Are MZ Shamans In Trouble In Romance Novels? - Chapter 97

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

97.

“E-Elder Brother!”

Manseok, who had been unconscious for quite a while, bolted upright as if having a seizure. Clutching the blanket, he breathed roughly. He was sure he had heard screaming, but now he was suddenly in a room.

“Are you alright?”

Calisia handed him a bowl filled with water.

“Th-thank you.”

With a burning thirst, Manseok gulped down the cold water. His clouded mind finally seemed to be clearing up little by little.

“Earlier… what exactly was that?”

At Manseok’s question, Calisia held out a half-burned incense stick. It was one that had been used in the ritual.

“Four incense sticks broke.”

“…Then does that mean Elder Brother has passed away?”

Manseok’s eyes quickly turned red. His vision became hazy and his chest tightened.

“However, one incense stick remains.”

Calisia held out the incense again. Manseok received it with trembling hands.

“Elder Brother is al-alive…! He’s alive?”

“Both yes and no. For now, let’s say he’s right before his breath stops.”

Calisia trailed off uncharacteristically. The situation wasn’t good. The straw doll that had moved alive and the four broken incense sticks. All of this pointed to one thing.

‘A living ghost.’

A shaman’s duty is to receive the words of the Divine Spirits and benefit humans. However, there were countless others who used their extraordinary powers to commit evil acts.

‘It seems like it was used in Protective Arts.’

A living ghost means becoming a ghost while still alive. The body is alive, but the soul isn’t properly attached. Like people who fall into critical condition and become vegetative.

‘Snake, living ghost, Protective Arts…’

Calisia’s worries deepened. The Protective Arts used by shamans are all different. Moreover, using living ghosts was rarely seen. Killing and controlling them would be one thing.

“Elder Brother left a word. ‘Snake.’ Was this village originally a snake charmer village?”

Calisia decided to set aside matters about the Tree Ghost and stone spirit for now and focus on the snake.

“Snake charmers?”

“Elder Brother made snake sounds, and the Government Office was also reeking with the fishy smell of snakes.”

“Well, if you look for snake charmers, there might be a few… but not enough to be called a snake charmer village.”

Manseok shook his head firmly. He was a native who was born and raised on this land. Moreover, the village’s specialty was peaches. It might be called Peach Blossom Village or Peach Village, but it was far from snake charmers.

“Then are there any stories passed down in the village related to snakes?”

“Snake, snakes… Ah! There’s one. I’m not sure if this should be called a snake, but I once heard a story about an Imugi from my Maternal Grandfather.”

Manseok said it was a story he had briefly heard in childhood and searched his memory.

-Manseok. If you climb the back mountain, there’s a large pond where waterfall water flows.

-Wow! Really? Then let’s go play there!

He had climbed the mountain with Elder Brother before, but had never seen the pond. So his grandfather’s words remained more memorable. He was excited at the thought of a new playground.

-Do you still want to go where a thousand-year-old Imugi lives?

His grandfather puffed up his body greatly and teased him.

-A th-thousand-year-old Imugi? Waaaah!

-Grandfather must have startled our Manseok too much. The Imugi is a gracious being who protects our village. So there’s nothing to fear.

My maternal grandfather wore a mischievous expression while trying to comfort me. He said the Imugi that had settled in the back mountain didn’t harm the villagers.

“An Imugi?”

Calisia pressed her nose bridge firmly. Snakes and Imugi were of different ranks. Even large pythons were revered as guardian spirits.

‘What kind of village is this? The government office reeks of snake smell but there’s nothing visible… And now suddenly an Imugi out of nowhere?’

Calisia’s worries deepened. They probably caught snakes to use as materials for protective arts…

‘This makes less and less sense. If they harmed snakes, the Imugi should be angry. Why is a stone god suddenly bringing down frozen land?’

Calisia made a groaning sound and rubbed her face.

“Did they accidentally touch a rock while catching snakes? No, then both should be angry, right?”

If the fishy smell covered the government office to this extent, the snakes’ resentment must have reached its peak. There was no way the Imugi, their king, would ignore it.

“Is there something holding them back? For instance… a promise?”

[Keyword Met]

Boom-

Thud!

The drum sound rang out loudly as if confirming the correct answer.

[Chapter 2: The Imugi on the Verge of Ascension]

Long, long ago, an Imugi descended to a village called Aneul Village. The spiritual being that settled in the back mountain made the land fertile and benefited the people. After long cultivation, the Imugi was about to face the day of its ascension to heaven…

? Command: Listen to the Imugi’s request

! Reward: The Imugi’s gratitude

※The number of acts of gratitude is not limited. However, excessive reward demands may anger the Imugi.

X Failure: A thousand years of cultivation with the Imugi in loyalty

The scroll banner unfolded and suddenly the view flipped upside down.

***

Whoooosh-.

Waterfall water poured down powerfully between the sheer cliff rocks. This was the pond where the Imugi had made its home.

“It’s not holy water, but it contains quite pure spiritual energy.”

The pond was tinted green, holding the verdant hues. Izriel’s lips curved gently. It was pure spiritual energy that refreshed the eyes just by looking at it.

“Of course it would be, since it’s where an Imugi lives. Especially one about to ascend – it’s practically a dragon.”

“Imugi… what exactly is that?”

“An extremely old snake. If it cultivates for a thousand years, it becomes a dragon and ascends to heaven. Think of it as a divine beast.”

Calisia reached her hand toward the flowing water. The refreshing spiritual energy unique to spiritual beings tickled between her fingers.

“Seeing how clear the pond is, it doesn’t seem like they directly harmed the Imugi. If something had happened, the territory would have been contaminated first.”

An Imugi that lost its reason to anger would lose its status as a spiritual being and fall into a monster. If that happened, the spiritual energy of its territory would naturally change.

“However… it’s definitely angry.”

This Imugi had served as the village’s guardian deity for a thousand years. Yet it was just watching as frozen land descended and Tree Ghosts ran wild.

Calisia, deep in thought, picked up a leaf that had fallen near the pond. It seemed she would need to have a direct meeting with the Imugi.

“What are you planning to do?”

“A flute is the best way to make snakes come out.”

Calisia lowered her eyes and brought the green leaf to her lips. Her hair was neatly braided and adorned with a silver hairpin, and her skirt fluttered in harmony with the wind. Izriel closed his eyes at the sight that resembled an ink painting.

Beep- Beep- Beeeep-.

Her red lips trembled as she began playing the grass flute with half air, half saliva.

Izriel, who had been concentrating on the sound, frowned deeply. Despite the impressive form, the sound was like a dog bone being gnawed.

Peepik- Peei- Peek- Peehiiii!

Beep beep- Beep- Beep- Beeeeep!

CRASH-!

Suddenly, lightning struck from a clear sky and water cannons erupted from all directions.

Chwaaaaak!

Whoooosh!

-Noisy!

It was the entrance of the Imugi, the emperor of the pond. Displaying his full anger, he lifted his heavy tail and struck the waterside. Bang! Bang! Bang! His strength was so great it sounded like gourds bursting. It was only natural that water rained down on the entire world.

-Shut up!

Calisia, completely drenched in pond water, coughed desperately. Eyes, nose, mouth, even ears. It seemed like water had entered every hole. It was the price for noise pollution.

-Right. Why have you shaman folk come looking for me?

“You’re all talk, pfft!”

“Keu, hup! You should speak properly. You’re the one who called us, Imugi-nim.”

-Right. Why did those shamans come looking for me?

-Me, you say?

“Oh my. Why are you acting like this when we both know what’s going on?”

“Tsk, gasp! You should speak properly. Lord Imugi is the one who summoned us.”

-….

-Me?

“But no matter how I look at it, there doesn’t seem to be any problem with your ascension. Your scales look good, and your physique is, well, nothing to say about that. Let me see. Your… eye condition also looks fine?”

Calisia, standing with her hands behind her back, examined the Imugi’s entire body from various angles.

Kalisia, who had been wringing out her wet clothes, rolled her eyes lightly. Spirits were inherently cunning creatures by nature. It meant they would never reveal themselves unless they wanted to.

The spiritual being who had been sulking opened his mouth with a more subdued attitude than before. Originally, when an Imugi’s time for ascension comes, a young one is born in a similar place. This village was the same. A young spiritual being had made its home in the small pond. But….

Even if he were to play the grass flute in front of the pond for three months and ten days. Even now, it was all his own regret that made him take those heavy steps.

The Imugi lowered his body and bowed his head deeply. Calisia placed her hand on the silver-tinged scales. She could feel that the spiritual being’s energy was damaged by worry, anger, and regret that had accumulated.

-I will show you what I have seen.

Kalisia stood with her hands clasped behind her back, examining the imugi from head to tail.

The spirit creature, who had been sulking, began to speak with a softer attitude than before. Originally, when an imugi’s time comes to ascend to heaven, a young one is born in a similar place. This village was no different. A young spirit creature had made its home in the small pond. However….

Calisia blinked a couple of times. Everything around was so narrow and dark that it was difficult to even breathe.

The imugi lowered its body and bowed its head deeply. Callisia placed her hand on the silvery-gray scales. Worry, anger, and regret. She could feel that the spirit’s energy had been damaged by the stagnant emotions.

-I’ll show you what I saw.

The shaman and the spirit creature faced each other. The imugi’s yellow pupils narrowed, and Kalisia’s vision flashed white.

Hiss- Hisss-!

Kalisia blinked her eyes a couple of times. The space around her was so cramped and dark that it was difficult to even breathe.

‘Ah, my head.’

She let out a faint breath. It was difficult to regain consciousness with someone pressing down and constricting her body.

“Take it out!”

With the murky voice, the darkness lifted and crimson torches flickered. Rough stone walls and humid air—it was an underground cave.

‘Talismans?’

Calisia’s brow furrowed sharply. Under the wavering torches, large clay jars came into view. They were covered with talismans plastered all over them in a disgusting manner.

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