I’m the Only One Who Can’t See Ghosts

When do you think a person's life falls apart? 

Is it when their heart is pierced by a bullet? 

When they get an incurable disease? 

Or when they drink a soup laced with deadly poisonous mushrooms?

One might say that's when a person dies. But... a person's life really falls apart when they, in a drunken stupor, smash someone's head with a soju bottle.

I had ruined everything. Though I instinctively cracked the head of a rapist while drunk, I wasn't so intoxicated that I didn't understand the gravity of my actions.

"Is this... a case of drunken violence?"

I muttered to myself, looking at the idiot sprawled on the ground and the trembling policewoman. Instinctively, I pulled out my phone and opened the legal wiki.

Drunken violence: A penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine of no more than 5 million won, or detention, probation... Two years and a fine of 5 million won?

And now a fine of 5 million won?

And what was more, two years in prison if we couldn't reach a settlement?

My hands and feet began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Um, excuse me, sir. Thank you, but..."

"This, this, this reality is unbearable, ahhh!"

5 million won is absolutely impossible!!!

I ran as if my life depended on it.

"Aaaaaaah!"

Failed another job interview and now my life was on the brink of ruin...

Ah, what an utterly terrible day.

* * *

In Seoul, one could sometimes see people walking in the sky. Today was one of those days, with a man standing in the sky.

But people didn't pay attention to the man walking in the sky. To be precise, they pretended not to notice. After all, walking in the sky signified a powerful being looking down upon humanity.

The man who walked in the sky muttered to himself as he took off his silver sunglasses.

"My disciple, in such a state."

On the ground lay a creature with tentacles, unmistakably one of his own disciples.

He had sent this disciple to deal with some officer punks who dared to meddle with his business. Who could have dared to touch his disciple?

The man put his silver sunglasses back on and read the celestial signs.

“To be able to take down that tentacle creature in one blow, he must be quite skilled. But who?”

Who dared to mess with a disciple of Cheonsu? Who was this insolent fool who dared to cross paths with his gang, known as Small Tyrant of Hongdae?

Cheonsu mumbled to himself, searching the direction of the culprit's escape.

"Touching our crew won't lead to an easy death."

The celestial signs began to converge on a particular location. Cheonsu looked in that direction.

"Ugh."

There, like a small building, was an ominous presence. Just looking at it felt like a curse penetrating one's eyes, a gateway to hell.

"The training ground of the Three Honored Ones?!"

Tears of blood trickled down from beneath his silver sunglasses. Shivering with anger, Cheonsu muttered.

"This crazy bastard dared to mess with the Three Honored Ones?!"

The man floating in the sky extended his hand toward the tentacled monster. As he did, the creature exploded as if crushed by a giant fist.

"Damn it. Damn it! Why did he provoke a monster like the Three Honored Ones?!"

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Cheonsu knew what that building was. He also knew about the three transcendent beings who could survive there.

The Three Honored Ones, beings so powerful that not even hell could claim them. And now, one of them had annihilated his disciple.

Cheonsu, the Small Tyrant of Hongdae, felt fear for the first time in a long while.

***

The world is a frightening place.

Outside the blanket is dangerous...

Indeed, one cannot live with the burden of sin.

Has the investigation started already?

What excuse can I make if the police catch me?

Thud, thud, thud - 

Someone was knocking at the door.

Could it be the police?

"Hey! Open the door! You didn't get into trouble, did you? Answer me! Answer!"

Oh, it's Jamsuni's voice.

I rustled about and got up.

"What's up?"

"Phew. I thought something had happened to you!"

Upon opening the door, there stood Jamsuni, who ran away suspiciously after graduating or maybe while in the middle school. I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at her worried expression.

Who's worrying about whom here?

"Ugh, the smell of alcohol."

"...I drank a bit and overslept. You better not start drinking this stuff."

"Gross."

Jamsuni turned her head away in annoyance.

Jamsuni, she was one of my neighbors.

Probably a runaway teenager and about in the third year of middle school.

And probably suffering from some kind of adolescent syndrome.

"And what? Alcohol?"

"Yeah. I drink sometimes. I'm an adult, after all."

"Damn, are you crazy? Really makes me want to give you a piece of my mind. Even I, who have reached the pinnacle of alcohol tolerance, stay sober these days. What? Alcohol?"

Maybe she was not just suffering from adolescent syndrome.

This kid was definitely in the throes of it.

Reached the pinnacle of alcohol tolerance, really?

If she had such a talent, she would have been scooped up by Cheonji Academy already.

I smirked and flicked her forehead.

"Don't use bad language."

Thunk- 

Jamsuni whined after being flicked.

"Ouch! Hey, you!"

"I may not expect you to treat me like a Hyung, but watch your language. I'm letting it slide because it's you. Try cussing at some crazy psychic outside, and see if it ends this simply."

"How did you break through my defensive techniques...? Wait, are you drunk and suffering from a hangover right now?"

Jamsuni clutched her head and asked.

"Yeah. Feels like my head's splitting."

"Really? Is this my chance?"

Jamsuni suddenly stepped back and started imitating hand gestures from a ninja manga. 

Seriously, this kid's got a severe case of the 'middle school syndrome.'

"Today, you're getting a lesson with 300 flicks on the forehead. Bankai!"

"?"

"Huh? Bankai!"

Bankai? What's that about Bankai.

I slyly readied a flick.

“Take that, you brat.”

But then Jamsuni quickly shouted out.

"Bankai! Bankai! Stop, stop it!"

"So noisy this early in the morning."

"Aargh. How can you block my Bankai in such a rough state...?"

Ignoring the groaning Jamsuni, I went into the kitchen and turned on the gas stove.

"Want to have breakfast before you go?"

"Yeah."

And so, I ended up preparing a luxurious breakfast set of kimchi omelette and ramen. Jamsuni, being at the age of growth, ate very well.

Watching her, someone else came to mind.

That was probably why I ended up preparing breakfast for a neighbor, despite my meager means.

Well, there was also a promise involved.

While eating the ramen, Jamsuni asked.

"But why do you look like that?"

"Like what?"

"You look like someone who just got a margin call after pulling a big gamble on a gift leverage."

What's with that realistic analogy.

"None of your business."

"...Okay."

Jamsuni showed a momentarily disappointed expression.

What's with that look?

"Haa."

After swallowing my ramen broth, I briefly explained what happened yesterday.

Botched an interview. 

Then picked up a policewoman.

And a lot happened in between.

After my succinct explanation, Jamsuni commented.

"So, you mean you smashed the head of Cheonsu's disciple with a soju bottle?"

"Yeah."

"Cheonsu, Small Tyrant of Hongdae, that Cheonsu?"

"Small Tyrant of Hongdae?"

When I asked again, Jamsuni made a face as if just looking at me was annoying and said.

"You don't know that? How lame~."

"...It's possible not to know."

"Lame~ Bronze level~ Virgin~."

But then Jamsuni suddenly leaned forward and asked.

"You're a virgin, right? You are, aren't you?!"

"...You're loud. If you're not going to tell me about Cheonsu, put your bowl in the sink and leave."

"Ahem. I'll tell you."

Then Jamsuni began her explanation.

"Cheonsu Doryeong. He’s famous for collecting a thousand related spirits in his hand and controlling them as one. His own spirit and techniques are nothing special, but born with an S-grade divine gift in his hands, that's why he can do it."

So that's what Cheonsu (*Thousand hands) meant.

A thousand hands.

"Still, he's considered strong among the weak, hence the nickname 'Small Tyrant.' Of course, his brutal nature also plays a part in that title."

"Brutal nature?"

"Yeah. He tortures and kills anyone who crosses him, then sells the videos. He makes money off torture videos and promotes his psychopathic tendencies. It's pure capitalism."

It gave me chills.

I was starting to get scared.

The rapist I hit last night was under that guy?

I shouldn't be worried about the police catching me.

"Why do they just let such a mess exist?"

"Obviously, because they treat Cheonji with respect. There are probably people in Cheonji who take bribes from him."

Cheonji, Korea's strongest psychic organization. Members of Cheonji were said not to fear even the armies of powerful nations. The people at Cheonji Academy were among the world's most formidable beings.

"Cheonji should be taken down when there's a chance."

Jamsuni smirked and continued.

"...If things get too bothersome, should I take care of everything for you?”

"Take care of?"

"You don't know 'take care of'? It means to kill."

To be honest, Jamsuni was quite pretty. Instinctively, I knew she'd be stunningly beautiful when she grew up.

No, Jamsuni was already beautiful. So, even knowing she was just indulging in her middle school syndrome, I couldn't help but feel tense when she spoke so cruelly.

“Should I kill all the people related to Cheonsu?”

"Stop talking nonsense."

Thunk- 

My flick landed on Jamsuni's head.

"Ouch!"

"You see the lines too? When will you cure your middle school syndrome? Talking about killing people isn't something to do lightly!"

I knew her bravado was just a symptom of her syndrome, but it was scary to think she might really go after those monsters.

If she were truly that kind of genius, she wouldn't be living in this cheap apartment but attending an academy for psychics.

"Ugh. Fine. Then you kill them. Hmph."

With that, Jamsuni, acting offended, didn't even place her bowl in the sink, threw a middle finger at me, and swiftly ran out of the room.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

[TL: Thousand hands: The author used Chinese character '千手' in the () which literally translates to 'Thousand hands'. ]