Somebody Stop the Pope – 239



Episode 239

5.

To conclude Belphegor and Baal were completely destroyed.

Those two who had lost all their dignity and become ordinary demons could no longer withstand the sword of judgment.

Pass.

I nodded slowly as I looked around the empty interior of the sealed room.

There was nothing left inside the sealed room.

Only the sword of judgment covered in ashes remains stuck in the center.

“after.”

He blew on the sword and dusted the ash off it.

Even though the long-standing bad relationship was over I didn’t feel particularly relieved.

I don’t know if it was because I absorbed the power of the Demon King but I felt an inexplicable sense of fulfillment.

Woohoo.

I felt the divine power within my body become a little thicker.

There was no significant change in Limen’s divine power but my own divine power was strengthened.

[New powers are unlocked as your <Grade> reaches certain levels.]

[Acquire the power <Formation>.]

[You can manipulate certain areas as you wish through <Power: Formation>. This power is limited to <Dimension: Earth> and the range of manipulation is determined by the special ability <Strength>. This power is the basis of <Power: Creation> and <Power: Destruction>.]

A new power acquired by absorbing the Demon King’s rank.

Even just looking at the description it feels completely different from the skills I’ve had so far.

Should I say that it is worthy of <divinity>?

I’ll have to test it out myself but to me it looks a lot more useful than some combat skills.

You could say it’s the ability to manipulate the battlefield as I wish.

In addition the lower-level skills <Creation> and <Destruction> also look unusual so it seems like Terra has ambitiously prepared them.

The experiment was a great success.

There couldn’t be a better result than confirming that the Demon King could be completely destroyed.

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I completely destroyed the ashes remaining on the floor with my divine power and then immediately escaped from the sealed room.

And then he walked back out onto the ground.

“His Holiness.”

The first to welcome me was Archbishop Lapart who was talking to the congregation in the temple’s chapel.

Archbishop Lapart must have felt certain that the Demon Lords had been annihilated in the sealed room underground.

He bowed his head toward me and congratulated me.

“You have completely destroyed both Demon Lords. Congratulations.”

“I think my newfound ability will be very useful.”

“The other Demon Lords will soon meet the same end as them.”

“That’s what we should do.”

The Demon Kings are no longer immortal beings.

The news of Belphegor and Baal’s annihilation must have been relayed to the Purifiers as well.

How will they move now?

Now to me the Demon King is nothing more than a meal.

Daily bread that can fill my lack.

“Tell them to first figure out the locations of the Demon Lords.”

There are five demon lords left.

Now that it has been confirmed that we can completely destroy the Demon King we must absorb them and increase our power.

The roles of the hunter and the prey have been reversed.

Now it’s time to go hunting for the Demon King here.

Archbishop Laparte bowed his head at my words.

“I will give instructions.”

“Raphael said he’ll be completing an enhanced magic detection device soon so I think it would be a good idea to cooperate with him.”

Raphael’s research continued even after he moved to China.

I heard that we’ve made great strides thanks to the various experimental subjects.

In particular have you developed a new technology to track magic?

“Raphael has developed a satellite to detect Magi.”

“I don’t know much about science and technology on Earth but it’s not like satellites can be created overnight…”

“Because it’s Raphael.”

“…okay.”

It’s possible because it was Raphael one of the Munchkin power users I acknowledge.

The magic detection satellite was only a prototype but it would certainly ease the burden on the Inquisitors.

Of course in the name of developing that satellite we emptied our church’s stockpile of sacred stones.

“Let’s eat them one by one.”

Now we have a rough idea that the most important ability to deal with the ancient gods is <Strength>.

So from now on what I have to do is to raise that <level> as much as possible.

Even the Demon King is eaten and his level increases.

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It’s literally killing two birds with one stone.

“But Your Majesty we have received intelligence from the United States.”

While I was pondering the future for a moment Archbishop Laparte cautiously brought up the subject.

“It is said that Baekmyeonggyo is involved in new religions that are spreading mainly in third world countries.”

“Are you a Baekmyeonggyo?”

“Yes Your Majesty as you know religious groups have been appearing as if they had been waiting for the moment when the ancient gods appeared in various parts of the world. And they are said to be organizing themselves at an astonishing speed.”

An organization isn’t formed overnight.

The fact that they’re already moving in an organized manner in less than a week since they appeared means that they were prepared from the beginning.

The force that supports the new religious groups related to the ancient gods is as far as I know Baekmyeonggyo… Wait.

The title of that blonde girl from Baekmyeonggyo was probably Archbishop right?

If there is an archbishop then there must be other dioceses as well.

“The Baekmyeonggyo may not worship just one god. Make sure to fully convey that possibility to the U.S.”

“All right.”

In the past I thought it was just a common cult that was causing chaos in South Korea but it turned out to be a multinational cult.

The growth of Baekmyeonggyo’s influence is something we must be wary of. We can sufficiently cover the expansion of its influence in China but it is impossible for it to extend its influence to other countries.

Now that the stakes are higher the need for alliances is felt.

We need more and more diverse countries to join us not just the United States.

“But first the Purifier.”

There were more things to think about but at times like these I had to focus on my immediate goals.

To completely erase the Purifier from this world.

Now is the time to focus on that.

“Just in case please inquire about the new consultative body with the governments of South Korea Japan and the United States.”

“All right.”

“How are the preparations for the invasion of Nanjing going?”

“Additionally produced celestial punishment missiles are entering Shanghai and the recruitment of mercenaries is also progressing smoothly.”

The minimum rank for a mercenary to participate in the Nanjing expedition is A-class Hunter or higher.

As this is expected to be the Purifier’s core stronghold it will not be an easy fight.

I nodded slowly.

Another battle was looming.

6.

As Archbishop Laparte reported preparations for the conquest of Nanjing were proceeding at an incredible pace.

This was absolute madness.

“I have been waiting for this day. I flew here from Japan as soon as I heard the news. I want to repay even a little bit of the kindness of Pope Kim Si-woo who protected Japan!”

“I’m from America!”

“We are from India…..”

“We are from Vietnam…..”

A truly multinational army.

A multinational force has been formed that can be called a melting pot of races.

A spectacle born from the mercenary benefit of being granted 100% ownership of the spoils obtained in battle.

Some people participate by shouting out the faith of the Limen Church while others participate with eyes sparkling with greed.

Despite the restriction of Hunters to Class A or higher more than a thousand Hunters were entering Shanghai each day.

“Is it okay to repair equipment like that? Isn’t it done properly?”

“I’m sorry Toby!”

“What do you mean these days they have no passion. No passion.”

Even Toby who remained in the Seoul Holy Land opened a sales office on the site.

We are currently taking care of not only the equipment of our sect’s fighters but also that of external hunters.

Of course external hunter equipment repairs are subject to a fee.

Toby’s disciples who once belonged to the Meister Guild have also improved their level considerably and thanks to them our sect is raking in a lot of money.

“There is a shortage of priests in the sanctuary.”

“The knights have nothing to do before the battle anyway right? Send some of them over there!”

For reference as many as ten temples were built in the Holy Land of Shanghai.

In China too our religious beliefs were spreading rapidly and the sacred points were being copied.

Thanks to this we were recovering most of the money spent on this war.

There was a reason why Advisor Park Ji-won expanded the staff in our church’s accounting department.

“You have to earn it when you earn it.”

I nodded as I looked around the bustling holy place.

Unlike the Sendai Holy Land in Seoul this place is…

“Arsenal?”

Yeah it’s exactly like an armory.

The function of the Shanghai Holy Land is focused solely on war.

“You’re having fun making money.”

Aiden was standing next to me chugging a whole bottle of soju.

“Did you know that drinking alcohol in the Holy Land was originally considered sacrilegious?”

“…Then does that mean I’ll go bald too?”

“I’m kidding.”

“You shouldn’t make jokes like that Siwoo. Hair is a man’s life.”

“…That doesn’t sound like something a guy who shaved the right side of his head should say.”

Aiden glared at me then looked around again and continued speaking.

“The Limen Church always seems to be short on manpower. Are you not thinking of recruiting a third batch of trainees?”

“I’m already making plans but I can’t do anything until the war is over.”

It is virtually impossible to immediately supplement the manpower that should be educating the third batch of trainees as they have all been mobilized for war.

There is also a shortage of priests to be assigned to the sanctuary.

There is also a shortage of blacksmiths to staff the forge.

Just because there is a shortage of manpower it is not possible to accept just anyone into the classroom.

The only good thing is that most of the newly awakened divine players in South Korea and Japan are applying to the Rimen Cult.

If things go well in the future players of the divine series will emerge among the Chinese and they will also choose the Limen sect.

Isn’t this the true unity and harmony of Northeast Asia through Limen?

“What’s surprising is that all of this has happened in less than a year since you returned.”

“Is that all the time left?”

“In America they call this the Limen Syndrome. Before you came South Korea was on the verge of collapse.”

While large guilds fight over vested interests monsters proliferate in real time in the lost northern lands.

Thinking back it was truly a hellish situation.

It seems like it was only yesterday but they have recovered their lost lands and are now coming to the neighboring country to eliminate the Purifiers.

Personally I thought it would take a while before we could enter the Chinese market but it is happening much faster than I expected.

“This is why people have to stand in line. Whenever I’m next to you something fun happens. I’m glad I made you my friend.”

“Wasn’t it just yesterday that you were getting beaten up by me in Japan?”

“It’s a memory I want to forget. But men become close through fighting.”

“It’s not like we fought it’s more like you got beaten up.”

Aiden takes another sip of his drink as he finds himself at a disadvantage.

The guy wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Then he quickly changed his words.

“If Nanjing falls where next?”

“We’ll have to think about that when the time comes.”

If we capture Nanjing we will be able to obtain more information.

That’s why there’s no point in making plans now.

Since I returned have things ever gone as I planned?

“No plan is the plan.”

“When I see you sometimes you really…..”

“It’s true when you see it sometimes?”

“…No no.”

What was Aiden trying to say?

Aiden drank all the alcohol left in the bottle and exhaled softly.

“It’s going to be a fun fight. It’s going to be a lot more fun than fighting the Dark Elves in the Lost Lands. Crushing monster heads is a lot better than crushing human heads.”

“There will also be awakened ones who have been infected with magic.”

“Is that so? It’s not bad to enjoy two flavors at the same time.”

What a crazy guy.

In any case preparations for the conquest of Nanjing were almost at their final stages.

7.

Three days after that.

“Let’s go out.”

The prelude to the Battle of Nanjing has begun.

Our Pope please stop this