By Zephyria With his eyes wide open, Park Seung-min froze like a statue. It was as if his nightmare had manifested in reality. His own abilities felt insignificant, and Yang Yohan stood above him. And not just that, but in the guise of a brilliant savior…
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, a group of lights simultaneously moved towards the debris of the collapsed building. Yohan concentrated, sweat beading on his brow. Even though it required far less energy, it was actually easier for him to deploy a Purification Field. His purification power had a tendency to spread, making it difficult to concentrate.
Still, Yohan pushed the light towards the sky with all his might. The light billowed upwards like a beautiful veil. It then enveloped the cocoon that Seo Yakrin was lifting with her psychokinesis. Wherever Yohan’s light touched, the cocoon melted away as if dissolving. Its volume gradually decreased, until finally, only a piece of insect exoskeleton, no larger than a palm, remained.
Only then did Yohan release the light he had been forcibly holding. The shimmering mist of light scattered, flowing in all directions. It looked like aurora-colored confetti sprinkled across the dark evening sky. As everyone marveled, someone shouted.
“No!”
Yohan, who had been sweating from removing the massive contaminant, finally remembered Park Seung-min and looked down. Park Seung-min was screaming, his face contorted. It was a desperate cry, close to a shriek.
“No! Fuck! I said no! Nooooo!”
I’m a High-rank Purifier! I’m the High-rank Purifier, so why is that bastard Yang Yohan—! He was in the place he should be, using the abilities he rightfully deserved to use! It was absurd!
Park Seung-min, blinded by rage and despair, denying reality and screaming, suddenly stopped. He looked around. Stinging gazes were fixed upon him. He swallowed dryly and suddenly recalled Yang Yohan’s past advice.
‘Can you really handle this fame?’
‘This is advice for your own good, so try to live humbly and kindly from now on. Stop treating the people protecting you like servants. You’ll regret it later.’
People were staring at Park Seung-min. A slow realization dawned upon him amidst their suspicious and critical gazes. The first Purifier, who had shown no significant achievements until now. Unlike other High-level Awakeners, he was plagued by rumors and controversies, including school violence. If so, perhaps…
Trembling, Park Seung-min looked at Yang Yohan. Unlike himself, covered in sweat and looking disheveled on the ground, Yang Yohan was looking down at him from an impossibly high place, surrounded by a halo of light. He hated that more than anything. More than his own nightmares. But there was nothing he could do.
Before the people’s suspicion turned into certainty, Park Seung-min fled the scene.
[Did you guys see what’s happening in Gwacheon right now?]
https:https://twt.com/status/15821
People living in Gwacheon, get to a shelter or go home quickly.
It’s really not normal.
└ What the hell is this now?
└ Where are these Corrupted hiding and crawling out like cockroaches?
└ I live in Gwacheon, and that’s a building belonging to a new Cult. They’ve been going around saying they can grant Awakening.
└ In a world that’s already hard to live in, now we have Cults causing trouble lololol
[Fuck, I live right near there, I’m screwed]
In that case, let’s stream it.
Launching a drone from my rooftop room.
http:https://metam.net/watcq
└ Run instead of wasting time like this.
└ Hahahaha, my lower body is so Corrupted I can’t walk anyway.
└ Ah;; Good luck surviving.
└ I’ve reported it to the Rift Management Agency.
└ Will they even come on time? Gat Shiyoung is still busy with the Busan Subjugation.
└ If I’m lucky, I might make some money selling videos? Haha
[Gwacheon Stream / ? Why is Park Seung-min there?]
Looks like Park Seung-min believes in that Cult too.
Go Jae-won seems to be there too.
└ ????? What’s going on?
└ With so many Corrupted swarming, what are they doing?
└ Everyone looks like they’re hallucinating.
└ Are we going to lose Purifiers like this? What is the Rift Management Agency even doing about talent management?
[Gwacheon Stream / Holy shit, what is that?]
There’s a poisonous mist coming out of the building.
Are they all crazy? Why aren’t they running away? These damn Cult members.
└ Gwacheon is screwed.
└ Fuck, everyone should be home after work.
└ Ugh, how many casualties will there be this time…
[Gwacheon Stream / Saved! Big Yang is here!!!!!!!! Lee Hyun-muk and everyone else too!]
But what the hell is that skill?
Did Team Big Yang get new members?
What am I even watching right now?
Light is pouring out.
└ What is it? ? ??? ????
└ Who is that?
└ Drone operator, point the camera properly, I can’t see their face.
└ Isn’t that Yang Yohan?
└ Why would Yang Yohan be here? A low-grade dealer?
└ It must be Park Seung-min using his abilities.
└ Nono, Park Seung-min is currently out of his mind, dancing with the Corrupted.
[This really looks like Yang Yohan!]
https:https://dsline.net/7928
Compare the faces in the screenshots.
It’s Yang Yohan.
└ It really is.
└ Do any dealers have skills like that?
└ They said he was strength enhancement type.
└ It doesn’t look like a melee skill at all, does it? Is he a supporter?
└ Even if it’s a melee skill, it’s strange. A low-grade one with that much power?
[Gwacheon Stream / Wow, Seo Yakrin is amazing.]
Team Sun’s subjugation is incredible.
I’m proud to be Korean.
But what is that skill?
└ That looks like a purification ability, no matter how you look at it.
└ Yeah; I’m watching it now, and the Corrupted spread on the ground are becoming normal.
└ Is that purification ability? How is that possible? Even Jeong Ha-jin’s demonstration videos weren’t this good.
└ Who’s that nobody?
└ Not a nobody, he’s an intermediate purifier belonging to the Rift Management Agency who awakened recently.
└ It’s not B.S.M., it’s real?
└ Look at him, still out of his mind. It’s obvious it’s not Park Seung-min lololol
└ Come to think of it, he’s never shown such amazing abilities before.
└ Is Park Seung-min really a High-rank Purifier? lololol Wow, maybe he scammed us?
└ He wouldn’t scam the nation, would he?
└ He could. If you’re a High-rank Purifier, you’d be living the good life. Fuck, the signing bonus alone is at least several billion won.
[Gwacheon Stream / Going to confirm if it’s really purification.]
I’ll crawl there myself lol
└ Good luck.
└ Roll your way down. This is your chance to get purified.
└ What’s with the perspective? Are you carrying the drone on your head lololol
└ Wow, crawling down the stairs is going to hurt like hell.
└ Cheer up, I’ll be watching.
[Gwacheon Stream / The corruption is gone.]
I’ve been crawling around for years since the Great Rift opened.
Even I found my appearance disgusting, so I couldn’t go outside.
But my legs, which felt like modeling clay, are back to normal.
I wanted to die every day, but this day has come.
I don’t know what’s what yet, but anyone who badmouths the Sun Guild from now on is my enemy.
└ Wow, congratulations.
└ Congrats congrats.
└ Congratulations, I’m jealous. I wish I lived in Gwacheon too.
└ If there’s anyone living nearby, hurry and go now. There’s still some light left.
└ But is Yang Yohan a High-rank Purifier?
└ We don’t know that for sure yet, but honestly, seeing how Park Seung-min is acting, I hope not.
[Hahahaha, the mystery of Team Big Yang is solved.]
Ah, I wondered why it was called Team Big Yang.
It’s because of ‘Yang’ Yohan, and it’s the Sun Guild?
└ Hahahaha, I never saw that coming.
└ It’s not even the same ‘Yang,’ just the pronunciation.
└ So it was just the rambling of the youngest member of Team Big Yang.
└ But if he really is a High-rank Purifier, it’s understandable to be so enthusiastic.
└ Agreed. I’d worship him too.
……
…
[Breaking News] Gwacheon High-grade Monster Sighting Alert Lifted.
[Breaking News] Sun Guild New Member Yang Yohan Revealed as Purifier.
[Breaking News] Purifier Park Seung-min’s National Deception…
〈11〉
The Unyielding
Fzzt!* The drone buzzing around them was soon hit by sparks from Lee Hyun-muk and fell powerlessly to the ground. Someone below grumbled in annoyance before discreetly disappearing under the disapproving stares of others. Several drones had already crashed, but their continued attempts were quite valiant.
Even after eliminating the monsters, Team Sun did not leave the scene. They wanted to investigate what had happened before the government arrived. Not only Team Sun, but people also lingered, refusing to leave. Not only that, but the crowd seemed to be growing. They were all looking for any remaining light, milling about.
“Please, spread a little more light here! Please!”
“Here too! We need purification!”
Yohan flinched at the pleading voices. But Lee Hyun-muk gently placed his hand on Yohan’s forehead, pressing down.
“No, Yohan-ah.”
Lee Hyun-muk deliberately spoke in a stern voice to stop Yohan, who was fidgeting, wanting to spread light.
“Purification can be done anytime later, Yohan-ah. If the crowd gets too excited in a situation like this, you never know what might happen. There could be a stampede. And that would weigh heavily on your heart.”
“That’s right, and if you grant one request here, people might start chasing you from now on…”
Joo Ho-young said, pretending to worry and care for him, placing a cold, ice-wrapped handkerchief on Yohan’s forehead, ensuring it was captured well on camera.
“I’ll lie down nicely.”
Yohan, who was resting his head on Lee Hyun-muk’s lap, pretending to be quite exhausted despite not even deploying a Purification Field, replied obediently. Several drones had already flown up to film this scene. Following his teammates’ advice, Yohan feigned exhaustion, but felt a pang of guilt.
However, Lee Hyun-muk was right. The people who had been severely Corrupted until just moments ago were quite agitated after receiving such widespread purification. If Yoon Seung-ryong hadn’t subtly released a mild sleep poison to calm them, something would have happened long ago.
“With so many people gathered, it will be difficult to get out, won’t it?”
“We can jump from building to building, so it won’t be too difficult. Even if not, transportation will arrive soon.”
Transportation? Had they called for vehicles from the Sun Guild? Yohan had a fleeting moment of mild curiosity before his teammates, who had gone to investigate the partially destroyed building, returned. They leaped over the clamoring crowd and ascended to the building’s roof to report to Lee Hyun-muk. Seo Yakrin said with a serious expression.
“Team Leader. There was a hole drilled beneath the building’s basement. It seems they move through the ground, including the sewers.”
“Then there might be similar facilities elsewhere.”
Yohan swallowed dryly at Yoon Seung-ryong’s words. Just like in the Abyss, their objective was likely to eliminate Yohan, the High-rank Purifier. He recalled the Corrupted who had blindly rushed at Park Seung-min during the Abyss return ceremony, shouting for a Purifier and trying to harm him. Lee Hyun-muk analyzed cautiously.
“It seems certain that the Flood came from the Abyss. But in my opinion, it wasn’t a very large amount. That’s why they’re going to such lengths to gather sacrifices and build their numbers.”
“Indeed… If they had swept through with a Flood like in the Abyss, no city would have survived. They’re bothering to brainwash, hide, and charm people, so they must be running short, right? That’s a bit reassuring.”
Seo Yakrin said cheerfully, tying back her disheveled hair. But Yohan felt a chill. He had felt it in the Abyss as well, but the thought of this unknown, nameless mass of malice possessing will and intelligence was terrifying.
“Then, let’s get going. Before more people gather.”
Lee Hyun-muk, who didn’t seem tired or hurt at all, carefully scooped up Yohan, who was perfectly fine, and held him in his arms. Yohan, blushing with embarrassment at being cradled so dotingly despite being unharmed, finally heard a noise. It was a familiar sound he had heard before. A helicopter. Lee Hyun-muk looked at the helicopter approaching with the Rift Management Agency’s insignia from afar and said.
“Just in time, the transportation we were waiting for has arrived.”