episode_0007

#9

How can we find and hunt the monsters that appear in the ghost stories floating around?

Ghost stories are usually created by universal uneasiness, rules, or ways of thinking that are common in society.

However, the existence of ghost stories was not fixed in a specific region.

It would be okay if the object we are looking for was a being fixed at a specific coordinate like a terrestrial spirit, but that’s not what ghost stories are about.

That’s why, when my teacher first told me that he was going to hunt down this weird monster called the fan ghost story, I was quite worried.

How do I find that guy?

How do you hunt monsters?

The teacher asked me a question.

She often checked my thoughts in this way. It was to change my outlook on life and way of thinking, which I was living as a sickly, beautiful girl, into a witch-like value system and way of thinking.

“Where do ghost stories gain the most power?”

“Well, what about a cemetery or an abandoned hospital?”

“Hmm. Why do you think so?”

“That’s right… because that side has stronger yin energy?”

“Eumgi… .”

“I’m curious since we’re on the subject, does the term “yin qi” actually exist?”

“Could it be?”

“What is it… . Can you be more specific?”

“Probably. Highly likely. Because, besides our witches, there are definitely those who belong to the other side of the world and deal with mysteries.”

“Uh… .”

“If they believe that the power they control is yin or yang, wouldn’t that be yin or yang?”

What? Then isn’t it essentially not much different from the mysteries that witches deal with?

And she smiled as if to say that my guess was correct.

“It’s strange. It’s strange enough that Hunters and Awakened people exist, but witches and mysteries are hiding under the surface.”

“Well? Why are Hunters and Awakened people so strange? They existed long ago. Even during the Joseon Dynasty or the Goryeo Dynasty. Did you neglect your studies?”

Yeah, that was the part that surprised me the most.

It is said that strange phenomena existed during the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. Even among hunters and Awakened Ones.

Of course, the hunter profession is a new one that arose in modern times, but there are still people who play similar roles. Hwarang, Gaemamusa, Ssaul Abi, Byeolmuban, Byeolgigun, etc.

I feel like it’s so different from the roles I remember… But what can I do? I have to accept it.

Even so, as a modern person living in the old world where supernatural powers and mana did not exist, it was bound to be incredibly surprising.

Of course, my teacher Eugene was born in a world where magic was a natural substance, so he probably wouldn’t understand my thoughts. That’s why I just talked around it.

“Um… . Well, I’m a little weak.”

“I see. I apologize if I offended you.”

“No. I don’t think about it anymore. I just accept it.”

“… Hmm.”

She looked at me with a pitiful expression on her face, not knowing how to take my words.

It’s even stranger when a woman who always seemed so annoying to me that I thought she was just trying to figure out how to harass me makes a face like that.

“Then, although I may be your substitute, I can grant you a favor. Within the limits of what I can grant.”

“Ah, then. The magic of becoming glamorous… .”

“Except that one.”

“Then, in Sol’s eyes, eating rice is like… .”

“That won’t work either.”

This year?

Are you kidding me?

You said you would do whatever you can, but why didn’t you teach me magic? Even so, why Sol’s eyes??

“I need to cultivate my mind.”

“No… . Ha. I don’t know. Then I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay.”

“So? Where do ghost stories gain the most power?”

“Just think about it simply. After all, ghost stories are formed when the vast majority of the crowd ‘believes it that way’.”

“That’s right.”

“Then, we should go to the group or region that most sincerely believes in that ghost story.”

“Um… .”

In short, this is it.

Go find people who believe the fan ghost story is true.

But, in this day and age, who would believe that?

Well… . I guess some people might believe it, since it’s a world where magic and monsters exist.

“Where is that?”

“Elementary school.”

“Yes?”

“Think about it. What were your elementary school days like?”

When I was in elementary school… . Hmm. I think I played games and hung out with friends and stuff… .

Oh, I guess I liked horror comics. After reading them, I was always scared that ghosts would appear when I was sleeping.

“Do you understand?”

“Children are certainly very sensitive.”

“Yeah. Most ghost stories are at their most powerful in elementary school.”

“Oh… . So now can we go to the elementary school?”

I wonder if I can find a cute friend there to take as a disciple and raise him. Hehehe… .

While I was imagining such happy thoughts, suddenly my teacher tackled me.

She is truly a woman without morals.

“It would be perfect if you disguised yourself as an elementary school student.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No. Are you serious?”

“… … .”

This is a statement that should be added to the wiki about the witch Eugene incident.

A personal insult to the poor, sickly, pretty disciple.

“Well, if you really don’t like it, I have a way.”

“What, what is it? Could it be Sol’s eyes?”

“No. Let’s just go at night.”

“Night?”

“Yeah. I can’t force you to do something if you don’t want to.”

“That’s strange. Where does it hurt, Master?”

Why? Why are you giving such a normal answer? I was bewildered by her exemplary behavior that was unlike any evil witch.

“No matter how much I think about it, you lack respect for your teacher.”

“The teacher lacks love for his disciples.”

“Why don’t you say a word?”

“I’m not the type of person to live in fear.”

“How cheeky… . Today, you should know how to eat rice with cola.”

“??”

By the way, I actually ate rice with cola.

I thought I was going crazy.

I will definitely get revenge.

#10

Have you ever visited a school at night?

First of all, let me say this: I don’t have any.

Ah. Of course, I had a brief college experience before becoming a TS student, so I remember staying up late at school to study during exam periods, but at least in elementary and middle school, it didn’t happen.

Well, it’s high school, so of course I’ve experienced it since there’s a palm tree.

Anyway, the elementary school with the lights off at night was quieter than I expected.

There was not a single person in the playground, and beyond the locked doors, the dark classrooms stood silent with their doors firmly shut.

“That’s strange. I thought there would be people in the playground.”

“Why did you think so?”

“What… It’s good for exercising. The playground is also accessible to citizens living near the school.”

“Haven’t you ever had an experience like this?”

“Um… When was that?”

“The day you first became my disciple.”

“Ah!”

That’s right. That day I was jogging along the river!

There were strangely no people that day. When something strange happens, do people disappear?

But that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“It’s the magic of avoidance.”

“Avoid?”

“This is a spell that prevents those who are not resistant to magic from approaching. It prevents anyone who can control magic or who is not in the realm of mystery like us from approaching.”

“So, you’re saying that it makes it so that ordinary people don’t want to go there?”

“As expected, you understand quickly.”

“Huh. Come on in! I want to learn how to extract mysteries.”

“Let’s do that.”

Of course, being a witch doesn’t mean you can solve everything with magic.

I think the scene where the teacher was holding an iron skewer and trying hard to open the lock was quite… breaking.

However, when asked what she would do if there were staff on duty inside, she replied that she had used a sleep spell.

Actually, she says she’s a witch, but her actions are no different from those of a thief.

If you have bad intentions, you could probably rob a bank.

“Before you start magic, you need to prepare the situation. Close all the doors and windows, and turn on the fan.”

“Because it’s a fan ghost story?”

“Yes. Since it is a ghost story that originated from a specific phenomenon, the implementation of the ghost story that became the mother of the ghost is important.”

“After setting up the environment, how can you recognize the monster?”

“You figure it out yourself.”

“I’ve never learned it… .”

“No. I learned it. If you find the monster, I’ll tell you how to extract it. Try it.”

“Okay… . Yes. Okay. ”

Certainly, as she said, I learned a lot in a year.

Her main magic was not only alchemy, but also the basic magic that witches should know, and that wasn’t all. She also learned common sense about the other world, and things like the mindset of a witch.

Monster.

The Master said that the strange things that are said in the ghost stories that circulate as mysteries cannot help but be influenced by what they are about.

Of course, as she said, turning on a fan in a closed room wouldn’t kill you.

I also said that it wasn’t that dangerous of a monster.

It doesn’t lead to death, but it does have an effect on humans… isn’t that how it should be understood?

In the dark classroom, listening to the sound of a powerful fan spinning, I took out the alchemy materials from my bag.

Characteristics of the first monster.

‘A monster is basically a distortion. Something that causes a sense of disharmony with the providence and principles that form the foundation of the world. That is a monster. Its scale may be large or small.’

A feeling of discomfort.

As a modern person with common sense who once lived in a world where magic did not exist, I could sense the sense of irrationality she spoke of better than anyone else.

As a witch of mystery, and also as a human who can handle monsters, I realized what she wanted to gain from this training.

‘The Master wants to be able to feel and deal with the existence of monsters without anyone’s help.’

Making alchemy, using magic, and the like. Those are things that anyone can do, even if they’re not a witch.

Even those who are called Awakened, or in the past, were called the Gods of Super Strength, could use supernatural abilities.

But witches are different.

They are the ones who belong on the other side. If I don’t understand that, I will end up being half-assed.

What I have to make is not difficult.

Let’s go to the magic we learned first.

That feeling I had back then.

The strange and unfamiliar feeling I felt when I first used magic as a modern person.

If I could feel that feeling again, even if it was a vague, hidden monster, wouldn’t I be able to feel it again?

‘The first magic I learned was….’

Nail color changing magic.

I remember asking why I had to learn something like this instead of getting a manicure, and then throwing a Sol’s eye party that day.

But, even so, I remember that the magic I first tried back then was so amazing that I couldn’t sleep at night.

Now, let’s start combining.

Let’s create some magic to bring back those feelings.

#11

‘You’re doing well. Hehe.’

Eugene smiled as he looked at his disciple Jin Ha-neul.

Our disciple is a bit arrogant and has a strange personality, but he is even cuter than that.

The memory of his boasting to his master that he would never have a disciple in his life was palpable. The moment he first saw her, Eugene thought.

‘I want to dye this child in my own color.’

Why is that?

She couldn’t help but feel strange because she had never felt that way even though she had discovered many talented gems so far.

‘You will be able to do many things in the future, Heaven.’

Until then, it would be his job to take care of her.

So, she thought it was her duty as a teacher to chase away those intruders loitering outside.

‘If the disciple is concentrating now.’

The witch Eugene turned to dust and disappeared into the shadows.

And the place where she reappeared was where a certain hunter had been standing.

‘She’s a bit young to be a hunter. She’s slender and has fairly large breasts. And she has jet-black hair. Her appearance was the opposite of Haneul’s in many ways, but strangely enough, she had a similar vibe to Haneul.’

But for some reason, that child had a fire in his eyes.

She spoke in a resentful voice.

“You. Are you crazy? Can you feel it?”

“Oh my. Now that I look at it, it was a ferocious beast.”

“I’ll kill you.”

She spoke in a sharp, raspy voice, as if chewing.

Jin Ha-neul’s younger brother. Jin Bada.

That was the true identity of the uninvited guest.