Are MZ Shamans In Trouble In Romance Novels? - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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1.

[Mysterious serial murder case in the capital of Archea Empire, perpetrator’s identity still shrouded in mystery]

Another murder case known as ‘Death’s Sleepwalking’ has occurred. According to testimonies from witnesses, the victims’ last known whereabouts were mainly inside their homes in the middle of the night.

Furthermore, it is reported that the victims acted as if possessed by something just before the incident. Like sleepwalkers, so to speak.

Meanwhile, this time too, the victim’s corpse was severely mutilated, causing shock. People are expressing anxiety and fear over the continuous horrific news, and the incompetence of the Capital Guard…

A man dressed in a navy blue uniform glanced at the newspaper that had fallen to the ground. Among the countless words, the word ‘incompetence’ particularly caught his eye. With a bitter heart, he slowly stepped on the newspaper with his military boots. It was a moment that made all those days of running around day and night to solve the case seem meaningless.

After a while, the man stopped in front of a wooden house that looked quite old. He raised his head and looked around. Even though it was midday with the sun high in the sky, there wasn’t a single person passing by, not even the sound of small talk could be heard.

Knock knock knock-

“This is the Capital Guard.”

The man raised his voice to announce his visit. As expected, there was no response. It was as if the entire house had been swallowed by a massive silence.

Creeeeak-

After a long while, a woman with a haggard complexion opened the door and came out. She was wrapped tightly in a brown shawl and let out a small sigh. The frequent visits from the guard were unwelcome.

“…What is it this time.”

Susanna Olga. The head maid of Count Müntra’s Estate and a witness to this murder case.

“I should have already cooperated with the guard’s investigation.”

Susanna spoke while showing her discomfort with her entire body. The guard member continued the conversation regardless of her sharp reaction. It was common for witnesses who had faced such brutal incidents to be on edge.

“…As I said before, I don’t remember it well. It happened too quickly and it was frightening too.”

Susanna, who had been keeping her mouth tightly shut, spoke with difficulty. She gripped her shoulder shawl tightly with her sweaty hands. A serial murder that she had only seen in newspapers. She never dreamed that she would become a witness to it.

“It was like a giant four-legged beast. I think I saw long white fur too. Also… well, this isn’t certain, but I think that monster spoke human words. No, it definitely spoke.”

Susanna said while touching her chapped lips. The scene she witnessed that night was indescribably horrific.

At dawn, the third-floor corridor shrouded in darkness-.

It all started with a deep silence that was deafening.

-…Mo, ther.

A woman in nightclothes dragged her bare feet as she headed somewhere. Merilda Lens. With her light brunette hair disheveled, she was a maid to the Countess of Müntra.

Concerned by her unusual appearance, Susanna carefully called out to Merilda. She was worried that something might have happened.

-Mo, ther… whe, re…

Merilda didn’t seem to hear her calling and continued walking forward, looking only ahead.

-Meril…

Finally, it was the moment when Susanna called her name once more.

Whiiine-

Instead of an answer, a strange ringing sound returned. With a sensation as if the ground beneath her feet was floating, Susanna barely managed to lean against the wall.

-Child, come here.

-Merilda, over here…!

A strange woman’s voice echoed through the empty corridor. Instinctively holding her breath, Susanna hid behind a large decoration.

-…Mo, ther.

Merilda, who had been swaying back and forth like a drunk person, reached her hand into the air. Her slender arm was revealed under the moonlight streaming through the window.

Shaaack-!

At that moment, an unidentifiable white light quickly passed before her eyes. A white hand fell to the floor with a thud. Merilda looked at her arm with hazy eyes. Her wrist, cut off bluntly-.

-Uh, uh…! Aaaaah!

Along with a scream filled with pain, red blood spurted out like a fountain. A massive body lurking in the darkness pounced on Merilda’s head.

-Kieeak!

The monster with its mouth wide open swallowed the small head in one bite. The headless corpse sprawled on the floor. Susanna, covering her mouth, barely managed to swallow the rising nausea.

-Keak, keak. Aah-.

The monster that had been chewing its prey bones and all coughed and cleared its throat.

-My lady is always beautiful. Beauti, beauti, beautiful.

A thin voice flowed from between its blood-stained muzzle. The gentle and affectionate voice was Merilda’s.

-…Huh, up.

Startled, Susanna unconsciously drew in a breath.

-Is someone there?

Hearing that sound, the monster raised its head high and looked around. Its long fur rustled as it brushed against the floor. Terrified, Susanna squeezed her eyes shut.

-…

How much time had passed?

Silence returned to the corridor. Susanna, who had been crouching, quietly opened her eyes. The giant monster had already disappeared. Only then did her body, stiff with tension, begin to relax.

Rustle-

It was a very faint sound that lasted only an instant. Susanna’s hair stood on end again. What pierced her nostrils was a terrible fishy smell.

Rustle-

Her neck turned slowly like a broken clockwork doll. Saliva mixed with blood was dripping onto her shoulder.

-I said is someone there!

What caught her gaze were hundreds of teeth covered with blood and flesh.

“Huh, ugh.”

Susanna, who had swallowed her breath, swayed slightly to the side. The terrible fear of that day seemed to be carved into her body once again.

“Ugh, humanly speaking, shouldn’t cases like this be left to the seniors?”

“Exactly. They say the condition of the corpse is too gruesome to look at with open eyes.”

Then, youthful voices could be heard from a little distance away from the main gate. The guard member who was supporting Susanna glanced back. About a dozen teenagers were standing there, frowning with disgusted expressions.

[Helorn Royal Academy]

Cloaks made of the finest fabric and winged horse emblems embroidered with gold thread. The identity of these people dressed in black uniforms were academy students who had come for practical training with the guard.

“By the way, if it has white fur and a beast-like appearance, isn’t it a yeti?”

“What yeti? I’ve known since you dozed off during monster studies class. Yetis only inhabit the Northern Snow Mountains, you know?”

“There are snow mountains in the Central Region too.”

“That’s only in winter. And yetis are so big, how could no one see it?”

Students holding notebooks and quill pens argued back and forth, each presenting their own theories. It could be a thousand-year-old witch living in the snow mountains. It might be a white minotaur that accidentally consumed a hair growth potion. It might not be a monster but a black magic user who used illusion magic. All sorts of nonsense poured out.

“None of that seems right.”

Then a languid young voice poured cold water on the discussion. The noisy surroundings suddenly became quiet and the students’ attention turned backward.

“A four-legged beast with white fur. Plus a voice that mimics the dead. It’s a montage I’ve seen many times before.”

Silver-purple hair reaching to her waist and red eyes resembling blood. A girl with a lollipop in her mouth was walking over with an annoyed expression.

“…It’s Valus!”

“That Valus?”

“Yes! That Princess Valus!”

“Hey hey, don’t make eye contact.”

With the appearance of a celebrity, the students began murmuring, each throwing in a comment. The name of the girl standing at the center of the commotion was Calisia Valus.

Helorn Academy, where outstanding children of noble families and all the renowned prodigies had gathered. Among them, the reason the girl’s presence was particularly significant was due to the background of the empire’s founding.

Archea was originally a demon realm filled with evil pagans who worshipped evil gods and monsters. On the day of liberation, four heroes defeated them and planted their swords in the ground, which became the beginning of the empire.

Nesiris, who protects the Eastern Region with the Power of Nature-

Valus, who protects the Western Region with the Power of Fire-

Perterium, who protects the Southern Region with the Power of Prophecy-

Lakies, who protects the Northern Region with the Power of Light-

The heroes of the founding myth who laid the foundation of Archea. This was why the name Valus had to carry weight within the empire.

“Quiet.”

The teaching assistant who was supervising the students raised his hand to settle the chaotic surroundings.

“I believe everyone has listened well to Mrs. Olga’s statement. As you all know, the most important thing in this practical training is the report. You must write and submit a report based on the witnesses’ testimonies and tomorrow’s crime scene investigation.”

“Ahhh-.”

At the word ‘report’, complaints burst from the students’ mouths. For hot-blooded teenagers, paper and pen were an unbearably boring combination.

“What can be inferred based on the witnesses’ testimonies, and how evidence can be collected and used to narrow down the investigation. The reports will be evaluated from multiple angles based on the information obtained from the practical training.”

The teaching assistant, who didn’t bat an eye at the students’ complaints, added an explanation.

“Then we’ll meet in front of Count Müntra’s Estate by 8 AM tomorrow morning. Dismissed.”

“Yes-.”

The students’ response dragged on listlessly. They had a premonition of their future being thoroughly grilled by the professor from multiple angles.

***

That night.

Whoooosh—

Due to the rain that had started falling since early evening, Antraze Street was unusually deserted. The shops in the commercial district had closed early, and houses had their doors firmly locked. It was because of the serial murders that had occurred nearby recently.

Trudge, trudge—

A figure wearing an oversized raincoat cut through the rain and set foot on Count Müntra’s Estate. The antique mansion had been left empty due to the murder that had occurred several days prior.

The mysterious figure climbed the stairs, dripping rainwater. Their destination was the third-floor corridor with the balcony. It was also the scene where the tragic murder had taken place.

Whiiiii—.

The figure stopped at the beginning of the corridor and pursed their lips, exhaling a long breath. A whistle. It was the high, clear tone that shamans were said to use when summoning evil spirits.

Whiiiiii—.

The whistle rode the wind and stretched to the end of the corridor. An invisible fishing line was cast over the mansion. All that remained was to wait for a bite.

Rustle, rustle—

Soon, the sound of something brushing against the floor could be heard from far away. Something like animal fur, perhaps.

“Got one.”

Red eyes hidden beneath the raincoat flashed.

Squeeee—

Shortly after, the deep silence that Susanna Olga had testified about engulfed the corridor.

—Merildairilooremkirreukwho’stherekireekmadamwhereareyouI’mherekireeek

Then came a mixture of the voices of the dead and animal cries. It was an eerie voice that made one’s vision blur and feel as if the ground beneath their feet was gradually sinking.

Crash!

Right on cue, thunder and lightning struck beyond the window. Then, through the flashing sparks, the fish that had taken the bait revealed itself. A fierce face resembling a mountain lord and long, fine silver-white fur. It was the Jangsan Tiger, a Korean ghost said to bewitch people with its voice before devouring them.

“Hey. Illegal resident.”

The one who had caught the big fish removed their raincoat and leisurely walked out into the moonlight. Slightly upturned eyes and a lollipop in their mouth.

The identity of the trespasser was Calisia Valus, who had ignored the teaching assistant’s words and come out for advance learning.

“Wow, I had my doubts, but it really is a Jangsan Tiger.”

She was also a possessor entering her third year of life in the Empire.

So who was this body? A healthy twenty-something with Republic of Korea citizenship, and a disciple of the National Shamanic Hall, which was said to hold ministerial-level status.

Simply put, she was a shaman who had received a general spirit.

“It really is a Jangsan Tiger.”

Calisia looked at the Jangsan Tiger with an expression of disbelief. Had she ever seen an actual Korean since inexplicably dropping into Arkea? No, she hadn’t. But what about now? This beast standing boldly in Myntra Estate was definitely made in Korea.

A tiger demon from Jangsan Mountain in Haeundae, Busan Metropolitan City.

“…You bastard! Why only now! No, never mind. What I’m saying is, it’s nice to meet a fellow countryman—no, a fellow ghost—in a foreign land, hey!”

Calisia extended her hand to the Jangsan Tiger for a handshake, filled with bubbling patriotic affection. Naturally, there was no hand that reached back to clasp hers.

Squeeee—

The Jangsan Tiger responded to the greeting by splitting open its maw that was torn all the way to its ears.

—Yuhaya yuhaya kirreuk please do something kirreuk catch it quickly kirreuk sister sister kikeekeek save me save me kirreuk

Familiar voices mixed chaotically and flowed out through its black teeth. Calisia lightly picked at her muffled ears with her finger.

This was the problem with Jangsan Tiger types. Their habit of launching into voice mimicry regardless of time, place, or occasion.

“It’s been so long since I heard Korean. But fellow countryman, let’s put the talent show aside for now and let me ask you one thing.”

Calisia’s eyes sank low without a trace of laughter.

“How did you get here?”

It was a question she had asked over and over throughout the years but could never find an answer to.

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