Chapter 319: Evil God's Game (3)

Translator: DreamscribeAlons, who had violated the contract, was gripped by fear.

"M-my soul?"

"That's right."

Alons flinched and stumbled backward. He glanced around warily, spotted an open door, and began to run with everything he had.

He bolted through the door and out into the mansion's courtyard. The instant he passed through the front gate,

FWISH!

he found himself standing before Jinwoo once more, as if everything had been an illusion.

"I-I'm sorry! P-please, j-just give me one more chance."

Alons begged Jinwoo, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"I'd like to, but unfortunately the contract is absolute."

Despair settled fully across Alons's face.

[The Evil God collects the price for the contract violation.]

Iron chains burst from Alons's shadow and pierced straight through his body.

The Evil Karma that had built up within Alons amplified several times over and flowed into Jinwoo. It felt much like absorbing a Lesser Authority Stone.

-A soul....

-Ahh.

Jinwoo breathed Sacred Power, brimming with Evil Karma, into Alons's soul. With that, Alons's soul was dyed completely black. Alons writhed in agony and struggled to break free, but he could not.

FWISH!

Jinwoo moved Alons's soul to the Dimensional Barrier.

Alons's soul seeped into the Dimensional Barrier and became a tiny speck. As the Dimensional Barrier's overwhelming energy ground his soul away, he suffered tremendous pain. The Vengeful Spirits around him watched Alons and sneered.

The Dimensional Barrier thoroughly rejected all outside interference, yet it accepted souls as they were and used them as a source of energy.

'Just as I thought.'

It had points of similarity with the Magic Barrier Jinwoo had created.

Thanks to that, he was able to quickly find a way to exert influence over the Dimensional Barrier. The method was to fill souls with Sacred Power and let them seep little by little into the Dimensional Barrier. He sent every last one of the nobles in the banquet hall into the Dimensional Barrier as well.

Jinwoo had devised this whole scheme in order to soothe the Vengeful Spirits while running experiments on the Dimensional Barrier.

It was the second purpose behind staging the Evil God's Game.

And he gained an unexpected windfall on top of that: he learned that he could replenish Authority through these so-called contracts. If he made use of that, it seemed he would be able to create matter formed from the Evil God's Authority.

'Enormous.'

Jinwoo became able to properly sense the scale of the Dimensional Barrier.

He had planted Lesser Authority Stones in the heads of Alons, Baron Greiso, Lailani, and every noble present in this place. Now they had become faithful Puppets that moved according to Jinwoo's commands.

Jinwoo looked to the side.

He saw a single noble huddled up and trembling with fear. The man did have an Evil Karma value, but not enough to be affected by the Evil God's Authority that Jinwoo had granted to Alons.

Jinwoo approached him.

"Hiiiiek!"

The man shrieked and backed away until his back met the wall. Jinwoo looked down at him.

"You're cutting it close, aren't you?"

Had he taken even one more step here, he would have ended up like the other nobles.

"Live a good life."

"Y-yes, yes! I-I'll l-live a good life!"

The man nodded frantically.

Among the nobles of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, it was rare to find someone with an Evil Karma value even this comparatively low.

"Your name?"

"B-Batus Sante."

Jinwoo patted Batus on the shoulder. With that, a Mark appeared on his shoulder. If his Evil Karma value rose past a certain threshold, he would be disposed of automatically. And the Vengeful Spirits dwelling within Jinwoo could observe him or interfere with him through that Mark.

-Hang in there.

-Come here!

-You're gonna fall into hell.

The voices of the Vengeful Spirits reached Batus as well.

Instinctively, he grasped what the Mark meant.

[Evil God] Let's Live a Good Life

The Evil God has granted you, vile wretch, one last chance.

If you continue your evil deeds, you will experience everything you have witnessed, exactly as it was. The only way to lower your Evil Karma value is through good karma.

A good-karma quest refreshes every day, so accumulate good karma and escape eternal suffering.

(Current Evil Karma Rank: E+)

Condition: Reach Good Person Rank A

Reward: Release from the Mark

Failure: Eternal Suffering

An information window that only he could see appeared before Batus's eyes.

It was the moment the Saint of the Evil God, Batus, was born.

* * *

Jinwoo set the mansion in order.

The mansion's basement was packed with slaves. Some were slaves put up for auction, and some had had their bodies remodeled to be put on display in an exhibition. The beautiful slaves won at auction were specially stuffed, mounted, and maintained.

In the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, amusement usually consisted of nothing but things like these.

Having done nothing but invade for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, or longer still, it was no wonder that a culture like this alone had developed so prominently.

The moment they saw Jinwoo, the slaves seemed to sense something and knelt or prayed right where they stood.

Because of the Dimensional Barrier, there was no way to send them to Luzen right then. When Jinwoo looked behind him, the nobles lined up in a row.

"Treat them well and protect them."

The nobles here wielded immense influence in this city, so caring for those people would not be difficult. Jinwoo intended to have the Judge spirit them out.

When Jinwoo snapped his fingers, the slaves whose bodies had been remodeled returned to normal. The slaves who had been stuffed and mounted regained the freedom of their bodies.

All of them shed tears and praised the Evil God.

They were slaves no longer.

Jinwoo bore the entire burden of the Vengeful Spirits. And he saved the people who had lost their homelands and been made slaves. As Jinwoo approached them, the iron bars melted away and vanished.

A wind blew through the basement, where no wind should have been able to blow.

It was the warm wind of Arsilan.

A blue sky, an endlessly stretching, beautiful meadow, a clear lake, and people laughing and chatting merrily.

The scenery of Arsilan rose up in their minds.

"Remember."

When Jinwoo reached out his hand, the emblem of Arsilan seeped into their souls.

"You too are Arsilanians now."

Luzen, the rescued slaves.

Arsilan embraced all who had lost their homelands.

That was something the Evil God's Authority could not accomplish. Only the chief god of Arsilan could do it, and it required the permission of Ella and Helby, the complete gods of Arsilan.

Naturally, they would all agree.

[The power of Arsilan dwells within. The Notice Board's Evil God Broadcast category has been created!]

He made a Notice Board so they could communicate with one another.

Now, through an information window visible to their eyes alone, those present here could communicate with one another. And they would also be able to watch the Evil God's Game that Jinwoo would run.

The common language of Arsilan was automatically loaded into everyone's minds. They had come from different dimensions and had been unable to communicate, but now they could converse perfectly.

The people who had now become Arsilanians gazed upon the form of the Evil God who had descended here.

Was it because they had been connected to the Evil God?

They could see that he bore countless Vengeful Spirits. He carried all the pain, resentment, and hatred the Vengeful Spirits felt, and their own such feelings flowed into Jinwoo as well.

The pain vanished, and their hearts grew lighter.

Perhaps because the great Evil God had shared in their resentment, they were able to smile for the first time since being locked in their cells.

When the Evil God smiled, the Vengeful Spirits smiled.

And everyone present smiled together.

When they wished for salvation, he gave them salvation.

When they dreamed of hope, he gave them hope. And he took away everything negative.

'This one, truly....'

'Our god....'

Their faith soared without end.

Jinwoo had merely done as he always had.

Save Arsilan.

Bring joy to the Arsilanians. Create fun content for the Heroes.

That was Jinwoo's work.

"Sorry, but stay here for the time being until the preparations are complete."

When Jinwoo reached out his hand, a massive Magic Circle was drawn upon the floor.

When the Magic Circle activated, the filthy underground dungeon transformed into a meadow in an instant. It was illusion magic, but because Jinwoo had cast it, it was indistinguishable from reality. He had even expanded the space, so no matter how far one ran, they could not reach the far end.

Jinwoo made houses for them to live in.

He copied the appearance of Evanth exactly and laid it all out. It was limited because it was not connected to the Soul Moon, but he was still able to bring it about well enough. Since the Evil God's creatures flowing about beneath this city served the role of the Magic Tower, it would hold together even after Jinwoo left.

At the center of this village, a receiving device capable of exerting influence across the entire Kalsus Dimensional Empire was installed.

"Have I come to heaven?"

"Whoaa...."

"Hngh...."

-Nice place.

-Wonderful.

-It's warm.

The Vengeful Spirits seemed to like this place too.

Jinwoo watched them for a while, then came back up.

Batus, who had unwittingly witnessed this whole scene along with them, was off in a corner, gauging the mood.

"Buy up all the slaves and send them here."

Batus knelt and nodded vigorously.

Jinwoo returned to the hotel room. Kalgul and the Judge were standing and waiting in front of the door. When Jinwoo gestured, they all came inside.

When Jinwoo ordered them to prepare a vessel that could go outside on a regular basis, the Judge immediately pressed his head to the floor and accepted the command.

"I will prepare a large vessel! The Inquisitors go outside on a regular basis, and I have the authority to designate the vessel!"

"Excellent."

Jinwoo decided to give the Judge a reward.

"Do you have a wish?"

"A-a wish?"

"I'll grant you anything."

The Judge cautiously raised his head and looked at Jinwoo. Countless red eyes embedded in Jinwoo's shadow were glaring at him.

The Judge swallowed hard.

Kalgul had watched the Evil God's Game that had been run with Jinwoo's permission. The Judge had also secretly stolen glances from the side, and the end those wishes met had been nothing short of horrifying.

"I am merely doing what must be done! What have I done so well that I could speak a wish to the Evil God? I do not so much as desire a wish. Please, command me freely to your heart's content!"

The Judge said this, politely declining the wish.

He was a fellow with very quick wits.

Seeing Jinwoo's expression, full of disappointment, the Judge poured sweat like rain. When Jinwoo nodded and waved his hand, the Judge sprang to his feet and stepped back.

Unlike Kalgul, that Judge was nothing more than a useful tool. He was content that could be used at any time.

"When does the Dimensional Portal open?"

"It opens tomorrow morning. The exact time won't be known until tomorrow comes."

Kalgul reported.

"Have this city set in order by then."

"Understood. I will make it serviceable."

When Kalgul and the Judge withdrew, Jinwoo sat down on the sofa.

"Now then, shall I watch a movie for the first time in a while?"

When Jinwoo put on a movie that had been produced in Arsilan and become a fairly big hit, the eyes of the Vengeful Spirits fixed on the information window. Those who had been in the underground village began to join in, one by one.

[A Watch Party event is beginning!]

*You can watch together through the information window.

*Leave all sorts of reactions in the chat.

*Take part in the event and you'll be awarded Arsilan Gold.

In the underground village there were NPCs, and they gave quests to those who had become Arsilanians and begun to settle there. These were quests designed to help them adapt to Arsilan. As rewards, they could receive Arsilan Gold and various items.

[Connected Users: 4,331]

The Vengeful Spirits were excluded from the count because their numbers were far too great.

Every Arsilanian in the underground village connected and watched the movie together.

-So fun!

-I've never seen anything like this before.

-This is amazing.

-Evil God! I love you!

The viewers' reactions were no different from those for the Arsilan Saga.

* * *

When the next day came, the Dimensional Portal opened.

It was the Dimensional Portal leading to the heart of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. Jinwoo gazed at the Dimensional Portal from atop the large vessel.

It was a vessel the Judge had boarded, yet only after passing through a stringent security process could it receive approval to approach.

The moment the vessel drew near the Dimensional Portal, the bats that had been floating in the sky flew over swiftly and latched onto the Dimensional Portal. They melted into liquid right where they were and seeped into the Dimensional Portal.

Control over the Dimensional Portal slowly passed to Jinwoo's side. For now he was leaving it be, but in an emergency he could take it under perfect control.

The vessel passed through the Dimensional Portal and arrived directly at the heart of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. It was a place that even high nobles of count rank or above could only access after clearing strict security procedures. Even the attendants here were all nobles, of baron rank or higher.

Rare slaves captured from the dimensional realms were merely treated as livestock and brought in as such.

'Working well.'

The vessel passed through the Dimensional Portal and arrived at the heart of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. Jinwoo first checked the communications. Thanks to the Evil God's creatures he had planted in the Dimensional Portal, communication with the city that held the underground village flowed smoothly.

There was a very slight delay, but if anything that gave the act of communicating a bit more flavor.

Jinwoo looked at the wall, then pressed a button. With that, the wall rose up and became a window.

"Oh."

Beyond the vessel, a paradise unfolded.

A sun radiating white light looked down upon its surroundings like a god, and several planets floated handsomely into view. They traced orderly orbits without even the slightest deviation.

Everything fit together precisely, as though one were looking at a world inside a game or the inner workings of a clock.

There was no sign of any messy thing like an asteroid belt or a gas giant. It was clean, without so much as a speck of dust. The moons the planets carried shone brilliantly as if cut from jewels, and their surfaces were so immaculate they looked like glass.

And far in the distance, the most beautiful place in the dimensional realms, the one called the paradise of paradises, came into view.

The imperial capital, Kalastra Sanctus Deus.

It was the enormous planet where the Emperor of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire resided.

It was beautiful, as befitted an imperial capital.

It looked as if every beautiful thing in the dimensional realms had been carried off and arranged into a pleasing display. On top of that, an immense amount of energy was concentrated there, so that even Jinwoo could not help but be impressed. It seemed even Jinwoo would not be able to set foot there easily.

Jinwoo climbed atop the vessel and grinned as he gazed at the sight.

'The Heroes are going to love this.'

For a paradise built upon countless corpses, it was a pure-white paradise that looked remarkably clean.

Jinwoo thought for a moment, then made a V sign with his fingers and snapped a proof shot with the imperial capital and the various planets as his backdrop.

It was a means of bringing the Evil God's authority down to earth, if only a little. With nothing but praise all around, he also wanted to come across as more approachable.

Through the communication link, he left a post on the 'Notice Board' along with the photo.

Title: Nobody's ever been here, right?

I've arrived.

(Photo attached: me)

Dropping a proof shot.

Pretty decent to look at, I guess?

Akant: You overflow with majesty, O Evil God. I shall serve you and follow you for all eternity.

Saihera: Tears blur my vision before the Evil God's overwhelming presence. I praise you. I offer up my very soul in praise of you!

Dakto: Even that place is nothing but a clump of dust compared to the Evil God's beauty!

Kakehim: Oho! The Evil God has reached the false paradise! Everyone! Let us sing! Let us give praise!

.

..

...

The thousands of comments that raced past were all nothing but praise.

"Hmm."

Hands that rose up from Jinwoo's shadow broke into applause.

-Nice.

-So cool.

-The photo came out great!

-Hooray!

Even the Vengeful Spirits praised him.

The Evil God's authority was not diminished in the slightest.

*****

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