Chapter 118:
Chapter 118:
Chapter 118
What an ordinary human needed to become a god was a painful and miserable death. The greater the resentment, the more powerful the soul after death. To achieve this, dying in an ordinary manner wouldn't suffice. The target for deification should not die of old age or from natural causes, as it lacked mystique and wouldn't capture anyone's attention. It needed to linger in people's memories and be passed down through stories for a long time. A prominent figure had to die tragically and dramatically to qualify as a god. In that sense, Yu Harang had the potential to become a god.
"After Yu Harang, our leader, dies, we will create a statue of our leader and endlessly share stories about her!"
Even if a child dies on the street, people will soon forget about it. But what if a girl revered as the leader chooses death for everyone's sake? Her fame would soar as her story spread from one person's lips to another.
In his past life, Seo Gangrim and Shin Sooah had been shocked and couldn't comprehend his actions. They had asked each other.
[Why did this person, Yu Sun-min, try to kill Yu Harang? He had a high rank, so he could have received a strong god without resorting to such extreme measures.]
Other people had no choice but to be weak, but Yu Sun-min was different. Considering his Destiny, it should have been easy for him to receive divine blessing.
In reality, several gods had shown interest in him.
At that time, Shin Sooah had chuckled and said, [Maybe he wanted a god he could control.]
Manshins had to obey the commands of their patron gods. If their luck was bad, their will would be completely severed, and they would live only as servants of their patron god. However, what if one could control that god?
"If we believe, she will become a god. The god doesn't choose us, we choose the god!"
He shouted, his eyes flashing with madness. He looked like a man possessed.
"Of course, death will be painful. But Yu Harang, our leader, is prepared for everything!"
Even when faced with the declaration that they would kill her, Yu Harang made no resistance. Yu Sun-min knelt in front of Yu Harang and pleaded, "Your Holiness Yu Harang, the time has come."
"..."
"For the sake of us pitiful ones, become our god, please."
Upon hearing those words, Yu Harang looked down at Yu Sun-min with vacant eyes. She appeared like a doll from which the soul had departed.
Yu Harang slowly nodded.
"Yes. I will become a god for you."
It was a voice without fear or hesitation. Yu Sun-min smiled broadly, stood up, and led the people downstairs. Facing the believers, he said, "Now, let's get started."
In response to Yu Sun-min's command, the believers brought torches. They were to set fire to the top of the tower. Now, this wooden tower would turn into a pile of firewood to cremate Yu Harang.
People watched the scene unfold.
[Why does the church only accept weak people?]
[Because weak people are the most desperate.]
Cults entice desperate individuals. Desperation turns into belief, and belief becomes power. Belief was the most significant fuel for any religion.
Amidst the hundreds of people looking up at Yu Harang, Yu Sun-min smiled. It was the moment he had been waiting for so long—the moment a new god was born. Now, a god born exclusively for them.
As Yu Sun-min looked at the tower with ecstatic eyes, a sudden crash echoed.
"Kwaang!"
"Aaaah!"
With the screams of the people, a sound of someone collapsing resonated. Startled, Yu Sun-min turned to the source of the noise, his face furrowing.
"Seo Gangrim...?"
Despite having taken the sleeping medicine and seemingly unconscious, Seo Gangrim was standing on two feet. The people who were surrounding him lay scattered like straw, immobile.
Using a medicine on Seo Gangrim turned out to be a failure due to his Toxin Resistance. No matter how potent it was, it had no effect. Seo Gangrim walked away, leaving the fallen people behind.
"You wanted to create a god?"
His voice was frigid, akin to subzero temperatures, and simmering like molten lava. Seo Gangrim's eyes were no different. The gaze alone exuded rage, as if ready to strike people down.
"Stop the nonsense. You're nothing more than a murderer trying to kill a child."
Seo Gangrim drew his sword from its sheath. As people saw the blade gleaming with a chilly light, they instinctively stepped back, surprised.
Yu Sun-min, too, was confused, wondering how can Seo Gangrim move after taking the medicine. Not knowing about Seo Gangrim's Toxin Resistance, Yu Sun-min could only be bewildered.
As Seo Gangrim aimed his weapon, spirit beasts were summoned from the spirit realm.
"What, what is that?"
"Dem, demons!"
People who were seeing spirit beasts for the first time were startled and took a step back.
Seo Gangrim, glaring at them, spoke, "Yorn, Linnie."
"Wong?"
"Subdue the people."
"Kyaang!"
As Seo Gangrim and the spirit beasts rushed toward the people, some of the believers, startled, tried to flee.
In that moment, Yu Sun-min shouted loudly, "Capture Seo Gangrim, all of you!"
As the Voice of Brainwashing took effect, the believers, who had hesitated just moments ago, now had determined looks in their eyes. They rallied and charged towards Seo Gangrim with a loud roar.
Seeing this, Yu Sun-min smirked.
"Everyone here has been brainwashed and is just ordinary civilians, not hunters!"
Thought individually weak, they were overwhelming in numbers, and since they were ordinary people, Seo Gangrim couldn't use weapons or abilities against them. Therefore, Yu Sun-min thought Seo Gangrim would be at a loss.
"You're a hunter after all! You can't harm civilians..."
"Aaargh!"
However, at that moment, one believer screamed, blood spattering from their body. Seo Gangrim's sword had caused the injury.
"Normally, I would have protected civilians in a fight."
Seo Gangrim spoke with a fierce gleam in his eyes.
"But not now."
The situation was dire, with Yu Harang on the brink of burning to death, an innocent child. Due to the urgency of rescuing Yu Harang, even if it meant accumulating karma and facing the consequences of murder, Seo Gangrim prioritized saving her. He activated the 'Radiant Flame' while looking at the believers hesitating before him.
However, at this moment, the scream of Yu Harang echoed, "Don't do it! Stop! Don't kill people!"
[Ability 'Forced Dispel' has been activated!]
With her outcry, the flames faded away. Yu Harang, who had been silent until now, was now screaming in protest, fear evident on her face.
"I will become a god. It's my destiny! I have no complaints about my destiny. So, don't kill the believers!"
She was okay with burning to death herself, but she couldn't bear to see others die. Seo Gangrim hesitated in the face of her plea, and the people rushed forward, grabbing and restraining him. Yorn and Linnie were also caught by the people.
"Ung, uung!"
"Creak..."
Due to the effect of 'Forced Dispel,' Yorn and Linnie were almost in a state of complete helplessness. The spirit beasts looked rebelliously at the people around them.
Seo Gangrim shouted towards Yu Harang.
"Yu Harang, snap out of it! You need to break free from this man's brainwashing!"
If Yu Harang sided with Seo Gangrim, escaping would be an easy task. However, Yu Harang remained unresponsive.
Yu Sun-min approached with a smile.
"It seems you know about Yu Harang's and my abilities. But you're mistaken about one thing."
Holding a long sword, Yu Sun-min pointed it at Seo Gangrim.
"Yu Harang hasn't been brainwashed by my ability. All of this is just that child's will."
The unpleasant laughter echoed in Seo Gangrim's ears.
"I've been preparing for this moment for a long time. I too am a person with great faith."
Yu Sun-min whispered quietly enough for only Seo Gangrim to hear, a serene smile on his face.
Seo Gangrim, facing the self-satisfied smile, asked, "Did you awaken before the Day of Awakening?"
"Yes. And since then, I've been preparing this church and Yu Harang."
With that, Yu Sun-min smiled contentedly.
"Maybe because she was a child, there was no need to use abilities to brainwash her. It seems to work even better in the current situation."
Yu Harang really believed she was the chosen one to become a god solely due to Yu Sun-min's words. She accepted that it was her fate to die in the process. While it might have been easier to undo brainwashing caused by an ability, if the mind had been corrupted over several years through words alone, even abilities couldn't fix it.
"By the way, you're too dangerous. Shaking Yu Harang like that... I need to eliminate you quickly."
Raising his sword, Yu Sun-min pointed it at Seo Gangrim's throat. Seeing this, Yu Harang screamed, "Father, stop...! Please! Please don't kill him!"
Upon hearing her outcry, Yu Sun-min turned to look at Yu Harang, a smile on his face. Holding a fallen torch, he spoke gently to her, "Harang, if you die and become a god, no one will get hurt."
The words were tender and soft, a stark contrast to the threat of death. Hearing this, Yu Harang hesitated but eventually nodded. Yu Sun-min smiled brightly.
"You're a good girl."
With a swift motion, Yu Sun-min fearfully threw the torch into the tower before the conversation could continue.
Already soaked in oil once, the fire was spreading rapidly through the wood. Seeing this, others knelt, extending their hands toward Yu Harang.
"Oh, Harang-nim!"
"Save us!"
"Become a god for us!"
"Die for us!"
From atop the tower, Yu Harang observed their pleas silently. Dozens, hundreds of people were shouting with one voice, asking her to become a god for their sake. She simply gazed down at the scene.
'Now, I'll truly become a god.'
She had no regrets or complaints. It was something she had heard from Yu Sun-min for a long time. Adopted from an orphanage, ever since she entered this place, Yu Harang had been preparing to become a god.
[You were born to become a god.]
[A god for the weak and pitiful, for those even gods turn away from.]
[You can save those people.]
These were the words she had heard from Yu Sun-min.
[That is your destiny.]
If her death could bring joy to those people, if everyone here wished for her death, it was her destiny.
'But...'
However, it was disappointing. She wanted to go out into the outside world. As a human, not as a cult leader, she wanted to make friends.
"Harang-nim, ah, Harang-nim!"
"Now, a god is born for us! For us, Harang-nim sacrifices herself!"
The believers knelt and bowed, fervently crying out. Among the multitude, it seemed like no one wished for her to live. Except for one person.
"Yu Harang! Don't listen to such words!"
At that voice, Yu Harang's eyes flickered open. It was Seo Gangrim's voice.
Looking down, she saw Seo Gangrim. Despite numerous believers hindering him, he was advancing towards the tower. While cutting through all those between him and Yu Harang, Seo Gangrim continued to shout, "Do not give in to this nonsense! Don't die! You must not die here!"
Those words left Yu Harang dumbfounded.
'Why was he telling me not to die?'
While everyone in the Sung-eun Church only wished for her death, why was he telling her not to die?
"But... I must become a god..."
"Don't die as a god. Live as a human! You are human!"
At those words, Yu Harang's eyes shook. Living as a human, it was an unheard-of proposition.
Seeing Yu Harang's reaction, Yu Seon-min shouted with emotion, "Harang, don't be deceived! He's trying to use you! You must become a god, Harang! Listen to your father!"
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