Chapter 81

Chapter 81

[Translator – Clara]

[Proofreader – Lucky]

Chapter 81: Saint (Part 4)

When Vikir arrived at the clinic, where only severe patients were gathered, the Clergy’ reactions were as follows:

“This is not a place for non-professionals.”

“You can get infected, so leave immediately!”

“Need help? We don’t need any more interference!”

However, as Vikir began to scold and instruct while walking among the patients, the expressions of the Clergy changed.

“Isn’t this too much for a blessing?”

Vikir said to the cleric using sacred power on the red spots on a patient’s leg.

In general, clergy members prayed to God, requesting a portion of His power, which they then used to reproduce heavenly phenomena on Earth.

To simplify, clergy members asked God for power, God accepted it, and the clergy members received that power, using it to heal patients. If the patient believed in the same deity, a kind of guarantee was formed during the process of requesting power from God, and the healing effect was amplified. In other words, if two believers in the same deity worked together, they could draw even more sacred power.

The more devout and faithful the clergy member or patient was through continuous religious practices, deepening their communion with God, the more effective this process was. This was similar to the relationship between a bank’s credit rating and loans.

However...

Vikir knew.

A clergy member with one sacred power could perform the miracle of someone with ten sacred powers, and a clergy member with ten sacred powers could perform the miracle of someone with one hundred sacred powers.

“...There’s a concept called ‘short selling.'”

It was a fraudulent method that the clergy members living in the era of destruction had found to make up for their always insufficient sacred power. In trading terms, “short selling” meant “selling something you don’t have.” In other words, it meant selling something in advance and then buying it back later to make a profit.

When the era of destruction arrived, countless demons and more patients than that wreaked havoc in the human world. The gods became even more desperate.

This was when the clergy members began to awaken. They started to use sacred power excessively, far beyond what they would normally dare to use.

Even with empty mana channels, they could still use sacred power. They acted first, producing miracles, and then saw what happened.

The sacred power used in advance, even if it meant adding interest later, was drawn upon immediately.

Creating sacred power from nothing and using it, followed by a journey of repaying it through devout religious activities.

Some called it “sacred power loans,” some called it “sacred power short selling,” and some even called it “sacred power debt” with a hint of self-deprecation.

A child was shaking a woman lying down, crying. While red spots had appeared on the woman’s body, they were still pale. The problem was that her body was inherently weak, making her condition precarious even with such a mild illness.

Vikir placed his hand on the child’s head and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll heal your mother right away.”

With those words, Vikir removed the illness from the woman’s body. Additionally, he reached into his pocket, grabbed some gold coins, and handed them to the child.

“It’s an illness, but malnutrition seems severe. Use this to buy food and firewood to take care of your mother.”

The child, with tears and a runny nose, lowered his head in gratitude.

Soon, after witnessing the child receiving money, many patients crowded around Vikir, extending their hands, and asking for money. A chaotic scene unfolded, with everyone demanding money.

At that moment, one of the Clergy, bewildered, spoke to Vikir.

“No, material help won’t do! There’s no limit! You’ll end up giving away all your money!” one of the Clergy protested.

Vikir nodded as if it didn’t bother him at all. “Why shouldn’t there be a limit? There’s definitely a limit to the money in my pocket. Just give it all away.”

With those words, Vikir distributed all the money to the patients and their families. He didn’t hesitate to empty his pocket and then returned to his medical work without any regrets.

Seeing this, the Clergy and those around them were left in shock once again. Dolores was among them.

She stared at Vikir’s broad back, reminiscing about what had happened earlier. The young men who had flattered her appearance. They proudly flaunted their noble status and immense wealth, generously donating money and relief supplies to the poor.

However, their attitudes were haughty and they secretly despised and scorned the poor. In contrast, what about Vikir? He had emptied his pockets without hesitation, even though the amount wasn’t substantial. It was a true act of charity and sacrifice.

The Bible had a reason to suggest that the charity of a beggar donating one bowl was nobler than a rich man donating a thousand gold coins.

Dolores thought silently. In a place where filth and disease were rampant, this man was helping his less fortunate neighbors more diligently than anyone else. A man who seemed to have lived on the frontlines of fierce battles, with the aura of a pilgrim, a savior, and a prophet.

A man who had a resilient body but harbored a soul that was unexpectedly sad and lonely. A man who referred to himself as a hunting dog but held a lost and weary puppy within.

A man who wept and bled with his soul. Where on earth had he come from?

Suddenly, Dolores remembered a line he had mumbled not long ago with a closed throat.

“Theology is inherently the process of understanding humanity, so this is inevitable.”

And in that moment...

Thump! Her heartbeat surged, and her blood flowed rapidly. Her heart dropped to a lower point and then returned. Sister Dolores, the still young and inexperienced sixteen-year-old girl, felt her chest beating fast.

Her face turned towards the man she didn’t even know.

[Translator – Clara]

[Proofreader – Lucky]