KTC | Chapter 40

If it’s not a case like Seo Jihan, where the seal has been gradually loosening over time, it’s a hundred times better not to stir things up.

“If the evil spirits that escaped from Yunseul Village were already on the brink of extinction, it means there are definitely stronger evil spirits out there,” Goo Seungjun realized as he listened to Choi Seonwoo’s words.

“That’s right. The really strong ones can’t be driven away by simple means. It takes robust and skilled exorcist priests working together to conduct a solemn exorcism ritual. And even then, sometimes they fail.”

“But the evil spirit I brought back from Yunseul Village was one that the shamans all said they couldn’t handle.”

“Since High Shaman Yuksun passed away, they were probably all scared. It’s like getting a fright from a wooden lid after being scared by a snake.”

The spirit wasn’t that powerful; any properly gifted shaman could have easily dealt with it. That’s why there were thoughts of transferring it to Seo Jihan to handle.

After a brief chat, Choi Seonwoo left the church. The dawn air, growing chillier, brought shivers to his sweat-soaked body.

“The atmosphere feels odd.”

Choi Seonwoo stood in the courtyard, looking around. Seo Jihan was nowhere to be seen, only his two bodyguards stood idly. Noticing the two coming out of the church, the bodyguards hurried over.

“It looks like we won’t be having any late-night snacks.”

Goo Seungjun nodded in response to Choi Seonwoo’s remark.

“That’s a shame. I was curious about your cooking skills, Father.”

“It’s not that it’s inedible, but it’s hardly worth trying.”

Goo Seungjun chuckled and belatedly straightened his disheveled clothes. The approaching bodyguards bowed slightly towards Choi Seonwoo and were about to speak when an exhausted Choi Seonwoo addressed them first.

“If it’s okay, may I take a look at your memories? It might be quicker than getting an explanation.”

They realized anew the kind of person Choi Seonwoo was but could not hide their troubled expressions.

“Well… We rushed here from our quarters with Team Leader Kim, so we don’t know the full situation.”

“Ah… Then where is Brother John now?”

“He’s on Yeongjong Island.”

“…”

“It’s not that he fled after causing trouble! It’s just that there were quite a few injured cats tonight, including Miss Angela, so he took them all to the animal hospital!”

Their strong denial made it clear something significant had happened. The mention of “Miss Angela” could have been laughable if it wasn’t for the circumstances.

“Angela got hurt? The other cats too? Why?”

“Some jerk has been terrorizing the island. Ah, Young Master Jihan said to show him that bastard first when Father arrives. We have two of our bodyguards keeping watch over him at the priory, so let’s head there first.”

An unusually fiery Choi Seonwoo sprinted towards the priory. A feral cat abuser on Shindo was unprecedented. Certainly, the work of an outsider.

That bastard, how should we reprimand, no, correct him?

As his sweat-soaked stole cooled off, he began to tremble, unsure if it was from the cold or his anger. Choi Seonwoo forcefully opened the door of the priory, and the sight in the living room made all his anger and stray thoughts seem to drain away like the tide.

“Is he dead?”

It was a reasonable question from Choi Seonwoo. Anyone would think so seeing the man collapsed over a pile of recyclable trash bags and rice sacks, surrounded by bodyguards in kitchen latex gloves.

“No! He’s still alive!”

One of the guards monitoring the man quickly shouted. Choi Seonwoo swallowed a sigh of relief and approached.

“This trash is the cat abuser?”

He already knew before asking. The ghosts of small animals fluttering around the bloodied man were clearly visible. That these animal spirits were so distinct meant they hadn’t been dead long.

This guy…

Choi Seonwoo couldn’t bring himself to strike the man in his anger. Instead, Goo Seungjun, who had caught his raised hand in mid-air, kicked the man’s head himself. Turning around in a mix of disbelief and resignation, Goo Seungjun shrugged.

“There’s no need to dirty your hands. This role suits me better.”

This man isn’t normal either.

Choi Seonwoo steadied his breathing and made the sign of the cross before reaching out to the guards.

“Give me a pair of gloves, too.”

They quickly pulled out two latex gloves from a cardboard box. Choi Seonwoo put on the gloves with clinical precision and didn’t hesitate to strike the man’s head.

Crack!

Damned if you endure, are you a saint or what?

Ignoring the shocked looks of those around him, Choi Seonwoo allowed himself one act of violence before flipping the man’s eyelids back.

The eyes of the unconscious man were swollen beyond recognition, but it wasn’t difficult to look into those repulsive orbs.

“We don’t need to look at this man any longer.”

This man had previously poisoned the stray cats around his home. Easily succumbing to the provocation of a minor evil spirit, he had immersed himself in wicked deeds without a second thought.

So the evil spirit from Yunseul Village had attached itself to the village chief’s son. What now?

Choi Seonwoo focused on the village chief’s son, specifically the evil spirit inhabiting him.

The parishioners had mentioned that the village chief’s son had returned home, bringing his pregnant wife with him. There had been a brief moment of excitement at the prospect of a new baby on the island, but he had no idea things would turn out this way.

“It’s strange… Ghost killing isn’t something just anyone can pull off.”

Choi Seonwoo couldn’t understand how the evil spirit had managed to bewitch this man. If the evil spirit had taken over the village chief’s son’s body and actively led him to commit evil acts, it would have had enough power to perform a ghost killing. But there was no sign of a recent vengeful spirit around the village chief’s son. This meant the evil spirit hadn’t yet managed to fully manifest through its host.

It was frustrating. Viewing the village chief’s son indirectly through this man’s memories made everything appear as unclear afterimages.

“Mr. Seungjun, did you feel anything strange about the evil spirit that entered the village chief’s son?”

Choi Seonwoo continued to look into the man’s eyes while asking Goo Seungjun. Since Goo Seungjun was the only one who had witnessed it firsthand, his input was crucial to understanding the situation.

“I did see the evil spirit cling to past misdeeds, but are you referring to that?”

“No… That’s expected, so there’s no need to ask about that.”

Followers of the Unknown Cult had indeed killed many children in grotesque ways, so it was natural for vengeful spirits to cling to them even after death. Just as Choi Seonwoo himself could control evil spirits but struggled with vengeful spirits, the evil spirits were similar.

“Oh…”

While pondering how to further inquire, Choi Seonwoo noticed a momentary whirlwind of chaos in the blood-red eyes of the ghost-killing evil spirit.

“This guy’s insane. He ate a vengeful spirit without fear?”

Choi Seonwoo muttered incredulously. The spirit had barely made it out after a long period of corrosion. It should have been conserving its strength, waiting for a chance to induce its host to commit acts of blood to gradually regain power. But it seemed it had recklessly consumed a vengeful spirit in its haste.

“Are you talking about the female vengeful spirit that was attached to that man?”

Reminded by Choi Seonwoo’s muttering, Goo Seungjun asked. Choi Seonwoo withdrew his hands from the man and turned sharply.

“You know? Did you see?”

“Yes. After I dropped her off, I saw it in the side mirror. The evil spirit was eating the female vengeful spirit. I thought it was curious that a ghost would eat another ghost, but is that problematic?”

It appeared the evil spirit sensed a threat from Choi Seonwoo’s presence in Goo Seungjun and, without further ado, consumed the easiest vengeful spirit available to recharge its strength.

Meanwhile, it hadn’t touched the spirits of the children attached to it, which wasn’t entirely foolish. Had it devoured even those young vengeful spirits at random, the evil spirit’s own ego might have completely collapsed.