Chapter 132
Chapter 132
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Hors d'Oeuvre
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The root of sorcery is curses.
Sorcery is born from the desire for calamity or misfortune to befall others, and it has given rise to numerous theories and rituals.
"There's a saying in sorcery."
One who curses others must be prepared to be cursed themselves.
The arrow you shoot—if it fails to kill the enemy—will return to you.
If the curse you cast on the enemy fails, it will rebound onto you.
'Many books and stories depict sorcery as carrying a risk to the caster if it fails.'
The power of the Dangjin Lee Clan came from a sorcerous force bestowed by Mr. Ando Chef.
The seal here must have a way to break it, too.
'They call it a counter-curse, right?'
A ghost that's already dead might be different, but since I'm alive and walked in here, I should be able to pull it off.
"I wouldn't normally have any idea about the rituals, procedures, or incantations for a counter-curse, so it'd be impossible... "
But the hint came from the great detective's touchpad.
'Let's start with the easiest hint to understand.'
They use the language of truth, which humans cannot pronounce.
This seemed to refer to the writing I'd seen in the snowy field of the ruined Earth, beyond my right eye.
'The universal cosmic language, or the tongue of transcendent beings, I suppose.'
One entity among them is Mr. Ando Chef.
Second: "A culture claimed to have arisen under Russian influence, but actually born from them." That must mean a culture created by Mr. Ando Chef's power.
'Ando Chef is singular, but since he created multiple kitchen tools, maybe he runs a company or has subordinates—hence "they."'
Mr. Ando Chef is a chef.
So the culture influenced by them is most likely culinary culture.
'Third, the hint "This is merely the first." must mean the ruined Earth was the first dish.'
Connect that to the second hint?
"Course cuisine."
It's known as a culture that arose in France under Russian influence, but it was actually born from Mr. Ando Chef's influence.
Fourth: Don't be bound by stereotypes.
Speaking in Earth's languages is enough.
This means the solution involves words.
Thus, a counter-curse can be achieved simply by reciting an incantation—no ritual required.
And "don't be bound by stereotypes"...
"Sorcery has a strong Eastern vibe. In fact, the Dangjin Lee Clan's sorcery was quintessentially Eastern."
But incantations don't have to be in Eastern tongues.
Mr. Ando Chef, who granted them power, is a transcendent being unbound by race or nationality.
It said Earth's languages are enough, but I didn't know which one—now I've got it.
'Finally, the state of the ruined Earth.'
The first step in course cuisine.
The cold appetizer that comes first in a full-course meal.
He uttered its name.
The darkness split open.
Like an eggshell cracking—far too easily.
The trapped ghosts' faces gradually brightened as they escaped the soul venom's influence.
"Dazzling."
The negative thoughts clustered in the darkness followed the light out into the world.
"Freed from the seal at last."
Their destination was obvious.
"Go."
Back to the master who created you.
"Things have gotten messy."
Dangjin Lee Clan main house.
The massive estate was packed to the brim with an intimidating number of people, making it feel small.
"We tried to poison Lee Seung-hoon the fixer with soul venom, but the sorcery failed. We could only seal him away alive."
Yet despite the crowd, the estate was eerily quiet.
Only the voice of the clan head, Lee Won-bok of the Dangjin Lee Clan, echoed; the others held their breath, listening intently.
"A living human entering the seal is a first. Of course, once sealed there, survival is impossible."
"Clan head, is that true? No one's ever come back from there, right?"
"None have. But I, who control it, tell you: the malice sealed within is something no living being can endure."
The Dangjin Lee Clan head inherits two powers upon succession.
One is soul venom—a sorcery that drags the consumer of prepared dishes into the soul venom world.
The other is authority over the hidden seal beneath the clan main house's grounds.
"Every time I manage it, I confront the calamity from afar. The evil spirits comprising it will tear the living to shreds. Even if one survives them..."
The negative thoughts spewed by the evil spirits.
The more they regret and rue, the more vicious they become—indistinguishable from living death.
"They'll die in the end."
"Then why summon us?"
"Prepare for any contingency. The Foundation, Lee Seung-hoon the fixer, whatever! That's why I called you. Stay at the main house, keep a low profile, and wait out the crisis."
Relief shattered the heavy mood as long-lost kin bloomed into conversation.
'The Foundation can't stop us either. We're the bloodline thriving in the shadows. A weakened Foundation, especially after recent events, can't uncover our cause.'
Amid it, Lee Won-bok recalled.
The day he came of age and inherited the memories of his ancestors' pact through the clan rite.
'It's no mere chef.'
Why the clan betrayed humanity.
'Even if the Foundation regains full strength, it can never win against that being.'
Why offer Earth as a dish to it.
'A fight we can't win anyway—so clinging to the strong isn't betrayal, but wisdom, no?'
Inheriting the memories containing the identity of the being with whom the clan made its pact and promise.
This is the rite all adult members of the Dangjin Lee Clan receive.
Children are unaware, but adults actively carry on the clan legacy.
'So why this unease?'
Lee Won-bok soon realized the source.
'I've heard too many rumors about Lee Seung-hoon the fixer. Makes me think he might survive even inside the seal.'
Impossible.
Individual powers don't function properly inside.
Even superhumans have their abilities nearly sealed, no different from naked civilians.
"!?"
He'd reaffirmed that fact countless times, barely calming himself—when suddenly the earth shook.
"What is it!"
"Clan head! The ground! The ground is spli—"
One kin was swallowed by a burst of black mist from the fissure.
"Graaaah!"
Flesh rotted in an instant.
In seconds, it decomposed like meat left outdoors for hundreds of days and vanished—revealing the soul.
『Graaah! Graaaaaah!』
The soul was no different.
The difference: flesh rotted back to nature, but the soul—torn to shreds—had nowhere to go.
Unable to reach the afterlife or return to nature, it wandered the firmament in eternal agony, fragmented as is.
"Ah, aaaah!"
Countless kin screamed and fled.
The black mist from the crack pursued only adults—sparing minors—like it targeted those who'd undergone the rite.
As if it knew exactly what they'd done.
"Bu-burn! Begone! Do you know who I— Gaaaah!"
"Repair, repair, sabaha, repair, repair sa— Aaaah!"
Sorcery was useless.
Lee Won-bok, dazedly watching, let out a hollow laugh.
A millennium-aged malice.
Freed from the seal, returning to the sorcerers.
'TTargeting those who inherited the memories.'
Realizing from the unharmed children, Lee Won-bok spread his arms.
As the seal's manager, he knew the black mist's nature better than anyone—and surrendered fastest.
"Everything's over."
Lee Seung-hoon the fixer.
His doing, no doubt.
The rumors weren't exaggerated.
Shouldn't have summoned anyone.
Facing the black mist pouring toward him, Lee Won-bok closed his eyes.
Darkness shattered; the world brightened.
Instinct told me stepping out there would return me to reality.
"Sorcery is fascinating—truth felt through the soul."
『Are you alright, Mr. Lee Seung-hoon?』
"Ah, Sarang-i, you're back to normal too?"
Seeing her speak confirmed the ordeal was over.
『Thank you.』
『Ahh, thank you.』
『Finally... finally, peace...』
『At last, free from pain.』
Countless ghosts vanished after the light, faces serene.
Where do they go? Eastern Hell? Western Hell? Or some hell I don't know?
'Might end up in the clutches of entities I know.'
Among them was Mr. Shin Se-hoon.
He'd feared me as an evil spirit, but as a normal ghost, that fear was gone—he approached.
『Thank you. You're Lee Seung-hoon, right? Thanks to you, I'm free of torment.』
"No big deal. Without the info you left, I couldn't have wrapped this up easily. Wanna smoke one? Smoking sane is the only real smoking."
『Haha, thanks!』
We shared cigarettes.
How a ghost smokes or interacts with real objects didn't matter.
This sorcery space was a singularity anyway—plausible enough.
"You give me a weird feeling."
『What kind? Not that you're into that—I'm cool with it, but I'm straight and dead, so can't reciprocate.』
"Not that. Like the sensation of a soul moving?"
The power etched into the soul within me stirred.
"A fish that's never known water—does it swim or sink when dropped in?"
『Interesting. At first unfamiliar, but it'd figure it out eventually, right?』
"Same here. Mr. Shin Se-hoon, do you believe in the afterlife?"
『Not really. Atheist. But now a ghost—should I start?』
"Believe."
As provisional Tenth King, I invoked one of my prerogatives on him.
"Believe in Eastern Hell."
An invisible stamp marked his soul.
"You'll go there whether you like it or not."
『Huh? What do you... Huh? My body's... ?』
His form vanished into the fiery pit.
It looked just like plummeting to hell—and it was.
"That's the only reward I can give."
With all ghosts gone, my body followed the light outward.
I emerged in Mr. Shin Se-hoon's office and contacted the Foundation immediately.
-What? Seung-hoon, what do you mean?
"No time for details—fix global warming now. An entity plans to cook Earth with it."
-For real!?
I added one request to the shocked Kim Dong-wook.
"And hook me up to buy some sunny land. Need it for a grave."
-What? Who died?
"Yes."
On the office desk.
A now-defunct terminal lay forlorn.
"The world's greatest detective I knew is dead."