Record of a Thousand Lives - Chapter 91

Kang Yoon-Soo downed a bottle of alcohol with one hand while holding onto the reins of his horse with his other hand. Not many people dared to drink alcohol while riding a horse, but Kang Yoon-Soo did not have any difficulties maneuvering his horse even though he was drinking while riding.

‘I have to figure out the identity of the voice.’

Numerous things had changed in his 1,000th life: The White Shadow that knew his secrets, this being his final life, the Demon Lord appearing earlier than before, and the voice that had prophesied the changes happening.

‘I just know where to go.’

Kang Yoon-Soo had suddenly known where to go as soon as he heard the voice whisper; it had felt as if someone had planted the location in his head. He pushed his horse to run faster.

“Neighhhhh!”

The Sword of Revelation that hung by Kang Yoon-Soo’s waist started to vibrate wildly, and its white blade suddenly started to shine as he passed through a densely overgrown forest and arrived at a vast lake.

‘This place is…’

Kang Yoon-Soo looked around and saw that clean, beautiful white sand lined the lakeshore, and the water was as clear as a mirror.

‘I’ve never seen this lake before…’

It would not have been an exaggeration to say that there was no place in the continent that Kang Yoon-Soo was unaware of. That could only mean one thing—this was not a place anyone could enter through normal means.

Kang Yoon-Soo dismounted from his horse and walked along the edges of the lake.

‘It’s quiet. Am I the only one here?’

The lake was surprisingly clear and clean, but at the same time, it was so eerily quiet that not even a bird’s cries could be heard. It gave off a sense of being beautiful yet ominous at the same time.

Tap… Tap…

Kang Yoon-Soo looked down into the lake. The lake was so clear and transparent that he could easily see all the way to the bottom, but there was not a single fish in the lake. He dipped his finger into the lake when a voice suddenly spoke to him from behind.

“Do not defile the holy water, you insignificant creature.”

Kang Yoon-Soo instantly turned around, but there was nobody behind him.

“Are you stupid? Over here! Over here!” the voice called out from above.

Kang Yoon-Soo looked up and saw a naked woman floating in mid-air, flapping a pair of white wings. He asked, “What are you?”

“Can you not tell?” the woman replied.

“You must be an angel,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“Yes,” the angel replied. Kang Yoon-Soo looked away from the naked angel, and she tilted her head in confusion before asking, “What is with your reaction?”

“What?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“Humans do not usually react the way you do! They usually faint in surprise or get down on their knees,” the angel said, playing with her hair that was as bright as the sun. She continued, “Uhmm… You… Do you not have anything to ask me?”

“Were you the one who whispered to me?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“What are you talking about?” the angel asked in response.

However, Kang Yoon-Soo realized that the voice that had spoken to him had a dignified tone, different from that of the angel who was currently speaking. Thus, he was no longer interested in the angel and he began walking along the edges of the lake once again.

“What? Are you really not interested in me?” the angel asked.

“No,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

The angel flapped her wings and followed Kang Yoon-Soo around as she said, “I have never seen such an indifferent human as you. You have piqued my interest. Tell me, you insignificant lesser creature, how did you enter this place?”

Kang Yoon-Soo simply ignored her. The angel’s eyes widened in shock as she protested, “Are you ignoring me?!”

Kang Yoon-Soo ignored her protest again and asked, “What is this place?”

“This is one of the thirteen Angelic Temples,” the angel proudly answered.

“Angelic Temple?” Kang Yoon-Soo mused, rubbing his chin. He felt as if he had once visited a place that had the same atmosphere as this place, but he had never known that it was actually called an ‘Angelic Temple’.

“There is going to be a feast here today. The other angels are lazy, but I am the most diligent one among them, which is why I am here early before the feast starts,” the angel proudly declared.

Kang Yoon-Soo ignored the angel once again and continued walking. The angel felt humiliated by the fact that a mere human was ignoring her; she flew in front of Kang Yoon-Soo and blocked his path before asking, “But what are you? How did you enter this place when you are not even an angel?”

“I don’t know,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“What? How is that even possible? You insignificant lesser creatures are usually not allowed to enter this place. I thought you died and came to this place or something,” the angel said.

“What are you talking about?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“Creatures who have done something amazing in life are usually summoned to this place,” the angel said as she stared at Kang Yoon-Soo with her beautiful eyes. The angel wanted to speak more with the interesting human and said, “I am Yuriel. What is your name, you indifferent creature?”

“None of your business,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied curtly.

It was actually Kang Yoon-Soo’s first time meeting with an angel, and that made him raise his guard toward her. The way she looked on the outside did not matter to him; he had no idea whether she was an ally or an enemy.

“What’s your level?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“Level? You must be talking about the power measurement set by you insignificant creatures. It is a little bit over 600,” Yuriel replied.

“You’re at the same level as the intermediate demons,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“What? What do you mean?” Yuriel asked curiously. She had never heard anything about demons from the other angels.

However, Kang Yoon-Soo ignored her once again and asked, “When will the feast start?”

“Not telling,” Yuriel said, and Kang Yoon-Soo frowned. Yuriel giggled as if she found his reaction to be fun before adding, “I will tell you if you tell me more about the demons.”

Kang Yoon-Soo stared at the angel before slowly starting to talk, telling the angel everything he knew about the demons in an emotionless and rude tone. However, Yuriel exclaimed in surprise as soon as Kang Yoon-Soo finished talking, “Wow! I have never seen a creature as boring as you!”

“When’s the feast going to start?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“Hmm… You keep getting straight to the point… You really are no fun. Still, I will keep my promise. The feast will be starting soon,” Yuriel said.

Just then, a bright ray of light shone from heaven, and numerous angels with white wings started to descend from heaven one by one. Kang Yoon-Soo counted the angels descending; there were exactly forty-eight.

“Omo! Yuriel! Who is that creature beside you?” an angel asked.

“How did he enter the Angelic Temple?” another angel asked.

Kang Yoon-Soo slowly moved his hand to the hilt of his sword, but the angels only seemed to find him interesting, and did not seem to harbor any hostility toward him. It could also be because they knew Kang Yoon-Soo would not stand a chance if a battle broke out between them.

“I am not sure how he got in as well, but the way he is looking at us is very interesting,” an angel said as the entire group surrounded Kang Yoon-Soo.

“I do not think he has been officially invited here.”

“Interesting. His expressionless face makes him look like a doll.”

“I want to touch him!”

Yuriel blocked the angels when they tried to get closer to Kang Yoon-Soo, shouting, “Do not come near! The creature might die if we touch him carelessly, since his kind is very insignificant and weak!”

The angels agreed with Yuriel and took a step back, away from Kang Yoon-Soo. Yuriel snickered and whispered to Kang Yoon-Soo, “Actually, I lied. I hate it when someone else tries to touch something I find interesting.”

Kang Yoon-Soo did not seem to be listening, as he just stood there and touched Yuriel’s hair.

“What are you doing?” Yuriel asked.

“Does angel hair always shine like this?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“Is that something to be surprised about?” Yuriel responded.

“It seems like a good material to use to craft things,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“Wow, you are bad. You are not an ordinary creature. You are more like a demon,” Yuriel said.

“I was a demon a few days ago,” Kang Yoon-Soo said with a shrug.

“Liar!” Yuriel exclaimed.

Then, the lake suddenly started to tremble lightly, and a white temple surfaced in its center. All of the angels flew toward the temple entrance.

Yuriel extended her hand as if to show her benevolence to Kang Yoon-Soo, saying, “Here, take my hand and come with me. I want to ask the goddess who you are. I will fly you over, since you are an insignificant creature without wings.”

“Is the goddess in that place?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“Who else would be there? Here, hurry up,” Yuriel said.

The angel picked up Kang Yoon-Soo, who was taller than her, easily and spread her wings open. The air above the lake was clean and pristine, and the flight felt different from the time Kang Yoon-Soo had flown over the Desert of Death as a demon.

[You have arrived at the Angelic Temple.]

[The blessing of light will be with you for four days.]

[This place has an abundance of holy energy and will not run out of it.]

[You have explored a place that a human would ordinarily never be able to set foot in.]

[You will greatly influence the religions of the continent if you tell the tale of what you have seen in this place.]

Kang Yoon-Soo reached the temple. The temple floor was made out of a white material that was smooth and shone brightly, unlike the white marble that was used in most prestigious places back in the continent. The temple did not contain any sculptures or art, but it still gave off a sense of prestige and authority.

“It’s similar to the ancient temple of the dwarves,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“Those tiny creatures revered our architecture. Wait, have you been to that place as well?” Yuriel asked.

“A long time ago,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

Kang Yoon-Soo entered the center of the temple with Yuriel guiding him. He saw several chalices atop a long table, and the water in them greatly resembled the pristine lake water he had seen previously.

“Don’t you have any alcohol?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“Alcohol? This is holy water. It is the water you insignificant creatures cannot get enough of,” Yuriel said.

Kang Yoon-Soo ignored the angel and took out a bottle of alcohol from his backpack, then proceeded to pour the alcohol into his own chalice. Yuriel curiously watched what he was doing, then asked with eyes filled with curiosity and amazement, “What is that?”

“Alcohol,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“May I try it?” Yuriel asked with sparkling eyes. Kang Yoon-Soo stared at the angel for a while before he poured some more into her chalice for her to try.

“Hmm… It has an interesting taste,” Yuriel said after she drank it, licking her lips as her face slowly turned red.

Kang Yoon-Soo drank his alcohol as he observed the angels, thinking, ‘There seems to be nothing special about it.’

The so-called feast of the angels was quite simple, as all they did was drink holy water from their chalices as they gathered around to chat. There was no music or dancing at the feast, but the alcohol tasted sweeter as Kang Yoon-Soo drank it while looking at the clouds above the temple.

“Give. Me. Another!” Yuriel exclaimed, extending her chalice with a bright red face.

Kang Yoon-Soo poured her the strongest alcohol he had while thinking, ‘So angels get drunk as well.’ He then observed the angels and took mental notes about their weaknesses whenever he saw one. He had experienced fighting against demons, so there was no guarantee that he would not have to fight against angels as well.

“What?”

“There is something else to drink aside from holy water?”

“Give me some as well! I am sick and tired of drinking holy water again and again!”

The angels gathered around Kang Yoon-Soo once again. However, Yuriel stood in front of Kang Yoon-Soo with her arms stretched out and her face bright red, shouting, “No! Only I can drink what this creature has brought!”

“And who made that rule?!” an angel retorted.

“Hmph! I did! I found him first, and he belongs to me!” Yuriel exclaimed.

“Yuriel! We will smack you if you keep hogging him all to yourself!” another angel protested threateningly.

‘So the angels quarrel among themselves too,’ Kang Yoon-Soo thought as he continued observing the angels, using the skills he had learned in one of his past lives, when he had lived as a scientist and biologist.

It was at the moment that the angels were quarreling among themselves that a bright, intense light descended unto the temple.

A voice filled with authority and grandeur called out, “Stop this quarreling.”

The angels all jumped in surprise and broke away from each other. Yuriel slapped and rubbed her red cheeks as she tried to sober up. Kang Yoon-Soo, on the other hand, leisurely leaned against a wall as he continued drinking alcohol.

“You stupid creature! Show some respect!” Yuriel yelled.

“Why should I?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked nonchalantly.

“The goddess is coming!” Yuriel replied.

Kang Yoon-Soo did not seem to be bothered at all, unlike the angel who was prostrating on the ground while fidgeting nervously. The light that was enveloping the temple turned even brighter, and Kang Yoon-Soo squinted as he said, “It’s blinding.”

“You are in the presence of the goddess! Of course it is!” Yuriel angrily snapped.

However, there was nobody in front of Kang Yoon-Soo, and he was certain he could not sense anyone. Despite that, the angels had begun standing nervously in a line as if there were someone in front of them.

Then, the same voice said, “Yuriel. Come forward.” Yuriel stepped forward while trembling so nervously that even her white wings had begun shaking as well. The voice seemed upset, rising by a tone as it continued, “You are drunk.”

“I am sorry! Hiccup!” Yuriel replied, trying her best to act sober, but she could not stop the hiccup from escaping her mouth.

“Angels are weak against alcohol. Do not let alcohol even touch your lips from now on, do you understand?” the voice rebuked her.

“Y-Yes! I will be careful from now on!” Yuriel replied, tears welling up in her eyes.

Kang Yoon-Soo was confused for a moment, thinking, ‘They call this a feast?’

“I wish to see the creature,” the voice said.

All the angels turned their gazes toward Kang Yoon-Soo, seeming to signal with their eyes, ‘What are you doing? Hurry up and go in front of the goddess!’

“There’s nobody here,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“No one can see the goddess!” Yuriel snapped, pushing Kang Yoon-Soo to the front of the line.

The voice from within the bright light said to Kang Yoon-Soo, “You have finally come to me.”

Kang Yoon-Soo finally recognized the voice after hearing it up close and replied, “You were the one who kept whispering to me.”

“Correct, you who have lived for the 1,000th time,” the voice said.

Kang Yoon-Soo racked his memories as he tried to recall which of the countless religions that existed on the continent was the strongest one, then asked, “Which goddess are you?”

“I am Sylphia, the goddess who protects the continent,” the voice replied.

The goddess Sylphia had the most followers among the Continentals, and that had allowed her religion to position itself as the strongest one on the continent. Then, her followers had used their strength to demote all the other religions and denounce them as cults.

The angels could not hide their shock and anger as they shouted at Kang Yoon-Soo.

“How dare an insignificant creature speak so rudely to the goddess!”

“You ignorant, unrefined fool!”

Kang Yoon-Soo ignored the angels, and the voice spoke to him again. “I have a lot of things to tell you.”

“The same goes for me,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied. He asked, “Why did you only show up on my 1,000th life?”