Chapter 208: Brainwashing
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 208: Brainwashing
“O, foolish flock. After a long time, we finally welcome the Savior to this temple.”
“O Savior…”
Everyone bowed their heads. Some were so moved they were even shedding tears; to be honest, it was a little frightening. It didn't really matter since they were useful, but I decided to play along for now. Getting attached to people I didn't need to care about was a burden, but it was still my job to encourage them.
“When you reach the end, you will obtain what you desire.”
Repeating the words I had said long ago made my face flush slightly, but it didn't matter since the effect was tremendous. Baek Ahyeon, in particular, looked incredibly moved. She clasped her hands tightly and suddenly collapsed to her knees.
“Ah… O Savior.”
It was only natural to be flustered, feeling more popular than any celebrity. It made sense, given that I was their faith, but Baek Ahyeon’s ability to turn ordinary people into this state seemed truly remarkable.
The problem was that she herself didn't theoretically understand how she had produced such results. I felt I needed to see the interrogation room for myself.
“Let’s go, Baek Ahyeon.”
“Y-Yes. O Savior.”
At my words, Baek Ahyeon hastily exited the chapel. Long after we had left, the sound of people crying out for their Savior continued to echo.
Most religions have a doctrine, so I turned to Baek Ahyeon and spoke again. Of course, it wouldn't make sense for me, the founder of this religion, to be ignorant of its doctrine, so I subtly began to question her.
It seemed the core tenet was the phrase, “When you reach the end, you will obtain what you desire.” I was naturally curious, as it appeared they were interpreting words I had spoken on a whim however they pleased.
“Baek Ahyeon, how do you interpret the words, ‘When you reach the end, you will obtain what you desire’?”
I decided to end it with just that question, thinking that if I said anything more complex, all sorts of new concepts might suddenly pop up.
Unexpectedly, Baek Ahyeon looked shocked by the question, her expression extremely tense. It seemed that even though we had shared a bed, she could never be at ease around me. Her eyes were wide, as if she was terrified of giving the wrong answer.
“F-Forgive me, but… does not ‘the end’ signify the apocalypse or death… and ‘what you desire’ mean entering the world of rest…?”
“Hmm…”
I had never imagined that my promise to help Baek Ahyeon get her revenge when we reached the end of the dungeon would be interpreted this way.
I didn't know exactly what this "world of rest" was, but when I considered the possibility that it was something like their version of heaven, I had to admit that this pagan had done an astonishingly good job of laying the foundations of a religion.
This psychology likely explained why they would offer their own bodies as sacrifices and turn themselves into bombs without any hesitation. The end was a gift of rest.
When I looked at Baek Ahyeon, she was still watching me with an anxious expression.
“W-Was… my interpretation… w-wrong?”
The way she fidgeted with her hands while watching my reaction was actually quite cute. I immediately looked at her and spoke.
“You are correct.”
“I… I knew it!”
“However, you will only be able to find rest by my side.”
It was a line I came up with for Baek Ahyeon, in case she ever thought of throwing her life away for me. At my words, she trembled as if deeply moved. It must have made sense to her. Baek Ahyeon found her greatest rest by my side.
What I had just said was, in essence, telling her not to die. From her perspective, it was a statement she couldn't help but be moved by.
“I will take it to heart, O Savior.”
“That aside, I would now like to see the underground interrogation room.”
“Ah… they are not yet ready to be believers. Will you be alright?”
“It doesn't matter.”
In fact, it was better that they weren't ready. Nevertheless, Baek Ahyeon seemed quite anxious as she kept speaking to me about one thing or another. It was clear she was worried there might be someone disrespectful among them.
“Ah… as I mentioned earlier, those who are poor and suffering tend to grasp the Savior’s greatness quickly, but occasionally… there are those who do not.”
The former were likely quite easy to handle. The more someone is struggling, the more they search for something to lean on. Considering the sense of camaraderie among fellow believers, it was no surprise they would fall into it so easily.
They heal shared wounds—poverty, heartbreak, pain, violence—and form an even greater bond, which makes them feel truly fortunate to be part of this group. Challenging an existing religion is extremely dangerous, but it’s also pointless.
After all, the moment people fall into this world, it’s no exaggeration to say that nearly all of them, aside from the truly devout, abandon their old religions.
Unlike the powers of Earth, the gods here bestowed power directly. Miracles like healing wounds and saving those near death were common sights for high-level individuals, but for those who never had the chance to see a priest, it was an object of aspiration. The problem was that the priests of the temples were lazy and stayed put. Baek Ahyeon, on the other hand, was very close at hand.
In truth, before seeing Baek Ahyeon’s case, I too had believed in the existence of the gods in this world. It was a funny story, but back in my Kim Taesung days, I had even donated money to a temple when I could barely afford to eat.
Of course, it was some time later that I realized it was all bullshit, but now I was even more skeptical of the gods here than I was back then.
The reason was Baek Ahyeon’s use of holy power.
Only priests could use holy power. There were healing spells from shamans, but other than that and a few unique abilities, there were no healing spells.
‘What if it’s proportional to one’s own faith?’
The other believers were still lacking, but Baek Ahyeon was already emitting high-level holy power. The problem was that I couldn't identify the nature of this murky holy power.
Naturally, I am not a god. Baek Ahyeon would be incredibly shocked if I told her, but in reality, the savior she believed in was nothing more than a creation of her own imagination.
‘Pagan.’
That was the class she had obtained. If the power of Baek Ahyeon and the other priests truly manifested in proportion to their pure faith, then I thought this entire System might just be based on individual power. Of course, I didn't know the truth. Nor did I have any intention of digging that deep. But I thought it was something worth considering at least once.
While I was lost in these thoughts, Baek Ahyeon continued to speak to me.
“Ah… those who have not yet completed their re-education may act somewhat rudely. P-Please understand…”
“I do not mind, my believer.”
As we slowly headed underground, I could feel the atmosphere change. For one, no light came in. Alisha, who was beside me, seemed frightened and moved a little closer, and Baek Ahyeon glared at her once more.
“It is divided into Stage One, Stage Two, and Stage Three.”
“I see…”
This appeared to be Stage One. The moment we stepped through the door, screams echoed out.
“Aaaaaargh! You’ll be cursed, you fucking bastards!”
“Ugh… s-save me… fuck… fuck…”
I glanced at Baek Ahyeon with a curious expression, wondering what this was all about. She slowly began to explain.
“Pagans who are this corrupted undergo a trial.”
Pagan was, in fact, the name of Baek Ahyeon’s class.
“What kind of trial?”
“It is a trial to determine whether they can live on as the Savior’s servants or not. The Inquisitors strive to return them to their former state of a clean, blank slate.”
“I see…”
Peeking inside, I saw quite a gruesome scene in each room. They probably couldn't even take the extreme measure of suicide, since every one of their captors was a priest. The prisoners here were members of the Hound Clan, a murderer clan, who had been moved here after giving up all useful information. But something was strange. The Inquisitors weren't saying a single word.
They weren't even asking about the Savior.
“The Inquisitors aren't speaking.”
“Yes, that is correct, O Savior. It is forbidden to speak with the pagans here. They ask nothing and continuously perform the ritual of purification until their hearts become clean.”
It seemed that burning them alive and subjecting them to various tortures was what she called a "ritual of purification." Until now, I had thought the most pitiful people were those who got caught by Jung Hayeon, who used roots to make people explode from the inside, but it seemed there were others who had it far worse.
“I… I have been purified! I’ve… I’ve been purified! Please! Please!”
“…”
The prisoners were a diverse lot, from the man shouting that he had been purified to those spewing endless curses.
“How do you confirm that they’ve been purified?”
“You can tell by looking at their eyes, O Savior. We determine whether or not a demon resides within them.”
Even I, the god they worshiped, couldn't determine that.
It seemed these Inquisitors possessed quite a remarkable ability. When I showed a little interest, Baek Ahyeon seemed thrilled and, as if to show me in more detail, began to open the door to the room with the man who had just been shouting about being purified.
“Park Jihye.”
“L-Leader! A-And… O Savior!”
As soon as she saw me, a figure prostrated herself flat on the floor. It seemed Baek Ahyeon had become their leader. I slowly began to observe the person on the floor. I felt like I had seen her once before, but she was, of course, a stranger.
“She is a survivor of the Battle of Somorah and the finest Inquisitor this interrogation chamber has produced.”
In other words, this person named Park Jihye was a product of this place.
Her appearance was quite normal. To be honest, one could even call her pretty.
“Inquisitor Park Jihye, please tell us about yourself.”
“Yes. I… I was once a believer who served the lewd, hideous, and filthy Whore of Plenty. N-Now, of course, I have completely forgotten the Whore of Plenty and am a servant only to the Savior.”
It seemed she had been a follower of the Goddess of Plenty. I felt sorry for the goddess who had just been so viciously insulted, but I decided to keep listening for now.
“This place allowed me to be completely reborn. I am nothing but grateful to Lady Baek Ahyeon for personally guiding me.”
“Inquisitor Park Jihye…”
“O-Of course, my greatest thanks are to the Savior, who opened up a new world for me.”
When Baek Ahyeon spoke her name, the Inquisitor hastily corrected herself.
“At first, I too was in great pain and fear, but after I abandoned everything, I could feel the Savior coming to me.”
As Park Jihye clasped her hands, her eyes looked half-insane.
“I still cannot forget that overwhelming moment and the emotions I felt.”
Even as Park Jihye was speaking to us, the man she had been in charge of was muttering, his body covered in wounds.
“P-Please, I have been purified. I-It’s true. I… I saw him, too. I saw the Savior.”
But it seemed that neither Baek Ahyeon nor Park Jihye was the least bit satisfied.
“Tsk. Still speaking lies. Inquisitor Park Jihye.”
“Yes, Lady Baek Ahyeon.”
As she once again put a peculiar mask on her face and slowly picked up some grotesque tools, I did feel sorry for the man, but you reap what you sow.
“Aaaaaargh! You fuck… fuck! You fucking bastards!”
In the end, a torrent of curses burst out, and because of it, Baek Ahyeon’s gaze turned a little colder.