Into the Creations 1049

Chapter 1049 – 1049. Divine Authority

I followed Kang Jiwoo through the underground passage.

The only thing illuminating the dark passage was the small lantern in Kang Jiwoo’s hand. The lantern’s light was dim, not brightly illuminating the surroundings.

I examined the walls of the passage. The stone walls were smooth, and like the training center building in Busan, they were covered with dense, bizarre patterns of unknown meaning.

‘I feel bad ever since I entered this passage.’

There were several reasons.

Perhaps because of the hot springs nearby, the air was lukewarm and humid. It felt like being inside someone’s mouth.

And the second reason was that I had no idea what was at the end of this passage.

“Yujin, you seem tense.”

“Wouldn’t anyone be tense going somewhere unknown? It feels like we’ve been walking for quite a while now, but there’s no sign of arriving. How much further do we have to go?”

“Well, this is my first time walking through this passage too… I think we’ll arrive soon.”

“It’s your first time?”

“Yes. The Japanese branch made this passage, and I’m in charge of Korea. I’ve been to Japan a few times, but this is the first time I’ve come for work like this.”

“Tell me what’s at the end of this passage.”

Unable to bear the frustration, I asked directly. Kang Jiwoo smiled.

“See it with your own eyes, Yujin. I think the Great God also wants that.”

I got nothing. I sighed and walked on.

Then, I noticed something strange. It was too quiet. There were 20 people here. Kang Jiwoo hadn’t explicitly forbidden talking. Even when I asked questions, Kang Jiwoo answered kindly.

‘…What? They’re all spaced out.’

The believers, including Park Suho, were in a daze. Their eyes were unfocused, and drool was dripping from their open mouths. It was as if their reason had vanished.

“Park Suho.”

I grabbed Park Suho’s shoulder.

“Uh, uh… Yes, hyung. What’s wrong?”

Park Suho snapped out of his dazed expression. But his eyes were still unfocused.

“…No. It’s nothing.”

It seemed like nothing I said would get through to him.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Park Suho looked forward and walked on, returning to his dazed state.

‘It’s probably the same as brainwashing. The patterns on the passage walls are affecting Park Suho and the others. I’m fine because I’m completely conscious… Is Kang Jiwoo unaffected because she’s the guide?’

The back of my neck tingled. Instinct and intuition were telling me it was dangerous.

‘Let’s prepare in advance.’

I looked around. Kang Jiwoo, at the front, was focused on moving forward, and the believers around me were all following her with blank expressions. Even if I held up my middle finger right in front of their faces, the believers wouldn’t react. They wouldn’t look at me unless I physically touched them.

I took out my smartphone. Then, I realized that the Wi-Fi wasn’t working. Well, that was okay. The problem wasn’t the Wi-Fi, but the signal indicator showing zero bars. In other words, phone connections were impossible in this underground passage.

‘What did they do to this passage?’

I was in a situation where I couldn’t ask for outside help.

I used the Game World to change the items in my inventory to be suitable for combat. And just in case, I wrapped a space-movement scroll around my wrist. If things got dangerous, I could use the space-movement scroll to escape.

‘Alright. I’m ready. Let’s go.’

I was fully prepared.

Even if the opponent was an A-rank hunter, I was confident I could win using my gear. It wouldn’t work against the top A-ranks, but… I could at least run away.

‘This is reality. If I die, it’s over, so I need to be careful.’

Dying in the Game World would only end the Game World, but reality was different. I hadn’t even fully enjoyed the Game Life app yet, so I couldn’t die.

Whoooooooosh.

“……!!”

I gasped, inhaling sharply. It felt like the space had changed drastically. I knew this sensation well.

‘A dungeon! Did we just enter a dungeon?!’

I looked at Kang Jiwoo. Kang Jiwoo was walking as if nothing had happened.

“It seems like we’re almost there.”

At the end of the passage was a door. A huge door. A black door with all sorts of ornate carvings, like the gates of hell.

Kang Jiwoo grabbed the door and pushed it. Creeeeak. The door slowly opened. Despite its heavy appearance, the door seemed light.

“Everyone. This is your first time at the Light Source Church’s temple, right? Actually, it’s my first time too. The temple is a place where those who are not permitted cannot enter. The Great God will obtain divine authority here and descend to save this world.”

I felt like I was entering a dungeon again.

The world that opened up beyond the door was completely different.

A magnificent, pure white building stood under a high, blue sky. Clear water flowed around it. The temple was surrounded by clean marble floors.

‘Is that the Light Source Church’s temple…?’

It felt like I had entered a fantasy world. No, even in a fantasy world, buildings like this weren’t common. Having experienced a fantasy world, I knew that well.

Around the temple, followers of the Light Source Church were walking around. There were not only East Asians but also Westerners. I looked around and noticed three more black doors like the one we had come through.

‘I felt like I was entering a dungeon twice on the way here. Could it be… a dungeon within a dungeon?’

Even though I was a university student in the Hunter Department, I was confident in my knowledge of the hunter world. Among that knowledge was information about dungeons that opened within dungeons. The cause was unknown, but it happened with very rare probability.

I checked my smartphone. The signal was still not working. And looking at the bright blue sky, unlike the night sky in Japan, I had to admit it. This was a dungeon. Whether it was a dungeon within a dungeon, I didn’t know, but it was definitely a dungeon.

Then, it happened.

A group appeared from the main gate of the temple.

It was a middle-aged man with short blond hair and a white robe. The ornate clothing embroidered with gold thread made it clear that his status was extraordinary.

“Oh! Noble guest! We have been waiting for you to come to the temple!”

I was taken aback. First of all, a foreigner suddenly speaking fluent Korean was surprising, but he was also welcoming me far too much.

I glanced sideways at Kang Jiwoo. Kang Jiwoo was smiling.

“That is the head of the Light Source Church, Giorgio Miceli. It seems he came out to greet you personally to welcome you, Yujin.”

The head of the Light Source Church, Giorgio, ran towards me and hugged me. I felt terrible when this guy hugged me. I wanted to stab him right there, but… there were too many people around. Especially the guys around the head of the church, they had the skills of A-rank hunters.

“…It’s a bit much, head of the church.”

I pushed him away, using minimal force. Giorgio easily backed off.

“Oh… I made a mistake. I was too happy… Please forgive me, noble guest.”

“It’s okay, it’s not like I’m hurt. I didn’t expect you to welcome me like this, head of the church.”

“It is only natural for a noble guest. But your eyes are full of confusion.”

I looked around.

Everyone in the Light Source Church was friendly towards me. And I was curious about the identity of this temple. I didn’t know the details, but it was definitely extraordinary.

“Let me ask you frankly. Where exactly is this place? Where on Earth is it?”

“Haha. It seems the noble guest is curious about the temple. This temple is not anywhere on Earth.”

“……Is it a dungeon?”

“It’s similar, but slightly different. It would take more time to explain in detail… so let’s postpone that for later. However, to say something about this space, it can be said that the Great God’s power has permeated it.”

The head of the church answered my questions easily. He didn’t seem displeased at all.

“There’s something else I don’t understand. Why am I a noble guest?”

“Because the Great God has chosen you.”

“I’m asking why that Great God chose me. Until recently, I had no connection to the Light Source Church at all.”

If it weren’t for Park Suho, I wouldn’t have been involved. And it was hard to understand just because I was told I became a noble guest due to a divine revelation. Why did the Great God give such a revelation? Why did the Great God choose me? More fundamental questions arose.

Kang Jiwoo would probably say that the will of God is too deep to fathom, but the head of the church in front of me would be different. Unlike Kang Jiwoo, who was the lowest-ranking member of the Light Source Church, he was the highest-ranking.

“Haha. Since the noble guest has come this far, I should explain it.”

He was saying it so easily, which made me suspicious.

“First of all, the noble guest must have encountered the Great God before.”

“I met the Great God? When was that?”

“Surely the noble guest knows. Try to remember.”

I focused on my memories and soon remembered.

A being worthy of being called a god.

However, it wasn’t a god of this world, but a god of Park Suho’s tattoo world.

Brahmasen.

That was definitely the name.

An evil god.

A god of madness who spread madness.

‘Is the Great God not a god of light, but a truly insane god?’

I knew the identity of the Great God.

Brahmasen. Somehow, that guy was being worshipped on Earth. And at the same time, I had questions. Wasn’t Brahmasen hostile to me? Why was he treating me like a noble guest now? To him, I should be an enemy he wanted to kill immediately.

“The Great God desires the noble guest.”

“He desires me?”

“Yes. For some reason, the Great God desires the noble guest.”

“……”

The last time I met Brahmasen, he tried to persuade me. I was sure I had rejected him outright then.

“Noble guest. Do you perhaps know of the hero of Selbretina? The worst enemy, the most heretical of heretics. We have obtained the best sacrifice.”

The head of the church’s gaze turned to Park Suho. Park Suho still had a blank expression. Like the other ordinary believers, he knelt and bowed his head to the head of the church. The head of the church smiled at Park Suho. It was a sneer.

“To think that the real hero of Selbretina would approach us without any preparation. I didn’t expect it, and the Great God didn’t expect it either. The Great God was very pleased with the good fortune that came our way.”

I had vaguely guessed that Park Suho was a hero. The one deeply connected to the tattoo world wasn’t me, but Park Suho.

“……Park Suho is a sacrifice? What do you mean?”

“The hero of Selbretina is special. He is a kind of apostle who received the power of Selbretina. The Great God will steal the power of Selbretina through the sacrificed hero and obtain divine authority. That is how he will descend to Earth. Hahaha. Originally, it would have taken more than half a year, but now that we have obtained the hero, the success rate has increased, and the timing has been moved forward!”

“If Park Suho is a sacrifice, what is my role? Am I also a sacrifice?”

“To make the noble guest a sacrifice… we would never do such a blasphemous thing. The noble guest’s role is to face the descended Great God. I believe the Great God intends to make the noble guest an apostle.”

The head of the church looked at me with eyes full of envy and respect. I wasn’t happy at all.

“…When will the Great God descend?”

“Tomorrow. We will hold the divine authority ritual tomorrow! I wish we could hold the ritual right now, but… rituals require preparation.”

It seemed like I was screwed.

Not just me, but the entire Earth.

I thought about it and nodded. I smiled brightly, something I hadn’t done until now.

“I’m very much looking forward to tomorrow. I’ve finished preparing to meet the Great God.”

Since it seemed like I was screwed anyway, I decided to choose the best option. To ride Brahmasen’s coattails. Then, even if the world was screwed, I would be safe. What was important to me was surviving and enjoying my Game Life.

From now on, I was a follower of the Great God Church.