Surviving Among the Entities

“…..””

Fortunately, I was not extradited to the International Criminal Court.
Instead, I was handed over to the Korean police first and investigated in Korea.

“Phew……”
“No……”

The investigators’ expressions constantly changed as they watched the film I had made in the interrogation room.

“Ha……”
“Hmm……”
“Erm……”

Someone bit their lip.
Someone kept averting their eyes, unable to properly look at the evidence.
Someone occasionally gagged, and someone else periodically squeezed their eyes shut.

“Um, Mr. Solver? No, Mr. Seung-hoon?”
“Yes.”
“So, this is all CGI, right?”
“Correct. Not a single real person appears, and it’s all graphics.”
“Hmmmm……”
“I can prove it too.”

I took out Sarang and made a request.

“Could you perhaps create a simple 1-minute film right now with the investigators before me as the characters?”
『It is possible. What kind of content would you like?』
“Please make it with a similar theme to my film.”
“Uhh?”
『Understood.』

Before the investigators could stop her, Sarang’s power depleted slightly as a 1-minute film was created.

“Here it is.”
“No, a film similar to that with us as the protagonists……”

The investigators who had finished watching it looked serious.

“No, damn……”
“Why was I with the dog……”
“Ugh, ugh! Delete this! Delete it!”

Some investigators gagged.
Then, they asked:

“Yes, yes, we’ve confirmed it. This proves your innocence of charges like kidnapping, confinement, animal cruelty, human rights violations, and others. Normally, we’d have an expert analyze the film, but… since you’re the Solver, I suppose such a thing is possible.”
“I’m relieved the misunderstanding has been cleared up.”
“But what was the reason for making such a film?”
“I expressed the possibilities of human sexuality, the future of humanity, and the beauty of the world.”
“This did?”

The investigators who had watched my work swarmed me with questions.

“Why were you doing it with a bear?”
“I expressed the Dangun myth.”
“And the horse?”
“It symbolized Loki from Norse mythology.”
“Th, that with the wolf too?”
“It was a scene symbolizing Anubis.”

As the director, I kindly provided an explanation of my work to them.

“Primitive humans opposed nature yet also feared it, creating faiths. This incorporated nature into the human worldview and ultimately gave birth to mythology. For those ancient humans, incorporation meant becoming family, and the easiest way to achieve that was through sexual relations.”
“…..Yes, I understand. Then, the orgy scene afterwards?”
“Monogamy is merely one family model chosen as humanity advanced, but ancient humans were not like that. That scene symbolized it.”

A few investigators gagged, seemingly recalling the scene.

“Then you could have just shown the relations, did you really have to include, include those scenes……”
“It expressed how ancient humans were no different from beasts. Of course, beasts don’t actually engage in such sexual acts, but in human conceptualization, beasts represent ugliness and filth, so I had no choice but to include extreme scenes.”
“Aaack! Include! Included!”

One investigator went into convulsions upon hearing the word “included.”

“Chief Kim! Calm down! Calm down!”

Another investigator dragged him out.

“Why! Why did you have to! Don’t include it! Please don’t include it!”

The investigator’s screams echoed down the hallway.

“Yes, I understand that too. But why did you suddenly start having sexual relations with all sorts of creatures?”
“It showed the possibilities of humanity. Human tastes are vast, capable of having relations with anything, so I secured a diversity of species, leading to the emergence of many personalities and allowing present-day humans to exist.”
“Okay, I’ll understand that too. But, but……”

The investigator facing me held his head.

“…..why with inanimate objects?”
“The possibilities of humanity do not extend only to living beings.”
“So you included scenes like with the car?”
“I expressed infinite possibilities.”
“Yes, it was truly infinite.”

The contents of the report he was currently writing were reflected on his smudged glasses.

[The subject claims to depict the future possibilities of humanity, with the following subjects:]
[Car, rubber duck, tube, stone wall, earth, rock, air, iron tower, etc., mouse, computer, ocean, socks, stockings, ramen, noodles, panties, pizza bread, hot dog, wallet, protein supplement, dumbbell, sausage, jjambbong, sesame oil, towel, leg extension machine, treadmill, sponge……]
[A total of 178 inanimate objects, with 178 special forms of masturbation depicted.]

“In any case, we’ll provide a proper explanation to Interpol.”
“Thank you.”
“Then……. let’s move on to the main issue. Mr. Seung-hoon.”

Unfortunately, it seems I cannot leave the police station today.

“You are under arrest for production and distribution of obscene materials.”

Even after hiring a lawyer, I could not be released immediately.

‘I’ll have to spend at least a day in the detention center.’

Neither the solver’s reputation nor money could resolve this.

“Since it’s only for a day, I should consider it an experience.”

Well, when else in my life would I experience a detention center?
Under the guidance of the investigators, I was led downstairs to a three-cell detention center.

“You can stay here.”
“Thank you.”

Each cell could hold up to 3 detainees.
The cell I entered already had 2 people, so with me, it became 3, making 9 in total.

“Ugh, my body feels weird.”
“Same here.”

My enhanced hearing picked up the departing investigators’ voices.

“Ever since watching that film earlier, my body hasn’t stopped trembling.”
“I’ve witnessed all sorts of crime scenes, but never a film as horrific as that.”
“Did you see Chief Kim fainting earlier? He said he had a nightmare.”
“I’ll probably have a nightmare too if I sleep tonight.”

Now I understand.
My art will not be accepted by this world.

‘Is my art destined to remain unrecognized during my lifetime?’

Even Van Gogh did not receive recognition for his art while alive.
Since art requires being born in the right era, perhaps I was simply born too early.

‘They all look depressed.’

The detainees sharing the same cell showed no interest in me.
No, no one here seemed interested in others.

“I’ll be out by tomorrow……”
“Sheesh, I just threw one punch, but the police……”
“Detaining me for a brief parking violation, and calling it a DUI too?”

The mumbled lamentations and sleep-talking of some.
Since they all seemed to think they were not real criminals, just unlucky people confined here, they likely had no intention of getting acquainted.

‘Maybe I should take a nap too?’

Mentally fatigued from the interrogations since morning, I lay down on the floor to sleep, but a strange noise caused me to open my eyes again.

Ziiiiip-!

‘The sound of a zipper being unzipped?’

The noise, initially coming from beyond the wall far away, gradually approached the detention center.
And soon, I witnessed a zipper appearing on the wall.

‘It just suddenly appeared.’

The zipper unzipped. The area around the zipper fluttered like cloth, and soon, three people crossed over through the hole created by the zipper.

“Found them.”

Wearing black hoods with only the eye area open in a triangular shape.
In contrast, their robes were black and wine-colored.
Like judges breaking in while wearing black hoods, the detainees slowly rose at their appearance.

“What’s this?”
“Judges?”
“Are they judges?”

This time, the judges spoke.

“Many sinners here.”
“Not sinners yet. Do not judge hastily.”
“Judgement is for the scales.”

One of the three took out the zipper and pocketed it.
As if there had never been a hole in the wall, it returned to normal.

“I shall block any interference.”

This time, another one closed their eyes.
As they extended their hand, the wall turned black, and the darkness soon engulfed the CCTV cameras.

“It’s done.”
“Yes, then let us begin the judgement.”

The last one took out a pair of scales from their sleeve.
Made of bronze, the scales were perfectly balanced, with an image of Niō engraved in the center.

“You there, sinner.”
“Yes? Me?”

A strange red mist flowed out from the scales.
The mist entered the nostril of the detainee who had just spoken, but since no one else reacted, it seemed only I could see it.

“Kim Pil-du, 32 years old.”
“Yes!?”
“14 counts of DUI, 10 counts of hit-and-run, 20 counts of drunken verbal abuse.”
“No, what is this!? Are you filming secretly or something!?”
“A would-be murderer capable of killing others at any time, I shall judge your karmic burden!”

The scales tilted towards the side engraved with a blazing flame.
Below the flame was the Chinese character for “Hellfire (劫火).”

“Your sins do not warrant pardon, so I shall pass judgement. One who seeks to kill others shall be shattered (搏殺).”
“Stop this joke……”

At that moment, the detainee called Kim Pil-du had his head burst open.

“Hiiik!”
“Uwaahh!”
“Mu, murder!”

Screams erupted from all directions.
Undeterred, the judge holding the scales searched for the next victim.

“Go Young-woo, 4 counts of violent acts, 2 counts of assaulting family members, 5,800 counts of smoking in non-smoking areas.”
“Police! Where are the police!”
“Your hands are worthless. I shall judge your karmic burden. Your sins do not warrant pardon, so I shall pass judgement. You shall lose those worthless hands.”

The detainee’s hands fell off without any warning.
The judge’s judgements continued thereafter.

“1,101 counts of internet hate comments, 50,467 counts of insulting others, your tongue and fingers are useless.”
“Aaahhhh!”

The detainee’s tongue was ripped out, and all their fingers were severed.

“3 counts of fraud, damages amounting to 15 million won. Those who plunder others’ precious possessions shall vomit forth their own.”

Someone vomited out their heart and died.

“1 count of property damage, 1 count of public drunkenness, you were not drinking alcohol, but alcohol consumed you. You shall never again see alcohol.”

Someone had their eyes gouged out.
With each tilt of the scales, the detainees’ bodies were severed, shredded, and plucked apart in repetition.

‘Too much.’

The scales appeared to be an entity that judged people’s sins and meted out punishments.
However, the punishments far exceeded the crimes.

‘Not as extreme as the Hell Train, but similar.’

While I wanted to directly intervene and save the people, it was currently impossible.

‘If I had known this would happen, I would have brought my Void Pocket.’

Due to my sudden arrest, all I had on me was Sarang.
Even then, I had only brought her for forensic purposes, and during my detention, the police would be keeping her, so I currently had nothing.

‘Could I subdue them with just my physical abilities?’

The superhuman physical abilities granted by the young girl were still intact.
However, since I did not fully understand the scales’ abilities and the other two individuals’ abilities were unknown variables, I could not guarantee victory.

‘For now, I’ll wait for my turn.’

Afterwards, I would surprise them by tearing open the bars and kill the judge holding the scales.
As for dealing with the other two, I would think about that later.

“13 counts of public urination, the thing you have that should not pee is useless. What’s the point of keeping it! It shall fall off!”
“No!”

With the scream of the cellmate, I was the only one left.
The judge turned the scales towards me as well.

“Hmm?”

I watched for an opportunity.

“Oho!”

Now is the time.
But contrary to before, as I was about to move, I saw the scales tilting in the opposite direction instead.
Not the side with the hellfire, but the side with an image of the Buddha engraved.

“Such virtuous karma!”

Below the Buddha was the Chinese character for “Paradise (極樂).”
Soon, the ones behind also exclaimed in amazed voices:

“To encounter one whose virtuous karma reaches paradise in a place filled with sinners!”
“How fortunate!”
“Tell us your name!”

It seems the situation is unexpectedly taking a different turn.

“Hello there.”

I suppose thinking of this as a unique experience isn’t so bad.

“My name is Seung-hoon Lee.”