Rise of the OtherGod Apostle: Not a Cult Leader, but a Serf?!

#142Reader Mode

T/N: Thanks for the coffee CranberryWoodz! ♡(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

#142

My mind went blank.

What the hell do I even say to this guy?

Another wave of cold sweat hit me.

This bastard clearly sees anyone who isn’t a player as a disposable NPC, someone he can just kill without a second thought.

I should try to explain why Athanas did what he did…

…But would someone like him even care about context?

Shit. I don’t know.

The whiny little brat I used to know would’ve launched into a guilt-trip, whining about how much he’s already compromised and then hitting me with some variation of, “How can you even question me after everything I’ve done for you?”

But the towering man standing before me now—this stranger with an unfamiliar face—had just threatened to execute me by hanging, casually hoisting me into the air like I was weightless.

I don’t know what he’s capable of anymore. I don’t know what he’s planning.

And I haven’t even swayed him yet!

What the hell am I supposed to do when Forced Persuasion isn’t even an option?

“Don’t tell me…”

Pandemonium’s eyes narrowed to predatory slits, and my panic spiked. The words tumbled out in a rush, “It really is just a cooperative relationship! I know it sounds weird because of how I summarized it, but there’s context—everything happened for a reason!”

“Is that so…?”

“Actually, I’ve been keeping something from you! I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know if I could trust you!”

F*ck it. I’ll just go for it.

“I brainwashed Athanas!”

“…What?”

“The suggestion I planted compels Athanas to monitor the reliquary’s location. If anything’s off, he comes looking for me. It’s a fail-safe, a contingency plan I put in place for my own safety.”

To persuade a ‘player’ like Pandemonium, I need to think like him. Use his own logic against him.

Arguing that Athanas isn’t dangerous or that I’ve developed some sort of attachment to him would be pointless.

Worse, it would only backfire.

To him, risking everything for a mere copy, a fake, a string of code, would be utterly insane.

It’d be like announcing I was dropping out of college to dedicate my life to keeping my Tamagotchi alive.

“I called it cooperation because, well… ‘brainwashing’ has some pretty unethical connotations,” I admitted, feigning a sense of reluctance. “I downplayed it because I figured you’d find the whole thing distasteful.”

“There’s still a chance he’s one of Insanity’s traps…”

“Athanas isn’t a servant of Insanity. That much I know for certain.”

Pandemonium’s frown deepened. “And how can you be so damn sure?”

“I can access the status window of any unit I’ve brainwashed. If they were a servant, it would say ‘Servant of the Othergod’ next to their name as a title. Think of it like a job description. Athanas’s profile was clean.”

I meticulously blended truth and lies, crafting a narrative just plausible enough to hold up under scrutiny.

My first priority was to defuse the suspicions of this unhinged bastard who thinks destroying people isn’t the same as murder.

“How did you manage to brainwash him?”

“With an account-bound trait. It’s called ‘Miracle of the Silver Tongue.’ I acquired it before coming here. Honestly, it’s the only miracle I have access to.”

Pandemonium nodded, a faint smile on his lips. “Sounds like a trait that suits you well, hyung.”

“…Other than that, I have an account-bound mental defense trait and a curse from Mother God. That’s it. Just those three.”

The truth was, ‘Fabio’ was powerless—no relics, no Helper, nothing.

Progressing in this game under those conditions? Practically a statistical impossibility.

So here I was, forced to latch onto someone else just to survive another day.

If I have to throw myself on the mercy of one of these players, it might as well be Pandemonium—someone I at least have some history with.

…That’s the conclusion I needed him to reach, anyway.

“The reason I’ve kept Athanas away from the Saint is simple: I was afraid he’d detect the brainwashing. It’s not the power of an Othergod, but you can never be too careful when Apostles are involved.”

I kept talking, volunteering details he hadn’t even requested, sowing seeds of trust, hoping they would take root.

I fed him a half-truth that Miracle of the Silver Tongue is a trait that allows deep brainwashing, but its use is restricted to a single unit at a time.

But what about shallow brainwashing? That’s just glorified persuasion. It’s like influencing someone to pick noodles when they were already leaning toward that choice. Convincing them to order fried rice when they weren’t even considering it? Not a chance.

Deep brainwashing, however, is different entirely. The only condition is that the target needs to have been successfully persuaded more than 20 times prior.

“With that number, the condition for activating your trait could be met without my knowledge, couldn’t it?”

“…That’s right.”

“And could you use this ‘deep brainwashing’ on players too?”

“I’ve never attempted it. And I have no intention of doing so.” I shook my head with deliberate firmness.

But he probably doesn’t believe me entirely.

That’s why Pandemonium would likely conclude that the safest option was to keep the ‘deep brainwashing’ slot permanently filled—an unspoken insurance policy against me.

“…What’s the effect of this deep brainwashing?”

“It makes even my most outlandish suggestions seem rational, logical even. Right now, Athanas probably believes that protecting me is the same as serving Order.”

“Hmm…”

Pandemonium seemed to contemplate my words, his silence amplifying the tension in the air.

“You mentioned you came here because of the Council, right? That means you’ll be leaving soon. I have to stay here though.” I said.

…I need Athanas.

I didn’t voice the thought, but it must have been written all over my face.

“Why?”

“…Why what?”

“Why do you have to stay here, hyung?”

“Where else would I go?”

“You can come with me when I leave.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “You’re offering to take me to your territory?”

“Did you honestly believe I’d just leave you here?”

Of course, I did.

As long as I’m here, I can summon the Saint. Why would I ever abandon that advantage?

Why would I ever do something so idiotic?

“…Wouldn’t it be more strategically sound for me to remain at the Cathedral to help out? Even if I encounter an Apostle, it’s not like I’ll get a Game Over screen.”

Pandemonium leaned forward slowly, descending until he was at eye level with me. The intensity of his gaze made my throat constrict.

“You want to help me?” he asked, his voice a low murmur.

I swallowed hard, unsure if I could maintain eye contact for much longer. “I… I do. If I’m capable.”

“You are,” he affirmed, his lips curving into a smile. “If it’s you, hyung.”

“Well, I wouldn’t get your hopes up,” I muttered, glancing away, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “My stats are garbage, and I don’t exactly have any unique powers to speak of. I’m not exactly protagonist material…”

“It’s nothing complicated. And it won’t be dangerous.”

Before I could respond, Pandemonium reached out and placed his hand over mine, which was still clutching the reliquary.

“It’s something only you can do,” he said softly, his tone laced with an uncharacteristic gravity.

I blinked, struggling to process the sudden shift in atmosphere. “Shit, what’s with all the dramatic buildup? Just spit it out already! Make it ten words or less.”

“Marry me.”

I froze, every muscle in my body locking up.

“…I’m sorry, what? Mind running that by me again, from the top?”

Still holding my hand, Pandemonium spoke again.

“You know I’m shy around strangers, right?”

“…Yeah, I’ve picked up on that,” I replied cautiously.

“Well, my family’s been laying on the pressure to get married. Like, yesterday.”

“…Why? You’re a man.”

In the Dark Realm, high society operated under a strict matriarchy. Family heads were women. Heirs were women.

Lineage was always traced through the maternal line. No one gave a damn about the father’s identity.

And the marriage of a nobleman, especially one born with divine lineage?

That was less about love and more about political maneuvering. Marrying a man like Pandemonium was essentially the same as acquiring a living, breathing holy relic for your family’s treasury.

They don’t even bother recording it if a nobleman marries outside the nobility.

For that reason, children born to noblemen and commoners weren’t even considered illegitimate; they simply didn’t register on the social radar.

“Currently, House Teres has no heir,” Pandemonium explained, a hint of frustration bleeding into his voice. “The family head is well past the age where she could realistically produce another.”

“What happened?”

“…The heir we did have went and got herself ordained without permission.”

“What? Why would she do that?”

“It’s a pretty infamous incident. You might’ve heard rumors about it…”

I shook my head. “Probably not. Remember, I’ve been stuck in the middle of nowhere before coming here.”

“The heir declared that if she couldn’t be with the man she loved, she’d rather renounce her family ties. So, she got herself ordained to escape the family’s control.”

…Wait. This story is ringing some bells.

“But then her boyfriend had the audacity to tell her he didn’t love her anymore if she wasn’t the heir,” Pandemonium continued, a wry smirk playing on his lips. “He dumped her, so naturally, she flew into a rage, lopped off his head, and ended up sentenced to hard labor and re-education.”

I blinked, momentarily stunned. “What was your relationship with her, exactly?”

“…She’s my older sister.”

So it was his sister.

“If she hadn’t gone and gotten herself ordained, the family would’ve swept the whole thing under the rug—whether she killed him or kidnapped him,” Pandemonium added with a heavy sigh. “But no, she had to go and be a complete idiot.”

“…So what happens when there’s no heir? Isn’t that a massive problem?”

“Well, since the God of Telekinesis is still alive, the divine lineage dying out wouldn’t be possible. They can always appoint a new Apostle. The real issue is figuring out who takes over as the new Head of the divine lineage. That’s what’s thrown the entire family into utter chaos.”

“And so?”

“In the end, everyone agreed I’d serve as the interim family head, and my daughter would take over as the next in line.”

“I’m surprised they went along with that. Isn’t that unprecedented?”

“Anyone who didn’t agree got hung.”

…So he threatened them?

“And now, they’re all fighting to push their chosen candidates into my arms. Whoever marries me would become the mother of the next family head.”

Pandemonium’s brow furrowed, his expression darkening.

“I really, really hate being touched while I’m asleep, okay? There have been a few close calls where I almost killed someone because I mistook them for an assassin slipping into my bed.”

“…Yeah, I can see how that could create some issues.”

“So, to avoid any further incidents like that, I figured I should just get married. It’s the most straightforward way to eliminate interference. Ideally, the person I marry would be ambitionless, unconnected, and uncomplicated.”

“And?”

“But finding someone who fits that description isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Especially someone who can meet all the conditions—no touching me, no drawing unnecessary attention, no needless conversation, while simultaneously ensuring no one suspects there’s anything unusual about our relationship.”

“…Wouldn’t there be plenty of people willing to go along with those terms? I mean, they’d still get to enjoy the perks of the noble lifestyle.”

“Sure, but it’s not like I can just post a public ‘Help Wanted’ ad.”

My hand, still being held by Pandemonium’s, started to sweat.

“So what does that have to do with you proposing to me…?”

“Because if you marry me, every single one of those problems gets solved.”

What the hell kind of nonsense is this?

Nothing gets solved at all!

“First of all, I don’t even meet the basic qualifications based on gender. Do I look like a woman to you?”

“We can use a holy relic to address that.”

“And a daughter? You need an heir, and I obviously can’t have one.”

“…Aw, are you offering to give birth to my child?”

“You f*cking crazy bastard! For the last time, I can’t!”

Pandemonium snickered, his laughter light and infuriatingly happy.

“Having a child isn’t necessary anyway. The world’s about to be turned on its head. What’s the point of having an heir for a family that probably won’t even exist soon? Marriage is just a temporary fix to shut up those shortsighted fools who can’t see what’s coming.”

F*ck.

“…There’s no way I’d ask something like that of you, hyung.”

I tried to yank my hand out of his grip, but he held firm.

“W-Why would I agree to something so troublesome and embarrassing?”

“You said you wanted to help me.”

“I take it back,” I said immediately.

“Why? You even pretended to date an NPC. This will be a cakewalk compared to that.”

Like hell it would!

“If I thought you couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t have asked. But you managed to pull off pretending to date a guy just to track down other players, didn’t you? Compared to that, this is nothing.”

“Ah, I said no!”

“Just think about it. It’s not a bad deal for you, either. No obligations, just the perks of living the high life. You’d get to eat like a king every day. I’ll even make sure you have meat three times a day.”

“I’ll get gout, you damn bastard.”

Damn, just listening to him, it’s clear this offer is booby-trapped with hidden clauses. Not just one or two, but a whole damn deck’s worth of trap cards.

It’s painfully obvious this position comes with endless assassination attempts and relentless political maneuvering. And yet, here he is, sugarcoating it like some carefree, cushy existence. What a filthy scammer.

“Do you seriously hate the idea that much?”

“Yes.”

“…Well, I guess there’s no helping it, then.”