Chapter 453
Chapter 453
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 453
Chapter Title: Level Up System
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“I am Sung Yu-jin. The apostle descended from the heavens.”
The believers knelt all at once.
Their eyes gazing up at me were filled with awe. The performance had been a resounding success.
Cult leader Shim Jong-pil's face flushed red and then pale by turns. He had probably realized I was a System user as well. Though he wouldn't suspect hypnosis.
'The most important thing in making people believe is the performance. Shim Jong-pil probably never put on a show for the believers himself.'
There had been no need.
Shim Jong-pil had brainwashing abilities. Just preaching the doctrine was enough to make the believers trust and follow him. So he hadn't bothered putting in any extra effort as a cult leader. As long as he had brainwashing, he figured he could control them forever.
'But then I showed up. Believers follow the leader because they believe in the doctrine, not the leader himself.'
The core of brainwashing is the doctrine. So by stealing their hearts with a performance, it was possible to gain even greater faith than the cult leader.
'I showed it right in front of their eyes, so they have no choice but to acknowledge it.'
Shim Jong-pil pointed at me with one hand and bellowed.
“It's a trick! That bastard is using the devil's power to deceive you all! Don't fall for it! He's no apostle—he's a devil!”
“No! He is the Apostle of Lightning! Look right now! He stands proudly on flowing water! He's performing a miracle in real time! Ahh!”
The bishops.
Especially the female bishops defended me, and the female believers supported me. Half of the gathered believers now believed in me.
“Eeeeek!”
Shim Jong-pil screamed in rage and activated his ability.
“Believers! I am Shim Jong-pil! Leader of the Crimson Sea Church! That devil bastard is trying to deceive us and break our unity!”
The male believers focused more intently on Shim Jong-pil's words than on me. Unlike the female believers who had performed the ritual with me yesterday, there was no bond between me and the males.
Shim Jong-pil kept using his brainwashing ability. The female believers who had been staring steadfastly at me now glanced furtively at him.
'This is what I expected. The master of brainwashing is Shim Jong-pil, and he's put in a lot of time on it.'
This wasn't good.
The longer time passed, the more his brainwashing would take hold, and the believers would follow their leader Shim Jong-pil.
“What are you doing, holy warriors! Hurry and capture that devil and drag him to me! I will exorcise him myself!”
“Yes, Leader! We'll capture the devil and bring him before you!”
Holy warriors.
Simply put, they were Shim Jong-pil's bodyguards. Being close to him, they charged at me without the slightest hesitation.
Splash! Splash!
They couldn't walk on water like me, and as they approached, the stream deepened, forcing them to swim. I slowly retreated.
The believers' eyes went wide. The sight of the bodyguards contrasting with me walking on water. The ones trying to grab me had instead proven the miracle.
“Fools. Utter fools!”
Splash! Splash!
I stomped on the heads of the swimming bodyguards as they surfaced.
“Believers! Listen well! The current leader is possessed by a devil! The devil is after the leader's life! As the Apostle of Lightning sent from heaven to slay the devil, I can see it—the devil inside Leader Shim Jong-pil's head!”
Shim Jong-pil's face turned beet red. He screamed at me.
“You spew wicked lies from that filthy mouth! You're the devil! I'll make you kneel before me and prove to the believers that you're the devil!”
The believers murmured in confusion amid our standoff.
“Why are the leader and the apostle fighting each other?”
“It's the devil's doing!”
“The apostle walking on water right now... is actually the devil?”
“Devils have wicked powers, so it's not impossible...”
“The leader does seem different from usual. He was always so composed.”
This was bad. The longer it dragged on, the worse it got for me. I was the uninvited stone rolling in.
'But I'm not the only one with System abilities here. Sugella!'
My sudden appearance had shaken Shim Jong-pil's mental strength, allowing the hypnosis to penetrate successfully.
7 seconds.
A short time, but enough.
“Gaaaargh! Kill that damned apostle! Kill him, I said!!”
A voice exploding with rage burst from Shim Jong-pil's mouth, startling the believers.
“Th-this can't be! That's not our usual leader!”
“D-don't tell me there's really a devil inside the leader!”
The 7 seconds ended, and the hypnosis wore off. Regaining his senses, Shim Jong-pil hurriedly spoke.
“No! It's not—”
“You idiots! Listen to your leader! Especially you!”
Shim Jong-pil pointed at a nearby archbishop, his face twisting in contempt as he glared at him with eyes full of disdain.
“I can smell your rot! You old fool, overflowing with greed! Get lost, you decayed thing!”
The archbishop's face stiffened. In the Crimson Sea Church, after the leader, the archbishops held the most power.
The archbishop's body trembled. Veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes nearly popping out.
“Leader... what did you just say to me?”
The hypnosis ended, and Shim Jong-pil regained his senses.
“N-no. Archbishop, listen. That wasn't something I meant to say!”
“If it wasn't intentional, does that mean you were possessed by the devil just now, Leader?”
“Th-that's...”
Shim Jong-pil couldn't easily admit it. Acknowledging possession now would jeopardize his position as leader.
“The devil must be you, with your stinking breath!”
Shim Jong-pil approached the archbishop and swung his fist. When the archbishop fell, unable to withstand the shock, he kicked him too.
“Archbishop!”
“Leader! Stop! Leader!”
“Shut up! I am the leader! You obey me! The archbishop is the devil! Kill the devil!”
Believers rushed in and restrained Shim Jong-pil.
The hypnosis wore off midway, and Shim Jong-pil looked around in stunned horror.
“Wh-what did I do...? Th-this is him! That bastard's doing!”
He pointed at me and shouted. Correct. I was the cause. But none of the believers believed him.
His rampage, losing all reason just moments ago—it was clearly abnormal.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Under hypnosis, Shim Jong-pil convulsed and thrashed about. He swung fists and feet at the believers holding him.
The believers gasped in shock.
“It's the devil! The devil is inside the leader!”
“Leader!!”
“Begone, devil! Begone, devil!”
I smirked while stomping on the heads of the bodyguards trying to grab me. The stage was set. Now it was my turn.
I slowly walked across the water.
“The Apostle of Lightning approaches!”
Someone shouted, and all eyes turned to me. I spread my arms wide.
“Wicked devil! I will judge you myself!”
“Apostle!”
“Apostle! Vanquish the devil and save our leader!”
“Apostle!!”
“Apostle!!!”
The believers praised me.
For reference, the current situation was being broadcast via camera to Crimson Sea Church believers nationwide. Possibly even overseas.
'Once it's recorded, it'll be perfect for proselytizing.'
Crunch crunch.
I approached Shim Jong-pil, stepping on the gravel. His bodyguards didn't have the capacity to stop me—or perhaps they'd decided to follow me too—as they simply watched.
“I-I get it! You toyed with me using your ability!”
Shim Jong-pil trembled, held by the male believers.
“Believers! Seize the one before you! Only by capturing and kneeling him can we exorcise the devil!”
“......”
“What are you doing?! ...Believers?”
Not a single believer obeyed Shim Jong-pil. They looked at him with pity.
“Apostle of Lightning... please save our leader!”
The believers pleaded with me.
I nodded readily.
“Of course! Exorcising devils is my duty and mission!”
I reached out and grabbed Shim Jong-pil's head. Holding a man's body soured my mood sharply, but I endured.
“Devil! Get out of that body now!”
“Nonsense! You're the devil! Let go!”
“As expected of a wicked devil—words alone won't suffice. I shall annihilate you with my divine power!”
Crackle! Zzzzzzap!
Lightning sparked from both my hands.
“Gaaaaah!”
It looked intense enough to fry Shim Jong-pil's brain, but I was precisely controlling it. He was essentially undergoing electric torture.
'I can't accidentally kill him.'
If a System user dies, their ability transfers to someone new. The problem is it resets upon death.
'If Shim Jong-pil dies, the Crimson Sea Church will naturally collapse. So he needs to stay alive. As my subordinate.'
Zzzzzap!
“Leader. Do you know who I am?”
“Ugh... Y-yes, I know. Aren't you the Apostle of Lightning?”
Tears streamed down Shim Jong-pil's face as he spoke. Not under hypnosis. Just desperate to avoid more shocks.
But it wasn't enough yet. To hypnotize him into my subordinate, I needed to shake his mind more.
“Everyone! The devil is dead!”
“Waaaaah!”
The believers cheered in victory.
“But traces of the devil and its curse remain in the leader's body! I will perform a separate ritual to completely eradicate them! Archbishop!”
“Y-yes!”
The archbishop, nose bleeding profusely, responded tensely.
“We need a space for the ritual! Guide us to an empty room!”
“U-understood! Apostle!”
???
Inside the room stood only me, Shim Jong-pil, and the archbishop.
I first hypnotized the archbishop. His mental strength wasn't as formidable as Shim Jong-pil's.
“Sugella!”
“Archbishop. We will now begin the ritual.”
“Yes, Apostle. What must I do?”
“Just watch, Archbishop.”
I looked at Shim Jong-pil lying on the table. His arms and legs were bound with ropes. Meeting my eyes, his body shuddered.
“Wh-what are you planning to do.”
“I'd love to just kill you, but I need your ability. So I won't kill you.”
“...You won't kill me...?”
Shim Jong-pil trembled in anxiety. I pulled an electric chainsaw from my inventory.
Vrrrreeee!
His face paled at the sight of the spinning blade.
“Pl-please spare me!”
“I told you. I have no intention of killing you.”
“Th-then why bring out the chainsaw!”
“I said I won't kill you. Never said I'd leave you intact.”
“If you need anything, I'll give it all!”
“You think I don't know you? Given half a chance, you'd stab me in the back without hesitation! Your brainwashing ability is that dangerous!”
“Gaaaargh!”
“You'll become an excellent leader who sacrifices for his believers!”
I severed Shim Jong-pil's arms and legs. He nearly died midway, but I had potions.
“Ugh... ugh...”
Reduced to a limbless torso, Shim Jong-pil groaned and trembled.
“Sugella!”
'Even after severing his limbs, he partially resists hypnosis. If I'd tried when he was intact, it might've taken over a month.'
To turn Shim Jong-pil into my subordinate, I kept hypnotizing him repeatedly.