Chapter 1049

〈 Chapter 1049 〉 1049. Spirit’s Position

I followed Jiwon Kang down the underground passage.

The only source of light in this dark, narrow tunnel was the tiny lantern held in Jiwon’s hand. Its glow was so faint it barely illuminated our surroundings.

I examined the walls of the passage. They were smooth, made of stone, and covered with bizarre, incomprehensible patterns—just like the building from the retreat in Busan.

‘Ever since we entered this passage, I’ve felt uneasy.’

There were several reasons for this.

Firstly, the air here is warm and humid, probably because there’s a hot spring nearby. It feels like being inside someone’s mouth.

Secondly, I have no idea what lies at the end of this passage.

“Mr. Yoojin, you seem tense.”

“Wouldn’t you be if you were walking to some unknown place? We’ve been walking for quite a while now, but there’s no sign of reaching our destination. How much farther do we have to go?”

“Hmm… This is my first time walking through this passage too… But we should arrive soon.”

“Your first time?”

“Yes. The Japanese branch constructed this passage, and I’m responsible for Korea. I’ve visited Japan a few times, but never for work like this.”

“Tell me what’s at the end of this passage.”

Unable to bear the frustration, I asked bluntly. Kang smiled faintly.

“Mr. Yoojin, see for yourself with your own eyes. Lord Gwang would also expect that.”

No useful information. With a sigh, I continued walking step by step.

Then I noticed something strange. It was eerily quiet. There are 20 people here, yet Jiwon never forbade chatting. Even when I ask questions, she answers politely.

‘What is going on here? Everyone seems to have lost their minds.’

The followers, including Sooho Park, appeared disoriented. Their eyes were vacant, mouths agape, drooling. They seemed to have lost all reason.

“Park Sooho!”

I grabbed his shoulder.

“Eh… Yes, Brother. What’s the matter?”

Park momentarily snapped out of his daze, but his eyes still lacked focus.

“…Never mind. It’s nothing.”

It felt like anything I said wouldn’t get through to him.

“Nothing at all.”

Sooho walked forward for a bit before reverting to his dazed state.

‘This must be some kind of brainwashing. The patterns on the wall are affecting Sooho and the others. I’m fine because my spirit is strong… and Jiwon isn’t affected because she’s the guide.’

My neck prickled. My instincts screamed danger.

‘Better prepare just in case.’

I glanced around. Jiwon at the front was focused on moving ahead, and the followers behind her were all walking mindlessly. Even if I held up my finger right in front of them, they didn’t react unless directly touched—they weren’t paying attention to me.

I pulled out my smartphone, only to realize there was no Wi-Fi connection. Worse, there wasn’t even any signal. Meaning, phone calls won’t work down here in this underground passage.

‘What have they done to this passage?’

It became clear that help from the outside was impossible.

Using the Game World interface, I adjusted the items in my inventory for battle readiness. As a precaution, I wrapped one Space Teleportation Scroll around my wrist. If things turn dangerous, I’ll use this scroll to escape.

‘Alright. All set.’


“Let’s go.”

I’m fully prepared.

Even if the opponent is an A-Rank Hunter, I was confident I could win by exploiting gear buffs. Though it probably wouldn’t work against top-tier A-Rankers… I should at least be able to escape.

“This is reality. If you die here, it’s game over. We HAVE to survive.”

Dying in the Game World would just end your gaming career, but this wasn’t a game. I still hadn’t fully enjoyed all the features of my Gaming Life app!

Whooshhhhh~

“Wh-what?!”

I gasped sharply as the world around me warped. I knew this feeling well.

“A dungeon! Did we just enter a dungeon?!”

I glanced at Kang Ji-woo, who was strolling casually like nothing unusual was happening.

“We’re almost there.”

At the end of the tunnel stood an enormous door – a massive black door adorned with intricate carvings that looked like something out of Dante’s Inferno.

Kang Ji-woo pushed the door open with surprising ease for something so imposing.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Light Temple. It’s your first time here, right? Actually, it’s my first time too. This temple is forbidden to those without divine permission. The Holy Light will descend here to save this world.”

Once again, I felt that distinct “entering a dungeon” sensation.

The world beyond the door was completely different.

Under a vast blue sky stood a pristine white temple complex, surrounded by clear flowing water and immaculate marble floors.

“So THIS is the Light Temple…”

It felt like stepping into a fantasy world. No, even in fantasy worlds, buildings like this are rare. I know because I’ve seen plenty of fantasy worlds.

Around the temple, devotees of various ethnicities were moving about. I noticed three more black doors identical to the one we entered through.

“Hmm… I’ve had that ‘entering a dungeon’ feeling twice on the way here. Could this be… a dungeon within a dungeon?”

Despite my casual appearance, I pride myself on my extensive knowledge of hunting, thanks to my Hunter Studies major in college. One thing I learned is that dungeons can sometimes spawn within other dungeons, though it’s extremely rare.

Checking my smartphone, I confirmed what I already suspected – no signal. And looking at the bright blue sky so unlike Tokyo’s night skyline, I had to admit it: we were in a dungeon. Whether it was a dungeon-within-a-dungeon remained unclear.

Then, a group approached from the temple entrance.

A middle-aged man with short blond hair wearing an ornate white robe embroidered with golden thread – clearly someone important.

“Oh glorious guest! We’ve been expecting you!”

I was taken aback. Not just because a foreigner spoke fluent Korean, but because he was treating me like royalty.

Turning slightly, I caught Kang Ji-woo smiling knowingly.

“This is Giorgio Michelangelo, the head of the Light Church. He seems to have personally come to welcome you, Mr. Yoo-jin.”

Giorgio rushed forward and enveloped me in a bear hug. Normally, I’d punch anyone who hugged me like that, but with all the A-Rank Hunters surrounding us…

“…This is awkward, Your Holiness.”

I gently pushed him away. To his credit, he backed off immediately.

“My apologies! I got carried away in my excitement. Please forgive me, noble guest.”

“Nothing’s broken, so it’s fine. I didn’t expect such a warm welcome from you, Your Holiness.”

“Of course! You ARE a chosen one. Though I sense much confusion in your eyes.”

Looking around, I saw that everyone here seemed genuinely friendly toward me. This place… this temple… there was definitely something extraordinary about it.

“To be honest, where exactly are we? Somewhere on Earth?”

The head priest laughed heartily.

“Ah, you find our temple mysterious, do you? This place doesn’t exist on Earth.”

“…A dungeon?”

“Not quite. Explaining would take too long, so let’s save that for later. For now, all I can say is that this space is imbued with the Holy Light’s power.”

He answered my questions smoothly, maintaining that infuriatingly calm demeanor throughout.


It didn’t seem like anything was going to change anytime soon.

“I have another question that I don’t understand. Why am I the Chosen One?”

“It’s because the Great Spirit selected you.”

“I’m asking why that Great Spirit chose me. Until recently, I had absolutely no connection to the Church of Light!”

If it weren’t for Park Sooho, I wouldn’t even be involved in any of this. And even explaining that I became the Chosen One through some divine oracle is hard to swallow. Why did the Great Spirit give such an oracle? Why did the Great Spirit choose ME? More fundamental questions began to arise.

Kang Jiwoo would probably go on a rant about how the will of the Spirit is too profound to comprehend, but the High Priest before me would be different. Unlike Kang Jiwoo, who ranks lowest among the Church of Light’s officers, this High Priest holds the highest rank.

“Haha. Since the Chosen One has come this far, I suppose I must explain.”

The fact that he was offering an explanation so easily made suspicion swirl thickly in my mind.

“First off, the Chosen One must have met the Great Spirit at some point.”

“You mean I’ve met the Great Spirit? When are you talking about?”

“Well, surely the Chosen One remembers, doesn’t he? Try recalling carefully.”

As I focused on my memories, it quickly came back to me.

A being worthy of being called a god.

Just not a god from THIS world, but rather from Park Sooho’s tattoo realm.

Brahmasen.

That was definitely its name.

The Demon God of Madness.

“The Great Spirit wasn’t referring to a god of light but rather a truly insane deity?”

I understood the true identity of the Great Spirit.

Brahmasen. Somehow, that guy was being worshipped on Earth. But then a new question arose: hadn’t Brahmasen been my enemy? Now he’s treating me like a chosen one? Last time I met him, didn’t I outright reject his offer?

“The Great Spirit desires the Chosen One.”

“He wants ME?”

“Yes. For reasons unknown, the Great Spirit desires the Chosen One.”

Last time I met Brahmasen, he tried to tempt me, and I clearly rejected him right away.

“Oh Chosen One, do you know of the Hero of Selbretna? The worst enemy, the heresy of all heresies. We… have acquired the ultimate sacrifice.”

The High Priest’s gaze turned toward Park Sooho, who still wore a vacant expression as he knelt before the High Priest like any ordinary follower. The High Priest smirked.

“Who would’ve thought the real Hero of Selbretna would approach us without any preparation? Neither I nor the Great Spirit anticipated this. The Great Spirit was very pleased with this unexpected fortune.”

I had a vague suspicion that Park Sooho was the hero. After all, he was the one deeply connected to the tattoo realm, not me.

“…Park Sooho as a sacrifice? What do you mean by that?”

“The Hero of Selbretna is special. Someone akin to an apostle blessed by Selbretna’s power. Through sacrificing the hero, the Great Spirit will steal Selbretna’s power, gaining divinity and descending upon Earth! Hahaha! Originally, it would’ve taken over half a year, but now with the hero in hand, the success rate has increased, and the timing has been expedited!”

“If Park Sooho is the sacrifice, what role do I play? Am I also a sacrifice?”

“To make the Chosen One into a sacrifice… such a disrespectful act would never happen. Your task, Chosen One, is to meet the Great Spirit after their descent. In my opinion, the Great Spirit likely intends to make you His apostle.”

The High Priest looked at me with eyes filled with both envy and admiration. I felt no joy whatsoever.

“…When exactly will the Great Spirit descend?”

“Tomorrow. We’ll hold the divinity ritual tomorrow! Though I’d love to perform it immediately, rituals require preparation.”

It seemed like everything was screwed.

Not just me, but the entire planet.

After pondering, I nodded. I forced a bright smile that I hadn’t shown until now.

“Tomorrow sounds very promising. I’ve completed my preparations to meet the Great Spirit.”

Since things were already screwed beyond repair, I decided to go with the best option available: siding with Brahmasen. If the world goes to hell, at least I’ll be safe. My priority is surviving and enjoying life to the fullest.

Starting today, I’m a devout follower of the Church of Light.