The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 51

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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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Fire

[ – 1.1.5 Update Complete – ]

‘Oh, finally.’

The server maintenance and bug fixes had been constantly changing the minor version numbers, but now the second digit had finally changed. It meant a major feature had been added.

I examined the update patch notes inside the rattling carriage.

Main contents of this update:

-‘Level’ system added

-Level-based reward system introduced

-Experience point acquisition conditions modified

[View Details]

‘Right. Having a Level Reset Skill without a level system was contradictory in itself.’

Who the hell made this thing like this…

…

There’s no point thinking about it now anyway.

More importantly, what kind of rewards will they give?

I selected View Details. Translucent blue windows filled my vision.

Update Contents:

1. Level System Added:

-Gain experience through activities and build your own play record through leveling up.

2. Level-based Reward System Introduced:

-Upon reaching levels 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 → Random skill draw ticket granted

Special rewards will continue to be given at certain level intervals. Receive special rewards celebrating your growth!

3. Experience Point Acquisition Conditions Modified:

-Balance adjusted so you can gain experience points more fairly from various actions.

The previous updates didn’t have such kind explanations written like this. Maybe it’s because they did a lot of server maintenance and minor bug fix updates?

The tone had somehow become softer and the update was easier to understand.

I opened another window. The profile window showed the number of believers first.

[Target Believer Count: 500]

[Current Believer Count: 279]

It had risen somewhat from before, but it wasn’t shooting up like when I prevented the attack on Astrapolis.

‘Once I get the Saint position, the target believer count should be…’

Scrolling down showed the level of owned sacred relics, faith numbers, and owned skills.

‘Still level 2. When will I reach level 10… The max level seems to be 50. Still a long way to go.’

I closed the system window. I’d seen the skill window so many times I could memorize it.

‘2 days left until the penalty. And 1 hour left for the believer penalty. I’ll go to the toilet right after arriving, spit blood, then come back – the timing should work out.’

As the flickering blue light disappeared, the scenery outside the carriage became visible.

‘Now that I’ve been back and forth a few times, I can tell it’s Astrapolis at a glance.’

At the rattling noise, Yelena, who had been dozing in the chair across from me, slowly opened her closed eyes.

“It’s going to get busy from now on.”

Yelena was someone the Widow had assigned to guard me. Though Yelena was better than others…

“That’s right.”

She was still equally uncomfortable in being suspicious and unreadable. We exchanged very brief words and maintained silence again.

She didn’t seem to have any intention of talking to me either, and I had no reason to talk to her.

An hour later, we arrived precisely in Astrapolis.

The preliminary symptoms of the penalty – nausea and subtle headache – enveloped me.

“I need to step away for a moment.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“Um… I’m going to the toilet.”

I spoke with subtle awkwardness. Yelena answered nonchalantly.

“From now on I’m in charge of your full escort, and since you’re a Saint, it’s right to guard you even to the toilet.”

Usually when I said I was going to the bathroom, she’d just let me go, so why is she suddenly acting like this?

It was awkward to refuse, so I dragged her along to the bathroom like a fish following bait.

In medieval times, there was no distinction between women’s and men’s toilets. She stood right in front of the toilet stall waiting for me.

Soon the familiar bright red window appeared.

[WARNING!]

“Ugh…”

Ugh, my stomach is churning.

I’ll have to quickly vomit it out and purify the bloodstains to dream of the perfect crime.

I leaned against the wooden wall of the toilet, breathing heavily.

The blood clot I caught in my hand was pitch black.

It’s gradually turning from red to black, so if the penalty accumulates any more than this, it’ll be serious…

Thud-!

I opened my eyes wide uncharacteristically and stared at the creaking wooden door.

There was definitely a lock…

The metal lock had fallen miserably to the ground.

Through the creaking door, I saw a familiar person.

“Oh ho…”

It was Yelena.

I froze in that position and stared at Yelena.

“You seem to be sick. When a person is sick, they should go to the temple, so why are you doing this in the toilet?”

I blinked my eyes. Then the cold sweat on my eyelashes dripped down. My blurry vision cleared up a bit.

An ‘Ascetic’ shouldn’t be like this.

I changed my hunched posture leaning against the toilet wall.

As my height stretched up, I could see the top of Yelena’s head. When I drew up my Purification Power, the blood on my hands quickly became light powder and disappeared.

“Ahem… *cough*, it’s nothing.”

“Actually, I knew. About you spitting blood periodically. I followed you and you always did that. It was a bit awkward to ask~ We’re not particularly close either. Since you were someone who could be executed soon, I just watched. But now it’s a bit different, right? We’re going to see each other for quite a while from now on. If you have some chronic illness or are cursed or something, you should tell me in advance. That way it’s convenient for me who’s guarding you and convenient for you too, Ascetic, don’t you think?”

“…”

She’s making it so I have nothing to say.

To think she’d use what I said first about accommodating Yelena’s convenience as my assigned monitor like this. In the end, it was a statement that blocked all the excuses I could escape with.

“You’re absolutely right, Yelena the Inquisitor…”

“Then could you please come out of the toilet first?”

I tried not to walk unsteadily. My strength kept draining away, so this penalty seemed to have come on quite strongly.

Even while walking ahead of me, Yelena kept glancing back at me. I couldn’t tell if she was concerned or worried I might run away.

Actually, it seemed like the latter. As for the former, well, the only time I’d received concern when sick was from my homeroom teacher in early elementary school.

But anyway…

‘I just hope she doesn’t misunderstand it as dark magic.’

Cardil almost misunderstood it as dark magic when he first saw this too. If Yelena was going to stick around as a guard anyway, I expected she’d witness scenes like this.

I would have had to tell her someday. If it hadn’t been for her breaking through the toilet door like this, I wouldn’t have been flustered…!

Yelena sat me down on a bench in a quiet park. Rather than sitting beside me on the bench, she just stood firmly in front of me.

So the latter was right…! Yes! There’s no way Yelena would worry about me!

“First… it’s not the price of dark magic or a curse.”

“Mm-hmm. Yes. I thought it probably wasn’t. Since I do a lot of Inquisitor work, I’m quite sensitive to those kinds of auras.”

I gained new information. Yelena can sense negative feelings while doing her Inquisitor rounds. I’ll need to be careful later.

“Yes… this is simply something that happened because my power and body don’t match. To be precise, my body is too weak to withstand the power I can handle.”

I started talking smoothly. Since I had been preparing for this kind of situation, I had this excuse ready and it came out very fluently.

“The power I possess is not the kind that humans can handle. Because of that, this power constantly causes friction within me. If I let my guard down even a little, my whole body feels like it’s going to crack and break apart.”

“Then does it burden your body when you heal people normally?”

“That’s not the case. Seeing my neighbors’ joyful expressions gives me strength. However… since it’s pain that comes periodically, I don’t know the details myself. I only know that it’s not the kind that can be treated with medical techniques like going to the temple to bask in divine power.”

“Then it’s practically like an incurable disease.”

“That’s right. You don’t need to worry. It’s just spitting up dead blood.”

“That’s really nothing to worry about?”

“Of course. I’m extremely healthy. So please don’t worry.”

Somehow Yelena started looking at me with distrustful eyes…

But since I’m someone who’s good at self-objectification, I could tell what kind of look that was.

Right now that’s a look saying ‘How can you not care when you’re coughing up blood like that!’

I’ve lived on others’ charity for years, so this much is nothing.

“Ah… I see. Then could you let me know when you have warning symptoms? Since that’s when you’re most vulnerable, I’d like to pay more attention as someone who’s guarding you.”

“Mm, well… alright.”

I reluctantly answered that I understood. Yelena’s eyebrows twitched at my reluctant answer, but I didn’t want to give any more definitive responses than this.

She extended her hand. It seemed to mean for me to take it and stand up.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t old or sick enough for that.

I stood up on my own. Yelena casually pulled her hand back. This level of relationship was just fine.

I didn’t want to get any closer to someone who wasn’t a believer.

*

The next day. I started being called to all sorts of places.

“I will teach you the basic etiquette of the Central Church for your saint qualifications.”

Etiquette lessons.

“I will inform you of the ritual to be used at the saint announcement.”

Central Church ritual lessons.

“Ceremonial robes, casual clothes, and saint announcement attire… we’ll fit a total of fifteen outfits.”

Clothing fittings.

“This is the script for official statements. Please memorize it by the day of the event.”

Memorizing scripts.

“I will teach you the basic doctrine of the Central Church.”

Learning doctrine.

Besides that, various other miscellaneous lectures and so on…!!

I could only say they completely rebuilt me.

‘I’m… I’m tired…!’

This body that doesn’t get tired from most things was feeling fatigue.

I even had to meet with key figures of the Central Church for saint preparations, so my 24 hours weren’t entirely my own.

The only fortunate thing was that I didn’t receive much coaching on voice projection or posture, so those ended early or didn’t happen at all.

‘This is harder than when I got stabbed… No, that hurt instantly but this is harder in terms of accumulated damage…!’

Yelena just sat quietly beside me listening to lectures, and she looked really comfortable.

‘I don’t want to do anything… But I can’t do that…’

After two efficient days passed like that, a red window appeared in my vision again.

[WARNING!]

[Calculating penalty for uncollected sacred relic…]

Like the Skill Random Roulette, a roulette with penalties written on it spins.

Please not vision…! Please!

I showed the skill of listening to One-on-One Doctrine Tutoring while answering diligently and simultaneously paying attention to the status window.

[Penalty: Vision!]

[Prepare for the penalty.]

[04:49]

Vision… you say?

I momentarily failed at Expression Management and multitasking, receiving a questioning look from my tutor.

“Ascetic, are you feeling unwell somewhere…”

“No. However… I was briefly worried whether other neighbors might be suffering while I’m here so comfortably. I’m sorry. Please continue.”

“You truly are a saint. Then how about we cover tomorrow’s material as well today?”

Nooooo!

But I couldn’t see any grounds to refuse.

I answered with tears in my eyes.

“Yes, if you would do that, I’d be grateful.”

[Prepare for the penalty.]

[03:41]

Is this for real. What am I supposed to do in 3 minutes. Should I just collapse? It would be strange to suddenly lose my sight while listening to class…!

Then a translucent blue window appeared.

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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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