I Became a Fake Priest the Saintess Is Obsessed With

1 – For Success

When I first opened my eyes, I woke up in the body of a boy who was praying under the heavy skies.

A house filthier than a slum, a starvation that felt as if tearing my stomach apart, the cold harassing my feeble body, in such a desolate environment was a boy who presumed to be an orphan.

How impoverished the background the boy had could be seen at a glance.

That is, I had become that boy.

“A worst start indeed.”

I was completely driven into a corner.

But it’s okay.

It’s not the first or second time starting at rock bottom, and there is a romantic appeal in possessing a spirit, which makes me motivated.

Also, a foggy board shimmering before my eyes.

Thus, what is called a status window or system in novels says that the boy is powerless but not incompetent.

[Name: Ivan Ayr]

Strength: 1, Magic: 3, Agility: 2

Divinity: 5, Spirit: ?, Luck: 1

Skill: Absolute Healing

[Absolute Healing (Passive): When one places the hand over the body of the target and shows the will to heal, it heals the target. The closer the hand is to the injured area, the stronger the effect. The spell can be handled silently.

(Penalty: You feel the same pain as the healed target)]

Absolute Healing……

By only looking at the skill’s name and description, it makes me wonder how powerful it is.

“I just need to experiment a little…”

Just around the corner, there was a black lizard whose tail had been cut off and was about to die.

I approached it cautiously and lifted it so it wouldn’t run away.

“The will to heal a target…”

I followed the explained steps like a child reading an instruction manual after opening LEGO packaging.

As the status window requested, I held the lizard in my hand and once I decided to heal it, my lips moved on their own.

“My god, I offer this flesh and soul to the Mother earth, please raise the lamb once again.”

As though singing, the words quickly passed my lips.

Then, an amazing transformation occurred in the dying lizard.

Its left eye, which had been gouged out, sprang back into existence, its tail stump healed and began to grow back, and its visible wounds healed, causing the creature to start moving energetically once again.

In just three seconds, I revived a dying lizard that had lost its spark of life.

If this wasn’t a god’s blessing, but purely my ability, professional doctors would be astonished and envious when they see this sight.

‘Amazing! If I can do this, I could become a real doctor, screw learning?

It’s a miracle.

That’s exactly what anyone would say if they saw this tremendous power.

If I only use absolute healing, I can quickly escape from the slum-like board village and turn the tables.

I am truly grateful to the goddess who gave me this power.

‘The goddess really did favor me!’

I couldn’t be happy for too long after seeing the miracle power that had occurred in me.

That’s because suddenly, I felt an intense pain throughout my body.

“Arghhhhh!!!!”

I tried my best to endure the pain, but this was not the kind of pain one could withstand.

It felt as if every joint in my body was breaking and someone was gripping and pulling out my left eye, and from the tailbone area, it felt like a nonexistent tail had been cut off with an intense pain.

I rolled around on the ground due to the intense pain, suddenly, the penalty described in the skill description came to my mind.

Could this be the penalty they speak of?

Could they mean that I’ll feel just as much pain as the subjects experienced?

If I get into such a state every time I use my skill, the reversal could be nonsense, as I might die hallucinating or suffering from illusionary pain.

“Darn it!!! Damn you, divine being!!!”

I cursed and fiercely resisted, trying to keep my consciousness that was gradually slipping away due to the pain.

One hour, two hours, three hours…

When I was finally liberated from the pain, morning had arrived and I realised that I had spent the night rolling around on the ground.

For some reason, my left hand was damp.

Looking at my left hand, a lizard was licking it, as if to thank me for saving it.

The thought of the pain I just felt could be the pain this lizard was experiencing made me feel sorry.

“Poor thing… It must have hurt so much.”

I let it catch a flight by flipping the poor thing up in the air.

Sunlight was shining through my hands, holding the lizard, dazzling my eyes.

Ah, even the sunlight shines in this alley.

I reached out to the sun, which was on the verge of being visible through the gap of the alleyway.

The glow displayed by the sun was truly warm and comforting.

“Just wait and see, divine being… I’ll succeed with this ability you’ve given me.”

With that determined pledge, I picked up something useful and left my humble house for success.

***

About 12 years since then.

The career journey, which only had determination and mindset ahead, was more successful than I thought.

I only had one sloppy skill, so I had to make the most out of it.

I went to a nearby church empty-handed and treated a patient with a broken leg, and the priest there recognized me as one.

The pain of the broken leg was so intense that I almost screamed during the inauguration ceremony of the apprentice priest, but I grinned and bore it.

My ambition for advancement couldn’t be broken by the mere pain of a fractured leg.

“Do you really think this herb could stop my heart from hurting?”

“Absolutely! If you just trust me, it will certainly get better, so don’t worry!”

After becoming a priest, I built up a quick record by treating the sick.

I did heal the truly ill, but out of the thousand I have treated, nine hundred were feigning illness.

There was a risk in continually treating the ill due to the penalties of my abilities.

“Where is Priest Ivan? The prince is feeling unwell!”

“I am on my way!”

“Priest Ivan! The knight’s limb has been severed!”

“Oh, God! I’m on it!”

As my record built up and rumors of a skilled priest circulated, celebrities began to seek me out.

Enduring excruciating pain, I healed them.

To advance, appealing to these celebrities was essential.

“Priest Ivan, the saint just came looking for you.”

“…..I see.”

Every time I healed, I screamed in agony, and rumors spread throughout the empire that I was the best priest, sacrificing myself for the sick.

The rumors were confirmed by these celebrities, and a destined meeting for my advancement arrived.

“The saint probably heard about you and came to be healed.”

“I’m delighted, it seems that way.”

“If you manage to heal her, your abilities will be recognised and you will move to the cathedral.”

The clergyman who had long managed the church with me in a small countryside stopped in front of the treatment room.

“I’ve been with you all this time; I know you can heal the saint. It’s been a pleasure.”

For the first time, he who had acknowledged me as a priest, held up his thumb and smiled.

I thought I’d feel good about distancing myself from this always gruff taskmaster, but as parting drew near, my heart felt heavy.

Though our association was a means to an end, it seems affection had grown over time.

I turned away from my slight surge of emotion and opened the door to the treatment room.

And I lifted my thumb towards him.

“May you achieve the advancement you’ve been hoping for, mate!”

With the encouragement of the clergyman, I stepped inside the treatment room to find the saint and her accompanying knights.

“Nice to meet you, Priest Ivan… I’ve heard the rumors about you healing any disease, so I decided to seek your help…”

The first impression I felt about the saint was fragility.

Platinum hair that looked like it had been brushed by stray gold dust, green eyes with the innocence of a young child, skin that was even paler than white jade, and a light but somewhat melancholic smile.

All of that seemed as though it would crumble with a slight touch, making the girl appear fragile.

“What suffering brought you here? A long-standing illness? A defect in your body? If not, is it a sickness of the heart?”

“Please tell me anything. I have the ability to treat it.”

The saint hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Perhaps… can you also treat curses?”

“…Curses, you say?”

“Yes, can you not treat curses…?”

“No, it’s possible.”

Fortunately, I have already used absolute treatment to cure various curses.

I wondered why the saint, who seemed to have some deep resentment, came to me for a curse that even other priests couldn’t solve.

If it was just a curse, other priests would be able to handle it, so why did they come to me after hearing rumors? That is what I meant.

Well, now is not the time to be concerned about trivial doubts.

If it is for success, one must not stumble over small questions.

“Show me the area where the curse is marked. I will treat it immediately.”

“Ah… th-that… the curse is marked in a somewhat embarrassing place…”

“There is no need to worry. I am not so lecherous as to desire seeing your body, Saint.”

“But… with so many people around…”

“…?”

As she was known as a chaste maiden, I thought she would be embarrassed to show even her arms or back, but judging by her reaction, it seemed that the curse was indeed marked on a secretive part of her body.

I do not have a hobby of observing a girl’s bare flesh, but I still need to treat it, so I asked for her consent and sent the knights out of the treatment room, leaving only the saint and me.

“Then, please take care of me…”

Even though she was shy when we were alone, she soon made up her mind and slowly lifted the hem of her habit.

No matter what one thinks, it is a highly awkward situation that would normally excite one… but not now.

It is not to say that the saint lacks s*xual appeal.

If one were to see her cleanly lifted skirt and her firm legs without any blemishes, along with her determinedly defined chest, it would be more than enough to be s*xually attractive.

However… anyone who looks at the curse mark on her thigh would feel more pity than excitement.

“It’s severe.”

The curse mark, stained and mottled, emits a scent of negativity that stimulates the nose.

I understand why the Saint believed the rumors and came to find me.

No priest could cure such an ancient demon or lift this curse.

“…Please understand that I have to touch the affected area for treatment.”

“Yes…”

I laid the Saint on the bed and slowly placed my hands on her thighs.

I wonder if absolute healing can truly remove such a grotesque curse, but I believe in my abilities.

My power, which has been used over a hundred times for my own ambition, will prove its worth once again.

“O my deity, mother of the earth, I offer this flesh and soul to you, please raise the lamb once again.”

As the incantation passed through my throat, the wounds inflicted by the curse on my hand gradually disappeared.

Just like before, within three seconds, the traces of the curse vanished, and the Saint’s thighs returned to their flawless beauty.

“Wow, Father, I’m completely healed.”

As the curse disappeared, she, who had seemed despondent until now, smiled brightly.

I congratulated her.

“What a relief… Ugh!”

The priest couldn’t finish his sentence.

He was struck by an intense wave of agony that immediately followed.

It felt like thousands of needles were being pierced deep into his thighs and thrashed about.

The excruciating pain spread throughout his body, starting from his thighs, an agony he never had thought the Saint might have experienced during their conversation.

It seems they were right about one thing; in extreme agony, one can’t even scream.

Normally, he would have endured by shouting and enduring the pain. But now, he could only collapse to the ground, gasping for breath.

“Are you okay?!”

The Saint screamed in horror as she saw me collapse suddenly.

Thinking that I was in a critical condition, she began to channel her energy.

“O mother of the earth, please free this person from suffering…”

As the Saint prayed, the pain slightly eased.

The feeling of being pummeled by hundreds of needles seemed to have diminished to about six hundred.

But why does the concept of “liberation from suffering” sound like it will release me from this world?

“Oh, it seems I’ll meet the goddess again sooner than I thought.”

In the end, I couldn’t even scream and lost consciousness.