Chapter 36
Meanwhile...
One week had passed.
Central western forest.
Serim Guild’s territory.
Bong Taesu looked at Suhyeok’s motionless body.
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
“...Ha.”
He sat beside him.
“You told me to trust you.”
Taesu sighed.
“So what is this?”
He looked frustrated.
“How long are you planning to stay like that?”
On the day Suhyeok said he would die...
Taesu had not easily accepted it.
If even one thing went wrong...
Everything would be over.
Hyung... no matter how I think about it, this is too dangerous.
Taesu had looked deeply worried.
We still have time.
Wouldn’t it be better to think about this carefully first?
But Suhyeok’s answer had never changed.
He spoke as though it were nothing.
“I’m trusting you.”
Taesu stared at Suhyeok.
Then...
Someone nudged him with an elbow.
He blinked.
The scenery around him had changed.
He was walking somewhere with the others.
Yumi frowned.
“What are you spacing out for?”
She gestured ahead.
“We’re about to go inside.”
Then she warned him,
“Get your head together.”
Yumi sighed.
“And don’t start panicking once we’re in there.”
Taesu laughed awkwardly.
“R-Right.”
He scratched his head.
“Sorry, Miss Yumi.”
They reached the Central Portal.
The area was filled with people wearing white religious robes.
A middle-aged woman approached.
“Oh my.”
She smiled.
“You’ve finally arrived.”
Her eyes looked strange.
“It is a great honor.”
She bowed.
“Our Cult Leader personally asked me to guide all of you.”
She gestured inside.
“Please come this way.”
The surrounding believers all had the same strange look in their eyes.
Even while walking...
Taesu could feel their gazes following him from behind.
They entered the meeting room.
Silence filled the space.
Taesu froze slightly.
“......!”
He looked at the Guild Masters already inside.
Their expressions were lifeless.
Their eyes looked empty.
W-What is this...?
Choi Wonseok smiled gently.
“You’re all here.”
He politely gestured toward the prepared seats.
“There is something important we need to discuss.”
The three Guild Masters looked uncomfortable.
But eventually...
They sat.
Choi Wonseok began.
“Haha.”
“As everyone here knows...”
He folded his hands.
“Lee Suhyeok is dead.”
His smile remained.
“The problem is that we don’t know who killed him.”
Choi Wonseok looked toward the three.
“I’ve already spoken with the others.”
Then he tilted his head.
“But I never had a chance to ask the three of you.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Do you know anything?”
Jang Haksu of Haegwang folded his arms.
“We don’t.”
His voice was cold.
“Taesan controlled that area.”
He frowned.
“So how would we know?”
Kang Dongwoo leaned back.
“If anything...”
He looked toward the other Guild Masters.
“Shouldn’t you be questioning Myth?”
He shrugged.
“They controlled another part of the eastern forest.”
Then he frowned.
“And why has everyone been acting so lifeless this whole time?”
Choi Wonseok rested his chin on both hands.
“Oh.”
His smile became wider.
“I forgot to tell you something.”
Everyone looked at him.
“The Taesan Guild Master was killed by Lee Suhyeok.”
The room froze.
Choi Wonseok continued.
“The Jang Youngho who attended the previous meeting...”
He smiled.
“Was actually Lee Suhyeok.”
Lee Serim frowned.
“Then it’s even more obvious that we wouldn’t know anything.”
She gestured around.
“And bringing this many people to the Central Portal...”
Before she could finish...
Choi Wonseok lowered his head.
“Pfft...”
His shoulders trembled.
“Hehe...”
Then...
“Hahahahaha!”
An ominous laugh spread through the entire room.
He slowly raised his head.
“Oh, forgive me.”
He smiled.
“I just couldn’t hold back anymore.”
Then his expression went cold.
“The more I think about it...”
His eyes narrowed.
“‘Of course we wouldn’t know anything’...?”
The Five Great Guild Masters suddenly stood.
“......!”
Their bodies moved strangely.
Like wooden dolls.
Their faces twitched unnaturally.
Choi Wonseok sighed.
“There are far too many heretics here.”
His voice became calm again.
“At this rate, handling things in the future will become troublesome.”
He gestured toward the other Guild Masters.
“Thankfully...”
He smiled.
“The others have already agreed to follow my will.”
His eyes shone.
“Isn’t that wonderful?”
Everyone tried to stand.
Then...
Grip.
Their bodies froze.
Invisible force wrapped around them.
Taesu and the others were trapped as well.
Choi Wonseok looked impressed.
“Oh?”
He studied them.
“As expected.”
His smile deepened.
“Even after going this far...”
His eyes narrowed.
“Ideological Control still doesn’t work on you.”
He shrugged.
“Well.”
“That can be handled slowly.”
Choi Wonseok walked around the table.
Then he asked again.
“So I’ll ask one more time.”
His smile disappeared.
“Where did you hide him?”
Taesu trembled violently.
But he still struggled to move.
“You think we’ll fall for that kind of nonsense?”
His voice shook.
“Just kill me instead!”
Choi Wonseok looked genuinely surprised.
“Bong Taesu.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You’re the first person to resist this strongly.”
Then he smiled.
“You truly are different.”
Taesu continued fighting the restraint.
Choi Wonseok calmly waved one hand.
“But there’s no need to be angry.”
His smile became colder.
“I wasn’t planning to force the answer out of you.”
He looked toward the door.
“It should already be finished by now.”
Taesu frowned.
“What do you mean...?”
Creeeak.
The door opened.
“Cult Leader.”
A man wearing white robes entered.
“I brought him as you ordered.”
He dragged someone inside.
Suhyeok.
Taesu’s eyes widened.
“Hyung!!”
He desperately tried to move.
But his body remained completely frozen.
Choi Wonseok smiled.
“You arrived already?”
He turned toward the white-robed man.
“There must have been resistance.”
“You’ve worked hard, Cardinal Chukyeong.”
The man bowed.
“Not at all.”
His voice was emotionless.
“Everyone else fled and disappeared.”
He looked at Suhyeok.
“So bringing him was actually easy.”
Choi Wonseok nodded.
“Excellent.”
His smile deepened.
“Your loyalty is admirable.”
The man bowed.
“Thank you, Cult Leader.”
Suhyeok was placed on the center of the circular table.
Choi Wonseok took out a dagger shaped like a cross.
Then he slowly approached.
“In truth...”
His voice became gentle again.
“By God’s name, all of you should be executed as heretics.”
He smiled.
“But sadly...”
His eyes curved.
“Everyone here is still a child of God.”
He raised the dagger.
“So instead...”
“I hope you all live happily as members of the Order.”
He stood directly over Suhyeok.
The dagger rose above his heart.
Choi Wonseok smiled.
Then...
He stabbed downward.
STAB!
The blade pierced directly into Suhyeok’s chest.
He slowly pulled it out.
Blood spread across Suhyeok’s clothes.
Then across the table.
Taesu screamed.
“AAAAAAAH!!”
His voice cracked.
But something was strange.
The other five Guild Masters...
Were smiling.
As though...
They had been waiting for this moment.
Taesu looked betrayed.
“Why are you smiling?!”
His voice shook.
“How... How can you smile right now?!”
BOOM!
The door suddenly flew open.
Someone entered.
Taesu stared.
His eyes widened.
“W-Wait.”
His mouth fell open.
“H-Hyung...?”
Suhyeok stood there.
Leon and Seong-a were beside him.
Both stared at Taesu’s tear-covered face with disgust.
Leon grimaced.
[Ugh! Look at him, nya.]
He pointed.
[He looks incredibly ugly.]
Then he shuddered.
[A-And really dirty too, nya!]
Seong-a nodded seriously.
“That mister is ugly.”
Choi Wonseok looked just as shocked.
He stared between the corpse on the table...
And Suhyeok standing in front of him.
“H-How...?”
He could not understand.
He had stabbed Suhyeok’s heart.
How was he standing there?
Then...
A message appeared before Choi Wonseok.
[The number of followers obeying you is rapidly decreasing.]
[Followers: 114]
[Mental Power is rapidly decreasing.]
Thud.
Choi Wonseok dropped to his knees.
“This...”
His expression collapsed.
“This can’t be happening...”
For a moment...
He wondered whether the Cardinal had betrayed him.
But he knew that was impossible.
Taesu looked completely confused.
“What... What the hell is going on, hyung?”
He pointed toward the table.
“You were just lying there...”
Then he froze.
“Huh?”
Only after Yumi explained everything did Taesu calm down.
He stared at them.
“So...”
He looked offended.
