The Player that Can’t Level Up

Chapter 295: The Vatican (2)

The First Potion? asked Sung-Hoon.

Thats right. And it wasnt just a few vials. I saw quite a few Vatican players in their white uniforms accepting the First Potion. Go Hyung-Chuls eyes were unwavering.

So the Vatican took the First Potion.

But Heo Sung-Hoon opened his lips. That information alone doesnt warrant that the entire Vatican is working with Andras. Perhaps its just a few Vatican players.

Heo Sung-Hoon didnt finish his sentence, aware his claim didnt make much sense. Go Hyung-Chul had said that the amount of First Potion delivered to these players was significant. Therefore, it couldnt have been just for a few players.

Heo Sung-Hoon couldnt hide his disbelief. The Vatican was the holy land, after all.

How could they have colluded with a demon? Sung-Hoon muttered. It was like the beginning of a bad joke.

However, there was still no clear proof that the Vatican and the Caravan were in cahoots. The Vatican players took a large amount of First Potion, but they could have just been the middleman.

Gi-Gyu and Heo Sung-Hoon had the same idea, but Go Hyung-Chul warned them, Dont get your hopes up. Dont you think I wouldve followed those players who took the First Potion?

...

Thankfully, I hid perfectly as I followed them and heard everything. An ugly smile appeared on Go Hyung-Chuls lips. It was impossible to tell if he was laughing at himself or the players. They said they were taking the First Potion to the pope.

The pope? asked Gi-Gyu.

Thats right. The pope. Im talking about the ruler of the Vatican.

I know who he is, Gi-Gyu replied rigidly. He remembered seeing the pope at the Global Players Association meeting. Gi-Gyu had accompanied Oh Tae-Shik to this event, and it was where he first met Michael too. The pope and Tae-Shik were seemingly acquainted.

Gi-Gyu remembered the pope being an amazing player. He had only seen the pope briefly, so he didnt know much, but he assumed that the pope had to be a man of elegance and impeccable ethics.

When Gi-Gyu met the pope, he hadnt felt anything odd.

Could it be that I couldnt tell because I wasnt as capable back then?

Gi-Gyu wondered if he just couldnt sense the evil in the pope at the time. But he didnt believe so because he had been with Lou and El.

I better ask Lou and El.

Gi-Gyu was deep in his thoughts when Heo Sung-Hoon muttered, I just cant believe this situation. The pope isnt just a simple ruler. Every person in the Vatican is devoted to him. In a way, its a situation worse than China. If the pope is cooperating with the Caravan, then

It would mean that the entire Vatican is working for Andras, Go Hyung-Chul finished Sung-Hoons thought. Not much is known about the Vatican players apart from a few things. They have their system, and like the rest of the world, they close gates and climb the Tower to become stronger. However, they are rarely spotted in public, and few have witnessed their true powers.

So I guess theyre trying to be a mysterious organization, Sung-Hoon whispered.

No, its more like theyve dialed their caution up to eleven after a gate destroyed the original Vatican. Since then, they have stopped propagating propaganda and maintained a cautious attitude. As a matter of fact, few knew the Vatican still existed before the pope revealed himself.

Gi-Gyu believed the statement because he, too, had no idea the Vatican existed until he had met the pope and Michael.

And Go Hyung-Chuls mouth must have been dry because he licked his lips as he continued, There is a strange rumor going around about the Vatican players.

What?

Allegedly, they all use very similar skills.

...? Gi-Gyu looked at Go Hyung-Chul in confusion. How is that strange?

Different players could have similar jobs. Some even had the same job and, in turn, the same powers. So why was this considered odd?

Ive heard about this too, Sung-Hoon chimed in. I heard that they all have similar unique abilities.

...! Gi-Gyu finally understood the significance of the statement. Go Hyung-Chul hadnt explained it clearly. Two players having similar skills was one thing, but two players having a similar unique ability As the name suggested, this ability was supposed to be unique to each individual.

So the fact that the Vatican players all had similar unique abilities had to mean

So the Vatican had strange elements even before all this, Gi-Gyu muttered. The Vatican seemingly held a secret before they had even joined the Caravan Guild and Andras.

Gi-Gyu tried to organize his thoughts as he asked Go Hyung-Chul, All right. I understand that the Vatican working with Andras could be a huge problem. But there is something else you want to tell me, isnt there?

The Vaticans involvement with Andras was indeed an important piece of information. However, Go Hyung-Chul was supposed to tell Gi-Gyu something even more crucial.

Something involving El

Tell me what you learned about the Vaticans Michael, Gi-Gyu asked.

***

The situation reminded him of the tale of Hansel and Gretel. It was one of the few stories he knew. Since his childhood, he wasnt allowed much. Even the Hansel and Gretel story was secretly narrated to him by one of the priests.

He remembered this story very clearly.

Kidnapped by a witch and raised by her to be eaten

In the story, Hansel and Gretel were basically livestock. Their father was a poor woodcutter and didnt pay much attention to his children. And their stepmother abused them terribly.

Their stepmother and father schemed to abandon the children. The kids tried to find their way back but got lost and ultimately ended up in the witchs house of cookies.

The cannibalistic witch intended to fatten the siblings before eventually eating them.

The similarity between the story and his situation made him laugh. At least the children in the story had a family. Their father was too poor and weak to care for them, and their stepmother abused them, but still, they werent alone.

Well, perhaps I also have a family, he muttered. Perhaps he also had a stepmother figure in his life.

But it was a little different for him. He had suffered abuse but didnt realize it at the time. The generous, considerate, and respected figure had been like a father to him.

At least, it was what he thought until he learned that everything was a sham.

Gabriel he whispered. This was the name of his father, the pope of the Vatican.

And the same man had imprisoned him. He was trapped in this beautiful castle. He lacked nothing, yet he was stuck here, barred from doing anything he wanted. Even his powers were placed under restriction. He despaired, wondering how he had ended up in this situation.

He had always wanted to find his parents. More specifically, he wanted to find his origins. And one day, he had found a clue.

Under the Vaticans protection, he had grown strong. When he finally entered the outside world, he had met him and her.

The man and the woman who could give him the answers he was seeking.

So he had decided to follow them. He felt that if he stayed with them on their journey, he would someday find out who he was. This was why he had returned home.

His home was the Vatican, a place that had raised a foundling like him. However, he finally saw it that day.

Michael gritted his teeth angrily, thinking about the pope whom he used to respect and follow. The pope, Gabriel, had been like his father and an emotional anchor. But when Michael told him that he wanted to explore the world to destroy evil, the pope had finally taken off his mask and revealed his true self.

Gabriel had said to him, Its finally time. You have done your job.

The pope had tried to steal Michaels body. Michael thought it was all over for him. He had collapsed weakly, and in his head, he kept hearing the demand to surrender.

But with a hollow sound, the pope was pushed out from Michaels physical body. This was the first time Michael saw the pope looking confused. He still remembered how Gabriel had gasped in shock. The pope made several more attempts to steal his body, but he was always kicked out in the end.

Ultimately, the pope gave up, imprisoned Michael in this castle, and sealed away the holy grail. This made Michael as weak as a non-player.

Livestock indeed. Michael smirked.

The pope was raising him to use later. Michael had been searching for his identity all this time when the truth was that he was just a shell for someone else. So he despaired but didnt give up.

I still have one sliver of hope left, Michael whispered. He told himself that he wasnt simply livestock. His existence had a meaning. When he met them, he had felt something extraordinary. It told him that there was much more to his identity.

This was why he couldnt die just yet. Actually, he would rather die than let the pope steal his body, but he couldnt even kill himself right now.

But this didnt matter because Michael planned on surviving. Somehow, he would make it and learn the truth about himself.

Please Answer me Michael prayed. He had shared the power of the holy grail with him to save him. From then on, he could feel a faint connection between them.

Please! The connection was weak, but Michael believed in the power of the holy grail. This man he had saved couldnt be a simple human, so Michael believed this could work.

But unfortunately, Michael didnt have much time. Even as he prayed, the pope was probably looking for a way to steal his body.

Answer me

Would his request be answered? Michael was trapped in a hidden castle in the Vatican. Only those closely involved knew the Vaticans location.

Help

But Michael continued to call out for help. He clasped his hands like he was praying and closed his eyes.

Kim Gi-Gyu Michael called out to the man who was his last hope.

***

Michael is being detained in the Vatican, Go Hyung-Chul explained.

Are you saying Michael isnt involved with the Caravan Guild or Andras?

Exactly, Go Hyung-Chul answered. They called Michael a traitor. They said he was an ungrateful traitor and a demon who needs to be destroyed.

Gi-Gyu laughed because he knew one thing for sure. There is no way hes a demon.

Michael might have been a corrupted angel, but he was definitely not a demon. Michael carried the holy grail in his body; this wouldnt have been possible if he were a demon.

And if he were a demon, he wouldve been carrying around Chaos.

When they first met, Gi-Gyu had sensed only holy power from Michael.

And

Gabriel

Gi-Gyu felt certain that Michaels body belonged to Gabriel, but he wasnt sure about whose consciousness was in the body. Of course, it could be that Michael had fooled him completely.

That would mean that both the mind and the body belonged to Gabriel. Then, Michael would be on Andras side. But why would the Vatican call him a traitor if this were the case?

This doesnt make any sense Gi-Gyu was perplexed. He asked Go Hyung-Chul, Is there anything else you can tell us?

No. I was almost caught a few times. The first set of players moving the First Potion was weak, but the other Vatican players were incredibly powerful. I wouldnt have lost if I were forced to fight them, but I needed to remain hidden. So there was a limit to what I could find. Go Hyung-Chul shook his head.

Lets just keep this simple, Sung-Hoon announced decidedly. We are now certain that the Vatican and the pope have sided with the Caravan Guild.

Gi-Gyu nodded, and Sung-Hoon continued, And the Vatican has also detained a high-ranker named Michael. So isnt it obvious? The enemy of our enemy could be our friend. And doesnt Michael have a favorable attitude toward you, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu? I think

Sung-Hoon turned toward Gi-Gyu and suggested, It would be best if you ask him in person. If the Vatican is on the Caravans side, its helping the demons. This means we need to destroy them.

Sung-Hoon was right. There was no point in thinking too hard about this. Gi-Gyu looked at Go Hyung-Chul and Sung-Hoon and asked, So, where is the Vatican?