Souls are cruel, obsessive, and harbor resentments. It's said that those who study and manipulate souls, the psychic, also tend to follow these traits.

 

Thus, even if the powerful beings, Nayu of the Heavenly Shamans and Park Il, the incarnation of the Sun, refused to participate in the assassination of Kim Sojin, the psychic couldn't give up on their vengeance against her.

 

"My son is dead."

 

"My nephew is dead."

 

"My father is dead."

 

They were ablaze with the desire for revenge.

 

"A guest from the Divine Sect has arrived."

 

Their hatred was so intense that they even sought the help of the renowned mad followers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, universally acknowledged as lunatics.

 

* * *

 

How should one teach a child? 

 

Some say strictly. Others advocate for gentleness.

 

I believe both are correct. Hence, today's strategy is the carrot and the stick. The good cop, bad cop approach.

 

First up, the bad cop,

 

Dealing sternly with Jamsuni.

 

I confidently opened the door and quickly scanned the room. Found her. Jamsuni. She looked at me, tilting her head curiously.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Hey, let's have a talk."

 

Seeing my serious expression, Jamsuni's face turned serious too.

 

"What? What do you want to talk about?"

 

"Are you going to live like this forever? Without any dreams? Just playing games in your room?"

 

Jamsuni was silent for a moment after hearing this. Then the girl spoke again.

 

"Well, I don't think this life is too bad."

 

"How long do you think you can live like this? Aren't you going to school? Don't you want to make friends?"

 

"I have friends online."

 

"Stop joking and talk properly."

 

Maybe she didn't like my firm tone. Jamsuni started glaring at me.

 

"School? Friends? Those are for the weak, who need to flock together. A being like me doesn't need that."

 

"There you go again with your delusional talk. Right? Hey, you're going to school from tomorrow. I'll help with the procedures."

 

"Why are you being so naggy today? There's no way I can do anything outside."

 

Jamsuni's expression began to harden into a cold mask. Honestly, Jamsuni was objectively beautiful, which made every change in her expression strikingly clear.

 

"Those people outside, they all want to kill me. You feel it too, right? The place is swarming with ninjas in ambush. All those bastards have gathered with the intention of taking me down."

 

What the hell? 

 

Could she be a victim of school bullying? 

 

Haa, but as an adult, I couldn't just give up.

 

Alright, maybe there are bullies like that. Honestly, I'm pretty good with my fists. I might not be as sure with weapons, but in a man-to-man fight, I can handle myself against three.

 

"I'll help you."

 

"Bullshit. You can't help."

 

"Why do you think that?"

 

"Why?"

 

In that moment, Jamsuni's expression looked sad.

 

"Because you're a sucker for kindness."

 

Me, a sucker for kindness? I doubt a guy who deceives kids to make money on computers can be called kind. That thought pricked my conscience even more.

 

"Let's drop it. I'm tired of this annoying talk."

 

Jamsuni tugged at my sleeve, her expression desperate.

 

"Hey, stop standing there in serious mode and let's play a game, huh? I just got the Black Ring in a raid, and its secondary options are..."

 

I handed Jamsuni a bankbook. It was the money Jamsuni had earned. And I said,

 

"This is your money. I haven't taken a single penny."

 

"Why are you giving this to me all of a sudden?"

 

"Leave. And don't come back to this room."

 

There are a few things I really hate: restaurants with delivery fees over 4,000 won, NTR plots, and the tears of a girl. So when Jamsuni started to cry, my heart almost softened. But I couldn't let it soften yet.

 

"Why, why are you doing this?"

 

Jamsuni sobbed, and I wanted to comfort her, but I steeled my heart. 

 

If things kept going like this, Jamsuni would end up as an internet-addicted, pretty hikikomori girl—a NEET girl.

 

"Leave."

 

"Why. Suddenly, why. You jerk."

 

Jamsuni weakly flipped me off. But against my strength as a masculine male, she had no chance of resistance. Jamsuni was dragged out, kicking and screaming.

 

"Damn it, I hate you. I hate you. Why are you doing this?"

 

Jamsuni, realizing that resistance was futile, timidly formed a defiant gesture with her other hand as well. But my resolve remained firm.

 

"Sob, Sob, waaaah!"

 

Behind the closed door, the prolonged sound of a child's crying echoed. 

 

I sat down, feeling the turmoil of a mental triangle spinning in my heart.

 

 

The leader of the Witch Hunting Squad regretted accepting the proposal of the clan alliance. But it was too late to turn back now.

 

He, a man who had committed robbery and murder due to gambling debts, couldn't refuse the offer: success in the witch hunt would mean not only the erasure of his criminal record but also the clearing of his gambling debts.

 

No matter how revered the Three Honors ones are, the target was just girls. How strong could they be? The leader had once thought this way.

 

But the moment he saw the girl with tear stains still on her face floating in the sky, he instinctively knew he was doomed. She was like a whale, an abyss, a high mountain, an endless chasm. The leader's soul began to scream in terror, sensing its impending annihilation.

 

"I'm really not in a good mood today."

 

The girl murmured in a muffled voice.

 

"I won't go after those who ran away, so disappear from my sight right now."

 

But the Witch Hunting Squad couldn't flee. Their souls were bound by a contract.

 

No further dialogue was necessary.

 

Both the girl and the squad shouted in unison.

 

"Principle Activation."

 

"Spiritual Manifestation."

 

"Sensory Resonance with the Divine."

 

A barrage of attacks flew towards the girl, resembling bullet storms in a shooting game. Yet, the girl didn't dodge.

 

Instead of evading, she counterattacked.

 

"Principle Activation. Dangsan Wood Spear."

 

From the girl's left hand, a wooden spear began to form. This spear, crafted from the roots of the protective Dangsan trees of the village, could only be wielded by Kim Sojin, who utilized the principle of the soul.

 

The Dangsan trees served to bind evil spirits and wandering ghosts with their roots, trying to enter the village. In doing so, they spiritually safeguarded the village.

 

And now, the girl had gathered the spirits of the destroyed villages' guardian trees, merging them into one. The Dangsan tree had become an entity faithful to its principle of binding souls to itself.

 

The barrage of attacks, like a bullet storm, was absorbed entirely by the incoming spear. The spear, having absorbed all the attacks, glowed brightly, leaving a trail in the middle of the night.

 

Thus, as the spear struck, nearly all of the hunting squad was annihilated. It was at that moment.

 

The souls of the hunting squad, offered as sacrifices, cursed the being that had killed them. This curse was a restriction on Kim Sojin's actions.

 

It was a curse of flight prevention. Black chains, formed by the curse, clung to Kim Sojin's wrists and ankles. If it had been a more malicious spell, the consumed souls would have been quickly expended, making it easier to break free. However, this curse, limiting only movement, was not something even Kim Sojin could easily escape.

 

'If only these chains were made of soul, I could have subdued and released them. But by forcefully offering all the souls of the squad as sacrifices, they stripped away their spiritual properties.'

 

Kim Sojin bit her lip. It was a trap she would not have fallen into had she not been so agitated. A careful glance at the souls of the squad would have revealed the dreadful sacrificial ritual.

 

Then some men appeared.

 

The girl felt fear upon seeing them.

 

"Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, suicide terrorists."

 

More precisely, it was the impurity surrounding the men that instilled fear in her. Budooyu, a technique created by the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, known for their worship of extreme negativity.

 

The sect, practicing various techniques using negativity, was feared by people who referred to these techniques as Heavenly Demon Arts.

 

As the men, having activated Budooyu, approached, Kim Sojin did not cease her incantations. She activated a white barrier.

 

"Principle Activation. Lotus Eternal Barrier."

 

It was a barrier utilizing the purifying nature of the eternal lotus. Except for the extreme negativity known as Great Corruption, this barrier could not be penetrated.

 

Kim Sojin spoke to them, trying to buy time.

 

"It's dangerous to cover oneself in negativity, even for those without spiritual abilities."

 

No, it was more dangerous for non-psychic. While psychics could defend against negativity with their spiritual power, ordinary people couldn't.

 

The body is greatly influenced by the soul. If the soul is corroded by negativity, leading to illness and destruction, the body, being one with the soul, will also become sick and perish. Ordinary people have no defense against negativity.

 

Even mild negativity can lead to irreversible conditions like osteoporosis, Crohn's disease, or leukemia. Stronger negativity leads to death within days, and extreme negativity is unspeakable.

 

For an ordinary person, mere contact results in instant death.

 

Even for psychics, survival is only a matter of minutes.

 

"Wearing negativity is dangerous?"

 

A follower of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect laughs.

 

"Wearing negativity is a blessing. It brings us closer to the Great Corruption."

 

"So, you got lung cancer? You don’t seem like a smoker by the lack of tobacco smell. How unfortunate for you, huh?"

 

This was a fact Kim Sojin discerned through her spiritual sight. However, the follower of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect did not stop even upon hearing it.

 

"It doesn't matter."

 

Then, he formed a hand seal.

 

"If it means getting closer to our leader, it doesn't matter."

 

He then chanted a spell.

 

"Infuse. Great Corruption (Infinite Black Body)."

 

In this world exists something known as extreme negativity or Great Corruption. It's a substance that erodes all souls, an absolute form of negativity, and only a few followers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect are known to be able to handle it.

 

As he draped this extreme negativity over himself, the man's skin began to melt, and his hair started to fall out in clumps. He couldn’t endure it for long, which meant he probably wasn't a high-ranking official of the sect.

 

As the girl contemplated this, the extreme negativity began to break through the lotus barrier and flow toward her.

 

Kim Sojin smiled at the sight.

 

So, this is how she die today.

 

How much weaker had that man made her over these past few months?

 

But somehow, she didn’t entirely dislike this weakness.

 

"This is kind of scary."

 

The girl closed her eyes as she faced the approaching negativity. Two figures emerged, having sensed the piercing aura of extreme negativity.

 

Their names were Park Il and Nayu. They thought it was just another day of Kim Sojin eliminating assassins until they sensed the extreme negativity and rushed out.

 

"Damn. This is horrific."

 

But it was already too late. Kim Sojin was covered in extreme negativity. She might endure it for a while, being a monster of the same caliber, but she would eventually die if the negativity wasn't removed.

 

But who could touch such extreme negativity?

 

Who would dare approach something so fearful, horrific, and terrifying?

 

Who would touch a being engulfed in such negativity and wash it off them, knowing that in doing so, their own soul would be terribly damaged and destroyed?

 

Even family couldn’t do it. For anyone who could see and feel souls, the pain and fear were unbearable. Thus, despite their distress, Park Il and Nayu could not intervene.

 

"Damn it!!!"

 

So when a man suddenly burst out, they were shocked.

 

"These crazy bullies are ganging up on a middle school girl!!! Don’t they know how dangerous bullying is these days!!! You're dead meat, you bastards!!!"

 

Yoo Hajin immediately rushed out and confronted the followers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. 

 

The cultists resisted, casting negativity at Yoo Hajin, but he didn't see ghosts. To him, it all seemed like a show. With a righteous dropkick, Yoo Hajin knocked down all the cultists.

 

"Yoo Hajin Dropkick!!!"

 

After defeating the cultists, Yoo Hajin turned his attention to Kim Sojin, now tainted with darkness.

 

"Damn, these crazy bastards."

 

Despite the soul-searing pain, Kim Sojin felt a sense of joy. She thought that if she died like this, that man would remember her forever. Imagining this, she managed a slight smile.

 

So when the man carried her, Kim Sojin could only mutter, 

 

"Why?" 

 

She repeated the question, watching him ascend the stairs, his back stained with extreme negativity. Why was this man going so far for her? Why did he care so much for her?

 

Can a person truly trust another?

 

Can she trust parents who betrayed her?

 

Can she trust the trainers who raised her as a tool for the noble family's training?

 

Can she trust the elders who ordered her to live and die honorably?

 

Can she trust those greedy ones who broke promises and tried to enslave her?

 

Can a person truly trust another?

 

Why hold onto a question that ends with 'trust is impossible'?

 

What lingering attachment is there?

 

Kim Sojin couldn't answer these questions. All she knew was that this man was the only one in the world who treated her preciously. All she knew was that the warmth of the man’s back made her want to trust.

 

"What’s up, Jamsuni? Are you crying?"

 

As Yoo Hajin ascended the stairs, he locked eyes with the neighbor. The neighbor looked at Yoo Hajin in shock.

 

Yoo Hajin was slightly annoyed with the neighbor. Being here meant they had seen everything – wasn’t there something they could have done, even if the police couldn’t reach this neighborhood?

 

But he also understood. In today's world, getting involved with kids only leads to trouble. Plus, helping Jamsuni clean up could easily spiral into a scandalous headline like “40-year-old man with a middle school girl, both undressed.”

 

So Yoo Hajin nodded with a bitter expression.

 

"I understand."

 

Leaving only those words behind, Yoo Hajin walked away from Park Il, the leader of the Ilwol-Oakmoon Sect. Park Il stood there, stunned.

 

 

Who could dirty themselves in extreme negativity for the sake of another? No matter how much he thought about it, there was no such person. Because no one could withstand that fear and pain. So Park Il justified abandoning his comrade.

 

But today, Park Il witnessed a miracle.

 

And that miracle understood him.

 

Proud of pursuing justice and belief his whole life, he felt both ashamed and moved by being understood despite showing cowardice. Tears streamed down his face as he stood in a daze.

 

"That child, that child alone."

 

That child should become the leader of the Ilwol-Oakmoon Sect. Not someone like him, not his worthless offspring, but that child should be the true successor.

 

Park Il resolved this amidst his madness.

 

Nayu looked down at the cultists, who were murmuring:

 

"The one who receives the love of extreme negativity. The Heavenly Demon, the Heavenly Demon has descended."

 

"Ah, a body that even extreme negativity can't corrupt. The body of the Heavenly Demon. I am content to die now, having seen the leader."

 

The Heavenly Demon. The king of negativity, prophesied in legends.

 

Nayu had heard of it too.

 

It was like a vague, half-remembered legend.

 

"Nayu vaguely remembers."

 

With a puzzled tilt of her head, the Heavenly Shaman waved her hand, erasing the memories of the cultists and putting them to sleep.

 

 

Kids these days are frightening.

 

What's with all this paint terrorism?

 

Damn it, just when I start treating Jamsuni coldly, these guys attack. Talk about rotten luck.

 

I immediately put Jamsuni in the bathtub and adjusted the water to a warm temperature. As the cold water turned warm, I made up my mind.

 

"This isn't a crime."

 

To wash off this black sludge, I had no choice. I'm doing this purely platonically, not in any Eros sense. I am not a lolicon.

 

Never heard of 'Loli Requiem', Your Honor!!!

 

I ignored the count of "one, two, three" coming from somewhere. I had to do this, or I might end up in jail.

 

I placed my hand on Jamsuni's shoulder.

 

Then, slowly, I started to undress her.

 

 

"Phew, I'm exhausted."

 

After cleaning Jamsuni up, I laid out fresh, clean bedding.

 

She'll have to spend the night here.

 

"Sleep well."

 

I decided to sleep under the bed.

 

At that moment, Jamsuni murmured.

 

"Don't go..."

 

I couldn't bring myself to shake off her hand, desperately clinging to my sleeve. I was too weak against a girl who asked me not to leave.

 

"This warmth, I can trust. At least this warmth..."

 

So, I lay down next to Jamsuni. She tightly hugged my arm and murmured something before falling asleep. I tried to find my sister in the face of the sleeping child.

 

But I couldn't find her.

 

That fact made me a little sad.