Episode 416
I shook off the pressure and took a forced step forward.
Since I was the only one moving while everyone else was still, the leader’s gaze naturally turned to me.
For a moment, I felt the oppressive feeling of thousands of evil gazes fixed on my head, and the weight on my shoulders doubled.
I felt my knees creaking, but I had no intention of giving up, even if it meant breaking my bones.
Why do I laugh when I’m in this situation? When this happens, I wonder if there’s something broken somewhere in my head, some part of me that I’m not aware of.
I looked up at the top of the tower, my jaw clenched as if my wisdom teeth would break.
The leader was smiling with only the corners of his lips raised. I thought that even smiling like that was a talent.
The mouth is smiling, but the wrinkles around the eyes aren’t even moving.
[Luzard.]
The being that became the god spoke the name of my disguised identity.
Somehow, I felt like the leader knew my true identity and was calling me that on purpose.
Let me explain from Tangtata’s perspective…
It feels like it’s keeping pace with my play.
[It looks more distinct now. It’s a very interesting shape. The veil hanging over the soul… Is it Leone’s work?]
“… … ?”
[It would be nice to have a little chat. Come here.]
Before I could even say, “I don’t like it,” the leader spoke as if he had read my mind.
[If you don’t follow, I will kill everyone there.]
A dog like a dog.
I clicked my tongue inwardly and ran nervously vertically along the wall of the tower.
There was something like an entrance to the top, but I had no intention of shoving my body into that monster’s maw.
I reached the top of the tower in an instant, and only then was I able to see the leader up close.
The physique was not as big as I thought.
At most, about 2 meters. Of course, he’s tall for a human, but right now, he doesn’t feel like a human.
However, the atmosphere is strange.
A purple aura that could be seen with the naked eye was wrapped around the surface of the skin like a thin film, and upon closer inspection, a steamy haze was constantly rippling.
The leader said with a smile.
[The ones below will not be able to see you here. Show your true form.]
Every time I heard such orders, the rebellious spirit inside me surged, but now I had no choice but to sigh and take off my mask.
My body quickly returned to its original shape.
The leader looked at the body that was badly beaten by Tangtata and was covered in wounds and laughed happily.
[Badniker’s bloodline.]
“… … .”
[That’s not all. Ah… I see. I see potential in you as a rider.]
“Please stop talking nonsense.”
Since I was out of the Luzard guise, I just said it out of the blue.
“I really enjoyed your disgusting acting. It seems like you’ve even given up on being a cult leader. Should I introduce you to a theater company? Do you want to try getting a job?”
[performance?]
“What god do you believe in? You wish for your own death. You play the role of a martyr all by yourself, but behind the scenes, you are thinking of stabbing the god who follows you in the stomach.”
The leader smiled faintly and spoke in a calm tone.
[It wasn’t acting or a lie.]
“what?”
[In order to become like this, both my spirit and body had to die at least once. In fact, my spirit and body reached the stomach of the god of the underworld and were broken down into small pieces, scattered, and returned to nothingness there.]
I asked with a frown.
“What about killing Tangtata? Do you think it makes sense to kill a god that believers worship?”
[That also cannot be considered a lie. The god that Yeo believed in was always herself – and she had no doubt that Yeo would ascend to the throne at any time.]
Self.
This guy made disgusting puns using first-person pronouns that don’t exist in this world.
Usually, a person who calls himself a god is either a fraud or a madman… … .
Is it because of the tone or the sense of pressure?
The nonsense he spouted sounded plausible.
And I also thought that if I was like this, it would be difficult for most humans to resist the charisma of this being.
The leader continued speaking in a gentle tone.
[Luan Badniker. I have been paying attention to your activities since Badniker’s training camp. You have completely destroyed the plans that each faction had prepared for a very long time. Therefore, I hereby acknowledge it. The life of the empire has been extended by more than ten years due to your activities alone. However, from the sect’s perspective, that was by no means a positive trend. You can be proud. In other words, this means that you alone drove the sect away.]
“… … .”
[And a human being pushed to the limit can do anything.]
As I listened to the story, I was dumbfounded.
So, what he meant was that the extreme plan the cult leader came up with to kill God and usurp his position was because of my activities.
Normally, I wouldn’t blink an eye at such nonsense, but now I can’t.
Actually, before the regression that I had not installed, the leader would not have become a god.
but.
“That doesn’t make sense. If I hadn’t pushed Tangtata away this time, your plan to kill the gods wouldn’t have worked. Or did you expect me to come to the workhouse?”
That’s impossible unless you’re a god.
And at the time the plan was made, the leader was not God.
The leader laughed excitedly.
This inhuman being seemed to enjoy talking to me for some reason.
[An old sage once said that the best strategist is the one who is flexible enough to take advantage of even the most unexpected variables. To me, your intervention may have been nothing more than a variable that has added excitement to the current situation.]
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“What nonsense are you talking about?”
[For you, it was the worst and the lesser of two evils, but for me, it was just a choice between the best and the lesser of two evils. Even if the plan to kill the gods had failed, the southern area would have been easily crushed with just the weakened green tongue.]
“… … .”
I got goosebumps while talking.
So, from the leader’s perspective, it means that even if he didn’t become a believer here today, he had nothing to lose.
Gains and bigger gains.
In a binary choice, the one with the greater benefit is chosen.
That means that every incident that happened at the workhouse was planned so thoroughly from the beginning that no one could do anything about it.
He said it casually, but… … .
If that’s true, then the scariest thing about the cult leader is not the power of the bastards that we haven’t figured out yet, or the power that comes from being the cult leader.
brains.
The flexibility and adaptability to utilize variables without being swayed by them while making thorough plans.
This is literally the devil’s brain.
It’s been a long time since I felt fear.
It’s not like I was overwhelmed by fear.
Not to brag, but I didn’t feel scared even when I was standing in front of the Great Behemoth.
However, the cult leader I was facing now felt like an incomprehensible monster.
Even though I am now beyond human… … .
I don’t understand how someone who was once human could do something like that.
The leader who led the religious sect.
The black cult leader who was loved by Angsin must have had true faith until very recently.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to maintain his position as a cult leader.
Fanatics have a very keen sense of smell, and that sense of smell reacts sensitively to false religious beliefs.
therefore…….
In order for a cult leader to be a cult leader, he would have to prove his faith at every moment.
This was the point where my perception began to misalign.
The leader of the largest religious sect in the empire as a single force kills the god he follows.
And it wasn’t by accident or because I was completely crazy… … .
To carefully examine, step by step, as if leading a planned murder, and eventually completely cut off the breath.
How many people could have predicted this?
“What’s there to be proud of about committing an unfilial act?”
But unlike my trembling body, my head was hot. I looked at the leader with a crooked gaze and said.
“I’ve seen a lot of crazy people, but you’re the first one to kill the god you worship. I wonder one thing. What are you going to do if this gets out into the open? Did you know? The priest Obi smelled something bad about you and planned to betray you.”
[… … .]
“And you made a huge mistake in trying to convince me. You killed every single believer in this workhouse. Including the priest.”
I continued speaking in a deliberately hoarse voice.
“What would happen if this spread to the religious order? The reason why fanatics can be fanatics is because their faith in their god is so strong. But, huh? A person who killed that god has appeared? And it’s not from the empire they hate, but from the leader of the religious order they trusted without question.”
The biggest reason the religious sect was able to be established as a religious sect in the first place was the existence of a leader, but that leader committed a crime.
From the church’s perspective, this is the worst apostate they could imagine. I don’t know for sure, but if this becomes known, the church will be in chaos.
The fine thread that connected them will break, and they will have no choice but to be torn apart like in the old days.
[You use your mouth carelessly.]
“I usually hear that kind of thing a lot.”
Up until this point, I was laughing, but I couldn’t help but stop when I heard the next words.
[As if you were wishing for death… … No. To be more precise, are you wishing for a crisis situation that could lead to your own death?]
“… … .”
[But I can assure you that I have no intention of harming you. I can see it from God’s perspective. You are so dear to us.]
“f*ck.”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer and started swearing.
Is it because of this bald bastard’s disgusting words?
Or maybe it’s because my plans were ruined.
Surely I just deliberately provoked the cult leader.
He tried to plot to have me killed by threatening to spread the truth that should have been kept hidden.
I thought that if I did that, the protection of Yeongsan would be activated.
‘Does this guy know about my regression?’
The other demon lords knew, so it wouldn’t be strange if the cult leader knew.
But it was clearly strange to know even those conditions.
In the first place, what on earth is this ‘God’s perspective’ that this guy is talking about?
[Speaking of the religious order, the position of the leader doesn’t mean much to you right now. Right… Leone. I guess it’s okay to give it to that child. It’s a position you’ve longed for your whole life. When we meet again someday, you’ll convey my wishes. Bowing your head, it’s okay to serve me as a new god.]
“…What on earth is your purpose?”
Eventually, I had no choice but to stop this meaningless exploration and ask the question directly.
The leader laughed again and said.
[Her purpose has always been consistent. You already know that.]
What happened next was beyond my expectations.
– Damn.
Suddenly, with a cracking sound, the Myungryong-ah that was wrapped around my waist cracked.
The moment I reflexively grabbed the handle of the knife in surprise, Myungryong-ah was shattered.
Puhwaaaaak-!
Then, as if I was crouching inside Myeongryong-ah, a fierce flame exploded from my waist and soared up to the sky before I could do anything.
‘vulcan?’
While I was watching the sight, the flame that had ascended through the dark clouds took the shape of a fire dragon.
[O unclean being-!]
The seat of the 13 Dragon Kings.
The voice of the Fire Dragon God Vulcan echoed throughout the Rahild Workhouse.
The sight of the tower looking down on the dark clouds dyed in flames gave the impression that a god had appeared through the darkness to come save us.
The discomfort and pressure that had been weighing on my entire body also disappeared.
This meant that the musical instruments that had covered the entire workhouse were also dying down.
“Oh, Vulcan… … !”
“The Dragon God has appeared!”
“Whaaaaaaaah-!”
The alien races, who had finally regained their physical freedom, rejoiced when they saw Vulcan.
God appeared at the most desperate moment.
The miraculous appearance earned him the adoration of believers and non-believers alike.
Such faith returned to Vulcan again, increasing his size and intensifying his flames.
[Where is this place that you are revealing your ugly body? As long as this Dragon God exists, you will not dare to covet this land!]
The Dragon God, who let out a voice like boiling lava, took a deep breath and then breathed out at the leader.
Without heat.
For a moment, even I was overwhelmed by the sacred breath that purified only the impure.
And the leader, who was watching the scene from afar, muttered.
[Vulcan… … . Ah. Vulcan.]
There was a hint of regret in the leader’s voice.
[The ugliest and most miserable of fallen gods.]
The moment regret turned to contempt, the leader waved his hand.
Then, the thin purple film surrounding the leader’s skin rose and turned into smoke, which soon took the shape of a giant skeleton.
Baekgol stretched out his palm, which was made up of only bone joints, and blocked Vulcanus’s breath, then clenched his fist.
The sacred flame that could even burn the demon commander died down in an instant.
[What… …!]
The moment the astonished Vulcan tried to breathe again, the skeleton reached out.
The distance to the sky was considerable, but Baekgol’s hand continued forward without stopping like a shot arrow.
The purple hand continued to grow in size as it advanced, and when it finally reached its target, it was large enough to hold Vulcan, whose presence seemed to fill the sky.
[Ugh… … !]
As if hit by heavy rain and strong winds, the overwhelming form of the Hwa-ryong-shin gradually subsided.
Crackle, crackle… … The palm that had been gripping the Dragon God so tightly that it could crush him threw it to the ground as if it was throwing it when the Dragon God became too small to be seen.
Kuung… … !
The ground flipped over, revealing a bloody, red-scaled dragon with its tongue sticking out beneath it.
It was too shabby and miserable to be called a dragon.
“iced coffee…….”
“Oh, Vulcan… … .”
Those who had rejoiced at the appearance of the savior once again despaired.
The cult leader said that he had made the bones disappear with a wave of his hand.
[I mistook the person I was raising my voice against. Even back when I was a mere human being, I could have killed you without much difficulty… … .]
The leader’s voice rang in my ears.
It was a soliloquy, almost a muttering, but the voice seemed to echo throughout the workhouse.
Damn it.
The leader moved to the very top.
As the unclean wind blew, even those who had been weeping over the death of their god turned their attention to the cult leader again.
The wind died down and the leader opened his mouth.
[I, the rider of destruction and the first spirit rooted in the continent – I was born with green amniotic fluid, but my origins are far from that natural color. As one who truly desires the fall of the empire, I will call myself this.]
Tangtata, the green-tongued demon king.
Blood Moon Demon King Haden Aihar.
Kingarodtus, the golden horned demon lord.
Nine, the Demon King of the Black Swamp.
and.
[Adonis of the Purple Hand.]
Kuung.
As if the voice had changed shape into the wind.
An ominous wind of heat swept in all directions, centering around the leader’s body.
[I declare that from now on, the southern part of the empire is my disaster zone.]
