Chapter 270: Outing (2)

My whole body ached.

Beep—

At the same time, tinnitus rang in my ears.

My head, suddenly struck by a strong impact, throbbed and churned dizzyingly.

-Kyahaha! For a free world!

-Aaaaaaack—!

-Seunghyun! Run···!

-No!

Past memories, buried deep within me, surged up like fragments, assaulting my mind.

'Damn it, what is this!'

But that was only for a moment.

My body, which had felt numb from being swept up in the explosion, recovered instantly, and my reeling mind cleared.

The memories that had surfaced sporadically sank back below the surface.

In the blink of an eye, my body shook off all the impact and returned to a perfect state.

The result of my overwhelming stats, 「Super Regeneration」, and the constant enhancement which was a side effect of 「Entity Projection」.

'Phew, what kind of lunatic would do this at a hospital···!'

However, right now, my personal safety wasn't the only issue.

I gritted my teeth in a chilling manner, raised myself from where I had been thrown in the corner of the hospital garden, and hastily checked the condition of the two I was holding.

'Thankfully, they don't seem to have any major problems.'

In that fleeting moment of grasping the flow of energy.

I immediately understood the situation and moved.

While applying the power of the protective magic tools I always wore to protect myself as widely as possible, I physically pulled the two into my embrace, shielding them from the direct aftermath.

Thanks to that, despite being flung from the hospital entrance all the way to the garden, neither of them seemed to have any major issues.

Though they had lost consciousness, unable to withstand the sudden impact.

'No, Taesan might be okay, but Grandma is still in danger. She just got discharged; if something goes wrong···.'

I had reacted reflexively to the urgent situation, but I wasn't sure if it was the best course of action.

Perhaps there was a better way.

And above all else···.

"Ugh, it hurts···. Save me···."

"Aaaack! Aaaaaa—!"

"It's a terrorist attack! R-Run! Run quickly!"

In that short while.

The surrounding area had become a scene of chaos.

People groaned in pain, and citizens were thrown into confusion.

The center of the terrorist attack was quite a distance away, but the ability-infused explosion had affected a wider area than expected, creating many casualties.

If the outside was like this, what about those who were closer to that bastard?

"F-First, I need to report this··· Uh, why is this happening?!"

"My phone isn't working either!"

"F-First, let's get out of here and then try again···!"

Among those who weren't seriously injured, there were brave individuals who quickly took out their smartphones to report the situation, but they all started to panic and fumble.

And I could understand why they were reacting that way.

'That bastard, he intentionally detonated it from the start.'

It wasn't a normal explosion.

It was harmful due to the hostile magic contained within, but it also contained a certain type of wave that neutralized electronic devices.

Like an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that erupts when a nuclear bomb detonates.

'···This is a hospital filled with sensitive medical equipment!'

I bit my lip, trying my best to calm down, and supported the two, moving them away from the spot.

For now, my top priority was the safety of these two.

But that didn't mean I didn't care about what happened to the others.

'Daring to do this in my territory.'

Just now, in that spot, how many people were sacrificed by that single attack?

Not just from the direct explosion, but those who were relying on medical devices must be struggling for their lives right now.

And hearing the small explosions continuing, though not as strong as the first, it seemed like the espers in charge of hospital security had started fighting.

Somehow, I doubted it would last long.

'First, I need to ensure the situation is taken care of. Hans··· no. His aura will just end up finishing off the injured. Then Heinz II···.'

I knew that this was the kind of world it was.

Even if Hans the Hahoetal Mask and Phantom Heinz II were adhering to a zero-tolerance policy, massively incinerating the trash, and using the Blood Alliance that had swallowed the underworld to establish order in the shadows.

As long as the structure of the world itself didn't change, these kinds of things would continue to happen.

'Dealing with that bastard is not a problem. But···.'

How should I handle this?

Many thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant.

"······."

In the midst of this, my gaze naturally turned to the unconscious grandma.

As expected, her weakened body couldn't withstand the impact, and her complexion was paler than when we were going through the discharge procedures.

"Phew, okay."

The moment I saw that, my complicated thoughts cleared up.

I immediately turned and entered a nearby shopping mall that had already been evacuated and was empty.

'I was planning to heal Grandma as quickly as possible anyway.'

There was no need to worry about CCTVs or anything like that.

None of the electronic devices in this vicinity were working properly.

I went straight to the mall's restroom and sat the two down in a suitable stall.

Then, taking a step back—.

Without hesitation, I used 「Entity Projection」.

Instantly.

Like swapping out a filter, my body transformed.

My eye level changed.

The energy within my body was different.

The way I perceived the outside world changed.

Something connecting my body to the world twisted.

"Hmm."

I turned my head and looked at the restroom mirror.

Silver hair that peeked out from under the helmet scattered the surrounding light, and golden eyes that looked like they were crafted from gold shone beautifully.

My sturdy build swelled further, transforming into the body of a warrior honed to the extreme, and elegant, pure white armor encased that solid form.

Whoosh—

Along with that, a faint aura naturally spread out, enveloping the surroundings.

Click—

I raised my hand and lowered the helmet's face guard.

"Now, then···."

And just like that, I became Heinrich, the saint of the Autherica Main God Church.

The incident happened at a moment no one expected.

Sunny days.

In the lobby of a large hospital where people were going about their usual routines, an enormous shockwave erupted.

Kwaaaang—!

In an instant, it turned the surroundings into a living hell.

Scattering blood, desperate screams, and fading groans.

The all-out surprise attack inflicted fatal wounds on the vigilant espers, and the resulting aftermath threw the entire hospital into chaos.

Zzzt— Zzzzt!

From the fingertips of the culprit who caused the situation, a villain, subtle sparks of electricity flickered.

"Puh··· Puhuhuhu. Serves you right···. You pig bastards."

The villain, a middle-aged man in his fifties with a twisted face, let out a hollow laugh, having finally brought down the guards who had stubbornly resisted with several attacks following the initial strike.

He scanned the wrecked lobby with unfocused eyes, his lips twitching.

"Th-The hospital is very nice··· Huh? Very excellent! They even have returnee guards. It's worth the expensive price, after all··· Hahat."

The man mumbled like he was out of his mind.

Of course, those guards were nothing more than mediocre mercenaries, but that wasn't a significant issue for him right now.

What mattered now was settling his resentment.

"Hmm, I know···. I've been here too. Our Seyun too··· Huh? If only she had received treatment··· she could have lived···."

The resentment of losing his child, which had been festering and rotting for a long time.

"I··· I said I'd bring the money···. Was it that difficult to wait just a little longer···."

A stranger who had been turned away for not having money, lost his only family, and wandered before crossing over to another world.

He was the returnee who had returned with a twisted dream of revenge, seeking only power.

"Yeah··· Okay. Dad will come soon too, Seyun. B-But, can you wait just a little bit···?"

His eyes, which had been rambling, gradually sharpened.

The mass murderer, who had nothing left and harbored a warped belief, curled up the corner of his lips.

"Our Seyun must be bored, right? Dad will bring lots of friends."

Zzzt zzzzt—!

The magic that had briefly subsided surged again, and the sparks that erupted grew larger.

The same technique he used in the first attack.

However, since there was no need to cast it stealthily anymore, it was completed faster and more powerfully than before.

"Ughhhh··· S-Save me···."

"Kuh, kuuuek···."

Those who were still barely alive even in their mangled state squirmed incessantly, but he didn't even glance in their direction.

He was solely immersed in his own world.

"Yeah, these rich pigs here should be enough. So···."

Finally, the surging energy reached its peak.

Following the smile of his daughter that appeared in his mind, a dark madness flowed from the villain's eyes.

"···Die, you pig bastards."

Kugugugung!

At the same time, multiple bundles of energy exploded from him.

The sparks mixed in spread out mercilessly, as if to engulf the entire building—.

["O Lord God. Please bestow your grace upon this land."]

Along with a reverent voice that echoed from the heavens.

Whoooooosh—!

He was swept away by a wave of brilliant light that surged from somewhere and vanished completely.

Ridiculously anticlimactic.

"Huh?"

But the perplexing situation didn't end there.

"···Armor?"

As if appearing from nowhere, a single armored giant stood where the wave of light had passed.

As the tense villain started to gather his energy again.

Whoosh—

The immense energy flowing from the armored figure engulfed the entire space in an instant.

Floor, walls, ceiling, the air, everywhere.

"O Lord God. Grant these pitiful beings the strength to smile."

The tremendous purity of the energy, the likes of which he had never seen before, naturally settled upon everyone within the area, not just those in the lobby who were on the verge of death, but also throughout the entire building and the surrounding vicinity.

It was the display of overwhelming power that was hard to believe was being exerted by a single individual.

Furthermore, it was so beautiful and awe-inspiring that simply witnessing it made one feel faint.

As if it were a miracle performed directly by a god who had descended upon the earth.

"···Divine power."

The villain, who had been dazedly looking around at the unbelievable situation, turned his gaze back to the armored figure.

He was clearly emitting a warm and benevolent aura, but the moment their eyes met, he felt a pressure as if his lungs would be crushed.

The villain, who had survived countless crises in another world, instinctively understood.

This was the difference in their dimensions.

The being standing before him was a monster he could never overcome.

"So, you guys were here too."

But as if rebelling against the overwhelming pressure, he forced out a word.

The corners of his lips, which had been twitching in a distorted manner, had now lowered and stiffened, but he glared at the armored figure, as if burning himself with rage.

Of course, it wasn't like he hadn't sought help from priests.

But the demand far exceeded the supply, and in the end, he had to turn back, never reaching his turn no matter how long he waited.

"Puh··· Puhuhuhu··· Right. Divine power, if only I had this much divine power back then···!"

"Shut your mouth, criminal."

But the villain's mouth, which had been struggling to speak, immediately snapped shut at the solemn words, like that of a heavenly judge.

That armored giant, Heinrich, had no intention of listening to his circumstances, no matter what they were.

As always, he would pass judgment based on his own standards.

'There's no need to waste time unnecessarily.'

No matter the excuse, causing this much loss of life means the death penalty, no questions asked.

Besides, while he seemed somewhat skilled, he wasn't even close to reaching the realm of the Supreme.

He was just a small fry, not even worth the effort for a transcendent paladin like him to draw his sword.

Swish—

However, Heinrich didn't refrain from the trouble of drawing his holy sword.

Of course, not to fight the villain, but simply to use the holy sword's additional effect of amplifying divine power.

'Even if those who have already died can't be helped, if they're still alive···.'

Unlike the saintess who specialized in healing and protection, to efficiently utilize his power, which was focused on destroying evil and judging demons, it was best to use everything he could.

'I also have 『Dimensional Barrier Mitigation』, so it should be somewhat useful.'

He paid no attention to the bastard in front of him, whose eyes were already bloodshot and bulging as he trembled.

"Sinner, repent in the underworld."

And then.

That 'somewhat useful' storm of divine power.

Whoooooosh—

Engulfed the hospital and its surroundings in flames.

South Seoul Branch of the Korea Returnee Association.

"W-What, what is this!"

Thud—!

Yoon Jiyoon, the branch manager who had been leisurely leaning back in her chair playing a mobile game, shot up from her seat.

The chair, sent flying by her abrupt movement, clattered to the floor, but she didn't pay it any mind, closing her eyes in that spot.

"···Divine power? On Earth··· this much divine power? Is that even possible?"

And as she pulled her senses up again, she mumbled blankly in a bewildered voice.

It was common knowledge that the power of divine power was diminished on Earth.

But even considering that, this much energy meant··· just how much power did he originally possess?

"Ha, haha···. A saint? A saintess? No, did they inherit some kind of divine bloodline?"

And she wasn't the only one reacting this way.

Not only the strong and clerics who were sensitive to divine power···.

The Pantheon Korea Branch, the interworld religious federation that had been largely in name only due to differing doctrines, began to stir.