Chapter 61

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 60

Chapter Title: Dweller in the Wasteland

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With my body ablaze and self-illuminating before the altar of Smokeless Heaven, the haughty voice of the Scorched Earth Ghost King rang out.

-Did you think lighting yourself on fire would make me take interest in you, human? Big mistake.

She mocked me as if it were amusing, then snuffed out the flames clinging to my body.

No way... Did she put it out because she was worried I'd get hurt?

-Your glowing so brightly blocks out the stars in the night sky! Hmph. A guy who can't even die pulling a self-immolation stunt. All it does is make meat smell waft around and leave me hungry.

The Scorched Earth Ghost King shot down my thoughts completely, giving a different reason altogether.

Then she insisted I needed to see the stars in the night sky properly and told me to step back from the Smokeless Heaven altar.

"Fixer! Are you okay!? Oh, uh, your clothes..."

Moon Seon-woo the Taoist, who had been maintaining a barrier to keep the flames from spreading, cried out in surprise as my blazing body suddenly returned to normal.

My clothes had burned away. My body was fine, but with no clothes left, I was fully exposed.

"Do-gyeom. Give the Fixer some clothes."

"Y-yes, got it!"

With nothing to wear, I hurriedly accepted some ceremonial robes from Do-gyeom and put them on. They were the robes worn during rituals, which the martial artist Do-gyeom had brought for himself.

They'd have to do for now.

"Om mani padme hum... Fixer. Did you make contact with the Scorched Earth Ghost King!?"

"Yes. As you can see, I seem to have succeeded in awakening her through the ritual."

"Truly... Self-immolation was the correct answer."

Horyeong Monk was utterly shocked, unsure how to proceed.

Honestly, I didn't know if this was truly the right answer either.

It had just been enough to draw the attention of the slumbering Scorched Earth Ghost King.

I still didn't know what kind of being she was. That's why I told the Taoist and the others not to enter the barrier.

Her voice seemed to be reaching only me right now anyway, so I had to prevent anyone else from interfering and ruining things.

'No explanation window yet.'

I hadn't spotted the Scorched Earth Ghost King's exact form.

With the Silent Sea Ghost King, the window only appeared after finding the heart. Just hearing the voice wasn't enough to trigger it.

I needed to see the main body or the physical form.

To do that, I'd probably have to smash the Smokeless Heaven altar or something. But I couldn't afford to lose her favor in the process, so I'd ask politely first.

"Um, Ghost King. If it's not too rude, may I bring you up to the surface?"

-What? You're going to pull me out?

"Yes. You've been buried underground for over a thousand years, so it must feel stifling."

-Not really? It's not stifling at all? Cozy and nice here? No need for you to meddle.

"..."

-Well, fine. If you really want to pull me out, I suppose I have no choice. I can let myself be dragged out against my will.

"So that's permission?"

-Yeah. If you can pull me out, give it a try. No matter how hard you try, you'll never manage it. Better to skip the pointless effort and go home.

The Scorched Earth Ghost King sounded utterly confident.

As if she already knew the seal wouldn't break.

Could I really not pull her out?

I pushed against the Smokeless Heaven altar with all my might.

The stone mound, carved from boulders, came crumbling down.

Horyeong Monk cried out in horror from outside the barrier as the Smokeless Heaven altar collapsed.

No helping it. To drag out the Scorched Earth Ghost King's body, I had to destroy the altar.

"Do-gyeom, give me a shovel. She seems buried underneath. I need to dig."

"Yes, Fixer! Here's the shovel!"

After kicking aside the altar debris, I dug frantically into the soil until the shovel tip hit something hard.

Carefully brushing away the dirt to avoid damage, a wooden coffin emerged.

'This must contain the Scorched Earth Ghost King's core.'

I hauled the coffin to the surface. Up close, I could see it had been rigged with all sorts of measures to prevent casual opening.

My Ancient Text Deciphering skill triggered repeatedly, warning me not to open it.

"Are you really going to open that? It looks dangerous just staring at it..."

"Why bring it up now, Monk? You're not thinking of stopping me, are you?"

Having gotten full permission already, and now that it seemed she might truly awaken, the monk was getting scared.

Fair enough. The Korean Buddhist Association believed the Scorched Earth Ghost King had already vanished, so they never ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠imagined actually reviving her.

"No, that's not it. I'm not trying to stop you. I just asked if you can really handle a calamity monster. If it seems dangerous, I was going to call other monks nearby. If she rampages, we'd have to reseal her..."

"No need to call anyone else. I can handle it alone."

I confidently reassured the trembling Horyeong Monk and reached for the coffin lid.

Then the Scorched Earth Ghost King spoke again.

-You shouldn't open it. Why bother pulling me out? Planning to use me to achieve some dream? Don't make me laugh. I have zero intention of helping humans.

"We've come this far, so at least let's talk face-to-face."

-No! Don't open it! I warned you. Don't open it. Don't anger me needlessly. Just bury it back and leave! Don't die in front of me!

Ignoring her and touching the lid triggered a barrage of alert windows.

As if warning me to stop immediately, sanity drain notifications kept popping up nonstop.

Endless sanity drain events.

Dropping 10+ at a time was honestly dangerous.

Thud!

Before it could drain more, I quickly tore away the plant roots wrapping the coffin and forced the lid open.

Inside the hard-won coffin lay a heart the same size as the Silent Sea Ghost King's.

The interior walls were scrawled with what looked like blood-written text and plastered with dozens, hundreds of talismans.

I checked the inscription on the wooden box.

It was... curses of the most horrific nature.

'Spells that drain sanity. Curses designed to kill any looters automatically if they try to open it...'

It was built so no one could touch it.

Anyone with sanity below 100 would die instantly. Who designs something like this, assuming someone with 100+ sanity exists?

In short, it required multiple people risking their lives to open. No wonder the Scorched Earth Ghost King yelled to stop me—she was worried I'd die trying.

-You... endured all that...?

"Pardon? Oh, yeah. It was nothing. Were you worried about me?"

-Wh-what!? No! I just didn't want you dying in front of me and making things awkward! Don't be so self-important!

"I see. You're such a warm-hearted person."

-I said no!

The Scorched Earth Ghost King insisted she wasn't worried about the likes of me at all.

Golden chains bound her heart, with stakes driven in that wouldn't come out easily.

The chains prevented her from leaving the mountain, and the stakes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sealed her power.

Even removing them would leave severe aftereffects.

Like the Silent Sea Ghost King not yet regaining full strength, breaking the first seal wouldn't immediately restore her prime power.

The chains and stakes were also rigged; touching them would drain sanity in chunks of 10. Thoroughly sealed indeed.

The explanation was similar to the Silent Sea Ghost King's. And the exorcism method too.

True to twin ghost kings, even this matched. I checked the strategy method as well.

Empathetic devotee?

Desiring care matched the Silent Sea Ghost King, but "empathetic devotee" was unique.

Did the Scorched Earth Ghost King need a mama or papa figure?

'She needed someone to understand her intentions.'

Thanks to Baby Mode Pack, she just seemed like a prickly girl to me, but to a normal shaman, she'd be pure terror.

Her grumpy tone would terrify others. Grumbling from a calamity aberration? Terrifying just imagining it.

Her twisted personality instilled fear in humans, preventing anyone from approaching despite her words.

Perhaps she'd endured loneliness alone underground, groaning to herself.

Pretending to hate humans, but craving conversation.

Hae-yul's claim that she had a nasty personality and despised humans was wrong. Hae-yul hadn't understood her either.

Favorability still at 10%.

To make her a companion, it needed at least 70%.

Alright, I'd be the Scorched Earth Ghost King's understanding devotee.

"You endured alone for so long."

-What...?

"Weren't you lonely down here all by yourself? No, bad question. Of course you were lonely. I understand completely, Ghost King."

-How could you possibly understand... Don't presume...

Her voice grew damp at my words grasping her struggles.

Hit the nail on the head. Didn't expect such a reaction to asking if she was lonely.

She must have been terribly lonely and isolated.

Come to think of it, her explanation said:

[Origin: Ancient being who self-sealed in disappointment with faithless followers]

If disappointed, why not kill them all? Choosing self-sealing meant abandoning killing humans and quietly fading into history.

The Scorched Earth Ghost King was fundamentally affectionate.

Betrayed and corrupted into an aberration by humans, yet she'd hidden quietly for centuries until I came.

Staying so dormant everyone thought her gone, enduring these long years.

Deep down, she still harbored love for humans.

"As expected, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you're a good being. Betrayed by humans, yet you still miss them. Couldn't let go."

-What nonsense. I still hate humans. Hate them enough to burn them all. And... I never once missed them...

"Then why choose self-sealing? Why converse with me so joyfully? You can confide in me. Or not—I'll figure it out and understand you anyway."

"Other humans couldn't understand your words. They just saw a frightening existence and shied away. Right?"

-...

"I felt your heart. Your warmth. No need to lock yourself in this prison anymore. Come with me."

-No... Humans... are all the same. Blinded by greed, they attacked me. And... ended up hating me. You think you're different? You're the same. You came here wanting something from me.

The Scorched Earth Ghost King was in pain.

Past events lingered as wounds, keeping her chained underground.

Yet she still yearned for human understanding and connection.

So, I'd help her with all sincerity.

"You're right... I came wanting something. But more than that, I can't leave you alone. I won't betray you. Even if the world points fingers, I'll shield you."

The Scorched Earth Ghost King fell silent for a long while at my words.

I could feel her agonizing internally, deep in thought and torment for ages.

Hard to trust me outright. I understood. So I waited patiently for her reply.

-Hmph... Whatever. You protect me? Strong for a human, but overconfident. Anyone can talk big. Actions matter. You think I'm dumb enough to fall for sweet talk!

She claimed not to be swayed, but I strongly sensed her desire to believe.

Her damp voice brightened again.

But favorability hadn't hit 70% yet.

Meaning something still bothered her.

-I get that you want me. Humans always do. Fine, all good, but... my seal isn't that easy to break. Removing chains and stakes isn't enough.

"Then tell me how to unseal you."

-Sorry, no way you can free me. Not a clueless human like you... The key to my seal? I burned it myself...

"Pardon? You burned the key?"

-Yeah. Ever hear of the Scorched Earth Command Talisman? Without it, my seal never breaks. No idea why you'd come here and pull a suicide stunt, but things won't go your way. Too bad.

So the Black Yao Society targeted the Nameless Division because the Scorched Earth Ghost King herself destroyed the Scorched Earth Command Talisman.

She chose self-sealing and burned the only key.

That's why favorability stalled below 70%.

She liked me but believed escape impossible.

A lingering delusion in her heart.

But what now?

I had the Scorched Earth Command Talisman.

The key she burned herself had returned to me as a quest reward.

"Ghost King, if I unseal you, what then?"

-Ha, you think that's possible? Absolutely not, so don't waste effort. Go home. No point hoping. You can't awaken me.

I smiled at her urging me to leave and rummaged through my bag.

It was definitely in here.

"You know, Ghost King, nothing is absolute."

-What?

"Nothing is absolute. So let's make a bet. If I unseal you without a scratch, will you help me then?"

-...

Proposing the bet confidently, she hesitated suspiciously before responding.

-You can really pull me out? The talisman burned? Did humans make another while I slept? Well... humans are clever...

"No. Humans still can't recreate the Scorched Earth Command Talisman. But the one you burned yourself is right here in my hand."

-...Huh?

I pulled out the Scorched Earth Command Talisman from my bag.

Shinbul Mountain's scorching path meant the Smokeless Heaven altar. Now, just perform the burning ritual to safely remove the chains and stakes.

-How is that in your hand...?

"Tell me how to perform the burning ritual. The world wants you. How long will you punish yourself? Let's go save the world together."

-But... I'm too dangerous...

The talisman's appearance flustered her into stammering.

She seemed inwardly thrilled at the chance to escape with me.

But conflicted if it was truly okay.

Afraid her power might harm humans.

"Don't worry. If you seem like rampaging, I'll take your flames instead. You saw earlier—fire doesn't kill me. I'll stay by your side to the end. Come out into the world."

We were so close. I extended my hand to the Scorched Earth Ghost King one last time.

-Really... can I trust you? I don't want to be abandoned again...

"I'll ask instead: Will you abandon me, Ghost King?"

-Me...? I... No... I won't abandon you. Of course not.

Turning the question on her, she stammered but answered firmly.

Right. As long as you don't abandon me, I never will.

I couldn't fully heal her wounded calamity heart.

But while I lived, I'd ensure she felt human warmth.

That was enough.

-...Fine. Press the Scorched Earth Command Talisman to the heart and close your eyes... I'll handle the ritual. Just feel it.

Finally, the Scorched Earth Ghost King willed her own release.

As instructed, pressing the talisman to the heart ignited it, burning away the stakes embedded there.

The chains binding the heart vanished too, enveloping my body in flames—but they weren't hot.

Only warmth spread, the gentle blaze isolating us from the world.

As if hiding us from sight, she trapped me in the fire, and suddenly a girl with dark-red hair like ash and embers burst out, grabbing my face.

Her blazing red eyes gleamed as she warned me.

I nodded at her threat to take responsibility to the end.

Of course.

I awakened her with my hands—I'd take responsibility fully.

Achieved the challenge by winning the heart of the Scorched Earth Ghost King, Hongran.

Feels like I gained a pretty tricky companion.