Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: In the Name of Glory (4)
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***
Near the church building, people swarmed like a horde of ants. Each one clutched a broom made of twigs or a rag, diligently cleaning away. Thanks to their efforts, the pristine white structure stood tall without a single trace of the flood damage, majestic as ever.
Dong—
“Ooooh, Latura, Ro-Haram.”
“Latura. Grant us peace....”
While Professor marveled at the solemn sight, a deep, resonant bell toll from underground reverberated through the ground. The worshippers, bodies trembling from head to toe at the sound, raised prayers toward the sun in awe. That's when Professor's senses picked up on the small, regular holes dotting the area around the building.
“I have no idea why they built it this way, but I have to admit it's an ingenious design. The ground vibrates with every toll of the bell—feels like you're part of some grand ritual.”
- Speed Wagon: Almost every Church of Light building follows that architectural style. It's not just about the sound echoing out to stimulate hearing—it's about hitting hearing and touch with sound and vibration simultaneously, imprinting a strong impression of that bell toll.
- Deer Drug Please: What’s that supposed to mean? So, if the bell rings from under your feet, people remember it better than just hearing it?
- Speed Wagon: Think of a fresh orange. When you picture one, you can almost smell it. Smell an orange, and you visualize it. The more sensory triggers tied to a thing, the more pathways your brain has to recall it. Leaves a deeper image naturally.
- Take a Look: Explaining it to a thick-headed guy like me. One-shot, one-kill.
- Speed Wagon: Anyway, that style is clever as hell in that regard. Strong impressions on worshippers turn into strong faith, which bolsters the church's power. Of course, there are other reasons they bury the bells underground too. Religious groups in this world use a lot of subterranean facilities. One theory is they believe prisoners in underground dungeons, hearing the bell shake their brains, have their souls purified.
- Mukaba: Oh, that? A priest player recently confirmed it—it's not just a rumor, it's fact. They were a regular priest tending to a high priest's needs, and they said every time screams echoed from the stairs beyond alongside the bell, it felt so satisfying they grinned. From outside, those screams blend into the bell like part of the chime, making it even more mystical. That player packed up and left the temple that day.
“Ugh.... Gross.”
Better stop digging. The more I hear, the more those smiling priests handing out bread at the entrance look like monsters. And now I have to walk up to them and say, “I'm the criminal you're looking for.” I could end up as the star of that underground dungeon.
Professor shook off the creeping bad thoughts and approached one of the beaming priests.
He couldn't avoid the Church of Light. It was one of the largest denominations in GG. Holy spells were essential for treating infection factors, so the church played a huge role in the war against mutants. He'd run into their people plenty while fighting mutants—better to clear things up now with a smile than flee and face deeper suspicion later.
The priestess, who had been warmly grasping the hands of grateful worshippers, turned her sun-bright smile on Professor as he approached.
“Latura, Ro-Haram! May light accompany your path today as well. Brother, do you require the light's aid?”
“Ah, yes. That..... I wish to confess my sins before Ro-Haram....”
As Professor stammered nervously, the priestess smiled even brighter—a smile that melted away anxiety just by looking at it—and took his hand.
“You've made the right choice, brother! Nothing can hide from the world's eyes, but nothing escapes the light's touch. Ro-Haram already knows your sins. You need only lay them bare before Him to unburden the weight in your heart.”
It was obvious without even checking—she was genuinely thrilled that Professor had chosen to confess.
‘How can someone be this pure? She probably came into the world smiling instead of crying!’
“No time to waste—come inside at once, brother! We'll help you shed that heavy load from your heart as soon as possible.”
“Th-thank you.”
“Hee-hee, it's my joy. Latura, Ro-Haram.”
“.....Latura, Ro-Haram.”
Reciting the holy verse after the priestess, Professor stepped through the wide-open doors into the church.
***
Unlike the bustling crowd outside, the church interior was deathly quiet, as if some magic sealed off external noise—you could hear your own breathing. Following the doctrine that ‘light shines equally on all,’ worshippers sat on small mats on the floor, leaving the vast space empty save for a long aisle lined with tall metal candelabras and, at its end, a massive statue of Ro-Haram.
Passing between the softly flickering candles, the priestess led Professor to the spot before the statue, illuminated by light streaming through a hole in the ceiling.
“Kneel here and wait a moment?”
“Here.... is where I do it?”
‘In such an open space?’ Professor left unsaid, but the priestess nodded.
“This is Ro-Haram's hall. From the moment you enter, no lies can exist here. Ah, of course, mortal eyes might embarrass you, so I'll close the doors.”
Ting-ting—
She picked up a small metal rod by the statue and tapped a metal basin nearby. From the shadows, two burly priests appeared and heaved at the massive doors on either side.
Groooan—
Boom!
With the doors shut, the light-worshipping church plunged into unexpected gloom. The remaining light was just the faint candle glow illuminating the priests' faces and the beam from above spotlighting where Professor knelt—nothing more.
- Soy Sauce Gaybar: This ain't good.
- Jokasss: Super suspicious.
- Heung An Mandu: Anyone can see he's fucked.
- Take a Look: Maybe "confession" means torture and dissection.
- Holy: Gasp! No way..... Is Anaya getting revenge on Professor for rejecting her.....?
‘Quit jinxing me! Damn..... The vibe is seriously off.’
One thing was clear: the priestess who led him here wasn't just any priest. Where was that warm, polite girl? Now, hands clasped, passing by his side, she radiated a soft halo.
‘The natural authority to command church folk, that visible holy power emanating from her. As expected, this woman is.....’
“God's will is truly wondrous. The world doesn't move to follow it—the world takes shape where His will descends.”
The priestess quietly passed Professor and knelt on a white cushion etched with intricate patterns beneath the towering Ro-Haram statue—the clear head seat among all the spots. And facing it, me, kneeling.
It was prepared from the start.
“You knew.... I'd come?”
“Latura, Ro-Haram. No place exists untouched by light. This morning, our Lord whispered to the Saintess: [A dagger pierces the city's heart—beware the darkness that has taken root.]”
Rustle, rustle.
Rustle, rustle—
White-robed priests gathered one by one around the kneeling Professor, encircling him and the priestess in a ring.
“The Lord's will points unmistakably to Tobrun. The dagger in the city's heart is the massive arcane stone embedded in the mage tower, spewing ominous light. The darkness rooted here is....”
Facing Professor, the priestess smiled her pure white smile, just like their first meeting, and said,
“Surely you—the black mage's minion, spy disguised as a human, who walked right into Tobrun.”
“No, wait—”
“No need for excuses. As a church bell-ringer, how could I not recognize a face from the enemy registry? Your features match the description perfectly. Fugitive Professor—you're him, without a doubt.”
Clack, clack, clack, clack—
With heavy footsteps, white-armored holy knights formed a wall around the encircling priests, completing the perfectly isolated space in the silent temple.
“Latura.”
“Latura, Ro-Haram.”
“Latura, Ro-Haram.”
“Latura, Ro-Haram.”
“Latura, Ro-Haram.”
As the gathered faithful chanted the holy verse in unison, the flickering candles snuffed out, leaving only Professor in the beam of light and the priestess with her faint halo amid the enveloping darkness.
“By the will of almighty Ro-Haram, the sinner stands here. Now, by the authority of Tobrun's Light-Gatherer, El Senadis, we commence the religious trial.”
“Latura, Ro-Haram.”
“Latura, Ro-Haram.”
“Latura, Ro-Haram.”
“Latura, Ro-Haram.”
In the suffocating atmosphere, as Professor broke into cold sweat, El Senadis declared with her radiant smile that his life and death now belonged to the church.
***
Anyone playing GG will tangle with the Church of Light at least once.
As such, guides on dealing with them are pretty detailed. From Hyde's relayed memories, here's how to handle church folk:
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1. They're smiling brightly at you.
Church people are fundamentally good. They're itching to help you. No matter your playstyle—even criminal shit clashing with their ideals—they see you as an ally by default. Most players never see them frown. Remember: they want to save the world. If they like you, just nod along and you're instant bros. Memorize their holy verse, ‘Latura Ro-Haram.’ Roughly means ‘Ro-Haram's grace.’ Know that one phrase, and they'll treat you like a long-lost brother from a decade ago.
2. They're giving a slightly strained smile.
They still love you, but you need a little procedure to get close. You've got issues. Maybe wanted for serial killings, tangled in noble/royal kidnappings, or touched a dragon's hoard and now curses swarm you. Lean hard into penance writs. Express how deeply you repent, how your heart overflows with love for Ro-Haram. They'll hug you, weep tears of joy, hand out atonement quests, or even induct and protect you as one of their own. Again: NPCs as purely good as the Church of Light are rare in GG.
3. Snake eyes.
You're fucked. You've touched the untouchable—anything black magic related. The Church of Light flips from kind religious folk to rabid crusaders at the slightest whiff. Never been involved? That's your opinion. You've tripped their strict criteria without knowing: traded with a black mage, dealt with their creations, failed to report a distant black-robed group 1km away. Their hatred for black magic transcends reason. If a church member stares with slit eyes, limbs twitching to smash your skull, quit the game or flee to lands beyond their influence.
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‘Hmm....’
Professor furtively scanned the priests surrounding him.
Lips pressed into thin lines. Eyes slitted sideways.
Fidget, fidget.
Clink, clink—
Holy knights licking their lips, suspiciously stroking the maces at their waists.
It was certain. Every church member here was dying to kill him.
‘Goddamn it! An oracle? What did I do so wrong they send a divine message? No way it's real, right? If it's a real god, shouldn't they know I prefer smashing mutants over siding with them?’
Even Anaya couldn't predict this. If it were real suspicion of the red mutant, per her words, the church would've sealed the city and inquisitors would've swarmed to burn it down hunting it. Not red mutant suspicion. But separately, something I'd done royally pissed off the Church of Light. The way they glared with utter conviction.
Gotta stay sharp. One wrong word, and I'd be branded a black mage's thrall, stuck in that underground dungeon listening to bells till my brains turned to mush. Fight and escape?
‘Instant church enemy status.’
Bounty skyrockets 100-fold, and one declaration of ‘Fugitive Professor is a black mage's lackey’ turns laundry washerwomen and singing farmers into berserkers at the name. No intervening in Lordric or other nations' defenses either. Only way out: convince them here.
Glance—
Professor surveyed again. Priests glaring murderously enough to incinerate him with eyes alone, holy knights twitching fingers like his head on his shoulders offended them. Ruled out. No reasoning with them.
Focus on the woman before him: El Senadis.
- professor: Light-Gatherer, she said. Must be the highest rank here?
- Mukaba: Bingo. Tobrun's Light-Gatherer means a high-ranking priest managing Tobrun. Think bishop level.
- Holy: Um.... How high is a bishop?
- Speed Wagon: Pope, cardinal, archbishop, bishop, auxiliary bishop, abbot, priest, layman. Bishop runs a diocese, commands most holy knights except inquisitors and captain. Super high up.
High status aside, she was still smiling. Knowing it was him from the start yet luring him in without showing emotion meant she hadn't lost her mind to fanaticism like the others at "church enemy." Makes sense—a big org needs someone who can read political winds.
Key point: El Senadis was at least open to talk. Fail to sway her, no legit life in this seed.
‘Go aggressive? Nah. Nothing above their light god. They're judging as His proxy. Get snippy, and it's lèse-majesté—off with my head. Gotta grovel max, act the sinner like they say.’
Sizing up in seconds and set on approach, Professor prostrated flat on the floor from his knees, voice quaking in fear.
“Th-there's a misunderstanding! R-religious trial? Me, enemy of the church? No way! I-I just came to confess escaping Tobrun guard jail....”
At his words, the priests' already murderous glares sharpened viciously.
“A heretic dares speak in Ro-Haram's hall....”
“I am Ro-Haram's limb—my boiling rage in my chest is His will....”
“Rip out every tooth, slice the tongue five ways and boil it....”
‘Fuck! What the hell over one sentence!’
It's a trial! I try to defend, and they're already plotting kill methods?!
“Enough.”
As the wild-eyed priests crept closer, the kneeling priestess opposite halted them.
“Ro-Haram watches us. No rash actions.”
“Mmm.... Latura, Ro-Haram.”
“Latura, Ro-Haram.”
With one word, she reined them in, pressed clasped hands to forehead, and intoned reverently.
“Latura, Ro-Haram. All beings, in birth and death, escape not His gaze. None who breathe and speak can lie before Him.”
Whoooosh—
Prayer done, Professor felt an eerie pressure settle. Like sticky threads clung to his tongue and throat.
‘Holy spell! This effect.... Confession spell?’
High priestess El Senadis, as if reading his mind, beamed.
“There—now only pure truth before the Lord, no falsehoods. Speak freely what you wish. Tell us everything about the church enemy—till your dying breath.”
In her radiant smile, Professor glimpsed thick killing intent. Swaying her wouldn't be easy either.
***
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