Chapter 64
Chapter 64: The Protagonist (2)
A priest of the Astia Religious Order, and the owner of the Imperial Capital's central church that has become a famous landmark of District 3.
The empire's idol, Ruelle.
"Waaaaaaaaa!!"
Right after she stepped onto the pulpit of the chapel, thunderous cheers erupted from all directions.
The interior of the church, built in imitation of a famous structure from Earth, was incredibly majestic, yet the atmosphere of worship was precisely like an idol concert.
"Do you believe?"
Ruelle tilted her head back with a thrilling sensation.
Without even reciting lengthy prayers, she merely posed a four-character question.
"Yeeeeees!!!"
All the believers spontaneously cried out their faith.
Truly genuine faith.
Uuuoong.
As if to prove it, waves of divine power began to descend, surrounding the entire church.
"Huh. This is my first time seeing the Astia Religious Order's worship, but it's conducted in a very bizarre manner."
A general of the Imperial Capital Guards muttered while scratching his chin at the chapel entrance.
"Janson was it? Your being too taciturn isn't good either."
The general continued exclaiming in admiration as he observed Ruelle's service, but Janson beside him maintained consistent silence.
Feeling frustrated, the general tried to nudge Janson and approach Ruelle.
Scrape!
"I cannot permit this further."
Janson stood squarely to block him.
Cold sweat seeped through the deeply scarred features.
However, his hand gripping the sword and his eyes were more grave than ever.
"……Huh. Don't you value your life?"
The general marveled at such steadfast determination.
He radiated genuine killing intent toward Janson. A swordsman who withstood this while not dropping his blade—.
"I don't understand how someone who cannot even handle divine power would take on such a role as the Order's sentinel."
The general showed great interest in Janson.
The empire had always valued the recruitment of talent, and its strong naturally cherished those who possessed potential.
Potential was conviction itself.
"I have already devoted my loyalty to Saint Erik."
Janson responded without hesitation, giving the general no opportunity to sway him, reminding him of whose person he was.
"Indeed, if you devote your loyalty to your master, then you could answer my question, could you not?"
The general was deeply displeased.
He had merely asked out of curiosity, yet Erik's people gave him no proper answers.
"Then, I shall ask again. How did Saint Erik enter the closed Labyrinth?"
No one answered this simple question.
'It was a power completely different from teleportation.'
The general had been guarding the closed Labyrinth.
Then a massive Paladin appeared, claiming urgent business and brushed aside the general's soldiers.
"Since the Labyrinth is closed, let him be."
The general watched Erik, curious about what he intended to do in a sealed Labyrinth.
But then that huge Paladin carved open space with divine power and disappeared into the Labyrinth?
"How in the world did he open and enter a closed Labyrinth?"
No matter how he thought about it, it was unbelievable.
The Labyrinth opened and closed like his own front door at will...
'Something even His Majesty the Emperor cannot do.'
When the Labyrinth closes, one can only wait for the first day of the next week.
Moreover, was a great calamity called the Great Cataclysm Patch not occurring within the closed Labyrinth?
Not a single person had emerged from the Labyrinth yet.
'A figure of the Order doing what His Majesty cannot.'
From the general's perspective, he absolutely had to know.
Initially it was curiosity, but seeing this church had changed his thinking somewhat.
Perhaps Erik could become a threat to the empire.
'Boss, what on earth should I―.'
Janson was in a position where he had to offer some kind of excuse to this general.
However, no matter how much he racked his brain, no clear answer came to mind.
In truth, it was possible because the boss was a Paladin - class Possessor.
But how could he give such an answer?
"Well of course, it's because the Saint is capable of such things!"
Right then, Ruelle suddenly appeared between Janson and the general of the Imperial Capital Guards.
With her waist held high and her head held firmly up, speaking in an alluring manner—.
"―Gasp!"
The general was startled by a presence his aura hadn't detected and instinctively drew his blade.
Not only that, but he swung it.
Whoosh!
The blade of a master exceeding conventional limits fell toward Ruelle.
'That I would make such a mistake.'
Even the general whose aura sense detected a 7th Circle Mage's presence had it pierced through. So he instinctively brought down his blade.
There was sufficient reason to swing the blade.
'But I cannot kill a defenseless priest of the Order.'
The problem was the target.
There was no room to adjust his hastily thrust blade.
This was because a person who had pierced through his aura sense had appeared.
Yet still, the general exerted all his strength to stop his own blade.
Withdrawing the thrust force was tremendously difficult, but because the general was a sublime master, he made it possible.
Clang!
"Goodness!"
But his blade stopped faster than he expected.
Rather, it was blocked.
A silver blade gleamed sharply and brightly right in front of the priest's nose.
In such a situation, the priest's eyes widened in surprise as she stumbled backward.
"D-did you swing a sword at me?"
And wasn't she pulling something from a luxury bag?
She used a crystal orb for recording to photograph the general standing blankly while holding a sword.
"Why did you draw a blade at me?"
With one arm resting on her waist and an expression firmly displeased, she asked.
"I-what is this――."
The general couldn't think of anything to say.
His single strike had been helplessly blocked.
Certainly he had swung his blade at the priest and the general had tried to withdraw it.
"Ugh."
But just before withdrawing.
The Sword Master Janson had caught his blade, hadn't he?
"Huff, it is an individual characteristic of my strength."
An ability to block a blade swung at a specific target across space itself.
Such a characteristic existed?
'Utterly unbelievable.'
Moreover, there was also this unusual priest who could erase her presence from a master exceeding conventional limits.
"Everyone! It's nothing serious, so let's all pray!"
She was even bold.
'That she would show such composure before me.'
Despite nearly being struck by the blade, she simply took the video and turned away toward the believers.
Not fleeing either.
Like a runway walk, she confidently stepped on the carpet in the center of the chapel, heading toward the pulpit.
"Now, everyone the time for the offering prayer has come! The donation box is over there!"
Offering prayer?
Having witnessed such bizarre things, the general turned his back and left the church.
"―I shall return next time."
A priest who could hide her presence from one who had transcended walls, and a strange Sword Master who blocked his strike remotely.
He never expected such monsters to lurk in the middle of the capital.
'Those are the people of the Saint.'
***
[A believer has been appointed.]
[As evidence of faith, 'Restraint - Soul That Rejects Divine Power' is nullified.]
'As expected―.'
Erik appointed a believer, and accordingly, changed information appeared on his Temple Management window.
Unlike the Paladin-class status window, the [Divine Power Management] screen was clear and provided detailed information.
'A soul penalty, is it.'
Possessors with status windows could not accept divine power.
Like monsters or Black Mages, they showed signs of burning in divine power instead, and Erik had essentially identified the cause.
"……What is this."
"Ahhh! Brother Erik, my body is glowing!"
Park Chang-ho and Kang Pung-ho's bodies glowed brilliantly.
Paaht!
[Nameless God's Divine Temple – Lv.01]
[Believers That Can Be Appointed – 2/3]
[Held Faith: 23GP]
The status window changed.
The number of believers increased, and beside the held faith, a notation that appeared to be GP—presumably God Point—emerged.
[Park Chang-ho] - There is a desire to form a new party.
[Kang Pung-ho] - There is a desire to change the name to Kang Ji-na and be recognized as female.
"Hmm……."
Adding a few more manipulations, Erik felt that he had indeed become nearly omniscient.
He could now see others' strong desires, and moreover—.
[Edit] [Fix]
Wasn't it as if he were customizing a game character, freely changing the believers' settings?
'So if I use "Fix" here, it means they won't change to Earth's appearance even if I use an appearance change ticket―.'
And it said he could change names and minor settings.
'This really isn't character customization or anything.'
It was a somewhat strange ability.
However, thinking it might be useful for something, Erik posed a question to the two people.
"Ohhh……."
The answer came from Nishida Ryo, who had not yet become a believer.
Possessors divided broadly into two types: one consisted of those who despaired at changing gender or appearance and wished to escape this world.
The other consisted of those like Kang Pung-ho who accepted their changed appearance and found happiness in living in this world.
"―I do like this body more, but I have a desire to be a more handsome, muscular man. S-so why can't I become a believer?"
Only after hearing Nishida's personal desire did Erik click the believer appointment slot.
Erik's fingertips trembled slightly.
[Using 200,000,000 Gold to appoint Nishida Ryo as a believer.]
Erik's brow furrowed deeply.
'I've spent all the money.'
Assets totaling around 230 million Gold vanished instantly.
25 million for Park Chang-ho and Kang Pung-ho.
And 200 million for Nishida Ryo.
[3/3 Believer Slots Are Full.]
[Slot Expansion: 100,000GP]
Moreover, GP was needed to expand believer slots.
'Do I need to accumulate GP on top of Gold?'
He didn't yet know the value of this thing called GP, but one thing was certain.
His money-wasting would continue eternally.
It was familiar.
So Erik turned his gaze elsewhere.
'Money aside――.'
[Nishida Ryo] - Desires to live the life of a supporting actor active beside the protagonist.
Did he burn 200 million on this kind of fellow?
Certainly he had said he wanted to become a handsome, muscular man, but Nishida harbored the peculiar desire to be a supporting character.
That's why Erik's face had twisted so much.
[You have become a believer of the Nameless God.]
Meanwhile, Nishida Ryo, seeing his own status window, felt indescribable elation.
"Nameless God!"
A god is a being that feeds on faith.
Nishida knew that well.
'Thinking from authentic mythology to works dealing with foreign gods... it's a setting that appears even in common tentacle works.'
All manner of learned information from various media organized itself clearly in Nishida Ryo's mind.
"A god of Possessors."
He uttered words of awe toward Erik.
"Divine Possessor!"
***
'So even in the realm of the soul, your face swells up and gets beaten if you take a hit.'
Park Chang-ho, who had maintained silence throughout, looked at Nishida Ryo's swollen face and decided he should keep his mouth shut if he wanted to live.
'Brother Erik is scary!'
Kang Pung-ho too examined Nishida Ryo while keeping her mouth firmly shut.
Having been beaten by Jang Du-sik, Kang Pung-ho understood just from watching. That Erik's beating was more severe than Jang Du-sik's by at least a belly's worth.
"Ugh."
Nishida Ryo, clutching his face, resolved to 'think of a somewhat more impressive divine name.'
Seeing the three Possessors calm down, Erik opened his mouth.
"As you can see, you are now my believers."
His voice was quite heavy.
Erik was well aware that he had been placed in a quite ambiguous position.
Becoming a god was bound to bring very serious problems.
'As a Saint of the Astia Religious Order'
I had become an [Unnamed God].
He had internally foreseen such a situation, but accepting Possessors as believers was somewhat problematic.
Even if the Astia Religious Order didn't mind, other religious organizations would likely brand Erik as a heretic.
"For now, everyone should be careful with your words."
Having finished thinking, Erik gestured his hand from where he sat on the divine throne.
Scrape!
The clouds parted.
Three Possessors' memorial portraits became clearly visible.
"Emb-embarrassing……."
Erik pressed his temples tightly.
His head was spinning.
'I intended to see what kind of fellows they originally were.'
Park Chang-ho supposedly had the same appearance as from Earth, but the appearances of Nishida Ryo and Kang Pung-ho were completely different now.
Kang Pung-ho's case was particularly serious.
It wasn't like committing fraud with SNS photos.
'A bald middle-aged man.'
Alternating between Kang Pung-ho the Possessor and Kang Pung-ho in the memorial portrait, Erik left one word.
"Never use the title ‘brother’ again."
Now he had confirmed everything he needed to.
Outside, who knew what was happening.
Moreover, he had no idea how much time had passed.
"The rest we'll discuss outside."
Erik brought his palms together.
Clang!!
An absolutely solemn resonance that shouldn't have come from palms rang out.
The three Possessors' consciousness disappeared riding on clouds.
Left alone, Erik moved his hand slightly, revealing his own memorial portrait.
"……Park Ji-hun, what on earth were you thinking, going alone like that?"
A different woman was wiping away tears.
It seemed some time had passed since before, and as evidence, visitors were not visible before the memorial portraits of other Possessors.
However, people were still visiting the memorial portrait of Park Ji-hun.
"Sigh."
Erik exhaled his complicated feelings with a sigh and pulled his consciousness out of the temple.
Scrape!
When he opened his eyes riding the golden waves.
"Ge-general. The Possessors are glowing, did you see that?"
Blink, blink!
Jang Du-sik gazed at Erik with eyes as large as a king.
"The wounds are regenerating like― they must have received divine healing."
Jang Du-sik's head shined even more than the Possessors'.
Erik wondered what on earth was happening here.
'Has Du-sik changed too?'
Contrary to Erik's expectations, it seemed that [faith] directed toward him was being applied even to people who were originally living in this world.
Absorbed in such thoughts.
"Gasp."
"My-my body!"
"We survived, we survived!"
The three Possessors hurriedly got up. Their near-death bodies were regaining their forms, wrapped in the light of divine power.
"We can also use divine power."
Just as they were filled with joy, the moment they saw Jang Du-sik, they let out a shriek.
'Eeek―!'
Their fear was abundantly apparent.
'I wondered why their faces were so swollen.'
Erik recalled the Possessors' injuries and found the culprit whose face had swelled up like it would burst.
He approached Jang Du-sik and asked.
"Du-sik, did you beat the kids again?"