Chapter 9

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 9

Chapter Title: Shrimp Ghost

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4 a.m.

Rain poured down as if the sky had a hole punched through it.

This wasn't just a simple shower.

The downpour that had started yesterday morning fell in a sticky, chilling torrent, as if wringing out all the gloom in the world. It was a freak storm that hadn't even been forecasted by the weather service.

"Ugh..."

I dragged my stiff body upright and turned my head.

On my narrow bed, sprawled belly-up in the prime spot on the pillow, Fry was fast asleep. Curled up on the floor by my feet was the black furball I'd picked up yesterday—Pepper.

The moment I rustled, Pepper bolted awake.

"Woof! (Good morning!)"

Her tail spun like a propeller as she leaped onto the bed and burrowed into my arms.

The shivering, rain-soaked mess from last night was gone; overnight, she'd perked up completely.

"Aw, sleep well? Pepper."

As I stroked her, a chill emanated from the head of the bed.

"Peek. (Get rid of it.)"

It was Fry.

Half-lidded eyes glared at Pepper with utter disgust, as if saying, 'How dare this mutt invade my territory.'

"Peek! Squawk! (Throw it out right now!)"

Fry flapped his wings irritably. Pepper yelped "Yip!" and ducked behind my back.

Pepper was way bigger, but she was totally cowed by the chick.

"Hey, Fry. What's with the attitude at dawn?"

"Peek. (No way. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Send it packing. If not, I'm out.)"

He jabbed his beak toward the window insistently.

A fierce storm still raged outside. Sending this little guy back into that? It'd be murder.

"No way. I even gave it a name—how could I kick it out?"

I stated firmly.

"Can't you see it's pouring? She'd die in weather like that."

I pulled the trembling Pepper from behind my back and hugged her tight.

"And don't pull rank when you're freeloading too. If I can raise you, what's one more dog? Plus, she doesn't hunt down hanwoo like you do. One sausage and she's thrilled."

"Peek... (This idiot human...)"

Fry clacked his beak in disbelief.

But when I held firm, he huffed, gave a grumpy snort, and burrowed under the covers. Good. Agreement reached.

"I'm starving. Was gonna boil some ramen... oh, we're out."

Right, we'd polished it off yesterday.

4:30 a.m. Perfect time for a convenience store run.

"Pepper, wanna go for a walk?"

"Woof!"

"Fry, you in?"

"Peek."

...He's sulking.

Fine, you stay and sleep.

The moment I opened the front door, a wave of cold dampness hit me.

The rain was still coming down in sheets.

Something felt off.

Normal rain brought the smell of earth or a briny tang, but this rain was odorless. Or if anything... it carried the musty rot of an ancient grave mixed in.

Sinrim-dong's alleys were pitch black.

Even the streetlights flickered, soaked by the downpour.

That's when it happened.

Woooong—

The air grew heavy, like plunging underwater into murky depths.

Pepper's ears perked straight up. Her body began to quiver faintly.

"What's wrong? Cold?"

As I reached to fix her collar, a bloodcurdling scream tore from the abandoned redevelopment zone's derelict villas ahead.

Not a human voice.

It was like fingernails on a chalkboard amplified a thousandfold—a chilling shriek.

Panic-stricken shouts followed from humans.

"Block it! Raise the barrier!"

"No! Oh Min-seong! Snap out of it! That's your shikigami!"

"I can't control it! The grudge is too strong!"

A fight? I instinctively halted.

The neighborhood's security was iffy, but a brawl at dawn?

"Hey, Pepper. Let's take the other way. Avoid shit outta fear or disgust?"

As I turned to go—

Boom!

The old villa wall exploded inward.

Through the dust cloud, something hurtled toward me—a person.

A young guy in his early twenties, in a modified black hanbok. He tumbled across the ground, vomiting blood.

"Gahk...!"

From beyond the crumbled wall, it crawled out.

A hazy mass of pale smoke, but unmistakably woman-shaped.

Disheveled long hair, skeletal arms twisted grotesquely as it crawled. Empty eye sockets brimmed with darkness; its mouth torn to the ears flicked a red tongue.

Each time it opened its mouth, thunder cracked and the rain intensified.

"Eek!"

I sucked in a breath. My heart plummeted.

That... wasn't human.

Hairs stood on end. A real ghost.

"R-Run! Away!"

The fallen youth—Oh Min-seong—shouted at me, face twisted in terror.

"It's Shrimp Ghost! She's rampaging! Civilians get soul-drained up close!"

Shrimp Ghost? Cute name for a bloodthirsty crawler oozing malice.

Then, three or four black-suited figures burst from behind the wall, talismans, wooden swords, and prayer beads in hand. Shamans or exorcists, clearly.

"Team 2! Surround it! Civilian present!"

"Rebuild the barrier! We can't let it escape!"

They moved in sync to encircle it. One flung a talisman.

But it soaked in the rain, losing power before even touching and dropping limp.

Shrimp Ghost shrieked and swung an arm. Rain turned to blades, slashing at the suits.

"Argh!"

"It's immune to physical! And the rain's doubled its power!"

"Stop this rain or we got no chance!"

Shrimp Ghost swung again; invisible force sent the suits flying like leaves.

"Argh!"

"Physical immunity! Spiritual power's bouncing off!"

"Grudge too strong—spells rebound!"

Chaos. I watched blankly. Should run, but legs were glued to the pavement.

Then Shrimp Ghost turned. Empty sockets locked on me.

Her torn mouth gaped wider. Tongue flicked snake-like.

She ignored her exorcist attackers, veering straight for me.

"Huh?"

Shrimp Ghost scuttled at me madly. Blinding speed, cockroach-quick and grotesque.

Exorcists panicked.

"Huh? Why's it going there? Hey! Block it!"

"Target switch! It's after the civilian!"

Too late. She'd breached the encirclement, right in my face.

"Aaaah!"

I screamed, stumbling back. But a dead-end wall blocked me.

Her claw lunged for my nape. Drowned yesterday, ghost chow today. What kinda luck is this?

That instant—

"Grrr..."

Pepper in my arms growled low. Weird—her warm body had gone corpse-cold in a flash.

Pepper launched from my arms. Not fleeing—charging the ghost head-on.

"Pepper! No!"

Too late to grab; she was airborne. Tiny pup—one swipe and she'd burst.

But—

Fwoosh!

Her forehead parted black fur; the third eye blazed open. Azure light fanned out, bathing Shrimp Ghost.

Shrimp Ghost froze mid-motion, like a paused video. The intense light forced Team 2 to shield their eyes.

"Woof!"

Not just a bark—a space-rending wave echoed through the alley.

Pepper pounced. Her tiny form rocketed up, clamping the frozen ghost's arm.

Crunch!

Shrimp Ghost shrieked. But she wasn't pushover—Team 2's elite shikigami, high spiritual resistance.

Opposite claw slashed. Pepper kicked air nimbly, dodging. Claw gouged deep asphalt scars.

"Woof! Woof!"

Pepper circled fiercely, barking. Each unleashed azure waves battering the ghost. Black smoke billowed from Shrimp Ghost.

Hair snaked like living whips, dozens lashing. Pepper weaved through with tiny agility—like child's play.

She seized the opening. Post-miss, ghost core exposed—third eye flared.

Pepper leaped again. Not limbs this time.

Too slow—Pepper's fangs, aglow azure, sank into the throat.

Squelch!

Shrimp Ghost thrashed in agony. Pepper locked jaws, shaking savagely—like a bulldog crushing windpipe.

Crack! Snap!

Cracks spiderwebbed her form. Black grudge-mass shattered like glass. Pepper's azure devoured, purified, consumed it.

Her gaze flicked to fallen Oh Min-seong, but he just stared blankly.

Final wail, and she burst into dissipating black smoke. Only a tattered talisman remained on the ground. Total annihilation.

And then—like magic—the rain stopped.

Thick clouds blanketing the sky erased in an instant. Eastern horizon dawned red, illuminating wet alleys.

I sat ass-planted, gaping skyward.

The world-devouring deluge halted the second the dog chomped the ghost.

"......"

"......"

Team 2 couldn't breathe. Oh Min-seong stared vacantly at clearing skies.

What just happened?

Blue flash—rampaging shikigami Shrimp Ghost shredded and gone. Grudge-rain ended.

"Team Leader... you see that?"

"......Yeah."

Team 2 leader swallowed hard.

He hadn't seen the 'little dog' clearly—blue overwhelmed its form.

But one figure burned in: Kang Han-gyeol.

He seemed dazed, but to the leader: dropped the dog, light erupted. Reached out, dog lunged and tore.

"It's that guy."

Leader muttered low.

"That man... used sorcery."

"Huh? Not the dog?"

"Dog's just medium. Overwhelming purification like that? No mere animal. Needs master's spiritual power backing."

Misconception hardened to certainty. Sloppy slippers, unflinching stance (legs jelly, actually). Body with yang energy drawing ghosts.

'High master.'

League above, commanding shikigami freely. Not normal dog—spiritual construct or tamed spirit beast.

"Team Leader, talk to him?"

"Crazy? Saw it erase charging ghost without blinking. Prod wrong, we're next."

Leader shook head. Don't poke monsters.

Now understood why Team 1's Deputy Seo Hwa-rin watched Sinrim-dong.

"Withdraw. Report up: Sinrim-dong has a 'real deal' we can't handle."

"......Pepper?"

My shaky call; she landed, turning with third eye shut, death-chill gone. Innocent eyes gazed warmly.

"Woof! (Master! Did I do good?)"

She shook water off, rushed into my arms. Licked my chin with ghost-chewing mouth. Warm again.

...Dream?

"Hey... you..."

Words failed. How interpret? My dog beamed eyes, ate ghost. Sane?

"Well, chick breathes fire... what's unbelievable now..."

Sensed black-suits staring from afar. Eyes odd—fear? Awe? Not friendly.

'Trouble if tangled.'

Instinct hid Pepper in jacket, turned casually.

"Whew, scary stuff. Better grab ramen quick."

Loud self-talk, slippers slapping toward store. Felt stares burning back—didn't look.

"Haa... haa..."

Door locked; tension snapped. I slid down against it, legs jelly.

"Insane... real ghost. And..."

Gaze to black furball in arms. Pepper blinked innocently, like never mauled a specter.

"......"

Fry poked from blankets.

"Peek? (Back?)"

Glanced me, fixed on Pepper. Sniffed—briny reek plus ghost-dissipation's stale yokai power residue.

Fry flew to table, nosed right up, glaring.

I flopped into chair, eye-locked Pepper. Time for truth.

"Spill. What are you? Saw the eye, ghost-biting. You're a yokai too?"

Pepper just "Woof?" tilted head. Purest innocence: 'Just cute doggo?'

Fry pecked her head.

"Hey, what're you two doing?"

While I gaped, Fry flapped scoldingly: 'Quit harassing, dummy.'

"Peek!"

Short cry, wings flared threateningly.

Whoosh!

Normally lighter-flicker flames—but not this time.

"Whoa, Fry—your fire's bigger?"

Fist-sized golden blaze roared from wingtips. Heat whooshed. Room lit daylight-bright.

Fry blinked wide, inspecting wings.

Felt it. Core heating subtly but surely. Human's vast spiritual power, plus ghost yokai residue Pepper hunted—catalyst.

Not just rats now—bigger prey burnable. By this idiot's side, true form sooner than thought.

Fry preened flames elegantly with beak, grooming.

"You two... what's with today? Bad food?"

I shook head.

Dog kills ghost, chick fire show. Rooftop turning fantasy set.

But they gazed calmly now. Pepper tail-wagged bowl; Fry belly-flopped, toasting bread.

"Ha... fine. Unhurt's good."

Outside still dim dawn. Rain gone, sky deep navy.

Resigned, poured water on cup ramen. Steam rose.

"You two bonding's nice, but no house fires. Lose deposit."