Chapter 17
Chapter 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: House of Ghosts - 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"I-Is that really true?"
"Yes. There are two hypotheses for why these two haven't returned."
"What are they?"
"The first is that they've already exited the rift and are living somewhere in the world."
"Then why haven't they come back?!"
"Maybe they suffered memory loss when they came out of the rift?"
Choi Seong-cheol's face turned pale.
And he began breathing roughly.
This doesn't look good...
"Could someone bring some hot water, please?"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The awakener who had greeted me at the entrance rushed into the kitchen and brought back a kettle filled with warm water.
I poured the warm water into a nearby cup and added a tea bag filled with refined rosemary.
"Here, have some. It should calm your nerves."
Look at me, soothing a father who's mentally unstable after losing his daughter. So humane.
Some of the people behind me looked at me with admiration.
I'm better than those scumbag mages with zero integrity, right?
This boosted my reputation even more.
"Hoo... Hoo... That's better... A-Anyway, what's the second hypothesis?"
"Honestly, I think this one's the most likely... They've gone through the rift into the outer realm."
According to The Silence of the Sheep, the outer realm and this world can never normally connect, but they're closer than anywhere else.
Like touching a mirror is possible, but you can't go through it.
"My theory is this. A rift is like a hole between the outer realm and our world."
So it wouldn't be strange if someone entered the rift and got sucked into that hole.
"Then what determines who gets sucked in?"
The awakener who had guided me asked curiously.
Makes sense. Awakeners who frequently enter rifts would wonder about that.
"Basic lack of ability plays a part, but I think the key is mental strength. I've looked into it myself, and most missing people were in a state of confusion."
I'd felt it a bit myself when I saw the cracked rift core while resolving Ray's issue.
"Mental strength... Interesting theory. Can I report this to the Association?"
"I've already submitted the report."
"Ah. I see."
"I don't care about that. So? Can you find my daughters?"
"As I said earlier, it's impossible with the power of this world."
"Why?!"
"President Choi Seong-cheol, could you retrieve something from inside a mirror?"
"......"
"But I can."
I tossed him a lifeline as he teetered on despair.
A big, sturdy one.
"That said, I'll need a lot of things."
"What? Whatever it is! Anything! Name it! I'll get you whatever you need!!"
"For real?"
Oh man, jackpot.
A chance to get tons of free materials?
"Some of the materials are... hard to obtain."
"Don't worry! I'll get them right away!!"
"Alright. First, tiger claws. Goblin eggplants and illusion vines too..."
I listed items that were tough to buy online—stuff I'd only been able to drool over on the internet—and Choi Seong-cheol nodded as if it were obvious.
"Stuff like that? Easy!! What else?"
More?
So I added a few more materials I'd always wanted.
And some expensive gems too.
Choi Seong-cheol accepted even those without hesitation.
"I also need a wide open space."
"How wide?"
"An empty lot about 500 square meters inside. Construction barriers around it to keep everyone out would be even better."
"That's no problem at all!!"
"And... um. You know."
Should I say this?
"What is it? Why hesitate? I'll do anything I can."
"Could you raise the commission fee a bit?"
"Why? Do you need money for materials too?"
"Nah, I'm planning to move."
Lately, crafting items from the grimoire has made my place feel cramped.
There was a countryside house in a secluded spot on the outskirts of Seoul, but even with this commission, I was short on cash.
"....."
Choi Seong-cheol nodded with a dumbfounded look.
"I'll buy you the house."
"Whoa! Thank you!"
"No need for thanks! Just..."
He grabbed my hand tightly.
"Please save my daughters."
Today too, I confirmed my influence.
Truly delightful.
-Ding ding ding ding!!
That's when my phone alarm rang.
Time to start.
Looking up at the sky, a full moon hung there.
"Nice weather. Solid moonlight."
Since ancient times, the moon has been called a passage connected to the other world.
With a perfect full moon like this, connecting to the outer realm and rescuing someone inside shouldn't be impossible.
And using meteorite soaked in that moonlight as a medium makes it even better.
Of course, that's not enough on its own.
I looked around.
The wide lot was completely shielded by construction barriers.
The sky was open, but the barriers separated it from the world.
-Whoosh!!
I placed the materials Choi Seong-cheol procured into a large silver basin and lit a fire.
Acrid smoke rose, filling the surroundings.
I activated the spell with Secrets of Light and Shadow open.
The smoke from the burning materials grew thicker, filling the space.
In this foggy expanse, I opened The Silence of the Sheep.
"Alright. Let's begin."
-Aaaahhh...!
The book emitted a eerie sound and floated in the air.
It flipped its own pages, as if urging me to read.
The smoke writhed like it was alive.
Grimoire in hand, I focused my mind within it.
Anyone with a weak mentality would go mad just looking at that, but I'm a perfect 100/100 man with a healthy body and matching spirit.
This won't break me.
-Kiiiiiek!!
With a tearing sound, the fog split open.
From within emerged dozens of tentacles.
The important part wasn't the tentacles.
It was what lay beyond them.
"Please."
I tossed the sisters' belongings to the tentacles waving in front of me.
The outer realm entity I'd summoned would track their owners and bring them here.
-Kee! Kee! Kee!
Just like monsters emerging from a rift.
Monsters began pouring through the smoke.
From trash mobs like orcs and goblins to stronger ones like trolls and ogres.
But thanks to the smoke, they didn't notice me.
"Wh-Where's this?"
"Sis...?"
Human voices.
Found them!
This works great!
"Wh-Who's there?!"
"People! There are people here!!"
Their shouts, filled with fear and wariness, drew the monsters' attention.
If I left them, the monsters filling the smoke would go after them.
Can't have that.
My commission was for living daughters, not dead ones.
"Arthur."
-Grrrrr!!!
As if waiting, Arthur burst out and charged into the smoke.
Soon, horrific monster screams and the sound of flesh being sliced filled the air.
"Wha...?!"
"A person! It's a person!!"
Thanks to Arthur clearing the path, the two women safely reached me.
Their condition... yeah. Total mess.
"Are you by chance Choi Yu-ra and Choi Yu-jeong?"
"Y-Yes! Yes!!"
"Rescue team?! Oh my god! Thank you! Thank you!"
The two women staggered toward me.
No immediate life threats, but problems aplenty.
Scales sprouted all over their bodies, and mysterious liquid oozed continuously from holes in their chests.
"As expected..."
Even awakeners couldn't emerge unscathed from the outer realm.
At least their souls seemed intact. Good.
"Huh...? Why are you alone...?"
"You came to save us... right??"
No, I got captured too. I didn't say that.
They already looked on the verge of mental collapse; saying that might make them faint, which would be a headache.
"Yes. Choi Seong-cheol sent me."
"Ahh... Dad..."
"Sob... Hic... Hic..."
I ignored the sisters collapsing and sobbing uncontrollably.
Right now, there were more pressing things than them.
"Arthur. Return."
Sorry to interrupt your fun, but no choice.
I stored the lip-smacking Arthur back in the shadows and opened The Silence of the Sheep.
I handed a meteorite brimming with moonlight to the tentacle's grasp.
And to ensure good relations in the future, I offered multi-faceted rubies and a sachet too.
-Kee. Kee. Kee. Kee.
Gifts given with heart and sincerity work anywhere, even on outer realm beings.
The tentacles retreated contentedly.
"C-Can we go home now?"
"Not yet. You don't seem to realize your current state..."
"Huh? What's wrong with us?"
"Scales all over your bodies, and holes in your chests."
They looked confused, not understanding.
Mental damage too, apparently.
"If you go like this, Choi Seong-cheol will faint. Let's purify you here first."
I opened Secrets of Light and Shadow.
"The great and merciful God built purgatory to purify the wretched. By this, I imbue this holy water with purgatory's purifying power."
⟨ Holy Dyeing to Ward Off Harm ⟩
I sprinkled the holy water over their heads.
With that, the scales flaked off their bodies, and the chest holes closed.
"Ah, aaaah!"
"Agh... Ugh!! No! Noooo!!"
Their bodies were purified, but their minds were crumbling.
Can't let that happen.
"Aaaah..."
"Ugh... Hoo... Wh-What's that scent?"
"An incense to calm the mind."
Once I lit the prepared incense, their agony subsided.
Phew. Good.
Not as dangerous as I feared.
"Alright. Time to head back."
"Y-Yes...?"
"H-How...? There are still monsters around..."
Terrified by the lingering smoke, they gripped their weapons tightly.
I clapped lightly, and the smoke enveloping the area rapidly sucked back into the silver basin.
"Wha...?"
"This place...? Earth, right? It's Earth?!"
Only after the smoke cleared and they saw the moon did they start rejoicing.
Wonder where exactly they were, but no need to ask now.
"Let's go. Home."
The joyful sisters grabbed me.
"Who... who exactly are you?"
Only one answer to that.
"Magic for sale."
Choi Seong-cheol was thrilled.
And so was I.
I got a 300-million-won house including the land for free—who wouldn't be happy?
"Thank you! So grateful! Truly!!"
"Thank you... We thank you so much...!!"
"If not for Mage-nim, we'd still be in that hell..."
Just as I finished moving into the new house, Choi Seong-cheol and his daughters visited in person.
Proving that good guests come with light hearts and heavy hands, they brought heaps of gifts.
"Oh, you didn't have to bring all this."
Refusing gifts would hurt the guests' feelings.
Yoo Wol-young, the man.
Unlike those rotten integrity mages.
So I graciously accepted their kindness.
"By the way... this house is a bit... I could buy you a better one."
"Huh? Why?"
"This place. Isn't it the haunted house I've heard about?"
That's why I bought it.