Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Monkey's Paw / Laughing Buddha
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The winter sun rises late. In the early morning before the sky had even been dyed crimson, the nameless mountain was shrouded in darkness.
The half-moon hanging at the edge of the night sky scattered a faint moonlight, but it wasn't enough to illuminate the mountain. The twinkling stars could serve as landmarks, but not as the sun. The stars beyond the solar system merely revealed their own existence without lighting the Earth.
And so, they took out their flashlights.
Lee Min-su and Kim Mi-ryeo, walking at the very front, moved forward step by step, each holding a large flashlight.
But the fog-shrouded mountain couldn't fully absorb the light. As if an invisible curtain hung there, the light barely extended a few meters ahead.
"It's eerie."
Lee Min-su wiped the water droplets from the back of his hand and spoke.
"This flashlight isn't just any ordinary thing. It runs on blood instead of batteries, so its performance is top-notch, but even so, it's only this effective... If we'd brought regular flashlights, we wouldn't have had any visibility at all."
"Yeah. Is this fog some kind of anomaly?"
Kim Mi-ryeo waved her hand through the fog. The intangible mist lightly scattered at her gesture.
"I-seo, no anomaly reactions yet?"
"Yes, no special reactions."
Kim I-seo glanced at the terminal she was holding and replied.
A tracking device capable of detecting all sorts of mysteries, including anomalies. The only blips on it were evil spirits racing around the mountain and a few yokai. Common anomalies found on any mountain. Nothing particularly special.
Just one familiar reaction had been picked up.
"But there's a Jangsanbeom."
"Ah, Jangsanbeom. Makes sense for a mountain this size."
"Jangsanbeom subjugation isn't our goal, so let's ignore any strange voices for now. Avoid getting separated from the group as much as possible."
"Got it."
Lee Min-su replied and cranked up the flashlight's brightness even more. Ian followed silently behind them.
"......"
Just as Kim I-seo had said, nothing particularly special was in sight. The gazes he'd been feeling since earlier were all from ghosts.
But the fact that they were blatantly stalking the living for their lives was a clear abnormality.
Ghosts weren't inherently bloodthirsty killers by nature. Even the strongest evil spirits usually killed through curses or by possessing and tormenting their victims.
Killing with physical force? That was something only spirits controlled by magic could do. Like how Lee Seo-ah sliced things apart through her guardian spirit.
'Is a mage involved, then?'
The thought crossed his mind, and he looked up at a ghost hanging upside down from a tree. It was invisible to the others, but clear as day to Ian—a female ghost whose face, smashed as if by a hammer, dripped blood.
A grotesque sight. But no signs of it being controlled by someone.
At least, it didn't seem handled by a necromancer like Lee Seo-ah. Which meant some other external factor was at play.
'Is that the Monkey's Paw?'
He couldn't tell. That's why they were heading there.
Ian let out a low hum and tapped the cover of the grimoire in his hand with his finger.
Deep Sea Chronicles. He couldn't use summoning magic, but the other spells were fair game.
He wanted to use alchemy items too, but right now, the only one who knew he was an alchemist was Kim Yul. No need to tell the Management Bureau agents he had two grimoires, so if he wanted to use alchemy items, he'd have to wait for a moment alone with her.
"Heh heh. Why are you staring like that?"
The moment he thought that, Kim Yul turned her head, sensing his gaze, and asked. Instead of answering, Ian sniffed the faint fishy water smell emanating from the tips of her hair. Sure enough, the ends of her hair had taken on a slight watery sheen.
"Did you use magic?"
Ian asked casually. Kim Yul grinned widely and sidled up next to him.
"Nope? This is just a side effect."
"Side effect?"
"When you master Four Elements magic, your body starts showing traits of the element you attuned to. Didn't you know?"
"......Mages are such a rare sample size. Never seen it recorded."
"Uh-huh. I only noticed after I learned it myself."
The Management Bureau agents perked up their ears at the two mages' conversation. But Kim Yul continued undeterred.
"I handle water. So no waste builds up in my body, and my body temp stays cold all the time. Means I never sweat."
"......"
"But the body's mostly water, right? Pretty neat, huh?"
She opened her mouth wide and stuck out her tongue. Even without doing anything, pooled saliva dripped down it.
"This is 'cause my mouth's fulla mana. Down there's the same."
"......I wasn't curious, but thanks for the info."
"Heh heh, you're welcome."
Slurp.
Kim Yul sucked back the dripping saliva and wiped her lips with the back of her hand.
"So I don't smell. How could I with no waste buildup? I'm totally odorless. Check it out."
She shoved her head toward Ian and spread her arms wide. Ian looked at her dubiously, sighed deeply, and cautiously sniffed.
Fortunately, no stench assaulted his nostrils. Just the familiar watery fishiness and a bit of body scent.
"......Yeah, no bad smell."
"See?"
"But the fishy smell itself means impurities are mixed in, no...?"
"Probably dust or something. Anyway, it's not from me. I don't even need to wash."
She replied shamelessly with a bright smile.
"Anyway, handling an element's power means my skills are guaranteed. I won't hold you back, newbie. Just follow your big sis."
"......"
"Wanna know how many spells I can use? I can attack, defend, and even do stuff like this."
Kim Yul turned to Lee Min-su and Kim Mi-ryeo and clasped her hands together.
"O water, now one with me, obey my command. Pool before my light and illuminate my path."
As she chanted the incantation, she spread her clasped hands. Moisture in the mud rose as droplets and clung to the flashlight lenses.
Fwaaah!
The clear droplets scattered the light. Rainbow hues spread in all directions, brightly illuminating ahead.
Lee Min-su and Kim Mi-ryeo, already aware of her magic, weren't surprised, but Ian's jaw dropped in admiration.
"You can use it like that too."
"Elemental power mostly depends on the user's imagination. Downside is you gotta pour power into the incantation phrasing for a year to build the magic formula, but the effects are solid."
Kim Yul shook the droplets from her palm and spun around.
"Let's keep going. Path's clear now."
Her spell wasn't bright enough to light up the whole dark mountain, but it was plenty for their way forward. The group resumed their hesitant steps toward the destination.
Soon, they found a small stream. Not wide, shallow depth. They were about to detour when they spotted footprints in the mud and paused.
"These are fresh."
Lee Min-su pointed at the clear footprints.
"Moisture hasn't dried yet."
"Stepped like five minutes ago. See, the water particles are still smeared. Hasn't settled back yet."
"......Can't tell that much, but someone's definitely been here recently. Let's track them."
They did.
Kim Yul filled a flask with stream water she'd brought for that purpose, and the group followed the trail deep into the mountain. By then, the sun was starting to rise. The horizon turned crimson, sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Shadows replaced the receding darkness, and at their end, the footprints led into a small village.
Trees blocked the full view of the village. The thick fog didn't help.
"Info gathering first. Avoid jumping straight to force."
Kim I-seo said. She sheathed her knife in the case hidden inside her pants and tucked her pistol into her belt. Kim Yul pouted at the sight.
"Isn't it easier to just kill them all?"
"We'll consider it."
"That's what I'm saying from the start."
"The Management Bureau isn't a gang. Or a band of ruthless murderers."
"Inefficient~."
Kim Yul crossed her arms and spat on the ground. Before entering the village proper, Ian turned to Kim I-seo and held out his hand.
"Got a spare pistol? I'd like one if you do."
"Didn't you use a revolver?"
"Had to ditch it. Don't have one now."
"Ah. Here, take one. Got a holster?"
"Brought mine. Few magazines too."
"Got it. Here."
Swoosh.
Kim I-seo pulled a pistol and three magazines from her gun case. Ian holstered the pistol in the holder hidden inside his coat and stuffed the magazines where he could grab them easily.
"Ready? Let's go in."
Ian nodded. The group entered the village, whose outline was now visible.
An isolated village in the heart of a nameless mountain. The kind of secluded place you might've seen in the past, but not in modern times. A heavy sensation, like the air pressing down on their whole bodies, briefly brushed their minds.
"......"
No streetlights in the village. No convenience stores, cars, or poles. Just a few containers, some hanoks, and tents.
No electricity, so the village remained cloaked in predawn darkness. The sun had risen, but its light hadn't reached here yet. Heavy silence blanketed the place along with the fog.
"......Footprints lead to that container over there."
Small footprints etched in the mud. Barefoot marks stretched straight toward a container in the village corner. Lee Min-su exhaled slowly and stared piercingly inside.
Then he wrinkled his brow and pinched his nose.
"......Strong smell of blood from inside. At least five bodies, maybe over ten."
"......"
No need to ask how he knew. Probably some superhuman sense of smell. Not that surprising.
What mattered was the bodies inside the village. No attempt to hide them, apparently.
"Recon, for real?"
Kim Yul said with a grin.
"Still think killing them all is better?"
No reply, but Ian inwardly agreed.