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Chapter 97

"Phew." Ha Soo-Yeong wiped the sweat off her forehead and let out a sigh.

The pale moon in the night sky was tinged with a purple hue as it was obscured by the fog. There was something eerie about the scenery. However, rather than feeling fear, she felt a sense of accomplishment, for she had just finished her practice for the day.

"Soo-Yeong, you\'re the only one who can revive the Voodoo Cult. You must become the Cult Leader. I\'ll take care of the Third Cult Leader somehow, so as long as you keep preparing..."

Her father’s voice rang in her ears. She must have heard him say this a thousand times.

‘You must become the Cult Leader. You must become the Cult Leader...’ Her father\'s voice trembled wheneve he spoke. He always reminisced about the golden age of the Voodoo Cult, when they were under the rule of the Second Cult Leader, Do Myung-Jun. Now, he despised the current desolate state of the Voodoo Cult, which had fallen under the rule of the Third Cult Leader, Do Sun-Woo.

Soo-Yeong grieved. She was sad when she saw her once strong and reliable father be reduced to a pitiful figure after the Holy War. She was sad to see her father, who had been overjoyed at the talk of the Second Cult Leader, turning into someone who couldn’t hide his anguish when talking about the Third Cult Leader.

She had made up her mind back then to become the Cult Leader. It was no one else’s choice but her own.

"..."

By the time she had woken up from her daydream, the wind had already dispersed the fog. The wind blew her hair around and made the branches quiver. Somehow, the wind felt sharper and stronger than before. The darkness had also taken a darker shade. It seemed like it was a good idea to start heading back to the mountain lodge.

Wooooo—!

The sound of a bird crying echoed through the mountain. The sound made its way through the trees, distorting into an even more eerie and depressing sound. Suddenly, she was struck by fear. Every hair on her body stood on end. The darkness of the mountain was not kind like the darkness of the city.

Snap—!

"...!" As she walked through the darkness, she heard the sound of a dry branch breaking under her foot, echoing around her.

"I\'m not scared at all. It\'s nothing to be afraid of..." She let out her frustration on the innocent branch and continued walking through the darkness.

However, no matter how far she walked, she couldn\'t see the light of the mountain lodge. Even when she changed direction, the result was the same. Everywhere she went, there were just mountains and darkness.

She remembered marking the trees on the way, just in case she ever got lost. If she followed those marks, she would surely be able to return to the mountain lodge. However, in the darkness, one tree looked like another, and she had no idea which tree she had marked. She was lost.

As she realized this, the fear she had been trying to ignore swept over her like a tidal wave.

Boom!

At that moment, thunder roared throughout the sky. The sharp wind brushed against her side. Thick and heavy raindrops struck her forehead. The gathering clouds had crept across the sky and, before she knew it, had blocked the moonlight. The darkness of the mountains grew even deeper.

Grrrr, grrr...

The eerie cry of a beast echoed through the air. Trembling with fear, Ha Soo-Yeong began to run blindly into the darkness. Despite stumbling and slipping several times, she hardly felt any pain. It was as if the terror had paralyzed her senses.

“Ah...!" Ha Soo-Yeong couldn\'t help but let out a sigh of relief. Finally, she had found a light.

However, despair quickly filled her face once again as she realized that the light, which had appeared like a savior, was not coming from the mountain lodge. Hiding herself in the bushes, Ha Soo-Yeong looked toward the direction of the light. In a clear, circular plaza, candles were arranged in a circle. It seemed like the candles were responsible for the light she had noticed. And in the center of those candles stood a man, standing not on the ground but in thin air.

Craaack–!

Lightning split the sky, and thunder shook the earth. Ha Soo-Yeong, both startled and captivated, couldn\'t take her eyes off him, even as she wrapped her head in her arms. He was clearly standing in the center of the candles, suspended in mid air.

Whooosh...

As he gestured in the air, the wind changed from blowing to the west to blowing to the east. As he gestured again, the rain changed from a drizzle into a downpour. The violent storm that had seemed to drown out the entire mountain calmed down as if it were ending, only to stir up again in a repeating cycle. Every time he gestured, the storm took on a new form. He was truly a maestro of the tempest.

"...Do Sun-Woo."

Soo-Yeong knew his name. He was the current Cult Leader and the cause of the downfall of the Voodoo Cult. He was the man her father would curse and insult whenever he had the chance.

“If it weren’t for the Loa, you a piece of uahhhhhhhh-!”

Swoosh—!

The sudden strong wind blew Soo-Yeong off of her feet and lifted her into the air.

Thud!

The wind forcefully threw Ha Soo-Yeong\'s body into the center of the plaza.

"Aaaahhh...!"

She landed on her back, causing excruciating pain. In the midst of her agony, she felt someone\'s gaze. She looked up. Sun-Woo was looking down at her from above.

Ha Soo-Yeong had decided long ago to treat Sun-Woo with hatred and anger. Now that they were face to face, it was not hatred but fear that took over.

"That\'s enough," Sun-Woo said, clenching his fist tightly.

Suddenly, the gusty wind stopped, and the thunder and lightning ceased. The storm that had been raging throughout the mountain ceased to exist, making it seem like it had not existed in the first place. In the silence, he gracefully rode the wind and landed on the ground.

Ha Soo-Yeong couldn’t help but stare. She felt dizzy from the sensation of the surreal overwhelming reality. Without a chance to regain her composure, Sun-Woo began to walk toward her.

***

[It\'s getting tough, right Ba?]

[Of course, So! Help me!]

[Aaahhh... Aaahhh...]

Sobo, Bade, and Dan Wedo, the three Loa who had arrogantly summoned the storm, groaned in displeasure.

"Tired already? I could do this all day."

However, it wasn’t over yet. I held onto the screaming Loa and forcibly used their power. Thanks to their exhaustion, I was able to use their power more stably. I could summon lightning to a desired location, control the amount of downpour, and even control the wind to lift my body. After lifting my body with the wind, I used the Blessing of Superhuman Strength to stabilize myself, allowing myself to truly ‘fly.’

[So! I think I see Baron Samedi!]

[Snap out of it, Ba ! It’s just an illusion!]

[I\'m dying... soon... ahh...!]

[Yo Prophet, that should be enough!]

“Just hold on a little longer, and the sacrifice is yours." The chaotic Loa pleaded and whimpered, but I firmly shook my head and refused.

I had made a contract with them through a prayer. I declared that if they listened well, I would reward them with a sacrifice. There was no better method than this to control Loa like Sobo, Bade, and Dan Wedo, since they were crazy about sacrifices. I had tamed Bossou with the same method. The method followed the same logic to train a dog with treats.

"Now, this is the last five minutes, for real!"

[When is the last five minutes comingggg—??]

[Baron Samedi, please save me from the tyrant Prophet...]

[Again... five minutes... only death...!]

The moment I declared the last five minutes to the completely exhausted Loa...

Fwoosh─!

I saw a familiar face between the trees, swaying back and forth. It was Ha Pan-Seok\'s daughter, the strongly favored next Cult Leader. She had been secretly watching me manipulate the Loa while hiding in the bushes.

"..."

I had a good idea.

"Bade."

[Urgh! Again, again! Why is it always me!]

Woong!

I used Bade\'s power to create wind and brought her out from where she was hiding. She looked up at me, trembling in fear, as she was roughly thrown to the ground by the wind.

"That\'s enough," I said to the Loa, clenching my fist toward the empty air. It was a signal to silence the storm.

[I need a break! I won\'t come back for the next few days, no matter how much you call me! No, for a few years!]

[Ah, you’ve finally answered my prayers, Baron Samedi!]

[Finally... life...]

The voices of the Loa gradually faded away, and the storm disappeared in a flash. Although I had ruled them under the promise of a sacrifice, the chaotic Loa had started to listen to me, so my purpose for the meeting was met. Feeling a sense of pride, I walked toward where Soo-Yeong was sitting and looking at me with obvious shock on her face.

"Hi." I greeted her with kindness. I even smiled. It was a smile that hid my true feelings.

"..." She didn\'t respond. It seemed like she was too surprised to speak.

I felt like I needed to continue the conversation. I approached her with a bright smile.

"What was your name again? Ha..." But I was already stuck on my first sentence.

I remembered she was Ha Pan-Seok\'s daughter, but I couldn\'t recall her name. I was sure I had heard it from Ji-Ah earlier.

What was it? Ha, ha..

.

“Ha Soo..."

"...Ha Soo-Yeong."

"Yeah. Ha Soo-Yeong," she replied shortly, seeming a bit annoyed.

I engraved the name Ha Soo-Yeong in my mind and continued speaking.

"Why did you come all the way here?"

"To practice."

"Practice? For what?"

"Spells." Ha Soo-Yeong\'s responses were very short. Maybe she intentionally kept them brief.

I didn\'t really care, but it seemed like she didn\'t trust me. It was probably because of her father, Ha Pan-Seok, and the incident that happened during The Starless Night.

“Then why are you still here and not in your room?”

“...” She just hung her head down without a response. It was too dark to make out her expression.

I intensified the light of the candles scattered around the plaza, and the area became brightly illuminated in purple. She looked up at me with widened eyes, and I noticed wounds all over her body. There were particularly deep wounds on her knees as if she had fallen and gotten hurt. There was dirt caked around the wounds.

“So you got lost.”

I used the lesser restoration spell on her wounds. The lesser restoration spell was the only spell I had accomplished to the state of Acquirement. The small wounds on her body were neatly healed without me having to draw a spell array.

“Shouldn’t go hiking in the middle of the night. You’ll get lost like you did today.”

Ha Soo-Yeong furrowed her eyebrows at my words. “...You’re one to talk.”

“I know my way back.”

“All thanks to the power of the Loa?”

I nodded my head, slightly surprised. It was the first time I heard the term \'power of Loa\' from someone other than myself. Well, I guess it was natural for her to know, considering she had been designated as the next Cult Leader.

“Yeah. Thanks to the power of Loa.” I reached out to her with my hand. “Shall we go together? You won\'t be able to make it back alone anyways.”

“No.”

Slap!

She forcefully rejected me, deflecting my hand away. The back of my hand stung.

“Why not?”

“I hate people like you.”

“Oh? And why is that?” I held back my annoyance at her constant use of the word \'you.’ [1]

Ha Soo-Yeong tidied up her messy hair and stared me down with a cold glare.

“Because you were the reason why the Voodooists are doomed.”

“Not all of it is my fault.”

The Voodooists’ downfall was not all on me. When I became the Cult Leader, the Voodoo Cult was already in ruins. However, it was true that the Voodoo Cult was ‘still’ in ruins because of me.

Ha Soo-Yeong didn\'t even bother to listen to what I had to say and declared, "I should have been the Cult Leader."

The context of the conversation felt strange. It felt like I was conversing with AI designed to spit out predetermined responses.

This, too, was probably influenced by Ha Pan-Seok. Ha Soo-Yeong must have grown up hearing such things over and over again from Ha Pan-Seok.

"Did your father tell you that?"

Ha Soo-Yeong\'s expression hardened upon hearing my words. Her widened eyes stared at me intensely. It was a face that seemed to ask how I knew. She then stiffened her expression and nodded her head slightly.

"It wasn\'t my dad. I said that."

"Oh, I see." I could feel a strong determination and sharp hostility behind her gaze. It seemed like she had no intention of listening to anything I had to say. I stopped the conversation and looked at Ha Soo-Yeong. She was wearing purple sweatpants and a sweatshirt. It was an outfit that would do nothing to protect her against the cold, as the nights were still chilly during early spring.

Wet leaves were scattered haphazardly on the plaza floor. I gathered them roughly with the tip of my foot.

"Marinette."

I used Marinette\'s power. Flames shot up from my palm.

Flicker!

I transferred the flames onto the wet leaves. Marinette\'s fire easily caught onto even damp leaves.

Ha Soo-Yeong looked up at me with a puzzled expression.

“What are you doing?”

“Helping you dry up a bit.”

If I left her in the state she was in, she would either die from hypothermia or get killed by wild animals in the mountains. Therefore, I had no intention of returning to the mountain lodge and leaving her alone. After all, it was her father was the one who had committed the crime, not her.

I sat next to her and warmed myself by the fire. The intense heat from Marinette\'s flames warmed my shivering, chilled body.

"I hate people like you," Ha Soo-Yeong emphasized, repeating herself.

At this point, I was starting to feel a bit upset, especially because I had lit up a fire for her to enjoy.

When I stared at her, she held my gaze and continued to talk. "It must be so much fun pretending to be the Cult Leader when you can’t do anything other than ask the Loa for help.”

"I know how to use spells too."

"I\'m better than you at using spells. I should have been the Cult Leader..." Ha Soo-Yeong said, her face crumpling up as if she felt that it was unfair she wasn’t the Cult Leader.

It seemed difficult to persuade her to return to the mountain lodge in the state that she was in.

Should I forcibly take her...? No, I didn’t want to do that.

Rustle...

I sat by the fire, contemplating my next plan of action. I heard a disturbing sound from the bushes, which was the sound of something small and nimble brushing against the leaves.

Rustle...

The sound continued without stopping. It seemed to be some kind of wild animal. The number and variety of wild animals had increased rapidly in Taebaeksan with the implementation of the civilian access restriction order.

I didn\'t know what kind of animal would appear. If it was a deer or a wildcat, we’d be fine, but if it was a wild boar or a wolf, it would be a problem. Spells didn’t work on beings that didn’t operate on logic, such as demons, demonic beasts, or animals.

Pssk!

At that moment, something jumped out of the grassy forest.

"Marinette!" In a hurry, I used Marinette’s power. I planned to avoid the attack and chase away the animals with fire.

However, it didn’t come to that.

Graaah, graah...!

Before I could even avoid the attack, the beast collapsed, letting out a pitiful cry. I couldn\'t quite grasp what had happened.

"Can’t believe the so-called Cult Leader can’t deal with a simple lynx," Ha Soo-Yeong muttered from behind me as if she had seen something pathetic.

I looked back and forth between the fallen beast and Ha Soo-Yeong. Voodoo magic flowed from her fingertips, and a spell array was drawn in front of her.

Squeak, Squueak, Squeak....

There was a series of thin cries echoing from somewhere. The hidden baby lynxes were running toward their fallen mother.

Squeak, squueak!

Several of the baby lynxes cried in grief. I examined Ha Soo-Yeong and the spell array she had conjured. Ha Soo-Yeong shrugged as if my gaze made her uncomfortable.

"What, what are you looking at? I didn\'t kill her. I just made her faint with the curse of fainting spell..."

As she had said, the fallen mother beast soon regained consciousness and stood up. Then, she disappeared into the forest with her babies.

"See? She\'s not dead," Ha Soo-Yeong sighed as if she were relieved. She seemed unaware of how unique her spell was.

Generally, an enthrallment spell could control animals. However, her enchantment spell worked on animals as well. Her talent was too valuable to make her an enemy.

"The rumors are a bit off."

"...Huh?" Ha Soo-Yeong glared at me, furrowing her eyebrows. Her voice trembled faintly.

She quickly became agitated when I said something even slightly provocative. She seemed to have a very strong sense of pride, which was actually good for me. I could probably reel her in without needing to put in too much effort but by teasing her a little.

"I had high expectations because the executives said you were a genius."

“What does that mean?" She spat out her words with annoyance.

Then, with a flick of her finger, she unleashed Voodoo magic and approached me confidently.

I smirked at her. "What do you think it means?"

"That you want to die? Should I make you faint with a curse of fainting spell and bury you somewhere in the mountains?" Ha Soo-Yeong said with a scowl. I could see her anger even through the darkness.

“Try me. By the looks of your spells, I don’t think you’ll ever get me dizzy, let alone faint.”

“...Ha!” Ha Soo-Yeong let out a laugh as if she couldn’t believe her ears. I could see flames dancing in her eyes as she looked at me.

"Should we make a bet? Whether you can make me faint using spells or not? If I win, you\'ll be buried in the mountains."

"And if I win?"

"What are you talking about? I\'m the one who\'s going to win," Ha Soo-Yeong said as if it were obvious.

I was dumbfounded. It seemed like she didn\'t even harbor the possibility of losing.

"If I win, then listen to me obediently,’ I subtly proposed.

Ha Soo-Yeong smirked. "Sure, why not? Do you think you can win, you idiot?"

Finally, she took the bait. Her unleashed Voodoo magic started to weave itself into a spell array at an alarming rate.

1. Ha Soo-Yeong is younger than Do Sun-Woo and a subordinate as well. In Korean culture, people take age seriously, and it is considered very disrespectful if you address someone older or higher than you informally. ?