Woochi the Shaman’s Diary – Volume 3

…

(Omitted)

The demon continued unleashing bizarre techniques I had never witnessed before.

With every utterance from that being, my actions became restricted, as if I, the mystic destined for greatness, would surely lose.

Yet something occurred that neither the demon nor I anticipated:

I soon began adapting to the demon’s techniques.

---

Thud.

Thwack.

Thud-thwack.

[Be sundered.]

Shaaaak!

Woochi narrowly deflected the demon’s attack.

Unlike Woochi, bleeding profusely all over, the demon’s outward appearance seemed perfectly unharmed.

Of course, its appearance was enshrouded by countless spiraling vortices, so whether Woochi’s attacks were effective was unclear.

But judging by the vortex’s rotation remaining unchanged, it seemed he had yet to inflict any significant damage.

Woochi realized – at this rate, he would lose.

The word ‘defeat’ could never exist in the lexicon of one aiming for the title of greatest mystic.

Thus, Woochi decided to adapt to the demon’s techniques.

He could have fled by abandoning the fight, but failing to secure total victory over this demon would render his ‘greatest’ ambitions futile.

Thud.

There was no time for hesitation.

Thwack.

The demon swung its staff again.

Thud-thwack.

Thud-thwack.

Thud-thwack.

[Be sundered.]

[Be crumbled.]

[Be destroyed.]

Relentlessly, it attacked to kill Woochi.

Woochi layered defensive spell upon defensive spell to deflect the onslaught, but slowly, his mystic energy was depleting.

Soon, he would lack the strength to even flee.

Woochi took a gamble – believing in his own talent and genius.

Thud.

Thwack.

Thud-thwack.

As the demon swung its staff again, Woochi began inscribing characters in the air with his brush – characters of an entirely new form unseen anywhere in the world.

---

…And so, I was able to subdue the demon.

Even now, I do not know how those strange characters came to mind.

One thing is certain – those demons are bound to appear in this world again.

Having gained the power to confront them, I shall be the one to punish them.

This is the first step toward becoming the greatest…

A madman, in the positive sense of the word.

This ‘entirely new form’ of combat spell that Woochi depicted in his diary seems to be the spell Ho-jun mentioned could confront goblins.

Ho-jun, renowned as a once-in-a-century genius, claimed it would take him at least a week just to learn it.

Yet Woochi improvised this insanely difficult spell mid-battle while locked in a bloody fight with a goblin.

He was undoubtedly a madman.

…Was this man even human?

The more I read, the more awe-inspiring he became.

The ‘hero’ epithet did not seem remotely excessive.

I reached for Woochi’s third diary volume.

Starting from Volume 3, his diary would enter a new phase, as the goblins began truly manifesting in the world.

The yokai ‘granted false ascension qualifications’ would likely also appear.

March, the year of Gyeongo (1450), Heavy Rain.

Alas, Joseon’s sun has set.

The sovereign has ascended.

With the new king’s accession, chaos descended upon the world.

For some reason, the yokai began running rampant again.

Over the past 40 years, I had exterminated a countless number of yokai.

Having subdued more yokai than anyone else in this nation, I can confidently assert they were beings not just foolish, but devoid of intelligence altogether.

Their sole purpose was killing humans, their behavior and activity range revolving entirely around that.

However, now that the yokai have become rampant again, the situation is clearly different – the yokai have evolved into intelligent beings.

A yokai appeared in a county of Naju, devouring one hundred and ninety humans in just five days before disappearing when the patrol gave chase.

A yokai also manifested in Hongju County, Chungcheong Province, consuming thirty humans over the course of a fortnight – peculiarly alternating between fifteen men and fifteen women in a calculated pattern of killings.

A yokai even surfaced in Samsu County, Hamgyeong Province. This one was also an intelligent yokai…

…

…

…And so, over the past month, a total of fifteen yokai appeared nationwide, with one thousand nine hundred and fifty humans sacrificed in just one month, despite my subduing seven of those yokai.

Merely two years ago, I thought a peaceful era had finally arrived, leaving me disappointed – a notion now revealed as utter folly.

Paradoxically, the current world needs me more than ever before.

People are saying, “Call upon Woochi.”

“Seek Woochi’s aid.”

“As the greatest mystic, he can exterminate the yokai.”

Yet I felt no joy whatsoever.

…It has begun.

With the Goblin King Half-Blank authoring the God-Manifesting Talisman and distributing it to the yokai, an era of chaos has arrived.

One thousand nine hundred and fifty humans sacrificed in a single month – no paltry number, considering the far lower population density back then compared to now.

Once again, reading Woochi’s diary made me realize just how malicious the goblins truly were.

Beings of chaos…?

This was blatant evil, not ‘chaos’ lacking moral distinction between good and evil.

Unlike Volumes 1 and 2, Volume 3’s contents were utterly tragic:

In May, two thousand humans were sacrificed.

In June, two thousand five hundred.

In July, three thousand.

The death toll increased with each passing month.

…Though it would be impossible for Woochi alone to subdue so many yokai.

Year after year passed, yet the progenitor of ‘Battle Mystics’ – the ‘King of the Ratfolk’ – had not appeared.

I continued focusing on Woochi’s diary.

May, the year of Gyeongjin (1460), Clear.

Encountered a yokai that could speak the human tongue.

---

A decade had passed since the yokai began running rampant again.

In that time, Woochi had exterminated countless yokai and saved numerous humans, undisputedly becoming the ‘greatest mystic’.

Yet he felt no joy.

The long-coveted ‘greatest’ title seemed small, insignificant, petty.

As he flew to the besieged Hongju County, befitting his ‘soaring mystic’ moniker, Woochi momentarily pondered.

Suddenly, the ‘spiral demon’ came to mind.

…A coincidence?

After facing the spiral demon, the yokai had begun running rampant again.

In the past decade, Woochi had not encountered the spiral demon once.

Perhaps the spiral demons were intentionally avoiding him.

No, Woochi thought, it could not be a coincidence.

Upon arriving in Hongju County, Woochi was greeted by the human corpses littering the ruined village.

Though fundamentally a selfish mystic, the circumstances had transformed him.

After a decade of rescuing people from yokai, his spirit now harbored not dusk, but the dawn.

Shalalalalalak!

After a moment of silent prayer for the sacrificed villagers, Woochi cast a wide-ranging 35 pace tracking spell to locate the yokai.

Sure enough, one yokai was detected.

Without a word, Woochi immediately flew to eliminate it.

Before long, Woochi faced the yokai and witnessed a shocking sight:

[Chomp… Chomp chomp chomp.]

[Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.]

[Eight hundred and thirty-one more to go.]

…The yokai was speaking the human tongue.

Momentarily stunned by the shocking sight, Woochi soon carried out his duty, mercilessly pummeling the yokai into a half-dead pulp.

[Gruaaaaaaah!]

The terrified yokai opened its mouth towards Woochi:

[Y, y, you’re… the mystic Woochi!]

[D, d, dammit, dammit, dammit!]

[The goblins warned me enough… but my paltry greed led me astray!]

“…Goblins?”

The yokai knowing his identity was trivial.

“Answer me, vile yokai. What are these ‘goblins’?”

[Grrr…]

[If I tell you,]

[will you spare me?]

“Yes, I will spare you.”

[R, really?!]

Despite speaking human words, it was hardly intelligent.

The yokai was foolish, immediately divulging everything it knew.

“So… that’s how it was. I see…”

[N, now spare me, Mystic Sir.]

“…I will grant you a painless passing.”

[Gruaaaaaaah!]

Woochi showed minimal mercy by sparing the informative yokai suffering.

He pondered:

Goblins.

Scriptures.

Ascension.

A coincidence?

No.

In this great cyclic world, there were no coincidences.