Chapter 508
Chapter 508
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 508
Chapter Title: Divine Power (4)
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The Papal Court of Nocternia was not merely a religion that prayed to some god in hopes of salvation.
From time immemorial, origins lost even to legend—long before history was recorded—the vampires had held supremacy over humanity in every way. It wasn't an exaggeration to say society was divided into rulers and the ruled.
But every era produces its geniuses. The will of those who sought to free humanity from the predation of vampires was passed down through generations, finally bearing fruit. That fruit was the mystery known today as the "Mystery of Light," distributed by the Papal Court.
"As you can see from its origins, the Papal Court hasn't taken on a true religious form for all that long."
Pope Sairon shrugged casually as he continued.
Originally, they were more akin to a secret society than a religion. Over time, one visionary leader decided it would be more advantageous to step into the light, evolving the organization into its current religious guise.
"Following a god is just for show with us. What truly matters is honing the mysteries to protect humanity's foothold and pass them on to future generations."
For the Papal Court's clergy, the real scriptures were treatises on the mysteries. They pondered not the adoration of gods, but how to wield divine mysteries more effectively and devise better ways to slay vampires. If one had to point to something truly "priestly" about them, it might be their motto of love and devotion to humanity, driving various relief efforts.
"And yet, just by swapping one symbol, we gain a power rivaling—no, perhaps surpassing—the Mystery of Light! Wouldn't it be foolish not to do it?"
Sairon snorted confidently, nodding with a smug smile to emphasize his conviction.
'If it works, the faith could spread like wildfire. Absorbing the existing Papal Court followers while reducing resistance from other religions.'
Kang Taesan stroked his chin as he discussed details face-to-face with the Pope. He glanced subtly at the white-haired boy across from him.
To the naked eye, the boy seemed nothing more than a cocky kid brimming with confidence. But thanks to skills like "Essence of the Origin," Taesan's sharpened senses picked up something else: a faint undercurrent of inexplicable urgency lurking beneath that bravado.
'What on earth happened to make even a Pope push this hard?'
Sairon spoke as if it were no big deal, but changing a religion's symbol couldn't be as simple as he made it sound.
No matter how short the Papal Court's history as a formal religion, it wasn't that brief upon closer inspection. There would be no shortage of conservative lay followers and high clergy steeped in tradition. They wouldn't easily accept such a radical overhaul of the sacred symbol.
"Don't worry about it. I'll handle the internal sorting out myself."
Yet he brushed off Taesan's cautious probe with straightforward reassurance.
"People are what matter, not some symbol—that's just window dressing. Any fools who don't get it? I'll personally set them straight."
Taesan shivered at the sudden chill in the air.
But the sharp edge faded quickly.
"Anyway, enough of that. Let's talk something more substantial—over a bite, since my mouth's getting lonely."
As if the tension had never happened, Sairon sparkled with anticipation, piling the table with street food snacks from nearby stalls until it groaned under the weight.
"I've always had simple tastes—prefer these over fancy chef stuff. Try this! My top pick is..."
Even as he offered food, his hands never stopped, shoveling bites into his mouth nonstop. It was almost impressive how his words stayed clear despite his stuffed cheeks.
Taesan hesitantly picked up a skewer and took a bite, face dubious.
'Not bad. Kinda like stuff back on Earth.'
His gaze drifted to the boy devouring food in a trance-like frenzy, looking utterly unreliable. As a direct stakeholder, Taesan couldn't help worrying if Sairon's bold claims would pan out.
'What if it backfires from rushing too hard?'
'Better plan a backup. Something slower but surer...'
He needed contingencies if things went south.
But it didn't take long to realize his worries were unfounded.
Pope Sairon, hailed as humanity's final bastion. His influence far exceeded what Kang Taesan, new to Nocternia, had imagined.
After that meeting, Sairon returned to the Papal Court and mobilized every resource at his disposal. Opposition arose, naturally, but nothing could halt the iron will forged by his encounter with the vampire god's incarnation.
Less than a week after he began in earnest—
📰 Breaking News "And now to the next story. It's been making waves lately, hasn't it?" "Indeed. Plenty were shocked by the sudden announcement. The Papal Court has changed its symbol. Major branches have already completed the installations, and local ones should finish by month's end." "We've seen minor tweaks before, but replacing the whole thing outright? And not just a logo—a religious symbol, changed so abruptly..." The news of the Papal Court's new symbol spread worldwide.
"...Heh, it actually happened."
Kang Taesan let out a disbelieving chuckle.
On screen, an H-shaped metal structure gleamed brilliantly, reflecting sunlight like a holy cross.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A mansion on the outskirts of Seoul.
"This caught me off guard too."
I scratched the back of my head with an awkward grin. Pleasant surprise, I suppose.
Even when provoking the Pope via Heinz 2nd, I hadn't expected things to escalate so radically.
'Howard's been run ragged because of it.'
The Papal Court's reach spanned all of Nocternia. Naturally, its branches were numerous, requiring just as many structures to serve as divine antennas.
"Without the time dilation in the Dragon Lair, even Howard's speed couldn't have met the deadline."
But the results were undeniable. I closed my eyes, already sensing the incoming reactions.
'Faith purity is still low. But this is just the start. Once divine power kicks in, both quality and quantity will snowball.'
And divine power wasn't the only gain. Swallowing vampire clans whole and now infiltrating human religion had sent karma earnings from Nocternia skyrocketing exponentially.
'Poured a hefty chunk into Taesan, and it's not just recovered—it's multiplied several times over.'
Pure profit, any way you sliced it. A thoroughly satisfying outcome.
"If he's going all-in like this, I can't just sit idle."
Without Taesan's full cooperation, things wouldn't have gone this smoothly. I geared up and headed out, grabbing fresh ingredients en route to a certain house in Seoul.
"I'm here, Grandma!"
I punched in the now-familiar passcode and called out brightly as I entered.
"Oh my~ Seonghyeon's here? Goodness, what'd you bring all this for? No need to trouble yourself."
"Aw, this is nothing. Check out these guns."
"True, way better than your scrawny student days."
"Eh, I thought I was decent back then too..."
"In your dreams. Quit yapping and get in here."
Taesan's grandmother greeted me warmly, looking as spry as if her hospital stay never happened. I smiled fondly as I stepped inside.
'Divine power's healing beats what I expected.'
Using borrowed divine power via Heinrich—a saint and angel—was decent enough. But my own cultivated divine power was even more effective.
"I'll whip up dinner quick."
"I can fend for myself, you know. Feels bad bothering a busy young'un like you."
"I don't come every day—let me do this much. Anyway, all good lately?"
"What trouble could an old gateball granny have? Biggest drama was Old Man Park from next door getting sloshed before our betting match and blowing up."
"Haha, call me if anything big comes up. I'll rush right over."
I unpacked the ingredients and started cooking, my transcendent senses making it effortless: precise knife work, instinctive fire control, scales-level seasoning down to the grain.
'I monitor her quietly anyway. But if I don't do this, she'll bottle up her worries to spare me.'
I'd have housed her in my mansion until Taesan returned, but she flatly refused—not wanting to burden her "grandson." With her friends nearby, regular visits were best.
"Grandma, massage time. Lie down here."
"Music to my ears. Your hands are magic, Seonghyeon—feel years younger every time."
Not just her imagination. I couldn't fully reverse age, but restoring cells to peak condition was within reach. Soon after my divine-infused touch, her dozing nods turned to deep snores.
'No major issues. As expected from regular checks.'
Peaceful times. Warm air enveloped the room as sunset cast twilight shadows outside.
'Time flies.'
Time to head out. I lifted my hands from her back and stretched lightly.
Then.
Kr-r-rumble—
My hyper-attuned senses caught an anomaly. A massive explosion from afar, vibrations rippling through. My expression darkened as I gauged it.
'Terror attack? This fallout from that distance... not small-scale.'
No mere bombs. Likely a skyscraper collapsing entirely. Casualties? Unimaginable.
'Thought Korea's security was ironclad. But no system blocks every attack.'
A sigh escaped me. Defense always outmatched offense in these scenarios. With it already happened, all I could do was hunt the culprits invading my turf and make them pay.
'Scale like this? Guardians and Ability Management Bureau are probably mobilizing. Might wrap before I even step in.'
But realizing this hit too close took no time. It started with the living room TV.
📰 Breaking News "Breaking news! At approximately 7:10 p.m. today, an explosion believed to be a terrorist attack..." The screen showed devastation. As expected, the collapsed high-rise had turned the area to rubble, with victims numbering far beyond a handful. A tragically familiar post-terror scene.
'Wait—that location.'
One issue: the surroundings weren't just vaguely familiar.
Bzzz—
My burner phone in the Subspace Storage buzzed insistently. Shared with only a select few. But no time for that now.
Staring grimly at the news, the crawling subtitles forced me to face reality.
🚨 Breaking News Massive explosion completely collapses Howard Industries headquarters. Casualty figures still unknown... Turns out, my house was the one on fire.