However, Seowoo soon became puzzled. Team 1 had about fifteen people, and right now Team 2, including himself, only had four people. Considering that only those who could deploy immediately had come from that side, the difference in team size seemed large…
Just in case, he asked.
“Are there other shamans in Team 2?”
“…There aren’t many brave souls willing to move with Sojunim.”
“Aha.”
So this was everyone. Since Team 2 was created for the purpose of serving Cheon Yijae in the first place—or more precisely, to manage and monitor him—there wasn’t necessarily a need for many people.
But then why was Team 1 throwing glances that seemed to be keeping them in check?
Seowoo, who had been bewildered, was able to pick up a clue not long after. When those who had been surveying the area at the foot of the mountain for a while slowly stepped back, he obtained a hint while asking Jin Gwangmin a question.
“Do we enter the scene during the Hour of the Ox?”
Over the past few days staying at Heun, he’d learned basic information. Guiyeok was an extremely dangerous space that had to be approached carefully, and in order to accurately grasp Ghost Energy, it was better to move during the ‘Hour of the Ox,’ called the ‘time of ghosts.’
Between 1 and 3 AM, Yin Energy grew strong and the door to enter the Guiyeok became visible, so they had to enter then. Although there was the disadvantage that the ghosts’ aggression also increased during that time…
However, at this question, Jin Gwangmin only let out a “Hahat” laugh. He seemed quite pleased at the news that Seowoo now possessed a certain degree of knowledge, but eventually shook his head.
“No, we’re breaking through and entering the Guiyeok right now.”
“Ah. Since people are being held hostage, to rescue them quickly…”
“That reason is correct, but we have a tremendously amazing cheat key.”
The direction Jin Gwangmin pointed to respectfully with both hands—there stood Cheon Yijae.
Seowoo sighed quietly.
Guiyeok was essentially a ghost’s space. Since Cheon Yijae could contain evil spirits in his body and use Ghost Energy, he seemed to forcibly open the Guiyeok. Was it a concept similar to a spy?
“In the past, we waited until the Hour of the Ox, but now there’s no need for that. It’s much better since we can hunt while avoiding the time when ghosts grow stronger. Well, because of that, those Hyeong Akgui bastards get annoyed and pull all sorts of tricks, but our Sojunim doesn’t lose either and gets annoyed right back.”
So all he had to do was survive well by carefully reading the room between them as they vented their anger, Jin Gwangmin said, and Seowoo quietly nodded.
Soon, Cheon Yijae climbed the mountain alone.
Walking leisurely as if he’d come out for a stroll, he took just one hand out of his pants pocket and swept through the air. It seemed like a careless gesture, but as if he’d immediately found a gap, that side rippled— and shook.
To the eye, it looked like just an ordinary mountain path with nothing there, but it was as if there was a wall made of transparent water. Seowoo instinctively knew that place was the boundary of the Guiyeok. If you just passed through, it would be an ordinary mountain path, but you could only enter the Guiyeok by infiltrating through a special route.
Cheon Yijae glanced up at the sky. The day was gradually setting, and a red sunset glow was slowly spreading.
“We should finish before it gets dark.”
Muttering quietly, he raised both hands and stretched them forward.
His hands, pushed forward with the backs facing each other, moved as if digging through and opening a dense space. Kkudeuk— A creepy sound rang out, like hands being buried in sticky innards, and then from his fingertips, a dark energy rose. At the same time, Cheon Yijae’s shadow also writhed.
Behind him as he drew up Ghost Energy to break through the Guiyeok, a red energy flickered like flames. As the sunset light slanted across his ashen eyes, just when it seemed like blood was pooling there—
Kkudeudeudeuk—
Finally, a new space unfolded before Cheon Yijae. The space that appeared as if torn apart as his two hands moved apart had the same scenery as before, but the saturation was eerily low. The atmosphere was so different that if shown separate photos, one wouldn’t recognize it as the same place.
So that’s the path to enter the Guiyeok.
While Seowoo was admiring it, the shamans moved with familiarity. Five members of Team 1 busily moved around, scattering white pebbles on the ground at regular intervals, and when they gathered and chanted something like an incantation, a blue light rose from the stones like pillars.
That light quickly subsided again, but one could vaguely sense that the energy still remained. As Seowoo looked at the stones, Jin Gwangmin explained.
“They’re setting up a barrier. It’s to prevent the ghosts in the Guiyeok from escaping to other places, and also to prevent other stray ghosts from being drawn to this place.”
Since the path to enter the scene had opened, this was the process of preparing to enter in earnest, he said. Seowoo nodded and then listened to the conversation passing between the shamans.
A bespectacled man presumed to be the leader of Team 1 and Do Seonhwa were talking. Since finding the missing people was the top priority, they divided the areas—Team 2 would take the north, and Team 1 would take the remaining three areas.
Just before entering the Guiyeok, Im Gyuyong, the leader of Team 1, said to Cheon Yijae.
“Please don’t stir up the space too much. If the evil spirits go wild, ordinary people could be in danger.”
“Now Section Leader Im is even saying these things to me—you must have become quite high-spirited after meeting with the Vice-Leader a few times recently.”
Cheon Yijae responded crookedly. His gaze said that the intent of deliberately pointing out what any shaman entering a scene would naturally be careful about, and moreover saying it to him, was insolent.
At his indifferent attitude, Im Gyuyong narrowed his brow.
“I’m simply making a request as a shaman entering the scene together. This time, isn’t it a serious situation where ordinary people are being held hostage?”
“Oh? I guess that’s also information I had absolutely no idea about, right.”
“Sojunim! This isn’t something to take the wrong way—!”
Swish, the moment Cheon Yijae reached out his hand, Im Gyuyong froze. His long hand brushed off a leaf that had fallen on the section leader’s shoulder and withdrew.
“How about you pay attention to yourself instead of spending time trying to teach me to be careful?”
“Wh-what exactly are you…!”
“I’m saying think about who you’re trying to teach right now.”
“…”
“There are so many people at Heun who want to teach me every little thing. Maybe because we’ve been together since I was too young, they still only see me as a child…”
Cheon Yijae’s voice carried a tone of utter weariness. As if thoroughly sick of being treated like a child, he let out a short sigh and, leaving the still-frozen section leader behind, first stepped into the Guiyeok.
Do Seonhwa followed after Cheon Yijae, and Seowoo also moved along with Jin Gwangmin. Team 1 entered after that, but they no longer conversed with each other and headed to their respective assigned search areas.
The deeper they went into the Guiyeok, the chillier the space became.
The wind blowing through the densely grown trees was cold, and its sound rang out like someone sobbing. The already gloomy atmosphere made Jin Gwangmin flinch when he heard the wailing ghost cries echoing through the mountain.
“Oof, it’s getting colder…”
“To set such a wide area as a Guiyeok—we need to be careful with this one.”
Do Seonhwa also clicked her tongue briefly while looking around. It wasn’t a limited area like the movie theater but part of a mountain made into a Guiyeok, and seeing that desolate Ghost Energy was spread throughout the entire space, this was definitely not an easy opponent.
Jin Gwangmin grumbled.
“Of all places, a mountain. They can fly around but give us this trial of aerobic exercise again…”
“Ah, but there’s a tiger somewhere who’s really good at climbing mountains. Can’t we get help from a beastman family?”
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden? Did you see it in a dream again? I told you that’s just a dog dream.”
“I’m telling you they really exist somewhere! There’s a tiger beastman family that happens to have the same surname as Cheon Yijae, and they catch ghosts too! Ah, Sojunim. How about contacting that Cheon family and asking them to cooperate?”
Do Seonhwa suddenly chattered with sparkling eyes. Jin Gwangmin coldly shot her a look that said, ‘She’s talking nonsense again,’ and Cheon Yijae didn’t even pretend to listen.
No, while ignoring it and walking up the mountain with long strides, he suddenly stopped abruptly.
“You must be bored, Do Seonhwa.”
“Huh? No, I’m definitely not bored… Since the Guiin is accompanying us, I thought I’d loosen the tension a bit…”
