LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter : Three Ways to Kill Your Boss (16)
Three Ways to Kill Your Boss (16)
Jung Mi-hyang (42 years old, Sokcho) was a troll, a yoga instructor, and a druid.
As the sun began to set, she was, as usual, stretching alone at her yoga academy. She was preparing for an evening class aimed at office workers. True to her troll nature, her muscles and joints moved fluidly and flexibly. She bent her body into the Eka Pada Rajakapotasana pose, focusing her mind.
Knock. Knock.
A drop of sweat fell. The sunset, like a rough mixture of crimson paint, streamed through the window. A few birds flew in through the open window. The troll, as though performing a trick, locked her legs and arms together and held her body still. Small animals perched on her shoulders and horns, chirping.
A calm peace settled in the room. The air inside was quiet and serene. Jung Mi-hyang focused on her slow, deep breaths, eventually slipping into a meditative state.
The peace shattered in an instant.
Chirp! Chirrip!
Thud!
The birds perched on her body took flight in an instant. Jung Mi-hyang opened her eyes in confusion. The sparrows, startled, were flapping their wings as they flew out of the window. A few light brown feathers dropped onto the wooden floor.
'...What was that?'
The animals fled not because Jung Mi-hyang moved suddenly, but because something outside had frightened them. As a druid, she could feel the terror of smaller creatures.
And it wasn't just the birds that were terrified.
Whooo! Whooo! Squeak!
Meow!
The screams of pets, nearly in agony, echoed throughout the residential area. The loudest of them came from the neighbor's Maltese, Ggaedo, who was barking.
'Why is it acting like that?'
Ggaedo, who had once happily followed its owner out for a walk a year ago, was now in a state of intense distress, just as it had been when it underwent neutering surgery. No, it seemed even worse now. The sense of loss and betrayal Ggaedo felt from realizing something important was missing from its body was transmitted to Jung Mi-hyang, and she had to drink three bottles of soju that night just to escape the overwhelming empathy.
Shiver!
Jung Mi-hyang expanded her senses to assess the situation.
And she couldn't help but be startled. Not only the pets but also rats in the sewers, squirrels in the mountains, and even livestock from the outskirts—all the animals she could connect with were in a state of frenzy. They were all screaming at each other to run away in terror.
And the source of this fear, as felt by these sensitive creatures, was coming from the direction of the beach.
She stood up and approached the window. The distant harbor came into view.
The troll's mouth slowly opened.
"What is... that?!"
At the peaceful seaside, a mass of dark clouds was gathering and forming a vortex.
A few minutes before Jung Mi-hyang felt confused, ghosts had gathered on the rooftop of a shopping building where she was meditating and were conversing.
Unless they were special ability users, these spirits, who couldn't be seen or heard by the living, were focused on one person. The target was a newcomer. The expressions of the older ghosts, who were listening to the orc ghost's impassioned speech, didn't seem enthusiastic.
=So, I'll ask one last time. Is there anyone who wants to join me this weekend for a protest in Seoul?=
Park Tae-sik (36 years old at the time of death, 2 years dead, often seen in Sokcho) frowned as if he couldn't understand.
=Is nobody going to join in? We need to fight for our rights!=
Then, a man who had been dead for four hundred years grumbled in displeasure. Like all ghosts, he had wandered the earth right after his death, becoming a wandering spirit, but had regained his sense of self during the First Mass Migration and had become a ghost.
=We are, after all, unwanted visitors who disturb the natural order. What right do we have to gather and make noise in the broad daylight? Heaven will be angered by this.=
Dressed in the burial robes of a noble, he had retained his appearance as a ghost, and from his attire, the orc could tell he was of high status.
Park Tae-sik muttered inwardly, 'I'm really going insane trying to convince this ancient Joseon-era ghost!'
Even though the time of death was close for some of them, the era they had lived in was different, and a generational gap was a major issue among the spirits.
=But... even if we protest, there won't be many people who can see or hear us, right? Maybe those talented shamans we've been seeing lately will notice us, but that's about it.=
The ghost who had recently died raised an objection. Park Tae-sik grabbed onto this point eagerly.
=Volunteers will help us! They say that with special magic circles, even ordinary people can see and hear us!=
=Such tricks... tsk tsk!=
Ignoring the noble ghost's tongue click, Park Tae-sik turned to speak to the other spirits.
=Listen, we have to think this through. If this bill passes and mandatory exorcism circles are installed in new buildings, we won't be able to enter places with roofs and walls anymore. It'll be just like a law to force us out and restrict our rights!=
=So, we just won't go inside!=
=But are you saying, dear sir, that you'd rather wander the streets and mountains for hundreds or thousands of years, not knowing when you'll die?=
=So why even go inside and watch the living?=
There was no reasoning with this elderly ghost. Park Tae-sik could feel his frustration rising.
=This is how the living treat us all as potential voyeurs! Fine, we can avoid houses. But do we sneak into department stores, museums, and cinemas just to watch people? What else can we do—just watch and listen! If they take that from us, what are we supposed to do next...!=
Park Tae-sik couldn't finish his sentence.
=...Huh?=
Just as he thought his spirit was being swept away, his vision was already spinning.
=Huh... huh?=
The realization came a few seconds late. The intense shock that had just hit Park Tae-sik's spirit caused him to be flung into the air like a baseball hit with a bat. He was soaring high into the sky.
=Wh...What?=
He was already flying through the mountains, swiftly leaving Sokcho's residential area. As a ghost, unaffected by physical resistance, he pierced through the rocky cliffs of the mountains.
=Wait a second, this is Seoraksan!=
He realized the danger. He knew there was a large area with powerful exorcism circles blocking entry. However, fortunately, his trajectory was such that he passed through the layers of rock and soared back into the sky. His wide field of vision returned.
=What on earth is going on?=
While spirits don't face physical resistance, they are more sensitive to spiritual shocks.
Days later, when Park Tae-sik returned to Sokcho, he learned that the magical shock that started near the small harbor had blown all the ghosts in the city away.
He had fortunately only been sent as far as Inje County, but ghosts who had been dead longer were sent much farther, their connection to the physical world weaker.
The ghost that was blown the farthest was, of course, the noble ghost from the Joseon era. After barely returning to Sokcho, he told his fellow spirits about what he had witnessed, terrifying them. He had seen a giant island made of iron birds constantly landing and taking off.
The noble ghost had been sent all the way to Incheon Airport.
That evening, the 119 Control Center in Sokcho was overwhelmed with calls from citizens reporting strange events. Most of the callers had special abilities.
Although each of them reported the situation differently based on their abilities, they all shared one thing in common. They all testified that something terribly horrific was happening near a small harbor.
Some of the callers were frantic, yelling that a disaster could occur if the citizens weren't evacuated immediately.
Although no one knew exactly what was happening, everyone with heightened senses could feel an intense, horrific fear coming from the area.
The relay of calls that effectively paralyzed the Sokcho 119 Center continued for over an hour that day.
The rough rain hit Min-jun's shoulders.
His appearance had changed significantly since entering Sokcho. His clothes were torn, and his exposed skin was covered with wounds. His arms below the shoulders had vanished, replaced with shadows forming the shape of his arms.
Additionally, where his left eye once was, a chilling darkness swirled in the hollow socket.
He looked out with a half-living, half-spiritual gaze. The waves churned like a storm. The angry roars were subsiding on the beach. The black, undulating surface of the sea seemed like a sharp island or a sprawling reef, licking and smoothing out the area.
A being floating in the sea, covering a large area in front of the harbor. Because of its size, it could be mistaken for a geological feature, but Min-jun knew that it was a living creature. He could tell it was still alive... for now.
"This... is a disaster."
The Chairman, Jenkinson, who had approached, muttered. He had returned to his human form, unlike Min-jun, who showed signs of injury. They both knew that if he reverted to his dragon form, it would be severely injured.
"What's your view?"
Min-jun, capable of seeing life force, confirmed Jenkinson's guess as true.
"It's going to die, soon."
"...Is there a way to revive it?"
"It's impossible. Even if we summon a high-ranking priest with strong divine powers, we can't bring it back."
"Hm."
Although Jenkinson, as a noble, refrained from using harsh words, Min-jun could easily sense the frustration in his voice.
"It can't be helped. He was stronger than I expected. Though he's not quite at the Elder level, his strength was close enough to be considered that of an Elder."
Originally, in order to fight and defeat a dragon without sacrifices, at least two dragons of similar rank had to be mobilized.
The problem was that this incident was serious enough to embarrass the chairman. He had failed to identify the illegal dragon immigrants hiding in his territory for over ten years.
Thus, Jenkins hoped to handle the matter as quietly as possible, considering the political status within his dragon community, and did not want it to be known to his political rivals. However, that left him with no one to turn to for help.
There were only two Elders who were deemed uninterested in his position, and the story of his bitter relationship with Changcheon (蒼天) was well known, while Gelberk was still missing.
Behind Minjun's second dragon hunt today lay these complex political circumstances.
And despite the two of them going after it, they ultimately failed to capture Jang Taejun alive.
Boom! Bang! Bang!
The thunderclouds Jenkins had created were still lingering in the sky, constantly pouring raindrops. Minjun wiped the moisture from his face with his shadowy, flickering hand.
Although the area was blocked with a barrier, it was likely not perfect. Sensitive individuals with abilities were probably fainting from the effects. It couldn't be helped.
By preventing the physical shock from reaching Sokcho City and blocking outside view, Minjun had done what he could.
Minjun had delivered several near-fatal strikes to the black dragon, and it was his achievement that Jenkins was finally able to land the last blow, binding the dragon.
"Hey, you."
Jenkins spoke from the other side. The dragon's head, submerged in the sea, showed signs of movement. It lifted one eyelid above the water's surface.
The falling raindrops seeped through the scales and mixed with the seawater. The surface of the water was adorned with a strange pattern formed by white foam, red blood, and black liquid. Calmly, the dragon telepathically spoke.
=Kill me…=
"Just lying still, you'll return to nature's embrace. But before you go, would you mind telling me something?"
=...Is that really something you're curious about?=
The black dragon looked sequentially at the two who had led him to his death. Oddly enough, there was no resentment in his gaze.
He returned the answer to the question he had anticipated.
=I know nothing about them. I was simply offered help. To hide on Earth and conduct the research I desired. In this remote area, without the worry of being discovered by another dragon, I was able to develop the virus.=
Then he sent a thought that resembled a laugh.
=But it seems that help wasn't sufficient. Judging by the current situation.=
In the end, he had been caught by the immigration authorities.
It had been an accusation thrown without evidence, and the investigation had started without any suspicion that the target was a dragon... But the results were excellent. It was like a cow stepping backward and catching a rat.
Jenkins asked a few more questions, and the black dragon answered what he knew, and admitted what he didn't know.
The one leading the other to death calmly asked questions, while the one facing death logically responded. Minjun felt a faint sense of discomfort in that scene. He had never liked that dragon-like sentiment.
"...Alright, do you want to return to nature's embrace now?"
Judging that the interrogation was sufficient, Jenkins proposed to the black dragon.
Then, his large eyes trembled slightly. This was the first sign of agitation.
After a brief silence, Jang Taejun sent a telepathic message.
It was not directed at Jenkins, but at Minjun.
=Human, when you first appeared, I was honestly surprised.=
"It didn't show."
=It's easy to create a fake face and fake expression. But I could smell a familiar scent coming from you.=
He must have interrogated the ISP activator before coming here. It seemed that the pheromones had remained on his body.
=How's that girl?=
He asked about the well-being of the woman he had abandoned.
Minjun decided not to speak of the happy bug in his mouth here.
"She's doing alright?"
The dragon narrowed his eyes as though trying to figure out the meaning behind those words. Then he continued.
=Please don't treat her too roughly.=
Minjun did not answer.
=Yeonju has borderline personality disorder.=
He realized that this was the black dragon's final message.
=She confuses attachment and anger. Her thoughts are extreme, and she had an obsessive fear of being 'abandoned'... Humans are all like that, but she was a very anxious girl. Maybe that's why I was drawn to her.=
The dragon's jet-black eyes stared at Minjun.
=Since the first time we met, she's stabbed a knife into my neck three times. Once, while hiding the fact that she met me and a young dragon for months. Twice, when she screamed at me for treating her like a lab rat and for being a greedy trash who wanted her stocks. Finally, a third time when she conspired with that fool of a woman to try to kidnap me.=
Minjun was quite shocked.
That wasn't something a normal dragon would say.
It became even clearer when he thought about how Edelenes had treated Kim Yeonju.
=I must have been a terrible boss. Enough to make her want to kill me three times.=
Minjun spoke to the dragon, who wore a bitter smile.
"That woman thought her ISP manifested recently, because of Edelenes. But, in fact, it's been there for a long time, right?"
The dragon silently acknowledged this.
Kim Yeonju had been involved with Jang Taejun for far longer than with Edelenes. Therefore, she had likely been secreting the ISP pheromone unconsciously for a long time.
However, the noticeable changes began after she started interacting with Edelenes. Naturally, it was the result of meeting two dragons at the same time. The intensified pheromone triggered visible symptoms.
Therefore, it was highly likely that Edelenes was drawn to Kim Yeonju due to her pheromones.
On the other hand, Jang Taejun was not.
Minjun wondered if this had all been part of the dragon's plan.
Instead of answering this question, Jang Taejun spoke.
=You're an agent and a 'convict,' aren't you?=
"Yeah."
=I see. It couldn't be helped.=
The next telepathic message did not reach Chairman Jenkins.
Minjun, realizing that Jang Taejun was only sending telepathic messages to him, narrowed his eyes.
He was saying this:
=By any chance, do you have the homunculus?=
After a brief pause, Minjun responded telepathically. 'So what?'
Minjun was convinced that Jang Taejun was the one who created it. Before disappearing into space, he had hoped to meet his death as a human officially. And he hoped everything would be executed according to his will.
The black dragon, still sending telepathy only to Minjun, revealed his secret.
=In that case, it seems there's no need to cremate it according to the will.=
"?"
=Anyway, I'll be dead, and I won't be able to see what happens next. So, with the information I'm giving you now, it's entirely your choice what to do with it. Whether you inform that Elder Dragon, report it to the committee, or just forget about it entirely.=
At the threshold of death, the dragon confesses its secret.