Blood Demon of the Past Life – Chapter 192

Chapter 192: The Foretold Great Disaster （7）

Religion?

It was a perplexing word.

Though he had cursed the existence of God during his unfortunate life, he had no memory of sincerely believing in and following anyone.

A life far removed from religion.

That’s how Kang San had lived, yet the message before his eyes signified a new future.

『Kang San Religion』

『Object of Worship: Kang San』

It was an embarrassing name.

Thinking about it carefully, there were signs that a religion was forming.

Eileen had secured a number of Kang San’s followers through her Prayer skill, and Saito Shusuke had expressed his willingness to follow Kang San. It wasn’t just one or two people. Moreover, after the S-rank Outbreak was resolved, he had heard rumors that people, led by Priest Oh Man-seok, were worshipping him. If someone were to be idolized, Kang San had certainly shown the actions to deserve it, but it was a different matter to confirm it directly through a skill.

The system.

This absurd worldview.

It meant that it had acknowledged a religion centered around Kang San and allowed it to take the form of a skill.

There was a section in the skill window labeled “Followers,” and when he checked it, familiar names appeared.

『Followers』

━ Eileen

━ Jessica

━ Saito Shusuke

━ Nakamura Genji

━ Yeon Woo-bin

━ Jo Han-byeol

━ Jeong Chan-woo

.

.

.

Past connections.

All of them were listed.

Everyone belonging to the Guardian Guild was included in the Kang San Religion, and what stood out were the members of the Sun God Church, led by Priest Oh Man-seok. Their entire list, which should now be called the Kang San Religion, was recorded under the name of Followers.

And.

━ Shin Kang-cheol

“Is there something on my face?”

Shin Kang-cheol asked with a puzzled expression, seeing Kang San’s frozen state.

It was the first time Kang San had met him.

He didn’t know what kind of faith had led Shin Kang-cheol to join the Kang San Religion, but his expression and every action showed a strong fondness for Kang San.

“No, nothing.”

This made it five S-ranks in total.

Himself, Saito Shusuke, Misaki Akemi, Yeon Woo-bin, and lastly, Shin Kang-cheol.

The power of the Kang San Religion was overwhelming enough to surpass that of most nations, and unless it was a superpower like the United States, the Guardian Guild could handle it on its own. His mind was in a complicated tangle. But the absurd fact was that even now, the number of followers was rapidly increasing. The names of Koreans being added at the end must be those who sought survival by believing in Kang San in the face of the disaster that had struck South Korea.

The problem was.

Just as much as Koreans, the number of Japanese names was also exploding.

━ Yamato Yuma

━ Asano Kazuyuki

━ Yano Masato

.

.

.

It was an incomprehensible situation.

He could understand the Koreans, but the rate at which the Japanese were increasing was unbelievable.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Faith spreading like an infection.

It wasn’t just a problem in Korea.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

The Hero of Kitakyushu.

Kang San’s existence in Japan was very special.

Survivors who had received actual help, their families and acquaintances, and people who had come to worship Kang San through the media. The web-like spread of human relationships showed strong faith in Kang San, and some media outlets even created separate categories for Kang San, broadcasting only news related to him.

It was impossible for them not to know about the phenomenon called Kang San’s miracle.

When Japan was also suffering from large-scale Links, the incident of Priest Oh Man-seok became widely known.

『Breaking news. Currently, in South Korea, a movement to believe in ‘Kang San,’ called the Hero of Kitakyushu, is spreading. It’s not just a matter of faith, but there are numerous cases where people who have accepted Kang San’s existence have seen their stats increase. In the case of Priest Oh Man-seok… We can’t say for sure whether this is true or false, but it’s clear that change is happening in South Korea.』

At first, it was just a simple report with unchecked facts.

But the Japanese people accepted it as it was.

The Kitakyushu incident.

The events of that time, which had plunged Japan into despair, left a serious scar like a trauma.

Fearing that they might experience the same pain they had suffered in the Red Zone, they immediately fell to their knees and prayed to Kang San like they were having seizures. They hoped that the Hero of Kitakyushu, who had saved them once, would protect them again. More than the Japanese government, more than Congressman Ito Kentaro and the Rankers who were striving to save people. They cried out more desperately for the name of Kang San, who existed across the sea.

At that moment.

The system responded to their faith.

People who experienced the miracle posted about it online one after another.

━ The Kang San Religion’s miracle is real. I sincerely accepted Kang San-nim, and my stats went up!

━ We must believe in Kang San-nim. For Japan to survive, we must accept Kang San-nim’s existence as it is.

━ Uploading a live video.

Evidence poured in.

Ten people? A hundred people?

When it was that many, it could be dismissed as a lie.

But in a situation where the numbers were increasing to thousands, tens of thousands, and moreover, people they knew were foaming at the mouth and shouting about miracles… Kang San’s faith spread faster than in South Korea. While South Korea couldn’t fully accept Kang San’s existence due to government interference, Japan even had the government’s support.

Believe in Kang San.

Kang San is a hero.

This was the reason why the number of followers was exploding.

At some point, the number of Japanese exceeded the number of Koreans, and as time passed, new names appeared.

━ Thomas

━ Lorenzo

━ Clark

.

.

.

Accumulating names.

The rumors swelled and began to spread globally.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

This series of events.

The Blue House was literally on fire.

President Jang Beom-seok couldn’t come to his senses at the news pouring in.

“…Currently, the Link incidents occurring throughout Seoul are being resolved quickly. The Capital Defense Command disobeyed orders and mobilized troops on a large scale, and Kang San’s Guardian Guild is focusing on resolving incidents above A-rank. In particular, there are reports that two S-rank monsters, a Red Dragon and a Blue Dragon, appeared at Heukseok Station, but they were dealt with by Kang San.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Based on what we’ve gathered so far, it seems so.”

His head ached.

The government had curled up like an armadillo.

The plan was to move and resolve the issues step by step once the typhoon had passed and the scale of the disaster was assessed.

But Kang San was different.

He jumped into the middle of the typhoon, saving people and resolving the disaster.

Especially the S-rank monsters.

The monsters that were supposed to plunge South Korea into despair appeared, but the fact that they were dealt with by Kang San caused his name to be mentioned frantically online. A sense of crisis washed over him. Moreover, the absurd news of the Kang San Religion was spreading.

“…This is a crazy world. The Kang San Religion? Such a thing can’t be possible!”

Believe in Kang San and the system will respond?

Nonsense.

President Jang Beom-seok didn’t believe it.

The problem was that if the disaster ended like this, it was clear that there would be no place for him as president.

President Jang Beom-seok asked,

“How many troops can we mobilize right now?”

“Currently, the Minister of National Defense is not responding to communication, so excluding the military, we can mobilize some of the Hunter Management Bureau’s forces and the Guardians.”

“What about the United States?”

“We’ve already contacted them to see if they can send reinforcements, but they say the situation in the US is more serious. It’s been revealed that eight S-rank monsters have appeared in the US. Moreover, the Sun God Church members who were shouting about the Rapture are causing riots, claiming that the end of the world has come, making the situation quite chaotic. Realistically, it seems difficult to expect support. At least, it seems they are resolving the issues quickly, centered around President Eric Roberts.”

“Eight S-ranks? Is the world really going to end?”

His mind went blank.

Even if the US had the power of a superpower, the news of eight S-rank monsters appearing was despairing.

It was strange.

The last S-rank Outbreak.

He remembered them clamoring about how the appearance of the Dark Lord was an unprecedented event globally.

But now.

Common sense was collapsing.

There were three in South Korea alone, and a danger incomparable to that had struck the US.

He felt it instinctively.

It was as if they had crossed an invisible line that hadn’t been revealed before.

If things continued like this, it wouldn’t be strange at all if the world ended.

President Jang Beom-seok said with an anxious face,

“…The more dangerous the world becomes, the more firmly my position must be established to guarantee safety. Right now, mobilize all available forces, including the Guardians. I’ll lead them and save the people.”

Just like Kang San.

Now was the time for showmanship.

“Hurry!”

At his shout, the Blue House staff hurriedly left the office.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

The government’s forces.

They headed to Dongdaemun.

With multiple A-rank Links occurring, it was a place that couldn’t be resolved without someone’s support.

Burning land.

Collapsed buildings.

The Dongdaemun people who were fighting desperately suddenly spotted a group of people appearing, waving the Taegeukgi.

“Everyone! I, Jang Beom-seok, have come to save you!”

It was the government’s forces.

As soon as they arrived on the scene, they swept away the monsters with explosive firepower.

At the forefront was So Yi-hyun, the Mage of Freezing.

“Blizzard.”

Whiiiiing.

Crackle.

A strong wind blew.

A blizzard arose, freezing the monsters as soon as it touched them, and the Guardians and the Hunters from the Hunter Management Bureau rushed in.

“Die!”

“Sweep them all away!”

Kreeeeeek!

A fierce battle ensued.

Thanks to So Yi-hyun’s initial sweep, the monsters’ movements were restricted, and although it was an A-rank Link, the situation was quickly resolved as the government concentrated its forces. In fact, they had also called in Lee Han-seong for this incident. Even though he had lost an arm, his S-rank power hadn’t disappeared, so Jang Beom-seok judged that Lee Han-seong still had enough value to be utilized. Of course, legal punishment and various issues would hold him back, but in a chaotic world like this, the fact that he was a criminal wasn’t that important.

However.

Lee Han-seong had disappeared.

Only the bodies of the soldiers guarding the hospital room remained; Lee Han-seong was nowhere to be seen.

They postponed that issue for now.

For President Jang Beom-seok, securing his position was the top priority.

“Attack━! Protect the citizens━!”

He shouted furiously.

At the front lines.

He stood at the forefront.

Although guards surrounded President Jang Beom-seok to protect him, he actively stepped forward, wanting to secure the story that he had fought on the front lines. He wanted to be like Kang San. He thought that if he resolved the issues and stood before the people like this, they would recognize his sacrifice. He had deliberately placed a few photojournalists, creating a strange scene where they were snapping pictures in the midst of all this.

The situation was quickly resolved.

As the dimensional rift disappeared, President Jang Beom-seok raised his voice once again.

“Everyone! I have come! I, President Jang Beom-seok, have come to Dongdaemun, leading the troops to protect you. You don’t have to worry anymore. I will ensure your safety and prevent such incidents from happening again… Ack!”

Thwack━!

Something flew towards him.

The guards couldn’t react in time, and President Jang Beom-seok, hit by a stone, collapsed on the spot.

His face was blank.

With blood flowing down his face, he didn’t know how to react.

In his sight.

He saw the faces of enraged people.

“Don’t b*llshit us, you son of a b*tch!”

“Do you think we don’t know you’ve been hiding all this time?”

“Kang San-nim is resolving the problems, and now you say the government will guarantee our safety? Get the h*ll out of here!”

“You filthy bastards! What are you trying to gain by coming here now!”

His heart sank.

Only then did he realize.

From the moment Kang San started to actually resolve the problems, the situation had unfolded differently from what Jang Beom-seok had anticipated.

The single justification that had supported the government.

The justification that had allowed Jang Beom-seok to exist as president, the only justification the people had hoped for.

‘…Do they no longer need me?’

Safety.

The moment that issue was perfectly replaced.

President Jang Beom-seok felt himself crumbling from the ground up.