The Church of Outsiders (1)

The reason I became a devout religious follower was simple.

I just wanted to pray to God to let me live comfortably in this life.

I always viewed religion favorably like this, but in truth, there was a time when I despised god.

When I lived as a demonkin, I was trapped in some laboratory, but no one ever came to rescue me.

No matter how much I begged to be saved, I heard no answer from anyone.

The only sounds that reached me were the screams of other races like me being slaughtered in the room next door.

So I pleaded to god to save me, but the result was obvious.

Even when my turn finally came, I trembled in terror and prayed.

But the arm I clasped my hands together with was butchered by those guys, and they even stole something important from me.

'Was I just lucky back then?'

Those guys said they liked my body so much that they didn't snuff out my life.

Instead, they cast regeneration magic on my severed arm, determined to pluck another one, then locked me up again.

Having my arm grow back was a small mercy, but I knew it would soon be severed again and used as a trophy by them.

I prayed with my remaining arm once more, but, as ever, there was no help from god.

Those bastards treated human lives like livestock, treating them with care, while my desperate pleas were completely ignored.

'And then I died, once.'

My arm was chopped off again, and this time even my leg was severed—I bled out and died.

Naturally, my body was tossed aside in the corpse disposal pit.

But do you know what was even more absurd?

Only after I'd become a cold corpse did someone raid that slaughterhouse.

'What timing, huh.'

That someone killed every bastard who toyed with my limbs and freed the trapped demi-humans.

Of course, I was buried in a heap of corpses, so it's not like I could have been rescued.

That's what I thought.

But...

To my astonishment, I opened my eyes again.

My severed limbs had returned to their original state.

And the person who had destroyed the slaughterhouse stood before my eyes.

'I wonder how they managed to bring me back.'

Surely, I believed they must have saved me.

It was only natural to think so at the time—after all, I had resurrected for seemingly no reason.

When I raised the question, they replied:

They did rescue me from the slaughterhouse... but they didn't resurrect me.

'Honestly, could a mortal ever truly revive someone from death? Unless they're a god, I mean.'

[A new trait has blossomed.]['Soul of the Demon God' (??-Star Grade)][With 'Soul of the Demon God,' you can grow quickly in extreme environments.][Your heart, which had stopped, begins to beat once more.]

It really was the power of a true god.

In the end, it was god who saved me.

Thanks to being saved from that death, I would, in time, bring about the destruction of the empire.

No amount of gratitude could ever be enough.

Maybe that's why.

I'd had no interest in religion at all during my college days, but after returning to Earth from Mewzealand, I couldn't help but become curious.

At the very least, I figured having faith wouldn't do me any harm.

'Even if I'm hedging my bets on three different religions at once... so what?'

There's nothing that forbids it, after all.

It's not like we're living in an era with inquisitors smashing skulls over heresy.

What can't be done in a free democracy?

'What? You're asking if I believe in the Demon God?'

Ah...

Hmm...

Honestly, I can't refute that point.

But this isn't Mewzealand, it's Earth.

It's not that hell where I struggled for my life, but a place I came to enjoy freedom and calm.

So, in order to forget even a little of Mewzealand's filthy memories, I dabbled in several religions.

For an easier and more carefree life.

But then...

'Who could have imagined those bastards would be on Earth?'

The memory of having my limbs hacked off that day was still vivid.

Imagine if the same thing happened in this South Korea.

If those guys crossed over, that horrifying possibility could become reality.

"Seongjin, are you sure that church has something to do with my mom?"

"It's not confirmed yet, but given the church's emblem is the same as the one on this bracelet, it's no coincidence."

I was riding the bus to church, along with Sang-ah.

It was a path I'd taken every weekend since elementary school, but Sang-ah wore an expression like someone conscious of her guilty conscience.

"Wouldn't we have to participate in worship if we go in?"

"There's no harm in it if we do."

"But... I became a Buddhist following Chohyang-sunbae, you know."

Sang-ah showed me the prayer beads she wore on her wrist.

"Look, if I walk into a church holding this in the open, how do you think the pastor or the nun would see me?"

"How else? I'm sure they'd just see you as a good kid."

"...."

"And look at me."

I, too, had Buddhist prayer beads on my wrist.At the same time, I wore a necklace marked with the Virgin Mary, and my phone carried a sticker of a Christian cross.

"I've pretty much always gone around like this."

"...."

Seeing me like this, Sang-ah was left speechless, her face blank.With all that religious 'armor', I looked exactly like someone obsessed with faith.

"I go to church dressed like this too. Does it look abnormal?"

"Yeah. Really abnormal, too."

Sang-ah replied without a moment's hesitation.

I'm the abnormal one?

What a strange kid.

Or maybe, since she's still in the first year of middle school, she just doesn't know how the world works yet?

Even the monks at the temple didn't say anything about the Virgin Mary necklace around my neck.

'Still a long way to go, Sang-ah.'

Back when I was really abnormal was only when, as Demon King, I adopted that middle school "edgelord" tone.

Once I ascended the Demon King's throne, the system claimed it needed to control my strengthened power, and forcibly modified my speech.

Granted, it did help command some charisma before my subordinates, but spouting cringe lines against my will was just mortifying.

—The pitch-black darkness shall begin.—Why so glum? Try to entertain me a little more.—Your blood isn't nearly as sweet as wine poured into a goblet.—What a garbage taste.—I am the very symbol of terror.

Uwek—!

Just remembering that makes my stomach churn.

What's even more ridiculous is that the people of Mewzealand truly trembled in fear at those words.

Even my own subordinates were moved by them, chanting "Long live!" dozens of times.

Mewzealand... it truly is a world out of its mind.

It was definitely a good call to destroy the Reveli Empire.

'But why the hell did those bastards come to Earth?!'

If even just the humans from that place came, it would be trouble, but what if the demonkin army I once led is here too?

They were ones I saved, or that followed after me, drawn in by my performance.

Their loyalty to me was so strong, there was even a lunatic who hand-copied my every word and published it as a book.

What if someone does the same thing here, on Earth?

'Oh god... fuck.'

You might think it's impossible, but it's entirely possible.

Those guys had nowhere to lean on but me.

Every demi-human bore emotional scars from being persecuted by the Empire.

Then the existence of the Demon King appeared and broke those chains of pain wrapped around their hearts.

It wouldn't be strange if a demonkin cult, worshiping the Demon King like a god, surfaced.

Just like a group of fanatical cultists.

'But to me, it's just cringe history.'

I get that they'd be drawn to that edgy, middle school persona.

But since I'm the one who had to say those lines, it was humiliating to death.

When I gathered the legions and delivered speeches, some of them even fainted in hysterical triumph.

It's not like I was Michael Jackson holding a concert or anything.

"Hey, Sang-ah."

"What?"

Whether those guys were normal or not,

Or whether I was crazy,

I decided to test it out on Sang-ah.

"How can humans be so insignificant?"

"...?"

"No matter how much I taste their blood, it doesn't satisfy my palate at all."

"...??"

"But humans who feel fear are a delicacy."

"...."

"And so, I shall declare it."

"...."

"I am... the symbol of terror!"

Strange gestures.

A series of cool poses.

A gaze that seemed to scorn the world.

A kingly tone, clumsily mimicked.

I had perfectly recreated my over-the-top mannerisms and speech as Demon King.

If any of those demonkin had seen this, they would've gone wild.

But what about here, on Earth?

"Seongjin..."

The innocent look on Sang-ah's face changed in an instant.I could sense a terrifying ferocity from her.

"I almost lost control of myself just now."

"...."

I could feel immense anger radiating from her; chills ran down my spine.

And it wasn't just Sang-ah.

The couple sitting next to us, the mother and son behind us on the bus—

They all shot me dirty looks, like they'd just tasted something foul.

"Honey, let's just get off here."

"Yeah, let's catch another bus. Being here isn't good for our mental health."

"Mom, what's that guy doing?"

"Jaemin, forget everything you just heard."

A murmur about me spread throughout the bus.

And it wasn't just the passengers—the bus driver too.

"Kid, do you want to get off right here?"

"...."

"These days there's a strange swordsman wandering this neighborhood every night, you know? If you'd done that in front of them, your head would roll right away."

A strange swordsman? Even the bus driver subtly insulted me with tough words.

"Seongjin, maybe you should go to the hospital instead of church?"

Even innocent Sang-ah was now openly radiating ferocity.

The results of the experiment were clear.

'Those bastards really were insane!!'

The way the bus people reacted—it was perfectly normal.

Anyone sane would want to cuss out such nonsense.

Not look up in devotion like a cult fanatic, the way those demonkin did.

That's why I have no regrets about coming back to Earth.

I was proud to be Korean, just like the people on this bus.

The future of South Korea really is bright!

"By the way, mister—what's the deal with the swordsman you just mentioned?"

There was something off about what the bus driver had said.

Until sixth grade, there'd never been anyone like a swordsman seen around these parts.

"The thing is, lately all sorts of strange folks have started passing through here. Judging by their weapons, they look like hunters... but there aren't any gates anywhere nearby."

"...."

Why would someone be armed in an area without a gate?

Or were they just passing through from far away?

It felt like something big was going on while I was in Hand.

Beep—

When I pressed the red stop button, the bus came to a halt.

Getting off there, we climbed a stone staircase that led into the woods.

Midway up the stairs, there was a sign indicating a nearby church.

And on that sign—

"Huh? Seongjin, this mark..."

It had the exact same mark drawn on Sang-ah's mother's bracelet.

"It really is."

"Let's go."

Perhaps the pastor here was somehow connected to Mewzealand.

Thinking so, we finally arrived at the church entrance.

A pure white church standing in an open space beside a lush mineral spring.

But the moment we arrived, we were stunned.

"Huh?"

The statue at the church's entrance had been destroyed.

That wasn't all.

Scratches marred the white church building here and there.

It looked as if the place had been slashed wildly with a giant sword—the air felt as though a beast had attacked.

Most of all, though it was the weekend, not a soul was in sight.

"Seongjin...!"

"I know."

Sang-ah sensed through her hearing that someone was approaching.

I too noticed, using 'Observer', so I wasn't surprised.

Sssss—

The sound of a blade scraping against stone drew closer and closer.

It wasn't just one person.

There were at least twenty people hiding, all armed with swords.

I could sense magic power from every one of them.

"Sang-ah, do you think you're ready for a real fight?"

I rotated my neck as I spoke.

Sang-ah had trained with me up until now, but she had never fought against actual people before.

"Of course I am."

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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