Peeking into Hell (3)
"You might understand if I say out-of-body experience. It's called a living spirit—even living people can have their souls leave their bodies and wander around. In that state, it'll be much easier to confirm intuitively."
Of course, Yoo Wol-ryeong didn't forget her warning either.
"Of course, staying in a living spirit state for too long will weaken the body. Even the near-immortal vitality that grim reapers enjoy becomes useless. Since there's no spiritual power. So, it's fine as long as you're in a safe place with someone reliable guarding you."
"Then there's no better place than this Samdo Hotel."
"That's about right. By the way, the Samdo River that Messenger Ju Kang-rim saw when he met King Yeomra— that's another place you can only visit during an out-of-body experience. You'll have to do it eventually to meet King Yeomra again, so why not practice now?"
"Huh?"
Ju Kang-rim was a bit puzzled by Yoo Wol-ryeong's words. Until now, he'd thought he'd died and Yeomra had revived him, sending him back. But according to her, he hadn't actually died in the first place. Sure, he'd been as good as dead, but those were two completely different things.
Even in that state where my body was being torn apart so brutally, I was still alive? That's impressive in its own way.
Thinking back to the zombies' hands yanking from all sides, their teeth gnashing, their nails digging into his flesh—even now, chills ran through his entire body.
Anyway, it didn't seem like a bad idea to try, so he decided to give it a shot.
"Alright. Let's do it."
"Then go to a comfortable spot, sit relaxed, and close your eyes."
Ju Kang-rim sat in the desk chair as instructed and closed his eyes. Yoo Wol-ryeong stood behind him, placed her hand on his crown, and whispered.
"Ju Kang-rim. Ju Kang-rim."
It was the same ritual as when performing the reaper's soul call. Memories of the immortals' screams flashed through his mind, tensing his body for a moment, but Ju Kang-rim wasn't like the immortals, whose souls were forcibly seized. With no will to resist the reaper's call, there was no pain either.
"Ju Kang-rim."
With the final call, his body felt light. His consciousness faded into the distance.
Hwooooooo.
At the eerie sound of wind brushing past his ears, Ju Kang-rim opened his eyes. But he couldn't tell if he'd actually opened them. All he saw was pitch-black darkness.
In this awkward haze of sensation, he tried moving his limbs. Thankfully, he felt them touch his body, confirming sensation, but even that felt off.
Ju Kang-rim quickly realized what was wrong.
The wind... it's bizarre.
The wind slicing through his entire body ignored his clothes and skin, seeping straight inside. No sensory organs in the organs, sure, but it felt like someone was stroking and scratching deep within him. Not cold or chilly, though. The muggy air felt stifling, like being inside someone's stomach.
Does pulling out the soul always drag you to a place like this?
Ju Kang-rim called out for Yoo Wol-ryeong first.
"Messenger Yoo Wol-ryeong?"
No answer. Something was definitely wrong.
Lost child protocol 1: Memorize your guardian's contact and call them if something happens.
He tried to pull out Biman, but nothing came to hand. Only his Saingeom.
Only then did Ju Kang-rim realize he was in full ceremonial garb. It usually only appeared when focusing for battle, but now it felt completely natural.
For now... let's move.
Ju Kang-rim cautiously stepped forward and started walking. The ground was fine powder. Even walking felt strange, like he'd become a low-density gas. More drifting than walking, and the passing wind made his nerves, veins, and muscles unravel and bunch up again.
Can't see a damn thing here.
Then he remembered Bi-hyeong's Eyes. He lit a will-o'-wisp at the tip of his Saingeom. As the pale green flame ignited, his vision gradually cleared.
The moment it did, Ju Kang-rim flinched at the powder on the ground. It wasn't ordinary dirt—it was human bone ash. Having cremated countless bodies, he recognized it at a glance.
The wind gently stirred clouds of bone dust, clear enough to see the grain. Examining the bizarre patterns closely, Ju Kang-rim realized each one was a ghost.
Ghosts filled the air everywhere, drifting like atmosphere.
"...Did I fall into the underworld or something?"
Even Ju Kang-rim, accustomed to hordes of zombies and ghosts, was taken aback by their sheer number. But like the crushed bone ash underfoot, they seemed pulverized, lacking any proper intellect or will. They just screamed, sobbed, wailed, brushing past him.
If this was the regular underworld, Yeomra or Yoo Wol-ryeong would notice the anomaly and come looking, he figured.
Lost child protocol 2: If you think you're lost, don't move from the spot.
Ju Kang-rim sat down right there. He had no idea where he was anyway. If Yoo Wol-ryeong didn't come after some time, he'd move, but with no immediate danger, waiting seemed best.
He waited, watching the endless stream of ghosts. Over time, thanks to Bi-hyeong's Eyes, his sight adjusted to the dark, and the surroundings came into view. Relentless wind raised bone dust into eerie mists that formed and vanished.
If this was the underworld, why was he here?
Did something go wrong with the reaper's soul call?
Maybe working as a reaper sucked so much they just tossed him into hell? Silly negative speculation, but it crossed his mind.
Better to send some signal for Yoo Wol-ryeong to find him than just sit. He started lighting will-o'-wisps here and there as markers. Not sure if it'd work in the underworld, but basic SOS.
As he formed large letters, something brushed his ear.
"...is here."
The first human voice amid the wind. Ju Kang-rim whipped his head toward it.
"...has come..."
"Who's there?"
He drew his Saingeom and called out. But nothing visible—carried on the wind, maybe. He extended the wisps far, but saw nothing. Lighting markers as he went, he headed toward the voice. It grew clearer.
Soon, Ju Kang-rim faced a massive pit. All the wind blew from inside. Not just a pit—bone ash surged out in reverse flow, mixed with damp, ominous heat.
Peering in, a nauseating feeling hit him, making him step back. He could handle old corpse piles without flinching, but this abyss shook his soul with revulsion.
"...has come!"
Then a thunderous roar from below shook his body. Only then did he realize the writhing mass below were massive ghosts, still retaining form and malice, un-eroded.
"The young master has come!"
The ghosts shrieked at him in unison.
"The one who locked us here—the young master has come!"
Young master?
Ju Kang-rim had no clue what that meant. Just figured they mistook him for someone. They didn't look sane anyway. But their actions weren't something to laugh off.
"Aaaah! Young master! Young master has come for us!"
Something in the pit slowly rose. Huge ghost? No, felt like a mountain ridge rising. Ghosts clawed and crawled toward him, shrieking. Like vomit refluxing.
"What the hell is this?"
Ju Kang-rim drew back, Saingeom out, but locking eyes with one clawing ghost, he sensed it: each one down there stronger than any abomination he'd faced. Brimming with inexpressible malice and rage.
"Aaaah! Young master! Come here! Let's go together!"
Lost child protocol 3: If a stranger says come with me—even if they offer candy—firmly refuse.
But their vibe wasn't "wrong person, sorry," the type to back off. Teeth gritted at ghosts reaching his feet, Ju Kang-rim swung his Saingeom threateningly.
But flames shot to the horizon.
Kwagagagagak.
Black underworld lit blindingly bright in an instant. Climbing ghosts screamed, dismembered, burned, cascading down. The pit became a sea of fire. Flames tore and devoured ghosts greedily, spitting bone shards. Yet they didn't die, still screaming.
Thud.
While wondering if he had that power, a thud behind made him turn. There stood something more grotesque than anything he'd seen here: thousands of wings, burning eyes, hands protruding from feathers.
His vision blurred briefly. Refocusing, something entirely different stood there. A 2-meter-tall man with dark brown skin. Fierce eyes impressive, but more so: eight arms and a flaming spear.
Seeing the spear, Ju Kang-rim knew this man made the fire sea.
"...Asura?"
He recalled the Asurada from the museum fight with Kangryeong Daegun. Similar vibe. Wondering what that grotesque form was, the presumed Asura silently nodded toward him.
"Follow you?"
The man nodded. No hostility apparent. Realized he was in the wrong place? Not Yoo Wol-ryeong, but no reason to refuse. Lost child protocol 4: If no guardian shows, ask help from uniformed or name-tagged adults.
This guy had eight arms and turned ghost-hell into fire-sea, but most trustworthy-looking since arriving. If he got forceful, Ju Kang-rim doubted resistance anyway.
Before following, he glanced back. Burning ghosts in the pit still wailed. Wonder who they mistook him for.
The journey with the man didn't take long. Shrinking steps or something—each of Ju Kang-rim's strides changed scenery whoosh. Before ten steps, he'd left the barren bone wasteland, arriving somewhere.
"Ju Kang-rim."
Familiar Samdo Riverbank, near the bridge. Yeomra waited, smoking, cigarette butts littering the ground—he'd been there a while.
Yeomra nodded to the man who'd guided him. The man turned silently and vanished.
"Who was that guy?"
"The Judge with the Flame Sword. Eh, I just call him James."
"...James?"
"Looks the part, right? He doesn't seem to mind."
"I thought Asura..."
"Call him whatever's comfy."
Asura better than Flame Sword Judge or James. Hope no need to see again.
Yeomra approached, patting Ju Kang-rim down like checking for damage.
"You good? Nothing hurt?"
"Pardon? Well, if this is the place I think, I'm dead, so not exactly pristine."
"Nah, I mean your soul. Talking nonsense means you're fine."
Ju Kang-rim thought Yeomra overreacted. Without the pit ghosts, it'd been just a barren wasteland. But seeing his expression, Yeomra said incredulously,
"Where you were was the deepest of the Eight Hells of Fire, Avici Hell. Where sinners eternally suffer without a moment's rest or release."