Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 200
Chapter 200 – 200
Light pours down.
The blade flashes, slashing with conviction.
The dance of blades performed by both hands and sky.
Aaaaah…!
Dozens of blades stab into the centipede shaped like a fallen monk.
These are not the familiar execution blades used in the Dragon Palace or in the Dream Incubator, where they once stabbed Jinna-sol or me. No, these are twice the size—ornately crafted with bells and lacquered handles. Ritual blades.
Weapons crafted to confront wicked ‘existences.’
Uuuuuoooh…!
The blasphemous being, that had merely mumbled its own terrible revelations while mimicking the human mouth to inject madness, writhes.
And each time it flails, human arms writhe from its body and fall to the floor, turning to ash and finding peace. A rite of appeasement.
Thud.
The centipede convulses as the shrine pillars and rafters collapse around it.
Fragments threaten to rain down on people’s heads— “Do not worry.”
A calm, firm voice from Agent Bronze.
Transparent bullets fired from his glass hand cannon formed a perimeter, embedding mid-air, trapping the centipede within.
搏
A kind of talisman, each bullet bears a character in its core, activating precise effects.
“It should be all right now.”
“…”
“The most difficult part of resolving these supernatural calamities through shamanic rituals is revealing the hidden identity.” We know this.
You cannot expel what you cannot identify.
And this is why the Disaster Management Bureau failed to recognize the evangelist of the Nameless Radiance Cult, who had buried themselves in this shrine and spread their unnatural power.
Agent Choi’s own handwritten notes of concern: — “Honestly, the branch wanted to dig deeper, but other departments blocked them. Even disbanding the village was denied.”
They claimed there was no proof of a direct causal link to deaths or disappearances. But in truth, it seemed some officials were bribed by Jisan village.
So they were blocked.
— “This festival happens every year. As a disaster, it’s long and repetitive. But for investigation purposes? The time we get is way too short.” Especially when dealing with a folklore that has mutated and warped so deeply it’s unrecognizable.
So all they could do was maintain stasis, barely containing it.
— “It’s frustrating. We know there’s a root cause. If we could just find it, we could banish it properly. Not being able to is what stings.”
— “Oh, and Grape—don’t go getting ideas about uncovering the
village’s secrets on your own after reading this! We do it together,
remember?^^”
But…
I did it.
“You identified the root.”
I raised my head.
“You dragged it out of the shrine. And now that it’s revealed…” Agent Bronze smiled.
“This calamity has become our specialty.”
In other words—
Team Hyunmu’s expertise:
“Expelling the traditionally wicked.”
“Sir!”
A shout from the rooftop.
Agent Choi hurls his blade into the air, the foxfire in his hands blazing like the sun.
Flames scorch even the deepest parts of the shattered shrine.
Aaaaaaaaah!
The humid darkness cultivated for the centipede vanishes in fire, replaced
by bright, warm energy.
Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
The centipede, its many human arms lost, opens its mouth again—but its epiphanies can no longer form coherent human speech.
Team Hyunmu’s structured calamity response pushes it further into a corner.
First: Purify the ritual space.
Eliminate conditions favorable for possession.
Second: Contain.
“Now!”
Agent Bronze’s bullets constrict around the shrine.
The centipede flails under the bright exposure, weakened by attacks that strike at its fundamental flaws—its elemental nature, its nature-bound essence.
And then comes the end.
Third:
“Sealing.”
The final bullet fires from Agent Bronze’s hand cannon.
Blessed by a powerful incantation and crafted at the Baridegi Artisan’s Workshop, it slots perfectly into the forehead of the being. Thuck.
From the entry point, its contents are sucked inward.
Oooooooooh!
The centipede compresses as if collapsing into a single point. Not just it—
the shrine, the cursed earth beneath, the brewing jars, its domain—all
collapse into the bullet.
Aaaaaah!
Its final shriek fades—
And ends.
…
Plop.
The blackened glass bullet falls into the crater where the shrine stood.
Now only fist-sized, its surface bears an engraving of the centipede. The deep, harsh etching glimmers briefly like the golden ink of the Nameless Radiance’s scripture, but then fades beneath the sealing spell. The bullet cools to a silvery sheen.
“…”
Agent Bronze picks it up, inspects it, then slips it into a pouch.
And declares—
“It is finished.”
“Phew!”
Agent Choi collapses onto the ground, still clutching his blade.
“Is everyone okay?”
“Yes. They’re stabilizing.”
The outsiders and villagers all either fainted or staggered around in a daze, their minds numbed by the absence of the truth the centipede once whispered to them.
The musicians had vanished, leaving only their instruments and clothes behind.
Beneath the clothes, occasionally, bones and soil peeked out…
And my eyes returned to Agent Choi.
“…”
He sat, quietly gazing at the shrine’s remnants.
‘…What’s he thinking?’
A spy doomed to die in a month if they don’t steal information from the bureau.
He almost died himself.
Yet this agent had rushed in with full preparation within a day to save me, risking his life— What must he be thinking?
“…”
I didn’t want to know.
Understanding that would bring thoughts I wasn’t ready to process.
I was sure of it.
And yet—
Just for a moment…
I kind of wanted to know.
“…Grapes.”
“…!”
“Wanna come over here?”
I walked toward him without a thought.
He didn’t look back, just reached behind him— Toward me.
“All done. Let’s head back.”
…
…
I took his hand.
He pulled me up with ease.
“Upsy-daisy!”
The same smile on his face as before.
Then came his usual bluster.
“Aigoo, my back. I take one day off and my kid disappears. Can’t catch a
break.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Grapes. The caller was clearly not in their right mind.
These things happen.”
“…”
“But don’t go doing anything reckless next time, okay?”
As if there’ll be a next time.
He says it so naturally.
“…Yes.”
Strange, but I felt like things had gotten better.
Even if nothing had actually been resolved.
“…”
My head cleared a bit.
“That’s the spirit. That’s Team Hyunmu for you!”
Agent Choi patted my back and went to check the sealed orb with Agent Bronze.
I let out a deep breath.
‘Yeah.’
I survived today.
And I even saw a traditional exorcism performed by real agents—maybe it
wasn’t such a bad day.
‘Everyone’s alive too.’
…I felt lighter.
The foxfire was gone, but the sun shone in the sky.
‘Hm.’
I glanced toward where the human sedan carriers had fallen— Of the four,
only three remained.
‘Baek Saheon.’
He had been standing to the left of the shrine— But he was gone.
Vanished sometime after things got weird.
‘Well… smart of him, actually.’
No, fleeing at that point was probably the best move. Still, now that I had some strength back, I felt annoyed. ‘I nearly died in his place…’
But his info from last night did help.
‘Guess he won’t be back.’
—You have to return every year. Otherwise, you go mad and hang yourself!
According to what Baek Saheon said at dawn, it seemed that the villagers had to return regularly to Jisan village to stay sane and escape the madness of the ‘truth of the world’.
But now, the centipede’s master was gone.
So maybe they’d improve.
‘Hmm.’
As I turned to look away, I noticed something odd. Something was at the spot where Baek Saheon stood. “…”
I stepped over and picked it up.
A small paper boat—an origami note?
‘Did he leave this?’
I pocketed it for later, and when I turned, I locked eyes with Agent Choi, who was staring at me.
“…”
“…”
Still smiling, he turned away and said casually: “Good thing we made it, huh? We came straight after finishing prep.”
“You could’ve arrived faster if you weren’t at Seoraksan. Why were you even there?”
“Ha… Thought I’d recover in some fresh mountain air.” Then he pointed.
“To our MVP for getting Grapeshere in time.”
There stood… Assistant Manager Eun Haje.
“Yes. He told us the shrine’s location right away.”
“…!”
He’d been waiting at the village entrance and pointed the agents to me immediately.
‘Even though she’s busy herself.’
I was grateful.
I tried not to stare too much.
“He recognized Bronze right away. Oh, he’s waving now.”
Eun Haje nodded slightly and slipped into the crowd.
Or so he thought.
But to someone with sharp enough eyes— He stood out.
“Shh.”
Agent Choi frowned.
“She’s heading to the abandoned house… hmm.” He tucked away his blade and fixed his clothes. “Let’s follow. Interesting destination… journalist, huh?” “Yes.”
“Good cover job, being a journalist…”
A chilling deduction.
‘She mustn’t get caught.’
I didn’t want either of them dragged deeper into Director Ho’s grasp.
That would be catastrophic.
“Hmm.”
Agent Choi looked me over.
“Grapes, if you want to rest…”
No.
“I’d like to come with you.”
“Alright. Let’s go.”
“…”
Did he notice?
Even if he didn’t, my stomach twisted from his kindness.
I followed them.
Soon, we found Assistant Manager Eun Haje leaning over a half-removed well cover.
“…Guess not.”
He muttered.
“Citizen? Are you looking for something?”
She looked up with a puzzled face.
“What’s with this normal bureaucrat act? Aren’t you like… from a comic?” “A comic…”
“If anything, 007 fits better. This guy here likes that comparison.” “Ha.”
Agent Choi slapped Bronze on the back and shushed him.
Bronze sighed.
Eun Haje shrugged.
“Don’t worry. I won’t say anything.”
“Thank you!”
But I saw the look the agents exchanged.
Soon, the Phoenix Team would arrive to ‘clean up’— Mass memory wipes were inevitable.
I just hoped Eun Haje got out in time.
Then, the real questioning began.
“So, what were you looking at in the well?”
“Rumors of some strange legend—something about a portal.”
She tapped the well.
“But nothing odd here.”
“Aha.”
Agent Choi nodded and pulled out a light. A lantern inhabited by a goblin.
Its red light illuminated the well’s shadows.
“There we go!”
“…Isn’t that overkill?”
“No no.”
Agent Choi smiled.
“This lantern senses danger too.”
“Ah.”
“See? When it blinks red—”
“It means?”
“There’s something inhuman nearby.”
“…”
“…”
“Who are you?”
Silence.
“You showed us here, but… you’re not human.”
“…”
The thing wearing Eun Haje’s face smiled warmly.
“You’re quick.”
“….!”
“Hello Agent! We’re old friends, right?”
“Agent Choi!”
Bronze moved to act, but Choi gestured him down.
The thing spoke sweetly with a gentle, kind expression that Eun Haje would never make.
“I asked him to do something else, but he ended up here. So I came to
help.”
Director Ho.
Whether he shapeshifted or puppeteered— It was him.
“Do you have something to say?”
No.
‘He’s purposely provoking us!’
Don’t engage. Bronze is here.
‘If Choi breaks his geas—’
It could be disastrous.
‘No.’
I grit my teeth, searching for a chance to interrupt. And then, just as I was about to speak— “This makes things easier. Since you already know.” Agent Choi lifted his blade and pointed pointed— At me. “…?!”
“Grapes.”
“Agent Choi, what are you—?”
Clink, clink.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“…”
“You’ll be okay now.”
Clink, clink.
“Your ban.”
“…!?”
What’s he saying all of a sudden, no, if he talks about it now…
….
‘…Wait a minute’
I realized.
He can’t speak of what happened last night— Not about me being a spy.
Not about leaking data.
Not even about having a ban.
‘All forbidden.’
But—
“Turns out, there’s something I can do.”
Revealing a teammate has a supernatural ban?
That’s not forbidden.
Breaking it?
Is allowed.
“…!”
“I had a hell of a time finding a mystic in Seoraksan, though.”
He looked to the sky.
“They’re here.”
Then
A strange being
A hogwi, huh
The back of my hand began to burn.
