episode_0009

“Ugh… ugh…”

Minhye slowly opened her eyes.

Unbeknownst to her, a pillow and blanket had been placed nearby.

“Have you come to your senses?”

The shopkeeper nearby asked.

Supporting her head, she slowly sat up.

“What happened to me?”

“You were possessed by a malevolent spirit. You collapsed and were unconscious for about ten minutes.”

“Ah…”

As the explanation reached her, hazy memories surfaced in her dazed mind.

She had come to buy a gift for her childhood friend, Suho.

Then she opened a book, and a malevolent spirit emerged and attacked her.

“I’m truly ashamed. Our shop’s item nearly put a customer in danger.”

“…No, it’s fine. Everyone who comes here knows what they’re getting into.”

It’s not like the occult items sold in such shops are ever normal.

Customers generally come aware of the risks.

That’s also why the prices are cheap.

“But how am I completely unharmed? After being attacked by such a spirit…”

It was a malevolent spirit even her spiritual power couldn’t handle.

At that level, she should’ve suffered long-term aftereffects or, worst-case, died.

Yet her body was perfectly fine now.

Aside from waking up from sleep, it was as if nothing had happened.

“Actually, another customer exorcised the spirit and left.”

“They… exorcised it?”

That kind of malevolent spirit is harder to dispel than ordinary ghosts.

To exorcise it on the spot in such a sudden situation—what kind of skill would that take…?

“Haha! Even I was amazed watching. They observed the spirit intently, as if analyzing it, then wiped it out with a single incantation!”

In reality, they were just hesitating out of fear and panic.

But from the shopkeeper’s perspective, that’s how it looked.

“It was truly astonishing. I’ve been in this business a long time, but I’ve never seen a malevolent spirit vanquished in one strike.”

“That’s… incredible. An exorcist who can dispel spirits like that…”

Minhye slowly examined her body.

Not just her body—even her clothes were unscathed.

At most, a bit of dust from the floor had clung to them.

‘…Not even a trace of exorcism remains on me.’

It meant the spirit embedded in her body had been precisely excised.

And done without proper exorcism preparations, no less.

A feat surpassing performing impromptu surgery on a street corner with makeshift tools.

“Where is that person? I’d like to at least thank them.”

“Ah, they just took the talisman they bought and left immediately. Said thanks weren’t necessary.”

“Ah…”

So they just left as if nothing happened after exorcising the spirit?

Truly an extraordinary person.

‘I met a savior by chance. I was really lucky.’

Under normal circumstances, she’d have died without even putting up a fight.

For such an exorcist to be nearby was unbelievably fortunate.

‘And after saving me, they didn’t even wait for thanks, let alone repayment.’

The only other person she knew that kind was her childhood friend, Park Suho.

‘Who could they be? They must be someone remarkable.’

Had she known, she would’ve taken a better look at their face.

Minhye felt a flicker of curiosity about her savior.

Though, in this vast world, she’d likely never meet them again.

“Phew! At least it was resolved safely.”

Only after putting considerable distance between myself and the shop did I let out a sigh of relief.

I left as quickly as possible to avoid Minhye—who’s hopelessly kind—trying to thank or repay me.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be thanked and build connections after saving someone?

‘Please. That’d just tangle the plot unnecessarily.’

I’m not here to monopolize the protagonist’s opportunities to grow stronger or ride their coattails to success.

My goal is just to get a job, earn money, save enough, and quit.

Hovering around the protagonist would only drag me into the “Incidents and Accidents” section of Namu Wiki.

‘Knowing full well how thorny the protagonist’s path is, why would I suffer alongside them?’

The protagonist can handle all the hardships.

I’ll just sip the honey that comes from it and live peacefully.

‘Besides, Minhye getting possessed was half my fault. Getting thanked for it would sting my conscience.’

Normally, Minhye wouldn’t have gone through that.

It only happened because I intercepted the talisman she was originally going to buy.

An absurd butterfly effect, but still too awkward to accept gratitude for.

‘Well, at least she’s safe now, right?’

I headed home, carefully holding the talisman.

With the equipment I wanted secured, I could sleep worry-free tonight.

“…So you suddenly left to buy exorcism gear?”

“It’s more like protective gear than proper exorcism equipment. Just something for self-defense.”

“Hmm~”

Evening.

Chae-young frowned slightly as she eyed the talisman her oppa was clutching.

He’d said he lost the one she gave him while running.

Seeing him cling to this “precious item” even during dinner irked her.

“…I could’ve gotten you something better. Much better.”

“Nah, it’s fine. What kind of oppa leeches off his little sister?”

“Stop thinking like that.”

Maybe it was his way of not wanting to burden her.

No matter what she offered, he always refused.

Even though he should know money wasn’t an issue for her.

As if he had no idea how wealthy his little sister was.

‘Honestly. My oppa is just too kind.’

…In reality, it was just his obliviousness to her capabilities manifesting in his reactions.

But with no way to know that, Chae-young could only see it as him being considerate.

‘I could get him something way better, something amazing. If he carried that every day, I’d be happy.’

But still.

Unable to suppress her jealousy, Chae-young asked in a hushed voice,

“…Wouldn’t it still be better to have much better gear? The Cheonji Association’s exam is tough, right?”

“If I bring overpowered gear, they’ll dock my points.”

“Just bring something decent enough. No need to risk getting hurt during the exam.”

The Cheonji Association’s practical exam is notoriously difficult and dangerous.

As his little sister, her biggest worry was him getting injured.

“True. As long as my score isn’t affected, better gear would be nice. Safer, too.”

“Hehe. Right?”

Having secured his agreement (sort of), Chae-young sprang into action after dinner.

“Hello, it’s me. Get me an exorcism defense item. Not for me—it’s a gift for my oppa. But nothing too overpowered. Just something that wouldn’t be considered blatantly unfair? You know the standard best. Just pick something perfect! Got it?”

She immediately called a known exorcism equipment supplier to place an order.

As a recognized prodigy, many places were eager to cater to her.

She usually turned them down, but for her oppa, this much was fine.

‘Hehe! Will he be happy when he sees the gift?’

It was a bit early, but she could call it an employment celebration gift.

Of course, she planned to give a proper one if he actually got the job.

Not long after Chae-young placed the order…

A curse was being infused into the equipment by a sorcerer.

“Hehehe…! Nam Chae-young. As expected of a big shot. To think you’d survive slaying that monstrous fiend.”

This sorcerer was part of the same group that had targeted Chae-young earlier.

If she could defeat a Great Evil, a direct confrontation was hopeless.

So the sorcerer opted for another approach.

“This is a gift for your oppa, right?”

They would curse the equipment she ordered!

A highly refined curse, undetectable until the item was used.

“Let’s see if your oppa can stay composed when a spirit possesses him and tries to kill you!”

The plan was to have a spirit possess her oppa and control his body!

Creating a scenario where her beloved oppa attacks her.

“Hehe! If you can’t kill your oppa, you die. Even if you kill him, your mind will break. An inescapable curse!”

A flawless, horrifying plan with no room for failure.

Later, the cursed artifact was safely delivered to Chae-young’s home.

Upon receiving it, Nam Do-hyung tried it immediately.

[Kehehehe! From now on, your body is mi—!]

“Huh? What’s this? Some weird thing got attached. Die.”

-Crunch!

The spirit, summoned after days of sleepless effort by the sorcerer, vanished in one strike.

“Uh… Chae-young, sorry, but I can’t use this. Some ghost showed up and broke it on its own?”

“Seriously?! Ugh! I told them to give me something good! I’m never dealing with them again!”

The sorcerer, remotely monitoring the curse, was stunned.

For some reason, the spirit failed to possess the oppa and was exorcised instantly.

“Th-this can’t be! My life’s work, my curse…! Ggrrraaah! The backlash…!”

It’s common knowledge that a failed powerful curse rebounds on the caster.

Overwhelmed by the curse’s recoil, the sorcerer clutched their chest.

“Grrr…! How could they dispel my curse so easily…! Just how powerful is that spiritualist…!”

And so, the sorcerer who sought Chae-young’s life died, undone by their own curse.

A few mornings later.

Nam Do-hyung saw the sorcerer’s death on the news.

[Breaking news: The nationally wanted sorcerer has been found dead. Experts attribute it to backlash from a failed curse…]

Do-hyung frowned at the composite sketch on screen.

He recognized that face.

‘What? They weren’t supposed to die yet. What butterfly effect killed a mid-boss episode?’

Grumbling internally, Do-hyung took a bite of his triangle kimbap.

Seriously. This world operates on incomprehensible logic.

I need to earn money fast and hole up in a safehouse or something.