by Park Saenal
[Would you like to accept the quest?]
There were three types of paladins in Satisfy.
The most popular type of paladins were those belonging to the Judar Church.
They specialized in a wide range of buff skills and had excellent defense. They were in charge of the party buffs, and were active in party hunting and raised because they were able to serve as the main tanker. They were considered as the most popular class after the Rebecca priests.
Then there were the paladins of the Dominion Church.
They specialized in personal buff skills and had high attack power. They weren’t popular with large scale parties and raids, but they were popular in small party hunting. In addition, their single combat ability was the best among the paladins.
The last were paladins of the Rebecca Church.
They were the only paladins who could use Heal. But they didn’t have buff skills. However, their amount of healing wasn’t high, so they weren’t popular in party hunting or raids. It was a class that was only grudgingly accepted when a priest couldn’t be found. They had no buff skills and their combat ability was the weakest among the paladins.
They were much harder to find than paladins of other churches, and weren’t popular. It was rare to find a user who was a paladin of the Rebecca Church.
But wasn’t it strange? Rebecca’s Daughters were paladins, and not only that, they were the strongest among all NPC paladins. Thanks to their presence, Damian speculated that a Rebecca paladin would become stronger if they broke through a certain point.
If he reached his second advancement, wouldn’t he become stronger than paladins of other churches? He thought for a bit before choosing to become a paladin of the Rebecca Church. However, he reached level 200 after much difficulty and didn’t find anything special. The paladins of the other churches were still better than paladins of the Rebecca Church.
Damian felt extreme disappointment and skepticism. But right now.
‘Abilities awakening…!’
It was the reward of his first SS-grade quest after playing Satisfy for over a year. If this quest was cleared and his abilities awakened, Damian was obviously going to become stronger as he originally anticipated. Damian had been waiting for this moment since he became a paladin of the Rebecca Church.
He made a decision.
“…I reject.”
[If you refuse the quest, the pope will view you as a traitor. Do you still want to reject?]
“…”
He was a paladin of the Rebecca Church. Damian had struggled to raise his level and divine power. Everyone laughed and called Rebecca’s paladins garbage, but Damian didn’t stop dreaming of the day his abilities would awaken.
Then a month ago, he became 2nd on the paladin rankings. As a result of the effort that other people couldn’t imagine, he was finally faced with the moment his abilities would awaken. So why was he refusing the quest?
“How can I aim a sword at Rin-chan?”
It was due to his virtuous heart. Damian had been watching Rebecca’s Daughters for a long time, and was attracted by their beauty and charm. He ran a blog on the Internet praising Rebecca’s Daughters.
“Don’t underestimate my virtue…! I refuse the quest!”
[The quest was refused.]
[An angry Pope Drevigo has pointed you out as a traitor.]
“Disgraceful person! What are you doing? Get rid of him and Rin!”
Chaaeng!
Dozens of senior paladins simultaneously armed themselves. They rushed towards Rin and Damian after receiving the pope’s command.
“Ah…!”
Rin was confused. She had been branded as a traitor after a lifetime of loyalty, so she had no idea what to do. Damian ran to her side and reassured her, “Rin-chan, it will be okay. I will protect you.”
Excluding the time he spent playing Satisfy, Damian spent all his time managing his blog and watching Japanese anime. Now he had an opportunity to defend the heroine, just like the protagonists of the animes he watched.
Rin was tearful as she looked at his back.
“Damian… I’m not alone?”
Damian glanced at her and replied. “Yes. I am beside Rin-chan. And Goddess Rebecca will surely protect us.”
At that moment, a new quest window emerged in front of Damian.
[Goddess’ Divine Punishment]
Difficulty: Class change quest.
Your choice to reject the corrupt pope’s command wasn’t wrong. Goddess Rebecca has blessed you.
As an agent of Goddess Rebecca, punish the corrupt pope!
Quest Progress Reward: Abilities awakening.
Quest Clear Conditions: Pope Drevigo’s death.
Quest Clear Reward: The hidden class ‘Goddess’ Agent.’
Quest Failure: Level -20. You will lose your current class. The complete corruption of the Rebecca Church.
* The hidden class change quest has the power to transform Satisfy’s world, according to the result. Please be careful.
[Goddess Rebecca has blessed you for following her teachings faithfully.]
[Due to this, your suppressed powers have been awakened.]
[All stats have increased by 100.]
[The skill ‘Light’s Blessing’ has been generated.]
[The skill ‘Heart’s Desire’ has been generated.]
Kkuok!
Damian gripped his sword tightly.
Duguen! Duguen!
His heart was thudding. His blood was boiling. It was the first time in 32 years that his adrenaline rose like this.
‘I chose this.’
Reality was different from manhwa. The main characters in manhwa were rewarded for their effort, but reality was grim. It was a world that was only beneficial to those who studied or had money.
In reality, Damian couldn’t be a protagonist. But Satisfy was another reality, and his efforts and choices were repaid, giving him a chance to become a hero.
“Drevigo! As an agent of Goddess Rebecca, I will deal out divine punishment! Light’s Blessing!”
[You and your party’s defense, attack power and accuracy will increase by 80% for 3 minutes.]
“Ohhhhhh!”
Damian was surrounded by a golden light as he broke through the paladins and reached Drevigo. Drevigo reached out. “You dare to act as an agent of the goddess in front of me. Do you believe that you can receive a divine message?”
Kwaang!
Drevigo’s belief in Goddess Rebecca was real. His overwhelming divine power was comparable to Rebecca’s Daughters. The power of light fired from his fingertip easily penetrated Damian’s chest.
“Cough..!”
[You have lost 41% of your health from a single blow.]
[You can’t regain your mental state.]
What was this result? His vision was going crazy. His body couldn’t move the way he wanted.
‘Indeed, I… I’m not a protagonist.’
Damian fell into a stunned state and was unprotected. The moment the pope was about to launch another attack at him and all his efforts were in vain…
“How funny… I came here to meet the pope, so why is there a quest to destroy the pope?”
The doors of the huge room opened without permission and an outsider entered. It was a man wearing a scruffy cloak and a bizarre skull helmet.
“Who is it now?”
“A protagonist? I see.”
Papapat!
After examining the situation, Grid threw three darts at the pope standing at the end of a long red carpet.
“Block it!”
The paladins used their shields to block the darts. But the moment the darts hit the shields, an explosion occurred and smoke emerged. Grid used that gap to rescue Damian and Rin from the enemy.
Then he suggested to Damian, whose eyes were wide at the suddenly revealed savior, “Invite me into the party. Instead, can I have all the items that the pope drops? I think that is sufficient for saving your life.”
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Chapter 123
Chapter 123
“I… I forced Rin into this…”
The Vatican’s backyard.
Isabel was crying with her face buried in her knees. She felt guilty for dragging Rin here.
“I wanted to refuse His Holiness’s command… But I was afraid… I know how much Rin hates the current Vatican… It is because of me… Rin came back here because of me…”
Cassus tried to soothe her, “If you refused His Holiness’s order, Rin would’ve been brought back by another person. Rin will be grateful for being brought politely by a friend, rather than being dragged by someone else. So please don’t beat yourself up about it.”
“….”
Isabel slowly raised her head. She looked at him with moist eyes. She carefully brushed her long platinum hair away from her eyes and asked gently.
“Rin… What will happen to her?”
The pope had convened the high ranking members of the church in order to determine Rin’s fate. Isabel wanted to watch, but the pope didn’t give her permission, making her become more anxious. She didn’t want Rin to be treated unfairly.
Cassus couldn’t say anything.
‘Perhaps Rin will… She might be deprived of her qualifications, or in the worst case, she can lose her life.’
On the surface, Rebecca’s Daughters were treated as sacred beings only second to the pope and received everyone’s respect. However, the senior members of the church dismissed Rebecca’s Daughters as consumables, mere powerful weapons. As long as the three divine artifacts were preserved, Rebecca’s Daughters could be replaced at any time.
‘Right now, Rebecca’s Daughters are people who serve the pope. They are a thorn in the eye of the current pope. The pope will want new Rebecca’s Daughters, who are unconditionally loyal.’
The pope would try to pass on the three divine artifacts to new people.
‘Rin isn’t the only one in danger. Maybe sooner or later, Isabel…’
Cassus’ heart dropped. Rebecca’s Daughters were raised in the church. They only knew how to exist as enforcers of the church!
‘… Once they become useless, they are deserted.’
Why was this terrible thing happening?
‘It is a poor fate.’
Isabel was only 17 this year and Rin was 19.
They were born with inherently high divine power and taught how to fight and be loyal to the church since childhood. If they were abandoned by the church, would they be able to adapt to ordinary life? It would be even more unfortunate if they were killed. It was too harsh for them to die without feeling the warmth of family, friends or even a lover.
‘Also…’
Once new Rebecca’s Daughters were born who were absolutely loyal to the pope, no one would be able to stop the pope for any longer. From then on, the Rebecca Church would walk the path of complete corruption. It was getting out of hand.
“Someone…”
Cassus, who was usually stoic and expressionless, couldn’t hide what he was thinking. He shed tears for the first time in his life.
“Someone, please… Save us…”
“Cassus…?” Isabel was embarrassed by Cassus’ unusual appearance. She had no idea what to do. “W-Why are you crying all of a sudden? Huh? I-Is it because of me? Am I so depressed that I am making you cry? I’m sorry. I’m sorry so don’t cry. Everything is good. Rin will be okay, and someday Goddess Rebecca will lead His Holiness to the right path.”
Isabel was free-spirited. Despite being harshly raised by the church, she had a strong personality. There were many times when she made people tired, but she had a warm heart like sunshine. She was in the most difficult position, yet she was smiling and comforting her subordinates?
Cassus became sadder at the thought of this sacred, beautiful and warm life ending. The moment he was about to burst out sobbing.
“Why is a big man crying? Eh? Especially in front of a girl. What a shame.”
“…!”
Why was this voice familiar? Cassus was surprised by the emergence of an unexpected figure and hurriedly looked back. A black-haired young man was standing there with a smile.
“It has been a long time, Cassus.”
“Grid…!”
Winston Castle had asked for the support of a priest to make the Divine Shield, and Cassus had been dispatched. At the time, Cassus had bonded with Grid while two Divine Shields were produced. But he never dreamed that this relationship would continue again.
Why had Grid come to the Vatican?
“Why are you here… No?”
Cassus’ eyes widened in the middle of his question. It was due to the evil magic power and blood of virgins coming from the cloak that Grid was wearing.
“That cloak…!”
Isabel said, “That is Malacus’ Cloak.”
“Malacus’ Cloak… Really?”
“Yes.”
Isabel had several encounters with Malacus. It was because she raided several sites where Malacus was offering virgins as sacrifices. She was interrupted every time so she kept missing him, but she heard rumors that mighty soldiers of Winston destroyed Malacus. One of those mighty people seemed to be the young man called Grid.
“It is an honor to meet such a great warrior.”
“Ah! You!” Grid glanced at Isabel and was startled. Then he became excited as he recognized her. “Shield Thief! No, Shield Thief Girl! Ah, this… Ah! That’s right! Was it Rebecca’s Daughter? Hey! Rebecca’s Daughter! Give me my shield!”
“What?”
Isabel had encountered Grid at Winston Castle. But she didn’t remember Grid because she didn’t see Grid at the time. Cassus explained to Isabel who was puzzled by the nonsense. “He is the blacksmith of Winston. He is the creator of the Divine Shield that you are holding.”
“Omo, really? This young man has that type of blacksmith skill? Huh? But how can a blacksmith kill Malacus?”
Grid strode towards the puzzled and admiring Isabel. Then he unabashedly demanded, “Give me my shield.”
Isabel was embarrassed. “I appreciate the fact that you defeated Malacus. But I can’t help you. The Divine Shield is a dangerous weapon so we have decided to recall all of them. That other shield that you made, could you please give it back?”
“W-What?” Grid was dismayed. “How much money did I spend making these shields? Do you have any idea how great the value of the shield is? I can be rich if I sell it!”
“I understand but… I’m sorry. It can’t be helped. The policy has already been set.”
“D-Dammit!”
Grid was grumpy at the thought of losing his legendary rated Divine Shield. How could he be calm when he was going to be robbed of items worth hundreds of millions of won? In the end, Grid’s face turned red as he prepared to fight.
“Blood won’t be shed if you give me the shield immediately.”
Grid was currently level 150. He was different compared to when the Divine Shield was stolen by the Yatan follower. His confidence was overflowing, despite facing the Rebecca Church’s strongest paladin.
Cassus tried to talk to him as Grid pulled out the greatsword. “Grid, please calm down. Let’s start with a conversation first. Why did you come here?”
“Ah, you! What are you saying? Do I seem like I want to talk right now? Eh?”
“Grid, please. Please calm down.”
Cassus bowed deeply. Grid was reminded of the time he made the items with Cassus and somewhat calmed down. Then he explained, “I came to see the pope.”
“His Holiness?”
“I have something that I want him to bless… I also wanted to ask for the Divine Shield back.”
“Hah…”
Cassus felt it was mysterious. It was amazing to reunite with someone who he thought was merely a passing relationship.
‘This is all Goddess Rebecca’s doing…’
What did his relationship with Grid mean? The moment that Cassus was deeply interested.
“…?!”
A powerful explosion rang out from inside the Vatican. Isabel’s face turned white.
“This divine power… It is His Holiness!”
Something had certainly happened to Rin. Was the pope doing something terrible to Rin while she stood here? Isabel was concerned about the worst situation and rushed towards the Vatican immediately. Cassus blocked her way.
“Didn’t His Holiness command you not to enter? Don’t go. If you break his command, His Holiness will punish you and Rin.”
Cassus was convinced that Rin was being punished.
Isabel gritted her teeth.
“Indeed… I have to save Rin from His Holiness!”
A gold circle was drawn in the empty space. Then a white spear emerged from it. It was one of the three divine artifacts of the Rebecca Church, Lifael’s Spear. Grid observed the spear with admiration.
‘I didn’t recognize it before, but isn’t this a huge weapon? It is much better than the Gale Spear that I made. No, it is a few dimensions above Dainsleif.’
There was only one person who could produce a weapon like this.
‘Pagma…!’
He found a clue to Pagma in a place like this. Grid excitedly grabbed Lifael’s Spear.
“Hey! Let me see this!”
“What?”
Isabel became angrier at Grid’s actions and firmly waved her spear. He dared put his hand on a sacred weapon. She wanted to blow Grid’s body into a tree that was 100m away. However…
“Huh?”
The spear wouldn’t swing freely. It was because Grid’s strength as he grasped the spear was beyond the category of humans.
“Eek!”
Isabel wielded the spear with all her strength. Then Grid’s body was thrown 30m and he rolled across the ground.
Ku tang tang tang!
“Uhh…”
Grid felt his vision blurring. He barely managed to get up.
“What? What is with this girl’s strength?”
Grid stopped putting points in intelligence after securing a certain amount of mana. Then he invested all his points into strength. At level 150 and combined with the effect of his titles, Grid had over 1,500 strength. He had the power to break rocks by swinging a fist.
Grid’s strength had grown to the level where Toon couldn’t compete anymore. Yet this huge strength wasn’t a match against Isabel.