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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Cataclysm (1)
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"Hey, corpse cleaner!"
Kang Sa-hu paused in the middle of embalming the body at the familiar voice and turned around.
The funeral service company employee he often saw due to their adjacent workplaces, Choi Kyung-do, was scowling just outside the morgue.
"You still not done? The work's piling up! Hurry the hell up."
"...Understood."
Kang Sa-hu replied flatly.
Choi Kyung-do's face twisted in annoyance at the sight.
"Hey, what's with that look? Got a problem or something?"
As the man tried to barge into the morgue wearing filthy shoes that hadn't been properly dusted off, Kang Sa-hu's impassive expression shifted, his eyes glinting coldly.
"The deceased hasn't even finished embalming yet. Are you trying to enter the embalming room right now?"
The atmosphere turned tense in an instant, a faint green glow flickering in Kang Sa-hu's eyes.
The moment their gazes met, Choi Kyung-do froze as a chill ran down his spine.
"W-What the hell, you damn corpse cleaner. Y-You're just a part-timer..."
"I asked if you were trying to come in."
When Kang Sa-hu pressed without backing down, Choi Kyung-do's face contorted.
But like a mouse before a cat, he couldn't utter a word, his body rigid as cold sweat poured down.
Kang Sa-hu, who had been staring him down, finally looked away.
"It'll be done soon. I'll make the deadline, so don't worry."
"...Hmph."
Only after his gaze lifted did Choi Kyung-do's stiff body relax as he sucked in a breath.
"Fucking hell! If you're late, you're fired, you creepy bastard!"
Bang!
Kang Sa-hu, about to resume the embalming, froze at the sound of the morgue door slamming shut.
His hardened expression sharpened murderously, the faint green glow in his eyes surging thick and long for a moment.
"...I'm truly sorry."
Kang Sa-hu murmured to himself in the now empty embalming room.
Surprisingly, a response came to his mutter.
I'm fine. I don't know what your deal is with that young man, but he's a real piece of work. He's the type to bring disaster on himself. So don't get too angry. It's scary seeing that fierce look even after death.
"I've shown you an embarrassing side. My apologies once more."
The entity responded to Kang Sa-hu's apology with a chuckle.
When he looked up at the corpse, a hazy yet powerfully soul-powered spirit hovered above it, gazing down at him.
Hahaha. It's not your fault, but I'll gladly accept the apology.
"Thank you."
Kang Sa-hu smiled faintly and resumed the embalming.
His quick yet meticulous and careful hands revealed just how long he'd been doing this work.
You're truly skilled.
"It's probably because my family has done this kind of work for three generations."
Is that so? But it's strange. You give off a vibe similar to our line of work, but much heavier and drier. Mind telling me what you do?
Kang Sa-hu's mouth shut at the sharp question from the spirit, who had been a renowned shaman in life.
Yet his hands moved independently of his head, embalming the body at a steady pace without slowing.
I'm just curious. I'm no longer among the living, you see. It'd be agonizing to depart with unanswered questions.
"..."
Kang Sa-hu's eyes wavered slightly at the spirit's earnest plea.
Sensing his internal debate on whether to speak seriously, the spirit didn't press.
After some contemplation, he made up his mind and opened his tightly shut mouth.
"Promise me you won't tell anyone else, and I'll let you know."
Oh my. Making promises to a soul that's left its flesh. Have you forgotten who it is you're embalming right now?
"I haven't forgotten. Just as I haven't forgotten who the spirit I'm talking to is."
The spirit's voice cut off at his response.
As if startled, it flickered side to side briefly.
A moment later, its voice returned, now solemn and low.
Impressive. To worry even after death. Very well. From this moment, I promise not to speak of your secret to anyone.
"Understood. Then I'll tell you."
He paused to catch his breath before speaking again.
"I'm a necromancer."
...Huh?
The spirit responded in surprise to Kang Sa-hu's answer.
The spirit, which had only flickered faintly before, now blazed like a will-o'-the-wisp, radiating soul power.
A summoner of strong spirits and controller of evil ones?! Indeed. That explains the familiar vibe. No, it's practically the same, isn't it?
"Similar, but not exactly the same."
Fascinating. Truly intriguing. What a shame. I would've loved to meet you in life.
The spirit wavered regretfully.
While they conversed, he continued carefully cleaning the body, and soon the final step of dressing it in the burial shroud began.
The lifeless corpse, now wiped clean of secretions and shrouded, looked almost as if merely sleeping—such was the care in the embalming.
Beautiful work. Looks better than in life.
"You flatter me. I'm glad it pleases you."
He ignored casual chit-chat but smiled faintly at such gratitude, letting the spirit sense his sincerity toward the job.
Once the burial's done, I really must depart.
"Yes. I'll ensure you pass peacefully all the way."
The spirit's voice grew faint and weak.
Gazing at it, Kang Sa-hu noted how the spirit, brimming with soul power moments ago upon learning he was a necromancer, now flickered like a dying flame.
Hearing its faint, pained whimper, he chanted an incantation in an unknown tongue with his usual stoic face.
As he finished and gently touched the spirit, its form, dwindling like a spent candle, regained its strong, clear shape.
...Thank you, young man.
"You can't weaken yet. Wouldn't it ease your heart to see your bloodline before departing on that long journey?"
Right you are. Yes. To think a shaman like me in life grew so soft-hearted.
Kang Sa-hu smiled faintly at the spirit's teasing remark.
After carefully moving the shrouded body to the funeral hall's back, Choi Kyung-do, with the bereaved family, waved him away dismissively as if shooing a fly while guiding them.
That damned flesh-bag.
"I hope you have a meaningful farewell."
Truly grateful. If only I could repay this kindness.
The spirit wanted to continue, but as the family entered, Kang Sa-hu bowed politely to them and stepped out.
With a break before the next body, he pulled out his phone, which he hadn't checked while working.
There were messages from family and friends, but he wasn't in the mood to reply and opened the internet instead.
The top news articles were all the same lately.
[Greetings. For several weeks now, mysterious portals have appeared simultaneously worldwide, putting nations on high alert.]
NewTube opened to a short video auto-playing, flooding him with info on the enigmatic portals scorching the world: gates.
But having heard it all before, Kang Sa-hu felt no interest and played the next one.
When gates first appeared, doomsayers ran wild and crime spiked dramatically, with talks of the world ending.
Yet months later, the gates showed no change.
Those who acted out on anxiety faced due punishment, so people carried on daily life amid unease.
Some even claimed the gates were conspiracy theorists' delusions.
Skipping to other videos, Kang Sa-hu's finger paused at new info catching his eye.
[Reports flooding police stations worldwide: 'I've been chosen as an awakener.']
"Those people claiming to be awakeners the past few days, huh."
They said they'd selected a card at awakening to choose a class, gaining special powers.
NewTube had videos showing off abilities, but they were quickly taken down.
Intriguing news, but most dismissed it as lies, blaming gate-induced chaos.
Uploaded just a minute ago, it was already a top issue with over 300k views.
[The cause is unknown, but confirmed simultaneous worldwide.]
Dismissible as fiction, yet gates proved real.
Plus, real-time uploads made it hard to call mere fakes.
Above all, as a necromancer hiding his powers from normals, Kang Sa-hu couldn't outright deny it.
"...Awakener, huh."
Deciding to look into it more, he started searching—
Suddenly, an odd sensation made his head snap around.
Kaboom!
A deafening roar he'd never heard erupted beyond the hospital across from the funeral home.
"What the—?"
Turning, he saw a 20-story apartment past the hospital collapse like in a movie.
"Kyaaahhh!!"
"What's happening?! What is this?!"
"The world's ending! Alien invasion!"
People rushed out, screaming and panicking.
The explosions didn't stop.
No, even more horrifying and bizarre phenomena unfolded beyond the collapsing building and blasts.
Crack!
Glass shattering echoed like thunder from the sky.
All eyes turned upward at the tremendous sound.
Above the crumbling apartment, black spiderweb cracks spread across the sky, shattering.
Weee-ooweee-oo!
Sirens blared ear-piercingly soon after.
Phones buzzed with emergency alerts and blaring alarms.
Checking the message:
[National Safety Agency Alert. Mysterious portals turning red and exploding. Unknown monsters appearing. Citizens, evacuate immediately.]
"Uwaaak! The sky's breaking!"
"Mom, where are you?! Buildings collapsing here! Be careful!"
In the surreal 'sky shattering' chaos, pandemonium reigned.
Kang Sa-hu grabbed his phone to call family when lightning-like agony pierced his skull.
"Grrgh?!"
He clutched his temples in shock.
It felt like every pain he'd ever known hit at once.
Tears blurred his vision reflexively.
The excruciating torment halted thought, tears clouding sight, so
Kang Sa-hu couldn't tell if the message before his eyes...
You have been selected as an Awakener.
...was reality or illusion.
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