“Juwon.”
The voice coming through the wireless earphones was urgent.
“I’m on my way!”
Kim Joo-won, who was running wildly toward the park, suddenly lifted his head at the divine light he sensed. There, a swarm of light was rapidly covering the sky. It looked like a meteor shower. Gasping, he caught his breath and followed the scattered trajectories of the light.
It was a mysterious sight that left him spellbound, an overwhelming sacredness he had never witnessed before in his life. Without realizing it, Kim Joo-won stared blankly, absorbing the scene into his eyes.
“Teacher, right now...”
“It's visible here too. I can see it...”
Both of them were speechless at the shocking phenomenon.
What the hell is this! Gasp, the sky—! Teacher, look at this. Nearby evil spirits are being purified on their own! The noise of people on the phone was transmitted clearly.
A power covering an entire village?
‘Something like this is possible?’
Reflexively, Kim Joo-won turned his head toward the park.
The answer was there.
...Gi Jae-eon!
As soon as he realized, a chill rang sharply from the top of his head.
“Juwon.”
“Later. Seo-myeong will take him. Don’t worry.”
Hanging up, he forced his immobile legs to move. Even though his breath was choking at his throat, he didn’t stop. As if being led, Kim Joo-won ran and ran following the force that seemed to command him. For some reason, his heart grew anxious.
The scene of the park they arrived at exceeded Kim Joo-won’s imagination.
What came into his highly tense sight was a massive light of judgment and a man standing before it. Even more, the infinite spiritual power rising from him chased away the nearby evil beings recklessly to forcibly purify them.
He had never heard nor seen exorcism like this before.
There was no precedent at all.
A destructive power that gave a strange exhilaration just by watching it.
Even the respected teacher Kim Young, seniors who had trained with him for years, and the master of Bonryeong likely didn’t possess such talent. No, he was certain only that crazy bastard could display such insane output.
Kim Joo-won clicked his tongue at the overwhelming pressure that sent shivers down his spine.
He was truly worthy of being called a genius.
Though reluctant to admit, Kim Joo-won himself had not yet reached that level.
But... something was strange.
That man who looked like ‘Gi Jae-eon’.
Wasn’t it a bit excessive? Kim Joo-won held his breath, watching Gi Jae-eon carefully.
‘Why doesn’t he stop the jubeop?’
The yokai had long been exorcised. No malicious aura could be felt anymore.
Then why?
The moment Kim Joo-won muttered, “It should have ended already,”
he realized.
Messy hair, veins bulging on his forehead.
Bloodshot eyes and nonstop bleeding nose.
A body trembling like a soaked mangy dog.
“That bastard...”
Kim Joo-won’s eyes widened.
If his guess was correct, the power being emitted as a show was not Gi Jae-eon’s will. He simply couldn’t stop. But why would Gi Jae-eon make such a rookie mistake? Before Kim Joo-won could solve the question, Gi Jae-eon seemed to prove his words true by suddenly vomiting a bloody lump. His blood-covered jaw looked painfully tormented.
‘What the hell is wrong with that bastard?!’
If left like that, his body wouldn’t hold.
Kim Joo-won took a step to stop Gi Jae-eon immediately. But before he could reach him, he saw his junior An Seo-myeong collapsed on the ground. He had hit the bars and was unconscious, bleeding and looking dangerously bad. Kim Joo-won was shocked and ran toward An Seo-myeong instead of Gi Jae-eon. It was the obvious choice.
“Hey, hey you! Get a hold of yourself! Damn it, An Seo-myeong!”
Just as he was trying to stop the bleeding on An Seo-myeong’s wound,
Gi Jae-eon, who had been chanting jubeop, exhausted his strength and rolled backward with his eyes flipped, collapsing hard. Without anyone supporting him, the sound of his head hitting the ground loudly echoed.
Since witnessing the unbelievable power, Bonryeong was in chaos in real time.
“The distance was over 5km. But look. Not a single stray spirit?”
“Is that possible with only jubeop and no shingi?”
“Now I understand why Cheonjiharang is so strong. Our Bonryeong is still far, far behind.”
“In all my years, I’ve never seen talent quite like that...”
From the elders of Bonryeong,
“What on earth is Incheon doing? Making a monster like that.”
“A genius... indeed.”
“It even inspired awe.”
From those called the pillars of Bonryeong,
“It was sacredness itself!”
“I’m glad I became a toemasa. Someday, I hope I can create such miracles too.”
“I’m a real fan, you know. Ah— I want an autograph so badly.”
Even rookies who just started in this path
were all buzzing about ‘Gi Jae-eon’.
And here, Park Hong and Kim Young were also talking about Gi Jae-eon without fail.
“He’s a human born with blessings.”
“Really. It was an unbelievable sight.”
“Hm? But Teacher Young, didn’t you say you failed at the haejusa ritual?”
“Ah? Ah, yes. Well, not yet…”
“Wow— so he showed that condition while cursed? That guy’s the real deal.”
Park Hong said with a face that looked more jealous than impressed, and Kim Young smiled ambiguously.
An object? If anything, he was an object.
‘A kid pushed to the brink of insanity.’
Kim Young was already convinced that Gi Jae-eon was being abused.
‘Surely the Gi family treats that kid like an object. Otherwise, how could he have come to that state?’
Remembering Gi Jae-eon’s unstable state, Kim Young secretly clenched his fist tightly.
‘How much must they have driven him... those insane abusers.’
“Damn~ Tch! What kind of training do those Gi family bastards put that genius through?”
“...I don’t know exactly, but it must be harsh. They’re people you don’t want to associate with.”
Kim Young, without realizing, spoke sharply, then immediately made an ‘oops’ face. Luckily, Park Hong seemed too busy talking about Gi Jae-eon’s power to hear.
“But that Gi Jae-eon guy. He didn’t come on purpose, did he? Maybe our Juwon got orders from Cheonjiharang to stir things up for no reason.”
“Huh? Haha... that’s going too far. Gi Jae-eon isn’t some idle guy.”
“Well— haha! That guy’s ransom sure ain’t cheap.”
Park Hong snorted with a bland face and sipped the tea Kim Young handed him. Hmm~ delicious! Seeing Kim Young grimace as he tried to speak awkward English made Park Hong’s chest tighten. If only he could say the truth, he’d immediately say ‘There is no curse on Gi Jae-eon the toemasa.’ But if so, he’d have to explain his abnormal condition differently...
‘Who would believe that?’
Gi Jae-eon being abused at home?
Don’t write novels, at least they wouldn’t curse him.
While Kim Young was deep in thought, the door suddenly swung open without a knock and someone with a pale face burst in shouting,
“Teacher, something big happened!”
One of Kim Young’s students.
“Hey, adults are talking here!”
“Damn!” Park Hong showed annoyance. Since Bonryeong valued etiquette, it was a natural reaction. But Kim Young was different. Thinking there must be a reason, he calmly asked instead of scolding the student.
“What happened?”
The anxious student stomped his feet and raised his voice again.
“A f-fight... a fight broke out!”
A fight? Kim Young and Park Hong exchanged glances in surprise.
That made sense. Fights were strictly forbidden in Bonryeong. Naturally. Those who serve the gods engaging in personal anger, verbal abuse, and violence made no sense. What a ridiculous sight.
But who would dare break Bonryeong’s rules and start a fight!
“It is said to be a bond of loyalty.”
Clatter! Kim Young stood up with a cold expression.
“Teacher Young, take it easy... huh? Take it easy!”
Ignoring Park Hong’s soothing, Kim Young raised a long rod he found somewhere.
Though Kim Young was usually gentle by nature, he was strict when it came to manners and ethics. Especially with violence.
‘What kind of thick-headed fools act like hooligans in a legion?’
But before he could fully show his anger, the student urged him.
“Teacher, hurry! If this goes on, Gi Jae-eon toemasa will die!”
Then the name that came through... who?