Chapter 120
'What? What's this?'
Dong Pao was greatly confused.
The road from Rolling to the Vatican was originally very peaceful. The paladins regularly scouted, so it was difficult to find thieves, monsters and beasts. It could be called one of the few safe zones on the continent.
However, today the monsters popped out without any hesitation. Just like water pouring from a collapsed dam, the monsters swooped down and attacked Grid and Dong Pao.
"Pant… Pant… There are so many monsters in the vicinity…"
Thanks to that, Dong Pao was exhausted.
It had been less than a hour since they left Rolling, and they had already fought over 100 monsters without a break. His mana had been depleted a few times, making him drink mana potions. Now his stamina was going to be depleted.
"Pant pant! Strange! Really strange! I've used this road several hundred times, but it is the first time I've seen this! Pant pant!" Dong Pao couldn't accept the current situation. He struggled to use Heal on Grid, who was killing the lizardmen surrounding them. “Why are there so many monsters here… Strange!"
They needed to move 15km more to reach the point he was supposed to lure Grid. But monsters kept showing up, so it seemed like the two people would lose their lives before even reaching the target. How many people met and died from monsters in the safety zones? Perhaps he would be the first. How unfair and embarrassing was this?
Dong Pao despaired.
Then the source of this incident, Grid furtively took off his cloak.
'I currently have a healing shuttle… Unfortunately, it's time for a break.'
[Malacus' Cloak has been unequipped.]
Malacus' Cloak gave off a bloody scent that attracted all types of monsters hiding in the vicinity. As soon as Grid put the cloak into the inventory, no more monsters appeared. But Dong Pao was too busy to observe Grid properly, so he didn't realize that Grid was the source.
Grid dealt with the remaining monsters.
Kiyaaaaak!
[You have defeated a giant salamander.]
[Party leader 'Grid' has acquired the salamander's gallbladder.]
[Party leader 'Grid' has acquired the rare pearl.]
[203,000 experience has been acquired.]
[You have defeated an iran clan lizardman.]
[Party leader 'Grid' has acquired the Usable Scimitar.]
[Party leader 'Grid' has acquired a sapphire.]
[255,000 experience has been acquired.]
Dran Valley, where crystal clear water flowed!
The monsters here were much stronger than the monsters of Suaz Mountains. They had a minimum level of 190 and higher, so even Grid struggled if there were more than seven monsters. However, he had Dong Pao's healing, so he could successfully hunt them.
‘The Heal of a level 160 priest is truly tremendous. Kukuk, I can wait to go to the Vatican as long as I have this heal shuttle.'
Grid was delighted because he gained a tremendous amount of experience, despite being in a party with Dong Pao. However, he made a disgruntled facial expression and groaned. "Phew, I thought I was going to die. This is the first time I've seen so many monsters. Was this area originally like this?"
Dong Pao shook his head at Grid's words. "I don't know what's going on. Originally, this is a place where monsters rarely pop up… I didn't even know that there were so many monsters here. I have goosebumps… Sigh…"
Dong Pao peeked at the dagger held in Grid's hands while he was lamenting.
‘There is a deep blue aura like sea around that dagger… It's a weapon enhanced to at least +8. Huge.'
It was after he joined the party with Grid. He originally thought that Grid managed to come to Rolling alone, despite being only level 147, was purely because of luck.
Now that they'd fought together, he realized that Grid was really strong compared to his level. The reason Grid was able to cross the Suaz Mountains wasn't because of luck, but because of strength.
'The secret of his strength is that +8 dagger… A dagger might be weak in attack power compared to a one-handed sword or blunt weapon, but… A dagger enhanced to this extent can deal more damage than a blunt weapon.'
A dagger had a fast attack speed, but weak attack power. However, Grid's dagger had both excellent attack speed and attack power.
'He must be quite rich if he is carrying that weapon. Okay, I can get more profit than I thought. If I can take this dagger…!'
'This is enough rest.' As Dong Pao was smiling nastily, Grid put on Malacus' Cloak. He got up from his seat and urged Dong Pao. "It is time to move. We don't want to be too late."
"Yes… But before that…"
Dong Pao stared at Grid with sharp eyes. Grid thought Dong Pao noticed Malacus' Cloak and gulped. Then Dong Pao said to him. “Item distribution… Can you change it to sequential distribution instead of party leader distribution? Brother, let's be fair."
“…Just keep it as party leader distribution for now. With sequential distribution, the expensive items might be given to only one person and that isn't fair. We'll split the proceeds in half once we arrive at the destination, so don't worry."
"No, but…"
Grid's destination was the Vatican. But Dong Pao's planned destination was a place where Grid would die before he arrived at the Vatican. If the item distribution method wasn't changed now, Dong Pao wouldn't receive the items. So he wanted to change it to sequential distribution.
But Grid was stubborn. Ho was already walking.
'Damn bastard!' Dong Pao cursed to himself. Then he tried to think positively. ‘Yes, I will get a lot of money from him.'
Dong Pao smiled as he watched the quickly walking Grid. He thought that Grid's urgent demand was funny. But the smile on Dong Pao's face quickly disappeared. Had it been five minutes since they started walking again? New monsters appeared like a cloud and Dong Pao went crazy.
“What the hell is this? Why do these monsters keep constantly appearing?"
“Didn't you do hard quests as part of the Rebecca Church? Perhaps this is a trial from Goddess Rebecca?"
Grid was using method acting. He was good at pretending that he wasn't the source attracting the monsters. As a result, Dong Pao didn't suspect Grid at all.
"No! I've never heard of a trial that involved hunting monsters! And a quest window didn't pop up…!"
"Hrmm… Please support me while I'm taking care of them. Thank you."
“Yes…”
Dong Pao was depressed at the thought of consuming so many expensive mana potions. On the other hand, Grid was rejoicing.
'I have a free heal shuttle so I should use it as much as possible!'
That's right. Grid had been aiming for this since he got a party with a healer for free. Until they arrived at the Vatican, he was going to rely on Dong Pao's healing for infinite hunting. Dong Pao was aiming for Grid's life while Grid was aiming to use him.
The two men continued the repeated hunting and…
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
"Yes!"
"Ohh! I also levelled up…!"
Just 12 hours after leaving Rolling! Grid gained three levels while Dong Pao gained one level.
It was surprising for Dong Pao. They were hunting high level monsters with only two people, so their level rose quickly. It was better than hunting with a few high level parties. Like Grid, he wanted to stay in this place for a while to hunt. If he could do that, he could challenge becoming a ranker. But he was soon reminded of his original goals.
'Money is more important than levelling.'
Crime Forest.
Originally, they should've arrived here 3 hours after leaving Rolling. But it took them 12 hours. Dong Pao wondered if the assassins were tired and resentful from waiting. He felt anxious and urged Grid.
“Brother, let's take a break in that cave over there."
Grid turned his head in Dong Pao's direction and was able to discover the entrance to a cave. Then he said with a reluctant look.
“Do we need to rest? Shouldn't we go straight to the Vatican with this momentum?"
Dong Pao tried to convince him, "Unlike Brother, my stamina has reached its limit several times. I need sufficient rest. My mana regeneration is too slow right now… It is to the point that I can only use Heal a few times."
"It can't be helped."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Grid received Dong Pao's guidance and entered the cave. Then a notification window flashed.
[The Vampire Countess Marie Rose is sealed in this space.]
[Marie Rose's evil influence makes your magic power turbid. All types of spells and skills aren't available.]
[You have resisted.]
"…?"
Grid was bewildered.
"Is this a raid room? Vampire countess? The vampire barons are fearful enough, yet this is a vampire countess? Are we going to have our blood sucked and die here? Why are we resting in this dangerous space…?"
Dong Pao shook his head.
“Don’t worry. Marie Rose has been sleeping for hundreds of years since she was sealed by two of Rebecca's Daughters… She never wakes up. It isn't Marie Rose you should be worrying about right now."
"…?!"
Grid was startled.
At the end of Dong Pao's words, three shadows appeared from the darkness. They were assassins who were with Dong Pao. They blocked the entrance of the cave so that Grid couldn't escape, and glared at Dong Pao.
"Why are you so late?"
Dong Pao explained, “Strangely, monsters kept showing up. We were forced to slow down while handling them."
The 13th ranked assassin, Sniffer didn't believe it.
“Monsters? If you want to lie, do it properly. Isn't it hard to find one wolf in the area, let alone monsters? This is why I hate the Chinese. You bluff every time you open your mouth!"
"It isn't a lie. If you don’t believe me, check it out yourself later."
"Okay. I understand, so stop." The 11th ranked Kerb didn't want to waste any more time. He calmed down the situation and aimed two daggers at Grid. "Hey. If you don't want to die and lose experience, give us your money. Then we'll spare your life."
Assassins were specialized in assassination.
Their class change quest was assassination, and they received additional rewards depending on how many people were assassinated. The assassins steadily performed assassinations and gained a lot of experience fighting people.
Assassins were able to show off their unique presence in this place where all types of skills were suppressed due to Marie Rose. They also had numerical superiority, so Kerb didn't doubt that they could handle Grid.
On the other hand, Grid grasped the situation and asked Dong Pao.
"Dong Pao, don't priests of the Rebecca Church have to obey the laws? Isn't it against their doctrines to harm the lives of travellers for money? This act of betraying Goddess Rebecca, doesn't it have fatal consequences to you as a priest?"
Dong Pao shook his head. "A lot of people are confused. They think that Rebecca priests must always follow the laws and doctrines to keep their position. But the reality was different. We have to only obey the law during the quest period. It doesn't matter what wrongdoings I do if it isn't discovered by the church."
Grid didn't understand.
"Isn't your divine power stat strengthened by following the laws and doctrines? Rather than acting for immediate profits, isn't it better in the long run to follow the laws and raise your divine power?"
To Dong Pao, Grid seemed desperate to live. He felt very sympathetic towards the pathetic persuasion.
“Brother, have you forgotten what I said earlier? We have something called prayer. Divine power can be raised through praying, so I don't need to worry about following the laws. I don't deny Goddess Rebecca, despite committing evil. I deeply believe in, admire and love the goddess in my heart. My loyalty to the goddess is so deep that even now, my divine power is rising slowly and steadily.
“…”
“It is still unknown to the outside, but the Rebecca Pope is a very depraved person. The pope often breaks the laws and doctrines of the church. But his divine power is enough to transcend common sense. His belief in Goddess Rebecca is absolute."
“That's just a contradiction." The 7th assassin Shay came forward. He thought that the Rebecca Church was very silly. “The Yatan Church is the one that stands for pure evil. They believe that evil is the right way. But the people from the Rebecca Church commit atrocities, even though they realize they have to do good deeds. The front and back are different, so they are far sneakier and more dangerous than the Yatan Church. Well, it has nothing to do with us… Give us your money."
Grid examined Shay's body.
'He is armed with top-notch items. At least level 200…'
The Legendary Blackmsith's Discernment skill allowed him to gauge the level of the items that Shay was wearing. Thanks to that, Grid could see that Shay wasn't an ordinary opponent.
'Rankers. The other two people are even higher than Dong Pao.’
But.
‘… They are boring compared to Faker.'
Grid was in the same guild as the 1st ranked assassin, Faker.. He had witnessed Faker's skills several times. Therefore, he didn't feel afraid in front of these people.
"You guys, you have picked the wrong prey to hunt."
Grid armed himself with two items that had been in his inventory the entire time he was with Dong Pao.
[Dainsleif (Reproduction) has been equipped.]
[Frostlight Orc Chief's Helmet has been equipped.]
"…This guy?"
Dong Pao and the assassins were astonished when they saw Grid pull out a black greatsword and a bizarre skull helmet. Wasn't he the famous slaughterer who wiped out the Giant Guild not long ago? They didn't expect it at all.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 121
"You brought a big shot here?"
Shay rebuked Dong Pao.
It was true that the higher level the target, the higher the ransom value. However, there was a line. An opponent that was too strong wasn't welcomed, because there was a possibility that their threats wouldn't work and the situation would reverse.
Dong Pao thought it was unfair. "The butcher's face and ID weren't revealed. How could I know that he would be the butcher?"
The person he met purely by chance and selected to be the target of a crime was actually the infamous Psychopath Butcher! Dong Pao felt a chill at the thought of accompanying him for half a day without knowing it.
'He is a very cruel and violent person based on the video… I was lucky he didn't sink a knife into my back while hunting.'
'What weak behavior.'
Shay shook his head as the scared and panicked Dong Pao. He pulled out a weapon that was around 80cm in length and rotated it with a swaggering attitude.
“Since we are already here, shall I measure how good the famous Psychopath Butcher is?"
In the end, he didn't back down from a fight.
Dong Pao made a fuss.
"H-Hey, Shay! Didn't you see his battle video? Are you ignoring the power of his wide area skills? He must certainly have a hidden class, so wouldn't it be better to retreat than fight? Isn't it better to settle this peacefully?"
"Peacefully? So a person who killed a lot of people in order to earn money wants peace?" Shay ridiculed before explaining the situation. "As you say, he has a powerful skill. I would've avoided him if I encountered him in a normal place. However, this cave seals all types of skills. There is a good chance we can win with that guy's strength sealed."
Shay was almost certain that he could win. Then he started the assault towards Grid.
Sakak!
The sword flashed in the darkness, while the black greatsword stood against it.
Chaaeng!
When the two swords hit each other, the dark cave brightened for a moment, as if sparks had been lit. At that moment, the terrible appearance of the skull helmet was clearly revealed. Shay remarked, “If you were a regular person, I would wonder how you could wear such a terrible looking helmet. But it is pointless to understand the psychology of psychopaths."
Grid shouted angrily. “Do you think I like wearing this helmet? I don't have a choice due to its performance! Fuck! Don't call me a psychopath!"
Chaaeng! Chaaeng!
Kerb and Sniffer admired the continuous exchange between the two.
“That bastard, he is quickly reacting to all of Shay's attacks."
Assassins had high agility, so their swiftness was outstanding among all classes. Shay was the 7th strongest assassin. When thinking about Satisfy as a whole, there were few who could respond to Shay's attack speed.
Grid was armed with a slow greatsword but he managed to block all of Shay's attacks. Dong Pao’s mouth dropped open, "Is he skilled in combat, or is he predicting the trajectory of the attacks using Shay's movements?"
Kerb shook his head, “No, he doesn't have such skill. He is simply fast."
“What?”
Sniffer clicked his tongue at Dong Pao. “Do the Chinese have something covering their eyes? Get rid of it and look properly. The speed with which Grid is wielding his greatsword is comparable to Shay's attack speed."
Dong Pao couldn't believe it. Grid's greatsword was 3m long and weighed more than 20kg. On the other hand, Shay's sword was less than 1m in length and was light. When taking into account length and weight, wouldn't Shay have the advantage? Was it possible?
Kerb explained. “It means that Grid's strength and agility is high enough to exceed our imaginations. Skills aren't a problem. That person is a monster with stats."
Chaaeng!
"Kuk!"
After exchanging dozens of blows, Shay was forced to step back first.
'It feels like hitting a rock every time I hit the greatsword.'
His right arm was cramping up. Shay could no longer withstand Grid's overwhelming attack power.
"Grid… Your name isn't within the top 3,000 list, but you are much stronger than me. Even if you are a hidden class, isn't it too much to surpass the concept of level? Honestly, I think there's a problem with balance.”
Grid snorted. “Have you ever met a hidden class? Then you don't know. In order to obtain a hidden class, constant effort and good luck is needed. Well, you might become a hidden class after 100 years of buying lottery tickets?"
"Unlucky bastard."
Shay signalled to his colleagues. Then both of them moved in a flash, appearing on either side of Grid.
“First of all, I'll make you bleed! Then you will pay with your lives!"
Papapat!
Sniffer had yearned for a fight and threw three darts while shouting. On the other hand, Kerb remained silent as he aimed two daggers.
“What will you do?"
For Grid who accumulated a lot of combat experience, the thrown weapons were simple. He spun and hit all weapons flying from both sides. In the process, Grid sensed the unusual weight of the darts that Sniffer threw.
‘Is he specialized in throwing techniques?'
The same assassins might have different characteristics. Some were specialized in stealth, others in swiftness, some in trap and another in throwing weapons. In a one-against-many situation, Sniffer was able to play the role of a sniper, so Grid decided that Sniffer was the most annoying. At the same time, a flash of black sword was fired.
“Aigoo!"
Sniffer leaned back and narrowly avoided the attack, then threw new darts from that dangerous posture. As Grid was paying attention to Sniffer, Kerb approached from the rear and swung his two daggers. Then Shay moved up the walls towards the ceiling and dropped towards Grid from the top.
It was a pincer attack with perfect timing.
'Victory!'
Shay, Kerb and Sniffer were convinced of their victory. But Grid was beyond their common sense.
Chaaeng! Chaaeng!
"…?!"
It was truly absurd. A golden disc suddenly appeared and blocked all of Sniffer's darts. Then it flew and blocked Shay's weapon. Another golden disc was competing with Kerb's daggers.
"What is this?"
What were these discs that flew and interfered with their attacks? The assassins were stunned. Grid started a sword dance while the three people were off guard.
"Pagma's Swordsmanship, Wave!"
Peeeeeong!
Black sword waves spread all over the place. Turmoil appeared in the cave as the assassins flew all over the place without even screaming.
"Cough, cough! Ugh! How…? How can you use a skill in this place?"
Assassins had passive skills that allowed them to avoid all sorts of attacks with a certain probability. But this cave even sealed passive skills. It was unbelievable that Grid managed to use a skill in this place.
“Aren't there many stars in the world?"
Grid spoke as he approached the three people. The three of them were frightened and tried to resist.
"Ugh! Shit! Crazy!"
Shay's movements were noticeably slow. It was due to the debuff after being hit with Wave.
Chaaeng! Chaaeng!
Grid yawned as he blocked Shay's attacks, like it was boring.
“Damn you!"
It was the moment that someone within the top 1,000 rankings was shamed!
“Ohhhhhh!”
Suuk.
Grid lightly avoided Shay's attacks. Then Kerb was split in half by Dainsleif as he tried to approach from the rear.
“You monster!"
Sniffer couldn't laugh anymore as he threw all the darts in his possession. But the dozens of darts were blocked by just two golden discs. They failed to even hit Grid's cloak.
“Indeed, you guys can't even catch up with Faker's toes."
Sukakak!
A strike fell from the sky and struck Shay and Sniffer simultaneously. Grid watched them turn into a grey light and once again realized how strong Faker was. Then he turned towards Dong Pao.
"T-This…"
Complete devastation. Grid fired a single skill and killed three top assassins in an instant.
'How…?'
Dong Pao once again checked Grid's level, since they were still in a party. 150. Grid had been level 147 the first time they met and he gained three levels on the way here to reach 150. Yes, a mere level 150 managed to beat the level 200 Shay and the level 180 Kerb and Sniffer.
'Is this a hidden class…?'
It was his turn next. Dong Pao had tried to take money and kill Grid.
"H-Hik…!"
No one wouldn't want their experience to drop. Experience wasn't the only problem. In the worst case, a user would drop items when dying. Dong Pao wanted to avoid death, even if he needed to kiss Grid's feet.
"S-Spare me! Brother!"
Dong Pao bowed. Grid approached him and squatted, "How many people in this place have begged you with the same emotions you are feeling now?"
“…”
Dong Pao had never counted. Looking back now, he was able to realize the great despair that the people who had been harmed by him felt.
"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I'm a bastard! Brother! I won't bargain over the lives of others again! I will never commit evil again, so please spare me!"
"What? It has nothing to do with me if you do this to anyone else."
“B-But didn't you just talk about how many people I hurt here?"
"I was just wondering… I am thankful for your earlier support. I was going to distribute the items obtained from hunting with you, but now you have lost that right. Yes?"
Dong Pao nodded. "That's right! Your words are correct! I am the trash who tried to deceive you in order to take your life and money! It doesn't make any sense for you to distribute the items to me! Of course Brother should keep the items. So please just spare my life…!"
Dong Pao begged for his life until the last moment. But he couldn't escape death.
Puok!
"K-Keok!"
Dong Pao's face lost a large amount of blood at once and he quickly became like a mummy. Grid wasn't the one who killed him.
“Don't tell me, you…"
Grid braced himself. An unidentified woman appeared behind Dong Pao and sucked his blood like a vampire.
"Nice to meet you."
The woman smiled through a blood-soaked mouth. As soon as Grid saw her red eyes, many notification windows appeared in front of him.
[You have encountered Vampire Countess Marie Rose.]
[Marie Rose's evil influence makes your magic power turbid. All types of spells and skills aren't available.]
[You have resisted.]
[A vampire's gaze will subdue lower species. You will lost your willpower and control over your body.]
[You have resisted.]
[Marie Rose’s attraction is absolute. Her charm is so high there is even high odds of both genders being attracted.]
[You have resisted.]
Grid maintained as large a distance from Marie Rose as possible. Then he carefully opened his mouth.
"Why did you suddenly wake up for hundreds of years when your seal isn't released? Were we being too loud?"
Marie Rose pointed to Malacus' Cloak.
"There is the blood of thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people soaked into the cloak you are wearing. Isn't that enough stimulation to wake me up?”
Malacus, a priest of the Yatan Church, had killed countless virgins for decades. The blood of the virgins completely covered the cloak and was a great stimulus to vampires.
"But you, aren't you quite unusual? You don't have strong divine powers like Rebecca's Daughters, nor do you have strong magic power like Braham, but my gaze and presence have no effect on you… How strange."
Marie Rose appeared to be in her early 20's. Jishuka had a glamorous beauty and Yura had a neat beauty, but Marie Rose's beauty transcended them. Her beauty was so unrealistic that it seemed like an illusion.
It was so perfect that Grid didn't feel any attraction towards her. He wasn't bewitched at all and could stay calm.
"Isn't this strangeness interesting? Are you interested enough to keep me alive? I woke you up from your seal, so please do me this favor."
Marie Rose caused the worst conditions, such as sealing of skills and controlling the body. If she had a strong wide area skill, she would be invincible. From 1st to 200th on the rankings, the top rankers wouldn't be able to defeat her even if they ran all at once. It was natural for Grid to feel fear. Marie Rose didn't dislike this.
"Cute. Huhut… Let's meet again one day."
Saaah!
Marie Rose's beautiful body instantly turned into black powder and was blown away in the wind. After that, Grid was concerned that Marie Rose would come back and took off his cloak. Then he stopped as he was about to go straight to the Vatican. He found several items on the ground.
“This is another good fortune!"
The assassins and Dong Pao dropped items after dying. Grid quickly forgot about the fear that Marie Rose caused as he smiled and picked up the items.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 122
“Rin, shouldn't you be faithful to me and Goddess Rebecca, as well as serve as a role model to the believers?"
The Vatican. Dozens of senior paladins and priests watched as one of Rebecca's Daughters, Rin was questioned.
She declared, "This is a misunderstanding. My loyalty to Goddess Rebecca and Your Holiness is eternal. I will never betray Your Holiness."
“If you are loyal, why haven't you responded to my calls? Shouldn't you obey my commands in any circumstances?"
Last January.
Drevigo rose to the seat of 13th pope after defeating the other candidates, and revealed himself as soon as he seized power. Almost two years after he became a pope, he broke the laws to fill his own self-interests and defiled the honor of Goddess Rebecca.
The high priests were remorseful and tried to correct their mistake, but they weren't successful. Those who made any comments were demoted to temples in remote areas. Only those who didn't care and became corrupt with the pope remained at the Vatican.
Reform was needed.
Finally, September of this year. The high-ranking clergymen rebelled in order to remove Drevigo from the pope's seat. But Drevigo had Rebecca's Daughters. They were absolutely loyal to the pope and the rebellion failed before their strength. After that, Drevigo was able to consolidate his position even more.
The priests lamented. Three of the strongest paladins fostered to guard the church were now protecting the worst pope. As long as Rebecca's Daughters existed, the pope would remain alive until the end and the Rebecca Church would rot.
But now. Due to Drevigo's endless desires, even Rebecca's Daughters could feel the change. Those who had been taught to be absolutely loyal to the pope from a young age were trying to escape their brainwashing.
"I… I felt confused because Your Holiness didn't fulfill your duties as a pope. I prayed to Goddess Rebecca to see if I should submit to your commands and to ask for answers."
Rin was strong but she was pure, like a little girl. The pope ridiculed her for answering so honestly.
"You wondered if you should submit to my commands?"
"…Yes."
"Why are you so simple?" The pope's eyes widened as he shouted. “I am the agent of Goddess Rebecca! It is your duty to believe and follow me. Are you trying to use prayer as an excuse? Rin! You are a dangerous child! You are no longer my daughter! I will reclaim Ikael's Sword!"
At that moment, a quest notification window appeared in front of Damian, who was standing next to the high-ranking paladin and priest NPCs.
[Pope's Decision]
Difficulty Level: SS
Rebecca’s Daughters are the absolute weapons of the Rebecca Church. Their armed strength is reliable, but they can be dangerous if they aren't under perfect control. The pope is worried about the worst and eventually gave a command.
Kill Rebecca's Daughter, Rin. Killing her won't deal a direct hit to the church. As long as Ikael's Sword exists, an endless number of substitutes can replace her.
Quest Clear Conditions: Rin's death.
Clear Reward: Abilities awakening.
* You can exert the true abilities of a paladin of the Rebecca Church.
Quest Failure: Level -4. Divine Power will decrease by 10,000.
[Would you like to accept the quest?]
There were three types of paladins in Satisfy.
The most popular type of paladins were those belonging to the Judar Church.
They specialized in a wide range of buff skills and had excellent defense. They were in charge of the party buffs, and were active in party hunting and raised because they were able to serve as the main tanker. They were considered as the most popular class after the Rebecca priests.
Then there were the paladins of the Dominion Church.
They specialized in personal buff skills and had high attack power. They weren't popular with large scale parties and raids, but they were popular in small party hunting. In addition, their single combat ability was the best among the paladins.
The last were paladins of the Rebecca Church.
They were the only paladins who could use Heal. But they didn't have buff skills. However, their amount of healing wasn't high, so they weren't popular in party hunting or raids. It was a class that was only grudgingly accepted when a priest couldn't be found. They had no buff skills and their combat ability was the weakest among the paladins.
They were much harder to find than paladins of other churches, and weren't popular. It was rare to find a user who was a paladin of the Rebecca Church.
But wasn't it strange? Rebecca's Daughters were paladins, and not only that, they were the strongest among all NPC paladins. Thanks to their presence, Damian speculated that a Rebecca paladin would become stronger if they broke through a certain point.
If he reached his second advancement, wouldn't he become stronger than paladins of other churches? He thought for a bit before choosing to become a paladin of the Rebecca Church. However, he reached level 200 after much difficulty and didn't find anything special. The paladins of the other churches were still better than paladins of the Rebecca Church.
Damian felt extreme disappointment and skepticism. But right now.
'Abilities awakening…!'
It was the reward of his first SS-grade quest after playing Satisfy for over a year. If this quest was cleared and his abilities awakened, Damian was obviously going to become stronger as he originally anticipated. Damian had been waiting for this moment since he became a paladin of the Rebecca Church.
He made a decision.
"…I reject."
[If you refuse the quest, the pope will view you as a traitor. Do you still want to reject?]
“…”
He was a paladin of the Rebecca Church. Damian had struggled to raise his level and divine power. Everyone laughed and called Rebecca's paladins garbage, but Damian didn't stop dreaming of the day his abilities would awaken.
Then a month ago, he became 2nd on the paladin rankings. As a result of the effort that other people couldn't imagine, he was finally faced with the moment his abilities would awaken. So why was he refusing the quest?
“How can I aim a sword at Rin-chan?"
It was due to his virtuous heart. Damian had been watching Rebecca's Daughters for a long time, and was attracted by their beauty and charm. He ran a blog on the Internet praising Rebecca's Daughters.
“Don't underestimate my virtue…! I refuse the quest!"
[The quest was refused.]
[An angry Pope Drevigo has pointed you out as a traitor.]
"Disgraceful person! What are you doing? Get rid of him and Rin!"
Chaaeng!
Dozens of senior paladins simultaneously armed themselves. They rushed towards Rin and Damian after receiving the pope's command.
“Ah…!”
Rin was confused. She had been branded as a traitor after a lifetime of loyalty, so she had no idea what to do. Damian ran to her side and reassured her, “Rin-chan, it will be okay. I will protect you."
Excluding the time he spent playing Satisfy, Damian spent all his time managing his blog and watching Japanese anime. Now he had an opportunity to defend the heroine, just like the protagonists of the animes he watched.
Rin was tearful as she looked at his back.
"Damian… I'm not alone?"
Damian glanced at her and replied. "Yes. I am beside Rin-chan. And Goddess Rebecca will surely protect us."
At that moment, a new quest window emerged in front of Damian.
[Goddess' Divine Punishment]
Difficulty: Class change quest.
Your choice to reject the corrupt pope's command wasn't wrong. Goddess Rebecca has blessed you.
As an agent of Goddess Rebecca, punish the corrupt pope!
Quest Progress Reward: Abilities awakening.
Quest Clear Conditions: Pope Drevigo's death.
Quest Clear Reward: The hidden class 'Goddess' Agent.'
Quest Failure: Level -20. You will lose your current class. The complete corruption of the Rebecca Church.
* The hidden class change quest has the power to transform Satisfy's world, according to the result. Please be careful.
[Goddess Rebecca has blessed you for following her teachings faithfully.]
[Due to this, your suppressed powers have been awakened.]
[All stats have increased by 100.]
[The skill 'Light's Blessing' has been generated.]
[The skill 'Heart's Desire' has been generated.]
Kkuok!
Damian gripped his sword tightly.
Duguen! Duguen!
His heart was thudding. His blood was boiling. It was the first time in 32 years that his adrenaline rose like this.
'I chose this.'
Reality was different from manhwa. The main characters in manhwa were rewarded for their effort, but reality was grim. It was a world that was only beneficial to those who studied or had money.
In reality, Damian couldn't be a protagonist. But Satisfy was another reality, and his efforts and choices were repaid, giving him a chance to become a hero.
"Drevigo! As an agent of Goddess Rebecca, I will deal out divine punishment! Light’s Blessing!"
[You and your party's defense, attack power and accuracy will increase by 80% for 3 minutes.]
“Ohhhhhh!”
Damian was surrounded by a golden light as he broke through the paladins and reached Drevigo. Drevigo reached out. “You dare to act as an agent of the goddess in front of me. Do you believe that you can receive a divine message?"
Kwaang!
Drevigo's belief in Goddess Rebecca was real. His overwhelming divine power was comparable to Rebecca's Daughters. The power of light fired from his fingertip easily penetrated Damian's chest.
"Cough..!"
[You have lost 41% of your health from a single blow.]
[You can't regain your mental state.]
What was this result? His vision was going crazy. His body couldn't move the way he wanted.
'Indeed, I… I'm not a protagonist.'
Damian fell into a stunned state and was unprotected. The moment the pope was about to launch another attack at him and all his efforts were in vain…
"How funny… I came here to meet the pope, so why is there a quest to destroy the pope?"
The doors of the huge room opened without permission and an outsider entered. It was a man wearing a scruffy cloak and a bizarre skull helmet.
"Who is it now?"
"A protagonist? I see."
Papapat!
After examining the situation, Grid threw three darts at the pope standing at the end of a long red carpet.
“Block it!"
The paladins used their shields to block the darts. But the moment the darts hit the shields, an explosion occurred and smoke emerged. Grid used that gap to rescue Damian and Rin from the enemy.
Then he suggested to Damian, whose eyes were wide at the suddenly revealed savior, "Invite me into the party. Instead, can I have all the items that the pope drops? I think that is sufficient for saving your life."
“…”
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.