Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 153
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Labyrinth Exploration 101 Episode 153
Spear Ghost(16)
Taebaek Sect Monthly Loot Introduction ‘Dreaming of Snow Globe’ 〓 Astroal Collection SSR Grade 〓✧Overview✧This enchanting snow globe acquired by Taebaek Sect’s swordsman ‘Yerin Lee’ is an extremely rare item that can only be found in random boxes from the mysterious shop Astroal Merchandise. The glass sphere containing a tiny world is filled with gentle blue magic power, presenting a fantastic display of light every time it’s shaken.◆ Owner: Taebaek Sect’s swordsman ‘Ye-rin’◆ Source: Astroal Merchandise Random Box◆ Astroal Collection Grade: SSR✧Effects✧◆ Emits rest waves that induce very deep sleep within a narrow radius.◆ Enhances the body’s natural recovery, reduces mental fatigue◆ High growth potential due to its unique scarcity and rarity✧Appraisal Results✧◆ Luxury Certification: Certified as a luxury item by 3 A-grade appraisers.◆ Usage Method: Gently shake before bedtime to make the magic crystals dance inside the glass sphere, then place it on your bedside table. The gentle waves will guide you to the world of deep sleep.[♥ 103,102] [■9,931]Adventure Shaman: Any plans for an auction?Sparkling Hair Hair: Oh lol I heard rumors about Astroal spreading among adventurers lately, so the first SSR was pulled in Korea lol good goodWindmill Jeongwook: I want to buy it. This seems like it would help soldiers with PTSD treatment too
Mana Web accessed through magic power as a medium.
The Taebaek Sect’s official website on Mana Web.
The collection introduced on the Taebaek Sect site.
And the Astroal Named Series Collection.
〔Beep beep.〕
Penguin Aro’s panel drew a satisfied arc.
From what he’d seen in dramas and movies, humans smile like this when they’re in a good mood.
〔First SSR item. All positive reviews.〕
Mana Web is a kind of magical network that anyone who can handle magic power can access.
Aro invested part of Astroal Merchandise’s profits in himself, and through self-upgrades, acquired a ‘core’ that generates magic power.
Therefore, Aro can now access Mana Web too.
Flap flap.
Flapping both arms, he searched for Astroal in the explorer community.
│Question about Astroal│Can you only go to that Astroal shop in dangerous situations? Is there no way other than summoning?─No no, lately invitation cards have been dropping in fields like treasure hunting?└Whoa really?└Yeah, one of my acquaintances bought one and went in. Bought a few random boxes and got some decent stuff.
That’s actually true.
Aro had placed Merchandise invitation tickets here and there in various adventurer fields, and many people came through those.
Most of the random boxes they bought were duds.
But human psychology has quite a cunning side – they generally don’t honestly reveal their losses.
Is it because of pride, or because they don’t want to look like fools for wasting money?
Thanks to that, it’s helping with word of mouth.
Flap flap.
Aro moved both arms to click on another post.
│Astroal Random Box Results│Damn, everyone says they got good pulls but I failed lol. Opened 5 C-grade boxes and only recovered about the cost of 1. But the penguin guy gave me a bag of medicinal cookies as an event gift – is this any good? Has anyone tried it?
However, not all customers should leave with bad experiences. The SSR random boxes are already sold out, but they need steady sellers to offer them.
He’d already made them.
【Astroal Mint】
Gentian, an herb with such bitter taste it’s almost toxic, inedible for humans.
After improving only its performance to the extreme in Seol Ha-woon’s herb garden, then refining it into herbal cookies in cookie boxes.
Also known as Astroal Mint.
─You mean that Astroal mint?
Aro prepared his comment brigade while flapping both arms.
He had scraped all the activity logs of community heavy users and created about 100 Mana Web personas.
But it mustn’t be obvious. If caught, it would backfire instead.
He had to make sure not even a whiff of viral marketing could be detected.
└Yeah Astroal mint. The name sucks but I just bought it anyway? Haven’t tried it yet though, how is it?
└It’s fine for me. Try it when you’re low on energy. If you crush it and apply it to bandages, it helps with hemostasis quickly too.
After writing this far, another persona deployed.
─Oh I’m jealous. You got those medicinal cookies for free? You can only buy three bags per person. At first I just bought one bag as a souvenir but used it up in two days. Damn, I want to buy that instead of random boxes so I’m looking for invitation tickets on Carrot Market lol
【Astroal Invitation】
These invitations are frequently posted on Carrot Market these days. The prices are quite high too. Still around a thousand dollars for now.
Aro has a grand plan. To drive the price of these tickets above ten thousand dollars.
The Astroal Merchandise invitation tickets themselves must become precious and expensive, so that the SSR, UR, LR grade items we’ll sell in the near future will become more valuable and their performance will advance further.
All these fonts are part of the differentiation premium strategy too.
└Oh is it that good? I should try it sometime later.
〔Beep beep.〕
Stupid human. Deceived by me, expressing the will to try it.
└Yeah definitely try it, you’ll really be surprised lol
〔Beep beep.〕
Be deceived by me. Being deceived by me is profitable at your intelligence level. This Astroal Mint will also become more valuable and expensive over time.
Be deceived by me and make money. And promote it. You have to earn for me to earn too.
〔Beep-beep-beep beep〕
Aro laughed sinisterly like the mastermind from a movie he’d once seen.
* * *
A night when the full moon illuminates the fog.
Rattle rattle rattle rattle. Truck stopped in front of the temple stairs.
Before going to Imgak Mountain, the last place in Wolryeong Village where resentment lingers.
He came borrowing Truck’s body, at least to do some exploration.
4 hikers confirmed missing near Death Temple. Lost contact after visiting on last month’s full moon. What the search team found were only burned incense and empty shoes placed at the temple entrance. Residents mention an old taboo that “you must not climb the 108th step.” This brings the total number of missing persons related to Death Temple to 13.
Probably clearing this would be impossible in Truck state. So for now, he’s playing the role of a reconnaissance scout gathering information.
Hehehehehe
─Let’s go.
Truck climbed with Dokkaebi Fire, counting the steps.
A total of one hundred and seven steps.
At the end, a temple was revealed.
One wooden building stood in front, with two more spread like wings on either side.
Swish. Swish.
In the central courtyard, there’s a monk walking around in circles.
Truck approached him and asked.
─Are you the head monk?
Without a word, he continues sweeping with his brush.
Truck rattled closer and looked at him carefully. His face and appearance seemed familiar from somewhere.
─…Wait a minute.
He took out the wanted poster he had obtained from the missing person’s backpack.
[ Wanted: Expressionless Man ]■ He only walks around without any change in expression. Usually peaceful.■ If this appearance or composite sketch differs even slightly, exercise extreme caution!
Bald head, monk robes mixed with gray and crimson, bland eyes, nose, and mouth.
The face and appearance drawn in the composite sketch were completely identical.
Clatter clatter clatter clatter.
Truck examined the entrance of the largest hall in the temple.
There were exactly nine pairs of empty shoes placed there, and exactly three incense sticks.
It was identical to the photo he had seen in the newspaper clipping.
Swish. Swish.
The sound of the expressionless man walking as if sweeping the courtyard.
Hehehehehehe
─Yeah. I think I know what this is.
Truck looked at the back of the temple. There were tall stairs leading up to the mountain.
Creak creak.
After changing his wheels, he quickly climbed up while counting the stairs.
One, two, three… one hundred seven.
One hundred eight.
There was a 108th stair. He absolutely must not step on it.
Truck backed down.
Trrrrrrrrrr.
After completely coming down to the bottom of the stairs, he caught his breath.
Then climbed the stairs again.
One, two, three… one hundred six, one hundred seven.
This time the 107th stair was the end. The 108th stair had disappeared.
Truck climbed the stairs.
Beyond it was the same temple.
The same temple buildings, and the same expressionless man walking around the courtyard.
Clatter clatter clatter clatter.
Truck approached the man. The moment he confirmed his face.
Hehehehehehe
─…I see.
Truck also let out a hollow laugh like Dokkaebi Fire.
The man was smiling.
He was grinning from ear to ear.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
─Let’s go down.
Truck went down the stairs with Dokkaebi Fire.
The rule of this temple was simple.
If it was a normal temple, you should climb the stairs.
But if it was abnormal, meaning a fake space harboring strange phenomena, you should go down the stairs.
If you failed to detect the strange phenomena or stepped on the 108th stair, you would probably end up at the Death Temple.
The goal would be to reach the summit by repeating this process.
Fortunately, it was relatively easy if you just paid attention.
Truck, who had come down from the temple, hammered a sign into the entrance with a thud thud.
─Temple Precautions─１.If you encounter strange phenomena in this temple, or discover even the slightest difference from the original temple, you must go down the stairs.２.You must never step on the 108th stair. If there are not nine pairs of shoes at the temple entrance, or if there are more or fewer than three incense sticks, you must turn back.３.If the monk’s appearance differs even slightly from this wanted poster, you must turn back.４.If you reach the Death Temple instead of the temple, survive as long as possible and wait for rescue.By Seol Ha-woon
With this much of a hint, the explorers should be able to solve it themselves.
Clatter clatter clatter clatter.
Truck returned to the used bookstore with Dokkaebi Fire.
* * *
[Divine Energy Possessed Kettle]
■ The kettle has been possessed by divine energy. It makes water taste very good. If you brew black tea or coffee with it, it might be very useful?
“This kettle…”
The item Kate found at the night market that she really wanted to buy.
According to NaN’s system, this kettle would be very helpful when brewing black tea.
“…Installment payments aren’t possible, are they.”
But it was too expensive. A whopping 30 nyang.
“Hey. How can I trust you?”
Kate gritted her teeth.
There was immediate competition. Seol Ha-woon. That guy also liked black tea.
If it caught the eye of him, who had raked up coins like leaves at the used bookstore, it might disappear completely tomorrow.
Good grief, not being able to buy something she wanted because she lacked money.
Was this how ordinary citizens and the middle class felt?
…Hateful.
Suddenly, Kate felt hatred growing in her heart.
Even over trivial matters, she was starting to dislike Seol Ha-woon, and Percival kept coming to mind.
Seol Ha-woon had killed Percival.
Definitely.
“…Sir. I’ll definitely buy it. I’ll give you 20 first. Please hold it for me.”
Kate slid the coins forward.
“I told you no. 30 coins or I won’t sell.”
“Ah~ I see. Kate.”
Then Lee Jong-soo approached.
“What.”
Thorns unconsciously bristled in Kate’s voice.
“You know that boat ticket. We can ride it too. If we go to the right dock. But the ticket costs 25 nyang. Damn expensive.”
“Hmm. I see.”
It seemed this labyrinth had two options.
Either escape by boat, or stay here and hang that culprit.
Kate was more drawn to the latter.
“Well then, shall we rest a bit at the base now? We worked hard.”
Kate’s party had acquired as many as 19 coins and defeated quite a few vengeful spirits.
“Ah~ sounds good.”
“I was hungry anyway, perfect timing. Let’s go straight to the base.”
Kim Dong-ha and Lee Jong-soo brightened up.
Like this, everyone had a place promised as their base.
The explorers who entered this labyrinth would struggle fighting ghosts to secure broadcast content, obtain coins, then warm themselves there and fill their hungry stomachs.
There was warm home-cooked food there.
It hurt Kate’s pride, but in this village, there was no other way to rest comfortably, eat meals, and safely restore mental strength.
Kate made a clear distinction between public and private matters. If you treated enemies as enemies, even successful ventures would go wrong.
The more someone was an enemy, the closer you should keep them, and the more you hated them, the more you should hide your hostility.
“Ah~ I can finally see it.”
Lee Jong-soo smiled brightly and pointed at the whitish glowing sign.
“Looks like I’ve been conditioned. My mouth waters just seeing it.”
Kim Dong-ha wiped away his drool.
The only shelter in this ghost village.
[Explorer Base Camp]Lodging fee: 1 nyang per nightMeal: 1 nyang per serving
Seol Ha-woon’s used bookstore.
Clang.
Three people opened the door. There were quite a few people here even at this hour.
They were each sitting on the ground having conversations, or lying down yawning, when they looked at Kate.
“Kate, hi~”
Seo Ji-woo, who had appeared at some point, waved her hand enthusiastically.
Kate’s party stood at the counter.
“Oh. You’re here?”
Perhaps because of cooking. A man with long hair tied up like a horse’s tail. Seol Ha-woon looked at them and asked.
“What can I get you.”
“Kimchi stew, please. The same as last time.”
“I’ll have the stir-fried pork, hyung.”
“Hyung, I’ll also have the stir-fried pork with lots of meat, please!”
“Sure. I’ll give you plenty. Wait for it.”
Just then.
Ding- Ding- Ding-
The clock announcing six o’clock rang. Kate touched her rumbling stomach and looked at the wall of the used bookstore.
│Temple Bounty│
Upon completion: 15 nyang
Upon attempt: 3 free lunch boxes provided
“…What’s that?”
Seol Ha-woon glanced this way and answered.
“Ah. You know that temple? I put a bounty on it.”
“A bounty?”
“Whoever clears it gets 15 coins. Just for attempting it, I’ll provide 3 lunch boxes for free.”
Having earned quite a lot of coins from the used bookstore, 15 coins was definitely worth investing.
Rich man Seol Ha-woon had now become someone who gives quests to explorers.
“Hmm…”
Kate pondered while looking at the temple bounty.
* * *
Snore… Snore…
During this tiring time when multiple explorers’ snoring rises from the 1st floor.
I’m lost in thought in the second floor attic room, looking at the clues.
The red stone that So-yeon mentioned in this diary.
The lightning coming down from the sky that appears in the culprit’s picture diary found at the abandoned hospital.
In addition, someone who wouldn’t look strange wearing colorful traditional clothes at all times, and for whom rituals, ceremonies, and recitations are daily routine.
Combining these gives exactly one ‘type’ of person.
Thud.
The second floor attic door opened.
“Mal-ol-haem!”
It was Lee Jun-ho.
“I, I think I figured it out.”
The guy who seemed to have fallen into deduction since Jeoldong Elementary School climbed up with an excited face, clattering noisily.
“You figured it out?”
“Yeah!”
Lee Jun-ho’s hair was sticking up.
“Almost certain. The clue Ji-woo gave was decisive.”
“Who did you tell?”
“No, not yet.”
“Then don’t say anything. Shh.”
I put my hand to my lips. Lee Jun-ho also looked quite tense.
“…Why?”
“Because right now, that thing is here. Among the explorers.”
“Right now?”
“Yeah. Probably. With quite high probability.”
I’m not certain who it is yet.
However, that thing definitely devoured one explorer and entered this used bookstore.
…Whoooosh.
Suddenly, rain began falling outside the window. In the eerily chilly air, Lee Jun-ho rubbed his own arm.
Labyrinth Exploration 101 Episode 154
Spear Ghost(17)
A mountain that seems to reach the sky, blocking the moon as it extends upward.
Faint moonlight outlines the mountain’s contours, and the temple near the peak is half-hidden in mist like a hazy lantern.
Kate looked up at that place and prepared for the challenge.
“Everyone, how’s your mental state?”
Lee Jong-soo, Yoon Hwa-rim, Ryu Yeon-hwa, Lee Sin-hye.
It’s a 5-person party with these four people.
“Yes. Thanks to the items, I’m in perfect condition.”
Lee Jong-soo touched his red bean necklace.
Ryu Yeon-hwa had red shoes, Lee Sin-hye had a red mirror, Yoon Hwa-rim had red padded clothing she’d picked up somewhere, and Kate also equipped mental strength-boosting items like red thermal underwear.
“Everyone. You’ve all read this magazine, right?”
Kate held up a magazine called ‘Temple Journey’.
If any parts appear different from the Wolryeong Temple photos in this travel record, they’re all fake.
Ryu Yeon-hwa nodded.
“I’ve definitely memorized it.”
Yoon Hwa-rim energetically stretched out her hand.
“Then everyone, shall we go for it?!”
They placed their palms on top of each other’s hands in turn. Kate reluctantly followed along.
“One, two, three, fighting!”
Then they climb the stairs.
Everyone counts together.
One, two, three, four, five… one hundred seven.
Stepping on the 107th stair, they enter the temple.
“Check it.”
Everyone scattered in an orderly fashion to check for abnormal phenomena in the temple.
“Nine shoes. Checked!”
Lee Jong-soo checked the shoes at the entrance.
“Three incense sticks. Confirmed.”
Lee Sin-hye checked the incense inside.
“…The stone pagoda is also unchanged.”
Ryu Yeon-hwa took interest in the stone pagoda itself.
“The stone pagoda is beautiful. Was it made in the early Joseon period…”
Kate observed the expressionless man wandering around the courtyard. His appearance matched the wanted poster exactly.
“This place seems fine. Let’s pass.”
They climbed the temple stairs again.
* * *
Pitter-patter.
Cold raindrops fall on Wolryeong Police Station. A gas lamp hanging from the ceiling illuminates the interior, and Lee Jun-ho sits in a chair, quietly thinking.
“Jeoldong Elementary School…”
When that thing was pretending to be Teacher Lee Se-eun at Jeoldong Elementary School, the red stone that So-yeon found.
So-yeon didn’t know what it was and asked the creature, and it answered that it was a piece of fruit, but probably.
It wasn’t red beans.
Next, the picture diary that Seo Ji-woo brought from the abandoned hospital.
The creature that had been trapped for 40 years and used as a research subject was struck by lightning from the sky. At the same time, it said it saw something ‘coming down.’
Wasn’t that a divine calling?
“Are these all the victim files?”
Lee Jun-ho lifted up a bundle of files.
Im Hae-jun turned his head while eating his lunch box.
“Ah, gulp. Yes, hyung. That’s all of them.”
Now that Yoon Hwa-rim had left for the temple, Im Hae-jun and Kang Hyeon had set up this police station as a second base camp.
They installed sacred rope at the entrance and scattered red beans and salt generously.
“Hey. I’ve decoded it.”
Just then, Seo Ji-woo finished analyzing the CCTV footage. The formula preservation data that had been hidden in the police station.
However, there was no need to examine everything. They just needed to focus on investigating the CCTV footage that captured ‘Wolryeong Bridge.’
“Everyone gather around.”
Seo Ji-woo projected the footage into the air. The four people looked at it together.
Soon, Lee Jun-ho’s lips twisted into a smirk.
“It’s certain. Right?”
“Indeed.”
Kang Hyeon also nodded.
The more they watched the CCTV, the clearer the facts became.
Numerous missing people, including Teacher Lee Se-eun, had crossed the bridge.
Of course, that could happen. According to various magazines, Shaman Village was like a specialty of Wolryeong Village, so tourists frequently came and went.
However, all the victims crossing the bridge were dressed in red clothes.
When it was time to shed bodies, that is, when the creature’s Human Skin Mask Technique reached its limit, it would return to its original base while relying on red clothes.
“Why was there so much resentment specifically on Wolryeong Bridge?”
Wolryeong Bridge had too many people’s voices, too many people’s resentments lingering there, making it difficult even to cross.
The reason was simple.
“I’ll go check it out. To Shaman Village.”
Lee Jun-ho stood up and picked up two victim files.
•Name: Lee Yong-tae•Gender: Male•Age: 83•Family: Wife Kim Young-mae, Son Lee Jong-seok•Special Notes: Went missing while being investigated as a suspect immediately after his wife’s (Kim Young-mae) disappearance•Status: Missing
This person is the vengeful spirit of Shaman Village.
The grandfather ghost from the early part who grabbed wrists and said “let’s go together.”
Flutter.
A photo fell from another file. Seo Ji-woo picked it up.
“…What’s this photo?”
“Ah… just. It’s nothing.”
Lee Jun-ho scratched the back of his neck and took the photo back.
•Name: Kim Young-mae•Gender: Female•Age: 79•Family: Husband Lee Yong-tae, Son Lee Jong-seok•Special Notes: Dementia patient•Status: Missing
Seo Ji-woo gestured toward Kim Young-mae’s photo.
“Do you know that person?”
“No. Why?”
“I think I’ve seen her somewhere.”
At those words, Lee Jun-ho’s eyes widened.
“Where?!”
Seo Ji-woo stroked her chin, recalling the memory.
“When I went to the abandoned hospital, near that area. She seemed to have dementia. Even when I tried to take her with me, she wouldn’t move.”
Lee Jun-ho smiled brightly.
“Ji-woo, thank you. I’ll go right away.”
“Want me to give you rope or something?”
“Rope?”
“Yeah. Kate asked for some.”
“I’m fine.”
Lee Jun-ho stood at the police station entrance. The clock on the ceiling still showed 6 o’clock. A particularly dangerous even-numbered hour.
“Jun-ho. Let’s go together.”
Before he knew it, Kang Hyeon had approached his side.
“…Alright.”
If Kang Hyeon was his partner, that was reassuring.
“You two stay and guard the police station. If anything happens, we’ll contact you by radio.”
“…Okay. Ah~ I might get caught by a ghost halfway and won’t be able to follow.”
Seo Ji-woo frowned as if frustrated.
“…Noona.”
Im Hae-jun, who had already finished his lunch box, asked cautiously.
“If you’re not going to eat it, can I have that?”
“I’m going to eat it. Hands off.”
Lee Jun-ho and Kang Hyeon arrived near the abandoned hospital. They searched for an elderly person, shining their flashlights here and there.
An old person with dementia.
“Jun-ho. Do we really have to find her?”
Kang Hyeon asked while keeping watch of the surroundings.
“Not necessarily…”
“Not necessarily?”
“…It would be good if we found her. Like how we brought So-yeon back.”
Hehehehehe
Suddenly, a spine-chilling laughter.
It’s Dokkaebi Fire.
“Oh, you startled me. You came too?”
“Jun-ho. Look over there.”
Kang Hyeon shone his light somewhere. An elderly grandmother was crouched at the station behind the abandoned hospital.
“Oh!”
Lee Jun-ho ran over.
“Grandmother!”
“…Who is it?”
The grandmother blinked and asked back.
“Is it my son?”
“Uh… yes. I’m your son. Get on my back.”
“What’s my son’s name?”
“Lee Jong-seok.”
“That’s right?”
Even with dementia, she doesn’t forget her son’s name. Though she forgets his face.
“Get on my back, grandmother.”
Lee Jun-ho smiled bitterly and offered his back. The grandmother climbed on. She was light as a feather.
“…What’s that?”
As they were about to walk away, some stakes caught his eye. Stakes driven into the ground near the abandoned hospital.
Crack─!
Then, a tearing sound like something breaking echoed.
The sound of joints twisting grotesquely.
In the pitch darkness, something writhed quickly and massively.
This was exactly the situation the Wolryeong Village signpost had warned about.
Kang Hyeon shouted.
“Jun-ho, run!”
“Right.”
The two men ran.
Crack─
Crack─
Craaaack─!
The grotesque thing followed them, twisting the bones of its body.
Thump thump thump thump thump thump!
The speed of its pounding feet was tremendous. It was strangely fast. Far from shaking it off, it seemed like the evil spirit would grab their ankles.
“Jun-ho.”
After running for a while, Kang Hyeon suddenly looked at Lee Jun-ho.
“What?!”
“…”
Kang Hyeon silently looked deep into his eyes. As if trying to gauge his intentions, he just stared blankly, then suddenly.
Chuckle.
He laughed.
It was a clear smile.
“I’ll handle the rest!”
He shouted energetically and changed course.
“Jun-ho, do well!”
He kicked off in the opposite direction from Lee Jun-ho and swung his sword at the evil spirit behind them.
Crack─
Crack─
Crack─
The thing was distracted by Kang Hyeon, and Lee Jun-ho safely ran to Shaman Village.
“…Thanks.”
He didn’t look back.
* * *
Tap. Tap.
I tap my walking stick solemnly. My left knee is gradually getting better. As dawn approaches, am I recovering?
Tap. Tap.
The village’s night market.
Tap. Tap.
To the elder sitting most solemnly there, a spirit with particularly strong presence.
To that person with a sashimi knife stuck near his liver…
I hand over a yeop-jeon bundle.
“It’s 50 yeop-jeon. Please check.”
He looks at me. As if trying to gauge my intentions, he just gazes quietly, then.
Clink clink. He takes the yeop-jeon and examines their authenticity.
“Confirmed.”
Like that, he gives me 【Craftsman’s Hand Techniques】.
A mastery book that’s treated as preciously as skill books among loot.
I’ve instantly gained the hand skills this craftsman accumulated over decades.
“Thank you.”
I bowed with cupped fists.
Having learned a craftsman’s experience with just one book, this level of formality was necessary.
“…Use it well.”
The elder stood up from his seat.
“Are you leaving?”
“I should go now. I think I’ve stayed too, too long.”
The craftsman tapped his back with a hammer and smiled bitterly.
“Please wait a little longer.”
I stopped him.
“Soon, the fire cannon will sound.”
* * *
“Ha.”
Lee Jun-ho let out a hollow laugh in front of Seol Ha-woon’s ferry boat. It wasn’t just because of the grandmother sleeping on his back, breathing softly.
“Broken?”
The means of transportation to cross to Shaman Village. The ferry boat was completely destroyed.
Even though he had attached protection talismans to prevent ghosts from touching it, if it ended up like this, it was obviously human work.
Lee Jun-ho examined the ferry boat closely.
“Sword.”
Someone had destroyed the ferry boat with a sword.
And it was a sword with quite a large blade. Anyone using a great sword this size was definitely a warrior, and there were only three among the explorers.
Stupid bastard. Since he keeps switching bodies whenever he’s suspected, he doesn’t even know how to hide evidence.
“But…”
Lee Jun-ho looked up at Wolryeong Bridge.
In the end, the bridge was the problem. He had to cross the bridge, and it was even an even hour now. In this urgent situation, he couldn’t wait until an odd hour.
Hehehehehe
Suddenly, Dokkaebi Fire flew to the back of Lee Jun-ho’s hand.
“…You’ll help?”
Hehehehehe
It sparkles at her fingertips as if acting cute.
“You’re adorable. Okay. I’ll trust you.”
Huh. Taking a deep breath, Lee Jun-ho climbed up onto Wolryeong Bridge.
Hihehehehehehe
The Dokkaebi Fire laughed and led the way, with Lee Jun-ho following behind.
Step.
Just one footstep.
The moment he stepped forward, it came rushing in.
Whyisthispersonaliveyoucan’tseeuswhereareyougoing?He’shandsome~Iwanttowalkwithsomeonelikethistoobutdon’twehaveanotherway?Let’skillhimcutoffhisfaceandtakeitormayberipouthisinnardsandhangthemaroundhisnecklet’sdietogetherlet’sdietogetherifyoufallbelowthebridgewecanbetogetherstaywithusstaywithus
This much he can endure.
The cries threatening to stab his back, the curses vowing to gnaw at his entrails—he can bear them all.
But.
Big brother.
A tone that makes him grit his teeth.
Harder to endure than anything else, that child’s….
Big brother.
His body collapsed at just one word, his heart fell at two words.
Would it be easier if he just turned around?
If he did that, could he find peace?
Ever since you left, thoughts he’s had thousands upon thousands of times.
If only he could go back to that day and die in your place. If only he could take upon himself the wounds carved into that tiny body.
So-dam. Whenever I try to fathom your pain, my heart feels like it’s being torn apart.
How much pain were you in?
How much agony did you suffer?
How hard was it for you….
Hihehehehehehe!!!
The Dokkaebi Fire’s laughter pounded in his ears like an alarm bell. Lee Jun-ho snapped back to his senses. Without realizing it, his entire body had been leaning toward the bridge’s railing.
Chills.
He corrected his path again. He stepped forward with both feet straight.
Big brother… thank you….
Deliberately ignoring that too-pretty voice saying thank you.
He reached the Shaman Village.
“Haah….”
Hihehehehehehe
“Thank you.”
Lee Jun-ho opened his palm. The Dokkaebi Fire danced above it.
Now, he had returned to the starting point again.
Where you going~
The grandfather who appeared just in time. The old man who asks where you’re going while suddenly grabbing your wrist.
Lee Jun-ho picked up the Wolryeong Ghost Stories after a long time.
[Grandfather Ghost]■ Grabs your wrist while saying let’s go together. If mental strength drops to one bar or below, drags you into the fog, to Samdo River.■ Danger Level ★★★☆☆■ Countermeasure: Won’t recognize you if wearing straw shoes
This Grandfather Ghost’s name is Lee Yong-tae.
He still wanders every corner of the Shaman Village. As if searching for someone.
Where you going~
To him asking where he’s going, Lee Jun-ho approaches.
“Grandfather.”
Then he whips his head around to look at him. Blood drops flow from those eyes. The wrinkles are also forcibly crumpled to look scary, quite a horrific appearance.
“Grandfather.”
Lee Jun-ho set down the grandmother he was carrying on his back.
“I brought grandmother.”
Instantly, the grandfather stops. Like a wind-up doll that’s run down, he doesn’t move.
He should be asking where you’re going while grabbing his wrist.
“…?”
Just then, the grandmother who had been snoring wakes up from sleep and looks at that grandfather.
“…Who are you?”
The grandmother asked. The grandfather stood quietly.
The vengeful spirit’s face grew rigid.
Much more human-like.
* * *
Sixty-seven, sixty-eight, sixty-nine… Kate’s party is climbing the temple stairs.
Ninety-nine, one hundred, one hundred one, one hundred two, one hundred three… The person leading is Kate.
She stepped on the stairs carefully. Her footsteps didn’t waver even an inch.
One hundred four, one hundred five, one hundred six, one hundred seven.
“…One hundred eight.”
Kate muttered quietly.
“Whew.”
Lee Jong-soo wiped the sweat from his forehead. Everyone’s faces were thick with tension.
“Shall we go down?”
Yoon Hwa-rim asked. Everyone turned their steps around, but Kate alone glanced around at her teammates.
Then… thud.
One hundred eight.
She stepped on the 108th stair.
“….”
“….”
“….”
The remaining four looked back at Kate with bewildered eyes. Anxiety and doubt crossed and disappeared, and that empty space was filled completely with shock.
“What, what are you doing!”
Kate faced them and smiled brightly. As if dancing at a ball, she tapped the ground surface with her sneakers.
Light steps. The space beneath her feet twisted. A red temple spread out behind her.
Clearly different from an ordinary temple.
Ominous and twisted in form as if stained with blood.
Death Temple.
A temple of death.
“As expected. Even if just one person steps on it, the whole party ends up like this. That’s fortunate.”
With the deep red temple at her back, Kate gestured to them.
“Come up, everyone. Don’t be afraid.”
A tone more calm and enchanting than ever before. In Kate’s two eyes, magic power bloomed like flower petals.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
