Fainting or falling asleep and encountering strange beings was one of the realities Kang Sihyun had come to realize after spending about a year and a half in Kang Sihyun's body.
Though it might sound incomprehensible to others, to Sihyun, it felt like a formula that consistently applied to him.
Rarely had he not transitioned to the world of consciousness after passing out, an occurrence so infrequent it could be counted on one hand, although, for ordinary people, fainting itself would be a rare event.
A jolt of conventional wisdom flashed through his mind, causing a twinge of guilt. Ignoring the stirrings of a provoked conscience, Sihyun surveyed the overly familiar space.
A black space.
A constant, unchanging realm where he had met Kang Sihyun, sometimes glimpsed the future shown by Pia, and occasionally encountered gods.
Though at times it filled with water or light descended from the sky, its darkness remained its unvarying trait.
There, he noticed a presence unlike anything he had previously encountered. Or should it even be called a presence?
It was merely a cluster of light.
Shining brightly all on its own in the dark expanse.
A brilliant cluster of light.
Throughout his dreams, he had met various entities, but this was the first time he had encountered mere light. What could this indicate? A crisis? Or perhaps hope? Or clues to the path he must tread?
Pondering what the light in front of him might signify based on his past experiences, Sihyun's eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he thought of someone he hadn't seen in a long time.
Could it be?
"...Kang Sihyun?"
The probability was low, but it was possible. If he, alive and well, could possess another's body, and if voices could inhabit that body, then it wasn't too far-fetched for a once-living being to become a cluster of light.
He cautiously asked and watched the light's movements. If it really was Kang Sihyun, he needed to find out what had happened to cause such a transformation, causing sweat to trickle down his neck.
What sins had he committed in a past life to continually encounter such incidents?
It was when he asked the light to move up and down if it was Kang Sihyun.
The light twitched once and then began to shake sideways, emitting laughter. Only then could Sihyun confirm the identity of the light.
It was a voice.
The voice that had been conversing with him since the pyramid.
-Hahaha.
The voice laughed heartily, enough to be considered boisterous, circling around Sihyun before releasing a familiar sound.
-You're entertainingly mistaken.
"That's what you are?"
-Hm?
"...You're light?"
The voice seemed not to understand his words at first, but after he repeated himself, it laughed. The voice took his words as a compliment, emitting a joyous laughter.
-You're not wrong.
"...What do you mean?"
-Calling me light isn't incorrect.
"...Yes, well, that makes sense."
Confused by the conversation, Sihyun slumped down where he stood. Having fainted, he had the opportunity for a conversation, albeit not face-to-face, and he wished to resolve all his questions.
The light followed Sihyun down, floating back and forth in front of his pale face. Watching it, Sihyun wore a slightly perplexed expression.
It felt almost insane to converse with something that lacked a physical form.
"Is there no physical body for you?"
-There is.
"Then change into that form. This current appearance is quite uncomfortable to look at."
The challenge was that looking directly at the light was difficult. It was so bright that squinting caused discomfort. As he mentioned this, the light burst into laughter as if it found something incredibly amusing.
No matter what he said, it laughed, making anyone think he was a comedian with great sense.
"Why do you keep laughing?"
-Your thoughts are amusing to me. I do have a form. It's just that you can't see it.
"You're saying I can't see it?"
-Yes. You're trying to see something that's invisible, so I appear as light to you. Better to close your eyes.
It would be more comfortable that way.
With a voice as gentle as if lulling a child to sleep, Sihyun closed his eyes skeptically. Perhaps the voice's advice wasn't false, for as soon as he shut his eyelids, he felt his shoulders relax, having been tense without realizing.
His breathing became more comfortable, and the prickling light against his eyelids vanished. A strange coziness enveloped him, leaving him unsure if this was the right or wrong approach, when the voice spoke again.
-Are you more comfortable now?
"...It is more comfortable."
-Good. We don't have much time, so let's proceed quickly.
Proceed with what?
As he was about to
ask, something unfolded before his eyes—correcting himself, it wasn't before his eyes but in his mind.
It felt like being sucked into a space, and soon, Sihyun found himself in the air.
Bathed in brilliant sunlight, the ground stretched far below him in the air.
-What we need to do is quite simple.
The voice began to explain in that state.
-Eleven more dungeons will appear.
"Dungeons?"
-Like the pyramid you visited. Browsing through your memories, I found this to be the most appropriate term for beings living in this era.
Browsing his memories.
The statement was unpleasant, making his eyebrows twitch, but that was all. Even if he protested loudly here, the voice would not blink an eye. Getting angry would only harm himself.
Could it be a deity?
Remembering brings to mind an unforgettable fact.
God.
The thought of a transcendent being tampering and molding his memories made his body tremble uncontrollably. As if about to open his eyes, his eyelashes fluttered, feeling a sensation over his shoulder.
Warm and solid. As if a hand had been placed there.
If one were to make a comparison, it felt akin to being caressed. As if someone was patting and firmly holding his shoulder.
-Focus.
The voice chided.
Contrary to the warm and powerful touch, the voice was cold. Convinced without any evidence that the one touching his shoulder was the voice, Sihyun gathered his wandering thoughts.
What mattered was not the identity of the voice but understanding the task he needed to perform.
Clearing his mind and focusing, he felt a few taps on his shoulder before the subtle sensation vanished, and the voice began speaking again.
-The creatures living in the dungeons to come are all stronger than the one in the pyramid, so be cautious. However, you don't need to visit all of them. There are capable beings here too. Together, you might be able to conquer a dungeon or two.
"So…"
-The trace you found.
"..."
-Follow the trace you discovered. Like this time.
Was he to seek out the countries where Adam and Eve had left disciples?
-Exactly.
He hadn't voiced his thoughts, but the voice answered as if reading his mind. Amidst numerous surprises, Sihyun could now calmly accept his thoughts being read by an unidentified entity. He recalled the seven countries where Adam and Eve had left disciples.
Egypt, Russia, China, the United States, Germany, Japan, Rome.
Having dealt with the first dungeon in Egypt, Russia was next.
"If what you say is true, dungeons will appear in all the countries related to the trace I found."
-That's right.
The voice easily affirmed what would be a terrible calamity for humanity. It felt alien not to be disturbed by this.
"So, I just need to visit the remaining dungeons in the six countries related to the trace?"
-Yes. Go there, eliminate the children of Gula, and seize the weapon.
"That shining stick?"
-A shining stick!
The voice scolded as if he had made a blasphemous remark, then clicked its tongue. Though he couldn't see its expression, he felt disdainful eyes upon him.
As if it were a shining stick, then perhaps a shining toothbrush.
Muttering internally, the voice quickly read his thoughts and reprimanded him for his limited imagination.
-That is a fragment of my weapon.
"A fragment?"
-Yes, your mistaking it for a stick was due to the weapon being shattered, unable to maintain its original form. If you gather all the fragments, it will regain its original shape.
The voice spoke with a seriousness, but Sihyun kept thinking of a cartoon he had watched in his childhood, unable to take the conversation seriously.
Gather seven fragments.
It felt like something out of Dr*gon Ball.
Had the voice heard, it would have exploded in rage at such disrespectful thoughts. Putting aside such notions, Sihyun reviewed and organized their conversation. A question occurred to him.
"After opening all cores to fully awaken the power you mentioned, following the trace to conquer the dungeons, killing the children of Gula, and obtaining the weapon, what happens next?"
Would Gula appear, bringing about the apocalypse?
Or would another entity emerge?
Either way, it wouldn't be a welcome development. He asked with a hardened expression, but the voice gave an unexpected answer.
-You will remember.
"Remember?"
-By then, you'll naturally recall all your memories. Go find your father in your dreams.
"My father?"
-Why pretend not to know?
"…?"
-I'd think you'd have a guess by now.
The voice wasn't cold. It wasn't sarcastic nor heavy. It was a voice filled with genuine curiosity.
As if truly wondering, it asked with pure inquiry.
That meant the voice was confident he would know who his father was.
What made it so sure, he couldn't guess. As he was about to speak, the
world beneath the sky where Sihyun floated lit up.
Exactly eleven places.
When he intuitively grasped what it meant, a gust of wind blew, and all the landscapes that had unfolded in his mind vanished, leaving darkness once again.
-Perhaps then, you'll hear more stories.
It won't be me telling them then.
The voice spoke softly.
-Now, as your body has likely adapted to the awakened power, shall we go wake up your friend, as you wished?
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