The Cult Leader in the Clergy Academy

Chapter 277

While the dark demonic energy was flowing out of the mouths of the deceased and scattering throughout the cathedral before gathering together in one spot to form a woman, Jin-Seo finally came face to face with the student after wandering between the bodies and the injured in the cathedral.

"Oh, it’s you Jin-Seo."

"Yeah."

Jin-Seo nodded in response to the student's words and then smiled softly at her. The student also smiled while looking up at Jin-Seo.

Jin-Seo kneeled down and embraced the student. The student was light.

She was so unbelievably light that Jin-Seo couldn’t help but check the student's condition. The student who had come to the cathedral with Jin-Seo was clearly alive, but the student’s current state was worse than that of a dead person.

The student's lower body had been almost completely severed, leaving only the upper body. Jin-Seo's expression hardened.

"I want to get up, but I have no strength in my body."

"It's okay, just stay like this."

"I can't even feel my legs... How badly am I injured?"

"You're not injured. You’re completely fine," Jin-Seo lied.

She stared blankly at the student, then suddenly blinked as her vision blurred. Tears streamed down and fell on the student's face.

Jin-Seo didn't even think about wiping away the tears. She didn’t think about enduring either. When the student saw her like this, she chuckled.

"Why are you crying? Have you been looking for me all this time?"

"Yes."

The student smiled. It was a weak smile, but it was one that was clearly filled with joy. Even as she was dying, the student was genuinely happy that Jin-Seo had been looking for her.

That fact saddened Jin-Seo. She could do nothing for the dying student. She couldn’t do anything besides staying by her side.

"During the practical exam, I had a strange dream..."

"..."

"You were in that dream. That's why I didn't want to wake up," the student said.

During the practical exam, Jin-Seo also had a strange dream. It was an illusion created using black magic. In other words, it was a delusion. She had seen Sun-Woo in her dream.

In the illusion, he said and did what Jin-Seo wanted him to say and do. Jin-Seo had been so happy that she didn’t want to wake up from the hallucination. It was because those were the words and actions that he wouldn’t have said or done in reality.

"I like you," the student said.

Jin-Seo nodded as she stroked her hair.

"I feel the same way."

"I’m saying it in a different meaning from what you mean."

Jin-Seo belatedly realized the meaning behind the student's words.

However, there was no significant change in her thoughts even after realizing what the girl meant. Whatever reason she had, or whatever meaning she had, in the end, they liked each other. That fact remained unchanged.

Jin-Seo felt even sadder instead. The student had to keep her feelings hidden and suppressed all this time because she knew it was a 'sin' for Romanican clergymen.

Jin-Seo couldn’t help but feel a throbbing, painful empathy toward the student’s suppressed feelings.

"What's your name?" Jin-Seo asked.

She realized that she didn't actually know the student's name until now. She vaguely remembered the sound of her name, but she didn't know the girl’s exact name and surname, and she hadn't tried to find out.

The student's breathing had become shallow since earlier, and it was almost to the point of being cut off. The student said something, but her voice was too faint to be heard.

Jin-Seo leaned in close to the student's mouth. It was then that she was finally able to hear the student's voice.

Jin-Seo listened carefully to the student's name and then repeatedly engraved the student’s name in her mind. She didn’t want to forget her name.

"I will remember it," Jin-Seo said.

There was no response from the student. Her breath had already ceased. It was strange how long she had managed to hold on to life for so long considering her injuries.

Jin-Seo believed it must have been because there were too many things she wasn’t able to say while she was alive, and too many things she wanted to say before she died. She gently laid down the student's body and stood up. And then she saw a paladin transform into a creature that seemed to be neither human nor demon on one side of the cathedral. She also saw a woman with a relaxed smile standing behind the paladin.

Tap, tap.

Jin-Seo dragged her sword along the ground as she approached the woman. A scraping noise resounded as the sword etched the floor.

With the exception of Jin-Seo, all the other clergymen remained motionless. They all stared blankly at the naked woman as if they were entranced. Jin-Seo also had a blank expression on her face as she passed by the clergymen.

And then she pondered. The reason she wanted to become a crusader was for the sake of revenge. She wanted exact revenge against the demon who had killed her foster mother. And that wish of hers was fulfilled not too long ago. She obtained revenge much more easily and in a more anticlimactic way than she initially thought.

However, in the process of obtaining revenge, she had lost another precious person and was once again determined to seek revenge.

If that were the case, when would this cycle of revenge end? Would it end after she defeated all the demons and demonic beasts? Or would it end after eradicating all the Satanists? Or would it end after eliminating all the cults and religions with the exception of the Romanican Church? Or perhaps...

"..."

It was impossible to tell. The only thing that was certain was that she had to strike down the woman in front of her.

***

"Ah, aah, my body,” Oh Hee-Jin muttered.

His voice sounded strange. His soft voice, which would often get mocked for sounding feminine, had transformed into a thick and menacing voice that resembled a monster’s.

His body was also strange. His thin and delicate arms had become thicker than Director Han Dae-Ho's. His body was overflowing with so much strength that it was difficult for him to control himself.

His head throbbed. A strange sense of pleasure flowed through his veins.

Oh Hee-Jin lifted his head and saw clergymen. Some were unharmed, some had collapsed on the floor after getting injured, and some were dead.

He could even see Han Dae-Ho among the injured clergymen. He was lying on the floor due to the aftermath of the battle. His figure, which always looked so large and imposing, now looked very small.

“Director, my... body doesn’t feel right. Please save... save me...” Oh Hee-Jin muttered toward Han Dae-Ho.

Oh Hee-Jin was scared of his own grotesquely distorted voice.

Someone approached him at this time. It was Jin-Seo. She approached Oh Hee-Jin with a firm grip on her sword.

Her cold and sharp gaze was not directed at Oh Hee-Jin but at the naked woman behind him.

Rustle.

Suddenly, the woman wrapped her arms around Oh Hee-Jin's neck from behind. The woman's sensuous and warm breath reached Oh Hee-Jin's ear.

A strange sensation that hovered somewhere between discomfort and pleasure spread through his body.

—Catch her.

Oh Hee-Jin involuntarily raised his arm. Tentacles made of black demonic energy sluggishly emerged from his massive and muscular arm. Jin-Seo raised her sword. And then she tried to swing it toward the woman behind Oh Hee-Jin.

Shyaak!

"Ugh!"

However, the tentacles were faster than Jin-Seo's sword, and they grabbed hold of Jin-Seo's body. Her hand let go of her sword.

The tentacles wrapped around her neck and choked her. Jin-Seo flailed in the air and scratched at the tentacles with her nails. Oh Hee-Jin's face contorted.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I’m really sorry. My body keeps acting on its own. Save me. Someone save this child..." Oh Hee-Jin pleaded as he looked around for help.

However, no one was coming to rescue Jin-Seo. Everyone was still staring at the naked woman while mesmerized.

They were entranced. They were all enchanted by the black magic that the woman emitted and were all unable to think about attacking her. Lust’s most dangerous black magic spell was the ability to make others unable to think of her as an enemy.

"Ah, ahhh─!"

At that moment, a voice shattered the silence of the cathedral. It was a desperate and sorrowful cry, like the final death throes of a brave warrior.

The cry echoed through the cathedral, causing some of the clergymen who were gazing at the woman to snap out of their trances.

The voice came from Florence Academy’s Chairman, Kim Chang-Won.

He was crying out tears of blood as he watched Jin-Seo get attacked. The blood that flowed out dripped onto the floor, and at the same time, divine power flowed out from his body. It was a precursor to miracle replication.

Chang-Won had abused his body too much back when he was active as a clergyman, so he would cough out blood just by releasing divine power. And yet, he was currently trying to use miracle replication.

It was a miracle that required him to sacrifice his life to replicate it. The divine power flowing out of his body transformed into a grotesque form and soon began to move like living organisms. A swarm of insects emerged. They crawled up the tentacles that were gripping Jin-Seo's neck and reached up to Oh Hee-Jin's forearm.

"Ah, aahh...!" Oh Hee-Jin groaned.

He felt more discomfort rather than pain. His large, muscular arm was being eaten by a swarm of locusts and becoming scrawny again. The tentacles attached to the arm quickly lost their strength. Jin-Seo’s body, which had been floating in the air, began to fall.

Thud.

The one who embraced and caught her as she fell at that moment was Sun-Woo. He regained mental clarity upon hearing Chang-Won's shout and went to catch her after quickly assessing the situation.

He had no time to pick up the fallen sword. Sun-Woo quickly took her away from Oh Hee-Jin and the woman.

While that was happening, Joseph regained his senses and approached Oh Hee-Jin as he stretched his body.

"Oh, did I lose consciousness for a moment?" he said.

Sung Yu-Da also approached. Both of them were covered by the light of blessings. Ha-Yeon and some of the priests who had regained their senses cast blessing arrays to assist them.

Joseph and Sung Yu-Da’s movements were quick. Oh Hee-Jin was startled and took a step back. Jin-Seo had shown hostility toward the woman behind Oh Hee-Jin earlier.

She had been targeting the woman, not Oh Hee-Jin. Now, however, the gazes and hostility of the two that were approaching were clearly directed toward him.

"...Forgive me."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I would have to kill you with my own hands."

The two knew that in order to attack the woman, they had to first deal with Oh Hee-Jin. Although they knew that Oh Hee-Jin was a victim of black magic, they had to attack him to prevent greater harm.

They knew from experience that an even more terrible tragedy could occur if they hesitated to attack a comrade who had turned into a demon or a demonic beast.

"Wait, please spare me. Save me. Spare me...!" Oh Hee-Jin shouted as he stepped back.

However, the two did not stop. Instead, they clenched their fists tighter and rushed toward Oh Hee-Jin with the determination to kill.

At that moment, the two people rushing toward Oh Hee-Jin halted. To be more precise, it seemed as if they had stopped moving in Oh Hee-Jin’s vision.

Oh Hee-Jin felt a soft and refreshing sensation on neck. It was the woman’s touch.

—Kill them.

The woman's voice echoed in Oh Hee-Jin's mind. It was a sweet and enchanting whisper that felt like it would melt his brain.

—If it’s right now, you can do it. You are stronger than anyone else right now. Stronger than anyone here.

"Ah, ah...."

—If it’s right now...

Oh Hee-Jin had wanted to become a paladin that was strong enough to protect everyone, but he was too weak.

There were many monstrous individuals among the clergymen. The most prominent among them was Han Dae-Ho, the director of the Eastern Paladin Order.

Joseph and Sung Yu-Da were in front of Oh Hee-Jin, and they both were monstrously strong individuals. Sun-Woo, an apprentice paladin of the Eastern Paladin Order, was strong enough to inspire admiration in Oh Hee-Jin.

—Clench your fist, and then all you have to do is swing your fist toward those motionless figures.

Oh Hee-Jin despised his own weakness and admired the strength of others. However, he was unable to become strong, and so he eventually found a different method to achieve his goals. It was to fight against cults, not through physical strength, but through knowledge. He wanted to prove himself with his knowledge.

Immersing himself in the pursuit of knowledge was Oh Hee-Jin’s way of struggling to escape from his weakness. It was nothing but a struggle to forget his inferiority.

—Prove your superiority.

The woman was skillfully manipulating Oh Hee-Jin's inferiority and weakness.

Thwack!

Oh Hee-Jin clenched his fist. And, regardless of his will, he swung his arm.

His fist struck Joseph and Sung Yu-Da’s faces, one at a time. The two clergymen had been boldly approaching Oh Hee-Jin, but they were knocked out by his fist without putting up any resistance.

He felt strange. He had overpowered two clergymen he had admired, but it felt no different from casually swatting a mosquito that had flown into his room.

—Nice, good boy.

The woman gently stroked Oh Hee-Jin's chin and smiled softly. Oh Hee-Jin looked down at his massive and hideous fist. Joseph and Sung Yu-Da's blood stained it.