Chapterr 01
“Krugh!”
An immense pain wracked my entire body, and my eyes flew open involuntarily.
*Tssssssssssssssss!*
The sound of something frying in oil reached my ears. Just as a rich, savory smell wafted intensely into my noseā
*Euaaaahā!*
*Kraaaahā!*
Horrifying, blood-curdling screams rang out.
This was the Oil Cauldron Hell (Yugwa Jiok), where sinners were fried alive in boiling oil. The incessant, pitiful screams were the agonized wails of sinners being mercilessly deep-fried in the bubbling oil.
Avoiding the brutal swings of the demonic jailers’ iron clubs, I quickly scrambled out of the icy pit and climbed up onto the three-meter-high platform. On top of the platform, sinners waited their turn to fall into the cauldrons, trembling with fear.
“Ja8905671-A62489097, Han Su-ho.”
“Yes.”
I answered the call of the inspecting officer confirming my identity.
“Round 348,754. Stand by.”
“Standing by.”
If I fell into the cauldron this time, it would be exactly my 348,754th frying. The Oil Cauldron Hell was a place where you had to be fried 499,999 times before you could move on to the next hell.
*Thwackā!*
Suddenly, the sound of something cracking echoed. Probably one sinner, unable to bear the terror, tried to run and got his head smashed in by an iron club. Dying in hell was commonplace, so it wasn’t surprising.
However, if you died while trying to escape like that, all the times you’d been fried up to that point would be reset, and you’d have to start all over from the beginning.
‘Damn it.’
I was 28 years old. Dying young was bad enough, but what sin had I, who lived my whole life as a timid loser, ever committed that warranted this!
I felt like screaming in injustice and indignation, but doing so would only get my own skull cracked open. While lamenting my unfair fate, the sinners who had been fried to a golden brown were being pulled out by the demon jailers and thrown into the ice pits. My turn had finally arrived.
When you entered the ice pit, your fried body returned to its original state, but that process involved excruciating pain as well.
“Ja8905671-A62489097, Han Su-ho.”
“Yes.”
“Step forward.”
“Stepping forward.”
It was already my 348,754th time, but I still wasn’t used to it. Standing at the edge of the platform, my heart would always thunder in my chest, and the fear remained.
“Jump in.”
“Jumping in.”
I was too scared to jump in right away, just repeating the command.
Then, I spotted a demon jailer running toward me, brandishing his iron club, and quickly changed my mind.
*Splash!*
I squeezed my eyes shut and leaped into the boiling oil cauldron.
What followed was exactly as one could imagineāno, as I knew all too well.
*Tzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!*
I swear, from now on, I will absolutely never eat fried chicken or anything deep-fried again!
—
* * *
—
Once again, an immense pain jolted me awake.
As expected, I was back inside the ice pit. I reflexively jumped to my feet, but the atmosphere around me was strange. Not only the demon jailers, but even the inspecting officers looked stunned, their faces blank. Even King Yama, whom I had only seen once during my judgment, was there, looking at me with a complicated expression.
Startled, I was about to lower my gaze when King Yama’s voice reached me.
“Ja8905671-A62489097. Han Su-ho.”
“Yes.”
“Honestly… I’m sorry.”
“Pardon…?”
“It wasn’t you.”
