Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 007
Chapter Title: Learning Magic (4)
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I messaged the guy who'd posted the night security gig, and he replied in a frantic voice, saying he'd cover my cab fare if I hurried over. So I arrived at the building he'd mentioned.
I'd figured it was some rundown abandoned spot on the outskirts where ghosts supposedly haunted the place.
But no—it was your typical building near the college bar district: a first-floor café, second-floor PC bang, and third- and fourth-floor study rooms.
The café and PC bang were both dark, though, not open for business.
As I stood there scanning the building,
the guy who'd posted the ad approached. He looked like an ordinary guy in his forties. His nice clothes stood out against his weary skin and hollow eyes.
"You're Kim Yohan, right? The one who messaged?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Thanks for coming on such short notice. The last guy just up and vanished without a word, left me in a real bind."
He tried to lighten the mood with a smile, but his words tumbled out fast, and his eyes darted around nervously.
Anyway, from what he told me, his name was Park Cheolmin, and he owned the building, running the PC bang and study rooms himself.
"It's not real security work or anything professional—just like pulling an all-nighter or night watch, you know? Ever been in the military?"
"No, I haven't. But I get the idea."
Being an orphan meant no military service, but I didn't bother mentioning that.
As I followed Cheolmin up the stairs, I glanced at the tightly shut PC bang entrance.
It was 10 p.m.—late, sure, but hardly closing time for a PC bang.
Whatever, it's the owner's call.
Sensing my look, Cheolmin muttered awkwardly,
"Ha... yeah, there's been some dumb rumors lately, and business has tanked."
"Rumors?"
"That the building's haunted."
He said it like it was no big deal, but his words still came quick and jittery.
"That's why I'm hiring help. Drunk college kids or bored folks trying to ghost-hunt keep sneaking in..."
He trailed off, and we reached the third-floor study room office.
It was a bit dusty from disuse, but the office itself was fine.
"Your job's simple, Yohan. Sit here, watch the security cams for anything weird, and patrol the third and fourth floors now and then. Flashlight's here. Whatever you do, don't bail or quit midway. You gotta stay put till six a.m. tomorrow. Got it?"
Once we were in the study room, Cheolmin's words poured out like a flood.
His eyes wouldn't stay still, shaking—he clearly wanted out of there right now.
That made my own eyes narrow instinctively.
...Look, I came for the holy water experiment anyway. Fine by me.
But he's screaming 'This building's got issues! I'm hiding something!' with his whole body.
No wonder the last guy ran. Staying would be idiotic.
Anyway, Cheolmin bolted like he was fleeing.
I was left alone in the quiet study room office, staring at the grainy security feeds.
Six screens total, all showing dim study room hallways and empty desks and chairs. Nothing off at first glance.
'Come to think of it, there was that horror game genre where you monitor cams like this.'
The silence was expected, but it carried an unsettling stillness.
And then—
Tak—tatatatatata—! Clang—clang—!
A sudden racket echoed through the office, like someone pounding the stair railing and racing up fast.
"—!?"
I jumped, eyes widening as I checked the cams... but the stairs showed nothing.
".........."
Though, something there or not, it'd be a problem either way.
From a night guard's view, some drunk slamming the railing and charging up would be horror enough.
Ding~ ding~ dingalingalingaling~
On the screen next to the stair cam, capturing the fourth-floor study room door—
the bell went nuts, ringing wildly.
The door stayed shut, though.
I let out a small sigh at the sight.
"Hoo..."
I'd braced myself for the holy water test, but this blatant display drew a sigh anyway.
Not that it was super scary, though.
I reached out and killed the cam power.
Standing, I skipped the flashlight, pulling the Grimoire from my bag instead.
Hey, I've got an invisible something on my side too.
Thud—thud—
Leaving the lit office, I climbed the dark stairs.
One monster kid with me.
I opened the door to the problem fourth-floor study room.
Ding—
A chair greeted me.
Creaaak... creaaak...
In the dark hallway, a wheeled chair rolled slowly toward me.
".........."
Anyone'd faint from shock...
A wild ghost appeared!
So I called mine too.
"Grizzly, come out."
"Haaaah...!"
At his master's call, the Transparent Vampire waiting in the Grimoire emerged, exhaling cold breath.
Invisible, but his overwhelming presence filled the space.
Creaaak...!
Toward the clearly hesitating chair.
Whoosh—
Grizzly's arm shot out, snatching and gripping something.
Now even I could see it faintly—a smoky wisp.
Depending on the angle, it almost looked like a human face.
"Gyaah."
Grizzly chomped down on what seemed the face part of the pale haze.
Crunch crunch—
And that was it.
The pale ghost lost its power, shattering and scattering until it vanished completely.
"Gya?"
Grizzly looked around, mouth opening and closing to gobble the dispersing mist, but no dice.
It was totally gone.
'...Kinda like a raccoon that fell in wet cotton candy.'
As I thought that,
three pale wisps darted past me and Grizzly toward the door.
"Grizzly, don't touch 'em."
Good to know he handles ghosts easy.
But the goal this time is the holy water test.
Dingdingdingdingdingdingdingdingdingalingalingaling—
I approached the pale ghost going berserk on the bell.
Unhooked the bottle from my waist, pulling out the holy water-soaked aspergillum.
Call 'em ghosts or spirits for convenience, but I didn't buy they were human souls.
I mean, I paid tuition and took philosophy.
...No clue why I bothered.
Anyway, borrowing from my super-fave teacher Plato:
The human body and this world are mere cages for the soul.
When people die, the soul heads to the true realm of Forms.
So what's left here ain't souls.
Just soul byproducts, lingering thoughts, data.
I swung the aspergillum, sprinkling drops on the pale ghost blocking the door.
Solomon, son of David, lifts the hyssop—this is the aspergillum.
The holy droplets hit the misty haze.
And that was it.
No sizzling 'chiik' or agonized screams.
It just lost power, scattered, and vanished.
No more bell.
Ding—
I opened the door and glanced up the stairs to the rooftop.
No hesitation, I climbed. No fear.
Not 'cause I'm fearless—I've got countermeasures.
Strong familiar, Grimoire knowledge, magic.
Darkness was no longer some unknowable hideout for threats.
Thud, thud, thud—.
Up the stairs, I swung the aspergillum at the two clumps of pale mist by the rooftop door.
Once again, that was it.
And just like that, the string of events tormenting one building owner and spawning 'haunted building' rumors ended with a few drops of saltwater chant.
I took a light deep breath.
"Hoo..."
Feeling the comfortable quiet now, not unnatural silence.
Only then did I grasp magic a bit—the discipline itself.
Like Edison and Nikola caging God's lightning for energy.
The art of plundering and exploiting the bizarre.
That was magic.