Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: If You Fall Asleep, You Die (11)
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"Argh! My head!"
"What? How did you wake up on your own?"
Emel peered down at Byung-su as he stirred from sleep, her voice full of wonder.
Instead of answering, he shot his left arm up, thrusting Pan right in her face, and shouted.
"You don't have to gut me! Haha!"
'This guy's a total nutjob, but he's no ordinary bastard. If I can escape Beelzebub tonight, I should take the chance to kill him. Once I can properly harness my power, I'll make bank for sure. Can't let him live!'
Emel took Pan from Byung-su's hand with a beaming smile.
"Oh my! Impressive. So cool! You really caught Pan. Hohoho."
Her cheerful grin made her seem almost endearing.
Pan was Beelzebub's right-hand demon, king of the male dream demons, and one of the top ten in the hierarchy of the Fly Cult's devils.
Despite his immense power in crafting nightmares and dominating dreams, Pan was weak outside of them.
Emel handed Pan over to Judge Choi and took a step toward the stairs, calling out.
"Great Beelzebub! Your subordinate, the king of dream demons, Pan, is in our hands. We have no intention whatsoever of tarnishing your honor. If the great Beelzebub lets us go tonight, we'll send Pan back to you. Wouldn't the king of dream demons, the nightmare architect Pan, be more precious than lowly worms like us?"
Emel's tone was deferential, restoring Beelzebub's bruised pride.
From the shadowed stairs below came an emotionless voice.
"If you're mindful of my face, how could I refuse? Moreover, tonight's contest between you and I shall count as my defeat. Release this fool Pan, and I'll take my leave. Foolish Pan! What are you doing there? Come here at once!"
Beelzebub called for Pan.
Judge Choi hesitated for a moment but released his grip upon seeing Emel's confident gaze.
Freed from Judge Choi's hand, Pan flapped his tiny wings and flew toward the stairs.
With that, the long night of nightmares came to an end.
'Should I kill this guy now before I go?'
As Beelzebub departed, Emel—the strongest remaining—narrowed her eyes.
This frail human had captured the dream demon Pan alive, and that gnawed at her.
If he ever mastered her power properly, he'd become a real threat.
As Emel's eyes shifted, Black Dog perked up its ears and rose to its feet.
Judge Choi gripped Black Dog's collar tightly and looked up at Emel, who flashed a sly smile.
"I'm curious what you and that mutt think you can do against me."
Emel's mind was made up.
Judge Choi nodded at her threatening words.
His demeanor was inscrutable.
* * *
As Emel's aura turned ominous, Hong Sang-in sidled up to her and whispered.
"That reporter's my friend. Please, let him live tonight. I beg you."
Emel smiled at the plea from the useful psychic researcher.
'I'm drained after those two sucked so much of my energy tonight. Maybe I should do him a favor while I'm at it... Hmm.'
Byung-su and Na-rae had no idea what was going on, but instinct told them they were in fresh danger. They huddled close behind Judge Choi.
Emel giggled at their movement and addressed Byung-su sweetly.
"Beelzebub's gone, and the danger's passed. Why cower there? Come on over and help this granny to the hospital, no?"
Her voice held no menace.
Judge Choi nodded silently.
Na-rae hesitated but started forward, only for Byung-su to grab her arm.
"You're right, but that exchange with Judge Choi earlier was pretty intense. If those toads leave first, we'll take the bodhisattva to the hospital."
Judge Choi nodded quietly again at Byung-su's proposal.
Both Emel and Byung-su seethed inwardly at Judge Choi's agreeable nodding to everything.
"So why'd you nod just now? Hoping I'll vanish quietly?"
"No, Emel—what's with nodding at that ghoul bitch and me?"
As they both snapped at him, Judge Choi nodded and replied.
"It's just a habit. My nods are a little different from others'."
Byung-su glared at Judge Choi's nonsense and yelled at Emel.
"If you try to kill us, we'll cling to Judge Choi and hold on! If he rolls out of that coffin, all the evil spirits trapped inside will swarm out."
"……."
"Sure, we'd get wrecked by those ghosts too, but you'd be in hot water. So leave us be!"
Judge Choi nodded at Byung-su's shout, while Emel just kept smiling.
A tense silence fell, then Emel spoke softly.
"You're clever. I'll get you a scoop soon enough."
Byung-su blinked at the out-of-left-field remark.
"A scoop?"
"Yeah. A real exclusive. In a few days, a zombie horde will show up right in front of you. Film it well. It'll be your first zombie shoot—good luck."
With that, Emel tucked Hong Sang-in under her arm and dashed across the wide floor, leaping out the window.
Left behind were Byung-su's group and Emel's two toads.
The toads stayed put, still blocking the stairs even after she left.
"That damn wench blocked the stairs with her toads!"
The old lady grumbled as she sat up the moment Emel vanished.
Byung-su and Na-rae jumped to help her, but she brushed them off lightly and apologized to Na-rae.
"Aigoo, my finger. Feels broken. How's your belly? Sorry about that. Wasn't on purpose."
"I'm fine. The redhead saved me. Anyway, thanks. But when did you wake up?"
The old lady chuckled sheepishly at Na-rae's question.
"Been awake a while, but I stayed down fearing that Hong bastard would hit me again. Anyway, those toads blocking the way is a problem."
Judge Choi nodded at her worry.
Byung-su ignored him and stepped forward, ears straining.
Footsteps echoed from below the stairs—someone climbing up.
"Argh! Frogs! A swarm of frogs! Oh, Mom! So gross."
The familiar Chungcheong accent retreated back down the stairs.
Na-rae tilted her head.
Moments later, her phone rang.
"Master! Why'd you go back down? Oh, I'm fine. Really? Good. No, don't call 119. If they touch the coffin up here, it'll be bad. Yeah, there's a coffin. Anyway, come back up together."
Na-rae's face lit up after the call.
Byung-su couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"Who? Jeong the Taoist?"
"Yeah, Baekho came first 'cause he was worried, and he's fetching Yi-hwa soon. He left some talismans in the car and went back for them. Oh, and Team Leader, be careful. No idea why, but that woman plans to sic a zombie horde on you."
Byung-su shrugged off Na-rae's concern.
"Perfect. If I film it right, it's a real scoop. Zombies, huh... Oh, and Sang-in bailed too. Gotta grill him next time. Anyway, scary but fine. Scoop!"
As Byung-su griped about the disloyal psychic researcher, the old lady asked.
"He always been like that?"
"High school days too. He'll slink back grinning soon enough. Don't worry about him. Back in Cheorwon, he stuck to a werewolf, then ditched solo and apologized way later. Loyal when it's safe, though."
"Loyal how, exactly?"
The old lady pressed, and Byung-su hemmed and hawed before answering.
"Like... when he covers drinks? Buys booze. Cosigns loans too."
"Cosigns... real loyal..."
* * *
Jeong the Taoist Baekho from Gyeryongsan returned soon after.
Gazing down at the ghost gate by the entrance, he asked his constant companion, the virgin ghost Yi-hwa.
"Yi-hwa, can you block this ghost gate?"
Yi-hwa stood before it, peering down.
"Dunno about blocking, but slicing it with my sword? Easy. Takes time, though. Handle those toads up top first, then we'll check it again. Baekho, hands off. Men..."
As she answered, Yi-hwa scolded Baekho for poking into the ghost gate.
Baekho beamed innocently, unfazed by the scolding.
Not his first ghost gate, but it always thrilled him like new.
Ignoring him, Yi-hwa led the way up the stairs.
The toads guarding them exuded venomous malice.
"The nerve! Filthy vermin blocking my path?"
She yanked out her silver hairpin, hair cascading in three tiers.
Infusing it with spiritual energy, it morphed into a silver-glowing sword. Yi-hwa leaped up the stairs in one bound, slashing down from midair.
Blue spiritual flames erupted, engulfing the toads.
They panicked in the blaze, fleeing across the floor and out the window.
"Argh! Fire!"
Byung-su's panicked yell rang out.
The flames hadn't spared the floorboards, sweeping toward the group.
"Always so over the top."
Baekho pulled a talisman paper from his robe, shaking his head.
"Byeokryeokjang!"
A massive hand materialized in the air at his shout, flying over the flames to shield the group and clash with the fire.
With a gesture, the hand slammed down, splitting the blaze.
Another strike shattered it into sparks.
Byung-su and Na-rae gawked, mesmerized by Baekho's divine display parting the fire before them.
Judge Choi nodded quietly.
As Baekho fragmented the flames, Yi-hwa jumped up, stamping them out with her delicate flower shoes.
"Mm, still hot."
Even spiritual flames scorched the virgin ghost Yi-hwa, but she just grunted and kept at it.
Her hanbok skirt caught fire too, yet she brushed it off casually—her tough spirit on full display.
Once the fire died, Baekho climbed up sheepishly and said to Byung-su.
"Sorry if we scared ya. Yi-hwa's hot-blooded; can't control her power well. This Byeokryeokjang's all I can draw—such a waste."
"Baekho! Yi-hwa! So glad to see you. But Yi-hwa, your flower shoes okay?"
Byung-su beamed, pointing at the singed shoes.
Yi-hwa stood unfazed.
"I'm a spirit dead five hundred years—what's a little char on some shoes? Not like I'm wearing them to my wedding. Don't sweat it."
Baekho ignored their chat, greeting the old lady lightly before fixing on Judge Choi.
Something special about his aura, no doubt.
Judge Choi nodded wordlessly at the stare, prompting Byung-su to yell.
"Stop nodding and talk already!"
"Tch, reaper."
Yi-hwa muttered, sensing Judge Choi's nature.
A top shaman in life, five centuries exorcising evils as a ghost—Judge Choi lacked the chops to drag her off, so he just nodded.
"I'm a judge."
"Judge, reaper—whatever. Gross."
Dismissing him lightly, Yi-hwa scanned the room, then smiled warmly at Na-rae.
"Pretty reporter Eun, you've gained a strange power. Not pure, but no human could match your physical prowess now. A blessing for you."
Na-rae swung her arm at Yi-hwa's kind words—newfound strength surged.
She could even sense ambient spiritual energy now, invisible before.
All thanks, absurdly, to absorbing over half of Emel's power via Beelzebub.