Chapter 356

What was the terrible plan that the Japanese right wing forces set up?

"We will kill Damian. Let’s show him the taste of fear and despair, so that he won’t talk about Grid again.”

"We will tame him and use him to thoroughly strengthen the forces of the Japanese guilds.”

“Let’s support the rankers who will participate in the next National Competition. If there are 10 Rebecca healers per ranker, who would be able to beat them in the National Competition?”

That’s right. In the name of patriotism, they were trying to use force to dominate someone else’s life. It was a complete human rights violation and a terrifying idea.

‘I want to step on Grid.’

That thought was on their minds. The right wing Japanese forces had no intention of touching Grid. The Seven Guilds didn’t have the power to threaten Grid, so they couldn’t even if they wanted to.

They were weak to the strong, and strong against the weak. Just like the mass protests against Korean and the small anti-Chinese protests, the Japanese extreme right wing forces chose the path they believed was wise.

Grid was the fundamental problem, but they turned away from him and aimed the arrow at the relatively weaker Damian. But they overlooked one thing.

Damian was never weak. He might’ve been acting as an informal ranker for nearly a year, but he was originally a high ranker. He was also the first person to obtain a unique hidden class. Now he had become the pope.

He was definitely one of the strongest people. However, when compared to Grid...

***

Lauel was always interested in international affairs.

Collecting a wide range of information while playing Satisfy was a basic skill, and knowing the issues of each country was a great help when it came to gathering information.

“Eh?”

It was early in the morning. Prior to accessing Satisfy, Lauel was looking at the overseas topics and was baffled when looking at the news from Japan.

[Pope Damian! He announced that he would build a Goddess Rebecca temple in Reidan!!]

“This person...!”

Lauel’s expression twisted. Didn’t he advise him several times that the cooperative relationship between Overgeared and the Rebecca Church should proceed discreetly?

In fact, during Damian’s campaign, Grid and Huroi had acted as carefully as possible. They tried to help Damian’s campaign while avoiding people’s attention. On the day of the pope speech candidates, they accidentally appeared on air, but there was no doubt that they were trying their best.

Now Damian was turning all their hard work to naught.

"Stop worshipping Grid!”

The more influential religions were, the less biased they should be. They had to maintain a neutral position and treat everyone equally. It was because certain powers might collude with others to weaken the power of the religion.

Lauel immediately connected to Satisfy and whispered to Damian.

-Why are you ignoring my advice? How many times have I told you that you must keep your help towards Grid and Overgeared a secret?

-It couldn’t be helped. It’s hard to maintain a neutral position forever because I’m receiving too much pressure inside and outside of the game. I had to make a choice.

-Inside the game? Apart from the Japanese extreme right wing groups, there is another force putting pressure on you?

-Yes, the Saharan Empire is trying to take the Rebecca Church as a state religion.

Lauel’s expression stiffened.

The Saharan Empire, based on a nationalist ideology, was trying to make the largest religion on the continent its state religion? The aftermath would be enormous. It would be prohibited to serve Goddess Rebecca unless they were part of the empire.

The Saharan Empire was already the greatest power. There were a total of 17 nations on the continent, but it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that all of them were under the rule of the empire.

‘The Saharan Empire...’

They grew arrogant, as there were no enemies in the world.

‘If I was going to hand the Rebecca Church over to you, I wouldn’t have made Damian the pope.’

The cynical Lauel laid out a map of the West Continent. Then he examined several kingdoms that bordered the Saharan Empire.

***

Thorny Vine Forest.

It was one of the roads connected Reidan and the Saharan Empire, and was the place where the legend of Faker, the god of death, began.

“Isn’t this where the Ice Flower Guild was wiped out by Faker?”

“Do you believe that ridiculous rumour? The Ice Flower Guild is one of the strongest guilds, and part of the Seven Guilds. How could they be wiped out by Faker?”

"That's right. Bondre alone would be able to take care of Faker.”

“Grid just spread an exaggerated rumor in order to increase the reputation of Overgeared. It’s just a bluff.”

Japan’s leading right wing guild, the 180 players of Sakura, were hiding in the forest. Their goal was Damian. Their first task was to kidnap and detain the traitor who was heading for Reidan.

"We can wait around here. We’ll make that traitor pay for betraying his country.”

“Building a temple in Grid’s damn territory, he must be a Zainichi.”

"Whoa whoa, suppress your killing intent. We can’t kill the person who will become our puppet.”

The Sakura Guild members gritted their teeth. After a while, they witnessed a long procession entering the forest.

"Happy-chan~ isn’t it difficult? Do you want me to do it?”

"Your Holiness, please maintain your dignity.”

"I don’t care about my dignity if it means ignoring girls who are having a hard time.”

"...”

“Now~ Happy-chan, come on. Yes? Are you shy? You are completely cute. I want to pat your head like this.”

"Kyaaak! Your Holiness! Don’t use too much strength!”

The Sakura Guild members frowned. Pope Damian was part of a procession with 200 young girls? They heard he was an otaku, but they didn’t know he was a lolicon as well.

"He’s enjoying this world properly after becoming pope.”

"Bringing his harem girls on a journey...!”

"Is he the emperor of the Lorije Empire?”

Kkirik!

Yoshimura, the master of the Sakura Guild, pulled back his bowstring. The bow of the person who was once the 2nd ranked archer was aimed exactly at Damian’s heart.

“First, eat this!”

Piing.

A quick shot was fired. Yoshimura might’ve fallen to 4th place on the archer rankings, but it was rare to see someone with such a good bow skill in the world. The arrow quickly broke through the gap in thorns and precisely struck at Damian’s heart...

“...This is?”

Yoshimura was astonished. The 200 beautiful girls in white clothing who were following Damian. The young girls aged from 10 to 15 years old instantly brought out spears, swords, and shields, and blocked Yoshimura’s arrow?

‘Reading the arrow’s position and even blocking it? An arrow shot by Yoshimura?’

‘These kids are freely swinging a blade bigger than their bodies?’

‘The speed at which they take their formation is like well-trained soldiers!’

The Sakura Guild members couldn’t believe the sight that was happening in front of them. They wondered how little girls could show such great talents and agile movements. It didn’t make sense.

"...”

Deep in the quiet forest.

The Sakura members’ mouths gaped open as they hid, while the beautiful girls looked around the forest while holding weapons. Damian stood in the center and gave a meaningful smile.

"Trying to fight the Rebecca’s Daughters candidates, how foolish.”

The eyes of the Sakura Guild members shook.

'Rebecca’s Daughters candidates!’

The Rebecca Church only chose girls who were born with divine ability and talents, secretly training them to be the strongest paladins who could handle the three divine artifacts. And the name of the strongest paladins were called ‘Rebecca’s Daughters.’

These girls were the candidates?

'Shit! Aren’t the candidates secretly fostered in a secret temple of the Rebecca Church? Why are they accompanying Damian?’

‘These young girls are unbelievably strong...!'

The confused Sakura Guild members were about to turn back after realizing the situation, when...

“Goddess’ Eyes.”

Pahat!

A golden light concentrated on Damian’s fingertips and spread out all over the place.

[The pope receives Goddess Rebecca’s blessing.]

[Goddess Rebecca detects all living things within 300m of you. Undead and the demonkin will receive great damage.]

“There are exactly 180 people.”

Damian’s eyes sank coldly.

“I don’t want blood covering the fine hands of these girls. I will do it myself. Goddess’ Blessing.”

Pahat!

Pa pa pa pa pak!

It was truly spectacular. More than 200 green lights streaked through the dark forest, falling from the sky and hitting Damian and the girls.

[The Goddess’ Blessing increases you and your party members’ stats by 10% for 5 minutes, negates one strike and will create a shield that absorbs 8,000 damage.]

“Ack...!”

The Sakura Guild watching Damian frowned. It was due to the intensity of the green light that wrapped around Damian and the girls that made them shine. Damian gazed towards the location where most of them were gathered.

“Goddess’ Wrath.”

Chiiiiiing!

Two huge magic circles, around 3m in diameter, were quickly created behind Damian’s back.

‘What’s that?’

The Sakura Guild couldn’t get a sense of Damian’s actions. It was natural. Among the users, only Grid would recognize the pope’s skills.

“Die.”

Damian’s declaration was a signal.

Kuwaaaaaang!

It was like watching an anti-tank gun. Two huge rays were fired from the magic circles created behind Damian’s back, moving in a straight line that swallowed everything in its path. Half of the forest was destroyed.

[Party member Gigs has suffered 14,100 damage!]

[Party member Kinji has suffered 15,500 damage!]

[Party member Rokman has suffered 14,990 damage!]

[Party member Yoshimura has suffered 12,100 damage!]

[Party member Orochi has suffered 9,900 damage!]

[Party member...]

[Party...]

...

...

“This is ridiculous!”

The faces of the Sakura Guild members turned white. It only took a few seconds to cast a large area skill that inflicted huge damage to dozens of guild members that were at least level 210? This was a complete scam!

“How...? How can a user be so strong? This is ridiculous! It’s unbalanced!”

Damian just laughed.

"The pope’s tenure is limited to one year, so shouldn’t I be able to exercise this much power? Your level is just too low.”

“Eek! We would be able to win if you weren’t the pope!”

"I know that I’m the pope, but you’re stupid.”

“I didn’t know a pope was so strong! Shit! Damn! If you were weak, we would be able to easily take care of you!”

Truly unscrupulous guys. Damian sighed and pulled out a sword. Then he threw off his white clothing, revealing golden armor. ‘I love Isabel-chan, Rin-chan and Luna-chan’ was beautifully engraved on the armor.

"I don’t need to use the pope’s power on you.”

Teong!

Damian rushed towards Yoshimura, the master of the Sakura Guild. Yoshimura calmly fired an arrow, despite being surprised at the paladin’s speed. It was a strong blow, but the arrow was offset by the shield of light around Damian.

"It’s just this much.”

“...!”

Seokeok!

Great skills.

Damian showed a high level of swordsmanship that Yoshimura couldn’t escape with his agility, leaving him wounded. It was far beyond the range that the Yoshimura Guild estimated for the first unique hidden class and the pope.

Damian might look silly because he was an otaku, but his ability was actually really great. However, when compared with Grid...