Ch.157157 – Devil 1

# 157 – Devil # 1

Sizzle-

The sound of frying pork cutlets filled the house.

Dipping the cutlet in ketchup would make for a quick dinner.

“You eat too.”

-Gareegek-

Mom gave a piece of cutlet to Giganoto as well.

I wondered if it was okay to give pork cutlets to a pet lizard, but then again, Giganoto wasn’t really a pet lizard but something more like a dinosaur.

Mom gave Giganoto food whenever she had the chance, and perhaps because of that, Giganoto had grown larger than a palm, looked sturdy, and had a very plump tail.

Mom held out a piece of cutlet to Giganoto and asked.

“Want more? If you want more, make a ‘gek’ sound, and if you’re full, go ‘boombooboompow.'”

-Boombooboompow-

Seems like it’s full.

My dinner with Mom ended like that too.

When I turned on the old TV, a program was airing about high school boys and girls having and raising children. It was a program showing how difficult it is for high school parents to have children.

Mom clicked her tongue.

“No wonder the birth rate isn’t going up when they broadcast things like this every day. Raising a child is such a meaningful and significant thing.”

It hit differently coming from a mom who had a baby in high school.

I suddenly became curious.

“Mom, have you ever regretted having me? If I wasn’t around, you could have graduated from school and maybe even gone to college. You might have gotten a better job too.”

“Not at all!”

Mom answered without hesitation.

Like most mothers, it seems my mom enjoyed raising me, her son.

Though I’m not sure if I’m actually a son to be proud of.

I suddenly became curious about Mom during her high school days.

All women were once high school girls, and so was my mom.

“Mr. Kang Bada said you were really mean and difficult.”

“He said that? That little—he wants to die!”

Mom clenched her fist and trembled.

Soon she chuckled and asked me.

“So what about you? Are you getting along well with Juhui and Dahui? Which one do you like better? Just tell Mom. You’ll have to choose one of them eventually. Or is it that Kwon Sua girl? She’s quite something too.”

“What are you talking about!”

My face flushed hot.

Strangely, Mom’s words sometimes pierced through my psychological defenses.

For instance, when I’m with friends and Mom becomes annoying, I end up saying things like “Ah, just leave me alone!” in a curt and rude manner for that reason.

Perhaps mothers have a technique that inflicts chaos damage on their sons, ignoring all defenses.

“You’ve always been like that. When asked to choose one out of two, you’d deliberate until the end. You were like that even when receiving gifts from Santa. If you keep that up, you might lose both?”

“What! It’s not like that!”

“What do you mean it’s not? Mom knows everything. You and I are both Gen Z! If you keep this up, I’ll call those girls over and ask them directly?”

My mental strength is really being drained.

Having parents who are too young is also a problem.

If I keep talking, I’ll just lose energy.

“I’m going to my room!”

Swish-

I quickly washed the dishes I used and was about to go to my room.

Then I suddenly became curious.

“Mom, what did you want most when you were in high school? Like a wish.”

“I don’t know. What was it again?”

Seems like she can’t remember.

# # #

“Destroyer’s Glove: A round leather glove. Protects your hands when hitting people or breaking objects. Can open locked boxes without a key, but the glove disappears after use.”

A new item was registered in my status window.

The Destroyer’s Glove.

It was an item I received from Mr. Kim Cheolyong, Kim Geonho’s father.

It was also the item that exorcised Kim Geonho.

‘A glove that opens locked boxes without a key.’

Does it mean I should wear it and smash things?

It seemed like a pretty good item.

I’d like to give it to Yang Juhui.

“Then I should set up the corridor entry for today.”

Four people can enter the Nightmare Corridor.

Today, I planned to go with the combination I had discussed with Jeongseok.

Me. Jeongseok. Yang Juhui. Kwon Sua.

These four.

The reason for this combination was that the purpose of this expedition was to explore the iron pipe that might exist in the science lab on the second floor.

Jeongseok for his role as an onmyoji exorcist.

Yang Juhui as a powerhouse.

Kwon Sua as a flexible provoker.

Especially, Kwon Sua’s role was important.

“《Attention Stealing》: An innate charisma that cannot be acquired through effort. Can unreasonably steal the attention and focus of surrounding beings.”

Kwon Sua had an area-of-effect provocation skill.

This meant she could hold back the evil spirits on the second floor.

Yang Juhui had 6 items – cutter, magic wand, escape talisman, Zippo lighter, straw doll, glove.

I had 2 – camera, escape talisman.

Jeongseok had 2 – glow pen, escape talisman.

Kwon Sua had 2 – flashlight, escape talisman.

I considered taking the gun but decided against it.

Since bullets were limited, it would be better to use the gun only when sharpshooter Teacher Hong Miri was present.

Swish-

I lay down and covered myself with the blanket.

Just as I felt drowsiness coming over me, a cool breeze woke me up.

When I came to my senses, I could see the first-floor corridor.

Thud, thud, thud-

And I heard footsteps.

Was it Jeongseok or Yang Juhui?

No, it felt a bit too heavy for them.

Peek-

Looking at the first floor, I saw a man in hiking clothes wandering around.

It was a man I’d never seen before.

‘Is this guy from a random match?’

He had a knife in his hand, which looked quite menacing.

The man shouted.

“Is someone there? I am Choi Gil, a feng shui master!”

For some reason, I felt I shouldn’t answer, so I hid around the corner.

It would be better to go down to the basement first.

Our meeting place was, as always, the shrine located in the basement.

Gu Hyena would be there.

“……”

But the path to the broadcasting room with a hole leading to the basement was quite treacherous.

-Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom.

‘What is that now?’

A boy who looked like an elementary school student was wandering the corridor. He was clearly not normal, with his head turned 180 degrees backward, walking backward.

He seemed like a ghost.

Was there such a ghost on the first floor originally?

Not that I knew of.

“Who’s there!”

-Mom.

The self-proclaimed feng shui master and the head-turned elementary school ghost encountered each other.

Just as I wondered what would happen, the elementary school ghost lunged at the feng shui master.

-Why did you abandon me!!!!

“T-this is crazy!”

Todadadada-

The feng shui master started running away frantically.

Taking advantage of the situation, I entered the broadcasting room and headed to the basement.

Splash, splash-

The water in the basement had risen to knee level.

Wasn’t it supposed to be ankle-deep?

It felt unpleasantly damp as I waded through the water.

“Welcome, Ha Yeongwon.”

The cavity where Gu Hyena was had also risen in water level.

Gu Hyena, sitting on the shrine, waved at me.

“It’s been a while.”

“I’ve been coming at the same intervals. Anyway, something’s changed? There were unfamiliar ghosts and people wandering on the first floor. And why is there so much water here?”

“That’s what I’m saying. I don’t know what’s going on.”

It seems Gu Hyena doesn’t know about the changes in the corridor either.

I’ve felt this before, but this old school building kept changing just when we were getting used to it.

Splash, splash splash-

Soon, Yang Juhui and Kwon Sua appeared, cutting through the water.

Both were holding their shoes in their hands, suggesting they had taken off their socks and shoes to walk barefoot because they didn’t want to get wet.

“Good to see you. Haven’t seen Jeongseok?”

“We thought he’d be with you.”

“This water feels completely weird. There’s hair floating everywhere!”

“That hair is mine.”

Swish swish-

The high school ghost Gu Hyena waved at Yang Juhui and Kwon Sua. Yang Juhui was indifferent, but the timid Kwon Sua trembled like a rabbit.

“A ghost…!”

“You’re Kwon Sua, right? I’ve seen you at the broadcasting station when I was filming a drama. We even greeted each other because we were the same age. Do you remember?”

“……”

Kwon Sua froze at the high school ghost Gu Hyena’s attempt to be familiar.

It seemed there was a connection between the two, but Kwon Sua didn’t remember.

But if she told the truth, the high school ghost might get angry, so she didn’t know what to do. Kwon Sua said.

“I… I remember!”

“Really?”

“No, actually I don’t remember. I’m sorry! Please don’t eat me!”

“Well… I was in the entertainment industry too, though not as much as you. I’m a ghost now, but if I come back to life, we might see each other often. Let’s get along then, okay?”

Nod nod nod nod-

Kwon Sua nodded vigorously.

As we were chatting with Gu Hyena, Jeongseok appeared.

Jeongseok looked very tired and had a frightened face.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“There were many unfamiliar ghosts on the first floor.”

Jeongseok was someone who exerted his power in firmly controlled situations.

He lived up to his name, Jeongseok (meaning “proper stone”).

In negative terms, it meant he lacked the ability to cope with sudden variables.

“I saw something really creepy. Like a naked old man… It took time to shake him off. He seemed to keep chasing me.”

Ugh- It was horrifying just to imagine.

It seemed that exploring the first floor wouldn’t be easy due to the increased number of ghosts.

“Hyena, can’t you drive away the ghosts on the first floor?”

“I can’t. I can drive away people, but it’s impossible with other ghosts. And the ones wandering on the first floor now are really low-grade. They don’t even communicate with me.”

If Gu Hyena was a ‘rare’ ghost, were the ghosts wandering on the first floor ‘common’ or ‘normal’ grade ghosts?

By the way, the evil spirits on the second floor were ‘unique’ grade according to my brain-based ghost grading system.

The ones on the third floor were ‘legendary’ grade.

“Then, let’s go to the first floor.”

Swish-

I removed the talisman that Gu Hyena was guarding.

Freed from her restraint, Gu Hyena stretched and quickly went up to the first floor.

We also went back up to the first floor through the broadcasting room. As always, Yang Juhui stepped on my shoulder with her bare feet, but it felt a bit different from usual.

“Juhui, have you gained weight? You feel a bit heavier.”

“What are you saying! Just stand straight! You’re wobbling! I’ll kill you if you look up!”

After various twists and turns, we returned to the first floor.

But something jumped out from the darkness of the broadcasting room.

“Let me in!”

It was a naked old man.

“Ahhh!”

Jeongseok fell backward and dropped back into the basement.

I and Kwon Sua also screamed in surprise.

“Mom, I’m startled!”

“Save me!”

“……”

Though she didn’t show it, Yang Juhui seemed greatly surprised too.

An unexpected ambush.

The old man opened his mouth wide and shouted.

“Let me in!”

I wasn’t sure where he wanted to be let in, but it was clearly something terrible.

It would be big trouble if we were caught.

I quickly grabbed the camera and took a photo with a flash.

“Giiik!”

The naked old man made a sound like a salted slug and scattered like powder.

Did I exorcise him?

“This camera is more impressive than it looks.”

I had to consume a “battery” each time I took a photo. But “batteries” could be found relatively easily in the drawers of this corridor.

It seemed like about two would appear on each floor.

“Ah, damn. My back hurts. I think I’m injured.”

Jeongseok, who had rolled down to the basement, came back up to the first floor, complaining of pain. He seemed a bit hurt.

“Let’s look for bandages. It’ll get better if you wrap it. Hang in there.”

Since things had come to this, I thought we might as well do some farming, but while wandering around the first floor, we encountered an unexpected situation.

“…What are you guys doing there?”

While we were rummaging through the first-floor faculty office, a bespectacled female student came to the office. It was a very familiar face.

“……”

I felt the blood drain from my body.

It was a more confusing and awkward situation than when the naked old man ghost lunged at us making strange noises. I never expected to encounter Jeong Sojin in this corridor.

“Are you guys trapped here too? You woke up and found yourselves here?”

Jeong Sojin approached us with questions.

Jeongseok and I exchanged glances, and so did Kwon Sua and Yang Juhui.