I Became A Zompirewolf

“What do you mean?” Ashton asked, confused.

“It’s a position given to those deemed unworthy of any other title or position within the Cult. The Deacons are used as disposable pawns to carry out the will of the higher-ups,” Tarek explained.

“Are you sure about that?” Anna asked, unwilling to believe someone like the Deacon they fought could be a low-ranking member of the Cult.

“You have to understand,” Tarek said, “the Cult is unlike any other organisation. It’s not about money or power but devotion, loyalty, and faith. The higher-ups are revered like gods, and their word is law.”

Tarek continued, “Deacon is just a small cog in the Cult’s machine. One of them may have been the one to contact me, but he was likely following orders from someone higher up.”

“And who would that be?” Ashton furrowed his brow.

Tarek shook his head. “For me to answer that, you first need to understand more about the Cult’s hierarchy.”

Ashton and Anna sat in front of Tarek’s hospital bed, their expressions expectant as Tarek began to speak. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to reveal, for no one apart from the Cult members knew it themselves.

Tarek leaned back against the pillows, his hospital gown crumpling beneath him. He took a deep breath and began, “The Cult’s hierarchy is structured like a pyramid.”

“Why is that?” Anna asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“It’s designed to ensure absolute loyalty to the Pope,” Tarek explained. “Each member is only aware of the members below them in the hierarchy, so they can only ever report to their immediate superiors. This prevents anyone from knowing too much and potentially rebelling.”

“At the top is the Pope,” Tarek continued, his voice low and serious. “He is the ultimate authority, the one who makes the final decisions. Below him are the Cardinals, who are like the Pope’s right-hand men and help him make decisions and carry out his orders.”

Ashton nodded. If they were to believe Tarek’s words, Astaroth’s guess about the Cult being a heretical organisation was accurate. But for now, Ashton decided to focus on Tarek’s revelation more than anything.

“Then there are the Archbishops,” Tarek said, ticking them off on his fingers. “They are the next level down, followed by the Bishops, then the Priests.”

Ashton furrowed his brow. “And what do the Priests do?”

“They’re basically the middle management, and they oversee the Deacons to ensure they’re carrying out the Pope’s orders properly.” Tarek sighed.

He continued, “They also propagate the Cult’s views and recruit more abled people to their cause. Some say the leader of the metal sharks is either a Priest or a Bishop for the Cult as well.”

Ashton massaged his temples. He knew the Cult was working with the Metal Sharks, but he hadn’t thought that the Sharks could be an organisation indirectly working under the Cult.

“Hm… in that case, I expect the Deacons to be fighting on the ground?” Anna chimed in.

Tarek nodded, confirming Anna’s words. “Like I said before, they are the lowest-ranking members of the Cult. They are the ones who carry out the Pope’s dirty work, the ones who do whatever it takes to prove their loyalty to the Pope and climb up the ladder to gain more influence, hoping to meet the Pope someday.”

Ashton nodded, confirming every word coming from Tarek’s mouth through [Heartbeat Sense]. But there was one thing bugging him with the explanation Tarek gave them.

“Why are they so loyal to the Pope?” Ashton leaned forward, his eyes locked on Tarek’s.

“The Cult brainwashes its members from a young age. They are taught that the Pope is infallible and is a direct conduit to the divine. The Deacons, in particular, are trained to believe they are doing God’s work by carrying out the Pope’s orders.”

Tarek’s words raised another question in Ashton’s mind, but he pushed them aside to be asked later. For now, he wanted to know more about the Cult, so he was more focused on that. ．

“What about the Pope?” Anna asked, effortlessly reading Ashton’s mind as he was about to ask the same thing.

“The Pope is a mysterious man,” Tarek said, his voice low. “No one has seen him, apart from the two Cardinals. Even the Archbishops and Bishops have never met him in person.”

Ashton raised an eyebrow. “How is that possible? He’s the leader of the entire Cult.”

“It’s all part of their plan. They are able to maintain control by keeping themselves hidden, and no one knows what they look like or where the Pope operates from.” Tarek said as he shook his head.

“But someone has to know something. There has to be a way to find whoever the person or thing is!?” Anna sighed and leaned forward, her eyes narrowing.

Tarek sighed. “I wish it were that easy. But the Pope is surrounded by layers of secrecy and deception. Even the Cardinals don’t know everything about them.”

“But if the Pope is so mysterious, how do you even know he exists?” Anna asked.

Tarek let out a sigh. “No one has ever seen him, apart from the two Cardinals. But trust me, he’s real. The way the higher-ups used to talk about him, it’s like he’s some kind of God.”

“So how do we take down someone we can’t even find?” Ashton rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Tarek shrugged. “I don’t know. But I know that if anyone can figure it out, it’s the two of you.”

“Thanks for your confidence in us. We won’t let you down.” Anna gave Tarek a grateful smile.

“I believe you will. Just be careful. The Pope may be a mystery, but his power is very real.” Tarek smiled weakly. “I think that’s everything I can recall at the moment-”

“Hold up, there’s one thing that’s bothering me.” Ashton stared Tarek straight in the eyes.

Tarek looked up at him, surprised. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is that I’m starting to wonder how someone recruited by a Deacon like you could know so much about the Cult,” Ashton stared at Tarek, his eyes staring into the former Cult member’s soul. “Please explain that to me.”