“Th-that is... Manager-nim. Are you there?”
The security chief was trembling so hard it wasn't just a slight shake—he was quaking outright as he knocked on the door.
“Yes! This one is here! Of course I am! What business do you have?!”
From inside the room, a voice with strangely twisted highs and lows flowed out, like that of a woman in the throes of mania.
“An employee is here to see you, Manager-nim. May we enter?”
“Enter! Do you think I would harm you?! Haha! Come in, now.”
It seemed the so-called manager was not in their right mind.
To think I was employed by such a thing. Ha—a tiger's life, no, what a bitter life.
Screeeeech.
A loud, sharp sound came from the door whose hinges were completely stripped of oil.
The manager's outward appearance was far too neat and proper to belong to the owner of that voice just now; by human standards, it was a face that fully met the criteria of a “beauty.”
“So you are the employee who said they wished to see this one......
...Hello. It's a pleasure. You must have had a hard time coming all this way; may I offer you some tea at least?”
That manager, upon seeing me, offered me tea in a perfectly clear voice...?
“M... Manager-nim?”
“Security chief, step out for a moment.”
“Yes.”
The security chief closed the door and left with an expression of disbelief.
“According to the report, this young lady cleaned up those things in the ghost house... You truly possess outstanding skill.”
The manager smiled brightly and spoke to me in a friendly tone.
Awkward.
Too awkward.
That person’s manner of speech, smile, and everything else gave off a strong sense of wrongness.
It was the same expression I wore on the first day I received a human body.
“What's your name, unnie? I'm Sanbeom.”
I felt self-loathing climbing up my spine.
I'm close to a thousand years old, yet I have to call someone unnie! The Mountain Lord who made people tremble as an urban legend is truly dead! You dog! Fuck.
“Unnie? Ah, that's right, I am your unnie. Yes, my name is 'Kim Ara.'”
Caught you! This is what they call severing flesh and breaking bones!
It was worth swallowing my self-loathing and calling her unnie.
From that reaction just now, I was certain.
That thing was something pretending to be human.
One possessing a transformation art perfect enough to fool even exorcists.
A gumiho... no, it couldn't be. If it were a gumiho, its front paws would have shot out before it could even think.
“What sports do you like, unnie?”
“Me? I like ssireum... but why ask so suddenly?”
It's over.
I've delivered a perfect checkmate with nowhere left to retreat.
The Nine Heavens are filled with all manner of monstrous fiends and gods of uncanny strength, but among them is a tribe that is unusually fond of ssireum.
Dokkaebi.
Not the middle-aged man with a sword stuck in his chest, nor the scenario administrator of a ruined world—those kinds of dokkaebi—but a real dokkaebi.
“Hey.”
“.... ...”
“The world sure has gotten better these days. A dokkaebi walking around with its head held high in front of a Mountain Lord.”
The relationship between a dokkaebi and a Mountain Lord is roughly that of a tenant and a landlord.
Dokkaebi hide and live in the mountains; since the Mountain Lord is the owner of the mountain, they could always chase the dokkaebi out whenever they wished.
That's why dokkaebi always had to bow and scrape when they saw a Mountain Lord, but......
“You caught on, impressive. But what of it? This isn't your mountain; it's a dokkaebi ground that I operate.”
The manager finally made an expression befitting that earlier voice and glared at me.
In other words, it had lost its fear.
“Are you picking a fight right now?”
“If you want. I have no intention of losing here.”
A dokkaebi ground refers to a place where a dokkaebi has stayed for a long time, accumulating energy.
Even I would have a hard time fighting a dokkaebi here without struggle.
“Is there really a need to fight? Let's do this by the law.”
“The law?”
“Yes. The law.”
I opened my phone app and dialed 444-666-4646.
“Yes, is this the Underworld Bureau.....”
“What are you doing right now...?”
“A dokkaebi has illegally occupied my domain. As for where my domain is, Rutdae.......”
Before I could finish, the manager snatched my smartphone and ended the call.
It seemed the thing had finally grasped the situation.
With the laws of the underworld modernized, a Mountain Lord can now claim a place other than a mountain as their domain.
There are no special procedures required to designate a domain, so as long as it doesn't overlap with another Mountain Lord's territory, one can claim it freely.
And the relationship between a Mountain Lord and a dokkaebi is that of a landlord and tenant.
If I claim this place as my domain, I gain the right to evict the dokkaebi who came in first.
It's an unreasonable right, but that's for the higher-ups of the underworld to adjust; what I have to do is enjoy that right to the fullest.
“W-what do you want? You came to see me, so you must want something, right?”
“Severance pay. Hand it over.”
“You worked half a day, and now you want severance pay......”
“You're the manager here, right? Should I try staking a claim? It doesn't seem like there are other Mountain Lords nearby.”
“Fine. I'll give it to you. I'll give it, so just solve one problem for me.”
“What?”
I asked with a face full of displeasure.
“Well... I gathered yin energy to make the ghost house feel eerie, but before I knew it, yin energy called more yin energy... minor ghosts keep swarming in. Please do something about that, at least.”
A situation where yin energy gathers and attracts even more yin energy. It commonly occurs in haunted houses.
In such cases, there's a very effective solution passed down since ancient times.
“Burn it.”
“Excuse me...?”
“Have you ever seen a minor ghost that died by burning?”
“...No.”
“Flame is the greatest exorcism tool. Whether you set a fire or demolish the place to incinerate all the scrap materials, I recommend burning it with fire.”
“Not burning everything down! Do you know how much money went into building the ghost house! Not that—can't you do something to the energy somehow... isn't there a way?”
Good grief, if I say burn it, just burn it. So much chatter.
“Another method... demolishing it and building an elementary school on top... ah, that's right!”
“Did you think of something?”
The manager looked at me with an expression expecting some astounding idea.
“Do you know what a collaboration is?”
“Yes, I do.”
“When humans with especially strong yin energy gather, it instead generates powerful yang energy. We could use that?”
Humans with strong yin energy are avoided not only by other humans but also by minor ghosts. When they gather for a specific purpose, they produce an effect greater than a gut.
“I understand perfectly!”
“You're quick-witted. Then leave the money.”
“Understood!”
I hadn't expected that the ghost house part-time job I thought was a sweet gig would be cut off after a single day.
[5,000,000 won has been deposited into Sanbeom's account.]
I'd squeezed some money out, but I needed to find another position.
“I'm not some tiger that lets you go after receiving rice cakes; to think a Mountain Lord like me has to resort to squeezing money out...!”
Ding.
Huh? What?
[25,000,000 won has been deposited into Sanbeom's account.]
What? What is this for real?
Am I seeing things?
“One, ten, one hundred, one thousand... two thousand five hundred...?”
Ririririri!
I calmed my trembling heart and answered the call on my phone.
[Jang Sanbeom! We hit the jackpot! Our anime is the top of this quarter! Crazy! Ah, and did you receive the transferred money?]
“Y-yeah, I got it. How much was it, it was definitely 25 million...”
[That's a minuscule amount compared to the total revenue! This is all thanks to Sanbeom.]
“Me...?”
[Yes! Episodes 1 through 11 were average, but once viewers found out that the voice actor in the ending credits of the final episode was Sanbeom alone, it spread across the internet at crazy speed. And since it's not even a famous voice actor, it blew up huge!]
“Good for you.”
[Money will keep coming in from now on. Based on my calculations, at least a few hundred million will come in. We've already received applications for a collaboration cafe!]
A few hundred million... it was an unimaginable sum that made my salary pale in comparison.
To think such money would come into my hands!
“Kuaaah!!!!”
A sob of joy rose from my throat on its own.
[Eek, is something wrong...?]
“No, no. I'm just too happy. I should quit that part-time job right away starting tomorrow! Anyway, call me again when you send the next deposit.”
I ended the call with those words.
Alright, calm down. Stay calm.
With the heart of Laozi, who founded the concept of wuwei ziran, going with the flow of nature... money is merely a value created by humans... it's fucking awesome! Fuck!!!! Money! Money! Money! Money! I love money!!!!!!!
There was no way I could stay calm. In a super-luminescent excited state, I ran around the house screaming like a madman until my strength gave out and I collapsed onto the mattress.
Even lying prone on the mattress, my heart was glowing like crazy, and it felt like at least one of my limbs had to be trembling.
Ding!
Another notification came. What news could it be this time?!
[Subject: Our heartfelt congratulations on your victory in the Arrogant Voice Mimicry Competition.]
[Here are 5 chicken gifticons as the prize. And if you don't mind, we would like to invite you as a guest for our special segment. The viewers are so eager to see and learn more about you. Of course, we will provide an appearance fee. If you are open to participating, please contact us at the email below!]
“This is the best day of my life!!!”
My body entered Super-Luminescent Excited State Phase 2.