Chapter 109

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 108

Chapter Title: I'll Borrow It for a Moment

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Gu Hye-ryeong had been scouring the mountains around Yeongwol after hearing rumors of fire ghosts prowling the area in Gangwon-do.

But no matter how thoroughly he searched, not a single anomaly turned up, and Yeongwol remained utterly peaceful.

As Hye-ryeong began to tire of the fruitless hunt, a text message pinged on his phone.

It was a message from Woo-hyeon Monk, sent just before heading into the mountains.

"A swarm of bugs at Seoraksan? Not Yeongwol after all!"

The message from Woo-hyeon Monk reported a problem at Seoraksan: a swarm of insects had appeared, complete with an attached photo.

'This is definitely an anomaly. It's peak bug season with summer starting, but this is way too many.'

Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of bugs blanketing the sky—an unnatural scene that couldn't possibly occur naturally.

The observation of an anomaly meant an anomaly had appeared there, plain and simple.

Moreover, the insects covering Seoraksan's sky were a species unlike any seen before. Clear proof they weren't natural bugs.

The tip about something in Yeongwol must have been a false report meant to throw Gu Hye-ryeong off the trail.

From the start, the Bloodless Victory Monks had set up base at Seoraksan. When the Fixer Office razed New Country New Love Church, they revealed their hidden forces.

"Seoraksan should have had a mountain guardian... What on earth is happening? I hope all is well. Namu Amida Butsu."

Hye-ryeong Monk wasted no time spreading the newly acquired intel.

It was best to alert everyone quickly in case of trouble.

"Ah, yes. This is Gu Hye-ryeong. The thing is... I think we've located the Bloodless Victory Monks."

Gu Hye-ryeong first contacted the Buddhist Association, then informed the Anomaly Management Department.

Rogue monks had appeared at Seoraksan, surrounded by a swarm of unidentified insects. Hikers, mountain guardians, and Seoraksan's monks were trapped inside.

Even 36 monks who had gone up for a casual outing had entered to rescue people.

They needed to act fast. No telling how far the damage would spread.

The Fixer raced back to the office on Boongboong and immediately checked on Nam Yu-ha's condition.

"What happened? Why is Yu-ha like this?"

"Well..."

Unfortunately, Nam Yu-ha looked in terrible shape.

Red spots covered her face and arms, and she was sweating coldly, writhing in pain as if stricken by some illness.

They'd forced her to sleep for now, but no knowing when she'd wake.

"Fixer. Don't panic... A plague spirit tried to possess Yu-ha, but Kitsune and I blocked it. Taoist Master Moon Seon-woo arrived just in time to help drive it off."

"Pardon? A plague spirit? Why would..."

"We couldn't do much. It just bulldozed in relentlessly. Luckily, Sowol was there to suppress it early on."

While the Fixer was off demolishing New Country New Love Church, Nam Yu-ha had apparently faced a brush with death.

Oh Se-eun, Kitsune, and Taoist Master Moon Seon-woo had forced back the plague spirit trying to invade her body, and White Sowol had healed her.

"Yu-ha lost consciousness and fell asleep. Better not to wake her for now. The moment she opens her eyes, that plague spirit will thrash around trying to get back in. Spirits hit harder when you're awake..."

Taoist Master Moon Seon-woo explained Yu-ha's dire state in a despairing voice.

She was his one and only spirit daughter, like a little sister he'd watched over for years.

A plague spirit had invaded the body he'd nurtured since her childhood and tried to take root, causing other spirits to reject becoming her primary guardian spirit.

For Moon Seon-woo, it was enough to make a thousand Buddhas rage inside him.

"No way to bring the Five Flower Bell Spirit right now. Can't we have her take on another spirit temporarily?"

"We thought about that too. Better than the worst-case where the plague spirit fully possesses her, right? We tried finding another spirit, but..."

Unfortunately, the plague spirit targeting Nam Yu-ha was stronger than expected.

Strong enough to throw its weight around, in fact.

"Hard to find a proper spirit... They're all terrified of the plague spirit and fleeing."

"We need the Five Flower Bell Spirit, the one with a deep bond with Yu-ha, Fixer."

As Oh Se-eun said, they'd reached a point where only the Five Flower Bell Spirit would do.

How long could Nam Yu-ha hold out against the plague spirit's onslaught?

Even at best, not more than seven days. They had to bring the Five Flower Bell Spirit back to reunite with her within that time.

A forced time attack triggered by the sudden intrusion of a monstrous spirit. The Fixer frowned.

"Of all the rotten luck..."

"Tell me about it. Not even a demon—just a plague spirit we can't exorcise because it's technically a spirit..."

Faced with the far grimmer situation than anticipated, the Fixer pulled a Nameless Charm from his pocket.

He'd used one to rescue the shrine maiden, leaving him with two more.

"This should drive the plague spirit out of Yu-ha's body for now. But..."

"Others will try rushing in right after. Especially since they've seen the breach once—they'll come charging with eyes blazing."

The ultimate solution was to install a spirit strong enough to protect Nam Yu-ha. A Nameless Charm would only buy temporary respite, not a perfect fix.

With only two left, they needed to save them for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the worst moments—not waste one now, but use it only when Nam Yu-ha could hold out no longer.

"Fixer, how about taking Yu-ha to Mujin City first? Lots of spirit mediums there, and yin-yang masters too... We could ask for help."

"True, if it's a plague spirit, Harry might be able to suppress it."

"Lee Haeri? The Mycologist? If she's really in Mujin City... there might be a way."

There was nothing more they could do for Nam Yu-ha at the Fixer Office.

They decided heading straight to Mujin City, packed with experts, was best. The Fixer went up to the fourth floor to brief Jeong Ha-yeon and Go Yu-rim.

"We're heading to Mujin City now. You know roughly where it is, right?"

"Isn't that Lunar Blossom Sect territory? Can we even go there? I'm a yin-yang master..."

"Moss House is in Mujin City too, so it should be fine."

"Um... I'm a shaman...?"

"It's okay, Yu-rim. You're no villain. A young shaman won't bring down the whole sect. Come on, everyone pack up. Grab Yu-ha's stuff too if you can."

"Got it, Fixer."

The group quickly prepared to depart.

That's when the Fixer got a call from Gu Hye-ryeong Monk.

-Fixer. We've found the Bloodless Victory Monks' location. Quick rundown: looks like their base is at Seoraksan.

"Seoraksan?"

-Yes. And there's a serious problem. Can't easily enter the mountain because of the bug swarm they likely unleashed. Even if you get inside without prep, you'll die to the anomalies.

"What now...?"

-Seoraksan interior is full of unidentified powder floating around. Ingest or inhale it, and your body mutates. Sightings of wild boars grown to nearly 3 meters, various mountain beasts... Those who entered have mostly turned into anomalies too...

To obtain the Eclipse Vow, they needed to enter Seoraksan and eliminate the Bloodless Victory Monks—but that was impossible now.

The mountain was contaminated by shellback bug dust, with anomaly victims rampaging inside.

Going in unprotected meant no coming out in one piece.

The mysterious bug swarm blanketed the mountain, making scouting or escape difficult.

Worst of all, many people were still trapped inside Seoraksan.

Rescue ops for hikers were underway but hitting heavy resistance, Hye-ryeong Monk reported.

"What was the call? You look really serious."

"The monk found the Bloodless Victory Monks. Seoraksan. Think I need to head there now."

"Seoraksan?"

"Hold on. Seoraksan—that's the mountain guarded by that Kang San-jung guy."

"Why would the Bloodless Victory Monks be there...?"

When the Fixer announced the Bloodless Victory Monks had taken Seoraksan, Oh Se-eun and Kitsune gasped in unison.

Seoraksan's guardian ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was Master Hosan Kang San-jung. As long as he was there, rogue monks shouldn't have taken root easily.

But they'd breached it completely, and even Kang San-jung's fate was unknown.

"That guy... He said he was worried about us and left the mountain empty for so long."

"Ah... It's our fault. We asked for his help, he left his post... and the Bloodless Victory Monks seized the chance to occupy Seoraksan and hole up with anomalies."

Oh Se-eun quickly pieced it together and sighed.

If Kang San-jung hadn't overcome the shellback bug dust and mutated, he'd be rampaging as an anomaly now.

"Guess we need to check it out fast. I'll go to Seoraksan alone—you all head to Mujin City."

"Wait, Fixer. Me too. Let me come with you."

"Pardon? But..."

"The Eclipse Vow is there, right? We need it to retrieve the Five Flower Bell Spirit."

"True, but Seoraksan is currently occupied by something close to a disaster-grade anomaly. You might run into trouble following me."

"I'm fine. Better than sitting by watching Yu-ha die helplessly. I want to go and help however I can."

Seeing the resolve in Taoist Master Moon Seon-woo's eyes, the Fixer agreed.

Leaving him behind would just wear down his spirit.

"Se-eun. Soon, Park Soo-mudang's Lee Do-gyeom, Divine Retainer's Kang Se-yeon, and Jo Un-gyeol will arrive. Within 30 minutes. Go to Mujin City with them."

"Divine Retainer... Got it, Fixer. We'll head to Mujin City first and wait."

Lee Do-gyeom, Jo Un-gyeol, and Kang Se-yeon were coming straight from the prayer center rescue to the Fixer Office. Even without Moon Seon-woo, a short wait and they'd ride the vanpool to Mujin City with Kang Se-yeon.

The Fixer left the group and exited the office with Taoist Master Moon Seon-woo.

This time, he'd brought White Sowol along too.

-Hubby... I sense bad vibes.

"Me too. Feels like something big's about to go down."

The Fixer suddenly recalled his promise with Kang San-jung.

At the academic festival, Kang San-jung had definitely asked to spar with him.

He'd said to come to Seoraksan. But with so many incidents piling up, the Fixer hadn't made it there soon enough.

'If I'd gone to meet Kang San-jung at Seoraksan sooner...'

The Bloodless Victory Monks might never have taken root.

Of course, no way to know what was the right choice. Prioritizing the promise might have let trouble erupt elsewhere.

"Boongboong. Seoraksan, fast."

The Fixer hopped on Boongboong with Taoist Master Moon Seon-woo, and the car sped toward Gangwon-do.

Blasting onto the highway at breakneck speed, Boongboong overtook cars one after another. Moon Seon-woo in the passenger seat clenched his teeth, trembling at the velocity.

"Th-this is too fast!"

"It's fine. You'll get used to it and find it comfy."

"Urgh... How do you get used to this!?"

The Fixer calmly checked the photos from Gu Hye-ryeong Monk.

Bugs of a type unseen in the modern world. Definitely anomalies.

To identify them, the Fixer pulled out the silent Codex and slipped his hand into its squirming gap.

Whirr.

The Codex read its master's intent, pinpointed the anomaly's identity, and informed the Fixer that the bugs in the photos were shellback bugs.

Info on shellback bugs flooded the Fixer's mind: traits, extermination methods, everything.

'Shellback bugs have a separate queen. Gotta find and kill her.'

Shellback bugs lived 3 to 6 hours max. Short lives, but the queen could lay near-infinite eggs.

Kill the offspring all you want; she'd just make more. No end without taking the queen.

Worse, once their numbers hit 660,000, something else would be drawn in.

It took just over two days for shellback bugs to reach 660,000.

They'd been laying eggs for nearly a day already. Fail to kill the queen within the next day, and it'd be something far worse.

Releasing the shellback bugs was a ploy to tie up the Fixer's feet and buy time.

Pondering easier ways to kill the queen, the Fixer remembered an unclaimed quest reward.

The quest to make Moss House an ally of Lunar Blossom Sect—completed.

Hoping it held the key, the Fixer claimed the reward...

As usual, bundles of cash came with an unexpected item.

It allowed borrowing something, but no details on from whom or for how long.

'What kind of reward is this...? Too simple—makes it suspicious.'

Unclear on limits, the Fixer tested by thinking of the Thousand Buddhas Vajra Beads.

He remembered it instantly pointing to the Chairman's location in New Country New Love Church's annex.

Maybe it'd reveal the shellback bug queen's spot too.

Of course, no way to borrow a divine relic Jigukcheon took... Nah, probably not.'

He hadn't seriously expected to borrow the Vajra Beads.

Just a "nothing to lose" shot while gripping the Borrowing Spirit Plaque.

If not, something similar would do.

"..."

"F-Fixer. What is that? Cash bundles poured out, and now... immense Buddhist power?"

"Well... I honestly don't know."

The Borrowing Spirit Plaque vanished from the Fixer's hand, replaced by long prayer beads radiating tremendous Buddhist aura.

Incredibly, he'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠actually borrowed the Vajra Beads via the Borrowing Spirit Plaque!

No restrictions like "kill and the Four Heavenly Kings descend."

Perfect—as long as he didn't harm people with its Buddhist power.

He could freely discipline villains or repel anomalies.

For ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠executing sinners, just remove the beads and punch—its power wouldn't fade this time.

Unrestricted use of the Thousand Buddhas Vajra Beads.

Stunned, the Fixer felt the beads vibrate in shared bewilderment.

'They're just lending it like that? Really borrowed? Nah, don't doubt. Borrowed it. Use it up and return.'

The Fixer felt another misdeed added to the good deed ledger Jigukcheon had read.