blueteamnovel Chapter 27 – The First Flame I
Chapter 27 – The First Flame I
Chapter 27 – The First Flame I
[Translator – Jjsecus]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Chapter 27 – The First Flame I
1
As I’ve mentioned before, besides the Ten Clans, countless boss-level monsters have appeared worldwide.
Like the “Meteor Shower” that bombarded the night sky when I was running the convenience store.
Actually, the term “monster,” or “evil,” was mainly used in the early stages. As you can see from the meteor shower, many monsters were more phenomena than organisms.
Later on, Awakeneds began to use not only the term “monster” but also words like “abnormal,” “demon,” “yokai,” and “lost.”
By the way, in Japan, they used to call only boss-level monsters “angels.” It was a truly peculiar usage because in the Western world, they called them demons. Later, I heard from an Awakened who had lived in Japan that it was a term derived from classic Japanese animation.
The situation with Gates was similar. Since there were many Gates that didn’t take the form of a “door,” terms like “void,” “abyss,” and “hell” were used more frequently later on. (Actually, it was difficult to strictly distinguish between “abnormal” and “void.”)
Today, I’d like to talk about one of the main culprits behind these linguistic changes ― the so-called “New Buddha.”
2
“Huh? Hey, you...”
“Yeah?”
“What’s that thing on your head?”
That monster wasn’t a living being.
More precisely, there were differing opinions on whether it was living or inanimate.
“That thing next to your ear... isn’t that a leaf?”
A virus.
It was long unclear where the first outbreak occurred. It was probably in North Korea or South Korea. Just like Busan Station was a hotspot for Awakeneds, the Korean Peninsula was also a paradise for monsters. Who knew the world had such a balanced patch system in place?
“Zo, it’s a zombie virus!”
People panicked and went crazy.
If it doesn’t appear in an apocalypse story, isn’t it disappointing if it’s not a zombie?
When infected with this virus, leaves or flowers sprouted from the human body. There were even cases where weeds grew from bald heads.
However, in the early stages of the virus spreading, people’s reactions were surprisingly lukewarm. There was a reason for that.
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“...What?”
“Look! I’m perfectly fine, see? My memories are intact, and my head is normal! Damn it, I might feel weird with maple leaves sprouting from my armpits, but I sure as hell don’t want to die like this!”
It’s because people infected with the virus seemed too... healthy(?).
Since the human body had turned into a flower pot, it was natural for them to look bizarre. But surprisingly, if you just ignored their appearance, there seemed to be no harm from the virus.
No, on the contrary, tremendous benefits were discovered.
“You damn monster! That bastard killed our mother!”
“Oh...”
“I’ll kill it, no matter what! Even if it costs me my life, I’ll take that monster down no matter what happens!”
“Son...”
“Mother, watch over me from heaven. The unfilial son will follow soon after.”
“Son!”
“Huh?”
“I’m not dead, you idiot! How many times do I have to say it to get a response!”
“Huh, Mother? Your stomach’s torn open right now...”
“For some reason, I’m perfectly fine. Maybe it’s because I took my herbal medicine yesterday?”
People infected with the virus didn’t “die” as easily.
As long as their brains weren’t destroyed, even if limbs were severed and internal organs damaged, they didn’t lose their lives.
Even if vital signs ceased in their bodies, as long as they basked in the sunlight during the day and ensured adequate hydration, even the most seriously injured could survive.
In the current situation where the medical system had collapsed, how did ordinary people react?
“God has helped us!”
“Everyone! What is enlightenment!”
“Not killing, eternal life! Spiritual life, adorned with flowers! Vast universe!”
“Yes! Enlightenment is simply the name of a flower!”
“Wow-!”
In countries where there was no oversight from the Constellations, Awakened superiority prevailed. Governments were paralyzed, laws crumbled, and even entities monitoring me were absent. It became more of a mess when Awakeneds, who had some power, gathered together.
Naturally, while ordinary people who had borne all the nuisance hated Awakeneds, Shinbul specialized in justifying that hatred.
It was the birth of K-Cult, which enthralled people worldwide.
Another cult was active in the North Korean region, but it seemed to lean more towards the North, so in terms of the level of nuisance, Shinbul was overwhelming.
“...This is troublesome. Really troublesome. The number of mercenaries we were supposed to receive from Japan has drastically decreased.”
Tang Seorin absentmindedly toyed with the faded brim of her fedora with her finger. It was a habit that unconsciously emerged when she was genuinely perplexed.
I might have forgotten, but during the 5th run, instead of directly confronting the Ten Clans, we retreated to Busan.
It had been agreed that hundreds of Awakeneds would join from Japan, but the number suddenly shrunk to 20.
“Twenty is too few.”
“They say the flower children are spreading like wildfire in Japan. From Kyushu to Kanto, they’ve engulfed almost half the country. It seems difficult to leave our stronghold unguarded. Rumor has it that they’re gaining traction in India, Europe, and America as well.”
“The future of humanity looks bleak.”
Whether the cults caused the future to be bleak or the bleak future led to the rise of cults was just a chicken-and-egg question.
While the Ten Clans were visible and could be dealt with through a bit of swordplay, Shinbul didn’t offer any real solutions.
How do you eradicate a virus? Virus research labs? They were too busy researching infectious diseases that posed real threats to human life. Shinbul was pushed far back in the research queue.
With each run, the victims of Shinbul changed. Sometimes Tang Seorin got infected, and there were occasions when the Saintess got infected too.
I didn’t hesitate to end my life as soon as I felt a leaf-like sensation under my ear, fearing the consequences of being infected. If I activate my Awakened ability when infected, what if my regressive ability disappears too? It’s better to die quickly.
Well, even if there was a slight possibility of an existence called Old Scho causing trouble... Still, it was wise to be cautious.
Oh. By the way, here are the types of flowers that sprouted from the heads of the individuals mentioned so far when they were infected with Shinbul:
Saintess – A hydrangea with a mix of sky blue and violet drops of paint.
Tang Seorin – A jet-black swallowtail. The night sky held a cluster of stars.
Seo Gyu – Unknown.
Sim Aryeon – A white snowdrop. It bounced around amusingly when it fell.
Lee Jooho – A bright yellow sunflower.
Koyori – Unknown. Presumed to be a daisy.
Old Scho – Unknown. Presumed to be a clover (not a four-leaf one).
Oh Dokseo – A red saxifrage. It’s the flower commonly known as the “flower fern” or “mountain peony.” She deliberately got infected because she was curious about what flower would bloom on her. She wasn’t normal either.
Like Old Scho, I also didn’t know what flower would bloom on me. If I were infected with Shinbul, I would die before the flower bloomed. So, I died twice.
I roughly guessed that it might be a pure white lily. It’s a symbol of purity and innocence. I have a feeling it would suit me.
Anyway, Shinbul was more of a nuisance than the Ten Clans.
Still, as long as it didn’t cause any harm to civilians, I left it alone — that was my strategy until the 17th run.
“Doctor! Something terrible has happened!”
Old Scho burst open the door. I frowned as I had just fallen asleep.
“Oh, what is it? Let me sleep. I’m not as young as someone else, so I still need plenty of sleep.”
“What? You little... No, that’s not it! Look outside! Open the window and look outside, damn it!”
“What’s the matter that you’re being so hysterical in the middle of the night?”
I opened the window.
I looked up at the night sky.
I froze, gripping the window frame.
“What... is that?”
The World Tree.
That’s the only way to describe it—a giant red tree covering the entire night sky.
[Translator – Jjsecus]
[Proofreader – Gun]