You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿

"Le-leader!"

The guards, who had belatedly sensed the killing intent approaching, tried to block, but it was already too late.

The moment they focused on maintaining the shield while trying to cast it again, as well as keeping an eye on the incoming bullets and magic, the guard closest to Mi-yeon’s father, who had been distracted for just a split second, was left vulnerable.

It was in that one instant of negligence that Lee Ah-rin, who had been waiting for the perfect moment, sprang out from the shadows.

Everything unfolded in an instant.

A scream erupted from the person stabbed by the sword.

"Ugh, aaah!"

But, it wasn’t Imanbok who screamed.

"Leader! It's dangerous!"

The supervisor, who had been between Mi-yeon and the leader, pushed Mi-yeon’s father, who was closest to Imanbok, out of the way in a split second.

The sword Lee Ah-rin had thrown lodged into Choi Seong-hoon’s chest, who had been pushed aside.

Choi Seong-hoon collapsed on the spot, blood leaking from his mouth.

Mi-yeon stood there, staring blankly at the scene.

What... what just happened?

"This crazy woman!"

The moment Lee Ah-rin realized her assassination attempt had failed, she immediately pulled back and distanced herself.

"Dammit!"

The guards, grinding their teeth, swung their swords at Lee Ah-rin.

The blade narrowly missed her, grazing her by the thinnest margin.

She was at a disadvantage, no matter where you looked.

Although she had been rated with potential close to an A-class hunter, her body was in no condition to be called normal at that point.

Having escaped with Jung Da-on only a few hours ago to avoid the crowds of cult members, and having just forced her physical strength to rise, Lee Ah-rin had already exhausted much of her stamina.

Still, she wasn’t immediately captured. She pulled out a pistol from her waist and shot.

Bang!

At close range, the aim wasn’t bad.

"Ugh!"

Another hunter who stood in front of the leader blocked the shot with their own body, but Imanbok remained unscathed, standing in his original position.

The elderly man with white hair and a long beard chuckled.

"How ridiculous. Do you know how many hardships I’ve overcome to get here?"

And that was the end of Lee Ah-rin's luck.

"Gotcha!"

Before she could shoot again, one of the guards closed the distance.

Thud!

A large mace-like weapon swung by the guard grazed Lee Ah-rin’s shoulder.

Already in a fragile state, her body didn’t have the durability to endure the hit.

When the pain in her shoulder caused her to falter for just a moment, that was when it was over.

"Don’t kill her! Take her alive!"

"You, ‘Water Balloon’—how dare you!"

The guards, who had been keeping their distance because of the gunfire, rushed in all at once.

Lee Ah-rin, who had tried to assassinate the leader, was quickly overpowered.

Imanbok, with a chuckle, stroked his beard.

"This is a pitiful attempt."

"I apologize, leader."

"It’s fine, it’s fine. We’ve caught the culprit, that’s all that matters."

"Still, we can’t be careless. We need to deal with the sniper on the upper floor before..."

"Ah."

A guard, wearing an earpiece, nodded.

"It’s been neutralized. You can relax now."

"It’s good to have people you can rely on. Now, handle the sniper, and let’s move quickly. We don’t have much time. And even though we’re inside, making too much noise will only cause problems."

"Ah, yes. Which one should we take with us?"

"Hmm... how inconvenient."

"Ugh, ugh..."

Imanbok’s words didn’t reach Mi-yeon’s ears at all.

She could only see her father, Choi Seong-hoon, dying from the sword thrown by Lee Ah-rin.

Not even a scream escaped.

The reality of the situation was too much to grasp.

Mi-yeon let out a sound, almost like a beast’s cry.

"Ugh...! Dad, dad!"

What is going on here?

Why did my dad get stabbed?

"Your ingenuity is really impressive. Just a split-second opening."

"Too kind, sir!"

While Mi-yeon, unable to speak properly, screamed in anguish, the supervisor bowed to Imanbok in gratitude, his face flushed with embarrassment at the praise.

Seeing that, Mi-yeon felt as if she had been slapped across the face.

Her vision seemed to turn white with rage, but she stumbled, shaking hands fumbling to find her phone.

‘An ambulance...!’

"What are you doing?"

But that attempt failed.

One of the guards snatched the phone from Mi-yeon’s hand.

"Give it back! I need to call an ambulance...!"

"That won’t work. If you call an ambulance now, there will be an unnecessary commotion when the leader is seen..."

"Hehe, our sister here is really kind-hearted. Yes, yes. People should be saved."

Imanbok said, as if bestowing mercy.

"However, wouldn’t it be faster to have one of our guild’s healers help? I’ll call them over. No, wait, why not just take your father to the prayer hall now? The healers should be waiting there..."

As Imanbok spoke, he subtly gestured toward the guards.

"Ah, yes. They should be waiting."

"Good. Alright, let’s move him quickly."

Mi-yeon felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Th-thank you!"

Yes, it might be better for the healers to provide emergency treatment directly rather than calling an ambulance.

After all, who was he? Wasn’t he the resurrected savior? Surely with just a gesture, he could save him!

"Get a hold of yourself, Mi-yeon."

At that moment, Lee Ah-rin’s voice pierced Mi-yeon’s ear.

Mi-yeon glared at Lee Ah-rin, who was being subdued on the ground, with eyes full of hatred.

"What? How dare you say this to me...!"

"Think for yourself."

It was one of those moments when you lose words in utter disbelief. Mi-yeon’s anger flared at Lee Ah-rin’s shamelessness.

"Who stabbed my dad...!"

"I was aiming for Imanbok. In the middle of that, your dad was pushed in and used as a meat shield by that supervisor."

"This...!"

"Be quiet!"

The guard, who had subdued Lee Ah-rin, slapped her harshly across the face, but Lee Ah-rin showed no signs of distress.

She spat out a bloody mouthful.

"Don’t justify this on your own. Ask yourself. Why did the supervisor hit your dad so casually and use him as a shield?"

"Meat shield..."

It was a vile term.

But it wasn’t wrong.

Mi-yeon saw it clearly.

The sword Lee Ah-rin threw wasn’t aimed at her father, Choi Seong-hoon.

An ordinary person wouldn’t have thrown themselves in front of the sword just because of its speed.

"What do you mean? Since the leader was in danger, Seong-hoon voluntarily... sacrificed himself!"

The supervisor, who met Mi-yeon’s gaze, became irritated.

There was no trace of guilt or gratitude on his face.

"Why are we letting this ungrateful heretic talk? Get her out of here!"

"Mi-yeon. Think about why they’re not taking me to the police, but to the lab."

The way Lee Ah-rin spoke, almost pitifully, struck Mi-yeon.

She had once dragged Jung Da-on into her plot, escaping, and now she was lying on the dirt floor, subdued after failing her assassination attempt.

How fitting.

...But isn’t that what I’m like right now?

"Ugh..."

Mi-yeon stared at Choi Seong-hoon.

Her father, being carried like a burden by the guards.

She thought his breathing had already stopped.

"Hehe, ridiculous nonsense."

And she looked at the savior who wasn’t paying any attention to her dying father.

"I should have gotten rid of such an ungrateful heretic long ago. I apologize."

The supervisor, grinning, flattered Imanbok.

If that bastard hadn’t pushed her father out of the way...

Suddenly, Mi-yeon remembered the bruise on her father’s wrist from earlier.

How long had that violence been going on, that he would push her father into harm’s way like that?

Why hadn’t she asked sooner what was going on at her father’s workplace?

No... she hadn’t asked on purpose.

She had noticed how her father’s face had darkened with each passing day, but she hadn’t asked.

If her father had said he wanted to leave the True Light Church, Mi-yeon wouldn’t have been able to handle it.

She couldn’t live outside the True Light Church in this state!

Then, Lee Ah-rin spoke to Mi-yeon.

"Do you remember Choi Bom?"

Of course, Mi-yeon remembered.

She had grown up in the True Light Church, so she knew everything about it.

Lee Ah-rin and that small girl who had always been with her.

She had received a decent rank in the guild and had been active as a hunter, but at some point, she had disappeared.

People whispered that Choi Bom had betrayed the church and secretly moved to another guild.

"Bom is dead."

"What?"

"She died in the lab where you and I are being taken."

It was strangely like time had slowed down.

"How ironic, right? Bom was a healer. And remember the miracle Imanbok performed on January 1st last year?"

Of course, Mi-yeon remembered. Imanbok had healed a patient who had suffered full-body burns.

The sight of the grateful follower bowing their head and prostrating was still etched in her mind.

Although Mi-yeon didn’t fully understand Lee Ah-rin’s words, they seemed to pierce her ears.

"Think about it. Did you never think anything was odd?"

She had never thought about it.

The True Light Church had been her home since birth. It wasn’t just a religion; it was her foundation, her family, and her friends. Imanbok’s actions were the truth, and no, if she believed that, everything was guaranteed.

"Think about the miracles the leader performs every January 1st, and the people who have disappeared without a trace before that."

It was like the whisper of a devil.

"Just shut up. You miserable bitch."

"Take them both quickly! Before the crowd comes out."

Mi-yeon couldn’t understand what was happening.

She let out a hollow laugh.@@novelbin@@

"...Haha."

No, that wasn’t it.

She couldn’t pretend she didn’t know anymore.

This place, which she thought would be her safe haven, was nothing but hell.

The sand around Mi-yeon began to twist and swirl unnaturally.

"Aaaaahhh..."

Mi-yeon covered her face with both hands, letting out a scream—whether it was a cry or a wail, she didn’t know.

Her mind was completely breaking apart, and the magic she had consciously avoided using until now began to rampage uncontrollably.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A gust like a whirlwind swept through the small garden inside the building. The guards, who had thought everything was over, were caught off guard.

"What is that?"

"Is it going berserk?"

Looking at Mi-yeon, Lee Ah-rin’s eyes flashed with something unfamiliar.

The whisper of the devil had reached Lee Ah-rin’s ears as well.

• Stir Mi-yeon up, and let her magic run wild.

• What? If that happens, Mi-yeon will...!

• The soul core will be completed.

Mi-yeon already possessed the quartz that would become the center of her soul core.

If her magic went berserk, the quartz would absorb Mi-yeon’s magic.

At the same time, as the body of a hunter in an extremely weakened state spirals out of control, it’s only natural that the vessel will collapse.

In other words, death would complete the soul core.

• The stability and duration might decrease a little, but it shouldn’t be unusable.

• Are you asking me to have Mi-yeon killed?

• Didn’t you say you’d do anything? Was that a lie?

• That...

Lee Ah-rin bit her lip, hesitating.

Ever since the friend she had cherished like a sister died, and after realizing her own body was breaking down, she had dreamed of revenge every single day.

• Unfortunately, there is no happy ending in this world without sacrifice.

The young girl, with her unnervingly pitch-black eyes, whispered, filled with an indescribable sorrow.

• If you want to take revenge on Imanbok, this is the only way.

Strangely, those words seemed persuasive.

It was like the whisper of a witch from the fairy tales Mi-yeon had read as a child.

A devil who offers to grant your wish in exchange for your soul.

As a child, she had thought that resisting the devil and not committing evil was the proper lesson to learn.

She believed that evil would always be punished, and goodness would be rewarded.

But not anymore.

Imanbok would never be punished, and she herself was not good.

If that’s the case...

If she could fulfill this seemingly impossible wish with a worthless soul...

"Aah... Aaaahhhh...!"

Mi-yeon’s magic began to spiral wildly out of control, pouring out of her body uncontrollably.

Overwhelmed by the guilt and the reality she had been avoiding, Mi-yeon was completely consumed by her emotions.

It was inevitable.

Mi-yeon, too, was nothing more than an imperfect bystander.

"Ugh, what’s happening?"

"She’s a ‘water balloon’, isn’t she?! Isn’t she going to explode?!"

The guards, shocked, tried to distance themselves from Mi-yeon.

In that moment, one of the hunters who had been restraining Lee Ah-rin was momentarily distracted by the sudden chaos, causing his grip to loosen.

"Cough!"

Lee Ah-rin, seizing the opportunity, quickly elbowed the hunter in the stomach and broke free from his grasp.

She had purposely let herself be caught to buy time to talk to Mi-yeon.

Though her body, unable to handle the strain, was beginning to break down, she had resigned herself to dying, so everything had become easier.

Lee Ah-rin dashed straight toward Mi-yeon.

• And once the soul core is completed, break it.

No one asked how Jung Da-on, who had just recently awakened, knew this knowledge.

Such trivial information wasn’t needed.

What Lee Ah-rin needed was simply revenge.

Revenge was the only spark keeping her alive.

• If you do that, this whole area will get caught up in a dungeon break.

As Lee Ah-rin charged toward Mi-yeon, a dagger hidden in her sleeve flashed out, ready to strike.

• You can definitely kill Imanbok.