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Translator: penny
Chapter: 007
Chapter Title: Fish Fall from the Purgatory Sky
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It felt like the blood in his veins had frozen solid, beyond merely cooling.
There was a shaman called the Vacant Shrine Maiden who served Hitler, and that shaman had entered the political world because of the MacArthur Shrine Maiden's disappearance.
From the circumstances, the MacArthur Shrine Maiden, the Vacant Shrine Maiden, and even the shaman beside them all belonged to an organization called the Divine Martial Association.
And the one who killed the MacArthur Shrine Maiden was An Young-hee.
'I thought she was just dead, but that counted as exorcism?'
He hadn't performed any exorcism ritual.
Just killing the soul might qualify as exorcism in its own way.
Once he got the keywords, he could dig up the rest from the Purgatory Wiki.
An Young-hee focused on the conversation coming from beside him.
"We don't know the cause of death for the MacArthur Shrine Maiden either. Wasn't it the shamans who set up the barrier at Dobong Mountain?"
"Who doesn't know that? I'm just here to pass on the info. As a bit of advice from our long acquaintance, you should be careful. The lunatics from the deepest pits of hell are starting to stir, one by one."
Squelch.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow and sticky, like moving through water.
The eerie dissonance made An Young-hee almost turn his head.
He found the answer on the other side of the floor.
An Young-hee was sitting in a hallway chair, and in reality, there was nothing beside it.
Beside the Purgatory chair was a massive water droplet, with two shadows inside.
One shadow emerged from the droplet.
Splash.
The sound of something climbing out of water onto land.
'Guess it's safe to look up now.'
A woman in modernized hanbok stood there, a greatsword strapped to her back larger than her torso.
She appeared to be a shaman serving the Super Tyrant King.
The person talking to the shaman was someone An Young-hee recognized.
The civil servant dressed as an Afterlife Officer.
Her name tag read Kim Se-yeon.
The woman recognized An Young-hee too.
"Here for the beginner support program?"
"Yes."
"Perfect timing. Come on in with me."
"Is that okay?"
"I'm the instructor for today."
There was no room to refuse.
An Young-hee walked down the hallway with her.
The City Hall basement level 7 hallway looked perfectly normal on the surface.
The floor had several water droplets like the ones Kim Se-yeon and the shaman had entered, and people were conversing inside some of them.
There were name-tagged civil servants and sorcerers decked out in ornaments.
"It's a special technique. Directly linked to Purgatory, it blocks all eavesdropping. Only the Korean government uses it."
"The government's pretty impressive, then. Everyone I meet keeps stressing that messing around means death."
"Yeah. I'll explain that during the lecture. Too much to cover here."
Kim Se-yeon was a talkative person.
Or maybe the explanatory type?
"We go in and out of Purgatory, but it's strictly separated from reality. Connecting them is no small feat."
"I see."
"Dobong Mountain's a pain. Newly entered souls are fragile, so you have to handle them with extreme care. Can't even speak freely."
"And yet I got left alone."
"There were no people nearby, right? That area's a pseudo-sacred site with extremely low Death Qi, so sorcerers and ghosts avoid it. Barely any anomalies. There are other traits too, but not for here— you'll learn if you become a civil servant. Want to?"
A job offer in this tough job market.
"I heard civil servant spots are scarce these days."
"We're special civil servants with fat allowances. Hazard pay included."
Before inheriting Kim Cheol-su's fortune, he might have been tempted.
Now An Young-hee owned artifacts worth tens of billions and a three-story underground property.
'Can't sell the property, though.'
Trying to sell it might get him hauled in by the government.
Not a big deal. Just don't sell.
Room 705, where the lecture was held, was utterly ordinary.
Except for the lockers in the back stuffed full of Death Qi.
"We've got time. Wait here. Check the Purgatory Wiki or whatever. Seen the chat boards already?"
"Purgatory Wiki. Can I trust it?"
"Anyone can edit, so don't fully trust it, but it's mostly reliable. Government offices correct major errors. Some edit to atone for sins too."
"Buddhist sins? Editing the wiki cleanses them?"
"Those sins, yeah. And editing does reduce them a tiny bit. Like a mouse's toenail scrap."
21st-century hell had a high-tech system for atoning sins via wiki edits.
"Can you wiki your way to heaven?"
"You'd need an insane amount of edits. And strict moderation."
Kim Se-yeon didn't say it was impossible.
He wanted to ask about the conversation he'd overheard, but it was just eavesdropping, so no.
As lecture time neared, more people trickled in until six trainees including An Young-hee filled the seats.
Kim Se-yeon closed the door and stepped to the electronic blackboard.
As it powered on, she spoke.
"You all know my face, right? Everyone except one was at Dobong Mountain."
Kim Se-yeon glanced at a boy who looked under twenty.
"Just get on with it."
The boy shot her a hostile look.
Unlike the others, he carried several Death Qi-infused items.
'Backworld family? Organization?'
Why was someone from such a group in a government beginner program?
Not An Young-hee's concern.
The board lit up.
"This program's mostly practical, but first, basic history. Essential sorcery knowledge—pay attention unless you wanna drop dead."
Kim Se-yeon manipulated the board to display a screen.
World's Strongest: Republic of Korea.
The bold letters you'd see in some nationalist video.
"Korea's Purgatory forces are strong. Officially Asia's best, top-tier globally. Know why?"
"No answers here."
The boy said.
"Just like Yoo Shin-hwa says."
Yoo Shin-hwa glared again, but Kim Se-yeon didn't flinch.
"The entire Korean civilization is dying. News and docs cover it: rock-bottom birth rates, record temps yearly, disasters, social issues."
"That won't kill a civilization."
A bespectacled guy An Young-hee's age. Looked like he'd be back in school.
"Maybe not. No one knows for sure. It's from analyzing indicators. Just remember: Korea's strong. Death Qi's insanely dense. Sorcerers and mages flock here worldwide, and locals have standout talent."
The screen flipped.
The Birth of Purgatory and the Fall of Mysteries.
"Purgatory appeared about twenty years ago. Exact date unknown. No one monitored it then—who'd check daily and announce the link? Pre-Purgatory had mysteries: sorcery, magic, martial arts. Then Purgatory hit, and they all crashed. Why? Yoo Shin-hwa."
"Why me!"
"Came for anchors and dolls? Earn your keep."
Yoo Shin-hwa seemed here for program-provided items.
Don't backworld folks make bank?
'Not my business.'
Some make money, some don't.
He got it.
Yoo Shin-hwa grumbled.
"Most systems consumed vitality."
"Vitality: life force from living things. Ginseng, bear bile—crystallized vitality. Pre-Purgatory mysteries used lots of vitality, little Death Qi. Purgatory brought easy mass Death Qi."
Hard-to-get vitality.
Easy-to-get Death Qi.
Which is more efficient?
Obvious answer, no thought needed.
Vitality methods became fringe.
Death Qi methods dominated.
Forbidden ways became standard.
All mysteries redefined, still being redefined.
"Overhauling systems, we added internet, computers, AI. High-tech sorcery era. That's the basics everyone needs."
Screen changed.
Various sorcery materials explained.
"Go grab from the back. Requested for ten, leftovers again."
Curious, An Young-hee asked.
"Expecting ten participants?"
"Irregular program. Run when fifty-plus qualify."
"Fifty?"
"Minimum headcount. Backworld, state-run. Suspicious, right?"
"Very."
"So we cap conservatively."
Government program for backworld newbies.
Stinks of suspicion.
If not for years on the chat boards vouching safety, An Young-hee wouldn't be here.
Chain-attached anchor keychain, animal doll, A4 talisman, dried earthworms, handful of brown bone dust labeled as such.
An Young-hee's materials.
Board advanced.
"First, infuse Death Qi into the anchor. Success? Follow steps: plant anchor, send doll to Purgatory."
Yoo Shin-hwa, college guy, middle-aged uncle—everyone but An Young-hee drew Death Qi from their hands into anchors.
An Young-hee just blinked.
Kim Se-yeon approached.
"Problem?"
"Don't know how to handle Death Qi."
"Usually instinctive with spirit sight. Hm. One sec."
She stepped out.
'Instinctive awakening.'
Like an epiphany at death's door.
Reaching Purgatory means soul neared reaper lands.
Equivalent to brushing death.
Spirit sight opens, Death Qi handling awakens.
Made sense.
But not for An Young-hee.
'I traverse Purgatory bare-bodied unscathed.'
Maybe he never had that awakening.
Just a guess.
An Young-hee watched others.
Yoo Shin-hwa progressed fast; the other four steadily completed.
Infuse anchor, stuff bone-dusted dried worm in doll mouth.
Open doll back zipper, insert talisman.
Death Qi enveloped doll. An Young-hee saw more.
Doll appeared in opposite Purgatory.
Anchor chain wrapped doll; thread linked real and Purgatory dolls.
Temporary Purgatory body complete.
Yoo Shin-hwa stood by An Young-hee.
"Mister, not doing it? Gimme yours."
"You homeless or what?"
Boy flushed.
Pure reaction untouched by worldly wear.
So honest to teasing, makes teaser feel rewarded.
Explains Kim Se-yeon's jabs.
Door opened; Kim Se-yeon returned.
"All taxpayer-funded gear. Set costs over four million won."
An Young-hee widened eyes at his stuff.
Others making dolls reacted similarly.
Explanatory Kim detailed it.
"Anchor's priciest. Fixed anchors a hassle to process."
Thud.
Small wooden plaque with yin-yang and eight trigrams dropped before An Young-hee.
"Induction tool. Just touch."
Hand on it, Death Qi flowed from fingertips as he willed.
Doll-making was easy.
Kindergarten craft level.
All trainees' dolls done, An Young-hee included.
Kim Se-yeon tossed red flower to room corner.
Death Qi from flower drew pattern on floor.
'Not hanja, magic circle?'
Fair enough—AI sorcery era, no rule against Korean sorcerers using magic.
"Go to Purgatory, harvest one spirit herb from City Hall farm. That's today's lesson. Each worth about two million won. Take post-lecture. Sell at sixth-floor counter for cash."
College guy, uncle, even quiet ones gawked.
Two million cash.
Tempting even for An Young-hee with billions in artifacts.
Unsellsable artifacts are baggage; cash always good.
"Don't resist the Death Qi. Going."
Death Qi from An Young-hee's doll linked to his forehead.
Vision shifted; he opened eyes in Purgatory.
Wondered if cotton doll body would work—felt identical to real.
Chest felt warm.
Doll's Death Qi formed body; doll as core.
Others but Yoo Shin-hwa inspected their bodies in awe.
"Looks good. Follow."
Under Kim Se-yeon's lead, they harvested a herb from City Hall backyard farm.
"Sorcery civil servant? Regular supply of those. Starts at grade 6. Talent? Grade 5."
"Grade 5 like higher civil exam?"
Kim Se-yeon caught college guy's words sharply.
"Exactly. Purgatory access puts you at the starting line of someone's blood-sweat effort. Grade 6 is regular civil servant retirement. Someone's decades, your start."
Her sales pitch looked desperate, but probably not illusion.
Kim Cheol-su's workshop items showed sorcery wasn't lawless fun.
Yoo Shin-hwa, pre-affiliated, ignored her too.
These folks might bail if they knew sorcery reality.
Others seemed hooked, though.
"Sorcery civil servant: simple aptitude test, instant hire. Always recruiting."
End of pitch; Kim prepped return magic.
Completed spell dispersed unsaid. Magic circle smoked away.
Kim Se-yeon's face hardened.
WoooEEEEE—!
🚨 EMERGENCY ALERT 🚨
EMERGENCY ALERT. EMERGENCY ALERT.
Grade 1 Purgatory Disaster Activated.
All sorcerers in Seoul are hereby forcibly mobilized. Non-compliance with government measures may result in national sanctions.
The red sky turned black.
From the cosmic darkness above, something fell like rain.
Plip. Patter.
"Fish?"
Yoo Shin-hwa yelled at college guy reaching for one.
"Idiot, don't touch!"
College guy yanked back.
A fish hit the shoulder of the noose-scarred young woman.
Contact point blackened; her body darkened, sucked into the ground.
"...Didn't expect a disaster too. Back to City Hall. They won't draft you guys."
"Wh-what just happened?!"
Uncle's question got a curt reply, uncharacteristic of her.
"She died."