[ Warnings : Sensitive Content Warning, Blood Warnings and gore, Read with Parental guidance, This work is highly fictional with nothing leading to reality ]
1 AM, Daerim-Dong, In the unofficial China-town
In the shadowy confines of a dimly lit alleyway, the air heavy with the scent of stale alcohol and decay, a small group of downtrodden souls huddled together, their haggard faces illuminated by the flickering glow of a nearby streetlamp.
Their voices, rough and hoarse from years of hard living, mingled with the distant hum of the city as they traded stories and shared a bottle passed between calloused hands.
Despite the chill in the air, there was a warmth in their camaraderie, a fleeting sense of connection that momentarily dispelled the loneliness of their existence.
But beneath the surface, beneath the laughter and shared tales, lingered an unspoken tension, a silent acknowledgment of the harsh realities they faced each day on the unforgiving streets.
"I've had enough of this. From now on, I'm dedicating myself to Buddhism" said a middle-aged man, his words punctuated by a tipsy chuckle, drawing bemused glances from his companions.
"Come on, Bo Xun, you can't fool us with that nonsense! A guy like you, drowning in booze, suddenly turning into a Buddhist?? Yeah right" scoffed his inebriated companion.
"You think I'm joking? Take a look at this!!" Bo Xun said, slightly drunk, as he fumbled in his pocket and produced a small invitation card, its surface adorned with an image of a Buddha.
But there was something unsettling about it; the Buddha depicted wore a twisted smile, its robes tainted with bloodstains, but it was painted in a strange illustration style, which made it harder to figure out, but it appeared menacing and powerful when looked at.
"What's that, Bo Xun?"
his companion asked.
"Isn't it cool? I heard there are many of these. They're devoted Buddhists"
Bo Xun said, slightly drunk, holding the card and smiling.
2 AM, Incheon, Dong-gu
In a dimly lit room cluttered with discarded items, a middle-aged man sat hunched over his computer, the glow of the screen casting eerie shadows across his face.
He furtively clicked through various websites, indulging in the allure of illicit content and engaging in anonymous chats with strangers. Amidst his aimless browsing, he stumbled upon a peculiar online group adorned with a striking logo.
A smiling Buddha adorned in blood-stained robes, rendered in a strangely captivating illustration style. Intrigued by the enigmatic symbol, he hesitated for a moment before joining the group, drawn in by its mysterious allure.
The middle-aged man chuckled derisively as he observed the group's activities, mocking their attempts at reciting Buddhist chants that sounded unfamiliar to him.
"Haha! What the hell are these idiots doing? Trying to channel their inner monks???"
He jeered, initially dismissing their efforts as mere folly. However, as the unfamiliar chants continued to echo through the room, a sense of unease crept over him.
Gradually, his laughter subsided, replaced by a growing sense of curiosity and intrigue.
Mesmerized by the haunting cadence of the chants, he found himself drawn deeper into the group's mysterious rituals, his skepticism giving way to a cautious fascination.
As time passed, the enigmatic cult known as the
"Smiling Thousand Buddha"
found itself banned from numerous small-scale websites due to its controversial nature.
However, to the bewilderment of many, the group managed to evade restrictions on the largest and most prominent online platforms and applications.
Despite efforts to curb its influence, the cult's presence persisted on these mainstream channels, casting a shadow of mystery and intrigue that only seemed to deepen with each passing day.
3 AM, Smiling Animal Hospital, Incheon
In the basement, in a dimly lit chamber inside the clinic, the air stenching of decay, a sinister ritual unfolded. A tattered bag, its fabric stained with dried blood and reeking of death, lay before a grotesque sculpture of Buddha. The figure, its once serene features twisted into a malevolent grin, sat atop a crude altar, its arms as if welcoming to the darkness.
A bald man, shrouded in shadow, appeared, knelt before the figure. The movements slow, delicate, and respectful, with trembling hands, they reached for the foul-smelling bag, withdrawing handfuls of viscera and decaying organs. With each offering, they muttered unholy incantations, their voice a raspy whisper that seemed desperate.
He placed the offerings at the feet of the sculpture of the corrupted Buddha, with a sickening smile playing across its lips. It seemed to have a thousand arms in its figure. His eyes turned to devotion as he took out a rosary unlike any other; it seemed to be made out of living things.
Each bead of the rosary writhed and squirmed with grotesque vitality, as if made from the very desperate sufferings of countless. As the prayer continued, a monstrous figure sat down at the feet of the figure, Lee Jae Yun.
Lee Jae Yun smirked, his eyes filled with mockery. He devoured the organs and viscera the bald false monk had offered before turning his arm into a monstrous form and murdering the one who offered this and consumed his corpse.
4 AM, Busan, at a lonely house
"Damn it! I was! GRRRF I was gonna Win That!! I bet he has aimbot" Yihyun exclaimed, frustrated as he lost one more game because of his accuracy in the game. Sighing and turning his computer off, he fell himself to bed.
"Damn... that was so pathetic" Yihyun sighed, starting to cuddle with his pillow and putting the cover onto his body.
"Yeah, you suck! get better" Yihyun said to himself.
"Grr!! I am good!! he was just using aimbot you know!!" Yihyun said to himself.
"Yeah right just get to bed idiot! before you get panda eyes" Yihyun said, before closing his eyes and going to sleep.
As the nights unfolded, the world seemed to spiral into chaos, with each passing hour bringing forth a torrent of crimes, mysterious murders, and kidnappings shrouded in darkness.
Amidst this turmoil, a sinister presence loomed larger with each day—the enigmatic and ominous cult known as the Smiling Thousand Buddha.
With each sunrise, the cult's influence spread like a malignant shadow, its name whispered in hushed tones among the populace.
Despite efforts to quell its rise, the Smiling Thousand Buddha only grew more pervasive, its sinister rituals and mystique captivating the minds of those both curious and fearful.
As the days turned into weeks, the once-quiet streets echoed with the unsettling chants of devotees, their fervor fueling the cult's ascent to notoriety.
With each passing moment, the line between reality and nightmare blurred, leaving a populace gripped by uncertainty and dread in the wake of the Smiling Thousand Buddha's growing prominence
YOU ARE READING
Join My Curse, Lone Ghost
FantasyA Miserable Youth In His Teenage Years, Living through his second year of highschool, where he is often treated like a ghost as if he never existed, he is lonely and tries to be happy by himself.. but the world is changing and unknown cults are open...
