Chapter 71 – Praying For Rain (19)

Of course, he remembered it.

‘It isn’t difficult because I have done this a lot. It would be easy if it is a water ghost.’

As soon as he said that, he was possessed.

It couldn’t get any more embarrassing.

“S-So… This was just an example. If one person gets lost, the other person has to keep his or her mind straight. That fact that I showed it like…”

He was making excuses, but nothing worked.

“Do you think that makes sense? It was strange from the first time I heard about it from that Yokai in the GO rooms. I thought that the guy was cheating and told us to act alone. The one we need to exorcise is right inside!”

Zaha snapped at him.

“I am glad you remember it all. If you hadn’t, wouldn’t you have said I lied about everything? ‘What are you talking about, how could I do such a thing, and you are framing me for…’”

Seol Young turned away.

“T-Th… are you fine? Shouldn’t you take care of yourself? You used that power all of a sudden…”

“Are you worried? It’s quite embarrassing.”

Since he only raised his sword for a short time, it seemed like the Guardian Spirits calmed him down quickly.

But Seol Young wanted to hide. Even monkeys fall from trees.

The person who shouldn’t be deceived by the spirits was possessed by them and did all sorts of things. It was humiliating.

“I-I need to get this.”

Pretending to be calm, he reached out his hand to pick up the sword from the ground.

His face, reflected in the water, was stained red with embarrassment. Seol Young splashed the water to erase the image.

“Anyway…. How good is this? With this, everything is now clear about the lake… Besides, the God seems to have a strong power here. It is the first time I have been possessed to this extent.”

Saying so, he picked up his sword, wiped off the water, and handed it to Zaha.

“Now that it is like this, I will do anything to get it.”

It was time to show his ability.

Seol Young swung his sword and hit the lake. At that moment, the water rose up like a wave.

It was a great response. He backed away, even more startled.

“I understand. Calm down.”

Zaha said.

He calmed down by drinking some water.

“But you really didn’t hear anything?”

“I didn’t hear it.”

“Then it would be right for me to bring it out….”

Seol Young lowered his hand.

White clouds floated in the sky. A huge shadow of clouds passed over the lake. And from somewhere, the carefree moo of a cow could be heard.

Everything felt peaceful.

When he calmed down and looked at the lake again, it felt mysterious.

‘I cannot believe the body of a powerful ancient God is sleeping right here.’

It appeared to be safe, even if it was sunk deep into the lake. No one knew about this. It kept calling until now, but no one heard it.

It was probably the last body of a God that was left on this land.

“I will try it again, and I will do it right this time.”

Seol Young kneeled down in the shallow water and sat down. Maybe he was too confident before. But one has to be humbled before God.

“Tree Spirit…”

This time, he spoke politely.

“A human who can feel your mighty power has come. I am the only one who can summon you so that you can appear back on this earth again.”

As he said that, he stretched out his hand to the water.

Silence passed.

Shadows of clouds passed over their heads once again. Far away in the woods, a turtledove chirped.

“There seems to be no response.”

Zaha said.

Seol Young took his hand out of the water.

“Strangely, nothing seems to be happening today….”

“Can I try?”

“Wait. One last thing. If this doesn’t work, then there is a real problem.”

Seol Young came out of the lake.

Finally, he was thinking of using the tool. He went around and began to gather strong twigs. Then he tightly tied them together to make a long pole and attached a pouch to its end. And he sat near the water and dipped it down.

Blue energy spread through the water. It stretched down in a beam of light to the depths of the lake.

“…”

But there was no response.

“I am now certain of this. There is a problem.”

Zaha, who was sitting under the shade of a tree, said,

“You heard it earnestly call for you? Then why isn’t it coming out when you try to take it out?”

“Maybe…”

Seol Young threw the pole aside.

“It’s not that it isn’t coming out. It seems that it cannot come out.”

“Then…”

Their eyes turned back to the lake.

“There is just one conclusion.”

Zaha got up and went near the lake.

Now that he saw it, the relics of the ancient Gods were not simply sunk at the bottom of the lake. It seemed that something was happening down there.

“I should probably go in.”

“Yes. But…”

“I get it. Instead of being dragged in like earlier, maybe we have to open the door from this side and enter.”

As soon as Zaha said those words, he struck the water with his sword. Then a strong energy ran over the surface of the water. It seemed like a golden water snake was moving.

A wave followed suit. In an instant, a large whirlpool was created.

As expected, the energy within him was too strong.

It was a mysterious power that Seol Young was familiar with.

“I can feel the energy of the Spirit God.”

“Look at that. Something so simple…”

Zaha stopped talking. His gaze lingered for a moment in the middle of the whirlpool that was black.

Seol Young asked,

“Why? Is there something there?”

“No.”

He shook his head.

“Come to think of it, I guess I don’t like water very much either.”

“Then, on this occasion…”

Seol Young couldn’t finish his words. Waves covered him. He was out of breath, and his mind went blank.

He wanted to say, ‘Let’s try this out.’

‘… It is too much.’

That was his last thought.

How long was it?

“Kuak.”

He said as he took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

The sun was shining down on him.

He was in the woods.

He was lying down, almost hugging a rock.

“This is…”

Seol Young stood up and looked back, and Zaha was also getting up. He brushed something off his clothes and looked at the sky.

“There is something in the lake, for sure.”

Seol Young also looked up.

A plain sky with the sun.

But it was actually the surface of the lake.

Thinking like that made it more strange.

Seol Young looked around.

“What is this? The memory of the God? A conscious world? Someone else’s memory?”

“First of all, the important thing is how far our power works here. We need to figure it out.”

Zaha drew his sword.

There was a charred tree right in front of them. And when he swung his sword, the tree was cleanly cut.

“Well, there is physical power.”

“What about spiritual energy?”

Seol Young also tried to write in the air, and a shape was clearly forming. However, it didn’t work. The light didn’t burst out.

“Where?”

Zaha tried to raise the spiritual qi on his sword, but there was no response.

“It’s just the physical power.”

“Then we need to move carefully.”

Seol Young lowered his voice.

“For now…”

He pointed between the trees.

“There seems to be a village over there.”

They went closer.

There were roofs with grass. And they could feel some presence.

A common village.

However, there was something unusual in the middle of the village.

A dead tree stump.

The thick roots exposed above the ground looked like the fingers of a giant.

The moss had accumulated so much that it seemed like layers of soft green skin were forming on it.

And there were kids sitting on it and playing.

“That is it, the Birch Tree.”

“Yes. It is a giant tree that was the guardian God of this land and was once its home.”

The two went closer for a better look.

“How is it?”

Zaha asked.

Seol Young closed his eyes for a moment before opening them.

“I cannot feel anything from the tree. But the body of the God seems to be somewhere else.”

“Where?”

“Maybe that way?”

Seol Young approached the village cautiously. But then…..

Wheik!

Came a sharp sound.

Something came out of the ground and moved like a whip.

“What is that?”

Zaha immediately drew his sword and cut it. They all broke off and swayed in the air.

Seol Young looked up.

“… Rope?”

At that moment…

“So it is you!”

Footsteps echoed with shouts, and the villagers rushed toward them with weapons. In an instant, the two of them were surrounded.

Among them, someone stepped forward.

The person was wearing a long red shaman robe and huge earrings. The person wore heavy makeup on their eyes, and some parts of their hair were unusually white.

“Who are you?”

When Seol Young heard her voice, he thought the person was a man. No, was he really a man?

‘Not a human.’

Seol Young and Zaha exchanged glances for a moment.

An evil aura shone from the man in heavy makeup.

-I heard it was cursed one day, and the land was destroyed all over in one night and went underwater.

Seol Young remembered the words of the child who guided them.

This shaman must be the culprit behind the trouble this village fell into.