The First Request (3)
The First Request (3)
"Solid as a rock."
I recited the activation phrase, gripped the talisman, and dashed out.
Flame Talisman.
Reinforcement Talisman.
Protection Talisman.
Sealing Talisman.
These were the most representative types of talismans.
There were dozens of other talismans, but the ones Bu-pal-i gave me were only three, excluding the Protection Talisman.
At first, I thought about using the Flame Talisman, but if I used it in this mansion, the house would turn into a sea of fire.
So, I chose the Reinforcement Talisman.
"Whoa, this talisman buff is insane."
I used the Reinforcement Talisman Bu-pal-i gave me and faced the evil spirit.
Compared to the suicide ghost from before, this guy was definitely quite strong.
"But, using the talisman, it's nothing special."
I beat the guy up and made him realize his place.
"Where do you think you're baring your fangs at a human, you beastly bastard? Taste the power of a 5-year WWE superfan!"
"Ugh.... The evil spirit was also a human in the past..."
At Gyu's words, I realized.
'That's true, isn't it?'
Without further ado, I lowered my stance and quickly went for a tackle. I grabbed the guy's waist and slammed him into the floor.
The guy crawled on the floor, as if trying to escape somehow.
"You bastard! You piece of shit!!"
I immediately grabbed the guy's legs and put him in a Boston Crab.
"I'll help you recall memories from when you were alive. A-ja-ja-ja-ja-jat!!"
"Hu-hi-eek!!"
I put strength into the foot placed on his crotch and lifted both legs upward.
With a sound that was neither a scream nor a groan, the evil spirit became increasingly transparent. Soon, it scattered into smoke and disappeared.
"Did he... did he really exorcise an evil spirit with such a grotesque technique...?"
"I'm starting to feel sorry for the evil spirit..."
Once the evil spirit scattered, Gyu and Han Ye-jin slumped to the ground.
"We survived..."
"It's weird, but we survived..."
I approached the Monk who had vomited blood.
He was still standing there, holding his wooden gong.
"Monk, are you okay?"
"Amitabha... I am fine. But young man, by any chance... is one of your parents of goblin lineage, or was there a shaman in your family who served the Great Strength General?"
"Uh.... I haven't had parents since I was young, just my grandmother."
"My apologies."
The Monk bowed his head at the unintended faux pas.
"No, no. It's fine. Grandma was like a mom and dad to me. But... I remember Grandma specifically hated spiritual beings like shamans or ghosts."
"Huh... Is that so. Well, I understand. I can't not reveal my name to my benefactor. This monk is called Won-gak."
"I'll remember you as Monk Won-gak."
Monk Won-gak said he needed to console the vengeful spirit and walked toward the room where the coffin had been.
Gyu sat down, looked at me, and opened his mouth.
"Assei-ssi, thank you. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if it weren't for you, Assei-ssi."
"No, being thankful is one thing, but why did you lie?"
Ye-jin said, narrowing her eyes.
"You said you were Unranked?"
"I am Unranked."
"What...?"
"I joined today."
I showed her the join date on my member information.
"..."
"He really joined today..."
The two stared at me with dazed expressions.
"Ah, this isn't the time for this. I'll contact the client first. Ye-ji, give me your phone."
The situation moved quickly.
People came and retrieved the coffin.
We were sitting near the roadside after leaving the house.
"What you all needed to do is finished. The money will be deposited into each of your accounts soon."
The man from the client's side said.
It seemed he was talking about the burner account that was automatically created when I first joined.
"Assei-ssi."
Gyu held out something in front of the black van that had just arrived.
"This is..."
It was the knuckles wrapped in the talisman he had worn on his hands just before the battle.
"It's a bit old, but since you don't seem to have a spiritual tool, I'll give this to you."
"Thank you. I'll use it well."
"And even if Ye-jin acts like that, she's probably very grateful inside. See you next time."
The van carrying them departed, and I boarded the next black van to head home.
Ding.
I checked my phone at the notification.
[ From Occultist Association) Deposit 5,000,000 Won ]
Crazy, five million won just landed in my account.
"Crazy.."
[ From Gyu) Deposit 2,000,000 Won ]
[ From Han Ye-jin) Deposit 3,000,000 Won ]
And deposits followed one after another.
"Whoa!!"
Because I shouted, the driver looked back.
"So, sorry..."
I earned nine million won from a single request.
Plus, I even got a spiritual tool, which is an essential weapon for an Occultist.
[ Remaining Balance) 10,000,000 Won ]
A thrill ran through my entire body. I earned a huge sum of money in a single day, an amount others would stress and agonize over just to receive as a bonus.
This is it.
This is the path.
I shook my booty in my heart.
"It's money~ Money~"
Everything in the world can be solved with money.
A truth I learned from living alone for a long time.
That was something that wouldn't change even if I died.
"I'm quitting my job and becoming a full-time Occultist."
That was my current goal.
'Hmm, and Ye-jin-ssi, I forgive you for grumbling.'
Han Ye-jin's annoyance and sensitivity were instantly forgiven.
As soon as I arrived home, I washed up and collapsed onto the bed.
"My sweet home..."
My studio apartment was my sanctuary and resting place.
Outside the blanket is dangerous.
I wrapped myself in the blanket and buried my head in the pillow.
'I'll sleep for a bit... and do the gallery tomorrow...'
I needed to thank the Gallery Admin and Bu-pal-i too.
But right now, I was too tired.
While Yong-tae was asleep, a piece of bait started rolling around in the Occultist Gallery.
It was none other than the news that the shitty request where several Occultists died had been resolved.
Title) Breaking News! Chairman Choi's mansion request resolved!
'Back Mountain Mountain Spirit'
Wow, four people died, and they say a bunch of 3rd-grade scrubs and one Unranked solved it?
Looking at the request status, it seems certain.
ㄴGumi Miho: Wasn't it that they took innocent 4th and 5th graders as assistants and that's why there were casualties?
ㄴBack Mountain Mountain Spirit: Actually, they say it was a request that required a 2nd-grade or higher... Information keeps coming out now.
ㄴSpiritual Master: For real? How did they exorcise it?
ㄴMonk No. 24: Amitabha... I'm glad there were no further sacrifices...
ㄴJack the Ripper: It would've been solved if it were my dual pistols.
Title) Chairman Choi request info is out.
'Back Mountain Mountain Spirit'
Heard from a friend that two coffins came out of the mansion, and one is Chairman Choi's? haha
Looks like the kids stole Chairman Choi's coffin and buried it?
Then that means the person who slept there slept on top of the coffin with the corpse?
ㄴGumi Miho: Double burial, ewwwww!
ㄴKitsune: You're bound to get sleep paralysis!
ㄴGumi Miho: What is it? Kitsune, you're back?
ㄴKitsune: I got dragged into a raid yesterday and I'm resting now that one research project is done lol
ㄴBack Mountain Mountain Spirit: Ah;; Hang in there.
ㄴJack the Ripper: Graduate students... even my dual pistols can't solve that..
ㄴKitsune: It's sad...
Until now, it was flowing like any other gallery.
Until one post was uploaded.
Title) Breaking news that what came out of Chairman Choi's double burial is 'Tai-cheng'...
'Jack the Ripper'
(Photo of stylish red dual pistols)
First, look at my dual pistol photo for the thumbnail prevention.
Heard from a colleague that they autopsied the corpse from the double burial.
They said it was Tai-cheng, the Chinese serial dismemberer from 5 years ago.
ㄴBack Mountain Mountain Spirit: For real...? Didn't that guy Tai-cheng get executed in his home country?
ㄴGumi Miho: I remember that too. But didn't he die laughing like 'hu-hi-hi' in the public execution video?
ㄴBack Mountain Mountain Spirit: (Actual execution video)
ㄴGumi Miho: Shiver;; This gives me goosebumps every time I see it.
ㄴSpiritual Master: Is this for real?
ㄴJack the Ripper: I swear on my dual pistols. It's legit.
ㄴSpiritual Master: Agreed.
ㄴBack Mountain Mountain Spirit: Wait, then that means Chairman Choi's vengeful spirit and that Tai-cheng guy were both in that mansion? Seriously, how... did they exorcise it?
A well-known piece of trivia in the gallery.
A murderer's soul has a high probability of becoming an evil spirit.
And a powerful one at that, capable of harming humans.
Also, the measure of strength depends on the number of people killed.
ㄴBack Mountain Mountain Spirit: Well, Tai-cheng is a serial killer who killed thirty people...? A 1st-grade Occultist should have come, right?
The gallery immediately flared up at the new bait.
Title) I have arrived!! The restriction is finally lifted!
'Talisman-selling Girl'
(Ghost meme with a cute expression)
What is it? Why are there so many posts?!
What kind of fun things happened while I was gone?!
Are you trying to make me mad?! Should I just unleash Ghost-kass?! (Angry ghost meme)
Even until the gallery's famous troll, Bu-pal-i, arrived.
Daegak Temple.
The appearance of the mountain ridge filled with massive and beautiful halls, too grand to be called a mere temple, was truly like a palace of the past.
The parking lot below Daegak Temple was lined with high-end imported cars with dark tint.
If you go all the way up from the parking lot, there was Daeungjeon Hall located at the very top of Daegak Temple.
"Thank you~ Monk~"
"Amitabha, I will pray that everything you do goes well."
From such Daeungjeon Hall, a middle-aged woman wearing a luxurious coat came out with a smile on her face.
The monk who was seeing the woman off looked at the man standing in front of Daeungjeon Hall and said.
"Monk Won-gak. You have arrived."
"I just arrived."
"The Head Monk is calling for you. Please come inside."
Won-gak stepped into Daeungjeon Hall with a trembling heart.
'Why is the Head Monk... calling me... so early in the morning...'
Daegak Temple's Head Monk Beop-hyeon, he was the supreme leader of Korean Buddhism, the second-in-command right below the President of the Jogye Order who oversees the administration of the entire sect.
He was also known as an Occultist on a different level, who gave fortune readings to numerous high-ranking officials and was known to have connections with the incumbent President.
It was even famous that he donated his own stipend to ensure no temples closed down amidst the economic recession.
"Head Monk, I heard you called for me."
Won-gak bowed his head with his hands pressed together in respect.
Inside Daeungjeon Hall, there were Buddhist statues placed on the altar and offerings left by worshippers who had come to pray.
Beop-hyeon tapped the wooden gong without even glancing at Won-gak, who had entered the main hall.
'That person is Head Monk Beop-hyeon...'
He was too huge to be called a monk.
Even his sitting height already surpassed Won-gak's. The grip tapping the wooden gong was muscular, with veins clearly visible.
Amidst a solemn atmosphere where one felt they shouldn't let their posture slip.
Won-gak waited for Beop-hyeon, who was sitting in the middle of the main hall, to speak.
"Pfft..."
At the sound like air escaping, a question mark appeared over Won-gak's head.
'Did he just laugh?'
Inside the main hall, and with a serious expression, with a candle in front of him?
Beop-hyeon said with a serious expression.
"Amitabha... I heard that you received the request for Chairman Choi's mansion from the Occultist Association this time. Monk Won-gak."
"That is correct."
At Beop-hyeon's words, Won-gak immediately bowed his head and said.
"Can you tell me without any exaggeration what happened there?"
"Yes... Monk. I will tell you everything without a single error."
I don't know what it was, but Won-gak realized one thing.
That Beop-hyeon wanted to hear his story right now.
And that Won-gak himself was dying to unpack this bundle of stories right away.
"First, the nickname of that man I checked on the Association's internet was Assei."
"Pfft!"
"...??"