Chapter 83

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 83

Chapter Title: Pupil of the Heavens

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Just as we parked Bongbong and were pulling into the rest stop, we all simultaneously sensed the "gaze" and looked up at the sky.

"Uh, mister. That. What is that....?"

Yu-ha asked me, her eyes locked on the sky.

What the hell was that thing?

Why was there an "eye pupil" floating in the sky?

My mental strength was plummeting.

I was fine. But the kids weren't.

And every single visitor who'd entered the rest stop was fully exposed to the pupil in the sky.

"Kyaaah!"

"No. That's not it. No! I said noooo! Nooo!"

"Help me. Please help. Anyone... free me from this rotten body."

People collapsed, blood streaming from their eyes.

Victims gripped by madness hurled their food aside, dropped to the ground, and clawed at their own skin.

"Snap out of it! Hey, Nam Yu-ha! Get a grip!"

"Huh!? M-Mister...?"

"Take the kids inside the building! Hurry!"

Yu-ha's mental strength had risen dramatically from her staring contests with Sowol.

She snapped back to her senses at my shout.

"Call the Five Flower Bell Spirit and raise a barrier! It's disaster-grade."

"Disaster-grade...!?"

Nam Yu-ha grabbed Jeong Ha-yeon and Go Yu-rim—who were staring at the sky and muttering nonsense—and dragged them inside the rest stop building.

I'll leave those two to her. My job was rescuing the people lost to madness.

At least 30 people detected. Thirteen on the brink of death.

"Sowol-ah!"

I summoned Sowol.

No time to explain the situation. No need, really.

Sowol immediately shifted into "scary face" mode, unleashing 100% of her anomalous power to hurl the madness-stricken people into the rest stop like discarded trash.

Yu-ha, having already summoned the Five Flower Bell Spirit, caught them. Ghost Kings burst out next and glared up at the sky.

"Cover that eye!"

"You save the people! Hong-ran and I will erect the Heavenly Cloak barrier."

Leaving the rescues to me, Hae-yul and Hong-ran unleashed their power toward each other.

Beee-!

A ringing pierced my ears. The deafening explosion made my body reel.

I wasn't the only one—those fixated on the sky staggered, regained their senses, then fainted on the spot.

The two Ghost Kings' powers collided, sending out a shockwave. Steam-like mist rose, beginning to obscure the sky. The backlash knocked out every last frenzied person.

It was the finest response short of unsealing the Ghost Kings—a perfect countermeasure.

"Everyone's inside the building!"

"Contact Mujinsan! This is just temporary!"

The Twin Ghost Kings had mimicked Mujinsan's mist to create a simplified Heavenly Cloak. But the smoke would dissipate soon.

Exposure would resume. Not just the rest stop—the whole neighborhood would suffer.

No telling how many casualties.

Unsealing the Twin Ghost ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kings would shave off mental strength in the hundreds, so I couldn't just break their seals recklessly.

This whole mess might be a ploy to force me to unseal them, depleting my mental strength and cards. No sense going all-out blindly.

"Hello? Lady Shrine Maiden! Big trouble!"

-I sensed it. I've sent people there. Mist will soon cover the sky, so don't worry and wa—

The call with the Shrine Maiden cut off abruptly as incoming mist enveloped the rest stop.

Biya's Heavenly Cloak fully ensnared the disaster-grade anomaly looming over the rest stop sky.

We'd covered the eye in the sky, but we hadn't exterminated it.

Even as a disaster-grade, floating up there made it unlike typical ones.

Not quite calamity-level firepower, but lumping it in with standard disasters ignored its wide-area damage and messy extermination method—way higher difficulty.

"Haa. Haa. F-Fixer, sir. That thing outside..."

Jeong Ha-yeon's mental strength had tanked hard. She trembled, voicing anxiety symptoms.

Go Yu-rim was out cold, unresponsive. Yu-ha held her, borrowing spirit power to restore mental strength.

"Sowol-ah."

"Yes... Husband... I'll stand guard."

Sowol quickly set up in the rest stop and began her prayers.

That should heal the fainted ones too. Ha-yeon's color improved—definitely working.

'Extermination: Make it crash from the sky.'

Never expected a disaster-grade dumped on us in broad daylight.

A bolt from the blue sky.

This was no prank—direct terrorism. An attack.

On me and the kids I'd taken in.

"Mister... you okay...?"

"You're the one I'm worried about."

"I-I'm fine. The spirit's here. I recovered right away."

That was spirit mediums' edge.

Borrow spirit power for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠self-heals—better sustain than onmyoji or shamans.

"Good. Can you keep watching those two?"

"Of course. Just leave it to me, mister."

Yu-ha's hands were shaking.

Even if her mental strength outstripped other young spirit artists her age, she'd been exposed to a disaster-grade anomaly's mental assault up close.

Just a 19-year-old girl. Saying the pupil didn't scare her would be a lie.

But Yu-ha hid her fear for the others' sake.

"Thanks, Yu-ha. I'll step out for a bit."

"Y-You're gonna fight? That monster...?"

"If I can do it, I have to. Don't worry—just wait. I won't die."

I left Yu-ha and the fainted people in the restaurant and headed outside.

The sky was shrouded in Biya's mist. Yet the gaze persisted from beyond.

Covered, but if you tried, you could still see it.

True to its sub-calamity disaster-grade nature, it lacked absolute power. Hide ourselves, and we escaped its assault. But deliberately meet its gaze, and it could see us too.

So I voluntarily exposed myself to its attack.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Lunar Blossom Sect members were probably en route.

The Shrine Maiden had bought time with Biya's power. Soon, someone from her division would handle the anomaly.

But waiting would take too long. And it was too dangerous for regular spirit artists.

So I decided to make it crash from the sky myself.

My body lifted into the air.

Gravity inverted—as if my body were steadily rising upward.

This must be the disaster-grade anomaly's true power.

Erode mental strength, drive people mad, then drag them in to devour.

The paradoxical "crash from the sky" was happening for real.

Successfully hit with the desired status effect. To halt further mental loss, I activated Threshold Lurker and self-designated a "Human Protection Zone."

'Go ahead—eat if you can stomach it.'

I'll show you exactly what you're trying to swallow.

Just before the pupil of the heavens devoured me.

Mid-ascent, I grabbed at empty air.

Something heavy and solid gripped in my hand.

"Eh? Ehh! Hey!"

The skyward pull halted instantly.

The disaster-grade pupil, sensing something, tried dumping me back to earth.

Spitting me out in horrified panic, like an allergic reaction.

"You can't quit now! No pickiness—chow down!"

Pulled me this far? See it through—swallow me whole.

"Tch!"

My body plummeted. It refused to eat me.

Sensed the Death Sword. Realized it'd die if it mindlessly swallowed, so spat me out just before contact.

'Fine then...'

Just hurl it. I could recall the Death Sword anytime.

Ground level? Maybe miss. But dragged this high? Bullseye certain.

Strength 50—all power into my right arm. I flung the gripped Death Sword skyward.

The blade vibrated in complaint mid-flight—don't throw me—but no choice.

No other way to tag that anomaly. Couldn't use Nameless Scroll either.

Pop!

Falling to earth, I heard a massive balloon-burst boom.

Mist blocked the view, but the Death Sword had pierced and burst the pupil high in the sky.

Success! Grabbing air, the Death Sword—its role done—returned to my hand.

I leveled up alongside smashing into the rest stop ceiling.

No pain, but my clothes shredded.

Favorite shirt too.

"Fixer, sir!"

I stood, brushing off dust, as Lunar Blossom Sect members entered the rest stop.

Twenty minutes after contact—they'd practically flown.

Afterward, the division's Cheong and Kang Se-yeon, plus young spirit mediums from Mujin City, began cleanup. Ambulances arrived, rushing the injured out.

The Heavenly Cloak mist concealing the anomaly vanished, revealing clear skies again.

Peace returned as if nothing happened. The Lunar Blossom members questioned me on the details.

"So a disaster-grade anomaly appeared out of nowhere?"

"Yes. No warning—just sudden."

Should I brief Lunar Blossom on the full situation?

The Black One was targeting the Moss House while I tracked two doors vanished from the depths.

Could Moss House cover it all?

I knew tensions ran high between Moss House and Lunar Blossom Sect. But with a lunatic releasing disaster-grades on streets, wasn't cooperation essential?

No time for hesitation. I decided swiftly.

"Lady Shrine Maiden."

I called Shrine Maiden Ha-un again.

Faction politics?

Dithering over that would just mean more deaths.

Time for change. How long cling to ancient grudges and hate?

-You okay? No injuries?

"I'm fine. But Lady Shrine Maiden—do you know why a disaster-grade popped up here so suddenly?"

-We're investigating the cause now. Seems summoned by something...

"I know the cause."

-Really!?

"Yes. But it's complicated."

Moss House's worst enemy was Lunar Blossom Sect.

Asking their help handed ammunition to Moss House foes.

That's why Lee Hu-ri commissioned me. Normally, I'd avoid involving Lunar Blossom out of consideration for Moss House.

But things had changed. Releasing street-level disaster-grades meant calling in other groups.

I knew Moss House's side, but sparing them would cause bigger losses.

"Lady Shrine Maiden. Can you help me out?"

-Anything. Just say it.

"Moss House lost the Black One. It snatched two doors from the depths below, and I'm tracking it. Now it's blatantly checking me."

-What...? Lost the Black One? What doors from the depths?

"Too long to explain, Lady Shrine Maiden. Just know the Black One's moves are off. Moss House can't handle alone. Can you help without smashing Moss House?"

You turned goblin Biya into a spirit, Lady Shrine Maiden.

Similar endgame to Moss House's goals, right?

You should help.

-If it's your request, I can't refuse. We'll help.

Lunar Blossom Sect aid secured.

With their leader hooked, no one else would complain.

I acknowledged Moss House's past sins. But letting a catchable foe slip? Nonsense.

Lunar Blossom and Moss House—both ultimately for humanity's good? Time to team up.

"Thank you, Lady Shrine Maiden. I'll visit soon."

Connections are power.

That's why I busted my ass saving the Shrine Maiden and straightening Lunar Blossom.

"Next..."

Time to call in anomaly tracking and intel specialists.

Use unregistered special agent privileges?

"Yes, Executive Director. It's me."

Straight to the top exec.

Pull in the Anomaly Management Department too.

Not just me—the Black One targeted Yu-ha and the kids. Unforgivable.

All means and methods mobilized to take it down.

"Yu-ha. Leave this to Lunar Blossom folks. We head to Garam University now."

"Leaving right away?"

"Yeah. Can't delay. Garam might be beyond saving already."

Sorry to still-weak Ha-yeon and Yu-rim, but Garam University first.

'Why tie my feet here? Why release a disaster-grade? It's luring me to focus on Black One tracking. Can't fall for it.'

Summoned the disaster to heighten my alert, steer me to Moss House or Lunar Blossom—not Garam.

Can't play along.

Garam incident seemed unrelated, unimportant.

Low priority meant sidelining or ditching it for Black One or missing doors hunt.

It wanted me heading to Moss House.

Or skip Garam, hyperfocus Black hunt elsewhere.

Just a gut feeling—mere hunch—but I'd trust it.

Something clue-worthy at Garam U's AI club for sure.

Released disaster to distract and stall, planning to wreck Garam before I arrived?

We handed the scene to Lunar Blossom, got aid from division's Cheong and Kang Se-yeon, boarded Bongbong together.

Garam University, nestled in Yongin City's mountains.

No shaking by Black One schemes. Destination unchanged.