NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40
The sofa was heavy.
As soon as I sat down, my body sank comfortably. After sitting only on the hard chairs in the Catastrophe Foundation office, this luxurious sofa felt strange.
The red curtains filtered the sunlight softly, reaching all the way to the floor. The gold-plated sofa frame sparkled in the afternoon sun, and the Taoist Bagua diagram hanging on the wall created a mysterious atmosphere. It was like sitting in a VIP room of an expensive Korean restaurant in Gangnam.
Dukgo Jin carefully poured tea. As the tea fell into the cup, a soft aroma reached my nose. The tea visible through the transparent glass teapot was a yellowish-brown color with a hint of red.
“This is ginseng tea. Please try it.”
His voice was deep and resonant, as if carrying the weight of many years.
I cautiously lifted the teacup. A strong fragrance rose from the dark yellow liquid, an unfamiliar scent that seemed different from ordinary ginseng tea.
Dukgo Jin’s sharp gaze alternated between me and Narae. His white Taoist robe added to his authoritative presence.
“Why do you want to join the Immortal Path?”
Dukgo Jin approached with a tone as comfortable as a psychologist’s.
I recalled the prepared lines. They said it’s best to base lies on real experiences.
“We… are fifth-year repeaters.”
Dukgo Jin’s eyes remained firm even after hearing those words. My speech continued, trying to sound as natural as possible despite the trembling in my voice.
“Every morning, while reading at the study hall, I suddenly thought, ‘What’s the point of all this?'”
I paused briefly to catch my breath before continuing. The tea’s fragrance softly touched my nose.
“While feeling that life had no hope…”
I pulled out a crumpled flyer from my pocket, one I’d picked up in the subway. Unfolding it revealed a clear Taiji symbol.
“I saw this.”
I lowered my voice by a tone.
“If I enter the Immortal Path, I won’t feel any pain or suffering anymore.”
Dukgo Jin fell silent for a moment. The steam rising from the teacup blurred his face.
“Brother, you’re right,” he slowly began.
“The Earth we live on is the Human Realm.”
His deep voice echoed throughout the room. Dukgo Jin’s gaze felt as if it could pierce through anything.
“The Human Realm is a place where people suffer from birth, aging, sickness, and death, burdened with various desires and afflictions.”
He slowly stood up. The rustling of his robes accompanied him as he walked to the window and slightly pulled back the curtain, letting the red sunset light flood the room. His silhouette stretched enormously.
“But if you ascend to what we call the Immortal Path… all pain, desire, and affliction you feel on Earth will disappear.”
During his explanation, Nara subtly glanced at Dukgo Jin, attempting to hypnotize him. Her eyes trembled slightly. Her black pupils were fixed on Dukgo Jin.
However…
Tap tap.
Two touches on my thigh. Nara had kicked my leg. It was a prearranged signal: once meant success, twice failure.
‘Of course…’
Though expected, it was disappointing. It seemed like this group, dealing with horror stories, had thorough defenses against mental manipulation.
The remaining tea in the cup was cooling. It seemed difficult to obtain internal information this way. There was no choice but to prepare for a long-term plan.
“Still, I want to join.”
Dukgo Jin nodded. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Good. Please fill out this application form first.”
A single document slid toward me. The elegant Chinese characters written with a fountain pen left a strong impression.
While filling out the form, Dukgo Jin took out another document and handed it to us.
“This contains the rules of the Immortal Path and a building guide. Please read them carefully.”
Unfolding the paper revealed numerous detailed regulations.
=======================
1. Morning practice (5:00 AM)
<ul><li>Ritual purification with cold water shower before sunrise</li>
<li>30 minutes of meditation to start the day</li>
<li>Qi accumulation exercise facing the sun</li>
</ul>
2. Dietary rules
<ul><li>Maintain a vegetarian diet</li>
<li>Eat two meals a day (breakfast, dinner)</li>
<li>Chew food at least six times before swallowing</li>
<li>Prayer before and after every meal</li>
</ul>
3. Daily practices
<ul><li>Three hours of seated meditation daily</li>
<li>Minimize unnecessary conversations</li>
<li>Live in harmony with nature</li>
<li>Weekly mountain meditation every Saturday</li>
</ul>
4. Prohibited activities</li>
<ul>
<li>No possession of items brought from the secular world</li>
<li>No alcohol or smoking</li>
<li>No overeating</li>
<li>No physical contact between male and female members</li>
<li>No consumption of strongly spiced foods</li>
<li>No late-night activities</li>
</ul>
5. Community living
<ul><li>Last Sunday of each month is a rest day</li>
<li>Monthly volunteer service participation</li>
<li>Seven-day intensive retreat every three months</li>
<li>Regular meetings with the leader</li>
</ul>
*Violating the above rules may result in penalties ranging from minimum demerits to expulsion.
=======================
At first glance, these rules resembled those found in typical meditation centers or temples. But something felt off.
Most pseudo-religious groups exploit their followers to make profits. Yet, the Immortal Path managed to operate such a large facility without exploiting its members.
‘Perhaps they sell items derived from horror stories to the upper class, similar to how the Catastrophe Foundation operates…’
Or maybe the organization was maintained using the immense wealth of the first leader.
While filling out the documents, the door opened slightly. It was the old woman who guided us earlier.
“I’ll show you to the dormitory.”
We left the main hall and headed toward the men’s and women’s dormitories. Climbing the stone stairs along the mountain path, two traditional Korean houses appeared among the pine trees.
Though modernized, these traditional tiled-roof houses featured double-glazed windows and neatly paved courtyards.
“The dormitory on the left is for women, and the one on the right is for men.”
The old woman handed us the keys to our respective rooms. Surprisingly clean, though small, the rooms contained new beds, desks, and wardrobes.
“Leave your luggage here and then head to the meditation hall.”
This was the auditorium where people had gathered earlier. Upon re-entering, dozens of people still sat cross-legged.
The meditating faces looked peaceful, but somehow reminded me of wax figures—lacking vitality.
The old woman offered us seats. Awkwardly, I attempted the cross-legged position, which caused my legs to ache due to unfamiliarity.
Sitting upright created a strange sense of tension.
“Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.”
The old woman’s gentle voice reached my ears. Closing my eyes made surrounding sounds clearer.
Someone’s deep breathing, the creaking of the wooden floor, distant bird chirps…
How much time passed?
When I opened my eyes, the sun had already set.
After finishing the meditation session, it was evening. At the dining hall, bibimbap without chili paste or sesame oil appeared.
Gazing at the bowl filled only with vegetables, I sighed inwardly. However, unexpectedly, the bland taste seemed pleasant.
Could this be the effect of meditation?
Returning to the dormitory, clouds obscured the stars outside the window.
‘This is just the beginning.’
I thought lying in bed. Strangely, despite being a covert mission, I felt less tense than usual when investigating horror stories.
‘Feels like I’m on vacation…’
Is it because of the beautiful mountains and clean water? I couldn’t help but think this would be a wonderful place if not connected to horror stories.
The mattress was firm, but fatigue washed over me, bringing sleep quickly. Unlike usual, I didn’t have nightmares.
***
A month passed.
Every day repeated: waking up at 5:00 AM, taking a cold shower, meditating, eating, exercising, and meditating again.
What was initially painful became familiar.
Although my muscles slightly diminished due to the vegetarian diet, my body felt healthier from the regular routine.
Throughout this period, I kept in touch with Kang Hana and Moon Jinwook weekly.
They reported that the Immortal Path was surprisingly legitimate. They regularly participated in volunteer services and community activities. However, this was information I already knew, providing no new leads.
Today was the last Sunday of the month, a rest day with no scheduled activities.
I headed to the agreed meeting spot with Nara—a small garden behind the dormitory. Beneath the ivy-covered wall stood a stone bench.
Nara was already there. Though her Taoist attire seemed unusual, she appeared to have changed significantly during the month. Her complexion brightened.
“Anything unusual?”
Nara whispered while scanning the surroundings. Her sharp eyes betrayed her suspicion.
“Not really. But I noticed something odd.”
I scanned the area while speaking quietly. Memories of observations during the past month surfaced.
“The atmosphere differs between old and new members.”
Nara furrowed her eyebrows, indicating she sensed something too.
“How so?”
“Newcomers are bright and lively. Even if they initially seem awkward, they quickly become friendly. But long-time members are different—they barely respond when spoken to, focusing solely on their tasks while avoiding others.”
I hesitated briefly before adding,
“Strangely, newcomers change after visiting the western training center.”
“I’ve noticed that too.”
Nara nodded, her expression darkening.
“Same in the women’s dormitory. Lively individuals suddenly transform into soulless dolls overnight.”
She hesitated momentarily before continuing,
“So… I checked with my spirit vision.”
“What did you see?”
Nara’s voice trembled.
“…These people. Their bodies were possessed by entirely different spirits.”
A chill ran down my spine. The previously soothing wind now sounded eerie.
“Is that possible?”
“Yes. Spirit swapping, commonly known as Yi Hun. During the Japanese Occupation Period, corrupt shamans performed this ritual for money from wealthy clients.”
Nara’s voice dropped further.
“Extracting the original spirit from the body and replacing it with the spirit of a dead person or a phantom.”
“Then… where does the original spirit go?”
Nara glanced skyward. The cloudless blue sky stretched endlessly.
“It wanders the earthly realm until caught by the underworld envoys and dragged to the afterlife.”
My mouth went dry.
Clearly, there must be some purpose behind performing spirit swapping, yet even I, a veteran of the Horror Story Gallery, struggled to understand it.
“Why do they do this?”
Nara shook her head. Her Taoist robe sleeves fluttered gently in the breeze.
“I don’t know. No matter how I think about it…”
A brief silence followed. Footsteps approaching caused us to instinctively fall silent.
After the footsteps faded away, we resumed talking.
“I heard tomorrow is the intensive retreat day.”
I paused briefly before carefully suggesting,
“Tonight… shall we visit the training center together?”
Nara nodded. Further words were unnecessary.
In the distance, the sun was setting beyond the mountains. The red twilight spread across the mountain ridges.