Chapter 686: Leech

“What exactly are you, the thing gnawing on that flesh?”

According to the Church’s logic—

that System window supporting us was precisely the god of this world,

and that was the very Order they worshiped.

A great being that had once created this world,

and afterward, even for the sake of this world, sacrificed itself.

But.

After coming to this place in a state where that faith had been implanted into me, and hearing that story for the first time—

countless doubts could not help but settle inside my head.

‘......That System?’

While experiencing this apocalypse,

the thing that had stayed attached to me the longest was not my squad members.

It was that translucent window.

I was always looking at that System’s messages,

and sometimes, we even exchanged things beyond simple messages.

Every time that happened, there was something I felt.

That thing was certainly humanity’s ally.

It was an ally, but.

‘A sacred god that offers infinite love to humans?’

Something like that—

it felt very far removed from such an existence.

When I discovered that dungeon,

it became consumed with extreme fury toward the invader.

When I tried to become another existence that had gone beyond humanity and cooperate with beings outside the world,

it exploded with incomparable rage and denounced me.

In order to obtain the power to survive in this world,

it even forced irresistible, yet absurdly unfair contracts upon beings from other worlds.

It was definitely certain that it was humanity’s ally, but the endlessly great and benevolent existence this Church spoke of—

that was not the System I knew.

Because the System I knew was an existence capable of anger, and even selfishness.

“The Order, huh.”

And decisively.

That thing referred to its own name as the Order.

While the Church members told us that what they worshiped was the System,

they called that existence the Order.

“That’s an extremely well-made name.”

A direct translation of SYSTEM into “Order.”

Which was why the Church members also likely did not harbor much suspicion toward that name.

But a name is not something that can be changed so simply.

Just as the term proper noun implies, a name is something unique.

Especially for existences that powerful, all the more so.

Hadn’t I already seen that even the supposedly vicious [Matron] was, true to that name, an existence that embraced the regretful ones as much as possible?

An existence possessing the name System has only the name System, and simply translating that directly does not make that name become the name of that existence.

“What... does that.”

[System] referred to itself as [System].

Its words appeared as [System Messages].

Not even once—

had the System ever referred to itself as the Order!

Right.

Originally, things like this are usually this kind of matter once you uncover them.

After learning the truth, they seem incredibly trivial, but while you are being deceived, the thought of No way causes you to be fooled pathetically easily.

“A scam.”

Shiiing.

Drawing my sword, I pointed it toward that sacred corpse and spoke.

“Who are you?”

Lee Haein looked back and forth between me and the corpse with a confused face.

[......Ah, as expected.]

“—......Ah, as expected.”

And then.

A voice flowed out from near that corpse.

A sound heard simultaneously with the System message appearing before my eyes.

But the contents were—

[It seems I was far too unprepared.]

“—It seems I was far too unprepared.”

The accusations against itself—

contents that did not deny them in the slightest.

“......What?”

At the same time.

KUUUUUUUUUUNG!!!

A gigantic mass of flesh—

charged toward us.

***

An enormous mass of flesh charging at tremendous speed.

That mass could not even be compared to the thing that had burst from my dagger.

To begin with, that dagger was merely something that had torn away an extremely tiny piece of that corpse’s flesh.

Naturally, it could not compare to the main body.

But fortunately.

“Everyone evade!”

KWAAAAAAANG!!!

The squad members who had maintained tension while listening to my words.

They swiftly threw themselves aside and were able to evade the attack.

“......U-unprepared. What do you mean by that.”

......Except for one person.

Pak!

Quickly launching myself forward,

I kicked Lee Haein’s body away.

KWAANG!

While staring at the flesh in a bewildered state, she was blown away by my kick.

Pushed all the way near the entrance of the temple, she ignored the impact inflicted upon her body,

and only slightly raised her head while staring into empty space.

[It seems I was far too unprepared.]

The System message floating there.

Unable to take her eyes away from it.

SHUUUUUUUK!!!

Unfortunately, there was no room to pay attention to her.

The small corpse lying in the darkness.

An enormous amount of flesh swelled from that corpse’s body, and then dozens, hundreds of gigantic pillars charged toward us.

“Sergeant Shin!”

“Don’t worry.”

PUHWAAAAAAAHK!!!

“That thing carried out one line of research while hiding it from the other believers...... even from the Cardinal himself.”

Swinging my blade, I cut apart the flesh.

At the same time, I opened my mouth loudly enough for even Lee Haein to hear.

“It’s a bit complicated, but the summary was simple. Research concerning the [System].”

To what extent does the System apply.......

To be precise, awakened individuals capable of using the System’s power had only been humans.

Thus, that research began with the question of exactly where the definition of human ended.

‘The premise itself was a mistaken research topic.’

But.

Partway through, the direction of that research changed.

‘Humans were not the only ones.’

Just as I had seen within those memories.

The true essence of that System was—

the manifestation born from those who consumed the flesh scattered by the existence that had once been the ruler of this world.

It dissolved into the earth,

the plants grew by feeding upon that earth’s nutrients,

herbivorous animals ate those plants,

carnivorous animals ate those herbivores,

and the corpses of those carnivores returned once more to the earth.......

A relationship of eating and being eaten.

The greatest feast, the chain of the food cycle.

And naturally.

Humans were not the only things within that food chain.

Right.

The part already written within that doctrine from the beginning.

“The part claiming it loved only humans was the error from the start.”

All animals in this world.

No, not only plants...... even that soil itself, which could practically be called inanimate matter.

All life possessed the possibility of awakening.

‘The System’s power grew stronger every time vast territories were reclaimed.’

I felt like I now understood the reason as well.

To begin with, the source of this power was that very land itself.

The wider the territory gained, the more the old god’s flesh dissolved within that territory transformed into the System’s power.

KWAANG!!!

The reason humans were able to awaken by killing monsters—

was not because that old god loved only humanity.

To begin with, when the ruler of this world perished, the species called humanity did not even exist.

‘Simply coincidence.’

Purely by coincidence.

It was only because humanity had become the sole lifeform that evolved enough to handle that spirituality.

Which was why.

Just as those researchers accomplished, if the direction of that evolution could be properly adjusted,

other animals could awaken as well.

They would gain the qualifications to receive the System’s support.

The Order’s doctrine that it loved only humans.

And thus the Church rejected other animals and races from other worlds.

But this clearly contradicted that doctrine.

“That makes sense too.”

I was quickly able to guess the reason such a thing occurred.

I shouted while thoroughly mocking that thing.

“You didn’t know either, did you?!”

That [Order] over there.

That thing impersonating the System did not actually know much about the System itself.

What it knew was merely the phenomenon that only humans were awakening.

Nothing more than extremely common information that even most awakened individuals already knew.

Using only that extremely limited information, that thing mistakenly believed the System was a power that supported only humans.

With knowledge no different from ordinary awakened individuals, it created doctrine and tried to reign as the master of the Church.

Only after the scale of the Church grew to a certain degree,

did that thing begin research in order to fill the unknown gaps,

and realize far too late that the core of its most important doctrine was twisted.

The abnormal eaters I had cut down.

Originally, they had been researchers of the Church, yet for some reason, in the end they transformed themselves into such monsters.

That was not merely due to madness.

‘That thing ordered it.’

To keep that secret silent, and ensure they could never speak of it.

To transform into forms that were nothing more than monsters in the eyes of other humans.

And eventually to dry up and die inside that laboratory while hiding all the secrets to the very end.

It gave those orders to the believers who trusted and followed it.

And that was—

“I don’t like that.”

For me—

a part that made me extremely furious.

KWAGWAGWAGWAGWAGWAK!!!

I cut apart the charging flesh.

Blood splattered between the severed masses of flesh, and beyond that blood, I could see past the flesh.

The beautiful corpse still collapsed there.

That corpse undoubtedly originated from those memories of the distant past.

An extremely tiny fragment that should have been absorbed into the earth, yet for some reason had not been absorbed.

“......Now I can finally see it.”

And.

“So you were hiding there like that.”

Clinging to that corpse.

Feverishly tearing at the flesh while forcing it to attack us—

that grotesque thing.

[Taste Bud Enhancement]

[Leech Wearing Skin]

“You leech bastard.”

***

The flesh that had been attacking us wildly took shape.

A gigantic grotesque thing filling the dark temple.

—What a cruel thing to say.

It spoke while letting out a hollow laugh.

—I did think it was somewhat sloppy myself. But no matter how sloppy it may have been, I never thought mere humans would discover it.......

Bewilderment was contained within that message.

As it said, ordinary humans would have no choice but to be deceived by that thing’s lies.

And understandably so.

—How did you find out?

The words directed toward us.

Those words still appeared as—

[How did you find out?]

as the translucent window before my eyes.

‘System Messages.’

That thing was definitely manipulating the System.

Which was why.

Even if someone among the others had doubts, they would have no choice but to bury those doubts.

Because that appearance of manipulating the System itself served as the greatest proof that it was the System.

But.

“I had seen it before.”

I was different.

This System supporting humanity was certainly an existence possessing tremendous power.

But at the same time.......

‘Its source was ultimately a single divinity that had already died.’

Though it was true that it possessed tremendous power despite being merely part of a divinity,

at the same time,

it was ultimately no more than a fragment of divinity.

Which was why.

—[Special rewards are granted to one who has obtained Heavenly Favor!]

if there existed beings possessing power even greater than that,

then interfering with the System was also possible.

I had experienced that in the land of China.

Those calling themselves [Heaven] manipulated the System,

canceled the reward that should originally have been granted to me, and bestowed something even greater.......

At the same time, a reward that originally should have been impossible for me to receive because it had already been granted to others.

—[As compensation, the “Failure” privilege, Ascension Path, is granted.]

I had witnessed them bestowing [Ascension Path] upon me.

“That interfering with the System isn’t impossible.”

A proposition other awakened individuals could not even imagine.

That single fact created a tremendous difference.

Unlike the other believers who could not suspect that thing,

I could suspect it.

—Ahh, magnificent. I thought you were merely a human...... but you were not.]

The movement of the flesh changes.

No matter how powerful a physical force it possessed, it was still ultimately flesh.

If one wished to cut it, it could be cut. If one wished to burn it, it could be burned.

But.

—you are already ‘touching’ the other side.

The true essence of that flesh was not something like that.

—Now I can see it. Countless existences are taking interest in you. With someone’s help, they desperately search for you who are hiding, driven mad trying to persuade you.......

Originally, a great divinity.

A fragment of that divinity.

—But only that much.

Gururuk.......

—No matter how outstanding that potential may be, you are still merely a human existence.

Right now, although it had taken the appearance of a mere corpse.

The essence of that thing was the power of a god.

In other words.

‘Divine power.’

A force handled by beings capable of overturning the world and creating laws according to their own will.

I recalled the definition I had made regarding divine power.

‘The power that makes the impossible possible.’

The flesh separated,

and took countless forms.

[Spear of Slig]

[Greatsword of Lugur]

[Candlestick of Bladig]

[Artificial Arm of Drail]

[Tiara of Negr]

Relics born from the power that made impossibility possible.

Every single one possessed miraculous power close to the impossible...... and thus they were objects called [Holy Relics].

—Ahh, I truly am fortunate.

Dozens, hundreds of holy relics appeared,

and bestowed blessings upon the flesh.

—A splendid apostle like you will become my Pope!

The grotesque thing parasitizing the corpse—

began wielding sacred miracles.