Somebody Stop the Pope – 39



Episode 39

5.

Anyone who has ever played an RPG game can easily understand how the ‘experience point increase’ effect is a rare fraudulent effect.

First of all there is no concept of player level in the system.

Instead there is a concept that each ability and skill has experience points and levels.

I also pride myself on having a high level of understanding of the system thanks to the fact that I was able to grow quickly through the system in Eden.

Since I returned to Earth and confirmed that other players’ systems are not fundamentally different from mine I think other players who have confirmed this effect will react similarly to me.

Basically ability and skill levels are accumulated through experience points when performing related actions.

For example the ability called <Strength> is literally a concept where experience points are accumulated the more you use strength and when that experience points reach a certain amount the level goes up.

The same goes for other abilities and skills.

If you do something worth 1 experience point it’s normal for it to go up by 1.

“Experience points are copied?”

If you have the religious characteristic called <Enlightenment> then magic will unfold where 1 turns into 1.3.

Even though it is a trait that only applies to new entrants for 180 days it is a truly absurd privilege for newly awakened players.

This trait is not very helpful to me as most of my levels are at the limit of the system but it is a trait that is almost miraculous for the players who will grow in our church in the future.

In short it is a trait that must be acquired by any means necessary.

“…The problem is the price.”

The sacred points paid to bring Leo from Eden were 2500.

In comparison this <Enlightenment> trait was costing 10000 Divine Points which was 4 times more expensive.

The remaining score I checked earlier was only 1700 points.

I was a whopping 8300 points short of purchasing that must-have trait.

“Your Majesty are you perhaps having financial concerns? If so I know a good way.”

The words in my head seemed to flow out unconsciously and Leo who heard them spoke to me with shining eyes.

I was about to wave my hand but soon I felt uncomfortable with Leo’s words.

How does a guy who hasn’t even been on Earth for a month know how to make money?

“Any good way?”

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“Yes.”

Leo spoke confidently handing me the smartphone again and continuing his speech.

“This is the video. When I watched the video it said that if you buy a currency called Hunter Coin at an exchange your money will be copied. Isn’t that amazing? If you can become rich just by breathing the Earth really seems like an amazing place.”

A video with a very provocative title was playing on Leo’s smartphone.

<Make 1 billion with 1 million won Hunter Coin? If you keep this it will definitely skyrocket. Now is the lowest point.>

“Leo.”

“Yes Your Majesty.”

“Just keep watching what you were watching by yourself. You get it?”

“Yes I understand.”

It’s my fault for showing unnecessary interest.

I looked at Leo who was once again focused on his smartphone sighed placed my right hand on my forehead and turned my gaze back to the message window in front of me.

[Divine Points Reserve: 1700 points]

[The amount of Holy Points earned will decrease until the <Cult Expansion – Preparation> quest is completed.]

I thought that as the number of believers increased the divine score would also increase explosively but when I actually looked into it that wasn’t the case.

The divine score which had been accumulating rapidly until the number of believers exceeded 100000 began to show signs of stagnation.

If you check the message it seems like it will continue like this until you complete the main quest…

Where on earth did you get 8300 points?

If I hadn’t known I wouldn’t have regretted it so much but now that I see that ridiculous characteristic I’m starting to get greedy.

That’s when I was staring at the message window for a long time thinking about it.

[A sub-quest occurs.]

[small salvation]

●Type: Sub – DLC

● Description: Your sect is rapidly expanding on Earth. You have not yet established a complete foundation for faith but the miracles you have performed according to God’s will have grown into a fervent wish for some. And among those who have that wish the possibility of becoming a <Prophet> has blossomed.

Your Holiness the <Prophet> who conveys God’s will lives in an unfortunate fate until he enters God’s embrace. It is up to you the first apostle to find the first prophet who appeared on Earth and decide whether to bring him into the church or not.

●Completion conditions

-Find the first prophet <???> and have him join the sect.

●Reward: Sect Trait <Enlightenment Lv. 1> Divinity Points 3000 points

*This quest is not required to be completed.

**Time limit: 3 days

I had forgotten.

I’m talking about how this system trains its users.

Deliberately making me lack something I need and leading me to do it under the pretext of a sub-quest.

The wickedness of calling it a <sub-quest> while creating a structure that makes it inevitable that you will suffer a loss if you don’t do it.

Not performing it won’t prevent you from progressing through the main quest but it will definitely hinder it.

That’s why I didn’t think about it for too long.

“I accept.”

[You have accepted the sub-quest <Small Salvation>.]

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Even if you can’t eat it how could you miss the chance to get that ridiculous trait for free?

6.

Actually the word <prophet> was not such an awkward concept for me.

Prophet.

It literally means the first to awaken but to put it simply you can think of it as a being born with a very strong potential for divine power.

In Eden prophets were often referred to as “saints” or “saints.”

Leo who was called the Saint of the North was also one of the prophets of Limen.

So in the end this is it.

“So you’re saying we need to find a saint or a holy person on Earth?”

“Yeah that’s right.”

“Tell me where it is.”

『Siwoo would know better than anyone that that won’t work.』

“…I just said that because I was frustrated.”

I couldn’t help but sigh loudly at Limen’s voice.

And then Limen comforted me with his gentle voice.

『God is merely a being who hands out fate and it is up to the prophets to decide fate. The moment I intervene in the fate of the prophets they are no longer prophets. I hope you are not disappointed or disappointed Siu.』

For that reason the Vatican deliberately sent priests to various parts of the continent to search for hidden prophets.

If Limen had told them the locations of the prophets there would have been no need for that but there was a reason why he didn’t.

Even though I knew that fact I still whined because I was so sad.

It was also frustrating because there was no guarantee that the prophet would appear in South Korea.

“Siwoo. Are you very disappointed?”

“No it’s just a bit complicated.”

Earth boasts an overwhelming population compared to Eden.

And that’s not all.

Unlike in Eden where the church was so strong that priests were dispatched to every corner of the continent at present there is no way to even dispatch priests.

It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

But as always.

“But it’s not like there’s no way.”

She is kind to me.

[The Lord of the Houses <Limen> grants you a new position <Judge>.]

[According to the law of causality this position will last for three days in Earth time. During this period you will be able to hear the prayer of the ‘First Prophet’.]

“Just this once in a while.”

“You said we shouldn’t interfere with fate?”

“It’s not me who’ll intervene in fate it’s Siwoo. Then it doesn’t matter.”

“If it’s going to be like this even in Eden….”

『There was no reason for that to happen there. Even without me telling you you found it on your own. How wonderful that was! Well in Earthly terms you could say you seek natural encounters?』

Even if Leo is like that where on earth does Limen learn such speech?

If Inwook had spoken like that I would have punished him immediately but let’s give Rimen some leeway.

I frowned slightly and asked in a low voice.

“What does the prophet’s prayer sound like?”

『It will just sound like someone is whispering in your ear. If the child with the destiny of a prophet doesn’t pray you might not hear it. Siwoo has heard other people’s prayers quite a bit right?』

That’s true. Just like I heard Minsu’s prayer at the Guro-gu Gate last time I heard someone’s prayer at Eden too.

But the situation now was fundamentally different.

“That was only the prayer of those who had entered the fold of the religious order and this was the first time that a prophet who had not converted had prayed. And what happens if a prophet no longer prays?”

“What’s going to happen? Then I won’t be able to hear it!”

Is it really necessary to say that so clearly?

There is a time limit of three days and only when the first prophet prays can I hear him…

I think you should consider that in the worst case scenario you may fail the quest.

As I was considering various possibilities in my head Limen spoke in a soft voice.

“I’d like to talk to Siwoo more but there are things going on in this world too so it’d be difficult.”

“What’s going on?”

“Don’t worry it’s not that big of a deal. Oh right. There’s something I haven’t told Siwoo.”

Limen paused for a moment then continued speaking in a much calmer voice.

『Prophets must live miserable lives before they can return to the embrace of God. This is because their noble souls break the law of causality.』

“It’s harsh.”

Just because you were born a prophet you are doomed to live in misery.

That would be a fate closer to a curse than a blessing.

“So Siwoo please save that poor kid. Okay?”

Before I could even respond to her words.

[The trust is terminated.]

The connection with her was severed and silence soon fell upon the temple.

“ha.”

I stood up from my seat with a sigh.

So from now on should we just sit still and wait for the first prophet to pray?

What if that friend doesn’t pray within three days?

Besides if you’re in a remote place like Africa rather than South Korea that’s a headache in its own right.

It was while I was walking out of the temple deep in thought.

【…please.】

【Please… if you are here…】

Suddenly I started hearing a voice in my ear that I had never heard before.

At first I was puzzled but I soon realized that it was the prayer of the ‘first prophet’.

It felt like all the worries I had just had melted away in an instant.

But I soon realized that there was something wrong with the voice in my ear.

【Please I don’t mind dying.】

【…Our poor dad please save him… please.】

【and…】

It wasn’t just a simple <prayer>.

A voice close to a scream with absolutely no trace of piety.

The voice of a child who hasn’t even reached puberty keeps gnawing at my mind.

【If Limen-nim really exists in this world… please make sure that the people who did this to my father pay the price..】

I clenched my fists at the voice that was almost like a curse. Then I spoke in a low voice.

“Leo. I have a place to go.”

Leo who had been waiting on one side quietly answers my call.

“I will serve you right away.”

The time was 11 p.m. It was a bit late to be out but Leo didn’t ask why.

He studied my face for a moment and then just nodded silently.

I said as I put on the black gloves that I had left on the chair for a moment.

“I’m going to get the saint.”

Our Pope please stop this