At her dear friend's message, the Association President, Dan Haera, tilted her head with a faint smile.
"It's not exactly common for a dragon to become an Evil God."
[But it's not unheard of either.]
"Yeah, and that's the problem. This is going to be a real headache."
The nature of dragons differed across dimensions.
Some were beastlike, while others served as sages or bore the mantle of gods.
But one thing was consistent—
In every dimension, dragons were called messengers of the divine.
"If that dragon's ended up in such a form, the hatred must be immense. There's never been a case where a dragon willingly corrupted itself. If it degenerated enough to become an Evil God... that's quite..."
[It must've taken a great deal. A dragon, nature's greatest advocate, becoming something as vile as an Evil God—It wouldn't happen just from being betrayed by all of humanity or abandoned by the gods.]
"What form did you say it took again? Was it that a humanlike figure formed the upper body of the dragon?"
[It looked like immature humans—most not even adults—mashed together and sewn into one. No, maybe 'mashed' isn't the right word. It was more like pieces shattered like porcelain or stretched long like syrup...]
"Just from your description, I'm imagining a long, Eastern-style dragon more than a Western one. Heh, I take it you didn't have time to take pictures?"
[Just getting our guild members out alive took everything I had. I think I saw every kind of curse imaginable in that place. There were so many varieties.]
Seo Seo-Hee was currently recovering from injuries after escaping the dungeon.
True to the name "Dream," the injuries weren't grave, but the sheer number of curses layered onto his soul had reached a point where treatment was unavoidable.
One of the curses he'd received was necrotic decay—his flesh rotting and falling apart.
The crinkling of bandages echoed.
[Fighting against divinity really is exhausting. Each minor aspect of it hits humans with overwhelming force. Hearing its voice made my ears bleed and left my mind blank... Seriously, it was no joke.]
"Honestly, just surviving after seeing that thing is something to be grateful for."
[Yeah. And since its essence was that of a dragon, it wasn't quite as lethal. I guess it wasn't a traditional god, one that had always been destiny or nature. That gave us at least a sliver of hope.]
"If it's an artificial god, then we stand a chance."
Divinity is fate, nature—and, put another way, history.
They are living history, and their magnitude can be measured by the time they carry within them.
Compared to traditional divinities, whose time cannot be measured—an artificial god...
"...isn't the absolute worst."
They could be dealt with by human hands.
"...Hmm. Should we restrict the Collector's involvement?"
[Ah, that guy... right... yeah, that would make sense.]
Though the topic of Bisa Beul had suddenly come up, Seo Seo-Hee nodded knowingly.
[Guildmaster Bisa Beul can't resist dragons.]
"Well, he does have dragon eyes himself, so of course he'd be drawn to them."
[Come to think of it, this Evil God had an awful lot of eyes.]
"That's an even more ominous detail."
[No, I mean—on his arms, hands, wings... They were full of golden eyes.]
Seo Seo-Hee began describing the Evil God he had seen.
[Because its form was made of many humans melded together, it had an abnormally large number of arms. The wings alone were beyond anything I could call normal. They bent and twisted like the branches of a dried, withered tree, spanning the entire amusement park like a web... As time passed, you couldn't even find a path anymore.]
"Yet somehow, you managed to escape."
[It covered every direction, practically turned the place into a maze. But if it's a maze, there has to be a way out, right? We found a rough path and got out. All those hands tried to crush us, but it wasn't beyond what we could shake off.]
The Association President nodded.
"Then it's probably best to designate it as EX-rank."
She was referring to the classification of "Dream Amusement Park."
"This way, the public will stay on alert."
[Is cooperation with the government going well?]
"Most of the victims were citizens of the city, so it hasn't been that difficult. All we had to do was stimulate their lingering sense of responsibility in reality, and provoke their desire to grow beyond it."
[And you gave them an incentive too.]
"Obviously. People who wake from their dreams early and put in effort should be the ones to receive more rewards."
Because of this, aside from the official recovery programs, many personnel had to be deployed.
But the situation was gradually improving.
Citizens, having been reminded of what truly mattered to them, were beginning to return to reality, one by one.
"Plus, the image of people who cling to 'Dream Amusement Park' has become one of laziness and disgrace. They no longer have any real reason to stay in dreams. You stepping up personally helped a lot."
The public's affection and trust toward Justitia were sky-high.
And of all Justitia's hunters, Seo Seo-Hee was the most beloved.
That he had personally led this subjugation meant public sentiment would naturally turn against the "Dream Amusement Park."
[So this is why I kept that 'Symbol of Eternity' title all this time.]
"I'm always grateful to you guys for enduring the hassle and burden just for me."
[Don't get all sentimental... Friends are supposed to help each other in times like these, right?]
"And that's exactly what I'm thankful for."
"At this point, we have to seal or eliminate the Evil God quickly and shut the dungeon gate. If we drag this out, the citizens who hesitated thanks to your reputation and my maneuvering might start longing for dreams again."
Seo Seo-Hee sounded exasperated.
[Easy for you to say—you're not the one going in there.]
"But you can do it, right? And besides, I think..."
Dan Haera recalled the small Saintess she had once seen.
That Saintess who was reportedly kidnapped... she's not the type to just sit there and take it."
[Oh, do you think we could get cooperation from the Moon Sect's Saintess?]
"For matters , the Collector is more likely to make an accurate judgment than I am. He's got good eyes, after all. And since the Collector has expressed intent to participate in this subjugation, our chances are looking pretty good."
[That's some much-needed good news in a headache of a situation.]
[What about Hunter Sergio?]
"He hasn't been appearing at the Collector's shop recently, citing poor health.
The Collector hasn't said anything either, and since he's not listed for this operation, he probably has his reasons."
[I feel like I can already hear the subjugation squad mourning the loss. He looked fine last time I saw him—do you think his condition has anything to do with this dungeon?]
"It's hard to say for sure, but the timing is suspicious. Maybe he's hiding out because he's afraid of this dungeon. If our theory's correct, and he died once and is now sustained by mystic forces, then perhaps the Collector stepped in out of concern for his family."
[He never struck me as the type to run and hide, so yeah—you're probably right, he's got his reasons. And if we're really short on power, we can drag Hae-Woon into this. No need to panic.]
"Yeah. At that time..."
[I'll try sweet-talking Hunter Sergio too.]
"Let's hope that time comes soon."
For Dan Haera, who always had to make promises, memories and special emotions were essential.
Naturally, the casualties mounted.
"That vile Evil God took our brothers...!!"
The ones most sensitive to this were the Moon Sect and the Church of the Sun.
"With that horrific voice, it melted my partner's brain! We must seal it away. If we leave the Dream's Evil God alone, he'll once again reach into reality and destroy the world!"
"We've only recovered a few traces of the Saintess... Where is she? Surely that delicate soul wasn't devoured... Please, please, may it not be so...!!"
"He's a traitor! He's rebelling against all things sacred and traditional. How could such an evil being even come into existence?! We must seal him away!!"
The Evil God melted human brains with his singing.
He shredded people apart with hands that approached like dancers.
He made them weep blood with those mesmerizing golden eyes.
Divinity, by its very presence, was a threat.
"But how? He doesn't even see us as toys—he sees us as less than that. You all know how much that monster loved battle and blood in life..."
"This is nothing but a game to the Evil God of dreams. It's literally war play. You saw those giant hands suddenly appear and start playing with dolls—need I say more?!"
There were also priests overwhelmed by despair.
These were the ones most well-versed in divinity and mysticism.
They understood its danger and holiness more than anyone.
And so, the Church of the Sun gradually adopted a lukewarm approach to battle.
The Moon Sect condemned them for it.
"This wasn't our war to begin with!"
"Did you really think you'd be safe if you left the Dream's Evil God alone?!"
"We're not changing sides for that reason, damn it...!!"
Amid the escalating crisis, the Moon Sect crumbled further.
Their advances and methods became more reckless.
They weren't skilled in warfare, leading to rising casualties.
Priests mourned, weakened in spirit, as the ranks thinned.
The bishop remained silent through it all.
"Bishop, I'm sorry, but... please, you need to eat something..."
"I'm too busy. I'll see to it later."
"It's already been four days.
We understand the Saintess's absence hit you hard, but if even you isolate yourself...
"I believe in you all."
She smiled—a rare expression.
"Are we not proud disciples who serve the Moon?"
"Th-that's... yes, you're right, Bishop."
"Did you think any of this was unfair?"
"No. I'm satisfied with our purpose, Bishop."
"Yes... this is who we are."
She remained diligent in her duties as bishop.
She organized the camp, cared for the wounded, planned their next strategies.
But behind it all, she was obsessed with a single research project.
The Moon Sect found nothing strange in this.
Their souls, deeply steeped in individualism, made it possible.
If one had a desire, they were given freedom.
No one judged the other.
That was the Moon Sect.
Even so, the Moon Sect began to fall.
"Look here. Look at me. Everything you want to know is here. Shall I open my magnificent castle's library for you? You want to see the wider world, all its mysteries? Very well, I grant it. I grant it. My friend, we're such good friends... Don't doubt me."
"What's wrong? Why? Is there a problem? My friend, will you abandon me? Ah, it hurts so much. I can't breathe. Are you the same? Then I can help. Reach out to me. Beg me. Ask for mercy and surrender yourself."
"S-stop. Please... please, stop...!!"
"Stop? You want me to stop? Stop what, exactly? This all began with your weakness. Why do you think you're the only one who can hear my voice? Do you know why? You accepted me. You were curious about me. I'll help you. Don't suffer. My friend. My honorable, intelligent, wise friend..."
Through that weakened heart, the Evil God's whisper seeped in.
"Now, look. See with those beautiful eyes."
"Where in all this is your precious thing?"
Through giggling laughter—
Through childish squeals, through soft fingers caressing cheek and neck,
Through a gentle hand stroking one's head—
Seduced by that rapturous golden glow—
Eyes dyed in gold, people went mad.
"Bishop, Bishop. We must follow his will. He will grant us rest. Only he can guide us to the right path... Only he can lead us into our teacher's arms..."
"Thank you... for understanding my wish."
"Ah, if only I had realized it sooner. Surely the Saintess has already entered the Moon's embrace. That merciful, sweet embrace... Led by that kind, warm hand... I'm jealous. Jealous, truly..."
"...Yes, I'm sure she has..."
The bishop gently embraced the priests who wept tears of gold.
"We can become stars."
Such must be the will of the Moon in the dream.
And amid all this, the Saintess had no intention of staying silent.
"...So, would you kindly let me go?"
"Ahaha, haha! Hahahaha!! Haha! Ha...! Haha!!"
A prison of hands and arms that did not even allow for conversation.
The Saintess looked toward Ather, trapped with her.
"There's no talking to this thing."
"Be grateful we haven't already been crushed in this state."
"That's true, but it's still infuriating.
Ather, are you only capable of stating facts?"
"I learned to say other things, but I forgot them while trapped in this thorny cage."
"Look at you dragging up painful memories just because you're cornered."
"I must've had some talent—that's how I became a royal archivist."
"Your capacity for self-justification is incredible..."
Trapped in the Evil God's grasp—or more precisely, the Demon King's castle—
The Saintess crossed her arms.
"Well then, let's see who wins this."
Once again—Aram had not even the faintest intention of staying silent.
At the very least, she would carry out the plan she had prepared so thoroughly.
-x-X-x-
When the Evil God's seal fully unraveled, and Aram and Ather were rushing about, persuading the beasts with all their might—that was when the Evil God, who had seemed to have lost all reason, suddenly kidnapped the two of them.
It was, quite literally, an act of kidnapping.
"It looked like I'd been kidnapped in reality, but it wasn't quite that, originally..."
At Aram's murmur, Ather nodded.
"But now you've truly been kidnapped.
It won't be easy to reassure those back home that it wasn't as serious as they feared."
"Enough with the brutal honesty."
"Someone has to stay grounded in reality."
"How did someone with your personality become a royal archivist?"
"There must not have been any other archivist more qualified than me."
It was easy to say, but reality had been different.
Fundamentally, a royal court was a den of demons in any dimension—a world of monsters in human skin.
If he had become an archivist there solely through ability, that ability was undeniably overwhelming.
And that was why Aram could smile.
"It's truly comforting that someone so capable is by my side."
"You suddenly sound like one of those noble types now..."
"And if you're so confident in your abilities, I'm sure you know how to escape this Demon King's top-floor chamber, yes?"
"I can't exactly guarantee anything, but..."
In a room bound in countless hands studded with golden eyes, Ather stroked his chin.
"...It doesn't seem impossible."
Even if in name only, he had once been called a Hero.
"With my experience, I know well how to deal with demon kings. It was I who cataloged all those damn curses and abnormal phenomena that shattered the world's common sense and laws."
"Then what do you think we should do to escape from here?"
"We have to make it close its eyes."
"I've been considering that too."
"I had no doubt you would."
Though they were both captured by the Demon King, the situation hadn't spiraled into complete disaster—because the two captured were Aram and Ather.
A Saintess who had mastered countless mysteries and theories, and a royal archivist so jaded by fighting demon kings that he'd grown sick of them—it was quite the formidable pairing.
"First and foremost, the most important point is that the Evil God is still a divinity. And divinity is fate, nature, and at the same time, mystery. And these mystery-bound beings with reason—they all place great importance on rules."
"I don't know if Argio, in his current state, really retains proper reason, but I do agree with the core idea. Even if he seems to have lost his mind and gone mad, a god is still a god. No matter how far he falls, he's still smarter than us."
"Besides, maybe due to my teacher's influence, this Evil God showed clear traces of mercy toward us. Whether that was arrogance or affection, I can't say—but I believe there's value in taking advantage of it. We need to understand the Evil God's behavior patterns. Do you have any organized intel?"
"Now that's my specialty. Of course, the time he spent sealed must've brought changes—he was clearly different from the version I remembered. But I don't believe his core essence has changed."
Ather rummaged through his clothes and soon pulled out a thick stack of documents.
"This is my analysis of the magicians' research journals—the ones who tried to bring down the Creator."
"Where did you get this?"
"In my era, another word for 'Hero' was vagrant or drifter. This kind of thing is part of a hero's basic literacy. I apologize for not sharing it earlier—circumstances were urgent."
"So where did you—no, never mind. This is... fascinating. If the situation weren't what it is, I'd love to spend a month poring over it. I'll ask for it later."
Staring intently at the document, Aram narrowed her eyes.
"Hmm... Isn't this the key part of the diagram? It seems the magicians tried to channel the Evil God's rage toward the Creator—and I think this is the component that induced that reaction."
"As expected of a Saintess.
The magicians aimed to use us as power sources to weaponize the Evil God of Wrath.
So they had no choice but to use such aggressive structures.
If we start from here and dig deeper..."
Like scholars engaging in a debate, the two began to methodically analyze the situation.
Their discussion ranged from "What mechanisms drive the Evil God of Wrath?" to "What must be done to avoid the Evil God's surveillance and the prison of hands?"
"...Then perhaps we should insert this structure over here. If we adapt pattern 31-4982, it might work better. That way, we can use space 952."
"But that would affect the structure in space 952-21-424."
"Ah, you're right. Then let's adjust and use 933-4982-11 instead. That one should be safe, right? Hmm, in that case, we'll need to..."
Aram and Ather used different conceptual languages.
They had to rely solely on shared concepts—numbers and patterns—to communicate their ideas.
That made the work more complex, but their speed never faltered.
Thus, under the Evil God's watchful eyes, they forced all its gazes closed, immobilized its hands by fixing them in space, and used its own divine mysteries against it to escape from the attic at the top of the tower.
Of course, that didn't mean the Evil God let them go so easily.
"―Aagh, it's chasing us! The hands are chasing us!!"
"This was expected. No matter what happens, I will at least get you to the first floor."
"Left at the corner! Then right! Then straight for 341 steps! Then turn right!!"
"You're like a seasoned forest guide."
Even as he trembled, Ather was awed by how well Aram knew the entire castle.
She had roamed the amusement park before meeting him in the Black Forest, and had already mapped the structure of the Demon King's castle, transformed by his resurrection.
Even as they ran, the hands continued to pursue them.
"Ugh, I'll go on ahead!"
"I'll be right behind you."
Ather used a weapon he had acquired earlier to strike them down.
Though it wasn't his usual greatsword and felt unfamiliar, he had once been called Hero.
He was well-versed in fending off a Demon King's onslaught under bad conditions.
"Trap ahead in 813 steps!!"
Aram led the way through the maze-like halls.
Ather slashed down any hand that came near.
Meanwhile, Aram weakened the Evil God's power so Ather could keep striking.
"If you're weakening it anyway, couldn't you {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} make it stop coming altogether?!"
"If I could, would we even be in this mess?!
I'm running out of divine power to fly, so carry me!
From here on, I'll have to guide us step by step!"
"I never thought I'd be so grateful for the Saintess's small frame...!!"
Ather scooped up Aram with one hand.
Thankfully, he primarily fought with just one arm.
To Ather, Aram weighed almost nothing.
"I'm not a burden, am I?"
"Not unless you count the fact that I've only got one arm free now."
"If that arm gets torn off, I'll reattach it for you! Just block them!"
"This is why people say Saints are terrifying...!!"
Grumbling at the orders from on high, Ather still obeyed.
And now with her body freed, Aram rapidly constructed more complex patterns.
So much divine power surged within her that her eyes turned bloodshot.
"...Right here, to the right!!"
She led him toward a wall.
Ather looked baffled—but his body moved regardless.
The wall of the Demon King's castle began to recede, like a living thing.
Now with both hands free, Aram infiltrated the castle's internal authority.
A path opened wherever she directed.
Ather sprinted with all his might.
Aram continued to find the way.
Having overused her access rights, Aram began to weep tears of blood.
"Are you really okay to keep going ?"
"Getting caught again would be worse."
"Now down to the left."
The pursuing hands only grew fiercer.
Their claws sharpened—and eventually, they even sprouted red fur.
They looked more like a dragon's hands than a human's.
At that point, capture meant no guarantee of survival.
The mercy they remembered from the Evil God came with a human form.
One mistake now would not be forgiven.
When they were finally near the first floor's exit—
"It seems the main body has caught on."
"I thought he'd be slower than this...!"
"He is still a god, after all."
The space distorted—corridors twisted and collapsed.
"If we delay any longer, we truly won't make it out."
"Put me down. It's time."
She didn't look back.
She dashed into the warped space.
From her footsteps, celestial patterns of moonlight bloomed like nebulas.
Aram used her teacher's divine power to find a path.
Her small body and vast divinity made it possible—but she couldn't include Ather in that method.
They had to walk different paths.
It hadn't been something they agreed on aloud.
But they both understood.
Their vision soon became completely blocked.
Ather wiped his bloodstained face with an exhausted hand.
"...Just when I'd finally found a companion, I'm alone again."
"Oh dear, how pitiable."
"I didn't mean I wanted you to show up."
In a small prison sealed by the Evil God's hands, a familiar figure approached with a smile.
The Evil God—now resembling the final saint Ather once knew.
A man adorned in gold and jewels, long red hair braided to the floor, barefoot, pacing the prison of hands—stood before Ather and looked up at him.
"Why didn't you call me this time?"
"What reason would I have to call you, considering what happened last time?"
"You dislike places , don't you?"
The rippling prison of flesh reminded him of the thorn cage.
Curses rotted the soul.
Who did they come from?
Ather wanted to go mad.
"Wouldn't it be easier that way?"
"You'd only need to cry like a beast and writhe in agony. Isn't that a beast's privilege? To not have to think too hard. To have no need for ideals, or malice. To simply groan, guided by instinct—that's the convenient strength of a beast."
Even so, Ather chose to suffer, endure, and embrace malice.
"The person I know... treated me with more respect."
"I am that very person."
"You're... a little different."
"A little different, yes."
A cold, massive hand reached out and gently cupped Ather's face.
"You're the one who called me."
"Isn't that right, my friend?"
But he could not withstand eternity—and so he had called forth the Evil God.
-x-X-x-
Trapped in a prison of thorns, he called to the evil god and begged for mercy.
If only he had conducted himself better, or been strong enough to ignore it all. Then he wouldn't have ended up imprisoned. He shouldn't have dared to invoke the evil god, drunk on pain. Who knew what disaster would follow?
And to beg for mercy in that state—he shouldn't have done that either.
"I know. Evil gods are always like that. Even if you pray for happiness, they never grant it straightforwardly. They always find a way to twist it—granting the most grotesque mercy possible, within the rules, to see how much more miserable you can become."
"But wasn't that the mercy you wanted?"
"Yes, it was. I wanted a pain greater than what I'd felt when I was locked in the thorn prison. Even that would've been a reward to me. I was already mad. I was exhausted. Any change at all would've been salvation."
Pain, when eternal, becomes unbearably dull. That was Ather's torment. He had wished for a hell even worse than the one he was trying to escape, and in that madness, he dared ask the evil god for mercy.
"But what did you give me?"
He had truly given him salvation.
"You were merciful. You were kind. That made it all the more horrifying."
"You were too precious to simply kill, weren't you?"
"That day, I realized you were truly an evil god. You should've just killed me. Do you know how much I resent you?"
"I know well, foolish one. Even while resenting me, you believe in me—just because I reshaped your little world. How weak and blind humans are..."
"That day, you became my new god."
Ather was a ghost of the old age—one raised in an era where religion was inescapable. His first god had been cast out by human hands, and that god had abandoned all of his children. He believed there was no more faith to follow.
And yet, this wretched Demon King had reached out a hand. Had restored a broken world and become a new object of faith. That brought Ather a peace so damnable he could hardly stand it.
"...Where did the Argio I knew go?"
Inevitable, shallow hatred slipped out.
"Where is my friend?"
He had already known it would come to this.
"He was a god, yes—but he was human."
"Why don't you think I am?"
"Because you're not human."
Golden eyes gleamed with malice as he stared at Ather like a beast.
"...Ah, you wretched puppet of my foul father..."
His claw dug into Ather's face.
"Human, human, human. Yes. Human."
Blood streamed down Ather's face from the embedded claws. Red blood.
"Those damnable seeds that covered the world—twisted and ruined me, burned the forest with my family in it. You've seen it clearly, haven't you? How could I possibly be human?"
His voice brimmed with hatred.
"You cast me out. Burned me. Tore me apart with my own family's teeth. I curse you. I resent you. I love you. I hate you. I loathe you. You who will once again tear out my throat—how dearly I adore you."
"Are you listening? My friend. My little friend. My filthy, pathetic doll."
A smiling face muttered curses.
"Did you come to kill me?"
"...I assumed you would already know."
"Arrogant one. I remember you—but I am not your friend. I want to forget you. That alone is so difficult."
"Why did you call me? You shouldn't have. Why did you summon me... Do you regret opening the coffin door now?"
From the evil god's eyes, golden tears of blood flowed.
"I hate the world. I resent my father. You treated me so cruelly. You, who molded the very disaster, never even bothered to care for me."
"My sibling tore out my throat to give birth to me, but wasn't it you who gave that seed? It was your seed. Your tree. The fruit you forced into being."
"Yes, my father. My mother. My creators. Ah, why were you so harsh with me... Was it because I was a beast? Because I wasn't human? Then what am I?"
His claw slid downward, leaving a long scar across Ather's face.
"A toy? No. You are my parents. You molded me. Gave me life."
"...Why won't you even let me be angry?"
Those brilliant golden eyes were hollow.
"An individual may be good, but a crowd is evil. Ah, yes, that's it. That's what you are."
"I love you. This is inevitable. This is fate. This is humanity. Horrible things. Lovely things. Utterly atrocious, yet they leave me with lingering attachment."
A pale hand touched his own face. Then, with force—
He snapped his own neck and died.
Ather reached out, but dared to pull his hand back before touching the corpse.
Argio's form fell in the prison of hands, and the writhing golden-eyed hands slowly devoured it like mire. Starting from the grotesquely twisted neck, they grabbed his shoulders, held his hands, wrapped around his waist... all so slowly...
Soon, only Ather remained in the prison of hands.
"...So this is your will."
He loved humans instinctively, yet couldn't bear their horror, so he chose to die by his own hand. That way, only rage and hatred would remain inside him.
Ather collapsed within the prison made of hands. The withered, tree-like hands occasionally poked at him, gripped his shoulder—but they no longer harmed him. They merely confined him.
That, he could not bear.
'...In the end, even this is different...'
It was still a narrow, thorny prison, but unlike the magicians', this one felt like a joke.
They should've wounded him more. Burrowed into his flesh, crawled into his guts. That would've been better.
'If only it had been a complete hell.'
Ather, who had been sitting blankly, opened his mouth again.
"...You wanted to be remembered in history as evil, didn't you?"
He wanted to respect that.
"I wanted to give you what I couldn't back when the Black Forest burned."
But he still wondered.
"You could've escaped the forest that day, but you burned with it instead. If you were so furious, why didn't you leave and massacre every last human? Isn't that right?"
He understood the law of nature and the instinct of humans.
"You didn't want to become hideous."
Because he knew—gritting his teeth and enduring would only repeat the same tragedy endlessly. Because all of it was a cycle of nature and a history doomed to repeat. He didn't want to be swept up in that meaningless flow of time.
Ather let out a bitter laugh.
"So a dragon is still a dragon, after all."
That noble insight was indescribable. It felt arrogant, and at the same time, reasonable. Like a true dragon, he raised his own slayer—unwilling to remain a mangy ghost.
Perhaps he could have remained in nature as an ideal apostle of the gods.
And so, he felt sorry.
'...I wanted to honor your desire to remain evil...'
Yet even so, weren't we the ones who dared be called heroes, because we sought to save everyone?
"There's something strange."
Dan Haera continued explaining to her friend, Seo Seo-hee.
"The Sun Church's priest-in-training Cha I-Sol, a known apostle of Black Cloak, doesn't bear any hostility toward the god of dreams. Apparently, she feels no sense of danger either—and is being safely protected within the Sun Church..."
"Really? She's not doing anything?"
"They say there's no sign of any impulsive behavior."
"That's definitely odd."
Seo Seo-hee, Guildmaster of Justitia, quickly reached a conclusion.
"Does that mean Black Cloak is a higher-tier being than the god of dreams?"
"What's more surprising is that Black Cloak isn't hostile toward the god of dreams either."
"Didn't Black Cloak used to enjoy protecting Earth?"
"Beings of such immense mystery don't change direction so easily."
"Then it could mean he's judged that the god of dreams hasn't negatively impacted Earth yet."
"It might be a sign that this subjugation effort will end peacefully."
"Almost like a prophecy. Or maybe..."
Seo Seo-hee recalled a certain shadowy temple.
"Maybe he's aligned with the god of death."
The god of death had once been categorized as an evil divinity. Even now, he was officially labeled as such, but few citizens actually considered him a threat. Death was, after all, an inevitable concept.
"Wasn't the god of dreams actually called the god of wrath?"
"Right. If it's a case similar to the god of death, then Black Cloak's attitude makes sense."
"Either way, it seems there's no harm coming to humans. Though that raw malice might still need to be refined."
Just as the god of death was once treated that way, they couldn't deny the existence of a negative divinity solely because it was negative. Those known as Symbols of Eternity understood this very well.
"Maybe we'll end up coexisting with the god of wrath too?"
"It's possible. After all, people need to live with anger."
"...In truth, very few people today even know how to be angry anymore."
"Now I get why Black Cloak is just watching this unfold."
"Maybe he thinks Earth actually needs a god of wrath right now. And as a higher-tier being who can step in at any time, he's just watching."
"And honestly, this subjugation effort hasn't been all that impossible for us, right?"
"God, you really... wow... Since it's not your job..."
"So are you saying you're not gonna do it?"
Seo Seo-hee let out a hollow laugh.
"Well, let's do our best."
After all, hadn't they made a "Promise" for this?
"By the way, why do you think the Collector's Guild Master is participating in this subjugation?"
"He's generously supporting us, so let's just let him do what he wants."
"That guy is seriously something else."
Traditionally, animals that helped humans were seen as auspicious beings.
'Honestly, it's one of those universal elements across East and West—across dimensions, even.'
Maybe that's why, in old fairy tales and legends, animals helping humans always made at least one appearance. Birds guiding the lost, horses carrying the wounded...
"Your role is important."
"...I understand, but really, we're not supposed to talk?"
"No, there'll be a time when you should. But not now. If you speak from the start, the sense of mystery for the visitors drops drastically."
"Ah, right... I see..."
Gargar, the chieftain of the Wolf Tribe, awkwardly accepted Aram's words.
"Well, it's not a hard job."
Staying quiet and helping humans—wasn't such a tall order.
"You seem pretty battered after escaping from the Demon King's castle. Are you sure we should proceed as planned?"
"You don't need to worry about me. These wounds, this humiliation and disgrace—if the mission succeeds, they'll all be healed naturally. What I need right now is smooth execution."
"Are all humans like you?"
"Uh, no. Just saying."
Gargar, looking sheepish, flicked his ears and glanced at his kin.
"Well, that's what she says."
"We're not going to kill, we're going to help. So put on a less-threatening face."
"Chieftain, our faces are just built this way."
"Tsk, no. Didn't you hear what the Saintess said? Be auspicious animals."
"How are we supposed to look harmless with these huge bodies...?"
"You can do it. Just crumple your face a bit and try."
The foxes laughed at the wolves.
"See, all brawn and no brains."
"What do you expect from wolves? We'll be the true heroes of this mission, so keep that in mind."
"Gosh, so barbaric. With that gruff attitude, how are you going to win any human hearts..."
The wolves couldn't take it anymore.
"You think we wanted to be this big?!"
"My, do you really think it's just about size?"
As the wolves and foxes started bickering again, Aram looked toward Valf the crow.
"...I'll be counting on you."
"...I'll do what I can."
Thus began what they called the "Auspicious Animal" operation.
-x-X-x-
The evil god gathered actors for his grand play.
'Then we should respond in kind.'
Argio, whose heart had been sealed, had avoided causing harm as much as he could—but the evil god, now a complete divinity, was not him. The god bared his rage without restraint, and countless victims were piling up.
In this situation, no one could stay calm after seeing her tattered, kidnapped state. And yet, allowing the Demon King subjugation campaign to continue wasn't right either.
'The sacrifice would be too great.'
'...That mustn't happen.'
She had to think rationally. She needed to find a path that would minimize the damage, lessen the burden on both sides, and allow everyone to accept the outcome. The Saintess had found such a path.
'It might come back to bite us even harder if it fails...'
Aram wanted to turn the crisis into an opportunity.
'My teacher is with the evil god. All the mercy and whims he's shown up to now—my teacher must have had a hand in them. I should show as much sincerity as the help he gave me.'
Yes, Aram's plan included that meaning, too.
The evil god was seeking an end.
'That might mean death—true death.'
He had endured too long in eternal wrath. It was pain no seal could contain. Argio might truly want to end everything and die.
A god's death was close to impossible—but not wholly. Especially if that god desired it himself. But if that happened, Aram had no idea what would become of her teacher, who shared the god's body.
'And even for Argio himself... that couldn't possibly be called a good thing.'
That was why she devised the plan. Perhaps Aram's decision wasn't so different from the evil god's own. Just like how he had spared Ather instead of granting him the mercy of death—it could end up being cruel to him, too.
'But this is the best I can do.'
She had no room to worry about the evil god's suffering in a situation where she didn't even know if her plan would work. Steeling herself, Aram looked at the crow who flew to her side.
"...What's the public response?"
"More favorable than we imagined."
"Well, Koreans do love that sort of thing..."
"What exactly do they love?"
"When something different from them treats them kindly."
It was a world full of romanticism about becoming friends with monsters. Hunters, of course, knew better than anyone how absurd that was. But because of that, they also tended to know more.
And just knowing—was enough to affect people.
"Win over their goodwill."
So they could hesitate.
"So they don't rush in recklessly—be their wall and shield."
The crow, once Aram's guide, blinked in a way that resembled a smile and took off again. The wise crows arranged the visiting humans throughout the Dream Amusement Park with perfect intuition. Their insight could be trusted.
Aram clenched her hands tight.
'...I must at least make this plan succeed—for Ather's sake.'
What Ather held for Argio, even if it bordered on hatred, was love and faith. Argio, though a god, had once been human—he wouldn't end Ather's life so easily.
And Ather wasn't someone who would just die, either.
'I have a role to play.'
Aram rose from the stump.
She brushed her hand over her face.
"I really hope this works out."
She had lived as a Saintess for quite some time—even if she didn't look it. In other words, she knew how to make good use of her position.
Just when the hunters in the dungeon were exhausted from fatigue and pain, the animals appeared.
"They're not here to eat our corpses, are they?"
"Shit, don't say ominous crap like that."
The foxes flicked their tails, showing themselves coyly. The crows flew quietly between structures, tilting their heads. The wolves observed the humans with heavy bodies and silent steps.
"Wait, aren't those...?"
"Oh, right. Those things..."
"There were supposed to be guides in this amusement park, right?"
"Weren't they human-shaped back then?"
"No way... first the evil god, now even the animals trying to attack us?"
"I don't know. Everyone suit up again. Watch the perimeter."
But contrary to their foreboding expectations, the animals were gentle.
"...? What the hell?"
Especially the foxes, who snuggled up so naturally—it was astonishing. They swayed their fluffy tails and approached with charming smiles.
Of course, everyone was wary. Some even attacked. But the foxes only whined and fled, never fighting back.
Eventually, some hunters began to scoop them up like pets.
"Hey, are you out of your damn mind? You're hugging a monster in a dungeon?!"
"No, I mean... it just seems like a normal animal. Doesn't feel like a monster..."
"They were the park's guides, even if they looked like animals."
A particularly exhausted hunter nodded.
This was a dream, after all—they didn't need food, or sleep. And that made people more worn out. In this setting, these affectionate furballs were a great comfort.
"Maybe they're like us—just under the Demon King's control. Maybe they're forced to work or something..."
"I don't know. It's weird how unguarded they are. Shit. Who even knows when we'll get to go home at this rate."
"When the hell is this goddamn dream ending? Some people wake up just fine, but us... why can't we go back and regroup in the real world?"
"If that were possible, we wouldn't still be stuck here. But damn, this thing is so soft. I feel like I could fall asleep right now... it's nice..."
This dungeon was truly hell. Even if you lived, it didn't feel like living. Time didn't flow. They were like walking corpses. Unless the 'dream' ended, there was no way back to reality.
"Maybe we should just try dying once?"
"You psycho. Talk sense."
"No, I mean... maybe it'll wake us up..."
"No one's ever died here and returned to reality."
"If you don't want to die without leaving a corpse behind, then shut up."
"...Yeah, guess you're right."
At this point, even the hunters were worn down. Unless it was death, they could accept anything. And that wasn't just the case for those trapped in the dream.
"If this war goes on much longer, it'll affect reality, too."
"Most of the participating hunters have already lost motivation. At this rate..."
"I really hate to say this, but we're playing right into the evil god's hands."
"We need to settle this somehow."
Even the hunters who could wake from the dream felt just as exhausted.
Into their midst slipped three groups of animals. Foxes led the charge, nestling in warmly and swaying their tails. Crows flew down bearing sweet fruit-like gifts.
And the wolves—quietly stood beside them and even swatted away approaching hands of the evil god.
"See? I told you. They don't like being under the evil god either."
"Come to think of it, the animals have never actually harmed anyone..."
"If they're helping us, doesn't that tip the odds in our favor?"
Still, it wasn't so simple.
"Then why didn't they help us from the start?"
"The wolves look big and strong, but aside from batting away the god's hands, they haven't done much actively."
"They clearly understand us, but when we ask about the evil god's body or heart, they don't answer."
"Maybe they're not fully on our side?"
Just then, the animals began moving in one direction.
"...They want us to follow?"
"But what if it's a trap?"
While people hesitated, Justitia's Guildmaster Seo Seo-hee stepped forward.
"Then I'll go first."
"Don't worry. You're not seriously thinking I'd be in danger, are you?"
Wearing that characteristically trustworthy smile, he took the lead. Some of his guild members followed.
Emboldened by the sight, other hunters also chased after the animals.
They were guided to the ruins of the Black Forest.
Seo Seo-hee smiled at the small figure waiting ahead.
"You're the Saintess of the Moon Sect, right?"
"Yes. You recognized me."
Surrounded protectively by animals, Aram greeted them.
"I've been waiting for you."
Her white hair resembled the Moon's. Though covered in wounds and reddened, her composed and intellectual gaze held mystery. The moment he saw her, Seo Seo-hee understood the Saintess's intent.
He decided to play along.
"All these animals... they follow you, Saintess?"
"...We share the same purpose."
And Aram, too, quickly grasped Seo Seo-hee's intent. With one of the Symbols of Eternity backing her, she had nothing more to fear.
Supported by her distant senior, Aram opened her mouth.
"Are my family members here?"
Among the crowd, a priest of the Moon Sect stumbled forward.
Some hunters had suspected that the Saintess might be in league with the evil god, but with a Symbol of Eternity standing firm, no one acted rashly.
Thanks to that, the Moon Sect's highest-ranking elder safely reached her.
"...I-I feared you had vanished into shadow..."
In the Moon Sect, death was symbolized as the moon's shadow. Even in death, they could not rest in the Moon's arms. Only the Saintess and Saints could enter that embrace.
To be parted from her had meant eternal separation. They had long feared that their beloved Saintess had met such a fate.
"Ah, thank you. Thank you, Saintess. I'm so grateful you're still strong."
"Did my absence frighten you?"
"Too many things are unraveling. W-We can no longer reach the bishop. No one's come from the real world. We've had terrible premonitions..."
"I know what happened to them."
"...Saintess, d-does that mean... were we...?"
The elder swallowed his tears and asked:
"...Were we abandoned...?"
With calm grace, the Saintess embraced the elder—who was many times her size. The elder didn't even groan—he accepted her embrace, clearly resigned.
But Aram had no intention of leaving it that way.
"...There is something I've long wanted to show you all."
"...Please, tell us. What happened to us? What must we do? We'll follow your guidance."
"Would you step inside?"
She released him and stepped back—calling the hunters into the ruins.
Now that she had drawn their eyes, it was time to reveal the truth—and share it.
-x-X-x-
The god created beasts and humans to dwell in one world, but when their words could be understood by one another, balance was broken. Language meant wisdom—and so, they began to hate each other. Thus, the god repaired the world.
The god elevated humans and humbled beasts. He stripped away the power of wisdom and confined it to a single point. From that place, a tree grew thick and wild. With that tree, the god shaped flesh, and by breaking his own bones, he made a foundation. From the god's blood, a crimson dragon was born.
The god said: My child, gentle lamb, guard the world I have made. You are my most cherished lion—carry out my will. Do not frighten what belongs to me. The dragon, by the god's decree, took on a human form, sometimes becoming beast, and guarded the world.
The god did not reclaim him, and so his life had no end. The dragon went to the forest and killed himself. His blood, vast as the sea, covered the forest and pooled—and in time, it rotted, turning to poison.
Thus the forest was dyed black. The god, enraged, sent a new lion and cursed the mission he had once given.
From that day on, when dragons needed to die, they went to the forest and ended themselves. The forest became a grave that nourished the world. The dragons gave themselves for the god's beloved world. They became part of the forest and fulfilled their mission.
The poison soaked into the forest, and the dragons upheld their vow. And so the world was full of peace.
Therefore, offer the dragon to the forest—do not forget to offer the beast in human form to the woods. Only then will peace return. If no offering is made, peace will fade.
Humans, humans. Offer up the god's lion, and let the age of man continue.
The dragon exists for your sake—offer its massive body.
"...And they dare call this a fairy tale."
Ather—the royal archivist—placed the old manuscript back in the deep underground archives. Shaped like a storybook, the book was written in a lost language, making it nearly impossible to decipher.
"Did dragons really exist...?"
He had sought all manner of knowledge, and that included dragons. But all he found were absurd tales . The cult leader claimed dragons had truly lived—yet there wasn't a single proper record left.
Why was he the only one who spoke of dragons?
At the time, Ather couldn't understand it.
He dusted off his hands and climbed down from the towering library ladder. Returning the long seat-like chair to its place, he extinguished the last remaining lights in the dusty library, locked the door tight, and returned to the archive aboveground.
This had been during the time when the sword-wielding archivist from a commoner background resided in the royal library.
The priest of the Moon Sect, having heard everything, fell silent.
"...Then, the current evil god..."
"The current evil god is a monster born from generations of sacrifice."
The Moon Sect priest's lips trembled.
"...is no different from us."
At his groan-like words, the surrounding Hunters turned to him in shock. Only Seo Seo-hee, who had guessed the state of the Moon Sect, suppressed a sigh. But even he couldn't react to the vacant, dazed look in the priest's eyes.
"We're just like that dragon."
In the beginning, it must have been a mission. Even if shaped by the god's hands, the dragon had likely tended the world with pure-hearted devotion. So they became one with the forest. But in the end, it had led to the world's collapse—and the birth of an evil god.
Then wouldn't the Moon Sect eventually create one too?
"...We took pride in our mission. Not just me, the Saintess of this generation, but all those before me. I can feel it—I was truly happy."
Aram swept her hand over the carvings of the ruins as she spoke.
"Even if it was the 'right' path, I've come to realize here that it was never the correct one. It takes an awful long time for a small moonstone like me to warm the moon."
"...And in that time, more tragedies will unfold."
"This was our arrogance. We dared underestimate divinity. To mere creatures like us, they are immutable beings—eternal concepts. How could we ever become something 'greater' to them?"
Even the dragons—children of that mystery—had fallen. With such a tradition, the Moon Sect's ending was only too predictable.
Aram met the gaze of the priest who stared blankly at her.
"This is not a subjugation of a fallen dragon—this is a requiem for abandoned children. That is why I stayed here. Now I need your help."
"...What should I do?"
"Think about it. What should we do?"
"I'm going to meet my teacher—the Moon."
Aram held the elder's hand and gently placed her forehead against his in prayer.
"You must do what you must."
"...I-I don't know. What is it that I must do? I'm such a lacking person..."
"We're all born lacking—and we end our lives just the same. Even if we burn ourselves to embrace all knowledge, we never truly can. I've accepted that. Now it's your turn."
"But... the Moon Sect... it always allowed us to..."
"Nowhere within those permissions was the creation of an evil god allowed. That was a contradiction. So think. Ponder endlessly. Seek the path. That's what it means to live as a human."
After a long hesitation, the elder turned to the watching Hunters. Some of them looked at the Moon Sect warily. Others seemed pitying. And only then did the elder realize—
That a tradition which evoked such expressions could not be righteous.
"...I'll do my best. I'll find the path."
"That alone is enough."
"May I dare to illuminate the path you'll walk?"
"That would be a blessing."
When Aram turned to look at Seo Seo-hee, he smiled and asked,
"I believe I can be of help."
Humans cannot kill divinity. But divinity can deal with divinity.
'...Mr. Argio created this situation with that in mind.'
Nowhere in that vast Demon King's castle, with its countless hands, was the Moon captured. Nor was she hidden in some wide ruin village. Aram felt the absence of her teacher within the dream.
She wished this weren't a fight between gods.
"...I think it's time to wake up."
And so, for the first time in a long while, Aram awoke from the dream.
When she opened her eyes, she was in the Moon Sect's bedroom.
Aram sat up from the soft bed.
In her arms was a pillow she'd lost at some point. Filled with down, slightly worn—it was one of the first things her foster mother had bought for her when she'd joined the Moon Sect.
Back then, when she had nothing, even a warm pillow had made her happy.
Her voice echoed emptily through her room.
Leaving the pillow neatly on the bed, Aram stepped out. The injuries she'd taken while running through the amusement park and the forest—the dust that had clung to her—had all vanished like a dream. It left a bitter aftertaste.
She walked slowly through the now quiet Moon Sect grounds.
'...I figured as much.'
At some point, support from the real-world Moon Sect had stopped. That couldn't happen unless something had gone seriously wrong. And if that had indeed occurred in reality, then a clear cause had to exist.
Aram's footsteps soon brought her to the communal prayer room.
A woman sat atop the black lake, where no moon hung in the sky.
"You've come to find me."
"You are indeed clever, Saintess."
She praised the Saintess who had come all the way here alone. In her arms, the small Moon glowed faintly, like a sleeping child. Gently stroking it, the bishop never once looked at Aram.
"I knew it the moment I first saw you in that snow-covered alley. That this child longed to see more. That she was curious about the world. Just seeing your bright eyes, I knew where you belonged."
"I didn't expect you would actually take the Saintess's seat. Perhaps I did hope it, as a bishop would. The birth of a Saintess is something to rejoice. But the emptiness you left behind... it hurt terribly."
Her voice was soft—but everything she said was a mess.
"It hurt so much. There were many Saints, both known and unknown. They all passed me by. Time and again, I thought: I should've gone. Me. Ah... I should've died in their place."
The bishop plunged the Moon she held into the black water. The pale light of the moon sank, slowly vanishing into the dark.
"I have never—not even once!!—thought that you sacrificed me!!!"
If it was a sin, it was her own. If it was the bishop's fault, it was everyone's fault.
If such a sacrificed life was rotting with grief, then why did you just watch? You could've screamed. You could've said you were hurting.
"...Even if you are the bishop, you cannot insult my choices."
"My sin is grave... truly grave. And yet, knowing all this, learning so much—you're still not angry that I call you Saintess."
"I seat. I rose to it of my own will, and I've built much while sitting in it. If I fail, then I should be the one to fail. If I suffer, then let it be my choice."
"Mother—I have the right to challenge."
Even if it was foolish. Even if it was reckless.
"My will gives me the worth to attempt everything."
That is what gives humans value.
"We've never once fought, have we?"
"Because I never wanted to."
"I made a friend. A royal archivist named Ather. He's so irritating. He says the most correct things with the most annoying tone. That's when I realized—even the truth can infuriate people."
"...What are you trying to say?"
"That it's okay to fight. People must get angry. To be angry is natural. It's one of the few precious ways we can measure differing opinions."
It is both a weapon and a fortress.
"If we don't get angry, how else can we challenge each other's thoughts?"
There are those who are right, and those who are wrong. And then there are those who are both right and wrong.
Aram and the bishop were simply two of the many who lived in that gray area.
They needed to get angry.
"Be angry with me, Mother."
"And tell me your story."
Tearing up, the Saintess smiled. She lifted her hand—and pulled the cosmos into her dark pupils.
They were now in the universe.
"...I've never once heard your side of things, Mother."
She had chased mystical knowledge—and in doing so, overlooked the nearest wisdom of all.
That was Aram's past—and that, too, meant she was a sinner.
Bishop Bae Seo-Gyeong blinked as she gazed at the cosmos shimmering with stardust.
It didn't matter. She wasn't even the Church's head. A bishop's tale—something with no purpose or worth. It wasn't worth spending the brief time Aram had in her life on.
Even so, if she wished to hear it—then she had to speak.
"The moon looked lonely to me."
She took in the image of her daughter, white-haired like the moon.
"That's how it started. At one point, I thought I'd obviously become the moon—but I failed at everything. Family, friends... they all left. But I still remember them. The memories are so vivid... and they were all kind, gentle people."
In the aurora-covered prayer room that became a universe, Bae Seo-Gyeong confessed.
"I kept studying. To create stars beside the moon. So even the unworthy could reach this pitch-black cosmos. So the moon wouldn't be alone. So that, with the Saints who had become the moon, we could whisper to human hearts..."
"...Honestly, I just couldn't bear the pain. The moon's life is so long, and humanity's era so short—how could we possibly turn the moon into a person? Yes, I knew I was bound to fail. I tried to deny it by becoming a star—but it was too hard."
No matter how much knowledge or wisdom she used—she couldn't become a star.
"But now, it's different. The god of dreams lent me his wisdom."
"He is not some god of dreams."
"But to me, he was. He recognized my dream. He whispered a greater dream to me. He showed me the way. If that isn't a dream god, then what is?"
"So that's why you put all the Moon Sect disciples to sleep."
"No. They're still awake, Saintess."
Bae Seo-Gyeong looked at Aram, radiant as the moon.
In the cosmic shimmer, 'stars' sparkled.
"They are your stars."
Aram twisted her lips.
"...I didn't want this."
"Then you must get angry."
"I was waiting for that."
Bae Seo-Gyeong couldn't understand. They were the ones who had wished for this. They were her eternal family.
"Are these stars not beautiful?"
A meteor shower fell—
-x-X-x-
The day before, Bae Seo-Gyeong received the moon from the Evil God.
"I will soon become very angry."
His words and tone were as gentle as someone soothing a young child.
"When that time comes, how could I possibly remember you? I will be swept up in fury and make countless foolish decisions. So I entrust this noble moon to you. I trust that you will fulfill your duty and return it."
"...Is this... truly... what a teacher says...?"
Bae Seo-Gyeong gently embraced the moon.
Cold and round. Even while holding it, it didn't feel like she was truly holding it. The only reason she could embrace the moon with her inadequate vessel was surely due to the Evil God's mercy.
Bae Seo-Gyeong hugged the moon like she would her own daughter.
"...For a long time, I wished to see you, Teacher. I asked countless times why you wouldn't take me with you. Yet no answer ever came, and I could only collapse again and again."
"Now your teacher lies within your arms. You are the bishop of the Moon Sect. You must protect that cold house and lead your family down the right path. Tell me, what do you desire?"
"To lead them. To guide my poor family on the right path."
"I'm curious what path you consider to be right."
"What more does this cold house need? What I want is family, love, and warmth. I won't let anyone leave alone."
My beloved rotting wines...
"We will make the world aware of our sins, and pay for them by becoming stars in the sky."
That was all she wished for.
Bae Seo-Gyeong smiled with joy and accepted a chance she didn't deserve.
"We've all gathered here today for the Saintess."
"Can you remember that this sparkling thing is your own sibling? Ah, how beautiful. This is truly the path the Moon Sect should have walked. What greater honor exists in this vast world than for a sinner to become a star in the heavens?"
That star soon reached the small moon on the ground — the Saintess.
"Your family has been forged into something so precious!"
"The form of family I desired... was never a star!!"
The Saintess twisted the sharp trajectory of the stars using the power of her nebula.
"I never wished for stars! I only wanted to become a small moonstone! I never meant to sacrifice you! If harming my family was the cost, how could I ever have desired to become the moon?!"
The fallen star was absorbed into her universe.
Aram was still just a human. Though her vessel was slightly larger, she could never be called divine. Naturally, wielding the power of the universe was too much for her. Even holding these countless stars had its limits.
'But not a single one can be lost.'
The Moon Sect, already silent, fell into an even deeper stillness. All priests remaining in reality had fallen asleep. The result of their slumber... was these brilliant stars. It was unbearably cruel.
If Aram were to miss even one, or injure even one, her family would never be able to return to their original forms. That was not what Aram wished. She stretched her universe with all her might.
"How could you blame it on me so cowardly...! You should've told me sooner! That you were tormented by such piercing loneliness! That the Evil God's whispers were so sweet because of all your groaning nights!!"
"It's true I was tempted by the Evil God, but Saintess, I, too, did everything I could...! Look at this tiny vessel! Look at this pitiful form of mine! I could never become the moon in the sky or a piece of the universe! This was the best I could do!!"
"Then why—why did I have to do my best for something I never even wished for?! You could've said something! I'm your daughter. Your family, your friend. Your companion...!!"
A choked sob burst out.
"Why didn't you tell me!!"
Just as much as Bae Seo-Gyeong loved her, Aram loved her mother.
"That too... is my sin, my sin. I got drunk on the affection you gave me and failed to see reality. I admired you, and that admiration became a harm. My blind devotion to you made me blind, because I relied on you!!"
The stars continued to fall.
It was a breathtaking sight. Shooting stars were called the corpses of stars — and this was exactly that.
Her family had become stars and were falling to the earth. Into the abyss below. There might still be life beneath that pitch-black lake...
Her family was being buried beneath a lake filled only with cold knowledge and wisdom.
"Why do you claim the sin is yours alone? I'm a member of the Moon Sect too, no longer that scrawny, starving child you brought home that day!"
"If this is all said to be for the Saintess, then it is an immense arrogance and sin. This is for you, and also for me — and to replace this rotting water. Saintess, look. Don't you know the sins we've committed here...!"
"How can fleeing be atonement for sin!!"
"This isn't atonement! Look at me. Do you truly not understand what I wanted and why I ended up ? It was all my selfishness! All my inadequacy! This is nothing but a tantrum, an outburst born from the Evil God's mercy!!"
Bae Seo-Gyeong shouted too, full of sorrow.
"Because I didn't want to leave the moon alone anymore!!"
She had lost too many family members.
Ah, she should not have done that. Back then, Bae Seo-Gyeong was young, and foolish. With little wisdom and a small vessel, she could only thank the saints who were absorbed into the moon. But over time, she came to understand—
Humans can never shake divine power.
"All of it, all of it...!"
"It was all just meaningless death!!"
Bae Seo-Gyeong raged at herself.
"I drove them all to pitiful deaths!!"
Though she could never become the moon, Bae Seo-Gyeong was the young priest who received the moon's love second only to the Saintess. She had the authority and the means. Yet she simply watched as the saints died.
"But not anymore. Not anymore. I've learned how to become a star. I borrowed the Evil God's wisdom. Your universe is so small right now, but it will grow vast. It won't take long. That's what scared me."
"You still carry endless potential."
"I never wanted that...!!"
"Aram, please. You were always so cold...!!"
It's cowardly, but yes—she should've desperately stopped it back then. She shouldn't have brought that bright child into the Moon Sect. At the very least, she should never have made her a Saintess.
"I know how deeply you feel loneliness. I saw you that day, trembling alone on the street in the winter. And still, you looked at the world with eyes full of affection... and I gave you this revolting fate..."
A child who deserved so much more love from the world.
"We'll be the stars above the sky, so look at the world. Use your brilliant eyes to look at it. You've just now received a great opportunity. A good teacher, a chance at a new life, and now the chance to learn those precious emotions we once scorned."
"You're right. I wanted that. I realized that even base, shallow joy is a precious emotion that makes us human! I remembered the joy of eating a delicious meal — it had been so long! I'd forgotten everything, I had!"
Aram widened her universe with tears.
"But in that place... there was also the joy you once gave me!!"
My family, my foolish loved ones.
"How can it be a sin that I wanted to hear my family's stories after all that neglect? Mother, please, my beloved and respected mother. You loved these people too. Becoming stars — how lonely, how dreadful!"
"But we need a fitting hell. And if your star becomes it, then that would be the most luxurious hell of all. Yes, it's luxurious. We're indulging in a splendor beyond our means. But what else can we do? In the Evil God's mercy, we've been granted salvation!!"
Bae Seo-Gyeong reached out with both hands and summoned the stars.
"We will never be allowed such a beautiful hell again!!"
The stars clustered, collided, and shattered — their fragments clouding the Saintess's vision. All the stars of the universe scattered and shone with such brilliance it could only be called art.
"Please, help me be trapped in this beautiful hell. And you, remain in the mortal world to learn more. If you do, even if you become the moon one day, you'll be less lonely. We will fill the void. We sinners — your sinners...!!"
"I will become the moon─!!"
Aram screamed, her voice like a broken cry, from amidst the shattered stars.
She held onto her universe.
"...Ah, haha... hahahaha..."
Bae Seo-Gyeong, watching the scene, collapsed onto the surface of the pitch-black lake. Her legs gave out.
The stars she had flung and broken settled peacefully into the universe. As if lying in an observatory gazing at the night sky — it was tranquil, serene, and mysterious.
It couldn't even compare to the night sky she had created.
"This sky... I wanted to make this."
A night sky full of peace. She wanted to make such a world.
"Does this look like hell to you?"
"...To my wretched eyes, it looks like heaven."
"Does this look like a place for your atonement?"
"This is a work of art. There's no space here for my feet."
"Then why do you wish to become a star?"
"Because I have no path..."
What she saw was nothing but aged sin, and before her lay a cliff. That's why she thanked the Evil God's mercy. Even if she were to be trapped in a cold, lonely ice star, he had shown her the way.
"I wanted to be a good bishop, a good sister, a good parent."
From Bae Seo-Gyeong's eyes, now tainted like the Evil God's, golden tears fell.
"...I already knew back then that I couldn't. So I prayed to the Evil God. And he gave me the moon. But in the end, I was a small vessel. Even holding divinity in my arms, all I could do was mimic a poor night sky compared to the Saintess..."
The Saintess expanded, expanded, and expanded her universe. She embraced even the pitiful night sky that Bae Seo-Gyeong had crafted. Then, so she would no longer tremble in cold and loneliness, she held it close.
The stars nestled in the mysterious universe looked so comfortable.
Perhaps because she had forcibly widened her vessel — Aram broke into a cold sweat and breathed in labored gasps. It was because she had desperately ensured not a single family member sank beneath the lake.
Aram, who had shouted louder than she ever had in her life, spoke with a hoarse voice.
"I... I can become the path."
That, Aram realized, was the path a saint must walk.
Aram sat beside her mother on the surface of the lake. Then she plunged both hands into the water. When she stood again, in her hands was the white moon Bae Seo-Gyeong had locked away.
"...What is a human's role? What is the value of mystery? How can the world truly progress? As Mother said, there's still so much I don't know, so much I must learn."
In that small hand, the moon shone brightly.
"But the human role is to endlessly search for the path, the value of mystery lies in how fate and nature question us, and the world progresses through that never-ending struggle."
The moon gently rose from Aram's hand.
"This is the conviction I hold."
"This is the world I must embrace tightly."
"I will become the moon. But I will not be consumed. The moon, as a library of knowledge, is a collection of data — not our teacher. I will hold this and see the world."
"I know. It will be hard. Without the Evil God's mercy, I couldn't even hold the moon now. But look, Mother."
Aram raised the moon in her hands.
Unlike the dragons of the Black Forest, the noble saints who had offered themselves were faintly warming the moon.
"It wasn't just a meaningless death. The saints you sent away, Mother — they were still in here, warming the moon. They endured the cold and loneliness and never lost their warmth."
"It's just that we lacked the know-how. It was a failure of method — an inevitable deficiency. So I, who am not yet lacking, will carry the moon. I will become the teacher of my siblings."
Between punishment and learning, Aram chose learning.
"Since we sinned in ignorance, we must repay with knowledge... right?"
Aram crawled forward through tears to her mother.
"I'll take responsibility. That's what I've decided. We'll all take responsibility. We were walking a dreadful path that might have created an Evil God — but we haven't reached that point yet. I'll take away and protect all the cold and loneliness of the saints inside this."
"...That's... too hard a path..."
"There were surely easier, more comfortable paths. But there's no guarantee they're the right ones. How can atonement through death and annihilation be the only right path? We'll walk a path different from the Evil God who punished through rage. I'll help — so help me."
"Mother, please. Lift the moon."
Aram, crawling on her knees, placed the moon into Bae Seo-Gyeong's trembling hands. Her small hands and her mother's wrinkled ones held the radiant moon together. It was light, and dazzling.
Bae Seo-Gyeong absentmindedly caressed it. She had held it before — and yet, strangely...
And cried, clear and silent.
A man wrapped in bandages was watching the scene.
What his feet touched turned to gold, then melted away — becoming pitch-black poison. Wearing a ram's skull, he bled golden blood as he limped into the darkness.
His bare footsteps made no sound.
『...My second hand is empty.』
Only his voice lingered in the poison-stained air.
『Now, what shall I hear next...』