After Ten Millennia in Hell

Side Story Chapter 78 - There is No Light Here (3)

Side Story Chapter 78 - There is No Light Here (3)

[Hmm... are you going to Europe with Si-Hun then, Kang-Woo?]

Echidna's voice sounded from Oh Kang-Woo's smartphone.

Kang-Woo nodded and answered, "Yeah."

[It just so happens I'm in England!]

"Hm? You're in Europe?"

[Yeah! I have my live performance in a few hours!]

Kang-Woo had heard Echidna was preparing to make her comeback as an idol.

Echidna snorted and proudly remarked, [Hm! It's a super~ huge live performance! Not only is it gonna be broadcast throughout England but Europe as a whole!]

"Are comeback performances usually that large-scale? In a foreign country, no less?"

Kang-Woo knew Echidna was globally famous, but not enough for her performance to be broadcast throughout Europe.

[Urgh. The thing is... it was supposed to be someone else but I stepped up because they suddenly couldn't make it.]

"So you're just a fill-in."

[I-I'm not a fill-in! Tons of my fans will be there too!]

"Kehehe. Alright, alright."

Even if Echidna were a fill-in, the fact that she could perform on such a massive live stage was proof of her popularity.

[Kang-Woo... could you, umm... come watch my performance? I'll save you a VIP seat!!]

"Sorry, I don't think I can make it."

It was a shame he couldn't watch Echidna's performance live, but he couldn't put off the matter with the Church of Radiance.

"I'll watch it online when I have time. It'll be broadcast online too, right?"

[It will, but... Yeon-Joo and Seol-Ah said they couldn't come either. I can't believe you all!]

"Why can't they come?"

[Seol-Ah said she was going to enroll in some classes with Yeon-Joo. They said they couldn't come because the deadline is today.]

"Oh."

'Come to think of it, she said she was taking cooking classes. I guess Yeon-Joo's tagging along too. I highly doubt classes would help her wretched cooking skills.'

In any case, Han Seol-Ah was trying to take some hobbies like Kang-Woo suggested.

"Sorry. I'll come to your next live performance for sure."

[Hm! It's a promise!]

"Okay."

[Alright, I'm off to my rehearsal!]

The call ended. Kang-Woo put his smartphone in his pocket and looked around the empty living room.

'I guess Darling is busy today.'

It was a good thing since he had no intention of bringing Seol-Ah along.

Clack.

Just then, the front door opened, and Seol-Ah and Cha Yeon-Joo entered.

"Oh? Since when were you home, Kang-Woo? I thought you went to see Si-Hun."

"Th-The hell?! The son of a bitch Oh Kang-Woo is here?"

Yeon-Joo hid behind Seol-Ah in shock.

"Have you registered for your classes?" Kang-Woo asked.

"No, we're about to. A famous chef runs the classes, so there are tests involved."

"Sounds like a hardcore place."

"Fufu. I thought I might as well learn from the best."

"Hehe. That's fine and all, but... isn't Yeon-Joo a lost cause?"

Kang-Woo snickered as he stared at Yeon-Joo hiding behind Seol-Ah. She was in an awkward stance because she was taller than Seol-Ah.

"I-I'm gonna take the introductory classes!" Yeon-Joo shouted.

"Really? What about your guild? Haven't you been busy lately?"

She was probably acting busier than she was because she wanted to avoid Kang-Woo but there seemed to be real trouble the guild was dealing with as well.

"Ngh... That's a bit of a pain in the ass, but Seol-Ah said she wouldn't stand for it if I didn't come with her."

"Wh-When did I say that?"

"You said I needed to come with you no matter what!"

"I-I did, but only because I didn't want to go by myself."

"Heh, see what I mean?"

Kang-Woo smiled faintly as the two women bickered.

"That's good. Oh, I also have some business to attend to from today, so I won't be home."

"I will follow the radiance!!"

"O Almighty Radiance!!"

The thousands of people cheered fanatically and then lowered their heads to pray. Their prayer stance was a little odd; they crossed their arms into an X-shape over their chest.

'Yibambe?'

Kang-Woo followed suit and crossed his arms into an X-shape.

He shouted, "GRANT US SALVATION FROM THE APOCALYPSE—!! GUIDE US TO PARADISE—!!!"

His screams echoed throughout the old factory.

"WHOOOOOAAAAA!!"

The people's gazes naturally shifted to Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo shouted again, "I WILL BELIEVE IN THE LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT—!!!"

The people staring at him gave him a thumbs-up. They also cheered fanatically and shouted for paradise, like Kang-Woo.

"YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!"

"GRANT US SALVATION—!!!'

"O RADIAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE!!"

Madness filled the factory.

"H-Hyung-nim?"

Si-Hun stared at Kang-Woo in confusion. Kang-Woo ignored him and screeched with all his might.

"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!"

"Ahhh! This desperate cry!!"

"I see you have realized the meaning of radiance as well!!"

Those who looked like homeless people placed their hands on Kang-Woo's shoulders as he was screaming more passionately than anyone.

"My brother!!!"

"Ahh. yes!! We're brothers!!"

"Let us all shout for the radiance!!!"

"WHOOOOOAAAAA!!!'

"O RADIAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE!!!"

The roars filling the factory amplified further. The devotees of the Church of Radiance grabbed each other's shoulders and swayed left and right as they screamed. Tears flowed from Kang-Woo's eyes. At this moment, the devotees had become one.

"EVERYONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT—?!!"

"OF COURSE WE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

"THE LIGHT WILL BRING US SALVATIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!"

"IT WILL GUIDE US TO PARADIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!!!"

The other devotees screamed their lungs out alongside Kang-Woo.

"AT THIS VERY MOMENT!!! WE HAVE BECOME ONE UNDER THE LIGHT!!! DO YOU FEEL IT, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS—?! DO YOU FEEL THE RADIANT LIGHT—?!"

"I FEEL IT!! AHHH!! I FEEL IT!!!"

"TELL ME HOW IT FEELS—!!"

"IT COULDN'T BE WARMER AND MORE COMFORTING!!!"

"I DON'T FEEL HUNGRY ANYMORE!!!"

"I DON'T FEEL THE PAIN OR SADNESS!!!"

"THIS LIGHT IS WHAT WILL GUIDE US TO SALVATION!!!"

As Kang-Woo thought, the golden light made the people temporarily forget their hunger and pain.

'It's not mass hypnosis but mass drugging.'

Kang-Woo's work was done now that he figured out what effect the light held.

"E-Everyone! Please calm down!" shouted hurriedly the young man on the stage. He seemed panicked as he witnessed the chaos that could no longer be called a prayer. "There is no need for you to do this. The light of radiance will guide you all to salv—"

Kang-Woo interjected the young man and shouted, "EVERYONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! LET US SCREAM AND SHOUT—!!! SET YOUR SOUL ABLAZE AND PRAY FOR THE LIGHT'S SALVATIOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!"

"O RADIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE!!!"

"PLEASE GRANT US SALVATIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!"

Kang-Woo raised his arms high in the peak of madness.

"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"

"W-WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!"

"GYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHH!!!"

"SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESH!!!"

The young man's expression paled as he witnessed the peak of delirium.

He shouted, "E-Everyone, p-please calm down...!"

However, his voice was drowned by the crazed screams.