Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: The Millennium Wild Ginseng
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My foot crossed the golden rope barrier and touched the ground.
It felt like stepping into some special field in a game.
The fog vanished as if by magic, revealing the landscape clearly.
But…
…It’s huge.
The field in the mountains under the full moon was far larger than expected.
A massive field covering the entire ridge.
Quiet, dark green hues swayed under the inky moonlight.
But it didn’t feel peaceful or pleasant.
It felt ominous and eerie.
Just as it said.
And those tiny red berries peeking through the swaying green… wait a sec.
…Ginseng?
Yeah.
A ginseng field here?
Hold on. Ginseng is artificially cultivated, but this doesn’t look man-made…
…Wild ginseng?
All this is wild ginseng??
No way…
I hurriedly scanned the field and spotted a sign staked at the edge.
“……”
I immediately turned to leap back over the golden rope.
Bolt.
Millennium wild ginseng?
It felt like opening a friend’s pencil case to borrow a pen and finding it stuffed with gold bars instead.
Just as I was about to cross back—
“…!”
A frail voice sobbed from behind.
I slowly turned only my head halfway back.
One berry in the field was swaying gently.
Then, noticing my gaze, its leaves drooped limply.
“……”
I turned fully to face that ginseng.
The cluster of berries shook enthusiastically at my gaze.
Come to think of it, wild ginseng was often portrayed as a benevolent, mystical being in folktales.
A reward for the good-hearted.
I knelt toward the shaking ginseng.
And reached out toward the ginseng…
Then stood back up.
“Liar.”
The berry froze.
The ground shook like an earthquake, and a gloomy, cracked voice erupted.
Yeah.
This is the Mountain God’s grave, right?
Ever heard that ghosts do everything backwards?
And we were lured here by a ghost, with a name meaning gravesite?
No way the wild ginseng growing here is normal.
Its nature being completely inverted wouldn’t be surprising. I figured it’d be like this.
The ginseng began writhing and rising.
Hiiiieeeek!!
Its half-emerged form was a sickly purple—like a zombie miniature model.
And it was spewing some dark red sap!
I braced myself, but it’s still scary!
The surrounding leaves twisted like tentacles, roots wriggling out of the soil. Uwaaaah!
I immediately pulled an item from my belt.
S-Snow White’s apple!
The item with the creepy effect: “Fall into a death-like sleep upon consumption.”
But how to use it?
It’s already an emergency, and chomping an apple is tough…
So I pureed it into juice!
Squelch.
I pulled out the sealed pack of Snow White apple juice and drenched the entire field ahead.
The ginseng…
Thud.
It fell into a coma.
“……”
Snow White’s apple… potent stuff.
I cautiously stepped forward.
The grotesque ginseng, half out of the soil, lay motionless on the ground.
It looked like a cockroach flat on its back after insecticide, or a dog or cat sprawled belly-up in deep sleep—a bizarre sight.
Normally, I’d call that insane.
But I peered carefully at the ginseng.
It spoke, expressed emotions, tried to deceive me, calculated the situation. Sap flows inside it too.
So, this…
Intelligent being… right?
Found it. Scapegoat substitute.
“…So, you gathered all the materials, prepared the ritual, and we’ll use this weird wild ginseng as the sacrifice… that’s it?”
“Yes.”
“……”
The survivors’ faces went blank upon hearing the ‘Kim Sol-eum (Posing as Security Team) Field Trip Summary.’
Too summarized?
Couldn’t be helped. Couldn’t explain how, so it became ‘Anyway, got it.’
Digging up wild ginseng nags at me a bit… but better for my sanity than randomly killing someone.
Whoever owns the field, Brown would’ve alerted if it was a big issue.
Anyway, I looked at them with my most innocent face.
They still gawked, alternating between me, the supplies, and the ginseng.
But it worked, roughly.
“A-as expected of Security… handling even this!”
No.
Feeling guilty, I glanced at the real Security Team, but the squad leader lounged among the middle schoolers with a bored expression.
The kids chattered around him, apparently having introduced themselves.
“Bro, you don’t look that tough.”
“Nah… I’m super tough.”
The kids laughed. More people eased the tension.
Section Chief Lee Byung-jin, confirming supplies, glanced brightly at Go Seon-ha and anxiously at me, then swallowed.
“Th-then, we all head to the shrine now? To perform the ritual…?”
“Yes.”
“…The shrine’s close, so if we move carefully, it’ll be fine. Nothing happened while I was there…”
Go Seon-ha turned to me with a stiff face.
“Did you check the shrine when you went out?”
“Yes.”
Brown hid my presence, so I burned the peach branch.
Almost cried three times from nerves.
“…That makes it easier. Quietly, no noise, just walk fast. Fog hides us, so no mistakes.”
“Got it.”
“…Then, to the shrine.”
The moment arrived.
We caught our breath, steeled ourselves, lined up at the closed door.
“Kids. Don’t stop. Keep walking.”
“Yes……”
The kids nodded fearfully at Go Seon-ha’s words, then clamped mouths shut between adults’ comforting.
“……”
Why am I at the front…?
Why do you all naturally fall back?
Did skipping the procurement details make me seem too capable…!
They see me as some unflappable, curious powerhouse. Ugh, please…
Too late to say I’m scared—they won’t buy it.
……Better than the rear, I guess.
Resigned, I opened the door.
Creeeak.
The dark, foggy mountainside reappeared.
Gasp.
“Eek,”
“Shh.”
Kids clamped mouths in terror.
We moved slowly, as quietly as possible.
Step, step.
Each tiny sound quickened our pace.
The pressure—like Window Ghost would converse and chase anytime—enveloped us.
Thankfully, that ‘worst case’ didn’t happen.
Beyond darkness and fog, weathered tiles appeared.
A red-and-blue old house crooked at odd angles.
The shrine.
Thud.
“Hoo.”
“A-all in?”
Safe inside, they caught breaths.
The lagging Security squad leader shut and locked the green papered door.
Section Chief Lee frantically tried pasting a talisman from the ruin’s floor, but Go Seon-ha stopped him.
“Could mess the ritual. Leave it. Quick in, quick out!”
“R-right.”
Meanwhile, I surveyed the shrine.
Eyes adjusted to dark outlined shadows.
Weirdly pristine, but very worn.
Two headless, rusted Maitreya statues with a shattered incense burner between.
A moldy wooden plank atop it.
I read the plank as Brown indicated.
“…The boldest in mind and body steps forward to conduct the ritual.”
Whoa, not me.
“……”
No, don’t look at me, seriously.
I casually shifted gaze to Security squad leader. Their eyes followed…
“I can’t.”
“…Pardon??”
“Can’t, so don’t ask……”
“A-alright.”
Section Chief Lee deflated and looked at me.
I stared blankly back.
“……”
“……Uh,”
“Do it.”
“Y-yes……”
You might be neurotic, but less cowardly than me…
Section Chief Lee shuffled forward trembling, then whipped back horrified at me and Go Seon-ha.
“W-wait! Mountain hero!”
Go Seon-ha freaked too.
“Right! ‘The tune offered to the Mountain God’!”
“Yeah! That tiger nursery rhyme or folk song—nothing substitutes! Even with all supplies, without it…”
Oh.
“We have it.”
“…??”
“One sec.”
I called the middle schoolers.
And politely asked.
“Kids. You said school trip, right?”
“Yes…”
“Anyone listen to songs nonstop on the bus down? Or know idols well.”
Kids eyed each other, nodded at one with no bangs.
I asked her quickly.
“What’s your name?”
“L-Lee Na-yeon.”
“Okay, Na-yeon. Got a question.”
I tried my kindest face. Adults’ faces filled with question marks.
“…?? Hey, what’re you—”
“Famous idol songs mention tigers too, right?”
“…!!”
I turned to the adults.
Stunned expressions.
“B-but, ca-can we use, uh, pop songs? Idol stuff…”
“Yes.”
I held up Go Seon-ha’s ritual notes.
“See, just says ‘tune.’ No need for folk or nursery rhymes specifically.”
“…!”
Not a ghost story wiki— no reason to pick creepy-fitting songs.
Human bias narrowed it.
“Ah…”
I looked back at the girl.
“Na-yeon. Any songs come to mind? Mountain God, tiger—fine.”
“Ah!”
Na-yeon brightened instantly.
“Yes! Saint U’s Peekaboo!”
Jackpot.
“V-Tick songs too…”
“One with all lyrics memorized? And famous.”
“Yes! Saint U’s Peekaboo!”
Perfect.
I solemnly declared to adults.
“We’ll use Saint U’s Peekaboo as the Mountain God’s offering tune.”
Accept idol songs, tiger!
In the quiet shrine.
Section Chief Lee Byung-jin stepped forward from the dark, trembling hands dumping ash into the incense burner.
Ash from the burned peach branch.
Trembling, he covered the broken burner with its worn lid, waited seconds, then removed it.
Surprisingly, the ash was gone.
Instead, a single intact incense stick burned.
Peach-scented smoke wafted from the twig-shaped incense.
“…!!”
“Ugh.”
The scent strong, Go Seon-ha pinched nose and retreated.
Chief rushed next step.
Slide.
Dark woods beyond open door. Kids hid behind adults.
I handed three plums to Chief Lee. He mashed with fingers in brass cup, sprinkled soil.
Fresh plum scent rose sweetly.
Go Seon-ha, retreated, sniffed, face improved.
Signaled Chief Lee.
Time for third step.
Chief Lee placed pre-written lyrics carefully in altar drawer.
People stepped out open door one by one.
Section Chief Lee sang the lyrics Na-yeon taught, with her.
“…Peekaboo. This body emerges.”
Middle schoolers chorused.
The tune for the Mountain God.