Chapter 10

Satanism.

Unlike Romnika, which worships the monotheistic 'Adonai' and opposes Satan, this is a group that opposes Adonai and worships Satan. The proliferation of demons and monsters in the world is all due to them.

Their goal is simple: to summon Satan to this earth, have him destroy the world, and then reign as the king of the destroyed world.

Their actions and goals are nothing short of what one would call the masterminds (黑幕).

"Is there anyone you know?"

Voodoo is similar to Satanism in that it is a cult. However, no one would place voodoo and Satanism on the same level.

This is because Satanism pursues ultimate and absolute evil. They indulge in plunder, murder, and rape, and believe these acts are right.

Rekba was right a hundred times over. They are madmen.

And now, one of these madmen has infiltrated Florence. It means that it wouldn't be strange if a monster appeared and started killing students.

Rekba said as much, but it wasn't as easy as he made it sound. With no information on why they infiltrated Florence, I had no choice but to be on guard.

However, there were no clues yet as to who the Satanists might be.

Without clues, speculation was meaningless. I moved towards the practice location, 'Aiden Hill,' with a sense of unease.

* * *

"Hello, I'm So Dojin. Today's practice is a joint exercise of Charity, Chastity, and Patience, three classes combined."

Dark circles under his eyes, a dazed look, unkempt hair, a bent neck, and a face so handsome it could be mistaken for a woman's.

He introduced himself as So Dojin. There was no additional explanation. Perhaps it wasn't necessary.

"So Dojin? The So Dojin?"

"Wow, but he looks even better in person."

The students who recognized So Dojin were buzzing. Some female students even blushed and showed their excitement openly.

So Dojin.

He is a member of the 'Trinitas Holy Knights,' a group of holy knights as popular as idols among the public. At night, he hunts demons, and during the day, he works as a teacher in Florence.

Due to his average sleep time being less than three hours a day, his face was always tired and haggard. However, his good looks made even that appear charming.

"Quiet. Today's practice is 'Simulated Monster and Demon Elimination,' or simply 'Demon Elimination.' I will first form the groups. Each group will have three members, and I have evenly distributed them based on their grades. No complaints will be accepted."

So Dojin's tone was always sharp, probably due to lack of sleep.

"Move to your groups when called. Now, Group 1—"

So Dojin called out the groups. This joint demon elimination practice involved the three classes of Charity, Patience, and Chastity. With over 300 people gathered at Aiden Hill, it took over ten minutes just to call out the groups.

"Finally, Group 100. Kim Jinse, Go Junmin."

Finally, the last group was called. The students in the groups So Dojin formed gathered and chatted in small groups. Amid the noise created by 300 people, I just stood there, blankly.

Everyone had a group, but I was the only one without one. So Dojin didn't call my name until the end.

"Excuse me, teacher."

When I raised my hand, So Dojin glanced at me with empty eyes.

"What is it?"

"My name wasn't called. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me which group I'm in?"

Despite my polite question, So Dojin shot me a sharp look.

I realized for the first time that people can curse with their eyes, not just their mouths.

"Are you Do Seonwoo?"

"Me? Yes, that's me."

"Oh, then I deliberately didn't call your name. I have something to ask you."

So Dojin took a sip of water from his water bottle and continued.

"You submitted an introduction when you enrolled, right?"

"Yes."

"You didn't specify a major. Is there a reason for that?"

Florence has three majors:

Priest, Holy Knight, and Holy Paladin.

It's common for new students to specify their major in their introduction, but I didn't.

I only had a vague goal of becoming a high-ranking cleric and hadn't decided on a major yet.

"I haven't decided on a major yet."

Hearing my honest answer, So Dojin chuckled.

"Is that so? Do you plan to graduate?"

"Graduate? Of course."

"Really? You don't seem like it to me."

So Dojin said mockingly.

"You haven't decided on a major yet. I can tell how little you think about things. Do you think you'll be fine just by doing well on the diagnostic test?"

"What do you mean?"

"Decide on a major as soon as possible. If you don't want to be eliminated in the major selection in a month. By the way, Do Seonwoo, you're in Group 100. Join your group."

So Dojin spoke without listening to me, a perfect example of a domineering and closed-off person.

Before I could process my frustration, So Dojin began addressing the 300 students.

"I will now explain the purpose and rules of the practice. I will only explain it once, so listen carefully."

* * *

Aiden Hill.

A mountain behind the Florence campus. Despite its name, it is very large and expansive. It has streams, lakes, and even waterfalls scattered throughout.

It is so alien and beautiful that it's hard to believe it's in the heart of Seoul.

"Who wants to attack?"

In the center of Aiden Hill, in a dense forest, our Group 100 was having a strategy meeting. Kim Jinse was the first to speak.

She has a high nose bridge and a sharp face. Her large eyes are long and slanted, giving her a cool and sharp aura. Her medium-length hair, which flows over her shoulders, is pitch black.

Objectively, she is incredibly beautiful, but her intimidating presence made her seem scary before she was beautiful.

Additionally, she is one of the seven new student representatives who received the 'Patience' holy symbol.

Perhaps because of this, despite her sharp appearance, her tone was very gentle.

"Go, should you be the one to attack? Right?"

Kim Jinse's question was answered by a student named Go Junmin.

He is a male student with thick glasses, a hunched back, and a turtle neck, giving him a somewhat creepy appearance. He seemed to have a habit of stuttering, but it wasn't severe enough to hinder understanding.

I nodded slightly in agreement with Go Junmin's words.

"Hmm... That's true, but—"

Kim Jinse seemed uncertain.

The goal of this practice is twofold:

First, to eliminate the demons and monsters hiding in Aiden Hill and retrieve the 'Core' embedded in their hearts.

Second, to load the 'Core' onto a cart and pass the finish line as quickly as possible.

The cart must be in perfect condition when it reaches the finish line. If any critical damage is found, the team is disqualified.

The more 'Cores' loaded on the cart, the more bonus points are awarded.

In short, we need to eliminate demons and protect the cart simultaneously. To score high, we need to handle both offense and defense.

Therefore, we were discussing who would take on the role of 'attacker' to eliminate demons and monitor other teams' carts.

"Is it okay? If I go to attack, you two will have to defend. I, I'm not saying I don't trust you, but—"

Kim Jinse looked at us doubtfully.

I was a problem student marked by So Dojin, and Go Junmin was an ambiguous student with no notable strengths.

From her perspective, it was understandable that she might doubt us.

"It's, it's fine. We can do it! Trust us!"

Go Junmin raised his voice, trying to dispel Kim Jinse's doubts. He clenched his fists to show his determination.

I felt sorry for him, but he didn't seem very reliable.

"Okay! I trust you!"

Kim Jinse forced a smile, but she still didn't seem to trust us. She was just saying it out of politeness.

However, Go Junmin seemed oblivious to Kim Jinse's true feelings. He beamed with joy at her response.

Beep!

Suddenly, a sharp sound came from the cart, signaling the start of the practice.

"I'll be back soon, so guard the cart well. Got it?"

Kim Jinse left with a brief instruction. Her movements were agile and free, like a cat.

With her gone, only Go Junmin and I remained. Our role was to slowly move the cart towards the finish line and protect it until Kim Jinse returned.

"I'm in the Patience class. Jinse and I are in the same class. What about you?"

We chatted while moving the cart.

"I'm in the Charity class."

"Oh, that's right. The class with Bae Sung-hyun."

I nodded along with his words while pulling the cart.

The cart was empty, but it was very heavy due to its own weight. After just five minutes of pulling, I was drenched in sweat.

They say an empty cart is noisy.

Isn't that the saying for this situation? My head wasn't working well due to the fatigue.

"Did you see Jinse smile at me earlier?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

"Do you think she likes me? She's really beautiful. No matter how many times I look at her."

Go Junmin praised Kim Jinse while pulling the cart.

Only Kim Jinse has the qualifications to become a cleric, he said. Kim Jinse is an angel sent from heaven. Such excessive praise would make even the subject uncomfortable.

He praised Kim Jinse with gestures, facial expressions, and everything else. During this time, I pulled the cart alone.

The heavy cart made me irritable, but I didn't show it.

There was no point in fighting with a teammate, so it was better to endure a bit.

Snap!

Suddenly, a branch broke nearby.

It couldn't be Kim Jinse at this time. Therefore, it was highly likely that an attacker from another group was targeting our cart.

"Go Junmin, it seems an attacker from another group is here. Remember what we discussed earlier?"

I calmly explained the situation and reminded him of our plan.

If an attacker from another group came to attack our cart, the relatively weaker Go Junmin would act as a decoy to buy time. Meanwhile, I would use the power of preservation to carry the cart and escape.

This was the best strategy we could come up with, given our lack of combat ability.

"..."

However, Go Junmin didn't respond.

He couldn't respond.

He was lying on the ground, fast asleep. It was a deep sleep that wouldn't be disturbed even if someone carried him away.

It was unrealistic for someone to fall asleep suddenly during practice unless they had narcolepsy.

"Sleep well~"

Before I could process my confusion, a voice came from the bushes.

There were two people beyond the bushes. One was Seong Hae-yeon, and the other was an unknown female student with gray hair.

In front of the gray-haired female student, a strange blessing array was floating.

It wasn't a low-level array because it had a core in the center. However, it wasn't a mid-level array either, as it was too large and complex.

Rekba explained its nature.

The Blessing of Peace, as the name suggests, calms the mind of others. However, when it reaches a high level, it not only calms the mind but also makes it lethargic, eventually leading to sleep.

The moment I recognized it, an overwhelmingly strong drowsiness overcame me. My eyelids felt as heavy as lead.

I couldn't resist the sleep demon.

Soon, my eyes closed.

(To be continued)