Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Journeying with Evil Ghosts and Demons (2)
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The desolate funeral hall left Kotol and his crew subdued as well.
After lighting incense at the altar in front of Seol-mi's portrait and bowing, they exchanged greetings with Na-rae.
Kotol, who had taken a seat, spoke cautiously.
"Miss, we meet again. My condolences. I'll cover all the funeral expenses for the deceased."
Na-rae shot back coldly at Kotol's words.
"That's the least you could do. This happened because you kidnapped Seol-mi. It's only right, nothing to brag about. It's weird the police haven't arrested you yet."
As Na-rae pressed him, Kotol hurriedly made excuses.
"I wasn't trying to kidnap her. I was just bringing her along to talk. I've already been through the police investigation. I swear, I have nothing to do with the deaths of the deceased or Baek Dong-su."
Kotol seemed genuinely afraid of Dong-su's spirit.
"I don't go around killing people. No reason to live like that. Please believe me. If that friend Dong-su shows up as a ghost, tell him this: I didn't harm Seol-mi or Dong-su, and I never intended to. Please!"
He kept bowing his head, pleading his case, clearly terrified of Dong-su's vengeful ghost.
"Save those words for when Dong-su comes to you. Since you're here, settle all the bills and go."
Na-rae spoke in a slightly softened tone, and Kotol bowed even deeper in response.
"Of course. I've already paid everything on the way up."
* * *
Dong-su stood in front of the Southern Detention Center, lost in thought.
'A few days ago, I was in that accident. Why is that guy Jjanggu, who hit me, already locked up here?'
Dong-su's suspicion was understandable.
Normally, after police questioning, one would go to a holding cell before the detention center, but Jjanggu had been sent straight to detention, where the prosecution was now investigating.
'For a simple traffic accident with negligence causing death, who could be involved to get him locked up here? Guess I need to go in and find Jjanggu.'
Having sorted his thoughts, Dong-su headed into the detention center to find Kotol's gang's youngest, Jjanggu.
"Hey, rookie! That's not a place you just waltz into."
Someone called out from behind Dong-su.
His age was hard to gauge, but it was definitely a man's voice.
Dong-su turned to look, but saw no one—no humans or stray spirits.
"Looking for me? You're an odd one. Your spiritual energy is incredibly strong, but you're a greenhorn ghost who hasn't been dead long... Interesting. Very interesting. Hahaha."
"What's so funny?"
The voice ignored Dong-su's question and continued.
"Detention centers and prisons have resident spirits who hold the turf. You can slip in easy enough, but getting out isn't so simple. A newbie ghost like you won't make it out intact. Still wanna go in?"
The voice didn't seem to be trying to scare him off maliciously.
Dong-su scanned around, trying to find the source, but saw nothing.
"Still can't spot me, huh? I'm right here."
The voice came from mid-air and descended to the ground where Dong-su stood.
Following the sound, Dong-su spotted a magpie.
Not an animal spirit—it was a live magpie.
Dong-su approached, bent down, and peered at it.
"An animal spirit? Looks like a real magpie. Or a parrot that looks like one?"
The magpie flapped its wings and laughed as it replied to Dong-su's question.
"Hahaha. Rookie, I'm neither magpie nor parrot. I'm just possessing this magpie temporarily, but it's hard to leave, so I've been sticking around."
Dong-su hesitated whether to kick the magpie that called him rookie.
Unaware, the magpie kept chattering.
"This magpie doesn't have long to live anyway, so I gotta go. Help me out, and I'll help you. What do you say? Team up?"
"You, just forage for food and live. I ain't teaming up with a bird. I'm busy—don't talk to me again."
Confirming the voice belonged to a male spirit possessing the magpie, Dong-su sneered and turned away.
"Hey, rookie! Hear me out before you go! You won't get out easy if you go in there."
The magpie waddled after the turned Dong-su on its short legs.
"Insolent bird. Call me rookie one more time, and I'll snap your beak. Now scram and peck at some bugs!"
Dong-su didn't look back as he shooed the magpie away, passing through the fortress-like walls of the Southern Detention Center.
The place was larger and more sprawling than Dong-su had imagined.
'How am I supposed to find Jjanggu in this huge place?'
Dong-su climbed to the roof of the frontmost building and surveyed the area, feeling daunted.
The dozen or so cell blocks were all connected, forming a massive structure, with narrow exercise yards between buildings, making the whole facility enormous.
'They've connected all the buildings.'
Gazing at the maze-like cell blocks, Dong-su fell into thought.
Though a gangster in life, he'd never been inside a detention center or prison, leaving him at a loss.
* * *
"Good thing he hasn't gone inside the building yet."
The magpie landed next to Dong-su, who sat on the roof of Building 1, deep in thought, and spoke up.
Dong-su barely acknowledged the magpie as no good ideas came to him, continuing to ponder.
The magpie waddled over and pecked at Dong-su's shoe, interrupting.
"You can't get out if you go into that building. Listen to me! Only I can solve your problem."
As Dong-su raised his foot to kick the pecking magpie, it flapped its wings in protest.
"I didn't call you rookie—why try to kick me?"
"Hey! Bird! Scram!"
Dong-su tried to shoo away the protesting, flapping magpie with his foot, but it flew up to his head and chattered noisily.
"Hear me out! I can solve your problem! Help me a little once it's done—give and take!"
"What help could a puny bird like you be? Better off calling some animal ghosts."
Dong-su didn't know what possessed the living magpie, but figured its tiny body was useless right now.
The little bird was getting on his nerves.
Whether sensing it or not, the magpie circled Dong-su's head nonstop, jabbering away.
"Think you can easily find your guy in this huge place? And don't you feel something weird here too?"
The magpie circling and squawking above Dong-su's head was seriously annoying.
Finally losing patience, Dong-su yelled at it.
"Listen, bird! I could call a cat spirit to eat you, but I'm holding back. Get down here and talk!"
At Dong-su's words, the magpie landed and waddled over on its tiny legs.
"Hey! Rookie! I'm not a bird—I'm a magpie! And I have a name!"
The magpie called him rookie again.
Dong-su grabbed its chattering beak with his left hand and shook it.
"Hey! Bird! Magpie's a bird too! Ain't no way a magpie's a dog. Don't care about your name. Last warning: call me rookie again, and your beak snaps. Got it? Bird!"
After warning and releasing the beak, the magpie shook its head for a while before speaking.
"Hey, friend! You feel this energy too, right? This place is another hell. Look! Feel this massive energy!"
It flung its wings wide, trying to convey the energy's scale.
But Dong-su seemed uninterested in the detention center's aura.
"Whatever! I can't sense energy anyway. Just tell me how to find my guy here."
The magpie tilted its head at Dong-su's words.
"Friend, you really can't sense energy? I felt an enormous ghoul aura from you, but you can't use it properly. How'd a non-ghoul get ghoul energy?"
"Shut up! Answer my question!"
Instead of answering, Dong-su tapped the magpie's beak with his finger, demanding a response.
"Okay! Stop pecking my beak! I'll talk!"
The magpie pecked back at Dong-su's tapping finger.
As Dong-su pulled his finger away, the magpie flapped its wings and continued.
"The men's cell blocks here are a dozen three-story buildings, all connected. First floor's lower level, second's middle, third's upper."
"And?"
"Next to each cell room door, there's a nameplate with the inmate's name, age, ID number, and crime. Each room holds four to eight guys."
"That's basic stuff from YouTube. If that's all, beat it."
"Hear me out! Check the nameplates by each room door on every floor—it'll take time, but you can find him."
"Sounds simple."
"But going inside the buildings will rile up the turf-holding spirits, and you'll end up their prey."
"Any way to check without going in?"
Dong-su showed interest in the magpie's words.
"You've got some ghoul abilities. Ghouls revive, heal, handle corpses, and create illusions. Use illusions!"
Dong-su, who had already used illusions to terrify Kotol, perked up even more.
"How do illusions help find him? Tell me more, magpie!"
Urged by Dong-su, the magpie puffed up proudly.
"You can cast illusions without knowing exact location, right? The punishment cells 7-Lower, 8-Lower, 9-Lower are for troublemakers—no regular rooms. Show your guy an illusion at night; he'll make a racket."
"Then?"
"Patrol team swarms in like crows and drags him to punishment. I'll check the 7, 8, 9-Lower windows—if I spot the dumbass, I'll tell you."
The explanation made sense to Dong-su.
"Simple, huh? Once we find him, handle it through the windows—no need to go inside!"
Dong-su thought the plan sounded solid.
"Alright! We'll wait here till night. But have you done time here? How do you know so much?"
"I know everything and can solve any problem! I'm no ordinary magpie!"
As the magpie boasted and flapped, Dong-su sneered.
"Oh yeah? The great problem-solver stuck in a tiny magpie body?"