An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 221
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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 220
Part 6. When Evil Lurks (1)
Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!
Kang Hyung-seok’s eyes opened at the sound of sparrows calling.
He was inside his car, still parked near the Well.
‘What time is it….’
Checking his wristwatch, he saw it was 8 a.m., and he leaned his head back again.
He’d sent a text message at dawn.
To Gwak Young-ho, saying he probably wouldn’t be able to come in today.
Whoosh.
Unable to lie there any longer, Kang Hyung-seok pushed himself up.
He was about to step out of the car with a bottle of mineral water, intending to wash his face, when he heard the sound of a vehicle approaching from a distance.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The car drawing near, kicking up dust along the dirt path, belonged to Shin Yoseph.
Pop.
“You’re up now?”
“Yeah.”
Kang Hyung-seok washed his face with the mineral water.
As he was wiping the water from his face, Shin Yoseph pulled two plastic bags from his car.
“Here.”
“What is it?”
“Breakfast.”
Opening the bag he’d received, he found a convenience store meal box inside, along with one bottle of water and one coffee.
Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!
He ate the convenience store meal to the sound of sparrows busily flitting through the trees above.
And on a weekday, no less.
It almost felt like he’d taken a day off, but perhaps because of the ominous atmosphere near the Well, the food didn’t go down easily.
“What about your company today?”
“I sent a text to the Manager. Said I probably wouldn’t be able to come in today.”
“That works out.”
Shin Yoseph continued speaking as he stirred the rice with a disposable chopstick.
“Today, you move with me.”
“Don’t you have to go in?”
“I said I wouldn’t, so what can anyone do about it?”
Before Kang Hyung-seok could even click his tongue softly, Shin Yoseph set down his chopsticks and lit a cigarette.
“I told the company. Said I’d be busy today and wouldn’t be able to come in.”
….
Why hadn’t I noticed it until now.
The dark circles beneath Shin Yoseph’s eyes.
It seemed he’d spent last night unable to sleep properly, tossing and turning as he tried to piece together clues.
“I’ll be busy today. There are many places I need to visit.”
“Do you have any thoughts on where to start?”
“Plenty.”
Shin Yoseph answered curtly, then lit a cigarette.
After taking a few drags, he set the bento box that had been resting on his lap aside and stuffed it into a plastic bag.
“Someone tried to summon a Demon. Since things didn’t go as planned, they must have sought help.”
“The Cathedral.”
At Kang Hyung-seok’s words, Shin Yoseph pointed at him with the hand holding the cigarette and nodded.
“And the Church too. We’ll need to search this entire area thoroughly.”
“I’ll handle the Shamanic Temple.”
“Let’s move together in my car for now. There’s no telling what might happen if we split up.”
Our routes could become tangled.
There were many Shamanic Temples and Churches in this area, after all.
There was also a real possibility that if we separated, we might end up in as much danger as we had at the Well last night.
“Once you’re done eating, let’s go.”
Shin Yoseph looked around while holding a convenience store bag marked with a pay-per-use label. But there was nowhere suitable to dispose of trash in a place like this.
So he reluctantly tossed the bag into the back seat of the car.
***
Screech.
Kang Hyung-seok stepped out of Shin Yoseph’s car and headed straight for a nearby Shamanic Temple, while Shin Yoseph made his way to the closest Cathedral.
Our purpose was the same, but the places we visited differed.
Knock, knock.
Kang Hyung-seok rapped on the door adorned with colorful flags.
Only after receiving permission to enter did he open the door.
“How did you—”
This was a proper Shamanic Temple.
Everything about its decoration and the energy emanating from within felt authentically orthodox.
Thud!
The Shaman rose so abruptly that the Ritual Platform trembled, her face turning pale as she bowed her head repeatedly.
“Oh, how did you come to visit?”
A startled reaction to one who served a great deity.
Kang Hyung-seok apologized and asked her to be at ease, and the Shaman invited him to sit while bringing out tea.
“I apologize for the sudden visit.”
“Oh, no. But what brings you here?”
The Shaman’s breathing grew labored just from my presence, so I opened my mouth with an apologetic expression.
“It’s about saving a life. Could you possibly help?”
“Yes, yes!”
The Shaman answered as if startled, and I drew in my lips before continuing.
“Has anyone come to you recently because of a ghost or a Demon?”
The Shaman’s lowered head lifted.
His eyes were wide open, and they held the light of understanding—he grasped why Kang Hyung-seok had come to this place.
“So there was someone.”
“…Yes. There was indeed such a person.”
“We need to find that person. Where are they?”
“That’s… I’m sorry, but I don’t know either.”
“You don’t know?”
When Kang Hyung-seok raised one eyebrow, the Shaman froze as if he’d committed some grave sin.
“I-I’m sorry. It’s just that… there was nothing I could do about that person….”
“…Was it very serious?”
“Yes.”
It was a question that should have been easy to answer.
That’s why the Shaman’s face had lightened somewhat.
But the deep furrows between his brows suggested this was a story he couldn’t speak of comfortably.
“In all my years, I’ve never seen anyone like that. The number of Malevolent Spirits clinging to a living person’s body was… extraordinary.”
“Were there perhaps Western ones as well?”
“The aura was vicious.”
It’s him, then.
Which makes this all the more unfortunate.
Not knowing where he’s gone.
“If he visits again, I’ll make sure to get his address.”
“No, I’ll search for him myself.”
Kang Hyung-seok rose, leaving the tea untouched.
“Thank you for your words.”
“Not at all. Please be careful on your way.”
The Shaman stood and bowed deeply toward Kang Hyung-seok.
The door swung open.
Stepping out into the Alley, Kang Hyung-seok immediately moved toward another Shamanic Temple.
My mouth tastes bitter.
‘Shin Yoseph must have uncovered something.’
I hope he has.
From what the Shaman said, time seems to be running short.
Fearing that wasted time might lead to unforeseen complications, Kang Hyung-seok knocked urgently on the door of another Shamanic Temple.
***
Crunch, crunch.
Shin Yoseph walked alongside Father Ignatius in front of the Cathedral.
From a distance, the Nun watched over them, and the laypeople who had come to the Cathedral on a weekday offered only fleeting attention before withdrawing it.
So they had no choice but to converse in hushed tones.
“I’ve heard you’re an exorcist priest.”
“Yes. I am Ignatius.”
“I understand you’re looking for someone who came for counseling because of a Demon.”
“Do you happen to know of such a person?”
The priest, who appeared to be in his fifties, furrowed his brow as he searched his memory.
“There was a young man who kept pleading for prayers, exorcism rituals, anything really.”
“…What kind of person was he?”
“Late twenties. A thin man.”
“Do you happen to know where he lives?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know that much. He wasn’t even a believer to begin with.”
The priest’s expression turned regretful.
“He did say a Demon was attached to him, but unfortunately, I lack the ability to confirm such things.”
Shin Yoseph soothed his rising frustration with a sigh and nodded.
“I understand. Thank you, Father.”
“If this is urgent, would you like me to make some calls to people I know?”
A tempting offer.
But Shin Yoseph shook his head.
“I think it’s best if I find him myself and speak with him directly.”
I’m moving without permission from the Diocese authority.
I had to proceed carefully so as not to bring harm to those who had helped me.
“I hope everything works out well for you.”
“Thank you.”
Shin Yoseph bowed respectfully to him and turned away, then pulled out his phone.
He was about to press the call button as he approached the place where he had parted with Kang Hyung-seok.
Crunch, crunch.
Kang Hyung-seok was emerging from the Alley.
No questions were necessary.
It was evident from his expression that he was in a similar situation.
This won’t be easy.
We know he’s somewhere in this area, but can we actually find him?
As they approached the car with the same thought in mind.
Zing.
Kang Hyung-seok’s phone rang.
Shin Yoseph, naturally assuming it was Gwak Young-ho, gestured for him to take the call, and Kang Hyung-seok pulled out his phone.
His brow immediately furrowed.
It wasn’t Gwak Young-ho—it was someone else’s name displayed on the screen.
Beep.
“Oh, Yoon Sang.”
(Brother….)
His voice carried an unusual formality, unlike his usual tone.
“What is it? What’s going on?”
Shin Yoseph, recognizing that the caller wasn’t Gwak Young-ho, exhaled smoke and cast a questioning glance, while Kang Hyung-seok narrowed the space between his brows as he listened to Yoon Sang’s response.
(Can you talk for a moment? You’re not in the middle of work, are you?)
“Go ahead. It’s fine.”
(Actually, something strange happened during yesterday’s broadcast.)
“Something strange?”
Yoon Sang’s voice continued without pause.
(Right after the broadcast started, I got a message from someone saying they were suffering because of a Demon.)
“…What?”
(A Demon. I think they kept sending paid chat messages because they were worried I’d ignore them. At first, I thought it was just bait to get your attention, but no matter how I think about it, their desperation seems genuine….)
The conversation had taken an unsettling turn.
Shin Yoseph, sensing this, narrowed his brows and stepped closer, prompting Kang Hyung-seok to signal him to stay quiet.
“Tell me specifically. What’s this Demon doing?”
(That’s exactly what I told you. I don’t know the details either. But brother, if it’s not a ghost, how can you possibly help?)
“I know someone who can assist with that. Anyway, can you contact this person?”
(Huh? You want to see them yourself?)
Hesitation colored Yoon Sang’s voice.
He was uncertain whether it was truly safe to arrange a meeting between this person and Kang Hyung-seok.
“Talk to them a bit more. If possible, get their address. I’ll come if I can.”
(Brother! Then I’ll come with you!)
“You?”
(Yes, yes. You know I’m good with filming and camera equipment. If they happen to be secretly recording or something, I can step in right away. It’s safer that way, isn’t it?)
Now Kang Hyung-seok understood what Yoon Sang was concerned about.
He was offering to handle the aspects that Kang Hyung-seok might miss or overlook, and if Yoon Sang verified those details, there would be no complications from any strange circumstances.
Tap, tap.
Shin Yoseph, who had touched his shoulder, mouthed the question “Who is it?”
After observing him for a moment, Kang Hyung-seok exhaled a heavy sigh and nodded.
“Alright. It seems right that you help with this.”
If he were alone, perhaps not.
But Shin Yoseph would need to accompany him as well.
Both of them were people whose faces couldn’t afford exposure, and the damage could fall more heavily on Shin Yoseph.
(Yes! Then I’ll send them a message right away. I’ll send you the conversation later too, so please check it over!)
Yoon Sang, answering with vigor as if his voice had never lacked energy, ended the call.
Only then did Shin Yoseph ask casually.
“What’s going on?”
Kang Hyung-seok looked at him and slipped his phone into his pocket.
“If we play our cards right, we should be able to find it immediately.”
With that, he nodded heavily.
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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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