Baron Hanson desperately tried to cover his mouth.
But it was useless; once under hypnosis, his body was no longer his to control.
“Don’t move. Don’t resist. Don’t cast curses. Sit still and answer my questions. Who is the Collector? What does that person do?”
“The Collector gathers grudges for the Church. To use the Evil God’s miracles or curses, a large amount of resentment is required. Our factory is one of the main sources of those grudges.”
They used the factory as a source of grudges?
Don’t tell me...
“Did you intentionally set fire to the factory? To amplify people’s despair and suffering?”
Baron Hanson answered with a face that looked like he wanted to die.
“Yes. That’s correct. I did it intentionally. The Collector urgently requested a large amount of grudges. So I deliberately set the fire.”
“And what was the grudge supply for?”
“I don’t know. They didn’t tell me. I just help the Collector secure grudges more efficiently.”
“Where is the Collector?”
Baron Hanson trembled violently.
His face was filled with terror as words spilled from his mouth against his will.
But what could he do?
He answered truthfully, spitting out facts he wished to hide.
“Th-There’s... there’s a passage hidden behind the bookshelf. It’s concealed with a miracle of invisibility, so even the most skilled clergy couldn’t find it.”
“Can you open it?”
“Yes. I can.”
“Then open it.”
At my command, Baron Hanson moved like a machine, approaching the bookshelf.
He chanted an incantation and touched the books in a specific sequence. The bookshelf dissolved as if melting, revealing a hidden passage behind it.
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
A thick, nauseating stench of blood wafted out.
The mere smell made me feel like my sanity was unraveling.
You did this on purpose.
You burned people alive...
To collect grudges?
Words couldn’t even form in my mind.
I would drag them all to the Pantheon.
Then, in front of everyone, especially the families of the factory fire victims, I’d burn them at the stake.
Only then could the souls of those who had died find even a sliver of peace!!
“Stay right here. Don’t move an inch. The Collector, you, and that fat bastard passed out outside—all of you will burn. Only then can the souls of those you killed today find peace!”
After spitting in Baron Hanson’s face, I descended the passage without hesitation.
It didn’t take long before I saw a woman chanting furiously atop a blood-red magic circle, etched with a reversed pentagram.
That must be the Collector.
The Collector was so absorbed in her incantation that she didn’t even notice my arrival.
So, it’s because of her that the fire happened.
Then you deserve to burn, too.
Burn after being beaten to a pulp, you damned woman!
I charged at the Collector.
And—
“W-What? How did you get here?!—Kyaaaa!”
The Collector screamed as she was struck and sent flying through the air.
*****
The Collector couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
The miracle of invisibility was one of the most powerful miracles granted by the Evil God.
Even the most skilled high priests—
Even other gods—
Had been deceived by its strength, according to records.
And yet, this deranged Healing Saint had suddenly appeared and was now whipping her with a belt, bypassing the miracle entirely.
Reeling from the blow, the Collector sprang to her feet.
A black aura shimmered over her cheek, instantly healing her injuries.
She gritted her teeth.
At this point, she had no choice but to deal with the Saint, or her plans would be in jeopardy.
“You filthy slave of a whore!!”
The Collector offered up the grudges she had collected from the factory to summon a curse.
It was a high-level curse.
Not even the Healing Saint could survive this.
The black curse began to blaze in her hand.
“The Blood-Drinker shall not let you go unpunished!—”
But the Saint’s reaction was odd.
Rather than fleeing or attempting to avoid the blazing curse, he rushed toward her as if inviting her to hit him.
The serene smile on his face was filled with a crazed glee that sent shivers down her spine.
Panicked, the Collector unleashed the curse.
The dark energy struck the Saint squarely—
And had no effect.
“What?!”
The Collector’s eyes widened in disbelief, but before she could process it, the Saint’s belt lashed across her cheek.
She vomited as she was thrown into the air and collapsed to the ground.
Scrambling to her feet, the Collector came to a realization.
‘Does he have no fear of curses?’
Curses were not like magic.
While magic’s results remained unchanged regardless of the target’s mental state, curses fed on fear and dread, consuming the soul and spirit of their victims.
Even with layers of defensive magic and miracles, a hint of fear allowed curses to latch onto a soul and torment their hosts endlessly.
But conversely, someone who felt no fear or dread of curses was immune to them entirely.
Even a newborn baby would instinctively fear a curse.
Yet this Saint—his spirit and soul were unbroken and entirely unafraid.
The absurdity of it made the Collector laugh.
“You’re not ordinary, are you? My curse clearly won’t work on you.”
With curses ineffective, the Collector had no choice but to rely on physical combat.
Her nails grew longer, taking on the hardness and sharpness of steel blades.
She activated another miracle of the Evil God, enhancing her body in exchange for the grudges she had collected.
Her muscles strengthened, tendons tightened, and bones hardened. Her nerves quickened, and the pain of any future injuries would be transformed into pleasure, courtesy of the Evil God’s blessing.
She was perfect.
A berserker, immune to pain, capable of fighting endlessly.
Look at the Saint’s scrawny body.
He’d clearly never been in a physical fight before.
“For the Blood-Drinker, I will tear your soul and body apart!”
She lunged at the Saint, screaming her battle cry.
She would not lose.
For the Evil God.
For her plans.
She would sacrifice everything.
Her claws pierced lightly into the Saint’s body.
As a smile crept across her lips, confident of victory—
“That’s just my afterimage.”
The sharp crack! of flesh meeting leather echoed through the air as the Saint’s belt struck her once more.
She was flung through the air again, crashing unceremoniously to the ground.
*****
The curse fired earlier by Baron Hanson.
The curse just hurled by this Collector woman.
Why aren’t curses working on me?
“You’re no ordinary man. My curse clearly can’t kill you.”
Damn it.
Can’t kill me with a curse?
Does that mean regular curses don’t work on me at all?
No.
Why?!
Why can’t a simple curse utterly destroy my soul?
Am I invulnerable to all but super-powerful curses, like the ones tied to the Evil God’s Fragment?
If I rack my uncooperative brain for an answer, maybe it’s because of the lingering energies around my body.
I remember hearing something before: curses are affected by intent.
People surrounded by positive energy are naturally resistant to curses.
I’ve healed and saved so many people that the positive energy around me must be repelling the curses!
This is ridiculous!
So, unless it’s a concentrated curse like the one tied to the Evil God’s Fragment, nothing will destroy my soul?!
As I silently screamed in frustration, the Collector suddenly extended her claw-like nails and charged at me.
I quickly cast Time Stop and moved behind her.
This cursed Time Stop.
It drains so much of my mental energy.
And I’ve already used it at the factory to save that little girl and spent even more energy healing the injured.
I can feel my mental reserves running dangerously low.
I need to figure out a more efficient way to use it.
Wait.
No.
That’s pointless.
I’ll be heading back to Korea soon anyway, once I get cursed.
Who cares about these game-like skills anymore? They’re useless to me.
“That’s just my afterimage.”
I released Time Stop after moving behind her and swung my belt, striking the back of her head.
The Collector flew through the air and crashed into the ground.
That should’ve been enough to knock her out cold, no matter how tough she is.
Once she’s unconscious, I can use absolute hypnosis to extract all the information I need.
That was my plan—
Until—
“Hmm♥ Ahhh♥♥”
The Collector let out a lewd moan, like something straight out of an adult film, as she raised her head from the ground.
She looked at me and giggled.
“Hit me all you want. Do you think I’d even flinch? Pain... only brings me joy.”
Her expression, combined with a double peace sign gesture, would make a perfect example of the infamous ahegao double peace.
Why?
Why would someone make that face after being slammed into the ground with enough force to break bones?
Oh.
Right. She’s a worshiper of the Evil God.
Expecting logic from a cultist like her would be stranger.
“Come on, hit me more! If that’s all you’ve got, you’ll never defeat me!”
The Collector burst into laughter and charged at me again.
Her movements were so fast they were nearly invisible.
If I fight her head-on, I’ll lose for sure!
I hastily cast Time Stop to freeze her in place—
[Your mental energy is critically low.]
Damn it!
I’ve used it too much today. At the factory, saving the girl, and just now.
No choice.
I’ll use Absolute Hypnosis to immobilize her and—
[Please specify the target’s exact location.]
She’s moving too fast to target.
What’s worse, Absolute Hypnosis drains mental energy during targeting, and my reserves are so low it’s nearly impossible to lock onto her.
Damn it!!
I planned to hypnotize her and make her spill all her secrets!
“Die, you slave of a whore!”
As I fumbled, unable to cast anything, the Collector aimed her claws at my throat.
If that hits, I’m dead.
No amount of physical modification can save me if my neck is severed.
Fear of death washed over me, and my mind went blank.
My body reacted instinctively, propelled by the immense strength granted by my physical modification.
I threw myself backward with desperate speed, narrowly avoiding her claws as they grazed past my face.
At the same time, I grabbed her outstretched arm and activated 3,000x Sensitivity. Simultaneously, I swung my belt.
Crack!
The deafening sound of the impact echoed as the belt struck her face, sending her flying once again and crashing into the ground.
And then—
“Ahhh♥♥♥”
She moaned again.
The Collector’s body trembled as she started spraying urine like a fountain between her legs.
“Ohhh♥ Ohhhhhh♥ Ahhhh♥ Ahhnnn♥”
Her moans grew louder as her eyes turned blood-red.
Her heartbeat must’ve accelerated so much that all her blood vessels burst.
Blood poured from her nose, ears, and eyes.
Her tongue lolled out as she trembled like a broken machine, before letting out a final, deafening scream.
“Ahnnyooooohhhhhhhh♥♥♥♥♥”
She convulsed violently, spraying urine once more, then collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Seeing no reaction from her, I approached cautiously and placed a hand on her body.
Her heart wasn’t beating.
Judging by the blood pouring from her nose, ears, and eyes, it was clear.
Her brain vessels had all burst.
She died... from excessive pleasure?
If I hadn’t run out of mental energy, I could’ve used Absolute Hypnosis to interrogate her. What a waste.
“Saint! Are you unharmed? W-What in the world...?”
“Grace be upon us! It’s an Evil God worshiper!”
As I stood dumbfounded over the Collector’s bizarre death, the police, knights of the Lilia Church, and Archbishop Yodel stormed into the room. They froze in shock at the sight.
“She was a worshiper of the Evil God. I just dealt with her.”
“Good heavens! An Evil God worshiper!”
“Summon the White Order! Immediately!”
As the police hurried out to carry out orders, the people from the Lilia Church knelt before me.
“Oh, to see the righteous fury of the Saint destroy an Evil God worshiper!”
“Grace be upon us! Grace be upon us!”
“Guide us, O Saint!”
Watching the priests weep with gratitude, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
This is why the Goddess of Grace wants to send me to hell.
“I’ve told you—I’m not a saint. I’m not a saint—”
“Denying his divinity! O Saint, guide us further!”
Fine.
Do whatever you want.
Once the Evil God’s Fragment enters my soul, I’ll destroy it and return to Korea with it.