## Chapter 453 – 453. Level Up System
453. Level Up System
“I am Seong Yujin. An apostle descended from the heavens.”
The believers knelt in unison.
Their eyes, fixed on me, were filled with awe. The performance was a success.
The cult leader, Shim Jongpil’s face, turned red and then pale. He probably realized I was a system user. Though he wouldn’t think it was hypnosis.
‘The most important thing in making people believe is the performance. Shim Jongpil probably didn’t show any performances to his followers.’
There was no need.
Shim Jongpil had the ability to brainwash. He could make his followers believe and follow him just by spouting his doctrines. So, he didn’t make any special effort as a pseudo-religious leader. He must have thought that as long as he had brainwashing, he could control his followers forever.
‘But I appeared. The followers follow the cult leader by believing in the doctrine, not the cult leader himself.’
The core of brainwashing is the doctrine. So, it’s possible to capture the hearts of the followers through performance and gain even more faith than the cult leader.
‘I showed it directly in front of their eyes, so the followers have no choice but to acknowledge it.’
Shim Jongpil pointed at me with one hand and shouted.
“It’s a trick! That guy is trying to deceive you all with the power of the devil! Don’t be fooled! That guy is not an apostle, but a devil!”
“No! That person is the apostle of lightning! Look now! He’s standing proudly on the flowing water! He’s performing miracles in real-time! Ah!”
The bishops.
Especially the female bishops, defended me, and the female followers supported me. Half of the followers gathered here believed in me.
“Eeeeeeek!”
Shim Jongpil screamed and used his power.
“Followers! I am Shim Jongpil! The cult leader of the Red Sea Church! That devil is trying to deceive us and break our bond!”
The male followers focused more on Shim Jongpil’s words than mine. Unlike the female followers who had performed the ritual with me yesterday, there was nothing between me and the male followers.
Shim Jongpil continued to use his brainwashing ability. The female followers, who had been staring firmly at me, glanced at Shim Jongpil.
‘It was expected. Shim Jongpil is the master of brainwashing, and he must have put in a lot of effort for a long time.’
It wasn’t good.
As time passed, the brainwashing would take effect, and the followers would follow the cult leader, Shim Jongpil.
“What are you doing, holy warriors! Quickly grab that devil and bring him to me! I will personally exorcise the devil!”
“Yes! Cult leader! We will capture the devil and present him to you!”
Holy warriors.
Simply put, they were Shim Jongpil’s bodyguards. As they acted closely with Shim Jongpil, they rushed towards me without any hesitation.
Splash, splash!
They couldn’t walk on water like me, and as they approached me, the depth of the valley became deeper, so they swam towards me. I slowly retreated.
The followers’ eyes widened. The appearance of the guards and my appearance of walking on water were contrasting. The guards trying to catch me ended up proving the miracle.
“Foolish, so foolish!”
Thump, thump!
I stomped on the heads of the swimming guards from above the water.
“Followers! Listen carefully! The current cult leader is possessed by a devil! The devil is aiming for the cult leader’s life! In my eyes, the apostle of lightning who descended from the heavens to kill the devil, I can see the devil that has entered the head of cult leader Shim Jongpil!”
Shim Jongpil’s face turned bright red. He yelled at me.
“You’re spewing vile words from that dirty mouth! You’re the devil, aren’t you! I will make you kneel before me and prove to the followers that you are the devil!”
The followers were confused by the conflict between me and Shim Jongpil and began to murmur.
“Why are the cult leader and the apostle fighting each other?”
“It’s the devil’s doing!”
“Is the apostle who is walking on water right now actually a devil?”
“Even a devil has evil powers, so it’s not impossible….”
“Somehow, the cult leader is a bit different from usual. The cult leader was always so relaxed.”
It wasn’t good. The more time passed, the more disadvantageous it was for me. I was the newcomer.
‘But that bastard isn’t the only one with a system ability. Sugella!’
My appearance shook Shim Jongpil’s mental strength, and hypnosis successfully penetrated.
7 seconds,
It was a short time, but it was enough.
“Kaaaaaaah! Kill that damn apostle! Kill himmmmmmm!!”
A voice filled with anger, enough to surprise the followers, burst from Shim Jongpil’s mouth.
“T-This can’t be! This isn’t the cult leader we know!”
“M-Maybe there really is a devil inside the cult leader!”
After 7 seconds, the hypnosis was released. Shim Jongpil, regaining his senses, hurriedly said.
“No! No! I….”
Before Shim Jongpil could explain, I hypnotized him again.
‘Sugella!’
“You stupid fools! Listen to me, the cult leader! Especially you!”
Shim Jongpil pointed at the nearby arch-bishop, distorted his face, and looked at the arch-bishop with contempt.
“You stink! You old man, you’re overflowing with greed! Get lost!”
The arch-bishop’s face hardened. In the Red Sea Church, the arch-bishop was the most powerful figure after the cult leader.
The arch-bishop’s body trembled. The veins on his forehead stood out, and his eyes looked like they would pop out.
“Cult leader…. What did… what did you just say to me?”
The hypnosis ended, and Shim Jongpil regained his original mind.
“Ah, no. Arch-bishop. Listen carefully. What I just said was not what I wanted to say!”
“If it wasn’t what you wanted to say, does that mean you were possessed by a devil just now, cult leader?”
“W-Well, that’s….”
Shim Jongpil couldn’t easily admit it. The moment he admitted that he was possessed by a devil, his position as cult leader would be in danger.
‘Sugella!’
“The devil is you, with your dirty breath!”
Shim Jongpil approached the arch-bishop and swung his fist. When the arch-bishop couldn’t withstand the impact and fell to the ground, he even kicked him.
“Arch-bishop!”
“Cult leader! Stop! Cult leader!”
“Shut up! I am the cult leader! You must obey me! The arch-bishop is the devil! Kill the devil!”
The followers rushed to stop Shim Jongpil.
Shim Jongpil, who had his hypnosis released in the middle, looked around with a dumbfounded expression.
“W-What did I do…! T-This is that guy’s doing! That guy’s!”
He shouted, pointing at me with his finger. That’s right. I was the cause. But none of the followers believed Shim Jongpil’s words.
His appearance of losing his mind and running wild just now. It was clearly not normal.
‘Sugella!’
“Uwaaaaaaaaah!”
Shim Jongpil, under hypnosis, began to convulse and run wild. He swung his fists and feet at the followers who were trying to hold him back.
The followers were shocked.
“It’s a devil! There’s a devil inside the cult leader!”
“Cult leader!!”
“Devil, be gone! Devil, be gone!”
I, who had been stomping on the heads of the guards trying to catch me, grinned. The stage was set. Now it was my turn to step up.
I slowly walked on the water.
“The apostle of lightning is coming!”
Someone shouted, and the followers’ gazes turned to me. I spread my arms wide.
“You evil devil! I will personally punish you!”
“Apostle!”
“Apostle! Please eliminate the devil and save the cult leader!”
“Apostle!!”
“Apostle!!!”
The followers praised me.
For reference, the current situation is being watched by the followers of the Red Sea Church all over the country through cameras. Maybe even overseas.
‘If I leave it as a video, it would be perfect for proselytizing.’
Step, step.
I walked on the gravel and approached Shim Jongpil. Shim Jongpil’s guards didn’t have the strength to catch me, or perhaps they had decided to follow me, they just watched me without doing anything.
“Ah, I see! You’ve been playing with me with your ability!”
Shim Jongpil, held by the male followers, trembled.
“Followers! Catch this guy in front of you! You must grab him and make him kneel to exorcise the devil!”
“…….”
“What are you doing?! ……Followers?”
None of the followers listened to Shim Jongpil’s words. The followers looked at Shim Jongpil with pitiful eyes.
“Apostle of lightning…. Please save the cult leader!”
The followers asked me.
I readily nodded.
“Of course! Exorcising the devil is my duty and mission!”
I reached out and grabbed Shim Jongpil’s head. I felt a sudden disgust at holding a man’s body, but I endured it.
“Devil! Get out of that body right now!”
“Don’t talk nonsense! You’re the devil! Let go of me!”
“As expected of an evil devil, you won’t listen to reason. I will destroy you with the power I possess!”
Crack, crackle, crackle!
Lightning erupted from both of my hands.
“Kaaaaaaaah!”
On the surface, the lightning was so intense that it looked like it would burn Shim Jongpil’s brain, but in reality, I was delicately controlling the lightning. Shim Jongpil was currently being electrocuted.
‘I can’t accidentally kill him.’
If a system user dies, the system ability goes to a new person. The problem is that the ability is reset when they die.
‘If Shim Jongpil dies, the Red Sea Church will naturally disappear. So, this guy has to stay alive. As my subordinate.’
Cackle, cackle!
“Cult leader. Do you recognize who I am?”
“Kuuu…. Y-Yes, I do. Aren’t you the apostle of lightning?”
Shim Jongpil said, tears streaming down his face. He wasn’t under hypnosis. He was just saying that because he didn’t want to be electrocuted.
But it wasn’t enough yet. To hypnotize him and make him my subordinate, I needed to shake his mind more.
“Everyone! The devil is dead!”
“Waaaaaaaah!”
The followers shouted in victory.
“But the devil’s traces and curses remain in the cult leader’s body! I will perform a separate ritual to completely eliminate the devil’s traces! Arch-bishop!”
“Y-Yes!”
The arch-bishop, with a nosebleed, answered nervously.
“I need a space to perform the ritual! Please guide me to an empty room!”
“Y-Yes, I understand! Apostle!”
•••
Only me, Shim Jongpil, and the arch-bishop were standing in the room.
I first hypnotized the arch-bishop. He didn’t have as much mental strength as Shim Jongpil.
“Sugella!”
“Arch-bishop. We will now begin the ritual.”
“Yes. Apostle. What should I do?”
“Arch-bishop, you just need to watch.”
I looked at Shim Jongpil lying on the table. Shim Jongpil’s arms and legs were tied with ropes. Shim Jongpil, whose eyes met mine, trembled.
“W-What are you planning to do?”
“If I had my way, I would just kill you, but I need your ability. So, I won’t kill you.”
“…Won’t kill me…?”
Shim Jongpil trembled with anxiety. I took out a chainsaw from my inventory.
Wiiiiiiiiing!
Shim Jongpil’s face turned pale as he saw the fiercely spinning saw blade.
“P-Please save me!”
“I told you, I have no intention of killing you.”
“T-Then why did you take out the chainsaw!”
“I said I wouldn’t kill you, but I never said I would leave you alone.”
“If there’s anything you need, I’ll give you everything!”
“Do you think I don’t know you? You would not hesitate to stab me in the back later if you had the chance! Your brainwashing ability is that dangerous!”
“Kaaaaaaaah!”
“You will become a great cult leader who sacrificed himself for the followers!”
I cut off Shim Jongpil’s arms and legs. Shim Jongpil almost died in the middle, but I had potions.
“Uuuu… uuu….”
Shim Jongpil, who had lost his arms and legs and was left with only his torso, trembled while groaning.
“Sugella!”
‘He partially resisted hypnosis even after cutting off his arms and legs. If I had tried to hypnotize him in his normal state, it might have taken over a month.’
I continued to hypnotize Shim Jongpil to turn him into my subordinate.
