Chapter 59
Chapter 59
58. Anyone Can Change
Divine Proxy.
That was the absolute right to act as the master of the Wolhyang Shrine in the Divine Maiden's stead, should unavoidable circumstances prevent her from fulfilling her duties.
Of course, the Divine Proxy was merely a conceptual authority; it had never once been invoked. Even the elders were simply the Maiden's assistants—they did not possess the authority of the Divine Proxy.
Yet, an outsider—the Fixer—now held that very power.
An utterly incomprehensible situation had unfolded. Naturally, the elders’ expressions were incredibly grim.
"You elders do not look well. Do you perhaps have complaints about this decision? If anyone is displeased with me leading the Wolhyang Shrine's meeting on behalf of the Divine Maiden, please raise your hand now."
No one raised a hand.
No, they couldn't raise their hands.
Because if they offended the Fixer here, there was truly no telling what kind of horrific fate they would suffer this time.
They had thought the rumors were just exaggeration. That was why they had the courage to challenge him before seeing him in person. But after witnessing him command a disaster right before their eyes and perform miracles that brought them to their knees in an instant, their will to fight vanished entirely.
Furthermore, after passing out and waking up, they found that the Divine Maiden and the enforcers were now entirely on that man's side, as if possessed.
The rumor that he nearly single-handedly destroyed the Wailing Ghost Lodge.
The rumor that he exterminated a demon alongside an unordained rookie inquisitor.
The rumor that he located the Obsidian Order's headquarters and slit the cult leader's throat in a single day.
They now knew all of it was true.
Frankly, the elders had assumed the rumors about the Fixer were somewhat inflated. Any normal Spiritualist would think the same. It wasn't as if he was using some legendary teleportation technique; no one could believe a single individual could achieve such absurd, miraculous feats in barely a month. Thus, they assumed he was merely the beneficiary of exaggerated rumors and hero-making.
But the Fixer was different from those frauds.
"I, Grand Elder Ok-won... have no complaints regarding the Divine Proxy."
His attitude had completely shifted from yesterday. Overcoming the shame and humiliation of having to bow to someone much younger, Ok-won finally lowered his head. It was time to swallow his pride. Right now, he had to accept that the Fixer had become the Divine Proxy.
When the eccentric old man, who usually didn't even listen to the Divine Maiden, took the initiative to bow, the other elders—who were practically Ok-won's followers—also bowed their heads.
"You're bowing much easier than I expected, Grand Elder Ok-won. I thought you, of all people, would resist at least one more time."
"How... could I? I must follow the flow of the times."
The Fixer was not entirely pleased with this situation. Accepting the elders' apologies and leaving it at that left too many lingering doubts. The elders' roles were crucial for the events to come, and the Fixer, believing he couldn't just brush past this uneasy feeling, immediately checked Ok-won's status.
[Status: Anger, Shame, Resentment]
Just as expected, he had only bowed his head to escape the immediate situation. Ok-won had not genuinely acknowledged the Fixer as the Divine Proxy.
Suddenly, the saying "people cannot be fixed and reused" crossed the Fixer's mind.
Can I really trust a man like this to watch my back?
Will these elders actually be helpful for this plan?
Wouldn't it be better to just eliminate future troubles by...
No. As long as someone hasn't completely crossed the line... anyone can change. Anyone can move toward a better path. Let's not forget that. I must never forget that.
If he failed to believe in human potential, the Fixer would end up overestimating only his own power. Being in the position of an absolute powerhouse, the Fixer hoped his own beliefs, convictions, or personal sense of justice wouldn't become too overwhelming. A clear subjective view is an important virtue, but it must not turn into over-self-consciousness or egocentric thinking. That could lead to executing a flawed sense of justice.
The Fixer quickly erased the delusion that had surfaced in his mind.
As long as a person hadn't become completely corrupted—like that cult leader of the Obsidian Order—they could change at any time. Anyone had the potential to walk a better path if given the catalyst to change. The same went for Grand Elder Ok-won. The Fixer decided to believe in his potential.
He wanted to believe that everyone had a fundamental nature to seek a better path. Therefore, the Fixer decided to provide that catalyst. He hoped the elders would gain enlightenment by using Grand Elder Ok-won as an example.
"As expected, words won't work on you, Grand Elder."
"Pardon...? What do you mean?"
"I mean exactly what I said. You need a catalyst. A catalyst for change."
"W-wait! What are you doing! D-Divine Proxy!"
The Fixer grabbed the struggling Ok-won's hand. When he firmly pressed down on the fingers of Ok-won, who was screaming for his life with a terrified expression, Ok-won soon collapsed, losing his mind to the pain.
Catalysts for change usually entail pain. That was the Fixer's thought process.
"Grand Elder. Does it hurt?"
"Keuh-heuk... P-please spare me... I-I am a worthless parasite who can't even earn a living without these two hands. Please... have mercy..."
"The Divine Maiden has endured far greater pain than what you are feeling right now, every single day. All alone, for an uncountable amount of time. Do you understand?"
"I-I understand!"
"No. You still don't. I suppose no one can completely understand and empathize with another's pain. But you must have a past of your own, don't you? Why can't you empathize and understand?!"
The Fixer's words made the Grand Elder feel like he was losing his mind. He shouted that he certainly empathized and felt deeply apologetic, but the Fixer wouldn't listen. Because the Fixer could see Ok-won's status window, he knew exactly whether the man had truly achieved enlightenment or not.
"Yesterday, the Divine Maiden asked a favor of me. She begged me not to kill you all. I told her I understood. That is why I am giving you one more chance. And this chance comes only once. Do you understand? It is purely because of the mercy the Divine Maiden requested of me. That is the only reason you are getting this opportunity."
At the Fixer's words, the elders collectively froze. If they lost this final chance, all that awaited them was death. Watching Ok-won scream and beg for his life right in front of them, they realized they absolutely could not dare to defy the Divine Proxy's orders.
"I shouldn't need to explain what will happen if the Divine Maiden disappears—you know it better than I do. But I have my own reasons for absolutely protecting the Wolhyang Sect before she dies. Unlike you all, who tried to abandon your duties and run away."
Several elders flinched and trembled at his words. Realizing that the Divine Maiden's artificially sustained life was nearing its end, the elders had resolved to abandon the sect and flee. That was also why they had tried to steal the core of Ghost King Mukhae from the Fixer.
"I suggest you reflect on your actions. The Divine Maiden has given you so many chances, hoping you would change. Did it feel good to exploit her goodwill to line your own pockets and idle your days away? It is time you fulfill the duties appropriate for your positions. Isn't that right, Ok-won?"
"Y-Yes! Everything you say is right!"
"Depending on what you do, I can be an angel. Or I can be a devil. I hope you conduct yourselves well from now on so that this Divine Proxy does not end up disappointed in you. As the Divine Proxy, I have a duty to monitor you. So drop any foolish thoughts about escaping my gaze."
After thoroughly terrifying the elders, the Fixer looked down at Ok-won again and issued a warning solely for him.
"Grand Elder Ok-won. Remember this one thing. If my plan fails... you will taste pain far beyond what the Divine Maiden experienced. Even if I lose every other elder, you are the one person I will chase to the ends of hell to destroy. Do you understand?"
Grand Elder Ok-won was completely overwhelmed by the Fixer. The Fixer's verbal abuse, packed tightly with rage and hatred, made Ok-won feel like he was going insane. He wasn't just talking about killing him—he was promising torture. These were not the words of a righteous man.
This man... he'll actually do it...
Ok-won felt the absolute truth in the Fixer's words. Moreover, the declaration that he would single-mindedly hunt down only him out of all the elders snapped his mind into sharp focus. A threat to kill everyone equally wouldn't have instilled this much fear, but the threat to destroy only him was terror incarnate.
It was because he saw the sheer obsession in the other's eyes. Furthermore, the thought of dying alone while everyone else had committed the same sins felt maddeningly unfair. We all sinned together, but only I die? That was basically saying, I hate you specifically, so the moment you slip up, I'll use it as an excuse to kill you.
To the selfish Ok-won, the phrase "I will destroy only you" was something he absolutely could not ignore.
It was the most basic divide-and-conquer tactic. Believing he couldn't let the elders tightly band together, the Fixer had openly decided to treat them discriminately.
"Ah, right. Also, I plan to introduce a new rule to the Shrine from now on."
Having delivered a definitive warning to Ok-won—the one he trusted the least—the Fixer proposed a new rule. The elders couldn't figure out whether to laugh or tremble at the Fixer's chilling smile. Ultimately, with awkward expressions unable to do either, they nodded at his words.
"So... what is this new rule?"
"Do you all know the Manito game (Secret Guardian Angel)? You should. It's a game that started in the 80s and is still played today."
The Manito game is a game where you secretly help someone, send them letters, and try to guess who everyone's Manito is. It's a 'guardian angel game' that most people experience at least once in elementary school.
Of course, the Fixer had no intention of keeping it at the level of a mere children's game.
"I will be applying a 'Reverse Manito' rule to the Council of Elders from now on."
"Reverse Manito...?"
"Simply put, it means you elders must monitor each other from now on. For example, if Elder Dam-heon makes a mistake, his Manito, Elder Han Ju-seong, will receive the punishment from me. Or if Elder No Gyu-myeong slacks off, Elder Hye-gang gets punished."
"T-that means..."
"It means that even if you do nothing wrong, you can get beaten by me because of the person next to you. It's the perfect game to bring shame upon an elder you never really liked."
"That has absolutely nothing to do with Manito anymore!"
A rule where if you make a mistake, your Manito takes the fall.
A deliberate scheme to make them turn on and alienate one another.
"Now then, I will assign your partners."
The Fixer arbitrarily paired them up. Except for Elder Jeong Mi-dam, the remaining five were placed in a structure where they had to constantly surveil one another.
"Great. It's very pleasing to see the atmosphere already turning so cutthroat."
The Fixer smiled as he watched the elders, whose relationships had already begun to crack. With this, the rough preparations were complete.
"Let's move on to the main agenda."
Looking at the elders who were warily reading the room, the Fixer presented a solution to their current crisis. Fundamentally, there were two methods.
First method: Extend the Divine Maiden's lifespan.
"Since I have the Nameless Ledger, extending the Maiden's lifespan is entirely possible. However, it is not a perfect solution."
Why? Because no matter how much they extended her lifespan, it was highly likely it would all be consumed just to pay back the massive "debt" of lifespan she had accrued over the years. Moreover, no one knew exactly how many years the Nameless Ledger would grant her. Additionally, since the Nameless Ledger provides the "effect needed at the moment," it might just make her healthy for this exact second and nothing more.
In conclusion, relying on the Nameless Ledger to extend her life was a highly uncertain and unstable method. The variables were too immense to lean solely on it. And no matter how much her lifespan was extended, the same problem would inevitably resurface someday, meaning the Nameless Ledger was just a stalling tactic. Buying time, essentially.
"Are you saying the Maiden's lifespan is heavily backlogged in debt...?"
"Exactly. The Nameless Ledger alone cannot solve this."
"If only there was an elixir of immortality."
"Even if you brought an elixir of immortality, the Grim Reapers wouldn't just sit back and watch."
Mujin-san had kept a person alive who by all rights should have died. For several hundred years, no less. Therefore, even if they extended her lifespan, the Grim Reapers would eventually come to claim her soul. To save the Maiden, they also had to devise a way to stop the Grim Reapers.
"Here is the second method. Find a new partner for Mujin-san. That way, the Divine Maiden can peacefully pass on to the afterlife, and Mujin-san finds a new bride."
"We have tried that method countless times, but it never worked..."
"Mujin-san cares for absolutely no one but Ha-un."
As the elders said, Mujin-san refused to listen to anyone other than the Divine Maiden Ha-un. Even after scouring the entire country, they couldn't find a human who met Mujin-san's desires. The bigger issue was that even if they found a match, that human would also eventually grow old and die.
Then the exact same problem would repeat itself.
Extending her lifespan infinitely was impossible at present, and finding a new partner for Mujin-san wasn't a flawless answer either.
"Which is why I have prepared something. A near-perfect solution."
"What is it...? What kind of method have you procured to be brimming with such confidence...?"
The elders' attention zeroed in on the Fixer. They were dying to know what exactly he had brought to the table. Could it really be a method grand enough to instill passion back into men who had lost all hope?
"We are going to turn Mujin-san into a God."
"....?"
"Huh?"
"A God? Did you just say a God?"
"Yes. That's exactly right."
At the Fixer's words, the atmosphere in the room instantly turned ice-cold.
A plan to make a god. That was tantamount to utter lunacy. Up until now, every single person who had attempted such a thing had been struck down by divine punishment. And how many anomalies had gone completely berserk due to half-baked successes?
"Nonsense, how can a human create a God?!"
"I was a fool for actually getting my hopes up a little..."
"Fixer, sir... This is a bit..."
Even Elder Jeong Mi-dam was shaking her head, saying this was crossing the line. Amidst this reaction, the Fixer shoved forward the very anomaly that had served as the motif for his plan. He figured it would be hard to believe without seeing proof.
"What is this?!"
"Are you seriously summoning another anomaly inside the Shrine?!"
Thinking the Ghost King Mukhae had popped out again, the elders freaked out and scrambled away from the Fixer. Toward them, the Fixer introduced the anomaly he had just summoned.
"This friend's name is So-wol. Baek So-wol. As you can see, she looks no different from a human—an anomaly that also possesses the attributes of a deity."
"Divine attributes...?"
From So-wol's appearance, the characteristic terror of an anomaly was completely absent. Her refined aura felt exactly like that of a divine spirit. An anomaly, yet in the state of a divine spirit. The elders couldn't fathom how a Disaster-class anomaly possessed such mystical power.
"You'll only believe this if I show you directly. So-wol."
"Yes... My Husband."
Soon, the Fixer asked So-wol to demonstrate her power as a "Guardian Deity." At his request, the White-Faced Bride walked to the center of the shrine, clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes. She then offered a quiet prayer.
"A prayer? An anomaly is praying?"
"What... what exactly am I looking at..."
The prayer of the White-Faced Bride reached the heavens. A small domain formed around Baek So-wol, and following her prayer, the surrounding air began to purify and clear.
"This is the power of a Guardian Deity. Even a space filled with murky energy can be rapidly purified by this child. She can even exorcise ancient, lingering vengeful spirits."
"Can we really still call that an anomaly?"
"She is an anomaly. Yet, she is capable of acts akin to a divine spirit. Anomalies, too, can change."
At the Fixer's words that anomalies could change, Ok-won's jaw dropped. He had never witnessed such a case in his entire life. To him, up until this very moment, anomalies were purely enemies and evils that had to be exterminated.
How many attempts had there been? Never once had he seen someone tame an anomaly of Catastrophe-class or higher like this. Furthermore, just seeing a Disaster-class anomaly exude such a peaceful aura was a miracle in itself. Weren't anomalies monsters born from the accumulation of evil karma? How could she harbor such pure energy?
"It makes no sense. How could an anomaly..."
Ok-won's world collapsed today. His common sense utterly denied, Ok-won stared blankly at Baek So-wol, completely forgetting the pain in the hand the Fixer had crushed.
Beautiful... How can an anomaly be so beautiful...
The barrier named 'prejudice' that had imprisoned Ok-won began to crack. Always harboring fear and self-loathing deep within his heart, Ok-won suddenly found tears streaming down his face at the sight of the praying anomaly.
"This... is a miracle."
Ok-won remembered the House of Moss and the incident caused by the sorcerers. They had failed to tame a Catastrophe-class anomaly, leading to the deaths of countless people, and a literal hellscape unfolded as new anomalies were born from their vengeful spirits.
The massacre of that day still gave Ok-won severe trauma, haunting his dreams. After all, he was the one who had personally gone to the scene, organized the remains, and purified their corpses.
That incident had fundamentally altered the man named Ok-won.
Taming an anomaly was absolutely impossible. Anomalies were unconditional evil, enemies that had to be destroyed. No matter what method was used to subjugate them, anomalies would eventually tear humans apart. To Ok-won, that was the law of nature and absolute truth.
"Anomalies are not just targets for mindless extermination. They are entities capable of communication. And anomalies, too, can change like this."
What the Fixer showed him was the horizon to a whole new world. This wasn't a state of domination and suppression like the sorcerers used. He didn't grovel or flatter the anomaly like the Onmyoji.
The Fixer had, quite literally, reformed the anomaly. The White-Faced Bride, who had slaughtered countless Spiritualists to become a Catastrophe-class, had now obtained the power of a Guardian Deity and been reborn as a Disaster-class. She was helping humans, fighting on the side of humanity.
Suddenly, Ok-won recalled the faces of the people who still suffocated him in his memories.
The face of his master, dying while pouring out curses.
The children in the manhole he ultimately failed to pull out.
His disciple, going berserk after fusing with a smashed car.
The countless people crushed and dying beneath the collapsed buildings.
They all screamed at Ok-won.
Why aren't you saving us? Why are you running away?!
The countless deaths that occurred as the Catastrophe-class anomaly escalated to a Disaster-class. The Ok-won of the past had raged at his own pathetic helplessness and loathed himself. That emotion had warped over time, creating the Ok-won of today.
That day's incident was the catalyst that turned Ok-won into a selfish man. Before he knew it, to erase his guilt, Ok-won had dragged himself further down a corrupt path.
Yet, the nightmare of that day, which had shattered Ok-won's life, was now being slightly healed by Baek So-wol's prayer.
What on earth have I been doing all this time... Was a fool like me still shackled to the darkness of that day?
The delusions rooted deep within him were being lifted. The wounds inflicted by an anomaly were being healed by an anomaly's prayer.
For the first time, Ok-won felt a sense of peace within the Wolhyang Shrine. The wandering Daoist from the scene of the great massacre had finally found his way home.
Is it true... can everything really change? If even I try, can I walk the right path? Isn't it too late? What if it's meaningless... Ah... I am still trying to run away.
Ok-won realized that this was the single most important moment of his life. Resolve flared in the eyes of the Daoist who had only ever known how to run.
Would he merely repeat the past and let himself be swept away by the current?
Or would he break through this fierce torrent alongside that man?
Ok-won made his decision.
The cries of the people he couldn't save still rang in his ears, calling him a coward and telling him to run away. Through countless tragedies, the inner soul of the man named Ok-won had been broken. Though fine on the outside, his insides were already completely rotten and festering.
Ok-won had valued his own life above all else, living with the mindset that since everything dies eventually, there was no need to give his all to save anything. Because if he found something precious again, he wouldn't be able to handle the overwhelming loss when it was taken away.
That was why Ok-won had always prioritized himself. He never gave his heart to others, chasing only his own profit. That was also why, the moment he noticed something was wrong with the Divine Maiden, his first instinct was to run.
But through the Fixer's words today—that he was giving them a chance—Ok-won finally managed to realize a fraction of the truth.
The Divine Maiden had been constantly waiting for him to return to the right path, too.
With this belated realization, Ok-won felt profound regret and wanted to beg for forgiveness. But soon, the very person he needed to ask for forgiveness might vanish entirely.
If I run away from this, too... I'll spend the rest of my life doing nothing but running. Yes, this is my final crossroad.
He couldn't live the life of a coward anymore. This was the final chance he'd been given.
Yes, everything could change.
If even a Catastrophe-class anomaly could be reformed, couldn't that Fixer change even someone like him?
Hope bloomed in Ok-won's heart. He had to seize this chance. Even if it meant his death, there was still a burning desire within Ok-won's heart to live as a true human.
The Fixer was right.
The important thing was the catalyst.
Anyone can change.
Because everyone strives to move toward a better path.
A chance must be given.
"I will help you. I will help you without question. If this miracle you've shown me... is truly realizable. I can dedicate my everything to it. I will no longer run from my fear."
Ok-won's status had changed.
[Status: Resolve, Determination, Conviction]
The Fixer checked Ok-won's altered status and finally nodded in satisfaction.
Humans can be broken by terrible incidents.
But sometimes, they can also awaken through the smallest of catalysts.
In a situation where he could have easily plummeted into corruption, Ok-won chose to awaken. The Fixer felt glad he had given him the chance.
"Then I'll tell you what we need to turn Mujin-san into a God. A revelation—we need to focus on a revelation right now."
The Fixer finally brought up the topic of the revelation.
The twisted flow of fate was beginning to be corrected by the Fixer's hands.
"I don't know if this is possible in just two days, Fixer."
Inside the car driven by Daoist Mun Seon-woo. Having left all the detailed ritual preparations entirely to the elders, we were now heading to Ulsan. Feeling the stuffy air, as if summer was already knocking on our door, I recalled what had happened this morning.
"Who would have thought we'd actually need two Calamity-class anomalies? I didn't see that coming either."
While establishing the precise details of the operation with the elders, I realized there was a massive problem. To put it simply, the revelation I had in mind and the method the elders suggested were a bit different.
Though there were two disasters,
A third reveals itself.
I naturally assumed the 'two disasters' in this passage referred to Ghost King Mukhae and Mujin-san. But as I hammered out the details with the elders, we arrived at the conclusion that we needed one more Calamity-class entity.
I didn't know it literally meant I had to bring two with me.
The difficulty level is absolutely absurd. If I hadn't been here, the Wolhyang Sect would have just collapsed entirely.
Anyway, judging that Hae-yul alone wouldn't be enough, Daoist Mun Seon-woo, the Youth Association believer/shaman Lee Do-gyeom (acting as our porter and assistant), and I had left Mujin City to acquire the final required material.
From what I've heard, it harbors a deep hatred for humans, so I don't know if it will easily offer its help.
It probably won't help us at all and just tell us to get lost, right?
Please, let its affection meter be easy to raise.
Praying fervently, we arrived at our destination in two and a half hours.
I can only hope that the gift we prepared works.