Chapter 78
Han was caught staring at Rin Woo and the woman gave him a blank stare back. After a while of the two of them just looking at each other, she finally turned away and faced the crowd again.
“It is a blessing beyond your understanding that the lord has given unto you the grace to stand before his chosen! May you go through your life knowing you will never have an honor greater than this, and may it reflect in the humbleness of your actions!”
“Praise the lord!”
Rin Woo looked towards Han again and this time Han wasn’t caught staring. Instead, he responded with the same fervor and excitement as the rest of the crowd. He knew she was suspicious that he didn’t respond the first time, and if she had caught him staring and not responding the second time then he didn’t even want to know what would have happened. He would have surely been outed as an outsider!
But why did this woman keep looking at him as a stranger! Did she forget him!? What a troublesome woman!
Rin Woo nodded in happiness and then spread her hands towards the crowd.
“I will be taking the chosen to have him indoctrinated with the rest of us! May your efforts be for the lord from here on out! Serve him and he shall show you the way to salvation! If you are caught wanting, then only eternal damnation awaits you!”
“Praise the lord!”
Rin Woo turned towards Han and waved her hand forward. She put up her hood and then began walking back in the direction she came. Han dutifully followed after her.
Behind them, the bald man went back to the stage and began to sing more praises to their lord.
The two of them walked in silence for a long time. Han was not very eager to talk about anything mostly because he was still in shock from what just happened back there! What the hell did Rin Woo think she was doing with these people!?
“You are a new servant to the lord? I have not seen you around here before”
Rin Woo was the first to talk to Han and he was shocked to hear her talk. She did not speak like someone that knew who she was talking to! Did she not remember him anymore!?
Well. Han still had to keep his cover from being blown. If there was one thing he knew about this place, it was that if he said a single bad thing about their lord or did anything that could mess with their worship of their lord then he would definitely be found out! He had to blend in perfectly!
“Y-Yes, I am a new servant of the lord!”
Rin Woo stopped walking and Han almost bumped into her. What? Did she not believe him? Was he not convincing enough? He even put a small stammer into his intonation so she would think he was a new bumbling follower who was in awe of being in her presence!
But Rin Woo suddenly turned around and Han recoiled at the look of absolute reverence on her face. She was smiling like a loon!
“You are a new follower and you already took part in the sermon on the wall! Truly. Your devotion is beyoNy that of mortal men! No wonder you are one of the chosen! Even I did not take part in the sermon until much later into the month of my indoctrination!!”
Sermon on the what? Was she talking about that injection thing that happened on that tall wall? So that was what they were calling it? A sermon on the wall? Wasn’t it just one big ritual practice!?
Han stiffly nodded to Rin Woo and she sighed happily before turning around and starting to walk again. It was not every day she had a chance to welcome a new member to the chosen of the lord! Today was truly a good day for them!
“We must have a feast to the lord for your appearance! I will personally ask the cardinal to grant me this blessing! The lord will truly be pleased!”
Cardinal?
“Who is the cardinal The church leader?”
Rin Woo nodded resolutely. The cardinal was the closest to the lord and the furthest from the evil of humanity. He was the true luminescence that guides other shades of light to the light that began it all!!! The Lord’s servant himself!
It was understandable that a new member would not know of the reverence of the cardinal.
“The cardinal, Priest Regulus, is our bridge to our lord! He has given unto us the text of prayer and the thirty mortal virtues that we must practice without fail! It is only his way that we must follow and no one else’s!”
Well. Well. Well. Looks like Han finally got some good information out of all this shit! This cardinal is sounding more and more like a cult leader if he ever heard about it. Doesn’t that mean that the cardinal would probably know more about the virus than anyone else!?
Yes, Han would have to find a way to get some one-on-one time with this Priest Regulus. It was the best chance to find out about the virus!
The two of them got to a room at the end of a hallway with a red cross drawn over it. Rin Woo opened the door and Han enters the dimly lit room. It was quite large on the inside and arranged like a typical church.
Chairs were arranged on both sides and there was a large altar in front of it all with a woman standing with her hand spread on it. The chairs were not all filled, but there were many people all with black robes and drawn hoods kneeling in a scattered manner around the room.
So was this the headquarters of their chosen? Han could literally smell the dedication in the air! These people were in a deep trance of prayer that went begin those normal followers! They were the true devotees!
And he could also feel the power! If there was one thing Han couldn’t deny, it was that each and every person here was at least as strong as Rin Woo had been in that previous loop. Even this Rin Woo was stronger than her previous counterpart! If the other group of people was the followers, then this was the Lord’s soldiers!
“Praise the lord for he had brought unto us a brother! Praise the lord for he has given unto us a follower! Praise the lord!”
Rin Woo shouted out once she entered the room and knelt down at the back and everyone in the room suddenly echoed.
“Praise the lord!!”
Han blinked and managed to mutter a silent ‘Praise the lord’s just loud enough for Rin Woo to hear. He looked around him and saw as everyone there began to stand up and take off their hoods. He didn’t recognize any of them and he was grateful for that small mercy! He probably wouldn’t be able to hold himself back if he saw anyone he knew praising the lord and screaming like a mad person! It was already funny to watch Rin Woo acting like this! He might die from internal laughter if there were any more!
Just imagining Tao Long, or even Lily screaming “praise the lord!” made a small chuckle escape from Han’s mouth! This shit was just too funny!
The woman at the precipice of the room took her hood off as well and revealed her face to the crowd. Han was disappointed that he didn’t recognize her either. She was an old woman with white hair that she tied into a ponytail behind her head. She had small wrinkled under her eyes and beside her mouth but it was obvious she was very beautiful as a young girl.
“Welcome to the dwelling of the lord chosen! Today you have been granted the keys to enter his court and you will be happy to accept it!”
Han rose an internal brow. He would be happy to accept? Shouldn’t they be asking him instead?
Everyone looked towards Han expectantly and he sighed internally! This was becoming too much of a hassle!
“Yes, I would be happy to accept the keys of the lord! May the lord be praised!”
“Praise the lord!”
Everyone chanted. Han rolled his eyes! These people would agree to anything as long as he added the lord to the end of it! It would definitely help him when he begins navigating through this church to find the cardinal. But that didn’t mean it wouldn’t leave a bad taste in his mouth everytime he says it.
The old woman said a few more things that Han just narrowed down to “Praise the lord!” Before she finally allowed Han to speak again.
“This humble servant of the lord wishes to be excused to rest. The lord has granted me this great honor and I wish to be wide awake to praise his holy name tomorrow!”
Han was fucking tired!! Just let me go and sleep dammit! I know you all want to start one long ass night vigil! I just know it! Let me go!! I don’t wanna join!!
The old woman hummed before nodding her head resolutely. It was understandable that he would be overwhelmed by the sheer presence of being one of the chosen of the lord! They would have done a ten-hour prayer to welcome him but they would just have to shorten it to one hour to allow him to sleep and wake up fresh tomorrow.
“I understand you are overwhelmed, so I will grant unto you a blessing of the lord to strengthen you! Then let us pray to the Lord for his will be done!!”
The entire room rose their hand to the roof and began to chant.
“Praise the lord for his will be done! Praise the lord for he is great! Praise the lord for he is the way!! Praise the lord! Praise the lord! Praise the lord!!”
Han began to cry inside!! He wasn’t going to sleep today at all, was he!?