< 77. Hell of Disbelief (5) >
Dimension #77-102 is a world that is difficult for prisoners to understand.
When local residents declared a unilateral blockade of the terminal without the consent of the council, many expected the situation would soon be resolved.
The terminal is not a magical door that is always open. It is literally a space where dimension travelers go through procedures and wait, and a building that houses essential facilities such as the dimension movement control guidance system.
Even if such a building is closed, the core element of dimension travel is the jump ship controlled by the committee. It is the only means left after the Dragon Race promised to permanently discontinue dimension travel spells at the end of the war.
In any case, the prisoners expected that the highly technological committee would be free to spy on the interior of Dimension #77-102 if they wanted to and use intimidation to pressure them into ending their unilateral lockdown.
But they didn’t.
Rather, he pushed the prisoners to look into that dimension, but since attempting to land without guidance to the destination was tantamount to attempting suicide, the mission was never touched until now.
‘But the committee must have a way.’
Even though there was no terminal on Earth during First Contact in 1945, the Committee was able to obtain detailed information about the situation on Earth.
Why is what was possible then impossible now? Why only dimension #77-102?
More importantly, the world must also be indebted to the Talent Committee, so why is it continuing to neglect it instead of resorting to harsh measures?
Many prisoners are curious, but there are still no clues.
Jenkinson said to Minjun, who was thinking about various things including his own family.
“They say that they are calling back their kin who have spread throughout the dimensions to their homeland.”
“okay?”
It seemed like a sort of reverse diaspora was underway after one of the terminals in that dimension began operating again.
Of course, only the same race was allowed to enter the world, and other races, including those belonging to the committee, were strictly prohibited.
“It seems like you have a good grasp of things like the status of overseas Koreans.”
“If you had the presence of mind to do that, I wonder why you suddenly locked the door without even calling me in.”
And Dragon brings up the story of the alien that Minjun killed.
In retrospect, it was truly ironic and tragic timing. If only he had endured a few months without committing his madness, the door would have been open for him to return home.
Minjun thinks, ‘If only I had stayed conscious a little longer, I could have survived.’
That doesn’t mean he felt any regret or guilt. He just felt bitter.
“It’s a natural progression, but it seems that the death of the Patriarch of Earth has trickled into that dimension.”
“So you started a fight? How did he die?”
“No, the sign was thoroughly covered up by the Dreamland Church.”
What caught the dragon’s attention was something else.
“They say there is an organization that acts as the headquarters of the Dreamland Church in that dimension. Its name is… yes. It’s a religious council called the ‘Council for the Protection of Doctrines.’”
It seems that they decided to canonize the dead patriarch there as a saint.
It was decided that his death would be recognized as martyrdom and that he would be revered in the future for his achievements.
“What on earth did you use to cover up your death? Did you forge it to say that you were persecuted and burned at the stake?”
“No, it’s not so much the way he died that’s important, but the part where he struggled alone in a remote dimension and achieved great things.”
“Great achievement?”
“I didn’t know, but I heard that there are over 300,000 followers of Earth’s Dreamland.”
This time, Minjun was also genuinely surprised.
“Not 30,000, but 300,000?! That apocalyptic religion that commits such disgusting acts?”
“There are few believers in Korea, but it’s not like that in other countries. Wasn’t there a Zoroastrian priest at the last exorcism? There are more believers in Dreamland than in the indigenous religions of Earth. Most of them are Balinese and goblins, though…”
“What on earth is the world going to be like?”
Minjun clicked his tongue.
“Anyway, since he was canonized, it seems there was an official request to return his body to his hometown. However, as you know, everything below the neck was disposed of cleanly. So the person in charge of the Earth Diocese must return at least the remaining head.”
“It’ll be a pain to explain why there’s nothing below the neck.”
It seems as though Joachim’s plan to keep the embalmed head on Earth for a thousand years will go awry.
But that was something for Dreamland to worry about, not something for Minjun to worry about.
“by the way.”
Minjun changes the subject.
“The magic circle test is over.”
Jenkinson’s expression hardened. At the same time, he strengthened the barrier surrounding his office. Then, the beautiful song of the Balinese chirping outside the window suddenly stopped.
Despite having prepared thoroughly, he asks in a cautious voice.
“Are we finally going to tear the talent away from that soul?”
“Yeah. It’ll be up and running tomorrow.”
And Minjun got to the point. He looked straight into the eyes of the dragon who had turned into a blond young man.
“So, you, come tomorrow and trade some magic power.”
“······.”
***
Jenkinson had no choice but to do as Minjun had told him the next day. He had to cancel all of his previous schedules.
Thanks to this, the guests who flew in from the other side of the world and the Minister of Strategy and Finance of Korea had to hastily adjust their schedules, but Minjun will never know about it.
The place the dragon headed to early in the morning was the 30th floor underground of a huge underground structure that used to be the Rare of the Heavens and is now treated as Jenkinson’s third Rare.
The fact that the inmate was going to take the talent in person was a top secret that could never be leaked to the committee, so not a single staff member was brought in. Jenkinson, who could not help but be sensitive in the situation where even the traitor had recently been punished, summoned the golem and prepared to diligently activate the magic circle.
It was quite a cumbersome task for Changcheon to do alone, a task that had previously required several subordinates to prepare.
As soon as the Elder Dragon finished its preparations on time, Minjun appeared. He was accompanied by a possessed young dragon.
Jenkins, who had returned to the main body, rang a psychic wave.
=You’re here? I finished charging my magic power as you told me···.=
Jenkinson’s eyes widen as he turns his head.
What he was looking at was the young dragon following behind Minjun, tottering.
Compared to Jenkinson, the dragon, who was like a mini pig standing in front of a whale, greeted him awkwardly. After all, they were old friends.
=Ah··· Hello?=
Jenkins pointed to Ha Eun-seong and shouted telepathically.
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=What?! Why did he gain so much weight? No, how can a dragon gain that much weight in the first place?=
Ha Eun-seong had grown explosively in size during the month he was locked in the basement.
It wasn’t normal growth through shedding. Jenkinson could clearly see that the skeleton was still there, but only fat had accumulated.
But Minjun pretends not to know and answers.
“What if you ask me about dragon stories?”
In fact, the memories in his head were speaking to him.
It is certainly difficult to fatten a young dragon to that extent, but it is possible. If the owner puts in the utmost care and devotion, as if he were caring for his own young, then nothing is impossible in this world.
Rather, Minjun was finding a strange sense of peace of mind while looking at the transformed body of the iceberg.
After becoming a prisoner, all the dragons he saw were hideous beasts with muscular bodies with almost 0% body fat. Minjun always gave such dragons a cold look. Even when some of his colleagues praised the dragons, saying, “What a beautiful creature,” Minjun’s reaction was something like, “That’s it?”
On the other hand, he was very satisfied with Ha Eun-seong these days. ‘Yes, Yong-i should be like that.’
Even if I didn’t eat, just looking at that dragon made me feel full.
=This body… has gained that much weight?=
Ha Eun-seong answers dejectedly.
In fact, the culprit behind his explosive increase in body fat percentage was Cash.
Minjun left Ha Eunseong’s management to his secretary, but one day, when he received a text message without any prior explanation, Cathy couldn’t help but be troubled.
– There’s a dragon in the basement. Feed it.
Even Cassie knew that dragons would eat raw meat unless they were able to absorb refined mana like Jenkinson before giving up on their diet.
However, just in case, it seemed that Ha Eun-seong had also tried to process normally cooked food. Most of it was a huge amount of leftover food that had been created during the cooking training using a frying pan.
=The food prepared by that tall and pretty older sister was so delicious that I couldn’t help but notice it.=
Jenkins, hearing that, said incredulously.
=Does that make sense? Even if a human soul is possessed, the body is still that of a dragon. Even the taste buds and brain cells are all dragon-like, so you say that food cooked over fire tastes good?=
Minjun drew attention by clapping his hands.
“Well, the problem of being overweight will be solved when the owner of that body comes to his senses. Let’s just do our own thing.”
Ha Eun-seong walks unsteadily to the place Min-jun leads her to.
And the magic circle was activated according to the dragon and the prisoner’s gestures.
Woohoo!
Minjun swallowed dry saliva as he looked at the scene.
‘at las!’
Jenkinson, standing next to him, still looks at Ha Eun-seong with mixed emotions. He thinks that the sight of him slumping like a ‘domestic animal’ is also a sight that damages the dignity of the dragon.
=Huh? Huh?!=
As the magic circle began to exert its power, Ha Eun-seong, who was standing in the center, felt a strange wave vibrating inside her.
The feeling of fullness I felt at the moment I touched the crystal of light as if possessed at the former headquarters of Changcheon Bank, that feeling turned upside down… a sense of emptiness and loss spreads through my body.
and.
Wormwood!
The ghost felt itself being pulled out by some strong suction force that had connected it to its soul.
“Extracted!”
Minjun let out a gasp and immediately waved his hand in the air. Since the space had been stabilized by the magic circle, he didn’t immediately disappear into the spirit world, but he quickly took action just in case.
The barrier he had created formed a hexagon and contained the talent inside. As Minjun stretched out his hand with a face full of joy, a crystal of light approached him.
‘I finally got it!’
A very emotional moment.
The most beautiful light in the entire universe filled the interior of the Rare. Even Jenkinson, who was looking at the instrument panel, turned his gaze and stared at the splendid light with his mouth slightly open.
Minjun also kept his gaze fixed on the talent and shouted.
“Jenkinson, how much does it all add up to?!”
=Ah! Wait a minute.=
Jenkinson turns his head as if he has regained his senses.
Originally, the work that the operators were supposed to do was controlled solely by a golem that had no free will, so there was a mountain of work to do.
Jenkinson, who had been tapping on the dashboard for a while via the summons, let out a look of bewilderment.
=······Huh?=
“What’s wrong? How much is it?”
Minjun had already finished his own calculation. Even if Ha Eunseong calculated back the talents he had spent so far, it would definitely not exceed 100,000 talents. Considering that the original amount was 1 million talents, there should have been at least 900,000 talents left.
That’s why Yong’s telepathy felt like a bolt from the blue to Minjun.
=······The total is 720,000 talents.=
“what?!”
Murderous intent flashed in Minjun’s eyes.
“Look again! That can’t be happening!”
=No, that’s correct, Minjun. The extraction has already been completed perfectly, and there are no talents left in that soul. The talent you have in your hand right now… is 720,000.=
Whoosh!
Minjun’s face glares at the plump dragon, or more precisely, the soul inside it.
“You… what on earth have you been doing in the past month?!”
Ha Eun-seong, who met those eyes, felt a threat to his life even though he was already dead.
The agent looked ready to put a knife to his own throat at any moment.
=I didn’t do anything! I just watched TV in the basement for a whole month···!=
“Then why is the talent reduced by 180,000?!”
Swish!
Ghosts gather behind his angry back.
=I, I really didn’t do anything! Please trust me!=
But Minjun’s eyes were filled with distrust.
< 77. Hell of Disbelief (5) > End
