How the Cult Saves the World

I couldn't breathe properly because of the intense pain. Something welled up inside me and spilled out. Hot blood flowed down from my mouth.

"Master!"

"Lord!"

"Leviathan!"

I heard the voices of my comrades. But my vision was getting blurry.

Damn it.

Is this how it all ends?

Thud-

"...!"

Zarkel pulled his hand that pierced my chest out, but I couldn't even scream. I felt my strength leaving my body and my sight turning upside down.

I collapsed to the ground, but I didn't feel the pain. The agony was spreading from my heart.

'Is this how I die.'

There was so much I hadn't done yet. I had to save this world. I had so much to do.

'I don't want to die yet.'

But contrary to my will, my consciousness was fading away.

And I closed my eyes.

---

"I want some sausage."

Kyros, who appeared as a puppy, was rolling around in his temple in Rovel.

Sasha, who was quietly reading a book next to him, got up from her seat. She headed to the kitchen for Kyros.

Kyros, who was left alone, sat on the sofa and scratched his itchy body with his hind legs.

Grrr-!

He felt a bad premonition at that moment.

"My child...?"

At the same time, he felt the breath of his first child and apostle, Revelof, who was connected to him, weaken.

He gathered his strength in an instant. A pure white light enveloped Kyros's body.

Then, he disappeared from the temple.

Soon, he appeared in a very far and deep dimension.

In a space where the blue sky and green grassland spread out, Kyros' divine spirit appeared.

He looked nothing like the puppy he was just before.

His beautiful crimson hair fluttered in the wind.

Kyros quickly checked the situation of his first apostle. Then, a large screen appeared in the air.

[Cough!]

On the screen, Revelof, who was stabbed in the chest by one of the children of Maseen, was shown.

Kyros' eyes widened at the sight. He shouted desperately at the sky.

"----!!"

How could this happen? This was an impossible thing.

"----!!"

When Kyros shouted at the sky again, a golden light poured down from the clouds. The light wrapped around Kyros. Kyros spoke urgently to the light.

"What is going on here! This is absurd, ----!"

Kyros felt his heart being torn apart, and appealed to the sky.

"Why does my child have to die like this! You said he could do it, with this soul!"

Kyros protested angrily to the void. Then, a majestic voice came from the quiet sky.

[Oh, this is something I didn't expect either.]

Kyros frowned at the gentle voice.

"You have to save my child. If this goes on, both my child and this world will collapse!"

[Sigh, fine. I understand. Don't worry. I'll help you.]

"Why did my child get hurt in Bahano of all places!"

[...Didn't I tell you? That world is unstable right now. That's why I sent him to you.]

"But you didn't say that he would be in danger!"

[Yes, I did. But, there is always a variable.]

"So do I have to do this every time something happens?"

Kyros' eyes moistened.

[It shouldn't happen often.]

"Are you sure?"

[...Let's save him first.]

The voice sounded tired. Kyros knew it well, so he couldn't say anything more.

He clenched his fist tightly, and turned his eyes to the screen anxiously.

---

Ding!

A familiar alert sound rang. That's when my hazy consciousness woke up.

'What is this...?'

My last memory was being stabbed in the chest by Zarkel. And I died.

But why did I wake up?

'Is it because this world is a game?'

I lifted my heavy eyelids. Then, I saw a system message in front of me.

[System error occurred!]

[Balance adjustment started to control the abnormally increased difficulty!]

[Your soul has been forcibly moved for your protection.]

I read the message carefully, and I got a slight idea.

'Yeah, this is too much... Even if it's a hidden route, it was too hard.'

Originally, the 66th child of Maseen should have appeared, but the second child showed up.

This was like the difficulty suddenly jumped to hell mode.

In fact, my level was barely above beginner, but it felt like I met the final boss.

'But the system protected me?'

This system, it must be friendly to me.

'Then, will it protect me if I'm in danger later?'

As I thought that, I saw my surroundings.

I was in a dark space where no light came in. Like space. But I saw a small light in the distance.

That's when I heard a voice.

[That's not it.]

This was a voice I had never heard before. It sounded like a mix of male and female voices, and it was delivered to my head like Kyros did.

But not it? Does it mean it read my thoughts and answered?

This was all due to an 'unexpected variable'. Something that even I couldn't foresee, an event that you couldn't overcome at this point.

As I heard his voice, I was certain. The one who was talking to me was the 'administrator' of the system that brought me to this world. Or something similar to that.

'Who are you?'

[Ha ha! You are curious about my existence even in this situation.]

'Of course I am. You are the one who sent me here and gave me impossible quests, aren't you?'

[You are smarter than I expected. Listen, kid, this is not the time.]

'What do you mean...'

[Someday, the time will come. Until then, save this world for me.]

His voice gradually faded away.

'Hey! Wait a minute! I still have more questions!'

[Don't worry. This world is -- -- -- after all.]

With that voice, I heard nothing more. The light that cut through the darkness also disappeared.

The only thing I could see was the system window.

[The system is rebooting.]

[The memories of the characters are erased and altered.]

[The balance is adjusted.]

As I read the system messages, my consciousness blurred.

Oh, not again?

---

When I opened my eyes again.

The surroundings had changed. I was no longer in the pitch-black darkness, but in the Bahano Kingdom.

Zarkel, who was in front of me, was nowhere to be seen. At that moment.

Crack-

The air cracked and a rift opened.

What? No way...

"Ma-Master! What is that... Is that a rift?!"

"Th, this is absurd!"

I heard the voices of Zain and Troy. They were saying the same things as before.

What's going on? I frowned unconsciously.

"Oh. Come forth!"

Celos shouted in a hoarse voice, also repeating his words.

Could it be, did time go back? I quickly bowed my head and checked my body. It was the same as right after I killed the king of Hebius. The chest that was not pierced, the clothes that were torn here and there.

Then, my head spun.

To sum it up, the system 'administrator' saved me from dying to the exponentially increased difficulty, erased and altered the memories of the characters, and even turned back time.

Then, as if to confirm my guess, a message appeared again.

[You have received a special reward from the administrator.]

[Administrator's apology (buff): All your stats are increased by 10 times for 30 minutes.]

...Crazy. What is this?

My stats are increased by 10 times? Wait a minute. But I can't see my stats in the status window, can I? How can I tell how strong I am if you just say it's 10 times higher?

"Oh! The glorious Helis!"

As I checked the buff, I heard Celos's voice.

Helis was the 66th child of the Demon King, just like in the original story.

I took my eyes off the system window and looked up. Then, I saw a woman coming out of the rift.

Blue hair and black body, and a black tail with scales.

This woman, who had the appearance of a mermaid, was Helis.

'Yeah. It should have been like this from the start.'

How does it make sense for Zarkel to pop out of Bahano!

I glared at the system and smiled faintly. Well, at least it saved me.

"You are the brat who interfered with me."

Helis floated in the air and looked down at me. Her voice was very sweet.

"Hmm, your appearance is to my liking."

She reached out her hand to me, as if to seduce me.

"Come, come here. I will make you my special concubine."

A seductive voice and a captivating gaze. I slowly approached Helis.

"Yeah, right."

She smiled beautifully.

When I was only a few steps away from Helis.

Boom-!!

I released my holy power from my hand.

[The hidden item 'The Secret of the Thousand-Year-Old Zine' nullifies 'The Mermaid's Temptation'.]

Helis' temptation, which was nothing but a 'curse', didn't work on me.

That's what I thought as I released my holy power.

'What the hell. Is this size for real?'

The holy power I had released before was only twice the size of my palm at best. But now, my holy power 'erased' Helis' upper body.

In other words, I.

[Warning! You have killed Helis, the 66th child of the Demon King.]

[The Demon King may notice your existence.]

I killed Helis in one shot.

'...I'm insane.'

This is the administrator's buff.

But this buff, it said it increased my power by 10 times. That means if I increase my power by 10 times, I can send the Demon King's children to hell in one shot. The problem is...

'When will I ever get that strong.'

I sighed with disappointment and turned around. Then, I saw Celos' despairing face.

"Ah, no, He-Helis...!"

Seeing him, I realized that the people's memories really changed. Then, Zarkel's memory must have changed too. His face came to my mind again, and I shivered.

He would still be hard to deal with even with the administrator's buff. Is there anyone who can beat Zarkel right now?

I thought hard and came to a conclusion.

Terdius, Troy, and Chester are still too weak.

'I need to get stronger as soon as possible.'

I clenched and unclenched my fist lightly, and went back to my companions.