< 73. Hell of Disbelief (1) >
***
Jenkins is a dragon who values trust.
Because I believe that a world where everyone distrusts and betrays everyone else will ultimately become hell.
Such beliefs were reflected in his management philosophy. Jenkinson was known as a CEO who promised high levels of freedom and welfare benefits to his employees. He highly valued the goodwill and ability of his subordinates. He believed that they would not betray the trust he gave them to satisfy their selfish desires.
That’s why the anger he felt was greater and deeper than ever.
=Everyone’s gathered.=
Jenkinson’s Rare.
Seven secretarial staff members were summoned to this place, where they rarely come.
They are the ones who most closely assist Jenkinson and share top-secret information that other employees cannot handle. They are also the ones who helped with the makeup and filming when Ha Eun-seong was possessed by an orc.
They all have unpleasant expressions.
The interior, designed to allow the dragon to move around as its main body, is excessively spacious. The space is so vast beyond imagination that it makes them feel like dust in the universe, causing a sense of fear.
But there is another reason why the subordinates’ bodies tremble so faintly.
The red dragon, which rarely exposes its body for fear of causing unnecessary discomfort and stiffness, was looking down this time with its massive body exposed.
A sight that is both overwhelming and spine-chilling.
=I think you know well why I created this place.=
A heavy anger flashes in the dragon’s eyes.
=A while ago, an important witness I was protecting was kidnapped.=
Dragon Fear emanated from Jenkinson’s massive body. Some who had never faced this energy directly fell to their knees.
=Yes, I know. If it were my way, I would have punished only the traitor instead of calling all of you. But this time, I have changed my mind.=
Sparks fly out of the dragon’s six pairs of glaring eyes.
=It’s because of you, Hyun-gyu.=
The secretary screamed when her name was called.
“Please save me! I was wrong! Please! Chairman!”
As the dragon gestures, the designated human secretary levitates into the air.
The vertical flight continued until the secretary’s face was level with the dragon’s. The remaining ones felt the screams quickly fading away. When he was fixed at an altitude that looked like a small dot on the ground, he could no longer breathe properly.
On the ground, twelve terrified eyes stare at him, and high up in the sky, twelve more piercing, sharp eyes stare at him.
=Thanks to you, I’ve had a lot to think about.=
A wave of mentality close to self-reflection followed.
=I also tried to persuade Changcheon’s subordinates. As a result? It’s embarrassing to say, I only managed to secure one cook. The executives who were close to her never came over. But what about the opposite case?=
Among those under Changcheon’s command, the highest ranking ones did not dare to betray her.
Meanwhile, Jenkinson’s closest aides betrayed him.
The Elder Dragon pondered what the cause was and through introspection came up with an answer.
=There is a reason why my people betrayed me but the people of Changcheon did not. It is simple. The closer I saw that woman and the more I came into contact with her, the more I became terrified of Changcheon.=
They were so terrified that they could not even imagine betrayal. They knew that a more terrible fate awaited them. They had seen how she usually treated her subordinates.
What about Jenkins?
=I have tried my best to think of your convenience and work with mutual respect.=
The fairies who had little experience dealing with him trembled when the lair was robbed, fearing that they would be eaten, but the elves who were close to him did not worry about that. They trusted the boss’s personality.
As a result, the dragon, who had become a person with only a superficial personality, said:
=Even so, I don’t think you deluded yourself into thinking I would forgive a traitor. I wouldn’t be that foolish. It’s just that your fear of me wasn’t deep enough. The desire ignited by temptation… spread and spread until it finally overcame your fear.=
There was no absolute fear, no overwhelming awe in the mind of the traitor, that would prevent him from even attempting betrayal.
=I think that was the crucial difference.=
Investigate the lair of Changcheon and record the inside story in your mind.
=Was the longevity of the longevity species so desirable? Was it not enough for the human beings born with it?=
The reason the traitor took the risk of avenging the dragon.
Changcheon made him an offer. If he cooperated in this matter, he would extract the man’s soul from his human body and transplant it into Jangseongjong.
Since that day in 1945, humanity has come to know of intelligent beings who live much longer than they do. It would have been better if they had not known, but now that they know, they have been jealous and envious of them, but there is nothing they can do about it. At best, they mix blood with races like elves to extend the lifespan of their descendants.
However, Changcheon’s proposal stimulated human inferiority complex and desires that could never be satisfied.
Helping you live dozens or even hundreds of times longer than your given lifespan.
He even showed evidence that he had the ability to do so.
=Changcheon really… did you really think that psychopath would make such an ‘investment’? For a race he despises so much? How foolish. Really… how pathetically foolish.=
The traitor can barely mutter.
“Save me···!”
=Thanks to you, I realized. Changcheon’s way of dealing with subordinates is not necessarily right. However, it seems that the way I have been sticking to so far is not perfect either.=
Tears of despair flowed from the secretary’s eyes.
=If we consider the orientations of the heavens and mine as polar opposites, wouldn’t the wisest path be to follow the principle of thesis and antithesis?=
“please···!”
=If it were her, she would have tortured you for hundreds or thousands of years, and even captured all your relatives and made them miserable. I won’t go that far.=
The dragon gestured again.
That was the last scene the traitor saw.
Knock knock!
The man could not scream, because the dragon did not allow him to.
As the dragon had intended, the traitor’s body twisted and folded into grotesque shapes. Pieces of skin fell away and broken bones burst through flesh and tissue.
The sound of limbs crumpling like pieces of paper echoed throughout the lair for a while. It was eerie.
If it was a normal human, it would have killed them instantly, but the secretaries knew instinctively that the traitor was still alive. That red dragon was not one to unnecessarily take out its anger on a corpse.
It is a model for negative examples, to be ironed out in their minds like a soldering iron to see what will happen if something similar happens in the future.
The dragon turned his gaze and spoke as the cruel sounds continued.
To the surviving secretaries.
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=But my fundamental belief has not changed. You are all worthy of respect. No matter what body you have, how long you live, or what abilities you have… All beings with intelligence are noble. The moment we ignore that, we can become so cruel. The moment the minimum trust to respect each other is broken, we all turn into terrible beasts. The self-control to control that and the ability to distinguish right from wrong are what makes us noble.=
The dragon adds in a low, mental wave.
=But to trust someone, you need to have the courage to take the risk of betrayal. Help me continue to have this courage. I hope we can work together to ensure that the respect between the ruler and the ruled is not damaged.=
Woohoo!
Knock knock!
Broken bone fragments, bile, brain matter, and clumps of blood fell like a cold rain. Watching this scene, the dragon asked for cooperation from his secretaries who could still hear him.
=So that the relationship between you and me can be maintained as it is now.=
Please ask in a polite tone.
=And please help me not to let the result of the thesis and antithesis become more antithetical than this…so that I don’t feel a deeper interest in Changcheon’s methodology than I do now.=
The secretaries pledged their loyalty in a voice close to a scream.
***
1945.
When the committee contacted the UN and the existence of aliens and spirits was proven.
Psychologists, scientists, sociologists, politicians, and even religious people on Earth have predicted that traditional religions on Earth will rapidly decline and eventually disappear.
To conclude, the prediction was only half correct.
Even after it was scientifically and magically proven that the afterlife and the soul mechanisms of their religions were completely different from reality, most of the religions on Earth were able to survive.
The secret was simple: the priests of each religion incorporated into their doctrines all the new knowledge and miracles that mankind had never seen before.
If you think about it, similar phenomena existed even before 1945. As science developed, religious people always had to explain many things.
In the past, the saying, “The Earth is shaped like a tray carried by a giant turtle and an elephant” was defended as a symbolic metaphor expressing human spirituality rather than a factual statement, or the claim that the scripture, “The sun moves instead of the earth” is not wrong if considered as an expression from the observer’s point of view. Similar things have occurred in each religion.
Moreover, as time passed, something that could be considered good news from a religious standpoint occurred.
As experienced in other worlds, as the concentration of mana in the atmosphere grew thicker, those who manifested a supernatural ability called divine power appeared.
There was one condition for the ability to manifest, even if it was at a low probability.
Must be a person of deep faith.
What should not be overlooked here is that the object of faith is not specified.
That is, the form and type of religion did not matter in order to experience the divine power, as long as one was sincere.
The fact that miracles that could only be performed if believed proved to be true gave some people a reason to fall deeper into religion. As a result, the overall number of religious people decreased compared to before 1945, but the solidarity and action of the remaining religious people became stronger than before.
“Chairman, here is a list of clergy who responded to this request.”
The Jenkinson Companies headquarters executive conference room.
Jenkinson, Minjun, and Blair were talking here, located on the second highest floor of the tower. As Elf handed over the documents with a more nervous gesture than usual, Goryong reviewed them with the agent.
“Hmm. Three in all. One priest from the Roman Catholic Church. One Mobed from the Zoroastrian side. And…”
The eyes of a dragon that has polymorphed into a human grow larger.
“Dreamland? What kind of religion is this?”
The name was more reminiscent of a theme park than a religion, Blair explained.
“It is a religion that is rapidly increasing its number of believers, especially in Germany.”
I heard that it was one of the new religions of today that had established a multidimensional worldview as a doctrine.
The core doctrine is that all dimensions are in fact nothing more than a dream dreamed by transcendent beings, and that each time they wake up, a dimension is destroyed, and when they fall asleep again, a new dimension is created.
‘This kind of nihilism is hot these days.’
Unlike Minjun, who seemed convinced, Jenkinson made a face as if he knew but didn’t know.
“Are you sure it’s divine power?”
“Yes, they are some of the most skilled exorcists in the world.”
The reason Jenkinson invited the priests is because dragons cannot manifest even after dying and reviving, and their abilities are even more impossible for Minjun, a warlock.
They intended to safely send the ghosts of Changcheon and Ryuho to the spiritual world.
Jenkinson asks Minjun.
“You don’t have any more memories to extract?”
Minjun nodded. Since Blair was by his side, he spoke politely and respectfully.
“My ability is not as good as that of a top-class necromancer, but from experience, if the ghost is in that state, there’s nothing more to gain by shaking it. If you still can’t do it, then invite a proper necromancer from outside worlds…”
The dragon shakes its head.
“No, I trust you.”
Meanwhile, Minjun searched through the memories of Changcheon, who had become a ghost, and collected clues about the Cavite who had been communicating with her.
And Jenkinson, judging that there was no longer any reason to hold onto the two souls, planned to send them to the afterlife.
Instead of letting the dragon’s ghost wander the underworld, it was the right thing to do as a dragon and protect the dignity of the race by sending it to the other world even if it meant paying a high price.
“I made a special request to bring forward this Dragon Clan meeting.”
“Is that so?”
“Given the gravity of the matter, I thought it was necessary. I also thought I’d share what you found out on the spot…”
Then Blair hesitantly intervened.
“Excuse me, Mr. Chairman.”
Since the incident at Rare a few days ago, his speech and gestures have clearly changed.
“Actually, I just got a call from the Lord’s secretary’s office···.”
Here’s a summary of what Blair said:
Jenkinson’s request was denied.
The dragon is confused.
“What? Why?!”
“I heard that the Lord went on maternity leave without notice. He said he would be back by the next Dragon Clan Council, but he left without designating an acting chairman, so the meeting schedule cannot be adjusted as it is···.”
The red dragon cried out in disbelief.
“Maternity leave? That crazy old man really… Does a man lay eggs? Why would he go on maternity leave?!”
Jenkinson suddenly became angry and attempted to communicate magically with the Dragon Lord himself. Meanwhile, Minjun whispered to the elf.
“Are you laying eggs? Is that guy married again?”
It was only a few years ago that Minjun was invited to the twenty-sixth divorce party of the ancient dragon who was the chairman of the Earth Dragon Clan Council. He hasn’t received an invitation since then…
Blair answered Minjun with her face red today.
“This time, we decided to live together and have children without a marriage contract.”
“why?”
“Even if it is a contract that was broken by mutual agreement between the couple, if it is repeated dozens of times, it starts to take a toll on your body···.”
When the Dragon Lord did not respond to his magical communication, Jenkinson’s eyes emitted murderous intent.
“How ridiculous I must have looked!”
Then the air becomes heavy rapidly.
Dragon Fear.
Minjun was surprised and gestured to him.
“Chairman! Peer!”
Of course it was okay to expose myself like this, but I was worried about Blair.
however···.
‘What’s wrong, why is he looking like that?’
It was at that moment that Minjun was looking at Blair with a strange gaze.
“?!”
Minjun turns his head again in a hurry.
The other two, except Jenkins, who had his back to the window at that moment, witnessed it.
A sight of a black shadow falling outside the 108th floor window.
Minjun instinctively jerked his body. The moment he stood right in front of the window and checked outside, the elf finally screamed, a beat late.
“Whoa!”
It seemed like a scream not because of the peer, but because of what he had just seen.
Minjun took in the sight of a few feathers fluttering at eye level and a few people already falling dozens of stories below. Without looking any further, he immediately recited the spell.
Floating.
Then, as if an invisible hand had grabbed them, those who had been falling were lifted into the air. They were all unconscious.
“Phew, the accident was avoided.”
The agent breathes a sigh of relief.
Then I looked down at their drooping appearances. Even though the weather was more like early summer than late spring, they were all wearing autumn jackets, and there was a large hole in the back that made their cold-weather function meaningless.
And two pairs of wings, resembling those of a bird, extending to the left and right from the center of the body.
The wind blows and pure white feathers flutter. Their bodies turn over and their eyes roll back to reveal beautiful faces.
At first glance, it was a sight that could be mistaken for an angel worshipped in some religions falling from the sky and being rescued.
If only there weren’t wipers and bottles of windshield washer fluid floating around, caught up in the magic.
< 73. Hell of Disbelief (1) > End
