Chapter 2173 – 2173. Eternal Eden
The Seongjin Church had a hierarchy.
Regular believers and the priestly class.
To become a priest, one had to dedicate everything to the Seongjin Church and Seong Yujin. Their possessions, even their families, were offered up. They were, at their core, fanatics.
Originally, the priests were intended to be Seong Yujin’s personal guard, but they were those who lacked the physical talent and were thus rejected. Seong Yujin’s personal guard was the elite of the elite. Even with faith-fortified minds, they couldn’t join the guard without talent.
However, it was too wasteful to discard them just because they couldn’t be guards. So, they became priests. Their main job was to become missionaries, spreading the word of the Seongjin Church.
They didn’t openly proselytize. Fanatics weren’t stupid. Forcing people to believe in the Seongjin Church would only get them labeled as a cult.
The missionary priests first sought out the vulnerable. Even with the world in chaos, the impoverished still existed. They lured them in by providing food and other necessities.
At first, people pretended to believe in the Seongjin Church to get supplies. A religion that worshiped a human as a god? It was obviously a cult. But continuous brainwashing and the kindness of the Seongjin Church gradually made them fall for it.
They helped those in need and drew in the marginalized. They didn’t hesitate to use honey traps. The truly stunning beauties were offered to Seong Yujin, but… the mediocre ones focused on proselytizing. Even ordinary women could cover up their flaws with makeup.
Armed with professional full makeup, they seduced men. Even men with girlfriends, even men who knew it was a cult, couldn’t help but be drawn in. Men were pitiful creatures.
In this way, the Seongjin Church steadily increased its number of believers and expanded its area of influence through continuous proselytizing. Though it was only in Korea. This was unavoidable. Right now, it was impossible to leave South Korea. Only cargo ships were moving, and airplanes could only be used with state permission. Overseas travel? In an age overrun by zombies, it was impossible. No other country would accept foreigners either.
Didn’t the police crack down on cults?
Not all religions were cults. South Korea had freedom of religion, and a faith didn’t necessarily have to be Christianity, Buddhism, or Catholicism. The Seongjin Church didn’t openly commit illegal acts, so it wasn’t labeled as a cult.
And as the world went to hell, cults sprang up like mushrooms after rain. The Seongjin Church was considered moderate among the small to medium-sized religions.
What the believers offered to the church was, after all, voluntary donations. They weren’t exactly threatened. Though they were ignored by other believers if they didn’t donate. Anyway, the Seongjin Church was slowly, like a turtle, increasing its influence.
Then, something happened.
Seong Yujin revealed a portion of her healing abilities to the public. The public cried out Seong Yujin’s name in fervor. The Seongjin Church remained calm. Their god had merely shown her abilities to the ignorant. There was no reason to make a fuss.
However, proselytizing became incredibly easy. No, could this even be called proselytizing?
They didn’t even proselytize, and people came to them wanting to become believers.
Three days ago, there were 50 believers. Two days ago, there were 80. Yesterday, there were 110, and today, there were 150.
They all had something in common. They or their family members were sick or disabled. They knocked on the doors of the Seongjin Church, which worshiped Seong Yujin as a god, hoping to meet Seong Yujin and receive treatment.
The Seongjin Church priests naturally said it was possible.
“To meet her in person and receive her grace, you must actively participate as a believer.”
The priest spoke in front of 150 believers. Behind him, a portrait of Seong Yujin hung on the wall. The believers knelt before the portrait, their hands clasped reverently, listening to the priest’s words.
“Mr. Min Hapseung, please come forward.”
“Yes, Priest Kim.”
Min Hapseung, a middle-aged man, went up to the platform. The priest pointed at him and continued.
“Mr. Min Hapseung donated 80% of his entire fortune and consistently proselytized, informing 60 people about who the true savior is. He also sent his daughters to Seoul Seongak Elementary School to encourage service. The Saint was so impressed by Mr. Min Hapseung’s sincerity that she bestowed her grace upon him directly. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right. I met her in person and received her grace. Some of you may know me. I was paralyzed from the waist down due to a car accident. I couldn’t even go to the nearest convenience store without a wheelchair and someone’s help. But now, I stand on my own two feet. It was possible because of the grace the Saint bestowed! The Saint is my savior and the savior of this world!”
The believers watched Min Hapseung. Their eyes burned with fervor.
Seong Yujin’s volunteer hours were short. Less than an hour a day, and she only treated five patients at most. Going to Seoul didn’t guarantee that one could receive Seong Yujin’s treatment.
People looked for other ways, and that was the Seongjin Church. By donating money to the Seongjin Church and proselytizing, they could receive Seong Yujin’s treatment. At least it was more realistic than going to Seoul without a plan.
The priest sent Min Hapseung back and called a young child onto the platform. The child, not even ten years old, stood there nervously. The priest smiled kindly and patted the child’s shoulder. The child’s mother knelt beside them, praying to Seong Yujin.
“This child was a zombie until a month ago. To save her child, this child’s mother stole Satan’s technology and offered it, and she reported Satan’s minions.”
In the Seongjin Church, Satan referred to Kim Sugyeol, the chairman of the Ilwoo Group, Seong Yujin’s enemy. More broadly, it referred to the Ilwoo Group itself.
The child’s mother was a researcher at the Ilwoo Group. She stole the Ilwoo Group’s technology and offered it to Seong Yujin, and in return, her zombie child was brought back to life as a normal person. Starting next week, she would go to Seongak Elementary School with her child and work as a researcher.
“That sincerity moved the Saint. Everyone, bring information about Satan and the demons. You can punish Satan directly. Killing demons is not a sin. Though the ignorant police will arrest you… your families will be taken care of by our Seongjin Church and the Saint. Satan deserves to die.”
The believers’ eyes shone. Especially the young believers. They had children. Young children who had become zombies. Children they couldn’t bear to kill and had locked away. Those children could see the light again. By killing one Ilwoo Group employee.
In South Korea, murder was punishable by a minimum of seven years in prison. The Seongjin Church would provide a capable lawyer, so they would only have to spend about ten years in prison.
What was killing a demon for their child?
Ilwoo Group employees were being killed all over the country. Ilwoo Group’s partners were no exception.
The believers deliberately approached them and started fights or disguised accidents to kill them. Then, they went to the police station and confessed, claiming it was an accidental crime. Of course, they didn’t mention the Saint of the Seongjin Church. They just said they killed them accidentally.
The police, prosecutors, and judges were suspicious, but they let it slide. Some of them were members of the Seongjin Church.
Stories about the Seongjin Church were slowly leaking out on the internet, but that was it. The focus of South Korea was on North Korea and the United States.
And Seong Yujin became a member of the National Assembly through a special law.
• • •
Wearing the badge of a National Assembly member, I thought about my next goal.
The President.
But it wasn’t easy.
Unlike the National Assembly members, who had little real power in South Korea right now, the President’s power was stronger than ever. It was inevitable in a near-wartime situation. The threat from North Korea and the many problems within South Korea.
‘If I kill the President, could I become President within a year? …Hmm. That might be difficult.’
I needed a support base. Fortunately, the Seongjin Church was expanding rapidly. As a bonus, they were also killing the Ilwoo Group vermin. Recently, Ilwoo Group technicians had been flocking to Seongak Elementary School. I needed technicians anyway, so I accepted most of them. Those suspected of being spies were mercilessly killed and put into the decomposer for resources.
‘I heard there are problems with the Seongjin Church too.’
Those who falsely joined.
Those who took the benefits after joining and then betrayed them.
‘Where do they think they’re going to run off to? Absolutely not. I need to pick inquisitors separately and deal with them.’
Kugugugugung.
The ground shook. A sudden earthquake. An earthquake of about magnitude 1-2. Not dangerous. Just enough to shake the objects on the table and make them fall.
‘Earthquakes have been frequent lately. Most of them are said to have originated in Japan.’
I heard that earthquakes of magnitude 5 or higher were occurring in Japan. The earthquakes felt in Korea were a kind of aftershock.
‘The world will become more chaotic as time goes on. I need to gather as much technology and resources as possible now.’
The D virus wasn’t the only problem in this world. The 128 meteorites that fell on this world had a major impact on the Earth. The D virus was just one of those impacts. Natural disasters would continue to occur. In the original game, natural disasters were a variable in the game. A matter of luck, so to speak.
‘For now, Japan, where earthquakes keep happening, seems screwed. Mount Fuji could erupt… or a tsunami could wipe it out.’
The worst-case scenario was a tectonic shift. The Japanese archipelago could move and attach itself right next to Korea. Would Korea and Japan get along then? Absolutely not. Japan, which was already quietly preparing for an invasion, would happily declare war.
‘No. Would they not declare war? Like Pearl Harbor.’
And the mutants and variants were evolving. For now, the sea and air routes were open, but… who knows what would happen in the future. Giant predators would appear in the sea and capsize ships, and the sky would become the domain of new rulers.
‘Korea will be isolated. Korea with its sea routes blocked. Just imagining it is terrifying.’
South Korea was a country that relied on trade for nearly 80% of its economy. If trade was blocked, it was over. The economy was already plummeting.
The earthquake stopped. I got up from my seat. I had an appointment.
