Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Despite the stares they were getting, the group's strange behavior continued. The handsome man soon raised both arms high toward the sky and shouted loudly.

"Let us offer our prayers of gratitude! To the one who always leads us with a holy voice from the heavens! To the one who will someday guide our souls to paradise!"

"Yes, Lord!" the group responded in unison, closing their eyes and bowing their heads. They began muttering to each other in a language no one else could understand, completely ignoring Justin's group, whom they had just met.

"...Are they insane?" Grayson mumbled quietly, breaking the silence. His words echoed the sentiments of everyone present.

But Grayson's comment triggered an immediate reaction.

"...."

"...."

The group that had been bowing their heads and muttering suddenly snapped their heads up. They all stared at Grayson with eyes full of murderous intent, as if they were ready to tear him apart. Their eyes burned with such intensity that Grayson instinctively took a step back.

"W-what's with them? Do they want a fight?" he stammered.

"...."

Despite Grayson's provocation, the group didn't respond. They simply continued to glare at him with deadly intent. The atmosphere became suffocating, reminiscent of fanatics from a horror movie, and Damian's party felt overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of it.

"Everyone, calm down," the handsome man who had been silent until now spoke, soothing the group.

"Truth is always distant. How can those who have not yet been guided be blamed for not knowing the truth? He is merely ignorant."

"Ah... We're sorry. We forgot your teachings."

"We almost committed a sin again."

"Oh God, forgive our sins!"

At the handsome man's words, the group's expressions softened, and some even teared up as if they were welcoming a saint into their presence.

Once the group calmed down, the handsome man finally turned toward Justin and his companions.

"I apologize. We were in the middle of our prayer and delayed our greeting. I am Elias, an agent of the system."

"I'm Damian... Wait a moment. Did you just say you're an agent of the system?"@@novelbin@@

Damian had been about to return the greeting but quickly latched onto something strange in Elias's words.

An agent of the system?

"That's right. I am one of the chosen by the one who granted us power."

"So, you're saying you're not a pioneer but an NPC?"

"No. I'm merely a human who has been chosen by the gods."

Damian frowned at the vague response. Was Elias saying he was a pioneer who had taken on a special role through the system? Or was he just a regular pioneer dressed up in grandiose language?

"Please clarify. Are you a pioneer or not?"

"In some ways, yes, I am a pioneer. In others, no."

"Stop talking in circles...!"

"Wow, what a comedy, watching a con man and an idiot have a conversation."

Justin couldn't hold back and blurted out a comment. Both men immediately froze at his words.

"Did you just call me an idiot?"

Damian was the first to snap out of it. His face flushed red with anger at being called an idiot.

Justin shrugged in response to Damian's question.

"Who else would it be? At least the con man in front of us has a brain that works, but you? Not so much."

"...Con man?"

"You still don't get it? That guy's a cult leader. His whole claim about being an agent of the system is self-proclaimed. He's just another run-of-the-mill pioneer."

At that moment, the group standing behind the cult leader turned to glare at Justin. Their eyes were so filled with bloodlust that it seemed as if they could kill with a glance alone.

Of course, that wasn't going to happen.

Ignoring their hostile glares, Justin continued.

"The 'chosen' thing he mentioned is probably just a fancy way of describing the pioneers participating in the main quest. As for 'agent of the system,' that's purely self-proclaimed. Judging by the way he's glorifying the system, it looks like they're worshipping it. Am I right?"

"You're quite bold. Are you a friend of his?" the cult leader asked with a wry smile, looking at Damian.

The term "friend" was a subtle dig, implying that Justin was merely a subordinate.

Instead of responding, Justin laughed outright. It seemed these kinds of people all thought alike.

"We're allies. We're not that close, though—we just temporarily formed an alliance for the main quest. There's a high chance the alliance will break up if things go south. You get what I'm saying?"

"W-wait a second, what are you talking about...!"

"What I mean is, we could attack you anytime if necessary. So, if you understand, stop trying to dismiss me and answer properly—unless you want to die."

Damian had been about to speak in a panic but froze as he grasped the hidden meaning behind Justin's words.

The reason Elias had addressed Damian instead of Justin was clear. He saw Damian as the weaker and more easily manipulated one. Asking if Justin was a subordinate was just an excuse to cut Justin out of the conversation completely.

In short, Elias thought Damian was easier to deal with than Justin.

"You...!"

Damian's face turned crimson in realization. Meanwhile, the cult leader's expression faltered slightly, having been caught in his manipulation.

Forcing himself to smile, Elias finally looked directly at Justin, acknowledging him.

"I apologize. It was my mistake. I didn't realize both of you were chosen ones. You are indeed humble."

"Do you want a hole in your head?"

"Pardon?"

"You keep speaking ambiguously, trying to make us ask follow-up questions so you can control the conversation. Stop playing games. If you do it again, we'll attack. Got it?"

"...."

The cult leader looked at Justin in shock, clearly unsettled. He didn't even manage a forced smile anymore.

Before the cult leader could continue, the group behind him reacted first.

"That unbeliever!"

"How dare he speak to the prophet like that!"

"Let's kill him!"

Eyes wide with fury, the group looked ready to attack Justin on the spot. Justin glanced at the cult leader. The man, who had been about to speak, had now fallen silent, allowing his followers to stir up chaos.

'Ah, I see. He's testing my reaction by letting his followers act out?'

The cult leader wanted to see if Justin would lose control and react impulsively or if he was just bluffing. He was testing to see if Justin was the kind of person who would actually go through with his threats.

Unfortunately for him, that assumption was wrong.

Justin always followed through.

"Derek, kill them!" Justin commanded.

"...!?" Every pioneer around him flinched in surprise. But nothing happened. Even Justin found it strange and tilted his head in confusion.

Odd, why wasn't there any attack?

"...My lord. You left Derek back in the city, remember?" someone nearby reminded him.

"Oh." Justin scratched the back of his head, realizing he had forgotten. He was so used to giving execution orders to Derek that it slipped his mind.

As Justin scratched his head in embarrassment, the cult followers glared at him, thinking they were being mocked.

"Are they messing with us...!" Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

"No, I seriously forgot," Justin muttered, though he knew they wouldn't believe him.

"Well, there's no helping it. I'll have to do it myself."

"Shut up! Do you think we'll fall for that again?!"

"Black Missile."

Boom!

Just before the enraged cult followers could rush at him, Justin's Black Missile shot out from his hand, blowing off the arm of one of the followers.

The sound of the arm hitting the ground left everyone frozen in place. The cult leader, Damian, and even Grayson all turned pale at the sight. Moments later, the follower, realizing his arm had been severed, screamed in pain.

"Aaaah!"

"Holy...!"

As the scream echoed, the other cult followers, their eyes wide with fury, turned toward Justin. In the midst of their murderous glares, Justin wore a sharp smile and shouted to his group.

"What are you waiting for?! Prepare for battle! Allies, you too! Get ready to fight!"

"What the hell...! Damn it! Get ready for battle!" Damian cursed, grabbing his weapon in a rush. Grayson, also calling Justin crazy, followed suit, preparing for combat.

Justin's own group, more accustomed to these situations, was already prepared, weapons in hand. The cult followers, now fully enraged, screamed as they charged.

"Kill them...!"

"Stooop!"

Thud!

"Ding! Pioneer 'Elias' has used [Voice of the Angry God]."

"Ding! Due to the Divine Wrath, several targets have entered a temporary stun state."

"Ding! Pioneer 'Justin's level is more than 10 levels higher than the skill user's level."

"Ding! The effects of [Voice of the Angry God] are completely nullified for 'Justin.'"

A thunderous voice shook the surroundings, causing all of the pioneers to stagger and falter, except for Justin, who remained unaffected. The cult leader, Elias, widened his eyes as he stared at Justin, who stood firm.

Justin smirked, looking down on the cult leader with disdain.

'What's wrong? Surprised?'

At Justin's gaze, Elias's cheek twitched, his fists clenched as if he was about to lash out. But, recognizing the situation, he quickly composed himself and shouted to his followers.

"We didn't come here to fight. Both sides, lower your weapons."

"But!"

"Lower them!"

At his harsh glare, the cult followers, who had been on the verge of losing control, hesitated and stepped back.

As everyone else stood awkwardly still, the cult leader approached the follower who had lost his arm.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Ugh... Master...!" the follower groaned in pain.

"Hold on for just a moment. I'll heal you soon." The cult leader knelt down, picked up the severed arm from the ground, and pressed it against the wound.

"Regenerate."

Flash!

"Aah...!"

In a flash of light, the follower's arm was restored. The crowd gasped, their eyes wide with disbelief. Even Justin was slightly taken aback by the unexpected skill.

'Regenerate, huh.'

It was one of the most superior healing skills, even stronger than advanced healing magic, and part of the skill set for second-tier jobs. Justin hadn't expected to see it here. The cult leader, who Justin had thought to be a mage because of his robes, was actually a paladin.

Realizing this, Justin's grin deepened.

'So he's a Bishop, then.'

Bishop was one of the second-tier jobs for holy knights, along with Paladin and Crusader. It was the ultimate healer class, capable of long-range healing but with significantly weaker attack power. Its true strength only showed when accompanied by powerful heroes, summoned creatures, or a large army.

'In other words, he's not much of a threat on his own.'

The cult leader finished healing the follower and stood up, turning to face Justin. His complexion darkened as he seemed to understand the hidden meaning behind Justin's smile. After hesitating for a moment, the cult leader sighed deeply and spoke.

"Let's have a conversation."

Justin, Damian, and the cult leader moved away from their subordinates, leaving them behind as the three of them gathered for a private discussion.

The cult followers were caught off guard by the leader's sudden suggestion and tried to stop him, grabbing at his robe.

● "Master, you can't!"

● "There's no way those people will let you go unharmed!"

● "Please reconsider!"

● "I appreciate your concern, but my mind is made up."

The cult leader reassured his anxious followers and stepped forward. Justin and Damian, leaving their pioneers a few dozen meters behind, stood face to face with the cult leader. Justin smirked as he looked down at the cult leader.

"So, what do you want to say?"

The Bishop class didn't gain any physical strength from the second-tier job advancement. Even if he tried to attack them, it would be his own death that followed. Justin was curious to hear what the man had to say.

The cult leader glared sharply at them before speaking heavily.

"Just... spare me this one time."

"...."