The Mad Priest of the Slums

It was a strange yet not-so-desirable experience to have knowledge injected into my mind by someone else.

“How do you feel?”

I responded honestly to the woman’s question.

“I expected something more intense, but it was underwhelming.”

“For example?”

“I read that people experience pain in novels. But it’s just very ordinary.”

“Is that what you prefer?”

“No.”

The woman chuckled softly.

“Whether to cause pain or not is up to the giver.”

That made sense.

Considering beings capable of transporting people to unknown places and creating something from nothing, it would be stranger if they couldn’t control such minor things as pain.

“Is this a service?”

“Let’s call it goodwill. Service sounds too stingy.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

The woman leaned back in her chair briefly, pulled open a drawer, and retrieved something resembling parchment.

“I’ll be drafting the contract, so take a moment to gather your thoughts.”

“Alright.”

A quill would’ve matched the parchment, but instead, she grabbed the fountain pen tucked into her chest pocket.

Scratch, scratch.

The sound of crackling logs mixed with the scratching of the pen as I leaned back in the chair.

“Not entirely medieval.”

The world I would soon be transported to wasn’t as advanced as Earth but had its own level of scientific progress.

The differences? Magic, gods, temples, underground dungeons, and monsters.

“No matter the dimension, life remains the same.”

There was a stark division between the zones of light and shadow. Aside from that, the societal structure was familiar: the wealthy had more, and the poor lived as cogs in a wheel.

However, strength wasn’t just determined by wealth or social status in that world.

Since dungeons and monsters existed, physical strength earned respect and status.

One key difference stood out: the absolute belief in gods.

Priests, as intermediaries for these gods, were untouchable.

But untouchable didn’t mean invincible. People simply chose not to provoke them—because, unlike Earth’s idle threats of karma, gods in that world dealt divine punishments.

One notable case involved a famous adventurer who murdered a priestess and disposed of her body in a dungeon. The next day, the adventurer’s skinned body was found tied in front of the priestess’s temple. For a year, priests sprinkled salt on the body every hour.

Exactly one year later, the adventurer was burned alive. His screams lasted until dawn.

Apparently, the priestess’s god even retrieved his soul. I didn’t have details beyond that.

Money, power, strength—all meant little when a god’s wrath loomed overhead.

Interestingly, no knowledge of priestly corruption had been injected. I’d have to discover that myself.

But none of this would affect the benefits the woman had mentioned.

“Shall we move on to the benefits?”

When I opened my eyes, the woman had put her pen back in her pocket and was waiting, fingers laced on the table.

“Yes.”

“Great. There are three benefits I’ll give you.”

Snap!

The woman clicked her fingers. No visible changes occurred.

“Say ‘bank.’”

“Bank.”

A holographic window popped up.

Balance: 13,700,000,000.

I recognized the number instantly.

“Familiar? I collected the winnings from your lottery ticket.”

They could abduct people, so collecting a lottery ticket was trivial. It also confirmed that time was still flowing on Earth.

“When you withdraw, it will convert to the other world’s common currency. Try it.”

I tapped the screen, feeling like I was using a smartphone app. I tested by withdrawing a small amount. A bill with an extra zero on it fluttered onto the table.

“The exchange rate is 1:10. You’re on the 1 side. It will balance to 1:1 over time.”

“And deposits?”

“If you survive, you can return to Earth with whatever balance you see.”

“Got it.”

This covered most of the conditions I needed for a comfortable life.

“Now, say ‘shop.’”

“Shop.”

Another window appeared.

“Same process. Money is deducted, and the item will appear before you. We only carry items from the other world.”

Useful.

“And finally—this.”

She waved the parchment she’d been writing on.

“When the time comes, you’ll have the choice to stay in that world or return to Earth.”

“What would’ve happened otherwise?”

“You’d return automatically.”

I wasn’t too curious beyond that.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Yes.”

Her benefits were appealing.

However, the woman’s earlier remarks implied she could retract them anytime. Negotiating with such a being felt suicidal.

“Time to part ways.”

“Before that, may I ask a few questions?”

“Of course.”

I had to ask before leaving.

“Will my friend be dragged into this too?”

“May I ask something in return?”

“Go ahead.”

“What will you do if I say yes?”

The answer was clear.

“I’ll crack his skull.”

“You’ve known each other for a while, haven’t you?”

“We just parted ways.”

She didn’t answer, but her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

“Your friend—sorry, ex-friend—will join as well. Unlike you, he’ll possess another person.”

That wasn’t a problem.

“Can you tell me where I’ll start?”

“Any specific place in mind? You know the major cities.”

She was generous.

“The temple of Vishua, please.”

“Easy.”

Snap!

A large full-length mirror appeared, showing a bustling street.

“Do I just step in?”

“One last service.”

Her tone implied I would’ve woken up in a ditch if I hadn’t impressed her.

“Until next time.”

“I’ll be waiting—until the day you return to sign this paper.”

With brief farewells, I walked to the mirror.

“Good luck.”

The crackling fire vanished, replaced by the noise of a crowded street and a towering building.

I was about to ascend the temple steps when—

“Hey, you there!”

The unfamiliar language was comprehensible thanks to the injected knowledge.

“This bastard!”

“…?”

Someone grabbed my wrist and spun me around.

A man and woman in what looked like law enforcement uniforms glared at me.

“What’s going on?”

“Hah, did you hear that?”

“I did.”

The bearded man laughed as the woman cuffed me.

Following her gaze, I looked down and understood.

“You’re under arrest for public indecency.”

Since I’d been yanked out of bed, I was wearing nothing but a black t-shirt and boxers.