The Nature of Possession

435 – Part 3 Prologue, The Fragments of Five

***

A mountain shrouded in darkness.

There were many signs of life in the deepest part of the mountain, where the shadows were deep.

“…….”

Under a huge tree, many people were sitting with their heads on the ground in front of a person who had made a chair out of the tree’s trunk.

“…….”

The mood of that absolute being seemed uncomfortable.

Every time she exhaled, the bodies of those who had their heads buried in the ground flinched and trembled.

A being that rarely showed itself even to the elders revealed itself.

That alone is nerve-racking, but the great man is in a considerably worse mood.

The Jang people were trembling and could not even swallow their saliva.

Even those who were injured in the fight, without exception, lay down before her and waited for her to speak.

“elder.”

When the being that had suppressed its anger for hours opened its mouth, everyone forgot to breathe and pricked up their ears.

“O Most High, O Most Deep… Speak.”

A white-haired, long-eared creature lay flat on the ground.

“How many Chinese people have been swallowed?”

Sure, I expected to be reprimanded for failing to protect the village, but an unexpected question was asked first.

“Yes, eight people were swallowed by it.”

As the elder hesitated, another elder answered.

“I see… If we chase the souls of the subjugated ones…”

The being that had been sitting rose from its seat.

“…….”

“…….”

The silence continued. The elder suppressed his fear and slightly raised his gaze.

The person who should have been in front was not visible.

The figure they were serving had disappeared like a mirage.

In the place where she had disappeared, blue-tinged tree trunks were left in a disorderly mess.

***

A spotless, clean blue color spread across the vast sky.

There was no wind and the temperature was comfortable.

Beneath the landscape created by nature was an artificial world made of concrete and glass.

They occupy the space, sometimes in a bleak manner, sometimes in a modern manner.

In the city’s landscape, which is heavily man-made, a hint of nature can be seen, as if a quota system had been implemented.

It can be seen as a combination of artificial things encroaching on and eating away at nature, but it can also be seen as a harmonious combination.

An area slightly to the right of the city center.

A door to a building opened.

The door, made of a huge block of iron, opened sideways with great difficulty, moving my heavy buttocks.

There was a rusty sound of metal grinding at the joints.

What came out of the huge door was quite small.

What came out of the door had the shape of a person, and it was staring blankly at the sky.

Her hair, which was close to gray, was gentle, and her eyes, which resembled her hair color, contained the blue of the sky.

“Good weather conditions.”

It was a rather dry sentiment for a blue sky.

It walked slowly, heading towards the center of the city.

When it reached the huge square, a space where memories of the person it had served were vivid, its feet stopped.

It looked at the sky again.

The sky was still clear and cloudless.

[The sky is clear.]

This time, a different feeling came out.

It wasn’t a voice coming from it.

“Please be quiet. You are disturbing the operation.”

It warned, looking down at its own chest.

[We’ve already completed hundreds of millions of simulations. The results have all been good.]

The target of the criticism was quite positive.

“It’s just a simulation. We don’t know what variables there might actually be.”

[Are you nervous, Isis?]

“Do you think I’d be nervous or something? NB?”

As the gray woman’s eyes blinked, the buildings began to slowly pulse.

Just as dead organs regain color after receiving a supply of blood, the shapes of the buildings began to change.

[If not, that’s fortunate.]

As they watched the city move as one living thing, someone muttered.

The buildings began to take on a certain shape, repeating the process of being connected and divided.

The concrete pavement cracked and thick cables began to jut out.

The once harmonious appearance of the city began to transform into a ferocious, artificial one.

When the white dust settled, an ugly, circular steel structure was left where the plaza had once been.

[The last city of humanity, the end of Aaru.]

“There is nothing important in this world anymore.”

[I agree.]

“And it was you who suggested that we remodel the city to create a dimensional portal.”

As if a thought had suddenly occurred to her, the gray woman snapped with a look of disbelief.

[I never thought that you, who are in charge of reason, would follow my opinion.]

“A pun….”

The gray woman clicked her tongue and closed her eyes, and the current in the cable began to flow.

A dazzling blue light was directed at the circular structure, and the air began to vibrate.

[I hope the results come out as simulated.]

“If it weren’t for that strange woman leaving behind something, I wouldn’t have even attempted this.”

In her previous fight with the strange being, Isis obtained a strange substance.

It was not a living thing, but a moving black substance.

The moment she studied it and discovered its instinct for regression, Isis got a clue about dimensional travel.

And the current portal was the result of that clue.

Crackle crackle

The circular structure began to tremble and space began to open up.

“I don’t know what’s in that world beyond…”

Isis’s feet began to move towards the portal.

Even as the air trembled and shallow things disintegrated, his steps were calm.

[First, let’s move on.]

“For the master.”

[For Kang In-ho.]

***

The introduction of new people always brings freshness to an organization.

Especially if it is a young, bright, and innocent being.

In that sense, a warm atmosphere was permeating the lab for the first time in a long time.

It was the fault of Kim Seong-ah, who had joined the company as a new researcher.

The researchers, who were seeing newbies for the first time in a long time, had smiles on their faces.

Kim Seong-ah traveled around the lab with the privilege of being a newbie.

The director was even more impressed by Kim Seong-ah’s attitude, which was burning with passion for learning, and he taught her everything he knew.

“Then this is…..”

Kim Seong-ah’s eyes widened at the sound of the huge coffin.

“That’s right. This hits neutrons… into energy…”

Kim Seong-ah swallowed as the excited director explained his story in his own world.

She took a small test tube out of her bosom.

It was a byproduct that suddenly appeared during a fight with a witch.

It looked like an alien life form from a superhero comic book, so I was a bit reluctant.

I had kept it just in case.

“Researcher Kim Seong-ah?”

The director shouted as he saw Kim Seong-ah approaching the machine, but Kim Seong-ah had already placed a glass bottle into the machine.

The high-temperature energy from the machine struck the material inside the vial, causing the dormant black substance to boil over.

“Researcher Kim Seong-ah, what are you doing now? No, wait, why are the numbers like this?”

As the director was terrified at the sight of the device shaking so much that it was visible to the naked eye, Kim Seong-ah turned around and said.

“I’m sorry, sir. Actually, I don’t really like science.”

The black substance tore through the air, creating space.

“I like art.”

Kim Seong-ah, who had changed into strange clothes, disappeared into space while making an unknown sound.

***

The nun was leading a regular life.

At dawn, when the thick darkness begins to slowly retreat to make way for the sun, the nuns begin their day with prayer.

Her prayer is said before the scaffold, where, years ago, corrupt sinners had committed great sins.

They drove the holy saint into a den of sin and took his life on the scaffold.

It was an unforgivable sin. That is why she judged them.

After the judgment, she took those who followed her and destroyed the sect.

And this place was reclaimed.

The executioner, who meant a lot to her.

She kneels on the dry stone floor and clasps her hands together.

Her prayers continue until the sun rises.

The object of prayer was not God.

She confirmed the existence of God and then abandoned that belief.

Her prayers were directed to the saint.

Holy Father, open the way for me to go to you.

Dear Saint, please give me another chance to assist you.

Please look down once again on the sinner who did not believe in the saint.

She begged and begged.

When his emotions became intense, he would hit his forehead on the ground and cry loudly.

Bright red blood flowed down his forehead and then disappeared.

Saint.

Saint.

She called the saint’s name earnestly every time.

I kept praying as if he could hear my voice from across the dimension.

I had been praying like that for several years. It was a dawn like any other.

With a crashing sound, the air broke and a strange door opened.

Sister Maria was convinced that this was the path that would lead to Kang In-ho.

But there was no evidence whatsoever.

Believing without seeing.

It was what she was most confident in.

“Ahh… You finally answered my prayer.”

The nun trudged away with her beloved bottle.

After that, no one saw the nun on the scaffold.

***

“This is it.”

Even looking down, a dizzying cliff came into view.

Seeing the fog hanging down below made me realize how high the mountain was.

“Are you sure?”

The middle-aged woman bowed her head at the woman’s question.

“Yes. After checking all the records of the Central Plains, it is said that when the Taoist ascended to heaven through Uhwadengseon, he ascended from here.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The woman looked down the cliff with a face full of anticipation.

“I… but it’s just a record, nothing is certain.”

As the middle-aged woman spoke hesitantly, the woman in the black uniform turned around.

“Even the smallest clue would be appreciated.”

“But… I don’t think there’s a connection. Isn’t the place the young cult leader left heaven?”

The middle-aged woman’s face was filled with worry.

“If I throw myself here, there are two possibilities. One is to fall to my death, and the other is to ascend to the sky and meet the Absolute of this world. I will ascend to the sky, meet the Absolute, and learn the secret art of traveling between worlds.”

“But if you can’t go up to heaven….”

“A world without him has no meaning to me anyway.”

“Reverend.”

Tears welled up in the middle-aged woman’s eyes.

The woman in the military uniform patted the middle-aged man on the shoulder with a confident smile.

“Life is an endless fight. Nothing is certain in the fight. Sometimes you have to risk your life for something uncertain. Especially when you are fighting for something precious….”

Unable to stop her tears from welling up, the middle-aged woman burst into tears.

“Thank you for your hard work so far, Youngma.”

After finishing her words, the woman in military uniform threw herself off the cliff.

The middle-aged woman looked down, but it was already disappearing into the fog.

Gulp, tears fell to the ground.

“Long live the heavenly horse… Long live the heavenly horse…”

Yeong-ma prayed for the future of the person he was serving in a locked voice.

Bingyi’s constitution Part 3

Final Chapter