Exorcism Specialist Company: Ghost Soul Trading - Chapter 111

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

Chapter 111

“Isn’t that right?”
Ye-rim agreed with Tae-woo’s assessment.
The container where they had died so brutally appeared to have already been cleared away.
If that were the case, the place where they would most likely gather, burning with resentment, would be the Engine Room where their bodies had been concealed.
If they wanted revenge against Hong Yang-doo, the highest probability was that they would take him to the Engine Room and kill him there.
“Then let’s head to the Engine Room.”
Tae-woo glanced around before pointing to a ship layout map affixed to one of the walls.
The three of them immediately gathered in front of it to examine the map.
As confirmed, the First Floor consisted primarily of Cabins where Crew Members stayed, a laundry room, and a break room.
The Second Floor housed a dining hall, Conference Room, and a work area for the Crew Members.
The 3rd Floor featured an observation deck for forward surveillance and a spacious Bridge.
Below the Deck, in the lower levels, were storage areas and additional Workshops, and descending further to the very bottom lay the Engine Room.
To reach it from here, one would need to descend at least six levels.
“If the Engine Room is the key, there’s no need to wander around elsewhere.”
Ye-rim spoke finally.
“Right. First, we need to find Hong Yang-doo.”
Tae-woo concurred.
“Then let’s just head straight down from here to the Engine Room. We won’t stop anywhere else.”
“Understood.”
Ye-rim and Tae-woo discussed and traced the staircase route on the map.
The moment their conversation ended, both turned their heads toward Min-hye.
“Min-hye. Are you alright? Can you move?”
At those words, Min-hye nodded.
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry. I was worried I might be a burden.”
“Not at all. You’re not even panicking.”
Ye-rim answered with a smile.

Rumble—rumble—rumble—rumble—crash—

At that moment, thunder and lightning crashed once more with a deafening roar.
A brilliant white light engulfed the sky, casting deep shadows across the Bridge that flickered and vanished.
In that instant, dozens of silhouettes flashed past the shattered window before disappearing without a trace.
It seemed as though countless spectral forms with dark shapes surrounded the Bridge’s windows.
“The ghosts are converging on this location.”
Ye-rim spoke in a hushed voice.
Tae-woo was using a microphone connected to the ship’s public address system to play Beethoven’s music, drawing the ghosts toward us.
There was no more time to waste.
Tae-woo nodded, gripped the Ghost-Slaying Blade and Blood-Severing Sword in both hands, and rushed toward the Bridge door.
“I’ll take the lead and charge forward. Please follow me quickly.”
As he spoke, Ye-rim immediately turned to Min-hye.
“Min-hye, stay right beside me.”
“Yes, yes.”
Min-hye answered in a small voice.
“Let’s go.”
Tae-woo said tersely before bursting forward.
At the same moment, Ye-rim and Min-hye rushed after him with all their strength.

Slash—screech—screech—screech—

The moment Tae-woo stepped outside, he immediately slashed at the abdomen of a ghost standing beside the door.
This ghost too had gray skin and a mannequin-like appearance.
The ghost, struck in the abdomen, erupted in black smoke and dissipated.
But this was far from over.
Another ghost blocked Tae-woo’s path directly ahead.
Without hesitation, Tae-woo pressed forward and thrust the Ghost-Slaying Blade ahead.

Whoosh—

The Ghost-Slaying Blade pierced through the ghost’s chest.
As Tae-woo lifted the blade, the ghost’s upper body scattered into black smoke.
The remaining lower half collapsed to the side, dissolving into black smoke from the severed edge.

Slash—

Tae-woo burst through the black smoke blocking the Corridor.

Slash—

The moment I stood before the Staircase, I saw gray-skinned spirits climbing upward.
Tae-woo descended the Staircase without hesitation, wielding his blade as he had been doing.

Whoooosh—whoooosh—
Tzzzzzzz—

With each swing of the blade, black smoke erupted.
That was the moment.

Clang—!!

Something blocked Tae-woo’s blade.
What appeared was a middle-aged male spirit with short hair, tears of blood streaming down his face.
Unlike the other spirits, this one possessed both hair and proper clothing.
He was even holding a pipe in one hand as he blocked Tae-woo’s Ghost-Slaying Blade.
It meant he was at least a Grade 4 Weaponed Spirit.

Kyaaaaaaaa—

The spirit thrust its face toward Tae-woo and opened its mouth wide.
An intensely acrid stench of blood vibrated at the tip of his nose.
“Ugh!”
Tae-woo swung the Blood-Drinking Blade in his left hand, slashing the spirit’s abdomen.
Whoooosh—
The spirit staggered back a step.
Black smoke poured from its abdomen, but it did not dissipate.
This spirit possessed a different caliber of physicality than the other spirits I had encountered on this Ship so far.
Whoooosh—
In an instant, other gray-skinned spirits surged forward from behind the retreating Weaponed Spirit.
Tae-woo retreated and rapidly swung his Ghost-Slaying Blade, cutting down the spirits.
Tzzzzzzz—
Black smoke erupted ceaselessly, spreading throughout the area.
As my vision was obscured for a moment, another spirit’s hand shot out through the smoke.
Tae-woo twisted his body to evade the hand, then thrust his Ghost-Slaying Blade forcefully forward.
Shhhhhhk—
The Ghost-Slaying Blade plunged deep into the black smoke, piercing through the bodies of multiple spirits.
Tzzzzzzzzz—
The spirits dissipated in an instant.
However, the spirits pressing down the narrow Staircase made it difficult to advance properly.
Moreover, the Grade 4 Weaponed Spirit among them kept driving Tae-woo back, preventing him from descending the Staircase.
That was when it happened.
Bang! Bang!
Ye-rim, who had been firing her shotgun down the staircase, sensed something and immediately spun around.
Ghosts were emerging from the direction of the Bridge and observation deck.
She pivoted her gun barrel toward the spirits pouring from the Bridge and pulled the trigger.
Bang—bang—bang—
The ghosts rapidly dissipated.
But a high-grade spirit appeared here as well.
A ghost with long hair wearing a one-piece dress came hurtling toward her at tremendous speed, hanging upside down from the ceiling.
Bang—bang—bang—bang—!
She fired repeatedly at the charging spirit, but it refused to dissipate.
Screeeech—
The inverted ghost lashed its arms toward Ye-rim.
In an instant, needle-sharp claws raked past her face.
She stepped back and drew her pistol, pressing it against the spirit’s face and firing.
Bang bang bang—
The ghost’s head snapped backward as it expelled black smoke.
In that moment, other spirits surged past the inverted ghost and lunged at Ye-rim.
She raised her shotgun again, firing a round at each one.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With each shot, two or three spirits were driven backward and dissolved into black smoke.
Shrieeeek—
Right then!
The inverted ghost burst through the black smoke and swung its arm down at Ye-rim with devastating force.

Clang—

Ye-rim barely blocked the attack with her shotgun.
But the impact sent her sliding down the entire length of the corridor.
Thud—
She managed to brace herself just before hitting the wall, then immediately counterattacked with her shotgun.

Bang—bang—bang—bang—

The ghost bounced erratically between both walls and the ceiling, evading bullets with its grotesque movements before lunging at Ye-rim once more.
Min-hye’s eyes darted between Tae-woo fighting below the staircase and Ye-rim struggling on the 3rd Floor behind her.
That’s when Tae-woo shouted.
“Help Manager Ye-rim!”
Tae-woo was confident he could break through this obstacle.
And more than anything—he needed the space clear so he could wield his blade freely.
Min-hye nodded and immediately bolted toward Ye-rim.
Shhhhhhh—
Gray-skinned ghosts materialized in the corridor.
Min-hye gripped her spear and charged down the 3rd Floor Corridor.
Given the narrow passage, she held the shaft close to the blade while keeping the spear tip pressed firmly against her back.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap—
She sprinted forward with the light, rapid footwork of a master spearwoman from a martial arts film.
In the same breath, she sliced through the ghosts blocking her path in an instant.
Whoooosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh—
Each time her spear swept through the air, the ghosts dissolved.
Screeeech—
But the ghosts stretched their arms to block her.
Min-hye kept charging forward, her eyes fixed ahead.
Between the outstretched arms of the ghosts, she glimpsed Ye-rim firing her weapon and an inverted ghost descending toward her.
Thump—
She planted one foot hard and thrust her spear forward, launching her body into the air.
Whoooooosh—
Her airborne form remained horizontal to the ground, drilling through the gaps between the ghosts’ arms like a spinning auger.
Simultaneously, the tip of her spear—like a drill head—rotated rapidly toward the inverted ghost’s back.
A warm gust of air erupted around her.
Whoooosh—
The ghost charging blindly at Ye-rim suddenly sensed the shift in air and glanced back.
In that instant—Min-hye’s spear tip pierced straight through the ghost’s abdomen.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh—
The spinning blade burst through the ghost’s front.
The moment Ye-rim saw this, she stepped forward, pressed her shotgun barrel to the ghost’s head, and pulled the trigger.
Boom—
The ghost’s head exploded in an instant.
Thump—
Min-hye landed and withdrew her spear.
The ghost now hung limply from the ceiling with a gaping hole through its chest and its head completely gone.
Shhhhhhh—
Soon after, black powder cascaded from the ghost’s feet, scattering across the floor before it vanished entirely.
Meanwhile.
Tae-woo was locked in combat with a Grade 4 Long-Blade Specter on the narrow staircase.
The inability to swing the Ghost-Slaying Blade with full force was utterly frustrating.
‘Damn it.’
Though I gripped the Ghost-Slaying Blade, the situation was no different from when facing the Jjamppong Killer—I couldn’t use it freely.
While I considered a strategy, the Long-Blade Specter’s pipe struck my abdomen.
Guhhhh—
Sharp pain coursed through me.
But if I retreated now, the specters would surge upward without resistance.
I endured the pain and thrust the Blood-Crimson Dagger forward with all my strength.
Squelch—
The short blade pierced the Long-Blade Specter’s abdomen once more.
I quickly withdrew the dagger and hurled the Blood-Crimson Dagger toward the mass of specters.
Whoooosh—
The Blood-Crimson Dagger pierced through the Long-Blade Specter and several other specters.
Then, extending my left arm, the Blood-Crimson Dagger returned, piercing through the specters once again.
Since utilizing electromagnetic force, a single throw now allowed two attacks.
Fzzzzzzz—
The specters behind the Long-Blade Specter vanished like dominoes.
Thud—
With the Blood-Crimson Dagger back in my left hand, I pushed the Long-Blade Specter before me with my palm, then drove the blade straight through its neck.
Squelch—
The Long-Blade Specter looked at me in agony and opened its mouth once more.

Gggggggggggack—

A grotesque sound leaked from its throat.
Simultaneously, its tongue began unrolling like toilet paper from its mouth down to its chest.
“Ugh!”
I grimaced in disgust and shoved the Ghost-Slaying Blade forcefully into the specter’s mouth.
Squelch—
Only after the blade pierced through its neck and the back of its skull did the Long-Blade Specter begin to dissolve.
Fzzzzzzzzz—
Before my eyes, the Grade 4 Long-Blade Specter transformed into black smoke.
At that moment, Ye-rim and Min-hye, who had cleared the 3rd Floor, approached the staircase.
“Are you alright?”
At her question, I drew a deep breath and nodded.

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