Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 675

The Side Effects

As soon as Ardor made eye contact with Rembrary, he grabbed the stair railing, leaped over it, and rushed toward him.

His pupils were dilated and black, like a cat about to pounce, and the hunters instinctively raised their weapons.

Ardor, however, ignored them, running straight to Rembrary, his eyes sparkling with fervor as he whined.

“Rembrary-nim… You have finally appeared before this Ardor! My heart has been consumed by darkness from searching for you all this time. I know there must be a profound reason for your actions, but my simple mind cannot grasp it. I resented you, then blamed myself for lacking faith, and wandered with a resentful heart for years.”

The hunters were horrified by the unrestrained torrent of adoration he spewed forth.

And was he really pressing down on the milk shaved ice [a popular Korean dessert, similar to shaved ice cream] with his foot while he was talking?

Moreover, the very person uttering these words was the one who had shot at the person he claimed to be searching for. Although the target seemed to be someone else, Ardor appeared completely unhinged to the national hunters, who hesitated to wield their weapons for fear of harming Rembrary.

However, Rembrary had witnessed Ardor’s antics before, so he simply sighed and bent down, placing his hand on the milk shaved ice’s stomach.

“Get your foot off.”

Rembrary channeled divine power into the wound, where bright red blood was gushing out. The bleeding quickly stopped, and new flesh began to fill the exposed area between the torn clothes.

The national hunters, who had been focused on Ardor, shifted their attention to cautiously observe the healing process.

When Rembrary had disappeared, some had expressed skepticism about his healing abilities, while others claimed they were exaggerated.

The national hunters present didn’t necessarily doubt Rembrary’s abilities, but they were curious, having never witnessed his healing firsthand.

The hunters watched the wound heal in real-time and involuntarily exclaimed.

“It’s even more amazing than I heard.”

“He healed a gunshot wound in one go!”

“Wow. That’s cheating.”

When the milk shaved ice’s wound vanished without a trace, all that remained was the torn fabric from the gunshot.

Rembrary withdrew his hand and stood up.

“I don’t know why you’re saving someone like that,” Ardor muttered sullenly. Rembrary, still mindful of being shot upon their reunion, ignored the comment.

Seeing that Rembrary seemed finished, National Hunter A, the one who had asked Rembrary to remove his hat, quickly gestured to the other hunters and addressed Rembrary.

“We’ll take this guy away for obstructing official duties.”

“Do so.”

Despite having saved him, Rembrary had no intention of siding with those who suddenly treated him like a law enforcement officer, so he replied indifferently.

As he turned to leave, National Hunter B cautiously stepped forward and called out to Rembrary.

“Um, Rembrary-nim… We have a few injured from the recent battle. If you wouldn’t mind…”

He seemed to be asking for treatment but hesitated to finish the sentence, perhaps feeling awkward.

Rembrary, who had been trying to slip away unnoticed, paused for a moment, then readily agreed.

“I will.”

He would heal even an enemy, hadn’t Hunter A said that earlier? Besides, Redrin was currently cooperating with national organizations, so there was no harm in helping.

As soon as permission was granted, the injured rushed toward Rembrary and began to form a line.

Just as Rembrary was about to use his divine power on one of them, the milk shaved ice, who had been lying there blankly, suddenly screamed.

“Rembrary-niim!”

The piercing scream startled Rembrary and the surrounding hunters, who looked down in surprise.

The milk shaved ice, still lying down, frantically flailed his arms, trying to get up. Because Ardor was still pressing down on him with his foot, he kept falling over. But when Rembrary stopped Ardor, he barely managed to prop himself up and raised his upper body. As soon as he was upright, he grabbed Rembrary’s leg and shouted again.

“Rembrary-nim!”

Ardor’s eyes narrowed like sharp axes at the sight, and the national hunters clicked their tongues.

“Seriously, a cultist.”

“It’s good that Rembrary is back, but I’m worried the cultists will become even more of a nuisance.”

“No, if Rembrary steps in and restrains them, it might get better.”

As Rembrary listened to the national hunters whispering amongst themselves, he tried to pull his foot away from the milk shaved ice.

However, unexpectedly, the milk shaved ice refused to let go.

“To be able to see Rembrary-nim up close… It’s Redrin-nim’s grace!”

He kept muttering in a slurred voice, clinging to Rembrary’s leg.

The national hunters were disgusted by the sight.

It wasn’t pleasant to see a normal person clinging to someone’s foot, even if they weren’t involved.

However, because the group this milk shaved ice was presumed to belong to was so notorious, no one took Rembrary seriously when he said, “This guy… he’s a bit strange.”

“Those guys are always like that. You know, the people I told you about earlier,” the Gyeongju branch manager explained with a sigh, and the building manager quickly nodded.

National Hunter C also said nonchalantly, “He must be so moved after receiving Rembrary-nim’s treatment directly that he’s acting like that.”

However, Rembrary shook his head again.

“No, I think he’s gotten even stranger than before.”

But no one seemed to agree with Rembrary.

“Look closely. Doesn’t his voice sound like he’s drunk? He was talking fine earlier.”

Rembrary pushed the milk shaved ice’s forehead away from his leg and carefully examined his eyes.

‘It’s not just the voice.’

Rembrary wasn’t just finding it strange because of the milk shaved ice’s slurred speech or his clinging.

Rembrary was concerned that the milk shaved ice’s words had changed so drastically in less than an hour.

‘This guy… At first, he called me the Death God. But now he’s calling me Rembrary-nim by name. Moreover, when the branch manager first explained, he said that these people believed in me, not Redrin-nim. But now he’s talking about Redrin-nim’s grace. Could it be… did the healing ability develop side effects as Redrin-nim’s demonization progressed?’

Even though people around him were explaining that “those guys are always like that,” Ardor immediately asked when Rembrary’s expression darkened.

“High Priest-nim, what’s wrong? Is that guy bothering you? Shall I remove his existence?”

Even the people who had dismissed the milk shaved ice’s behavior as normal now quietly awaited Rembrary’s answer, a little concerned by Ardor’s offer.

Rembrary was about to tell the truth, but he changed his mind.

If he honestly said, “It seems that side effects have appeared in the healing ability as Redrin-nim’s demonization progressed,” the perception of Redrin, who had barely recovered, would worsen again.

Instead, Rembrary omitted the speculation about Redrin’s demonization and offered a different explanation.

“It seems that some side effects have occurred with my healing ability. This guy’s words and actions have changed after receiving my treatment.”

At those words, the national hunters exchanged glances.

Ardor quickly stepped forward.

“Then please heal me, High Priest-nim! I’ll injure myself! Then we can see if side effects have occurred or not!”

“No, it’ll be hard to tell the difference with you.”

“?”

“I want to test it with someone else.”

Rembrary muttered and scanned the national hunters. A few of the injured who met his gaze quietly moved back.

When no volunteers came forward, Rembrary personally selected three injured people.

“That guy, that guy, and that guy with the cut on his cheek. The three of you, come forward. Then we can see if side effects have occurred or not.”

Perhaps because of the talk about side effects, all three were reluctant to come forward at first.

Even though they had been saying, “The milk shaved ice is always like that, it’s not a side effect,” they didn’t seem eager to experience such side effects and cling to Rembrary’s leg, even if there was only a slight chance.

After about three minutes of awkward silence, one of them finally stepped forward bravely.

“I’ll do it.”

Rembrary placed his hand near the wound on the forehead of the hunter who had been struck by the chair thrown by the milk shaved ice earlier.

The hunter’s forehead quickly healed.

Even though they had already witnessed the healing once, people exclaimed as if it were still a marvel.

However, Rembrary lowered his hand to check for side effects and carefully examined the hunter.

An astonishing phenomenon occurred in a matter of seconds.

As soon as Rembrary took his hand away, the hunter, who had been standing there with a serious expression, suddenly shouted, “Rembrary-nim!” and began to bow.

His voice was clearer than when he had volunteered for the test treatment.

He seemed to be projecting the brightest and loudest voice he could muster.

The fellow hunters shuddered and stepped back at the unfamiliar, clear tone, but the treated hunter didn’t seem to notice, smiling at Rembrary with a soft, rabbit-like expression.

“Rembrary-nim saved me! Thank you so much! After receiving treatment, I realized how ignorant I was. I am now a follower of Redrin-nim. Please guide me, Rembrary-nim!”

Hunter A, who had been blankly watching the scene, raised his hand to his forehead and muttered.

“It’s definitely a side effect.”

The hunters began to whisper.

“That friend is non-religious.”

“I wouldn’t mind if it saved his life… but if he’s acting like that after treating a small cut on his forehead, it seems like a side effect, right?”

The Gyeongju branch manager asked Rembrary with a sullen expression.

“Did you always have side effects like this?”

“No.”

At Rembrary’s curt reply, the hunters looked at their fellow hunter, who was still bowing, with serious expressions.

Hunter A asked Rembrary again with a worried expression.

“How long will he be like that?”

“Well, this is the first time I’ve had this kind of side effect, so I don’t know.”

“Is the fact that these side effects have occurred related to the fact that Rembrary-nim hasn’t shown himself for several years?”

“I guess so. The shock was a bit much.”

The national hunters’ expressions became subtle at Rembrary’s answer. It was a look mixed with admiration and sympathy.

It seemed they misunderstood that Rembrary had been greatly injured while sealing the Demon King and that this phenomenon had occurred because his healing ability had been damaged.

There seemed to be no need to correct the misunderstanding, so Rembrary smiled reassuringly.

“Still, isn’t it fortunate? If the side effects are only this much.”

Hunter A, who was looking at Rembrary with a troubled expression, flatly rejected those words.

“No. His personality has completely changed.”

‘Judging from the fact that he’s mentioning Redrin-nim after receiving my treatment, it seems like a side effect of Redrin-nim’s demonization…’

Rembrary frowned. If it was such a side effect, there was nothing Rembrary could do about it on his own.

It was certain that the symptoms would disappear if Redrin’s demonization disappeared, but in the current situation, he couldn’t even guess whether the symptoms would be temporary or long-term.

Hunter A, seeing Rembrary’s expression, grabbed his fellow hunter, who was still bowing, and stopped him, saying with a heavy heart.

“If you find a way to stop the side effects, please let us know. We’ll also contact you when the side effects stop.”

“Oh, are you leaving? Then should I go too?”

“No, just a moment. I’ll call the team leader.”

Rembrary nodded in agreement. However, before Hunter A could take out his phone, a voice coming up the stairs interrupted.