WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Occult World’s Coveted Blacksmith ◈
Chapter 37: Two in One Gourd
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“...I’ll have to make it and find out.”
Gu Do-gyeom mulled over those words for a long time.
He had spent his entire life buried in academia.
He had never posted so much as a single line on a place like Goblin Fire, nor had he ever cared about how much someone else’s Ritual Implement had sold for.
Even so, there was no way he could have missed the name Do Emperor.
Whenever the professors gathered for a meal, that was all they talked about.
Rechargeable Spirit Stones.
When he first heard the rumor, even he had been left speechless.
That was why he had submitted the request.
To make a Ritual Implement capable of sealing something with a Spiritual Body. It was the kind of impossible problem every scholar of Sealing Studies dreamed of solving at least once before eventually giving up.
He had done it with the mindset of grasping at straws.
Naturally, he had assumed it would be impossible.
If he was rejected, he had planned to show the research materials he himself had accumulated and at least get a little advice.
But then.
“...”
He was going to make it now?
Right here?
For a moment, Do-gyeom thought it was a joke.
This was something that might not be possible even after years of work, yet the boy was saying he would start researching it here and whip one up.
How could that make any sense?
‘...Did I misunderstand something?’
Maybe he was not referring to the Isolation Zone incident. Maybe he only meant he would offer advice on Do-gyeom’s research.
While his thoughts wandered in circles, Do-hyeon spoke.
“On one condition.”
Gulp.
Do-gyeom swallowed dryly without realizing it.
“The materials stored at this school. Let me look through them.”
“...”
“Books, anything is fine. If possible, I’d like to see the sealing implements themselves.”
“Ah... Yes. Of course.”
It was almost embarrassing how flustered he had been. The condition the boy offered was an absurdly minor request.
* * *
“This is the Sealing Vault.”
Beneath the Sealing Studies Hall was a broad space resembling a museum, where Do-hyeon had arrived under Gu Do-gyeom’s guidance.
A soaring ceiling and rows of glass display cases.
All sorts of Ritual Implements were displayed inside.
A jar covered in faded Talismans, a mirror wrapped tightly in iron chains, an old doll tied with binding rope.
Every item looked unpleasant enough to put anyone in a foul mood.
Maybe he had gotten used to such things by now, but Do-hyeon did not feel much.
Still, the variety and sheer quantity were incredible.
“It’s probably the largest collection of its kind in the country.”
Do-gyeom proudly lifted his shoulders.
‘Hmm.’
Do-hyeon slowly walked between the display cases.
At first, he had planned to start with books on sealing.
Then he remembered that books from the Occult World tended to be packed full of Chinese characters.
They were not only difficult to read, but their explanations were painfully unfriendly. Just thinking about them gave him a headache.
‘Seeing them directly is faster.’
He was confident in his ability to read Spell Formulas anyway.
Do-hyeon stopped before the nearest case.
Then he partially released his Suppression Talisman and gathered Spiritual Power around his eyes.
The Spell Formula engraved on the jar beyond the glass came into view.
Delicate circuits ran densely across its surface.
The Talismans, knots, and everything else intertwined to form a single circuit.
They bound the entire jar as tightly as chains.
‘...They really cast a whole net around it.’
A Barrier surrounded the surface so that whatever was inside could not escape.
The principle was simple enough.
It was nothing more than a subspace wrapped in circuits that prevented leaks.
‘Nothing special.’
Do-hyeon moved one step over and looked into the next display case.
This time, there was a round wooden container inside.
It had a reddish hue that made it look unlike ordinary wood.
“What is this?”
“Ah, that.”
Do-gyeom stepped closer.
“It’s a sealing implement for confining Water Ghosts. Their yin energy is so strong that ordinary Ritual Implements cannot contain them.”
“You need to make the inside from peachwood with strong yang energy, then coat the outside in earth and fire it. Only then can you keep them sealed.”
‘Hmm.’
Even as he listened to Do-gyeom’s explanation, Do-hyeon had already read the answer himself.
Every natural material in the world had its own circuit when examined closely.
What Do-hyeon called its grain.
That grain created the material’s inherent properties.
A grid-like circuit had naturally formed across the earthen coating.
It was a structure that could firmly bind water energy, like building an earthen dam to block a waterway.
It was the principle of using Earth’s energy to suppress water energy.
The Five Elements overcoming cycle he had read about in the Apprentice’s Diary.
Earth overcomes Water.
In a way, it was only natural.
If a vessel leaked water, all you had to do was fill the inside with earth.
A faint smile appeared on Do-hyeon’s lips.
‘The grain of the material needed to contain something changes depending on its attribute.’
Even with the same type of sealing implement, the materials changed according to the nature of what it held.
Because every material had different circuits engraved into it.
The more he saw, the more interesting it became.
As Do-hyeon examined the cases one by one, his gaze stopped at a particular spot.
At the corner of a display shelf.
A small jar that had been placed there as if it were nothing important.
Something flickered above its mouth.
‘...Hm? What’s this?’
Black haze rose from the Spell Formula sealing the jar’s mouth.
* * *
Gu Do-gyeom, on the other hand, could not help but feel puzzled.
‘Is this really enough?’
Master Do had clearly said he would make it now.
Naturally, Do-gyeom had thought he would begin by examining Do-gyeom’s research materials.
Yet after saying he wanted to look around the Sealing Vault, he had spent all this time standing there and staring blankly into display cases.
Was there some hidden meaning behind it?
“If you need anything, I can take it out of the cases for you.”
“No, it’s fine.”
‘...Hmm.’
Then Do-gyeom’s gaze fell on the small gourd bottle hanging from Do-hyeon’s waist.
The item that had supposedly swallowed an entire Grade-2 Cursed spirit without Weakening.
To be honest, he wanted it.
What kind of Spell Formula lay within it? How had it been constructed to make that possible?
He desperately wanted to hold it in both hands and inspect it, but...
‘...No.’
Do-gyeom quietly looked away.
There was nothing more rude than prying into the workings of a Ritual Implement maker’s creation.
It was no different from demanding they reveal the secret techniques they had spent a lifetime perfecting.
Instead, he mentioned something that came to mind belatedly.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t thanked you properly.”
“...”
“You handled something I was supposed to take care of today, Master Do. I’ll ask the school to arrange a separate reward for you.”
“Sure...”
Do-hyeon answered absentmindedly without taking his eyes from the display case.
‘...He truly is in a different league.’
Do-gyeom admired him inwardly.
Catching a Grade-2 spirit himself and treating it as no big deal was not something an ordinary person could do.
Of course, Do-hyeon was simply absorbed in the fun of reading the Spell Formulas before him.
‘What is that?’
The small jar that had caught his attention earlier.
The Spell Formula sealing its mouth was gradually growing shorter, as if it were burning away.
‘...Wait. If this keeps up...’
At that moment, Do-gyeom’s expression stiffened.
He was an authority on Sealing Studies, after all.
Even he belatedly noticed the subtle tremors of the sealed Spell Formula warping out of shape.
“Master Do, it’s dangerous!”
Do-gyeom urgently grabbed Do-hyeon’s arm and pulled him back.
Right then.
Crash!
The jar burst from the inside, shattering the glass of the display case.
Then.
Kiiiiiiiik.
A pitch-black mass surged upward.
Bloodshot eyes rolled wildly as its form twisted through the air.
It was a Vengeful spirit.
“...What is this?”
Do-gyeom’s face went pale.
“Master Do, stand back!”
He quickly released his Suppression Talisman.
Then he pulled a flute from his sleeve.
Bringing it to his lips, he blew a long note.
Wheeeeeee.
The sound of the flute carried an abundance of Spiritual Power.
The Spiritual Power riding the sound waves lashed mercilessly at the Vengeful spirit in the air.
[Kieeek! Kkeeeek!]
The thing writhed in pain.
Do-hyeon watched it quietly.
‘...Is this what Weakening is?’
But.
‘...This won’t be easy.’
The Vengeful spirit repeatedly clumped together and scattered apart, but its power did not weaken easily.
Judging by the amount of cursed power it possessed, it looked like this would take a while.
Do-gyeom had told him to stay put.
Still, helping out would be better.
Do-hyeon took the gourd bottle hanging from his waist into his hand.
Then he pulled at the cord around its neck and began untying the knot.
“You can’t!”
Do-gyeom cried out in alarm.
Of course he did.
A Sealing Gourd was an item meant to hold only one thing at a time.
‘The Heuksan Ghost is inside. Did you forget?’
If he removed the stopper, the thing trapped inside would escape. If he tried to force two spirits into it, the Ritual Implement would burst apart.
“That is...”
Before he could stop him.
Pop!
Do-hyeon pulled out the stopper and casually held the gourd bottle toward the Vengeful spirit.
But then.
Whoooosh!
Instead of the spirit already inside escaping, the Cursed spirit was sucked whole into the gourd bottle.
“...”
Gu Do-gyeom froze in place with his mouth open.
‘...It’s real.’
It had already been difficult to believe that he had caught the Grade-2 Heuksan Ghost without Weakening.
Yet now, without Weakening, he had put two of them inside one gourd bottle.
Could that also be an Eul-tier Ritual Implement?
‘Wait... Didn’t he say he made it yesterday?’
How in the world...
‘...This is insane. What is this, really?’
Do-hyeon, meanwhile, was simply pleased.
‘Yes. I caught another one.’
Brrr. Brrr.
The gourd bottle vibrated wildly in his hand.
‘This feeling in my hand is strangely satisfying.’
It felt like it could become addictive.
In fact, he had realized something while making it yesterday.
The original gourd bottle seemed to be structured to hold only one spirit.
But walking around with gourd bottles dangling all over him would look ridiculous.
So he had built a fish-trap structure inside the mouth.
Easy to enter, impossible to leave once inside.
Do-hyeon firmly pushed the stopper back in, wrapped the cord once around the gourd bottle’s neck, and tied it again.
Tap.
The gourd bottle, which had been shaking violently, became still as if nothing had happened.
“...”
Gu Do-gyeom still looked dazed.
‘...What is he doing, just standing there with his mouth open?’
“I took a closer look earlier, and the Spell Formula was gradually coming undone.”
Do-hyeon pointed to the shattered jar.
“Does this happen often?”
“...When Ritual Implements grow old, it isn’t unheard of. But it is very rare.”
As Do-gyeom answered, his complexion suddenly darkened.
“...Actually, I was on my way back from dealing with one that escaped during practice earlier.”
At that moment.
A chill ran through Do-gyeom as he sensed an ominous energy.
‘Is this coming from outside?’
Do-hyeon’s expression changed slightly as well. He seemed to have sensed something.
Do-hyeon slowly turned his head toward him.
“Are there other sealing implements containing Cursed spirits besides the ones here?”
“...”
“I don’t think there are just one or two.”
Do-gyeom flinched.
Come to think of it, there were countless Cursed spirits sealed throughout the school.
Those used for practice, those each professor kept for research, and even ones left in the school’s care from outside.
They were scattered all over campus.
“Don’t tell me all these presences are...?”
Gu Do-gyeom’s face went white.
He hurried out of the Sealing Vault with Do-hyeon. Just as they were about to step outside the building.
“Aaaaah!”
Students ran in every direction, and pitch-black figures flickered between the distant buildings.
There were not just one or two.
They were everywhere.
[Wheeeeeee.]
Then a siren rang throughout the campus.
[All students, please move to the nearest shelter immediately. I repeat...]
Cursed spirits released from their seals were pouring out all at once.
Bzzz.
Gu Do-gyeom’s phone rang loudly.
“Yeah, I just saw it too.”
“...Yeah, I already brought plenty of gourd bottles. The west gate? You said a professor is there. Then I’ll head to the training grounds first.”
After ending the call, Do-gyeom turned to Do-hyeon.
“Master Do, please take shelter. It looks like this has become quite serious.”
“...”
Master Do did not answer. He was staring at the Cursed spirits rampaging in the distance.
“...Master Do?”
Had he seen wrong?
It looked as though the corner of Do-hyeon’s mouth had risen slightly.
“No.”
Do-hyeon gave the gourd bottle a light shake.
“I’m going too.”
Footnotes:
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