Chapter 114: Episode 22 – Three Promises (6)
Kim Namwoon’s last look remained with but I hadn’t co to rescue him in the first place. Besides, why should I save him when he liked Hell?
The legless judge climbed the stairs quietly, like a ghost. So of the symbolic bodies along the way looked at with interested eyes. Were they constellations who dwelled in Hades’ palace? I didn’t know. It wasn’t all constellations here.
The judge seed aware that I was drifting off and spoke without looking back.
[You will lose your way if you don’t follow along well.]
It was a scratchy voice that made feel uncomfortable. Still, it was the correct advice.
I looked at the judge before shifting my gaze to the ceiling and opening my mouth slightly. ‘Hey, can you hear ?’
It was a small whisper that the judge couldn’t hear.
‘I know you’re listening.’
This wasn’t Earth but Hades’ Underworld. I was curious. Did the dokkaebi channel work here? Then a faint voice entered my ears.
-...Yes.
There was a reply on the dokkaebi communication. It wasn’t Bihyung’s voice.
‘Are you a new dokkaebi?’
-Yes. I am the low-grade dokkaebi Youngki. I am temporarily serving as an administrator while Bihyung is at the bureau.
Dokkaebi Youngki. Perhaps it was the dokkaebi who dealt with the compensation settlent for the fifth scenario during the day. I got straight to the point.
‘Why aren’t you doing your work properly?’
-Huh?
‘The hidden scenario has updated but why aren’t you letting know the contents?’
I ca to this terrible place and should at least get compensation.
-Ah, t-that...!
It turned out that this dokkaebi was a beginner. I could see how good Bihyung was at handling things. He just slightly lacked intelligence... The dokkaebi was silent for dozens of seconds before stuttering.
-E-Excuse ...
‘What is it now?’
-How do I update the scenario?
I was speechless for a mont.
‘Why is a dokkaebi asking a constellation?’
-B-Bihyung told to ask Kim Dokja-ssi if I’m not sure of anything.
That bastard Bihyung made an advisor?
-P-Please wait a mont! I’ll ask another dokkaebi about it. Ah, and...
‘...What else?’
-I’m sorry but would you like to receive the backed up indirect ssages? It was the first ti I was in this situation...
I reluctantly nodded. I never expected a day would co when I missed Bihyung. Then ssages exploded in my head.
[The constellation ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ rejoices in your plight.]
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is excited about your adventure.]
[The constellation Secretive Plotter is wondering how you will escape.]
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ prays that you can return safely to your comrades.]
...
As expected, the constellations were enamored with watching . On the other hand, there were those feeling admiration.
[The constellation ‘One-eyed Maitreya’ admires the Underworld.]
[The constellation ‘Bald General of Justice’ is greatly shocked by the appearance of the Underworld.]
[The constellation ‘Bald General of Justice’ begins to doubt his religion.]
...
This was a spectacle for so constellations. Not all constellations could co to Hades’ castle.
[12,000 coins have been sponsored.]
I got 12,000 coins just from showing Hades’ palace. It was a huge profit. This was like illegally filming private land.
So ti passed. The silently walking judge finally opened his mouth.
[We’ve arrived.]
The door opened and a huge banquet hall appeared. The interior wasn’t visible because it was dark. The judge disappeared and the door closed.
A small light appeared in the middle of the dark hall. An oval antique table was waiting for . There was a splendid statue that could be seen as a statue of the king. The table contained many dishes that stimulated the salivary glands.
There was a woman looking at at the end of the table.
[How interesting. A living soul has co to this castle. Furthermore, you also brought unpleasant observers... Today is a really special day.]
I imdiately recognized who she was. In Hades’ palace, there was only one existence who could occupy the seat of the hostess. I bowed and opened my mouth.
“It is an honour, Queen of the Darkest Spring.”
Queen of the Darkest Spring. She was Persephone, Hades’ wife and the famous queen of the Underworld.
[You know my modifier. You are a polite incarnation.]
“You’re overpraising .”
[The even more interesting thing is that your soul didn’t shake when you heard my true voice.]
Co to think of it, I didn’t feel much when I heard the truth voice of the constellations.
Persephone was a constellation that was at least narrative grade. Due to the difference between us, my soul should’ve been damaged or destroyed the mont I heard her true words.
Moreover, I previously heard the words of Kim Yooshin, an upper-grade constellation...
[The exclusive skill, ‘Fourth Wall’ is strongly activated.]
It was the first ti that ‘strongly’ was attached to the skill ssage. Perhaps my unconscious mind saw this situation as ‘unrealistic’ due to the person I was eting.
[Sit down, Incarnation Kim Dokja.]
I thanked her for the hospitality and sat across from her. Honestly, it was an unexpected favour. The aroma of sweet delicacies tickled my nose.
I looked around but only Persephone was sitting at the table. “The king...?”
[The king is uncomfortable with your sudden visit. That’s why I thought it would be better for to talk to you.]
It ended up like this. I had expected it. There hadn’t been a single incarnation who had t the three heads of Olympus. Besides, I didn’t play the lyre well like Orpheus.
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
[You can ask.]
“Is this your true body?”
[Of course it is a symbolic body. My true body isn’t sothing that a human like you can withstand.]
I quietly gazed at Persephone’s symbolic body. She looked like an old woman.
...It was a terrible hobby. Honestly, I had to think like this. Persephone smiled softly.
[You don’t like older won like this?]
“That isn’t the problem.”
It didn’t matter if she looked like a grandmother or grandfather. The problem was that she looked exactly like the ‘grandmother’ on the subway in the first scenario.
[If you feel uncomfortable then I can change to soone else.]
Persephone’s appearance slowly changed into Yoo Sangah’s image. It wasn’t the usual Yoo Sangah. This Yoo Sangah wore a black Chinese dress and a garter belt, with seductive eye makeup...
I turned red just staring at her face. Dammit, did she peep at my dreams?
“Just be the grandmother.”
Of course, Persephone didn’t listen to .
[There isn’t much ti so get to the point.]
“You don’t know?”
[I heard a bit from my child but it has more aning to hear it directly from the children.]
Her child must an Dionysus. I nodded and took a deep breath before explaining. “I’m looking for a woman’s soul. I don’t know if you’ve heard but I’m ready to make a trade.”
[Soul... it is an outdated idea.]
Her eyelids lowered as she seed to think of sothing. Before long, Persephone’s long fingers moved and she started to slice the steak on her plate.
I patiently waited. It proceeded slowly. The fork firmly held the at as the knife moved slowly back and forth, slicing the at with care. The red juices flowed out as a clean section was cut. The fork carefully moved the at that it had pierced.
Persephone made a face like she was worrying about whether to eat it or not. She seed to have forgotten about .
I was about to open my mouth when she opened her mouth first. Of course, it was to eat the steak.
[There is no such thing as a ‘soul’ in this world.]
Souls didn’t exist. It was a matter that all modern physicists would agree on but the problem was the person saying it was a god. It was a god of Olympus, who had long defended the logic of the souls.
I said sarcastically, “Plato and Aristotle would rise from the grave.”
[They are constellations right now so they wouldn’t be in their graves.]
“I didn’t co here to play around.”
[I’m not playing around. Incarnation Kim Dokja. The soul doesn’t exist. It is just an illusion created by humans who want the continuity of themselves.]
“Then what about the people in the Underworld? Aren’t they souls?”
She pointed to the steak she just cut.
[They are like this.]
The steak slowly entered Persephone’s mouth. She took her ti chewing the at, like she was relishing it. Her red lips glistened enchantingly.
[Well, it is very special. Why don’t you try it once?]
The sa steak that she ate appeared in front of . I looked down at it and said after a mont. “I don’t want to.”
[Are you going to be rude?]
“Yes. I’m really sorry but I have to be rude.”
It would surely be tasty if I ate it. There were at least 12 pages in Ways of Survival describing the taste. However, at the end of a long description, the following sentence was written:
「 It wasn’t until the end of the regression that Yoo Jonghyuk regretted eating the food. 」
Those who ate the food of the Underworld couldn’t return to Earth. Persephone seed to read my mind and laughed.
[The people of the Underworld aren’t as terrible as you think. Most of the known theories are false. You can go out of the Underworld at any ti as long as you have the permission of the king. It is a similar concept to a ‘career soldier’ in your world.]
“The military life was the most terrible mory in my life.”
[Is that so? Don’t the males in your country say that they should stay in the army? That’s why I thought it wasn’t a big deal. I guess it was a misunderstanding.]
I didn’t know why the goddess of another country knew so much about Korean an. Persephone continued speaking.
[Incarnation Kim Dokja. You will be treated better than you imagined.]
“The person who advised to be a professional sergeant told sothing similar.”
[Did he recomnd a steak like ? For example, the steak currently in front of you. Do you know what will happen if you eat it?]
“I can taste the juices of a cow.”
[You can beco a ‘sword master’ right now.]
I thought I heard wrong for a mont. Sword master. It was a higher realm that only returnees who left this world could reach after hard work.
[The pasta next to it. You can beco a ‘great magician’ if you eat it.]
...This pasta?
[The soup? It can make you a SSS-grade hunter.]
This... it was a wonderland instead of a hell?
I couldn’t help gulping. I could get power to overco the current Yoo Jonghyuk if I just ate this at.
[You still won’t eat?]
I slowly moved my fork and picked up a piece of the steak. The mont my fork pierced the at, strange scenes flashed in front of my eyes. It was the mory of a man training alone with a sword.
「 I can’t be weak. I have to learn the sword. 」
「 I will strive to beco stronger. 」
「I-I finally did it! I did it! 」
There were only a few scenes. I was surprised and put down the fork. This wasn’t a dead cow that I was poking.
“This is...?”
Persephone nodded.
[Yes. This small piece of at. It is the soul that humans believe in.]
She once again ate the at. I belatedly understood why Persephone said I could beco a sword master if I ate this. I stated, “...It contains the mories of the sword master.”
[mories? No. To be more precise...]
She paused for a mont to pick her words.
[It is a story.]
The sight of her licking her lips gave goose bumps.
[It is the story that is the favourite food of all constellations.]
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