The atmosphere inside the cult was more chaotic than ever. The devotees were anxious because several incidents had overlapped.

  First and foremost, the most discussed issue recently was the investigation by the National Tax Service (NTS).

  From the devotees' perspective, it was a bolt from the blue and nothing more than an insult to the Leader, who had now become a god.

  However, they couldn't possibly commit an act of terror against the NTS.

  Currently, under the General Manager's direction, those knowledgeable about such matters were countering the investigation. The devotees could only offer prayers, hoping for a favorable outcome.

  Still, this was an external problem.

  The devotees were much more agitated about the unresolved internal issues of the cult.

  The cult's biggest issue was the succession problem.

  The deceased former Leader had failed to choose her successor. As a result, the cult was currently in a crisis situation where it could split apart at any moment.

  Furthermore, her adopted daughter, who was said to be the closest to the former Leader, was now unconscious. In this situation, if anything went wrong, there was a high possibility that the cult would become a nightmare where members killed each other.

  The only thing that could resolve this chaos was for someone to inherit the power to control electricity.

  None of the cult's devotees denied that fact.

  Perhaps they wanted to experience the former Leader's authority again—the power to control electricity and to touch the hearts of the dead to bring them back to life.

  However, no one knew who would gain the power to control electricity, or who possessed it.

  Amidst this, two recent incidents greatly shook the hearts of the devotees.

  First was the lightning that struck those who dared to come and cause trouble, ignorant of the sacredness of the place.

  That was interpreted by the devotees here as the miracle of the former Leader brought down upon the unbelievers.

  And another one.

  The minds of the devotees were now uncontrollable due to the incident where an apostle (disciple) who had received sacred power fought someone and was knocked unconscious.

  The apostle—a devotee who had received sacred power—was also a powerful guardian who could win against anyone.

  Therefore, the fact that the apostle was defeated was certainly a major event. Normally, the devotees should have been uniformly enraged that he was defeated.

  However, the heretic who defeated the apostle possessed the power to control electricity. That fact overturned the devotees' feelings once again.

  What irreverent person possessed the power of the great Leader? Everyone was enraged by that fact. Opinions were divided, demanding that this could never be forgiven and that the person must pay the price.

  Yet, on the other hand, everyone's hearts were somewhat wavering at the thought that anyone who claimed that power as their own could become the Leader's successor.

  In this situation, the Executive felt uncomfortable.

  The Executive, one of the three potential successors, was feeling a sense of crisis as things were not going as planned.

  The first lightning strike could have been twisted into a story that sacred power had chosen him.

  However, everything became complicated due to the incident where the apostle sent by the Deputy Leader was defeated.

  If things went wrong, he would be pushed out by the Deputy Leader. The Executive thought he could never accept such a fate.

  That was perhaps natural.

  The Executive was the one who founded the cult alongside the Leader, even before the Deputy Leader. However, having lost in the political struggle, the Executive could not obtain a higher position and was now in the position of a guard dog protecting a crumbling house.

  The original headquarters was now just a place for show.

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  The new headquarters built somewhere in the countryside was the true center of the cult. For him, who had been pushed out of there, finding the person with the power to control electricity was nothing short of his last hope.

  But the Deputy Leader did not overlook his actions. He had even overstepped his authority recently by sending the apostle he personally recruited, which agitated the Executive.

  However, the Executive accepted everything.

  Because he had no choice for now. For the Executive, who had become a guard dog, a direct confrontation with the Deputy Leader was something to absolutely avoid.

  But that didn't mean he intended to sit still.

  The Executive was now planning to unleash the apostles under his command. The Executive was already certain that the one who defeated the Deputy Leader's apostle was the same person who made the lightning strike between himself and the victim's family.

  Determined to obtain that power by any means necessary, the Executive gathered his subordinates.

  Receiving a delivery package is always a joyful thing. But this time, Jihyeon couldn't simply be happy.

  Especially because his mother's gaze was scary, Jihyeon had a hard time making up excuses. Nevertheless, the selected items were all good quality, so Jihyeon was satisfied.

  However, as he began to unbox them, Jihyeon felt something strange.

  "I never thought the day would come when I'd need to gather things like this..."

  Equipment like a tactical vest was not his usual taste. However, if he were to visit the cult's main headquarters this time, various tools would definitely be necessary.

  He would try to make it look as normal as possible, but he still needed to bring this much. It might be an unnecessary worry, but Jihyeon knew better than anyone that it was better to be well-prepared and not use it than to go unprepared and fail.

  "Those guys are truly my nemesis..."

  Jihyeon poured out his resentment towards the cult, who had caused unexpected expenses. But was it solely their fault?

  Jihyeon was afraid of the inexplicable chill he felt every time he investigated the cult.

  Perhaps there was a truth there that he should never know. If he lived by pretending not to know, he could live comfortably until he died.

  In fact, if he just kept a reasonable distance from the cult, he would have nothing to worry about. Perhaps he was asking for trouble.

  But Jihyeon thought he shouldn't do that.

  It was likely that he felt he couldn't live authentically if he did.

  "So the preparation is done, when do I leave..."

  Jihyeon checked all the gear, organized it, and looked at the calendar. D-Day was only a few days away.

  That day would undoubtedly be filled with great danger, but he still had to do it. Hoping that he could return safely, Jihyeon carefully stored all the items that arrived today.

  Becoming a leader of a religious group also meant having to perform duties that were difficult to handle alone.

  Countless paperwork, as well as making appearances at various events, were also the leader's responsibilities. The Deputy Leader was no exception.

  As a result, the Deputy Leader spent every day hectic and busy. Even when he met with Haeun, who was confined in the basement of the true main headquarters, he had to move immediately to another location as soon as his business was finished.

  Of course, the Deputy Leader did not handle all the tasks alone.

  The triumvirate—the Deputy Leader, the General Manager, and the Executive—were dividing the work, each leveraging their strengths.

  Thanks to this, the burden was relatively reduced, but the Deputy Leader still had to handle more work than anyone else. The person in the position right after the Leader had to bear that much more.

  And he had to do it without ever showing any sign of weakness in front of others. That was never an easy task.

  For a secular person to pretend to be a religious leader was no different from wearing an ill-fitting mask.

  But he had to do it. Because that was the only way to survive.

  Today, various tasks overlapped, and the Deputy Leader had a very difficult day. While the General Manager was on the front line fighting the NTS, the Deputy Leader had to handle a lot of work in his own way.

  As a result, by evening, he was utterly exhausted and barely made it to his room. In his severe fatigue, the Deputy Leader lay down on the comfortable armchair where he always rested.

  The feeling of exhaustion spreading throughout his body weighed down on the Deputy Leader. It was so intense that he even thought it would be better to close his eyes forever.

  "It was hard."

  The Deputy Leader muttered, as if sighing. The results were good, but the feeling that his soul was being shaved away made him question what he was doing now.

  However, the Deputy Leader showed no sign of this in front of the devotees. No, he couldn't. The collapse of everything he had done until now was something he could absolutely not accept.

  It might be obsession.

  The Deputy Leader found it strange himself why he was suffering like this when others were taking money and going into hiding to live comfortably.

  But he had no choice.

  The moment the tool to control the wind was implanted in his body, his life was sealed off from escaping anywhere.

  His emotions were worn away, and he merely lived in the form desired by those who implanted the power in him.

  The Deputy Leader thought that he might have become the tool they wanted now. A broken doll who couldn't even express emotions to his family.

  He felt as though his remaining emotions had been castrated in order to always show the dignified appearance of a religious leader. This was not his original self. But the implantation of the tool had completely changed him.

  What he gained was holiness or charisma.

  And what disappeared was his humanity.

  Perhaps politicians might envy his appearance. The Deputy Leader's charisma, which could even inspire devotees who had lost faith, was something they might want.

  But the Deputy Leader knew.

  He was no longer the same person he was before, having been damaged by it. He was no longer the former Deputy Leader.

  Even the competition they were engaging in was merely what those who implanted the tool in them wanted. Only the Executive remained ignorant of the truth.

  He wouldn't know what he was doing now. Perhaps the Executive was the happiest among them.

  What a cruel twist of fate!

  He had originally only thought of living well by taking advantage of the devotees, but now his soul had become something that could do nothing else.

  Everything felt futile.

  How comfortable would it be if he died right now?

  How great would it be if he just disappeared?

  The Deputy Leader thought that, smiling bitterly. Even with these thoughts, he would still move for his masters tomorrow.

  Like a puppet.

  Unable to hide his futility, the Deputy Leader simply closed his eyes. Soon, in the severe fatigue, he drifted off to sleep.