An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 212

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 211
Part 3. A Hellish Time (1)
Groooooowwwl!
Kang Hyung-seok’s sedan pierced through the darkness as it tore down the road.
I had to pursue her.
The thought consumed my mind entirely, yet my hands gripping the steering wheel trembled with hesitation.
‘Damn it, where the hell did she go?’
This was no Vengeful Spirit of ten or twenty years.
A Vengeful Spirit of a hundred to five hundred years old.
Buried beneath the earth for such an immense span of time, her resentment would be unfathomably deep.
Where could such hatred possibly extend?
Whoosh.
I lifted my gaze to the night sky, where only an indifferent moon hung suspended.
The stars were obscured from view.
Like stars that existed yet remained invisible, I clenched my teeth as I pursued the Vengeful Spirit, uncertain of where she had gone.
Screeeech!
I wrenched the steering wheel hard, taking a sharp right turn at the intersection.
‘I already sent word to Ha Jang-seo.’
So first, I would go to Lee Jin-pyung.
Slam! Groooooowwwl!
I slammed the accelerator, and the engine roared to life as the car surged forward with explosive force.
As if urging me to reach Lee Jin-pyung as quickly as possible.
***
“Mmm…”
At the motel, Lee Jin-pyung lay asleep beneath the covers.
The lights weren’t completely off.
Just in case Kang Hyung-seok returned, the indirect lighting remained on.
“Mm…”
Perhaps it was the unfamiliar sleeping space and the ambient light.
Lee Jin-pyung tossed and turned restlessly, wandering in that liminal space between shallow and deep sleep.
-Creak.
The one watching over him, unable to find true rest, was Baekseol.
After licking his nose, Baekseol settled onto his chest, resting her head against his chin and closing her eyes peacefully.
Then it happened.
Baekseol’s eyes snapped open.
-Grrr…
She let out a low growl and turned her gaze toward the window.
Above the window, where the curtains were drawn only halfway.
Long, pitch-black hair hung down like blackout fabric.
-Grrr!
Baekseol growled in warning as the hair gradually descended.
A forehead appeared, and soon two eyes descended into view above the window.
It was the Vengeful Spirit.
-Woof woof woof woof!
Baekseol barked more ferociously, her fur standing on end.
At the same moment, a faint energy rippled across her forehead.
The third eye.
The symbol of the three-eyed guardian that banished spirits.
-Bark bark bark bark!
The source of the powerful energy in her barks was her determination to protect Lee Jin-pyung.
-Bark bark bark bark!
The Vengeful Spirit’s eyes fixed on Baekseol.
Her head descended further until her entire face was visible, twisted in rage.
As if frustrated that she couldn’t tear apart the creature before her, no matter how desperately she wished to.
Snap.
Suddenly, Baekseol fell silent.
She fixed the Vengeful Spirit with a predatory stare while remaining perched on Lee Jin-pyung’s chest.
A barking dog rarely bites.
But a dog stalking its prey does not bark.
Every nerve focused on the target, waiting for the moment to strike.
That was Baekseol now.
Crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch.
The Vengeful Spirit gnashed her teeth as she stared at Baekseol.
Click, click, click!
The sound of the motel door being forced open filled the sealed room.
Baekseol, who had identified the visitor outside by scent, still kept her gaze fixed on the Vengeful Spirit, whose eyes had narrowed to slits.
Then, just as she had appeared at first, the Vengeful Spirit seeped through the window and vanished.
It happened immediately after.
Crash!
Kang Hyung-seok burst into the room, breathing heavily, and Baekseol turned her head, her tail wagging first.
‘Where is the Vengeful Spirit?’
Kang Hyung-seok’s eyes darted about as he searched for her, then he exhaled a heavy sigh through his nose.
The stench of resentment and damp, oppressive energy clung to the air, yet the Vengeful Spirit herself was nowhere to be seen.
“Mm.”
Lee Jin-pyung rubbed his eyes and pushed himself upright.
“…Manager?”
“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”
“No, I just lay down.”
At the considerate lie, Kang Hyung-seok laughed by exhaling sharply. Then he shook his head at Lee Jin-pyung, who was trying to get out of bed.
“It’s fine. I just left something behind. Go back to sleep.”
“I’ll help you look for it.”
This Lee Jin-pyung, this man really was something.
Kang Hyung-seok now waved his hands apologetically.
“Really, it’s okay. I’m so sorry for waking you. Please, get some rest.”
“…Yes.”
Lee Jin-pyung gave his answer, but he struggled to lie back down.
So Kang Hyung-seok hastily unplugged his phone charger from the outlet and stuffed it into his bag.
“I’m sorry, truly.”
“It’s fine.”
“Then sleep well.”
Click.
Kang Hyung-seok switched off the soft indirect lighting that had been gently illuminating the room.
Only then did Lee Jin-pyung show signs of drifting back to sleep, so Kang Hyung-seok shifted his gaze to Baekseol.
I had to find the Vengeful Spirit.
The fact that she’d come to Lee Jin-pyung meant there was no telling what she might do next.
To hunt down such a creature, I needed help—and perhaps Baekseol could provide it.
-Woof, woof.
Oblivious to my thoughts, Baekseol wagged her tail excitedly, delighted that I was paying attention to her.
Kang Hyung-seok gestured to her with a flick of his hand, signaling her to follow.
-Woof.
Baekseol hesitated, glancing back at Lee Jin-pyung, and Kang Hyung-seok waved his hand again, his lips pressed firmly together.
A single thought filled my mind.
‘It’s to protect Lee Jin-pyung.’
-Whimper.
Uncertain whether my thoughts had reached her, Baekseol hesitated on the bed, her tail curling beneath her.
Then she looked back at Lee Jin-pyung, and with a reluctant shuffle, she approached me.
Click.
Stepping out of the Sealed Room, I regarded Baekseol standing before the door and spoke in hushed tones.
“Did you see anything?”
-Woof, woof!
Dealing with a beast spirit is difficult.
Words don’t translate between us.
Yet having seen Baekseol for more than a day or two, I felt I could understand her somewhat.
“You did see something?”
-Woof.
I nodded and surveyed the surroundings.
Fortunately, no one was passing by.
Still cautious, I crouched as if tying my shoelaces, meeting Baekseol’s gaze before speaking quietly.
“I’m searching for that Vengeful Spirit.”
-Whimper.
“You caught her scent, didn’t you?”
-Whine.
“You need to find her. Help me.”
Animals who live long with humans come to resemble them.
Dogs especially do this—their emotions manifest in their expressions.
The whites of Baekseol’s eyes were clearly visible; she was hesitating.
Whether it was acceptable to leave Lee Jin-pyung behind.
“It’s for your master. You know that.”
-Whine.
“Please, help me.”
Whoosh.
I extended my hand, conveying my heart through my eyes alone.
Time passed like this for a while, and eventually Baekseol placed her front paw upon my hand.
“No, not your paw.”
Baekseol thought briefly with her small head, then drew closer to me.
When my hand positioned itself beneath her belly, I rose and embraced her.
No warmth. No weight.
Yet the fact that Baekseol was in my arms was unmistakable, so I slipped out of the Motel like someone holding an invisible balloon.
Click, engine rumble.
Back at the car, I started the engine and set Baekseol down on the passenger seat.
Anxious about something, she gazed up at the Motel with her pitch-black eyes, scratching frantically at the dashboard.
“I’m sorry. For separating you from your master.”
-Whimper.
Baekseol responded with profound sadness, and I offered a bitter smile as I reached toward her.
Then I made the motion of stroking her head, though I could feel nothing beneath my fingertips.
I knew.
That this gesture held no substance.
That it might only stoke an unquenchable thirst.
Yet Baekseol closed her eyes gently, as if grateful even for a touch that could never truly reach her.
“Siiiiigh.”
I exhaled a long breath, my lips pressed firmly together as I pondered.
‘Where on earth could she have gone?’
If we’re talking about people—Ha Jang-seo, Lee Jin-pyung, the excavator operator, the former landowner.
Among them, the Vengeful Spirit came for Lee Jin-pyung first.
Rather than her true target, who had long since perished, she would scatter her malice upon anything that caught her eye.
‘A pure Vengeful Spirit.’
Slurp.
Though I felt nothing, I heard Baekseol licking my finger.
I looked at Baekseol and smiled bitterly, then nodded with resolve hardening my expression.
“Let’s try something.”
-Woof!
Never in my life did I expect to move in tandem with Baekseol, but I shifted the gear into drive.
Then I set the vehicle in motion, intending to patrol the surrounding area.
Vroooom.
Inside the car rumbling heavily forward, I stared into the encroaching darkness.
‘Please, please….’
Let nothing happen.
Whether she sensed my thoughts or not, Baekseol sat alert in the passenger seat, her nose twitching keenly.
***
At that same moment.
Lee Jin-pyung was not the only one who had fallen asleep.
The previous owner of the land from which Yeolnyeo-gak had emerged also retired to bed early, as was his habit.
His name was Lee Jun-sang.
He had turned fifty just last month.
Though he lay in bed, sleep eluded him, and countless thoughts swirled through his mind—yet the land was not among them.
It was merely something he had inherited.
He had heard nothing of its history, and he had excavated the land when he turned thirty-four.
“Mmm…”
Lee Jun-sang tossed and turned, sleep refusing to come.
Fluttering.
The wind slipping through the slightly open window stirred the curtains.
The breeze that entered the room swept through Lee Jun-sang’s bedroom.
The blanket, the bed cover, the clothes hanging on the door frame.
And the family photograph hanging on the wall.
Fluttering, fluttering.
The wind that had been sweeping through the room showed no sign of stopping.
Flutter, thud!
The curtain whirled and twisted, striking the window frame with force.
And in the now-quiet room, Lee Jun-sang finally fell asleep with a peaceful expression, while before him a black silhouette with bloodshot eyes gazed down at him.
There was no sound.
It simply smiled, its eyes and mouth stretched wide as if it had finally found what it sought.
“Hee! Hieek! Kkeuk! Hihit!”
The creature approached Lee Jun-sang with a sharp, scratching laugh.
It stared at his sleeping face for a long while, then brought its fingertips toward his slightly parted lips.
“Whup!”
In an instant, Lee Jun-sang’s eyes snapped open as he felt something wrong, and he clutched at his throat.
“Ack! Ugh! Uuugh!”
He convulsed in sudden agony, writhing in pain.
His mouth, his esophagus, his insides—all burned as if tearing apart.
“Uuugh! Uack! Uuugh!”
Bellowing like a wounded beast, Lee Jun-sang thrashed across the bed.
Throughout it all, the Vengeful Spirit continued to laugh.
“Hihik! Hieek! Hieek! Hiiiieek!”
With unbearable delight.
Her hand thrust in up to the elbow, she tore through his insides as if determined to sever everything.
The Vengeful Spirit laughed, tears of blood streaming down her face.

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