< 93. Hell of Disbelief (21) >
***
Holy light penetrates. Shadows disperse. Tumors swell. Daggers pierce. Boom! Flesh melts away. Shadows darken.
As soon as a tumor was created on his body with sacred magic, the inmate offered it up as a sacrifice. By using the priest’s attacks as a sacrificial black magic, he was actually becoming stronger.
It seemed like an endless vicious cycle, but there was a reason the aliens kept attacking.
‘There is a limit to the amount of life consumed by black magic!’
If the fight drags on, he will eventually squeeze out every last drop and die. Or, he may as well be buried in the tumor mass because he has no more life to extract.
But the judges now believe that their judgment may have been wrong.
‘This is… ridiculous!’
I couldn’t count how many times the self-sacrifice was repeated. But the prisoner was still fine and didn’t hesitate to stab himself. I even had the fear that if the fight went on for a long time, he would do it all night.
‘What kind of race is it? Even a dragon would die after being squeezed to that extent…!’
His thoughts were interrupted there, and for a moment the judge felt a lightning strike in his head.
Infinite recovery, not even allowed to trolls.
The enormous vitality that supports it.
Recite scriptures in your head.
‘The prophet answered, ‘They are those who have in their bosom a spring of life that never runs dry.’
But, that can’t be!
‘How blasphemous!’
He tried hard to deny it. He tried desperately to calm his mind, but his confused thoughts made his movements dull.
Of course, Minjun doesn’t miss that gap.
Shhh!
Once again the shadow stretches out like a whip. The target is the Patriarch’s head. And this time it finally reaches it.
Chomp!
The shadows bind the head that emits an ecstatic light. The judges shout and attack the black tentacles. However, just before the thin darkness is cut off, Minjun vigorously flicks the end of the strand. He throws the head high into the sky!
Shhh!
A heavy wind swept past them. The one who created the sudden gust of wind was a dragon. It read Minjun’s mental wave and flew up. Then, it quickly grabbed the head that was rising in a straight line with its front legs.
=Phew, got it!=
The moment he confirmed that, the fighting on the ground stopped. Minjun still had no intention of killing them, and the judges’ priority was on the Patriarch.
The alien cries out in confusion.
=Dragon! That head belongs to our sect!=
Ha Eun-seong waited for Min-jun’s instructions without answering. Breaking through the silence, the priest spoke again.
=You have the body of a dragon, so you are not a prisoner, so why are you helping the committee?!=
‘Prisoner? Committee? What kind of elven squawk is that?’
When there was no response, the judges exchanged glances. Then, light gathered in their hands. It seemed as if they were trying to intercept and bring down the dragon floating in the air.
Okay then.
“!”
The judges felt the color of the air change for a moment.
A heavy, spreading pressure. The source was Minjun.
“I think it would be better to stop there.”
A murderous aura vibrated as if it were piercing the skin. Although the expression was hidden in the shadows and could not be seen, a freezing aura was leaking from the entire body that was standing upright.
From the aliens’ perspective, it was a fierce battle and anger that they had never felt before while fighting him.
They also know that the prisoners fought with the priority of neutralizing them rather than risking their own lives. However, the momentum of the sudden change was sharp enough to cut off the priests’ necks at any moment.
I swallow dry saliva without realizing it. Minjun aims his dagger at them. And then he speaks in a cold voice.
“I was thinking of keeping all three alive if possible···.”
The shadows shake violently, as if projecting anger.
“If you touch my private property, this consideration will end. Be careful, because it can still be undone.”
The judges thought he was referring to the head of the Patriarch. How dare he threaten to claim it as his when he had just taken it! They thought it was really shameless, but soon realized their mistake.
“If you attack that dragon, you’ll have to be prepared for the consequences.”
“?!”
One person speaks stammeringly.
=Private property… Are you talking about that dragon?=
Minjun nodded, the judges were shocked, and Ha Eunseong was even more shocked.
‘Do you really think of me as a slave?!’
There is no way to know that they are considered livestock.
Ha Eun-seong was taken aback by Min-jun’s remark, but he wasn’t so clueless as to shout, “I’m not a slave!” He lowered his altitude little by little as instructed. Meanwhile, Min-jun was on guard to make sure the judges wouldn’t harm Yong.
The judges who saw that sight felt their souls flee.
It was because of Ha Eun-seong’s reaction.
‘Why aren’t you denying it?! Why aren’t you angry!’
Dragons are basically racists, dragon supremacists, and twisted narcissists even before they hatch. The moment Min-jun claimed to have subjugated a dragon, the target dragon should have been furious and spitting fire. It doesn’t matter if they’re young or old, weak or strong. That’s just how dragons are. Instead of kneeling and accepting humiliation, they express their shame with rage.
But what is his attitude now?
‘Why are you so obedient?!’
Something that is impossible according to common sense is happening.
Also, I gradually began to notice parts that I had not noticed before because I was so focused on the fight.
‘Why is the dragon so fat? Could it be… that he was abused?!’
Have you truly subjugated and ruled the dragon?
The judges feel their bodies tremble slightly.
The original text of the Book of Asif, which had been delivered to the Earthling priests in a deleted and censored form, echoed in their heads.
‘The Prophet answered, ‘The first race is the one who lived in Elahu-Pragah before history was written down, the one who has in his heart the fountain of life that never runs dry, the great ones who sleep for a time close to eternity but do not die and create anything through dreams. And···.’
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Some sentences were deleted out of fear of the committee, while others were cut out because they could cause serious discord with certain races if leaked. The sentences that were causing them to shiver at the sight they were seeing now were of the latter type.
‘···And those who rule over dragons and thirst for their flesh and blood.’
Minjun stretches his hand to the sky. Above him, a dragon is flying low, carrying a severed head. Like a bird sent out to hunt and flying toward the falconer’s hand, or like a hunting dog running to its master after snatching a Frisbee.
The judges just watched blankly, not even thinking of resisting.
And finally, the moment when I handed my head over to Minjun.
Pot!
“?!”
Something even Minjun could not have predicted happened. An intense flash of light, incomparable to anything before, burst out from the head of the Patriarch who had been emitting a brilliant light.
And the judges sensed that the divine power attached to it was seething with fear. From the moment night fell, the power that had been causing nightmares and madness to the citizens of Bremenharn began to run wild the moment it touched Minjun.
‘what?!’
Minjun feels a surge of power surge inside him like a wave. Immediately afterwards, the inmate loses consciousness with his eyes open.
***
Minjun faces a nightmare.
The material from which the dream was woven was the most horrific memories the inmate had experienced, fragments of the past he absolutely did not want to recall.
I wanted to shake off my gaze and escape from the swamp of reminiscence, but it was no use. The more I tried not to think about something, the more it clung to me, until eventually I couldn’t think of anything else.
The past that I want to ignore keeps crawling back more desperately the more I try to shake it off. Of the memories that left scars, the one that I have least buried is the one that arrived first.
– You can think I’m crazy. I probably am. I don’t think there’s any way I can stay sane. I can’t help but think about you.
Poor Del. I remember her reciting the words with a blank expression, without looking away, even when being questioned. My ex-wife was clearly crazy. Was it a side effect of having Endellion’s soul inserted into a human body?
For several decades after marriage, they lived without any problems. The initial passionate feelings did not last forever, but as with old couples, they developed a camaraderie. The two actually fought for the same purpose, so there is no better expression.
But she lost her senses because she was obsessed with the idea that Min-jun would have to live his whole life as a criminal, locked up in a prison without bars. Also, the anxiety that he would be forcibly torn up and reassigned with just one notice from the committee and never see each other again shook her. And it was too deep.
She fell into the superstition that a couple’s relationship would continue after reincarnation because she wanted to believe it.
Minjun mutters. No, I don’t believe in that. Not in superstitions, not in you. When I found out that the person I loved was delusional about killing me, how do you think I felt?
– I curse you! I summon all the strength I have left and curse you! All the ghosts I have commanded will eat you up! It’s just a shame that I won’t be able to see the spectacle with my own eyes!
Sorry, but that curse was only half-effective. Min-jun whispers to the necromancer whose name he can’t remember. You told the spirits to take over my body, right? As soon as they tried to possess me, they screamed and ran away as if they were hit by something. It was a psychic, but if I were to use a sound metaphor… Yes. It was a scream like burning an orc alive. I felt terrible pain the moment it touched my soul. I still don’t know why.
But after that, he pursued me terribly. I could hardly sleep. Because of the curses and evil words whispered in my ears. I thought about death many times. I still don’t want to recall that memory.
But I finally figured out how to control them, so I’m grateful for that. Do you understand now? This memory is a pain that has already been overcome, a suffering that has already been overcome.
So this isn’t a nightmare.
Let’s move on.
– The current account balance of the inmate named ‘Asif-666’ is 0 talents. Please be careful. The moment the talents in the account turn negative (-), legal interest will be charged, and excessive delinquency can result in immediate execution.
If the situation of being born and thrown into the world without prior agreement between the parties can be called violent, then the moment when one first opens one’s eyes as a prisoner can be called cruel.
Minjun opened his eyes with a blank mind, without any memory. And the first voice he heard was that. A sentence that if he didn’t pay his survival tax within the deadline, he would be slaughtered immediately.
The world he faced with a blank sheet of paper was too cruel to him.
Like a religious person who blames his past life’s karma, Minjun cursed his previous self before his memories were erased. What terrible things had he done, what great sin had he committed? What was the crime that made him live in such a miserable prison?
I predict that the life ahead will be hell.
That is the first scene that Min-jun remembers. The first emotion he felt after becoming conscious as a prisoner, and the first thought he had.
wait for a sec.
Is this really the first time?
Indeed, can we confidently say that this is the oldest of our terrible memories?
Was there nothing before that?
Minjun thinks. Let’s go a little further.
– Thank you for accepting our offer.
Those who encountered him could not hide their joy. His appearance was similar to a snake covered in brown fur. An excited voice flowed out from his head, which was dried like a cochlea.
– Other races think we left the dimension for a while. They call us an ‘ancient race’ because we existed long ago but suddenly disappeared. But that’s not true. We never went anywhere else. We were asleep. For quite a long time.
He asks again, “You were asleep? Why?”
– It was to wait until you guys woke up.
Us?
– In the past, which people of this era call ancient times, we searched desperately for you. But we never found you. It was clear that you were sleeping somewhere. So we changed our minds. Instead of going to find you while you were sleeping, we waited for you to wake up and move. But we didn’t know how long it would take.
Wouldn’t it have been possible to wait for generations without doing that? For our descendants to welcome us when we wake up.
– We didn’t want to do that. We didn’t want to pass it on to our descendants. We wanted to welcome you. We wanted to welcome you ourselves. You can think of it as selfish. Oh, and there were practical reasons, too. We were afraid that after so many years, our goals would become blurred or discolored by religious messages, mythical symbols and metaphors. So we decided to sleep. Until you wake up.
But even after you ‘ancient races’ woke up, most of us were still asleep. Still.
– Yes, it was unexpected. I didn’t expect it to be such a long sleep. So I was in despair at first… but fortunately, I met you! Thank you for your cooperation.
you’re welcome.
– When I came back, the entire dimension was in shambles. There was no world that was not ruled by those giant reptiles. Only the remotest dimensions escaped their reach? You see. The people are suffering. Let us give them freedom. Let us help them to blossom into their full potential, free from the oppression and tyranny of monsters who know nothing but domination and exploitation. Let us end the long winter and bring about a spring of freedom and peace. So tell me. Where are you sleeping? We will wake you all up.
no.
Don’t say it!
Don’t teach me!
Minjun desperately resists. But in the nightmare, he opens his mouth and says things he shouldn’t.
“The place where we laid down our bodies was···.”
Minjun woke up.
***
He anchored his consciousness back to reality again.
My senses gradually returned. At first, the sounds came rushing in like a storm, and then my sense of smell. The acrid smell of a burning city. The smell of human blood. The sweet body odor of the Lepatam tribe. The calming smell of dragons.
And the vision was reconnected with consciousness. In the meantime, the field of vision was not blocked. The scenery that I had been looking at but had not found a connection with reality took on the color of meaning again and seeped into my mind.
He sees. The faces of the astonished inquisitors. Their eyes are on Minjun and the head he holds.
=The divine power… has stopped?=
That was right. Minjun turned his eyes and looked at the severed head. Inside it was a soul that had absorbed all the talents it could get in hopes of gaining eternal life.
The Patriarch had now regained consciousness. The madness in the city would gradually subside.
Minjun noticed the light flowing out of his soul, from his head. When Ha Eunseong appeared with the talent, Minjun did not notice it. This is because when the talent is not consumed, the light does not leak out of the soul. As if intentionally hiding it.
But now, a beautiful light flows out of this head that anyone can see. He will continue to be in this state after his resurrection. Because talents are constantly being consumed to keep the soul tied to a dead body that cannot be regenerated and to maintain life.
Talents continue to evaporate as long as the Patriarch lives.
It was a pity.
And I get angry.
Minjun opened his mouth.
“That’s not yours.”
After absorbing the ceremonial dagger into the shadow, he covers his empty right hand with his head. The awakened Patriarch simply rolls his eyes filled with fear.
=Please, please···!=
Minjun mutters softly.
“It’s mine. Give it back.”
He pronounced the sentence again, as if he was chewing over his own words.
“Yes, it’s mine. It’s ‘our’.”
=No! Please… Me! In the memory of God…!=
At that moment, light exploded again.
After the flash that blinded everyone disappeared, people froze again. The judges couldn’t even breathe properly. Ha Eun-seong just stared at Min-jun, his face frozen.
The pupils of the Patriarch, who had been alive until just a moment ago, were dilated. His head had turned into an ordinary corpse.
And the glorious light that flowed from within it was…
=Oh my god.=
Religious people tremble in shock.
The thing that was swaying and burning on Minjun’s right palm was clearly divine blood. It was a sensitive relic that would evaporate the moment it touched the mortal world. Therefore, it was sacred blood that had to be kept in a special seal.
Such a divine blood was shining in a stable state without any device. It was held in the man’s hand.
Now the judges had lost the will to resist. No, they had no reason to dare resist.
The feelings and attitude that should have been sent to that man should have been the exact opposite.
He who holds in his heart the fountain of life that never runs dry.
He who rules over dragons and satisfies their necks with their blood and flesh.
One who has the power to make everything possible through the blood he sheds.
The god the priests serve is sleeping in Elahu-Praga instead of the false world, but now one who possesses all of its symbols has appeared here. It is not difficult to think of a religious interpretation of this phenomenon.
The judges slowly, joyfully, kneel down.
And he bowed his head before Minjun, worshipping the miracle that existed in this world.
=God, primordial race. I, your humble servant, praise your testimony that has descended here.=
< 93. Hell of Disbelief (21) > End
