I'm the Only One Who Can't See Ghosts-Chapter 121: Alone in the Cave (6)
The Seonghwa Jin Clan advanced through the Deungseon Cave faster than any other faction. It was only natural—Seonghwa Jin Clan knew this place well enough to even possess a map of it.
And alongside them, a girl often called “Chick” by others trudged forward, trying to conceal her anxious expression.
Jinari didn’t want to show weakness in front of the retainers.
‘I can’t show a pathetic side in front of the retainers…’
Still, her hands were trembling.
That song she’d heard earlier—what was it?
‘Arat chachara libidabibim, bara likandengan dendando wara… that’s all I remember.’
What language was that even?
She didn’t know. But the fact that even she couldn’t understand it clearly marked it as dangerous. A being who could chant such a thing had to be either a highly skilled ascetic—or a malicious spirit.
‘But there was nothing there.’
The realization gave Jinari goosebumps.
And that wasn’t the only thing unsettling her.
There was something in a hidden passage—one known only to the hereditary exorcists, a passage that only the Seonghwa Jin Clan would know now, since the exorcists were long gone.
Inside it was... a snack bag. A crumpled bag of Ectoplasm Potato Chips, the latest craze.
Empty, no less.
Even if it had been an old item, its presence would’ve been odd. But this? A snack released just a few weeks ago?
It was far too bizarre.
“This is strange,” one of the retainers muttered. “Miss Jinari, this way.”
“...I was told Deungseon Cave had no paranormal phenomena.”
“Well, times change, and so do the rules of common sense.”
“Still... it’s strange, but not paranormal, is it? There’s no spiritual energy coming off this thing. It just looks like a regular item.”
By all appearances, it was ordinary. But somehow, it wasn’t.
‘What the hell is this???’
But the retainers merely shook their heads.
“Miss, the item itself is not what matters.”
And that was only the beginning. There were far too many things here that defied explanation.
Had this been a proper paranormal suppression mission, they would’ve retreated four times over by now. Easily.
Yet the retainers pressed on, like they didn’t care if they died here.
And so, Jinari couldn’t stop either.
She had to preserve her dignity—as the Young Mistress of the house.
Murmuring quietly under her breath, Jinari said:
“Not scared at all.”
The Seonghwa Jin Clan group was now nearing the end of the cave. And the closer they got to the end, the more tense the retainers became.
“I really am not scared, but…”
Her hands were shaking. Her shoulders tensed. But still—she moved forward.
‘What could be at the end of this cave?’
Honestly, she hoped it was something anyone could see—a ghost, a vengeful spirit, even a demon.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, the lead retainer of Seonghwa Jin Clan pushed open the final chamber door.
“W-wait! Shouldn’t we prep a little more before we open it? You know, better safe than sorry—”
But before Jinari could finish her protest, the door had already been opened.
Inside, there was nothing.
No—more accurately, there were countless wandering souls and the shards of shattered clay jars.
“Phew. Ahem. What a letdown. Nothing at all.”
Jinari quickly put on a haughty expression.
But her retainers looked grimmer than ever.
Then one of them—Kim Sook-yu, her old nanny who had cared for her since childhood—spoke up cautiously.
“This has gotten complicated.”
“Nanny, what is it this time?”
In response to Jinari’s question, Kim Sook-yu answered:
“This place was originally meant for the Ascension Ritual, conducted with a ‘Time’. But someone shattered the ‘Time’. It’s a vessel infused with a powerful curse—only someone of Earth-level or higher could’ve broken it. I don’t understand how…”
So that meant… the ritual couldn’t be conducted?
Jinari felt both disappointment and relief—a strange mix of emotions—as she spoke to her nanny.
“Oh well. It’s not like everyone who becomes an Earthly Immortal passes through Deungseon Cave. Actually, most don’t…”
So, she thought, she could still become one someday.
That hope was all she had.
“Let’s prepare to leave.”
“No, Miss. You will achieve ascension today, before you leave.”
“Wait, is there another way?”
Her nanny replied calmly:
“Yes. But it’s a painful one.”
“...Painful?”
Nanny Kim hesitated for a moment, then spoke:
“Miss, what does the character Si (尸) mean?”
“It refers to what must be discarded to ascend into an immortal. That’s why Earthly Immortals are sometimes called Shihaeseon (尸解仙), right?”
“Are there other meanings?”
“I think it can also mean a ritual corpse, or refer to young boys or child servants.”
Nanny Kim nodded slowly at her answer.
“Do you know why the character Si (尸) came to also mean a child or servant?”
“I… I’m not sure. I’ve been so busy managing the Heavenly Grounds lately…”
“Then allow me to explain why Si came to represent a child servant.”
Kim Sook-yu asked quietly.
“Miss, have you ever heard of Taeju or the Taejagwi?”
Jinari frowned slightly.
“Nanny, are you seriously underestimating me right now? Sure, I’m not a Earthly Immortal, but among the practitioners just below that rank, I’m one of the most knowledgeable. Of course I know what Taeju is.”
Taeju. Also called Saetani in old traditions. In Japan, it’s known as Kotoribako. In Korea, some shamanic sects referred to it as Yeommae. A deeply rooted ritual exclusive to shamans.
With a smug expression, Jinari said confidently:
“It’s that old ritual, right? Where shamans took orphaned or abandoned children, locked them inside a jar, then teased them with food while starving them, ultimately turning them into a Jugu—a spiritual vessel used for dark arts.”
Then Jinari’s voice dropped a little, as if sensing something wrong.
“It’s a cruel and forbidden ritual, but the shamans who practiced it supposedly attained significant power. Some say their achievements were so great that even commoners were elevated to shamanic ranks. That’s why the Master of Cheonji had to step in and ban it. Too many children were sacrificed...”
Her words trailed off.
Why had her nanny suddenly brought up Taeju?
As silence fell over them, Kim Sook-yu’s voice calmly continued.
“Miss… doesn’t it strike you as strange? That someone could attain enlightenment just by using the soul of a mere child?”
“...Now that you mention it, it is strange.”
“Think just a little deeper, and you’ll see. The focus of the ritual wasn’t the child’s soul—it was always the caster’s own soul.”
Nanny Kim went on with unsettling composure.
“To torture a child over days, drive them to death—that level of cruelty tears away at the caster’s soul. By discarding the part of themselves that belongs to humanity, they leave behind only the untainted truth. That is the true core of the ritual. That is why the character Si (尸)—‘corpse’—also came to mean ‘child’ or ‘servant.’”
Then she turned and stared at the broken jar on the floor.
“So, Miss… it’s time for you to discard your Si (尸).”
Only then did Jinari realize something disturbing.
Most of the so-called retainers who had accompanied her—were her age, or younger.
She had assumed the elders had just assigned her a group of peers to make her feel more comfortable. But now it was clear—they were meant to be sacrificed.
For her enlightenment.
“Nanny, wait. No—I have talent! I passed the Cheonji admission test! I don’t need to become a Earthly Immortal like this!”
Panic overtook Jinari as she looked around at the children.
But none of them tried to flee.
Even in fear, they stayed where they were.
Silently, they began picking up pieces of the shattered jar.
“Th-this is an order from your Young Mistress! All of you, get out of here!”
But no one obeyed.
Even her nanny, Kim Sook-yu, had picked up a shard. From it, a thick aura of demonic energy began to pulse.
“I’ve cared for you since you were small, Miss. More than anyone, I know just how talented you are. You’re not lacking—you’re just afraid. Afraid to spread your wings.”
“Th-that’s not true. Nanny, I…”
“I know. You’re scared. Because the more your phoenix blood awakens, the more your human heart fades—and the phoenix’s mind takes its place.”
Jinari had no response.
And Kim Sook-yu continued without pause.
“...But still, Miss. Or rather, O Phoenix Descendant…”
As the demonic energy was fed spiritual power, it surged violently.
The divine beast—the Phoenix, who naturally abhors all that is wicked—began reacting.
If Jinari were struck by one of those shards… the Phoenix blood within her could go berserk.
“Cast away your humanity and ascend as a divine being.”
But the children—and her nanny—did not stop.
And then, with no hesitation…
They swung the jagged shards of the jar at her.
* * *
As I followed behind the Seonghwa Jin Clan group, I thought to myself:
“Come on. Even the jar’s been shattered—what could possibly go wrong?”
“…Is that blood?”
But the smell in the air quickly proved me wrong.
Why was there the stench of blood?
What the hell happened?
Without wasting a second, I sprinted toward the final chamber of the Deungseon Cave.
“...Holy crap.”
It was utter chaos.
The members of Seonghwa Jin Clan were sprawled across the floor, twitching like fish out of water—while Chick, the girl, stood drenched in blood, smiling.
“Yes, of course. When offering a sacrifice, it should always be a burnt offering, shouldn’t it?”
As Chick twisted her hand, the screams of the Seonghwa Jin Clan members grew louder.
‘What the hell is going on? What’s wrong with her all of a sudden?!’
I ran in to put out the fire consuming them.
Well—pretended to put it out, to be exact.
And surprisingly, the people’s thrashing started to die down, like some kind of invisible something—some Invisi-fire—was actually being extinguished.
Then the crazy chick looked at me and said:
“Who are you? Are you… human?”
“Chick, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me?”
“Chick? I’m not Chick anymore.”
“Sure you are. Your name’s Jinari, remember?”
At my reply, Chick let out a low, sinister giggle.
“No, that’s not what I meant… Look at me. Do I look like some lowly human? Haven’t you heard of the Suzaku and the Phoenix—the kings of all firebirds?”
All I could see was a pink-haired girl.
But damn, the attitude.
Then again, Chick had always had a bit of a nasty streak.
I mean, she randomly picked a fight back at Pyeon Station for no reason.
I ignored her smug theatrics.
But when I didn’t play along, Chick waved her hand again—and the people on the ground screamed once more in agony.
“You’re insane. STOP IT, Chick!”
I spun around, doing my patented windmill move, pretending to extinguish the invisible fire.
Surprisingly, it seemed to work again. Their screaming started to fade.
“What the hell is wrong with you?! Why are you doing this?”
“Why do I need a reason to burn my enemies? Step aside. If not, I’ll consider you one of them. Don’t expect mercy just because we’re both human.”
“What do you mean both human? You’re human too!”
This was absolute nonsense.
What, did she catch a case of middle school syndrome or something?
And then, sounding exactly like a wannabe villain in a 14-year-old’s edgy fantasy, Chick said with a condescending tone:
“Hah… I told you already. I’m not some inferior human anymore.”
“Oh really? Okay then. Hold on a sec. I’ll prove you’re human right now.”
Now, what’s the biggest difference between birds and humans?
Birds lay eggs. Humans are born from the womb.
Which means…’
Birds don’t have belly buttons. Humans do.
Bingo. If I could prove Chick has a belly button, then she’s definitely human.
As expected from the Rational Heavenly Demon, Yoo Hajin. Such flawless logic.
So I made a very rational request:
“Hey. Take off your clothes.”
“...What?”
An awkward silence followed.
“TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES! I need to check something!”
“W-what are you talking about?!”
And then—
I lunged at Chick, aiming to check her belly button.
– – The End of The Chapter – –
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