Chapter 216 – Believe in the Hero Church (3)

It was by pure chance that Kim In-ho learned about the Muscle Cult (Church of the Hero).

Suspicious proselytizing. And the strange practice of forcing people into muscle training.

No matter how you looked at it, it was suspicious. Truly suspicious.

To Kim In-ho, Lee Hyunbin was a savior.

Thanks to the Hunter training he received from him, he had improved by leaps and bounds. He was even able to cure his son of Mana Stone Disease.

Thinking back, it was strange.

His combat power was on a different level from other S-Ranks. And despite his age, he carried himself like a seasoned veteran.

-You can form a Knight Order contract with me.

The two Kims had entered into a contract called the Knight Order with Hyunbin.

He thought it was just symbolic, or maybe a joke. But when he actually responded to the request, a Knight Order section was created in his status window.

-This is the daily quest set by the Lord.

-Stretching: 10 minutes. Weight Training: 50 minutes.

-Today’s workout is ‘Lower Body.’

Even basic training and exercises were given as quests.

And that wasn’t all.

-Strength will increase by 1 as a reward.

“???”

That was the notification that popped up when he cleared a Knight Order quest for the first time.

He couldn’t believe it at first. But when he checked his status window, his stats had actually increased.

Kim Tae-yang had found it strange too, but since Lee Hyunbin had shown so many unbelievable things, he didn’t seem to think too much of it. But Kim In-ho was different.

The Order System. As the name implied, the system unilaterally gave orders to the user.

And all users, all Awakened, had no choice but to be passively dragged along by it. But Lee Hyunbin seemed to be controlling the system itself.

‘Hyunbin is different. Different from other people.’

It was an obvious thing to say, but he was special.

And yet, there was a pseudo-religious cult exploiting that specialness.

Here, they revered Lee Hyunbin as if he were a god.

His heroic deeds deserved to be praised by someone. But this cult was using Lee Hyunbin’s heroic side for their own ends.

What is a pseudo-religion?

It deceives and confuses people, brainwashing them. And then it plunders everything they have. He could not forgive such a wicked organization for using his benefactor. So, Kim In-ho decided to uncover the true nature of this cult.

But it was different.

-Donations? We don’t accept them. If you have money to donate, buy some food to bulk up.

This cult was clearly after money, yet they refused donations.

-For fat loss and growth, feel free to use the consultation desk at any time. We support your muscles!

Not only that, but under a systematic program, they were performing the miracle of turning even the obese into muscular figures.

Their progress was so formidable it could bankrupt every diet company on the market. And yet, they never pursued personal gain. Their entire focus was on building muscle and promoting the Hero on a massive scale.

‘Come to think of it, Hyunbin’s embarrassing past…’

The story of Lee Hyunbin repeatedly getting rejected from major guild interviews for his lack of education and certifications was quite famous.

There was that dark chapter in his past where Hyunbin had spouted nonsense about being a Hero in his interviews.

People said that after being rejected from over twenty guild interviews, his difficult financial situation had caused him to say such things. But some people took an interest in this part of his story.

After all, there were theories that ‘Returnees’ actually existed.

Eleven years ago, when the Gate crisis first occurred.

In an era when humanity was still ignorant about Gates, they were unilaterally massacred.

It was then that some people awakened their powers.

They took the lead, fighting monsters and closing the Gates.

But there was something interesting.

All of them were people who had previously been receiving psychiatric treatment.

-Recently, there has been an inexplicable rise in the number of people claiming to have returned from a survival game.

-Experts believe this is due to excessive gaming among the youth…

There were people claiming they had been taken to another world and forced to participate in a survival game where they had to kill each other. The problem was, it wasn’t just one or two people.

At the time, the news had dismissed it as a group prank originating from some online community.

‘But the same phenomenon was happening all over the world.’

It wasn’t just in Korea; the same thing was happening in other countries.

It didn’t stop there. Cruel incidents occurred where people assaulted and even murdered others, claiming they held grudges from the other world.

This phenomenon, which developed into a social issue, was termed ‘Excessive Reality Syndrome,’ and the government even stepped in to manage these individuals.

Those who were once described as victims of mass hysteria became the first Hunters to lead the fight when the age of Gates arrived.

They called themselves Hero, or Returnees, and some even claimed to be Regressors.

Because of this, it became a sort of meme among the younger generation after the Gate disaster, but maybe. Just maybe, Lee Hyunbin was one of them.

-The reason the Hero has returned to this land is to bring salvation once more.

It was, in fact, a ridiculous story. But as he listened to their claims, ripples began to form in Kim In-ho’s heart.

Hero Lee Hyunbin.

Perhaps it was another side of Director Lee Hyunbin.

In the midst of this, Kim In-ho ran into Kim Tae-yang.

As expected. Having Director Lee Hyunbin as a mentor, it was only natural for him to be concerned about such a group.

But, the Kim Tae-yang he trusted had fallen for the cult’s doctrine.

“Today’s lift is blessed by fortune.”

Kim Tae-yang had bulked up.

Where he once had lean, elastic muscles, he now possessed incredibly dense ones.

‘No, but how can he get like that in just a few days?’

It was unbelievable.

“Hey, Tae-yang. We need to talk.”

“They said I can wear Under Armour now. I, Kim Tae-yang, am a man who gets things done.”

Kim In-ho’s pupils trembled.

As Kim Tae-yang cheerfully downed a mouthful of protein, his trapezius muscles twitched brightly.

“Let’s see, how far can I go.”

Kim Tae-yang was checking the rules posted by the cult.

-Big 3 total under 100kg: Lifting forbidden. Switch to CrossFit.

-Big 3 total under 200kg: No supplements, no racks.

-Big 3 total under 300kg: No gloves, no unsolicited advice.

-Big 3 total under 400kg: No straps.

-Big 3 total under 500kg: No pre-workout.

-Big 3 total under 600kg: No grunting.

-Big 3 total under 300kg: No posturing in the gym.

-Big 3 total under 400kg: No posturing in the shower/locker room.

-Big 3 total under 500kg: No posing.

-Lifting less than your body weight: No collars.

-Biceps under 40cm: No folding arms.

-Thighs under 65cm: No rolling up pants.

-Deadlifting less than twice your body weight: No dropping the weights.

-Benching under 120kg: Full negatives mandatory.

-Squatting under 120kg: Full negatives mandatory.

-Dumbbell press under 40kg per side: No modified presses.

-Fewer than 10 pull-ups: No cheating.

-Squatting under 120kg: Power leg press use forbidden.

-Deadlifting under 180kg: No belts.

-Thighs under 26 inches: No shorts.

-Height – Weight = 95 or more: No Techfit. Body fat 11% or more: No Techfit.

-Less than 3 years of weight training: No vibrating belt machine or inversion table unless for a spinal disc issue.

-Squatting less than your body weight: No using the gym’s water fountain.

-Squatting less than 1.5x your body weight: No using two towels.

-Under 180cm tall: No Romanian deadlifts. Conventional deadlifts only.

-Squatting less than 2x your body weight: No squatting at the dip station.

-Height – Weight = 100 or less: No using the chin-up/dip machine without added weight.

With each rule he broke, Kim Tae-yang felt a strange sense of pleasure.

“Hey, snap out of it.”

Kim In-ho kept trying to talk to him.

“Snap out of what? What are you talking about?”

Kim Tae-yang had no idea what kind of situation he was in. Unlike the other believers, he was born to be a gym rat who only cared about lifting, and his body was gradually turning into something resembling an overturned cockroach.

It was strange. Everyone here was crazy.

What was even funnier was that they only confined you on the first day; no one guarded the exit. Instead, the believers went out and returned on their own to train.

It was as if they were all brainwashed.

“Kimi no wa.”

“?”

“Ah, my apologies. Brother Kim In-ho. Please pause your prayers for a moment and come up.”

Men who looked like gangsters surrounded Kim In-ho.

“What is it?”

“The Prophet is looking for you.”

The Prophet. The leader of this bizarre cult.

“What for?”

“You’ll find out when you get there.”

The gangster-priests surrounded him.

If he decided to fight, he could probably take them. But he had to endure it for now because of the brainwashed Kim Tae-yang.

“Understood.”

Kim In-ho obediently followed them.

The place the gangster-priests led him to was, surprisingly, even deeper underground.

‘This isn’t some kind of tunnel, is it?’

An illegal underground structure that casually ignored standard building codes. He knew that seeing its secrets would only put him in greater danger. Yet, Kim In-ho continued to descend.

The Prophet’s prayer room, a place he had never been before.

“Prophet, we’ve brought him.”

“Oh my, Brother Kim In-ho.”

The Prophet, who was in the middle of a dumbbell workout, greeted him warmly.

A geometric, muscular body in the shape of an inverted triangle. Her physique, which looked like a casual brush from her fist would be far from painless, was the pinnacle of what a human body could achieve.

“You didn’t run away? I thought you would.”

Kim In-ho’s lips curled up at the Prophet’s blunt words.

The other gangster-priests didn’t matter. But the woman claiming to be the Prophet was on a different level.

So much so that even Kim Tae-yang was subdued without being able to put up a proper fight.

But Kim Tae-yang was Kim Tae-yang, and he was himself. Just because he was defeated didn’t guarantee that he would be too.

“Why should I run away? Is there a reason for me to?”

At Kim In-ho’s words, the Prophet covered her mouth and laughed brightly. A sound as innocent as a child’s laugh echoed through the prayer room—no, the personal gym.

“You really are interesting.”

The Prophet stopped laughing.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone who wasn’t brainwashed after a week.”

“!”

So it was brainwashing.

That aside, now that she had openly revealed her true nature, a fight was imminent.

On his way here, Kim In-ho had already assessed the enemy’s strength and scouted for potential escape routes.

“Why are you doing this?”

“This?”

The Prophet tilted her head.

Her face was pure and cute, but her body was large and massive. That strange balance exuded an immense pressure. Even so, Kim In-ho did not yield.

“Why are you using Hyunbin?”

“That’s not what you want to ask, is it?”

“?”

“You’re curious about the Hero’s true identity, aren’t you?”

“!”

Kim In-ho was slightly shaken by the Prophet’s words.

“Name, Kim In-ho. Nickname, Kimi… who researched this stuff? Age twenty-one. Raising his deceased sister’s son, whom he registered as his own, and became a Hunter because of the massive medical bills. Started the job to earn money, but showed unexpected talent and was scouted by the Tushin Guild. Was traded to the Hanul Guild. Met the Hero, received training, unleashed his talent, and formed a Knight Order contract.”

“…!”

Kim In-ho’s face hardened.

She knew him well. No, not just that, she knew everything that had happened between him and Hyunbin.

“You should consider it an honor. To be chosen by the Hero.”

“Who are you?”

“The Prophet who will tell you the truth.”

The elf-like woman spoke playfully and smiled.

“You must have a strong will. To not fall under my brainwashing.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“This?”

“Your reason for running this sham cult using Hyunbin.”

At Kim In-ho’s words, the Prophet once again burst into laughter.

A clear, refreshing laugh. But her expression held a chilling coldness.

Kim In-ho tensed.

Beside her lay a greatbow and a barbell that would take four grown men to lift.

‘He’ll know something happened to us anyway.’

The Knight Order contract.

It wasn’t just for assigning training quests.

Those under the contract could not harm their lord. And that wasn’t all.

Whenever Kim Tae-yang tried to skip training and run away, Lee Hyunbin would find him as if by magic.

‘He must be able to track our location.’

Lee Hyunbin had never said so, but Kim In-ho had suspected it. This meant that once he noticed something was wrong, he would come to help soon.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. The Hero isn’t being used by anyone.”

Kim In-ho reached a hand into his inventory. A fight could break out at any moment. But her next words caught him completely off guard.

“Don’t you want to be of help to the Hero?”

Help. He was always grateful to his benefactor and always wanted to be of help. But he often questioned whether he truly was.

“How much do you know about the Hero?”

I know everything. I’ve watched him from the closest vantage point.

But he had secrets, and he had never opened the door to those secrets.

“Aren’t you curious?”