“Please… kill me… I beg of you like this…”
Minjun Kim, captured by Celia, spoke in a desperate voice. His face was haggard, and dark circles had formed under his eyes.
‘Such a being cannot exist…!’
Minjun Kim gasped mentally, filled with horror. He had a long dream. Among them were pleasant dreams, and sometimes terrifying nightmares appeared. The bitterness felt after the sweetness only amplified the gap. That process resulted in the erosion of Minjun Kim’s mental strength.
How much time had passed? When Minjun Kim woke from his long dream, he realized that less than ten minutes had passed. And from then on, despair and fear gushed in.
“Please… kill me…”
The being in front of him was a succubus, who toyed with people’s dreams at will.
When she, who introduced herself as Celia, first said she would show him a dream, Minjun Kim scoffed. Just a dream. She couldn’t do anything to him with a dream. He had a complacent thought that he would just have a dream for a moment, as she said.
However, his thoughts had changed now. The being before his eyes was no ordinary succubus.
‘If such a being appeared on Earth…’
The mere thought was terrifying. No, come to think of it, this dungeon itself didn’t make sense. A Death Knight and a Goblin Lord existed.
But his thoughts didn’t delve deeper.
“How was the dream?”
He saw Celia approaching with a smile.
“Please…”
He pleaded. He pleaded desperately. If he closed his eyes, he would dream again. He would suffer for an eternity. The more terrifying fact was that even after suffering so much, only a few minutes would have passed in real time. His mental strength had already reached its limit.
“Oh my, have you finally decided to become my Master’s sacrifice?”
Celia rejoiced. Minjun Kim nodded frantically. He never thought her words would sound so sweet…
“Yes… Yes! I will be your sacrifice!”
Minjun Kim answered, bowing his forehead to the floor.
“Please let me be your sacrifice! Please offer me to that glorious position!”
When he first heard Celia’s words, he dismissed them as nonsense. Why would it be a glorious thing for him to be offered as a sacrifice? But now he understood. No, he had to consider it glorious. If it meant he could find peace, he would choose to be a sacrifice anytime.
“To show such sincere reverence to our great Master… I, Celia, am truly moved.”
Minjun Kim wanted to swear profanities immediately, but he didn’t commit the foolish act of actually speaking them aloud. He was simply relieved that he wouldn’t have to dream again.
“Come this way.”
Minjun Kim slowly got up and followed Celia’s instructions. He saw a crudely made, humble altar.
What had he lived for until now? Had he lived just to meet such an end? Perhaps it was his karma. Minjun Kim walked into the altar very slowly, thinking various thoughts.
……
This was his last sight before death. Soon after, flames erupted on the altar.
* * *
Ding- Ding- Ding-
In the darkened room, the smartphone’s alarm continued to ring.
“Hmph… what alarm keeps ringing.”
Lee Kanghyeon, who was sleeping soundly, woke up annoyed. He then picked up his smartphone.
“What’s with the alarm?”
Checking the alarm screen, it was a game he started after returning from another world.
– An intruder has appeared in the Master’s dungeon.
“Intruder…?”
However, the next alarm indicated that the situation had concluded.
– All intruders have been successfully repelled!
– Rewards are given!
– The movement range of the dungeon’s minions has increased.
– Minions can now venture outside the dungeon and operate within a certain part of the mountain range.
……
Lee Kanghyeon, looking at the alarm, was still groggy from waking up.
– Celia offers ‘Minjun Kim’ as a sacrifice to the Master.
– Absorbing the abilities of the sacrifice ‘Minjun Kim’. (Remaining time: 6 hours)
“Huh?”
However, seeing a familiar name, he perked up slightly. Of course, it wasn’t a name he knew, but a distinctly Korean name.
“Why did this name suddenly appear?”
Minjun Kim? Wasn’t the game’s setting the El Dorado Continent? After a brief thought, Lee Kanghyeon could infer one thing.
“Ah, is this historical accuracy?”
Actual inhabitants of El Dorado also exist on Earth. They are the hunters who were summoned to the continent. Could it be that they even included this historical detail? Lee Kanghyeon was slightly impressed that the developer wrote such meticulous details. Still, the alarm ringing in the middle of the night crossed the line.
“But what is this ability absorption?”
It even said it would take 6 hours.
“Well, it’ll be fine somehow. Let’s just sleep…”
However, a sudden wave of sleepiness prevented him from continuing his thoughts. Lee Kanghyeon collapsed on the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Ding- Ding-
Nevertheless, the smartphone alarm did not stop.
– Absorbing the abilities of the sacrifice ‘Minjun Kim’. (Remaining time: 5 hours 50 minutes)
– Absorbing the abilities of the sacrifice ‘Minjun Kim’. (Remaining time: 5 hours 40 minutes)
The alarm continued.
* * *
The members were gathered around a round table. This was the highest center of the White Church. It was an important meeting, attended by the highest high priests and cardinals of the church, as well as priests representing various sectors such as law, administration, and military. It was a gathering of the highest powers in the church, second only to the Pope. All of them held positions where a single word could sway the church. As such, various words were exchanged in the meeting, leading to arguments.
“His Holiness the Pope has officially requested the dispatch of Inquisitors to the Sail Kingdom.”
Titan, a priest who managed and supervised the Inquisitors, spoke. At his words, several priests exclaimed in admiration.
“Oh, finally our Church will take root in the Sail Kingdom.”
Yuel, a novice priest whom the Church was paying attention to, had gone missing. As the last known destination was the Sail Kingdom, it was natural for the Church to investigate. As a first step, Inquisitors, personally managed by Titan, would be dispatched. As a former Inquisitor himself, Titan felt immense pride and satisfaction.
“That’s right. We have selected the ‘finest elites’ among the Inquisitors. Now, with the Sail Kingdom as our bridgehead, all that remains is to advance into the Demonic Realm.”
He emphasized the “finest elites” part in case any other opinions arose. However, this was not a place where things would be easy. There were always factions that did not want their rivals to gain even a little more power.
“However, there is a point of concern.”
Frient, who was in charge of internal audits within the Church, spoke. Titan frowned at his words, but Frient continued without hesitation.
“You are all aware of the incident where a succubus broke through our Church’s defenses and was released from her seal.”
Everyone nodded silently. It wasn’t just any succubus, but a succubus inherited with primordial blood. This was an incredibly significant event that could shake the doctrine that the Church proclaimed, that of the one primordial existence, the ‘Goddess.’ Of course, the Church could not acknowledge any existence other than the Goddess. Therefore, they captured and apprehended monsters whose blood was inherited from primordial existences other than the Goddess. The succubus who was recently released from her seal was the last descendant on the continent, and the Church’s power elite was in an uproar.
“But!”
*Thump—*
Frient slammed his fist on the round table.
“An Inquisitor, who represents the Church and judges heretics, colluded with the Succubus Queen! Does this make any sense!”
His aggression made those around him flinch, but his words were true. How did the succubus escape through tight security? The Church immediately launched a large-scale investigation. And it was revealed that one of the Inquisitors had colluded with the Succubus Queen. There were even indications that the succubus sent a secret letter to the Queen after her escape. Of course, this happened because she was bewitched by the Succubus Queen.
Titan retorted in a deadpan voice.
“Of course, that is true. I apologize on behalf of this gathering. That Inquisitor was immediately dismissed, classified as a heretic, and is undergoing various investigations.”
Titan gestured to his neck with a chilling gaze.
“However, Reverend Frient, I believe your words have gone too far.”
“What! Are you insulting me and the audit department now!”
As Frient stood up and shouted, Titan gestured for him to calm down.
“Ah, no. I just want to clarify one thing. While the Inquisitor colluded with the Succubus Queen, he was not on duty in that underground area on the day of the incident.”
At his words, Frient retreated slightly. Even though the Inquisitor colluded with the Succubus Queen, he wasn’t present at the scene of the incident. They were trying to pin the entire incident on him based solely on the suspicion of collusion.
“And this succubus who escaped this time was sealed through a transaction between our Church and the Succubus Queen in the past—”
“Enough.”
Someone interrupted Titan’s words. It was Aurel, the chief high priest. At his words, Titan also fell silent.
“Let’s stop talking about that matter now.”
In the distant past, records remained of the Church making a deal with a mere monster. The party with whom they transacted was the Succubus Queen. It was a transaction made to capture a single succubus. It was an event that could be called the Church’s shame, and he did not want that shame to be uttered by a mere priest. Therefore, Aurel changed the subject of the conversation.
“What is the reaction of the Empire and other Kingdoms regarding the dispatch to the Sail Kingdom?”
The plan to dispatch Inquisitors to the Sail Kingdom. From the Church’s perspective, it was a natural measure since a priest belonging to them had gone missing, but it was also delicate to proceed unilaterally without the agreement of neighboring countries. Therefore, they had formally notified the surrounding countries. In fact, it was more of a notification.
“The Kalrn Empire and the Orbis Empire have sent their support to the Church.”
“As expected, there are no fools who would oppose the Church’s affairs.”
“Since the two Empires have supported it, the rest are sure to follow. Kekeke.”
At the priests’ words, the chief high priest Aurel quietly closed his eyes. With the support of the two great empires on the continent, this was a matter that could be put aside.
“Well, putting that aside, is the Vampire hunt proceeding smoothly?”
As the subject of the Vampire hunt came up, those who were smiling fell silent. This was a plan that the Church was secretly carrying out.
“It is said that Paladins are currently raiding their dungeons.”
The operation was to weaken the Vampires by attacking their dungeons. This was an act carried out by the Church due to a certain being. That being was Baalcherit, a 5-star Vampire. Of course, the plan wasn’t to defeat that being immediately. It was simply a plan to weaken their influence by subjugating the surrounding Vampires. A 5-star monster was a very dangerous existence. From the Church’s perspective, which was proceeding discreetly rather than officially, it was difficult to deal with. Beings of around 5-star caliber had the power to easily turn a city into ruins. If there were no obstacles, even a large city could be easily accomplished. That’s how dangerous they were, so the Church avoided direct confrontation with Baalcherit.
“All the Paladins participating in this operation are elites, so there should be no major problems!”
“Hmm…”
Then this matter could also be put aside. Chief High Priest Aurel pondered for a moment and then returned to the first topic.
“It’s only a matter of time before the Church establishes a base in the Sail Kingdom. But a greater problem arises when we pioneer the Demonic Realm.”
The Demonic Realm was an unknown land. Although adventurers sometimes entered the Demonic Realm, their proportion compared to the total size was less than a fingernail’s worth of dirt. Therefore, they could only speculate about what beings existed there, but no accurate guidance could be provided.
“Perhaps beings like Baalcherit will be abundant. To prepare for this, Paladins and Inquisitors must also know how to deal with 5-star monsters. And beyond that, 6-star…”
Aurel’s mention of a 6-star being was interrupted.
“Hmm hmm. I’ll stop here.”
Aurel cut off the topic and closed his eyes. The remaining priests would continue the meeting on their own.
‘6-star…’
Beings of the 6-star caliber existed only in past records. It was said that they alone had caused the downfall of a small nation, making them akin to calamities. However, fortunately, their appearances were few and far between. There was even a 7-star existence beyond that, but that was out of the question. It appeared only once in the records, and when a 7-star being appeared, it was said that stars fell from the night sky. In other words, it was safe to say that they did not exist now. Therefore, the continent’s maximum strength was considered to be 5-star.
However, no one knew what situation would unfold when they began to advance into the Demonic Realm. Aurel, in preparation for that, intended to increase the training intensity for Paladins and Inquisitors. If successful… if they succeeded in pioneering the Demonic Realm, the Church’s power would transcend strength and become absolute authority. The entire landscape of the continent would be overturned. Aurel looked forward to such a future, yet he could not shake off a sense of unease.
‘I hope we aren’t foolishly waking up sleeping beings…’
To prepare for the worst-case scenario, Aurel intended to make preparations that only he could make.