Chapter. 16. Saints and Perfectors (22)
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“I wondered why so many believers could gather in these times, but they were all refugees?”
“Saint. I’ve told you this many times, but if you treat us with respect-”
“We were refugees!” Are you done? it’s okay?”
“You have to get used to it. It’s so eye-catching how everything you do affects our instruments of light!!!! “Aren’t you waiting for me to come in?”
“That’s right. No, that’s right. hmm. okay. yes.”
The largest and most ornate room among the main temples of the religious order.
I occupied the ‘Saint’s Room’, which had been empty until now, and was talking to the archbishop while drinking dozens of oak barrels of liquid that the shadows of the archbishop and the church had saved.
“Ugh, it’s fishy.”
“Why don’t we know that the path your Son is taking is a thorny path? As a priest, I am also heartbroken to see the blood created by an evil spirit… Latura. The health of the saint is the health of the church. “If you need more, please let me know at any time.”
“No, that’s not it. “It shouldn’t taste fishy in the first place.”
“Are you referring to the type of mute blood you prefer…?”
“Uh… that sounds a bit strange. “Is that how you look at it?”
“I apologize. As the blood was airlifted away from the eyes of the believers and outsiders who gathered here, we were unable to catch the right items…” “If
anyone hears it, they will think you are complaining about being a vampire. “It’s not that, the problem is where I am now.”
The reason why mute blood, which would normally feel sickeningly sweet, only feels fishy and disgusting.
That’s because where I am now is the headquarters of the Gwangmyeong Church, overflowing with divine power.
What if mute blood is secretly brought in from outside? It’s been a long time since all the infectious agents in the blood were purified and disappeared like germs from alcohol while it was being brought to this deepest part of the temple.
By the time the blood is presented in front of the skeletal saint, it is no longer mute blood, but something close to animal blood, and if you drink that kind of thing for 100 days, your regenerative power will not increase as much as a rat’s tail.
“…I’ll have to go out once my stamina recovers a little. The battlefield is not far away, so if you get close, you will absorb the blood and-”
“It is absolutely impossible for you to leave the temple with that body! What would you do if the direct descendants of evil spirits were to attack you when you were weak? “The moment the saint falls is the moment the Gwangmyeong Church falls!”
“So you have to go out and recover! Are you saying there will be no problem as long as I recover? Don’t you know me? Blood Saint Lighthouse of Light! “If only I could recover just a little bit-”
“You are a saint who is currently lying in a hospital bed. Please give us a little more time. If the problem is the sacred power gushing out from the temple, I will obtain blood that is thick enough not to be worn down by the divine power. “Thanks to the saint, many brothers have gained strong ‘strength’, so it won’t be that difficult.”
Requests, persuasions, and even threats were added to the orders, but Archbishop Norman did not even lift a beard and simply repeated, ‘Absolutely not.’
Since I have become weak enough to be attacked by an ordinary mute, let alone a direct descendant of an evil spirit, the church’s top priority is to protect me, and that is why they cannot let me take a single step out of the safe main temple.
The moment I was about to ignore him and leave, the archbishop rushed out, brought a can of holy oil and a candlestick, and poured the holy oil on my body.
“Are you crazy?”
“Latura. I only do it for the light and the Holy Son. Even if my spirit and body are reduced to ashes, I can only go where I need to go. “If you really want to go, step on the ashes of this old tool.”
“No Norman, what nonsense is that! Paladin, Paladin, Holy Knight!!!”
….what can I do? If you don’t want to hear the saint who burned himself at the stake because of his stubbornness, you have to be quiet.
Well, looking at the ‘handprints’ left here and there in the temple after the canonization ceremony, it doesn’t seem like it will take long to get the rich mute blood. Again, the main temple was built using all kinds of consecrated rocks and metal foundations to fight against evil enemies, and the handprints were made by priests who could not adapt to the sudden increase in strength and fell and grabbed onto the walls or floor.
“Ugh. “What is the ban on going out at this age?… I understand, so go out.”
“Thank you for your understanding, saint. “There are several volumes of Gyojeon next to the bed. Please read them when you have free time.”
In the end, Archbishop Norman left the ‘Saint’s Room’ satisfied, dragging the end of his charred robes.
“…Divine power. Instead of ‘declaration widening,’ it is a sacred power with the characteristic of ‘strength.’”
For me, who did not attach much importance to being canonized, this was an unexpected increase in combat power.
Just by looking at the scene outside the window, I was convinced of how great this power was.
It’s bustling
and bustling
at mealtimes that happen twice a day. Before the meal, we gathered in the circular plaza to pray before the meal, and it looked quite different from yesterday.
“Uh…brother, please stop sticking around.”
“I’m sorry, I pushed you from behind too…”
The circular plaza, which had been able to accommodate all the believers until yesterday’s canonization ceremony, was packed to the brim with no room to move. Among the throngs of believers, many were seen wearing sleeveless robes with the sleeves torn off.
“Tents for refugees will be distributed one by one, so don’t dig because the distribution is late! “You may be touching the church’s underground facilities, so wait your turn!”
When the ceiling of the church’s dungeon was revealed to the refugees who were digging in the ground to escape the wind in their inadequate tents, the priests hastily began to control them.
Whoosh!
thud! Coo!
“You definitely said that if you cut down trees, you would get more rations!” “Hahaha! You clearly said it was one bowl per load, priest! This is enough food for my family for three days, right? yes?”
“If this is the case, you can stop working with trees now, brothers…”
The side that had selected those in good health and assigned them to do simple labor was seeing trees that had been cut down piled up so thick that one hill became a bald mountain.
strength. A power that is crudely simple and powerful for a divine power.
After my canonization ceremony, the church’s unique authority was granted to all Gwangmyeong believers, although the degree varies depending on faith.
———
– Heungan Dumplings: If you believe in Jesus, you will go to heaven? If you believe in Haram, you can lift 40 kg more!
– Jokass: Nothing he does has ever been unexpected, but this… I wouldn’t describe it as ‘unexpected’. eccentricity? What’s special?
-Namba Three: Did you just see it? A kid in elementary school bends a silver spoon with his fingers and says, ‘I’m going to Magic Mountain!’ It was like this….
– takealook: ‘I gave the job to a muscular guy instead of idiots who always kick ass, and he was really good! I have to replace all the remaining tools with muscular ones!’ Wasn’t it the same idea? Professor, the way he did things was amazing.
– professor: What on earth do you think of God?
———
….Oh no way. Still, he’s a god. Could it be possible that a being with divine status truly planned to turn divine power into something anabolic and turn all believers into hell?
———
– professor: Because God can basically be seen as a common collective intelligence where the beliefs of believers are united. It is a kind of bilateral relationship where faith fosters divinity and the influence of divinity fosters faith.
– takealook: What the fuck do you think of God, you pseudo-bastard?
– professor: Shut up. Anyway, from that perspective, I thought the canonization ceremony was a kind of event similar to a comprehensive data update. If the faith formalized through engagement gave birth to Ro-Haram, the god of light, then the saint is the central point of the current believers’ faith, right?
———
The so-called question is, “What do the believers of light envy at this point in time?”
If the saint of the past stood against the waves of evil as a symbol of light that brightens the world. The current saint. What is the image of the saint who has become the central point of Gwangmyeong Church at this point?
‘It is said that the saint turned the seed of the evil spirit into a blood clot with his large fist…’ ‘I heard that the
sacrament of blood was not made with the blood of the saint, but with the blood of the evil enemy who burst to death in his hands…’ ‘
He On the road he passed, only miserably crushed evildoers and cheering believers remained…’
The biography of the ‘incredibly strong saint’ has already been widely spread through the church’s active propaganda.
In the past, believers pursued light that symbolized faith and salvation, but lost the saint due to the movements of the undead.
As a denomination that has lost its connection to God, it suffers from secular forces and suffers all sorts of indignities as a denomination that has lost its power.
We are once again on the verge of a major war like 70 years ago. What believers hoped for was not a symbolic image of light, but something more realistic.
strength. The physical strength evidenced by the broad shoulders of the saint who became their light, hope, and new focal point of light!
———
– professor: Based on the theory that ‘everything in GG depends on ‘faith’’, we can understand why this situation occurred. This is the Gwangmyeong Church, where most of the believers have already experienced remorse for their helplessness after losing a saint in the undead battle and losing their connection to God. What will they pursue when they face another great war? Furthermore, think about what elements would have been implanted in their faith when they heard the incredible biography of ‘Professor Saint’, who became their focal point.
– Jokass: ….You want to become so fucking strong like that?
– professor: Yes. Just as the Church of Abundance was created by hungry people, and the Church of Mercy was created by wise scholars who were foolish enough to be wise, and Courage was created by worshipers of battle, it is clear that any church eventually grew in the direction that the entire believer believed in. In such a situation, the saint who appeared in front of those who lost the saint and were confused about what they believed in was like this.
– Holly: Our pinnacle is the person who guides us like that! Are you saying that these hearts came together to form the present-day Uragburak denomination?
———
To summarize, what was created through the shared belief of a group called Gwangmyeong Church is Ro-Haram, which has actual power through that belief.
This means that the image of the ‘super-macho saint with big muscles’ as the role model for the collective intelligence has become deeply rooted.
And by announcing that the saint became their central point through the official route of canonization, the image of ‘power’ that had crept into the believers was uploaded to the collective intelligence called Lo-Haram. This is roughly the guess.
———
– professor: For ordinary people, who make up the vast majority of believers, mystical abilities such as magical auras and divine powers are a story from another world that they cannot associate with… When it comes to power, it’s a different story. When working in the fields, cutting down trees, walking, running, fetching water… Physical strength can be easily accessed even in the daily lives of ordinary people.
– professor: A saint with big muscles = the peak of light / Then, if I sharpen my faith and increase my divine power… will I have shoulders like the mountains and a back like the ocean like you, the saint? This probably means that the mindset of believers who do this has exceeded the majority of the entire Gwangmyeong Church.
– Jokass: In the end, it’s your fault.
– takealook: That’s right. Originally, at the stage of origin of Gwangmyeong Bridge, ‘Grace equal to all people like light!’ Starting with, through your destructive play and propaganda, the divinity of light that had the power to widen the area, says, ‘Whoa whoa! strength! Even stronger power! ‘With strength, we will eliminate evil enemies and save all people!’ Don’t you know that it was changed to ?
– professor: Umm… Is that so?
– Heungan Dumplings: Isn’t this as common as you think? If this person is a role model, won’t the Gwangmyeong believers become more radical than they are now? He’s been destroying cities, causing floods, and destroying other people’s houses, right?
– Holly: Hmm…. In the future, the Church of Gwangmyeong may develop into an even more ruthless fanatic than now…!
———
In the end, I saw that it reflected the times. Because we are the people of a world where no matter what we do, we end up in war and destruction over and over again. It is natural to seek power when you see yourself as helpless, and the only power that civilians can think of is stronger muscles.
In some ways, isn’t this the true God? He is a god who gives the power to all believers if they wish with one mind and one will.
Whoop!
Boom! Coo!
“Brothers!!!! I’ll say it again, you don’t have to do wood anymore!!! “Please return to your tent and wait for your turn!”
Outside the window, a hoarse priest could be heard screaming at the endless procession of timber.
“…With that much wood, I could make a small outpost. “It will definitely help right now.”
It is unknown whether Ro-Haram was created through the gathering of faith, or whether faith was created through the existence of Ro-Haram. It was clear that they were better than the gods of Earth, at least in that they were gods who listened to what the believers wanted.
There was no need to say that our rugged brothers of light would be helpful in this war.
****
Jump!
Ujikkeun!
“What! That… I’m sorry! “I didn’t mean to break down the door…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Brother, you have spent your whole life praying, so it is natural that you cannot get used to it, as it is a matter of controlling your strength. The saint’s room had been vacant for a long time, so the door may have rotted due to lack of maintenance. “I think the door is a little bit pushed back.”
It’s bullshit. The saint’s room was maintained as thoroughly as the loss of the saint, and the door that the priest broke in was so hard that it had to be handled by a blacksmith.
Of course, it was not strong enough to withstand the sacred ‘power’ of the senior priest assigned to serve the Holy Son. The priest with a flushed face was so nervous that his legs were shaking.
“Thank you. “How can I apologize for this rudeness…”
“There’s no need, just tell me why you came here so quickly.”
“Oh yeah! “A guest has arrived!”
“….customer?”
“Yes saint! Of course, the saint’s safety comes first, so the church is turning away most visitors, but he is a very important person in relation to the war… Of course, compared to the saint, he is not as important as a speck of dust…!”
….He was a very crazy brother, but he seemed like a friend who had discernment. They said they were war-related guests, so they let them in.
The smell from outside was definitely coming in through the incense smell of the temple. The smell of blood, mud, grass… and the smell of venom? The smell of animal fur?
.
.
.
.
.
.
uh?
“….who?”
“They didn’t even reveal their names and are trying to bring in unholy goods and are in a confrontation with the Holy Knights-”
Boom-
Scream!
“of course. My respect is only for the people inside here, and I don’t even respect you albinos, so there’s no need to share their names. And I can’t leave behind the gift I worked so hard to get.”
Kwadangtangtang!
“It’s an intruder! “Protect the saint!”
“You can’t even fucking see it…!”
In the blink of an eye, a person appeared and put down a sticky sack.
The Holy Knights who had given up the saint’s residence were running towards me in great anger, but the intruder was facing me with a calm face, as if he didn’t care. The sound of the footsteps of the running Paladins had changed into growls and heavy breathing, the sound of battle. A confrontation between many and many.
“Open the way for the Holy Knights.”
“…Hello, saint!”
“These are the people I know.”
“That umm… Latura.”
The paladins tried to refute something, but the unusually serious look in the saint’s eyes forced them to swallow their words and open the way.
I never thought I’d see him here.
“It’s been a while.”
“Don’t say it’s late. “There was a good reason for that.”
The intruder, exuding a wild scent, faced me, narrowed his eyes, tilted his head, and sniffed. And then, as if he was convinced, he frowned.
“…Same smell. When I saw him before, he looked a little more… sturdy. Don’t you even feed the albino here? “Aren’t you the highest person here?”
“…How did you get here?”
“How did you walk all the way here?”
Whisper –
splat!
“Old cow. My father said he enjoys eating game, so I brought him the best of the ones I caught on my way. Looking at it, I think it was a very well-chosen gift.”
The intruder werewolf lifted the sack he had brought towards the bed and shook his head. Even without opening it, I could tell what was inside. It had a strong smell of mute blood that could be smelled even from here.
A sturdy werewolf with a vivid blue mane on its back.
A being that I only saw once in Haunuman.
Above all, he has as his father someone who knows that I eat mutes.
“…Father talked about you a lot.”
The blue-maned werewolf smoothed his fur, came in front of me, and bowed his head deeply.
“Tushan Dalun, son of Borka Dalun, wishes to return your favor. Please grant permission.”
“Eunhye-ra… I don’t know. Borka received more than I gave him. “What do you say grace for?”
“everything. my life My sister’s life. “For killing the enemy of the clan and saving my father’s life from suffering.”
Tushan. His son, who had used up all his strength in Haunuman, left for the forest with Borka, who was weakened.
He left for the forest to spend the last few years of his life with his family again.
The fact that his son appeared here now…
maybe.
“…Borka.”
“You closed your eyes peacefully in the forest where your mother and your tribe were sleeping, in front of all of us. “No one would agree that my father’s death was peaceful.”
“….okay. It went well. “Good luck.”
….It probably means that Borka and his children have no more time to share.
‘We had enough time to talk, so there’s no need for me to comfort you.’
Instead of comforting my former colleague’s son, I helped him up as he bowed his head.
“Welcome. “I already didn’t have enough hands, but for a warrior like you, every single resource is like a thousand gold.”
“They say a warrior like me is worth a thousand gold… then you should prepare a lot of sacks. Thousands of gold came rolling in in a heap.”
With those words, Tushan pointed out the window with a sharp smile typical of a werewolf.
Each of the hairballs that stood out from the crowd as if they had come into hiding had a bag dripping with blood. He lifted himself up and looked up,
“You saved them all, so you should receive all of their kindness in return.”
From the wild boar beasts that I saw at a glance to the beasts that I only saw leaving behind at a distance.
“….cute cubs.”
“How will you accept it?”
I smiled at Tushan’s torn smile and replied,
“Call me captain. Just like your father did.”
An old, unexpected relationship came back with full force.
****
