Chapter 691 (1/2)

Messiah.

Existences who lived grim lives without any hope of a better future. A messiah was someone supposed to save them.

What is salvation for these existences.

Up to then, I did not know.

***

“That’s insane! How can Sil be a tribute?! What kind of god sacrifices his own followers?!”

Son Jae-won could not help but be in shock when he heard that Sil was requested to be offered as the sacrificial tribute. Under Jae-won’s common sense, the existence and ultimate purpose of a ‘god’ was as a being who would listen to the voices of its followers, bring miracles, and oversee the expansion of life. A god was supposed to gather the peoples’ wishes, lead them towards a common goal, and edify their lives.

Even if a god could not become a Messiah like Jesus, who sacrificed himself to cleanse humankind of their original sin, or Maitreyan Buddha, who descended onto the world to stop it from falling into chaos, a god should at least bear some weight and responsibility if it received faith and devotion from its followers.

It was under this reasoning that Son Jae-won worked as a faceless hero in Korea for a brief period of time. Although, his actions also alleviated some of the boredom he had with life. When Jae-won heard of the perpetrators in Korean society who existed without taking any social responsibility, did not fulfill their social obligations, and abused their power without paying the price for their sins, Jae-won was not able to contain his anger. However, in this world, Son Jae-won found existences that were much worse than those perpetrators in Korea.

Jae-won did not know Sil, who was supposed to be offered as a tribute, very well. However, he knew her laughter and the light her personality brought to her family during the month he had lived with them.

Sil was the first among Ghel’s children, who were all wary of Son Jae-won and his foreign look in the beginning, to approach and talk to him. More than anything, She was only a twelve year old child who needed constant care and attention from her parents and siblings. She was at an age where she should be running around and playing with her friends without any worries. However…

“Nothing can be done.” Even as he shed tears, Ghel had no choice but to turn his back on Sil, who trembled like a baby bird in the cold while holding onto the fabric of her mother’s pants. “The nobles in the castle have already decided… Nothing can be done.”

The moment he heard those words, Son Jae-won clenched his jaw. He realized that this world was not much different from Earth.

***

‘Should I just eliminate the nobles…?’ For a moment, Son Jae-won immersed himself in such thoughts.

The anger rising from within him was like the emotion he felt when he had heard why Min Chae-young committed suicide. Unlike then, though, he now recognized his emotional state.

In fact, Son Jae-won had been thinking for a long time whether to kill the nobles who resided in the castle. He had observed how the nobles treated Ghel’s family and the other villagers. They were called serfs, but they lived lives worse than those of slaves. The people underneath the nobles were considered as things, simply possessions.

Knowing this, Son Jae-won still refrained from taking immediate action. He was a stranger to this world, and he had no idea what harm would come to Ghel and the others if he helped them and then left. ‘I’m not presenting them with a permanent solution.’ Thus, Son Jae-won decided on another tactic. He decided to offer himself in Sil’s stead.

“You… You’re going to offer yourself in Sil’s stead?”

“Yes. For the past month, even though you were constantly monitored and observed by the nobles, you continued to hide me and gave me food when you didn’t have to, right? So, this time, I want to help.”

“But you are our guest. We cannot have our guest injured. That is the doctrine we live by.”

The doctrine was taught by the god they worshipped… It seemed as though an idiotic god still wanted to emulate the practices of a good god.

From the start, Son Jae-won did not tell Ghel and his family to run away. They were afraid of leaving their homeland, and they had great faith in their god who, ironically, was going to take away their daughter. Their environment and upbringing must have made them this way. Thus, Son Jae-won threw away every other alternative idea and offered to become a tribute on Sil’s behalf.

Of course, Ghel refused, but in the end, after continuous persuasion from Son Jae-won, Ghel dropped his head. “I’m sorry, Won…for having you sacrifice so much for us.”

Son Jae-won quietly nodded. He wanted to smile, but somehow, he could not make a smile in a place when his parents were absent.

***

The process of offering a tribute was more complex yet simpler than what Jae-won expected.

Along the periphery of the holy territory, where the god was supposed to come down, various ceremonies of unknown meaning were being held. The aristocratic nobles observed the animalistic shaman rituals from a corner while showing off their wealth and flair.

By the time the sun went down, everyone was gone. Only Son Jae-won remained at the altar, which had been crowded with people until just recently. He was tied to a frame so that he could not escape. After some time had passed…

Thud. Thud.

‘Is that the god?’

The ground vibrations originated from within the nearby forest, and a monster the size of a modern house walked out. It boasted a height of several meters, and its body was covered with a hard-shelled carapace. All the while, the monster’s tongue wagged wildly from its mouth.

‘Isn’t that just a monster?’ Usually, in these backward unscientific times, objects and phenomenons that were difficult to interpret were sometimes labeled as gods or god’s acts. However, the monster’s appearance only gave Jae-won a sense of ‘fright’ without any awe.

‘Also, is it hurt?’ Son Jae-won stared at the monster and noticed that, with every step it took, one of its hind legs kept dragging on the ground. The monster acted as if nothing was wrong, but it seemed to feel discomfort in moving its body.

‘If I do this well…maybe I can finish it easily.’ Son Jae-won’s eyes sharpened.

When the monster arrived in front of the altar, its big eyes gleamed as it searched for its tribute.『This time around…this tribute…will reinforce my disabled powers… It’ll become an ingredient…but it doesn’t seem to possess faith… What… This is a first…』

‘It can speak?’ Son Jae-won was caught by surprise. On the surface, the monster’s intention seemed to be that it craved and wanted some food to nourish itself back to health. Moreover, though he did not know what method was being used, Jae-won felt awful when he heard the monster’s dull voice ringing in his head.

However, Jae-won did not show any outward expression of surprise. Although he was not sure, Jae-won instinctively felt that he should not release his true feelings and intentions, as it could possibly be conveyed to the monster.

『Well, it can’t be helped… Even if it’s not enough, I have to eat… Until the Heavenly Demon comes, I need to somehow…』

‘Heavenly Demon?’

Perhaps the Heavenly Demon was the culprit who injured the monster…but Son Jae-won was not able to think and deduce any further. Suddenly, the monster rushed at him with its mouth wide open.

‘Now…!’ At that moment, Son Jae-won pulled on the device he held in his hand. Once he did this, the packs of gunpowder that had been buried around the altar exploded all at once, and pillars of fire surrounded the monster.

Argh!

When Son Jae-won expressed his intention to become a tribute on behalf of Sil, Sil and her siblings all secretly met with him to express their thanks and to ask if there was anything they could do for him.