Chapter 358: Capitalistic Fanaticism (2)

Leo signed the loan contract without hesitation with trembling hands.

The result?

[C-rank believer benefits are applied!]

[All benefits of the lower ranks (F, E, D) are accumulated and applied retroactively!]

[F-rank: One month's worth of free grocery and daily necessity vouchers provided!]

[E-rank: Free rental of a full set of lower-tier Awakened equipment manufactured by Ilsung!]

[D-rank: Free medical treatment support from hospitals and healers designated by the Cult!]

[C-rank: 80% discount on admission fees to Ilsung's New York public hunting grounds and a constant 30% discount on lower/mid-tier potions! Granted qualification to move into rental housing in the Cult's affiliated safe zones!]

[Special Benefit: Faith interest-free loan (70,000 dollars) payment completed!]

“Oh my god…….”

It might have been benefits that high-tier rankers would snort at. However, it was far too sweet and intuitive a salvation to overturn the life of Leo, who was a swordsman only in name and had been rotting away in a rat-hole-like slum, worrying about his rent and food expenses day by day.

“Brother, you can proceed with receiving the benefits through the Cult's official application.”

Following the priest's kind guidance, he installed the Death Cult's official app on his smartphone.

The moment the loading screen passed and he finished logging in.

Ppabababang―!

A flashy golden firework effect burst in the middle of the screen, and a very cutely designed 3D SD character popped out.

[Welcome, Brother Leo! You are a proud C-rank believer!]

A little skeleton character, dressed in sparkling silver armor and holding a cute scythe, was dancing and throwing a double thumbs-up inside the screen.

It was a sophisticated and flashy UI design that Ilsung Group's massive capital power was generously poured into.

However, what truly surprised Leo was the app's overwhelming convenience.

[View Benefit Map Around Me]

As he pressed the button, a map of Manhattan, New York spread out widely, and the locations and routes of the benefits Leo could receive right away poured out like a navigation system.

[F-rank Benefit: Immediate receipt of one month's worth of groceries available at an Ilsung Mart a 3-minute walk away! (Route guidance starting)]

[E-rank Benefit: A full set of lower-tier Awakened equipment is waiting to be received at the Cult Armory a 5-minute walk away! Size auto-matching completed!]

[C-rank Benefit 1. Found 3 Cult-owned rental houses available for immediate move-in within a 2km radius. (View room photos and road view)]

[C-rank Benefit 2. 80% discount on admission fees to Ilsung Special Autonomous Gates within the United States of America and full exemption from by-product taxes!]

“……T-tax exemption?!”

Leo buried his nose into the phone screen, doubting his own eyes.

In the USA, what most viciously sucked the marrow out of lower-tier Awakened was exactly the murderous special tax on gate by-products. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

To the extent that the saying among Americans that death and taxes are absolutely unavoidable was said to apply equally to Awakened.

‘But they exempt that tax?’

Solely for the reason of hunting in a gate owned by Ilsung?

As a result of searching with trembling hands, there was an unbelievable story behind it.

The gates specially granted to Kim Minwoo by the US federal government as the price for saving Manhattan from the crisis of destruction a while ago.

That place was recognized as a perfect extrajudicial, extraterritorial zone where the administrative power and taxation rights of the USA did not reach!

Kim Minwoo's overwhelming power that crumpled even the constitution and tax laws of the superpower country called the USA like a piece of paper.

A thrilling shiver ran down the spine of Leo, who acutely realized that terrifying difference in class.

‘He is greater than the president, greater than the law! Jesus didn't pay my rent and taxes, but Lord Kim Minwoo gave me a house and food, and even let me avoid taxes!’

He automatically paid the 80% discounted admission fee through the app and proudly entered the Ilsung-owned gate with the best monster regeneration rate.

If he got hurt while fighting?

The Cult-designated hospital, a D-rank benefit, popped up right on the app map, and the healers there treated his wounds for free just by checking his ID (app barcode).

The potions he had stocked up generously with a 30% discount crazily boosted his combat sustainability.

A safe residence, filling meals, excellent equipment and skills, free medical treatment, and on top of that, tax exemption.

As these perfect cogs of capital meshed and turned, Leo's growth, which had been stagnant while rolling around as the lowest-tier Awakened, began to violently fluctuate explosively.

He practically resided in the gate and massacred monsters.

With the massive amount of money plugged intact into his bank account without taxes being deducted, he paid off the principal of his faith loan, bought better potions with the remaining money, and offered blind prayers of gratitude while paying offerings to the Cult through the app.

The more his life became affluent, the more his sincere gratitude welled up, and his shallow fake faith was forged into perfect fanaticism.

As his faith deepened, the little skeleton character on the app rapidly grew into a golden light (B-rank) and a black light (A-rank), pouring out even more bizarre and massive benefits.

A perfect and positive virtuous cycle structure where the increased benefits became the foundation for growth again.

As a result, Leo's Awakened rank began to rise vertically. From F-rank to E-rank, and in a single breath to D-rank and C-rank.

The more he grew, Leo's feelings toward the existence named Kim Minwoo turned into absolute worship.

A god who makes my life affluent.

The true sole god of this era, who rewards effort with definite capital.

“Hey, Leo! Are you going to the Ilsung Store again today?”

“Yeah. Today is the Sabbath, after all. I have to attend service.”

Leo muttered reverently while looking at the voucher and ID he pulled out from his embrace.

The Death Cult's New York Headquarters and Ilsung Premium Store built massively in the center of Manhattan.

[Leo offers a sincere prayer of gratitude toward the Master!]

[Leo's Faith Orb is dyed in a deep black light!]

“Ohh…… My great Master!”

The blind prayers he offered while wiping the floor of the chapel before hunting every single day.

Finally, Leo's orb spewed out the black light of an [A-rank believer].

“Everything is the grace of His greatness. My flesh and bones are solely for Him…….”

Kkiiiiik―.

At that time, the heavy, tightly closed door of the chapel opened.

“……?”

The moment Leo turned his head, his breath caught in his throat.

A woman with pale skin, neatly dressed in a pure white priest's uniform. On her face hung a limitlessly benevolent and holy smile, and behind her back, a warm cluster of light was wavering like a halo.

A figure that anyone could see was the very embodiment of a Saintess bestowing flawless and noble salvation.

The apex of the Cult, and Kim Minwoo's sole spokesperson. It was the Saintess of Death, Han Siah.

“Oh, Saintess……!”

Leo hurriedly smashed his forehead onto the floor and lay flat on his face.

His heart felt like it would burst at the fact that she had come to the USA, and specifically to seek him out, who was nothing more than a mere lay believer.

Ttogak, ttogak.

The neat sound of shoe heels cut through the silence of the chapel.

Han Siah, who had approached right in front of Leo's nose, bent her knees and met his eyes.

A voice as supple and soft as a spring breeze flowed out.

“Brother Leo.”

“Yes! Yes, Saintess!”

“He considered your blind and pure faith to be very commendable.”

Han Siah gently lifted Leo's chin.

On the outside, it was a boundlessly holy face, but the moment Leo met eyes with her, he felt a chill run down his spine.

It was because deep within her clear pupils, a breathtakingly thick and chilling madness was glaring eerily.

“The devout believer who built up a high level of faith first in the United States. For the brother who proved that miracle, I have come to deliver His mercy in His stead.”

“M-mercy, you say…….”

Han Siah smiled radiantly and reached out her hand into the empty air.

At that moment, a holy cluster of light in the shape of a cross wavered, and

“It is the true authority He bestows.”

The corners of Han Siah's mouth curved benevolently, yet mesmerizingly like a snake.

At that moment, the holy cluster of light wavered, and a whopping four glowing skill books fell sequentially in front of Leo's eyes.

[Lower-tier Swordsmanship Mastery (F)+9]

[Rapid Slash (E)+9]

[Blood Cross Strike (D)+9]

[Sword Aura Emission (C)+9]

“……Heoeok.”

Leo's breath caught in his throat.

Seeing the number +9 attached behind the skill books, his eyeballs bulged as if they would pop out.

+9 enhancement.

A miraculous figure where the skill's power is inflated by a whopping two times.

However, the probability of that enhancement was atrocious.

A vicious system where the skill book is destroyed upon each failure, evaporating tens of billions of won into the empty air.

Just making a single D-rank skill +9 would cost 1 trillion won, and Sword Aura Emission, being a C-rank and an essential skill for swordsmen, required shedding tears of blood worth several times that amount.

The reality was that even the USA's 1st rank guild or global conglomerates would tremble their hands before a C-rank +9 skill book.

But to generously pour out a full +9 set of essential skills that any swordsman dreams of, from F-rank to C-rank, to just a single lay believer?

It was truly the violence of overwhelming capital.

“It is the mercy He bestows.”

The corners of Han Siah's mouth once again curved benevolently, yet mesmerizingly like a snake.

“As the proxy of the great Master, I shall also bestow an armament befitting a true believer.”

Seureureuk―.

From within her shadow, massive skeleton soldiers spewing blue eye glints walked out.

In their hands, somewhat extraordinary armaments were held.

[Dragon-made: Black Iron Greatsword of the Beast]

〈Rune of Cutting II〉, 〈Rune of Execution II〉, 〈Rune of Acceleration II〉

“R-rune equipment?!”

Leo was appalled as if screaming.

The miraculous technology that the Ilsung Group had recently started releasing to the world, completely overturning the Awakened ecosystem!

It was a masterpiece among masterpieces, tightly packed with a whopping three highest-tier runes that couldn't be obtained due to a lack of supply no matter how much money one had rotting and overflowing.

A skeleton holding a bizarre bone needle approached Leo, tore his top, and began to stab ink into him in the blink of an eye.

Ttatattattattadak―!

“Keueuk!”

The moment the short pain brushed past.

[The Bear Tattoo imbued with dragon energy (A) has been engraved! Strength increases by 30%!]

[The Eagle Tattoo imbued with dragon energy (A) has been engraved! Agility increases by 30%!]

[The Cheetah Tattoo imbued with dragon energy (A) has been engraved! Movement speed increases by 30%!]

Peoeong―!

A devastating stat inflation in percentage (%) units that could never be reached even if one devoted their entire life through simple leveling up!

As the A-rank tattoos imbued with dragon mana were engraved, the muscles all over Leo's body expanded as if they would burst, and he began to spew out a breathtaking momentum.

A full +9 skill book set. A 3-rune equipment forged with dragon techniques. And on top of that, A-rank dragon tattoos that transcended limits.

Leo, who had been a rock-bottom F-rank porter, had directly plugged the VVIP full package benefits which no world ranker anywhere in the world had ever received straight into his spine with just faith alone!

“Ahh…… Aaaaah!”

Leo smashed his forehead onto the marble floor kwang-kwang, unable to control his joy and overwhelming power.

“My great Master! The God of Death!!”

Han Siah, having approached his side, whispered into the ear of the prostrate Leo in a supple, yet chilling voice that sent shivers down the spine.

“You are now the figurehead of our Cult who will swallow up the United States of America.”

“……!”

“Go out and show them clearly. What kind of overwhelming benefits and power are given when one sincerely believes in and obeys His greatness. So that not a single non-believer remains on this continent.”