The Cult Leader in the Clergy Academy

Chapter 127

"Hey, Holy Name of Charity! We believe in you!" Yu-Hyun shouted as we left the building.

Although I didn't respond, Yu-Hyun continued to vigorously wave his arms above his head.

When I accepted his farewell with a half-hearted nod, Yu-Hyun finally seemed satisfied and turned away. He would now start searching for the missing people with Min-Seo.

Finally, I was alone.

The only thing in the building we were previously in were the teacher's offices, such as the chairman’s office and the principal's office. It was the most secluded place among all the buildings on campus, making it difficult to find for freshmen unaccustomed to the school’s geography.

I looked around, turning my head. No one was in sight. The CCTVs would have already been destroyed or sabotaged by the Satanists. As I mentioned earlier, due to its remote location, this building was a place with very little student traffic. In other words, no one had their eyes on me. I was completely alone.

As soon as I realized this, I felt relieved, and the tension in my body melted away. I took a deep breath. The cool air, tinged with the smell of rain, filled my body. The wind seeped into every part of me, carried by a gentle breeze. Naturally, the wind was kind to me.

"Bade."

After all, this was Bade's wind.

[This is a natural breeze! My wind is stronger and more majestic!]

"There’s no reason to lie. The wind is cool and nice."

[Well, actually, you're right. It is me!]

Bade happily spoke up as I complimented the wind.

[You were sweating, so I thought I'd cool you down.]

"Thank you."

[I did it because I hoped you’d catch a cold. You shouldn’t thank me at all!]

Meanwhile, Bade's wind continued to blow. The wind gently and refreshingly enveloped my skin. My mind felt clouded when I had been in the company of Yu-Hyun and Min-Seo, and now was gradually clearing up. The sky above was dark and gloomy, becoming increasingly hazy. The low-hanging sky looked heavy, and it felt as if a storm could pour down any moment.

[The weather is really nice, isn't it?]

"Yes, it is." I played along with Bade and his fondness for bad weather.

I stretched my hand out and flipped it. My palm, which had been facing the sky, was now facing the ground. The wind current changed. The wind that had been in all directions blowing now gathered around me.

Whoosh!

There was a change in the vigor of the wind. The light, refreshing breeze started to feel heavy. The wind that had been pulling apart into multiple strands now converged into one and circled around me.

I stepped onto the wind and stood suspended mid-air. At first, I had a hard time retaining a firm posture, but once I stabilized my center of gravity with the Blessing of Superhuman Strength, I was able to fly steadily.

[Let's go all the way to Mars!] [1]

"Just take me to that spire over there."

[That’s too bad. The moon is exceptionally beautiful tonight,] Bade said.

The wind was getting stronger. I was barely able to keep my balance and entrusted myself to the wind. The wind carried me, passing by the trees planted throughout F.A. The leaves brushed against my cheeks, and the branches waved, greeting me.

[We have arrived.]

Ssssssh...

The wind brought me to the top of the rooftop of the main building and carefully retreated, rustling branches as it left. The sound of rustling leaves started to fade away. Consequently, Bade's voice also became distant. However, the wind still lingered by my side. From inside the wind, I glanced at the landscape unfolding below the spire.

The remains of the collapsed training center were scattered in a corner of the field. The students who had come out of their classroom wandered around the field, looking lost. They all seemed to be first years.

For some reason, their faces were filled with fear and confusion. Some of the students had dark red bruises on their faces, as if they had been beaten. I wasn't certain, but something unusual seemed to be happening inside the first-grade building, but I couldn't tell what it was exactly.

Standing on top of the spire of the main building, I could see most of the entire school's scenery in one glance. However, given the angle and the situation, the people from below shouldn’t be able to make out if anyone was on top of the spire.

I could see them, but they couldn't see me. This made me feel cozy and comfortable.

Squeeeak–!

At that moment, a loud noise echoed from the speaker right below the apex of the spire. The comforting and cozy feeling that filled my body disappeared and was replaced by a creepy and eerie tension. Along with the squeaking noise from the speaker, an urgent voice began to flow out.

—Attention all students, I am informing all students in the school! Numerous taxidermied creatures have appeared in the first-grade building!

It was the vice principal’s voice.

—Students in the building, please evacuate to another building immediately! Students who are not in that building, please wait for further evacuation orders! I repeat... Ugh!

Thud, crack, thud...

The vice-principal's words were cut off. The sound of the vice-principal being hit repeatedly by someone, followed by the sound of something breaking, came from the speakers.

The fear in the faces of the students wandering in the fields started to increase.

There was a moment of silence, and then some static started to flow from the speakers once more.

—...Ah, ah. There was a mistake. The report of taxidermied creatures appearing was a false alarm. We ask the students in the first-grade building to stay in their seats.

Once again, it was the vice principal’s voice. However, his tone was different. The real vice principal's voice had a sense of urgency and confusion, and although it was just a little bit, it seemed that he had been crying a little as well. However, the voice of the fake taxidermied vice-principal who had taken over the broadcasting room had no emotional fluctuation.

—Also, the Satanists have said that they plan to detonate the hospital in twenty minutes, so we advise students to stay put and not attempt futile rescue efforts as they would just cause further damage. Students should stay in their seats. I repeat, the report of taxidermied creatures appearing...

The taxidermied vice-principal repeated the nonsensical announcement. It was not even worth listening to. All that mattered was the fact that the Satanists had seized the broadcasting room. I wasn’t surprised, since I had somewhat expected the Satanist to prioritize taking control of the broadcasting room above everything else.

The only unexpected thing from the Satanist’s message was the part about detonating the hospital. Why blow up the hospital all of a sudden?

Was it to lure the students?

No, if that were the case, there would be no need to mention the line ‘So we advise students to stay put and not attempt futile rescue efforts as they would just cause further damage.’

Who would believe such an obviously suspicious broadcast in the first place?

"..."

At that moment, I had an epiphany. The Satanist had no intention of luring the students to the hospital. From the start, the students were the least of the Satanist's concerns.

The Satanist was trying to lure me. It seemed like they were scheming to do something while my hands were tied up trying to save the patients in the hospital. However, I had no intention of playing along with the Satanist's intentions.

"Dan Wedo."

[Today... the weather...good...go on...a date!]

Dan Wedo's muttering was more distinct than before, seemingly thanks to the satiating amount of offerings I had made last time.

The sky was still dark and gloomy. As soon as Dan Wedo finished speaking, dark and thick clouds covered the sky. Although the sun peeked through the clouds and emitted light, the clouds quickly filled up that space, fully painting the sky in darkness.

Swaaaa...

It started to rain. I stood in the showers raining down on me. The raindrops were heavy and sharp, but at the same time, they were kind, like Bade’s wind. My school uniform got soaked. All visible landscapes were soaked in the rain, adding to the darkness of the scenery.

I didn't know how the Satanists would bomb the hospital. If they were planning to use taxidermied creatures for an explosion, I wouldn't even be able to stop it.

However, if they had installed bomb-like devices throughout the hospital, Dan Wedo's rain could offset secondary damages from the fires. I didn't know much about bombs, but I had a feeling that would be the case. Since it was unclear whether the Satanist's words about bombing the hospital were true or false, I couldn't rashly go to the hospital.

Above all, there were things I needed to take care of.

"Granbwa."

Granbwa asked with a hoarse voice, [...Was the medicine tasty?]

"No, it was bitter."

[Then you should have given it to me instead.]

"...I will next time."

I replied with a wry smile at Granbwa's blunt words.

[Okay! Doesn't sound like a lie.]

Along with Granbwa's cheerful response, some ivy climbed up from the main building.

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

The leaves made a rustling sound as they brushed against each other. The sound, barely audible due to the loud patter of the rain, gradually crept closer and tickled my ears.

Before I knew it, the ivy had grown up to the rooftop and waved as if it were greeting me. I grasped the ivy with my fingertips, now glowing with a blue hue. My consciousness plummeted to the ground, riding along the vine.

I could hear the sounds of the plants rooted into the soil. My pitch-black view brightened, and the world seen through the eyes of plants unfolded in front of me; sound and sight were divided into numerous strands.

—Are they telling us to evacuate or to stay still?

—Aren’t they telling us to stay still for now? I don't know either...

—Wait, let me make a call... Huh? I can’t get a signal...

I listened carefully to each sound that reached my ears. The taxidermied Jin-Seo I had met earlier had no rosary on her wrist. The taxidermied Ha-Yeon had a scar on her palm. In-Ah and Ha-Yeo’s taxidermied creatures looked real, but the taxidermied Jin-Seo was different from the real one.

The Satanist who pursued perfection in their taxidermy arts knew what In-Ah’s regular clothes looked like, and they also knew about Ha-Yeon's scar. I knew this because these elements had been present in the In-Ah and Ha-Yeon’s taxidermied counterparts. So why hadn't they replicated Jin-Seo's rosary?

Was it that they couldn’t instead of hadn’t?

—Teacher, do we need to evacuate? Or...

—Just a moment, let me call the other teachers...

As far as the Satanists knew, the taxidermied creatures they created were perfect. In other words, they couldn’t realize ‘unknown characteristics.’ That was why the fake Jin-Seo didn’t carry a rosary.

It wasn’t that the Satanists hadn’t replicated Jin-Seo's rosary because they didn’t want to. It was because they couldn’t have replicated it. The reason for this was simple. They didn’t know that Jin-Seo had recently started to carry around the rosary.

On the other hand, there was a scar on the taxidermied Ha-Yeon’s palm. This meant that Satanists knew there was a scar on Ha-Yeon's palm.

—Teacher! We can’t catch a signal!

—Huh? You’re right. Why did the signal suddenly...

The Satanists didn’t know that Jin-Seo had recently started to carry a rosary, but they knew of Ha-Yeon's new scar on her palm. Ha-Yeon was not the type of person to show off her palm scar to the world since she was proud and had a strong ego.

In other words, there was a high probability that the Satanist was among the people whom Ha-Yeon had intentionally or unintentionally shown her scar to. They had met In-Ah this morning, but they hadn’t seen Jin-Seo recently.

No, that person was the Satanist.

First, I had to find Ha-Yeon and ask who knew about her new palm scar. I used Granbwa's power to transfer my consciousness between flowers to trees, and from trees to weeds to find Ha-Yeon.

—They said that a taxidermied creature has shown up. Shouldn't we evacuate?

—They said it was a false alarm. It seems like we should just stay here...

—Huh? What's that? W-What is that?

Shit!

The voices were coming from the first-year building. I couldn’t see Ha-Yeon, nor could I hear her voice. Why did she open her mouth when I wanted it shut, and why did she keep it shut when I needed her to talk? I suppressed my annoyance and tried to find Ha-Yeon.

—What's up over there? Why are those students acting like that?

—Could it be true that a taxidermied creature has appeared...?

—Hey, come on. Don’t say that...

I found her. I was able to locate Ha-Yeon. She was walking along the corridor on the third floor of the first-year building. Ra-Hee was with her.

I maintained Granbwa's power and stirred up the wind using Bade's power.

Thump thump.

The wind came towards me, splashing raindrops. I planned to fly straight to Ha-Yeon with it.

Just then, I heard a sharp, thundering series of screams.

—Aaaahhh!!

—Oof, ughhh!! No, damn it, what is this, Fuck..!

—Quiz! Quiz!

"Ugh...!"

The screams weren’t just from one person. The screams of several female and male students intertwined and struck my ears. They were loud and long enough to make my ears ring. My concentration was broken, and Granbwa's power was cut off. My consciousness that had seeped into the plants returned to my body.

Aaaaaaaaaaaah!

There was no time to catch my breath or calm my startled heart. Just like the screams I heard in the first-year building, another sharp and roaring cry echoed across the field.

In the middle of the field, something of a staggering size was screeching with its heads raised toward the sky.

Kieeeek! Kieeeek─!

It was a demonic beast. It was of an incomparable size to the dog-like demonic beast I had seen in the barn or the bird-like demonic beast I had seen on Eiden Hill. It had three heads and six legs. The six eyes on its heads were red. In the darkness, the red glow of the demonic beast's eyes scanned the faces of the students.

Aaaahhh... Aaaahhh...

The students screamed and ran away. The screams were distant and faint, but the fear and terror embedded within them were vivid.

Thump, thump!

Each time the demonic beast pounded the ground as it chased the students, a heavy sound resonated, giving the illusion of an earthquake. The students’ legs were too thin and slow to escape the monster’s pursuit.

[Look, there’s someone like you,] Legba said.

Amidst everyone scattering and fleeing from the demonic beast, a student was crossing the field, making their way toward it instead with a sword in her right hand. Jin-Seo aimed her crude and blunt sword aimed at the demonic beast and stepped forward with confident strides.

The demonic beast sensed her hostility. Its six red eyes stared at Jin-Seo. Its six legs simultaneously hit the ground, charging forward. Its claws, much larger than an average person, streaked toward her with such ferocity that it seemed her body would be cleaved in half.

Although her sword was also aimed at the demonic beast's neck, it was pitifully small and dull compared to the beast's claws.

I raised my index finger and aimed at the demonic beast's head.

Zzzap!

Without warning, a lightning bolt struck the demonic beast’s central head.

The claws that had been charging toward Jin-Seo trembled and sank to the ground. She looked at the demonic beast with surprise, but then quickly regained her composure and glanced around.

Kyaek, kieeek...!

However, it was not a time to let her guard down. The demonic beast was not dead yet. As large as it was and with many heads, the demonic beast's body was tough and sturdy.

Sobo exclaimed as he belatedly appeared along with the lightning strike, [I don’t believe it! It endured my lightning strike! That demonic beast is a true warrior!]

Rumble—!

The winds picked up, and thunder roared. Suddenly, a storm had enveloped the school.

I raised my finger and aimed at the right head of the demonic beast.

[Lightning doesn't strike the same place twice!] Sobo said, despite the tense situation at hand.

"What do you mean lightning doesn—!"

Crack!

Contrary to Sobo's words, lightning struck the same place twice, completely incinerating the demonic beast. The thunderous sound caused by the lightning cut my words short.

Suddenly, raindrops from Dan Wedo fell onto the now-turned-to-ashes body of the demonic beast. The body dissolved into the rain, staining the field black.

"...But it just did."

[My capricious lightning sometimes strikes twice. Haha!]

Rumble!

The thunder echoed in response to Sobo's words. The dark clouds collided and emitted light. The light intertwined with the dark clouds, honing into something sharp and jagged.

Boom!

The light illuminated the remains of the dissolved demonic beast. A lightning bolt split through the sky and the beast's abdomen. The exposed organs of the demonic beast emitted a black and sinister-looking smoke.

The smoke didn't rise to the sky but settled on the ground, enveloping the students' bodies.

[It even strikes three times! Impressive, isn't it?]

"...Yes, impressive indeed."

I replied appropriately to Sobo's words and glanced toward the first-year building where Ha-Yeon was.

1. The original text is ??? ???? ??! The literal translation is, “Let’s go to Mars.” This is a Korean meme of Elon Musk and DogeCoin. There was a cryptocurrency called DogeCoin that Elon once mentioned in an interview. After he did so, the price of the coin skyrocketed, like it was blasting off to Mars. Ever since, the term ‘??????!’ has been used when something that someone one is suddenly increasing in value. ?