Immortals vs. Grim Reapers - chapter 9
Chapter 9: Grim Reaper Tutorial (Part 1)
Gangrim and Yu Wolryeong arrived at an old hotel in the Gangnam area of Seoul.
Though aged, it exuded the aura of a dignified elderly gentleman rather than sporting garish signs or a shabby appearance. Yu Wolryeong promptly guided Gangrim to a room on the tenth floor.
“You’ll be staying here for a while.”
It was a suite with a living room and bedroom totaling about 330 square feet. Though old, the room was clean, and the bedding smelled fresh as if sun-dried that very day.
Compared to the studio apartment he had lived in at this time, it was quite luxurious.
“Is there anything you need to retrieve from your former residence?”
“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t get it now.”
As far as he recalled, it had been significantly encroached upon during the Bukhansan Gate incident. While the structure might still exist, it would be difficult for civilians to visit freely.
“Correct. That’s why I was about to tell you to give up on that idea.”
“……”
Do Yeomna and the Messenger of the Moon both have a hobby of teasing people?
Suddenly, Gangrim’s left arm, bitten by the enhanced zombie, began to itch. As he moved to scratch it, Yu Wolryeong stopped him.
“Don’t touch it. It’s in the process of healing.”
“Will any wound heal if left alone?”
“For ordinary wounds, yes. If the spirit is intact, the flesh strives to reconstruct itself according to the spirit’s form.”
“Even if limbs are severed?”
“If you have the severed part, it’s possible, though it might take some time. If the damaged part can’t be found, we can find a suitable replacement to attach.”
Gangrim realized that must be why his wounds had healed.
“I know it sounds strange. But you are now a grim reaper.”
Yu Wolryeong said, patting Gangrim’s chest.
“You are a public servant who guides the dead. You’ve come to catch those who refuse death, but at the same time, no death is permitted without your approval. This applies to you as well.”
That’s what Yeomna’s words had meant.
Gangrim is no longer a zombie hunter or a colonel.
He is a grim reaper who must execute death.
“So, am I invincible?”
“Not quite.”
Yu Wolryeong cut him off sharply.
“If the body is damaged beyond the point of easy repair, there’s nothing to be done. At that point, you’d be moving a corpse rather than a living body.”
“A corpse…”
Gangrim tilted his head. Was this a metaphor, or did she mean something like a zombie?
“It’s a situation that should be avoided if possible. And there are divine objects in the world that can cut, corrupt, or even annihilate spirits. Grim reapers are no exception. These objects have been released from the afterlife, after all.”
“So… I won’t die from ordinary weapons, but I should be cautious of these divine objects?”
“Correct. Restoring the spirit is twice as difficult as restoring the flesh. Being bitten by zombies also corrupts the soul, albeit weakly. That’s why recovery is slower, so it’s best to avoid being bitten if possible.”
It means he shouldn’t recklessly take hits just because his body can recover indefinitely.
While his durability and regeneration ability have increased somewhat, there are limits, and if some passing madman’s kitchen knife turns out to be a divine object or something, it could be quite troublesome.
Gangrim didn’t like fights that involved enduring pain anyway. He preferred to beat his enemies without getting hit.
“Hmm, I think I understand.”
“Then rest. Your wounds aren’t fully healed yet… Let’s start moving tomorrow night. If you need anything, contact the hotel front desk. They’re our people, so you can rest easy. Any questions?”
At Yu Wolryeong’s words, Gangrim suddenly wondered how much soul pay he had accumulated.
He turned on Bimang and checked his soul pay balance. He couldn’t help but be surprised.
158 nyang soul pay.
Even including the 70 nyang received for completing the mission, 158 nyang meant he had earned over 50 nyang for catching the enhanced zombie. With more funds than expected, Gangrim felt greedy.
“Ah, I currently have 158 nyang soul pay. How significant an amount is this?”
“158 nyang soul pay… It’s hard to call it a large amount, but it’s considerable for a first day’s earnings. However, it’s not quite enough to buy anything valuable like divine objects.”
“Any items you’d recommend for a novice grim reaper?”
“Hmm.”
Yu Wolryeong pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Have you checked the ‘Today’s Fortune’ on Bimang?”
“…Today’s Fortune? Like the one or two lines in newspapers?”
“It’s on Bimang.”
Was there such a thing on Bimang? The app was so eye-straining that he hadn’t examined it closely.
Like the ‘Today’s Words of Wisdom’ or something.
Gangrim looked through the app as Yu Wolryeong suggested. There was a ‘Today’s Fortune’ option at the bottom.
“What’s this?”
“The principles of heaven and earth are mysterious, and sometimes fate makes even grim reapers lose their way.”
Yu Wolryeong said quietly.
“When you stand at a crucial crossroads of fate, when you’re lost in darkness where you can’t gauge even a step ahead, when you can’t see a path forward anywhere… It’s a small guide for such moments.”
Gangrim was startled. To think such a seemingly worthless, cult-like option had such a plausible function hidden within it.
“It’s a divine divination where reapers discern their fortune and find their path. That’s what Today’s Fortune is.”
“Then… should I ask through this what I should buy?”
“No. The moment you pay the fee, what you’ll get is already determined.”
“Already determined?”
“Yes. When you click the ‘Today’s Fortune’ button, a box appears. If you press that box, various items will appear, from common items easily obtainable in the ‘Store’ to rare divine objects. Through this, you can predict your fortune for the day, once per day.”
“……”
Gangrim fell into thought for a moment.
This seemed familiar.
Though it was wrapped in impressive words like fate, divine divination, and crossroads, it still felt very familiar.
It even seemed like something widely spread in the human world.
“Isn’t this just… a gacha?”
“Some do call it that.”
“…Just in case, I have to ask. Have you tried this too, Reaper Yu Wolryeong?”
“Are you joking?”
“Ah. Of course, someone of upright character like Senior Yu Wolryeong wouldn’t enjoy such gambling…”
“Most of the soul pay I earn is consumed by Today’s Fortune. Of course.”
“So it is gambling after all!”
“Gathering dust will only amount to dust. Life is about that one big hit.”
What kind of mess has the afterlife become for a public servant to squander most of their income on gambling?
No, why was a gacha-like feature added to the grim reaper app in the first place?
The store too. They said grim reapers were clearly public servants, so why do they have to buy even the supplies necessary for carrying out their official duties?
“It’s a feature Lord Yeomna added.”
“I figured as much. Who else would do such a thing?”
“Though it’s squandered most of my assets, it’s not something to think badly of.”
“I think you should think a bit badly of it…”
Despite Gangrim’s concerns, Yu Wolryeong spoke seriously.
“Many beings participate in the ‘Today’s Fortune’ contract, from hell’s yakshas to the tigers of the Northern Desolate Mountain, to the celestial spirits. They’re beings ordinary reapers couldn’t even dream of approaching. It’s extremely difficult to form a connection with them. If you’re lucky, you might obtain a marvelous divine object.”
Gangrim began to feel tempted again. But he couldn’t shake off his doubts.
“You’re marketing this quite aggressively. Do you get a cut every time something is sold?”
“People who’ve squandered their fortune on gambling debts tend to drag others in.”
“……”
Gangrim pondered for a moment before nodding.
He couldn’t buy anything particularly valuable with the money he had now anyway.
There were ways to save up more, but since it was a chance limited to once per day, he wanted to give it a shot.
“Alright. Let’s try it once then.”
“Very well. Before that, please confirm the probability table for each grade as explained by the afterlife regulations. ‘Common’ grade divine objects are about 70%, ‘Rare’ grade is 25%, ‘Luxury’ grade is 3%, and after that there are ‘Legendary’ and ‘Mythical’ grades which…”
Gangrim began to think he shouldn’t do it after all.
When he clicked the ‘Today’s Fortune’ button, a menu appeared asking him to set the offering fee.
“How much should I put in?”
“Usually, they say to show sincerity as you see fit.”
Gangrim deliberated before setting 100 nyang. 100 nyang soul pay was deducted.
Perhaps because it was money he had painstakingly collected, it felt like his blood was being drained.
Soon, Bimang began to flicker and generate noise. Then, dark blue mist started to seep out from within Bimang, forming the shape of a box.
It was a faint form that looked like it might disappear if touched. It was similar to when Gangrim first obtained the Goblin Lantern.
Gangrim carefully parted the mist-like box. Yu Wolryeong cautioned him.
“It’s best not to expect too much at first. Even for me, it took nearly 20,000 nyang to get my first ‘Legendary’ grade…”
At that moment, as the box mist parted, he saw a glimmering blue flame inside.
It was the light of a Goblin Lantern.
“……”
He thought he might have bought a 20 nyang Goblin Lantern for 100 nyang, but Gangrim realized he couldn’t see the lantern part of the Goblin Lantern.
Only the goblin fire had appeared from within the mist. That’s when he heard Yu Wolryeong take a sharp breath beside him.
“…No, could it be?”
With those words, suddenly the goblin fire lunged towards Gangrim’s eyes.
“Ugh!”
Gangrim tried to block the goblin fire, but he couldn’t stop the flame.
Even when he closed his eyes, the flame that had burned brightly inside his eyelids disappeared without any heat.
After his vision swam for a while, Gangrim barely managed to open his eyes. Wondering if his eyes had been injured, he looked in a mirror and couldn’t help but be shocked.
In the center of his black eyes, a faint green light was softly glowing.
“What on earth is this?”
“It would be easier for you to check Bimang than for me to explain.”
Gangrim opened Bimang to see what had changed.
Nothing had changed in the ‘Inventory’ window. The change could be found in the ‘Abilities’ window.
“Eyes of Bihyeong (Legendary)”
“The eyes of Bihyeong, the Goblin King. Can attach goblin fire anywhere within sight. The goblin fire has no heat but possesses light, and can be set to be visible even to those without spiritual power.”
Yu Wolryeong broke the brief silence.
“To draw a ‘Legendary’ grade on your first pull, you truly are someone fate has its eye on. And it’s Bihyeong the Goblin King, no less… It seems Bihyeong has taken notice of you.”
“Is he a famous person?”
“Not a person, but a goblin. He’s the founder of goblin arts and the king of illusions and play. The fact that he’s allowed you his eyes means he might permit even more in the future. A ‘connection’ has been formed, after all.”
For now, just looking at the brief explanation, it seemed a bit ambiguous, but since Yu Wolryeong said it was good, he had to accept it as such.
“Come to think of it, didn’t you say earlier that it took 20,000 nyang to get your first legendary grade…”
“You must have misheard.”
If the senior says so, it must be so.
Gangrim decided not to inquire further out of consideration for Yu Wolryeong’s human rights. As he repeatedly read the explanation of Bihyeong’s Eyes, Gangrim smiled faintly.
“Thank you.”
Gangrim was starting to get an idea of how he should fight his enemies.
“It seems ‘Today’s Fortune’ really does guide the path forward.”
Seeing Gangrim’s expression, Yu Wolryeong could tell he was ready. She glanced at her watch for a moment before quietly gazing at Gangrim.
“Originally, I thought we’d rest for a day, but judging by your expression, you seem eager. We could rest for a bit and start the lessons tonight.”
“Lessons?”
Yu Wolryeong nodded.
“You’re not a mindless zombie, but a hunter who has descended to hunt the Immortals standing at the pinnacle of the living world.”
Her eyes flashed coldly.
“Then you must learn a different way of hunting than before.”