Chapter 217: 4th Class Dimension Management God Solaris-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 217: 4th Class Dimension Management God Solaris-1
He was thirsty.
That was the only thought in Kang In-ho’s mind as he stood atop the execution platform.
These cruel religious fanatics hadn't given him so much as a single sip of water.
He tried swallowing to soothe his parched throat, but it was a drop in the bucket. He had been bound in chains all night, unable to catch even a moment of sleep. His head felt heavy, and his eyelids were like lead.
"Kill him!"
"You devil, impersonating the Saint!"
The voices of the angry mob reached his ears.
I am the Saint. For now, anyway.
In-ho let out a dry chuckle.
Through his blurred vision, he saw stones flying toward him. Most of them fell short of his position. They either dropped below the platform or barely reached the edge, rolling harmlessly to his feet.
However, a few were well-aimed. They struck his body and head with dull thuds. Warm blood began to trickle down his forehead. Despite all the agony he had endured up to this point, that stinging sensation was still a pain he wished to avoid.
"It’s finally over," In-ho muttered.
"Yes, it is your end. Things would have been better for everyone if you hadn't stuck your nose where it didn't belong," the Commander of the Holy Knights said from beside him.
"I’ve got a bit of a foul temperament... I hate sitting still. And I believe in paying back what I’ve received in kind."
In-ho flashed a bloody smirk.
"Paying back? I don't believe we've done anything wrong to you. If anything, we allowed you to live a good life as a Saint," the Commander countered.
The Saint, who no longer had the strength to even lift his head, cackled. He spat out a glob of bloody phlegm onto the floor and spoke.
"You just put a leash on me for your own benefit. You used my name to line your own pockets."
"I don't understand. I thought our relationship was mutually beneficial."
"I’m not in the mood to be lectured by a prick who steals other men's women, so let’s just get this over with."
At In-ho’s sneering remark, a vein popped on the Commander’s forehead. Perhaps the provocation worked, as the Commander silenced the rowdy crowd and began the execution.
Every time he recited one of the prisoner's alleged crimes, the crowd’s jeers grew louder.
"Sigh..."
In-ho let out a long breath, as if exhaling his very soul.
"Used until there was nothing left..."
It was a self-deprecating murmur.
"The act is finally over. I'm done wearing clothes that don't fit."
He felt a sense of relief, as if any lingering affection for this life had completely vanished.
"If it weren't for the deal... I would have taken out the Pope during the Harvest Festival service."
A hint of regret lingered in his voice. He forced his eyes open, though they stung from the blood dripping into them. Amidst the surging waves of the crowd, he spotted someone with a hood pulled deep over their face.
In-ho felt certain he had locked eyes with that person.
Then, along with the sensation of cold steel meeting his neck, his vision plummeted.
Feeling a strange sense of falling, Kang In-ho smiled.
His face was full of peace.
*
When the surroundings fell silent and the crushing fatigue vanished, Kang In-ho opened his eyes.
He found himself standing alone in a vast, empty space where nothing else existed.
In-ho reflexively touched his neck. The sensation of the blade still seemed to linger there. He took a step forward. With every stride, his footsteps sent ripples through the void.
He walked toward a faint light in the distance. After walking for what felt like an eternity, a bridge made of light appeared. He crossed it without hesitation.
"You've arrived."
As he reached the other side, someone descended from a staircase ahead. It was a woman with neatly styled hair and a calm expression.
"Yeah," he replied.
Clack. Clack.
"Did everything go according to that 'plan' you kept emphasizing?"
He gestured with his chin as he approached her. In-ho didn't seem particularly pleased with the situation.
"Yes. It concluded perfectly, without any deviation in Causality."
The woman bowed her head slightly in a gesture of gratitude.
"How does it feel to have your head cut off?"
There was no malice in her follow-up question.
"It sucked. I don't recommend it," In-ho replied, rubbing his neck.
"I am sorry it wasn't the death you would have preferred," the woman said calmly.
"And what about you? How did you die?"
"It wasn't any better than yours."
In-ho let out a short laugh at her response.
"Well, you did make life difficult for a lot of people. You had to pay the price."
The woman frowned as if remembering the pain of that moment, which only made In-ho cackle.
After watching him laugh for a while, the woman snapped her fingers, and a cup of clear water appeared. In-ho took it and drank. He felt his thirst finally begin to recede.
"Phew..."
He wiped the water dripping from his chin and caught his breath. Once his sporadic laughter died down, he looked at the woman and spoke.
"I helped you as per our contract. Now it's your turn to uphold your end, right?"
He emphasized the word 'contract,' as if reminding her not to forget.
The woman nodded and pointed behind him. Before he knew it, a comfortable chair had appeared. He slumped into it as if he had done it a thousand times before and looked at her.
"So, tell me, Lumen."
In-ho took another sip of water. Once he swallowed, he corrected himself.
"No... 4th Class Dimension Management God, Solaris."
The woman with the neat hair and calm demeanor—the same woman who had been the Chief Inquisitor in silver armor—sat down in a chair facing him.
"I will tell you everything I know, to the best of my ability. Kang In-ho, possessor of a noble soul."
The woman before him spread her brilliant white wings wide and offered him a serene smile.