Chapter 415 - This Is The End Of The Line, Damn Swindler

Chapter 415 - This Is The End Of The Line, Damn Swindler

"Do you believe in the light now?" asked a young man enveloped by radiant light in a brightly lit room.

"Y-Yes!!"

"We believe!!"

The cardinals in extravagant vestments nodded furiously. Their faces were filled with fear and suffering. The young man softly patted the black lump on his shoulder that was drooling with its mouth wide open. It was proof that faith could be felt in them.

"Haha," Oh Kang-Woo laughed and nodded in satisfaction. "What a relief... It seems my words have reached your hearts."

He could vividly feel their belief as they looked up at him. He was moved by how his teachings had allowed blazing passion to be lit in their hearts.

"Don't you agree, Cardinal Mihile?" Kang-Woo asked leisurely.

"A-Aaaahh." Mihile's face turned pale as he nodded like a bobblehead.

Kang-Woo lightly patted Mihile's shoulder. "Thank you for guiding the devotees in my place thus far."

"N-Not at all. I-It is only natural for me to do as a d-d-d-devotee of the Church of Splendor," Mihile replied desperately.

Kang-Woo laughed lightly. "Haha. Come to think of it, I heard you were once a devotee of Lady Lumeria, the Goddess of Peace."

"Oh, y-yes. Th-That's correct."

"Even if it was because of a revelation sent by her, to think you would work so hard to deliver the words of light to the people of the continent... I have been truly moved."

"Ah, h-h-haha. Th-Thank you very much."

"In that case, could I ask you to continue to do your best to grow the Church of Splendor even more... Not just limited to Arnan, but throughout the continent?"

Kang-Woo grabbed Mihile's hand tightly. Mihile's hands were trembling severely, likely because Kang-Woo's words moved him.

"Eek!!" Mihile shrieked, looking like he was about to pass out at any moment.

Kang-Woo tilted his head in wonder. "What's wrong, Father Mihile?"

"N-Nothing at all! I will do my best to spread the words of the God of Splendor throughout the continent!" Mihile screamed with conviction.

Kang-Woo smiled in satisfaction. "I'm very glad to hear that, Father Mihile."

Kang-Woo couldn't help but be moved by Mihile's dedication despite Kang-Woo only having acquired Deific Essence a month ago. His eyes teared up with certainty that the Church of Splendor would be expanded at an even greater pace from today onward.

"In that case, could you gather the devotees for a moment, Father Mihile?" Kang-Woo asked.

He needed to take direct action for the expansion of the Church of Splendor to take off at an even greater pace. People would naturally place greater faith in something that they could see than what they couldn't.

"O-Of course!" Mihile nodded furiously.

The cardinals quickly turned around and ran to the massive prayer room where the devotees were gathered. Kang-Woo smiled as he stared at their backs.

"I guess that resolves the faith issue."

Lilith, who had been watching the whole time, approached Kang-Woo in worry. "Are you sure this was the right decision, Master Kang-Woo?"

It had been far too forceful of a method. Kang-Woo would be the one in a predicament if the cardinals were to blabber about the sermon that Kang-Woo had subjected to them.

"It's fine." Kang-Woo nodded leisurely. "I placed an Authority on them so they can't talk about it."

Kang-Woo knew very well that he would be the one in trouble if that were to happen, so he had restricted the cardinals with the Authority of Fear during the sermon.

"Hoho. I never thought to instill faith in people using such a method. How fascinating," Lilith remarked.

"Well, it's technically not faith."

It was likely closer to an emotion akin to self-protection brought about in a situation of extreme terror. There were different kinds of faith.

'It doesn't matter.'

After all, his main source of faith was the regular devotees, not the cardinals. He couldn't care less whether or not they had faith in him or feared him, as long as they obeyed his commands.

"Right then, let's get on with the second sermon."

Kang-Woo slowly walked to the prayer room. It was time to deliver the words of the God of Splendor to the regular devotees this time.

Murmur, murmur.

"L-Lord Oh Kang-Woo himself has manifested?"

"Is that true?"

"A-Aaaahh. To think I would live to see the day..."

Kang-Woo could hear people mumbling as he headed to the prayer room where the mural was drawn. It had not been long since he had told the cardinals to gather the devotees, but the prayer room was packed with people to a point that couldn't be compared to from earlier. The cardinals seemed to have gathered as many people as possible through something like a broadcast. n0ve(l)bi(n.)co/m

"Yes, I am." Kang-Woo nodded as he reached out to the child. The woman's eyes were filled with hope and fear. "Your child seems to be sick."

"Y-Yes! All of a sudden, since a few days ago... P-Please look after this poor child!" the woman yelled in desperation.

Kang-Woo slightly bit open his thumb to make blood. His red blood carried a golden tinge.

"Ah..." The woman flinched.

Kang-Woo gently patted the woman's back and held out his thumb toward the child.

"Let my blood guide the young lamb toward the light," Kang-Woo said.

The drop of blood fell into the child's mouth, and then the severely coughing child began to heal at an extraordinary rate.

"A-Aaaahh."

"H-How can this be...?"

The devotees expressed disbelief while wide-eyed. After witnessing a miracle, they quickly ran toward the platform while pushing each other aside.

"O-O God of Splendor!"

"Please grant the blessing of light to my wife as well!"

"M-My husband was greatly hurt in the mines a while ago! Please..."

There were not many people who would be able to stay still after witnessing a miracle happen right before their eyes. Chaos fell in the prayer room.

"Be silent," Kang-Woo said.

The rowdy prayer room fell silent immediately. The immense power flowing out of Kang-Woo weighed down the devotees running toward him.

"There is no need to worry, devotees of light," Kang-Woo said as if calming down the devotees. "The blessing of light will be with you all."

"A-Aaaahh," the devotees expressed as they prayed while crying.

"Sister Lilith," Kang-Woo called.

"Yes, God of Splendor."

Lilith walked forward with perfect timing and took out a potion that had been used while Kang-Woo was giving the cardinals a sermon. A large amount had been consumed for the sake of instilling faith into the cardinals, but there was more than enough for everyone here since he had made them in bulk before coming to the Church of Splendor's base.

"Please distribute the holy water to the devotees," Kang-Woo stated.

"As the light commands." Lilith bowed deeply.

'I knew it was the right choice to bring Lilith with me.'

They had only devised a general plan before coming here; Kang-Woo had mostly been adlibbing this entire time, but Lilith was matching his pace perfectly. Such perfect teamwork would not have been possible if it had been Seol-Ah or any other party member.

'I should give her a gift or something later.'

Kang-Woo turned toward the devotees while smiling in satisfaction.

"Aaaahh. O God of Splendor."

"I will follow the light!"

Kang-Woo could now feel something beyond faith in the devotees' eyes.

'Yeah, this is more like it.'

Their faith was more like fanaticism now. Kang-Woo had hoped for the Church of Splendor to become more like a cult.

'It might cause trouble with the other religious organizations if they become a little overzealous in their beliefs, but...'

Kang-Woo couldn't care less if they caused a religious war or interrogated heretics.

'As long as I can squeeze out faith from them, that's all I need.'

Kang-Woo burst out laughing in his head. He could see Slushy on his shoulder drooling as it felt the fanatical faith from the devotees.

'Alright, this should do for n—'

Crash!

The door burst open and a man walked up to the platform with big strides. The gazes of the surprised devotees turned to the man who suddenly appeared.

"Cardinal Ian?"

The hollow-eyed black-haired man gritted his teeth and shouted, "This is the end of the line... damn swindler!" He pointed at Kang-Woo and turned to the surprised devotees.

Ian shouted while frowning, "Dear devotees of light, you are all being deceived! That man is not the God of Splendor! His... His true identity is..." He said while glaring fiercely at Kang-Woo, "The king of demons... and all that is evil."