The Foreigner on the Periphery

Hell of Disbelief (19)

“Talents are mined there?” Jochaim thought his voice was unfamiliar to him when he asked. 

= Yes. Ellahu-Praga. It is a place where the gods sleep, buried in dreams and blood. = 

“Blood?” He repeated the word. “You bleed? I have never read such a story in the books of Asif.” 

The heretical judge now answered with a psychic wave that even sounded somber. =The other dimension priests are allowed up to chapter 57 of the scriptures. What I will be talking about from now on are the sentences written after chapter 58.=

The Prophet who came down from heaven spoke to the ancestors of the Aboriginal peoples of dimension #77-102. 

= ‘Knowing that the original race was bound by a lucid dream that was hard to break, cunning beasts bit their necks. The skin of the most defenseless and weakest places will be torn and blood will flow, a source of all possibilities and a power that does not allow any limits.’= 

Hearing a phrase he had never encountered before, Jochaim drew a landscape in his mind. The world that was often translated as the world of dreams, Ellahu-Praga. There, the original races dreamed of happy dreams and slept. Even though the nape of his neck was torn and blood was dripping down, he did not feel pain, and he could not open his eyes because he was drenched in false happiness. Was the floor on which they lay on their backs dripping with blood? Just imagining it gave him goosebumps. 

= A long time ago, the doctrinal researchers of our denomination agreed to define the original race as the Godhead and decided to call the blood they shed as divine blood. But other races, including the Council, call it differently.= 

“Certainly, a talent!? But did you say blood? How does blood become money…?” 

=New blood boils, scatters, and evaporates the moment it touches the mortal world. That’s why it’s rare for people to think that it’s actually blood. But the Prophet said it is blood. A holy relic that has no fixed form and exists at the boundary between matter and immaterial. The most beautiful light in all the universe.= 

And with that, the Prophet directed the first members of the church. 

=’The blood they shed has the power to make all things possible, so it is also the key to reawakening those who have fallen asleep.’= 

At this point, the specific method of carrying out the supreme mission of the denomination was mentioned. He had to prepare for the future at the same time as he worked hard to mix his nightmares into his sleep. They had been waiting for their sleep cycle to become shallow. 

= We were collecting blood while waiting for that time. In a way that even the committee did not know.= 

The Prophet was said to have pulled out a dagger and showed it in front of the villagers. The heretical judge memorized the sentence. 

=’The prophet said, ‘This is a sword dipped in their blood, and you shall make it according to the method I have given you.’= 

=’The village man called and asked, What shall they do with it?’= 

=’The prophet answered. However, feel the pain that the original race forgot and lost instead. You too, tear the skin of the most defenseless and weakest places and shed the blood.’= 

And from there, what followed was the first baptism in the history of the denomination. The sword the Prophet was holding was stabbed into the nape of their necks once. It was the type of wound that would have killed him instantly if he were a human, but he was able to avoid death because of the physical characteristics of his race.

= ‘The prophet taught, ‘On this day the flesh was torn and touched the soul, leaving an unwashed trace. You can drink their blood now.’= 

=’The villager hesitated and asked, But how will they go to their place?’= 

The heretic judge, who had been recounting up to that point, suddenly shut his mouth. Jochaim, who had been silently listening to the story beyond the scope of imagination, began to ask with a returned gaze. 

“Why, is it not worth listening to more because we are talking?” 

=·······No, it’s not like that.= 

He hesitated before he spoke again. = This is because the way to get to Ellahu-Praga alive is only possible for our people. Before even mentioning that step in the first place, baptism was a problem…= 

Jochaim’s eyes then began to burn again with a scorching flame. The judge hurriedly spoke as he gave strength to his hand that had grabbed his head. =Please listen to me till the end! Then it’s not too late to choose and act!= 

He then quickly unleashed a psychic wave. = I understand. The only way is to send the soul alive to Ellahu-Praga. And after it touches the blood, it brings the soul back into the body.=

“?!” 

= It’s impossible for a race like yours to do so in the first place. This is because the out-of-body of living things cannot be reached by artificial ecstasy that depends on drugs. However, the problem is that if you really die, you can’t come back here again.= 

Saying that, the judge brought up the old story again. However, Jochaim did not miss the part that he secretly omitted. Not everyone could go to Ellahu-Praga just by being out of the body. There must be another condition. Was that included in the effect of ‘baptism?’

=Anyway, after that, every single one of our people was baptized. He mimicked a dagger and turned it into a holy thing, just as the Prophet taught. And those who obtained priesthood went to Ellahu-Praga and returned with a small amount of blood. = 

It was forbidden for one person to absorb too much. If he did, he would find out that his divine power was going to run wild. This was the reason why the amount the committee had in its hands was always less than expected. The priests were intercepting very little by little. It was far inside the place where the Mint mines, the part inside that the Commission never even thought of going into or peek into.

= After so many years of gathering, the time has finally come. The time when the sleep of the gods becomes shallow. = 

The council, the main body of Dreamland, began preparing to awaken the gods in earnest. However, the committee and other races in and out of the world could not concentrate on the situation. The decision followed. 

=We shut down the entire dimension abruptly and suddenly, without any notice.= 

The lockdown proceeded in an instant because if prior notice had been given, the committee would consider it suspicious and fear that it would be desperately slaughtered.

Even the tribes who had gone out to another world for missionary activities or trade could not return. Of course, the high-ranking priests from the donkey tribe secretly contacted them and had them return. However, such people who did proved to be few, and the majority were left stranded outside the dimension. It was a measure to control information as much as possible. The heretical judge points to the severed head and then said: =That’s why he was left here.= 

“····· At that time, my father, who was neither a high priest nor a nobleman, was abandoned.” 

The judge’s face was stained with an expression difficult to interpret. =I had no choice but to do it.= 

“Then why did your father try so hard to go back right before he died? I remember. He must return before the next cycle returns.”

= Presumably he wanted to participate directly in the ritual of awakening the gods. = 

The priest Jochaim could understand the meaning of those words. = He thought that if he served in the last ceremony, he would remain in the memory of the awakened God more clearly than anyone else. In that memory, he wanted to be guaranteed the blessing of living eternal life = 

He must have been left alone here and couldn’t bear to miss the glorious moment. According to the official doctrine, even if one didn’t have to participate in the ceremony, if they did their best to attract the ‘God’s Eye’ before that, they could be together in the real world, but the Patriarch wanted more than that. He wanted to become a clearer memory. 

= You see, our species can control the substances in the brain that induce pleasure and euphoria. He must have run it right before his death here = 

Jochaim recalled the status of the then Patriarch. The third eye stuck in the middle of the forehead opened, and red blood bubbles were boiling, and a strange protrusion was wriggling. 

= Due to the exquisite timing, the soul that flowed out of his body must have been transferred to Ellahu-Praga instead of the Buddha. Immediately after that, the body must have cooled. = 

The judge’s face began to contort as he explained what was next. = Do you understand how he died and then resurrected? After he went to Sanctuary in that state, he bore an incredible amount of blood in his soul! A terrifying amount that the committee will notice!= 

His psyche then went wild. = Fortunately, we got to know a little earlier. It was thanks to the priest who went to worship in order to receive the blessing of the divine blood. The brother noticed that the amount of fresh blood flowing into Sanctuary had drastically decreased. Someone broke the taboo! = 

After an internal investigation but could not find a suspect, he turned to the priests outside the dimension. =There must have already been a riot among the beasts! Now there is no turning back. Come on, let’s do the last ritual. He must have expected this situation. = 

“Wait a minute.” Jochaim pointed out in a sharp voice. “Is that all? Then you wouldn’t have come in a hurry as you unlocked the lockdown. The reason I so desperately want this head… isn’t that after all, it needs the soul that dwells within it? To be precise, it is the new blood of the father’s soul!” 

At this, the judge went silent for a moment. Then, he nodded his head heavily. = That’s what he was aiming for. Since this is the case, the ritual must be carried out quickly, but the amount of fresh blood is still insufficient. I don’t know how much he’s absorbed, but that’s a plate that needs to be added!=

Before his death, the Patriarch had been convinced. No matter what the excommunication or anything else, the main corps would have no choice but to take him to the Mother Dimensional Altar in the end. He would have to transfer the talents he contains. ‘

And so, he thought that just contributing to the making of the last nightmare would bring him closer to eternal life. The heretical judge, who has been described so far, reached out and made a proposal. 

= Unless you know all these secrets, you are in danger too. how about you’d better go to our plane with me.= 

“·······” 

= I don’t have the ability to hold blood and I can’t baptize, but I’ll make sure that I can join you in the final ceremony. You are getting closer to the eternal life you desire. Is there any reason to refuse? = 

Jochaim opened his mouth after a brief silence. “I am···”

Whoops! Then, a roar rang out. 

=What!= 

The three extraterrestrials and one Earthling raised their heads and saw something that shouldn’t be there. There was starlight shining brightly through the pollution-free atmosphere. The poorly sealed barrier was torn like a sheet of paper, and the entire roof of the house was blown away. In addition to this, it was the black wind that jumped inside. 

Kwajik! 

“@#%@#@!” 

One of the heretical judges collapsed, screaming. One of his arms appeared to be missing. The scream that ripped through the air subsided as a bubble of blood boiled over his forehead. The priest who suppressed the pain with intracerebral substances was immediately ready for battle. 

=Who are you?= 

They each began to take out the dagger-shaped relics they wore around their waists. Minjun, a man dressed in a seething shadow monster, clicked his tongue. He held the judge’s arm in his left hand and a dagger in his right. Unlike the priest’s sacred weapon, it was a weapon infested with black magic. The eyes then turned to the aliens in turn. 

‘Obviously, I attacked with the intention of tearing off both arms and legs… What? These monsters.’ 

They were the ones who had to be vigilant for the rest of their lives, lest they commit a crime that the Commission would have their eyes on. If he ever got caught, he was capable of being eaten to the fullest. 

‘Still, I can’t take that head. And . . . you should talk to me a little more.’

What a great secret they had. Even with Minjun’s spell, he couldn’t hear the details clearly. This was because he was wary of leaking out and made another shielding barrier inside it. However, after some hard work, he was able to obtain some keywords. And the most decisive word among them was… 

‘How many times have I said the word talent?!’ 

No further evidence was needed. Anticipating that it would be a difficult fight, Minjun fired a mental wave at the dragon behind his back. 

= If you think someone is going to run away, blow out the fire! They’re not going to die from it anyway!= 

However, there was no answer. Minjun, who was watching the front, could not see, but Ha Eun-seong was making the most dramatic expression possible for a dragon. He was terrified, simply because he had no spirit to respond. Ha Eun-seong was also staring in the direction the agent was looking. However, the focus was different. 

= ······ It doesn’t make sense. = 

Ha Eun-seong felt his knees loosen. His lungs were full of wet mud, and his heart felt like it was about to burst. What caught his attention was the sword the aliens were holding in their hands

Just before his death, he could remember someone whispering something. ‘You’re more useful in death than in life, right?’ 

Memories that couldn’t be undone, even if he tried to forget it, were now rushing down his throat. He was the one who ran away with his vision turned white. A murderer who followed with a very calm pace from behind. 

And, at the last moment, the blade pierced his neck. He could not see clearly…

=What the hell… Why? = 

Those aliens were holding the same daggers as the ones who had killed them.