Chapter 52
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Before Going to the Shrine
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Having listened intently to my opinion, the Taoist master nodded in agreement before rising from his seat.
"You do make a valid point, Fixer. The shrine maiden's oracle always provides hints as a warning before a great calamity strikes. Naturally, everyone assumes you're the source of the disaster... but I've thought otherwise from the start."
Her eyes were filled with conviction.
Taoist Master Mun Seon-woo was interpreting the oracle's contents differently from the Lunar Blossom Sect elders.
Up until now, every figure mentioned in the oracle had been the 'culprit' behind the disasters, but this time felt different to her.
"I may not have the power to foresee the future myself. But my instincts as a Taoist tell me so."
"Then your instincts must be spot on, Taoist Master."
The master smiled faintly at my words, grabbed her outer robe, and prepared to leave.
"Above all, what I've seen and heard of your actions through Yu-ha shows you're no villain or hypocrite. I'll put my faith in the path you've walked, Fixer."
"I'm grateful even you believe in me, Taoist Master."
"No need. There are plenty who think like me. Not everyone in the Lunar Blossom Sect wants to restrain you. It was just the elders' decision. Opinions are still divided internally, and interpretations of the oracle vary widely."
I knew that. If the Lunar Blossom Sect were just a gang of villains, I'd have crushed them mercilessly, but they're simply doing their duty.
If they'd vaguely labeled my existence as 'evil' from the outset, they wouldn't have even given me a chance to talk—they'd have unleashed their hounds right away.
They're probably on the fence themselves, which is why they've settled on restraining the seemingly dangerous me for now.
"I understand perfectly. Eliminate evil and protect the people's peace. That's the Lunar Blossom Sect's way, right?"
"You get it."
"Just watching you bustle about without a day off tells me that much."
"Even so, thanks to you, I got a solid two days of rest. I'm off now, refreshed. Oh, can I leave Yu-ha with you a bit longer? I can't take her along... since what I have to deal with is at least disaster-class."
"Of course. She's doing fine, so don't worry."
"That's a relief. See you in three days, then."
Taoist Master Mun Seon-woo left the office with a smile.
Come to think of it, she didn't even eat before heading out. Must be that busy. With all sorts of issues popping up nationwide, no time to rest, I suppose.
"Haeyul, the Taoist master's gone, so you can come out now."
After confirming she'd left the building, I tapped the blue gem on the necklace, and Haeyul crawled out.
She reeked of seafood, and having made her wait without eating, she looked exhausted from hunger. Her movements were sluggish, like a sea lion teasing food for hours without biting.
"Has mealtime finally arrived...?"
"Yes. Here's your favorite squid and octopus. Crab too, and sea urchin. Eat up—it's all prepared for you, Divine One."
"S-So much... You're truly a good human... I've found a fine master..."
"Master?"
"N-No... Forget you heard that..."
Haeyul couldn't hide her delight. She'd said she wanted to be raised by human hands, and it seems she meant it.
"So much food... Won't you join me...?"
"No, I'm good. It's all an offering to you, so eat without holding back."
"I-I'm not holding back...! Just... grateful..."
Haeyul grabbed a wriggling octopus from the styrofoam box, wrapped it roughly around her arm, and slurped it whole into her mouth.
Whoa, it was pretty big. She sucked it down like grilled dried octopus.
"M-Mmph... Too biiiig."
"Well, of course it's big if you shove it in whole. Let me wipe your mouth. Hold still."
Her mouth was smeared with seawater and octopus ink, so I wiped it with tissue.
Complaining it was big, yet she chewed away with puffed cheeks, not spitting it out.
Haeyul quickly devoured the octopus and squid, then polished off the rest like crabs vanishing in a blink.
The seafood vanished without a trace, as if deleted.
'Even shells and bones, just crunching them down.'
I was a bit shocked she didn't spit out even the clam shells. Swallowing them whole, shells and all. Her teeth must be incredibly tough.
"Delicioooous..."
"Glad you're satisfied."
"Mmm... Thank you..."
Stuffed full with a bulging belly, Haeyul flashed a satisfied smile before retreating into the Breath of the Silent Sea.
Who'd think this was a disaster-class monster? She just looks like a girl with a healthy appetite.
"Um... Husband."
"Yeah?"
"If she eats this much per meal on average... Food costs are gonna be no joke..."
Once Haeyul vanished, Sowol popped out and tapped her calculator, eyeing the now-empty table.
As Sowol said, preparing this volume of seafood every time would rack up insane costs. And sourcing live seafood from the wholesale market each day would be a hassle.
Supplying such massive amounts long-term is impossible. Need to find alternatives fast.
"You're right. Can't starve her, though. What to do..."
"How about... this?"
"Huh? That..."
Sowol pulled out some fish cakes and crab sticks from the fridge.
Both had seafood content, so they count. But would Haeyul like them?
"If we pick low-starch ones... she might like them? This one's good..."
"Could be a solid plan. An ancient being like her's never tried modern fish cakes or crab sticks."
Sealed away so long ago, she's probably clueless about modern flavors. Who'd hate tasty crab sticks? Not me.
And while she loves live octopus and squid most, can't get those daily. What about semi-dried squid?
Need cheap, bulk options like that.
"With her appetite, substitutes are a must... Let's try fish cakes and crab sticks."
Sowol, like a housewife picking nutritious snacks for her kid, lined up all the seafood-added products from the fridge on the table.
"Kinda feels like you're being super mom right now, Sowol. Very homemaker-y."
"Hehehe... After observing Ghost King for hours... I realized she's no mature woman who can help me support you, Husband. She's... beastly... or more like a kid. So... treat her accordingly."
Eat when hungry. Sleep when tired.
Even I saw Haeyul as more beast than anything.
"Let's try feeding her once."
"Sure... This crab stick has the highest seafood content. Start with it."
I woke Haeyul, who'd gone back to the Breath of the Silent Sea for a nap after stuffing herself.
Like strategizing a monster boss, I laid out various crab sticks and fish cakes for her to sniff.
Here's hoping one hits.
"Mmm...? Tasty smell...!"
"Oh... Go ahead and try it."
As expected, she perked up at the crab stick with the most seafood.
I carefully peeled the packaging and handed it over. Haeyul eyed me and Sowol curiously before tentatively tasting it.
Dogs always wary of new treats at first. But once they taste it, they love it.
Wonder how Haeyul'd react.
"This is..."
"What do you think? Not good?"
"No... It kinda... tastes like fish guts... but even better..."
She devoured the whole pack in seconds, saying it was her first time with something like this and demanding more because it was so good.
"Success, Husband."
"Yeah. Crab sticks are cheaper than octopus."
Five kilos of live octopus would buy a mountain of crab sticks.
Plus, they're easy to get and way cheaper. Found Haeyul's special feed. Thanks to Sowol, feeding her just got easier.
"C-Conversation over...?"
As I cleaned up, basking in the joy of Haeyul's new chow, the office door creaked open and kids peeked in.
"Huh? Uncle, where's Master?"
"She had business and left in a hurry."
"Aha. Well, come on in anyway, Uncle. Food's better shared."
"What? You waited without eating?"
"Yes. Come on."
"J-Join us..."
"We've set a spot for you, Fixer."
They'd waited till our talk ended without eating. Good kids.
I went with Sowol to the room where they'd been waiting.
We feasted on king crab, sashimi, and all sorts of seafood filling the table.
After the hearty meal, as we enjoyed ice cream dessert, Yu-rim timidly handed me her phone.
"What's this? Fixer request portal?"
"Well..."
"It's a homepage Yu-rim made just for you, Fixer."
"My own homepage? It's well-designed... but why?"
Ha-yeon explained for the fidgeting Yu-rim.
While I dealt with the Black Claw Society leader, Yu-rim—digital sorceress and former cult promoter—had maxed out her skills to create this site.
Pretty impressive for two days' work.
"It's still rough, but having a communication hub like this should draw more requests..."
"To learn under you going forward, we wanted to help in our own way."
"That's what they say. Yu-rim and Ha-yeon's overflowing with enthusiasm, Uncle."
Opened recently, it already had over a thousand daily visitors.
Lately, anomalies were rising even among civilians. Folks with real problems, unsure where to turn, flock to internet sites like this.
Not every shaman's the real deal. Growing interest in sites like this means more people seeking the genuine article.
"Shamans and Taoists use sites like this a lot too."
"Great for promotion."
"We'll promote on SNS... Post about you on communities for viral spread... More requests for sure."
Viral marketing? That's systematic promotion.
Not a bad idea, though.
People still visit shamans directly, but modern folks prefer online solutions. A site like this lets them post queries and get answers easily.
Better than blindly trusting shady shamans and getting scammed.
One fake ritual can cost millions. Favoring pros like me benefits clients and fixers alike.
"Already tons of active fixers online..."
"Whoa. Everyone's promoting like this? So many fixers out there."
Other freelance fixers had their own blogs or sites hawking services.
Was I lagging behind? Explains the low foot traffic.
People who knew my rep visited often, but regular civilians? Almost none.
Except that one Han Ye-rim disappearance case. No civilian clients since. Promotion? Zero.
"What if requests pile up and I can't handle them alone?"
"Worried already? We three can manage simple ones, I think."
Nam Yu-ha said confidently. Glaring contest with Sowol boosted her ego?
"Dangerous, though?"
"Apprentices start real combat around this age to build skills, Uncle."
"Master's permission?"
"Well..."
"Still too risky for you three alone."
"We can handle up to incident-class by ourselves, Fixer."
"No. Can't send you out solo. I'll tag along as condition."
If they ran into disaster-class alone, game over.
Rare in urban areas managed by Anomaly Management, but World of Doom's perfect for sudden deaths. Better safe.
"Homepage's good. Taking requests, fine. But no going without me. Rule. Got it?"
"Yes..."
"Okay..."
Can't babysit forever, so build their experience gradually. Could be valuable office hands.
Take 'em on low-risk sites ahead.
After eating, I left the kids with Sowol and called Flame Rock Hye-ryeong Monk.
Needed urgent help.
"Namu Amida Butsu, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Long time."
"Thanks for coming right away, Monk."
Busy with Black Claw fallout, yet he rushed over after hearing me out.
Religious figure essential, preferably Buddhist. Grateful he agreed.
"We'll head out now, Monk. Hop in the passenger seat."
"Yes... Quite the unique car."
"Is it? Let's go before we waste more time."
We zoomed to Goesan County, North Chungcheong in my ride.
Wanted to hole up till shrine visit, but no more delays.
Had to do this. Unforgettable.
If I forgot, no one'd save them.
"Somewhere around here..."
Arrived in Goesan after two and a half hours. We trekked valleys seeking a stream called Geunae Valley, wandering hills for four hours total.
Mountains darken fast post-afternoon. Anxiety rising as night loomed, then Flame Rock Hye-ryeong Monk spotted something.
"That way. Unclean energy from there. Follow me, Fixer."
Trailing him revealed a man-made cave deep in the mountains.
Rotting corpse stench confirmed it.
Sure enough, inside were the ones I sought.
"There they are. Found 'em, Monk. Those jars."
Three jars buried in the cave floor.
Like kimchi pots in the ground.
We carefully unearthed and opened them.
"..."
Inside: jars packed with salt-preserved severed hands.
The final traces of the faithless, hands full of grudge.
Made by fallen yin-yang shaman Yu Ui-jin, one of the Three Evils of Slaughter.
Before burning via Proof of Faith, he'd buried jars near Geunae Valley in Goesan.
Source of the dismembered Ghosts.
"Om Amida Hum. Wash away karma, cross purgatory... May you find peace beyond grudge..."
Flame Rock Hye-ryeong Monk prayed over the jars, lit incense to honor their spirits.
"Hard to ID from hands alone, but can't leave or burn blindly. We'll take the hands separately and cremate at our temple."
"Understood, Monk."
Couldn't haul whole jars down, so extracted hands into prepped icebox.
Twenty-two right hands total, all Yu Ui-jin's victims.
Emptied, I smashed the confining jars with a kick.
No request or quest prompted this grudge release. But ignoring known suffering? No.
One key task down. Nagged me since beating Yu Ui-jin; glad to free them quick. Monk's help sped it up.
Later, he said they cremated the hands properly at temple.
Dismembered Ghosts surely reached paradise now.
I prayed for their peace too.
Back from North Chungcheong, holed up in office.
Site brought request inquiries; kids challenged Sowol to staring contests.
Haeyul devoured 5kg crab sticks daily; demon exorcism fee from church deposited.
Text from Agent Park Jae-hyeon: Black Claw remnants handled, rewards paid.
Money rolling in from past deeds while lounging.
Most peaceful days lately; pored over Taoist master's oracle repeatedly.
No clues found, so posted query on World of Doom Gallery.
Seeking vet help again.
Oracle events differ per world. I've gotten a few, but situations and solutions vary, so no clue. Key is disaster-class always appears? - (Vet Player)
Vet had no real advice on oracles. Then went silent, busy maybe.
Figure it out myself. Scanned gallery posts, analyzed oracle hard.
'Two disasters exist, yet the third reveals itself.'
Two disasters already, third emerges.
Wondered if Ghost Kings were three; asked Haeyul.
"Huh...? I don't know other Ghost Kings well. Except that one..."
"That one being... Ashen Ghost King, right?"
"Yeah... Hong-ran, that guy's nasty tempered—unlike me, very dangerous. Hates humans..."
Haeyul knew no Ghost Kings besides Ashen Ghost King Hong-ran.
Wait, implies others exist?
"Hmm... Probably...? Ghost King just means top-tier great ghosts... In my era, only me and Hong-ran... After? No idea. Before? Same."
What's the third?
Sea and land Ghost Kings out; sky drop next?
Oracle says above and below merge with this and that.
'Boundaries forget initial restraint' intriguing. Initial boundary: a drawn line, maybe ancient pact...
"Headache."
United land becomes one ash pile. Ruleless ones—atheists maybe.
Stepping into the reverse world? Unsettling.
No way real-reverse boundary actually collapses?
"Fixer? What're you pondering?"
"Oh, just the oracle."
"Ah. Probably more interpretations in three days. Let's hear elders direct at shrine."
Three days already passed.
I headed to the shrine with the visiting Taoist master.
Hope nothing happens. Already worrying.