The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game

Translator: Dreamscribe

The Judge and the Inquisitors who emerged from the reception room were in far better health than before. The escort knights they had brought along were likewise in perfect condition. The fleet hovering in the sky had also detected nothing out of the ordinary. Geras remained bound, set to standby mode.

All of them stood politely, waiting for Jinwoo.

Jinwoo had secretly erected a Magic Tower deep beneath the earth and installed a number of things there. Now he could connect to Arsilan Worlds from this place as well.

The central region, which could be called the homeland of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, was defended so thoroughly that Erosion couldn't even think of crossing in.

It was said to be a barrier that could block out even divine beings, which brought to mind the Magic Barrier.

'I got the coordinates, but I couldn't travel there.'

He'd tried to head straight for the heart of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire using the information obtained from Kalgul, but it had been like running into a wall, he couldn't enter. If he forced his way in, the backlash would likely trigger a massive explosion.

Only the chosen could enter the central region of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. Even Legion Commanders reportedly needed permission before setting foot there.

Jinwoo looked at those standing motionless and smiled.

If he went along with them, he would be able to pass inside smoothly. As Jinwoo approached, all of them knelt and bowed their heads.

"Preparations for departure are complete."

Kalgul had issued the orders so that they could leave immediately.

"Lead the way."

Kalgul rose and led everyone out of the mansion at the head of the procession. Jinwoo cloaked himself beside Kalgul and walked alongside him.

The knights and soldiers waiting outside the mansion were thrown off by Kalgul's dignified bearing.

But none dared ask.

The rudeness of questioning someone in the presence of a Judge was not permitted.

"Imprison the criminal."

When the Inquisitor pointed at the bound Geras, the forces of the family that had accompanied Geras flinched in confusion. They belonged to one of the upper legions of the Zolun family.

The Judge grew furious when everyone hesitated and failed to move.

"Geras Zolun is a criminal who plotted treason! He lured Dimensional Predators in and schemed rebellion under cover of the chaos!"

At first, all of them were bewildered.

They simply couldn't understand what was being said.

"Seize the traitors at once!"

At the Judge's furious shout, the waiting forces drew their weapons and surrounded the knights and soldiers of Geras's house. The Zolun family retainers who had come with Geras panicked and fumbled about.

"Traitors?!"

"W-what is the meaning of this..."

"S-surely there's been some mistake! How could this..."

Traitors?

How could anyone dare make such an outrageous accusation? The retainers looked to the bound Geras. They hoped Geras would say something, anything.

When Jinwoo flicked his finger, Geras, until then on standby, snapped awake and began thrashing with convincing fervor.

"How dare you! Do you know who I am?! Treason? Traitor?! Don't make me laugh! I'm merely claiming the seat that is mine! In what way am I lesser than the Imperial Princes?!"

Geras was a noble in whose veins flowed a very thin strain of imperial blood.

Geras's eyes went bloodshot, foam gathering at his lips. When he thrashed trying to break free of his bonds, the knights pinned him down.

PAAT!

The aura of Erosion surged out of Geras's body, and the knights were flung back.

Alarms blared from the soldiers' armor.

Erosion.

The sensors designed to detect the energy of the beings the Kalsus Dimensional Empire called Dimensional Predators had activated.

"G-Grade 2?!"

"It's the energy of a Grade 2 Dimensional Predator!"

"H-he's a traitor!"

There was no chance the sensors were wrong. A single one could perhaps be dismissed, but with every sensor in the vicinity going off at once, Marquis Geras Zolun had either become a Dimensional Predator himself, or a Dimensional Predator had taken on his skin. There was no doubt about it.

When Geras vented the energy of Erosion and began vaporizing soldiers, reinforcements swarmed in and surrounded him.

The knights tried to evacuate the Judge, the Inquisitors, and Kalgul, but Kalgul stood firm before Geras.

"You would have me flee and leave a traitor behind? I cannot! I am a Margrave of the Empire! I will not retreat any further!"

At Kalgul's example, the Judge and Inquisitors nodded and took their places at his side.

The Royal Knight of the Imperial Knight Order watched and was impressed.

Since Judges served the Emperor directly, it was not unusual for a Royal Knight of the Imperial Knight Order to accompany them. He played the role of escort, but rarely had cause to step forward himself, leaving most of it to the lower-ranking knights.

'He hasn't guarded the border all these years for nothing.'

So the Royal Knight thought as he glared at Geras.

"Gu, guhahaha!"

Geras's body began to float up into the air.

He unleashed a tremendous wave of Erosion energy that ravaged the surroundings, only for it to be blocked by the shields the knights held. An energy film flowing from the shields was holding back the aura of Erosion.

"Fire!"

KWA-GA-GA-GA!

Cannon fire from the waiting warships and energy rounds from the soldiers' firearms rained down on Geras. But Geras was unfazed.

"I shall offer you up to the Lord of Fear and burn that vile Imperial House to ashes!"

"How dare you...! Blasphemy!"

The Judge cried out valiantly.

It was the moment Geras spread both hands and began to gather the energy of Erosion.

"G, guuugh?!"

Something seemed to have gone wrong; the energy scattered and black blood poured out. It appeared his body couldn't withstand so vast an influx of Erosion energy.

"Gaaaaargh!"

Geras screamed and thrashed in midair before crashing to the ground. The knights pushed through the Erosion aura, bound him in thick restraints, and placed him into a sealing coffin, the kind used to transport criminals. Once the coffin was frozen, the aura of Erosion died down.

Even so, unable to feel secure, they hastily wrapped several layers of sealing devices around it.

The Zolun family's retainers and troops were utterly stunned.

They wanted to cry out that it wasn't true, that they had never plotted any treason, but having just witnessed that spectacle, they found themselves doubting their own certainty.

"I, I... have I been, have I been deceived by a Dimensional Predator's schemes? How could...?"

"I-I'm innocent. I s-swear I never even dreamed of treason."

"I, I didn't know! I truly didn't know!"

The retainers' protests would never be heard.

All those who had come with Geras were bound and loaded onto the prisoner transport ship.

Everyone looked to Kalgul.

The criminal who had lost territory to a Dimensional Predator had become the hero who uncovered a conspiracy. Kalgul boarded the dazzling warship with all the courtesies befitting a Royal Knight.

Once the performance wrapped up, Jinwoo wanted to applaud, but restrained himself. The acting skills he had granted through Informationization were remarkable. Every tiny tremor, every breath, it was all perfect.

They had even controlled their pulse. It was a shame he couldn't show this scene to the Heroes.

'That was fun.'

A fun little opening act.

Jinwoo followed Kalgul onto the ship.

Inside the ship, a special chamber had been prepared for the Judge. It was a space even Royal Knights could not approach.

"Should there be anything you lack, please call on me at once! I shall remain on standby."

When Jinwoo entered the room, the Judge bowed his head and withdrew into the luggage compartment. As befitted a special chamber's luggage compartment, it was spacious enough to suit the Judge's stay.

Kalgul and the Inquisitors were also on standby in rooms near the special chamber.

"Nice."

Everything in the special chamber was the height of luxury.

The chamber was as large as if someone had hauled an entire small island inside. Not a single thing lacked for splendor. Lying down on the enormous bed, drowsiness came easily.

"Should I take it with me?"

Such a thought even crossed his mind.

When he pressed a button on the wall, the wall opened to reveal the view outside the ship. Countless warships were arrayed around this large vessel as if escorting it, slowly ascending into the sky.

"Tiris, can you hear me?"

[Yes, I can hear you, but there's a great deal of noise.]

It seemed to be the effect of the Dimensional Portal over there.

"I'll be out of contact for a while. Look after the Heroes for me."

[I'll manage them well.]

"If you need help..."

[I will ask Lady Ella and Lady Helby.]

Tiris was dependable as always.

ZEEEEEE!

The ship positioned before the Dimensional Portal began to vibrate. It was synchronizing with the Dimensional Portal and ramping up its energy output.

Unlike the Heroes, who enjoyed Jinwoo's Authority, a ship like this had to go through multiple procedures in order to pass through a Dimensional Portal.

Once the Dimensional Portal and the ship began their energy synchronization, communication quality plummeted sharply. Once they crossed through the Dimensional Portal, all communications with Arsilan would be severed.

"I'll bring back a gift."

[I'll look forward to it.]

Jinwoo chuckled quietly and ended the call.

The ship advanced toward the Dimensional Portal.

The moment it entered the portal, the view outside the window warped and streams of light poured in. They couldn't leap across in a single jump; it required passing through several Dimensional Portals.

After a considerable stretch of time, they arrived before the enormous Dimensional Portal that led to the center of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. Unlike the other portals, this one was guarded by units directly under the Imperial family.

"So that's the Dimensional Barrier."

He could sense the massive barrier linked to that Dimensional Portal. Its composition resembled the Magic Barrier, but the energy source was different. Instead of magic, it was maintained by a mechanical apparatus that churned out an immense flow of energy.

It seemed they'd never heard of optimization; the whole thing felt brutishly crude.

Maintaining a barrier of that scale would demand an astronomical amount of energy.

'To keep it running for about a month would take...'

Jinwoo calculated quickly.

To sustain that barrier for a month required energy on par with grinding up the entire magical power of Arsilan and using it as fuel.

If Arsilan had completed its Magic Barrier through the sacrifice of heroes, this was, without a doubt, a barrier built up from corpses. It seemed to draw on resources extracted from the incineration of dimensions.

The ship, having cleared several layers of stringent security procedures, headed toward the Dimensional Portal.

At that very moment, an immense pressure bore down on Jinwoo. The instant the ship made contact with the Dimensional Portal, Jinwoo's vision turned black.

GOOOOOOOO!

At first, he thought it was just noise.

But when he listened closely, it shifted into shrieks laced with resentment and rage.

Jinwoo gazed into the darkness that had closed around him.

He saw corpses.

He saw wailing Vengeful Spirits.

Those countless Vengeful Spirits, piled up like grains of sand, were what made up that enormous Dimensional Barrier.

That magnificent Dimensional Portal was built from the dead.

The remnants of souls who had been incinerated along with their dimensions but hadn't been able to move on lingered there.

The sickening stench of blood, the foul reek of flames consuming earth and life,

He saw parents screaming, clutching their children.

There were countless others slaughtered together with their families.

A soldier, wracked with guilt for having failed to protect his comrades, was wailing. People who had died in agony remained trapped in a nightmare that would not end, scrabbling at that enormous barrier.

SKRRRRCH-SKRRRRCH-SKRRRRCH!

The noise produced by the resonance of the Dimensional Portal and the ship was the sound of those Vengeful Spirits clawing at the Dimensional Barrier with their hands.

Billions? Trillions? Not even such numbers could contain the sheer multitude of Vengeful Spirits that shrieked in agony.

Every one of those Vengeful Spirits reached out toward Jinwoo.

Jinwoo, in turn, reached out toward them to guide them to Arsilan, but he could not touch them. They were caught fast by the Dimensional Portal and the Dimensional Barrier, unable to escape. Even these Vengeful Spirits were being used as an energy source, as a shield.

"....."

Jinwoo clenched his fist tight.

'What I can do for them is...'

Jinwoo quietly revealed his Evil Karma.

"I will accept all your resentment and hatred."

Jinwoo took in their countless resentments and hatreds through the Evil God's Authority.

"I will entertain you."

Joyfully.

Merrily.

He would soothe them with what he did best.

"I shall become your Evil God."

Seeing, hearing, feeling.

Bloodshot eyes steeped in hatred took up residence within Jinwoo's soul. Ears that had heard nothing but screams and shrieks, mouths that spoke of nothing but pain, hands that clawed at the barrier, feet that wandered endlessly, bodies that could not rest, all seeped into the Evil God's Authority.

Jinwoo shouldered the endless agony of the Vengeful Spirits.

A pain like his entire body being hacked apart went on and on, but Jinwoo was unaffected. It was merely slightly uncomfortable, nothing more. If anything, seeing the painful memories the Vengeful Spirits had endured was far more distressing. For the first time in ages, the Vengeful Spirits were released from their suffering and could at last stop their screaming.

"So laugh."

The laughter of the Vengeful Spirits reached him.

Perhaps because it had been so long since they had laughed, it felt strange, awkward. Jinwoo chuckled and nodded.

As the chief deity of Arsilan, he could never have reached them. Only an Evil God, one who had shouldered horrors alongside them, could. For the first time, Jinwoo thought it had been a good thing to become an Evil God.

The shrieks and pain echoing from the barrier had now vanished entirely. The darkness lifted, his vision brightened, and the special chamber came back into view.

As the ship crossed the Dimensional Barrier, an enormous energy bore down on his whole body. The pressure was fierce enough that even a Lord could not easily dare to challenge it. And this despite being aboard a properly sanctioned ship. The stronger the Authority and power one possessed, the more fiercely the energy crushed down, that was how it worked. It required constant output at all times, which was why Jinwoo himself had dismissed the approach as brutish and abandoned it.

When Jinwoo extended his hand, palms made of bloodied hands gathered together to form an umbrella. Jinwoo looked up at the umbrella. The countless eyes attached to those palms gazed back at him.

"Curious what I'll do next, aren't you?"

The eyes blinked in assent.

The pressure bearing down on him vanished at once. The beings he had made into his Followers also passed through without any trouble, under Jinwoo's protection.

Crossing the Dimensional Barrier took quite some time.

It had been deliberately made extremely thick so that Erosion could not cross over. At this scale, even a Lord would likely tire out and give up halfway through.

PAAT!

The ship emerged from the Dimensional Barrier and at last arrived at the central region of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.

The central region was only a small slice of the territory the Kalsus Dimensional Empire occupied. But since it already held over half of the dimensional plane to begin with, and its sheer scale was immense, the central region was dozens of times larger than Arsilan.

"Master."

Kalgul stepped into the special chamber.

The Judge and Inquisitors also took their places respectfully.

Jinwoo dismissed the umbrella in his hand and turned his head to look at them.

"Please, give your orders."

Kalgul's gaze flashed red.

The matter of Geras would be handled by the Judge as he saw fit. The evidence had already been fabricated and placed. The fragments drifting through the regions invaded by Erosion were conspicuously visible, and they had been naturally steered toward the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's side.

By now, the information had probably already been relayed, hadn't it?

While he was at it, Jinwoo had also fabricated Kalgul into a brave hero who fought to the last for the Empire. Kalgul's figure struggling against the odds, his voice, would all come across vividly.

"The highest-ranking figure you can meet with?"

"Meeting the Emperor is impossible, but thanks to the work Master performed, I believe I can get an audience with an Imperial Prince."

The Kalsus Dimensional Empire had six Imperial Princes.

The Emperor had reigned for a very long time, and it was said that the Crown Prince had yet to be named.

"Among them, which is the most half-witted?"

"That would be the Fourth Imperial Prince."

When Jinwoo grinned, Kalgul's own mouth split into a long, sweeping grin.

Hehehe! Hahaha!

Around Jinwoo, laughter that had squeezed its way out through pain seemed to echo.

The Kalsus Dimensional Empire had no way of knowing, but the Arsilan Saga was a dark fantasy.

*****

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