"This should be the place… but what are these insane debuffs?" Damian muttered as notification windows continued to appear before his eyes.
[ Marie Rose's Residual Power makes mana turbid. ]
[ All active skills are sealed. ]
"Alan-san did say it would be a trial…" he murmured.
Damian took a step forward.
The deeper he went into the cave, the heavier his body became. Each step felt like he was wading through invisible mud, his muscles screaming in protest.
"What the hell is this…?" Damian grit his teeth.
"If not for my new class, I wouldn't even be able to walk."
Activating what little he could, Damian drew upon Goddess' Blessing and Light's Favor. A faint radiance wrapped around his body, barely easing the overwhelming pressure imposed by Marie Rose's lingering presence.
Just what kind of existence was Marie Rose…? he wondered.
Minute by minute, step by step, he pushed forward.
An hour passed.
Finally, Damian staggered into a vast inner chamber.
At the center of the hall stood Alan, calm and unshaken.
Beside him was a white-haired young man, his presence dense with divine power—so heavy it pressed against the air itself. Behind them rested a coffin of pure white, sacred and ominous in equal measure, as if holiness and dread had been sealed together.
"…This looks weird," Damian muttered.
Alan glanced back briefly. Earlier, he had forced Chreshler to teach several high-tier holy spells to Lucifer—and after much resistance, the old man had finally complied.
"You're here," Alan said casually. "Come. Meet the strongest Pope to have ever existed—Chreshler."
He smiled faintly.
" He is living here to seal the Marie Rose"
Damian nodded slowly and stepped forward. He bowed respectfully toward Lucifer.
"Hello. My name is Damian. I was formerly a Paladin. After executing the corrupt Pope, I was blessed by the Goddess. Now… I serve as a Goddess's Agent."
Lucifer studied him for a moment, then casually waved his hand.
"It's not me," he said. "It's him."
He pointed toward the white coffin.
Damian stiffened, confusion flashing across his face.
"Chreshler is dead. His soul is in there," Alan said calmly.
The coffin suddenly trembled—then nodded.
"Yeah, that's me," a voice echoed from within. "I was turned into this coffin to seal Marie Rose."
After a brief pause, the voice continued.
"Anyway… I called you here to see whether you can become my successor."
Damian blinked.
A sharp system sound rang in his mind.
[Second Class Change Quest Available!]
[Class: Chreshler's Successor]
[Rank: Unique Growth Type]
"W–What?!" Damian exclaimed in shock.
Alan nodded.
"Only if he approves," he said casually.
Then he turned toward the coffin.
"So? What do you think, old man?"
"Stop calling me old man!" Chreshler snapped. "Just because you found me a suitable successor doesn't mean you get to be rude!"
Yet at the same time, a notification appeared before Alan's eyes.
[Affinity with Chreshler increased by 10 points]
…He's a tsundere, Alan thought silently.
"So," Alan asked aloud, "is he good or not?"
Damian swallowed, waiting anxiously.
"He is," Chreshler said after a moment, his tone firm.
The quest completion chime echoed.
[Quest Completed!]
At the same time, another notification appeared before Alan.
[Skill Acquired: Light of War]
[Rank : Legendary]
Light of War (Holy Buff Skill)
A divine war-blessing created by the strongest Pope.
All allies gain +50% Attack Power
+50% Movement & Attack Speed
When fighting Undead or Demonkin, attacks gain an additional +50% Holy Damage
The buff is maintained as long as your holy power exist.
Cost : 100 Holy power per second or double is it's mana.]
"Alright then. My work here is done," Alan said calmly. "I'll be leaving now."
He glanced at Damian.
"And listen—do not join any other guild. If you betray me…"
Alan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…I'll hunt you down and kill you. Over and over again."
The coffin suddenly shot forward.
BANG!
It crashed toward Alan—but he vanished in a flicker of light.
Blink.
"Bastard!" Chreshler roared. "Threatening my successor right in front of me?!"
"I'm just asking him not to betray me," Alan replied indifferently.
Damian immediately shook his head.
"Don't worry. I won't," he said sincerely. "My current classes exist because of Alan-san."
And I don't want to become an enemy of a monster like you…
he thought silently.
"Good. Then I'll be leaving," Alan said, turning away.
"Wait."
Chreshler stopped him again.
"What do you need now?" Alan asked, slightly annoyed.
"Craft me a body," Chreshler said. "Like you did with Lucifer."
Alan frowned.
"You know that's difficult."
"It wasn't for him," Chreshler replied, pointing at Lucifer.
"…Tch."
Alan sighed.
"Fine. But I don't have a suitable body right now. Once I find one, I'll craft it for you. Until then, stay with Damian—teach him, train him."
Chreshler nodded.
"Contact me as soon as you find a suitable body."
"But be clear about this," Alan said, turning back.
"Anything I create is under me. They must obey my rules."
"That's fine," Chreshler said calmly.
"It's a small price to pay for the chance to live again."
Alan nodded.
"Good. Then I'm leaving."
He vanished.
The coffin slowly opened.
"Well then, young man," Chreshler said, his voice filled with authority.
"Come with me. I'll teach you how to become the strongest Pope."
Damian nodded solemnly.
And thus—
the creation of the next strongest and legendary Pope to ever exist had begun.
Alan, on the other hand, was flying over villages and cities, planning his next move.
"Hmm… should I go hunt Hell Gao and the other Great Demons that Muller sealed?" he muttered.
"If I can create a powerful demon guardian, I can send him back to Hell and make him work for me there."
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"Plus, Hell Gao—the Master of Hellfire," Alan continued. "Hellfire would be perfect. If I obtain his soul essence and then hunt more Yatan servants, I could even create a powerful Demonic Guardian."
Lucifer flew beside him, golden wings of light spread wide, trailing Alan effortlessly through the sky.
"I never thought Mumud's magic could be used like this," Alan thought, smiling inwardly.
"Now, with a super-named NPC, I can experiment more and push Mumud's magic even further."
His gaze shifted toward the horizon.
"lets first get back to Winston."