I Became the Successor of the Martial God Chapter 127

I Became the Successor of the Martial God

Chapter 127.  

Vincent, who always kept his eyes half-closed, opened them fully. His pupils, a murky shade close to white, stared intently at Yoo Baek-jun’s eyes.  

As if probing his innermost thoughts.  

Yoo Baek-jun feigned surprise and stared back blankly.  

‘Got you, you bastard.’  

But inwardly, he was laughing at Vincent. This was his way of recruiting more patrons.  

He had never mentioned it to Yoo Baek-jun before, but now he was finally bringing it up.  

‘He must trust me to some extent. No, to be precise, he’s confident he’s brainwashed me.’  

Vincent’s own skills, along with the numerous brainwashing devices prepared at the meeting place.  

Since Yoo Baek-jun had attended every Cult of Resurrection meeting without fail, Vincent likely believed he would now trust his words without question.  

‘Well, I’ll have to live up to those expectations.’  

Yoo Baek-jun parted his trembling lips.  

“A method… you say? Are you suggesting you can bring the dead back to life? How is that even possible?”  

“Exactly. An ordinary person would think that way. No matter what I say, they wouldn’t believe me.”  

Vincent smiled and took a step back.  

“So, I’ll show you in person.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“A miracle beyond human imagination.”  

It was the kind of statement befitting a cult leader. Vincent suddenly turned his back.  

“Watch the stage carefully in 30 minutes.”  

With those words, he left.  

“…….”  

Yoo Baek-jun stared blankly at his retreating figure before shaking his head as if snapping out of it.  

He then took a sip of wine.  

‘Good, Vincent took the bait.’  

Yoo Baek-jun looked down at his feet.  

‘It’s about time.’  

He pulled a cigarette from his pocket.  

Though he doesn’t smoke, it was the only way to step outside without looking suspicious.  

In the small garden outside the hanok, Yoo Baek-jun pressed himself against the wall and placed the cigarette between his lips.  

“Since when do you smoke…?”  

A familiar voice came from right behind him. Yoo Baek-jun pretended to light the cigarette, covering his lips.  

“Min Yi-jae.”  

“…I’m here.”  

That gloomy tone had never felt as reassuring as it did today.  

“Did you scout the inside?”  

“Yeah, there’s a multi-level basement under that hanok… Seems like they’re hiding something important. Security’s tight….”  

“Enter exactly 30 minutes from now. By then, the basement’s guard will be lax.”  

“Got it.”  

Min Yi-jae melted back into the shadows.  

“Well then….” Yoo Baek-jun straightened his tie and tossed the unsmoked cigarette into the trash. “Shall we go see what he’s about to show us?”  

 * * *  

The gathering’s atmosphere was reaching its peak.  

People chatted and laughed while a band played soothing music on stage.  

The mood was so relaxed it could lull anyone into carelessness.  

Clap,clap!  

The sudden sound of applause shattered the ambiance.  

Everyone jolted to attention and looked toward the stage, where Vincent now stood.  

“Everyone, are you enjoying the gathering?”  \

A chorus of ‘Yes!‘ echoed back.  

Vincent smiled in satisfaction.  

“I’m glad to hear that. This meeting was created for those who have suffered wounds of the heart. It brings me great joy to see that purpose… being fulfilled.”  

Vincent scanned the room.  

When he felt all eyes fixed on him, he clapped his hands again.  

Something rose from behind the stage.  

“I have something to show you all.”  

It was a wheelchair.  

An elderly man sat in it, his face pallid as if on the verge of collapse.He looked gravely ill.  

“Chairman Jung!”  

“I heard he’d been bedridden due to illness, but this… How could someone so robust end up like this?”  

He must have been the chairman of a prominent company.  

Vincent smirked and locked eyes with the man called Chairman Jung.  

The chairman nodded.  

“Everyone! I’ve spoken to you before.”  

Vincent spread his arms wide.  

“About the desire for immortality.”  

Words he’d used to persuade them.  

Some believed, while others remained skeptical—after all, even in a world connected to gates leading to other dimensions, immortality seemed too far-fetched.  

“Many of you must have doubted. Can an ordinary person achieve immortality? Yes! It’s possible. Even for someone like Chairman Jung here, suffering from terminal cancer!”  

An assistant approached from below the stage and handed Vincent a small vial.  

It contained a sinister red liquid.  

“You can live forever.”  

Words alone weren’t enough.  

To fully convince the skeptics, action was necessary.  

Vincent slowly helped Chairman Jung to his feet.  

“I’ll show you now.”  

Then he handed him the vial.  

Chairman Jung stared at it with nervous eyes. Even at a glance, the vial looked ominous.  

‘This might worsen my condition. Vincent even said it could kill me…’  

Chairman Jung’s body trembled momentarily. Fear of death. Drinking this could kill him—but if he didn’t, he’d die soon anyway.  

There was no real choice.  

Gulp.  

Chairman Jung drank the liquid.  

At first, nothing happened. The silence was like the calm before a storm.  

But only for a moment.  

“Kuh—uuuugh!”  

Crack, snap!  

The transformation began.  

Flesh tore and regenerated, bones broken and mended—the sounds alone were horrifying.  

“I-Is he alright?”  

“What if something goes wrong…?”  

The crowd grew anxious.  

The ghastly noises made them fear the worst for Chairman Jung.  

But their worries were unfounded.  

“Oh… ohhh.”  

The old man’s appearance was changing. Wrinkles smoothed out, his hunched back straightened.  

He was reverting to his youthful self.  

“This can’t be!”  

“H-How is this possible?!”  

The onlookers were stunned.  

Had they only seen the result, they might have doubted. But witnessing the process left no room for skepticism.  

Vincent knew this well—which was why he chose to demonstrate it publicly.  

The act of ‘Demonification.‘

“Hahk… hahk!”  

Chairman Jung—now a young man, though an elder mere moments ago—knelt on the ground, gasping for breath.  

He looked down at his body.  

“This… is my body…?”  

He had grown younger.  

Chairman Jung could feel it. Not just that—the relentless pain was gone too.  

The illness tormenting him had vanished.  

“Chairman Jung.”  

Vincent extended a hand. Chairman Jung looked up, then instinctively shielded his eyes.  

The ceiling lights made Vincent seem blindingly radiant.  

Or perhaps—  

‘Is he… emitting light?’  

The rejuvenated Chairman Jung took Vincent’s hand. Vincent pulled him up firmly.  

“How do you feel?”  

“L-Like I’ve been reborn. As if I’ve returned to my youth….”  

“It’s not just a feeling. You’ve been reborn under the grace of the God of Death… Thanatos.”  

“Thanatos….”  

A name Vincent had subtly ingrained in them over multiple gatherings.  

Chairman Jung felt an intense familiarity with it—and an inexplicable sense of divinity.  

“Everyone! Behold! I’ve shown you a miracle! The miracle of immortality!”  

“Oh… ohhh….”  

The room erupted.  

Vincent’s gestures and voice electrified the crowd.  

“Was this possible through my power alone? No! It was because someone believed in me, supported me, and shared their strength!” Vincent raised his arms high. “The one who stands above all! The god I humbly serve—Thanatos—granted me this power! This miracle is His doing!”  

“Then… with that power….”  

“Yes! With His power, immortality is possible! And if He grants us more strength, I can fulfill what I promised you!”  

Vincent paused deliberately.  

A masterful rhetorical technique—leaving them hanging to focus on his next words.  

“You can reunite with the loved ones you’ve lost!”  

The atmosphere was explosive.  

The crowd stirred restlessly, as if barely containing their excitement.  

“I promise you! Here and now! I swear to fulfill this vow!”  

Vincent nodded solemnly at the audience.  

“But I’ll need your help! You must help me receive Thanatos’s blessings!”  

“What must we do?!”  

“From this moment on….”  

Vincent declared firmly, like a prophet.  

“You must become missionaries, carving Thanatos’s name into this world.”  

The room fell silent.  

Whether gods existed on Earth was debatable—but in Halpeon, they were real.  

And their power grew with the number of believers.  

‘That’s why Thanatos covets this world and made Vincent his proxy.’  

In Halpeon, the name ‘Thanatos’ was taboo. Due to the divine wars of the past, or some such reason.  

His power had waned significantly.  

Now, he sought to reclaim it here.  

“Can you do this?”  

Vincent asked.  

The brief silence gave way to an eruption of cheers.  

“Yes!”  

“Then can I see my wife again?!”  

“My son…!”  

“Make me young too!”  

They had witnessed a miracle.  

A man growing younger, his illness vanishing—such fervor was inevitable.  

“Yes, without fail.”  

Vincent smiled, having elicited the exact reaction he wanted.  

“I promise you.”  

As gentle as ever.  

Yoo Baek-jun observed the entire spectacle.  

‘Look at this. He’s a cunning one.’  

There was another reason for the crowd’s frenzy.  

An inexplicable aura emanating from Vincent was enchanting them.  

Yoo Baek-jun fiddled with his ring.  

‘I’d have been in trouble without this.’  

Finger of the Nightmare.  

A ring obtained after dealing with Barwe in the past.  

A precious artifact granting immense resistance to all forms of mental attacks.  

Thanks to it, he could resist Vincent and the Cult of Resurrection manipulations.  

‘Still, for now…’  

Yoo Baek-jun met Vincent’s gaze. He widened his eyes, feigning astonishment.  

‘I’ll play along.’  

Then he slowly bowed his head.  

By now, Min Yi-jae would have infiltrated the basement. To buy time, Yoo Baek-jun had to keep Vincent occupied and distracted.  

He smiled quietly to himself.