Chapter 46 : Chapter 46
Chapter 46
The youth made a triangle by bringing the tips of his fingers on both hands together.
His expression was as serious as if he had staked his entire life, but his posture was so quirky it looked like he was mimicking a shonen manga technique, making it utterly ridiculous.
Because of the exquisite imbalance, I almost burst out laughing openly.
Unaware of how funny he looked, the youth attempted an impromptu proselytization toward me in a serious tone.
“Humans are always repeating a foolish history. Domination, oppression, war, discrimination. Every time all conflicts reach a peak, a savior has appeared. Sometimes in the form of Christ, sometimes in the form of Buddha, sometimes in the form of Confucius. They descended into this world to save the suffering people.”
While the youth were babbling, I gave several yawns in a row.
I effectively conveyed the message that it was boring because it was a worthless story without saying a word.
Despite encountering a reaction containing the meaning of an insult, the youth steadfastly preached the bogus doctrine.
“Climate issues, racial issues, wars between countries. The period when greed has reached its peak among this generation can be said to be right now. That is why the one who descended to save us is the Cult Leader right over there. Believe. If you believe, you can be saved.”
I spoke nonchalantly while pretending to pick my ear.
“Is that the end of the nonsense? Be sure to record a track later. It would be perfect to listen to when I can't sleep.”
“At first, no one believed me. I understand. Because I couldn't believe it either. However, after reading this scripture and offering worship together with the Cult Leader, my thoughts changed.”
The youth took out a handbook tucked in his back pocket with his left hand.
The part where the title ‘You Shall Be Saved’ was printed on the cover of the handbook was strangely bothersome.
This feeling as if my hands and feet were cringing and disappearing just by looking at it.
It wasn't a very pleasant feeling.
The youth placed the handbook on the floor and stepped back five steps.
“Since I made it, you will be able to make it too. Here is the scripture, so please read it.”
The behavior of handling a shabby prop carefully as if it were a precious object was like an extension of children's playing house, so a snort naturally popped out.
It wasn't like he would have packed scriptures in bundles while participating in this game.
He probably brought three or four at most.
And the scripture he just placed on the floor would be one of the few items.
I spat toward the scripture without hesitation.
Hock, ptui!
The thick saliva drew a clean curve as if drawn with a compass, and the scripture was staying at the scheduled arrival point without fail.
Right before the saliva touched the scripture.
I used the ability in time.
Ability to turn one's own bodily fluids into blades.
The saliva turned into a 10cm long dagger, and the tip of the blade was stuck into the cover of the scripture, standing upright vertically.
As soon as I openly damaged the scripture, a reaction returned from the followers.
The followers in the outfield were enraged, and the youth facing me expressed a quiet anger.
“How far have you fallen, Mr. Lee Ju-seong. As expected, you are someone who needs saving more than anyone else.”
“Normally, one wouldn't call killing the opponent a saving.”
“You have been contaminated without even knowing it, and you still do not know that you are trapped inside a contaminated flesh. Therefore, we will personally liberate you from that contaminated flesh.”
“I clearly understand that you have been injected with a very convenient ideology where whatever you do becomes justice.”
The youth lowered his right hand and then raised it high as a surprise.
The four iron beads wedged in the youth's fingers soared as if a lob ball had been sent up.
In the air, the iron beads scattered irregularly.
When all the iron beads arrived in the space above my head, the youth took the triangular prayer posture and activated his ability.
“Do not worry, for no matter what you say, we will not give up on you. We will surely save you.”
As the ability was activated, the small iron beads turned into large iron spheres.
The size of each iron sphere was as large and heavy as a wrecking ball used when demolishing a house.
Since it was an intuitive ability, I could see through the youth's ability even without a separate analysis.
Ability to adjust the size of iron beads.
I calmly watched the placement of the iron spheres until the end, and then moved three steps to the right like a sidestep.
“Haven't you set the evasion difficulty too low? If this were a shooting game, everyone would clear it with one coin.”
A moment later, four iron spheres fell around me.
The weight was so heavy that a fine vibration was felt from the ground every time an iron sphere hit the floor.
Two behind my back, and one on each of my left and right sides.
The position where I was staying was a small gap just large enough for one person to barely stand.
Not counterattacking an ability with an ability was itself my ulterior motive.
It was like declaring that your ability isn't even worth counterattacking with an ability.
To the youth who had absolute confidence in his own ability, it was a situation where the foundation of his confidence had no choice but to be shaken.
A lack of confidence is bound to lead to a decrease in concentration.
In the youth's case, the decrease in concentration appeared in the form of impatience.
“Saving others cannot possibly be easy. This ordeal is also a gateway that must naturally be passed through. I will accept it sweetly.”
This time, he took out eight iron beads and wedged them between the fingers of both hands.
And he crossed both arms horizontally, then threw them toward the air as if flinging them away.
Eight iron beads sequentially increased their bulk and turned into threatening iron spheres.
It was a number large enough to fill the entire space.
However, since they took the form of spheres, they couldn't perfectly fill all the gaps.
I found an appropriate gap and moved my position.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Heavy impact sounds were heard from all directions, tickling my ears.
As expected, there was no case where an iron sphere touched my body.
Two attacks had returned to naught, but the youth took out one new iron bead as if he had been waiting.
“You must be happy because you succeeded in evading twice, but I should gradually sprinkle red pepper powder on that mood. Congratulations on breaking away from the contaminated flesh and making a fresh start with a clean body.”
Before I knew it, my surroundings were tightly blocked by a multitude of iron spheres.
The only space I could move was the front.
And the youth was staying at the front.
The youth took a wind-up posture like a skilled pitcher, and then threw the iron bead in his hand straight.
“Ability activation.”
The speed of the iron bead itself was as slow and weak as that of a second-tier pitcher with an ERA in the 4.00s.
However, as the ability was activated and the size grew, the momentum of the projectile also grew immensely along with it.
A lump of iron more than enough to flatten a person rolled rapidly toward me.
In the outfield, the followers, including Kim Ju-han, were certain of victory.
“Bodhisattva Ji-seop's ability is wonderful whenever I see it.”
“It's an ability that always played a big role at important times even before coming to this island.”
“Moreover, the layout leading up to salvation was also excellent. He is a very smart youth. He is the treasure of our order.”
The belief that they had taken one victory was only for a moment.
Their expressions reached a reversal in an instant.
Along with the sound of the rolling iron sphere boasting a satisfying impact, the rolling direction changed to the exact opposite.
Crash!
Taking full advantage of my body enhanced by Damage Doping, I kicked the iron sphere hard.
Before the enhanced physical strength, the iron sphere was reduced to a mere soccer ball.
As if I had struck a knuckleball, the iron sphere suddenly dropped while flying and took a non-conventional trajectory.
It was a blow with an artistic score high enough to expect a Puskas Award.
The youth named Ji-seop was hit by buffering due to the unexpected situation, and he froze on the spot without being able to react immediately.
“Huh? Uh-uh? Uh-uh-uh-uh!”
Crunch!
The youth's body was thrown back greatly as it collided with the iron sphere.
Even after the youth collapsed on the floor, the iron sphere did not stop.
It eventually even passed over the collapsed youth, crushing him.
A duet of collision and pressure.
The two types of destructive acts inflicted on his flesh in a short period of time directly affected the youth's lifespan.
To borrow the youth's way of speaking, he had been ‘saved’.
The appearance of the youth collapsed on the floor was like a fly pressed by a flyswatter.
It was a feeling as if there would be no incongruity even if he were tossed into a corner of an outhouse.
When the iron spheres filling the space returned to the size of iron beads, I tossed out a word toward the youth whose death was confirmed.
“That's why I told you to contact your insurance company in advance.”
All the members of the opposing team, who had been observing with the mood of enjoying themselves, froze coldly.
When advantageous, the temperature goes up; when disadvantageous, the temperature goes down.
The temperature changes are severe.
It's not like they're cold-blooded animals.
November looked into the youth's condition and faithfully performed the role of a referee.
“Lee Ju-seong caught Yu Ji-seop. Since you caught the opponent's piece, throw the Yut once more.”
Originally, an additional opportunity to throw the Yut is given to the piece that followed and caught another, but in this game, it was unique that the opportunity to throw once more passed to the piece that was caught as a result of the match.
It was proven that merely trying to catch an opponent's piece ahead was not always the best move.
I received the Yut from November and rubbed nose oil on it.
“Come out Mo, Mo.”
I threw the Yut high, even mixing in a cheerful hum.
And a Mo really came out.
Move forward five spaces, then throw once more.
The hand that came out was a Gae.
Like that, I was able to move forward as many as ten spaces from the start of the game.
November delivered additional matters to be communicated to me, who had moved quite far from the starting point.
“The prize money and fines through battle are settled after the game is over, so keep that in mind!”
I raised both arms back and made an ‘O’ shape in the sense of saying I understood.
It was good that I had moved quite far ahead, but it was a pity that I felt isolated as if I were far apart from the other players.
Since most would play near the starting point, it was difficult to carefully observe everyone's abilities while far away.
While being in a situation where its own pros and cons existed, the player corresponding to the third sequence threw the Yut.
“Do! Please move forward one space!”
Afterward, the opposing team players, who were the third to sixth sequences, each moved forward according to the hands that came out.
Third - Do.
Fourth - Yut+Do.
Fifth - Gae.
Sixth - Gae.
And the long-awaited turn of No Tae-jin, the second sequence of our team, arrived.
No Tae-jin's complexion was dark as if he were extremely nervous, regardless of who looked.
“Do, Gae, Mo. I must avoid these three. I hope it passes without anything happening if possible.”
The survival of everyone that No Tae-jin had always wished for had already gone out the window, but he was earnestly hoping that no more human casualties would occur.
While everyone's attention was focused on No Tae-jin, the Yut sticks he was holding flew up dynamically.
When the Yut sticks touched the floor and stopped, November looked into the hand that came out and shouted vigorously.
“Gul! Please move forward three spaces.”
No Tae-jin stopped at the third space, passing between the followers in the first and second spaces.
“Phew, thank goodness.”
He was someone who truly thought it was a relief that he didn't end up fighting.
However, as if the relief and the sigh of relief were in vain, the result of the hand created by the next sequence forced the situation No Tae-jin had wanted to avoid so much.
“Gul! Please move forward three spaces.”
The seventh sequence was the white-haired old man, namely Kim Ju-han.
Kim Ju-han walked with a scholar's stride with his hands behind his back as if playing at being an immortal.
And while narrowing the distance with No Tae-jin step by step, he emitted a sharp gaze through his narrow eyes.
“Hoho, you are a Bodhisattva worth saving. What is it that you are so afraid of?”
Soon, he stepped into the space where No Tae-jin was staying.
A pleasant-looking smile blossomed on Kim Ju-han's face.
It was a smile with a strong feeling of having been stamped out, as if plaster had been poured over the best smile accidentally discovered during daily life and hardened.
“If you speak candidly, I might be able to help you. So please be at ease and open your heart. How did you end up coming all the way here?”