Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 504

◈ 504. The Most Certain Method

The High Priest, who had been happily taking selfies, suddenly turned and walked towards them again.

The demon was so startled that he stood up again.

Some demons had become accustomed to the Demon King’s frequent displays of intimidation, but this particular demon’s heart ached anew each time he was scolded.

Moreover, this demon knew that Rembrary possessed the ability of ‘Divine Majesty’.

He could already picture himself being crushed if the High Priest came and used ‘Divine Majesty’ on him.

“I really… that guy!”

The demon frantically increased the number of fake pillars.

But somehow, the High Priest, who had been confused and given up earlier, was now walking straight ahead without hesitation.

“Why are you coming! Undo the rules and get out!”

The demon shouted into the crystal ball, but Rembrary in the crystal ball only continued to approach in a straight line.

“No way.”

The demon anxiously bit his lip.

Not only was there the High Priest, but also the madman who had been firing his gun in all directions as soon as they arrived in the illusion zone.

Moreover, that guy was firing without even realizing that his surroundings were an illusion. He was beyond crazy.

‘If the High Priest suppresses me and that crazy priest attacks me, I’ll lose.’

The demon covered the crystal ball with both hands and stamped his feet, finally deciding to use his last resort and glaring coldly.

* * *

Arriving in front of the pillars, there was a large armchair and a table, but no one was there.

“I thought there would be a demon guarding the pillars around here.”

Rembrary muttered, looking around, but there was still no one.

“There’s a note on the table.”

In the meantime, Ardour brought the note, stared at it intently for a moment, and then gave it to Rembrary.

“He tells you to screw yourself, High Priest.”

“Huh?”

Rembrary took the note and checked it, and it really said to screw himself.

“Ah, this guy.”

However, instead of getting angry, Rembrary muttered in surprise.

“It’s Warion. I guess Warion was here.”

“Warion?”

“One of the Demon King’s six closest aides.”

Ardour’s eyes widened as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.

“H-High Priest, how do you know the handwriting of that aide? Are you close to such a figure? Is that why he left you a friendly letter?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“But just now…”

“His ability is to steal other people’s prayers and pretend to be a fake god. He imitated Redrin before, so I told him to do it properly if he was going to imitate.”

“Did you do a voice imitation?”

“I used Divine Majesty to the fullest.”

He hasn’t even tried to make eye contact with me since then,” Rembrary muttered, putting the note back on the table.

Ardour imagined Rembrary using Divine Majesty to the fullest on him and became ecstatic.

‘How chilling and frightening would it be? But it would be cool.’

‘He’s starting again.’

Rembrary knew that Ardour was lost in his fantasies, but he didn’t bother to wake him and approached the pillar.

Rembrary’s order from Redrin was to destroy all the pillars here.

The important thing is to destroy the pillars.

Rembrary placed his hand on the pillar and infused it with divine power.

“…I guess it’s not working.”

But the pillar was fine. He thought the Demon King’s pillar would be somewhat affected by divine power.

‘Divine power no longer works on demons. Is it because Redrin isn’t the god here yet, or do I have to physically destroy the pillars?’

“Ardour.”

“Yes, High Priest!”

“Break the pillar.”

Anyway, wanting to use all possible methods, Rembrary called Ardour and decided to physically destroy the pillar this time.

“Yes!”

Ardour quickly came to his side and continuously fired his gun at one spot.

But only a loud noise was heard, and the pillar did not collapse. It didn’t even budge, let alone get scratched.

‘Is this not how you break it?’

“Wait a moment.”

Rembrary stopped Ardour and walked around the pillar once.

The pillar was about as wide as a lighthouse, and Rembrary found a faint crack in the pillar.

Rembrary realized that the crack was shaped like a door.

“It seems I have to go inside the pillar.”

Ardour tried to walk through the door pattern, kicked it, and put his fingernails between the cracks, but he readily agreed.

“I see.”

The gap that looked like a door really didn’t budge.

“I thought I could destroy the pillar if I got close to it. It seems I can only destroy the pillar after solving all the set areas [completing the challenges within each section].”

“Won’t the pillar break on its own?”

“It might, but the probability is low.”

“?”

“If that were the case, they wouldn’t have put Warion here. There would be no need to guard the pillar. Warion is still the Demon King’s closest aide in his eyes.”

Ardour swallowed hard.

“T-Then what should we do, High Priest? Are we going to have to live here forever? I’ll become your closest aide and without anyone’s interference…!”

“Your voice is trembling, Ardour.”

“!”

Rembrary knocked on the pillar a couple of times for no reason and turned around.

“Since it has come to this, there’s no choice. We have to leave here according to the dungeon rules.”

“Are you going to leave?”

“Do you want to stay?”

Ardour quickly shook his head.

“No.”

“What rule did you receive as a condition for leaving here?”

“I wasn’t originally on this side, but I came here…”

“You weren’t on this side?”

“I was moved here from another illusion. I came to save the High Priest. I thought the fake High Priest was the real High Priest trapped in an illusion. Shin Jo-woon was also staying here in a Holy Knight uniform, so I naturally thought it was the fake High Priest’s illusion… I never imagined that the High Priest hadn’t even arrived yet.”

Rembrary recalled some of the content of the illusion that Ardour had experienced at first.

Ardour screamed at that time.

If he assumed that the illusion Ardour was in shattered with that scream and then he moved here, Ardour must have stayed here continuously during that period.

“Did the enemies know I was coming to this side?”

“Could it be?”

“The Demon King might already know that we’re trying to destroy the pillars.”

“Yes?!”

“…Let’s think about getting out of here first. My rule is that I have to let at least three people know that I’m the real High Priest. You know now, so I only need to let two more people know.”

“Ah. I see.”

“The problem is that almost everyone here is an illusion. I can’t use my divine power to intimidate or heal them. That’s the problem.”

But unexpectedly, Ardour said brightly.

“It’s okay. It can be easily solved. We have this.”

Ardour took out his gun as he said that.

“…”

As Rembrary stared blankly at the gun, Ardour asked, shrinking back.

“Do you dislike it?”

‘Is he trying to threaten them with a gun to make them acknowledge it? Well. Even if they’re illusions, their reactions won’t be different from people, so some people might reluctantly agree if threatened. The problem is…’

Is it within the scope of the rules to force them to say that this side is real through threats?

They’ll be thinking inwardly that it’s not, but only outwardly acknowledging that it is?

He didn’t know. But it was certain that he had to use every possible method.

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

* * *

Perhaps because the demon had left, the number of pillars that had increased rapidly returned to normal.

“It’s already evening.”

Rembrary was walking to the temple with Ardour, and when he looked up at the darkening sky, he felt a little sad.

Even though it was an illusion, this place was the same as the world Rembrary lived in during peaceful times.

A place where people lived their daily lives and sometimes hoped for miracles.

A place where he could help those who needed God’s touch and traces.

“Do you want to go back to your hometown?”

“I can go back.”

“Yes?!”

As Rembrary walked to the temple, he summarized and told Ardour the story Redrin had told him and what he had learned through subsequent meetings.

Ardour had never thought about being able to return to his original world, so his eyes widened and he couldn’t say anything in response.

In the meantime. The two finally arrived back at the temple.

“I’m sorry, brothers. We don’t accept visitors any later.”

As the two walked to the temple, a lay priest who was tidying up quickly ran over to stop them.

But the lay priest was soon surprised to see Ardour’s attire and face and asked.

“Aren’t you Ardour? There was a commotion because you suddenly went out and came back in. Where are you coming from?”

The lay priest’s gaze briefly touched Rembrary, but that was it. The lay priest looked at Ardour again.

Rembrary thought Ardour would take out his gun and say, ‘Bring so-and-so,’ but Ardour surprisingly answered as usual.

“I went for a walk. By the way, where are the Holy Knight Commander, Lord Mulu, Lord Shin Jo-woon, and Lord Jang Tae-ri right now?”

“Aren’t they doing evening training?”

“I see.”

As Ardour went inside and Rembrary followed behind him, the lay priest asked in confusion.

“Lord Ardour? The visitor can come later-”

Before he could finish speaking. Ardour had already pulled out his gun and shot the lay priest in the forehead.

As if death was also briefly implemented, the lay priest lay down as he was and did not get up.

“This way, High Priest.”

Ardour didn’t care about the dead priest and continued on his way. Rembrary followed behind him and asked.

“Did you have to kill him?”

“Do you know his face?”

“Of course not. But he’s wearing our priest’s uniform and lying in front of our temple, so it doesn’t look good.”

“I have a lot of resentment towards the priests who block me from entering the temple, High Priest. I was often caught.”

“?”

In the meantime. The two had already arrived at the training ground behind the temple.

There, people in Holy Knight uniforms were standing in neat rows and training.

Rembrary took out his cell phone and diligently took pictures of Jang Tae-ri and Shin Jo-woon.

Was it because of the clicking sound? Shin Jo-woon glanced this way.

Rembrary took a good picture of that expression and then happily put his cell phone back in.

In the meantime. Ardour walked to the front of the training ground and said something.

When he returned, he was with Jang Tae-ri, Shin Jo-woon, Mulu, and Ninring.

The four followed Ardour and stood facing Rembrary, but unlike reality, they didn’t even glance at Rembrary.

“I hope you’re not lying because you skipped work and can’t handle the aftermath, Ardour.”

Mulu scolded Ardour in a stern but scary voice, and Ninring kept asking Ardour what was wrong with her lips.

Jang Tae-ri belatedly smiled and greeted Rembrary, “Hello.”

Shin Jo-woon was silently watching the situation, but judging from the way his eyes were narrowing, he was clearly thinking something on his own.

Then, when Mulu stopped scolding Ardour, Shin Jo-woon asked.

“Your attitude seems a little different than usual. What are you trying to say?”

It wasn’t anything special, but Rembrary barely held back his laughter because of Shin Jo-woon’s outfit. Should he film a video too?

Rembrary carefully considered whether to take out his cell phone or not.

In the meantime. Ardour was telling them something important.

“Everyone, I have something to say. The High Priest we’ve been serving is not the High Priest. He’s a fake.”

Ninring immediately let out a hollow laugh.

“Are you crazy? Where did you go to say such nonsense?”

Jang Tae-ri, Shin Jo-woon, and Mulu also didn’t look like they believed him.

“There are jokes you should say and jokes you shouldn’t say.”

Shin Jo-woon gave a blunt warning, and Jang Tae-ri nodded.

“That’s right.”

Instead of answering, Ardour took out his gun.

As soon as he took out his gun, the four of them also raised their respective weapons.

“Are you going to threaten us?”

Shin Jo-woon asked, holding something made of ice in his hand.

Instead of answering, Ardour shot Rembrary.

“!”