How A Mythical Holy Knight Lives As A Villain (Novel) - Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Read it only at Utoon.net!
Discord
With his eyes closed, Go Johan was observing his body.
Twitch.
His muscle cells moved according to his will.
At some point, Go Johan had stopped praying.
It was around when he felt he no longer deserved to call himself her knight.
But how could such a habit disappear completely?
Twitch.
Prayer time was now spent in meditation and training.
As his consciousness was moving toward the sins imprisoned in his chest.
Whoosh!
Feeling his consciousness being swallowed up.
“Whew.”
He opened his eyes.
“Here.”
Yoon Seung-ah handed him a towel as if she had been waiting, and Go Johan wiped away his soaked sweat.
“Aren’t you busy?”
Go Johan said to Yoon Seung-ah.
The apostles, and even the believers.
Though they each had their own domains, Yoon Seung-ah was in charge of overseeing everything.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
Yoon Seung-ah tilted her head and asked.
“What are you saying? I’m just telling you to rest when you can.”
“This is rest for me.”
Yoon Seung-ah smiled shyly.
“How are the others?”
At Go Johan’s question, Yoon Seung-ah smiled again.
“Sion is with the Black Association, Ha-yeon is busy with Goldian-related matters…”
The church had grown incomparably larger than before, with over a hundred qualified believers.
None of them called the apostles children.
Though their bodies were young, what dwelled inside was nothing short of monstrous.
‘O Apostle.’
The believers revered the apostles.
Perhaps that’s why.
‘Remaining in the form of children…’
Given the apostles’ abilities and circumstances, accelerating their growth wouldn’t have been a major issue.
Greed, for instance, would grow his body to appear around twenty years old when needed for external affairs.
But at least in the church, near Go Johan.
“I wonder if everyone’s working too hard.”
They were trying to remain in the form of children.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Everyone’s doing it because they want to.”
“Who would want to do such things?”
“Then what about you, Captain?”
At Yoon Seung-ah’s words, Go Johan seemed at a loss for words.
“…Well, I’m not doing it because I want to either.”
Just.
‘It’s a duty.’
Something that had to be done because he was the goddess’s knight, because he had witnessed the world’s destruction by demons.
“We do it because we want to.”
Yoon Seung-ah said.
“I don’t remember the past, but it probably wasn’t a happy life.”
When devoured by demons, one’s very existence was denied by the world.
Both Yoon Seung-ah and the other apostles had lost everything – their past, parents, and friends.
But after much effort, Yoon Seung-ah could vaguely discover her own past.
‘A drunk father and a drug-addicted mother.’
At a school beyond her means, she was apparently even pointed at as a criminal’s child.
The rest was gone, but it seemed that wasn’t all.
She had once overheard a conversation between Go Johan and Lee Jae-kyung.
‘It’s better not to dig too deep into the past.’
That was the answer to Lee Jae-kyung’s question about whether they should look into the apostles’ past and families.
‘The potential these children possess makes them reject ordinary human life. Moreover, if they were chosen as vessels for demons and had their talents awakened…’
The children’s innocence was likely stained with deep and dirty things.
“Still, take it easy…”
That’s when it happened.
Flinch.
Both Go Johan and Yoon Seung-ah froze simultaneously.
And then.
Whoosh!
Go Johan’s sky-blue eyes began to turn an even deeper shade of blue.
His divine eye had activated.
Unlike him, Yoon Seung-ah could also feel it.
“…Black Gate.”
The dormant Black Gates had revealed themselves to the world again.
And.
“…! This is…”
The number was far from ordinary.
[Black Gate detected.]
[Black Gate detected.]
[Black Gate detected.]
[…]
Go Johan was hearing the goddess’s voice.
Meeting eyes with Yoon Seung-ah.
“I’ll confirm.”
Even as Yoon Seung-ah asked permission and left her position.
“Captain.”
Even until Yoon Seung-ah returned to report the situation.
[Black Gate detected.]
[Black Gate detected.]
[Black Gate detected.]
[…]
The goddess’s voice didn’t stop.
“…Thirty-six…”
It was the moment when thirty-six Black Gates opened simultaneously.
*
*
*
Drrrrr.
The phone had to be turned off as it vibrated madly.
Weeeeee!
Outside, emergency sirens wailed as if announcing martial law.
Thirty-six Black Gates opening simultaneously.
Even regular gates had never opened in such numbers at once, at least not in South Korea.
“Thirty-six in South Korea alone, worldwide…”
“Over a hundred.”
Go Johan spoke as if he already knew.
Over a hundred Black Gates had opened simultaneously.
-This is breaking news. All citizens please follow the Association’s instructions…
-Military forces…
-All guilds and players must immediately stop what they’re doing…
It was a situation reminiscent of war.
“Fortunately, no one is recklessly entering the Black Gates yet.”
Whether thanks to Goldian’s warning or the apostles’ efforts.
At least in South Korea, no guilds or players were recklessly entering the Black Gates, but…
“…Several entries have already been confirmed abroad.”
News was coming in that in the United States, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, they had immediately entered the gates under Association leadership, claiming successful early conquest was necessary.
“Captain.”
Go Johan nodded with a stern face.
“Only I, the apostles, and the seeds can kill demons anyway. Others can knock demons down, but they can’t kill them.”
And that only gives them a chance to escape.
But.
“We can’t solve everything ourselves.”
Though it was declared a battlefield where no prisoners would be taken, there was nothing they could do about the current situation.
“Pride, Gluttony, and Lust remain.”
There were also those who needed to protect this place.
“The rest focus on the foreign Black Gates. Especially where our hands can reach first.”
“What about you, Captain?”
“I’ll take care of Korea. Fortunately…”
South Korea’s Black Gates, which no one had entered yet.
But Go Johan could feel through his divine eye.
“All of Korea’s Black Gates are connected as one.”
“I’ll leak word to the Association.”
*
*
*
Shinsung also decided to participate in this Black Gate conquest.
The same went for the others.
-The Black Association has moved too. Though this might partially reveal their identity.
Even the Black Association, which had been operating in the shadows, had to step forward.
‘Which way to enter.’
Regular players would only be able to buy time anyway.
But leaving so many Black Gates unattended would only make the rifts grow larger.
Whoosh.
Go Johan’s divine eye gauged the interior while sensing the thread-like connections between the Black Gates.
And the decided location was.
“Buyeo.”
Go Johan said, looking at the map of South Korea spread out.
The gate that opened here seemed to be able to get closest to the center most quickly.
“I’m moving toward Buyeo.”
At Go Johan’s words, Yoon Seung-ah appeared behind him.
“I’ll escort you.”
And when he opened his eyes.
Whoosh.
Strong winds were blowing.
In the sky above Buyeo’s downtown.
Below, the Black Gate gaped open.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
And.
Swish!
She disappeared after releasing Go Johan in mid-air.
Though his falling body seemed about to shatter upon impact with the ground.
Tap.
Go Johan landed gracefully in a secluded spot.
And as if they had been waiting, a group approached to greet him.
“…It’s an honor to meet you.”
His body was trembling slightly.
“I’m Yu Baek, guild master of Baekgang.”
After Go Johan permitted the church’s activities, they no longer only accepted those with incurable diseases or disabilities as believers.
Under Greed’s evaluation, they accepted those deemed necessary as believers.
“This is our first meeting. What’s your affiliation?”
“…Please speak comfortably.”
Yu Baek was one of those regular believers.
“Sacred Alliance.”
The Sacred Alliance – if the Black Association operated in South Korea’s underground, the Sacred Alliance existed in the light.
It was an unknown name, different from the Holy Alliance being formed under Shinsung’s leadership after this Black Gate incident.
Nod.
Just a nod from Go Johan.
Shudder!
Yu Baek trembled as if struck by lightning.
“…?”
Come to think of it, Greed had never explained how she recruited regular believers.
Just.
‘Believers won’t betray the church. I made sure of that.’
He only remembered praising her for clearly preventing problems that might arise before enemies.
“Time is short, let’s talk while moving.”
Though the Black Gate was not far, Yu Baek had prepared several black vehicles even in this chaos.
They were ceremonial vehicles reminiscent of a presidential visit.
“I-I’ll escort you.”
“…Let’s walk. That seems faster.”
“Is that so?”
At Yu Baek’s hurried gesture, the ceremonial vehicles disappeared quickly as if using Yoon Seung-ah’s ability.
They were players.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Though they weren’t running when using their abilities, the scenery changed rapidly.
“Well, there’s one problem…”
Yu Baek spoke carefully as if having committed a crime.
That’s when.
“This is our territory! Why can’t we enter! Oh, come on!”
“This is a national emergency, Guild Master.”
There was a commotion up ahead.