Woochi the Shaman’s Diary – Volume 1

January, the year of Imoh (1402), Clear weather.

I climbed the mountain before dawn to do backbends, which eased my creaky back a little.

It wasn’t that I had strained my back from overly vigorous training.

Indeed, as they say, one must take opportune breaks from “entering the bedchamber” as well.

But what could I do – it was the village ladies’ fault for not leaving me alone, thanks to my being so accomplished.

This stemmed not from arrogance, but plain fact…

It was disastrous from the very first paragraph.

Someone came to mind.

So Ho-jun was Woochi’s reincarnation? It seemed Woochi, like Ho-jun, had a hobby of drinking and womanizing.

I continued reading Woochi’s diary, with passages like:

Getting caught fooling around with a noble’s daughter, transforming into a crane to escape.

Staying up all night drinking makgeolli with a servant rumored to be incredibly strong.

Lamenting being called a wastrel by other mystics for neglecting the Way.

From January to March, the contents were all useless drivel.

Had I chosen the wrong book?

Just as I began regretting starting Woochi’s diary, the content finally became worthwhile in April.

April, the year of Imoh (1402), Cloudy.

I received a request.

To exterminate a yokai causing trouble in a county.

Having squandered all my assets on gambling, I didn’t hesitate to accept.

After meeting the county official and receiving the details, I immediately set out to subdue the yokai.

---

“A, are you really able to handle this? The mystic I hired previously ran away with his tail between his legs instead of exterminating the monster…”

“Ehehei, you bureaucrats sure are doubtful. Don’t compare me to those other mystics, Mr. Official. I’m destined to become the greatest mystic under heaven!”

“Th, then you can go alone, why summon me out at this late hour! You could have at least called for guards…”

“Ehehei! Worry not, Mr. Official! You must witness my magnificent subjugation of the yokai with your own eyes. Who knows if guards would lie!”

“B, but even so…”

“Moreover, witnessing the yokai directly will help you rise to a higher position. Personally safeguarding the people of this county – what a brave magistrate you are! How could this nation not reward such valor?”

“Ah, ahem… N, now that you mention it, the mystic’s words do seem reasonable…”

“If you understand, quit your babbling and get moving. With the mystic destined for greatness by your side, you needn’t fear harm.”

“Hiiiiik!”

In the predawn hours when all slumbered, the infamous wastrel mystic Woochi set out to exterminate the yokai, placing the county official at the vanguard.

His reason for doing so was simple – to deliberately create a crisis situation, then dramatically save the official and extort even more money from him.

With his serpent’s tongue, deceiving the official was child’s play…

---

This wasn’t just a wastrel, it was outright insanity!

Deliberately endangering someone for money?

Even Ho-jun wouldn’t go that far.

…Well, it was still the very beginning of the diary.

Perhaps this was from Woochi’s early days as a complete wastrel, before his mental growth.

What was the point of getting angry at someone from the past?

I refocused on the diary.

---

“I, it’s here… Urrgh.”

“Shh. Stay quiet.”

After silencing the official, Woochi surveyed the yokai before them.

At a glance, it towered over 10 feet tall.

Three eyes, sharp tail.

Undoubtedly a yokai lusting for human flesh.

The goal of all yokai was one and the same:

To kill humans.

To devour human flesh.

Yokai were evil beings that deserved utter extermination.

There were no ‘good’ yokai in this world.

All mystics.

No.

All people knew this bone-chilling truth.

---

This seemed to be from before the God-Manifesting Talisman existed.

According to Old Man Mangtae, this period could be summed up as a hellish landscape of human subjugation by yokai.

Before the benevolent king who created the Korean alphabet.

Before the emergence of the King of the Ratfolk.

Before Woochi the Shaman truly appeared in the world.

Before the goblins spread the God-Manifesting Talisman to the yokai.

One could scarcely imagine how chaotic the world must have been.

---

“Stay hidden here. Don’t make a sound.”

“Hhurp.”

Leaving the cowering official behind, Woochi revised his plan.

Initially, he intended to use the official as bait to extort a fortune.

However, his opponent was far more dangerous than anticipated.

The metric for a yokai’s strength was an evil force called ‘yokki’, but Woochi, still lacking in cultivation, could not sense it.

He could only gauge the yokai’s might through conjecture.

Woochi broke out in a cold sweat.

Though unable to detect yokki, he instinctively knew this yokai before him was stronger than any he had faced.

Thus, he would have to go all-out from the start.

[Heaven]

“The heavens spin to form a wheel, this is a messenger descended from the celestial realm.”

[Grrrrrrrrrrr.]

[Earth]

“You ignorant fool grounded on two feet, I command the spinning wheel to halt.”

Combat spells.

[Heaven] and [Earth].

Not taught by anyone, but combat spells Woochi had created himself.

Fragments of the characters blasted from Woochi’s robes struck the yokai.

Kwagwang!

Kwagwagwagwang!

Though explosives had yet to be invented, the spells’ impact generated a thunderous shockwave that echoed through the county.

It was Woochi’s full power – a merciless preemptive strike.

[Grrrrrrr.]

Yet the yokai lived.

It was far from unscathed – the combat spells had clearly inflicted severe damage, with half its rotting flesh peeled off and an arm blown away, spewing black blood.

But again, the yokai still lived.

[Grrrr.]

Shhhhhhhriek.

The yokai opened its gaping maw, a staggering 6 feet wide.

Just as it was about to snap shut, sensing the crisis, Woochi hurriedly chanted a defensive spell enveloping a radius of 15 paces.

[Grrrr.]

Thuump.

The moment the yokai’s jaws clamped shut:

Shhattering!

With the sound of shattering glass, Woochi’s defensive spell was utterly obliterated.

Woochi was visibly flustered.

Never before had a yokai survived his combat spells.

Nor had any broken through his defenses.

His flustered state was only natural.

“Y, you there, mystic! Did you… exterminate the yokai?”

Roused by the deafening noise, the county official peeked out, hoping the mystic had triumphed.

“Get back!!!”

[Grrrrr.]

Woochi’s shout and the yokai’s roar rang out simultaneously.

The yokai opened its jaws again, this time aimed at the official.

Though Woochi hurriedly recast his defensive spell, there was not enough time to fully chant it.

[Grrrr.]

Thuump.

Splattering!

The sickening sound of ripping flesh carried through the wind.

The official managed to preserve his life:

“Hiiiiiiik!”

But Woochi was bleeding profusely, having taken the yokai’s attack instead.

A fatal wound.

Woochi thought – if he died here, everyone in this county would be devoured by that beast.

While the most selfish mystic in the world, Woochi was still human.

It was only natural for a human to save another human.

It was only natural for a human to exterminate yokai.

Resolving to defeat the yokai no matter what, Woochi began an act other mystics would never believe –

Improvising a brand new combat spell on the spot.

…

…

…

…And so, I was finally able to exterminate that yokai.

A week after the incident, I pen this diary entry.

Looking back, I cannot fathom why I risked my life for a mere bureaucrat.

It was an incomprehensible act, even to myself.

Yet as a result, I did save the official’s life at the cost of my own body.

Deeply moved, the grateful official showered me with thanks and a considerable fortune.

Confucius once said:

If you do good, Heaven will bless you.

If you do ill, Heaven will recompense you with misfortune.

Were his words not precisely accurate?

My reckless endangerment of the official resulted in my physical destruction.

But saving him earned me enough wealth to be financially secure.

It was a day that left me with much to ponder.

---

“…Wow.”

Clap.

Clap clap.

Clap clap clap clap clap.

I’m revising my assessment of Woochi.

At this point, he seems quite a complex figure.

But as reputed, he will indeed become a hero destined to save humanity.

That a notorious wastrel risked his life to save another adds even greater pathos and emotion to the narrative.

Next chapter.

Bring on the next chapter.