I’m the Only One Who Can’t See Ghosts

11 – Louisville

* * *

I looked up at the small studio apartment and thought.

Is this Louisville… no, Louisville?

Me, who had dropped out of high school and had to leave the facility. With very little money, I tried to find the cheapest accommodation possible.

“I thought it would be the cheapest to stay in a boarding house.”

But it turned out that maybe a studio apartment was the cheapest accommodation. Including maintenance fees, the monthly rent was only 600,000 won, a very cheap room, so I rushed to the real estate office and signed the contract.

There were suspicious clauses like “contract termination not possible even if a ghost appears” and “contract cancellation not possible after signing,” but it didn’t matter. The contract was legally perfect.

“There might be ghosts.”

Otherwise, there’s no way a studio apartment in Seoul would be this cheap.

But it didn’t matter to me at all.

After all, I can’t even see ghosts, so what does it matter.

I’d rather have a really strong demon so that I can feel what it’s like to be a ghost.

And it was good to have a cheap room so that I wouldn’t be caught not being able to see ghosts.

Because people who live in a place like this are not powerful psychics.

The ones who earn a lot of money don’t live in a place like this.

That’s how I entered Louisville.

Upon entering, I immediately met an old man.

“Who are you? You don’t seem to be from Ilwol-ro.”

“Oh, hello. I’m Yoo Hajin, who just moved in today. Since I’m a youngster with no money to spare, I can’t really offer you anything fancy. This piece of garbage is about all I have…”

“Garbage?”

The old man looked at the garbage bag with a weak expression. Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea to give the bag of garbage to the neighbor as a gift.

As I climbed the stairs, I heard the sound of someone kicking the door. A woman wearing a slightly oversized suit was staring at me, mumbling to herself.

“What an odd expression.”

“Huh?”

“An odd question!”

Hm, this woman looked like she had a screw loose. It was as if she had been possessed by a ghost in her youth. Perhaps her parents had abandoned her or she was penniless, unable to find a place to stay. Like me, she had been left to fend for herself in a cheap office suite.

It was pitiful to see her looking around, but at least she had a newfound charm due to her unusual appearance.

The old man who had followed me up the stairs spoke up.

“Ah, that child calls herself ‘Nau.’ Be careful with what she says. She might cause trouble if she doesn’t have any special skills. That child is a natural airhead…”

“Ah, I see. Poor thing.”

She must have been abandoned because she couldn’t work or because she didn’t have any money to hire a medium. Whatever the reason, it was clear that she had been left to her own devices.

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I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her as I handed her a chocolate bar.

“Here, have a chocolate.”

She mumbled with a mouthful of chocolate.

“Thank you kindly.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Hey, you. Do you understand what this child is saying? I only understand a little bit now.”

The old man asked, looking a bit flustered.

“Yes, to some extent. Her speech is a bit strange, though.”

“Holy cow! Did she really say that?”

“More or less.”

As I conversed with the neighbors, I arrived at my room, 302. From now on, this eight-tatami-sized office would be my home.

It was when I was trying to unpack in the room.

“Hey, you!”

Jamsun came running and scolded me. Oh, so Jamsun also lives here. It feels like the daughter of the man I met today.

“Tsk, I won’t waste my energy on someone like you. I’m leaving.”

Jamsun made a hand sign just like the ninjas in Naruto. It seemed to have a decent form, making me think it would be okay to be an actor.

“Activation of principles. Eternal Flame Technique!”

Of course, nothing happened.

What should I do in a situation like this?

“Heh, Activation of principles. Soul Leaping Jin!”

Again, Jamsun changed the hand sign and shouted something. But nothing happened. I should show some kind of reaction soon.

“Why, how come? In that case, Yin-Yang Reversal. Sacred Fire Burst!”

“Ugh, I failed.”

“Did you defeat me?”

I pretended to collapse. Then Jamsun smiled widely and jumped up and down. It’s quite cute to see a kid who looks like a middle school student enjoying themselves like that. Is this why I’m playing with kids?

“It’s fine. Yin-Yang Reversal worked!”

“Hmph. Say that I’ve been defeated again and even the dead will come back to life and attack you.”

“What, what?”

Jamsun looked at me with a surprised expression.

This kid really plays with all their heart when they’re having fun.

“I didn’t expect to be cornered like this.”

Suddenly, Jamsun’s expression became serious. Honestly, I’m starting to get intrigued by what kind of performance Jamsun will show. Jamsun made the hand sign like a ninja once again.

“Opening of the gate. Paradise View…”

“That’s enough of that! Are you planning to exhaust yourself for no reason and cause chaos in the world?!”

And Jamsun’s performance ended with the appearance of the man. Jamsun made a mocking sound and looked at the man.

“Don’t interfere!”

“What grudge do you have against that man? Are you planning to create confusion in the world without any reason by displaying your cowardly behavior while claiming to live for honor and justice?”

“Hah, don’t act like there’s no reason. I don’t want to hear anything from you who shows a cowardly appearance while saying you live for honor and justice.”

“…!”

I understand from their conversation.

They are not family.

And as I looked around this officetel, it seemed that there were only three people living here: Jamsoon, the old man, and even the crazy woman. So Jamsoon is also an abandoned child, it seems.

Well, it’s an unavoidable world.

I said with a smile.

“Sir, please don’t scold her too much. Playing with Jamsoon was fun for me.”

“What? You find her attacks amusing?”

“Jamsoon. I can tell just by looking that you don’t even go to school, so come play tomorrow too. I’ll show you something fun.”

“What, what?”

The old man and Jamsoon were taken aback.

And I was contemplating what to eat for dinner.

That’s how a day in Lua Ville passed.

* * *

Park Il, the leader of the guild Ilwol Five Misfortunes and a powerhouse who is the embodiment of the sun, took a deep breath after downing tequila. In his hand was a trash bag given to him by a person named Yu Hajin.

“What is this guy?”

A man named Yu Hajin gave him a trash bag. Park Il could only wonder why Yu Hajin gave him a trash bag.

“He’s definitely an extraordinary guy.”

There was only one answer. The corrupt leaders of Ilwol Five Misfortunes. To compare them to trash and for himself, their leader, to clean them up.

＜Ilwol Five Misfortunes leader, Park Juho, is he the true owner of Cheonsu and Jiwan?＞

＜Ilwol Five Misfortunes leader, Park Jusin, no charges in a large fire incident in Gyeonggi Province. Unavoidable damages caused while dealing with demons. Estimated death toll exceeds 1,600…＞

Among them were his own children.

Park Il clenched the trash bag with a bitter smile.

The trash bag had completely turned into ashes.

It was a very provocative remark.

To dare to tell his father to handle his own child. And to show such words to himself, one of the three supreme beings who had removed the existence of the queen.

Park Il felt anger but also admired that man. Park Il spent his whole life pursuing honor and justice, and he knows that the person who grew his own body, which was once just a small spark, into the sun.

“Well, honestly, I quite like it.”

A sight of someone displaying courage for his own justice.

Park Il liked that courage.

And the fact that he can understand Nayu’s words or effortlessly withstand the attacks from Yeongjon, he had to acknowledge that power as well.

Park Il decided to keep an eye on that man.

* * *

Today, a girl who was called “Jamsooni” stood in the sky and looked at someone. They were assassins, who sacrificed their own lives to take the lives of others, known as assassins.

Silently, Kim Sojin sat down on the grassy field.

In response, the startled assassins shouted,

“Prepare for battle! The witch has descended!”

“Everyone, make a vow and raise your abilities!”

A vow, making an oath and pledge with one’s own soul. By making such a vow (誓願), like the geas (Geas) in Celtic mythology, one gains restrictions but can summon even stronger power. However, Kim Sojin was not strong enough to make a vow against such individuals.

However, Kim Sojin waited for the assassin’s vows.

And then the battle began.

“Principle activation. Lotus Eternal Dew (蓮花永續露).”

Those who use the principles of the soul fight in three main ways. Firstly, they can summon a powerful, subjugated soul to attack the opponent.

Lotus Eternal Dew was exactly that kind of technique. It was an eternal lotus created by gathering the souls of lotus flowers that she had collected. The dew that forms on the lotus is sweet nectar to the soul.

“Damn it. The soul users have lost control!”

“That technique, it’s the skill of the Celestial Bond River!”

The instinctual soul users consumed that dew, and in doing so, their souls became bound to Kim Sojin. Eventually, they completely lost their minds and began attacking their own comrades.

“What the hell! Why is that witch using the technique of the Celestial Bond River?!”

It was nothing more than a poor imitation of the Celestial Bond River technique.

However, the authors were unaware of this fact.

Some soul users who resisted temptation and close-combat fighters and martial arts practitioners rushed towards Kim Sojin.

Kim Sojin was just a young girl.

It was clear that close combat would not be her strong point.

However, Kim Sojin calmly demonstrated the second method of fighting for those who possessed the principles of the soul.

“Principle activation. Soul Encircling Formation (靈魂周天陣).”

The second method was to attack the opponent’s soul itself.

A user of the principles of the soul gains stronger control over a soul that is physically close to them.

Therefore, she could remove the soul while leaving the body behind and use its power, or she could capture the soul as a prisoner. The soul users who had attempted to engage in close combat all lost their own souls.

“Good. Let’s start!”

With those words, long-range attacks began to fly towards her. It seemed like the higher-ranking disciples or elders of the Kigongpa had arrived. Kim Sojin smirked and muttered,

“Reversal of Yin and Yang, the Tower of Enlightenment (成佛鍾樓).”

All souls are composed of yin and yang. However, most ability users can only use abilities that belong to the yang essence. But a small number of monsters who have reached the extreme can also use abilities that belong to the yin essence of the soul.

Just as Bakil, who possessed the essence of the sun, could use the power of the moon through the reversal of yin and yang, just as Nayu, a shaman who resonated with the heavens, could resonate with the earth, Kim Sojin, an exceptional sorceress, could reverse her own principles.

It was the reversal of Yin and Yang.

And this was the third method.

Only the sound of bells, audible only to souls, spread loudly and reversed all attacks towards Kim So-jin. All forms of incoming spiritual power were reversed.

And those attacks were poured onto the shamans and exorcists. They were destroyed, hit by their own spells and flesh, and vanished soul by soul without even a trace of regret.

A powerful force that could destroy a faction.

That powerful force was completely annihilated in less than 10 minutes.

Kim So-jin looked at the only surviving being.

“Dirty Oil Coating.”

Dirty Oil Coating. It was a technique to summon impurities and apply them to the body. When impurities were applied to the body, one could defend against the opponent’s spiritual abilities, which all souls despised.

Of course, until the impurities were removed, one could not use their own abilities. And…

“If impurities are applied to the body, the soul gradually erodes and weakens their abilities.”

“But I have survived the longest, haven’t I? This much should be bearable.”

“You have great courage.”

Kim So-jin acknowledged this man. He was willing to apply such terrifying impurities to his body just to survive. That’s why she murmured like this.

“Then, I will show you my most powerful technique.”

Kim So-jin formed a contract.

And shouted.

“Gwimun Gaehyeon, Geuknak Bojeonmun.”

The surviving man thought as he watched the Gwimun opening behind the girl. There was no way to defeat her. This fight was foolish from the beginning.

That’s how the 20-minute battle ended.

After finishing the battle, Kim So-jin thought.

“That man told me to come back tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, I will definitely win.

With that determination, Kim So-jin rose up into the sky.