Chapter 32: Black God Church

Getting past the barrier isn't really a big deal.

At least for me it's no problem at all. Even with the Demonic Power present, it's not as blatant as it was with Kim Seung-joon.

Yeah, to give an example - it's like the difference between radiation from a nuclear blast that seriously fucks up people, versus the harmless background radiation that's just there naturally.

Of course, prolonged exposure would still be an issue.

But you'd have to be a real dumbass to deliberately hang around sucking up Demonic Power.

Plus, there is equipment to deal with Demonic Power.

It's expensive as hell though, and hardly any Hunters go beyond the barrier anyway.

The government itself isn't particularly enthusiastic about it either.

Even with the Hunter Association's power growing, crossing the barrier means reclaiming territory - which needs government approval.

In the original story from the Hunter Association's perspective, that sparkly bastard Choi Cheol-sik kept telling President Ha Jeong-seok they needed to cross into Incheon and increase the budget for Demonic Power countermeasures. But Ha Jeong-seok shut him down, saying North Korean territory was more important.

Honestly, he's not wrong. Value-wise, taking North Korea with its Gates would be better. Right now Incheon and other areas are unknown territory where you might have to duke it out with Villains, Mutants, and worthless Monsters.

Meanwhile, North Korea could make a lot of money. The Kim dynasty collapsed because they couldn't properly handle the Gates.

North of the DMZ is basically one big Gate party.

Just sweeping up Monster materials and Cores from there would be substantial. That's why Association President Choi Cheol-sik clashed with him.

One side sees it as a pointless war of attrition. The other sees it as a gamble that could have major casualties.

Well, enough rambling. I'm now beyond the barrier.

"Still near Seoul I guess. Demonic Power levels are normal."

The Seoul area seems fine for now.

But as I gradually made my way toward Incheon, I could feel the Demonic Power getting thicker.

Living up to its nickname, I see.

I remember people online used to call it "Hell Incheon" a lot.

I lived in Incheon so I didn't get what they meant, but this world has literally made that a reality.

"Grrrrrr."

A dog-like wild Monster appeared.

Based on the lack of other reactions nearby, it seems to be a remnant from a closed Gate.

I casually burned it to death and spread White Flame to extinguish all the Demonic Power.

I could absorb it, but you know how it is - like picking up food off the ground? No one eats food off the street.

I'm supposed to be an Evil Dragon after all.

Sure, I'm evil, but I'm still the strongest among dragons.

Someone like me can't be picking up scraps. So I extinguished the Demonic Power itself with White Flame and brought out my wings.

"It's awkward but works well."

Flying through the sky after so long feels unfamiliar.

I started flying toward Incheon while spreading White Flame to purify the area.

Feels like I'm a helicopter dropping water on fires.

After flying for a while, I finally found where the Demonic Power had pooled thickly.

Michuhol District.

I spotted a church at its center.

It's completely abandoned now, but it used to be a Black God Church hideout, and there are still Black God Church executives there planning to rise again.

In the end, what Yoo Jin-seok did in the previous work was just a "band-aid fix" and in this work Choi Si-woo had to deal with everything.

Seems like the writer probably created the character of Choi Si-woo with the sequel in mind.

"Seeing the lights openly on, this doesn't seem to be just some creepy shit."

After covering myself in Demonic Power to change from a student uniform to a nun's habit, I slowly entered the church.

"That bastard Kim Jae-soo went and used our Mutants however he wanted. The ones we absolutely needed for Black God Church's revival! Should've known better when he said he'd go alone!"

'Kim Jae-soo. That unlucky bastard' - wow, sick rhyme. And seems like Black God Church got backstabbed by Kim Jae-soo harder than expected.

From what I'm hearing, looks like Kim Jae-soo acted alone - basically stealing and using all of Black God Church's resources.

I guess Black God Church has a right to be pissed.

But man, Black God Church has really gone downhill. Having to rely on one Kim Jae-soo? That says it all.

Then maybe I should put those resources to better use?

"You've got that guy who can open small Gates, right? With that ability, you could take the Academy with just an elite squad."

With just that guy, going back and forth between Black God Church and the Academy would be easy.

Kim Jae-soo probably used his own faction's people, but honestly with just that teleporting executive, it wouldn't be hard.

My casually dropped words got the executives inside all riled up.

"Who's there!"

"Me? The god you're looking for."

So worship me.

I sharply opened my golden eyes and stared them down.

"What the- Those eyes!"

"Mere humans babbling about resurrecting me when I never died. Talking about using vessels and shit."

They're absolute fucking morons.

Let's say they find a vessel - then how the hell do they plan to put my soul in it?

It's all just after-the-fact bullshit.

The 'just do it and see what happens' approach. I mean, my existence here proves it, right?

"How dare this bitch mock our god! Kill her!"

"What are you waiting for? Kill that bitch!"

I sowed Chaos among the followers approaching me on some senile old fuck's orders.

This was magic that Nun Azhi Dahaka once used for a massacre in China.

No need to explain really. You'll see for yourself.

"Ughhhh."

"Grrrrrr."

The followers surrounding me trembled before drawing weapons and starting to kill each other.

"What the hell is happening?"

"Hey, don't kill me!"

"Kyaaaah!"

It was chaos as they killed each other.

These guys are just disposable anyway, and since they're Mutants, they can be revived with Demonic Power within minutes even if they die.

I breathed Demonic Power into the bodies of those who self-destructed in less than a minute.

"Now then, are you all coming to your senses?"

At my command, they got up trembling, their eyes different from before.

"C-could it be... Are you truly our god?"

"I was never a god or anything. I too am someone's creation."

The real Yoo Eun-ha's creation - the writer's. I have no right to be a god.

"To us, Lady Azhi Dahaka is god!"

"You say I'm god. Then why did you attack Hanseong Academy where your god resides?"

The Black God Church executives fell to their knees as I carefully leaked Killing Intent.

"No way."

"After what happened in China, I was reborn."

"Then you actually ascended when you were hit by the nuke back then?"

The fuck did I just say earlier? I said I don't die.

Better bullshit my way through this.

Had to really rack my brains here.

Can't convince these fanatics through normal means.

"I was called by my creator. They said that was enough. Humanity had been sufficiently purified, so now I should save them."

Black God Church's ultimate goal is for the evil dragon Azhi Dahaka to appear again, wipe out humanity, and build a new civilization centered on Black God Church in the purified world.

So this kind of brainwashing should work.

"Is this true?"

"It was, but you lot had the nerve to worship me as god while committing acts of terror and ultimately harming people."

It's honestly fucking ridiculous. They say they worship me, say they'll carry on my will, but they just cause problems everywhere until Yoo Jin-seok serves them some justice. Even then they can't give up, thinking they'll rise again by trusting some bastard like Kim Jae-soo, and end up like this.

"But look at South Korea's President! Is he worth saving? He discriminates against Mutants and labels them all as Villains without question. He even drew the barrier, causing those who couldn't evacuate to Seoul in time to become Mutants from Demonic Power exposure!"

That was some real bullshit.

They locked out perfectly normal people saying they couldn't handle more refugees.

Of course, there were also plenty who got abandoned by the government after refusing to leave their property behind.

Many of Korea's Black God Church members hate the government because of this. No, more like people who were isolated in local areas and came to hate the government ended up joining Black God Church.

"You think I don't know that? But did you try to understand them? After the Great Cataclysm, Mutants appeared and criminals took advantage of the chaos to become Villains. Because of them, even normal Mutants got lumped in as trash."

"Yes. But are you saying we should understand them despite that?"

I get why they're pissed. Honestly, I don't particularly care for humanity either.

I just want this world to exist and have things I care about.

You could call it a protagonist mindset I guess. But I can't abandon the women who love me. Now that I'm like this, living in a ruined world full of Sin would probably feel shitty too.

"Just because you think this country's government is trash, does that mean everyone else completely rejects Mutants too?"

"What are your thoughts, Lady Azhi Dahaka?"

"I'll unite the Mutants into an organization. Then use them to subjugate the real criminal Villain groups to reassure the nation. Will you follow me? Or deny me and live on hating and resenting Hunters and civilians without any foundation?"

I lit White Flame in my right hand as I said this.

Clearly implying death was the only other choice.

"......"

They had no real choice.

After all, the very existence of Azhi Dahaka is Black God Church's reason for existing and gives meaning to those who despair at the world.

Using this church is pretty much impossible now.

Need to go somewhere bigger.

Ah, how about Song-do? I think there was a Villains' penthouse hideout in Song-do New City in the latter part of the work. Since this world was the same as that one before the Great Cataclysm, it might still be there.

"Is Song-do still intact?"

"Yes, Lady Azhi Dahaka."

Seems other Villains haven't moved in yet.

"We'll make that our headquarters. The new city should be better. This place is a bit dangerous for Black God Church."

"Yes."

I actually wanted to set up base here and devour Incheon's Villains, but. Can't forget that Yoo Jin-seok from the previous work is here now.

Fighting Yoo Jin-seok would be pretty awful from his little sister's perspective.

"Hm?"

Among the Black God Church executives bowing and lowering their heads, I noticed one girl standing still, staring blankly.

A calm face completely devoid of emotion.

I know who this child is from reading the original work.

* * *