Saejang Emerges: Saejang's Journey, #1

By Paul Springsteen

Saejang was just a factory worker. Then the 1st crisis happened. No one was prepared for such a thing. Everything needed to change. Though afterward Saejang started to notice things surrounding him that changed what he was. He was no longer human at least what he could do was no longer human.

 

This is a story set in Tales of Crisis which is a TTRPG that I made. Many of the things which the characters advance with is explained there rather than in the book in detail. Though it takes a different point of view in describing things that transpire. There are a lot of action scenes in this book which I think is the norm for me.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul Springsteen
• Release date: Nov 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393865681

Paul Springsteen

Paul Springsteen is someone that grew up in a medium sized town in Texas located in the united states. He went into the military upon graduating high school.  Though it didn't last long he did get an honorable discharge because of medical reasons. After this he went to the local college of his home town.  There he got a master's degree in physics. Due to illness he had a hard time in the job market before he discovered the joys of writing and wishes to spend his time writing stories for the forseeable future.  This came about from a strange origin.  From D&D of all places.  He kept feeling like he was getting shafted from playing stories.  So he pushed himself to write his own stories and enjoyed it. His stance on writing though is that he doesn't write to whatever is the it thing in the market.  Instead he has a particular way the story is supposed to go in his head and follows that.  So the reader should be aware that even killing the protagonist and having the bad guy win is a possible way things could happen in the story in the future.

Book preview

Disclaimer:  This book contains fictional characters and places.  Any similarity to things in reality is purely a coincidence.

Chapter 1

Saejang woke up. It was a new day. His apartment filled with various nick-knacks and things that he had been given as small gifts from friends. He took all of them here with him as he moved from Seoul to Bangseong. Though the city would have to wait. He decided that he probably would spend today off in a manner of speaking.

Saejang's job, in a sense, was an old job, which was the reason why he came here with Dong Tech. He was supposed to be something of a company man. There he was supposed to oversee the people working on the lines to direct them on what to do. However, for now, he was on vacation. It was important to take time off when you could get it. His company men, however, urged him to reconsider taking time off. It was seen as something of a weakness. Though the malaise of working nearly every day was wearing on him.

Saejang looked at the variety of knick knacks. It was memories of the time in his life where it was filled with friends. He had something of a soft spot for such memories. He thought about it, and he probably just needed to walk around the city looking at the surrounding countryside or sights within the city.

Saejang didn't have that much in the way of income. It was hard to get attention from women when you don't make a whole lot. Saejang washed his face and the rest of his body. Then he cooked some good meals for himself. He looked around, but it ended up being some ramen with some kimchi in the fridge. He needed to get some kind of meat in the future. You can't just have no meat for a long time before you start to crave it. Perhaps he will order some chimaek later.

There was something in the city that he wanted to see that he didn't see before. There was something of students of a nearby university that were in competition to create an art installation in front of the various large apartment complexes within the city. It would probably be something to look at for a while.

Right now, he wanted to feel something. There was some kind of emptiness within him. Though perhaps he didn't feel empty. It was just that there was no feeling at all. He didn't feel good or bad. It was almost like he couldn't feel anything, which he knew was probably not a good sign. He was hoping that perhaps some kind of visual art would change that sensation. Though he couldn't really be sure. He wasn't the type to normally go seek out stuff like this.

Still, traffic was something of a bother. It wasn't the biggest of cities though it wasn't small either. Bangseong had a population of around 900k. So there was a good deal of traffic, and it took a while to drive his car places.

The first installation was something of a curiosity. There were twists and turns of metals that made strange patterns. The installation was probably could fit into a 10-foot cube of space. The metals twisted and turned for a while before coming back down to join from where they came. Various loops and intertwining parts made it difficult to see where it began or to keep track of the path.

There weren't that many within the city. Saejang wished that there were more. Probably around 7 of them. He would try to visit every one of them. That was the purpose of this time off. He knew that something was missing. He would try to find some kind of meaning. There was something within these art installations, though. A feeling like there was something else though he didn't know what exactly. A feeling like his problems were small and insignificant before a larger scheme of things.

Though he couldn't exactly place his feeling. He could exactly be sure as to what he was missing or that he needed. There was something that was missing indeed. He made sure to talk with other people that were looking at the installations. Perhaps they had insight. Others had seemed to think that you could garner some kind of meaning by looking at this art. Perhaps they had something to say about it.

One of them, however, looked at him and said. This is great, but the head church of the ever-loving christ within the city has a better art spectacle of sorts.. The man was probably around 5'6". He had a face that Saejang didn't seem to be able to remember even after seeing it. He had a voice that he forgot the voice but remembered only the words and not the tone or the sound of it. The man looked at Saejang, and for a second, Saejang thought that his eyes turned red sparkled with gold. However, when he looked again, they looked just normal again.

Saejang thought nothing of it, which was probably strange, and seemed to even forget everything other than the words of what was said. He decided that probably he would like to see this church of the ever-loving christ. Perhaps it would offer some kind of deliverance from this malaise that he was feeling. Perhaps it would make him feel something.

The route to it was not that bad, but there was a degree of traffic. It was located within the Gamseong district of Bangseong. This was a slightly well-to-do district, but it was also very large, so there was a degree of variability. Though the rich typically would live within this area.

It didn't take long to get to the church of the ever-loving christ. It there were a few, in fact, throughout the city. However, he heard that there was something special in its main church. Though he wasn't that sure. In fact, he made sure to not ask, hoping that he would be surprised, and its effect would be increased. This was something that he hoped would knock him outside of his stupor. Something that would uplift his spirits and make him think differently from here on out.

The first church or the large one that was constructed was almost like some manner of cathedral of sorts. It was curious about how they were able to build something this huge. It was probably at least 100 feet on a side. It was really large. Moreover, the outside of it seemed to be made out of some kind of grey stone.

On the outside of the church were some other installations in front of it. There were crosses that were made of stone. There were wreaths of stone that were carved and painted like flowers that encircled the four crosses. They were all identical, but the cross itself was seemingly made of gold plating though there was some kind of lacquer over them to prevent them from flaking off.

People were going inside the church as he just stared at the installations. Eventually, he snapped out of it and had to move inward toward the church. There were large stone buttress like columns that protruded out of the cathedral.

As he entered the cathedral, there was a stone floor that was covered in a kind of red carpet made seemingly of velvet. Despite the large number of people that typically pass through here, it was rigorously cleaned and looked flawless. There were different colored lights on the floor of the cathedral.

Saejang was looking at the floor, but then he moved his eyes upward. The carpet rolled forward and on either side of it were pews. They continued, and there were probably around 30 of them. In the middle of them another red velvet carpet. There were 30 rows but 4 columns. After each pew ended, there was another set of pews on either side. It would appear that you would have to walk inward to gain the option of moving toward the side of the pews.

In the front of the church, there was a podium the size of a car in width made of white marble. There were golden patterns traced on the podium that probably had no significance but looked beautiful. The patterns were in the shape of vines and leaves around the podium. Within the church on either side were a sign of technology; stereos that were on either side meant to project the message out to the crowds. There was one on both sides of the podium, but also on the outskirt sides of the back rows of the outer columns, there were two of them.

Though the stone was grey, the outsides of the cathedral were draped in large silk tapestries. With a thread of gold and silver, though perhaps not really gold, the tapestries depicted images of stories that Saejang assumed would be found in the bible.

There were others in the cathedral, but Saejang kept looking up. There were windows that were made with stained glass that showed more images from the bible, though Saejang didn't know exactly what they were. The stained glass was beautiful, and that was the different colored light that Saejang saw when he entered. The light was being filtered from the outside and turned into a miraculous kaleidoscope of colors.

Up above him was something else that was strange as he looked nearly straight upward. There was a design of a mural. However, it wasn't filled. It was just lines or the trace of images. The image was of a man. The man seemed to have some kind of mantle about him. There were animals on the side of the man. The man was smiling.

The light worked in a weird and miraculous way on the fixture of the mural that was secure over the heads of those in the congregation. There were inlaid of maybe gold or jewels, but Saejang couldn't tell. They seemed to magnify and offer the illusion of a picture of sorts. This was perhaps christ, but it stuck with him. In a beautiful glow, it cast the picture of the creator to him.

That wasn't all. Saejang felt something. He felt some kind of presence fill him. It went throughout his body. It was like it was weightless and radiated warmed and goodness. His heart felt like he was overcome with happiness at such a sight. The images of the cathedral started to blend together in a fashion. The different lights of the cathedral seemed to combine and manifest into a figure of a man staring at him.

Saejang though he didn't realize it started to have tears trickled down his face. He found himself unable to close his eyes and stayed there for an untold amount of time just staring. Eventually, though, he came to his senses. The feeling passed. The room, while still beautiful, was no longer supernaturally so. However, the malaise that filled him was gone. He knew that he had felt and observed something transcendent, but he didn't know exactly what. This was important. More important than his job.

His gaze dropped, but before him was a man in robes that stood there smiling and waiting for the experience that Saejang witnessed to pass.

A man stood before him in robes. The robes were white with some red embroidery and red clothes fashioned into the robes. The man stood at around 5'4" with a genuine smile across his face. His hair was cut short. He was probably average in his attractiveness. He had the traditional black hair of a korean and black eyes. He was of average musculature.

Hello, my name is Matthew Kim. I am the head pastor of the church of the ever-loving christ. You look like you have had a moment of sorts. The artwork of the cathedral can do such things. Though a true experience happens with contact with the divine. Matthew said to Saejang.

I think. I don't know what exactly I experienced. I felt like I was being carried. I felt weightless. Saejang said to Matthew Kim.

Matthew smiled. You see, perhaps you have felt the embrace of the holy spirit. The holy spirit will fill the hearts of believers typically though you look like you felt it more than other people have.

It felt warm. Is this what it means when you are a Christian. Saejang said.

No, not really, unfortunately. The spirit only touches people in such ways if it wishes to. Though if it did touch everyone in such ways, there would be many more Christians. What you have just experienced was probably a miracle of sorts. Matthew Kim said to Saejang.

I wish to experience it more, Saejang said. I think that I had depression before. It is gone now. I feel like I have been cured of such feelings. Saejang said.

That sounds definitely like a miracle. Matthew paused for a moment, thinking. You know you can come to worship on Sunday. That is typically the day for such things. There is a sermon. You don't have to sing and dance, but perhaps you would like to hear the word of god.

Normally, I wouldn't agree to. However, something really did happen to me. I feel much different. I'm sure that I can get time off of work.