WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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Chapter 51: Father's Dwelling
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I knew Second Kings was both a historical book and a prophetic one, but I didn't expect it to start making prophecies right away.
"Take possession of the land people call cursed..."
When I consulted Pastor Go about it, he gave it some serious thought.
"Land people call cursed... It sounds like it means an Ill-Omened Site or a Malevolent Site."
"I asked Gari directly, but it wouldn't even give me a hint."
I'd tried to get Gari to answer yes or no, but it just clamped its mouth shut.
"That's what prophecy is like. You've heard the phrase about revealing Heaven's secrets, right? There are limits to how much you can reveal about a miracle that could change the future."
Come to think of it, none of the countless stories involving prophecies ever told people exactly what they should do.
Like the story where a baby was abandoned because of a prophecy that he would kill his father, only for the child to survive and unexpectedly kill his father anyway.
Prophecies in myths were always vague. Maybe they had restrictions like that.
"Curse, land... a place where blood has flowed and lament lingers."
"If blood was spilled, that means someone died, right?"
"It could've been an animal, but that's unlikely. And if lament lingers there... it might mean resentment has built up."
Resentment.
In other words, it was a ghost's resentment.
"Find land or a house where someone died and ghosts show up?"
"Exactly."
Pastor Go turned on his phone and called someone.
"Hello, Deacon Kim. Could you look into whether there are any recently haunted houses?"
[Haunted houses? There must be hundreds in Seoul alone, just counting the reports made to the Association.]
"Find someplace more serious. Somewhere people have died and no one can approach."
[Understood, Pastor.]
After hanging up, Pastor Go smiled.
"Now that I've put people on it, we'll have results soon enough."
"Ooh... The power of an organization."
While I was marveling at that, Pastor Go held out another bill.
"Right. We should set up a standing ammunition contract too, shouldn't we? Shall we start with a light twenty thousand rounds?"
"..."
With shaking hands, I signed the ammunition supply contract.
I found out later, but he'd given me an insanely cheap rate of twenty-five thousand won per round.
* * *
I took a nice long break for a while.
Well, calling it a break was a little strange. I restocked holy water and holy oil, replenished the Gutenberg Bible's holy paper, and took care of this and that, so it was hard to say I'd really rested.
Bang Seoryeong
[Who do you think would win in a fight between a Carnotaurus and an Ankylosaurus?]
A Carnotaurus was a carnivorous dinosaur around eight meters long, while an Ankylosaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur with thick armor like a turtle's shell and a hammer-like tail.
If they fought...
Me
[Wouldn't the Ankylosaurus win?]
Bang Seoryeong
[No chance. The Carnotaurus is much stronger.]
What was she talking about? Why ask me if she was going to say that?
Me
[It's not a Tyrannosaurus. Carnotaurus teeth couldn't pierce an Ankylosaurus's armor. If it gets hit by that club tail, something Carnotaurus-sized would get wrecked in one blow.]
Bang Seoryeong
[What if the Carnotaurus gets behind it in an instant? It won't even have room to swing its tail. A Carnotaurus is much faster than some slow pig like an Ankylosaurus.]
Me
[Stop forcing it. The Ankylosaurus isn't stupid, it'll keep it in check with its tail. Bam! Bam bam! Whoosh whoosh, and it's dead.]
Dragon Maiden Bodhisattva
[An Ankylosaurus cannot jump, can it? A Carnotaurus can jump. If it jumps and bites its neck, it dies.]
Me
[It's not a cat. You think a dinosaur can do that? It weighs two tons. Two tons.]
Bang Seoryeong
[It can. I've seen it.]
Me
[Total bullshit. Look at you taking its side because you have a Carnotaurus among your dinosaurs.]
Bang Seoryeong
[This young lady is an expert, so why is an amateur like you so certain, dear brother? Ah, how frustrating. I can't even record a video and send it to you.]
Anyway... This was how Bang Seoryeong and I spent time together lately.
I didn't have anyone else to play dinosaur versus games with, so it wasn't bad for me either.
Bang Seoryeong
[Dear brother, about that pterosaur I mentioned last time.]
Me
[Oh, that. You said we'd go summon it together once you made a saddle, right?]
Bang Seoryeong
[Yes, but it may take some time. Procuring the leather for the saddle is proving rather difficult.]
Bang Seoryeong had promised to provide a saddle for controlling the Dragon God.
She said I would absolutely need one if I was going to ride the pterosaur.
It seemed the materials weren't easy to obtain.
Me
[It doesn't have to be anything fancy.]
Bang Seoryeong
[I couldn't possibly give something slapdash to you, dear brother. An opportunity has come up to acquire the hide of a spirit beast, so I will obtain it.]
What was a spirit beast?
Just as I was about to ask, a new message appeared on my screen.
Pastor Go
[Yohan, I found a few candidates.]
It was Pastor Go.
I decided to ask Bang Seoryeong later and continued texting Pastor Go.
Me
[Where?]
Pastor Go
[The closest one is in Munjeong-dong...]
Huh?
That place...
* * *
A detached house on the outskirts of Songpa District, Seoul.
Line 8 was nearby, the financial district was right around the corner, and good schools and daily conveniences were all within easy reach. It was a perfect location.
With the possibility of redevelopment for the aging apartment and villa complexes nearby, it was Seoul real estate with a bright future.
But this detached house had a strange story attached to it.
After the owner disappeared, the owner's son and daughter-in-law died as well.
That was when rumors began that the house was cursed.
Even the grandson, the final heir, had abandoned the house and run away.
A house no one wanted to buy because of grim rumors that it was a Ghost Residence.
Even the realtor showing it had to approach while trembling.
"Th-this is the property, but..."
"Is this the place you almost showed me last time?"
The real estate agent nodded shakily.
"They contacted me, so I'll show it to you, but even I don't think this is the one. Three people died here. It's not just bad luck. This place is seriously cursed."
"Didn't you say the old owner was missing?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm sure he died here too!"
"What about the grandson?"
"He's the owner on paper, but he said he just wants to throw the place away as long as it sells."
I see.
Either way, this could be the house mentioned in Second Kings' prophecy.
"Let's look at the house first."
"Um... Do I really have to go inside? Can't you just take a quick look by yourself, sir?"
"How can a realtor say that? Let's get this over with."
"I won't even take a commission, so you can go in by yourself... Oh, dear! Oh, dear!"
You need to explain the house to me. What happened to your professional pride?
Creeeak.
The old iron gate groaned open.
Beyond it stood an old detached house.
The yard was so neglected that weeds had grown up to my waist, and plywood had been nailed over every window. It looked unsettling.
White salt, scattered by someone, still clung to the walls. When I stared at it, the realtor confessed.
"There were so many incidents... We called in a shaman and held a gut ritual. It didn't do any good, though..."
They'd already performed a ritual?
Then it was clear that whatever was here hadn't been dealt with.
The moment I arrived at this house, a foul smell had filled the air.
It was still Songpa District, but this place was far enough from my home that I hadn't smelled it before. There sure were a lot of evil spirits in the world.
Click!
The agent turned the key, but held the doorknob for a long time without moving.
"Sir?"
"Um... Whatever's inside, don't be startled, okay?"
I wondered what he meant, but there really was something inside.
The moment the door opened, the stench of mold washed over me.
My eyes narrowed before I could stop myself.
I'd been covered in blood and put up with the stink of demons and evil spirits, so I thought I was used to bad smells. This was something new.
So this was what abandoned buildings smelled like.
"Why didn't anyone clean it?"
"W-workers were too scared and refused to do it. They said strange things happened while they were working."
Did I have to clean it myself too?
Just looking at the bloodstains soaked into the flooring, whatever happened here hadn't been an ordinary tragedy.
"Um... How did the owner and that couple die?"
"The owner was legally declared dead after disappearing, but the couple was the real problem."
Apparently, nothing unusual happened at first.
After the elderly owner, who had been quite wealthy, disappeared, the couple lived well, expecting to inherit a huge fortune once he was declared dead.
Then one day, the husband went mad and attacked his wife.
In the end, he killed himself. After that, the wife attacked their son.
"Both of them?"
"Um... You see that well over there?"
There was a well in the yard outside the window.
A well in this day and age. That was surprising.
"Apparently, they both threw themselves into that well. The strange thing is, their bodies were never found."
"The bodies weren't found?"
"That's right. The son said he definitely saw it happen... But who knows? Maybe he was so traumatized that he hallucinated."
"That's a brutal story."
"After things like that happened one after another, the rumors spread..."
It had all happened nearly seven years ago.
Which meant the house had been left unsold and abandoned for seven whole years.
All the flooring would need replacing, and it would probably still smell afterward.
I thought we'd need to air it out for a long time, but the broken windows and scattered dishes made the place even creepier.
What was that kitchen knife doing stuck in the wall?
When I went up to the second floor, even the room the grandson had used was soaked in blood, with flies buzzing around.
I wondered if they actually meant to sell the place while keeping it like this, but if I were a worker, I'd probably take one look inside this house and run screaming too.
Other than that, though, the house was sturdy and well designed.
The original owner had supposedly been very wealthy, and the house had undergone major renovations around ten years ago.
The sofa, TV cabinet, study bookshelves, and bed frames were all clearly high-end pieces too.
"Do the furnishings come with the house?"
"Y-yes. The grandson said that if someone buys it, they can do whatever they want with everything inside."
It would need some cleaning, but the foundation was good, so I wouldn't have to worry about bringing in new furniture.
"So how much was this place again?"
"A-are you really going to buy it?"
"Yes. I like it."
Prophecy aside, I did need a house like this.
Gari, Eight-Foot Sister, and the Gugu Legion all needed somewhere they could stretch out and relax.
The ceilings on the first floor were high enough that Eight-Foot Sister wouldn't have to keep ducking her head, and the windows were big enough that Gari wouldn't have to force its body through the doorway.
If I fixed up the garden, it would be perfect as a rest area for the Gugu Legion.
"Um... The location is very good, and the land is around fifty pyeong, so the price is a little high..."
"How much?"
"T-two billion won."
"Are you kidding me?"
Two billion won?
Did he think that was some dog's name?
I was stunned by the enormous price, but after thinking for a moment, I wondered if it was really that expensive.
Considering the location and land value, wasn't two billion won actually cheap?
It was a two-story house with roughly seventy pyeong of usable floor space, and the land itself was fifty pyeong. That meant the market rate around here was probably four billion won...
"O-okay! One point seven billion! Let's close at one point seven billion! I can't lower it any more than that!"
"..."
Deal.
A detached house at half price, even if people had died in it and evil spirits lived there?
Standard apartments around here cost two billion won.
I had to go for it.
* * *
I started cleaning it out right away.
Of course, I did it myself.
It had a reputation for being haunted, and people really wouldn't come.
I even called a company farther away, but it seemed the rumors had reached them too.
"Ghosts appeared while they were cleaning? Hm, it doesn't seem like that kind of thing."
Gari, Eight-Foot Sister, and even the Gugu Legion came to help clean.
Strangely enough, nothing happened while we worked. What the hell was the problem?
Still, that foul smell remained. It seemed like there was an evil spirit here after all...
"Gari Bodhisattva, the barrier installation is complete."
Wolryeong Bodhisattva approached after finishing her work.
"Sorry for calling you on a weekday. How much is the work fee?"
"Ho ho. I'll charge you a reasonable amount."
Wolryeong Bodhisattva had installed soundproof talismans and perception-blurring talismans.
I planned to let Eight-Foot Sister and the Gugu Legion manifest in the yard and rest, and it would be a problem if people outside saw them.
"Though I heard this was an abandoned house haunted by an evil spirit."
"The rumor spread that far? Word really gets around."
"With you here, Bodhisattva, I suppose there is no need to worry. I have another appointment, so I'll be on my way."
After Wolryeong Bodhisattva finished and left, night gradually fell.
We ordered jajangmyeon for dinner, and since it was about time...
"Should we stop here for today?"
【Devour~!】
Smack!
It looked like we'd finish the cleaning in a few days.
I didn't know whether this was the house from the prophecy, but seeing the spacious rooms and expensive furnishings made me think I'd gotten a great deal.
Then night came.
"Mmm..."
My bladder was full.
Had I drunk too much soda while eating pizza?
I went to the bathroom to relieve myself, then suddenly remembered that I hadn't brushed my teeth.
You had to brush before bed.
I squeezed toothpaste onto my toothbrush and looked in the mirror, just as I was about to scrub my teeth.
【......】
Hm.
There it was.
A female ghost with wet hair hanging over her face.
Blood streamed down her face. One look told me this wasn't anything ordinary.
"Excuse me, ma'am?"
【G... get out...】
"No, this is my house. I purchased it legally."
【Get oooouuut!!】
The female ghost twisted her face like some vicious monster and lunged at me.
Click!
A huge barrel pressed against the ghost's temple.
【Devour.】
【???】
"Sis, wait!"
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
The trigger was pulled, and a storm of destruction swept through the bathroom.
Boom! Kaboom, kaboom, kaboom! Boom!
I'd just fired fifty million won.
Footnotes:
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