The Calamity-Class Artifacts in Ghost Stories Are Obsessed with Me - Chapter 56
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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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Urban Legends and Catastrophe-Class Relics — Chapter 56
Woo Ju and Chae Wol both opened their eyes wide at being singled out.
Of the two, Woo Ju was the first to speak.
“You mean the two of us?”
“That’s right.”
Hwa Ryeon nodded as she spoke.
“With your combined abilities, you’ll have no trouble handling it, so don’t worry.”
When she put it like that, there was no way to refuse.
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
As Woo Ju and Chae Wol answered, Yeon Woo spoke up in a bright, eager voice.
“I’ll do my best!”
“This new recruit’s got plenty of energy. Well then, let’s start by reviewing the materials.”
Hwa Ryeon distributed documents to Woo Ju and Chae Wol as she spoke.
Woo Ju accepted them and examined the contents.
The papers contained detailed information about the target they would be handling.
“Hmm……”
At first glance, it didn’t seem particularly dangerous.
The target was a “Cursed Painting.”
It was an urban legend that had once caused double-digit casualties, but senior agents had already resolved most of the curse’s source.
On top of that, it had been sealed away for well over a decade, so it had weakened considerably.
All that Woo Ju and the others had to do was completely incinerate it.
Of course, some faint curse might remain, but that much could be handled easily by just the two of them.
“So, does it look manageable?”
“Yes.”
“It does.”
Chae Wol’s expression had also grown lighter once she’d reviewed the materials.
“Then we’ll sketch out a quick plan and head out right away.”
Hwa Ryeon smiled as she said this, and Woo Ju, Chae Wol, and Yeon Woo immediately began formulating their strategy.
It was Chae Wol who mostly offered suggestions.
Detailed tactical planning was clearly her strength.
Woo Ju, given the nature of his abilities, tended to prefer a more straightforward approach.
“Should we go with this?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll do my best!”
After the three of them had finalized their plan and gathered what they needed, they made their way to the Elevator.
The walk to the Elevator was quiet.
Woo Ju and Chae Wol had never operated a mission together alone, and Yeon Woo was new to the team.
Ding.
The Elevator soon arrived.
Only after stepping inside did Woo Ju break the silence and speak.
“So, how did you end up joining us?”
“The staff member who consulted with me first suggested it! The team leader also said it would be a good opportunity.”
“Is that so?”
It seemed there was something special about this recruit.
If she were an ordinary person, they wouldn’t have bothered making an offer to hire her.
‘Though I suppose she doesn’t seem ordinary.’
She’s still wearing that mask on her head, after all.
At first, when they’d just rescued her, he’d found it odd but let it pass. But seeing her still wearing it now, it seemed the mask itself had something peculiar about it.
Much like his own Bangsangsi mask.
He was curious about that aspect, but he didn’t press her on it.
Even among teammates, it was polite not to ask about sensitive matters.
Of course, there was still something else he needed to know.
“Is there anything you’re confident you can do?”
At the very least, he needed to know what abilities she possessed.
Even for a relatively simple operation, he couldn’t work alongside someone without knowing their abilities.
“I can command spirits.”
“Command spirits?”
“Yes. Or rather, I suppose I should say I ask them……? But they usually listen to me.”
It was certainly an exceptional ability.
Whether he was born with such an ability or possessed some special relic, there was no way to know.
As they spoke, time passed.
Ding!
The Elevator finally reached its destination.
The three of them stepped out one by one and made their way to the location marked on the file.
Since it was a relatively low-risk Isolation subject, it was positioned near the entrance, so it didn’t take long to find.
“Here it is.”
“Then, let’s go over the plan once more before we enter.”
At Chae Wol’s words, Woo Ju and Yeon Woo nodded in agreement.
Chae Wol then reviewed the plan again and mentioned several precautions they should take.
And when the briefing finally concluded.
“All right, I’m opening the door.”
Woo Ju grasped the doorknob.
As the door swung open.
Whoooosh.
A cold wind blew from inside.
It was strange.
There shouldn’t be any windows in a room like this, yet wind was rushing out.
And the chill carried on that wind was far from ordinary.
It felt like stepping inside a refrigerator.
“Just stay calm.”
Yet Woo Ju, who led the way and stepped inside first, showed no particular alarm.
Even weakened as it was, a phenomenon like this could happen easily enough.
Fundamentally, a Curse released intensely negative energy by its very nature.
The interior wasn’t particularly spacious.
It was only meant to store a single Framed Painting, so there was no need for it to be large.
“That must be it.”
“Yes.”
The problematic Framed Painting hung squarely in the center of the room, and at first glance it radiated an ominous aura.
Woo Ju, who had already donned a mask, examined it carefully.
The Framed Painting was covered with thick fabric, yet an unsettling feeling persisted.
‘It’s harsh.’
Perhaps because there lingered an unbearably oppressive presence.
Even though the Curse itself had mostly dissipated, the lingering thoughts contained within had not been entirely resolved.
Still, according to the file, that state of weakness should be correct.
When it was first transferred to the Inspection Bureau, the lingering thoughts alone were potent enough to make people nearby collapse one after another.
If it had been that severe to begin with, they wouldn’t have placed it in isolation here.
“If we dispose of that, we’re done, right?”
At that moment, Yeon Woo pointed at the Framed Painting and asked.
Woo Ju nodded and replied.
“Yes. As long as we follow the prescribed procedure, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”
When Woo Ju first joined, he had experienced something quite thrilling, but this time there was truly nothing difficult about it.
He only needed to completely incinerate the Framed Painting using the materials he’d brought.
“First, I’ll seal the door.”
The first step of the plan was to thoroughly seal the door.
Harmful energies contained within the Framed Painting might escape during the incineration process.
With a solemn expression, Chae Wol attached Talismans one by one above the door, and simultaneously murmured something in a low voice.
The Yin Energy inside began to intensify noticeably.
As the door connecting to the outside was sealed, the energy could no longer escape and began accumulating within.
“The Box is ready.”
In the meantime, Yeon Woo set down the Box she had brought. It was the Box to be used for incinerating the Framed Painting.
But they couldn’t simply place the Framed Painting inside as-is. The size didn’t match.
So one more procedure was necessary.
“Then I’ll break it now.”
Namely, to smash the Framed Painting into smaller pieces. That way it would fit comfortably inside the Box.
While Woo Ju stood beside the Framed Painting, Chae Wol blocked the door, and Yeon Woo assisted by setting up the Box.
When Baek Ho and Woo Ju first entered an Urban Legend together before, they had fought side by side, but that was a special case.
Normally, one learns by assisting while watching a senior at work.
Swish.
As Woo Ju lifted the Iron Pipe, a tense atmosphere hung in the air.
Meanwhile, Woo Ju hoisted the iron pipe high and swung it without hesitation.
Crash!
The framed painting split cleanly down the middle with the blow.
What was remarkable was that despite the full force behind the swing, the frame refused to shatter completely.
Even rotten timber still has its pride, he thought. Drained of nearly all its power, yet bizarrely resilient.
Woo Ju raised the iron pipe higher, preparing to strike again.
But in that moment—
Whiiiiiine—!
The wind howled once more through the room, and suddenly a dark mist surged upward with violent force.
At this anomaly, Woo Ju’s brow furrowed and he stumbled backward.
“Over here!”
Chae Wol and Yeon Woo rushed toward him and grouped together. The data had documented this phenomenon as well.
“I’ve activated the call button!”
Chae Wol held up the small device in her hand as she spoke.
That was the last exchange.
Whiiiine—!
The wind and mist intensified, rising in a torrent that engulfed them from head to toe in seconds.
They crouched low, pressed against one another, enduring the onslaught. When the mist finally cleared after what felt like an eternity—
All that remained was a half-destroyed framed painting lying on the floor.
* * *
Even with the mask on, Woo Ju couldn’t see anything.
He gripped the iron pipe tightly, waiting. And when the mist finally began to lift, he sprang to his feet.
“Hm.”
But the moment he surveyed his surroundings, his brow couldn’t help but furrow.
Before him stood a house in the process of crumbling.
‘That’s the house from the painting.’
The painting in the room had been covered with thick cloth, but the data contained an image of it, so Woo Ju recognized it instantly.
That dilapidated house in the distance was the very one depicted in the painting.
That was it, then.
Woo Ju had been pulled into the painting.
‘I suppose they did mention this was possible.’
More specifically, it had been written on the very first line of the warning section.
When an attempt was made to destroy the frame and painting, there was a high probability it would squeeze out its last reserves of power to resist.
And the mechanism of that resistance was to pull people into the painting itself.
Had they struck the painting during that brief window, they might have blocked it—but the situation could have spiraled further out of control, so he’d simply observed and waited.
Besides, the painting’s strength was nearly exhausted; he was confident they could handle whatever came next.
“Mm.”
The real concern was where everyone had gone.
He’d huddled them together at the last moment to keep them from scattering when pulled in, but that strategy had apparently failed.
‘I’ll need to search for the others first.’
Woo Ju slung the iron pipe across his shoulder and began walking slowly forward.
He started by surveying the area around the house. He planned to check inside last.
When he reached the backyard—
“H-here! Over here!”
A voice called out from somewhere.
Woo Ju walked quickly in that direction and soon found Yeon Woo hiding behind the grass thicket.
“Why were you hiding here?”
“W-well, the spirits here don’t seem to communicate at all.”
When he asked what that meant, Yeon Woo explained that all the spirits in this place were in a completely frenzied state.
Their eyes were rolled back, and they attacked anything they could see.
That’s why she’d been chased from the moment she tried to speak with them.
‘That’s possible, I suppose.’
It made sense, come to think of it. Given this object’s horrific history, such a state was hardly surprising.
Woo Ju accepted this internally and spoke to Yeon Woo.
“Then let’s go find Chae Wol.”
“Yes, sir!”
Woo Ju led Yeon Woo as they continued around the mansion.
But despite a thorough search, there was no sign of Chae Wol.
That left only one possibility.
“Looks like we’ll have to go inside.”
His plan was to head straight into the house and search for Chae Wol.
“I’ll go in first. Follow behind me.”
“Yes!”
With that, Woo Ju made his way around to the front entrance of the building and approached the door.
Click-click—.
But the door was locked, as expected.
“Should we look for a key or something?”
“No need.”
Rather than entertain Yeon Woo’s suggestion, Woo Ju chose the simpler method.
Crash—!
Physical lock-breaking, pure and simple.
He swung the iron pipe once, and the door gave way without resistance.
“Let’s go in.”
Yeon Woo nodded numbly.
Continued in the next episode ▶
Urban Legends and the Obsession of Catastrophe-Class Relics
Author
Lee Se-gye
Publishers
Kim Seok-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Published by
Grae Publishing
Inquiries
[email protected]
Publication Date
May 26, 2026
UCI
G720:N+A327-20260410110
※ This e-book is protected under copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction and copying are prohibited. Violation of this notice may result in civil and criminal legal liability.
※ Pentagram welcomes your precious manuscripts.
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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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