn't overcome his shock.
The sudden intrusion of the Zombie Swarm had left even his eyeballs stiff with tension.
The zombies bound by the giant hand thrashed wildly, struggling to break free from the mass of limbs.
Up close, it was even more horrifying than he had imagined. But what weighed on him more was the crushing despair in his heart.
The 「Zombie Swarm」.
It had been a weapon meant to protect the temple.
—KIIIIEEEEEEK!
But now, it had fallen into enemy hands. And with it, they had smashed the temple itself.
This... How disgraceful. The terror he felt was secondary. What overwhelmed him was the guilt of having failed the goddess.
But then—
KWAHAAAAANG!
The giant hand rose into the air. The shattered podium fragments scattered in all directions.
Yet, as if guided by some force, they avoided the people and smashed into the walls instead.
The petrified law officer was reminded of a fear he had forgotten.
...Just five steps.
Had he been standing just that much closer, he would have met the same fate as Son Yeong-hu.
Amid the crushed floor, glimpses of crimson debris were visible. But none of that registered in his mind anymore.
The mere fact that he had almost died was enough to make his legs go weak.
Just who in the world would dare pull off such an absurd stunt?
For the sake of the sect, he had to find out.
His gaze turned to the hole torn in the temple. Beyond it, the open sky.
A fierce wind scattered his brown hair.
Someone was flying through the air without a single foothold.
A Holy Maiden candidate. Any believer would recognize the pure white dress at a glance.
"The... the offerings...?"
Cold sweat dripped from his chin.
Had a mere Holy Maiden candidate stolen the Zombie Swarm?
'Could it be... that woman infiltrated the Holy Maidens' Sanctuary and freed them?'
Impossible.
The 「Holy Maidens' Sanctuary」 was a divine domain.
They hadn't just randomly imprisoned unknown beauties there for no reason.
The Holy Maidens' Sanctuary was a prison from which no one could escape, no matter their power. It was maintained by divine might—indestructible by any means.
And yet...
'The proof of the 「Holy Maidens' Sanctuary」 being destroyed is right before my eyes. The offerings have all escaped safely.'
Only the sect leader could release the Holy Maidens' Sanctuary.
Even the deputy leader only had permission to come and go.
That was why, when the sect leader first brought all the offerings out, though it was strange, they had believed without question that he was the real leader.
But now, even that absolute divine domain had been breached...
'Did we overestimate the power of the gods?'
He had heard that the world held as many abilities as there were people.
Honestly, what power any individual might be born with was an unknown.
But for an ability to be this overwhelming...
The sect leader's words echoed in his mind.
—We are the chosen ones, even within the Tower. On this Earth, there is no one who can oppose us.
But now?
'Come to think of it, on the first day the Tower appeared, I heard that the races within it descended to hunt Earthlings. Could it be that among them, someone brought this opportunity?'
There was no other explanation.
'Let's admit it... The Great Peace Sect may be facing an unprecedented crisis.'
But their fighting spirit wasn't broken yet.
It was still unknown how much of the Zombie Swarm had been stolen, and they still held the advantage in sheer numbers.
So they couldn't be stopped by a mere trial like this. He would not betray the faith he had pledged to the sect leader.
'Sect Leader. I believe in you.'
Once, he had been caught in petty power struggles and expelled from the legal world—until the sect leader saved him.
Since then, the future the sect leader spoke of had come to pass with near-perfect accuracy.
Hadn't that only deepened his devout belief in the Great Peace Sect?
...We will continue to grow stronger.
With our leader who knows the future by our side...
'Our sect will never fall, no matter the circumstances.'
The Law Enforcer clenched his fists and glared at Kang So-eun.
But then—
Crackle.
A radiant light shimmered in Kang So-eun's eyes.
It was as if she were gazing down upon all creation from above.
Her bearing was lofty, as though she were stepping over a chapel beneath her feet.
The Law Enforcer didn't like that look, but he forced himself to steady his mind.
'Right. There's no need to panic.'
Everything was still under control.
"..."
He looked past the fake sect leader—toward the real one.
And then his eyes widened in shock.
"Huh?"
The sect leader's pupils were trembling violently.
#
The sect leader's clown mask quivered.
Thousands of zombies surged from the ground. To an outsider, it would have looked like an unstoppable tide, as though he had summoned an entire army.
And yet, despite that overwhelming force... an unease greater than anything he had ever felt refused to fade.
All because of her.
The Saintess Candidate, gazing down upon the earth with golden eyes.
Her sheer presence alone dominated the space, pressing down with an oppressive weight.
'The control over the horde was stolen from me without my knowledge... But it's fine. The remaining four are still intact. There's no reason... to panic.'
The sect leader gritted his teeth and raised his hand.
To his followers, he was the symbol of their faith.
No matter what, he could not afford to show even a flicker of hesitation as their supreme leader.
With the most composed expression he could muster, he signaled to the terrace with his eyes.
Click, click, click.
The fanatics waiting on the second floor aimed their anti-materiel rifles at the enemies below.
"The Saintess's older brother... Park Si-hyun, was it?"
The fake sect leader—presumably Park Si-hyun—let out a dry chuckle.
"Un-fucking-believable. This little shit. Who the hell gave you the right to call my sister a 'Saintess'? Some Shakespeare-obsessed old fart. Go drop dead."
The fake sect leader lost his temper, slapping a hand over his face.
His identity had been exposed long ago. No—he had never bothered to hide it in the first place.
Because there was no need to hunt them down one by one when he could wipe them all out right here.
『「Optimal Progression」 adjustment reverted.』
Crunch.
The sound of bones shifting echoed unnaturally as his body writhed.
The light of 「Depicts」 scattered from his face.
His long hair shortened, transforming into black strands.
As the light faded, the man—now standing at 186 cm—lowered his hand from his face.
"Ah..."
Park Se-eun, still cradled in his arms, froze for a moment before her face flushed red. An inevitable reaction, as a woman.
Because no woman could resist being entranced by that face.
His features blurred like dissolving paint before settling back into their original form.
"Ah, finally comfortable."
A face that unmistakably resembled Park Se-eun's—
"Trying to live with that greasy face was unbearable."
Park Si-hyun's true appearance, one that commanded admiration regardless of race, was now fully revealed.
"...?!"
Even the fanatics, who had been seething with hostility, momentarily lost their minds upon seeing him.
The sect leader himself was stunned when he laid eyes on Park Si-hyun directly.
As much as it infuriated him... he couldn't deny it.
'Damn it.'
There was no one more handsome than Park Si-hyun. That much was undeniable.
Thud. Thud.
"Why the hell did you grow your hair out so long? It was so annoying I thought I'd die."
Park Si-hyun strode forward, shaking off the cumbersome sect leader robes as though they were nothing.
Park Se-eun, still in his arms, had completely forgotten the situation, her face burning up to her neck.
The sight of it made the sect leader's expression twist in displeasure.
"Hey, cult leader. Stop ignoring people and answer me already."
"Such insolence!"
A fanatic shouted at Park Si-hyun. Sure, they were shocked by his looks, but disrespecting the sect leader was unforgivable.
"No wonder you've lived so confidently—your face does carry its weight. But this time, you've gone too far."
Zombies rose among the fanatics, surrounding Park Si-hyun.
"O Leader."
The Law Enforcer, the Deputy, and the Executioner appeared behind the sect leader—having moved there unnoticed.
Fanatics and warriors whose presence alone set them apart.
Combined with the zombies erupting from the ground, their numbers easily reached the tens of thousands.
With a force like this, defeat was impossible for the Great Peace Sect.
'T-This is...'
Park Se-eun bit her lip.
She had been so distracted by her brother's face that she hadn't even noticed their surroundings.
'...You idiot, this wasn't the time to be staring at this bastard!'
She slapped her own cheek in frustration, berating herself for spacing out over her brother again.
But still—
—Grrrr.
"Heretic!!"
'There's too many...'
The area was packed with fanatics and zombies.
Unable to bear the tension any longer, she looked up at her brother.
And yet—
"Ah, this is so healer-coded."
Her brother was sending finger hearts to Kang So-eun and the Deputy Leader.
"......?"
Both the deputy sect leader and Kang So-eun didn't seem to dislike it either, accepting it with pouty expressions.
'Wait, hey, what the hell are you doing?!'
Furious, she glared at Park Si-hyun. But she quickly deduced his state of mind.
'Ah, I see. Sorry...'
Her brother's heart must have been so scorched black that even burning to ashes wouldn't be enough.
Surrounded by this overwhelming horde, he was probably in denial about reality.
'This time, I have to save my brother.'
She didn't want to burden him with worry anymore.
Park Se-eun stepped forward.
"...Thanks for coming to save me. But it's fine now. You should run while you still can."
She had suspected it ever since the basement was filled with zombies.
That he could summon all those zombies at once.
This was her failure—she hadn't warned her brother in time.
No, the fact that her brother was in this crisis at all was her fault.
So she had to be the one to end it.
But.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Huh?"
Park Se-eun turned around in confusion. A fist came into view.
"Eh—?"
WHAM!
"GAAAH—!!"
A searing shock spread from the top of her skull, making her clutch her head. Groaning and whimpering, she shot Park Si-hyun a resentful glare.
"...Ow, ow, ow, you fucking psycho! What the hell was that for?!"
"Why are you being so damn serious? Is this really something to be so serious about?"
"Huh...?"
What kind of nonsense was this now...? Had he finally lost it like their sister...?
WHOOSH!
In an instant, Park Se-eun's face turned golden as she looked back at Park Si-hyun.
HUM. HUM. HUM.
From inside Park Si-hyun's sect robes, a cross-shaped necklace began to glow.
The moment he clenched the necklace—
CRACK!
A surge of light erupted from his grip.
『Summoning the Holy Sword of Sacrifice.』
The dim air of the chapel recoiled.
...That power was Sacred Power.
A holy radiance, the natural enemy of the undead, blazed from Park Si-hyun's hand.
"Finally, I can stop being called 'auntie.'"
The deputy sect leader, who had been walking toward them, flickered like a mirage. From within it, a beauty with a brown-dyed ponytail burst forth.
Kim Seon-hwa pressed her shoulder against Park Si-hyun's. Their hands reached out in unison.
"Time to act like a fresh-faced college girl."
"I heard you really emphasized the 'college girl' part in your PR."
Park Si-hyun and Kim Seon-hwa's pupils emitted a faint golden light.
『Borrowing Park Si-hyun's 「Amplify」.』
『Borrowing Park Si-hyun's 「Holy Power (Common)」.』
『Borrowing Park Si-hyun's 「Mana Transport (Rare)」.』
『Borrowing Park Si-hyun's 「Mana Stat」.』
"If there weren't hostages, the Great Peace Sect would be nothing."
Park Si-hyun muttered as he and Kim Seon-hwa raised the holy sword together.
"Just a bunch of weaklings."
『「Seize」 steals the stats of all 「hostile」 targets.』
『Park Si-hyun's Mana Stat [648]』
Sacred Power concentrated into the holy sword. Kim Seon-hwa's power surged into Park Si-hyun's Sacred Power as if merging with it.
The Sacred Power, which had been channeling light along the blade, erupted in spheres.
UUUUUUUUUM!
Spheres composed of pure Sacred Power began to glow.
The zombies exposed to it screamed instinctively.
The sect leader's complexion changed drastically.
『Kim Seon-hwa's 「Amplify」 amplifies Park Si-hyun's 「Amplify」.』
『「Amplify」 upgrades 「Holy Power (Common)」 to 「Holy Power (Hero)」.』
『「Holy Power (Hero)」 is transported via 「Mana Transport」.』
"You were the ones who started this."
FWOOOOOSH!
The afterimage of the released light flipped the air. Hundreds—no, thousands—of lines of light.
In their trajectory stood Lee Ji-hun, the 「Holy Sword Obsession」 user, and Jeong Hye-seong, the 「Corpse Affection」 user.
A single beam of light, as foretold.
Their faces froze in horror.
'That motherfucker, did he really just fire?!'
'GAAAAH! YOU SON OF A BITCH!!'
『Sage of Impurity Perk』
『When performing impure acts, magic power increases by 110%』
"GAAAAAAH!"
Lee Ji-hun and Jeong Hye-seong desperately threw themselves at each other. The light grazing them grew even brighter. What began as a single beam multiplied, spreading in all directions. The surroundings burned white-hot.
FWAAAAAM!
No one could clearly see what happened next.
Only the overwhelming pressure of light pressing against their skin. And the sight of zombies fading into nothingness.
All things evil were erased before the light.
The wave of Sacred Power, now luminescent, expanded in a circular blast. The light dyed the sect members.
Even the sect leader's vision was swallowed by radiance.
"!"
When the briefly unconscious sect leader frantically opened his eyes again, much had changed.
"..."
Every zombie in the path of the light had evaporated without a trace. Only ashes remained, pressed into the chapel floor where they had once stood.
Witnessing this clearly, the sect leader let out a dry laugh.
"......"
Park Si-hyun, however, hadn't moved an inch from his spot.
As if there had been no need to.
The glowing holy sword rested on his shoulder.
"You're so fucking weak, you should call your mommy."
Park Si-hyun smirked.