Chapter 20

So, in other words, I could set the stage in a way that made the enemy think they were in control.

“Haha, will this do?”

The middle-aged holy knight gave me a warm, good-natured smile.

He looked like a genuinely kind man.

“…You’re here to speak about that one?”

Exactly. He was trained not to be shaken by most things.

“I’m looking forward to the wise words you’ll share.”

I glanced at the faint barrier that had quietly spread around us.

‘Yeah, you’re nervous now, aren’t you?’

I looked at the space just above his head.

[Faction: Fanatic of the Evil God]

Under normal circumstances, a holy knight like him wouldn’t have flinched at something like this.

But not today. Their underground cell—which they’d believed impossible to discover—had been raided.

With the hive shaken, the Order would send their most ruthless forces to hunt down the fanatics who fled.

‘You think the Order’s the only group that sends in cleanup crews when things go wrong?’

Of course not. The fanatics do it too.

I bit the tip of my left finger and subtly showed him the ring-like sigil I wore.

‘Whew, acting like a fanatic of the Evil God Cult right in front of the Order’s former hero… this is nerve-wracking.’

Even I’d never tried this kind of play before.

I carefully lowered my voice into a clear, calm tone.

“I’ve come to deliver His words.”

[Hidden Skill “Child Actor” activated!]

“Child Actor”—a skill related to performance. In the game, it was just a handy way to conserve stamina.

But in reality?

It helped sharpen my focus by preserving my childlike stamina.

‘Ugh.’

Using the skill twice in one day made my body wobble slightly.

I let my eyes glaze over, faking a trance, like I’d entered a divine state.

The fanatics, who worshipped a god of chaos and corruption, modeled themselves after that deity.

‘But if they were all completely insane, they’d never pull off deep infiltration like this.’

No—these people had built an intricate, systematized way to sneak into the Order.

After all, if the last hope of humanity—the Order—were to fall, it would signal the final victory of the Evil God.

Fanatics split into two types: those who worked in cells, and solo agents.

The ones I met underground were part of a group. The holy knight in front of me—he was a solo agent.

‘The ones who move in groups always come in pairs. But I didn’t see any other cultists nearby.’

While walking around with Daddy, I made sure to double-check that. This guy was alone.

For the record, I once posted this warning in the game:

[Post][Strategy Guide]

[Things Low-Levels Should Watch Out For – #2]

The moment a newbie starts getting cocky is usually after completing three quests.

To all of you just getting out of rookie status: Consider this a warning.

NEVER talk to a fanatic who’s alone!

Got it?

NEVER talk to a fanatic who’s alone!

Unless you want to lose your whole run and start over, lol.

Why?

* * *

The child’s face suddenly went blank.

“Haha… His words, you say? You mean the words of the god?”

‘Andras’ was a solo infiltrator—one of the Cult’s elite agents.

His role was critical.

He served as a hub connecting multiple fanatic cells.

Each group operated independently in tight, compartmentalized structures.

They didn’t know who the others were or what their assignments involved. For security.

Sometimes, fanatics would even end up killing their own without realizing it.

That’s why solo agents like Andras were necessary.

They moved alone, relayed information between cells, and prevented internal conflict.

And when needed, they cut off compromised allies without hesitation.

Of course, such work required the Evil God’s blessing of intellect and power.

As a “Connector,” Andras had completed countless missions flawlessly.

Even so, not even he had foreseen the explosion and exposure of the underground cell.

He had rushed to the scene as part of the damage control team, but…

He knew nothing.

‘Did the brothers set off the bomb themselves?’

Why now, when it wasn’t the right time?

‘Did any of them survive?’

He didn’t even know who had lived and who had died.

The child in front of him was a Pope candidate—possibly someone who had encountered his brothers.

“…You still think I’m joking?”

The child tilted her head.

“Or do you just not understand what I’m saying?”

Andras said nothing.

Seeing this, the child scoffed.

“A guy who can’t even grasp this much wouldn’t be of any use to the Evil God.”

The moment she mentioned his god, Andras felt a chill run through his entire body.

“…!”

Even so, he didn’t budge.

“…Are you mocking my deity?”

He had no idea how she knew. From the finger-biting signal to the way she spoke of the Evil God.

It was tempting. But still not enough.

‘She’s a Pope candidate.’

A candidate who’d passed the Labyrinth—someone every “Guardian” candidate had coveted.

‘This could be a trap.’

Who knew what that deceitful God had bestowed upon her?

‘Even walking around the garden alone was suspicious.’

Maybe she was just asking this question to every knight she encountered.

No matter what she said, he had to act the part of a devout holy knight.

Andras smirked internally.

But just as he felt confident in his plan…

“No point in continuing this conversation.”

The child turned away without hesitation.

His eyes widened.

“I’ll just go find the next Connector.”

“Wait—”

Andras panicked and tried to crawl on his knees, only to trip and fall flat on his face.

It was pathetic, but he scrambled forward, blocking her path.

“…You’re really… the messenger sent by Him?”

She’d even used the term “Connector”—their internal designation.

And in their language too!

‘Ah…!’

Andras felt a wave of bliss rise up inside him.

‘A Pope candidate who knows the tongue of the Evil God?’

Maybe…

Just maybe…

He was witnessing the birth of a true miracle.

‘Stay calm.’

Nothing has been confirmed yet.

Doubt everything. Seek the source. All returns to the origin.

He silently recited the doctrine, steadying his breathing.

The fanatic adjusted his expression.

“Forgive me for my ignorance. What shall I call you, O exalted one?”

The girl looked up at him.

Even seeing him panting, she showed no hint of emotion.

If anything, her gaze felt vaguely annoyed.

“…Huh?”

She pointed to his knees.

“Argh!”

Pain shot through Andras’s knees—like someone had kicked them out from under him.

“Urgh…”

He couldn’t help but collapse into a kneel.

“Now that you’re ready to listen, I’ll tell you.”

Their eyes were now at level.

Andras looked up in disbelief, but the child’s face remained expressionless.

‘…Is this the Pope candidate’s power?’

Or…

“The experiment in the underground cell was a success.”

The purpose of Cell 321 had been to summon an Aberration—to sow chaos.

They had continually brought in sacrifices and conducted repeated experiments.

“But some were eaten by the summoned creature, and the rest… they couldn’t handle it. One of them messed up, and the bomb went off.”

Boom! The girl flailed her short, chubby arms to mime the explosion.

The stern look on her round, cherubic face was almost comical enough to make one laugh…

But Andras was too shocked to notice.

As she vividly described the event, he swallowed hard.

“Don’t worry. The Cell Leader got away.”

“Ah…!”

Raising a fanatic to the level of Cell Leader took time and money.

You couldn’t just be devout—you needed madness, strength, intellect.

So to hear that such a carefully cultivated officer had survived…

‘I’ll make sure to help him avoid the purge.’

The tension eased from Andras’s shoulders.

“That’s all the message I have.”

Andras trembled.

Back when the prophecy about the Pope descended upon the Order, prompting a nationwide candidate selection…

There had been whispers among the fanatics.

“…Do you think the Evil God will send someone too?”

A great deity, impossible to grasp by human standards.

Many believed the Evil God would also choose a child of His own.

And not long after, a message had come to Andras—the infiltrator known as the Connector.

“Andras, prepare yourself to witness a miracle.”

“…What kind of miracle?”

“When the time comes, the Left Brain of the Evil God has said… you’ll understand when you meet them in person.”

‘If that miracle they spoke of back then… really meant this child…’

Andras’s lips curled into a smile, tinged with overwhelming ecstasy.
 

Brought to you by Gourmet Scans

Translator: Japchae