The Cult Leader in the Clergy Academy

Chapter 223

After descending from the rooftop and returning to the underground chapel, I immediately entered my room. I locked the door and took out the staff in my arms.

The staff was still emitting light, and although the mist was less dense than before, it was still flowing out. The mist was so thick that it practically appeared to be black instead of purple. The Voodoo spell contained in the staff was still being activated. I didn’t know why, but the spell contained within the staff had no effect on me.

However, I had no idea what effect it would have on others.

Since the restoration spell healed wounds, the reverse spell technique of the restoration spell would create wounds. No, it would be fortunate if it just stopped at only creating wounds. Perhaps it would completely disintegrate the people it was used against. If I used the reverse spell technique of the restoration spell on my uncle, Ji-Ah, or Soo-Yeong, they would disappear without a trace.

With trembling hands, I tightly gripped the staff. I tried my best to control the Voodoo magic contained within the staff and even tried forcefully tapping the ground with it. However, the spell didn't stop.

"Why isn't it working...!"

I felt frustrated and scared. The Voodoo mist continued to spread throughout the room.

I had underestimated it because it was a Voodoo spell. To me, Voodoo magic and Voodoo spells were things I always had complete control over. With just a flick of my finger, Voodoo magic and Voodoo spells would always move according to my will.

But the ancient reverse Voodoo spell that I used through the staff was different. I couldn't stop it according to my will. Because it was a primitive and rough technique, it didn't obey human hands. Cold sweat dripped onto the floor.

[Don't worry,] Legba said.

His voice was much gentler than usual.

[If you wait long enough, it will stop. Because what you’re holding is such an item,] Legba explained.

The poteau mitan was a staff that had been used in rituals. The priests of the Ancient Voodoo Cult, the Houngan, and the Mambo, would sometimes faint or, in severe cases, lose their lives during rituals.

Even Cult Leaders and Prophets who used the poteau mitan died or met tragic ends. The poteau mitan was an object that could not be controlled by those deemed unworthy. The only way to get the poteau mitan to stop was to wait until poteau mitan stopped on its own, as Legba had explained. I looked at the staff. It was still emitting light and mist.

[Those who sought to control it could never control it. Only those who did not seek to control it could,] Legba said.

I felt puzzled.

"Didn't I just control it earlier?"

I had infused Voodoo magic into the staff and used a restoration spell. Although I had unintentionally used the reverse restoration spell, I was still able to partially control the staff, considering that I was still able to cast a ‘restoration’ spell. If I had been completely unable to control it, then the enthrallment or replication spell would have been used instead of the restoration spell.

[It must mean that you also have the qualifications.]

"..."

[Try your best. Don't you have to control it in order to achieve your goal?]

The Staff of Reversal was as difficult to handle as its name suggested. I glanced at the staff again. The Voodoo mist and light spell that seemed to endlessly spew out was now no longer coming out. I didn’t stop it. Rather, it was the staff itself that had stopped.

Just like Legba had said, in order to achieve my goal, I had to control the staff. I had to master the reverse spell technique perfectly in order to heal Yoon-Ah. All my desperate attempts to obtain the staff were for the purpose of curing her.

However, I was at a loss as to how to handle the staff. When I tried to control the staff, I wouldn’t be able to do so, and when I didn’t try to control it, I would be able to do so. Yet, having the intention to not control the staff would ultimately be an attempt to control the staff. I didn’t know what to do.

[The time will come,] Legba said in a gentle voice as if telling me not to worry.

I nodded. It seemed like I needed to dedicate myself to experimenting with it for a while.

I didn’t know if I could handle the staff even after experimenting with it. I would occasionally end up spewing out blood during my experiment. No, it wouldn’t be occasional. It would be frequent.

However, I couldn't afford to give up. I tightly gripped the staff once again. It might have been an illusion, but I felt a slight vibration from the staff. Perhaps the staff was responding to my determination.

[No, it's from your cell phone.]

"Ah."

Suddenly, I realized that the vibration was coming from the phone inside my pocket and not the staff. I checked my text messages. There was a message from an unknown number.

[Florence Academy/Charity/Sun-Woo. After confirming your identity, please come to the nearest Eastern Paladin Order tomorrow.]

"...What the?"

It was a sudden request for attendance.

* * *

It was a scorching desert. Within a barren wasteland where no one set foot, dark red blood was scattered haphazardly on the white sand, which glistened under the blazing sun.

Within this place that was filled with burning sunlight and a relentlessly raging sandstorm, there were eight corpses, along with two men and one woman. One of the men had blue eyes, while the other had brown eyes.

Splurt.

The man with blue eyes jabbed his finger into the temple of the man with brown eyes. His long, sharp nail pierced through the man's head. Blood flowed out from the brown-eyed man’s nose and mouth, and his eyes rolled back. With his long and sharp nails, the man with the blue eyes sliced the fallen man's abdomen open.

"Inferior. It’s so remarkably inferior that it's pitiful. Both their thought patterns and their bodies.”

Splurt, splurt.

The brown-eyed man’s remains were tossed onto the sand. The man with blue eyes sighed as he looked around at the torn corpses, scattered organs, and bones. No one had a superior physique or intelligence.

Well, he supposed that was the reason why they had failed to complete their designated mission. And the thought of taking responsibility must have been scary for them, which was why their inferior brains must have come up with the idea of revolting against him.

The man with blue eyes thought to himself as he licked his lips. The woman who had been silently observing him adjusted her collar and approached.

"Darling, has your plan gone awry again?" she asked.

The man nodded.

"Yes, it's my fault for entrusting the mission to those inferior beings."

"I think the same way. Why do you keep failing your missions?"

"...What did you just say?"

"Ah! I just... I wanted to say that it would be better if you took matters into your own hands. I'm sorry," the woman said as she gracefully lowered her head.

The man felt a sense of discomfort and wrath at the way the woman was speaking to him, which was somewhat different from usual, but he didn't get too angry. It was because of her beautiful appearance and charming, sweet voice. He couldn't even think of getting angry when she looked at her face and figure.

"Sigh... Yes, it's probably better if I take matters into my own hands," the man said with a sigh, suppressing his anger.

At that moment, he felt a gaze upon him and raised his head. Above his head, a giant bird flew in circles in the sky. Its eerie eyes were staring at the man.

"...Jun-Hyuk. You're here again," the man said, and the bird stopped flying and landed on the ground.

The bird hopped on the hot sand and made its way in front of the man before tilting its head. The bird looked around at the scattered corpses in the desert and said, "Has there been a rebellion?"

Unlike before, its speech was more fluent. Its voice was also almost indistinguishable from Jun-Hyuk's. The man shook his head.

"No, rather than a rebellion, it was more like a group suicide. It was a rebellion driven by fear."

"Chang-Shik, it seems like you haven't been managing your subordinates properly."

"I managed them properly. The mistake was accepting such inferior beings as subordinates."

The bird didn't respond and just stared at the man with its pale eyes.

"...So, why have you come again this time, Jun-Hyuk?"

"To give you a warning," the bird replied curtly.

Its pupils were still fixed on the man.

"A warning?"

"I remember giving you a picture. I told you not to touch those two people."

"Yeah, I haven't touched those two pe..."

The man had been answering nonchalantly, but he stopped speaking.

Jun-Hyuk had told him not to touch two people. A woman with brown hair and a man with black hair. Come to think of it, at the museum, he had seen a man with black hair through his servant’s eyes. He had unintentionally ended up touching the person Jun-Hyuk had told him not to touch.

But the man had something to say too.

"...Who is that bastard?"

All his plans had gone awry because of that man with black hair. He had used strange powers that were not the usual blessings or miracles used by the Romanican Church. With a flick of his finger, he could make people faint, he could control a giant snake, and he could manipulate the minds of the men in black with his eerie power.

The man was curious about the identity of the man with black hair. He didn't seem like an ordinary member of the Romanican Church. No, maybe he wasn't even Romanican to begin with.

"Are you curious?" the bird asked, blinking its eyes.

Beyond its pale pupils, the man could see a small flickering black flame. The man shook his head.

"...No, forget it. Looks like you have no intention of telling me."

"Correct! I have no intention of telling you. I want to be the only one who knows."

The man closed his mouth. He knew he shouldn't have long conversations with Jun-Hyuk. The more they talked, the more weaknesses he would reveal. On the other hand, Jun-Hyuk never revealed any weaknesses during their conversations.

Occasionally, there would be meetings between the Satanist executives, but when making a slip of the tongue during those meetings, Jun-Hyuk had never once revealed any of his weaknesses.

"Anyway, consider this a warning. Don't touch him. This is advice for your own good."

"...What if a situation arises where I can't help but mess with him?"

"Go ahead and try. I messed with him once and ended up like this. It was quite an interesting experience. Haha!"

"He must be insane," the man said while letting out a dry laugh.

The bird, which had been watching the man, turned its eyes toward the woman. She leisurely observed the bird while she stood with her arms crossed. After staring at the woman for a while, the bird said, "You must feel so great now that you’ve obtained an easy-to-handle doll. How enviable."

The man and woman simultaneously smiled at the bird's words. The bird's eyes darted between them.

* * *

I woke up early in the morning and prepared to go out. It was because I had received an attendance order from the Eastern Paladin Order. I didn't bring the staff. Instead, I had Damballa secretly accompany me by following behind me.

I thought it would be safer to have Damballa with me so that she could transform into a staff when needed, rather than carrying it around.

Just as I was about to leave the underground chapel, Ji-Ah came up to me.

"Cult Leader," she said.

She showed me a text message. It was from Yuk Eun-Hyung of the Gyeongsang Branch.

"Executive Yuk Eun-Hyung is requesting information about the Romanican Church and certain mercenary groups. I need to visit the Gyeongsang Branch to personally meet with Executive Yuk Eun-Hyung in order to deliver the information. Can I get permission..."

"Is it necessary to meet in person? Can't you just talk over the phone?"

"The amount of information requested by Executive Yuk Eun-Hyung is too much to deliver over the phone, and it seems to be an urgent situation. It would be better to deliver the files stored on the USB directly."

"Okay, then."

Ji-Ah usually spoke concisely, but she seemed to be talking more today. It made me a little anxious, but I readily agreed for now. It was not like she’d use the excuse of delivering information to go to Gyeongsang Province to secretly enjoy a vacation. Even if she did take a short vacation, I wouldn’t mind at all.

"Oh, Cult Leader!"

I was about to leave, but then someone else called out to me. It was Soo-Yeong.

"What's up, where are you going? It's the weekend, so you probably won’t be going to school, right?"

"I’m going to the Eastern Paladin Order."

"Oh, I'll go with you!"

"Get lost," I replied sharply.