"Li-, light…?"
The Temple of God's Chief Holy Knight stuttered.
The brilliant white glow of light that emerged from the jewel subsided a little.
Then it got to a point where I didn't have to cover my eyes anymore.
"What do you mean he's the Light?"
"It's as I just said... He's just… He's just the Light…."
The lizardman magician cried.
I wasn't very confident in reading the lizardman's face, but I could at least recognize the expression that the lizardman was wearing. She was moved. Her snake-like eyes were filled with dews of tears.
"Can't you see how dazzling this soul is…?"
"I-, I don't know."
"Why don't you know? Do you have problems with your eyes? Or is your brain the problem?"
The Chief Holy Knight looked dispirited. The extent of his intelligence was suddenly being questioned.
"No. I mean, I just don't know what you mean by the Light."
"Ahhh."
The lizardman magician whimpered.
Then he quickly looked back at the Chief Holy Knight.
"That's why the idiots from the Temple of God are so…!"
"Wha-, what?"
"Do you even know who you're looking at now? He's the light! Why don't you know that, even when the light is so dazzling? Do you not have eyes? Do you not have a brain? Pure white… It's not just an ordinary ray of light, The Light he exudes is pure white!"
"Li-, isn't a ray of light always white?"
"Ahhhh! This is why! My words can't go through to these crude humans!"
The lizardman magician pounded her chest as she was annoyed. Boom boom. A little more irritating and she would've smacked his head instead, not her chest. Even the Chief Holy Knight felt it, so he cowered.
"He who carries such a soul would never lie to us!"
The lizardman magician strongly asserted.
"Even if he did lie, he would've been lying for our sake! O, foolish humans. Those with corrupted souls like you all should just simply obey him quietly. This man is the emissary of the Founding Emperor… No. He must be the Goddess's apostle!"
The lizardman magician looked at me.
Her gaze seemed as if she was seeking for my recognition.
It wasn't just the magician. The entire army that gathered at the Acacia Fields held their breaths and looked at me.
"Yes."
I folded my arms proudly.
"That's right."
With my utmost solemn expression.
"I, am the apostle of the Goddess."
"I knew it!"
Roaring.
The soldiers all around started chattering. Following the General of the Empire, even the magician from the Mermaid Falls guaranteed my identity. Three men talking makes a tiger(三人成虎). Even if the tiger didn't exist, the way those three said it, it would seem as if there really was a tiger.
[T/N: It is a Korean Idiom, and basically means that if rumors are repeated continuously, they will become a fact.]
"Apparently he's the Light."
"What do you mean Light?"
"It seems that he's a dazzling Light. The sword's also flashy too…"
"It's a sword that the Emperor of Aegim or something once used."
"Then that means he's a noble that came from a prestigious family somewhere."
Most of the soldiers were suspicious when they first saw the Holy Protection Sword. But now their gazes changed, and it looked like they were exclaiming, 'No way?'.
Of course, one more person was still needed to achieve the effect of 'three men talking makes a tiger'.
"No! As expected, I'm not sure!"
The Chief Holy Knight stepped forward.
"Let's say you are the emissary of the Founding Emperor and also light itself! But why is that young man… I mean, why did such a person march here by himself, and why is he blocking our way?! Have you all forgotten? We have a mission!"
The Chief Holy Knight adamantly pointed to the place beyond my shoulder.
"We must burn that place!"
Estelle's hometown.
That was the paradise that the vengeful ghost had talked about.
"His Holiness, the Pope was not only concerned about the witch. The heretics who followed the witch! We can't let them get away from receiving divine punishment! If you are truly… the apostle of the Goddess, take the lead in carrying out the heavenly punishment!"
"...."
Aughh. Someone grabbed the hem of my clothes from behind. "It was the vengeful ghost. I could feel that she was terrified without even looking back.
'It's all right.'
I folded my arms calmly.
'The best lies are in other words, made up of 90% truth, and 10% lie!'
Recalling the advice given by Bae Hu-ryeong, I slowly opened my mouth.
"Holy Knights of the Temple of God. Watch your language. It is not up to you to decide how the divine punishment should be executed. Whatever punishment that is given to the evil group, is entirely up to me."
"What are you…?"
"I have collected all evil (惡), and divine punishment has already been carried out."
I said gently.
"It is my duty to bring divine punishment to man."
"Du-, what do you mean duty…?"
"I'll show you."
I raised my right hand.
Wriggle.
In an instant, my shadows spread throughout the Acacia field.
-Guoooooooo!
Skeletons began crawling out of the shadows.
The soldiers screamed. The Chief Holy Knight turned pale while he contemplated, and the other commanders were so surprised that they armed themselves. In the meantime, the number of skeletons had risen from dozens to hundreds, and from hundreds to thousands.
Before they knew it, the Continent's army was completely surrounded.
Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation.
Skeletons numbering around four thousand rose.
-Guooooooo!
-Uwoooo! Uwoooooooooo!
The monsters cried ferociously and waited for my orders.
As one could see from the fact that the vengeful ghost was out in the open, I still had the [Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation] in active mode. I could summon as many ghosts as I wanted.
But it was a different story for the Continent's army who didn't know what was going on.
"Agh, it's the devils!"
The soldiers were thrown into confusion at the sight before them. Four thousand monsters suddenly popped out all over. And the monsters emerged from the ground as if they were climbing out from hell.
It was literally a scene from the purgatory(地獄圖).
"Go-… Oh almighty God."
The Chief Holy Knight trembled.
"What the hell are these horrendous beings…?"
"It's my duty."
I placed my hand on the vengeful ghost's head.
The vengeful ghost flinched but she remained quiet.
"Look. How can this witch be the only evil being in this vast world? Every one of these ghosts are wicked evildoers that I have subdued. Devils, second only to the witch."
"Al-, all these monsters...?"
"That's correct."
I stared at the distant sky with my squinted eyes.
As if I was a hero that was doomed to have a tragic destiny.
"The Goddess ordered me. Punish the overflowing evil that has corrupted the world on her behalf! Punish and subdue! That's why she bestowed me with this ability."
My voice naturally became somber.
"It is my calling, my mission to bring down all the evil in the world. It's my duty to drag these devils to hell. What you guys are seeing right now is my Hell."
"Oh my God…"
The lizardman magician lamented.
Tears were flowing again from her eyes.
"These are all wicked evildoers who were comparable to the witch…?"
I nodded.
"That's right."
"With-, without us knowing… Was the Goddess's apostle by himself, alone, bringing down punishment to the evil that was rampant in this world???"
"That's right."
"Oh my God. No one even recognized apostle-nim… How could you have such a Hell? How can you, who's nothing more than a mere human being, by yourself…. Oh Goddess's Apostle, will you be alright…?"
"Mmm."
With my arms folded, I nodded.
"This is my duty!"
Seriously, earnestly, and solemnly.
"There is no need for you all to punish the witch separately. There is also no need to punish the witch's pawns. I have already subdued all who are wicked. These evildoers will grieve and suffer in agony forever under my shadow. That is to say that I am their Hell!"
"Ah...O holy light...!"
The lizardman magician fell to pieces as she sobbed.
"How did I not realize how holy and white your light was? the foolish me has finally perceived your light! Without our knowing, you've continued to save our Continent without rest!"
I nodded again.
"Indeed so!"
The greatest lies consist of 90% truth and 10% lie.
Although the process was filled with a series of lies, the ending was correct.
In fact, since the end result was right, it wouldn't matter, right?
-You son of a…
Bae Hu-ryeong had a proud expression on his face.
-I see that there's nothing more I can teach you! Be on your way now!
'Oh, everything was thanks to your advice, master. How could this unworthy pupil be on his way.'
-No, no, no. Zombie, your immorality has already transcended mine….
Bae Hu-ryeong lamented while sighing.
-This master of yours is as innocent as a child, so I just can't handle a son of a bitch like you….
'You're too humble. I still have a lot to learn from master's vicious personality. Take your words back.'
-You bastard. Have you ever heard of Cheongchul Eoram?
[T/N: Cheongchul Eoram (青出于蓝)is an Idiom that is used when the student surpasses the master.]
'Have you ever heard that no disciple is better than their master?'
The disciple and master praised each other's character.
On a day like today, when relationships were being ruined.
But actually, it was a beautiful and warm scene discretely unfolding.
"-Anyway."
I deactivated the Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation.
Fwoooshh.
The four thousand skeletons disappeared in an instant. The Continent's army stared dumbfoundedly at the sight of the monsters being absorbed under my shadow as if a ship were sinking.
"You all don't need to worry about the witch and her pawns. As long as I am here, they will suffer forever in my Hell. This is the will of the Goddess, and this is the divine punishment of the Goddess."
"....."
"Do you really intend to reject the dignified will of the Goddess?"
The Chief Holy Knight staggered.
"If-, if I may ask… o holy Apostle. Truly, are you sure these atrocious devils are secured? What this humble one is trying to say is… If these devils were to escape out into the world, the harm caused would be beyond our imagination…"
"Indeed."
I carefully nodded.
"You basically want to confirm if these devils are truly imprisoned by me."
"I beg your pardon, but that is correct…."
"Alright."
Thud!
I snapped my finger.
Then a skeleton came out. It was the one whose summon had not been dispelled yet. It stood tall between me and the Chief Holy Knight.
Shocked, the Chief Holy Knight took a few steps back.
"A-, Oh holy Apostle. Why is this skeleton…?"
"I'll clear your suspicions properly."
I patted the Skeleton on the shoulder.
"Oh Hundred Ghosts, regain your memories."
Wiggle!
Wastewater rose up from the shadow of the skeleton. The wastewater, which had climbed up the white bones, was shaped in the form of the skeleton. It formed the muscle. It formed the flesh. It formed the clothes.
In the blink of an eye, instead of the bony skeleton, a handsome man had appeared.
"Urghhhh! Wha-, what the! the fuck!?"
He was a handsome guy with a dirty mouth.
"What the hell… Ugh, man, you son of a bitch! What kind of resentment did you have towards me that you put me in this state? Fuck me! What the hell did I even do?!"
A fiery glance.
That's correct.
I returned the memory of the Flame Emperor 'Yoo Soo-ha'.
"You crazy son of a bitch! I'll kill you! How dare you, you trash-like motherfucker! I'll fucking kick your ass no matter what happens!"
"As you can see."
Holding on to Yoo Soo-ha's shoulder, I looked back at the commanding officers. Yoo Soo-ha tried to move his limbs, but it was useless. Because it was impossible for him to defy me no matter what he did, as I was his 'Master'.
"This man was also an evil man that was comparable to the witch."
I had a bitter look on my face.
"No, I can say that he was more evil than the witch. The witch was born a monster from the beginning, but this man was born a human, but he did all sorts of evil and terrible things. He burned anything that got in his way…"
"I'll kill you! I'm going to kill you!"
There was no need for further explanation.
"— Fuc-,—–! Hey! I'll tear you to shre–,—-!!"
Sounds of curses resonated in the Acacia field. One of the Hundred Ghosts, "Yoo Soo-ha" opened his mouth and spewed out all kinds of curses that could have existed in this world.
As the swearing continued, the commanders' faces turned pale. Less than 60 seconds later, Yoo Soo-ha described as many as 15 ways to kill me. It was absurd.
"No wait, fucking hell, and who the hell are these people! Hey, lizard! Pointy ears! What are you looking at? Do you guys want to be fucked up by me so—–."
Sixty more seconds later, he started cursing not just me, but everyone else that was here. A little later, he even cursed the parents and family of the people present. He then listed about 10 more methods of how he would kill all those people.
"Su-, such a disgusting...! Such darkness...!"
The lizardman magician was shocked.
"I don't even have to use the Queen's jewel. That man, he really has the devil's soul!"
"Certainly…"
The Elf Ranger Captain groaned.
"I've seen a lot of foolish humans over the years, but… It's been a long time since I've seen such a disgusting and evil man…."
Oooh.
Rejoice, Yoo Soo-ha.
Finally, your greatness was recognized, moreover, it happened in this world itself.
-Hey zombie. Aren't you desecrating the dead?
'That's right.'
-Isn't that a little too much?
"Even if I did this, it was a cheap punishment for Yoo Soo-ha. Besides, Mr. Sword Emperor. You said I was the Zombie king. The Zombie King wants to bully a zombie-like bastard, is there anything wrong with that?'
-Ummm.
Bae Hu-ryeong nodded agreeably.
-After listening to you, you're actually right. Logically, I can't refute that….
'Right?'
-As expected, Zombie, your immorality is way beyond me.
That was just his opinion.
Thud!
I snapped my finger once again.
"Dance."
"What, Fuc-, what the—-"
As soon as I gave my orders, Yoo Soo-ha began tap dancing. Yoo Soo-ha's heels tapped merrily on the flowery path. Tack, tack tack! Yoo Soo-ha's dance was quite skillful as if he had his share of fun going to clubs back in his old days.
"No, this, wai-, wait!? What is this? fuck—"
"Continue dancing."
Tack!
Yoo Soo-ha's dance changed from tap dancing to Jitterbug. For better or worse, he had a talent for dancing. After he finished dancing Jitterbug, he immediately started to do the Kazatsky dance.
[T/N: Jitterbug is like South Korea's twist on Tango.]
"I'm going to kill you!"
Yoo Soo-ha cried out as he danced the Kazatsky dance.
"Ki-, I'll kill you! Son of a bitch! You, fucker, you! You dare, to me! I must!"
As he was speaking, he kept on dancing the Kazatsky dance.
As anyone present could see for themselves, what he said while dancing the Kazatsky dance was not scary at all, no matter how dirty or appalling the curses were.
Even if Hitler came back to life and began talking, no one would take him seriously if he was dancing the Kazatsky dance.
That's the power of the Kazatsky dance.
"Fu-, fuck…! Fuck, FUCK…!"
Could Yoo Soo-ha also feel the power of the Kazatsky dance?
Realizing that nothing worked, Yoo Soo-ha just kept cursing and saying fuck. And he enthusiastically focused on the dance steps. It was fantastic background music and a fantastic scene.
"Mmmm."
I looked at the Chief Holy Knight.
"Are you still worried?"
The Chief Holy Knight opened but didn't say anything.
"The devils can never disobey my orders. Rest assured."
In the end.
The Chief Holy Knight gradually kneeled down.
"Oh Apostle of the Goddess… May I ask for your name…?"
He had spoken in a quivering voice.
Everyone from the Continent's army was looking at me.
I accepted their stares with pride and folded my arms again.
"My name is Gong-ja."
The Chief Holy Knight bowed his head.
"I will follow your orders, Gong-ja-nim...!"
The commander, who cried out and insisted till the end to burn the village, gave up the attack.
Then.
[Congratulations.]
A pleasant voice was heard.
[Normal Stage Clear.]
[Hidden Quest, 'Warrior of the Paused World' has been cleared!]
There was also a voice that was unwelcoming.
-Again, you crazy bastard!
The voice's owner rolled around frustratingly.
-Crazy bastard! You're probably the first one to clear a quest like this! No, it's definitely the first! Wow, where did this crazy dude crawl out from? Hey, I gotta admit it! Kim Gong-ja!
'What do you admit?'
-You are...the Light of all idiots!
It was an irrelevant opinion.