How the Cult Saves the World

Chapter 66

I felt a bit sorry for treating Troy like a beast, but I had no choice.

"I'll try."

Fortunately, Troy took the mandrake root from me without any sign of displeasure.

Sniff, sniff. He sniffed the herb a few times and then lifted his head. His face turned to the right.

"I found it."

I put the mandrake root he handed me back into my inventory and followed Troy. As we moved, we dealt with the monsters that came our way. Soon, we found a staircase that led down.

"It's down there."

Was there a warehouse underground? We went down the stairs and saw a wooden door in a dark place.

Clank. I grabbed the handle and turned it, but the door didn't open. It was locked. If I had a lockpick, I would have opened it.

'No choice.'

Bang!

I smashed the door knob with my mace. The door knob broke and the door opened.

We entered and saw a spacious warehouse. There were many miscellaneous things inside, but five sacks caught my eye.

The sacks were about half the size of an adult and as fat as a human body. I opened them and checked what was inside.

"I found it."

All five sacks contained mandrake roots. I lifted my lips and opened my inventory.

"Should I move them?"

Troy stepped forward to grab the sacks, but I snatched them back. And I stuffed all five sacks into my inventory.

"...Wow."

Troy exclaimed in a low voice.

"How can you put them in thin air?"

"It's a power given by Kyros."

I explained briefly and passed by Troy, who was still amazed.

Now, I had to find the 'Large-scale Monsterization Device'. It was a product of research that the Rizes Church had seduced the magicians and alchemists into creating.

'I'm sure Celos is controlling it.'

Where could it be? I thought as I climbed the stairs.

The Large-scale Monsterization Device was a device that emitted black mist and turned people into monsters.

'And it all started when... the sky of the Royal Capital turned black.'

Then, there was only one place where the device could be.

"Troy. Let's go to the highest point of this Palace."

"Why?"

"There might be something that emits this black mist there."

I explained briefly and climbed the stairs. We encountered some Palace servants who had turned into monsters, but we easily disposed of them with Troy.

As we climbed the stairs, the stairs finally ended. And we saw a small corridor and a translucent glass door.

As soon as we opened the door, a wide-open rooftop appeared. There was an old man who looked like he was in his seventies and a huge flask.

The old man with white hair was smiling happily as he looked at the huge flask.

"That robe, he's definitely the High Priest of the Rizes Church."

Troy growled and raised his claws as he spoke to me.

"Yeah. I know."

That old man was Celos. And the huge flask next to him, which was boiling with black liquid, was the 'Large-scale Monsterization Device'.

The liquid in the flask vaporized and produced black mist endlessly. The mist was spreading throughout Bahano.

"Ho ho, what a surprise. Guests who come without notice..."

Celos turned his gaze to us as he looked at the flask. The old man's dull black eyes gave me the creeps.

"You are rude people."

Celos turned his body toward us. Then Troy shouted.

"How dare you! You try to turn people into monsters!"

"Ha ha! That is our mission and our great work."

"Mission? Great work? What's so important about that?"

"It's important. It's the command of 'Him'. This world will soon belong to 'Him', and when that time comes, we will return to 'His' side."

Celos stroked his beard and smiled. The old man was referring to the Demon Lord.

The Demon Lord Shamir was planning to turn humans into monsters and make them his army, and to oppose the Evil God.

"Now, why don't you join us? A bright future awaits us."

"Master, what is this...?"

"Ah. A restraint. This guy won't be able to use poison anymore."

It was an idea I got from seeing Hamel's restraint, and it actually worked.

"Troy, take this guy."

"Okay."

Troy carried Celos on his shoulder. I came down from the rooftop with him.

There were no more monsters in the palace. It seemed that there weren't many servants and soldiers.

As we walked down the stairs, a particularly fancy door came into view.

"Master?"

"Follow me, Troy."

I opened the door right away. There were many ornaments inside. From paintings with colorful backgrounds to pottery made by craftsmen.

'Decorating the room lavishly must be a characteristic of the High Priests of the Rizes Church.'

I walked with a grim face. Gradually, I felt a sinister aura.

Splash!

I pulled away the curtain that covered one wall of the High Priest's room.

Then I saw the Demon Lord's Blessing inside.

"This is...!"

"I can feel the blessing's power."

I smiled slyly and lifted my mace high. And I swung it hard to break the Blessing.

Crash!

[You have destroyed the 'Demon Lord's Blessing'.]

[You have acquired the land and buildings of the 'Rizes Church Bahano Branch' with the effect of the achievement 'Demon Lord's Blessing Destroyer'.]

[You have acquired the land and buildings of the 'Rizes Church Bahano Branch'.]

[You can establish the 'Kyros Church Temple'!]

[When you establish the 'Kyros Church Temple', you will receive '10 Officer Draw Tickets' as a reward.]

[Do you want to establish the temple?]

[Yes/No]

As I looked at the system window that appeared again, I frowned without realizing it.

'What the hell...'

Until now, every time I destroyed a Blessing and established a temple, I got a 'Regional Purification Light'. But the reward given to me now was 'Officer Draw Tickets'.

No, of course, officer draw tickets are nice. Nice. But what I needed now was a purification light.

'...Damn it.'

I swallowed a curse and accepted the temple establishment.

[The 'Rizes Church Bahano Branch' has been converted into the 'Kyros Church Temple'!]

Since Kyros wasn't looking at me right now, I didn't hear his voice. And the draw tickets also went into my inventory by themselves.

'Well. That's that.'

Let's just keep doing what I have to do. It would have been easier if I had a purification light, but I can't help it.

"Troy, let's go."

I left the High Priest's room with Troy.

'Now, it's the King's turn.'

I organized the order and left the Palace.

When I did.

Whiz! Thud!

I heard the sound of an arrow cutting through the wind.

"Master, there's Zain over there."

Troy pointed and I saw Zain and Arhen surrounded by monster soldiers.

"Zain, Princess."

I ran to them and beat the monsters with my mace.

"Master! You should have come sooner!"

Zain, who was breathing hard with a bow in his hand, blamed me.

"Is this my fault?"

I pushed Zain aside and looked at Arhen. She asked me anxiously.