Chapter 56

“So, as I was creating the afterlife, I visited Mang from time to time.”

“Every time I come here, it seems like I see several people being buried on North Mangsan Mountain. Is that my imagination? Or are there really that many people dying?”

“Well, in an era with such a short average lifespan and no proper medical treatment, it’s understandable… but still…”

“In just one city near North Mangsan Mountain, so many people die that funeral directors are among the most prosperous businesses.”

“At this rate, North Mangsan Mountain might become completely filled with graves, leaving no space left for burial.”

“Hmm… currently, about 70% of the mountain is already covered in graves.”

“More than half! If the number of graves keeps increasing, the word ‘North Mangsan’ will soon refer to nothing but a giant graveyard.”

“Why do you keep visiting so often? Aren’t you busy with other matters?”

“Other matters? Well, actually… not really. Yep.”

“The excavation of the afterlife realm is progressing smoothly thanks to Talos’ continuous efforts, with the help of Thanatos and spirits of darkness. There’s no problem at all.”

“Once the construction according to my design is completed, I’ll finish setting up the afterlife and prepare the staff who will work there.”

“As for the detailed tasks, I plan to delegate them to those we now call Grim Reapers instead of just dark spirits. And I need to appoint three middle managers to handle the major issues above them.”

“First, Thanatos is confirmed. The other two positions could be filled by Seres and Mang, which would wrap things up neatly… but neither has given me a definitive answer yet, putting me in a difficult situation.”

“Speaking of which, when I consulted Talos – who was busy digging – about the vacant managerial position in the afterlife, he stopped digging and pointed at himself with his finger…”

“Hmm, has some error occurred in Talos’ artificial intelligence? Or has self-awareness developed in him?”

“No, that’s unlikely. It’s probably just some quirks due to being the first golem ever created.”

“Besides, Talos has the crucial responsibility of protecting the afterlife from any potential intruders.”

“Anyway, I’m here on important business to recruit Mang, one of the candidates for the managerial position of the afterlife.”

“It’s definitely not because I have nothing else to do or am casually hanging out while visiting Mang. No way.”

“To you, visiting is also part of my responsibilities.”

“Frankly speaking, being sought after by the Creator Dragon God makes me feel quite burdened.”

“Hmm? Why is that? There’s no one more qualified than you for what I’m trying to accomplish.”

Then Mang looked at me with an expression that seemed to say “What are you talking about?”

“Look, the one who ended the Age of Dragons is asking me – someone who used to be a dragon – to cooperate. How do you think I feel about that?”

“Hmm… your abilities are desperately needed?”

“The correct answer is ‘extremely awkward.'”

“Ah, I see. That’s how it is, huh? Back then, I might have gone a bit overboard.”

“Still, everything I did back then was to fulfill the wishes of the dragons! If they hadn’t desired those things, I wouldn’t have done them!”

“Though I kind of expected something like this would happen…”

“The fear of losing one’s sense of self, as one’s body disappears and consciousness blurs until friend and foe become indistinguishable… it’s something I can’t forget even now.”

“Mang shivered slightly recalling those memories. Even the dragon children who didn’t transform into spirits were terrified back then. How much worse must it have been for those who did transform?”

“After struggling to maintain my fading sense of self and aimlessly wandering the world, I finally managed to define myself again upon arriving at this mountain. Now the Creator Dragon God comes seeking my help.”

“But veteran new hires can’t resist, right?”

“Veteran new hires…?”

“Never mind, it’s a personal matter. Don’t worry about it.”

“There’s no one in this world who’d understand what I mean by ‘veteran new hires’ anyway.”

“While my current sense of self is maintained and defined as the Mountain God thanks to this mountain, if the Creator Dragon God assigns me a different task, I’d have to leave this mountain and risk losing my sense of self again, wouldn’t I?”

“Hmm. So that’s why your sense of self has been maintained.”

“Even considering how you managed to maintain your sense of self until settling here is quite impressive.”

“If your sense of self could remain intact, would you accept my proposal?”

“That… requires more thought.”

“Hmm. There’s still hesitation in your heart, huh?”

“Of course, it’s natural given that you were once a dragon and still retain those memories, making it reasonable to fear me.”

“If I make you not just a mountain god, but a full-fledged god, would you assist me in my work?”

“A full-fledged god?”

“Yes. A full-fledged… God of Death.”

“Soon this mountain will be completely covered in graves. Wouldn’t becoming the God of Death who handles deceased souls solve all problems?”

“If you need anything, I’ll create it for you. What do you say?”

“This is a special offer just for you! That’s how valuable Mang is to me!”

“The God of Death… necessary items… hmm…”

“After some careful consideration, Mang cautiously spoke.

“If you could create an object that fully reveals the life story of deceased souls…”

“The life story of deceased souls?”

“Yes. While I listen to stories from deceased souls, there are cases where that alone isn’t sufficient. Having an object that shows the soul’s entire life would greatly aid the process.”

“The life story of souls… Ah, yes!”

“I remember one of the death gods from another world – King Yama – had such a mirror.”

“Was it called the Mirror of Karma? Or perhaps the True Reflection Mirror? Anyway, I recall there was a mirror with a similar name.”

“Would you assist me if I created such an object?”

“Yes. If the Creator Dragon God, who reigns supreme in this world, seeks humble assistance from a mere mountain god like me, how could I refuse?”

“Look at this guy. He kept pushing things off with various excuses until now. But the moment I offer to create an object, he eagerly accepts!”

“Well, no harm done. Recruitment successful!”

“However, since I cannot leave this mountain, you’ll need to resolve this issue for me.”

“Hmm. I have some ideas about that, so don’t worry.”

“What would humans think if they experienced a phenomenon where a cemetery-covered mountain completely vanished overnight?”

“Witnessing incomprehensible events, wouldn’t they start imagining transcendent beings?”

“By spreading rumors appropriately during such occurrences, I believe I can transform the mountain god of a small cemetery-covered mountain into the God of Death.”

“Though I’ve never tried it before!”

“While I’m at it, I should give you a new name too. The name ‘Mang’ refers to this mountain, so it wouldn’t fit a God of Death.”

“How about ‘Yama’? Or maybe matching with Thanatos… Moros?”

“Either works fine. It’s not uncommon for the same deity to be known by different names in different regions!”

“Ah, if we’re calling him Yama, there’s something else we should include. A document listing the death dates of all living beings – the Book of Life and Death!”

“A God of Death, especially one named Yama, needs something like that!”

—

One of the three rulers of the Underworld: Yama. Known as Moros in the west, the God of Death is said to have a gentle personality compared to the other two death gods, at least from the perspective of sinless humans.

Souls transported to the Underworld by the king of the Grim Reapers pass through seven layers before reaching the bottom, where they are evaluated by Yama.

Using the Mirror of Karma, Yama reviews the life of each soul that arrives in the Underworld. With the Book of Life and Death, which records the correct lifespans of all beings, Yama confirms whether the soul met its rightful end and processes accordingly.

For sinless souls, Yama listens with a gentle voice, confirming their blameless lives.

But when the Mirror of Karma and Book of Life and Death reveal grave sins…

Yama removes the veil of cloth covering his face, revealing a terrifying expression that would make even demons flee in fear.

As Yama recounts each sin committed by the soul, the soul can do nothing but reflect on its misdeeds.

Those who shamelessly deny their sins find their lies meaningless before the Mirror of Karma and Book of Life and Death.

It’s said that such souls receive immediate punishment – having their tongues pulled out – before proceeding to trial.

Thus, readers of this book should remember:

The meaning of committing sins.

Even sins perfectly hidden in life will be fully exposed after death.

—

From “Records of the Underworld”

The author reportedly fell unconscious for several days but claimed to have toured the Underworld during that time.

The description of the Underworld is very detailed, even more so than the famous adventure tale of the ancient hero Rychlen’s journey through the Underworld.

Some say this account merely adds detail to Rychlen’s well-known story, while others claim the author truly visited the Underworld.

However, the author died three days after publishing this book, leaving the truth uncertain.