Chapter 36: Cult

Due to the incident, the security around the Risk Management Center became stricter.

The wardens are watching the convicts more closely than before, everyone could feel their solemnity and that was enough for most of the troublemakers to lay low for now. They didn't want the ire of the wardens to come crashing down on them after all.

This isn't to say that the convicts were oppressed. They still have some form of freedom, allowed to roam the vicinity of the center's territory. However, the management imposed a curfew on them and they had to follow or else, they'd be punished.

And even if the wardens could be stricter than this, some of them didn't have the heart to do that to these people...

The incident was certainly eye-opening, and just like most of the prisoners here, the wardens are also aware of what everybody who's been here went through. They'd never admit this out loud, but deep down they sympathize with the fate of the convicts.

They're disappointed that someone decided to side with the demons, but honestly? None were surprised.

The wardens could see that the convicts looked less energetic than before, and they could understand why. The sudden invasion forced them to face how fragile their lives were. It's a crisp slap that awoke them to their reality. And because of their current situation, fear was starting to creep even closer to their hearts.

It's no surprise that the atmosphere within the center became much more solemn and dire compared to before. And nobody, not even the wardens or the Chief Warden himself, could change this.

If there's someone who refuses to wallow in this kind of atmosphere, it would be Cedric, who - despite losing a friend and being under close observation, still continued to train as his life depended on it.

...well, in hindsight, it kind of does, doesn't it?

The curfew and stricter security hardly affected his training regimen. He still went out during the day to practice his sword and cultivated the [White Lotus Core Technique] during the night whenever he didn't feel like sleeping.

Cedric was using every moment he could to increase his strength. He wanted to become more stronger now than before.

In his mind, he's really getting tired of crying about the unfairness of this life. He's tired of letting the world dictate how he lives. He's tired of losing the ones he loved, all because he wasn't strong enough to protect them.

He'll be damned if he still doesn't do anything about it with the gift he received. That's why he's pursuing a grand path for himself. One that would allow him to control his own life, not wanting to let anybody interfere with it anymore.

That being said, he still has a long way to go. He already theorized the best way for him to grow. It's still not complete, but for his immediate future, he already had everything planned.

Cedric's already establishing a path that would give him the perfect foundation for his future endeavors. It is nearing its completion so he just needs to have more patience.

Cedric was just about to return to his room, when all of a sudden, someone stood before him, blocking his path.

He raised his head and met the gaze of the warden. Due to his sharp senses, he could immediately tell that the warden was somewhat wary of him.

His sharp memory allowed him to gain some notion as to why this man felt this way. As far as he could remember, this man witnessed Cedric's act of razing through clusters of Beast Demons, reaping their lives like wheat.

The ease and swiftness with which he did so was certainly eye-opening — freakish, even. And he truly couldn't blame the man for being wary of him since, if he could do that to those demons, then who's to say that he couldn't do the same to him?

"What's up?" He asked. And he could've sworn that he saw the man flinch every so slightly when he spoke.

Unexpectedly, the man just rolled his eyes at him, which nearly made Cedric gawk in disbelief, thankfully though he caught himself before it happened.

The Chief then stood up and went to the nearby coffee machine to brew some for himself. It was then that he suddenly talked:

"...Cult of the Demon Saint. That's the name of the people that corrupted your friend."

"..."

Cedric wasn't expecting this. Here he thought that the Chief invited him here to interrogate him because he was close to Harold. It seems that he had a different idea in mind.

"They've been around for a while now, but they're very low profile. So much so that we don't have much intel about them even though it's been years since we first caught their activities."

"..."

"Their whole ordeal was to apparently 'enlighten' humans. Luring them to a false sense of belief that should they convert themselves into demons, all their misery and plight would disappear. They brainwash people, making them believe that by becoming demons, they would become divine beings with everlasting lifespans."

The Chief finished brewing his coffee so he returned to his desk. He's even nice enough to give Cedric a cup as well, which he obviously graciously received.

"...and they manage to hack the Monitoring Chips?" Cedric asked tentatively.

"Huh, you're a sharp one." The Chief grunted with a raised brow, he took a sip of his coffee and nodded. "Yes, they did. Nobody knows how they do it, though. And that's why my supervisors are chewing my ass out recently."

In Cedric's mind, the Cult's means were certainly threatening. If they could hack the Monitoring Chips, preventing the authorities from getting an accurate read on them, then they could certainly cause too much chaos in human society.

"Sounds unfair," Cedric replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Right!?" The Chief scoffed in disbelief. "Those sons of bitches couldn't spot it themselves if they were here, yet they have some gall to reprimand me? How ridiculous!"

"..."

"Hmph! Either way, what I'm trying to say here is that your friend isn't entirely the one to blame here." The Chief continued, "Matter of fact, the appearance of 'Nodes' is becoming frequent in many other RMCs out there."

"..."

"On one hand, it's bad news because many convicts are dying. On the other hand, it's good news since the more frequently they do this, the more chances we get to analyze their methods and figure out how exactly they're hacking the chips."

"I don't know if I'm supposed to be worried or relieved by that."

"Both or neither..." The Chief shrugged. "I don't particularly care about what you feel anyway."

"..."