Ch.159159 – Devil 3

# 159 – The Devil # 3

The lenses of Jeong Sojin’s glasses literally flashed with light.

“There’s something written on the metal plate.”

What could possibly be written on this smooth coffin lid?

To my eyes, only our reflections were ominously visible, but Jeong Sojin moved her eyes as if she could actually see something.

“What does it say?”

I asked, slightly frightened.

With no lights working in the old school building, the darkness seemed to cling to my body, making me want to shudder unless I kept talking.

“Can’t you see it, Yeongwon? I’ll suck your brain. Teacher will suck your brain and clean it for you.”

Just then, an unpleasant sound came from the corridor beyond the science lab.

It seemed the Rhythm Ghost had discovered our location due to the commotion in the science lab.

“G-ghost!”

Kwon Sua was terrified.

The one fortunate thing was that this science lab had only one entrance.

“Guys! Let’s block the entrance first!”

I grabbed nearby mirror fragments, junk, and boxes and piled them at the entrance to prevent the Rhythm Ghost from entering through the hole.

Even in this situation, Jeong Sojin was still staring at the metal mirror with her glasses gleaming.

“There are two languages written on this coffin. One is all curvy like Arabic, so I can’t really understand it. The other one is written in Latin.”

“That must be it! That’s it!”

Tap-

Jeongseok hit his forehead.

He urged Jeong Sojin impatiently.

“Can you read it? There might be something helpful written there! Isn’t the Dominican Republic a Latin-speaking region? Sojin, try reading what it says!”

“Um, well… These are really ancient languages… And they’re not just written plainly, but in a kind of archaic? Solemn? That kind of language?”

“What letters are they? Hey, Jeong Sojin. Are you just lying to get attention even in this situation? If you’re trying to trick us, I seriously won’t let you off.”

Clench-

Yang Juhui made a fist and waved it in front of Jeong Sojin.

She seemed suspicious since Jeong Sojin claimed to see writing on a metal mirror where nothing was visible to the rest of us.

Jeong Sojin flared up.

“I’m telling you there’s really something written here! Don’t believe me if you don’t want to!”

Was Jeong Sojin telling the truth? Or was Yang Juhui right?

In most situations, I’d want to take Yang Juhui’s side when she and Jeong Sojin fought. But Jeong Sojin had a special ability.

「Name: Jeong Sojin Lv.4

Trait: 《Mind’s Eye》

Disposition: Cunning

Quirk: None

Possessions: Class President’s Glasses

A popular and energetic girl who serves as Class D’s president. Though her crisis response abilities are lacking, her versatility may compensate for this. She’s difficult to handle as her outside and inside don’t match.」

「《Mind’s Eye》: A higher trait than 《Attentiveness》. Increases the probability of discovering horrors and taboos. Can see hidden horrors. Easily detects lies.」

Jeong Sojin had a higher probability of discovering horrors and taboos.

Perhaps she really was seeing something that the rest of us couldn’t.

“I believe Sojin.”

“…Really?”

“Tch, you’re all just playing around.”

Jeong Sojin’s eyes sparkled with emotion behind her glasses.

I said to her:

“Can you figure out what it says?”

“It’ll take some time.”

“I’ll help you.”

While Jeong Sojin and Jeongseok were arguing, we completely sealed off the science lab.

Soon, a “hehehe-” laughter came from beyond the corridor.

━Really? Yeongwon. Come out here. You shouldn’t be in there. There’s an even more terrifying beast in there. Yeongwon. Hurry and come out of there. It’s dangerous. Okay?

The Rhythm Ghost’s voice sounded as affectionate and tender as my mother’s when she nursed me through a cold. It was clearly a seductive ploy to lure me out of the science lab.

“Fuck off!”

I raised my middle finger toward the wall.

Putting on this bravado somehow gave me a bit of courage.

Did my provocation work? The corridor beyond suddenly went quiet.

“…Is it gone?”

Shiver- Kwon Sua trembled.

I poked her side with my finger.

“Eek! What?”

“I told you not to say things like that. From now on, in our pirate crew, saying things like ‘is it gone,’ ‘did it leave,’ ‘is it over’ is forbidden. It’s unlucky.”

Truthfully, I was also secretly hoping the Rhythm Ghost had gone far away.

But based on my experience with various ghosts, it was more likely hiding quietly somewhere.

That’s just how it would be.

The evil spirits on this second floor were obsessed with tormenting humans.

In the end, we were essentially trapped in this science lab.

While we were tense, Jeongseok and Jeong Sojin were conversing.

Jeongseok had taken out a marker and was writing on his palm.

“These words are written in Latin on the metal coffin, she says.”

『In the beginning, there was a great scream.

Those who wish to set foot in my territory. My voice will be sweet, my eyes gentle like a dove’s, and my fingertips like a viper’s. This is where the roaring lion roams the Valley of Hinnom.

Brave one, if you wish to call me, draw a circle and light a flame. Complete what Abraham could not finish.』

“What does that mean?”

It was good that the Latin had been translated to Korean.

But just because it was in Korean didn’t mean we could understand it all.

The confusion doubled as it contained stories that seemed like they belonged in an ancient Bible.

Jeongseok said:

“Whatever it is, this is the most we can figure out as a hint. The easiest thing to recognize is the Valley of Hinnom, which is Gehenna in ancient Israeli language. It means hell.”

Hell.

So the world inside this metal mirror was hell?

There was only one roaring lion that could be lurking in hell.

“There’s really a devil inside here.”

Fear and darkness that have tormented humans since ancient times, along with cruel truths and malice, existed not as metaphors but as actual entities beyond this metal mirror.

# # #

“Let’s go in.”

Swish-

While Jeongseok was wracking his brain for knowledge and wisdom, Yang Juhui stood up as if summoning courage. When we were all stunned by this surprising decision, Yang Juhui said:

“We won’t figure anything out just by staying here. We need to go inside and see what’s in there to truly understand.”

That made sense too.

“Then we’ll go in five minutes from now.”

Five minutes.

Had five minutes ever felt so short yet so long?

The five minutes I usually let pass without a thought suddenly became precious.

“Five minutes are up.”

Already?

What did we even do for five minutes to pass?

Swish-

Yang Juhui reached her hand toward the metal mirror.

When her hand touched the metal mirror, a faint ripple spread across its surface. It looked like she had dipped her hand into a calm lake.

Swoosh-

Yang Juhui finally stepped beyond the metal mirror.

At this point, there was no other way.

“Let’s go together!”

Swish-!

I also gathered my courage and followed Yang Juhui.

Honestly, this would have been impossible without my 《Strong Heart》 trait.

As I entered the metal mirror, a floating sensation enveloped my body, as if my internal organs were rising.

Soon, an intensely hot and scorching heat greeted me. It felt like entering a blazing sauna.

It was a dark, humid, and stifling place.

Thanks to my 《Owl Eyes》, exploring the surroundings wasn’t too difficult.

“…An operating room?”

The space I had entered looked just like an old operating room.

A UFO-like light swayed and creaked on the ceiling, and in the center was something that looked like a bed. Next to it, unknown machines were making beep-beep noises.

It was a much more rational atmosphere than the “hell” with flowing lava I had imagined, which was somewhat reassuring but also more frightening in a way.

Flick-

Yang Juhui, who had entered the operating room before me, lit her lighter, brightening the surroundings a bit.

Soon, Jeongseok, Kwon Sua, and Jeong Sojin followed.

“Th-this is hell…”

Kwon Sua was dripping what might have been sweat or tears from her chin.

Everyone was struggling in the operating room, which was so hot that even breathing was difficult.

An operating room in the abyss where a devil lurked.

We were all too tense to speak.

It would be fair to say we were overwhelmed by this space.

At times like this, I need to step up.

“Guys, look around. There might be something.”

Unknown machines and an operating table.

Blood-stained tools.

While we were all blinking at these unfamiliar sights, Jeongseok looked at his palm and said:

“Brave one, if you wish to call me, draw a circle and light a flame. Complete what Abraham could not finish. Maybe we need to do this to summon it. Drawing a circle…”

Swish-

Jeongseok raised his marker.

He used it to draw a round circle near the operating table.

It was a small circle that would be cramped if all five of us entered, but the operating room itself was so small that this was the limit.

Soon, Jeong Sojin said:

“Here, there’s a switch. A light switch. Could ‘light a flame’ refer to this?”

Jeong Sojin’s observation skills were remarkably good despite the situation.

Click-

When she flipped the switch on the wall, the UFO-like surgical light above the operating table lit up.

It was an extremely bright light.

Ah, how light can make one’s heart feel at ease.

However, as light brightens, darkness also deepens relatively.

Except for the area near the operating table where the circle was drawn, the surroundings seemed to be enveloped in even deeper darkness. Overwhelmed by this mysterious atmosphere, Kwon Sua stammered:

“Draw a circle and turn on the light… What does ‘complete what Abraham could not finish’ mean? Who is Abraham? What are we supposed to do?”

“Abraham is considered the father of faith in Judaic-lineage religions. Jews, Muslims, and Christians all consider him their ancestor.”

Jeongseok started to say something but closed his mouth.

His tongue seemed to have trouble moving due to the intense heat. He was probably also tired from all the mental exertion.

It seemed right for me to continue the explanation, as I had been conserving my energy until now.

“Abraham heard God’s revelation and left his homeland to go to a land flowing with milk and honey to become the father of a nation. But he had no children until he was extremely old.”

Abraham was very old, and his lovely wife Sarah was also very old.

Sarah, in particular, had already gone through menopause and couldn’t bear children.

They had already given up on having children.

It was impossible.

But by God’s miracle, Abraham and Sarah conceived a child.

The child’s name was Isaac.

“Since he was a son born in their old age, they must have loved him dearly. A child who shouldn’t have been born was born. But then God told Abraham to kill the child and offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham obeyed without question.”

Just as Abraham was about to kill his son Isaac, an angel shouted:

─Abraham, stop what you’re doing.

─There is a sacrifice prepared over there to offer instead of your son.

Abraham ended this sacrificial story by offering a ram that God and the angel had prepared instead of his son Isaac. Abraham proved his faith to the extent that he was willing to sacrifice even the son he had so difficultly obtained.

And thus he became the father of faith.

“There are many other stories about Abraham, but when it comes to ‘what Abraham could not finish,’ I can’t think of anything other than his attempt to sacrifice Isaac, which he stopped.”

“That means…”

Kwon Sua closed her mouth in fear.

We all looked at the operating table gleaming under the UFO light and the surgical tools placed nearby.

The meaning of this place was clear.

“…It seems like one of us has to die.”