Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 118

Episode 118

The Soul-Connecting Strings and the Soul-Reflecting Cursed Doll.

I hadn't intended to use them in this plan, in this way, from the beginning.

Although they were ominous items used by black mages, they were also quite useful, so I kept thinking of how to use them efficiently.

That's why I asked Ballakk about the caster's conditions.

The ability to take another's life and the title, The One Forsaken by God.

Weren't they the perfect items for Nise?

I judged that he, who was only treated as a weak healer character by the users, could be reborn as a good attacker.

'Besides, Nise also has the ability to remove curses.'

So the Soul-Connecting Strings and the Soul-Reflecting Cursed Doll were perfect as attack weapons for Nise to use.

Until Liv, who had shown up out of nowhere, told me Nise was plotting to do something ominous.

As I was racking my brain, agonizing over how to stop the Pope, rescue both twins, and expose the Temple's vile secret all at the same time.

I suddenly realized one fact.

That Liv also met the caster's conditions.

Of course, it wasn't her ability, but wasn't she also taking and using another's life all the same?

So I asked the developers, just to check.

Me: The cursed doll, can Liv use it too?

GM Ari: Theoretically, it's possible, but since it's not her ability, it's difficult for it to last long.

It was a positive answer, but a question suddenly shot up.

'If they can both handle the 'curse' attribute, does that mean Nise and Liv are black mages?'

Me: Then is Nise a black mage?

GM Ari: No! Of course not.

GM Ari: Nise is a faithful servant of God who possesses divine power. ㅠ

Me: Why? He takes others' lives and can use curse-attribute items, just the same.

GM Ari: It might seem like a fine line, but they are different in that the power from a curse leads to ruin, while divine power grants an opportunity.

Me: What kind of opportunity?

GM Ari: An opportunity for atonement.

GM Ari: Those with divine power always believe firmly and atone, so they benefit the world as agents of God.

I had no idea what he was talking about, but anyway, it seemed to mean that because Nise believes in God, he can receive a partial indulgence.

As an atheist, I found it absurd, but it was hard to argue when the developer said those were the settings.

Whatever, it was a relief that Liv could use curse-attribute items, even for a short time.

I immediately decided to use Liv to make the first move, before the Pope could use the Eyeball Monster to amplify anxiety about the Crown Prince.

That was exactly this situation.

Code name: Amplify Disappointment in the Temple.

"Th-that monster is an arbiter...!"

"P-punishing the Pope? The Temple is corrupt, what on earth does that mean?"

People started murmuring, pointing fingers at the monster and the Temple's side.

Of course, I was also quite surprised by Puppet Liv's appearance.

I had assumed Liv's soul wouldn't be intact, having died and been revived, but that form...

'It looks like a mild version of the Eyeball Monster...'

She'd probably shudder if she heard me say it, but it was true.

Instead of the countless eyes densely covering the Eyeball Monster's body, it was a form wrapped in dense silver threads.

It was probably the life force Nise had taken from others and given to Liv.

"The Temple... has been corrupt... for a long time!"

Liv's bombshell declaration, having appeared in the coliseum as a puppet, didn't stop there and continued.

"Abusing and exploiting... unknowing children, of course..."

"..."

"They colluded with criminal organizations... to commit all kinds of sins."

"..."

"The recent monster attacks on the villages... were also the work of the Grand Temple!"

'Attagirl, attagirl!'

I cheered for Liv enthusiastically in my head.

Her voice trembled severely at the part about 'abusing children', but she ultimately exposed all of the Temple's vile secrets in front of everyone.

"My word! The monster attacks were the Temple's doing?"

"How could they do something so outrageous...!"

As expected, the words Liv spat out naturally caused a huge stir.

The gazes directed at the Pope and the priests turned colder by the moment.

As boos began to sound, one by one, even the Holy Knights, who looked ready to slaughter Liv's puppet at any second, faltered with troubled faces.

I was worried about what to do if those bastards tried to harm Liv right away, so it was a relief.

The role of the puppet she was controlling was merely to instigate, not to fight at all.

Even if she was abused by the Pope, to think she, who grew up sheltered as the Saintess, would get into a brawl with knights.

Even if she had taken a mana amplification potion and turned into a puppet, it was an absurd idea.

'Now. How are you going to play this?'

I smiled like a villain, closely watching the deathly pale Pope and his priests.

Things having come to this, those bastards naturally couldn't use the Eyeball Monster anymore.

An entity claiming the Temple was corrupt and calling itself an 'Arbiter' had appeared.

If a horrifically-looking monster like the Eyeball Monster also appeared here, it would only amplify the distrust and suspicion toward the Temple.

'For now, just stopping that sunfish from stepping in is a success.'

I don't know where he is in the coliseum, but Nise will recognize Liv's true form, so he won't move rashly.

Thanks to Liv doing better than expected, I relaxed the tension in my body a little.

I figured I just had to watch how the Pope bastard would react, and then it would be over when I had Liv's puppet retreat at the right time.

It was a complacent thought.

There was no way the Pope, who was cunning enough to screw over even the Crown Prince, would go down so easily.

"My respected followers! Do you believe such absurd words from that unidentifiable monster?"

His surprise at the 'Arbiter's' appearance was brief.

The Pope quickly regained his composure and began to persuade the people.

"The Temple has no reason to commit such nefarious deeds...!"

"It's because you don't want to let go... of the power... you hold!"

Of course, Liv didn't just stand by and listen either.

"Because the prophecy that the Crown Prince would bring disaster was proven false... the Temple's standing is gradually shrinking...!"

'Our Liv! Attagirl, attagirl!'

I felt like I wanted to give Liv a standing ovation for only speaking the truth.

The Pope, hit right where it hurt, flinched and narrowed his brow, then narrowed his eyes and stared at Liv's puppet.

He seemed to be growing suspicious of the monster's identity, which knew the Temple's secret internal affairs, too much to be an outside force like heretics.

This kind of thing always has the most impact when you drop a quick bomb and disappear.

I pursed my lips, getting ready to send Liv the exit signal.

We had agreed that when I whistled, Liv would leave a line like, 'This is a warning, next time I'll really come to kill you,' and exit.

"Rather, the Temple widely publicized that the prophecy was false through the Saintess's procession, and helped restore the villages attacked by monsters in place of the Imperial Palace!"

But right before I could whistle, the Pope rambled on, one step ahead.

"And the prophecy that missed its mark, was that not also the Goddess's deep love, pitying the humans?"

"..."

"To not even revere that solemn and sacred miracle, but to slander and defame me, the Pope, as a fool blinded by power! This is blasphemy against God!"

I could see why Kassel had unreservedly called the Pope a 'slippery old snake'.

The Pope bastard flicked his tongue as if it were oiled, easily blurring the point.

"Th-that's true. They said the Temple has been continuously providing supplies since the monster attacks."

"It was widely rumored that the Saintess healed the injured while on her procession."

People, quickly swayed, began to nod one after another.

'Damn it...'

To think the Saintess's procession would trip us up.

A contradiction arose between the claim that the Temple controlled the monsters to attack and the fact that they worked to restore the devastated villages.

The Saintess's devotion was too great to be considered just a cover-up for a crime.

Of course, she had only done it because she was forced by the Pope's threats.

The situation had turned unfavorable.

When I turned my gaze to Liv's puppet, she also looked flustered and confused.

"I, the Pope, and the Temple, have long been plagued by all sorts of slander. On top of that, there have been recent, ceaseless threats to overthrow the Temple using monsters!"

At that time, the Pope, not missing his chance, shouted in a ringing voice as if coughing up blood.

"If that monster is truly an arbiter sent by God's will! Why would it destroy the Temple, and why would it appear here and threaten even you, the innocent?"

"..."

"When it could just bring death only to the corrupt priests, including myself!"

The inside of the coliseum quieted down, as if swayed by the bastard's persuasive words.

The Pope, who had cleared his throat for a moment, immediately continued.

"According to myth, there is a divine beast, commanded by the Goddess, that suddenly appears to punish heretics and protect the Temple whenever it is in peril."

"..."

"Following the Goddess's will, the Temple has long concealed its existence. However, I, the Pope, do not doubt that now is precisely the time when the Temple is in peril!"

The Pope turned his head and nodded to a priest nearby.

I quickly followed him and turned my gaze.

[High Priest Yones]

It was a familiar face.

The one who had directed the mercenaries in the Temple's back garden, moving dead monsters to the Old Temple.

The man, having received the Pope's signal, quickly descended the stairs.

At the same time, the Holy Knights who had been confronting Liv's puppet also retreated in a hurry.

'What is he trying to do?'

At the unusually developing situation, I shot up from my seat and followed the High Priest's trail.

He went down to the second floor, stuck close to the railing, and then threw something into the coliseum with all his might.

Thud.

Something landed near Liv's puppet, which had been left all alone.

[S-Grade Subspace Pouch]

I didn't even have time to be surprised by the random magic tool.

An ominous premonition washed over me the moment I saw it.

'Don't tell me...'

As if to prove it,

Ggadeuk, ggadeuk, ggadeuk, ggadeuk, ggadeuk, ggadeuk.

An ominous noise leaked out from the wide-open mouth of the pouch.

"Do not be alarmed! That existence is the true arbiter who will punish the evil that throws the world into disarray and shakes the faith of the believers...!"

"..."

"It is, the divine beast commanded by the Goddess!"

Peeeeong!

The moment the Pope's words, as if introducing a fighting dog, ended, a black smoke burst out of the pouch with an explosion.

Ggadeuk, ggadeuk, ggadeuk, ggadeuk, ggadeuk, ggadeuk.

Soon, a familiar and grotesque form slowly revealed itself through the hazy smoke.

Why are ominous premonitions never wrong?

[Lv.??? Unidentifiable Wicked Dregs]

[The One Forsaken by God]

A monster with hundreds of eyes, twitching and rolling.

At the two names floating above it, my vision went blank.