WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 11: Hospital Ghost (2)

──────

After a burst of light poured out, Wolryeong Bodhisattva felt her vision flash white.

The possession had been broken.

Her body was old and weakened, but an evil spirit's possession had been broken this easily?

'I'd thought he wasn't ordinary, but such a powerful word of power!'

It was also called a spirit word.

In the world of supernatural abilities, it was a spiritual power that could exert force anywhere.

Words held power. They influenced reality, especially spiritual laws.

True words, spells, prayers. They went by different names, but supernatural abilities invoked through the declaration of language were practically essential.

'He wasn't just a simple shikigami practitioner!'

She had been shocked when the evil spirit revealed its own name in response to Yohan's spirit word.

Evil spirits were beings whose words and actions never matched.

They seemed to speak like people, yet language did not truly reach them, and their context was a tangled mess.

It was because they accumulated evil karma and gradually became contradictory beings themselves.

Yet the evil spirit had revealed its own name at Yohan's command.

He had even driven out the evil spirit possessing her body.

Yohan's spirit words belonged to the Lord's Word type.

It was what clergy used when they borrowed their god's words and commanded with powerful authority.

Still, their effect normally only added support to an exorcism.

The authority they borrowed was not absolute, and faith itself was subjective.

It was high risk, high return. The slightest doubt or hesitation could make it all scatter away.

'But he did it. Again and again! Every word he spoke became an absolute Lord's Word and bound the evil spirit!'

Why would an exorcist this powerful be roaming around hunting evil spirits?

Had that naïve-looking young man been acting?

No. Wolryeong Bodhisattva recalled a trait shared by those who devoted themselves to religious service.

Religious service meant going to the lowest places.

Clergy were originally meant to see a life of service as a virtue.

There were more who did not.

There were more who twisted even their faith for their own desires.

That was why those who went to lowly places and lived as servants shone brighter than anyone else.

* * *

Han Taek-su, Yu Hanna, and Han Gyeoul.

The three had been an ordinary family, no different from any other.

The day their happy home had been struck by tragedy without warning.

Han Gyeoul, who had been a child at the scene, died instantly. The couple had been taken to the hospital unconscious, but they did not last long and died as well.

A soul burdened with resentment became a ghost and wandered the living world.

When that resentment burned fiercely and gave rise to hatred and curses, it often became an evil spirit.

But the couple had no reason to become evil spirits.

It had been an unfortunate accident, but still only an accident.

Yet someone had come to them while they were confused after becoming wandering spirits.

They said unbearable hunger had swept over them when that person drove iron nails into their corpses.

That was how the two had become the evil spirits of Hallym Hospital and devoured ghosts.

"Iron nails... They were determined to create evil spirits!"

"Create evil spirits?"

"It's one method used across the world, throughout history. You've heard of cursing someone by driving iron nails into a straw doll, haven't you?"

Was that the thing that always showed up in historical dramas?

"Hair or a body part from the target is placed in the straw doll, and their name is written on it, making it a substitute for their body. But if the corpse remains, that alone becomes an excellent medium for a curse."

Wolryeong Bodhisattva looked around, then left the morgue and searched the area.

"Bodhisattva, is there somewhere nearby that smells foul?"

"Huh? Now that you mention it, there is. Other than those two, I mean."

"Take us there."

I led the way following the smell, and Wolryeong Bodhisattva and the Hans followed along.

We soon arrived at a waste storage room. Wolryeong Bodhisattva opened the door without hesitation and went inside.

She rummaged through the stored waste and found something.

"Huh...!"

What Wolryeong Bodhisattva pulled out were iron nails about the length of a finger joint.

At a glance, they looked like screws, but the nail she found had two sixes written on it.

"They really went all out! They planted a Sevenfold Correction Curse!"

"A Sevenfold Correction Curse?"

"It's a ritual performed by driving in seven iron stakes. It's used to cut off a person's vital energy and curse them, or to pollute land. The problem is that there are two number-six stakes prepared here. They meant to use them on the couple from the start."

The couple?

This had been prepared from the beginning?

"Wait, then... the accident wasn't an accident?"

Wolryeong Bodhisattva nodded at my guess.

"Those fucking bastards..."

I could not help swearing.

They had planned to kill people on purpose, then turn them into evil spirits.

"They drove in seven correction stakes, so there must be five more. We need to hurry and dismantle them to stop their scheme! I'll contact the Mystic Association right awa-"

"...Five more?"

"Yes! There are two here, so there must be evil spirits in five more places! Those bastards... Huh?"

Wolryeong Bodhisattva stopped after realizing something.

My thoughts froze at the mention of five.

Then Wolryeong Bodhisattva opened her mouth, like she had just realized the same thing I had.

"You said you dealt with all the evil spirits, did you not?"

"You dealt with five more iron stakes like these too, right?"

"..."

"..."

"Should we go home?"

"Shall we?"

Damn it, what was that? I thought we were in huge trouble!

You scared the hell out of me!

* * *

The exorcism of Hallym Hospital's evil spirits had succeeded, but there was still cleanup to deal with.

First, what were we supposed to do with the married couple spirit?

"Can't we take them to Gyeoul?"

【G-Gyeoul is alive?!】

【My baby...!】

I had no choice but to shake my head at their reaction.

"Gyeoul became an Earthbound Spirit at the accident site. I don't think they can move on until their parents come."

【Ahh...!】

The couple wailed in grief.

Their child had become an Earthbound Spirit and was still waiting for them. What parent could stay composed after hearing that?

"Bodhisattva, can't we take them to Gyeoul?"

"Not right now. Their souls are Earthbound Spirits tied to the hospital. They even became evil spirits, so they are bound even more firmly to the place where they died."

Was there really no way?

As I looked troubled, Wolryeong Bodhisattva added, "The arts of commanding spirits have a long tradition. Forming a contract with shikigami or using necromancy are both options."

Clack clack!

Gari showed strong disgust at Wolryeong Bodhisattva's suggestion.

It was probably thinking, I'm an angel, how can you suggest such evil sorcery!

"If the preparations are sufficient, I can perform it. It will take some time, though."

Clack!

That reaction felt like, Ah, then forget it.

Did it not care about idolatry as long as I was not the one doing it?

"Let's do that. Then, you two..."

"We have no choice but to leave them for now. The one who devised this vile scheme will come, so I'll tell the Mystic Association to set up defenses as well."

"Yes, please."

"Evidence of a scheme this serious has come to light. Even those association bastards with lead in their asses will have no choice but to move."

That was a relief, then.

I considered asking how to contact the Mystic Association, but put it off for later.

It seemed better to approach the church I knew rather than the association.

When was Pastor Park coming back?

As we left the hospital, an elderly man came running toward us from the back parking lot, panting.

It was the hospital director.

"Bodhisattvas! I-Is everything resolved?"

He had been too scared to go in, but apparently he had also been too worried to leave.

"The evil spirits have been purified. There will be no more disasters."

"Yes, yes! Oh, thank you so much!"

"But do not use the morgue for the time being. I placed talismans around it, so keep people out. Someone will arrive soon, so treat them well."

The hospital director kept bowing and thanking us.

Then he said something unexpected.

"I'll transfer the payment to the association."

"Wait. Could you send that money to a personal account instead of the association?"

"Pardon? Is that all right? Handling the taxes may be difficult..."

At the hospital director's question, Wolryeong Bodhisattva looked at me.

"Bodhisattva, have it deposited into your account."

"Huh? Mine?"

"Didn't you handle this entire matter alone? If this old woman had been by herself, she surely would have suffered harm."

"I didn't do it to get paid."

I had only come because I thought I might help Gyeoul move on.

Now that money had entered the conversation, it felt like the point of it all had become muddled, and that left me uneasy.

"As a person of faith, keeping away from wealth is a virtue. But do not refuse fair compensation. There is no such thing as free money in this world, and it's fine to take payment from those who have it. This hospital director is a wealthy man."

"Ha ha..."

The hospital director rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

Well, the director of a general hospital had to be rich.

"Then... my account at XX Bank..."

"Yes, I'll send it right away."

A notification soon came in saying a deposit had arrived under the hospital director's name.

Hmm, 1.2 million won.

Less than I thought-

"Twelve... million?"

"Ah, you resolved it very quickly, so I added more to make sure you weren't disappointed."

"..."

I stared wide-eyed at Wolryeong Bodhisattva, but her gaze was indifferent.

As though that amount was only natural.

Twelve million? Twelve million won? That was twelve hundred bowls of gukbap.

There had been two evil spirits, so I had worked a little harder, but they were giving me this much money for one job?

"Considering the rank of the evil spirits we encountered today, it is not enough. Still, no one expected evil spirits of this level, and that was the original contract, so we should accept it."

"That much?"

Wolryeong Bodhisattva calmly nodded at my disbelieving expression.

"We should be going now. Make sure you lock up properly."

"Yes, Bodhisattvas! Please travel safely!"

I walked out onto the street in a daze when Wolryeong Bodhisattva spoke.

"Bodhisattva, please accept this."

She handed me two Spirit Blades.

They were single-edged swords, shorter than longswords but longer than daggers.

I accepted the pair of clean, cold-looking blades without thinking.

"Uh... aren't these your tools, Bodhisattva?"

"In my younger days, they were spirit swords that cut down ghosts and monsters. These swords have spent their entire lives with this old woman."

"Aren't they incredibly valuable?"

"You saved this old life, so I should repay you. A young Bodhisattva like you will use them better."

When I hesitated, Wolryeong Bodhisattva added, "I'm too old to stay active in the field. It's time for me to retire."

I ended up accepting them, but once I had them, another problem came up.

"Is this okay? I'm Christian."

"People of faith use any sacred relic worth using, regardless of denomination."

So tools themselves were not guilty?

Either way, Gari did not react much, so it seemed fine.

"Then, travel safely."

On the way home after parting with Wolryeong Bodhisattva, I looked at the two Spirit Blades she had given me and fell into thought.

Would I ever need to use these?

Would I keep doing things like this in the future?

It was a question I had never even considered.

At first, I had only struck first to protect myself from evil spirits.

The neighborhood had been cleaned up, so there was no longer any need to hunt dangerous evil spirits.

Of course, now that my spiritual sight had opened, if I encountered an evil spirit, I would have to deal with it to survive...

"Ugh, what kind of fate is this? Me, an exorcist? That's the perfect way to die alone somewhere."

Safety came first.

I would avoid this kind of reckless behavior whenever possible.

Just as I reached that conclusion, the Spirit Blades gleamed brightly in the moonlight.

"..."

Those things had some awfully seductive spiritual power.

No, but calling them Spirit Blades felt a little wrong for a Christian.

Then I spotted the holy water I had stocked up.

"..."

Clack clack?

"..."

.........

.........

.........

"Time to enchant some Holy Swords~!"

All right, from now on, you're Holy Swords. Got it?

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried