Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Bubbles and Sparkles
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Bubble, bubble, sparkle, sparkle.
It was a bright, sunny day.
Everyone was at the secret base.
Beneath the sunlight streaming through the open ceiling, everyone was engaged in a special game.
The children each held a small wand to their lips.
On cue, they blew, and soap bubbles emerged from the ends of the wands.
It was a bubble toy Red had brought.
But it wasn't just any toy.
It was a toy that changed shape according to the blower's imagination.
Indeed, thanks to the children's imaginations, bubbles of all shapes and sizes floated away.
Rabbits, tigers, bears, cakes, bread, stars—all sorts of shapes decorated the sky.
“What’s that?”
Following Lena's pointed finger, I saw a bubble that resembled my face.
What in the world is that?
I had a pretty good idea who was responsible. Looking over at the boys, I saw them rubbing their noses proudly.
Ugh.
I put the wand to my lips and blew.
A sharp, spiky bubble, a product of my own imagination, popped it.
“Aww… I worked so hard on that.”
A cry of dismay came from the boys.
The girls giggled.
Just then, a strong gust of wind swept through.
The bubbles rode the wind, soaring high toward the open ceiling.
The children stared blankly at the countless bubbles shimmering in the sunlight.
As I blew a new bubble, the other children began to blow theirs with even more excitement.
Bubble, bubble, sparkle, sparkle.
Bubble, bubble, sparkle, sparkle.
Everyone wore joyful smiles, their eyes and hearts captivated by the beautiful sight.
Warm laughter floated up with the bubbles into the clear sky.
“I wish days like this could last forever.”
Me too.
I echoed Lena’s murmured wish.
Hoping these peaceful moments would last for a long, long time.
***
A strange, tense atmosphere hung between the two men.
Gray, the leader and High Priest of the Cult of the Grim Reaper, stared at his visitor.
Black hair and narrow, snake-like eyes.
His handsome face was remarkably gentle. A kind smile gave him a soft impression, but it also held a strange, unsettling quality.
A man like a snake, his true intentions hidden.
Because of this, Gray couldn't let his guard down, maintaining a somber demeanor unlike the man's cheerful greeting.
The man, however, paid no mind to the grave and dignified atmosphere.
A gentle smile remained on his lips.
He shook his head, still smiling.
“Aren’t you being a bit too stiff for a friend? Relax a little.”
“A friend… I don’t believe the concept of friendship suits our relationship…”
“Well, we may not have a friendship, but we still share the same desire.”
“The same desire?”
“Yes. You and I both wish for the Grim Reaper’s advent.”
“…”
Gray lowered his gaze slightly.
Lost in thought, he recalled his first meeting with the man.
When the Cult of the Grim Reaper had just begun to form, the man had approached him, introducing himself as ‘Han Yiyeon’.
Yiyeon had offered his wisdom to help the cult achieve its grand purpose.
The cult, in need of people, accepted him.
Since then, Yiyeon had demonstrated his wisdom, helping the cult grow.
With Yiyeon's timely advice, the Cult of the Grim Reaper had grown astonishingly.
According to him, he could read the flow of the world.
In other words, he could see the future.
And indeed, the world unfolded just as he said it would.
It was too accurate to be dismissed as mere coincidence.
The Cult of the Grim Reaper, acknowledging his abilities and contributions, bestowed upon him the title, ‘The One with True Wisdom’.
In essence, Yiyeon was the cult's benefactor.
After all, his power had been crucial to the cult's growth.
However, Gray, the leader, did not trust Yiyeon.
Gray raised his gaze and met Yiyeon's eyes.
“Our desire is indeed the same. But having the same desire doesn't mean we want the same outcome. We, the Cult of the Grim Reaper, seek to bring rest and peace to this land through death. But you… you just want destruction, don't you?”
Their goal was the same, but their aims were different.
He worried that this subtle difference might eventually cause a rift between them.
The two were not friends.
They were simply in a relationship of mutual need and use, for the sake of their own objectives.
An unstable relationship where one could stab the other in the back once their usefulness expired or their goal was achieved.
He acknowledged Yiyeon's dedication, but a man who concealed his true intentions was difficult to trust, forcing him to be ever more vigilant.
At Gray’s warning-laced words, Yiyeon simply shrugged.
“Isn't it all the same? The finish line is the same, after all.”
“In any case, to answer your question, yes, it happened as you said. I hear Isaac fell at the hands of the Crime Killer.”
“False wisdom scatters blood across the vast land, making a place for death. Having served its purpose, the false wisdom shall be pierced by the fist of one who upholds justice. Heheheh… He was a man well worth using.”
A cynical smile played on Yiyeon's lips.
Gray nodded in agreement.
“He was a foolish man. That made him easy to use.”
“He was convinced he was using us, but in reality, he was dancing in the palm of our hands. He probably didn't realize it even at the moment of his death.”
Isaac had been a rather useful pawn.
Isaac's power, his wealth, his various pieces of information, and so on.
By thoroughly exploiting everything he had, they were able to prepare their plans smoothly.
And after his death, the world fell into even greater chaos.
He was a man who was helpful even in death.
“Now, only one prophecy remains for us. We just need to break the faith of the one who upholds justice and turn her fist toward the city.”
“Right. Then, just as we desire, the Grim Reaper will descend upon this land.”
Yiyeon sat down on a worn-out pew.
He stretched his arms high above his head.
Letting out a groan.
“Things are about to get busy.”
“But it won't be as easy as it sounds. Her mental fortitude is formidable. We might be the ones to fall to her fists first.”
Red was strong in both body and mind.
Red's power was destructive, and many of our members have fallen at her hands.
Even now, at this very moment.
Of course, the more she involves herself with us, the more advantageous it is.
It means more contact, more opportunities to disturb her mind.
But Red's mind was like an impregnable fortress, which was proving to be a challenge.
At Gray's concern, Yiyeon laughed and waved his hand dismissively.
“Hahaha, don't worry.”
As he said that, Yiyeon slightly opened one eye.
A red iris was revealed.
At the sight of the deep, blood-tinged eye, Gray unknowingly furrowed his brow.
It was unnervingly red.
Yiyeon gave a gentle smile. Paired with that eerie eye, the smile looked incredibly sinister.
“Corruption is simple. You just need to give a little push from behind. Then, they’ll fall on their own.”
“You underestimate her mental strength. Such complacency and arrogance could lead to failure.”
“Is that so? In a world like this, it's difficult to maintain goodwill. People like that are the easiest to break.”
For the moment he uttered those words, his usual demeanor was replaced by a serious one, prompting Gray to ask.
“Speaking from experience…?”
“…Perhaps.”
Yiyeon closed his eye again and shrugged.
“Anyway, put your worries aside. Besides, we have some reliable friends on our side.”
Yiyeon turned his head to the side.
Gray followed Yiyeon's gaze.
From the darkness, where the candlelight did not reach, two figures emerged.
Recognizing the two faces, Gray's eyes narrowed.
“The surviving Seven Deadly Sins…”
The Seven Deadly Sins.
A title referring to criminals whose influence rivaled that of the underworld's Four Great Organizations.
Five of the seven had already been taken down by Red.
Gray now understood why Yiyeon had been absent from their recent meetings.
Yiyeon introduced the two in a friendly manner.
“Meet Greed and Wrath. I had a tough time getting them to be friends.”
“If those two join us, they will certainly be a great asset. But… can we trust them? The mindset they pursue is completely different from ours.”
Wanting to be the best, to have power, to sit in a high position, and so on.
Most people are faithful to their desires.
Just as those in darkness yearn for the light.
People of the underworld have a very strong tendency toward this.
Among them, the seven sinners could be called the pinnacle of desire.
They are honest about their desires, striving to reach their dreams.
In other words, they have a great attachment to life.
The complete opposite of the Cult of the Grim Reaper, which desires the end.
Would such people really lend their strength to the resurrection of the Grim Reaper?
Understanding his concern, Yiyeon waved his hand dismissively.
“It's fine. We share a common enemy. You know what they say. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“If you say so.”
Gray set aside his anxiety.
He trusted that Yiyeon knew what he was doing.
His prayers finished, Gray walked toward the door to leave the cathedral.
Then, as if remembering something, he stopped abruptly, turned his head, and spoke.
“By the way, what about that list Isaac made of people to watch?”
“Ah, that. We can just get rid of it, can't we? We only made it to fool Isaac in the first place.”
“Is that so…”
Gray fell into thought, recalling a certain girl Isaac had taken note of.
At his strange attitude, Yiyeon tilted his head.
“Why? Did you find something unusual?”
“No. There's just someone who might be useful to our plans, and I was thinking of using her. I asked because I was worried it might distort the prophecy.”
“Really? No problem. If you think she’s useful, do as you please.”
“Understood.”
With that, Gray left.
***
Left alone in the sanctuary, Yiyeon sent the remaining two outside as well.
Inside the silent cathedral.
Alone now, Yiyeon rose from the pew and stood before the statue of the Grim Reaper.
—*Having the same desire doesn't mean we want the same outcome. We, the Cult of the Grim Reaper, seek to bring rest and peace to this land through death. But you… you just want destruction, don't you?*
As Gray's recent words echoed in his mind, a faint, derisive smile touched his lips.
Yiyeon bowed his head low.
He placed one hand on the statue and covered his mouth with the other.
A quiet, ominous laugh escaped, breaking the silence.
Yiyeon's hand and shoulders trembled.
The more he laughed, the more a black aura flowed from his entire body.
The eerie energy made the already chilly building feel even heavier and colder.
After laughing for a long while, the aura dissipated. He removed his hand and stared at the Grim Reaper's statue.
His tightly shut, narrow eyes slowly opened.
His red eyes were terribly cold.
“Hahaha, how pathetic. No matter what meaning you assign to death, it's still just death. I wonder, does the Grim Reaper also try to give meaning to death?”
The doctrine of the Cult of the Grim Reaper was utterly ridiculous.
Death was simply death.
Nothing more, nothing less.
“Hey, Grim Reaper. If you’re a god, can you tell me why I was dropped into this world?”
Yiyeon recalled his past.
He had been walking while reading a webtoon on his phone when, suddenly, a loud noise was followed by his vision turning completely white.
And when he opened his eyes, it was a new world.
He had been transported.
Into the world of the comic he had just been reading.
There was no answer to Yiyeon's cold question.
The statue’s mouth did not move.
Not that he had expected an answer. He closed his eyes.
Then he turned his back indifferently.
“Good thing that troublesome guy is dead.”
In the webtoon, Isaac was the protagonist's ally.
His arrogant personality was a flaw, but as a transmigrator, he knew more than others and had abilities that made him a source of strength for the protagonist.
He was one of the troublesome people who stood in the way of his own plans.
Yiyeon smiled, pleased.
The sound of his long strides echoed through the cathedral.
Just as he was getting closer to the door, he was getting closer to his goal.
*‘Everything for that one single purpose.’*
Yiyeon remembered bits and pieces of the webtoon's plot.
In a dystopian world, the protagonist wholeheartedly helps the religious leader, Gray, to spread hope. That was the story.
Normally, one might use their knowledge and power to usurp the protagonist's role or to help them wholeheartedly as a supporter.
But Yiyeon chose a different path.
For his own purpose, he had eliminated the protagonist with his own hands.
He had tainted Gray with madness.
He had twisted the original story.
*‘I will never forgive this city that abandoned me.’*
Behind his cheerful, pleasant impression, he harbored a bitter desire for revenge.
Yiyeon kicked the door open and stepped outside.