A Shaman's Business Proposal
A brief silence filled the room.
Something was incredibly off.
“Ghosts...?” the broker asked cautiously.
“Yes. Ghosts. Anything related to them is fine.”
“...Are you here to film a show, by any chance?”
“I suppose people trick you like that often?”
“It's not unheard of.”
“Then you don't have to worry. I'm genuinely looking for a place to open a shop. I heard that the more flaws a property has, the cheaper it is.”
“That's... true, but, well. This is quite baffling.”
This was a rare occurrence, even in this industry.
Usually, people avoided such properties because of the bad vibes.
“If you don't know of any, you can introduce me to someone else. It's like dead stock, isn't it? Isn't it better to get rid of it quickly?”
The broker hesitated for a moment, then firmly shook his head.
“I cannot do that.”
Oh.
He didn't say he didn't know of any. He said he couldn't.
That meant there was at least one.
“Would you mind telling me why?”
“There were several accidents during construction, and though it was completed, terrible things happened to everyone who moved in. It's completely vacant now.”
“Did they die?”
“Half of the people who signed contracts died.”
“Ah, are you worried I might die too?”
“Yes. That is why I cannot.”
The broker spoke flatly.
There was already plenty of talk about whether to demolish the building or not.
“It's fine. I'm a shaman.”
At Noel's reply, the broker hesitated for a moment, but shook his head again.
“Even so, I cannot.”
“I take it other shamans have tried and failed?”
“Don't even get me started. We tried absolutely everything. Even a highly renowned Buddhist monk came by. Do you know what he said?”
“No, what?”
“‘An ancient, lingering wrathful spirit slumbers here. Do not touch it under any circumstances.’ That is why I cannot.”
The broker spoke heavily.
What on earth could be there?
Noel contemplated whether to stand up and leave. He had already gathered the basic information.
“He is quite an upright man.”
Asin praised the broker.
“Because he didn't lie to us?” Yeong-hyeon asked.
Asin nodded.
“He values human life over material wealth. This is indeed commendable. What say you? Shall I sweep away this stale dust for him?”
She's generous with her praise.
Noel suppressed a snort. Did everything look benevolent once you became a guardian deity?
She said he valued human life, but Noel's thoughts were different. The broker was probably just terrified of the liability if someone died under his watch. That seemed like the real reason.
Should they really clear away those minor negative energies—things that hadn't even become proper curses yet—just for that?
But going somewhere else is too much hassle.
They had already wandered around quite a bit.
Let's make one final offer.
Noel prepared to leave and looked around. Perhaps because of Asin's presence, ghosts had gathered to bask in her warm light.
The moment the word "shaman" slipped out, they had started waving and talking excitedly. It was incredibly noisy. But that wasn't the information Noel wanted.
“By any chance, does any ghost here know anything about this real estate agency?”
Yeong-hyeon asked at the perfect moment. It was an excellent question.
“Me!”
“I'm a regular here! I know plenty of interesting stories.”
“What are you talking about? It's me. This man here is a truly good soul. He's blocked other agencies from scamming people, so he's made a lot of enemies.”
“Indeed, indeed. One of the very few with a conscience. He might look stern right now, but he's just being extremely cautious for your sake.”
“But because of his conscience, bad rumors have spread, and his business is struggling.”
Listening to the ghosts chatter, Noel fell into thought.
Asin had been right.
The broker's financial difficulties were partly due to rumors, but also because those bad rumors had manifested as minor negative energies lingering in his shop.
Words carried power, after all.
That's a bit annoying.
If nothing else, good people deserved to prosper.
Noel let out a soft sigh and asked, “I'll ask one more time. Even if I beg, you won't do it?”
“I cannot.”
“Alright. I'll go somewhere else then.”
“That place is truly dangerous. You will die.”
“Stopping me won't do any good. Someone has to deal with it eventually.”
As Noel stood up, the broker sighed deeply after a moment of hesitation.
“I don't know about lately, but the landlord of that building might be absolutely desperate. Even if it's just to recoup his sunk costs, he'll probably try to squeeze out every penny.”
“Thanks for the advice.”
“No. Let's go together. I don't know if it will be as cheap as you want, but I'll do what I can to help.”
The broker stood up. When Noel stared at him, the broker gave an awkward smile.
“And... if it gets dangerous, someone needs to drag you out.”
Though he grumbled, his words were filled with genuine worry.
“Sir.”
“Yes?”
“Business hasn't been great lately, has it?”
“Isn't that the case for everyone these days?”
“True, but it shouldn't be this bad for you.”
Noel looked at Asin.
“Clean it up, please.”
“...Pardon?”
“Ah, I was talking to my deity. She's praising you.”
With Noel's smile, Asin swung her sword. A pure, clear light radiated along its path.
Noel watched with satisfaction as the minor negative energies dissolved upon contact with the gentle, descending light. That power was the real deal.
It was likely why the broker now wore a dazed expression. He must have felt a sudden, undeniable shift in the atmosphere.
“Come visit when I open my shop. I'll sweep away any bad luck for you as a service, just like today.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“...It's here.”
At the broker's words, Noel began by examining the building's surroundings.
Though somewhat isolated, it was still located within the city center. And that wasn't all. A bustling commercial district was just a short walk away. It was an unexpectedly good location.
“It's in a great spot,” Noel noted, looking at the broker. He had expected it to be in some remote suburban area.
“Right? It's not even that far from the main street. About a fifteen-minute walk? But because of all the accidents, it wasn't built the way it was originally planned. This area was supposed to be the new center.”
“By the way, this building seems quite famous.”
Noel noticed several signs posted in front of the building: No Filming – CCTV in Operation.
A chilling aura enveloped the entire structure, making him want to sigh. The grudge was deeper than he had anticipated.
“I heard it's become a... ghost-hunting spot, or something like that.”
“I guess that's why it's completely vacant.”
“Ah, wait a moment. I'm getting a call from the owner.”
He was referring to the landlord. As the broker stepped aside to take the call, Yeong-hyeon finally spoke up.
“There really is an evil spirit here, right? It feels so different from last time! How do I describe it... it's sharp. Something incredibly sharp feels like it's pressing against my neck.”
“You have keen eyes. A grudge of this magnitude must have festered for at least several centuries.”
Yeong-hyeon was terrified by Asin's answer. “S-several centuries? That long?”
“Yes. Look over there.”
Asin pointed her finger, and characters appeared in the air. It was a simple phrase.
“Keep Out? What about it...?”
“That's the power of the evil spirit. The simpler the command, the stronger it is. Usually, 'Die' is the strongest and most terrifying. That's why evil spirits are so dangerous.”
“Indeed. Whether intentional or not, taking a life deepens one's karmic debt. And their power grows in proportion to that debt.”
“Besides, does anyone even live there?” Noel pointed to the building.
“No, it's vacant.”
At Yeong-hyeon's reply, Noel looked toward a specific spot and explained, “It's no longer a place for the living. It's a place for the dead. Therefore, the rules of the dead apply here, not the rules of the living.”
“Mmh... So it's incredibly tricky?”
“That too, but that's not the real problem.”
He could just destroy the evil spirit and be done with it.
“Then...?”
“I said it's a place where ghosts live, but there's still one thing left before it becomes a perfect domain for them.”
“...No way, is it that?”
“Yes. The landlord. He has to die for this to truly become the ghosts' domain. In other words, the landlord is in extreme danger right now. With a grudge of this level, even if he doesn't see it or touch it, the power will seep into him like a shadow.”
Noel turned his head as a car pulled up and parked hurriedly.
“How dare a mere mortal step into its domain? Imagine how furious the evil spirit must be.”
This was different from Asin's case. Asin had held onto her sanity even after becoming an evil spirit, preventing her erosion from spreading outward. This landlord's situation was the exact opposite.
“Isn't that incredibly dangerous?”
“Dangerous for him, yes. Not for us.”
Asin was naturally deflecting the erosion flowing toward them. She was a god-class guardian deity, after all.
“Then what's happening to the landlord right now? Is he suffering?”
“No one would have believed him. Everyone probably told him they didn't know how to fix it, repeating like parrots that there was no solution.”
Noel watched a man run toward them in a panic. He looked quite young, but his complexion was terrible, as if he hadn't slept in days. He had no color in his face.
“He must have suffered endlessly. If he's still alive, it's only because some karmic connection is barely keeping him breathing. Right, sir?”
As Noel smiled, the man stumbled, gasping for breath. A man, likely his secretary, rushed over to support him. He was quite heavily built.
“President Shin!”
“I'm... fine.”
The man reached out. A fragrant scent of wood wafted from him. He was wearing something on his wrist.
“The owner of those prayer beads is one who has accumulated immense virtue. This man, too, has gathered a small measure of it.”
At Asin's words, Noel nodded slightly. If he weren't dead already, that had to be the reason.
“Does accumulating virtue protect you?” Yeong-hyeon asked.
Asin replied, “Virtue can offset negative energy. It is what mortals call divine intervention. However, even that has its limits.”
“Why?”
“A mortal's mental strength has its limits. No matter how high their virtue, it would have been difficult to endure such torment.”
She was exactly right.
Noel approached the man, channeled a bit of energy into his fingertips, and brushed his shoulder.
His spiritual power was invisible to ordinary ghosts, let alone humans with spiritual sight. Yet, even with this light gesture, the man's reaction was immediate. He looked ready to burst into tears.
“Do you feel a bit lighter now?”
“......The monk said... I would meet my savior.”
“He's quite skilled. By the way, is that a Buddhist rosary on your wrist?”
At Noel's question, the man pulled back his sleeve. It was indeed a rosary.
To the man's eyes, it was invisible, but the beads were stained black with erosion.
It must have been absorbing the erosion in his stead.
Noel summoned a purple flame at the tip of his index finger and swept it over the beads.
“Now, you can breathe properly, right?”
The man nodded frantically. He had visited countless places with no improvement, but this single gesture allowed him to breathe easily.
“...Sir. Please, save me.”
A grown man clung to Noel. Neither the secretary nor the real estate broker could find their words.
But the man didn't care about their stares.
“Please, I beg of you, save me. I keep having endless nightmares. Whenever I'm alone...”
“You hear voices telling you to die, and you've seen messages written in blood telling you to get out, right? You see corpses, and whenever you look at the window, you lock eyes with someone. Doors don't open easily, your car tires suddenly go flat, and you find mysterious scratch marks.”
As Noel rattled off these symptoms without pausing for breath, the man dropped to his knees and begged with clasped hands.
“Yes! Yes! That is all correct! Everything—no, it tormented me even more than that. I tried to drink myself to death, but every time, I would strangely regain my senses and couldn't go through with it.”
“If it's that bad, couldn't he just get rid of the building?” Yeong-hyeon asked, staring at the structure. If it was that painful, why not just give up on the building?
“You tried to sell the building, but things didn't go your way, did they?” Noel asked and answered at the same time.
“...Yes. Every time I went to sign a contract, something terrible happened.”
“And when you tried to demolish it, the machinery wouldn't work, right?”
“...That's right. Absolutely correct.”
The man wrung his hands. He was willing to do absolutely anything. He was driven mad by the torment and wanted to escape it all.
“What is your name?”
“Shin Jang-yul.”
“Mr. Shin Jang-yul. I'd like to run a shop here. Will you give me a good deal on the rent?”
Helping was helping, but business was business.
“In exchange, I'll clean up the evil spirit in this building for you.”
Noel smiled warmly and extended his hand.