Rise of the OtherGod Apostle: Not a Cult Leader, but a Serf?!
#126
T/N: [Illegal Cliffhanger Warded Off with Coffee!] Thanks for the cup Maggie! Since the goal has been reached. Double chappie today! Woo~ _(´ཀ`」 ∠) _
#126
“You know who I am?”
“…Yeah.”
How could anyone not know this guy?
Athanas Anatagasukidesu.
With a username that literally translates to ‘Athanas, I love you,‘ this crazy bastard wasn’t just infamous—he was legendary long before Conclude was released. His reputation for being absolutely, certifiably insane was well established. And it wasn’t the kind of “crazy” streamers fake for views. He was the real deal, so far gone that even the most desperate clout-chasers wouldn’t dare imitate him.
Most of those so-called “crazy” gamers are just actors. They stir up drama for clicks, chase trends, and aim for the next viral moment. Every scream, every outrageous stunt, is all part of the performance. A bigger audience means more views, more engagement, and more influence.
But Athanasuki? He didn’t give a damn about any of that.
He ran a low-profile gaming account, posting hours of gameplay without fanfare or promotional tricks. No clickbait thumbnails. No tags like Heretic Slayer to boost search results. Just a date slapped on each video before uploading. The footage had no commentary—just raw, unfiltered gameplay. It was like he didn’t care if anyone saw them. He didn’t even act like he wanted anyone to find his content.
And yet, somehow, someone always does.
You know how it is with the internet. There’s always one person with too much time on their hands, doom-scrolling into the weirdest corners of the internet. And that’s exactly what happened with Athanasuki. One chronically online netizen stumbled across his videos and immediately noticed something… odd.
Athanas’ face filled the entire screen. The entire time.
In Heretic Slayer, a fast-paced action RPG, the player controls the character from a third-person perspective. The camera stays just behind Athanas, perfectly aligned to track every movement as he carves through hordes of enemies. Most of the game involves watching the back of his head as he slashes, dodges, and parries.
This over-the-shoulder view allows players to anticipate attacks and maneuver through chaotic battles with precision.
But what if you rotated the camera 180 degrees?
Suddenly, the battlefield disappears. No enemies in sight. No hints to dodge an incoming strike…
…Instead, you get a close-up of Athanas’ face. Every expression, every subtle reaction, captured in sharp, crystal-clear HD.
The camera locks onto him, obsessively tracking even the smallest flicker of emotion as he swings his sword, dodges, or takes a hit. Athanasuki wasn’t even tracking the enemies. Hell, he couldn’t even see them. Without the crucial view of the battlefield, he just kept dying. Repeatedly. Stupidly. Over and over again.
The first person who stumbled across this absurd gameplay shared the link on a forum, and it went viral almost instantly.
Within hours, the strange, self-imposed challenge had the whole community buzzing. The view count on Athanasuki’s videos exploded, with comments flooding in from stunned gamers, streamers, and curious onlookers. Theories were tossed around as viewers tried to make sense of what they were witnessing.
But did Athanasuki respond to the commotion? Not at all. He just kept uploading his daily videos, right on schedule, as if nothing had changed.
However, as more videos rolled in, something strange happened… Athanasuki was improving. Fast. His progression wasn’t just impressive—it was unnatural.
At first, viewers assumed he had hacked the game. Some speculated that he was using a second, hidden camera to cheat the system. But there was no evidence to support those theories. The real explanation was way weirder.
And it had been right there all along, buried in his old uploads.
So, what was Athanasuki doing before starting this wild, camera-flip challenge?
…Playing with his eyes closed.
This madman had memorized every inch of the game so thoroughly that he could beat it blindfolded. That’s why he adapted so quickly to the flipped camera, with nothing but Athanas’ face dominating the screen.
Figuring this out wasn’t easy, though.
Athanasuki wasn’t making things simple for anyone trying to understand his gameplay. There was no hand-cam to show his movements, no mic commentary explaining his strategies—just hours of unedited footage. Anyone curious enough had to break down his gameplay from scratch, piecing together every strategy on their own.
Even with the limited clues, it didn’t take long for the community to figure out what Athanasuki was aiming for: a no-hit run.
In simple terms, a no-hit run is a hardcore gamer challenge where the goal is to beat the game without taking a single hit. It became obvious from the way Athanasuki dodged obsessively, refusing to let Athanas get touched, even when taking a hit to reset his position would have been the smarter move.
Just as everyone was getting used to his mind-blowing skills, his gameplay took a sudden, bizarre nosedive. It was as if he had forgotten everything overnight, fumbling through battles like a complete noob.
Naturally, theories started flying left and right about what he was trying to pull this time.
Some gamers swore he was playing with his feet. Others were convinced he’d gone full blindfold mode again. A few even speculated that he’d rigged the game with artificial lag, forcing himself to rely entirely on muscle memory and prediction to survive. It was a tough puzzle to crack, especially since other hardcore players had completed similar runs using those same methods.
Then came the breakthrough, sparked by a single question on a forum no one else had thought to ask:
ㄴ Why the heck is he keeping Athanas’ health so low?
At first, it didn’t make sense. Athanasuki wasn’t using any gear that boosted damage at low HP, and there was no obvious strategic reason to keep Athanas on the brink of death. So why was he deliberately tanking hits from weak mobs, dragging Athanas through battles, always just one step away from collapse?
The answer came faster than anyone expected and it was… disturbing.
ㄴ He’s doing it to hear Athanas’ panting sounds when he’s low on health, isn’t he?
And just like that, Athanasuki ascended to a whole new level of crazy. This wasn’t just dedication; it was obsession on a scale no one had seen before. Even the most die-hard Athanas simps couldn’t hold a candle to this kind of fixation.
I remember thinking, if anyone was crazy enough to slam that “Yes” button without hesitation and get dragged into the Dark Realm, it’d be this guy…
But never in a million years did I think I’d be standing face-to-face with him.
‘AthanasAnatagasukidesu’ actually blushed. “Ah, geez… I’m a little embarrassed. I made that username back in middle school.”
…Heretic Slayer is an R-rated game.
If he was in middle school when it came out, that would make him, what, twenty now? Maybe twenty-one?
“Since you already know who I am, doesn’t that make this fate?”
No. Anyone who’s ever played Heretic Slayer knows about you.
Even in Conclude, where crazy is the new normal, the moment someone mentioned his name, the comments section would blow up with his latest antics.
Trying to steer the conversation away from his delusions, I asked, “…What’s that unit’s wish?”
“Huh?”
“Cult Leader units usually have some tragic backstory that leads to their contract. I’m guessing he must’ve sold his soul to the Distorted One at some point. So, what was the wish tied to that body?”
For now, I figured it was best to keep him distracted.
If there’s not much time left, the Helper will start dropping his favorability on its own.
Athanas had said he’d never met anyone strange before. Which, honestly, was weird. This boy was a noble with enough power to control Andrea, a Bishop of the Order. You’d think he would’ve sought out Athanas by now.
That could only mean the Helper had been keeping his perverted desires in check.
Otherwise, he would’ve already fulfilled his dream of dying by Athanas’ hands.
And since Athanas doesn’t have a strong resistance to mental interference, he should’ve been an easy target for ‘distortion.’ The only reason it hadn’t happened must be because the Helper had intervened, at least to some extent.
Even if the Distorted One didn’t care about winning the game, It probably didn’t want Its fun to end too soon.
“This body’s name is Reyes. From the House of Floren…”
Floren? Never heard of them.
“…His wish was probably revenge.”
“Revenge?”
“He thought the person he loved was dead, only to find out the truth was much darker. Turns out, his own family had imprisoned her and did unspeakable things that caused her to suffer terribly. That’s why he made the contract.”
Something about that story sounded strangely familiar.
Could the person he loved be Perpetua?
Then again, the Dark Realm was probably teeming with people who’d gone through similar horrific experiences. It was impossible to say for sure…
But whatever. It’s not really my problem.
Right now, I’m ‘Fabio.’
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t getting revenge on that family be enough? Why go through the trouble of starting a new religion and becoming a cult leader?”
“Uh… maybe because the Order restricted how many people could have divine bloodlines? That’s the main reason?”
“That feels like a bit of a stretch.”
After making a deal with the Distorted One, the wish must’ve gotten ‘distorted’ in that way. After all, the Distorted One’s ultimate goal is to devour the Dark Realm.
I shifted gears. “What about you? What’s your wish?”
“M-my wish?” The boy’s face flushed bright red. “Th-that’s a secret!”
Yeah, it’s obviously got something to do with Athanas.
I didn’t press the issue though. Staring too long into that particular abyss would’ve been hazardous to my mental health.
“Anyway, your wish hasn’t come true yet, right? Whether you kill me or I kill you, it’s game over for both of us. Are you really okay with dying without fulfilling it?”
His eyes widened in surprise, as if the thought had never occurred to him.
…If he starts thinking about his wish, maybe it’ll snap him out of this madness.
The idea of dying at the hands of some rando goblin instead of his beloved Athanas? Once that sunk in, he might start having second thoughts about this whole thing.
I mean, come on. This was ‘Athanas Anatagasukidesu’ of all people.
The second he remembered his all-consuming obsession with Athanas, he might actually resist the quest…
“Y-you’re worried about me dying without fulfilling my wish? Even after everything I did… after I tried to make you suffer horribly? How… how can you be so kind? Is this love? Is this what love feels like?”
God, no. Absolutely not. This is getting out of hand.
I opened my mouth to shut him down, but before I could get a word in, his expression changed. A wide grin stretched across his face, and his eyes lit up with a feverish excitement as he stepped closer.
“You must love me too!”
“No, get away from me.”
His expression shattered like glass. Hope giving way to a storm of fury and desperation that twisted his face into something wild. “Then that means…”
His voice dropped to a hiss before pitching into a full-blown shriek.
“You said all that even though you don’t love me? Guilty! You’re guilty! Life imprisonment! No, death penalty! You deserve execution!”
He lunged, hands outstretched, fingers clawing toward my throat.
Is he actually trying to strangle me?
If so, he was doing a piss-poor job of it. His hands were way too small to get a decent grip, but that didn’t stop him from furiously trying to choke the life out of me.
What an idiot.
I twisted to the side, dodging him effortlessly. In one smooth motion, I grabbed his outstretched arm and wrenched it behind his back. He let out a sharp, pitiful yelp that echoed off the walls.
“Argh!”
Even if his stats gave him an edge in raw strength, his small frame made him ridiculously easy to overpower.
Pathetic.
He might’ve increased his strength and endurance stats, but it was painfully clear this bastard had never been in a real fight before.
This is what happens when you rely too much on distortion.
I twisted his arm harder, forcing him face-first against the wall. In this position, all he could do was squirm helplessly…
Crack!
…Wait. Crack?
My stomach dropped. I knew I hadn’t twisted hard enough to dislocate anything. A chill ran down my spine, and a horrible premonition took hold.
My breath hitched as I forced my eyes downward, afraid of what I might see…
His head had twisted a full 180 degrees, his purple eyes sparkling with delight as he stared up at me.
“Are you going to kill me now?”
F*ck!
I scrambled back in pure terror, releasing his arm as if it were on fire. His body slumped against the wall, but in an instant, he was upright and walking backwards towards me fluidly, that eerie smile never once leaving his face.
“What the hell are you?!”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Normal people die when their necks get twisted like that!”
“Really? They do? I just thought… if I was going to die, I wanted to get one last look at your cute face.”
He blinked, titling his head in a horrifying, unnatural angle. “…Now that you mention it, this does look a bit weird, doesn’t it?”
Before I could react, the Prophet’s hands shot up, grabbing his chin with both palms.
Crack!
With a violent jerk, he twisted his head back into place. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips as he rolled his shoulders, like he’d just worked out a stiff muscle.
…Is this even possible with the power of distortion alone?
Oh, who was I kidding? Of course it f*cking was!
If distortion could turn people into literal monsters, a little neck rearranging was probably the mildest thing it could do.
One thing was certain though. I did not want to get into a physical fight with him.
The Prophet fidgeted, a faint blush creeping across his cheeks.
“Did I… ruin the mood?”
He glanced up at me with wide, pleading eyes.
“Can we try again? This time, I promise I’ll die quietly.”