NOVEL NEXT – Chapter 37
In the dimly lit room, Park Chan-ho’s figure lying on the bed was faintly visible under the light from the streetlamp seeping through the window. At first, it seemed like he was just asleep. But as I got closer, something strange caught my eye.
Around Park Chan-ho’s neck was a strange wound that hadn’t been there before. It looked as if someone had tightly wrapped a thick rope around his neck, leaving a red line, and along that line, blisters had swollen up.
Hyun Ji-min approached the bed and shone an LED flashlight.
“Ugh…”
I instinctively stepped back. The wound was now clearly visible. The blisters were filled with white pus, looking like tiny maggots squirming inside.
“It’s rotting away…”
Hyun Ji-min muttered softly. She then opened her bag and handed me a thick bundle of cable ties.
“Here, tie his arms and legs with these.”
“Do we really have to go this far?”
“Of course. You have no idea how strong a possessed person can be.”
I fastened Park Chan-ho’s wrists and ankles to the bed frame with the cold plastic ties.
*Click, click.*
Each time the plastic clicked into place, a part of me felt uneasy. It felt like we were preparing to torture someone.
But there was no other way. To extract the evil spirit inside Park Chan-ho, this was necessary.
The sound from the cassette player in the room began to echo.
The tape Hyun Ji-min had inserted played rough, ancient shamanic music, likely recorded from an old ritual. The sounds of gongs, cymbals, and drums blended together.
“如來臨般涅槃時 (When the Tathagata enters Nirvana)…”
Hyun Ji-min began reciting a scripture, her voice now deep and resonant, like that of a seasoned monk.
“廣召辰靈及地袛 (Summoning the spirits of the heavens and earth). 因爲倓魔王授記 (Because the demon king has been given a prophecy)…”
A mysterious energy filled the room. A chilling cold ran down my spine. Even though the window was closed, it felt as if a wind was blowing from somewhere.
That’s when it happened.
“Ugh…”
Park Chan-ho’s fingers twitched on the bed.
At first, it was a subtle movement. But soon, his fingers trembled as if in a spasm, and then, like a scene from a horror movie, his eyes slowly opened wide. Bloodshot eyes stared straight at us.
They were not the eyes of a normal person. They were red as if soaked in blood, and the pupils were thin as threads. Deep within those pupils, something seemed to squirm.
“うるさいいい…うるさいいい… (Shut up… shut up…)”
It was Japanese, meaning “shut up.” The voice was strange too. It was too high-pitched and sharp to be Park Chan-ho’s.
And beside him, ‘it’ mimicked the same high-pitched voice.
[うるさいいい…, うるさいいい… (Shut up…, shut up…)]
Cold sweat ran down my spine. Every hair on my body stood on end.
Then, an unbelievable scene unfolded before my eyes. A dark aura rose from Hyun Ji-min’s body, and above it, the figure of a dignified old man appeared. It was King Yeomra, dressed in golden robes.
Was it because the gate to the spirit world had opened? The figure of the old man overlapped with the small girl’s body, transparent yet visible. Like two films layered on top of each other, Hyun Ji-min and King Yeomra coexisted.
“What are you? Why have you come to this body?”
Hyun Ji-min… no, King Yeomra’s voice echoed through the room. It was the gruff voice of an old man.
A sinister smile appeared on Park Chan-ho’s lips. His mouth stretched wide, almost tearing to his ears.
“この男が私を呼んだから、来るのが当然の手順ではないか? (This man called me, so isn’t it only natural that I came?)”
I couldn’t understand Japanese, but the mocking tone was clear.
King Yeomra, in Hyun Ji-min’s form, took out a multicolored rope and wrapped it around Park Chan-ho’s neck.
As the rope tightened, Park Chan-ho’s face contorted. But soon, that grotesque smile returned.
“Tell me your name.”
Hyun Ji-min’s voice was cold. But Park Chan-ho laughed mockingly.
“知ってどうするの？ (What will you do if you know?)”
Hyun Ji-min walked to a corner and picked something up from the darkness. It was a rusty guillotine.
Normally, the idea of a high school girl handling such a dangerous object would have seemed unrealistic, but now, it didn’t feel out of place.
Placing the guillotine against Park Chan-ho’s neck, Ji-min said,
“Tell me your name, you bitch.”
Park Chan-ho began to laugh silently. At first, it was a low “hehehe,” but it grew louder until the room was filled with a bizarre “KYAHAHAHA!”
The laughter sounded like a scream, yet also like crying. It was clearly coming from a human mouth, but it sounded like multiple people laughing at once. It was a chilling sound that felt like it could tear your ears apart.
Hyun Ji-min pulled out a book from her bag, filled with anti-demon incantations. The ink-written characters shimmered, with blood-like red stains here and there.
“Endure the pain.”
Hyun Ji-min slid the book under Park Chan-ho’s back. Suddenly, his body arched like a bow. He began convulsing violently.
“KRRRAAAAHHH!”
He thrashed so hard that the bed shook. Thankfully, the cable ties held firm. As he twisted his limbs, deep marks formed on his wrists and ankles. Blood seeped out in places.
Each time the bed frame creaked, my heart sank. I was drenched in cold sweat, fearing that if it broke, he might break free.
“Jeong Woo.”
Hyun Ji-min called me. Her voice was completely different—heavy and solemn.
“I’m going to extract the evil spirit and put it into your arm. Take painkillers and hemostatics if you have them.”
This meant I would have to temporarily host the evil spirit. Since my body had an open spirit gate, I could contain it for a while.
I took out a painkiller from my pocket and swallowed it with trembling hands. I tightly wrapped a hemostatic bandage around my left arm.
Thinking about what was to come, my heart felt like it would burst.
Hyun Ji-min switched the cassette tape. A new tape played, with the Bright Mantra echoing. The majestic scripture flowed alongside the drumbeats.
Suddenly, Park Chan-ho’s body began to shake more violently. It was as if he had been electrocuted, his entire body trembling. The bed shook as if it might fall apart.
“WAAAAAAHHH!”
With Park Chan-ho’s scream, ‘it’ also howled from behind him. A white-faced evil spirit with talismans stuck to its face writhed in agony.
“That’s enough.”
Hyun Ji-min raised the guillotine again. This time, she threatened to really stab Park Chan-ho’s neck. The rusty blade touched the back of his neck, and a bit of blood seeped out.
“Tell me your name!”
As Hyun Ji-min shouted, Park Chan-ho’s eyes gleamed ominously. His pupils rolled upward, and his mouth twisted. Bright red blood dripped from his teeth.
And then, a sharp, woman-like voice burst forth.
“とみの! (Tomin!)”
The moment the name was uttered, Hyun Ji-min’s hand moved like lightning. She forced Park Chan-ho’s mouth open and pulled out a divine knife from her waist.
The tip of the knife dug into Park Chan-ho’s mouth, and a white, smoke-like substance began to force its way out. Hyun Ji-min pulled it out with the knife.
“Grab it, quick!”
I rushed forward at Hyun Ji-min’s cry. The smoke-like substance revealed its true form—a woman’s figure with talismans stuck to her.
Following Hyun Ji-min’s instructions to prevent it from re-entering Park Chan-ho’s mouth, I grabbed it with my hand. Thanks to the talismans I had applied earlier, it naturally flowed into my left arm.
But then, something strange happened.
My left arm began to move on its own, completely against my will. Before I knew it, I was choking Hyun Ji-min.
“Khhh…”
No matter how hard I tried to pull my arm away, it wouldn’t obey. I tried using my right hand to pull it off, but it was no use. Hyun Ji-min also tried to help, but the grip didn’t loosen.
‘Damn it, damn it, damn it!’
I was drenched in cold sweat, desperately trying to release the grip. But the harder I tried, the stronger the grip became.
That’s when it happened.
The incantations written on my body in ink began to burn away, one by one.
As the incantations disappeared, a searing heat surged through my left arm. Thanks to the painkillers, there was no pain, but I knew this was dangerous.
Hyun Ji-min’s face, being choked, grew paler by the second.
“Jeong… Woo…”
Her voice grew weaker. My consciousness also began to fade.
Then, I noticed the guillotine lying on the floor. Hyun Ji-min had dropped it when she hastily pulled out the divine knife.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I picked up the guillotine with my right hand. The rusty blade gleamed in the moonlight.
[アハハハハ…お前の体…貰っていく… (Ahahaha… I’ll take your body…)]
Someone whispered in my ear. I didn’t understand Japanese, but I could guess what it meant. It was saying it would take my body.
‘Screw you.’
I gritted my teeth. I raised the guillotine high and swung it down hard toward my left arm.
The blade cut through flesh and bone. Thanks to the painkillers, there was no pain, but the sensation was chilling.
[な…なに？！ (Wha… what?!)]
The evil spirit screamed. At the same time, the grip on Hyun Ji-min’s neck loosened.
Hyun Ji-min collapsed to the floor, coughing and gasping for air.
I raised the guillotine again. This time, to completely sever the twitching arm.
With all my strength, I brought the guillotine down.
*Thud!*
At the same time, my left arm was completely severed.