In the midst of a frantic search for his phone, the unemployed man known as Yoo Hajin was oblivious to the tumult unfolding within a grand mansion at the center of Seoul.

 

“Yoo Hajin, or should I say, the one marked by calamity, has been found alive. Could it be that Heavenly Ordeal has misfired?”

 

“How can you utter such words and still call yourself a deity without shame? Heavenly Ordeal is inevitable. Every creature walking this earth cannot escape the heavens’ wrath. Are you ignorant of even this fundamental truth?”

 

“Your words are correct elder. The only way to evade the heavens’ wrath is through a shaman who can absorb it on their behalf. The marked one has withstood the heavenly ordeal on his own.”

 

Surveying their surroundings, the sight of three officers, collapsed from summoning the heavenly ordeal, caught their eye. Even standing was a struggle for them due to exhaustion.

 

“Are you suggesting we’ve managed to fend off the Heavenly Ordeal with the majority of our spiritual power, based on the power of Nayu”

 

Swallowing hard, the aged woman who appeared to be their leader responded.

 

“It seems we cannot overcome this with spiritual power alone.”

 

“But we cannot simply give in. Our business...”

 

“I am aware.”

 

Fiddling with a gemstone around her neck, the elderly woman spoke up.

 

“The complaints from our clients will only intensify.”

 

The old woman added,

 

“Before it comes to that, let’s seek some assistance from our clients.”

 

The clients of the Heavenly Ordeal Sect had no choice but to aid them. The elderly woman kept this thought to herself.

 

The Heavenly Ordeal Sect. A group of shamans that once shielded kings and nobles from misfortune. With the fall of dynasties and the rise of capitalism, they turned to protecting tycoons and the powerful from their own wrongdoings.

 

Misfortune here meant the divine punishment stemming from the sins committed by tycoons and the powerful, and the evil spirits born from their actions.

 

Only a shaman in communion with the heavens could ward off such misfortune. They had the power to appease the heavens and take on the retribution in place of others, thereby dispelling the calamity. However, in this era of spiritual awakening, the magnitude of misfortune was far greater than in the past capitalist era.

 

The misfortune was so palpable it was as if one could see it with the naked eye.

 

“To think that even such misfortune could be averted. Is this the first time in the five hundred-year history of the Heavenly Ordeal Sect that a sky shaman has lived past twenty?”

 

Typically, a sky shaman in communion with the heavens would die before reaching the age of twenty, having taken on such misfortune. But this time, the sky or heavenly shaman was different.

 

Nayu had evolved one step further in her confrontation with a noble spirit. It was beneficial that she became stronger and could handle more heavenly ordeals, leading to a flourishing business. However...

 

“They say, when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”

 

If Nayu was in communion with the heavens,

 

perhaps the heavens were also in communion with Nayu.

 

It was possible that Nayu’s will could become the will of the heavens.

 

If that were to happen, the Heavenly Ordeal Sect might lose control over the heavenly shaman. Signs of this were already emerging.

 

“Have we exhausted Nayu’s usefulness?”

 

Nagu, the elderly woman and leader of the Heavenly Ordeal Sect, and Nayu’s spiritual mother, murmured in a cruel voice.

 

“We must deal with this Yoo Hajin, the calamity, first.”

 

Nagu picked up the phone.

 

'Yoo Hajin, I don’t know how powerful psychic you are, but there is a certain order in this country. Die miserably for breaking that order.'

 

Nagu thought to herself as she dialed the number.

 

 

“Nagu-nim. There is an order in this country.”

 

Taesan, one of the Five Evils of the Ilwol-Oakmoon sect, surveyed the defeated members of the Heavenly Ordeal Sect. Around him stood the disciples of the Ilwol-Oakmoon sect, expressionless yet with an aura as if they were about to slit throats. They were each holding onto an officer of the Heavenly Ordeal Sect.

 

“This order is the law of the survival of the fittest. Do you, mere receivers of the heavenly ordeal, dare to oppose the Ilwol-Oakmoon sect? Do you wish to experience hell while still alive in your twilight years?”

 

“We never, ever had such intentions.”

 

“Yet you dared to meddle with Lord Yoo Hajin? The heir to my master? And with the powers of this earthly realm?”

 

Taesan brought his hands together, preparing to form a mudra.

 

“The demonic portal...”

 

“Wait, I swear we will not bother Lord Yoo Hajin ever again!”

 

“I was about to open it, but the fact that you’re an associate to my master gives me pause.”

 

Taesan lowered his head as he spoke.

 

“There won’t be a second time.”

 

“Understood. We understand.”

 

As Taesan turned away, the disciples of the Ilwol-Oakmoon sect withdrew with him. They left so quietly that Nagu didn’t even hear them leave.

 

“What on earth is the identity of this Yoo Hajin?”

 

The successor of Ilwol-Oakmoon sect.

 

Not even a disciple or child of Ilzon Park Il?

 

“What should we do now, leader? Shouldn’t we negotiate with this Yoo Hajin?”

 

“Indeed. Our Heavenly ordeal Sect has good relations with the powers of this world, but we must acknowledge our level compared to the true giants of the spiritual realm.”

 

“So what are you suggesting? That we just watch as Yoo Hajin redirects the heavenly ordeals meant for Nayu onto our clients? If we can’t eliminate Yoo Hajin, our business is doomed anyway!”

 

While Yoo Hajin was blinded by the allure of lottery numbers, offering bribes in the form of gentle pats to Nayu, the heavenly ordeals meant for her were returning to their rightful owners.

 

More than ten clients had already died.

 

At this rate, the entire business would collapse.

 

“Contact the Heavenly Demon Cult.”

 

“What? Leader, are you serious?”

 

“We’ll deal with Yoo Hajin through the Heavenly Demon Cult.”

 

Madness flared in the eyes of Nagu, the leader of the Heavenly ordeal Sect.

 

 

“Dammit.”

 

I was on my way home after finishing a delivery gig when I encountered a group that screamed trouble.

Young men and women clad in black hoodies had encircled me.

 

“Where are you from?”

 

“The Heavenly Demon Cult.”

 

“...The Heavenly Demon Cult?”

 

It seemed they were educated in martial arts novels at home. Shamelessly claiming to be from the Heavenly Demon Cult. I suppressed a sigh and responded.

 

“Ah, so you’re from the Heavenly Demon Cult. Long live the Heavenly Demon. But, I follow a different faith. May I pass?”

 

“You’re Yoo Hajin, right? You need to come with us for a bit.”

 

“So, it’s going to be like this.”

 

I clasped my hands together, pretending to perform some ritual.

 

“Everyone, raise your defenses! The enemy is about to use his powers!”

 

“Negativity shield.”

 

Without hesitation, I threw a straight punch at the one who seemed to be the leader. It had been a while since my punch was blocked.

 

Of course, blocking doesn’t mean it wasn’t painful. I could see the leader’s face contorting in pain.

 

“Oh, you blocked it?”

 

“Admirable courage. To strike at my body, engulfed in Negativity, with your physical technique!”

 

A crescent kick aimed at the liver, one of the most painful spots. There’s no way to train the liver to be less sensitive to pain. A direct hit is excruciating.

 

“What’s with that sloppy stance of yours?”

 

Their palms were wide open, abandoning any upper body defense. Who taught them such a fundamentally flawed stance?

 

“Truly a powerful spiritualist. To be so lively despite the Negativity.”

 

“But he won’t have the same resistance as us believers. Let’s press on.”

 

Negativity, huh. Suddenly, I’m reminded of something the chick said.

 

'Negativity is the opposite of the sacred soul, inherent to our very flesh. Every act of living flesh is an act of accumulating Negativity.'

 

After saying this, the chick was terrified of the Negativity outside the subway. Negativity must be something akin to poison for psychics. And these guys must be capable of handling this Negativity.

 

“Ugh, this Negativity stings a bit.”

 

I pretended to be affected by the Negativity. That way, these fools would keep up their bizarre stances. As I staggered, the idiots rushed in, thinking they had the upper hand.

 

And so, I became the martial arts genius who slaughtered the Heavenly Demon Cult.

 

“Evil shall perish!”

 

A cultist fell at my strike. 

 

Ah, the peace of the martial world was preserved. The fallen losers murmured something.

 

“What kind of monster is this? He’s standing fine even after taking on the near-extreme Negativity of the grey kind?”

 

“Ugh. We should have called the bishops. He must be purifying all the Negativity with his immense spiritual power. Unbelievably strong.”

 

“Cough, we need to pour more Negativity on him before he fully regains his spiritual powers.”

 

Good, now all that’s left are the greenhorns who hesitated to join the fight. If I take care of these rookies, I can head home.

 

I looked at the rookies. They were trembling.

 

“Run away, you’re no match for him. He’s a very powerful psychic. If he starts using his full power, he could evaporate everything around here!”

 

“How can we abandon our brothers and run away!”

 

Wow, impressive. That’s some commitment to the role. I chuckled and turned my shoulder. That’s when it happened.

 

“Come at me, monster. As believers, let’s show our last dignity.”

 

About ten rookies suddenly pulled out daggers, their hands shaking. A knife fight, now? The blades looked sharp, definitely real daggers.

 

“You wanted to take me on?”

 

Honestly, I stand no chance against someone wielding a dagger.

 

Today, I’ve been defeated.

 

What happens to me now?

 

“I surrender, I surrender. I’ll let you take me.”

 

 

Psychics are mostly cruel and arrogant. The followers of the Heavenly Demon Cult knew this better than anyone. That’s why they couldn’t believe what the man in front of them was doing.

 

‘What in the world is he up to?’

 

The low-ranking disciples of the sect, brandishing daggers, were still untrained in handling Negativity, utterly weak and inexperienced. In front of these kids, the man was declaring his surrender.

 

‘Yoo Hajin, a psychic so powerful that the Heavenly Ordeal Sect would request his abduction. His resistance to Negativity indicated he was far stronger than imagined.’

 

A psychic of his caliber could easily take all of their lives with a single formation of any mudra. Yet, he chose not to.

 

Instead, after glancing at the trembling kids holding daggers, he suddenly raised his hands in surrender. 

 

Why would he do such a thing?

 

‘So that was it.’

 

The executives of the Heavenly Demon Cult finally understood the meaning behind the man’s actions. He couldn’t bring himself to kill the children. Rather than taking their lives, he chose to be captured.

 

‘To show mercy, even to us followers of the Heavenly Demon Cult.’

 

Psychics despised the Heavenly Demon Cult members for dealing with Negativity. Surely, this man was no different.

 

Yet, he chose to be taken by the Cult, which he despised, for the sake of these kids. The executives of the Heavenly Demon Cult bowed their heads, touched by a sentiment they hadn’t felt in a long time.

 

“Thank you for sparing these kids. We will treat you with the utmost respect.”

 

The executives of the Heavenly Demon Cult looked at Yoo Hajin with eyes full of respect.

Receiving their gaze, Yoo Hajin thought to himself.

 

‘I’m screwed. I haven’t completed my daily quests yet.’