Exorcism Specialist Company: Ghost Soul Trading - Chapter 64

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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 64

Flash—
Rumble… boom boom boom—
The night sky flashed brilliantly, and thunder roared.
Seung-hun, who had been fidgeting with his phone inside the car, looked up through the windshield.
“Looks like rain’s coming.”
Before the words even finished, raindrops began pelting the car window.
Patter—tap tap—tap tap—
The size of the falling raindrops was considerable, suggesting a rather intense downpour was on its way.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap—whoooosh—
Soon, a tremendous downpour began to pour down.
Seung-hun’s brow furrowed slightly.
“It’s raining. The young master might get caught in it, but… he probably doesn’t have an umbrella.”
He gazed outside with a worried expression.
But he couldn’t enter the Battle Site.
It was because of the ‘rule’ he’d learned from Kim Jun-mo, the founding chairman.
No matter what happens, never enter the Battle Site.
Even if asked to come in, never approach under any circumstances.
During an exorcism, ghosts become enraged too, so anyone with weak spiritual energy who approached could suffer grave consequences.
Moreover, there were ghosts like the legendary Mountain Tiger that could mimic the voices of the living, and there was also the possibility that an exorcist could appear after having their soul stolen by a ghost—so even if he heard pleas for help, he must never step forward.
It could be a trap to lure the living.
Seung-hun had received thorough education on this from Chairman Kim Jun-mo, so despite the rain pouring down in torrents, he had no intention of leaving the car.
That was when it happened.
Whoooosh—
In the middle of the parking lot where rain was falling in sheets, someone could be seen trudging along.
Seung-hun furrowed his brow and focused on the figure.
Boom boom—
When thunder and lightning struck once more, the figure’s appearance became clear.
It was a man dressed in heavy clothing.
What was chilling was that he was holding a kitchen knife in his hand, and his clothes were covered in blood.
Seung-hun was momentarily confused about whether the man was a ghost or not.
Even without spiritual sight, it seemed impossible that anyone would be walking around at this hour dressed in blood-stained clothes and wielding a knife.
Boom boom boom boom—
Flash—
Thunder and lightning struck once more.
And in that flash, the man had vanished.
Seung-hun rubbed his eyes, wondering if he’d seen something wrong.
Thinking he needed to inform Tae-woo, he picked up his phone and sent a text message.

[A man wielding a knife appeared in the Parking Lot and then vanished. I’m not sure if he’s a ghost or not.]

* * *

Bzzzzzz—
Startled by the sudden vibration, Tae-woo quickly checked his phone.
It was a message from Seung-hun.
“A man wielding a knife in the Parking Lot?”
Tae-woo tilted his head in confusion.
He had never encountered a ghost carrying a blade until now.
If such a being possessed a weapon, it would mean at minimum a Grade 4 spirit.
But—
Seung-hun lacked spirit sight.
That meant one of two possibilities.
Either what Seung-hun saw was a living person, or the entity’s resentment was so potent that it manifested even to those without spirit sight.
Regardless, one thing remained certain—it was a dangerous existence.
“Wait. Wasn’t Yoon Taek-jong and the School Janitor in the Parking Lot?”
Tae-woo stopped in his tracks and turned around.
The darkened Classroom Corridor stretched before him in dim shadows.
Even the moonlight streaming through the Corridor windows was obscured by the pouring rain, casting everything into deeper darkness.

Crash—

In that instant, thunder roared and the corridor trembled.
Clang—
At the same moment, the corridor window burst open.
Whoooosh—
Rainwater slashed diagonally through the air, crashing violently into the corridor.
I slowly moved my steps toward that direction.
Thud— thud— thud—
My footsteps echoed desolately through the corridor.
Flash flash flash— boom crash—
In that instant, lightning flickered once more.
It was right then.
In the flash of lightning, a black shadow was spotted at the end of the corridor.
I could immediately sense it was a ghost.
Flash— rumble rumble rumble—
Thunder and lightning struck once more.
The black shadow that had been at the end of the corridor had moved closer.
Flash— boom crash—
Thunder and lightning struck once more.
The black shadow that had approached slightly before had drawn even nearer.
Its limbs didn’t move at all—it stood like a wooden statue—yet with each flash of lightning, it crept closer toward me bit by bit.
Flash— boom crash crash—
Thunder and lightning struck once more.
In that instant, the face and clothing of the black shadow became visible.
It was a Female Student Ghost with short hair, drenched in blood, wearing a school uniform.
It was a different form from the Female Student Ghost I’d seen until now.
“Go Yu-rim?”
I wondered if it was a student who had died last year, but the old-fashioned uniform it wore suggested otherwise.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble—
As thunder struck like an aftershock, the ghost that had reached right in front of my face suddenly thrust its face forward violently.
I had no choice but to take the blow helplessly.
I had known the ghost was approaching from the end of the corridor, but because it teleported forward with each flash of lightning, I couldn’t find the timing to swing my sword.

Screeeech—

As a bone-chilling gust of wind swept across me, the ghost shoved me and I was sent flying backward.
“Ugh!”
Crash—
Even as I fell backward, I was pushed several meters further back.
Gritting my teeth and looking at the ghost—the one that had shoved me was now clinging to the ground, approaching with serpentine speed.

Zzzzzzzzz—

From my prone position, all I could see was the ghost’s head descending toward me.
A chill shot through me, and I sprang up like a coiled spring, spinning my body as I rose.
Whoooosh—
Using that centrifugal force, I swung my sword with brutal force.
Shhhhwack—
But the blade only cut through empty air, and the ghost vanished.
I furrowed my brow and checked my radar.
“Behind!”
I immediately spun around and swept my sword horizontally.
Whooooom—
A sharp blade aura extended in all directions, kicking up dust.
But again, the ghost had already disappeared.
I checked my radar once more.
This time, the blue dot was right where I was standing.
I instinctively looked up at the ceiling.
That was the moment.
The ghost, hanging upside down with only its upper body protruding from the ceiling, dropped directly onto my head.
Startled, I threw myself to the side to evade.

Crash—

The ghost then extended its arm toward me.
In an instant, its razor-sharp nails came rushing toward my throat.
If I’d dodged even a moment later, my throat would have been pierced.
‘This is strong.’
This wasn’t a ghost merely trying to frighten me.
This was a ghost with genuine killing intent, determined to end my life.
If I fought carelessly, I could very well die.
“Damn it.”
Because of the Female Student Ghost’s memories that surfaced when I stabbed her with the Blood Crimson Blade earlier—I suddenly felt confused.
Did I need to trace the memories of this ghost attacking me now as well?
Was I supposed to use the Blood Crimson Blade to resolve its grudge?
But this ghost in front of me was lunging at me frantically, desperate to kill me by any means.
I didn’t have enough distance to draw the Blood Crimson Blade and swing it.
In this situation, I recalled what Go Yu-rim had told me.

Not to lose my nerve, but to see things through with certainty.

Tae-woo gripped his sword, resolved to cut down the ghost.

Kyaaaaaaah—

The ghost bared its awl-like teeth grotesquely and charged at me once more.
Dodging to the side, I twisted my body gracefully and swung the blade horizontally again.
This strike carried a fierce determination—this time, I would seize the creature.
Shwaaaaaah—
Perhaps it was the manifestation of that will.
A powerful sword aura erupted, striking the window and frame on one side of the corridor.
Ping—
A sharp sound rang out as a black horizontal line scored across the frame and glass.
Crack—
Fractures began spreading outward from the damaged window.
That was the moment.
Rumble rumble rumble—
Thunder and lightning struck simultaneously, and all the windows nearby shattered at once.
Crash—
Crackle—
The frame itself was cleanly severed and came pouring inward.
Glass shards and rainwater mixed together, scattering across the corridor floor.
In an instant, the corridor descended into chaos.
But the ghost paid no heed and lashed out its arm toward me.
Shwaaaaaah—
Long nails protruding from the ghost’s hand grazed my cheek as it passed.
Sting—
Blood trickled slightly down my cheek.
Without even registering the pain, I drove forward into the ghost’s path as it prepared its second attack.

Tap tap tap tap tap tap—
Splash splash splash splash—
Splatter splatter splatter splatter—
Whoooosh—

The sound of my footsteps crushing the rainwater and glass shards echoed as I surged forward, driving the sword’s point downward.

Shwaaaaaah—

The Female Student Ghost raised her hand with nails extended toward Tae-woo.
‘I need to be faster!’
Tae-woo gritted his teeth and slashed diagonally upward with his blade.
Shhhhwack—
In that instant, he felt a proper sensation of contact.
He had cleanly severed the ghost from her waist to her shoulder.

Groooooow—

Tae-woo stood in the follow-through of his sword swing, looking up at the ghost.
The ghost glared down at him, a diagonal blade mark now carved across her torso.
One second later.
Shhhhwack—
Black smoke erupted from the ghost’s wound.
Whoooosh—
Simultaneously, the shattered glass and rainwater beneath the ghost’s back were swept violently backward.
The debris on the ground had been scattered by the force of Tae-woo’s blade energy.
Zzzzzzzzz—
The fierce ghost dissolved completely into black smoke.
Tae-woo slowly lowered his sword.
Rumble—
Thunder, lightning, and rain continued to pour down relentlessly.
He brushed the rainwater from his body and reviewed the battle that had just taken place.
When the ghost suddenly appeared before him, his reaction speed seemed lacking.
The timing of drawing and sheathing the blade was difficult to control.
Moreover, when he fell backward or tumbled, the scabbard on his back proved extremely inconvenient.
Tae-woo thought for a moment, then removed the Guichaldo scabbard from his back.
He then secured the scabbard to his left hip and sheathed the blade.
Now the Hyeolsudantdo hung at his right waist, and the Guichaldo at his left.
He was beginning to find his optimal combat style through direct experience at the Battle Site.
Meanwhile, the sound of an LP player continued to drift up from below the Staircase.
Tae-woo continued his search, listening to that sound.
Then.
A strange phenomenon occurred.

Dum-dum-dum— Ooooh— Duuuuung—

The grand music flowing from the LP player suddenly stopped.
I halted mid-stride as I crossed the corridor.
A sudden cessation of music meant either the spring had wound down or the record had reached its end—one of the two.
Yet the melody had been flowing smoothly just moments before.
It wasn’t the right time for the music to end.
“Did the spring run out?”
I muttered to myself.
But that wasn’t it either.

Uuuuuuung— guuuuung— duuuuuuung—

Mozart’s Requiem, which had been playing so beautifully and grandly, had begun playing in reverse.
This wasn’t a problem with the spring or the record.
Something inexplicable by ordinary logic was occurring.
I immediately bolted down the corridor toward the First Floor.
Whether it was a ghost or something else, someone had definitely touched the LP player.
Thud—
I raced down the Central Staircase like a madman and arrived at the spot where the LP player had been placed.
But the LP player had vanished without a trace.
Only—Mozart’s Requiem, playing in reverse, continued to drift from somewhere down the corridor.
Someone was moving about with the LP player still playing.
I immediately began running toward the sound.
The music emanating from the LP player served as my compass.

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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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