"Oh Dear. I'll Buy Those Matches."
"Oh dear. I'll buy those matches."
"Thank y—wait, no."
The priests of the Sadiq Order choked back their tears and froze. Tae-hyun was standing right in front of them.
"Why? Don't you want to sell your matches?"
"The matches aren't the point here!"
"We need to get people to believe in Sadiq, not sell matches! What's the point of you buying them, Your Holiness?!"
Selling matches was actually a loss-leader strategy they were using to proselytize. They were losing money on every single sale!
"Your Holiness! Please force people to believe in Sadiq!"
"Where on earth would I get that kind of power?"
"Then hand down a quota! Force them to fill the numbers!"
Carbanog is appalled by the Sadiq Order's terrifying scheme! It mutters that they truly are a cult of an evil god!
'Well, that evil god cult is currently under the umbrella of the Archisus Church, but... whatever...'
It was a matter best left unpondered!
"No quotas. The players will hate it."
"Those adventurer bastards always grumble anyway! You must ignore them and push through!"
True to their nature as Sadiq Order NPCs, they casually dismissed the players' grievances. To run an evil god's cult, one had to possess at least this level of shamelessness!
"No. We must compete fair and square. There are other denominations within our church right now; I can't show favoritism only to Sadiq."
Carbanog agrees!
Carbanog sternly lectured the Sadiq priests. Even Carbanog was competing fair and square, so how dare they try to play dirty!
'By the way, are there actually players who joined the Archisus Church and chose to worship you, Carbanog?'
Carbanog says that occasionally, players with the Farmer class who love rabbits will come by.
'I... see.' To specifically choose Carbanog out of everyone in the Archisus Church, they had to be incredibly eccentric! Tae-hyun kept the thought to himself, knowing Carbanog would get angry if he said it out loud.
"Then please authorize a quest for us!"
"...What kind of quest?"
"A quest that will show the adventurers the true power of Sadiq!"
"Is this one of those quests where you kidnap them, drag them here, and work them to the bone until they convert to Sadiq?"
"Gasp! How did you know?"
"Absolutely not."
The ideas the Sadiq Order came up with were usually things Tae-hyun had already thought of himself! Of course it was a no. If it were allowed, Tae-hyun would have done it first...
"Sob, sob, sob! If you forbid everything, how are we supposed to spread the word of Lord Sadiq?!"
Carbanog sighs and tells them to just proselytize normally like other decent denominations...
Carbanog was dumbfounded, but the Sadiq NPCs were dead serious. Having originated from an evil god's cult, they simply didn't know how to do things the normal way!
Tae-hyun extended a hand with benevolent grace.
"I have a great idea."
"?"
"Players prefer a single demonstration of action over a hundred persuasive words."
"Like how the priests of the Archisus Church perform by pulling golden chests out of thin air?"
"...They did that?"
Even Tae-hyun hadn't known about this! So that was how the NPCs had been luring players in...
"Anyway, yes, you have to show them through action. And as it happens, an opportunity has presented itself to you."
"?"
"Evil bastards have appeared on the continent."
The Sadiq priests looked bewildered at Tae-hyun's words. Evil bastards? Was he talking about the Archisus Church?
"Evil and cunning bastards."
That sounded even more like Archisus.
"You know, the evil, cunning ones who wield plague and gluttony."
"Ah! The Idergo Cult!"
"You should have just said so from the start!"
"I did say so from the start. What on earth were you thinking of?"
At Tae-hyun's question, the Sadiq priests quickly replied.
"We were thinking of the Idergo Cult from the very beginning!"
"Of course! No other cult could possibly come to mind!"
"...Well, whatever. Get ready. We are going to launch an attack on the Idergo Cult."
Mobilizing the Sadiq Order NPCs within the Archisus Church!
Due to the reduction in active NPCs, Sadiq Order-related activities will be temporarily reduced!
Players who worship Sadiq may suffer disadvantages!
If the priests and paladins in the Valley mobilized, the number of NPCs handling the Sadiq Order's daily affairs would naturally decrease. A clear disadvantage for Sadiq Order players!
...But Tae-hyun wasn't particularly worried.
'Eh, it probably won't matter much.'
Carbanog remarks that such adventurers probably don't even exist in the first place.
Discovered Sadiq's Peacock!
"Oh...?"
Tae-hyun admired the peacock brought out by the Sadiq priests, but then a look of doubt crossed his face.
"But isn't it a bit too small?"
The Sadiq Order used to be a faction that commanded incredibly powerful demonic beasts. They were a cult that controlled all kinds of monsters, starting with the colossal Fire Magic Beast! Where did all those terrifying creatures go, and why were they handling mere birds now?
"...Well, since our order collapsed, our divine power has plummeted drastically..."
"...And our Grand Paladin is dead, our Archbishop is dead..."
"...And all the sacred relics we possessed have vanished..."
"...I'm sorry."
Tae-hyun apologized. After all, he was the one who had done all of that!
The continent's religious orders were heavily influenced by their overall power and standing. Prosperous cults possessed stronger divine power, more NPCs, and sacred relics, allowing them to offer all kinds of quests...
But collapsing cults had no divine power, dwindling NPCs, and zero sacred relics, leaving them virtually powerless. The Sadiq Order was in exactly that pathetic state right now!
"But still, this Sadiq's Peacock is quite a powerful creature in its own right."
"Sure, sure."
Tae-hyun looked over the Sadiq priests and paladins gathered before him. Although they looked a bit shabby compared to other denominations, their core strength surely hadn't vanished completely. They would undoubtedly show their true worth when facing the Idergo Cult!
Carbanog grumbles that it's a bit too shameless to expect so much after beating them to a pulp yourself...
"Show us what you're capable of in this upcoming Idergo Cult quest! Countless players are watching with high expectations."
"We know!"
"We will absolutely convert them to the Sadiq Order!!"
At the Sadiq NPCs' passionate shouts, passing players began to whisper among themselves.
"Wait, isn't the Sadiq Order the group that caused that massive ruckus a while back?"
"Yeah. I thought they were completely ruined."
"No, if you join the Archisus Church, you can actually branch off into the Sadiq Order path."
"What? Why would anyone do that?"
"Apparently, they specialize in fire."
"But we already have the Fire Magic Tower in the Valley."
The Fire Magic Tower was one of the most expensive buildings in the Valley! Unlike the Magic Tower of the Erangs Kingdom, this tower taught fire magic infused with various Archisus-style effects. Of course, it occasionally set the caster on fire too, but...
Wasn't raw firepower the most important aspect of magic anyway? As long as it was devastatingly hot, all other minor drawbacks could be overlooked!
In fact, the only reason Jeong Su-hyeok could perform so brilliantly despite having a lower level, worse stats, and weaker skills compared to other high-ranking mages was thanks to Archisus magic. Relying on luck... no, being completely unpredictable was a massive advantage.
"Then wouldn't it be better to just join the Fire Magic Tower and learn fire school magic?"
"Right? The Magic Tower sounds way better than Sadiq."
"True, that makes sense..."
"No! That's not true! Sadiq's Flame is completely different from ordinary fire magic!"
"You can cast fire using holy skills without having to learn magic skills!"
The Sadiq priests cried out desperately, but the players paid them no mind. First impressions and deep-seated prejudices were terrifying things!
"Now. Use your abilities to make those players turn their heads."
"Urgh...!"
Your Speech skill is exceptionally high!
Persuasion successful!
The Sadiq Order NPCs have received the Pope's Blessing!
The Sadiq Order burned with renewed motivation. No, they were literally on fire.
"Why are you setting yourselves on fire already?! Put it out!"
"Yes, sir..." The priests dejectedly extinguished the flames.
Squeeeeeeak!
The monsters of the Idergo Cult possessed appearances just as bizarre as the mutant chimeras of the Archisus Church. Their defining characteristic was that their entire bodies spewed plague and poison!
As a legion of beasts resembling giant rhinoceroses slowly advanced, all nearby players scrambled to get out of the way.
"Do we have to take them down with ranged attacks?"
"But there's a limit to fighting them purely from a distance..."
"The poison damage is too annoying. Even if we keep healing..."
Parties that had accepted the Idergo subjugation quest charged in, but they couldn't put up a proper fight. No one knew where they had come from, but their numbers were simply too massive!
Sadiq's Peacock has activated Sadiq's Eye!
Sadiq's Peacock has activated Purifying Flame!
Sadiq's Peacock has located the Idergo Cult's formation!
And then, Tae-hyun's group arrived. The warriors of the Garuda Cult, the Ancient Empire Deserters, and even the Archisus Artillery. Though small in number, their raw power was formidable.
"Oh." Tae-hyun was impressed. They had accurately pinpointed the entrance to the Idergo Cult's underground hideout. As expected of the Sadiq Order! Having fought them for so long, they possessed skills specifically designed to counter the Idergo Cult.
'I guess even dog dung can be used as medicine if you're desperate enough.'
Carbanog asks you to please use slightly gentler phrasing...
*CRASH!*
🏛 Type: Hidden Dungeon
✨ First-time dungeon entry bonus applied!
📈 Reputation has increased!
The sheer scale of the place was unbelievable for something built underground! Aside from the fact that it was beneath the earth, it was practically a vast plain. And that plain was teeming with warriors clad in filthy, rusted armor.
'Wait. It's not like the Atali Kingdom has poor public security, so how did they amass this many forces in such a short amount of time?'
Carbanog says they must have used Idergo's sacred relics.
They had mobilized every single sacred relic in their possession to build up this force! The Idergo Cult had risen up with absolute resolve. ...Even if that divine revelation had been triggered by the Plague Wasteland or the demons...!
'If the forces inside the Atali Kingdom are already this massive, the numbers the other factions have must be absolutely insane.'
Tae-hyun shook his head to clear his wandering thoughts. He had to deal with the pests inside the Atali Kingdom first before worrying about anything else.
"Su-hyeok. Let's begin as soon as you're ready."
The Archisus Artillery swiftly positioned their cannons at the front and prepared for action. In a large-scale battle like this, raw firepower was the ultimate necessity!
"Here it comes! Firestorm!"
As Jeong Su-hyeok unleashed his fire magic, additional spell effects chained off it. Simultaneously, the artillery unit in the rear commenced their grand bombardment.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
The cannons Tae-hyun had built by scraping together every penny performed spectacularly! The Dwarves gleefully extracted energy from the caged demons to reload the cannons, while the Giants hoisted smaller cannons onto their shoulders and fired away.
Not to be outdone, the Chimeras deployed Mana Cannons all over the place and blasted the enemy.
"It looks like a fireworks display."
"It really does, senior."
*BOOM! CRASH! BAM!*
Additional damage applied via Highest-grade Tactical Skill!
The Sadiq Order priests have applied Sadiq's Flame! The fire inflicts even more devastating damage!
The preemptive strike had landed perfectly. The warriors and paladins of the Idergo Cult scattered in utter chaos, screaming, "Who dares?!" and "A curse upon you!"
Soon, as the bombardment ceased and skills went on cooldown, the surviving forces of the Idergo Cult gnashed their teeth and glared in their direction.
"There are more survivors left than I expected."
"The bastards of the Idergo Cult are all incredibly persistent and boast high defense. Against opponents like them..."
"We need to burst them down, right?"
"No, Lord Sadiq's flame is..."
The Sadiq priest tried to explain, but Tae-hyun completely ignored him.
"Let's go! Ancient Empire Deserters! Garuda warriors! It's time to earn your keep!"
"WAAAAAAAH!"
The surviving warriors of the Idergo Cult surged forward like a tidal wave. In response, Tae-hyun's forces charged.
Idergo's Plague is spreading...
Successfully resisted via Highest-grade Tactical Skill!
CRITICAL HIT!
CRITICAL HIT!
Though Tae-hyun's forces were fewer in number, they were far more elite. Like high-ranking warriors carving through a necromancer's undead army, Tae-hyun's group melted down the Idergo Cult warriors wherever they struck.