Flying Talisman Slash: Perfectly Suited to Me
The Flying Talisman Slash was a perfect fit for me. Thanks to Mongshili remembering Jang Chen's secret technique, I'd learned this talisman art. After drawing about a thousand sheets, I could sketch them with my eyes closed.
Before long, dawn broke as the sun pierced through the earth. The sunlight breaking through the dark clouds stabbed in every direction like golden Flying Talisman Slashes. I chuckled.
Even though I'd only learned this one talisman art so far, my mind was filled with thoughts of how to launch the Flying Talisman Slash, how to make attacks more efficient, and how to use it for defense.
The principle of talisman arts was simple. Just like drawing circuits on a circuit board, you draw circuits infused with spiritual power on paper. The Flying Talisman Slash was a blade that flew toward its target and sharpened itself along the way, propelled by spiritual power. The stronger the spiritual power, the faster the propulsion and the greater the intensity.
"Mongshili."
'Yes.'
"If I keep the Flying Talisman Slash on standby without launching it, couldn't it act as a shield?"
'??'
I gripped thick bundles of Flying Talisman Slashes in both hands. Roughly five hundred sheets.
"Scatter."
I hurled them into the air all at once. There was no target to send them toward... They simply hovered, frozen just before launching as hardened blades.
I pictured a bird's feathers. An eagle's wings were layered so thickly that no razor wind, downpour, or sharp air could pierce them. The lower feathers supported the upper ones, and the upper ones covered the lower. A single feather fluttered in the breeze, but together they deflected even storms.
I finely controlled the talismans with my spiritual power, assigning positions one by one.
'What... are you...'
Ignoring Mongshili's shock, a wall formed in an instant. The talismans, hardened as solidly as the dense feathers, created a semicircle blocking my front.
'You're insane, Master. Don't you have any spiritual power left?'
"Yeah. That's my strong suit."
'Monster.'
The monster called me a monster. The talismans connected to my spiritual power could serve as shields and also as Claymores waiting to launch.
'But with a feather structure, couldn't you make armor out of them too?'
Mongshili's words set my mind spinning rapidly. That's when it happened.
"Kyaaaaaaa!!"
As always, morning broke with Mina's scream.
"Kyaaaaah! You're crazy!! Crazy!!!"
But this was different from yesterday—a scream of joy. Her legs had healed, and even her Achilles tendon was back to normal.
Thud, thud, thud—loud footsteps echoed, and before I could turn, the living room door burst open.
"Oppa!! My..."
Mina burst into the living room, her face flushed with color. At the same time, she spotted the talisman wall and froze mid-step over the threshold, one foot inside.
Her eyes slowly widened. Her mouth fell open. Her gaze swept over the shield I'd made—from bottom to top, top to bottom, back to the center, and finally to me.
"...Huh?"
She pointed at the shield wall with her index finger and let out a sound of surprise. To avoid startling her, I slowly recalled the talismans.
Silence.
Blink, blink. Mina's long eyelashes fluttered open and closed slowly.
"Oppa... you're a shaman?"
"Yeah."
"Ehhhhh?!"
Patpatpatpat. Mina rushed at me and grabbed my shoulders, shaking them lightly.
"Then you healed my legs, Oppa?"
"Yeah."
The initial treatment wasn't me, but the end result was my doing, so it wasn't wrong.
Mina's mouth gaped wide. She knew the power shamans held in modern society. Her oppa, whom she'd always ignored, possessed a force that transcended violence.
A strange hunger began sparkling in her eyes.
"Teach me too."
It was the expected development. Survival instinct—she never wanted to be powerless again. That desire drove her.
"No."
I lit a cigarette and cut her off firmly. Mina, who hated smokes, picked up the lighter from the floor and lit it for me.
"Aww~ Why not."
"You don't have the talent. I'm a natural."
"Aww... Oppaaaa~"
She hooked her arm through mine and started acting cute. My heart raced at Kang Mina's charm. It was her innate, bubbly cuteness—different from the Virgin Ghost or shikigami mode.
"Get off."
At my cold tone, her cute smile froze. I leaned deep into the sofa, gazing down at her with the indifferent eyes of a carnivore.
"You think shamanism is some academy skill you learn by attending classes?"
"W-well, not exactly... but if you help me..."
"Kang Mina."
I exhaled a long plume of smoke. She flinched slightly at my chill but her lips kept moving.
"But my friend is a mudang..."
"Shaman descent is just feeling spirits. Controlling them means wielding that power yourself entirely. Not just feeling them! Not relying on them to ask and answer."
Mina wasn't stupid. She understood perfectly.
"Ah... Mudangs and shamans are different, huh."
"Mudangs can do it when the ghost gate opens, but shamans are different. You can't teach it. Only those who've stepped to death's door and returned can handle spirits—the energy of the dead. Can you die?"
The blood drained from Mina's face.
"The boundary between living and dead. You have to pierce it with your own flesh. You must touch death once to become a true shaman."
"Die... um..."
"Yeah. Becoming a shaman means falling off a cliff. Survive, and you're a shaman. Fall and die, and you're just a corpse."
I leaned forward over the table, thrusting my head toward her. Then I gripped her slender neck with my right hand.
"Still wanna do it? Higher chance of dying than living?"
I squeezed lightly. Her pupils shook like an earthquake. Fear. Pure terror.
But the pain of teeth ripped out in Cambodia, the memory of her severed Achilles, held her ankles fast.
"...I'll do it."
Her lips trembled.
"I... never want to be that helpless again. I'd rather die by your hand, Oppa."
Hoo. I released her neck. The haughty bitch's defiance from the cliff's edge was impressive.
"Fine. But one rule: absolute obedience to my commands."
"Got it."
"Training's simple."
I stubbed out my cigarette in the ashtray and began explaining in a dry voice.
"It's called soul separation training. I'll forcibly seal three acupoints in your body with my spiritual power, ejecting your soul halfway from the flesh. Endure it, and you'll be a 2nd Grade shaman. Fail, and you'll be an empty shell. ...Meaning death."
Mina swallowed dryly before barely replying.
"Okay..."
"Normally, becoming a shaman has three stages. This soul separation is the easiest. But it consumes so much of the caster's spiritual power that no one does it lightly."
It was true. Soul separation devoured massive spiritual power—even a third for a Special Grade shaman.
Plenty wanted to become shamans for extra cash, but who would waste their power? Opportunities for soul separation were rare. Shamans gained enlightenment at the boundary of life and death—random brushes with mortality. Forcing it wasn't easy.
"What's next?"
Mina's desperate face mixed fear and curiosity—she couldn't hold back.
"After soul separation, once you can handle spiritual power... you must undergo border crossing training, stepping into the underworld's boundary. Even for Special Grade, you need that."
"Underworld?? Hell?"
I nodded with a light sigh. Bad memories surfaced.
"Also called the netherworld..."
"Then next, you voluntarily possess a powerful vengeful spirit and seize control—that's possession training. A shaman's spiritual power isn't their own; it's just borrowed."
Mina covered her mouth. No one explained shaman principles.
"The stronger the vengeful spirit you possess and dominate, the greater your power. Many fail here, losing control as the body becomes a malevolent spirit instead of human."
Mina paled.
"So... most scary demons on the news are..."
"Right. Failed Special Grade shamans from possession training. Eight out of ten become demons."
I leaned back on the sofa.
"So, still want it?"
Silence flowed. Mina hung her head, speechless. Her shoulders trembled faintly.
Gonna quit? Fair enough—for a greenhouse flower idol trainee, demanding she face death was too much.
"If I die, cremate me."
Mina snapped her head up. The tears in her eyes weren't fear—they were grit.
"If I drag it out, I'll get scared and run... Do it now, Oppa."
Heh heh. A low laugh escaped. I rose slowly.
"Sit cross-legged on the floor."
Mina sat on the living room floor with trembling legs.
"Close your eyes. Two hours from now. If I don't wake you... failure."
"......"
She bit her lip and shut her eyes tight. I circled behind her. I gathered spiritual power into my right index and middle fingers. My fingertips hummed blue and vibrated.
"Beginning."
Without hesitation, I struck her nape, the spine behind her solar plexus, and the tailbone meridian.
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
"Ngh...!"
Mina's body jolted like electrocuted but stayed rigid in cross-legged pose. Her breathing shallowed instantly—barely once a minute, comatose.
The room's temperature plummeted. White breath frosted; chill crept from the floor.
'...It's open. The soul's lock.'
Mongshili muttered tensely.
My spirit eyes saw Mina's state. A translucent Kang Mina soul hovered precariously over her body. Life thread on the verge of snapping. The vessel's lid flung open.
Screeeeech. Grind.
A chilling metallic scrape from the window. Something thumped against the balcony glass. A dark red bloody handprint. Then a dented face slapped against the glass—an eyeball-gouged, tongue-lolling stray ghost.
"E... mpty... ves... sel..."
A grotesque whisper seeped through. Then dozens, hundreds of malevolent spirits and strays swarmed the apartment exterior like bees. Starving beasts drawn to the scent of a fading life's flame.
Windows rattled violently. Bang! Bang! Bangbangbang!
"Hun... gry... give... your body... want it..."
Grotesque ghosts filled the balcony. They were poised to shatter the glass and devour Mina's shell.
Appearing despite morning sun meant they surpassed stray ghosts.
Crack!
Fine cracks spiderwebbed the balcony glass. The largest—a hanged malevolent spirit—thrust its head halfway into the living room.
"Mine... pretty... shell..."
Its rotten claw reached slowly for Mina's cheek.
I sat on the sofa, chin propped, utterly unmoving as I watched.
Then a massive spider stood sentinel before Mina like a gatekeeper.
"Hiiiik!!"
"Save—"
The strays fled in panic at Mongshili's manifestation.
"Hey. If you step in, her training gets too easy."
'Wasn't it already easy with the Virgin Ghost? Poor Kang Mina was terrified.'
"What you get easy disappears easy. She needs to think it's hard. Otherwise, possession training completes automatically, making her Special Grade... How reckless would she get then?"
'Planning to block her from Special Grade?'
"Cap her at 1st Grade. Virgin. You get it?"
An eyeball bulged from between Kang Mina's breasts.
"Yes, my lord. I'll limit her to 1st Grade shaman spiritual power. But why say two hours for soul separation? Ten minutes is plenty..."
'Master. How about I erase that dim-witted virgin and take this half-human shikigami body?'
"Eek! Heavenly Spirit Earth Ruler, sire... Please withdraw such words."
'Don't cling like an idiot. Get in quick, you clueless bitch who can't read Master's intent.'
Startled by the Heavenly Spirit Earth Ruler, the Virgin Ghost swiveled her eye toward me, then froze at my crotch.
"Ah!!"
With a scream-like moan, the eye slithered away. Simultaneously, Mina's long lashes quivered as she slowly opened her eyes.
Shikigami time.
