Chapter 136
Translator: uly
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Another One! (1)
It was the diagnosis from the Child Spirit, who knew the entertainment industry even better than Yeonwoo the entertainer himself. And sure enough, the story that followed lined up perfectly with the Child Spirit's deductions.
“I’m a little embarrassed to say this, but… I was actually pretty confident in my skills. That’s how I got scouted directly by the director here. I even took some pride in it… but the people who noticed…”
The manager trailed off. But it wasn’t hard to figure out what she meant.
‘Probably none, right?’
She’d even said it was the first time she’d gotten direct praise from Yeonwoo. Piecing together the Child Spirit’s words, it seemed she’d only gotten attention elsewhere.
For example, “I’m not really into the entertainment world, so it just made me feel more burdened.”
Coming from someone who’d once heard nonstop that if you weren’t an entertainer, you were doomed to be a shaman, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of kinship.
‘She can loosen someone up completely with just a fingertip. Of course she’d take pride in that.’
But if that pride went unnoticed while attention poured into other areas? It was only natural for her self-esteem to take a hit.
The manager, who had been hesitating before continuing, suddenly looked straight at Yeonwoo.
“And above all… you’re the customer who made me want to handle your care myself, so I even spoke to the shop manager to get permission to come in directly.”
Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at him. The intensity was starting to feel overwhelming.
[Whoa… This is… I mean, this was all a calculated crime, right? She targeted you on purpose.]
The Child Spirit spouted nonsense again. From the sound of it, you’d think the manager had deliberately stalked her target to commit a crime.
“I usually wouldn’t say this much—it feels too rude—but for some reason, I just ended up telling you everything. I hope I wasn’t too forward…”
“No, not at all.”
Yeonwoo answered calmly. He had a pretty good idea why she was acting this way.
It was probably…
‘Worship for the Forgotten God…’
An S-grade additional ability he’d barely earned after catching the culprit who stranded him in some remote overseas wilderness.
-It instills a power that makes others feel drawn to you and compelled to serve, in whatever form that takes.
That’s what the description said. Of course, there was a caveat: as a long-forgotten ancient god, only faint remnants of its power remained.
‘Even so, an S-grade ability… that must be it.’
It seemed likely. And on top of that, he’d given her the perfect fertilizer in the form of ‘praise’ at just the right time. Her fondness was bound to grow like wildfire.
‘And I’ve got other abilities too…’
Yeonwoo also had the ‘Enchanting Voice’ ability, created from a combination of skills—one that made it hard to escape once you heard it.
“Then how about…?”
“I understand.”
“…!”
The manager’s eyes widened at Yeonwoo’s response. Joy flooded her tense, anxious face.
“If someone as meticulous as you handles it, I’d only be grateful. Having the same person keep up with my care would let you track my condition even better. I’d love it if you took over.”
“No, I’m the one who’s honored you’d trust me with it…! I’ll let the director know right away. If there’s any body product you prefer, we can stick with that—just let me know… I’ll make sure you shine from head to toe.”
“No, you don’t need to go that far…”
“I heard your premiere’s next week. I’ll work hard to make you the brightest one in the hall by then…!”
“No, really, you don’t have to…”
The manager’s words poured out in an emotional torrent. She rattled off names of oils and aromatherapy products, but honestly, Yeonwoo didn’t understand a single one.
‘Cebuton oil? Tama… what? How are there so many oils? I thought olive and canola were it.’
He knew grapeseed oil as a sister product to those.
‘Carrier? Isn’t that the thing you drag around? Carrier oil? And what’s essential?’
Exhausted from listening, Yeonwoo just told her to handle it however she thought best. She beamed with joy and agreed, promising top-tier care in return. After she left, Yeonwoo let out a weary sigh, utterly drained.
[Tsk tsk tsk…]
A tongue-clicking sound came from above his head.
“What? Why the beef this time?”
[It’s not beef—I just feel sorry for that poor soul. That’s why.]
“What’s pitiful about her? I’m the pitiful one. I had no idea there were that many oils.”
[Oils? How do you call them oils?!]
“Oil, grease—same difference…”
[The vibe’s totally off! The vibe! Saying you put grease on your face versus oil—the feeling’s completely different.]
There’s a ton more to it too. Yeonwoo shrugged indifferently, and the Child Spirit’s eyes narrowed to triangles.
[Anyway! That’s not the point. I need to tell the actor about this.]
“What? Why?”
It wasn’t like some huge incident had happened. He’d just received some goodwill from the manager.
[Why? Because you don’t even realize your own sin?]
“What sin?”
[Hah… Unbelievable. Getting charmed again without knowing it. That makes it even worse.]
“…?”
[I told you. That guy’s totally under your spell.]
“Hey, watch your words. You know I’m not doing it on purpose. And what’s with ‘charmed’? Am I some fox spirit or what?”
[So that makes it okay?]
The Child Spirit’s eyes narrowed further.
Sin? No matter how he thought about it, there was no sin. What was wrong with accepting someone’s goodwill?
How was this violating the agreement he’d made with the Child Spirit?!
But.
[Guess it’s fine if I tell the actor then?]
“…You’re driving me nuts.”
Why was Kwon Sung-hyun coming up here?
[You need to watch your behavior and stay demure. Kang Yeonwoo!]
“Fine, drop it.”
[Our actor will flip out if he finds out. Man, never a dull moment. Huh? Yeonwoo, where you going?]
“To change clothes.”
He planned to change and head to his next schedule. If only he hadn’t run into someone on the way to the changing room.
More precisely, if he hadn’t nearly collided with them.
*
“Ah, what the hell!”
Yeonwoo stopped reflexively, avoiding the crash. But he’d almost slammed into them around the corner.
The other person snapped irritably, clearly in a bad mood.
“Where are your damn eyes?!”
Yeonwoo hadn’t even had a chance to apologize. His reaction was a beat slow.
Which made sense.
‘A person?’
He’d been here several times already. Kwon Sung-hyun had recommended it, and the shop’s director took pride in its ironclad privacy. So Yeonwoo had never encountered anyone here except staff.
It hadn’t even crossed his mind that someone might be around.
Especially not someone who didn’t look human.
‘Person or a lump of obsessive thoughts?’
The man’s body was blanketed in so many clinging obsessive thoughts that his face was barely visible, shrouded in black. It was questionable if he could even breathe properly.
‘Best not to get tangled with a guy like that.’
If it had harvestable lifespan attached, maybe. But with no lifespan and just obsessive thoughts, ignoring it was the smart move.
He wasn’t here to play shaman—he wanted lifespan.
“Excuse me.”
Not even worth a polite apology. No one covered in that much gunk could be a good person.
Honestly, he didn’t even need to say sorry. He’d been careless turning the corner, but so had the other guy.
Still, he tossed out a curt word—something like, ‘Let’s get this annoyance over with quick.’
He gave a brief nod and perfunctory greeting as he tried to pass.
“Know it’s something to apologize for? Then watch where you’re going from the start! You pretty boys these days think a nice face means you own the place!”
For some reason, the guy took it wrong, and his voice exploded.
The content was weird too.
“Think you’re hot shit now? Can’t even look up and down properly? Cocky brat’s so stiff-necked it’s gonna snap. Huh? Rumors don’t lie—where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
[Yeonwoo, looks like he’s picking a fight with you.]
The Child Spirit muttered like it was watching something fascinating.
[No fear. What’s he got backing him to mess with you? If not for the no-harm rule, he’d be flailing, swallowed by those thoughts by now.]
Its tongue-clicking held real sincerity.
“I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but you seem to have the wrong idea about me.”
Yeonwoo mustered a polite smile. No need for Poker Face. Keeping a straight face while someone spewed garbage was child’s play.
‘Best to dodge the hassle.’
But the guy wouldn’t let it go.
“What? Kwon Sung-hyun teach you that? Telling you to stiffen up and ignore your seniors since he raised you?”
“…What?”
Kwon Sung-hyun. Those three syllables halted Yeonwoo in his tracks.
“Did Kwon Sung-hyun teach you that? Word is he’s coddling some rookie—guess that’s how he trained you? Shove a steel rod up your neck?”
What the hell? Some new breed of psycho?
Yeonwoo frowned at the guy who’d popped up out of nowhere to start shit.
‘This place bragged about privacy, and here I bump into someone.’
No matter how you sliced it, this was deliberate. He’d probably waited around just to provoke him.
“Acts all high and mighty alone, but sends rookies out to snag sponsors. Kwon Sung-hyun’s washed up, huh? Even rotten fish has some juice—still got money to send you here. Ah, well. Gotta invest a bit to impress sponsors.”
“I don’t know what nonsense you’re spouting, but if I were you, I’d shut my mouth right now.”
Your face is already so blacked out by those thoughts it’s invisible anyway. The guy, who’d been listening silently, flinched at the chilling warning in Yeonwoo’s voice.
“Didn’t they teach you young? Watch your mouth. Mind your words. I don’t know who you are, but since you’re calling yourself a senior, I’ll say this as a junior’s duty. You’re the one whose rumors might get dirtier—keep talking, and watch your mouth.”
A beaming smile. One anyone would see as friendly.
But his eyes were ice-cold. His soft words hid dagger-sharp barbs.
And it didn’t end there.
The venom in his smiling rebuke carried an irresistible force. It was a coercive threat that drained the color from the guy’s face.
A vivid sense of danger that made his lips seal shut, as if glued.
Yeonwoo let out a short chuckle at the man’s panic.
‘Some senior he is, if that’s all it takes.’
He couldn’t even handle a tiny bit of ability. The one Yeonwoo used was none other than the D-grade Roar.
He’d gotten it from some ancestral spirit during his appearance on the internet streaming show ‘TV in Your Hand.’
‘Can’t even block a D-grade ability.’
Abilities usually had limits based on their grade. If the guy’s mental fortitude matched a D-grade Roar, or if he had a counter-ability, the result would’ve been different.
But he couldn’t withstand even a basic D-grade one.
[Ah, what? Thought he was full-power since he started shit, but he’s just trash?]
Even the Child Spirit lost its fighting spirit—this was bottom-tier trash.
Yeonwoo flashed a brief smile at the guy who couldn’t meet his eyes. Then he walked past.
But then.
“…You little…”
Something mumbled from behind.