Fraudulent Shaman Tells the Day of Death
The shaman was a fraud, of course. No, scratch that. Today it was simply another ancient tale, one that had long since lost its meaning.
Thanks to the Ledger of the Deceased, I could peek at someone’s death date before it came, or deliver a divine oracle from a deity I didn’t even know existed. But that didn’t mean I had become a real shaman. I was simply hovering somewhere between a con man and a genuine one—right in the middle.
“Keep an eye on the air-conditioning?”
Anyone who lived in a normal house with one would catch that illness. Not me. I spent every summer in my basement with a small fan.
Park Su-hwan clicked his tongue and scrolled down the phone screen. The only reason he ever checked the news was that one purpose.
The people who sought out shamans were almost always in desperate straits. Who on earth would walk into a shrine on a whim if life was going well?
They wanted to know the future so they could prepare, and that single fact alone gave them peace. The more thoroughly they understood how the world turned, the easier it became to spin a convincing fortune and swindle someone out of their money.
“Job market getting tougher and tougher…”
That was my cue. Instead of blaming my own lack of effort, I could just blame the society problem.
It happened then. One of the ads at the very bottom of the news caught my eye.
**[The ‘Black-and-White Psychology’ that lures people—You’re already being fooled.]**
It was an ad for one of those popular psychology books that had been all over the internet lately.
Should I give it a try…
A full week had passed since the same ad started popping up. No matter how many times I ignored it, my interest kept growing. I tapped the link, and the book’s detailed page filled my screen.
**[Eternal Marks Scrawled in the Mire of the Unconscious]**
**[Your Words Become Law. The Art That Builds an Empire of Souls]**
**[The Absolute Password to Hack the Other Person’s Brain—485]**
…
The phrases were so cheap and flimsy that I actually felt sorry for the author.
“…This smells like a scam.”
Park Su-hwan was certain. A con man always knew another con man at a glance.
“Empire of Souls? Written by a middle-schooler with delusions.”
Those kinds of books almost always used oversized subtitles. That was the only way to hook curious readers into buying.
Park Su-hwan sharpened his three-inch tongue on such titles every single time he’d read a cultivation manual. This one, however, was far beyond even that level.
Yet why was it pulling at him so hard? The moment he noticed, a dry lump had already formed in his throat.
…So this was what it felt like to be a fraud who wasn’t quite fraudulent enough.
He had thought he had reached the peak of con artistry. But today, that pride would have to be discarded neatly.
I’m going to get scammed by my own hand.
“Huuu…”
Just a second.
One thought suddenly flashed across Park Su-hwan’s mind.
If it was a book capable of hooking me, maybe it wasn’t a scam after all.
The evaluation of the book flipped completely. It no longer looked like something I should simply avoid; instead, it appeared to be packed with valuable lessons.
If I absorbed this properly…
The tip of his tongue would shine even brighter.
He might even reach the realm of the god who sells fur gloves in summer and fans in winter.
No. He had to buy it. Right now. Immediately!
This wasn’t overspending. It was an investment. A way to hone his craft. He rationalized it to himself and quickly added the book to his cart. Then, just as he reached for the checkout button, an unexpected problem blocked him.
One-week delivery?
It was far longer than he had expected. This wasn’t some remote mountain village; why would it take a week?
He clicked his tongue. The book didn’t even look that popular.
There wasn’t even a “running out of stock” notice anywhere. The number of reviews was a pitiful few dozen.
Park Su-hwan fell into deep thought. There was no choice in his mind but to buy the book.
Wait a week…
“Or go to the bookstore and see if they have it?”
His eyes lit up and he shot to his feet. Today’s schedule was basically just hanging around the shrine all day.
It was a lucky break.
I’ll go and take a look.
It had been a while since he’d last visited a bookstore. Back when he had studied under the guise of perfect shamanism, he used to wander in and out like it was nothing.
The book he wanted was probably only in large bookstores. If it wasn’t there, he could just browse other titles. Even if he had to walk a long way, it was worth it.
He wouldn’t waste his time. And then another thought struck him.
The three grim reapers who were hunting him.
He had never forgotten that fact. Every time he checked whether the ledger hidden under the fortune-telling table was still there, he mentally reminded himself of their existence.
They were probably gripping their staffs tightly right now.
It had been quite a while since he had run into the trio. It was almost time to give them a little confusion.
Instead of the familiar neighborhood, he would open the ledger in an unfamiliar place.
***
Park Su-hwan held the black-and-white psychology book he had wanted along with several other books inside a paper bag. He was sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus home.
“Huu…”
It wasn’t as easy as he had hoped.
He had bought the book he wanted, yet his expression remained flat. Realizing the true purpose of a day trip was proving far harder than expected.
He kept deliberately meeting the eyes of passersby, but the ledger never appeared.
Instead, while doing so, Park Su-hwan had been treated like some strange person. When a young man in hanbok stared at him with wide eyes, it was only natural.
Tch. Thinking he’s some kind of criminal.
Park Su-hwan gave a deep sigh and quietly waited for the bus. A moment later the arrival announcement sounded.
The bus waiting at the distant signal light came into view. He rose from his seat.
“Haha! Mungchi!”
A cheerful woman’s voice rang out from somewhere. Immediately after, the happy yipping of a puppy followed.
Park Su-hwan unconsciously turned his head in the direction of the sound. A young-looking woman was running toward him with a small Shiba Inu.
“Unnie, it’s so hard!”
- Puff puff!
Even though she was panting heavily, she never once yanked on the leash. She seemed determined not to ruin the puppy’s fun with its free-spirited dash.
“Y-yes, just a second! Huff… haa”
The puppy sensed that its owner had reached her limit, so it stopped in place and wagged its tail. She crouched down and gently stroked the little one’s head.
“Haigo. Th-thank you, Mungchi.”
- Woof woof!
The love she held for the puppy seeped through the warmth of her hands and the tenderness in her eyes. Park Su-hwan couldn’t tear his gaze away from that gentle, heartwarming scene.
“Haa… haa. Mungchi really has good stamina.”
- Puff puff!
“Let’s take a little break. Hoo…”
Then their eyes met. The moment she felt someone’s gaze upon her, she was pulled straight into the ledger world she had been waiting for.
***
“You really did it because you didn’t expect anything.”
Park Su-hwan stared at the ledger that had suddenly appeared before him with a dazed look and muttered to himself. He had been heading home, yet here it was, appearing out of nowhere.
Truly… she was completely unpredictable.
He shook his head and reached out to grasp the floating ledger in front of him.
What fate awaited this woman who seemed so kind?
He carefully opened the ledger and began to read.
“Name. Choi Yuri…”
At some point, he found himself standing in the middle of a road lined with puddles. It must have rained recently. The sky, however, remained heavily overcast.
Where was she?
He scanned the surroundings in search of the protagonist of this world—Choi Yuri.
“Ugh… hah… heuak!”
She was running, clutching something tightly to her chest. How urgent it must have been that she hadn’t even put on proper shoes.
What the hell is going on?
Finally, the woman who had stopped right in front of the crosswalk where Park Su-hwan stood looked utterly disheveled. Passersby glanced at her with pity as tears poured from her eyes.
“Mungchi… come on, wake up…”
Mungchi—that was her puppy. The image of her calling the dog’s name with that gentle voice only moments ago flashed through his mind.
“Unnie’s sorry. Hic… snif… please open your eyes…”
Only then did he see what was in her arms. As he got closer, he saw that the Shiba Inu in her embrace was foaming at the mouth. Its slender limbs trembled violently, and its eyes had already lost focus.
What in the world…
“Mungchi…”
Park Su-hwan wanted to know the full details of what had happened, but the ledger only recorded her simple personal information and her signature.
He bit his lip tightly and whispered.
I need to know why the dog is sick.
That way, I could prevent her from being hit by a car on her way to the animal hospital in a hurry.
Or perhaps I could listen to her for a cause. But she simply kept crying and waiting for the signal to change.
“Hic… no way… please… just a little longer… hold on… we’re almost at the hospital… huh?”
The moment the light changed, she bolted faster than anyone.
- Bwoooooom!!
The moment a car skidded across the wet road and crashed into her, Park Su-hwan closed his eyes tightly and covered his ears.