The Backfiring Curse
Huh? A ghost appeared. Ttok, ttok.
“Uuu... um...”
Mi Nahye slowly opened her eyes.
Sometime later, a pillow and blanket had been placed beside her.
“Are you feeling better now?”
The store owner nearby asked.
She touched her head and slowly sat up.
“What happened to me?”
“You were possessed by a ghost. You were unconscious for about ten minutes.”
“Ah...”
Upon hearing the explanation, the fog in her mind cleared, and memories came back.
Going to buy a gift for her childhood friend Suho.
There, opening a book and being attacked by a ghost.
“This is really embarrassing. I almost put our store's items at risk for the customer.”
“...No. It's fine. Everyone knows that anyway.”
Items sold in such stores are definitely not normal.
Basically, customers come knowing the danger level.
“Then how did I end up fine? I was attacked by such a ghost...”
It was a ghost that even her spiritual power couldn't handle.
Normally, aftereffects would last long or she would die in the worst case.
But right now, her body was fine.
Except for waking up, it seemed like nothing had happened.
“Actually, one customer came and exorcised the ghost.”
“You... exorcised it?”
That kind of ghost is harder to deal with than normal ghosts.
To be able to exorcise it immediately in a sudden situation...
“Haha! I was amazed watching it. He analyzed the ghost carefully, pondered, and then wiped it out with one spell!”
Actually, he was just hesitating due to fear and panic, but from the side, it looked like that.
“It was really shocking. I’ve been in this industry for a while too. I’ve never seen someone eliminate a ghost in one blow.”
“Really... amazing. A exorcist who can exorcise ghosts like that.”
Mi Nahye slowly examined her own body.
Not just her body, but not a single scratch on her clothes either.
At best, a little dust on the floor.
...Not even a trace of exorcism on my body.
Meaning she had precisely cut out the curse of the ghost from her human body.
Without proper exorcism preparation, right there.
It's more of a magic than performing surgery on the spot in the middle of the street with improvised equipment.
“Where is that person? I want to thank them.”
“Ah, they just picked up the amulet they bought and left. Said thanks weren't necessary.”
“Ah...”
They exorcised the ghost and just left as if nothing happened?
He's definitely not an ordinary person.
I accidentally ran into a ghost. I'm really lucky.
Normally, I would have died without being able to respond properly.
It was really unbelievable luck that an exorcist was nearby.
And they left without even expecting thanks after saving me.
I haven't seen such a kind person except for my childhood friend Park Suho.
Who could it be? They must be amazing.
If I had known, I would have looked at their face properly.
Mi Nahye's interest in her savior turned a bit.
Of course, it was unlikely to see such a person again by chance in this wide world.
****
“Whew! Anyway, it was good that it was resolved.”
I let out a sigh of relief after getting quite far from the store.
I was afraid Mi Nahye, who is too kind, would try to give thanks or a reward, so I left as quickly as possible.
After all, I saved her, so isn't it good to receive thanks and build connections?
Like hell. Otherwise, the story might twist again.
I am not trying to monopolize the protagonist Yeon or share connections to soar.
My goal is to get a job, earn money, save enough, and retire.
If I keep hovering around the protagonist, I'll get caught up in the Namuwiki incident and accident section.
I know how thorny the path the protagonist takes is. I can't go through that suffering together.
All the suffering will be done by the protagonist.
I will just enjoy the honey from there and live peacefully.
And since Mi Nahye being possessed by the ghost is partly my fault, if I receive thanks, my conscience will hurt.
Originally, Mi Nahye wouldn't have gone through such things.
It all happened because I intercepted the amulet she was going to buy.
It's an unbelievable butterfly effect, but it's a bit uncomfortable to just receive thanks.
Well, anyway, since she's safe, isn't that good?
I picked up the amulet and went home.
Since I got the equipment I wanted, I can sleep worry-free today.
****
“...You said you were going out suddenly, so you were going to buy exorcism equipment?”
“It's not really exorcism equipment, just something to protect the body. Like a protective item.”
“Huu~”
Evening time.
Nam Chaeyoung frowned slightly at the amulet her brother was carefully holding.
She had said she lost the one she gave while running, but seeing this precious item being worn even while eating, she got annoyed for no reason.
“...I could have saved you instead. Much better than that.”
“Hey~ It's fine. How do you get money from your sister as a brother?”
“Don't think that way.”
Is it because he doesn't want to burden his sister?
No matter what he does for her, his brother always refuses.
Even though he knows she doesn't have money worries.
It was as if he didn't know how much his sister's assets were.
Anyway. Our brother is too kind.
...Actually, it was because he didn't know his sister's talent at all, but as Nam Chaeyoung who couldn't know that, she saw it as his consideration for her.
I could get something much better and amazing. If I wear that every day, my mood would be good too.
But that's that, and this is this.
Annoyed by the jealousy rising, Nam Chaeyoung asked in a slightly sultry voice.
“...Even so, if there's much better equipment, wouldn't it be better? The Cheonjihae test is said to be difficult.”
“If you carry too fraudulent equipment, your score will be deducted, right?”
“Just bring something that is just right. There's no need to get injured because of the test.”
The practical test at Cheonjihae is famous for being difficult and dangerous.
For her sister, the biggest worry was her brother getting injured there.
“I see. As long as the score isn't deducted, having better equipment is fine. It will be safer too.”
“Hehe. Right?”
She got an answer(?) from her brother.
Nam Chaeyoung immediately moved after the meal.
“Hello, this is me. Please give me one exorcism defense equipment. It's not for me to use, but for a gift to my brother. Not too good equipment though. Something like this is not too fraudulent? You decide the standard. Make it just right! Okay?”
She immediately called a known exorcism product company and ordered the equipment.
She, who had already been recognized as an outstanding talent, had many places to apply.
She usually refused ordinary things, but for her brother, she could do this much.
Hehe! Will he be happy when he sees the gift?
It was a bit early, but it could be considered a job commemoration gift.
Of course, if she really gets a job, she had plans to give formal gifts too.
****
After Nam Chaeyoung placed the order for the equipment, a while later.
A shaman was blowing a curse into the equipment she ordered.
“Huhu...! Nam Chaeyoung. As expected, big shots are big shots. You even survived by defeating that terrifying youkai.”
It was the same shaman who had targeted Nam Chaeyoung not long ago.
If he could defeat a great youkai, it meant he couldn't win in a direct confrontation.
So the shaman decided to use another method.
“This is the gift for my brother, right?”
By blowing a curse into the equipment she ordered!
It was an advanced curse that couldn't be detected until used, so she wouldn't know it had a curse until then.
“Where, even if my brother is possessed by a ghost and tries to kill him, can he maintain his composure?”
The ghost possessing my brother controlling the body!
She planned to create a situation where she attacks her beloved brother.
“Huhu! If I can't kill my brother, you'll die, and even if I kill him, his spirit won't hold on. It will be a curse that can't be avoided at all!”
It was a terrifying and horrific plan with no way to fail.
After that, the cursed item was safely delivered to Nam Chaeyoung's house.
Nam Dohyeong, who received the item, immediately tried to use it.
[Huhu...! From now on, your body is mine...!]
“Huh? What? A weird thing appeared. Die.”
-Crack!
The ghost summoned by the shaman over days without sleep disappeared in one blow.
“Ah... Chaeyoung, sorry, but I can't use this. A ghost appeared and broke on its own?”
“What? Really?! Ugh! You said to get good ones! From now on, I won't trade with them!”
The shaman, who was checking the curse's status remotely, was shocked.
For some unknown reason, the ghost failed to control my brother's body and was exorcised.
“T-this can't be! My full power curse...! Kuuuugh! The backlash of the curse...!”
If a strong curse fails, the backlash goes to the shaman, that's common sense.
The shaman grabbed his chest, unable to handle the curse's power.
“Kuuuugh...! How can you release my curse in one go...! How strong must the spiritual power be...!”
The shaman who was trying to take Nam Chaeyoung's life died from the curse he cast in reverse, without knowing why.
A few days later, morning.
Nam Dohyeong saw the shaman's death in the news.
[Breaking news. A shaman who had been wanted by the country for a while was found dead. Experts believe it's the result of the curse's backlash failing...]
Nam Dohyeong frowned at the montage on the news screen.
Because it was a face he knew well.
“What? He shouldn't have died yet? Why is the mid-episode boss dying because of some butterfly effect?”
Nam Dohyeong grumbled inwardly and put a kimbap in his mouth.
Indeed. This world runs on principles that are impossible to understand.
I need to earn money quickly and get locked in a safe house or something.