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Chapter 66: A Small Thought on the Afterlife (2)
Chapter 66: A Small Thought on the Afterlife (2)
[Afterlife's Second Layer]
After crossing the river by the boatman's boat and passing through the stairs leading down, they will find themselves on the second layer of stairs leading down to the lower level.
Upon reaching the next layer after descending the quite long stairs, the dead encounter a vast plain filled with blooming flowers under the bright sunlight.
Though they were clearly in a cave before, for some reason, the serene plain with abundant flowers welcomes the souls of the dead.
As the dead walk through the flowers, they feel their own wounds and ailments being healed by the beautiful flowers.
The second layer of the Afterlife is an exceptionally gentle realm.
Injuries, fatal illnesses, and even fatal wounds sustained in life can be healed through the flowers of the Flowery Meadow, allowing the souls to move on as whole.
Even those whose flesh was torn off by the Ghost Mother in the previous layer can be made whole in this layer.
The flower-filled meadow is so comforting and beautiful that the souls who enter wish to linger here as long as possible.
However, it is not right for the souls who must progress through the Afterlife to remain in this flower garden indefinitely.The dead are only permitted to stay in this place for 7 days.
As the allotted time approaches, the Grim Reaper tries to forcibly drag the souls to the next layer, as the souls generally cannot resist the Reaper's grasp.
But very rarely, some souls manage to evade the Reaper's hand remain in this layer beyond the 7 days.
Those who succeed in staying longer than 7 days will gradually feel their souls transforming - their feet becoming roots, their legs and torso becoming stems, their arms becoming leaves, and their heads blooming into flowers.
They will become flowers blooming in the Flowery Meadow.
The dead who are not permitted to stay here will remain as flowers in this meadow, forgetting everything about themselves, until they have completely lost their sense of self.
Of course, after forgetting themselves entirely, they will go through the remaining process properly and be reborn into the next life, but what does it matter by then?
[Afterlife's Third Layer]
The third layer of the Afterlife, like the second, is a gentle realm.
No, "gentle" is an insufficient word to describe it.
This layer is a path that fulfills the desires of the souls.
The black pebble path laid across the verdant meadow grants the wishes of those who walk it.
Those who starved to death will be able to fill their bellies here.
Those who died of thirst will be able to drink sweet water.
Those who desired wealth in life will be buried in gold and silver, and those who sought fame and glory will hear the praises of many.
However, this path, the Desire-Fulfilling Road, is also not meant to be lingered upon for too long.
The things that appear on this path are manifestations of the karma the soul accumulated in life.
If one remains here beyond 7 days without moving on to the next layer, the will exhaust its karma and begin to consume the part of the soul responsible for memories.
Even if the soul loses all its memories and sense of self, it will continue to manifest its endless desires, until nothing remains but a pure, empty spirit.
This spirit will then simply be transferred to the next life.
[Afterlife's Lower Layers]
The lower 4 layers of the Afterlife are places that strictly judge and punish the sins of the souls.
These layers, known as Hell, make the sinful souls suffer until their sins are cleansed and washed away.
The identities of those being punished in this layer are those who wielded violence and inflicted harm on others.
They were the criminals who were found guilty of the crime of violence in the Afterlife's judgment.
Suffering in the raging flames that burn their souls, they burn while shackled by the surging fetters until all the sins engraved on their souls are completely burned away and disappear.
......
[Is it only those who wielded violence that burn in this layer?]
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"The scope of the word 'violence' is broader than you think. There is also psychological violence that shakes the mind of the other party with harsh words, you see. This layer not only includes physical violence, but also encompasses psychological violence."
[That's... a bit harsh.]
"But it was necessary."
......
Gazing at that horrific sight, the dead who are advancing to the bottom of the Afterlife to receive judgment fear the possibility that they too could end up like that, and proceed to the next layer with the Grim Reaper.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The fifth layer is Cocytus. It is also known by the name of the Ice Hell layer.
A cold cave. The ceiling of the cave was densely covered with large and small icicles, and humans were impaled on those icicles.
The humans pierced by the icy icicles as sharp as needles suffer from the agony of their nerves freezing and the cold that freezes their very bones.
The identities of those being punished in this layer are those who coveted and took others' possessions.
They were the criminals who were found guilty of the crime of theft in the Afterlife's judgment.
Pierced by the icicles that freeze their souls, they become frozen in the cold of the icicles until all the sins engraved on their souls fall off.
......
[So theft is punished as severely as violence.]
"Of course, isn't that obvious? The theft punished in this layer is the act of coveting and obtaining by unrighteous means something that is not one's own. Didn't they directly violate the articles of the law code handed down by the God of Light, Law, and Justice?"
[Indeed, it was written not to steal.]
......
Gazing up at that horrific sight, the dead who are advancing to the bottom of the Afterlife to receive judgment fear the possibility that they too could end up like that, and proceed to the next layer with the Grim Reaper.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The sixth layer is Malebolge. It is also known by the name of the Thorn Hell layer.
The appearance of the vast plain where countless thorn bushes grow may seem ordinary at first glance, but this too was a hell that punishes the criminals.
Each and every one of those thorn bushes had a criminal entangled in it. No, the criminal's body parts had grown into the thorn bushes, entangling themselves.
The identities of those being punished in this layer are those who deceived others to obtain wicked profits.
They were the criminals who were found guilty of the crime of fraud in the Afterlife's judgment.
Those who had used their sharp tongues to deceive others and planted thorns in their hearts during their lifetime now have thorns growing from their own tongues, entwining their entire bodies.
......
[In this layer, they are being torn apart by the thorns that grew from their own tongues? That's a cruel punishment.]
"The mouth is the gateway that calls forth calamity. Since they had wounded and harmed others with their own lies, it is not strange that they receive such punishment."
[And it was also written in the law code not to lie.]
"The act of fraud is a crime whose scope of harm can grow limitlessly when compared to other crimes. The law demands that it be punished thoroughly."
......
Observing that horrific sight, the dead who are advancing to the bottom of the Afterlife to receive judgment fear the possibility that they too could end up like that, and proceed to the next layer with the Grim Reaper.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The seventh layer is the Abyss. It is also known by the name of the Dark Hell layer.
Darkness where one cannot see even an inch ahead. Unlike the other hells where the criminals are, this hell is one where the forms of those paying their dues cannot be seen.
Only the faint cries and agonized groans can be heard... Indicating that this is a hell no less horrific than the other layers.
The identities of those being punished in this layer are those who took the lives of others.
They were the criminals who were found guilty of the crime of murder in the Afterlife's judgment.
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