Kim Saje, the Gold Hoarder — Part 3
“Stop feeding me…”
Kim Saje groaned.
I ignored him and continued.
“I can’t eat anymore!”
Kim Saje gagged, his face turning pale.
Next to him, a small mountain of gold bars was piled up.
Of course, it wasn’t a real mountain, more like a tiny model—barely the size of a clenched fist.
I picked up another gold bar with tongs and placed it in the magical cauldron.
“Why can’t you eat anymore?”
“It feels like my insides are boiling!”
“That’s just a mana reaction. Don’t worry about it and focus on your prayers. You need to boost your divine power, or should I say, your mana.”
“I’m going to die! I’m getting mana poisoning!”
“Who said that? You? Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way that’s going to happen. Just pray one more time.”
“I really feel like I’m going to die…”
“I’m telling you, you won’t.”
Each of the four tutorial characters has their own unique trait.
Warrior Kim is the most well-known, with his blank-slate body.
And Priest Kim? His defining trait is that he doesn’t get mana poisoning.
Most priest-type superhumans are immune, but Priest Kim’s immunity is on a different level.
His god refines the mana for him, purifying and processing it as it’s absorbed.
So the more gold he consumes, the more divine power he accumulates.
‘In the game, this was a bit of a downside.’
That’s because gold was hard to come by.
How many game developers actually put gold stores in their games?
You could either pick up gold dropped by monsters or buy gold ingots and coins that appeared randomly.
So whenever Kim Saje was in a party, people would shout, “Gold time!”
But in reality, things are different.
You can just walk into a gold shop and buy gold bars, coins, or gold jewelry.
Same goes for Shinwon Market.
I had just raided a neighborhood gold shop as well as Shinwon Market.
“Eat more. There’s still plenty left.”
“Ugh…”
Kim Saje made a face like he was going to throw up.
Next to the pile of miniature gold bars were several pieces of gold art.
There was a small Buddha statue, a mysterious holy emblem, and a gold teacup engraved with sacred symbols.
As I ground the molten gold into powder, I spoke.
“I’ll say it again: when you’re at a low level, you can just melt down the gold and drink it. But once your level increases, regular gold won’t work. At that point, you’ll have to choose one of two methods.”
“I’ve heard this a million times. I memorized it already. Either vaporize the gold to drink it or melt down gold art pieces, right?”
“Exactly. Now, which type of art pieces did I say you should consume?”
“Religious ones.”
“Correct.”
Mixing gold powder into tea is only a secondary method.
The proper way is to vaporize the gold and inhale it.
Not just burning it as a sacrifice.
That’s how things work at level 3. At level 5, things change again.
“At level 5, you’ll have to switch to relics. Religious relics from other faiths. And they have to be made of gold.”
“Ugh… where would I even find those?”
“Don’t you have them in your church’s vault? Your church is ancient, so there should be something, right?”
“I’ve never been inside the vault.”
“When you become an archbishop—or better yet, the patriarch—you’ll get access. Isn’t level 5 when someone becomes the patriarch in your church? That’s a good excuse to raid the vault. You can use whatever treasures you find in there.”
And don’t forget to save some for me.
I’m sure there are more than just relics in that vault—there must be magical artifacts too.
Even if it’s a small, impoverished church, 3,000 years of history is bound to have accumulated something.
“Ugh… can I take a break?”
“You don’t have time for breaks. You’re just praying. How can that be so tiring?”
“It’s exhausting… I’m constantly facing my god.”
“That sounds great. Maybe you’ll become an apostle soon.”
“What? Becoming an apostle isn’t that easy!”
“But you keep facing your god, don’t you?”
“I don’t actually meet him. I can only sense his presence. My god’s existence has been so diminished that he can’t even speak clearly.”
“Well, just in case, keep going. Come on, don’t stop. Keep drinking!”
“Ugh, I regret agreeing to this.”
Even as Kim Saje looked like he was going to cry, he obediently drank the tea with gold like a baby bird accepting food.
I wasn’t joking about the apostle bit.
[Apostle] is a trait Kim Saje can earn.
Probably soon, too.
He just needs to meet the hidden conditions.
At the rate he’s following the method I taught him, it shouldn’t take long.
“Hmm…”
Kim Saje paused in the middle of drinking the gold-infused tea, making a low sound in his throat.
His second awakening.
Or perhaps, a level up.
From the outside, it looked similar to when he advanced to level 2.
A divine aura spread around him, and waves of power rippled through the air.
If Kim Saje hadn’t already set up a barrier, everyone outside would’ve noticed the moment of his ascension.
I sat back leisurely, sipping tea and watching him.
Kim Saje was lost in a state of divine ecstasy for a while before he slowly opened his eyes.
“Wow!”
Kim Saje jumped up excitedly.
“I’ve reached level 3! I’m a bishop now!”
“How do you feel? Any discomfort?”
“It’s amazing. I feel so light, like I could ascend to the heavens where my god resides!”
“Good. Now let’s finish this last bit.”
“Uh, Superhuman? Isn’t this enough? I’m a bishop now, after all.”
“But you should finish what we’ve prepared. Don’t you want to reach level 4?”
“I do, but I’m okay with leveling up later. I can wait a few years.”
“I can’t wait. Come on, finish it.”
“Ugh…”
I practically forced the rest of the gold on him.
We went through all the gold bars and even the three art pieces.
Still, level 4 wasn’t achievable.
To reach level 4, you’d need hundreds of billions worth of gold, or art pieces made from tens of billions worth of gold.
My budget was just 100 million won—the amount I had originally intended to give Kim Saje as a payment for the unsealing.
Considering that, reaching level 3 was already a huge achievement.
Kim Saje and his church have definite potential.
“Phew.”
Kim Saje clenched and unclenched his fists a few times.
“I’m really strong now. My god has granted me a lot of power.”
Kim Saje’s starting trait was [Healing Hands].
With each level, his traits would grow.
Now that he was level 3, he should’ve gained [Purification], [Holy Shield], and [Light’s Arrow].
Kim Saje formed a ball of light in his hand and boasted proudly.
“Look! Don’t I look powerful?”
Late teens.
In my previous world, he’d be a normal high school student.
It’s natural for him to want to show off his newfound strength, but he’s not reading the room.
In this chaotic world, acting out of line like that will get him killed in some back alley.
Whoosh!
I threw the spoon I was holding.
With my Throwing trait, the spoon hit the ball of light perfectly, snuffing it out.
Kim Saje looked surprised.
“Wha-?”
“Kim Saje. Just because you’re level 3 doesn’t mean you’re invincible. Let your guard down, and even a level 5 superhuman can die.”
“Tch. You don’t have to be so serious.”
“I do. Kim Saje, level 1 and level 3 are worlds apart. At level 1, you can live quietly in this slum, but at level 3, it’s impossible to stay hidden. Even if you disguise yourself with artifacts or relics, the Inquisitors will eventually catch your scent and come after you. If you show off with weak skills like that, you’re going to die for real.”
“I can just block them with my shield.”
“A shield? Let’s see it, then.”
Maybe it’s because he’s young, but he hasn’t experienced the harsh reality of the world yet.
Kim Saje, still eager to prove himself, clasped his hands together.
A holy shield slowly expanded before him.
Unlike my mana shield, which was transparent with a faint blue hue, his shield was milky white, almost opaque.
It had a firm, elastic texture, like it would bounce back anything that hit it.
In terms of raw defense, his holy shield was far superior to a mana shield.
But I already knew the answer.
I walked over to my golf bag and pulled out a rifle.
My answer was the gun.
Click—I made sure the sound of the safety switching off was loud enough for him to hear, and when I aimed at him, Kim Saje’s face turned pale.
“Th-that’s cheating!”
“Why is it cheating?”
“Because…”
“Kim Saje, haven’t you seen the Iron Fist Gang and Dagger Gang fighting around here? They use rifles and shotguns all the time. Pistols are rare. They even throw grenades and fire rocket launchers. Didn’t you see that?”
“I did…”
“That’s your future. A rifle is nothing. Some people will come at you with machine guns, and others with anti-material sniper rifles. You think a holy shield will protect you from that? It’ll stop a few rifle bullets, but that’s it.”
And it won’t last forever, either.
Even a few hundred rifle rounds would break it.
I lowered the rifle and gave him a word of advice.
“You need to be careful, always. At least until your god fully awakens. First, you should convene the local congregation and get officially recognized as a bishop. Then, hire mercenaries or appoint some of the church’s guardians as holy knights to protect you. A priest without protection is incredibly vulnerable.”
Kim Saje himself isn’t much of a fighter.
He’s the classic, stereotypical priest character.
A soft body, strictly support abilities.
Healing Hands, Purification, and Holy Shield are great, but what’s he going to do with Light’s Arrow?
In the game, we often removed Healing Hands and Light’s Arrow and gave him blessings and buffs instead. Healing could be handled with the relic he gave me.
Kim Saje, who had been hanging his head, looked up at me.
There was a glint of longing in his eyes.
“Then… would you consider working as my bodyguard?”
“Me?”
“Yes. I trust you, Superhuman.”
He looked at me with sincere eyes, as if he was gazing at an older brother he admired.
I felt a bit parched in my throat.
I had only been kind to him because I thought I could use him, but he’s far too innocent.
But that doesn’t change my answer.
I shook my head firmly.
“I have my own tasks to take care of. I’m sorry.”
“That’s too bad… What do you have to do?”
“I need to get stronger.”
“You could still get stronger as a holy knight.”
“I’m aiming for something much higher.”
There’s no way I’d settle for being just a holy knight.
Even becoming a paladin for one of the Seven Great Churches wouldn’t be enough, let alone for a tiny, minor sect like his.
Kim Saje clicked his tongue, but he didn’t press the issue.
Instead, he made a request.
“Then could you at least guard me for a little while? Like you said, I plan to convene a local meeting, but I don’t want to go alone. The other bishops will be there…”
“Alright. I’ll do that much for you.”
“Thank you! I’ll make sure to repay this favor! You’ll get your commission, so don’t worry about that!”
“Haha. Alright, I’ll be looking forward to it.”
What is he going to give me?
I don’t expect much.
Just one holy sword. Give me a single holy sword, and I’ll be content.
Kim Saje quickly scribbled out a letter.
He rubbed his thumb in the inkpad and stamped the letter with his thumbprint.
He pressed divine power into it with great concentration.
I could feel a faint ripple of mana.
Other superhumans might not notice it, but priests from his church would recognize it immediately.
This was a summons from a level 3 superhuman, or as they would call him, a bishop.
In short, it was a bishop’s command to gather.
Who would dare refuse?
Once the letter was complete, Kim Saje placed it in the hand of the idol and burned it.
The milky-white smoke from the holy power was sucked into the statue’s nostrils.
The idol’s eyes flashed briefly before falling silent again.
Kim Saje let out a deep breath, as if he had accomplished something monumental.
“Phew! We’re meeting tomorrow.”
“Looks like most of them live nearby.”
“Of course. There are so many people in Seoul and the surrounding areas. A lot of the priests live around here, too.”
“How many are coming?”
“I don’t know. But I’m guessing at least five or six.”
I hope the bishop doesn’t show up.
Kim Saje muttered under his breath, then noticed me watching and laughed awkwardly.
The following night.
In an abandoned church near Seoul, where renovations were underway, the regional meeting was held.
“Oh, look who it is! Kim Saje!”
“Level 3, you say?”
“My word! You’ve been blessed by our god!”
“To think we have a bishop in our congregation!”
“This is wonderful news! Truly wonderful!”
Perhaps because it was such a small community, the priests were genuinely overjoyed at the news of Kim Saje’s level up.
Six people had gathered.
One level 2, five level 1s.
Those numbers were pitiful.
“Looks like everyone’s here. Shall we get started?”
The senior, level 2 priest looked around and spoke.
“Yes, let’s begin.”
“Please proceed.”
Just as they were about to formally open the meeting, a sharp voice cut through the dimly lit, dilapidated church.
“Who said you could start?”
Kim Saje’s smiling face immediately froze.
Creak!
The church doors swung open roughly.
Outside, in the dark, under the pale light of a hazy full moon, stood an old man flanked by several large figures.
His hawk-like nose and emaciated frame gave him the appearance of a crow.
In his right hand, a golden staff gleamed, drawing the eye.
I narrowed my eyes.
The staff was familiar.
Especially the X-shaped ornament at the top.
‘That’s…’
An X-shaped decoration.
Upon closer inspection, I realized.
It was identical to the scar that had marked Kim Saje’s forehead in the game.
“It’s the bishop.”
Yes. It was him.
The main villain of Kim Saje’s personal quest.
The one responsible for excommunicating him in the story.
The bishop stood before us, glaring coldly.
Especially at Kim Saje.
–TL Notes–
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