The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game

Chapter 263: Salvation (4)

Translator: DreamscribeJinwoo looked around the lavish room.

Perhaps because gold was treated as precious even in the Dimensional Realm, the place was filled with gold objects, and unique works of art were scattered everywhere. That said, for a power that ruled the Dimensional Realm, the overall standard of living didn't feel all that impressive. The classical-looking electronic devices did suit the atmosphere, at least.

"The technological development really does feel like it's all been funneled into invading the Dimensional Realm."

Looking at the large warships and equipment, the designs seemed focused solely on power and efficiency. Convenience wasn't even a factor.

Only the things the nobles used were extravagant and ornate.

The enormous table was filled with steaming hot food. These were dishes Kalgul had prepared in advance for Jinwoo.

"I've prepared the finest delicacies the Dimensional Realm has to offer."

Jinwoo tried the food laid out on the table.

It looked appetizing and seemed like it should taste good, but it was somehow bland. The middle notes of flavor were missing, and only the seasoning came through strongly. It felt like eating a showpiece that had been decorated only on the outside.

When he took a single bite and set it back down, Kalgul bowed his head as though he'd committed a crime.

"My apologies."

"Whatever, it's fine."

He'd had expectations given that this was the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, ruler of the Dimensional Realm, but it wasn't much. At least the wine was drinkable since it tasted like grape juice.

Jinwoo checked Kalgul's condition.

He had completely absorbed Kalgul's memories, and had torn off a piece of his soul to generate a self that he was now using.

Kalgul's emptied-out soul was suffering on the Soul Moon, while the Evil God's creature, having scooped out the core of the original, now occupied the body. The mimicry was flawless, so even a dissection wouldn't turn up anything strange.

'This is kind of like a horror movie.'

Amusingly enough, Jinwoo himself was the kind of monster that might appear in a horror movie.

Jinwoo chuckled and sat down in a chair inlaid with countless jewels. It was said to have been made from the finest wood in the Dimensional Realm. A luxury item crafted from the single best section that could only be obtained after felling ten thousand trees.

The carpets and furniture were the same.

"So he wasn't actually locked up."

Kalgul wasn't being held prisoner.

At Jinwoo's words, Kalgul bowed his head even deeper and raised a hand. The door opened, and the servants of the mansion along with the officer overseeing the estate entered and bowed their heads low.

"We greet the great Lord of Evil."

The servants here were the children of lower nobles. True to their noble birth, they had physical bodies, and they attended to high-ranking nobles like Kalgul. Though they were called servants, they didn't do any hard labor, since they were born noble. The hard labor was left to slaves or those without bodies.

There were those who had lost their bodies yet couldn't even manage to wear armor.

The weak ones who couldn't even serve as soldiers were demoted to slaves and treated with contempt.

Parasitic Spiders had melted into the minds of every one of them. Their egos and souls hadn't been taken, but they could be considered completely corrupted. In a way, that made them even more depraved.

"This mansion is your domain, Master."

Kalgul had completely taken control of the mansion before Jinwoo's arrival.

Though he was technically a criminal on trial, charged with failing to stop the invasion of Erosion, he had been able to live like an Emperor.

"The Judge and Inquisitors are scheduled to arrive today. And I'm told a high-ranking noble with whom I'm in a territorial dispute is coming along with them. His imperial blood is very thin, but he's a rather troublesome opponent."

"That's perfect timing."

The place where Jinwoo was located was some distance away from where the Erosion had broken through. More accurately, it stood at the very gateway leading toward the heart of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.

In the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, the privilege of trying nobles belonged only to those of noble birth among the high-ranking nobility who carried imperial blood. Judges and Inquisitors were a privileged class that even a Margrave couldn't easily deal with.

It was an excellent opportunity.

Jinwoo found Kalgul quite commendable. Kalgul moved solely for the benefit of Jinwoo and Arsilan. Jinwoo produced a Superior Authority Stone and pressed it against Kalgul's forehead.

SWOOSH!

The Superior Authority Stone burrowed into Kalgul's forehead, and his body rose into the air.

Kalgul's body swelled up like foam, his skin split open, and blood flowed out. It was an agonizing sight, yet Kalgul instead let out a laugh filled with ecstasy.

The fulfillment of an empty soul being filled offered a pleasure that those who hadn't experienced it could never understand. The Evil God's creature forming Kalgul's brain devoured the Authority Stone and grew. It could be seen transforming from a creature into a Spirit-like form.

The swollen body regained stability, and all the wounds healed. An ominous aura flowed from his eyes.

When Kalgul spread his arms, sharp tentacles stretched out from his palms. They were sharp enough to slice through a warship in a single stroke. They were on par with the Aura Blade that the Heroes had yet to achieve. Of course, in terms of versatility they fell short of the Aura Blade, but in raw destructive power they were comparable.

Kalgul trembled and pressed his forehead to the floor.

"To bestow such a noble blessing upon this lowly worm! Until my soul breaks, no, even after my soul is annihilated, I shall serve you, Master."

"His soul has become complete."

A soul had been born through the power of the Superior Authority Stone.

The soul torn from Kalgul had become whole. It felt similar to how Erosion ascended through molting.

"Since it was born from the Evil God's authority..."

It would be better to call it an Evil Spirit rather than a Spirit. The first-ever Evil Spirit to be born had grown to a level where it could stand alongside the lower entities of Erosion.

Jinwoo pulled out Lesser Authority Stones and let them dwell within everyone present.

"Aah!"

"Such power..."

"Thank you!"

Overwhelmed by ecstasy, they became perfect subordinates of the Evil Spirit.

Each of them had reached the level of a boss monster at level 100. Some gained the ability to transform their arms like praying mantises, others could split their mouths wide enough to swallow a target whole, and so on. Overall they'd acquired some fairly decent abilities.

However, if they didn't concentrate, they showed a rather unstable appearance.

Occasionally tentacle-like things would leak out from their noses and eyes, and it looked monstrous enough.

After waiting briefly, the mansion shook.

The Judge and Inquisitors had arrived aboard a dazzlingly ornate warship.

The reason they had come to Kalgul instead of Kalgul going to the courthouse was because of his title as a Margrave. Once his guilt was determined here, he would be dragged straight to the Central Court, where the Chief Justice would deliberate and pass sentence.

That would be the final trial.

They entered the mansion under the escort of heavily armed knights. Among them was a noble exuding arrogance. A noble who carried a faint trace of the imperial bloodline, a Marquis who had been butting heads with Kalgul over territory at every turn.

"Shall we give them a warm welcome, then?"

At Jinwoo's softly smiling words, Kalgul and his subordinates let out sinister laughs. Kalgul went downstairs to greet them. Jinwoo watched everything while cloaked in concealment.

"Thank you for making the long journey."

Kalgul greeted them with crisp, disciplined movements.

The Judge gave a slight nod, while the Inquisitors glared at Kalgul with expressions steeped in displeasure.

"Making the wise Judge Alansto Zyronse Gigantia Ardan come all this way..."

"Your crime is grievously heavy!"

"Hah! The stench of immorality reeks from you!"

The Inquisitors began laying into Kalgul the moment they met him.

Marquis Geras Zolun, standing behind them, wore a satisfied smile at the scene. He had already showered them with bribes, and given the severity of the matter, Kalgul's downfall was as good as decided.

If he could drive out the invading Dimensional Predators and take over Kalgul's territory as well, he would wield tremendous power.

"It's been a while. You look a mess. How pathetic that a defeated straggler is still alive and well."

"I was fortunate. Isn't this all thanks to His Majesty's grace as well?"

"Hmph, all talk and nothing else... I'll be watching to see how long you can afford to be so relaxed."

Kalgul looked at Geras and smiled.

Seeing that smile, its corners split wide, Geras took a step back. It chilled him to the bone, as though he were facing a predator.

Was it because he was tired?

When Geras shook his head and looked again, he saw the same arrogant Kalgul as before.

"First, please, have a meal."

When the Judge furrowed his brow, the Inquisitors flew into a fit, slamming the ornate staffs they were holding against the floor with thud after thud.

"How daaaare you! Are you trying to pull some trick on the eve of a sacred trial?!"

"You vile wretch! Kneel and beg the Judge for forgiveness!"

The Inquisitors' eyes bulged as though they would pop out of their sockets, and spittle flew from their mouths.

A meal, on the eve of a sacred trial?

Had that bastard finally lost his mind?

Geras was dumbfounded.

There was nothing to be gained from angering the Judge.

The Judge wielded power granted by the Emperor himself, and was the most faithful instrument of the Emperor's will.

Guilt or innocence was determined by a single stamp of the Judge's seal. While the final trial under the Chief Justice's judgment remained, that was mostly a formality.

The Inquisitors, wanting to put on a good show for the Judge, hurled every kind of abuse at Kalgul for a good long while. Their fat-laden bodies jiggled wildly, and sounds like squealing pigs rang out.

The Inquisitors stopped, panting and huffing. Perhaps finding their ragged breathing disgusting, Kalgul shook his head and waved a hand.

"Are you finished?"

At Kalgul's words, the Inquisitors were startled.

Even the Judge flinched.

"Well then, shall we go to the meal?"

As Kalgul turned his back, an Inquisitor raised his staff.

"You vile wretch! Force that man to his knees at once!"

Just as the Inquisitor shouted and was about to command the knights who had come with them to bind the criminal...

"I believe you're under some misunderstanding..."

Kalgul turned his head slightly and looked at the Judge. The Judge's face trembled with a rage he had never felt in his life.

"This is not a request. It is an order."

An order?

He said order?

The Judge opened his mouth for the first time.

"How dare you, how dare you disregard the sacred law handed down by the imperial family! There's nothing more to see. First, sever that man's limbs!"

The Judge passed summary judgment.

But the knights who should have moved merely stood still. The Judge suddenly felt as though the surroundings had grown dim.

"Wh-what are you doing?! Hurry...!"

The knights were frozen like statues.

At some point, the servants had come to stand behind the knights. The knights trembled, and then,

"Uu, urrgghhhh!"

"Aaarghhh!"

They shrieked and convulsed violently.

Black liquid poured out of their eyes, noses, and mouths, turning into insects that dropped to the floor.

The servants' hands had pierced through the knights' backs and were gripping their spines.

"Hiiieek?!"

Seeing that spectacle, the Judge collapsed to the floor in terror. The Inquisitors dropped the staffs they were holding, and Geras screamed and tried to flee, only to trip and fall.

"Now, let's head to the reception room."

The knights, covered in black insects, moved like puppets and seized every last one of them.

"L-let go, let go of me! D-do you have any idea what you're doing right now..."

WHACK!

A servant of lowly status approached and struck the Judge across the cheek with his fist. Teeth shattered, and blood spilled from his mouth.

"Oh my, it seems his hand slipped. Judge, I'll give him a reprimand, so I hope you won't take it too personally."

"Uu, uueegh, uuegh!"

The Judge's cheek swelled up rapidly. The Inquisitors trembled and couldn't open their mouths.

They dragged everyone to the reception room and forced them down into chairs.

Nothing had been placed on the large table. When Kalgul sat down, the servants brought out enormous platters and set them on the table.

"I've prepared a very special dish for all of you."

Kalgul gestured languidly.

When the servants lifted the lids covering the platters, there were insects, sharp blades, and lumps of unidentifiable flesh. They writhed as if alive. From the surface of the flesh, hundreds of long, hair-like filaments grew out, turning into swaying tentacles.

"Uurk!"

"Blegh!"

At that ghastly sight, the Judge and Inquisitors retched.

The servants stood behind them.

"If it's not enough, simply ask the servants behind you."

They weren't even given utensils like spoons or forks.

Geras looked at Kalgul, his face drained pale.

"L-look here. W-would you, would you please stop at this point. I-I beg you."

"I went to such trouble to prepare this, and yet you're so ill-mannered."

When Kalgul snapped his fingers, the servants standing behind them grabbed their faces from behind.

"Now then, enjoy your meal."

The servants began stuffing the items from the platters into their mouths one by one.

"Bleeeghhh!"

"Aaaaghhh!"

"Urrgh!"

Watching the scene, Jinwoo appeared and sat down in the empty seat. Kalgul rose from his seat and bowed his head.

"They seem to be enjoying it. There's enough, I trust?"

"We prepared plenty, so there will be no shortage."

"Good, well done. Excellent work."

At Jinwoo's praise, Kalgul trembled as if he didn't know what to do with himself.

"Judge."

When Jinwoo called, the Judge looked at him while shaking.

Kalgul frowned and reached out his hand. A tentacle extended and plunged into the Judge's shoulder.

"K-kyaaaahhh!"

"The Master is calling you. Answer him."

When the Judge nodded frantically, the tentacle was withdrawn.

"Y-yes! P-please, speak."

"From what I can see, this case seems rife with conspiracy."

The Judge had no idea what he meant, but all he could do was nod.

The pain was unbearable.

It was an agony unlike anything he had felt in his life, nearly driving him out of his mind.

"That noble over there seems to have grown envious of our Margrave Kalgul Molrus, laid a trap, and brought in the Dimensional Predators. What do you think?"

"Y-yes! That's, that's certainly the case!"

The Judge answered at once, as though there was nothing to consider.

Geras barely overcame his terror and, after some careful glancing about, pulled out a small device from inside his robes. He usually didn't bother carrying it because it was a nuisance, but it was in his pocket.

His retainers had slipped it in because they were worried about him!

'P-pull yourself together, stay calm...!'

It was a device for sending emergency signals.

'P-please, go through, please...!'

His hand trembled.

Strangely, the signal hadn't been coming through from the moment he'd entered the mansion. As he cautiously shifted his hand bit by bit, a faint light came on in the device.

He quickly pressed the button.

Now the knights would descend from the fleet hovering in the sky!

Geras shot up from his seat with a triumphant smile.

"You wretch! How dare a creature of uncertain origin make a mockery of a noble!"

Geras shouted while jabbing a finger at Jinwoo. He proudly held up the device in his hand.

"You're finished now... huh?"

There was a device with a blinking light sitting in front of Jinwoo.

He had just been holding that device in his hand...?

Geras looked at his own hand. All that was there was a blade embedded in his palm.

"Kyaaargh! M-my hand...!"

Geras shrieked and thrashed about, but after meeting Kalgul's gaze, he shut his mouth and sat back down.

Jinwoo chuckled and looked at the Inquisitors.

"You're called Inquisitors, aren't you? Now that you've interrogated Kalgul, what have you found?"

"H-he's innocent!"

"Clean as a whistle!"

"I-it was all that man's scheme! He's a heinous heretic who dared bring Dimensional Predators into imperial territory!"

The Inquisitors immediately turned their blame on Geras. They were quick on the uptake, these ones.

It was a forced verdict with no evidence whatsoever, but evidence could simply be fabricated. Since the territory Erosion had invaded was effectively Jinwoo's own backyard, fabricating evidence was child's play.

Geras didn't even feel any sense of injustice.

He was too gripped by terror.

"Pass judgment."

"M-Margrave Kalgul Molrus is, is innocent! M-Marquis Geras Zolun, I shall submit the verdict to the, the Central Court to receive the, the Chief Justice's judgment."

A splendid verdict.

Jinwoo nodded.

"Kalgul, it's been hard on you. Make sure the one who framed you pays the price thoroughly."

"I shall do as you command."

Kalgul looked at Geras and grinned.

Terror-stricken, Geras was gasping like he was about to expire at any moment, and then he wet himself.

As Jinwoo rose from his seat and headed out the door, Kalgul, who had been respectfully bowing, looked over everyone once.

A massive spider crawled out of Kalgul's palm, and more spiders flowed onto the table, matching the number of people present.

As the spiders took their places in front of each of them, the servants grabbed their bodies and forced their mouths open.

CRRRUNCH!

The spiders crawled into their mouths.

They all screamed in terror, but the moment the spiders burrowed into their mouths, the screams stopped.

"Aah!"

"How incredible!"

Why had they been afraid?

Of this boundless grace!

The Judge and Inquisitors instantly understood what had happened to their bodies.

They had received a blessing.

They had been chosen by a being greater than any other!

It was a boundless glory incomparable to mere nobility.

An Inquisitor, wearing an enraptured expression, bowed to the Judge.

"Ahaha! Judge, that was a splendid verdict!"

"What did I even do? It's thanks to you all uncovering the truth that our empire's treasure, Margrave Kalgul Molrus, has been cleared of false charges."

With the atmosphere now warm and convivial, Kalgul rose from his seat and gave a light word of thanks to the Judge.

"It was a wise judgment. Thank you."

"Hahaha! Don't worry about a thing! I'll take care of it all!"

"If you wrap matters up well, the Master may even bestow authority upon you."

At Kalgul's words, everyone froze.

The Judge instinctively understood what that meant.

The power of a soul transcending the body!

The chance to be reborn as a true subordinate of that exalted being.

That was what true salvation was.

"I shall not disappoint Him."

The Judge resolved that he would fulfill his mission no matter what it took.

The Inquisitors approached Kalgul with bright smiles.

"We're here too, so rest easy and sleep well."

"Hah! First, I'd better get started drafting the verdict!"

They treated Kalgul as if he were the dearest of friends.

"Uh...? Eh? Ehh? Hehe!"

The once-imposing Marquis Geras, however, was merely drooling and tilting his head back and forth.

He'd been set to standby mode.

*****

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