[Demon Contractor Detected]
I flinched, but that was about it. I already died to a demon statue more times than I cared to remember, so this was light work.
Not that I became totally fearless. If anything, I was more pissed at my luck than scared.
I picked what looked like an unassuming cult as a safe stepping stone, only to end up in one with an actual supernatural entity lurking around.
There went half my plans.
I looked around, trying to figure out who the System was warning me about.
Then a door near the front of the hall opened.
An old man stepped through.
He looked to be in his sixties, with a thin, almost emaciated body hidden beneath a black suit. His neatly combed hair had already started turning gray, and a gentle smile rested on his face.
Frankly, he looked harmless.
I would’ve assumed he was just another member if everyone around me hadn’t lowered their heads the moment he appeared.
’That’s the cult leader?’
After the System bombarded me with warnings, I’d expected someone very dignified and powerful to walk through that door.
Not an old man who looked like he was halfway to the grave.
I activated my Eye.
Name: Samuel Vale
— Personal Attributes —
Strength: F-
Agility: F-
Stamina: F-
Intelligence: C-
Charisma: C-
— Special Traits —
[Authority Insufficient]
For a second, I almost broke character.
’That’s it?’
His physical attributes were unimpressive, but that wasn’t unusual for someone his age.
What confused me were the other two.
His Intelligence wasn’t that high, and even his Charisma was nothing special.
Yet over a hundred people were bowing to him.
’How the hell did this old man become their leader?’
More importantly...
’Where’s the Demon Contractor?’
Another man emerged from the doorway, immediately catching my attention.
He was tall, probably around six-three, with a thin build and long black hair tied behind his back. He looked to be in his mid-twenties.
Good-looking too. Not as much as my old face, but he would do well on my campus—as long as he had the good sense not to go after the same girl as me.
I activated my Eye again.
Nothing happened.
’What?’
It wasn’t High Level or Extremely High Level.
My ability straight-up didn’t work.
Thinking I made a mistake, I tried one more time.
The familiar heat spread through my right eye, but no window appeared.
When I used it on the others, it worked perfectly fine.
’Hey, System. What’s going on? Why isn’t my Right Eye working on him?’
[Target possesses Mid-level protection. Your Right Eye’s current level is insufficient to bypass it.]
’I found the Demon Contractor.’
If my guess was correct, he was the one pulling the strings, and the old man was just a proxy.
Both of them reached the stage, but only Samuel stepped forward. The Demon Contractor stayed several steps behind, his hands clasped quietly behind his back.
The cold from earlier became more tolerable, though I couldn’t tell whether it was fading or my body was simply adjusting to it.
Samuel raised one hand.
The hall immediately fell silent.
"My brothers and sisters."
His voice was surprisingly loud.
"Once again, God has allowed us to gather beneath His grace."
Several people around me whispered, "Amen."
"Many of you remember the man I was before He chose me. I was no prophet. No saint. Just a man who lost his way."
He placed a hand against his chest.
"But when I begged for forgiveness and guidance, God answered."
"Amen!"
More voices joined in this time.
"He showed me that this world has forgotten Him. That mankind has become arrogant. We worship wealth. We worship status. We worship ourselves, then wonder why our lives feel empty."
Applause broke out. Some people were even crying.
I could already imagine them donating their entire fortunes just to prove their devotion, only to end up in debt.
Not that I was judging the old man. Given how my System worked, I’d probably end up taking advantage of these people even more.
But I hadn’t committed that sin yet, so I was still free to condemn his actions.
Samuel slowly spread his arms.
"But God has not abandoned us."
"Amen!"
"He chose me not because I was worthy, but because I was willing to listen."
"AMEN!"
The same people who’d been casually talking about work and family less than an hour ago were now hanging on every word. He didn’t even say anything particularly profound.
’You see that system? That’s how you build a cult. You use an existing God instead of telling people you are one. Unless you want me thrown into a mental hospital or stoned for heresy.’
"People mocked us," he continued. "They called us misguided. They called us fools. Some even called us insane."
His smile widened.
"But what did God tell us?"
"HIS WILL GUIDES US!"
They clapped and rose from their seats. The woman ahead of me had both hands raised while tears streamed down her face.
"HIS WILL GUIDES US!"
The chant spread through the hall.
"HIS WILL GUIDES US!"
"HIS WILL GUIDES US!"
I got to my feet with everyone else and clapped just enough not to stand out.
Although these people looked easy enough to fool, that Demon Contractor was an unknown variable I didn’t want to antagonize.
’Okay. I found the right place. The question is whether the risk is worth it.’