The Cult Leader in the Clergy Academy

Chapter 352

Bang!

Gunshots rang out, and bullets flew. Yu-Hyun stared the bullet down as it flew toward him. By using his Berakah, he could vividly and clearly see the flying bullet with his eyes. However, seeing the bullet and avoiding it were two separate issues.

Plunge!

"Argh!"

The bullet did not hit the heart or head, but it grazed his side. Ha Pan-Seok smirked. Even though he had shot the bullet by risking his life, he wasn’t able to kill Yu-Hyun immediately. All he could do was inflict a flesh wound. The gunshot wound he inflicted would disappear in the blink of an eye with the 'healing' of the Romanican Church.

Nevertheless, Ha Pan-Seok was grateful that he could inflict a gunshot wound on Yu-Hyun's side using his irrelevant life. Ha Pan-Seok was infinitely grateful even when the Head Guardians of Patience raised a giant wheel over Ha Pan-Seok's head, and the Head Guardians of Kindness swung a whip before him.

Swoosh!

The wheel struck the ground forcefully. Ha Pan-Seok attempted to turn around to avoid it, but it was too late. The giant wheel crushed his legs. Then the whip flew toward him, tearing through Ha Pan-Seok’s clothes and skin. His blood stained the snow.

"Argh, urrgh!" Ha Pan-Seok couldn't even scream.

His entire leg was twisted grotesquely. His body trembled. Yu-Hyun touched his side of his abdomen that had been hit by the bullet. Blood flowed from his wound, but it seemed like the wound was not life-threatening, as it was a mere scratch.

The Head Guardian of Kindness hurriedly ran over and drew a healing array. The light of healing enveloped Yu-Hyun. The gunshot wound disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.

After the treatment, two Head Guardians and Yu-Hyun approached Ha Pan-Seok. The Head Guardian of Patience tried to end Ha Pan-Seok’s with his wheel, but Yu-Hyun stopped them.

"Are you an executive?" Yu-Hyun asked.

Ha Pan-Seok did not answer, for the question did not warrant a response.

“It seems like you have no intention of answering. Head Guardians, do you know this man?" Yu-Hyun asked.

Among the two Head Guardians, the Head Guardian of Patience nodded and answered, "He’s Chungcheong Branch Executive Ha Pan-Seok. He has participated in several battles.”

"So he is an executive," Yu-Hyun said, looking at the Head Guardians’ whip and wheel.

Then, as if something had popped up in his mind, he nodded. "Let's interrogate him until he reveals the Cult Leader’s location. Or the Cult Leader might show himself if he hears this man’s screams."

"Are you saying that the Cult Leader would reveal himself for a mere executive?" the Head Guardian of Kindness asked.

Yu-Hyun chuckled and bowed his head. "If he doesn't come... Well, it’ll be a shame.”

Then, he looked down at the fallen Ha Pan-Seok with indifferent eyes. Ha Pan-Seok trembled.

Yu-Hyun chuckled. "From now on, you will scream in terror and die. Do you have any last words?"

It was his final chance to speak. If he revealed the Cult Leader's location now, he would not be tortured. He’d experience severe torture if the Head Guardians of Patience and Kindness used their wheel and whip. Even if Ha Pan-Seok did not speak now, Yu-Hyun was determined to make him talk through torture. If even torture couldn't make him talk, Yu-Hyun planned to lure the Cult Leader out with Ha Pan-Seok’s screams of pain.

"..."

Ha Pan-Seok did not respond and looked at Yu-Hyun with shaky eyes. The Starless Night came to mind. This man was responsible for his wife’s death and for taking Ha Soo-Hyun away from him. The man he would gladly tear apart was right in front of him. However, Ha Pan-Seok was more afraid than wrathful. His body trembled as he thought about the impending torture.

"Do you have nothing to say?" Yu-Hyun asked again.

After a long silence, Ha Pan-Seok opened his eyes as if he had decided. The eyes trembling with fear until now were firm and unwavering.

"Run, Soo-Yeong―!!" Ha Pan-Seok shouted.

Rustle!

The bushes shook. The two Head Guardians and Yu-Hyun's gazes turned in the same direction. A person wearing a mask and poncho ran away without looking back. Based on the flow of the Voodoo magic, that the person was clearly not the Cult Leader.

Yu-Hyun nodded and smiled. He seemed to have a vague grasp of what was going on.

“Your daughter?"

"..."

"I see. All for your daughter... I’m impressed," Yu-Hyun said.

He reached out his hand to the Head Guardians of Kindness. The Head Guardians of Kindness handed the whip to Yu-Hyun, who took the whip and stood up. He looked down at Ha Pan-Seok, trembling and lying on the ground.

"I feel a bit unwell for some reason," Yu-Hyun muttered as he raised the whip.

Contrary to his words, Yu-Hyun was smiling.

***

"Huff, huff!"

Soo-Yeong was out of breath as she ran. Tears streamed down her face. She remembered why she was running and fleeing, but she couldn't understand why she was running away so desperately.

Gaaaah–!

A scream rang out. It was her father's scream. The scream was so miserable that hearing it sent shivers down her spine. Her whole body felt like it was covered in goosebumps.

Soo-Yeong stopped in her tracks. She had intended to fight to kill that man, Yu-Hyun. She had thought about it for a long time, but she couldn't do it. When faced with the opportunity, she had been terrified. Even though she witnessed Yu-Hyun and the Head Guardians mutilating Ha Pan-Seok, she couldn't do anything. She couldn’t do anything although she knew that Ha Pan-Seok would die.

It was like The Starless Night. Soo-Yeong was young back then, but not anymore. She now knew how to use spells. She could now draw the Executioner's Sword and remove the enemies' consciousness with the curse of fainting spell even with her eyes closed.

However, she didn’t do anything. As always, she just ran away.

Crunch, crunch.

Soo-Yeong turned back to the path she had fled from. She walked opposite the path she had run away from in a frenzy. Soo-Yeong unleashed Voodoo magic and drew a spell array. She pulled out the Executioner's Sword and continued walking in the direction where Ha Pan-Seok's screams could be heard.

Her steps quickened as she started to run. The screams grew closer. Her heart pounded, and her stomach churned. Her steps felt heavy. She wanted to turn around and run away again right away, but Soo-Yeong did not stop. She couldn't keep running away. Even if she died, she was prepared to swing the Executioner's Sword.

Yu-Hyun and two Head Guardians were torturing Ha Pan-Seok. His screams might give Soo-Yeong a slight advantage. It would be challenging to retaliate quickly as they were likely using whips and wheels for torture. If she was lucky, she might be able to cut off Yu-Hyun's arm or leg. If she was really lucky, she might even be able to slit his throat.

Soo-Yeong would probably die afterward, but she didn't care anymore. She just wanted to face her fears at least once. That was all. Soo-Yeong gripped the Executioner's Sword.

"Soo-Yeong."

Soo-Yeong stopped in her tracks when she heard the voice. It was Sun-Woo.

Soo-Yeong lost the ability to speak when she saw him. His appearance was too gruesome. There was no place on his eyes, nose, mouth, ears, or face where blood was not flowing. His complexion was pale. He looked as if he could die at any moment.

Gaaahhh—!

Then she heard Ha Pan-Seok screaming again.

Sun-Woo stared in the direction of the scream and said, "That’s your father's voice, isn’t it?"

Soo-Yeong looked at Sun-Woo for a moment without saying anything, then nodded. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back.

Sun-Woo raised the staff and said, "Bade."

Whoosh!

The wind blew, lifting Sun-Woo and Soo-Yeong into the air. It was so cold and sharp that their skin felt like it would burn. But now, the trivial pain was not important. The wind stopped the tears that seemed like they would overflow any moment. She was glad.

"Shall we go together?" Sun-Woo asked.

Soo-Yeong nodded once again.

***

The torture method was simple. They struck Ha Pan-Seok's body with a whip, adjusting their strength so they hit him with force, not enough to kill, but enough to feel pain. Just that made Ha Pan-Seok scream like crazy. He shed tears and later foamed at the mouth.

"He won’t say anything until the end."

However, Ha Pan-Seok still didn't say anything. He didn’t say a word about the position of the Cult Leader or the Voodoo Cult's plans. He didn't disclose any information that might jeopardize the Voodoo Cult.

Ha Pan-Seok sensed death. If this continued, even if he didn’t die from the torture, he would most certainly die from bleeding.

Boom–!

At that moment, a sound rang out nearby. It was the sound of the Cult Leader's staff striking the ground. The two Head Guardians and Yu-Hyun stopped what they were doing and looked up. Sun-Woo, covered in blood, appeared before them, riding the wind.

He was in terrible condition. Anyone could see that he was on the brink of death. Perhaps he was enduring the drawbacks of overusing the Loa's power.

"As expected," Yu-Hyun chuckled.

Everything was going according to Yu-Hyun's plan. He stood up, and the two Head Guardians each gripped their weapons and took a battle stance. Yu-Hyun crossed his thumbs and closed his eyes in prayer.

He muttered something incomprehensible due to its speed. Immediately, a light similar to divine power but even more radiant and pure flowed around him.

Shaaa!

The light appeared out of nowhere and enveloped Yu-Hyun's body. Wings of light sprouted from his back. In his hands, clasped in prayer, a spear of light materialized.

Yu-Hyun then opened his eyes and raised the spear. With fluttering wings, Yu-Hyun's body floated in the air. Finally, Yu-Hyun's gaze met Sun-Woo's.

“You've finally come to die. Thank you." Yu-Hyun smiled, pointing the spear of light toward Sun-Woo.

Sun-Woo smiled back, the corners of his lips tilting upward. "Get it all out now. You won’t be able to run that mouth of yours once you die."

He raised his staff high into the sky.

"Kalfu.”

The sky, filled with dark clouds, opened up. Through the rift in the clouds, a sinister light descended. A crimson light, resembling the color of blood, illuminated the mountain. The world turned red.

Yu-Hyun lifted his head. The red moon hanging in the sky was so large and red that the mere sight of it sent shivers down people’s spines.

[The moon is beautiful tonight.]

The red moonlight illuminated Sun-Woo. He lifted his head and gazed at the moon. He tried to say something to the moon, but before he could, the moon spoke first.

[You have nothing more that I can take.]

Upon hearing those words, Sun-Woo's expression hardened.

Yu-Hyun and the two Head Guardians had no idea what was happening. They couldn't hear the voice of the 'moon.' But Soo-Yeong and Ha Pan-Seok roughly understood what was happening.

As members of the Voodoo Cult, they could hear the voice of the moon. In order to use the power of Kalfu, a price must inevitably be paid. Sun-Woo had nothing left to offer as a price. Kalfu did not want a body that had been destroyed by using the power of the Loa. It was a cruel caprice.

Sun-Woo was taken aback, but he quickly regained his composure. If he didn't have Kalfu's power, then he could use another power. He could use a spell. Whether it was the Executioner's Sword, Dawn's Blade, or anything else, he could surely defeat Yu-Hyun.

"..."

However, he wasn’t confident in winning. Among all the powers of the Loa, Kalfu was considered to be one of the most powerful. Without Kalfu's power, facing Yu-Hyun with only other powers might not guarantee victory.

At that moment, Ha Pan-Seok spoke up.

"Take..."

Ha Pan-Seok smiled. He had been screaming in agony, but now he smiled very comfortably. His voice was soft, yet it resonated clearly throughout the space.

"My everything..." Ha Pan-Seok trailed off.

He recalled the events of the past few years. He had been reunited with Soo-Hyun in the underground prison. Soo-Yeong, recognized for her spell casting talent, became the closest aide to the Cult Leader. Earlier, he even shot a bullet that grazed the side of Pope. He had seen the Pope’s unpleasant laughter change into a grimace with his own eyes. Even if he died, Ha Pan-Seok would have no regrets.

He had enjoyed and seen everything he wanted to in his life. If his death could be of valuable help to the Voodoo Cult, and if someday, it could serve as repentance for the rebellion he had plotted long ago, then Ha Pan-Seok was willing to die.

"Please take it away," Ha Pan-Seok said.

The red moon floating in the sky seemed to respond to his determination as it began to wane.