* * *
A saint?
It was a completely random word he had never even considered in his life.
He wanted to ask what that meant, but his lips wouldn’t move.
His thoughts were slowing, and his body felt as heavy as if it were soaked with water.
Sinking deeper into what felt like an ocean of sleep, the only sensation left was the soft touch of fingertips tracing his lips.
It was such a delicate gesture that he almost felt like he was being tenderly cared for by the man.
“Sleep well. And when you wake up, if you ever want to see me again….”
There was a brief pause before a warm hand gently placed his hands over his chest.
“All you have to do is clasp your hands like this and think of me.”
Seo Woohyun’s breath quickened.
A severe sense of helplessness washed over him, leaving him unable to even twitch a finger.
He had a sinking feeling that something was terribly wrong, but all he could do was listen to Erdian’s whispered words.
The gentle hand that had been stroking his head slowly withdrew, and he heard a rustling sound growing closer.
At that moment, the fragrant scent of the man’s skin brushed past him.
“Answering your prayers is my only joy. We will surely meet again.”
Something soft touched his lips and quickly disappeared.
Then, his body began to fall endlessly downward.
‘Am I really going to die like this? So absurdly?’
It might be just before waking up from the dream.
‘But what if I crash to the ground and crack my head open? I’d really die then. And what about that man? Why did he kiss me?’
As his thoughts tangled, a splitting headache surged.
‘Damn it, no matter how I think about it, this feels way too real. Am I really going to die suddenly in my sleep? Was that place the afterlife? What the hell is going on?’
As the sensation of hot molten metal pouring over his body struck him, his breath hitched.
And just as he managed to open his eyes, blinding white light poured over his face.
Above him stretched a clear sky bathed in warm sunlight.
“Gasp…!”
Seo Woohyun, panting heavily, opened his eyes to find himself lying on an altar lavishly adorned with blooming flowers.
The headache he had felt moments before vanished as if washed away, but his hands still trembled.
It was the first time in his life he had felt the terror of possibly dying.
As he sat there in a daze, unable to shake the sensations lingering in his body, voices pierced his foggy mind.
“The saint has awakened!”
“Erdian, your grace!”
“Oh! The saint!”
Overwhelmed by the shouts that filled his ears, Seo Woohyun hesitated as he slowly sat up.
He felt suffocated, overwhelmed by the sight of the countless people gathered before him.
The sheer number of them made him forget even the phantom pain still coursing through his body.
‘Maybe I should just lie back down and pretend to faint….’
Just as he was about to lie back down, a man standing near the altar approached, took Seo Woohyun’s hand, and kissed the back of it.
A feeling of déjà vu struck him. It was the exact same gesture that the man named Erdian had made in his dream.
“I am Sihero, a humble servant devoted to Lord Erdian, here to greet the saint.”
As soon as the smooth lips parted from his hand, Seo Woohyun quickly withdrew his hand and hid it under his sleeve.
‘Wait, what’s with this outfit? I’ve never seen this before. And what does he mean by ‘humble servant’? Is he saying he’s a slave?’
He slowly fiddled with the unfamiliar clothing and looked around.
The place was filled with people he had never seen before.
The crowd continued shouting strange things he couldn’t comprehend.
Something about a saint, something about Erdian. He could understand the words, but none of it made any sense.
‘What the hell is going on….’
Just as Seo Woohyun began trembling in fear, colorful confetti and flower petals fluttered down from the sky in celebration of the saint’s awakening.
‘The sky’s yellow. Ugh, I’m feeling a little nauseous….’
As he stared up at the objects drifting down on the breeze, Seo Woohyun’s body slowly began to collapse backward.
“The saint!”
“Erdian, your grace!”
“The saint!”
As the long-dormant saint lost consciousness again, chaos erupted around the altar.
From a distance, Erdian observed the scene with a frown, leaning against a soft cushion.
The sanctuary darkened, mirroring his displeasure.
‘It seems it will take some time for him to adjust. There must be something I can do to help….’
After pondering for a while, Erdian’s eyes gleamed with a sudden idea.
Erdian, who never hesitated to punish anyone related to the Saint, suddenly proclaimed the Saint’s existence one day.
This happened on a day when one of the four High Priests was leading the prayer meeting.
High Priest Sihero of the Erdian Temple always presided over the prayer meetings with utmost sincerity, but he never expected to hear Erdian’s voice.
Months ago, his god had said he wanted to rest for a while, and since then, he hadn’t responded to a single prayer.
However, during a prayer meeting attended by hundreds, Erdian declared the revelation as if to announce it to everyone.
“Sihero, prepare to receive the Saint.”
It was the clearest divine voice Sihero had ever heard, even clearer than the one he had heard directly from Erdian when he was appointed High Priest.
“Erdian… Are you referring to the Saint?”
“Go to the Palace of Silence. My Saint is there, unaware of everything. Care for him with utmost devotion. I trust you.”
Sihero waited calmly for more words, but the revelation ended there. The prayer meeting was immediately halted.
It had to be.
Not only had Erdian directly ordered them to receive the Saint, but the place where the Saint resided was the Palace of Silence.
Following the powerful sacred energy emanating from the location, Sihero discovered the Saint lying on a cloth in Erdian’s symbolic color, hands folded peacefully in deep sleep. However, the Saint showed no signs of waking.
The sudden appearance of the Saint, in one of the most secretive places of the Erdian Temple, quickly spread across the continent.
Several days later, during another grand prayer meeting, held in response to Erdian’s revelation, the Saint opened his eyes.
Although he fainted again in front of everyone shortly after.
And now, as he regained consciousness once more.
“…Where is this?”
Seo Woohyun sat blankly on the bed, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
The place was so vast and luxurious that it felt overwhelming, not knowing where to set his eyes.
As he tried to make sense of it, thinking it was just an extension of a strange dream, he was startled.
The moment his eyes met those of the people standing around the bed, they suddenly dropped to the floor and prostrated themselves.
“We greet the Saint, the representative of Lord Erdian.”
A man closest to Seo Woohyun, who had been bowing, slowly raised his head.
When their gazes met, Seo Woohyun’s eyes widened.
‘Him…’
Seo Woohyun remembered the man. He was the one who had kissed the back of his hand before he passed out, making it impossible to forget.
‘But still, what’s with this Saint thing? What the hell is going on?’
He recalled the nonsense spouted by the foreigner who had been oddly affectionate towards him. He had dismissed it as a silly dream, not even bothering to look up any interpretations.
“Saint, are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
“Saint…”
Seo Woohyun mumbled the unfamiliar word, unable to get used to it.
Then, as if confirming his doubts, a string of unbearable words followed.
“Yes. There was a revelation from Lord Erdian to care for the Saint with utmost devotion. We will do our best to help you adjust to life here. Please don’t worry about anything.”
Seo Woohyun squeezed his eyes shut.
Never in his life had he been spoken to with such extreme politeness.
It was the kind of formal language one might hear from actors playing kings in historical dramas, and it sent shivers down his spine.
As he instinctively moved to rub his arm, he belatedly noticed his own clothes.
He was dressed in long, flowing garments made of soft, pearly fabric.
He seemed to recall wearing something similar when he fainted.
The bright yellow decorations on his clothes brought to mind, oddly enough, the man who had introduced himself as a god.
That man’s eyes were exactly this color.
‘Sleep well. And if you wake and want to see me again… simply fold your hands like this and think of me.’
When his whole body had felt heavy, and he couldn’t even open his eyes, the man had whispered those words to him, in a voice endlessly warm and gentle.
“Saint?”
When Seo Woohyun remained unresponsive for too long, High Priest Sihero cautiously observed his complexion. It was clear someone was calling him, but it was difficult for him to respond.
‘Saint? What on earth is that…’
Had he suddenly become the son of a god or something?
If this wasn’t sacrilege, what was?
Yet, despite his skepticism, Seo Woohyun clasped his hands together, thinking he might as well play along. If this was a dream, he’d wake up soon enough, and if it was reality, then a proper conversation was necessary.
“Mr. Erdian. No, Lord Erdian. Can you hear me? Please explain what’s going on. Saint? Are you saying I’m your son or something?”
He waited quietly for a response, but the surroundings remained silent.
As he closed his eyes and focused, the situation became more baffling and overwhelming.
‘I was just having a beer after a late night at work, so what is all this… And why does this feel so real? Could I have really crossed into another dimension? Is that even possible?’
Recalling the words of the man who had introduced himself as Erdian, Seo Woohyun raged internally.
‘You said I could complain all I want later! You also said you’d explain everything clearly… Please answer me. I know you can hear me, right?’
He wondered if it made sense to be grumbling at someone who wasn’t responding.
The growing uncertainty made him feel increasingly anxious.
If this wasn’t a dream, how was he supposed to live from now on?
The thought of being stranded alone in an unknown place brought tears to his eyes, and his lips trembled as if he might start crying at any moment.
“Don’t cry. Have your meal first. Wait quietly, and I’ll come to see you soon.”
Erdian’s voice rang clearly, shattering the silence.
It was different from the resonant voice he had heard in the vast, open garden.
This time, it felt as if it was coming from a great distance, a peculiar echo.
“…The divine voice!”
Hearing Erdian’s voice so clearly without a prayer meeting was unprecedented.
His descent had been announced, causing some of the people prostrated on the floor to jump in surprise and gasp.
Seo Woohyun, recognizing the familiar voice, opened his tear-filled eyes wide and scanned the surroundings.
The tears he had been holding back finally spilled onto his clothes, but he didn’t care.
He muttered into the air.
“Do you really think I can eat in a situation like this? Let’s talk first. What is all of this? Where am I? Come out and explain yourself. How can you just show up in someone’s dream like this?”
“Are you that eager to see me again?”
Seo Woohyun fiercely wiped the tears streaming down his cheeks with his sleeve.
It wasn’t so much that he missed him, but more that he wanted to grab him by the collar.
Still, if they could talk, that was all that mattered.
“Yes. Come out right now, and let’s talk.”
As Seo Woohyun spoke in frustration, the air began to ripple, as if in response.
* * *
Wow
This is getting interesting
Bueno de que esta asustado esta estado
Can’t wait for next chapter
Thanks for the chapter
This is confusing. But at least it seems like their God properly communicated to them about the Saint’s importance
Can’t wait
😭
👍
Nice
at least he is helping
🌷
Thank you
Poor Woohyun. He’s overwhelmed.
Good chapter