Exorcism
“Kuhahaha!!!”
The hero known as a demon king specialist killer. Was this how they defeated demon kings?
The evil spirit vanished back into Leo's body. The boy stared at the sky and laughed maniacally.
Watching him silently, Sung-tae reached one conclusion.
“That's not Leo. He's possessed by an evil spirit.”
He wasn't sure if it was truly an evil spirit, but it couldn't be good for Leo's body. That must be why the kid had changed like this. Something wicked that twisted a person's personality into that of a madman. Whether all heroes gained power from possessions or just Leo, he had no idea.
“Leo.”
“Heh heh. What is it, human?”
“Come here for a sec.”
“You dare command me? Wait. That armor of yours... It reeks of demon king energy. I'll take that too.”
Leo shot toward Sung-tae like an arrow and reached for his armor.
But Sung-tae had no intention of letting it go.
“You little shit. Hold still.”
“Kugh!?”
Sung-tae pulled Leo into a tight hug. The possessed boy thrashed to escape, but it was like being pinned under a mountain—he couldn't budge.
“Let go of me!”
“Quiet down. I'll call a friend real quick.”
Sung-tae closed his eyes and called out to Mukkebi in his inner world.
“Mukkebi, come see me.”
“Huh? What's up?”
“What's going on out there...? And why do you look like that?”
Unlike the last time he'd seen her, Mukkebi now sported wolf ears and a tail. She looked like a miniaturized Garba. No king slime attached, though.
“Dunno. I kept eating monsters, and my appearance changed.”
“Monsters...? You mean you've been eating nonstop?”
“Yup! Remember when the mountain went rumble-rumble and stuff started spilling out? I ate it all!”
The iron gate of the Lust Mountain stood open, not fully recovered to its original size.
Seeing Mukkebi playing in front of it explained why Sung-tae hadn't had any lewd thoughts lately.
“Eating's fun. Super fun... but only eat what's coming out. Don't go inside to eat.”
“Got it!”
Sung-tae shut the iron gate and pleaded with her like his life depended on it. Then, grabbing her hand for the important task ahead.
“Let's head out first. I've got a favor to ask.”
“Okay!”
Bringing Mukkebi back to reality, Sung-tae glanced at the still-thrashing Leo in his arms.
“What's the deal?”
“Can we enter his inner world? Together.”
“Hmm. Never tried with someone else before. Let's give it a shot!”
Mukkebi vanished into Leo's body. The dark aura swirling around him fully receded inside.
Mukkebi's voice echoed in Sung-tae's mind as he held Leo.
[I think I can do it. Come here.]
“Got it.”
Sung-tae surrendered to the pulling energy with closed eyes. His consciousness drifted from his body, sucked into Leo's inner world.
He opened his eyes and gasped at the sight.
“This is Leo's inner world?”
The inner world reflected a person's life. Leo's—a rural village scene—was splattered with sticky darkness everywhere, the sky choked with storm clouds.
An innocent boy's inner world like this? The evil spirit must have done this.
“It's your fault!”
Sung-tae shouted upon spotting the spirit. It wasn't hiding—in the village center, it pulsed like a heart, webs strung across the inner world.
[How did you enter here?]
“Shut up. Punch first, talk later.”
Remove it, and innocent Leo would return. Sung-tae charged the black mist, swinging a fist.
The spirit scattered briefly—no damage.
Just like fighting lust.
[Useless. I'm a spiritual being. Your strength means nothing to me.]
“Then how about this? Mukkebi! Eat it!”
“Hup!”
Mukkebi inhaled deeply, sucking at the spirit. But webbed and anchored, it didn't budge. A tiny fragment entered her mouth.
She coughed it back up.
“Too heavy. Too strong. Can't eat it.”
“Too strong to eat?”
“Yeah. Tastes good... but too powerful to swallow.”
“So if we weaken it, you can eat.”
[I told you, I'm spiritual. No matter what you do, I won't weaken.]
The spirit writhed, spreading further.
[This body is mine. Kill me, and his world shatters. Now scram. I need to deliver the absorbed power.]
“Evil spirit... evil spirit... Right. Ghosts need that method.”
Sung-tae scanned around and dashed to a house, emerging with a small pouch.
“Knew it. Items from real experiences appear here. Had to be.”
“What's that?”
[What's that?]
Both the spirit and Mukkebi asked simultaneously.
Sung-tae dipped in, pulling out gritty white powder like sand grains.
“What else? Salt.”
He grinned at the spirit.
“Perfect for exorcising ghosts.”
Salt. Essential nutrient for human survival. It seasons food, but has other uses too.
“Perfect for exorcising ghosts.”
Especially driving out spirits. In the East, salt purified impurities and repelled stray ghosts.
Sung-tae remembered and fetched it.
He didn't blindly believe the superstition, but with a ghost right there—no exorcist, priest, or monk around—what choice?
[Think salt can erase me? You're insane!]
“We'll see. Gotta try.”
Sung-tae grabbed a handful and flung it at the spirit—chanting his own incantation.
“Goshire! Begone, foul spirit!”
[Useless... Kraaagh!]
The instant salt touched it, the spirit felt its body erode in agony. Ordinary salt—why did it hurt a spirit like him?
“It works! Goshire!”
[S-stop!!!]
The spirit's domain shrank—slowly, painfully. But too slow; salt would run out first.
“Hmm. Goshire not great. Then...”
Another handful, different chant.
“Mahavara Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra. Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, practicing the profound Prajnaparamita, perceives the five skandhas are all empty, emancipating from all suffering!”
[K-kraaaagh!!!]
Salt with sutra—domain shrank massively.
“Sutra's the way. Packs a punch.”
Earth exorcism working in another world? Weird, but results mattered.
Sung-tae sprinkled vigorously. His hunch was right—no real exorcism power in chants or salt. But in the inner world, his mental strength—on another level—made it real.
Spirits yielded to mental force. Sung-tae unknowingly attacked spiritually via exorcism rituals he believed in.
Human mind's power varied by belief: self-confidence, faith, self-loathing—all mental. Exorcism acts channeled his.
“Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness!”
[S-stop!]
Belief fueled mental attacks.
“Emptiness is not different from form; form is emptiness!”
[Kuh...]
Half salt left. Half domain gone. Inspired in his first exorcism, Sung-tae thanked someone mentally.
'Thanks, Teacher An Chi-hyeong. Without you, I couldn't have exorcised it.'
A 20-year-old atheist memorizing the Heart Sutra? From a hip-hop version he'd heard by chance. Didn't grasp the meaning, but loved the beat—wooden fish and rap. He memorized it all in days.
“Form is exactly emptiness; feelings, perceptions, impulses, consciousness are also empty. Awesome! Shariputra, all dharmas are marked by the unborn, undying, not defiled nor pure! Not increasing nor decreasing, empty space without form!”
Dancing to the inner beat, his salt tosses shrank the spirit to a grain of rice.
Exhausted, it rasped.
[Kuh... Haven't delivered the power yet... Don't think this is the end. I'm... just a fragment... Someday... the Seven...]
“Sung-tae, can I eat this?”
“Yeah, eat up. Salt's out anyway.”
“Thanks!”
Mukkebi gulped the rice-sized spirit.
It vanished completely from Leo's inner world. Clouds parted; brightness returned.
“Whew. Exorcism success! Time to head back? Mukkebi, let's go.”
“......”
“Mukkebi?”
No reply. Possessed by the stray spirit!?
Worried, Sung-tae placed a hand on her small shoulder.
“You okay?”
“Huh? Yeah, I'm fine.”
“Then why no answer? I kept calling your name.”
“Name?”
“Yeah. Mukkebi.”
“Mukkebi... Mukkebi... Oh, right. That's my name.”
'Weird food messed her up. No more feeding her.'
Grabbing her hand to leave, Sung-tae halted. The landscape grayed.
Greenery withered to gray; houses, sky—all desaturating.
“Come to think...”
The spirit said leaving would kill Leo. Not a bluff.
Exit now, and Leo dies despite the exorcism.
Pondering, Sung-tae had an idea.
“Mukkebi, my golden seawater. Can you fetch some here?”
“I'll try!”
She vanished, returned with hands full of his life force—golden seawater.
“Got it.”
“Good. Sprinkle it around.”
No sea visible, so on the plants.
She swung her hands; a small lake formed where greenery had been. Tiny compared to his sea, but it glowed gold, restoring color to the gray world. Soon, Leo's inner world normalized.
“Phew. One worry down.”
Now, save the other.
Exiting, Sung-tae gently laid sleeping Leo down and approached puddle-Crassus.
“Mukkebi, scoop a bit more seawater and sprinkle in his inner world too.”
“Okay.”
Mukkebi fetched life force and dove into the puddle alone.
She emerged; the puddle swirled into human shape.
“Not too late. But... is that Crassus?”
Human-form Crassus was small—smaller than Leo, boy-sized.
The groaning boy opened his eyes and yelled at Sung-tae.
“Kra! Krakra!”
“Yep. Way cuter small. Stay like that from now on.”
“Kraaa!”
Incomprehensible roar; he gathered mana futilely—bound by contract, no attack, just stomping.
“Kra...”
“Alright, now scram far away. Leo might wake anytime.”
“Kra!?”
Crassus scanned fearfully, spotted Leo, and fled tail-between-legs.
Demon king gone, Leo's eyes fluttered open.
“Awake? Good nap?”
“......”
Meeting Sung-tae's gaze immediately, Leo's eyes widened; body stiffened.
Mouse-like trembling heated up, face flushing crimson.
“S-senior...?”
“Man, you were awesome. Took down a demon king. Barely, though—fainted and scared me.”
“Took down... the demon king?”
Leo's memory cut off at AoE against ice palace monsters. Calmed killer intent meant senior was right. Body felt light, refreshed—like soul-chains snapped.
“B-but senior... can you put me down now?”
More embarrassing than victory: being held.
Seeing Leo tremble and blush, Sung-tae worried about lingering possession.
“You're running hot. Check your temp?”
“Pardon?”
Sung-tae flipped up his visor, pressing close.
Face nearing, Leo teared up.
'Best way's forehead-to-forehead, but helmet's awkward...'
“H-hwaaa...”
Sung-tae's lips touched Leo's forehead.
Innocent medical check—no awareness.
He noticed the feverish heat.
“Bad fever. You really sick?”
“Ugh... no more...”
Faint steam rose from Leo's head.
Sung-tae pulled back, shaking the fainted boy.
“Leo? Leo! Snap out of it!”
I gave you my life force—you better be healthy!
“Kra...”
'This far should be safe.'
Crassus, who'd fled before Leo woke, sighed in relief—then rage at hero-chased memories, mana surging.
“Kra! Kra!”
'Damn it! What the hell? I'm a total kid now! Can't even talk!'
Venting on surroundings—ground froze solid.
Mid-rampage, he sensed odd power.
“Kra?”
'What? Feels stronger...'
Casual attack, yet power multiplied. Mana pure—not demonic—cleansing body and mind.
“Kra.”
'Not the issue. Need to grow back—why won't my body change?'
Demon king human form: mana-shifted, changeable at will.
But no—couldn't even revert.
All because Sung-tae said, 'Way cuter small. Stay like that.'
“Kraaaa!!!”
'Daaaamn!!!'
Crassus screamed skyward, rage at Sung-tae vented into void.
“Kra!”
'Someday, revenge!'
He didn't know.
Sung-tae's life force slept within him—saving his life.
Nor did Leo know he'd received it.
No one cared yet.
What that life force would mean for their futures.