Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 550

He watched as people fawned over Rembrary, and eventually, he confessed his predicament to Maeng Wooshin and asked for advice.

“Something like this happened. Rembrary probably already hates me, right?”

“No. He probably doesn’t care. I hate you, though.”

“Surely not.”

“He’s crazy, but he’s broad-minded. Just be honest, apologize, and ask for a favor.”

Maeng Wooshin answered matter-of-factly, as if it were no big deal, and turned away, but Gong Do-hyun couldn’t bring himself to believe it.

He had been chasing and harassing him. Even if he acted nicely now, wouldn’t Rembrary just laugh, seeing through his intentions?

In the end, Gong Do-hyun gave up on the battery idea and researched Rembrary throughout the journey. When he got the chance to be by his side, he cautiously proposed a deal.

“If you grant me one favor, I will become a priest and serve Redrin.”

He made the offer because he knew that Rembrary was serious about his faith.

*People who believe in pseudo-religions usually like it when someone says they’ll become a fellow believer, right?*

Redrin’s following was now somewhat established enough to be called a complete pseudo-religion.

However, to his heartfelt proposal, Rembrary replied with a reluctant expression.

“You have to consider Redrin’s position too.”

“What? Excuse me?”

When he looked at him in bewilderment, Rembrary firmly refused.

“Redrin will not accept you as a priest.”

To be rejected so directly? Gong Do-hyun looked at Rembrary in shock.

Rembrary explained firmly once again.

“You are outside of Redrin’s preferences.”

Gong Do-hyun was dumbfounded. How could a god have preferences? A god is a god.

“That’s absurd… What kind of preferences? What are his preferences?”

“There are several reasons, but the biggest one is.”

“The reason is?”

“A believer can become one with ulterior motives without faith, but a priest cannot become one with ulterior motives without faith.”

“!”

It was obvious, but Gong Do-hyun was a little surprised.

He thought that since the Redrin Church was a pseudo-religion, they would be happy if he became a priest.

He didn’t assume it with bad intentions, but looking back, it was quite arrogant.

As Gong Do-hyun’s face turned red with embarrassment, Rembrary said nonchalantly.

“If you have a favor to ask, just ask.”

“Then I’d be shameless…”

“What can I do about your lack of shame? I can’t tell you to create some.”

*What was this generous insult?* As Gong Do-hyun hesitated, Rembrary smiled warmly.

Gong Do-hyun hesitated, but as the situation was urgent, he decided to confide in him.

“There’s a sick child.”

He was about to explain further, but Rembrary cut him off there.

“Oh, bring them when we get out.”

It was a permission.

Gong Do-hyun asked back in confusion.

“Yes?”

He was even more surprised that the other party had granted permission so easily.

“Is that all?”

“Ah, are there two kids?”

“No, one, no, that’s not it. You’re giving permission this easily?”

“Should I refuse a few times?”

“Yes? No, that’s not it.”

It was hard to believe that he was accepting it so readily. Gong Do-hyun pondered for a moment, then realized something and asked.

“Do you perhaps mean to join as a believer and put my name on the list [of church members]?”

*Yes. That must be it.* Gong Do-hyun guessed on his own and apologized on his own.

“I’m sorry. The child doesn’t have time for that—”

At those words, Rembrary burst into laughter.

“You have a rich imagination instead of shame.”

“!”

“You like to twist things. When I tell you to bring them to me, I just mean bring them to me.”

“!”

Gong Do-hyun looked at Rembrary in shock.

He had lived thinking that everyone was selfish, that it was natural, and that it wasn’t bad.

If he was selfish but didn’t harm others, wasn’t that okay?

To Gong Do-hyun, Rembrary’s attitude of showing goodwill to him, who had been harassing him all along, was in an incomprehensible realm.

Gong Do-hyun was grateful but also embarrassed, and he couldn’t speak for a moment.

And thanks to the cameraman of Longchacha, who captured this scene with his camera, Rembrary’s fans who flocked to Longchacha’s channel exclaimed in excitement.

—Our Rembrary is an angel ㅠㅠ

—See! Our baby is so kind!

—Rembrary ㅠㅠ I love Rembrary and Maeng Wooshin, please accept my conscience too

—Rembrary ㅠ I don’t have shame either, but I’m full of love ㅠㅠㅠ Tell me to just come to you too ㅠ I’ll take myself there ㅠ

—Rembrary is the sun. The reason why sunlight spreads across the Earth is because there’s a huge mirror in the sun’s position that reflects and scatters Rembrary’s halo. What’s in the sky is a fake. Rembrary is the real deal. This will become the established theory in academia in 100 years. Rebuttals will be accepted from the grave in 100 years.

Rembrary’s fans cheered and went wild as they watched Rembrary, and Longchacha’s existing viewers were bewildered, wondering, ‘What’s up with them?’ as unfamiliar fans came and sobbed.

* * *

In any case, Longchacha and the Fact Check group, with Rembrary joining them, arrived near the pillar without much difficulty.

The dinosaurs no longer appeared, thanks to Rembrary’s gentle persuasion, and the other monsters were not too difficult to deal with either.

Still, Seon Hari and Ardor, along with Jo Ji-ho’s group, had arrived at the pillar first. Surprisingly, a spectacle unfolded where a swarm of scorpions rushed at them but ran away upon seeing Ardor.

“Wow. How did you do that?”

Fact Check glanced at Ardor and approached Jo Ji-ho, but was surprised to see Jo Ji-ho lying down, half-conscious, and asked.

“Why is his face so pale?”

“Because he lost a lot of blood.”

“Why is his arm like this?”

Seon Hari gestured towards Ardor.

Ardor was hastily fixing his face in front of a mirror before running to Rembrary.

“That person was the one who shoulder-checked and provoked Jo Ji-ho. As soon as he revealed his identity, he shot him with a gun.”

Jo Ji-ho was only breathing, seemingly without the energy to curse.

Longchacha thought, ‘Wow, that’s crazy,’ but was careful with his words, conscious of Ardor.

Meanwhile, Ardor, who had cleaned the blood from his hair and face, spread his arms and ran to Rembrary.

“High Priest!”

Rembrary dodged to the side, but Ardor shouted with joy even as he hugged the air.

“The air where the High Priest stayed is here!”

“Have you been well, Ardor?”

“High Priest, I thought I would die from wanting to see you. Please forgive me for daring to want to see you so much. If you don’t forgive me, I will stay by your side every day and try to purify this ugly heart!”

Maeng Wooshin shuddered at the sight.

“That psycho. It’s so embarrassing to be with him.”

Rembrary patted Ardor, who was still hugging the air, on the back, then discovered Jo Ji-ho lying on the ground and asked.

“But why is that person lying there like that?”

“He was disrespectful to the High Priest, so I punished him on your behalf.”

“We were apart, though?”

“He was disrespectful before we separated. These things are accumulated and used all at once, High Priest.”

Gong Do-hyun, who had been curiously observing Ardor, hurriedly went far away as soon as he heard those words.

Instead, Longchacha approached and asked Rembrary.

“Hey, Rembrary. If it’s okay, could you heal Ji-ho?”

“I will.”

Rembrary readily agreed this time as well.

“But if I heal him, he’s eliminated. Everyone else I’ve saved has been eliminated.”

Longchacha clicked his tongue and looked at Jo Ji-ho. He shot himself in the foot.

But anyway, the most important thing was to get out alive and unharmed.

“Okay. We’ll eliminate Jo Ji-ho. Please heal him.”

* * *

Later, Squid Potato arrived, but everyone’s mood was somber, as if something had happened.

Jo Ji-ho, who had woken up, counted the number of people and realized that about 1/4 of those who had been with Squid Potato had died.

They seemed to have been heavily attacked on the way.

Still, when he asked why so many had died, Squid Potato said tearfully.

“Suddenly, huge scorpions came swarming from the ground, and dinosaurs came running from the opposite side. They attacked us simultaneously, so we couldn’t even cope with it.”

Squid Potato lamented that he didn’t know why they all came towards them at the same time, and Jo Ji-ho and Longchacha, who knew why, quickly changed the subject.

“Why did they do that? That’s strange.”

“Oh dear. What should we do.”

Afterwards, Squid Potato wanted to get out of this dungeon, but Jo Ji-ho wanted to pick the top 5 no matter what, even if he was eliminated, and get out.

“Didn’t you come in prepared to die?”

Eventually, the group split and opinions were divided.

Then, when the atmosphere became that those who wanted to leave would give up and leave, but would not get any money, those who had been eliminated early and those who wanted to get out safely even if they had to give up 5 billion [Korean won, approximately $3.7 million USD] rushed out after hearing the escape conditions.

However, there were still many people left, and because of that, Rembrary couldn’t leave either.

Rembrary also wanted to go out and live comfortably, but since he had made a promise, he had no choice but to stay with them until the end.

In the end, it was a week later when the project ended and they escaped.

He had invested a whole week to see a trivial play that the demons wanted to show.

Rembrary thought the time was too precious, but it was still better because he was included in the final 5 and received 1 billion [Korean won, approximately $740,000 USD].

Afterwards, Rembrary tried to go home and rest, but the cold atmosphere between the two children was still there, so he couldn’t fully rest here either.

Rembrary couldn’t laze around in the living room and went straight into his room to take off his clothes.

As he was doing that, fortunately, Ninring brought in a plate of fruit, sensing the situation.

Rembrary fastened the last button of his clothes, picked up a fork, and asked.

“Are the kids still fighting? Is it still because of what happened before?”

“I guess it’s because it involves their parents. More than that, it took you a long time this time.”

“I shouldn’t go in groups from now on.”

“Kim Je-woo showed me the video, so I watched it anyway.”

“Wasn’t it chaotic?”

“Almost only the High Priest, Maeng Wooshin, and Ardor were on the screen, though?”

Rembrary was curious about the screen Ninring was talking about, but he was sleepy, so he quickly ate a few pieces of fruit and went to wash up, thinking he would look it up later.

Then, something suddenly came to mind, so he came out again and asked.

“Ninring.”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember things from when you were very young?”

“How old are you talking about?”

“About… between four and six years old.”

“Why?”

“It seems like the demons keep trying to scam me related to my childhood.”

“I don’t remember things from that time very well either? Isn’t that normal?”

“Is that so.”

“But there should be records about the High Priest, so if you’re really curious, look it up when you go back to your original world later. It should be in the Imperial Palace.”

“I should.”

It was when Rembrary, who had answered, went into the bathroom to really wash up.

He was about to fill the bathtub with water and get in when, unexpectedly, he heard Redrin calling Rembrary.

‘Redrin?’

He was happy and was about to answer quickly, but Redrin said something unexpected.