Chapter 320: Evil God's Game (4)

Translator: DreamscribeUntil the ship landed, Jinwoo spent a while gazing at the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's imperial capital far in the distance.

'It does look impressive.'

It was a solid design, good enough to rival FS Games' development team.

The entire capital was made up of a pure white castle, and what looked like cores extracted from countless dimensions hung beneath it. It seemed like half the planet was formed from such cores.

Even the sun brightly illuminating this vast space was nothing more than something made from the remnants of energy generated by the capital. The energy that had spread out clumped together to form a nebula, coiling around the capital.

The imperial citizens called this space, where the capital could be seen, the Sanctuary.

The center of the central region.

A place where only the most noble beings in the world could live.

That was the Sanctuary.

'A truly fantasy-like sight.'

It looked like the work of the industry's top talents gathering to craft it painstakingly over several years. Jinwoo captured all of that scenery in video and photos. Various ways to put it to use came to mind.

'That place will be hard to approach.'

The imperial capital, Kalastra Sanctus Deus, was like a sun that protected the Sanctuary of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. It was a brilliant jewel that had never once lost its light over millions of years, a sanctuary that not even a Lord dared to invade.

Even though it was quite far away, an immense pressure could be felt.

It was as if gravity had increased dozens of times over. If one revealed a great power or some divine force, the pressure would grow even fiercer.

Jinwoo tried reaching out his hand.

His mana and sacred power stretched toward the capital, only to evaporate in an instant. An energy wave that erased everything not belonging to the Kalsus Dimensional Empire periodically flowed out.

Even a high-ranking entity of Erosion would lose its power and evaporate the moment it drew near.

It was worthy of contending with Erosion over the dimensional realms.

When Jinwoo restrained his power, the pressure gradually faded. The way it reacted to the magnitude of power and authority was similar to the Dimensional Barrier. It seemed the Dimensional Barrier had been built using this very principle.

The ship landed on the outermost of the 22 planets arranged in order around the capital. Each was a domain ruled by imperial relatives in whom the blood of an Imperial Prince or the Emperor flowed, however faintly, and by high nobles.

Most of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's high nobles resided in the Sanctuary. Their numbers were even greater than the population of Arsilan, yet because the Kalsus Dimensional Empire was so vast, they amounted to only a tiny fraction of the total population.

The place where the ship landed was beautiful too.

Looking up, the neatly arranged planets beyond the blue sky looked like moons, and the sunlight illuminated the land without any lack.

The nature felt artificial, but it looked quite harmonious. No, rather, it showed an orderly beauty that couldn't be found in nature. Perhaps it was only to be expected, since rare plants, insects, and animals had been brought from the dimensional realms and arranged so pleasingly.

'I'd like to take one with me.'

He wanted to move an entire planet over to Arsilan. Arranged well, couldn't it be applied to new content or a game?

The Sanctuary was peaceful.

The Kalsus Dimensional Empire's borders had been breached by Erosion, and the whole of Kalgul's domain had been lost, yet the atmosphere was calm, as though it had nothing to do with them at all. To the nobles dwelling in the central region, in the holy sanctum no less, it might as well have been a tale from another world.

Still, perhaps because they regarded Kalgul's matter as a serious affair, a knight order dispatched by the imperial household approached the ship.

The Judge had already reported information about the traitor over communications. They had come in person from 'Nightra', the third planet near the capital where the Imperial Knight Order resided, in order to verify the truth of it.

"Oh?"

When the High Knight came into view, a glint of interest lit up in Jinwoo's eyes.

He wore pure white, medieval-style armor without a single blemish and carried a sword and shield in which dimensional energy was concentrated. Colors and patterns denoting rank were engraved across the various sections of the armor, so even though it was entirely white, it didn't feel plain.

It was a design with plenty of points worthy of praise.

The High Knight did not cover his face, which was a mark of the upper class's pride. His looks themselves were about the level of running Arsilan's customization on random, decent enough in their own way.

Even the Judge treated the High Knight with courtesy. Because the High Knight was the Emperor's sword, every action of the High Knight was as good as the Emperor's will.

'I'd like to kidnap him.'

It was the kind of figure the Heroes would love if used as content. But the environment here was far too inconvenient to display that level of power.

The Judge and Kalgul received the High Knight with due courtesy.

"It is an honor that Sir Kallex, High Knight of the Imperial Knight Order, has come in person."

"I did not come for you."

"I am aware."

The High Knight looked at the Judge and Kalgul, then opened his mouth again.

"I have reviewed your report. Is it true? His Majesty the Emperor too is concerned over this matter. If the report should prove false...."

Dimensional energy gathered in the High Knight's hand. The mechanisms in his armor allowed him to wield dimensional energy freely.

"It is the truth, without a shred of falsehood. Various pieces of evidence should already have arrived at the Central Court."

The Judge did not waver even under such pressure.

He could be so bold because Jinwoo stood behind him, but the High Knight came to see the Judge in a new light. Judges with the courage to speak boldly even before him were rare.

"Bring it."

The knights who had come with the High Knight brought out the coffin loaded on the ship. It was the coffin in which Geras had been sealed.

Jinwoo watched this and grinned.

'Shall I see what they've got?'

If Jinwoo were to fully unleash his power here, the risk of being discovered would be very great, but it seemed that if he used his power through Geras's body over there, he could put on a decent spectacle of sorts.

And it was a fine opportunity to observe how the Sanctuary's dimensional energy itself worked. While he was at it, he could test the knight order's skills too.

It was the moment the knights set down the coffin and waited for the High Knight's command.

SWOOOSH!

When Jinwoo secretly breathed the energy of Erosion into Geras, Geras began to move once more.

BWAAANG!

The coffin lid tore loose and shot upward. Geras, wrapped in the energy of Erosion, raised his body. At the same time, an immense energy wave bore down on Geras's body.

CRUNCH! CRRRUNCH!

Geras's body collapsed inward as if it had sunk into the deep sea.

The High Knight and the knights following him went to draw their weapons, then stopped. In the Sanctuary, protected by sacred power, no filth of any kind could endure.

"It's a Grade 3 Dimensional Predator."

A knight reported to the High Knight.

Jinwoo kept breathing the energy of Erosion into Geras's collapsing body. At that, Geras's body, which had been compressing and vanishing, expanded again and began to recover. Wrapped in the energy of Erosion, Geras's form was at a level that could well be called a high-ranking entity.

"To withstand the sacred light...."

The High Knight stared at Geras with a grave expression, then drew his sword.

The blade was transparent like glass.

If one didn't look closely, it seemed as though there was no blade at all. The instant the High Knight leveled the sword at Geras, dimensional energy gathered densely and welled up with a blue glow. It appeared to possess cutting power on par with the Aura Blade, the realm of transcendents.

'A weapon the Heroes would love.'

It was so magnificent that even Jinwoo coveted it.

Jinwoo grinned and lifted a game pad. When he linked the game pad to Geras, Geras began to move in peculiar ways.

As he input commands like he was playing a fighting action game, Geras spewed out the energy of Erosion and attacked the High Knight.

KRAKOOOM!

The High Knight raised his shield and blocked Geras's attack. The dimensional energy packed into the shield unfurled a superb protective barrier. It was fending off the energy of Erosion with ease.

Since it felt a little dull, let's add some lines.

"I shall become Emperor! With this power I will rule over you all!"

Saying such things in front of a High Knight was as good as confirming treason. The High Knight and his knights poured attacks down upon Geras.

They did not call for reinforcements.

The reason was that they couldn't cause that kind of commotion in this peaceful Sanctuary.

Geras fought splendidly under Jinwoo's commands, but the pressure of the dimensional energy flowing from the capital grew severe, and the energy of Erosion gradually dissipated.

'Even pouring in sheer numbers won't work.'

The Sanctuary itself was a colossal defense system, so numbers meant nothing.

The original plan had been to release Erosion or the Evil God's creatures into the capital to sow chaos. Because it seemed that if the capital fell to the same fate while the empire was being invaded by Erosion, it could open a gap for the Heroes to wedge themselves into.

The first stage of dimensional salvation was precisely for the Heroes to rise as a third power that wouldn't be pushed around by either Erosion or the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.

'Well, it's fine. There were results, at least.'

Let's look for another way to leave this entire Sanctuary reeling.

Wouldn't that be more fun?

This situation, where he couldn't properly use his true body's abilities, came across as a pleasure instead. It felt like raising the difficulty up from easy mode.

'First, I'd better do what needs doing.'

Jinwoo let out a soft chuckle, input a command, and made the game pad disappear.

FLINCH!

The moment Geras showed an opening, the High Knight's sword sliced clean through him. Geras screamed and writhed in agony, then reached out his hand toward the High Knight.

The energy of Erosion turned to liquid and stretched toward the High Knight. The High Knight slashed with his sword, but the liquid, which seemed about to split apart, instead coiled around the blade.

In an instant, the sword was devoured.

To the High Knight's eyes, it looked as though his sword was melting into the liquid.

'Loot get!'

In truth, Jinwoo had quietly slipped the sword into his subspace.

"Guh, guhaaaagh!"

When he scattered every last bit of the Erosion energy he'd breathed into Geras, Geras's body shriveled up and dropped to the ground as a tiny speck.

The High Knight furrowed his brow.

His sword was a treasure so precious that not even one of the planets near the central region could buy it.

Kalgul stepped toward the High Knight.

"Sir Kallex, might you serve as a witness? That traitor's faction is toying with the empire's domains even now."

"Very well."

A video record had been kept, and if the High Knight stood as a witness, the trial would be over in no time.

Once Kalgul, the Judge, and the High Knight all vanished together toward the Central Court, Jinwoo, aboard the ship, pulled out the sword he had pilfered. It wasn't quite on the level of the Erosion Sword given by the Lord of Fear, but it was a fine piece all the same.

It seemed fine to assign it an S-rank.

'This would make a good gift for Tiris, wouldn't it?'

A weapon capable of condensing dimensional energy was something that couldn't be developed in Arsilan. Since it was a power unfamiliar even to Jinwoo, it would be more than enough to satisfy Tiris.

Jinwoo felt just like a father heading home with fried chicken to give his little daughter!

"Now then...."

All right, let's give some thought to how to stir up trouble.

* * *

At the Central Court, with the Chief Justice presiding, the trial ended quickly. There was simply too much evidence, and the testimony and video of High Knight Kallex were attached on top of it.

Geras's house was branded traitorous, and every one of them was sentenced to dreadful punishments. They were punishments harsh enough that death would have been the kinder fate.

The Imperial Knight Order moved out in person and annihilated anything with even the faintest connection to Geras Zolun, be it noble, animal, or insect, without exception.

A wave of bloodshed swept through once, but the empire's Sanctuary remained peaceful, without any particular change.

Kalgul received an imperial command to recover the domains seized by the Dimensional Predators. He was granted the authority to newly form five legions and could now draw on the imperial household's support.

In this place filled with nothing but tedious peace, Kalgul became quite the topic of conversation. The Judge's vivid eyewitness account spread far and wide, and Kalgul had become a hero who had stopped a rebellion.

Jinwoo stayed at the grand mansion and investigated the capital and the various planets floating around it. They had been assigned numbers starting from the ones closest to the capital.

The first planet was said to be the planet where the Crown Prince resided.

Centered on the capital where the Emperor dwelled, the Imperial Princes had taken their places in order according to their ranking. And countless nobles lived peaceful lives that seemed as though they would last forever, indulging in luxury and pleasure.

"Luxury and pleasure, they call it, but...."

Jinwoo tried out something called the 'stone game', which even the Crown Prince was said to enjoy. It was similar to chess, and interesting in its own way, but it wasn't fun in the slightest.

This was the only thing here that was called a game.

Even the liquor said to taste the finest was worse than cheap soju.

'And here I'd had high hopes.'

On the surface it was paradise, but with nothing to enjoy, to Jinwoo it was as boring as a prison.

Did the high nobles of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire actually find living like this fun?

Such a thought crossed his mind.

While Jinwoo was passing the time in boredom, Kalgul approached.

"I've arranged a meeting with the Fourth Imperial Prince."

"Oh? You set it up faster than I expected."

"If anything, it was their side that reached out first. It seems being called a hero drew their attention. I believe their aim is to make me their own man."

The Fourth Imperial Prince's faction was among the weakest.

If he could take Kalgul into his fold, he might be able to scheme his way up the ranking. An Imperial Prince normally wouldn't make a recruitment offer like this, but it was proof of just how poor his situation was.

When the appointed day came, the Fourth Imperial Prince went so far as to send his personal ship to Kalgul directly. Perhaps having received orders to bring him in with the utmost hospitality, the Prince's knights even saluted as they escorted Kalgul.

Jinwoo concealed himself and followed along with Kalgul.

The personal ship, which only an Imperial Prince could own, placed more emphasis on splendor than on performance. It was like looking at a giant golden statue that flew.

"Hmm...."

The Fourth Imperial Prince even permitted entry into the very room he himself used. Jinwoo, who entered the room together with Kalgul, shook his head. He was as sick of it as if he'd been eating greasy food without stop. All this pointless extravagance did was hurt his eyes.

The Imperial Prince's personal ship that Jinwoo was aboard arrived at 'Raot', the fourteenth planet where the Fourth Imperial Prince resided.

Gardens spread out around a massive castle, and large cities where countless nobles lived were nestled around it. Here the Fourth Imperial Prince enjoyed power like that of the Emperor and could do anything he pleased.

Kalgul, having disembarked from the ship, was guided by the knights into the castle. There was a space the Prince had specially prepared for his meeting with Kalgul.

Beautiful taxidermy specimens stood like statues, and countless dishes of food were laid out on jewel-like plates.

As Jinwoo took in the sight for a moment, the Fourth Imperial Prince came inside.

He was a man with dry, frizzy brown hair and a feeble-looking air about him. He was on the thin side, which made that impression all the stronger.

"Welcome! Hero!"

The Fourth Imperial Prince, Reist Dion Kalsus, spread both arms wide to welcome Kalgul. With many eyes watching, Kalgul too paid his respects with great courtesy.

"Your Highness! Thank you for inviting me."

Reist nodded and gave a wave of his hand. At that, the guard knights and the servants all left the room. Sitting alone, just the two of them, meant he intended to place that much trust in him.

Jinwoo looked at Reist, seated side by side with Kalgul at the enormous table.

A sense of inferiority radiated from Reist.

He was stuck at the very bottom among the Imperial Princes, in a position where he was even looked down upon by the other imperials.

'Since I can't properly use my power anyway....'

How about just switching bodies entirely and operating that way?

If he made use of an Imperial Prince's status, all sorts of things seemed possible. It would be easy to create things that got the dopamine pumping in this dull place and to stir up trouble to his heart's content. After all, the Fourth Imperial Prince was a scoundrel who did whatever he pleased.

Reist gazed at Kalgul with an arrogant bearing.

"I'll get straight to the point. Become mine. Pledge your loyalty to me."

Kalgul grinned and looked behind Reist. Jinwoo had appeared behind Reist and was looking down at him.

Jinwoo grabbed Reist's shoulder with his hand.

"Hiieek! Wh-what is this?!"

Reist jolted in shock and whipped his head around to look behind him. Jinwoo smiled gently and met his eyes.

"Let me borrow your body for a bit."

"......"

Reist tried to call for the knights outside, but he couldn't. Jinwoo's hand had already pierced through his chest. The hand, having passed through without leaving a wound on his body, drew out Reist's soul.

In that instant, Reist's body went limp on the spot.

Jinwoo took a teddy bear out of his subspace and stored it inside. When he pressed the teddy bear's chest, a children's song came out in a cutesy voice.

[Gaaaaah! What is this?! Me, my body...!]

A scream came from inside the teddy bear, but no one apart from Jinwoo could hear it.

Jinwoo settled into Reist's body.

The moment he settled in, he remodeled the feeble body a little to make it easier to move in.

Jinwoo became the Fourth Imperial Prince.

He had possessed the scoundrel prince.

Jinwoo looked at Kalgul with a solemn expression.

"I'll get straight to the point. Become mine. Pledge your loyalty to me."

"I shall obey your command. Master."

Kalgul rose from his seat and knelt.

The laughter of Jinwoo and Kalgul spread loudly, carrying even beyond the room.

Kalgul became part of the Fourth Imperial Prince's faction all too easily!

"Now then, let's leave a proof shot."

Jinwoo and Kalgul stood side by side and struck a pose.

When Jinwoo gave a thumbs-up, Kalgul did the same.

Title: This place is mine now.

How about it?

(Photo attached: Kalgul and the new me)

Took this place over.

But turns out there's nothing much to see.

The Sanctuary's no big deal either.

Angarta: The prelude to ruin shall ring out!

Oromon: I praise you. I glorify you. I worship you.

.

...

....

The response was good to an almost frightening degree.

Now, what shall I do?

*****

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