The Rookie Needing No Lessons (3)
In the deep, damp darkness of the basement in a remote house in J3 Zone, dozens of eyes clustered in sticky black slime glinted sharply.
Ordinary yokai were like beasts driven by the instinct of hunger.
But this one was different. It could suppress its primal appetite and think strategically.
What it had done since taking over this rundown empty house was simple: erode the minds of frail humans who wandered in, bewitch them, and drive them to hang themselves.
The thick despair and terror that humans exuded when taking their own lives—it was the ultimate delicacy.
Those negative emotions served as the perfect bait to lure the weakened yokai scattered nearby.
A typical yokai would have devoured the lured ones on the spot.
But this one was different.
'It's hard to survive in the Imperial Capital on my own.'
Instead of eating the lured yokai, it decided to stitch them onto its body, forming a massive cluster.
It made examples of the insolent ones who dared climb over it, crunching them down as a warning.
The rest it thoroughly subjugated as limbs, swelling the cluster's size.
Even weak scraps, when hundreds or thousands merged into one body, became a colossal disaster.
The plan to rapidly bulk up by gathering nearby yokai was flawless.
'Heh heh heh. Just a bit more mass, and I can swallow not just this shack but all of J3 Zone in one bite.'
Lost in such arrogant fantasies, it steadily bulked up day after day.
Creak—
The sound of the old front door on the first floor opening echoed down to the basement.
'Another dumb offering walks right in.'
It stealthily sent fragments of the cluster crouching on the basement floor upstairs.
Mere dwelling spirits—trash.
It planned to lightly terrify them and plant fear.
Today, an oddly salty scent wafted fiercely from outside the door, but it dismissed it as imagination.
Rattle, clunk.
I loaded two bags of salt onto the rented cart and climbed the alley. I'd borrowed the cart from a hardware store near the real estate office, so I had to check the house quick and return it.
Soon, I arrived at the notorious haunted house.
The real estate agent who'd come along turned pale white at the sight, her tension obvious.
"Um, you don't have to go inside with me if you don't want to."
"N-no! This is my job, and guiding clients is my duty...!"
Her face twisted in every grimace, her whole body screaming she wanted to bolt.
Yet her mouth doggedly upheld professional spirit.
'That's a pro for you.'
I was deeply impressed inside.
As she shakily pulled out the key to open the front door—
"Hold on a sec."
I ripped open one of the salt bags on the cart.
[Eat two, one dies, don't blame us]Thousand-Day Salt
My secret weapon for today.
The salt Sariya-nee said not to use unless she was in real danger.
'Took a ton of effort tracking it down in that market corner.'
People seemed clueless about its power.
This salt melted yokai like acid.
'Couldn't believe it when they called it "malignant inventory."'
The shopkeeper had patted my back gratefully.
I'd earnestly explained it repelled yokai out of goodwill, but he just chuckled and shooed me out.
Swish swish.
I plunged my hand into the bag, breaking up the clumps and scattering them. Long-stored in a corner, they were stubbornly clumped, taking time.
The agent eyed me weirdly, but I had no explanation to give.
'Thousand-Day Salt is amazing, after all.'
She'd see soon enough.
I circled the house, sprinkling salt in a ring.
"Wh-what are you doing...?"
"Oh, just insurance."
Blocking escape routes so any inside couldn't flee outside.
It'd be my home—annoying if yokai escaped and snuck back later.
'Plus, spirits hate yokai. Might cause trouble.'
Sariya-nee hadn't woken yet.
If yokai lingered while I slept and harmed her, I couldn't protect her.
'So if they won't talk...'
Not a single one could be left.
I stuffed my pockets bulging with the remaining salt.
Slung the last bag over my shoulder—heavy, but I endured thinking of Sariya-nee.
She'd protected me; now it was my turn.
"Let's head in."
"Y-yes."
Creak—
The moment the agent nervously opened the creaky front door and stepped in—
Bang!
A massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling plummeted without warning toward her head.
I yanked her nape back on reflex.
"Kyaaack!"
By a hair's breadth, the chandelier smashed right in front of her nose, shattering.
I patted my chest, startled too.
"A-anywhere hurt?"
"N-nooo..."
Glancing at her collapsed form, I grabbed a handful from my pocket and hurled salt over the chandelier wreckage.
Splash!
Kieee! Kyak! Kyak!
A dark shape from the ceiling corner groaned, fell writhing in agony, and melted away.
'Isn't this a leech?'
Parents, rule yokai, Sariya-nee, Lannancy-nee—all near-human in form.
I'd assumed all yokai were like that.
'This must be the type Reina explained before.'
Luckily, form didn't matter before Thousand-Day Salt.
I cleared my throat and bellowed through the house.
"If anyone's left, come out now and let's talk!"
......
"U-um, did you just... talk to the yokai...?"
"Yeah. Maybe we can resolve it peacefully."
I ignored her "what's this guy doing" stare and waited, but no reply came.
'...Ignored.'
Disappointment and embarrassment welled up. No excuses—instead, I gripped salt in both fists.
Bad guys.
Trash needs removing.
Recalling Sariya-nee's words, I steeled myself.
"Keep guiding, please."
"...Y-yes. Gulp."
Reading my resolve—or maybe my grim face—she trembled forward on shaky legs, reciting the route.
Living room, kitchen, bathroom, second-floor rooms, attic, basement.
The house tour began in earnest.
Entering the living room, a worn leather ball bounced and rolled toward us alone.
"Eek!"
Splash!
"...Phew."
Salt everywhere—the ball shriveled flat on the spot.
In the kitchen, a rusty kitchen knife floated up and flew at my forehead.
"Kyaaack!"
Splash!
I smacked salt at the handle; the knife dropped with black smoke. Still twitching, so I poured more—it quieted.
"Kya... ah..."
Opening the bathroom door: black hair like dried blood filled the tub, wriggling.
"R-run aw—!"
This time, the whole bag.
Sizzle!
The hair screamed, shrinking into the drain.
"......"
"Next, second floor?"
"...Y-yes."
Heading up: something with half a head peeked from the stairwell corner, watching us.
Before identifying, salt fastball from my pocket.
Thwack!
KyaAaAa!
Hit. With a grotesque scream, the wall-clinger melted like slime.
The agent didn't scream this time.
"Getting used to it?"
"...Don't mind me..."
Next, attic.
Door open: dozens of grotesque jointed-doll figures turned heads in unison toward us.
Light salt sprinkle—they toppled into scrap metal and cotton fluff.
'When to clean this mess.'
My shoulder bag felt much lighter.
Junk aside, I'd used too much salt. Slight regret crept in.
Wrap it up quick.
"Last is basement?"
"Y-yes..."
Maybe my imagination, but she seemed more scared of me than the yokai.
'...What the?'
The presences of the limbs sent upstairs vanished one by one.
At first, no big deal.
Scraps anyway. Consumables.
But this was too much.
Living room one gone.
Kitchen cursed knife neutralized.
Bathroom ghost melted.
Second-floor hallway remnant evaporated.
Attic puppet horde wiped out.
'What the hell. What came in!'
ManShinJeon priest? Council investigator?
Didn't matter.
Main body safe in basement. Upstairs trash was bait.
'Heh heh. Come down. Once in the basement, I'll shred your mind.'
Dozens of eyes glinted, fixated on the basement entrance.
And when the final basement door opened—
Pitch black inside. Flickering bulb set the classic horror mood.
'Yes. Step in. The moment your foot hits the dark, your mind falls under my—'
Splash! Splaaash!
The boy hurled handfuls of remaining salt into the basement void.
'GaaAaAaAaK!'
Burning agony tore its body apart.
Click.
The madly flickering light steadied.
"Oh, it turned on!"
The agent sighed in relief, relaxing with a smile—just then.
'Not yet...!'
Gathering remnants, it ripped up the floorboards.
Crack!
'Scramble her mind, take her hostage...!'
The black main body crawled out, lunging lightning-fast at her ankle.
Too close for an accurate hit—
Splaaaash—!
"Kyaaaaack!!"
'GaaAaAaAaK!!'
"Ptooey! Cough cough! A-achoo!"
Salt poured lavishly over the agent's face and body—splashing the black form too, right up close.
The agent, suddenly a human salt crust.
'My whole body burning...!'
The lunging black shape panicked at the salinity, veering sharply.
Never expected allies doused like that.
'No choice! Outside! Gotta get outside!'
The black shape fled madly toward the exit.
Half-melted midway from house salt.
Finally out the front door, relief—
'Huh? Gurk?!'
Sizzle!
Waiting outside: the ring of salt around the entrance.
'Just a bit... just farther...!'
Not wide, but too much melted getting here.
Edge of the salt ring.
Ox-sized to mouse-small.
One step more.
'Ah......' Now shrinking matched the growing distance.
'Me... here...?'
Pathetically reached out—no hand to grasp.
Just like the humans it drove to suicide.
Kyaaaaack—!
The yokai shrieked horrifically, melting into sticky goo.
'Mm. Perfect.'
I shook out the bag, sprinkling the last handful on the melt spot for good measure.
Back inside, to the agent crusted head-to-toe in salty white powder.
"Um, you okay...?"
In the rush, no warning—just blasted salt.
Felt her targeted; unavoidable. But salt in her clothes looked itchy.
She cautiously stepped out, coughing nonstop.
"Cough, hack! A-almost died and salt-caked, but... cough, th-thank you for saving me......"
Tears welling, she bowed.
"Yokai extermination seems perfect. Contract now?"
"Y-yes... whenever you're ready......"
She nodded, face enlightened.
That night.
"What the—finished the ManShinJeon giant fusion report, and now this?! Why overtime again!"
"Haha! 'Cause my fist arts and sturdiness are vital Heart's Eye Squad assets. Inevitable fate!"
"Gonna vine your mouth shut for real."
Ronan and Reina from the Council arrived at the J3 real estate street.
"Obvious yokai incident—why us investigating?! Just send the extermination squad!"
Reina grumbled, messily ruffling her short hair.
"What can we do? Extermination's swamped lately. We're relatively free."
"Don't say spot-on crap like that only now."
As Reina glared murderously—
The real estate door flew open; the middle-aged owner rushed out.
"Aigoo! Council investigators! You're here!"
"Huh? Boss personally?"
"Well... our on-duty newbie took a client to show that listing, hasn't returned late night, so I'm covering."
The owner lowered his voice.
"That was the spot Council said to vacate for upcoming probe... My bad training."
Reina and Ronan's faces hardened.
"Civilian entered that haunted house? Insane? Possible yokai nest laying eggs—sane?"
"Guide us now!"
The trio hurried toward the haunted house.
Turning an alley—
Opposite: familiar-uniform woman trudging along, salt-crusted.
"H-hey! Katie!"
The owner yelled; the newbie agent startled, looked up.
"B-boss!"
"You fool! Opening it without contact—what if something happened!"
"S-sorry! But Council came, insisted on seeing it themselves, guided, signed contract—delayed..."
Reina and Ronan exchanged looks. Air chilled; agent's face blanched.
"...Daring to impersonate the Council?"
"Suicide wish?"
"Eek! D-didn't know! Really!"
Council: endless overtime, low pay, fueled by justice and bonuses.
High entry, higher tasks. Strong belonging—no tolerance for fakes.
Even drunk claims sparked fists.
"...Katie, what made you think Council?"
"Sh-silver badge showed... Looked young, kid hugging doll-like thing."
"......Kid?"
"Hugging doll?"
Killing intent between them evaporated.
Ronan side-eyed Reina; she desperately looked away.
"Why give badge? No entry test yet."
"Not that—kid in danger...!"
"Grr... Where's the kid now!"
Ronan bellowed urgently.
"Huh? At the house... unpacking, resting probably......"
"Reina!"
"Yeah! No puking!"
Boom!
Ronan hoisted Reina, leaped earthward, sprinting madly to the house.
Watching their vanishing backs, the owner paled.
The agent, brushing salty grains from clothes, belatedly tilted her head.
"Huh... But all yokai already exterminated......?"