Chapter 1340 – 1340. Ghost Romance
Shin Oh-jung: Do you know Nuri Hospital?
Of course, I knew it.
Nuri Hospital was a large, well-known hospital in this area. Of course, the reason I knew about Nuri Hospital was a bit different from others.
Nuri Hospital was a hospital that appeared in the original work. To be precise, it was related to Seol Ji-young.
‘Seol Ji-young, who had an incurable disease, lived in Nuri Hospital instead of going to school when she was young.’
Seong Yu-jin: Is there anyone who doesn’t know Nuri Hospital?
Shin Oh-jung: You’re a bit out of touch with common sense. I thought you might not know.
Shin Oh-jung: Seeing your reaction, it seems you do know Nuri Hospital.
Shin Oh-jung: Then do you know this too? Nuri Hospital became a ruin three months ago. It became an abandoned hospital. It’s a famous haunted spot on the internet.
Seong Yu-jin: It became an abandoned hospital three months ago? That big hospital? What’s the reason?
Shin Oh-jung: It’s the work of ghosts. …That’s my opinion and the internet’s opinion…. In reality, the director, doctors, and nurses left the hospital.
Shin Oh-jung: They all left the hospital at once without a clear reason. The patients were transferred to different hospitals.
Shin Oh-jung: And for some reason, the hospital was left abandoned and became an abandoned hospital.
Shin Oh-jung: I predict that the staff and people related to Nuri Hospital were possessed by ghosts.
Seong Yu-jin: Nuri Hospital, huh. I should go check it out.
Shin Oh-jung: Are you going alone? Nuri Hospital is dangerous. Since the hospital is big, they used to hold funerals there every day. All sorts of ghosts will be gathered there.
Shin Oh-jung: Ask for help from the Exorcist Association. Or ask for help from your family. Your family is famous for exorcism.
Seong Yu-jin: I won’t lose to ghosts. I’m enough on my own.
I drove my car towards the hospital.
9 PM.
It was long past sunset.
Nuri Hospital was clean for an abandoned hospital. That’s because it’s only been three months since it became an abandoned hospital. The incongruous cleanliness makes it even more eerie.
『1. Enter the abandoned hospital.』
『2. Do not enter the abandoned hospital.』
『✝You use a Rule Breaker.』
Ignoring the choices with the Rule Breaker, I threw a gas can into the hospital and tossed a lit match.
‘Let’s start by setting it on fire.’
The fire seemed to ignite with a whoosh, but suddenly it went out.
“……”
Ghostly energy.
It was definitely the work of ghosts.
“Interesting.”
I shook my right shoulder, holding the exorcism staff, and entered the abandoned hospital.
As soon as I entered the abandoned hospital, the floor shook, and the objects inside rattled.
Poltergeist phenomenon.
The low-level ghosts were trying to scare me, not knowing their place. I picked up a flowerpot next to me and threw it straight ahead. The flowerpot shattered with a loud noise, and dirt scattered everywhere.
“Come out, you bastards! Today is your death anniversary!”
Bang! Bang!
I swung the exorcism staff nervously at the walls.
“Hehehe.”
“He’s here, he’s here.”
“Foolish guy… where do you think you are….”
“A puppy doesn’t know the fear of a tiger.”
“How arrogant, how arrogant.”
Ghosts appeared.
They appeared from all directions. There were ghosts, of course, and even ghosts that had reached the level of yokai could be seen occasionally.
‘…Shit. There are quite a lot?’
If you only consider individual capabilities, they are worse than the Red Mask. But there were many of them. Just the ghosts surrounding me already numbered over 20.
‘I think I’m screwed…. Should I think about restarting? Damn it. Then all the exorcism I did today would be for nothing.’
But I had no intention of running away. I didn’t even think I could run away. I held up the exorcism staff.
I already knew the mindset a regressor should have through numerous creative works.
‘Even if I die, I won’t just die. I’ll extract at least some information before I die.’
For example, the weaknesses of the ghosts here.
“Come on! Come on!”
I gestured towards the ghosts.
But the ghosts only surrounded me and didn’t move. The number of ghosts already exceeded 40.
Something was strange.
Normally, ghosts don’t gather well. That’s because ghosts act as they please.
‘…Shin Oh-jung mentioned a night parade of a hundred demons?! ……But these are pathetic ghosts to call it a night parade of a hundred demons.’
Just as I was frowning at the incomprehensible situation, I heard footsteps. Footsteps that couldn’t be heard from a ghost. It was human.
The ghosts split apart to both sides. What walked out from that path was Seol Ji-young.
“Ji-young sunbae…?”
“Hello, Yu-jin. It’s nice to meet you here like this.”
“Why are you here, Ji-young sunbae?”
“Why am I here…. Well, of course, this is my home, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
Seol Ji-young smiled and approached. I felt a chill. My skin crawled. Even though I had exorcised many ghosts from morning to evening, her power didn’t seem to have weakened.
‘…Maybe I chose the wrong direction from the start.’
The ghosts had already blocked the escape route. There was nothing I could do. The only thing I could do was to break Seol Ji-young’s head here….
“Ji-young sunbae. Did you know I was coming?”
“Yes. My sister told me. As expected, my sister’s words are always right. I only need to listen to my sister.”
“That snow woman. She’s a real bitch. Forget that snow woman and run away with me.”
Seol Ji-young’s face hardened. The ends of her eyebrows rose.
“Yu-jin. You shouldn’t use such bad words. My sister is my savior.”
“Do you like that bitch more than me?”
“I like you and my sister equally. So… I will freeze you forever as my sister said. Then we can be together forever.”
“Hah. I guess it can’t be helped. Sunbae. Please forgive me for breaking your head today. Maybe this is the answer. It’s okay if I die. I have a next time.”
“I don’t understand anything you’re saying. My sister says you’re crazy.”
“Uaaaaaa! It’s this world that’s crazy!”
I rushed towards Seol Ji-young. Seol Ji-young reached out her hand. Cold air flew towards me. It was too fast to avoid. My torso, hit by the cold air, froze.
Seol Ji-young hugged my frozen body and smiled softly. And her lips came closer.
『✝The snow woman’s cold air freezes your heart.』
『✝Your vision went dark.』
『You can choose the starting point.』
•••
『Day 4 checkpoint has been saved.』
I returned to the morning.
I clung to Yoo Se-mi, who was lying right next to me. I burrowed into Yoo Se-mi’s arms to forget the feeling of my heart freezing. Feeling her warm body made me feel good.
“Aang, Yu-jin…?”
I spent time having sex with Yoo Se-mi. Yoo Se-mi left for school, and I lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
‘It was wrong to exorcise ghosts to lower the ghostly energy. There are too many ghosts in the hospital… It’s impossible for me to handle it alone.’
There seemed to be no way.
In times like this, you can ask someone else. Asking Yoo Ri-ah would be the best, but… I asked Shin Oh-jung first. Shin Oh-jung seemed like a pretty smart guy.
Shin Oh-jung: There were that many ghosts in the hospital? That’s a serious situation if even the Hell’s Six-Section Staff can’t handle it.
Seong Yu-jin: Whatever. Do you have any good ideas?
Shin Oh-jung: Why don’t you just get rid of the hospital itself? Set it on fire… or demolish it with heavy equipment.
Seong Yu-jin: There are too many ghosts, so it won’t work. If those bastards gather and use their power… even heavy equipment can’t do anything.
Shin Oh-jung: Hmm. Then why don’t you gather allies on your side?
Seong Yu-jin: The riffraff won’t help.
Shin Oh-jung: Not the riffraff. Request support from the Exorcist Association you belong to. Isn’t your family a well-known exorcist family even in the Exorcist Association? The Exorcist Association won’t ignore your request.
Shin Oh-jung: A war between ghosts and exorcists…. Hah. Just imagining it makes my heart pound.
Seong Yu-jin: Indeed. That’s a good idea.
I immediately took action. I checked the location of my family home on my smartphone, took the car from Ji Da-hye’s house, and moved to my family home.
An hour later, I arrived at a mountain village.
“Seong Yu-jin! What brings you here all of a sudden? And what’s with that car?”
A grumpy-looking old man greeted me with a cane. He was my grandfather in this world.
“I left something in the warehouse.”
“I heard that ghosts are gathering a lot in your neighborhood these days…. You must have come to get the Ghost-Slaying Sword. Tsk. Looking at your face, it seems like they’ve gathered quite a bit.”
“Gathered? Me? To those mere ghosts?”
“Don’t you know? Your face is distorted like a ghost. I always say… maintain your composure. Always be wary so you don’t become a ghost. Ghosts dig into people’s weak spots. Your current state is perfect for a ghost to dig into.”
“……”
I touched my face.
It did feel like my face was a bit stiff.
Normally, I wouldn’t have cared.
‘…Is it because I’m completely out of it?’
The old man threw something at me. It was a key.
“It’s the warehouse key. Take the Ghost-Slaying Sword. It’s something I was originally going to give you, so don’t refuse.”
“……”
I nodded and headed to the warehouse.
Actually, I only found out now that there was a sword called the Ghost-Slaying Sword.
The reason I came to my family home wasn’t for the Ghost-Slaying Sword, but for something else.
‘I can take the Ghost-Slaying Sword while I’m at it.’
I opened the warehouse door.
I felt suppressed ghostly energy along with the dust. Looking around the warehouse, there were a lot of talismans.
‘In the original work, there’s a passing mention of the protagonist’s family home. The protagonist’s grandfather was a famous exorcist, and he traveled all over the country exorcising dangerous ghosts. And among them, he sealed the ghosts he couldn’t exorcise and put them in the warehouse.’
If I requested support from the Exorcist Association as Shin Oh-jung said, I could easily exorcise the ghosts in the abandoned hospital. But the problem was that Seol Ji-young would also be 100% exorcised. For a normal person, it would be fine. The ghost possessing their body would just be exorcised.
‘But Seol Ji-young dies when the snow woman dies. Seol Ji-young, who has an incurable disease, is alive thanks to the snow woman’s power.’
Therefore, I cannot request support from the Exorcist Association.
‘Then there’s only one way left.’
I become a ghost!
I will confront Seol Ji-young with the power of a ghost.
I entered the warehouse and moved to the deepest part. Because important items are usually placed in the deepest part.
Then, a sword caught my eye. It was a sword that wasn’t in a scabbard and was hanging on the wall. It only had a handle and a blade without a guard. I knew it as soon as I saw it. This was the Ghost-Slaying Sword.
‘…I can feel ghostly energy from the sword. Is it used to cut ghosts using ghostly energy? I don’t know about anything else, but its sharpness is comparable to the Fire Lotus Flying Knife. I like it.’
I held the Ghost-Slaying Sword in my right hand and went further inside.
There was a white jar with talismans plastered all over it. I knew instinctively. A powerful ghost was sealed in this jar.
『1. Release the seal of the Rakshasa Ghost Do-jin.』
『2. Do not release the seal of the Rakshasa Ghost Do-jin.』
‘Was the sealed ghost a Rakshasa….’
I don’t know much about Rakshasa. But I know that it’s a high-ranking ghost among ghosts.
I couldn’t back down after coming this far. I chose option 1.
『1. Release the seal of the Rakshasa Ghost Do-jin. ✓』
The hand holding the Ghost-Slaying Sword moved on its own and cut the talismans.
The Rakshasa’s voice echoed in my head.
-Kuhahahaha! The seal has been released! You! You despicable descendant of an exorcist! You desire my power! Good. I will give you my power! In return, you will give me that body!
Something black appeared from the unsealed jar and clung to my body.
“Kuh! Kuk….”
I deliberately gave up resisting. I felt my mind fading. Something was pushing my mind away.
At the same time, ghostly energy flowed through my body.
Crack.
The bones in my body broke, and my muscles expanded and tore. The pain was severe. I wanted to just let go of my mind, but it wasn’t up to me.
-Hoo. You’re holding on quite well. A normal human would have fainted by now…. Are you also a proper exorcist? Haha. I like you!
I planted the Ghost-Slaying Sword on the ground and leaned on its handle. It was an instinctive action to endure the pain.
I closed my eyes. The pain was secondary, and I felt my memories flowing somewhere.
-I roughly understand you. To think you would seek my power for a woman…. Hehe. Interesting. I’ll kill the snow woman, so don’t worry.
My consciousness was pushed back.
Crack, snap, creak, crunch.
Bones broke and muscles tore. The bones became stronger and settled in their original skeleton, and the torn muscles regenerated and compressed.
Old teeth fell out and new teeth grew. Short hair grew long and reached my waist. My height also increased, and my nails grew and fell out repeatedly. My skin peeled off, and new pink, fluffy skin grew.
That process was repeated three times. In other words, I went through three rebirths.
•••
“Good. I can feel that I’m alive. This is the first body that suits me so well.”
The Rakshasa Ghost Do-jin, who had stolen Seong Yu-jin’s body, got up. His upper garment was torn, revealing his compressed upper body muscles, and his lower garment was tattered. Do-jin didn’t care about his clothes at all and held the Ghost-Slaying Sword in his hand.
Originally, it was a sword that ghosts couldn’t hold, but now he was a Rakshasa with a human body. The Ghost-Slaying Sword was docile in his hand.
Do-jin confidently went out of the warehouse.
An old man appeared and blocked his path.
“I felt a powerful ghostly energy and came to check… You, Do-jin! Get out of my grandson’s body right now!”
“Haha. Seong Bi-wol, is it? You’ve gotten old. Originally, I was going to tear you into a thousand, ten thousand pieces… but as you can see, I’ve obtained your grandson’s body. It would have been impossible without you. I’ll kill you instantly without pain.”
“You…!”
Seong Bi-wol quickly raised his staff. But it was useless. The Ghost-Slaying Sword that Do-jin swung deeply cut Seong Bi-wol’s body along with the staff.
“Do, Do-jin! You…!”
Seong Bi-wol fell, bleeding.
“Hahahahahaha!”
Do-jin laughed with his mouth wide open.
-Are you an idiot? You can’t kill one old man in one go?
Seong Yu-jin’s voice echoed in Do-jin’s head. Do-jin stopped laughing abruptly.
“…Are you still maintaining your consciousness? Your tenacity is impressive. But there’s nothing you can do. This body is mine now. Watch quietly how I use this body.”
-I am watching. You idiot. I was going to keep my mouth shut, but… your swordsmanship was so pathetic that I had to speak up.
“This insolent bastard…! Your grandfather is dying, and that’s all you have to say!”
-I don’t care if that old man dies. I’m just lending you my body for a while because it’s annoying… do it properly.
Annoyed, Do-jin looked at Seong Bi-wol.
“Seong Bi-wol! Your grandson… oh. Is he dead?”
Do-jin, who clicked his tongue at how easily he had killed him, turned his head sharply.
He felt a disturbing presence.
“Dare you spy on this body.”
It was perfect for venting his anger.
Do-jin kicked off the ground and moved into the forest. It was a speed that far exceeded human leaping ability. He swung his sword at the bushes. Ghostly energy turned into sword energy and cut through the bushes.
It was a creature like a ball of fur. The ball of fur, cut by the sword energy, looked up at the sky and shouted with all its might.
“Kweeeeeeeeeeeek!”
And the ball of fur died.
“Was it a low-level ghost? Judging by the looks of it, it was a scout.”
The sky was suddenly darkening. It wasn’t a natural phenomenon.
A huge ghostly energy was felt.
Do-jin grinned. He knew what this phenomenon meant.
“A night parade of a hundred demons…! The riffraff from the eastern island have come. Are they aiming for… this kid? It’s the perfect opponent to test my power that has been sealed for 60 years.”
An oni holding a sword fell from the sky towards Do-jin. Do-jin did not avoid it and parried the oni’s attack. Sparks flew everywhere as the swords collided.
The oni was pushed back by the force and fell to the side. Do-jin did not miss the opportunity and swung his sword at the oni. He intended to finish it in one go, but… the oni’s body was quite tough. He swung his sword three more times.
-That’s not how you use a sword.
“…Shut up, will you? The reason I couldn’t kill him in one go… is because I’m not used to this sword. Do you know who I am? I am the Rakshasa Ghost Do-jin who has cut down thousands of people!”
-If you’ve cut down thousands of people, I’ve cut down tens of thousands.
“You never give up, you insolent thing…! Please just shut up!”
-It’s because your swordsmanship is clumsy. Give me the body. I’ll show you what real swordsmanship is.
“Don’t be ridiculous! This body is mine now. You just watch quietly! I’ll crush that night parade of a hundred demons with this body!”
