An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 209

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 208
Part 2. What Emerged from the Earth (2)
Ding!
Gwak Young-ho’s name flashed across the phone mounted on the dashboard.
Kang Hyung-seok, who was driving, glanced at Lee Jin-pyung sitting in the passenger seat, and Lee Jin-pyung—with Baekseol perched on his lap—simply shrugged in bewilderment.
Click.
“Yes, Manager.”
(Ah, Manager Kang!)
Had something good happened to him?
Gwak Young-ho’s voice streaming through the Bluetooth speaker was unmistakably upbeat.
(Are you heading to the client right now?)
Kang Hyung-seok checked the remaining time on the navigation and replied.
“Yes. I’m traveling with Deputy Manager Lee at the moment.”
(Good. You’re receiving this through Bluetooth, right? Can Deputy Manager Lee hear me too?)
Kang Hyung-seok chuckled softly and shifted his gaze toward Lee Jin-pyung.
It was a signal that he had something to say and should speak directly.
“Manager, I can hear you.”
Lee Jin-pyung spoke, and Baekseol on his lap stretched her black lips wide as she yawned languidly.
(Nothing major—just make sure you handle the client handover smoothly.)
“Understood.”
(You brought the corporate card, right? If needed, treat yourselves to something good to eat.)
“Yes.”
One had to give Lee Jin-pyung credit—he was taciturn, but reliable.
Still, he should get along well enough with the client they were about to visit.
It was a garlic field in Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do.
A place that produced high-quality garlic, and I had visited there before with Namgoong Min-ah.
“Has something good happened, Manager?”
At Kang Hyung-seok’s question, Gwak Young-ho said, “(Huh?)”
(Ah, it’s nothing. Just that now I have some breathing room, so I can handle handovers like this. It’s nice.)
I had taken on far too many clients.
And with more expected to come, I needed to transfer existing accounts to other team members.
This garlic field would be handed over to Lee Jin-pyung.
(Ha Jang-seo isn’t a difficult person, and I think Deputy Manager Lee will get along with him well.)
Kang Hyung-seok nodded in agreement with a smile, while Lee Jin-pyung fell into deep thought, his expression asking, “What on earth does that mean?”
(Deputy Manager Lee.)
Suddenly called upon, Lee Jin-pyung raised his eyebrows toward his forehead and widened his eyes, and Gwak Young-ho’s voice continued from the speaker.
(Later, just buy Manager Kang a cup of coffee. Got it?)
“Yes? Yes.”
(Then I’ll hang up. Both of you, fighting!)
The call ended.
And Lee Jin-pyung’s gaze turned toward Kang Hyung-seok.
His eyes asked why Kang was suddenly insisting on buying coffee.
“It seems Ha Jang-seo is planning to expand his business a bit.”
“Ah.”
“I’m not sure if he’ll be adding product lines or expanding his fields, but either way, it’ll all count toward your performance metrics later.”
Kang Hyung-seok was looking out for Lee Jin-pyung.
Recognizing the intention, Lee Jin-pyung bowed his head, his eyes conveying gratitude.
“Thank you.”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Kang Hyung-seok smiled with a slightly apologetic expression.
‘Truth be told, it would be better if it went to Namgoong Min-ah, but…’
Managing the current clients already felt overwhelming, so the opportunity naturally went to Lee Jin-pyung, who had more experience.
“What kind of coffee do you prefer?”
“Never mind me—buy some for Namgoong Min-ah later instead.”
“Pardon? …Understood.”
Lee Jin-pyung answered, sensing there was some hidden meaning he wasn’t grasping.
Vroom.
After chatting away like that, they arrived in Danyang.
They passed the Bean Field they’d visited before, then drove a bit further and reached their destination—the Empty Lot.
Rumble, whirring.
As Kang Hyung-seok stepped out of the car to the sound of the excavator’s heavy rumble, the smell of earth greeted him first.
“You’ve arrived!”
And there was Ha Jang-seo too.
Ha Jang-seo, who had suffered physical ailments because of the salt spirit hidden in the field.
He was now completely recovered—so visibly so that even from a distance it was clear at a glance—and Kang Hyung-seok greeted him with a smile.
“Hello!”
“You must be tired from the long drive. It’s so good to see you again like this.”
Ha Jang-seo grasped Kang Hyung-seok’s hand and gently stroked the back of it with his rough palm.
His joy was so evident that Kang Hyung-seok felt sorry for not having visited sooner.
“And who is this?”
“This is Lee Deputy Manager, whom I mentioned on the phone.”
“Ah! Wonderful to meet you. Wonderful.”
Ha Jang-seo shook hands with Lee Jin-pyung, but there was nothing more to it than that.
Whoosh! Shhhhh!
Watching the excavator clear away the earth, Kang Hyung-seok spoke with a smile.
“Looks like you’re doing some construction.”
“You’ve come at just the right time. Since your last visit, my health has improved so much that I’m planning to farm on a larger scale now.”
“Are you sure you’re up for it?”
“What could possibly be wrong with that? Anyway, right now I’ve called in some workers to till the soil and build a warehouse.”
Kang Hyung-seok shifted his gaze to the excavator digging into the earth.
Perhaps it was because Ha Jang-seo, who had suffered so much on account of the land, stood beside me.
My gaze kept drifting toward the excavator scraping away the earth with particular intensity.
“Have you eaten?”
“I have. You haven’t?”
“No. I took care of it on the way here.”
After briefly observing the exchange between Ha Jang-seo and Lee Jin-pyung, Kang Hyung-seok moved toward the excavator.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“I’ll take a quick look at the site. My maternal uncle does construction work, so I know a bit about it.”
“Ah, thank you.”
In truth, my observation wouldn’t change anything.
Yet Ha Jang-seo’s lips curved into a gentle smile, grateful for the consideration.
Squelch, squelch.
Perhaps it was because the excavator had overturned the earth.
The soil, saturated with air, swallowed my feet with each step, making it difficult to walk.
Still, I approached the excavator to check whether there might be anything that could harm Ha Jang-seo or jeopardize the project.
That was when it happened.
Crack!
An unwelcome sound came from the excavator scraping away the earth.
Grrrr.
The excavator stopped immediately, and Ha Jang-seo and Lee Jin-pyung’s gazes snapped toward me.
“What is it!”
Thud.
Ha Jang-seo shouted, and the operator descended from the excavator before rushing toward the source of the sound.
If he had struck a water pipe or buried electrical line, all hell would break loose.
“No, what is—”
Ha Jang-seo began running urgently, with Lee Jin-pyung following alongside, watching carefully lest he stumble.
“Wait a moment. I think we need to lift this to see what it is!”
After confirming that water wasn’t gushing out, the operator returned to the excavator and manipulated the lever.
Whirrrrr!
The heavy bucket rose, spilling earth as it ascended.
Only then did Kang Hyung-seok, Ha Jang-seo, and Lee Jin-pyung, drawing closer, stiffen as they gazed at the ground.
“…What is this?”
Something that shouldn’t have been underground had been discovered.
Ha Jang-seo muttered with that impression, while Lee Jin-pyung shook his head as if bewildered.
-Woof woof woof woof! Woof!
Baekseol began barking fiercely beside Lee Jin-pyung.
And Kang Hyung-seok, his face hardening, stared down at the faded tile fragments exposed from the earth.
‘What is that?’
Until just moments ago, I had sensed nothing from this ground.
-Woof! Woof woof woof woof!
Yet the aura rising from the earth was far from ordinary—so fierce that Baekseol’s fur stood on end as she barked relentlessly.
Heavy. Murky. Dark.
Gulp.
As I swallowed dryly, a faint sound began to reach my ears.
Ting-ting-ting-ting.
It was the Shaman’s Bell in my bag, ringing out a warning of danger.
Rumble!
The excavator dumped earth onto the ground.
A large, sprawling pit now gaped in the earth, and I stood rigid-faced at its edge alongside Ha Jang-seo and Lee Jin-pyung, staring down into the depths.
Grave desecration.
Why did that word come to mind?
This wasn’t even a grave.
“What in the world is that….”
Even Ha Jang-seo, well past sixty, found himself at a loss for words at the sight before him.
What lay at the bottom of the pit was a structure.
But not the kind of building where people lived or stored goods.
It was a building erected to commemorate or symbolize something.
Black roof tiles.
Eaves painted with decorative patterns.
Crimson pillars.
Having been buried in earth for so long, its condition was deteriorated.
With an appearance so grotesque it seemed cursed merely to behold it, I found myself swallowing dryly without realizing it.
Gulp.
The sound was far too loud.
Ha Jang-seo and Lee Jin-pyung’s gazes converged on me, and after a moment of silence, I spoke.
“Factory Owner, I believe it would be best to halt construction here.”
We cannot disturb this any further.
A terrible premonition surged up and seized my heart, tearing at it.
***
(What do you mean by that?)
At the motel, I sat on the bed while continuing my call with Gwak Young-ho.
“It’s exactly as I mentioned. Something strange turned up during the construction.”
(Sigh, things were going so well lately, and now this happens.)
I know.
I let out a quiet sigh through a bitter smile, careful not to let the sound carry over the line.
Though it had been a short time, the company’s atmosphere had genuinely been excellent.
(Well, as long as it’s not some cultural artifact. That would be a real headache.)
“Yes. Ha Jang-seo is worried about that too.”
(Ugh!)
There was good reason for Gwak Young-ho’s reaction.
If something worth preserving—like ruins or artifacts—was discovered during construction, it had to be reported to the state.
If it was confirmed as a genuine cultural artifact, things would spiral out of control.
All excavation costs and responsibility fell to the landowner, while the state kept all compensation under the law.
Yet you couldn’t simply destroy it either.
The penalty was imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of up to thirty million won.
(Given Ha Jang-seo’s personality, he probably won’t just bury it…)
“Yes. It seems he’s already reported it. They say someone will come later to examine it directly.”
(He must be worried sick. Really worried.)
“Should we wait until it’s resolved?”
(There’s nothing urgent right now, so that works, but isn’t it a lot of trouble?)
I brushed my bangs back.
Resting my head in my palm, I spoke with a gloomy expression.
“It’s better to be safe. I think we should stay.”
(Well, there’s the handover to consider, and if things go smoothly, it’ll be good for Lee Deputy Manager too.)
That wasn’t the only reason.
‘It feels ominous.’
That structure that emerged from there was too ominous and eerie to ignore.
It felt like something that should never have seen the light of day had surfaced.
(Alright. If it looks like it’ll take a while, give me a call later, and we’ll grab a meal together with Lee Deputy Manager and Ha Jang-seo.)
“Understood.”
(Sigh, what is this? Really.)
If only things had gone smoothly.
There was a distinct note of regret in Gwak Young-ho’s voice.
“Then I’ll contact you again later.”
(Yes! Don’t worry too much, and I know you’re far from home, but get some good rest!)
“Yes, Manager. Thank you.”
After I hung up the phone.
Click.
Lee Jin-pyung emerged, rubbing his hair dry with a towel.
“Manager, would you like to wash up?”
Kang Hyung-seok regarded Lee Jin-pyung in silence.
It truly wasn’t easy for a person to be like that.
He’d just stepped out of the shower, yet he was dressed so impeccably that he could leave immediately without even putting on socks.
In a way, such meticulous habits were quintessentially Lee Jin-pyung.
“I’ll step out for a bit.”
“Would you like me to come along?”
“No. I have some personal calls to make.”
I needed to ask someone.
Someone who could identify what had emerged from the earth.
I had to ask Kim Jae-sik.
“It’s not work-related, so don’t worry about it.”
Kang Hyung-seok spoke with a smile, and Lee Jin-pyung gave a slight nod, his characteristic expressionless face unchanged.
It was his way of saying go ahead.
Whoosh.
Rising from the bed, Kang Hyung-seok gathered his phone and bag, moving toward the door.
“I might be a bit late. If so, feel free to sleep first.”
“Are you going far?”
“Not particularly far, but I have a few other places to stop by.”
Just before opening the door, Kang Hyung-seok’s gaze shifted back to Lee Jin-pyung.
For a moment, Lee Jin-pyung looked at him with a puzzled expression, but Kang Hyung-seok’s gaze wasn’t directed at him.
-Patter patter patter!
It was because Baekseol was wagging her tail beside Lee Jin-pyung’s feet, seeing him off.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“All right.”
Kang Hyung-seok left the motel, leaving the still-bewildered Lee Jin-pyung behind.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————