I Level Up With In-app Purchases

I Raise With In-app Purchases – 38

EP.38 Violence Increases Persuasiveness (3)

“It seems he has fallen asleep now.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

“Not at all. I have received great grace from the saintess, so this is the least I can do. I was very disappointed in the church leader today. A blessing, he called it. No matter how he dressed it up, it was essentially prostitution, wasn’t it?”

“…..”

“I can only imagine how much the saintess must have suffered. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.”

“You are actually crying.”

“Forgive me. How dare I show such filthy tears in front of the saintess…!”

“I should be the one apologizing for not knowing about this sooner and failing to stop it.”

The woman kneeling in front of me, shedding tears, was a senior who had made such remarkable achievements at the academy that she was even mentioned in textbooks. She was also a follower of the church. I was very nervous when I went to see her. What if she treated me as an unwelcome guest? What if she decided to leave the church after hearing my story? Negative thoughts filled my mind.

But the senior I met was completely different from what I had feared.

‘She was a warm person.’

She welcomed me so kindly that my nervousness seemed pointless. After hearing the details, she got angry as if it were her own issue. Honestly, I was deeply moved. It was the first time someone other than mister confirmed that my choice wasn’t wrong. Receiving support from the senior gave me the confidence that I was on the right path. I wanted to repay her, and I didn’t hold back that impulse.

“Thank you for your support. Thanks to you, I am certain that I am not on the wrong path.”

It seemed like the first time I properly used my abilities after obtaining the sacred relic. I especially realized a new ability through the relic, and I wasn’t sure if I could use it well. But fortunately, the ability succeeded, and the senior who had suffered a severe injury in the contaminated zone and lost her left arm was restored to normal.

“How could I not follow someone who bestows such miracles? Rather, I should thank you for giving me the opportunity to follow you.”

What she regained was not just her left arm. For some unknown reason, her deteriorating vision was also restored. It wasn’t that I had made significant progress. Just possessing the sacred relic enabled miracles that were unimaginable with my existing abilities. As we continued to exchange words of gratitude, it became a bit awkward. Eventually, I brought up the next topic to the senior.

“If there are others around you who are suffering, please let me know. Although I am still lacking, I want to help them escape their pain if I can.”

“Thank you so much. I don’t know how to repay you for using a power that should be used for humanity on a useless retiree like me. This must be what a miracle is.”

The senior continued to speak, tears streaming down her face.

“If I had any sense of shame, I would refuse the saintess’s kindness, but I can’t refuse thinking of a friend who once shared life and death with me. I am sorry.”

“Please introduce them to me. I am fine with it.”

As a student still learning at the academy, it was regrettable that I couldn’t officially treat them.

“Don’t worry about that. If anyone speaks carelessly, I’ll cut their tongue off.”

“Thanks to you, more people will be able to escape their suffering. Please repay the grace you’ve received from me by helping those in pain.”

“I will follow the saintess’s will.”

As mister had advised, it was a good decision to approach the nobles first. Experiencing miracles through the enhanced power of the sacred relic, the nobles banded together and became my strength. In the process, I also learned how corrupt the church leader had become. I hadn’t known that my virginity was being sold as a ‘blessing.’

‘How did the church leader end up like this? I should have stayed by his side… What happened while I was away?’

A sense of despair overwhelmed me. If I hadn’t received advice from mister, I might still be wandering aimlessly in some dark alley, unable to pull myself together. I need to save the church leader as soon as possible.

Mister advised me to confine the church leader within the safety of the church. He said that since the church leader had already fallen once, he would easily be swayed by temptation.

‘I need to create a safe place, bring the church leader there, and free him from pain and anguish.’

With the people the senior introduced, it seemed possible to enter the church and save the church leader. However, I didn’t approach the nobles who sided with the church leader separately.

‘They too are tainted by corruption like the church leader.’

They also needed to be saved. Fortunately, according to the senior, it wouldn’t be too diffichurch to subdue them. All the people the senior introduced were highly skilled.

“Those idiots can’t stand against us. I could take them all down by myself.”

I thought it was necessary to calm the senior’s rather intense spirit.

“Just because they have fallen doesn’t mean we should give up on them. They are also followers of our church. I believe they can return to normal if they receive salvation.”

“Our saintess is too kind.”

“Right, right. Those bastards should start by losing their balls.”

“Tsk! What’s with that language in front of the saintess? Control yourself. This isn’t a battlefield.”

The senior tried to calm the others, but it seemed they weren’t completely pacified.

– Shak— Shak— Shak. –

“That knife looks really sharp.”

“It cuts paper instantly. I’m excited to feel the grip again. I’ve been sharpening it all day.”

These were people who had retired after dedicating their strength to humanity, now living with creaky bodies. They were part of a top-secret special forces unit that roamed the contaminated zones with the senior, killing monsters that threatened humanity. I had no regrets about treating the senior’s comrades. They had sacrificed much of their lives for humanity. Without them, current academy students wouldn’t be able to finish their military service in just ten years.

“Are you going now?”

“Yes. There’s no reason to delay any longer.”

A few days after the senior and her comrades had fully recovered, we set out to infiltrate the church where the church leader resided, under the cover of night.

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***

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“Are you going to sleep?”

“There hasn’t been any news for days, has there? I’ll wake up if things get noisy.”

The nobles who had started staying at the church at the church leader’s request had let their guard down after a few days passed without incident. What significant power could a healing academy student possibly wield if they stormed the church? Compared to those who had completed their service, they were nothing more than rookies.

Moreover, They are healing students, not an attack students.

“Ha, I think I’ll just go to sleep too. It doesn’t seem like anything will happen today.”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t come here and would rather stay at the academy. What’s there to see here, anyway? Don’t you think so?”

“Haha, that’s true. But why did you accept the church leader’s request?”

“I’ve been using the church leader’s influence to get by, but it suddenly became too much. I also came to the church because of the saintess’s blessing.”

The church leader had forced the followers to engage in prostitution, and it was unlikely that they would leave the saintess alone. The church leader had used the saintess’s first night to spread their influence, and it had surprisingly worked well, attracting many nobles to the church.

“I thought that if I captured the saintess, there would be no need to hand her over to the church.”

“That’s a bit problematic. If you take the saintess, what will we do?”

“Haha, do you think I would satisfy my desires alone? I’ll share her with all of you.”

“Hmm…”

The other nobles looked uncomfortable at one noble’s sly plan. Although he said he would share, it was clear that he wanted to possess the saintess himself. This was a move that would fuel the desires of the other nobles.

“Don’t I have more right to possess the saintess than him?”

They were thinking of all sorts of dirty things, not considering the consequences.

Their goal was to take control of the saintess’s body.

– Swish— Thud! Thud! –

At that moment, a shadowy figure approached, striking the nobles who were making lewd noises with a precise and controlled force.

The nobles fell without making a sound, and the shadowy figure tossed them aside with disdain.

Thanks to the carpet, the noise of their fall was muffled.

As the shadowy figure took the lead, several other figures emerged, all dressed in black like assassins.

[It’s a shame we can’t kill them.]

[The saintess said no, but what can we do? It’s a waste to not reuse such trash.]

[Isn’t it better to just burn them away for the sake of the world?]

This was not a conversation through voice, but rather through a unique wave-like ability that allowed them to communicate with each other.

[Let’s keep moving.]

[Yes.]

[Is it really that easy? I might not be able to use my Elizabeth at this rate.]

[Looking at how flabby they are, it seems like they haven’t trained their abilities at all. How did they receive their military training? It’s ridiculous…!]

[Is it not impolite to use your precious artifact against such people?]

[…Agreed.]

It was unfortunate for the woman who had been sharpening her skills all day, but the abilities of the nobles guarding the church were pathetic.