The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 131

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 131

 

Glittering tentacles writhed violently in the void. It was anger and longing.

 

Meanwhile, Sernuan stood frozen in bewilderment, and not only the tentacles but also the enormous eye that appeared in the void was filled with rage.

 

Sernuan might not know, but there was no telling how the God of darkness would react.

 

I quickly continued speaking.

 

“God of darkness, I understand your pain. Being unable to gain faith and losing power through being forgotten must be unbearable for a deity.”

 

I spoke resolutely.

 

Here, what mattered more than choosing each word carefully was what kind of will I spoke with.

 

Speaking with honeyed words wouldn’t be of much help.

 

Such things wouldn’t work here. This was a very honest place of contracts where even the past and inner thoughts were laid completely bare.

 

“Lumensia wants you to suffer eternally in oblivion and become fuel to maintain his light. Only my contract can free you from your current predicament. What will you do?”

 

[Contract… positive evaluation.]

 

“Right. Besides the witness contract, will you also make another contract with me?”

 

[Positive consideration.]

 

The God of darkness accepted readily. It was natural if you thought about it.

 

If you’re locked in a small room on the verge of starvation and someone offers you a piece of bread while promising to get you out of that room soon, you’d accept even if it were a scam.

 

Of course, he had the power to kill that scammer, but if he killed the scammer too, he would either starve to death or be killed by someone else targeting him.

 

“Now, Sernuan. What will you do?”

 

“I, I…”

 

[Proceed with… the contract…]

 

“I don’t know what Lord Lumiere is thinking. I don’t know what kind of plan this is either.”

 

I need to think about it from now on too. Since I just blurted it out without any plan.

 

As if reading my thoughts, he gave a deflated laugh.

 

“If this contract is concluded, Lord Lumiere will have to fulfill the contract… If you don’t, you might not be able to return to your original world and could truly perish. In that process, I would also be affected and both my ego and my existence would disappear from the world unrecognized.”

 

It’s do or die anyway. There’s no path other than making it succeed.

 

“Even so, I… will try making a slightly selfish choice for once.”

 

Sernuan smiled sadly.

 

It was the most selfish choice of someone who had been used and made altruistic choices their entire life.

 

[The contract between each other… has been concluded…]

 

As the witness declared, I felt my heart being squeezed.

 

[Conclude the… main contract with me…]

 

Now, it was time for the main contract with the God of darkness.

 

I steeled myself and spoke.

 

“Please become my constellation. And let me borrow power through your veil.”

 

Through the ‘witness contract’ with the God of darkness just now, I agreed to get the God of darkness out of this space. The God of darkness agreed to protect Sernuan.

 

“In exchange for that contract, I will…”

 

Proposing new contract conditions wasn’t too difficult.

 

“I will eliminate Lumensia and help you overcome the unreasonable situation you’re currently in. And I will help ensure you are not forgotten.”

 

Not only will I help you get out, but I’ll also help you kill Lumensia together and strengthen your power!

 

It was simple content.

 

We confirmed each other’s will in this space. He was desperate, and I had no intention of betraying him.

 

There wasn’t even anything to consider betraying in the first place.

 

Lumensia must be killed. And that was the same for the God of darkness.

 

[Contract established… token…]

 

I felt my eyes burning hot. Sernuan spoke to me as he became blurry.

 

“Then when we meet next time, Lord Lumiere, are you the Player’s older brother?”

 

The word “Player” bothered me a little, but I had already abandoned my name. Since I have no choice but to live as Sernuan Lumiere, I’ll use ‘Lumiere.’

 

“That’s right. You died at 21 and I’m…”

 

“29 years old.”

 

“Yeah. See you next time.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

I was ejected from the consciousness system like that.

 

It was the same universe as before, but the vast darkness wrapped around me warmly.

 

The God of darkness’s large eyes were open in the darkness, but even looking at them for a long time didn’t turn my brain to mush.

 

The true form of the tentacle that had pierced through my head earlier finally came into view.

 

It was the God of darkness’s finger.

 

A giant palm spreads out toward me. A semi-transparent hand shimmering with the universe grabs me. Darkness covers me.

 

[My name is Abitus. That is the name of the God you shall serve.]

 

The God of darkness’s will, which had been transmitted with heavy noise, was delivered as direct language.

 

“Huk.”

 

When I opened my eyes like that, I was in my room.

 

Ife, who had been on my wrist, had climbed up to my neck and was earnestly licking my cheek.

 

“Ife…”

 

When I took off the veil I had been wearing, Ife asked worriedly.

 

-{Ascetic! I thought you were going to die!}

 

It felt like something was on my face, so when I wiped it with my hand, powder fell off with a rustle. It was dried blood.

 

‘What the.’

 

It didn’t feel real. The floor I was kneeling on was swaying, so I couldn’t even stand and collapsed with a crash.

 

As I lay collapsed, rolling around on the floor in a daze, Ife hissed at me.

 

-{Not long after, blood was coming from your eyes, nose, and mouth too…}

 

So when the brain turns to mush, it really turns to mush…

 

If I had faced Abitus’s true form just a little longer earlier, I really would have died.

 

-{Even your heart wasn’t beating!}

 

Ah… Sernuan had said my soul was separated. I silently panicked as I drew out my power.

 

When I drew out the power that had been blocked like a shutdown, the Purification, Defense, and Healing Power that had been running passively finally began to operate.

 

I cleared my throat several times and brought up the topic.

 

“Was there anything else besides that?”

 

-{The Ifrit’s master and Tuba came.}

 

Ah. Erendor and Tuba have arrived.

 

I let out a groan somewhere between “ugh” and “urgh” as I straightened my knees that had been kneeling.

 

Then I stretched thoroughly. My whole body ached.

 

Even though healing power should be circulating vigorously, it hurt everywhere as if I’d been beaten up.

 

“Phew.”

 

In the room without a mirror, I roughly straightened my clothes and questioned Ife thoroughly to check if any damaged parts of my body were visible.

 

‘The divine power I received from the God of darkness… I don’t think I can use it right now.’

 

Having received such tremendous power, my body and mind felt subtly misaligned.

 

‘The sacred relic is…’

 

I picked up the World’s Darkest Veil. Right, it remained as an object rather than being absorbed into me.

 

‘Usually when I absorb power contained in sacred relics, they’re treated as bound items and tattoos appear on my body.’

 

Then the system appeared. A familiar translucent blue window popped up and displayed white text.

 

[Please check network communication status.]

 

“As if there would be such a thing.”

 

Even when it appears, it’s not helpful. I pushed the window to a corner of my vision.

 

Is Sernuan still inside the system? I don’t know. He should be fine since he’s in that unknown space of the God of darkness.

 

“I’ve got more things to do now, Ife.”

 

-{What things do you mean? Ascetic, you already had plenty to do!}

 

“Suddenly I have to save someone… no, is it even a person? Anyway, I need to save someone who only exists as consciousness, kill a believer… and help another God escape from prison and resurrect them. And raise them too.”

 

Ife tilted its head as if it didn’t understand.

 

“Oh my~ I’m busy, so busy. The life of modern people is too harsh and difficult~”

 

It looked like a cute green bean sprout, so I patted its head gently.

 

At my patting, Ife seemed angry and made sounds somewhere between “shieek” and “kieek.” Such a tiny thing with a bad temper.

 

Knock knock knock.

 

“Ascetic, are you alright? There was a loud noise…”

 

It’s Eon’s presence. I could vividly feel Eon worrying about me from outside the door.

 

I opened the door.

 

“Yes, I’m fine. I just stumbled and fell for a moment.”

 

“Ah, I see! Are you hurt anywhere… Oh, I’m sorry. There’s no way an Ascetic would be hurt by something like that, I was worrying unnecessarily…”

 

“No, I understand Eon’s concern. And you weren’t worrying with bad intentions, were you?”

 

From their presence, I could tell Tuba, Erendor, Yelena, and Kalebrin were together. Looking a bit further, Cardil was beyond that ridge.

 

Even though I had confirmed all their locations through their presence, I deliberately asked Eon.

 

“Was I in the room for a long time? I don’t know where the people who were here before went.”

 

“You’ve been inside for about 2 hours, which isn’t that long! The other party members said they were going to pray together, so I guided them to a group prayer room.”

 

“I see, well done, Eon.”

 

At my praise, Eon with pink hair giggled. Such a pure and good child.

 

The Teacher’s scheme to use such a child shows her dark intentions, so let’s not be too wary. Keeping distance would make Eon sad.

 

“Shouldn’t Eon be going to bed soon too?”

 

“I’m on first watch duty today.”

 

“Ah, I see. I hope you don’t overdo it. Health always comes first.”

 

Eon seemed moved even by my half-hearted social workplace flattery. Really, with reactions like that to everything, it was hard to treat him coldly or tease him.

 

“Yes!”

 

Eon chatted away with me like that as we walked down the corridor before disappearing to his duty station.

 

I headed toward where I could hear voices.

 

When I opened the door to the chapel where Erendor, Tuba, Kalebrin, and Yelena were, they were sitting around on uncomfortable wooden chairs, chatting.

 

“What are you all talking about so enjoyably?”

 

“Ascetic.”

 

“Cel…”

 

Just as I had noticed their presence, they knew I was coming, so they weren’t particularly surprised.

 

“Cel? Ascetic, you had a name?”

 

“It was a nickname. Sister Kalebrin allowed me to use nicknames, so I also gave her permission to call me by my nickname. Though it’s a meaningless name now.”

 

“Me too! No, I mean! I want to call you by nickname too! I’ll tell you my nickname and call you by nickname too!”

 

Yelena excitedly babbled away. I don’t know why she’s making such a fuss over just a name.

 

“It’s fine. I prefer Ascetic, so please continue calling me Ascetic.”

 

“…I’ll also, from n-now on, call you A-Ascetic a-again…”

 

“Kalebrin, just call me Cel! I was just joking around…”

 

“Right, miss. Don’t get all dejected over something like that.”

 

Erendor chimed in like some unemployed uncle scratching his head in his room.

 

“Mm.”

 

“So what were you talking about?”

 

“Just this and that?”

 

“We were talking about how our friend seems to abuse his body too much.”

 

“Ascetic, I heard from Celestia that you coughed up blood again this time…”

 

When did Celestia say such a thing? We wouldn’t have even had a chance to meet…

 

“Kalebrin told her.”

 

“Take care of your health…”

 

Even Tuba chimed in about my health.

 

‘In the brief time I went into my room, they made me sound like someone who should be in the ICU. How ridiculous…’

 

Having suddenly become half-dead, I cracked my neck a couple times to draw their attention.

 

“Since you’re all gathered here, this should make the conversation easier.”

 

It’s rare for everyone to gather like this. It’s better to talk face to face than through Voice Transmission.

 

‘I can no longer monopolize information by myself, and the situation has become such that I can’t anyway…’

 

Hmm. Where should I start?

 

“What kind of talk?”

 

Erendor asked.

 

‘Since Yelena already knows roughly and Erendor seems to have caught on, I should just get straight to the point.’

 

Going around in circles with introductions isn’t my style.

 

“I’d like to discuss the Prometheus Plan to kill or seal Lumensia. Of course, since it’s a temporarily made-up plan name, I’m open to alternative suggestions.”

 

“…?”

 

“…Huh?”

 

Yelena hesitantly stretched her hand into the air, debating whether to grab me or not.

 

“Something, it feels like a lot of things just went over my head.”

 

“It would have been good to call Brother Cardil too, but I judged it was still too early. So the basic framework of the Prometheus plan is-”

 

Erendor frantically waved his hands, trying to cover my mouth.

 

“Wait wait wait. Kill or seal Lumensia? What are you talking about?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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