< 91. Hell of Disbelief (19) >
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“Talents are mined there?”
Joachim thought his own voice sounded unfamiliar as he asked.
=That’s right. Elahu-Pragha. The place where the gods sleep. Buried in their own dreams and soaked in their own blood.=
“blood?”
Repeat the word.
“Bleeding? I’ve never read anything like that in Asif’s book.”
The inquisitor now answered in a tone that was almost gloomy.
=The portion permitted to priests of other dimensions is up to Chapter 57 of that scripture. What I am talking about from now on is the sentences recorded after Chapter 58.=
The prophet who came down from heaven spoke to the ancestors of the natives of dimension #77-102.
=’Knowing that the primordial race was bound by a dream of bliss that was hard to break, the cunning beasts bit them by the nape of their necks. The flesh was torn and blood flowed from the most defenseless and weakest places, which was the source of all possibilities and a power that allowed no limits.’=
Hearing the phrase he had never heard before, Joachim pictured a scene in his head.
The world commonly translated as the dream world, Elahu-Praga. There, the primordial races sleep in blissful dreams. Even though their necks are torn and blood flows out, they do not feel pain, and are so immersed in false happiness that they cannot open their eyes. Is the floor they are lying on dripping with blood?
Just imagining it gave me goosebumps.
=Long ago, our religious order’s doctrine researchers agreed to define the original race as divine and called the blood they shed “godly blood.” However, the committee and other races call it something else.=
Then the word that had been mentioned several times today came out of Joachim’s mouth.
“No way, talent!? But you said blood. How can blood be currency···”
=The blood of the gods boils, scatters, and evaporates the moment it touches the mortal world. That is why few people think that its true identity is blood. However, the prophet said so, so it is blood. It is a sacred object that has no fixed form and exists on the border between material and immaterial. It is the most beautiful light in all the universe.=
And the prophet instructed the first believers:
=’The blood they shed holds the power to make everything possible, and it is also the key to awakening them from their slumber.’=
At this point, the specific method of carrying out the sect’s earthly mission is mentioned. It was necessary to prepare for the future while also making efforts to mix nightmares into sleep even in normal times.
While waiting for their sleep cycle to become shallow.
=While waiting for that time, we were collecting new blood. In a way that even the committee didn’t know about.=
The prophet is said to have taken out a dagger and shown it to the villagers. The inquisitor recited the sentence.
=’The prophet said, ‘This is a sword whose edge has been dipped in their blood. Make it according to the method I will tell you.’=
=’The village chief asked, ‘What shall we do with it?’=
=’The prophet answered, ‘Feel the pain that the original race forgot and lost. You too, tear the flesh in the most defenseless and weak places and let the blood flow.’=
What followed was the first baptism in the history of the church.
The prophet stabbed them each in the back of their necks with the sword he was holding.
It was a wound that would have killed a human instantly, but he was able to avoid death due to the physical characteristics of his race.
=’The prophet taught, ‘This day tears the flesh and touches the soul, leaving a mark that cannot be wiped away. Now you can drink their blood.’=
=’The villager hesitated and asked, ‘But how can we get to where they are?’=
The heretic inquisitor who had been reciting up to that point suddenly shut his mouth tightly. Joachim, who had been listening blankly to the story that was beyond imagination, returned to his gaze and asked.
“Why, as we talk, it’s a shame to tell you more?”
=······No, that’s not it.=
He hesitates and then says.
=That’s because the only way to get to Elahu-Praga alive is for our species. In the first place, before even mentioning that step, the baptism itself is the problem···.=
The blazing fire began to burn again in Joachim’s eyes. As he tightened his grip on his head, the judge spoke urgently.
=Please listen to me until the end! Then it’s not too late to make a choice and take action!=
He quickly pours out his psychic energy.
=I see. The method is to send the soul alive to Elahu-Praga. Then, after it touches the divine blood, the soul is called back into the body.=
“?!”
=It’s impossible for a species like yours to begin with. Astral projection of a living being is a state that cannot be reached by artificial ecstasy based on drugs. But if you really die, you won’t be able to return here, which is a problem.=
As he said that, the judge brought up the old story again.
But Joachim did not miss the part he had slyly omitted. Not everyone can go to Elah-Prague just by astral projection. There must be another condition.
Does the effect of ‘baptism’ include that?
=Anyway, after that, all of our race were baptized without exception. We made a dagger as a holy relic, following the method the prophet had instructed. And those who had acquired the qualifications of priests went to Elahu-Pragha and returned with a little bit of the divine blood.=
It is said that the talents brought in this way were transferred to the altar managed by the council and stored there instead of being kept by individuals.
=It was forbidden for one person to absorb too much. If they did, they found out that the divine power would run wild. It was also forbidden for them to absorb a lot in a short period of time. If they did, the ancient races that scraped the divine blood from outside would suddenly find out that the amount had decreased.=
That was why the amount the committee got was always less than expected.
The priests had been intercepting it little by little, far inside the mint’s mining area, in places the committee could not enter or even glimpse.
=After so many years of gathering, the time has finally come. The time when the gods’ sleep becomes shallow.=
The main council of Dreamland began to prepare in earnest to awaken the gods. However, they could not concentrate on it while the council and other races were coming and going from the world.
The decision followed.
=We shut down the entire dimension suddenly. Suddenly, without any warning.=
The lockdown was carried out in a flash, as there was concern that if advance notice had been given, the committee would have found it suspicious and would have been desperate to dig up the details.
Even the races that had gone to other worlds for reasons such as missionary work or trade were unable to return.
Of course, high priests and nobles were secretly contacted and asked to return. However, they were a minority, and the majority were left stranded outside the dimension. This was a measure to control information as much as possible.
The inquisitor points to the severed head and says:
=That’s why I stayed here too.=
“······My father, who was neither a high-ranking priest nor a nobleman at the time, was abandoned.”
The judge’s face was stained with an expression that was difficult to interpret.
=It had to be that way.=
“Then why did Father try so hard to return right before he died? I remember. He said he had to return before the next cycle came around.”
=I guess he wanted to directly participate in the ritual to awaken the god.=
Joachim, the priest, could understand the meaning of those words.
=I thought that if I served in that last ritual, I would be remembered more clearly than anyone else in the memory of the awakened god. I wanted to be guaranteed the blessing of eternal life in that memory.=
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He couldn’t bear to be left here alone and miss out on such a glorious moment.
According to official doctrine, if you did your best to catch the ‘eye of God’ beforehand, you can join the true world without necessarily participating in the ceremony, but the Patriarch wanted more than that. He wanted to have a clearer memory.
=You see, our species can control the brain chemicals that induce pleasure and happiness. He must have let it run wild right before he met his death here.=
Joachim recalled the Patriarch’s condition at the time. The third eye between his eyebrows was open, red foam was bubbling, and a strange protrusion was writhing.
=Because the timing was exquisitely controlled, the soul that flowed out of the body would have been transferred to Elahu-Pragga instead of becoming Buddha. The body would have cooled down immediately after.=
The judge’s face became distorted as he explained what happened next.
=Do you understand how that guy died and came back to life? He went to the sanctuary in that state and then had an absurd amount of divine blood in his soul! A horrifying amount that the committee noticed!=
His mentality becomes rough.
=Fortunately, we found out a little earlier. It was thanks to the priest who went to worship to receive the blessing of the divine blood. The brother noticed that the amount of divine blood flowing in the sanctuary had decreased significantly. Someone had broken the taboo!=
After investigating internally but being unable to find a suspect, they turned their attention to priests outside the dimension.
=There must have been chaos among those beasts already! There is no turning back now. We must quickly proceed with the final ritual. That person must have anticipated this situation.=
“wait for a sec.”
Joachim points out in a sharp voice.
“That’s all? If that were true, you wouldn’t have come here in such a hurry to lift the lockdown. The reason you want this head so desperately is… isn’t it because you need the soul inside it? To be exact, the divine blood of my father’s soul!”
The judge, struck by the point, remains silent for a moment.
And then he nods his head heavily.
=That’s what he was after. Since it’s come to this, I have to proceed with the ritual quickly, but the amount of blood is still insufficient. I don’t know how much he’s absorbed, but I need to add that!=
Before he died, the Patriarch was convinced.
Regardless of the excommunication or whatever, the main tier will eventually have to take him to the altar of the mother dimension. He will have to transfer the talent he has. He thought that just by contributing to creating the last nightmare, he would get closer to eternal life.
The heretic inquisitor, having explained this far, held out his hand and made a suggestion.
=You are in danger now that you know all these secrets. What do you think? I think it would be better to come with me to our dimension.=
“······.”
=You do not have the ability to receive the new blood, and I cannot baptize you, but I will arrange for you to participate in the last rites. It will bring you closer to the eternal life you desire. Do you have any reason to refuse?=
After a brief silence, Joachim opened his mouth.
“I am···.”
Boom!
At that moment, a loud noise rang out.
=What the!=
The three aliens and one Earthling raised their heads and saw something that should not be there.
Starlight shining brightly through the pollution-free atmosphere.
The barrier that had been clumsily sewn up was torn like a piece of paper, and the entire roof of the house was blown away.
And what jumped inside was a black wind.
Kwajik!
“@#%@#@!”
One of the inquisitors fell down screaming. One of his arms was missing. The scream that tore through the air died down as blood bubbled between his eyebrows. The priest, who had suppressed the pain with a brain substance, immediately prepared for battle.
=Who are you!=
Each of them takes out the dagger-shaped relic they had been wearing on their waists.
Minjun clicked his tongue inwardly at the man who turned over the seething shadow monster.
He held the judge’s arm in his left hand and a dagger in his right. Unlike the priest’s holy weapon, it was a weapon seething with black magic.
The gaze turns to the aliens one by one.
‘I clearly attacked with the intention of tearing off all of its arms and legs… What the heck? These monsters.’
They were people who had to be careful their entire lives not to commit a crime that would catch the eye of the committee.
Because if he gets caught, he’s a capable person who can be used to the fullest.
‘But I can’t take that head. And… you guys need to talk to me some more.’
It was as if they had shared such a great secret that even Minjun’s spell could not clearly hear the contents. They had created another barrier inside to prevent it from leaking out.
But after much effort, I was able to obtain a few keywords. And the most crucial one among them was…
‘How many times have I said the word talent?’
And before his eyes he saw the head of the Patriarch, and the brilliant light it radiated. No further proof was needed.
Anticipating that it would be a tough fight, Minjun fired a mental wave at the dragon behind him.
=If someone seems to be running away, just spit fire at them! They won’t die from that anyway!=
But no answer came back.
Minjun, who was staring straight ahead, couldn’t see it, but Ha Eunseong was making the most dramatic, terrified expression possible towards the dragon, and he didn’t have the presence of mind to respond.
Ha Eun-seong was also staring in the direction the agent was looking. However, the object of his attention was different.
=······That’s ridiculous.=
Ha Eun-seong felt like her knees were giving out. Her lungs were sore as if they were filled with wet mud, and her heart felt like it was going to burst.
What caught his eye was the sword the aliens were holding in their hands.
I couldn’t help but notice.
Just before I died, I remember what someone whispered to me.
‘You’ll be more useful dead than alive, right?’
Memories that I couldn’t forget even though I tried to, welled up in my throat. Memories of myself running away with my vision blank. The killer following me from behind with such calm steps.
And at the last moment, a blade stuck in his neck.
I couldn’t help but notice it.
=Why on earth?=
Those aliens were holding daggers identical to those of their killer.
< 91. Hell of Disbelief (19) > End
