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Wandering in the wilderness, tormented by an agonizing hunger.

With a burning thirst that sears the throat!

He yearns and longs, filled with desire.

Like a wanderer who wishes to soothe his parched throat with a sip of water, and craves to consume something to quell his famished belly, he wishes for it.

At last, when a single red fruit catches his eye during his aimless wandering.

Gazing at that red fruit dangling from the signpost towering high, seemingly crying out that it is right here, he feels a brief release from his hunger and thirst. The more he climbs the tree, the more intoxicating the fragrant scent assaults his nose, and as his mind screams in delight that what he desires is so close and within reach, how can he not feel joy?

Ah, it is divine providence, a joy beyond words!

But what if the birds and beasts are around, competing for that fruit?

Even though it’s within arm’s reach, he hesitates.

With careful hands, he grasps it, fearful of a drop of juice escaping, bringing it to his mouth, and taking a large bite—surely that tangy flesh will tease his tongue and the sweet juice will slide down his throat, banishing the torment of his fiery thirst.

What to do?

What should a wanderer do?

Ah, with a burning thirst!

With that pressing hunger!

Act according to your duty!

“Oh, has the Divine led me with omens to deliver the newspaper to this remote part of the park? Such grace is boundless! How could a mere sheet of paper flutter its way to the goddess’s terrace in the Mammoth Country without divine guidance? How could a newspaper, carried through rough winds, remain unscathed and reach me dry?”

A silent whisper is heard.

There is sound, yet no meaning; devoid of meaning, yet interpretable, that whisper!

That whisper!

Ah, I have realized your will!

“By the signs, I now know that what I have been searching for lies right there. The signpost inscribed in letters, carried by the wind to present it before me and show me the way I must take. Oh, divine being, I have truly come to realize that you exist in this world, not just in the heavens.”

The wind brushes past, fluttering by the ear, swirling around, darting through little crevices and racing between the trees. The wind moving here and there is like the skirt of a goddess dancing freely, and its rough breaths mingle with the humid air—what else could this be if not the breath of the goddess?

The earth shakes, trembling in sync with a heartbeat. The vibrations are embraced by the goddess, enveloping me, and that warmth and comfort are as ample as those between lovers. Despite the size of that heart, its heartbeat resonates so profoundly; it feels like the connection between lovers or between mother and child. Oh, I can truly realize that I am both a lover and a child, living wrapped in that immense love.

Thus, I must act.

You must perform your duty.

The earth whispers its resonance, urging you to act upon your responsibilities.

“Guided by the sacred text, I take my steps, like a pilgrim headed to the holy land. With that utmost faith of a devout believer! Brave enough to traverse treacherous paths, walking through pits swarming with robbers and demons, I fervently shout and wish! I appeal to the Creator of the world, who owns everything, to bestow upon us that stern teaching!”

“It is decreed that this law shall be upheld equally by the foreigner and the native; I am the Lord, your God.”

“Why do you pure foreigners refuse to serve your Lord? Even if you are foreigners, if you believe in Him, in that moment you may enter the community; this is the Lord God’s embrace and love towards you. You must surely believe in the Lord God and uphold the solemn law.”

“In times past, the name of the mother was Shelomit, and the daughter of the tribe of Dan, the blasphemer, cursed Him; thus the crowd went to Moses. And they were confined to await His will.”

“Oh! Cast out the one who has cursed Him, and let all who have heard those unspeakable words place their hands upon his head and stone him! So that the blood of that wicked blasphemer shall not defile the land, nor shall the impure blood bring uncleanness upon all. Oh, truly, His will is profoundly deep, inspiring awe and further admiration!”

[“Bring out the blasphemer from outside the camp, and all who hear shall lay their hands upon his head, and the whole congregation shall stone him.”]

“Say, His will shall be done, the impure blood shall go out, and purity shall be maintained. Oh, of that purity, so many have been unable to form words, lost in emotion. Thus, the shavar shall respond with shavar and the shever with shever; truly, I acknowledge the majesty of the law. Oh, my Lord, for the One who bestows His abundant love upon me has said, ‘If a man gives a blemished offering to his companion, it shall be done unto him, for emphasis on majesty and purity shown to the blasphemer, we carry the law forward!’ This is as burdensome as altering a step in the wilderness yet equivalent to being guaranteed the promised land and a glorious future—a law as heavy as a boulder, from which no one can escape! From Israel to Egypt, from Ger to Nocriah, all of you engrave the law deeply!”

* * *

“Yaaahhh!”

Clatter!

Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter!

The windows shake.

The door trembles.

The furniture wobbles.

Like an earthquake has struck, the floors shake.

The windows rattle as if they are about to shatter any second; the ground quakes so violently it could crumble away. Furniture seems unable to withstand the shaking, ready to topple over to the floor at any moment, moving frantically as if escaping something, with no solace in sight.

In the midst of that tumult, the Great Witch Odilia crouched, covering her head with her hands and letting out a high-pitched scream, while Rise, who had lived all her life in a land accustomed to earthquakes, quickly ducked under the table to assess the tremor’s severity.

And Jinseong…

“Well, this is something.”

Despite the intense quake shaking the level itself, he stood there with a smile.

His heart was not shaken like that vibration and was as calm as a serene lake with no ripples. In that tranquility, Jinseong discerned that this earthquake was not real, but rather something artificially created by a human, not a natural phenomenon.

“The tremors of the heart are the tremors of the senses, and the tremors of the senses are soon the tremors of perception. With a heart as frigid as the waters of a lake, I declare that just as the reflection upon the lake is not reality, let this illusion scatter like the shards of moonlight.”

Jinseong stood firm in place and chanted an invocation.

Suddenly, the tumult that felt as though it would obliterate the level halted as if it had never occurred, and tranquility returned once again.

Yet that calmness was in stark contrast to the earlier turmoil.

The abrupt cessation made it feel almost unnatural.

Jinseong, Odilia, and Rise understood too well that this was the result of someone’s malevolent touch.

Moreover, they could also sense that the calm created by Jinseong’s invocation was reminiscent of the stillness that precedes a storm.

“Prepare for an attack.”

 

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