Side Story 18 – The Next Day - Joshua and Envoys
There were souls that did not perish even after death, and they were called ‘the souls in h.e.l.l.’
“I have just one request. Please send me to the spiritual world, Master,” Joshua asked as if he was begging.
Seon-Hu imagined Joshua sitting on the throne of the spiritual world. He could visualize a faint image of Joshua sitting restlessly, surrounded by the dead. Of course, it was true that the throne of the spiritual world could not be left vacant, but Seon-Hu found it difficult to readily grant the request.
Joshua needs to be surrounded by things that are alive, not dead.
It did not have to be limited to humans. It could be nature, or even art—anything that could provide inspiration for living. If it came to the throne of the spiritual world, there could be many suitable candidates besides Joshua.
There are others who could take that spot.
After contemplating, Seon-Hu finally opened his mouth, “Is the spiritual world your only option? Joshua?”
***
The giant planet had a vast land covered only in reddish-brown soil. There was no trace of life, and it was just a mere pa.s.sage to the spiritual world.
As Joshua moved toward the entrance of the spiritual world, ent.i.ties that were wandering the planet began to notice him. They were the spirit of the Baclan who found the Baclan Corps, the wraiths of the Moong tribe that went extinct, and nameless tribes in similar conditions.
Even the souls of the Awakened who died in the Stage of Advent were there, but Joshua only spared them a brief glance. They were just spirits devoid of any rationality, mere clumps of energy. To Joshua, they were insignificant components guarding the entrance, unworthy of any emotional consideration.
Then, he made eye contact with one of the souls. It was the only one that retained its rationality from its past life.
It was the spirit of the fallen King of the Baclan. It was trembling in horror when it looked at Joshua because Joshua’s eyes contained a terrifying power that could make others s.h.i.+ver. It was a power not even found in the great being who appeared as Lord Odin’s messenger and restored the spirit realm. In other words, it was a potent ability that could bring death even to the dead!
Indeed, Joshua was not just thinking about the spirit of the fallen King of the Baclan, but gauging the existence of all spirits here.
The war was over, and there was no reason for these spirits to guard the entrance anymore. The time to worry had pa.s.sed. The world had been reorganized by the only G.o.d Odin, his Master. Therefore, no one could dare to intrude.
If such a possibility was to be created, there was only one case. Joshua summoned his power along with the ability granted by the Master. Then, the s.p.a.ce tore open before him.
As the gap widened and revealed the pitch-black void, a force emanated from Joshua that seemed to pull in something from beyond. It looked as though the pitch-black darkness was being sucked toward him, much like when Doom Kaos forcibly summoned the lords.
Yet, Joshua’s expression did not change. Despite unleas.h.i.+ng such powerful energy, he simply looked down on the creature that was thrown in front of him.
Master had named her Cell. She was one of the ent.i.ties that perceived themselves as envoys of the Master, so they were intervening in the cosmic order according to the Master’s will. They were also monitoring the possibility of challenging the Master. Some were collecting newly created or fleeing souls.
Among them, Cell was the one who restored the spiritual world.
Joshua started moving again. Cell’s desperate flapping and dangerous energy waves were about to erupt, but they were quelled by the force Joshua summoned in an instant. Cell had no choice but to give up resisting, knowing that her back was being trampled. It was not just the difference in ability. The trust sent by Lord Odin to his messengers also differed significantly.
Before Joshua’s foot even touched Cell’s back.
Crack!
Cell’s waist bent like a bow by the pressure from the incoming force. Then, she bounced back, and her face slammed into the ground.
I am Osiris.
At that moment, Cell intuited that if she lifted her head, the overwhelming force would become uncontrollable, leading to her own demise.
Thump, thump, thump-
Something pounded inside her chest, and Cell realized that it was the emotion called fear. Perhaps she was feeling the same as her sister Elle, who had once begged Lord Odin to spare their lives.
Cell trembled for the first time ever since she had gained the sense of self. She could not handle the cold gaze looking down at her nor the events that could happen. The Lord’s decision to allow her sister and her existence might have changed. That must have been why he sent this merciless G.o.d to her!
If possible, Cell wanted to beg not only the Lord, but also this G.o.d of death for its life. However, it could not utter a word. Only painful moans flowed out.
Cell’s wings, which had been flapping for a while, laid motionless on the ground. As its demise drew near, the G.o.d of death’s voice faded away.
Your judge, and…
Cell could not hear the end and lost consciousness.
The sin of arbitrarily interpreting His will is unforgivable…
***
Cell could now open her eyes, but it was too early to feel relieved about being alive. The pain left by Osiris, the G.o.d of death, was still writhing throughout her body. On top of that, the terror that Osiris might have been watching her from somewhere made Cell tightly close her eyes.
The world became dark, and the scene she saw just before she closed her eyes naturally unfolded. Bell and Dell. Her two sisters were also unconscious with brutally beaten up faces, and they were abandoned nearby just like her. Especially Bell, the most powerful of the sisters, was still squirming in pain even while she was unconscious.
It was clear that Osiris had called them and severely punished them as well. Since he was sent by the Lord, his cruel actions must have been called ‘punishment.’ Even those who were born from the Lord’s sanct.i.ty and nurtured with great power were merely sinners in front of the messenger sent by the Lord.
Despite their destiny to uphold the Lord’s sanct.i.ty and order, they had committed ‘sins’ out of their desire to exist.
Their mistake had started from the beginning. The day that her sister Elle warned had arrived. The one fortunate thing was that she was still alive.
Cell then heard a rustling sound. When she carefully opened her eyes, she saw the back of Bell, who was trying to get up. Considering that she was opening a crack in s.p.a.ce, it was obvious that she was trying to leave to monitor any challenges against the Lord.
She was still going to do her job for the Lord even immediately after getting punished.
“Stop, Bell!” Cell stood up and shouted. She had to stop Bell because they could not afford to annoy the Lord anymore by the sister’s foolish acts.
Bell said, “The punishment is over. Osiris has acknowledged our usefulness.”
Honestly, Cell admired Bell. Despite the dark red light that hovered over Bell’s face, showing Osiris’s painful influence, she remained steadfast. Her eyes were still filled with relentless determination.
The fear and pain that Osiris gave were unbelievable, but they did not affect Bell’s n.o.ble beliefs. Bell was indeed the most qualified to eliminate in advance any possibility that could challenge the Lord.
Cell was jealous, but she had to admit it and willingly asked, “Were we not wrong?”
“...We have to prove that from now on.”
Cell noticed that Bell hesitated.
I knew it.
Bell also could not completely escape from the fear that Osiris created. She started to pick up her weapons from the ground. She held a spear that had pierced countless enemies in the eternal battlefield and a s.h.i.+eld that had defended against malicious attacks on the other hand. She seemed ready to leap into another dimension.
Cell asked, “Did you find it?”
Among all the life forms in the dimension, some could achieve enlightenment about life energy. Cell was asking about them. Their long-time enemy, Doom Kaos, could also have been born that way.
The possibilities Bell might have found could eventually grow into a power that could challenge the Lord. Axes grew from the empty palms of Cell. Bell spoke coldly, “Don’t interfere. This is my destiny.”
“With such injuries?”
“I warn you. I do not need your help. Not now, not ever.”
Cell felt something hot and unpleasant wriggling inside her, but she could not vent it at Bell. All she could do was watch Bell’s back as she leaped into the s.p.a.ce beyond.
What could she do? Just as their status differed from the messenger sent by the Lord, so did it differ among the sisters.
***
At that time, Seon-Hu finished his explanation.
“He did not react at all even when I gave him great power. He said he was grateful, but it seemed like he was just saying it to consider my feelings. It is a complicated matter.”
“It was a good decision to entrust him with the responsibility.”
Woo Yeon-Hee moved closer to Seon-Hu to comfort him. She picked up a piece of sus.h.i.+ and brought it to his mouth. It was food served by the uninvited guest of Seon-Hu’s father. Although Yeon-Hee did not particularly enjoy sus.h.i.+, this one suited her taste.
“Joshua wishes for your happiness just like you wish for his. The more he knows you are struggling because of him, the more he will blame himself. You would understand that, right?”
Woo Yeon-Hee spoke with concern, worrying that Seon-Hu might reject the food. However, he slowly and carefully began to savor the sus.h.i.+, even taking the time to lightly dip it in soy sauce.
Seon-Hu said after swallowing food, “Back when Joshua was a civilian, he was already at the top even among the upper cla.s.s.”
“Huh?”
“This sus.h.i.+ is good enough for the ordinary people, but that is it. It is not enough to capture Joshua’s heart.”
What if it had been better sus.h.i.+? Or if it was a dish that would evoke nostalgia in him? Would the result have been any different, even just a little?
Seon-Hu added a few more words with that meaning. Hearing this, Woo Yeon-Hee’s face brightened instantly. Right after Seon-Hu mentioned going on a trip, he then said, “Do you want to stay here longer?”
The answer that came to her mind was cliche, but Woo Yeon-Hee spoke sincerely. “Anywhere is fine as long as I am with you.”
“It is not just about food. Breathtaking nature, moving artworks. We need to uplift ourselves. Let’s explore and experience all the beautiful things in the world, Woo Yeon-Hee.”
When Seon-Hu smiled like that, Woo Yeon-Hee could finally let go of her worries.
“Let’s go speak to my father.”
Seon-Hu opened the door and went to the living room.
“Father.”
The conversation taking place there was carried out while being conscious of Seon-Hu and Woo Yeon-Hee. The quiet talk was suddenly interrupted by him.
The only person showing movement was his father, Na Jeon-Il. As if time had stopped, the two uninvited guests remained motionless. Their eyes were fixed forward, blinking, and their necks were stiff. They were holding their breath, so they looked like taxidermied humans.
Seon-Hu hadn’t done this to them. They had tensed up the moment Seon-Hu appeared.
“Did the sus.h.i.+ suit your taste?” Na Jeon-Il asked.
“Yes.”
Seon-Hu stood behind the couch where the two uninvited guests were seated. Their necks were damp with cold sweat, but not because of the warmth of the house. Seon-Hu lowered his gaze and stared at the forehead of one of the guests.
“Park Woo-Cheol, son of Park Choong-Sik.”
It was only when Seon-Hu spoke that Park Woo-Cheol’s frozen time started moving again. Park Woo-Cheol knelt down as if falling forward.
“It…it is an honor for the family… Lord Odin…”