Chapter 25. Did the Father You Speak of Know Even This Would Happen?
Chapter 25. Did the Father You Speak of Know Even This Would Happen?
'How is that even possible...?'
No. Strictly speaking, it wasn't impossible. True "gods"—not just beings who happened to be angels by species—accumulated power through human faith. The Demon God had fed on fear and negative emotions, and the Heaven God had fed on blind faith and madness, after all.
Myths were fundamentally shaped and sustained by human belief. When that belief faded and the myths were forgotten, the gods themselves weakened. Enough faith poured into a story, and sacred relics were born from it.
But this bastard was no great figure who had left behind legendary deeds. He was just a human.
'He is an Awakened, sure. But did that damn System actually hand him this kind of power?'
Divine authorities weren't all the same either. To use a game analogy, some divine authorities were like a DPS class, granting overwhelming direct combat power, while others were like a Crafter class, enabling creation or fabrication.
'Given that he's building something as high-dimensional as this System, his authority must fall into the latter category.'
Anyway, I set aside my idle speculation and was about to examine his body more closely when a sudden commotion interrupted me.
"You goddamn cultist bastard!!!"
In an instant, the heads of the people who had been praying swiveled around. Their chilling eyes fixed on the man in unison. The man who had shouted at the top of his lungs was breathing raggedly.
"Everyone, snap out of it! You can't stay here! I don't know what he's done to you, but that lunatic is deceiving us!"
The companion beside him, seeing all those horrifying stares, tugged fearfully at his sleeve as if to tell him to stop.
"Let go! Do you think any of this is normal?! He's tricking people with complete bullshit!!!"
He looked around as he shouted, but even the people who had only been faking their faith to survive were turning their backs on his cry.
"A-an...unbeliever!!!"
"A demon! A demon has infiltrated us wearing human skin!!!"
"A heretic!! Drive out this filthy heretic at once!!!"
The killing intent pouring out of them was sickeningly thick. And the cult leader simply smiled as if nothing was wrong and spoke.
"Everyone, do not hate him. His faith is simply not yet sufficient. Please be understanding, and do not condemn him."
'Showing that kind of tolerance to strengthen their cohesion, is that it?'
The man suppressed the rising nausea, grabbed the wrist of the woman who had tugged at his sleeve earlier, and fled the building.
* * * * * * * *
'E-everyone here has lost their minds...!'
As the man burst outside, priests in black robes and an elder in red approached him. The elder smiled as he spoke.
"Brother, it is rather improper to run out during worship like this."
"Y-you sons of bitches... what are you planning to do with us, luring us here?!"
While they were scuffling, the cult leader emerged, as if the service had been briefly interrupted. He smiled, his mouth splitting open grotesquely.
"Our brother here... still seems to lack faith..."
He signaled to the priests with his eyes, and they promptly seized the man by both arms and dragged him down a flight of stairs that likely led underground.
"If our sister here also lacks faith, we shall send her to the 'Repentance Room' along with him."
His chilling smile, and that "Repentance Room"—she had no idea what it was, but it couldn't be anywhere good. Trembling, she clasped her hands together and dropped to her knees.
"N-no... I... I believe... Leader..."
The cult leader swept his gaze over her, his eyes brimming with lust.
"Sister, your faith is properly directed, but it is not yet sufficient. To prove your faith, come to my room later."
* * * * * * * *
I had been channeling energy into my hearing, listening to every bit of the commotion outside.
'Ah, so anyone who doesn't fall in line gets sent to the "Repentance Room." Is that it?'
Smiling, the leader returned and finished the service, dismissing the congregation. We returned to our room.
I explained to her how their faith was being converted into mana, and what had happened with the man and woman who had run out earlier.
"The man got dragged off somewhere... and as for the woman, I think you can figure that out without me saying it..."
She must have already known what I meant—the desire that had been so obvious in his eyes on our way back.
"First, I'm going to scout around tonight. I'm also curious about the power he uses. I want to see him in a fight, so I'm going to lure some zombies here without them knowing."
"What if they get overrun?"
"Honestly, that would be even better. Chaeyeon, you keep your eyes on the cult leader. If he tries to run, chase him down and catch him."
Darkness slowly settled in, the night deepened, and I changed into more comfortable clothes.
First, I tracked down the cult leader's energy signature to his room. The woman from earlier was there, lying naked on the bed.
"Keuheuheu... Sister, you have received baptism. Your proof of faith is now sufficient."
"Hic... sob...!"
Seeing no reason to watch any more of that, I turned away and headed underground, presumably toward the 'Repentance Room.'
Two guards were posted at both the top and bottom of the staircase leading to the Repentance Room. I passed them while remaining concealed.
'Ugh... what the fuck is that smell...'
There were people down there I hadn't seen during the service. The basement seemed to have been modified, divided into crude iron cages. The men inside stared blankly into space with unfocused eyes. Plastic tubs filled with what looked like food waste were visible, and filth and excrement were piled up in the corners.
Right next to them, naked men covered head to toe in wounds—presumably from brutal beatings—were tied up.
The women were no different. I could see cloudy fluids on the floor.
While I was taking in the scene, several elders entered the chamber.
"Sigh... Brothers, we offer you this teaching for your repentance, so why is your faith still lacking..."
As they spoke, some of them began beating the men mercilessly. Starving, the men couldn't even resist, just groaning as the blows landed.
"And our sisters... we shall have to 'purify' you once again."
Others began stripping off their clothes one piece at a time, each approaching a different woman.
'Why keep the men alive, though? What's the point?'
I went back up, relayed everything I'd seen to Chaeyeon, then slipped out through a window again. Not far away, I began to focus my mind.
— Sssss... Hwoooong!!!
I let go of my restraint and began emitting a wave of evil energy.
'They're all undead in the end. There's no way this won't get a reaction.'
A short while later, countless zombies, sensing the malevolence, began lumbering toward me. Staying hidden and continuing to radiate evil energy like some Pied Piper, I led the zombies toward the main gate.
'And the moment I release life energy—its polar opposite—they'll go berserk. Undead hate everything that's alive.'
Just as I drew near the main gate, the sentry on watch spotted the scene.
"Emergency...!!!"
Shouting at the top of his lungs, he yanked the bell hanging beside him with all his might. And at that very moment, I released an immense surge of life energy.
— GRWAAAAAAARGH!!!
— KYAH-HAAAAAGH!!!!
In the sudden crisis, every elder and priest except the cult leader came rushing out. The elders—all Awakened—along with a few priests who were also Awakened, began fighting alongside the non-Awakened priests to hold back the overwhelming tide of zombies.
But their strength soon began to wane, and the battle was on the verge of collapsing when the cult leader appeared. The believers watching the scene erupted in cheers.
"Waaaaaah!!! The Leader is here!!!"
"The Leader will protect us!!!"
He concentrated for a moment, and a wavering blue energy seeped out of his body, infusing itself into them.
"Th-the Leader has baptized them...!"
"The Leader has bestowed his blessing upon us!!!"
Their strength and agility visibly shifted. Swords grew sharper, clubs became denser and harder.
'Body-enhancement buffs on the fighters, and enchantments on the weapons? And he can even make ordinary people fight above their natural level.'
It was even more pathetic than I had imagined. My time on Titan must have made me overly cautious.
'The best he can do is physical enhancement magic and weapon enchantments... It's annoying how much I overestimated him for no reason.'
But in the end, even he seemed to run out of steam. Their line slowly began to buckle. Panic flickered across his face—and then he turned and fled. The irritation I'd been feeling vanished, replaced by contempt.
"L-Leader...! Where are you going?!"
"Leader, don't leave us!!!"
"I... am one of the chosen...! I cannot die in a place like this!!!"
The man who had always carried himself with utter confidence, said to have been chosen by god, was now panting and fleeing for his life. Seeing his cowardly behavior for the first time, everyone's faith began to waver, little by little. I confirmed Chaeyeon was pursuing him, then revealed myself in the air and stepped forward.
I didn't care whether the elders and priests got swept up in this or not. I simply readied my sword.
'Well, those who deserve to survive will find a way, won't they?'
[Chaos Sword Technique: Iai]
For dramatic effect, I gave my energy tangible form as I swung.
— SHWAAAAAAK!!!
A single swing. Fountains of blood erupted from the necks of every zombie at once. The believers behind them and the Awakened around me were so shocked they couldn't even close their mouths. Just as the situation ended, Chaeyeon's voice came through the radio—she had captured the cult leader.
I walked over to the surviving elders and priests and spoke.
"Well now. Did this Father of yours know things would turn out like this, I wonder?"