The Uncle's Betrayal
"I knew it was that bastard. 'From the broadcasting station?' Suspicious. Everything about it, from one to ten, was fishy."
Why? Think about it. It's a broadcasting station. The very place swarming with pretty idols begging to appear on air and handsome male actors lining up for a shot! And they're reaching out to me? What for? Sure... objectively speaking, Baek Seorin is pretty. If they were scouting her as an idol trainee or model, it might make sense. But that's it.
There are plenty of women with looks on par with Baek Seorin's—or even better—if you look around. And stripping away the looks, all I've got is necromancy and a bit of face time on Inbang. You think a broadcasting station would cast me based on that alone?
"No."
"I'm not doing it."
So I turned it down.
"Especially since they contacted you first instead of me. Could be a trap from those cult bastards."
"......Really?"
Come to think of it, I'd been getting calls from unknown numbers lately. I ignored them, thinking they were spam. And emails? I check them in bulk later. I booted up the computer and checked—sure enough, there was an email from SBC.
"Still not doing it."
"Yeah. Better to avoid risks."
I still didn't know how much power those cult bastards wielded. If their influence had reached the broadcasting station and this offer was just bait that looked tempting on the surface—but really a plot to lure us into a trap... it was dangerous. Not for me, but for Ha-eun. Those punks wouldn't scare me even if a truckload showed up. But now that I knew they were targeting Ha-eun, even a slim chance meant I had to be cautious.
"So you be careful too, Ha-eun."
"What about?"
"......That effective, huh?"
Tsk. Hearing that made my resolve waver. My Revenant Channel—Baek Seorin's—was growing, but glacially slow. Still stuck under 40,000. If it 10x'd? That meant my recovery speed would jump tenfold.
"Ten times... ten times..."
Just close my eyes and go for it? ...No, calm down. I need at least a tenth of my peak strength first.
"......Anyway, pass on my refusal."
After hanging up with Ha-eun, I let out a deep sigh. If it weren't for those cult bastards, I'd have jumped at it.
"Oh, right... wonder if it's ready yet?"
Lounging on the bed, a stored soul suddenly came to mind. The woman's soul I'd extracted from the goshiwon mimic during our fight. It had nearly fused with the evil spirit, so I'd forcibly separated it—its condition wasn't normal. I'd infused it with spiritual power and kept it stored until recovery. Figuring it was about time, I pulled out the soul core.
Injecting spiritual power into the core, a bright light spread, forming the shape of a woman.
"Mmm... Wh-where... is this...?"
"You're awake?"
"You... are...? Ah! That time! How are you here? ...What about that man? I clearly...!"
Stammering, rambling, fidgeting—she seemed deeply confused.
"Calm down. I'll explain everything."
I walked her through how I'd brought her here, step by step. When I mentioned destroying the mimic, her eyes widened in shock.
"Th-that's impossible! You... killed that man!? How could...!"
"Why so surprised? It's like you just heard your lover died."
"L-lover? Sure, we dated briefly, but we broke up—it's all over!"
Oh, just a shot in the dark, but it hit. "Really? Good thing. Was worried you'd hold a grudge."
Leaning back in the chair, I asked her, "Alright, I've cleared up your questions. Your turn. First off, what's your name?"
"Me? I'm... Lee Dasom."
"Got it, Lee Dasom. Know why I saved you and went to the trouble of healing you?"
"......N-no?"
Resting my chin on my hand, I looked up at her seriously. "I want to hear your story. About that mimic—your ex. Tell me everything, down to the details. Especially if he got into any cult religion, how he turned into an evil spirit—all of it."
"Oh, that? Sure, you saved me, so of course. I'll tell you."
I'd braced for pushback, but she smiled brightly and began in a soft voice.
His name was Lee Gwangcheol. They met as neighbors when she moved into the goshiwon. He pursued her aggressively, and they started dating.
"He asked, and you said yes? So you dated a guy you didn't even like?"
"Yeah... I was an idiot. Even with zero dating experience, jumping into it just 'cause a handsome guy pushed? Dumb."
"Tsk tsk, what a moron. Looks aren't forever."
"For life, sure, but casual dating? You pick for the face!"
"......Makes sense?"
"Ha, even you, Seorin, would warm up to a hot guy pushing."
"Never happening."
Body's female, but mind's still male. No reproductive urges since undeath, but the mentality stuck.
"Anyway, keep going."
"......Okay."
They dated, but his obsession grew unbearable. She broke it off. He couldn't accept it, obsession turned to rage, and he snapped—killed her. A clichéd lovers' tragedy.
"And?"
"......And what?"
"Don't care about your dating or breakup."
"......You told me to spill every detail?"
"Not every trivial bit. Why would I care about your love life?"
"Then what?"
"Your ex. Did that bastard follow any religion? Like the Jin-hon Gu-won Association cult."
"Jin-hon Gu-won? ...Nah, Gwangcheol was atheist."
Unexpected. I'd pegged Lee Gwangcheol as cult-connected.
"Then..."
One suspect left. "The goshiwon owner?"
"The landlord uncle? Uh................ Ah, aah!"
Something clicked—she clapped her fist into her palm.
"Come to think of it! I heard the landlord followed some weird religion! Not sure, just rumors..."
"Knew it."
If not the mimic, only Ha-eun's uncle fit. Explains the mimic jumping us right after we entered.
"I knew it was that bastard."
"Oh! And the one spreading rumors about the landlord's cult? Room 402!"
"The missing person? Eaten by the mimic—Lee Gwangcheol?"
"Yes!"
Aha, perfect. That's why the disappearance.
"..................Ah, aaaaaah!!"
"What now? Another revelation?"
"I just remembered! When I was killed... the landlord was there!!"
"Hooh."
"He stabbed Gwangcheol in front of dying me... then I came to as a soul! Gwangcheol had turned into that monster!"
Confirmed. That man—Ha-eun's uncle—was a Jin-hon Gu-won Association spy.
I grinned. A savage, vengeful predator's smile.
※ After hearing her out, I summoned Lee Seola without delay.
"What'd you observe?"
"Nothing too suspicious. Woke up, ate, exercised, hobbies... Made me doubt if I was paranoid. Then suddenly a call, and shady behavior."
"Shady how?"
"Yeah! He groveled super low after picking up. Said this:"
"Sorry. I failed. Yes, don't worry. I'll kidnap that kid if I have to. Give me one more chance!"
"Then hung up."
"Haa..."
Failed—the goshiwon. Kidnap—drag Ha-eun to the Bishop no matter what. After trapping and nearly killing his niece and her friend, he shows his face shamelessly? Revenge won't cut it. Time to show him hell.
"Alright, let's go."
"To that uncle?"
"Obviously. He touched us, so payback's due. Plus... he's got info I can squeeze out."
I followed Lee Seola's lead to Ha-eun's uncle's house. Alone, of course.
"Where you off to?"
"Just popping over to a friend's."
"Okay, don't stay out too late."
"Sure."
Bade Mom goodbye, checked my phone: 6 PM. Three hours plenty. His place wasn't far—20-minute bus to a fancy two-story mansion.
There he was. Ha-eun's uncle, Jin-hon Gu-won Association minion.
I scanned the mansion top to bottom.
"Look at this—living lavish without knowing his place."
The design screamed, "I'm no ordinary building~ Only for the rich~" The more I looked, the more it pissed me off.
"Lee Seola, check inside."
"Got it!"
She slipped in, came back quick.
"Uncle's inside!"
"Good."
"But... he's not alone."
"Huh? With the Bishop guy?"
"No..."
Lee Seola blushed faintly.
"He was giggling with a much younger, barely dressed woman."
"Hooh..."
Crossing the line?