Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 540

540. Attacks from Both Sides

The story of the wish-granting maze spread bit by bit, quickly becoming a fad at school.

“Did you hear?”

“Yeah, if you go in there…”

“But the Demon Realm is dangerous.”

“The adults told us not to go.”

“But a YouTuber who went in there…”

While listening to the whispers coming from here and there, Siyoung thought about his own wish.

He had many wishes, but the one he wanted most was to find his siblings. But would even that wish come true?

“Siyoung. Siyoung.”

A group of kids approached, calling his name. Siyoung stopped thinking about his siblings and turned his head.

Kids he didn’t usually hang out with surrounded his desk, their eyes shining.

“What?”

Siyoung asked bluntly, and the kids began to bombard him with questions and requests.

“Did you hear about the wish-granting maze?”

“Don’t you have a wish?”

“You’re strong enough to scare adults. Let’s go in together.”

“Let’s just go in for a bit. We can all go together.”

Siyoung frowned.

“They told us not to go in. It’s dangerous.”

But the kids were already consumed by curiosity and hope.

“That’s why we should all go together!”

“I heard the teacher saying you’re stronger than most Hunters [individuals with special abilities who fight against supernatural threats].”

The kids continued to persuade Siyoung.

“I don’t know.”

When Siyoung still didn’t budge, the kids completely surrounded him and started pleading.

“Just once, Siyoung. Please?”

“Siyoung, you’re the best. Let’s just go in once.”

“We can just come out if it’s dangerous.”

More kids came with desperate wishes than with mere curiosity.

Most of those wishes were about finding lost family members like Siyoung or Jugyeong, so they weren’t willing to back down easily.

When Siyoung’s expression wavered, the kids clung to him even more, and Siyoung gradually relented.

‘Should I go with them and look for my siblings?’

In the end, Siyoung gave in.

“Okay. But we have to come back quickly. We’ll get in trouble.”

* * *

At that moment, Rembrary took the video reply Jugyeong had filmed after watching her dad’s video message to the Redrine headquarters.

He went to the temporary prison and showed the video message, and Im Chihoon’s eyes turned red as he teared up.

“Our Jugyeong. How did my baby get so mature already?”

Rembrary watched Im Chihoon looking sad, and as he wiped away his tears with his sleeve, he made a suggestion.

“Write another video message. I’ll deliver it.”

“Why don’t you just give me Jugyeong’s phone number?”

“What if you receive orders from a demon while texting?”

“I told you, I’m fine…”

Im Chihoon grumbled, but as Rembrary held up his phone and pressed the record button, he composed himself and opened his mouth.

At that moment, Im Chihoon’s expression, which seemed like he was about to speak kindly, suddenly changed completely, and he grabbed the bars with a bang, whispering.

“Do you know what, High Priest? Black clothes suit you.”

Even his voice was different from before, as if multiple voices were overlapping.

Rembrary pressed the stop recording button and then tapped Im Chihoon’s crown with his phone.

“Ah!”

Im Chihoon screamed and then returned to his normal expression.

Having regained his senses, Im Chihoon grabbed his head and protested to Rembrary.

“Why did you suddenly hit me?”

Rembrary pressed the play button and turned the screen to Im Chihoon.

“See for yourself.”

Im Chihoon looked at the video in bewilderment, and his eyes widened when he saw his expression completely change.

“This…?”

“This is what happens when you’re controlled by a demon. A very good example has appeared.”

Im Chihoon was flustered and stammered before finally giving his thoughts.

“My expression becomes scary. And my voice is creepy.”

He seemed to believe it now that he had seen it for himself.

Looking at his dazed expression, Rembrary took the phone back and said.

“Now, if you understand, let’s film a new one.”

At that attitude, Im Chihoon, who was still reeling from the shock, asked blankly.

“You want to film now?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t you give me at least 10 minutes? I’m scared to death that I might do that again.”

“Don’t worry. I am very strong. If you become strange, I will take care of it.”

“That’s why I’m worried.”

“Weren’t you worried about me?”

“No, I wasn’t!”

* * *

In any case, Rembrary received a normal new video message from Jugyeong’s dad and returned home directly without going anywhere else.

But when he came inside, the atmosphere was a mess.

Jugyeong was crying, Ninring was crying, and Mullu and Kim Jewoo were at a loss.

Ardor was nonchalantly scooping up ice cream but periodically glanced at Jugyeong.

“No, what’s wrong?”

Asked because the scene was strange, Mullu replied.

“Recently, rumors about a ‘wish-granting maze’ have spread at school. It’s one of the Demon Realms.”

“Is that something to cry about?”

“Siyoung went in there with a few of her classmates.”

Rembrary was taken aback.

“Siyoung went into a Demon Realm?”

It was completely unexpected. Siyoung going into a Demon Realm.

Why would that bright kid who went to school with Jugyeong do that?

“Where is this wish-granting realm? Why haven’t I heard of it?”

“It’s not a story that’s spread among ordinary people, Benefactor. But it seems to have become quite the issue among the children,” Kim Jewoo said timidly, and Rembrary sighed.

“Which district is that dungeon in?”

“I believe it’s District 4, Entrance 6, Benefactor.”

“The Clotte Dungeon, huh.”

‘Then it seems like animals would appear. Why did the wish story spread?’

Puzzled, Rembrary first delivered Im Chihoon’s video message to Jugyeong.

Jugyeong stared blankly at her phone, unsure whether to be happy about the news from her dad or sad about her friend’s disappearance.

“Go check it out, Jugyeong,” Mullu said, patting the child’s back. The child slowly rose from the sofa.

After sending the child to her room, Ninring blamed herself.

“After hearing about Jugyeong, Siyoung must have thought about her own family. I should have thought before telling her the story!”

Ardor was about to open his mouth to retort when the house phone rang. Rembrary was closest to the phone, so he picked it up without thinking.

―Is this the home of On Siyoung?

The moment he put the receiver to his ear, he heard a voice full of anger.

“Yes, it is.”

When Rembrary asked, the voice on the phone immediately grew louder.

―What are you going to do about this!

“?”

It was hard to understand the words without knowing the context.

As Rembrary was about to ask what they meant, Ardor, who had come to his side, naturally took the phone from Rembrary.

Then, without explaining the situation, he started cursing into the phone. For quite a while.

Only after a long time did Ardor hang up and say to Rembrary.

“Rembrary-nim. Rumor has it among the little brat’s parents that Siyoung lured the children into the dungeon.”

He seemed to be just cursing the whole time. It seemed he had managed to hear what the other person wanted to say.

Ninring was dumbfounded and shouted.

“No, how do they know if our Siyoung took them or if the other kids took Siyoung!”

Ardor didn’t care which it was and thought there was no difference, so he answered indifferently, “Don’t know.”

Just then, the phone rang again. This time, Ninring rushed over and answered it.

It seemed to be another call from another parent, and words like ‘dungeon,’ ‘Siyoung,’ and ‘troublemaker’ could be heard faintly over the receiver.

Ninring listened to that much and began to get angry in a different way than Ardor.

“What are these people saying! Why would our Siyoung lure her friends there! Why would Siyoung take your kid, who’s just a burden! Your kid couldn’t go in alone, so they pushed our Siyoung in!”

When the fight started to go over 15 minutes, Rembrary went into his room and called Daeju.

“Daeju.”

―Yes, High Priest.

“I need to go to District 4, Entrance 6 right away.”

―Not District 3, Entrance 5? Besides, you’re going already. Why don’t you rest a bit before going?

“One of the kids in my house seems to have gone there with some classmates.”

―Yes? Really? How did that happen?

“There’s some rumor going around there these days.”

―You mean the rumor about granting wishes?

“Yeah. Is it true?”

―The truth has not been confirmed. There are a few people who say they’ve been, but when I contacted them, they were all bluffing.

“I’ll go in for now. The members are Ninring and—”

―Ninring went with you to the last dungeon, so leave her behind?

“Ninring is closest to the children.”

―Then the rotation won’t work, High Priest. Besides, if Siyoung disappears, Jugyeong will have a hard time too. Ninring will be a source of support for Jugyeong.

“Is rotation the problem now?”

―It’s not the problem now. It’s a long-term problem.

Rembrary had no choice but to discuss it further with Daeju, and in the end, they chose the members who could rescue the children most efficiently and quickly.

Hwasaja, who can teleport. Maeng Wooshin, who can defend.

Sagamjae, who can fight with inhuman strength even if his abilities are sealed and is calm. And Rembrary. That made four.

Since not only Siyoung but also many unawakened children had entered, they only chose those with efficient abilities.

“Then gather the members.”

As soon as Rembrary hung up, he went outside to tell Ninring, Mullu, and Kim Jewoo about this.

Three hours later, the group gathered, and they all went to the 4-6 district entrance without delay.

* * *

At that very moment, Jugyeong was sulking and playing with her phone alone when she received an SNS [Social Networking Service] message.

Jugyeong was startled when she checked the message.

Someone had sent a photo with the message, but it wasn’t exactly a photo; it was a CCTV [Closed-Circuit Television] screen.

And in that screen, Shin Jo-woon was locking Jugyeong’s dad in a room.

‘What is this?’

Jugyeong’s eyes widened as she looked at the next photo.

Jugyeong’s dad was clinging to the window, protesting something to the outside.

And the next photo. Jugyeong was even more horrified when she saw this photo.

It was a scene of Jugyeong’s dad hanging on the window and saying something to Rembrary, who was standing in the hallway.

Rembrary was calmly talking to Jugyeong’s dad, and he didn’t seem to have any intention of taking Jugyeong’s dad out.

‘What is this?’

Jugyeong was bewildered and repeatedly looked at the photos before sending a message to the person who sent them.

[Who are you? Where did you get this?]

A reply came right away.

[I want to help you.]

[Where’s my dad?]

[Redrine Headquarters. He’s locked up.]