Chapter 377: Hongcheon (3)

The sound of the janggu and the bok drums** were noisy.

Fireworks soared into the sky, and the people holding hands began to sing.

It was a song about praising the great leader Lee Ho-jae and the stories of the believers who were waiting for him.

The lyrics were too explicit, childish, and cringey for Hochi to bear.

When he heard the section that praised Lee Ho-jae’s past heroics, Hochi’s face turned red.

They were fictional stories in the first place, so it was difficult to understand, let alone empathize with.

But people didn’t seem to think that way.

They cheered, clapped, and wept.

Hochi was stunned by their reaction as if they had a reunion with a family member they hadn’t seen in ten years.

It was a very unfamiliar and embarrassing welcome event.

He accepted the bouquet the kids brought him.

Hochi hurriedly nudged the mantis with his elbow and told it not to eat it, as it brought its face toward the flower.

The mantis muttered with a very unhappy expression.

“I was just trying to smell the flowers…….”

Hochi felt awkward.

He thought the mantis was eating the flowers from the bouquet.

He felt a little sorry for seeing the mantis as only a carnivorous pig.

“Soon, brother… The Head Priest will come. You came so suddenly… haha. Please say something to the believers.”

Said the male priest who stood next to him.

After Hochi arrived at the train station, he went to the denomination with the mantis, ignoring the people holding the signs “The Guide’s Agent, Hochi”.

It was a sudden visit, so it was natural that they were not ready.

There was no particular reason.

There was a member of the pseudo-religion that caused a disturbance in the train car, and Hochi didn’t want to be guided by them to the denomination.

“Great, thank you for the warm welcome. This…Ho-jae will also like it.”

Cheers burst out from the crowd.

Their reaction was good, but Hochi was a little embarrassed.

He was confident that his communication skills were better than Lee Ho-jae’s.

He never expected that the spotlight would be turned on him like this and be asked to say his thoughts and opinions in front of a large audience.

Until recently, Kim Minhyuk had kept them from public meetings as much as possible, and in Japan, Lee Junseok also came forward to speak for him.

So this was his first time speaking in front of a crowd.

And there was no way he could do good at his first speech.

The reason Hochi thought he was good at speaking was simply because he had frequent trivial arguments with Lee Ho-jae, and that Lee Ho-jae, the subject of comparison, had too little to say.

Hochi admitted that he was not good at speaking, and tried to speak as calmly as possible.

“There is one thing that I have always been thinking about since I first came to earth and heard of your existence.”

The male priest whispered next to him and said that it was okay not to speak formally.

He ignored it.

“And it is to repay your trust and support.”

From the point of view of the indigenous religions of the earth, it is very unnatural in itself for God to reward faith.

However, it was not so from the perspective of the believers.

When they believe in religion, most believers think of the benefit.

They can’t help but think.

In the first place, it was natural to think that the greatest bait to attract believers to a faith, was to promise something in the future or in the afterlife.

If you believe, you can go to heaven; if you believe, you can be immortal; if you believe, you can be free from anguish; if you believe, you can be free from disease and suffering.

The Believers turn to religion for that.

Some people may not have the same reasons, but most people do.

“Ho-Jae… no… Well, so did the leader Lee Ho-jae.”

Hochi managed to catch himself from saying that Ho-Jae was a good natured-man.

When in fact, Lee Ho-jae didn’t care much about the people of this denomination.

He couldn’t care less, but he had no choice but to find out about it and send Hochi. However, if he had been a little busier, then he would have ignored it instead.

Hochi didn’t like it very much.

No matter how deceived by the pseudo-religion, Hochi thought he should take care of the believers a little more since they are the people who believed in him anyway.

“Your faith has really helped us.”

It wasn’t just a feeling of confidence or small happiness that came from the cheering.

Their faith was actually a new way to generate more power for Lee Ho-jae.

Of course, compared to Lee Ho-jae’s current level of strength, the amount given was very weak.

“So we decided to give back to you since that helped us so much.”

Most of the people were showing that they did not understand what he was saying.

Anyway, they responded and concentrated, but there seemed to be a question of what he was talking about.

The male priest who was right next to him had been acting annoyed for a while now.

He sighed irritably and rubbed the ground with his feet.

He wasn’t saying anything, but it looked like he wanted to say ‘Eh-hyo, you can’t do that. A person who doesn’t even know how cool they are has come.’

Hochi also understood.

But what Hochi was trying to give them now had never been done before.

“From now on, you will be able to check your faith and merit values ​​by score. And you will get a real reward based on that score.”

People still didn’t seem to understand Hochi’s words.

Each system window appeared in front of the confused people.

[Lee Mi Ja]

Age: 54

Status: Lee Ho Jae Faith (tentative name), Class 2 Believer

-Produces 21pt of faith every month.

-Working with all her heart as a cook in the church.

-Cultivating sincerity and is devoted to the denomination.

-Cumulative faith: 47pt

-Cumulative merit: 19pt

-Cumulative integrated score: 66

“What is this?”

The woman who had been absent-minded was frightened when she saw the words that appeared in front of her eyes.

It wasn’t just her.

The words appeared in front of everyone in the denomination as well.

And…

[You can get a reward by consuming 66 points.]

[The required compensation is listed.]

[Miracle-Minor Healing: 1,500pt]

[Potion-Minor Healing: 50pt]

[Potion-Fibre Muscle Healing: 130pt]

[We recommend purchasing the lowest level healing potion. The lowest healing potion is excellent for various wounds and muscle disorders. It can greatly alleviate the chronic back pain of Lee Mi-ja. After taking the lowest healing potion, it is recommended to cure back pain through Miracle-Minor Healing.]

Lee Mi-ja, who had been overworked because of her poor circumstances from a young age, had chronic back pain.

The message listed rewards to heal Lee Mi-ja’s back pain.

But that wasn’t the end of the list of recommendations.

[Miracle List] [Close]

[Miracle-Minor Healing: 1,500pt]

.

.

[Miracle-Advanced Healing: 20,000pt]

[Miracle-Supreme Healing: 400,000pt]

[Miracle-Resurrection: 8,000,000,000pt]

.

[Miracle-Lower Guardian Summon: 100pt]

[Miracle-Reception (3 minutes conversation with God): 70,000pt]

[Miracle-Seance (There is a possibility of failure depending on the personal circumstances of God.): 100,000,000pt]

[Food Reward] [Open]

[Item Reward] [Open]

[Ability Reward] [Close]

[Ability-Stamina 1: 100pt]

[Ability-Strength 1: 100pt]

[Skill Ability-disease resistance: 900pt]

[Skill Ability-Strengthening: 1,200pt]

[Skill Ability- Avoid Accident: 4,000pt]

Some people are confused by the message that appeared before their eyes like Mi-ja, but some people also acted fast…

“I’m healed! The scar… It disappeared…….”

After purchasing and taking the scar removal potion as recommended in the message, the woman cheered when she confirmed that the long scar on her face had been removed, and soon began to weep quietly.

The kid, who was the model for the church’s publicity cover, turned his high merits into delicious snacks.

The child who ignored his mother who was trying to stop him put the candy that appeared out of the air in his mouth and was excited about the sweet taste that he tasted after a long time.

Some people were looking at the rewards of ability.

Some people were quietly pondering over miracles such as advanced healing or resurrection.

“You can get all the rewards shown in the message if you have enough points.”

Hochi, who had been quiet, raised his voice again.

Because his words were imbued with magic, all those who were distracted by the message focused on Hochi’s speech.

“Over time, the rewards will become more diverse. Please trust us more without doubt and work hard for the church. In return, we will reward you everything you desire.”

* * *

Religion should be mysterious.

Gods must be ambiguous, and his existence must be questioned.

The belief that humans have in fantasy is more powerful than that of conviction.

Most religions were like that.

But Hochi thought he didn’t have to stick to mysticism.

Lee Ho-jae had sufficient abilities as a god, and he did not hesitate to show off those abilities.

He was willing to return the favor in relation to the amount of faith he received from the believers.

In the first place, what Lee Ho-jae wanted from the followers of the Earth was not a huge and deep faith.

Lee Ho-jae wanted his religion to become a popular religion on Earth.

To be the basis for one’s own activities.

It was obviously a loss to use the faith he had gained and reward the believers with a real reward using that faith.

But Lee Ho-jae didn’t care because he wanted the religion to spread faster.

And there was no need to worry about the deficit because the score was set lower than the faith and merit value that was actually supplied.

It will only be less profitable, but the surplus of faith will remain.

And, in Hochi’s opinion, if they ignore some of the characteristics of existing religions, it seems that they can quickly raise the popularity of this religion.

Miracles in the form of rewards.

Who would dare to refuse it?

If you just devote your faith and dedicate yourself, you can attain the miracles you’ve always dreamed of.

Hochi was convinced that it would not take long for the Lee Ho Jae Faith to push out the Earth’s indigenous religions and the emerging religions of the emerging Hundred Gods’ Temple and spread them around the world.

There was no need to worry about anything after the believer earns the reward.

Lee Mi-ja, who was quietly looking around, purchased the lowest healing potion shown on the recommended list.

Then opened the lid and quietly drank it.

She could feel the potion going down her throat and down her stomach.

And she could feel the pain from her back disappear and the stiff muscles relax.

Freed from a long enduring pain, Lee Mi-ja saw Hochi smiling at her.

The figure looked like an angel from heaven and like a miracle.

She was overwhelmed with emotion.

[Faith has risen.]

[Produces 33pt of faith every month.]

[Cumulative total score: 16pt]

The list of recommendations recommended to Lee Mija to miraculously cure her back pain later.

But that wasn’t the next reward she was hoping for.

She had a son with autism.

He was already thirty, but he had not been able to work properly in society or get along with people.

In the meantime, Lee Mi-ja took care of him with utmost care, but as she got older, she felt her limit approaching.

Lee Mi-ja was always worried about how her son would live in a world that became increasingly difficult and complex after she died.

But if autism could be cured as a reward…….

[Recommended list is updated.]

[Miracle-Intermediate Healing: 10,000pt]

[Autistic disorders classified as functional disorders of understanding, sensory perception, and sensory integration are not treated with simple healing potions. Treatment is possible with a specialized potion, but since it is very expensive and valuable, we recommend treatment through an intermediate healing miracle.]

It was possible.

The message announced that autism could be cured.

She had been looking for a way to fix it for a long time, but just as she completely gave up on her son’s disability, a solution appeared.

Although she needed a high score of 10,000 points, Lee Mi-ja decided to dedicate herself to the denomination and get the reward.

[Faith is greatly increased.]

* * *

There was an uproar.

People became excited about the miracles they just witnessed and were making a fuss.

Hochi carefully observed the people.

No one clung to him or approached him.

It was unclear whether it was because of the magic that was in effect or if it was because his presence changed in people’s perceptions.

However, there was one more feature that people haven’t noticed yet.

Everyone was busy with checking their recommended rewards, but they were bound to notice it sooner or later.

It was a feature that would enable one to check the faith scores not only of themselves but also the faith and merit value of others.

Hochi didn’t like the way the denomination was operated.

Before he arrived, it was considered okay to classify believers and priests by grade.

But with the appearance of the Faith Window, high faith and merit value will now be a new class determinant.

There may be side effects such as jealousy and supremacy, but on a larger scale, even those side effects benefited religion.

And…

The male priest standing behind Hochi turned around and began to run away.

[Koo Jeong-myeong]

Age: 31

Status: Lee Ho Jae Faith (tentative name), Level 4 priest

-Produces 0pt of faith every month.

-Greatly contributes to the high crime rate within the denomination.

-Commits assault, verbal abuse, extortion of money, sexual assault, intimidation, fraud, extortion, and human trafficking among believers.

-It is recommended to punish him as soon as possible or to expel him from the denomination.

-Cumulative integrated score: -4,335pt

That man had probably confirmed that he could check other people’s scores.

He didn’t even have a list of rewards.

It was the right decision to run away before other believers checked his negative score.

They couldn’t see a detailed explanation as much as Hochi, but they could see that score.

Minus four thousand.

Among the believers gathered here, few had an integrated score of 100 points.

But a thousand minus points.

It was easy to see how much harm he had caused to the church.

With this function, people can see who had contributed greatly to the denomination and who was a faithful person.

But what about the parasites of the church?

People will be able to crack down on each other and manage the denomination even if Hochi didn’t interfere.

Hochi chased after the male priest who escaped.

He headed towards a huge banquet hall when he ran away.

On the table prepared in the banquet hall, there was a splendid dinner that Hochi had never seen before in Seoul.

Young women gathered on the side of the banquet hall, and the priests who seemed to be gathered in one group were also waiting for him.

-Cumulative integrated score: -853pt

-Cumulative integrated score: -1,135pt

-Cumulative integrated score: -421pt

-Cumulative integrated score: -677pt

-Cumulative integrated score: -2,995pt

-Cumulative integrated score: -188pt

They were pure garbage.

Hochi checked the women in the corner of the banquet hall.

Negative phrases were attached at the end of their status windows.

[I am in despair. I need help.]

[I am hoping for salvation. Hope is fading. I’m on the verge of giving up everything.]

[I am obsessed with strong hatred. We are praying for punishment from heaven on the priests of the Lee Ho Jae Faith.]

[I hope there will be retribution to the priests who have committed sin.]

It was terrible.

He didn’t even think about finding out what had happened to them.

The painful feelings, such as fear, shame, and despair on the faces of the women appeared dark enough to be read even without a message.

“Welcome. I’ve been waiting for you. I am Lim Seong-hyun, who is in charge of the denomination.”

A man who had a nice face approached Hochi.

Hochi didn’t want to talk to him and ignored his greetings

[Lim Seonghyun]

Age: 57

Status: Lee Ho Jae Faith (tentative name), Level 6 class priest, denomination general affairs manager, a great revelator

-92pts of faith is produced every month.

-Has a high level of faith.

-Established the denomination.

-The first preacher of the church.

-Top manager of the denomination.

-Wrote the doctrine of the denomination himself.

-Is respected by members of the church.

-Considered a divine being to the congregation.

-The axis of the doctrine of the church.

-Greatly contributes to the promotion, administration, and management of the denomination.

-The initiator and chief executive of the denomination’s business.

-Embezzling church funds.

-Neglecting criminal activities of priests in the church.

-Is in sync with the criminal acts of priests in the denomination.

-Cumulative faith: 2,043pt

-Cumulative merit value: 30,053pt

-Cumulative integrated score: 32,096pt

It was an overwhelming score.

Hochi felt embarrassed at that moment.

He even had faith.

He was a religious person worthy of praise even if he neglected and sympathized with the crimes of the priests.

But that was not the case.

He has contributed so much to the denomination and made himself a divine being only to arouse the faith of the church members.

In essence, he was a pseudo-scammer through and through.

‘Still… His score is too high.’

This was higher than the scores of hundreds of other believers combined.

If faith scores became the basis for one’s contributions to the denomination and if one of the highest scorers, the man named Lim Seong-hyun disappears, then it will be possible that the denomination will suffer major damages.

Hochi was worried.

A plan to cover up this matter appropriately, to forgive and rehabilitate that man, and to leave him to continue serving the denomination had to be made.

However, the women in the corner of the banquet hall were hoping for punishment.

They were hoping more strongly for those priests to be punished than to be saved from their current situation.

And the target priests included a man named Lim Seong-hyun.

But they didn’t have the points needed to acquire the miracle.

After all, they had absolutely no faith to begin with.

It would have been strange if they still had faith in religion left if one considered their circumstances.

On the contrary, that man had a high official merit and score.

Despite his evil deeds, he had that score.

It was certain that he would continue to help the denomination.

“I heard you have performed an amazing miracle. I can see the rewards I can get. Hahaha. Please sit here. We have prepared a lot of food for you.”

Hochi was worried.

But he decided at that moment,

“I can’t do this.”

Hochi knew that Lee Ho-jae was not bound by good or evil.

That he prioritizes efficiency over morals.

However, Hochi wanted to punish them even after taking into account Lee Ho-jae’s disposition and his role.

Hochi brought out the strongest, most cruel punishment method ever given to him.

He called to summon Lee Ho-jae.

[Call]

Hochi kept thinking while calling Lee Ho-jae.

Is this really the right decision?

Hochi decided that he had to punish him, and he wanted to do it.

He wasn’t sure what Lee Ho-jae would think of his judgment.

Soon, a noise as if an iron plate was being torn was heard, and the space split.

Lee Ho-jae appeared through the space and said with a smile,

“That’s the right call.”

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Translator’s Notes:

Janggu and bok – Janggu is a Korean hourglass-shaped drum, while the bok is a barrel-shaped drum, similar to a Japanese taiko.)