Chapter 114

Kim Namwoon’s last look remained with me but I hadn’t come to rescue him in the first place . Besides, why should I save him when he liked Hell?

The legless judge climbed the stairs quietly, like a ghost . Some of the symbolic bodies along the way looked at me with interested eyes . Were they constellations who dwelled in Hades’ palace? I didn’t know . It wasn’t all constellations here .

The judge seemed aware that I was drifting off and spoke without looking back .

[You will lose your way if you don’t follow along well . ]

It was a scratchy voice that made me feel uncomfortable . Still, it was the correct advice .

I looked at the judge before shifting my gaze to the ceiling and opening my mouth slightly . ‘Hey, can you hear me?’

It was a small whisper that the judge couldn’t hear .

‘I know you’re listening . ’

This wasn’t Earth but Hades’ Underworld . I was curious . Did the dokkaebi channel work here? Then a faint voice entered my ears .

-…Yes .

There was a reply on the dokkaebi communication . It wasn’t Bihyung’s voice .

‘Are you a new dokkaebi?’

-Yes . I am the low-grade dokkaebi Youngki . I am temporarily serving as an administrator while Bihyung is at the bureau .

Dokkaebi Youngki . Perhaps it was the dokkaebi who dealt with the compensation settlement for the fifth scenario during the day . I got straight to the point .

‘Why aren’t you doing your work properly?’

-Huh?

‘The hidden scenario has updated but why aren’t you letting me know the contents?’

I came to this terrible place and should at least get compensation .

-Ah, t-that…!

It turned out that this dokkaebi was a beginner . I could see how good Bihyung was at handling things . He just slightly lacked intelligence… The dokkaebi was silent for dozens of seconds before stuttering .

-E-Excuse me…

‘What is it now?’

-How do I update the scenario?

I was speechless for a moment .

‘Why is a dokkaebi asking a constellation?’

-B-Bihyung told me to ask Kim Dokja-ssi if I’m not sure of anything .

That bastard Bihyung made me an advisor?

-P-Please wait a moment! I’ll ask another dokkaebi about it . Ah, and…

‘…What else?’

-I’m sorry but would you like to receive the backed up indirect messages? It was the first time I was in this situation…

I reluctantly nodded . I never expected a day would come when I missed Bihyung . Then messages exploded in my head .

[The constellation ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ rejoices in your plight . ]

[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is excited about your adventure . ]

[The constellation Secretive Plotter is wondering how you will escape . ]

[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ prays that you can return safely to your comrades . ]

…

As expected, the constellations were enamored with watching me . On the other hand, there were those feeling admiration .

[The constellation ‘One-eyed Maitreya’ admires the Underworld . ]

[The constellation ‘Bald General of Justice’ is greatly shocked by the appearance of the Underworld . ]

[The constellation ‘Bald General of Justice’ begins to doubt his religion . ]

…

This was a spectacle for some constellations . Not all constellations could come to Hades’ castle .

[12,000 coins have been sponsored . ]

I got 12,000 coins just from showing Hades’ palace . It was a huge profit . This was like illegally filming private land .

Some time passed . The silently walking judge finally opened his mouth .

[We’ve arrived . ]

The door opened and a huge banquet hall appeared . The interior wasn’t visible because it was dark . The judge disappeared and the door closed .

A small light appeared in the middle of the dark hall . An oval antique table was waiting for me . There was a splendid statue that could be seen as a statue of the king . The table contained many dishes that stimulated the salivary glands .

There was a woman looking at me at the end of the table .

[How interesting . A living soul has come to this castle . Furthermore, you also brought unpleasant observers… Today is a really special day . ]

I immediately recognized who she was . In Hades’ palace, there was only one existence who could occupy the seat of the hostess . I bowed and opened my mouth .

“It is an honour, Queen of the Darkest Spring . ”

Queen of the Darkest Spring . She was Persephone, Hades’ wife and the famous queen of the Underworld .

[You know my modifier . You are a polite incarnation . ]

“You’re overpraising me . ”

[The even more interesting thing is that your soul didn’t shake when you heard my true voice . ]

Come to think of it, I didn’t feel much when I heard the truth voice of the constellations .

Persephone was a constellation that was at least narrative grade . Due to the difference between us, my soul should’ve been damaged or destroyed the moment I heard her true words .

Moreover, I previously heard the words of Kim Yooshin, an upper-grade constellation…

[The exclusive skill, ‘Fourth Wall’ is strongly activated . ]

It was the first time that ‘strongly’ was attached to the skill message . Perhaps my unconscious mind saw this situation as ‘unrealistic’ due to the person I was meeting .

[Sit down, Incarnation Kim Dokja . ]

I thanked her for the hospitality and sat across from her . Honestly, it was an unexpected favour . The aroma of sweet delicacies tickled my nose .

I looked around but only Persephone was sitting at the table . “The king…?”

[The king is uncomfortable with your sudden visit . That’s why I thought it would be better for me to talk to you . ]

It ended up like this . I had expected it . There hadn’t been a single incarnation who had met the three heads of Olympus . Besides, I didn’t play the lyre well like Orpheus .

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

[You can ask . ]

“Is this your true body?”

[Of course it is a symbolic body . My true body isn’t something that a human like you can withstand . ]

I quietly gazed at Persephone’s symbolic body . She looked like an old woman .

…It was a terrible hobby . Honestly, I had to think like this . Persephone smiled softly .

[You don’t like older women like this?]

“That isn’t the problem . ”

It didn’t matter if she looked like a grandmother or grandfather . The problem was that she looked exactly like the ‘grandmother’ on the subway in the first scenario .

[If you feel uncomfortable then I can change to someone else . ]

Persephone’s appearance slowly changed into Yoo Sangah’s image . It wasn’t the usual Yoo Sangah . This Yoo Sangah wore a black Chinese dress and a garter belt, with seductive eye makeup…

I turned red just staring at her face . Dammit, did she peep at my dreams?

“Just be the grandmother . ”

Of course, Persephone didn’t listen to me .

[There isn’t much time so get to the point . ]

“You don’t know?”

[I heard a bit from my child but it has more meaning to hear it directly from the children . ]

Her child must mean Dionysus . I nodded and took a deep breath before explaining . “I’m looking for a woman’s soul . I don’t know if you’ve heard but I’m ready to make a trade . ”

[Soul… it is an outdated idea . ]

Her eyelids lowered as she seemed to think of something . Before long, Persephone’s long fingers moved and she started to slice the steak on her plate .

I patiently waited . It proceeded slowly . The fork firmly held the meat as the knife moved slowly back and forth, slicing the meat with care . The red juices flowed out as a clean section was cut . The fork carefully moved the meat that it had pierced .

Persephone made a face like she was worrying about whether to eat it or not . She seemed to have forgotten about me .

I was about to open my mouth when she opened her mouth first . Of course, it was to eat the steak .

[There is no such thing as a ‘soul’ in this world . ]

Souls didn’t exist . It was a matter that all modern physicists would agree on but the problem was the person saying it was a god . It was a god of Olympus, who had long defended the logic of the souls .

I said sarcastically, “Plato and Aristotle would rise from the grave . ”

[They are constellations right now so they wouldn’t be in their graves . ]

“I didn’t come here to play around . ”

[I’m not playing around . Incarnation Kim Dokja . The soul doesn’t exist . It is just an illusion created by humans who want the continuity of themselves . ]

“Then what about the people in the Underworld? Aren’t they souls?”

She pointed to the steak she just cut .

[They are like this . ]

The steak slowly entered Persephone’s mouth . She took her time chewing the meat, like she was relishing it . Her red lips glistened enchantingly .

[Well, it is very special . Why don’t you try it once?]

The same steak that she ate appeared in front of me . I looked down at it and said after a moment . “I don’t want to . ”

[Are you going to be rude?]

“Yes . I’m really sorry but I have to be rude . ”

It would surely be tasty if I ate it . There were at least 12 pages in Ways of Survival describing the taste . However, at the end of a long description, the following sentence was written:

「 It wasn’t until the end of the regression that Yoo Jonghyuk regretted eating the food . 」

Those who ate the food of the Underworld couldn’t return to Earth . Persephone seemed to read my mind and laughed .

[The people of the Underworld aren’t as terrible as you think . Most of the known theories are false . You can go out of the Underworld at any time as long as you have the permission of the king . It is a similar concept to a ‘career soldier’ in your world . ]

“The military life was the most terrible memory in my life . ”

[Is that so? Don’t the males in your country say that they should stay in the army? That’s why I thought it wasn’t a big deal . I guess it was a misunderstanding . ]

I didn’t know why the goddess of another country knew so much about Korean mean . Persephone continued speaking .

[Incarnation Kim Dokja . You will be treated better than you imagined . ]

“The person who advised me to be a professional sergeant told me something similar . ”

[Did he recommend a steak like me? For example, the steak currently in front of you . Do you know what will happen if you eat it?]

“I can taste the juices of a cow . ”

[You can become a ‘sword master’ right now . ]

I thought I heard wrong for a moment . Sword master . It was a higher realm that only returnees who left this world could reach after hard work .

[The pasta next to it . You can become a ‘great magician’ if you eat it . ]

…This pasta?

[The soup? It can make you a SSS-grade hunter . ]

This… it was a wonderland instead of a hell?

I couldn’t help gulping . I could get power to overcome the current Yoo Jonghyuk if I just ate this meat .

[You still won’t eat?]

I slowly moved my fork and picked up a piece of the steak . The moment my fork pierced the meat, strange scenes flashed in front of my eyes . It was the memory of a man training alone with a sword .

「 I can’t be weak . I have to learn the sword . 」

「 I will strive to become stronger . 」

「I-I finally did it! I did it! 」

There were only a few scenes . I was surprised and put down the fork . This wasn’t a dead cow that I was poking .

“This is…?”

Persephone nodded .

[Yes . This small piece of meat . It is the soul that humans believe in . ]

She once again ate the meat . I belatedly understood why Persephone said I could become a sword master if I ate this . I stated, “…It contains the memories of the sword master . ”

[Memories? No . To be more precise…]

She paused for a moment to pick her words .

[It is a story . ]

The sight of her licking her lips gave me goose bumps .

[It is the story that is the favourite food of all constellations . ]