Kim Saje, the Gold Hoarder — Part 4
“What a sight, what a sight.”
The Bishop spoke in a croaking voice, like a crow.
“Who gave you the right to hold a gathering at will? What are you going to do if the Inquisitor finds out?”
The Bishop shot a sharp glare at Kim Saje.
A Level 2 Priest spoke in protest.
“Bishop. Any priest of the church has the right to organize a gathering. You know that as well as anyone.”
“Hmph! That only applies when the church laws are followed. A heretic holding a gathering? Ridiculous!”
“Heretic?”
The priests asked in confusion.
The Bishop pulled a letter from his robes and waved it.
A letter written by Kim Saje, distributed through the congregation’s communication channels.
The seal on the letter gleamed under the moonlight.
The Bishop roared.
“Just three months ago, this man was only Level 1. Now, suddenly, he’s Level 3! What does that mean? No one can level up that fast using our church’s methods. Not even if you burn a hundred billion won, not even if you burn two hundred billion! It’s clear he’s sold out our brothers and received divine power in exchange!”
“N-no way!”
“There’s no way a mere priest would do such a thing!”
“That gentle boy wouldn’t betray us!”
“He’s the only son of the late Bishop Kim! He must’ve found an innovative method, just like Bishop Kim did!”
The Bishop’s face twisted in anger.
He glared at the priest who had mentioned Bishop Kim, as if he were about to kill him.
Before he could shout, the Level 2 Priest spoke calmly.
“I understand why you’re suspicious of the priest, Bishop. Our church is going through very harsh times, after all. But we can’t just brand him a heretic without proof. Why don’t we give Kim Saje a chance to explain? Who knows, he might have genuinely discovered a new method to level up.”
“Hmph!”
A reasonable suggestion.
But the Bishop only scoffed.
Boom! He slammed his golden staff on the ground and looked at the hulking men he had brought with him.
“I was a fool to waste my breath talking to idiots. Capture him!”
“Yes, Bishop.”
The Bishop had brought about a dozen men with him.
Two of them, standing on either side of him, stepped forward.
Their presence was like a sharp blade.
Massive, muscular builds.
They were armed with thick armor and oversized batons.
And faint traces of mana pulsed from them.
They’re similar to me.
Level 2 superhumans in the Warrior category. In Kim Saje’s church, they were called Guardians.
The priests stood up angrily.
“Bishop! This is tyranny!”
“How could you deploy the Guardians without permission?”
“Guardians are not your personal soldiers!”
“Silence! This is about upholding the justice of the church. Guardians, bring the corrupted priest here at once!”
The Bishop swung his staff, and ominous golden flames flickered from its tip.
The power imbued in the staff was [Pain].
It was one of the more offensive traits within the Priest category.
The priests who had stood up shrank back, intimidated.
The Guardians approached with solemn faces.
“Priest. I’m sorry.”
“Let’s do this the easy way. The Bishop’s temper will calm down soon enough.”
They seemed reluctant, but the church’s orders were absolute, and subordinates could never disobey their superiors.
“Superhuman.”
Kim Saje, trembling, looked at me.
Still young.
Even though he’s a Bishop, why is he so afraid of another Bishop?
He should stand tall, announce himself as a Bishop, and push back.
But there’s no helping it.
What can you expect from someone who’s barely high school age?
I guess I have to step in.
Slowly, I rose from my seat.
I unleashed my mana.
Wooooom.
A vast, invisible force stretched out like it was waking from a slumber.
I maximized my control over the Black Flame.
The atmosphere trembled, and every gaze turned sharply towards me.
The approaching Guardians narrowed their eyes, stopping in their tracks.
The Bishop also sensed my presence and threw a wary glance my way.
[Einherjar Cultivation Technique], [Mana Core], [Intimidation].
[Mana Recovery], [Mana Absorption], [Black Flame].
A set of traits that no ordinary Level 2 could possess.
The massive flow of mana, something usually only achievable by Mages, carried the intimidating presence of a Warrior as it surged forth.
The Guardians’ faces stiffened.
Reflexively, their hands went to the batons at their waists.
“Hmph.”
I followed suit, grabbing the hilt of the sword at my waist.
I’m no expert with a sword, but do the Guardians know that?
[Mountain Breaking Sword Art].
As soon as I activated the technique, the weight of my presence shifted, turning razor-sharp.
As if I were a seasoned swordsman.
The Guardians broke out into cold sweat.
“W-who are you?”
“Me?”
I tilted my head towards Kim Saje.
“I’m Kim Saje’s Champion. You want to take him? You think you can? Then go ahead. But be prepared to lose your heads.”
I locked eyes with the Guardians, my gaze filled with killing intent.
In their trembling pupils, I could see my reflection.
A beast-like figure, eyes gleaming with murderous energy.
The hesitant man I once was no longer existed.
Now, only the killer remained—the one who had killed and killed again until the hesitation was burned away.
“This is church business! Outsiders must not interfere!”
“Didn’t you hear me? I’m the Champion of Kim Saje. A Champion, a Daejeonsa. If you want to enforce your will, stop barking from the sidelines and come at me. Let’s see how well that fancy staff of yours holds up.” (TL Note: A Daejeonsa is basically a Substitute Warrior)
“You insolent fool!”
“People with nothing left to say always resort to calling others insolent. Kim Saje, what are you waiting for?”
“Huh? Me?”
“Explain how you reached Level 3.”
Without realizing it, I had dropped all formalities with him.
Kim Saje, oddly enough, seemed more comfortable with that.
His trembling faded as he let out a small smile.
“I became Level 3 because…”
He explained calmly.
From our first encounter to being forced to consume gold.
And how, after grinding the gold into powder and drinking it, the divine responded directly, causing his divine power to surge.
The Bishop foamed at the mouth.
“Heresy! This is heresy!”
He screamed like a madman, waving his staff wildly.
But the other priests had a completely different reaction.
“But if the divine allowed it…”
“If it displeased the divine, they wouldn’t have granted him divine power.”
“Not only would they not have granted it, they would’ve reclaimed it immediately. The divine is not known for their leniency.”
“If he’s become Level 3, doesn’t that mean this is legitimate?”
“Exactly.”
They had already sensed it.
Kim Saje’s divine power subtly radiated every time he spoke, confirming his Level 3 status.
The Guardians, too, had stopped moving, now standing back and listening intently.
The only one still rejecting Kim Saje was the Bishop.
“The Golden Sacrifice is the heresy of heresies! Do you think you’ll survive after committing such heresy?”
“It’s not heresy! The divine approved it!”
“Rubbish! The divine would never approve of such a thing! The Golden Sacrifice was declared heresy centuries ago!”
“That’s because the old method was inefficient. This one is much more…”
“Silence, heretic! I’ll purify you and offer your soul to the divine! Heretic! Traitor! Burn in the flames of pain for all eternity!”
The Bishop raised his staff high.
Flames surged.
Golden divine power blazed up like a wildfire.
As it spiraled and gathered at the tip of the staff, I acted.
Whack!
I sent the Bishop flying with a well-aimed sidekick.
“Guh-ack!”
The Bishop groaned as he crashed to the ground.
“B-Bishop!”
“Bishop!”
“No, no!”
“Superhuman! What are you doing?”
Cries and shouts filled my ears from all directions.
I ignored them all.
Grabbing the Bishop by the collar, I lifted him with one hand.
Pow! Bam! Bam!
I landed a few punches, and the Bishop’s face swelled up like a steamed bun.
I knew it from the start.
He has no real combat experience.
A Level 2 Superhuman stepping out unguarded in front of a Warrior? Just a few meters away?
He was practically asking to be beaten.
After I took his staff and dragged the Bishop back, chaos erupted.
“Let go of the Bishop!”
“You heathen!”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Superhuman… this is going too far…”
Even Kim Saje looked at me with reproachful eyes.
Such a soft-hearted guy.
At this point, he’s just a pushover. A fool.
How can you side with the very person who was trying to kill you?
I tossed the Bishop next to Kim Saje.
“Urgh!”
The Bishop let out a pained groan.
The priests buzzed around me, full of protests.
“Even as Kim Saje’s Champion, you can’t assault the Bishop!”
“Do you take our church for a joke?”
“Guardians, why aren’t you protecting the Bishop?”
So noisy.
I grabbed the Bishop by the hair and lifted him again.
“Let go! Let go of me!”
He thrashed, but a punch to the ribs shut him up.
The Guardians approached cautiously but didn’t take action.
They knew that if I moved even slightly, the Bishop could die in an instant.
“Is it a crime to beat a fool who commits blasphemy?”
“Blasphemy?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Now that he’s lost his argument, he’s spewing nonsense. This is…”
“You insulted the candidate for Apostle and called him a heretic. That’s blasphemy.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
Apostle candidate.
The sudden mention of that word sent everyone into mental overload.
They blinked, dumbfounded, their mouths hanging open like baby birds.
“Apostle candidate?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Confused eyes turned toward me.
I turned to look at Kim Saje.
His eyes trembled.
After glancing around nervously, he looked at me, blinking, and pointed at himself with a shaking hand.
“M-me?”
“Yeah, you. You’re the Apostle candidate.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“There are so many great people in our church. How could I be an Apostle candidate over them… It just doesn’t make sense.”
It didn’t necessarily have to be Kim Saje.
The conditions were simple: Level 3 and consuming gold.
Specifically, art made of gold related to a rival church.
In the game’s story, Kim Saje happened to fit those conditions.
I pulled out a small gold nugget I had prepared in advance.
It was a miniaturized golden statue, melted down to the size of a lozenge, from the Old Father’s Cult.
‘The Old Father’s Cult is the main enemy of Kim Saje’s church.’
Three thousand years ago, the God of Wealth was killed by an alliance of churches.
Kim Saje’s church can produce Level 3 priests by burning 100 million won’s worth of gold, but back then, the value was even greater.
Of course, other churches found that irritating.
And the core of that alliance was the Old Father’s Cult.
So, the condition to become an Apostle of the Wealth God is to consume a golden artifact related to the Old Father’s Cult.
That’s why I made Kim Saje eat three golden artifacts yesterday.
“Eat this.”
“W-what is it?”
“You’ll see once you eat it.”
Despite his anxiety, Kim Saje obediently accepted the gold nugget.
And ate it.
Bzzzzzz!
Golden light exploded around him.
Resplendent, dazzling light, like a divine radiance blooming from within him.
“Quick! Form a barrier!”
“Barrier! Now!”
“It’s a miracle!”
Level up?
No.
To reach Level 4, he’d need to amass a mountain of gold.
This was the awakening of his Apostle trait.
An ancient god, long forgotten, was finally reestablishing a connection to the outside world.
The priests struggled to form barriers, while the Guardians and other bulky men dropped to their knees, praying.
The Bishop, meanwhile, was in a state of shock, muttering the same words over and over.
“No… this isn’t right…”
I kept the Bishop pinned down and watched Kim Saje’s transformation unfold.
Why didn’t I help him ascend yesterday?
Because of this guy.
Despite being incompetent and stupid, he’s the most envious and jealous of all the villains.
If I had let him live, he would’ve continued to be a thorn in our side.
That’s why I stopped just short of completing the conditions for Kim Saje’s Apostle awakening, allowing him to gain recognition as a Bishop instead.
Golden explosion.
That’s the only way to describe the spectacle that followed.
Finally, Kim Saje opened his eyes.
“Ah…”
His eyes glowed with divine light, and a halo spun behind his head.
“Halo.”
“It’s a halo.”
The priests marveled as they stared at the golden ring hovering behind Kim Saje’s head.
A metallic-looking ring that seemed solid enough to touch.
It looked more like a planet’s ring than the halos depicted in religious paintings.
“Huh?”
Kim Saje even reached up and touched it.
“How do I make it go away?”
“Pray.”
“Pray? Won’t the divine get angry if I pray about something like this?”
“Would the divine be angry with the first Apostle they’ve had in three thousand years? Not a chance. Trust me and pray.”
“O-okay.”
Kim Saje obediently knelt and prayed.
The moment he did, the divine glow in his eyes and the halo behind his head vanished as if they’d never been.
“It worked!”
“See? I told you.”
“I… I really am an Apostle candidate?”
“No.”
I shook my head firmly.
“You’re the Apostle designate.”
“Oh…”
Kim Saje looked bewildered.
I ignored him and turned to the priests who had protested earlier.
“Now, let me ask you formally.”
“Ask us what?”
“Is it a crime to beat someone who accused the Apostle designate of heresy?”
The same question as before.
But after witnessing the miracle firsthand, the priests had no choice in their response.
“No.”
“It’s not a crime.”
“Hmph! Ahem! We may have been a bit hasty earlier. We didn’t realize that Kim Saje—no, the Apostle designate—was a candidate…”
“Haha. It turns out that you’re not just the Champion of Kim Saje, but the Champion of the divine itself.”
“Indeed, indeed.”
“So, you could recognize the Apostle designate, could you not?”
“You’ve even shared with us a new method of sacrifice.”
“Truly, you must be the divine’s chosen representative.”
Their attitudes flipped instantly.
And what? The divine’s representative?
Before they could start weaving any more nonsense, I cut them off with a new topic.
“Kim Saje. Ask your divine one more thing.”
“What should I ask?”
“Ask how they’d like to punish someone who, out of jealousy, assassinated a fellow Bishop, stunted the growth of his son, and tried to kill an Apostle candidate by branding him a heretic.”
“Huh?”
Kim Saje didn’t seem to understand.
But the priests and Guardians had already gone pale.
They knew who I was referring to.
“Guh…”
“No way…”
“Could it really be true?”
“We’ll know once we receive the divine’s answer.”
Kim Saje, still clueless, knelt and prayed.
He was a good kid—he did as he was told.
“Uh… The divine says we should kill him.”
“N-no!”
Kim Saje delivered the message with a dazed expression.
The Bishop let out a final, desperate scream.
I didn’t hesitate.
Activating my Strength trait, I grabbed both sides of his jaw and twisted.
Crack!
A sickening sound echoed as his bones snapped.
The Bishop’s body went limp.
The priests and Guardians turned their heads away, unable to watch.
Only Kim Saje jumped back in shock.
“W-why did you do that? Why the Bishop?”
“You received a divine message, didn’t you? The divine told you to kill him.”
“Huh?”
“Your divine said to kill him.”
From the divine’s perspective, it made sense.
After thousands of years of being stuck in a half-spirit state, they’d finally received proper offerings and begun to regain their self-awareness, only to find someone trying to sabotage that.
A selfish god who was obsessed with gold wouldn’t let that slide.
Even if I hadn’t killed the Bishop, the divine would’ve reclaimed their power.
“I… I don’t understand any of this…”
Kim Saje’s eyes wavered in confusion.
I patted him on the shoulder.
“You don’t need to. Just focus on your studies.”
“I’m not a kid, you know?”
“If you’re in high school, you’re still a kid. You’re still underage.”
Where does a high schooler get off acting like an adult?
He didn’t need to know the ugly truth just yet.
One day, Kim Saje would learn the full truth about the Bishop and his own fate.
And that day would mark his true coming of age.
“Ah.”
Kim Saje paused for a moment.
“The divine says I should go to the Levant region.”
“That’s where your church started, isn’t it? There must be something there.”
“Yes… I’m supposed to find an ancient treasure trove and offer the gold to the divine. I think the divine is still weak.”
“That makes sense.”
That’s part of the game storyline.
After completing his personal quest, Kim Saje briefly leaves the party.
When he returns, he’s a fully-fledged Apostle with strong abilities, and his level is even higher.
But here, it seemed a little different.
“It’ll take a while, though.”
“Really? Well, it can’t be helped. It’s an important mission. Just make sure to find the treasure and complete the sacrifice. And look after the church. It won’t be easy.”
And while you’re at it, make sure to send me some relics too.
From what it sounded like, the treasure trove was hidden by the divine when they were still alive. Back then, the church was at its peak, so the contents were probably immense.
Kim Saje bowed respectfully.
“Thank you, hyung! I would’ve been completely lost without you. Oh, can I call you hyung?” (TL Note: Hyung means Big Brother and it’s usually how young men address older ones with respect)
“Of course.”
“The divine is rushing me, so I have to leave right away. I’ll send your payment by mail! I don’t know if the Korea branch has anything you’ll like, but please wait a few days!”
“I can wait as long as you need.”
In the end, I didn’t have to wait long.
The very next day, three huge packages arrived, all sent in Kim Saje’s name.
I eagerly tore them open.
The first one contained the Bishop’s golden staff.
It was my spoil of war.
‘I’ll sell this.’
I wonder how many hundreds of millions I can get for it?
No, this isn’t just a matter of a few hundreds of millions.
This is an item worth a billion at least.
And the second box.
Inside was a beautiful yet practical sword.
“Hahaha.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
[R Holy Sword]
It was my first R-rank weapon.
The Holy Sword, a coveted item among all swordsmen, along with the Demon Sword.
Just owning this was worth the effort of helping Kim Saje.
But then, as I opened the third box, I forgot all about the Holy Sword.
Because inside, glowing with divine light, was a relic.
–TL Notes–
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