Chapter 177
Chapter 177
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 177. Prophet
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Personally, if I had to pick the most unjust incident among all the times I'd been dragged into events against my will, it was the Mountain God incident.
Now, if something happened during a vacation or workshop, I could just brush it off as bad luck again. But back then, it had been quite a shock to me.
"Huh, huuuh..."
Still trembling like an aspen tree, I covered Song Arin and looked at the others.
"Prayer?"
"Yes. Pray."
"S-Suddenly...?"
Park Ye-eun muttered in confusion,
While Jang Chaeyeon and Yoo Daon knelt without a second thought, closing their eyes in prayer.
"S-Sisters!"
"Believe."
"Jaeheon wouldn't tell us to pray for no reason."
The two replied in unison, then shut their eyes and focused on praying.
"Is this really right, oppa?"
"I don't know."
"But—"
"But let's do it."
We couldn't escape anyway.
This was a gamble.
I just hoped that man had given me accurate information, or that I'd properly understood what he meant.
"...Aish, whatever."
Park Ye-eun let out a deep sigh, clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes.
". ."
I fully covered Song Arin and clasped my hands as well.
That was it. I didn't pray while thinking of anyone specific.
To be precise, I could pray to someone, but a strong intuition told me I shouldn't.
Right now, I was no different from an ordinary person.
If I had a mental barrier, there'd be no issue,
[I'll give you what you desire.]
[I'll kill those you hate.]
[I'll make your wishes come true.]
[I'll get you out of this hellish situation.]
Whispers like that kept reaching my ears.
They might have been constant.
I'd just been blocking them automatically.
". ."
I cracked one eye open to look at the other two.
Park Ye-eun, shaking her head with furrowed brows,
Jang Chaeyeon, not shaking her head but with relaxed brows.
And,
". ."
Yoo Daon, eyes closed in a serene expression, assuming a praying posture.
-Step... step...
Footsteps approached.
They drew near.
I closed my eyes again and began to pray.
Pass by, please pass by. I'm praying with my eyes closed right now, so please just pass by.
". ."
The footsteps stopped beside me,
And something leaned down.
I lowered myself further over Song Arin, eyes closed in prayer.
Hot breath brushed my ear.
[Let's change your hard life here.]
[Stop struggling. Someone else can do it for you.]
[You don't have to be the one suffering. We can assign someone else.]
Then, the voice grew louder.
I ignored the thoughts invading my closed-eyed mind.
I didn't think my current life was that hard, nor had I ever wished for a substitute.
I just did my best in the position given to me.
This was pretty good, wasn't it?
With that thought, I desperately ignored the voice in my head.
Hot breath still exhaled near my ear,
-Step... step...
The footsteps receded.
I sighed in relief and cracked my eyes open.
The priest walked ahead.
Good.
But it wasn't a complete resolution.
We still had to get out of here somehow.
Let's think carefully.
Suddenly, my eyes—and everyone else's—stopped working properly.
Just when they had been fine.
...Right.
Eyes closed, I reviewed the situation.
If my eyes were supposed to fail here, they should have from the moment we entered.
Meaning, some action had triggered it.
Only two possibilities came to mind.
First, when the priest arrived, that thing began resonating.
Second, from the moment I looked at it, it blocked me.
". ."
What had I read again?
I recalled the translucent window from before.
[Name: Cross]
[Age: 3̸̡̭͖̪͇̻̝͔̬̯̋̐ͅ]
[Talent: Has talent for serving God.]
Broken text. And,
Talent for serving God.
Song Arin's words came to mind.
'Trial'
It fit perfectly with a trial.
So, to them, I had talent for serving God?
I reached into my pocket for the manual, suddenly worried.
No way the manual was completely broken too, right?
I slowly pulled out the manual,
-Flap...
It opened very quietly.
Was it opening quietly because it was dangerous right now?
[Employee Manual]
[Containment Object - Cross - Containment Team Kim Wan-woo's Record]
The unexpected name made me catch my breath, but I kept turning pages.
[1. The object appears to be an ordinary cross.]
[2. However, if the object recognizes a 'Prophet,' everything around immediately ceases to function.]
[3. The solution taken at the time to escape was to offer the necessary ones as burnt sacrifices.]
[4. To neutralize the cross, all but one person near the cross must be offered as burnt sacrifices.]
[5. Alternatively, the chosen Prophet must overcome the trial.]
[6. The Prophet at the time was Containment Team's Kim Jaeheon, who perished without overcoming the trial.]
". ."
So I was a Prophet candidate.
That line I'd seen earlier meant I was the Prophet.
And the regressor had sacrificed everyone except himself.
". ."
I had no idea why I'd been selected as Prophet, but that wasn't important.
I looked at the praying group.
Sacrifice them?
I wasn't even sure if we could now.
Sacrificing others meant burning the entire HR Team except me.
I had no intention of that.
In the end, I had only one option.
-Flap!
The manual flipped open at ferocious speed.
[Employee Manual]
[LK - Knowing When to Retreat and Escape]
1. Though all lives are equal, consider those who would grieve if you sacrificed yourself.
2. Even if you can redo it and you're the only one who can, there are times to reconsider.
3. Your sacrifice doesn't always lead to a happy ending. Think of those left behind.
Anyone would think I was off to die.
I carefully closed the manual.
I get what you're thinking, but I can't sacrifice the others.
"Arin."
"...Huuuh..."
I placed my arm on Song Arin's shoulder, who was still clutching her head and twitching, and whispered.
"I believe in you, Arin."
". ."
Her movements stopped.
She stood up.
Jang Chaeyeon and Yoo Daon looked at me, while Park Ye-eun, still unaware, kept praying with eyes closed.
"...What are you doing?"
"Jaeheon?"
I eyed the two rising to stop them, then slowly stepped forward.
I slowly walked and stood before the priest.
The priest's emotionless eyes turned to me,
"I'll take the trial."
"Jaeheon?"
"What are you... doing right now?"
The priest nodded at my words, and confusion deepened on Jang Chaeyeon and Yoo Daon's faces.
A smile crept onto the priest's face.
"Listen well."
I looked at the two staring at me.
"Your abilities will probably return soon."
I'd initially meant to tell them what to do if I died,
But their gazes were so unusual, I couldn't say it.
I thought about the trial.
What to make the trial.
I had a rough idea, honestly.
"If I collapse... or disappear, just stay put for now."
They'd stay put anyway, without powers to fight.
I didn't think they were teammates who couldn't control themselves.
"Jaeheon, why?"
Yoo Daon's voice trembled.
"You sound like you're going off to die."
". ."
Jang Chaeyeon remained silent too.
Honestly, I might die.
I nodded slowly, and their expressions hardened.
Yoo Daon spoke up, looking dazed.
"Th-that trial. I'll do it. I endure pain well, and de-death doesn't scare me. Even if I really die, it's fine. I want to do it."
"...Logically, I can do it too. If failing the trial means dying, I can handle that. I just need to die, right?"
Jang Chaeyeon nodded, looking at me.
Her gaze was desperate, different from usual, urging me.
But.
"It's fine."
The two froze at my words.
It had to be me anyway.
But how to convince them in this short time.
"I'll do it."
". ."
"I'm against it."
Yoo Daon, unable to meet my eyes and trembling hands, and Jang Chaeyeon speaking seriously.
The priest extended a hand.
His feminine face urged me on, as if saying hurry.
"...Go."
"Wait, Jaeheon—"
Before Yoo Daon finished, the priest pressed his index finger to my forehead,
And my consciousness sank into darkness.
*
"...Huh?"
And there I was, standing in my hometown neighborhood.
"You idiot."
With my childhood friend, her familiar face looking at me tearfully.