It had been a lie.A small, harmless one, but a lie nonetheless.When Hwan-young had asked how many goblins he had, Mu-ryeong had casually answered three.In truth, the number was far greater—uncountable, even.But it wasn’t something he could openly admit."You're going to keep this a secret, right?""……."Hwan-young, still in a daze, nodded without thinking.Beneath the moonlight, the ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ blue flames illuminated the school grounds.It was an awe-inspiring sight.Mu-ryeong’s voice, young yet unwavering, cut through the silence."Now, we wait."The goblins he had summoned clung to the school buildings, erasing every possible shadow.The vengeful spirit needed a deep, expansive shadow to emerge from—small slivers of darkness wouldn’t be enough.And now, there was only one path left open.Mu-ryeong nudged the shadow at his feet with the toe of his sneaker.Compared to Hwan-young, his shoes were laughably small—secured not by laces, but by velcro straps.Rip.The sole of his shoe scraped against the rooftop.His gaze darkened."This time, I won’t let him slip away."One mistake had been enough.But he had already let the vengeful spirit escape twice.That wasn’t happening again.Now that he knew the full extent of its strength, he wouldn’t lower his guard."Do I need to do anything?"Mu-ryeong hesitated.He hadn’t planned on involving Hwan-young in anything dangerous.If Hwan-young heard that, he’d probably say This is my business. What are you talking about?But Mu-ryeong’s own selfish desire was to keep him out of harm’s way."…There is one thing."Since they had come this far, he wasn’t against trying everything possible.Besides, telling Hwan-young to just stand back and do nothing wouldn’t sit well with him either.So Mu-ryeong met his gaze and gave a playful squint."It’s nothing too difficult."***There were countless ways to wield spiritual energy.It could be shaped into a weapon, woven into armor, or simply released in bursts to overpower an enemy.His older brother, Mu-heun, shaped his energy into a sword, preferring close combat against fast-moving spirits.His sister, Mu-yeon, used a bow.Her arrows could obliterate spirits on impact, and her accuracy was among the top five in the entire exorcist association.Mu-ryeong could mimic both techniques fairly well.His family had trained him, after all.But his process was different."He’ll be here soon."After finishing his brief strategy meeting with Hwan-young, Mu-ryeong wound a length of spiritual thread around his hands, waiting for the spirit to emerge.The rooftop remained engulfed in eerie blue flames.The cut on his arm had stopped bleeding."Don’t get too close, okay?""……Okay."Hwan-young stood at a distance, watching with a tense expression.To ensure no shadows formed, two small flames circled near his feet.The rooftop, with its collapsed fence, felt vast and empty.Mu-ryeong stood alone in the center, dressed in black, like a single ink blot on a blank page.…Here it comes.His eyes narrowed.The lone remaining shadow flickered.The air grew heavier, thick with ominous energy.A skeletal hand clawed its way out, fingers contorted at unnatural angles, glistening with fresh blood.Mu-ryeong remained still.He needed to wait until the spirit had fully emerged.If he moved too soon, it might retreat back into the shadows.And no matter how agonizing its existence was, a determined spirit could endure long enough to become truly dangerous.I was too hasty last time.Nothing ruined an exorcism like impatience.He had waited for days, carefully preparing the right moment.He wasn’t about to waste it now.Just a little more…The spirit dragged itself free.Bloodstained black sludge dripped from its form.Its glowing red eyes locked onto Mu-ryeong.Then—Thud.A sudden, crushing weight descended upon the rooftop.Mu-ryeong had unleashed his full power.The sheer force of it sent a shudder through the air.Even Hwan-young, standing at a distance, buckled under the pressure, his knees nearly giving out."…Kim Mu-ryeong, you…"His stunned voice barely reached Mu-ryeong’s ears.All around them, the goblins had been drawn in, flocking to the rooftop like moths to a flame.The spirit let out a ragged, screeching wail.It recoiled, staggering backward.This much force won’t hurt it.Mu-ryeong’s energy was already beyond what most exorcists could achieve.And tonight, under the full moon, his power was amplified even further.Before, he had held back out of concern for the spirit’s soul.But this time, he had no reason to."……."He stepped forward.Sensing danger, the spirit twisted, trying to slip back into the shadows—But there were none left.The rooftop was flooded with blue fire, leaving nowhere to hide."It’s useless."Nowhere to run.Nowhere to hide.The spirit hesitated, stuck in a deadlock.Mu-ryeong didn’t waste the opportunity.He cast his energy downward, releasing thin, shimmering threads across the ground.Like a serpent, the threads slithered toward the spirit’s feet—Wrapping tight.When Mu-ryeong clenched his fist, the threads constricted, winding around the spirit’s body like steel cables.Trapped.This wasn’t meant to destroy—only to bind.Mu-yeon had taught him this technique.It was a delaying tactic, a way to hold spirits in place just long enough to eliminate them.If it were Mu-yeon standing here, she wouldn’t have wasted time.She would have drawn her bow and shot the spirit through the heart without hesitation.This translation is the intellectual property of .Mu-ryeong pushed off the ground and lunged forward, throwing his arms around the blackened mass."…Kim Mu-ryeong!""Kh…!"A suffocating weight pressed down on him.The vengeful energy surged, violent and suffocating, threatening to crush him.The spirit resisted fiercely, its raw energy fraying the thin threads of Mu-ryeong’s spiritual bindings one by one."Don’t come near!"Hwan-young halted in his tracks.His black eyes, wide with fear, trembled.Mu-ryeong tightened his grip around the spirit, binding them together with the remaining threads.If he lost his hold on Hwan-hee now, the spirit would escape again—this time, there was no rooftop fence to break his fall.If Hwan-young wasn’t there to catch him, he’d plummet straight over the edge.The threads constricted, digging deep into Mu-ryeong’s ribs.He could feel his insides being squeezed.But he refused to let go.With every ounce of strength he had left, he anchored Hwan-hee to his chest and shouted—"Ki Hwan-young, now!""……."Hwan-young’s lips parted slightly.A storm of emotions flickered in his darkened gaze.His brother—his monster of a brother—And Kim Mu-ryeong, suffering because of him.If emotions had a physical form, Hwan-young was certain his own heart would be crumbling into dust.[Brother.]A distant voice, swallowed by water.Hwan-hee looked like he was in pain.Kim Mu-ryeong looked exhausted.Every time Hwan-young felt like this—like everything was slipping through his fingers—he wanted to stop moving.He wanted to let go.The guilt and helplessness paralyzed him, leaving his mind blank and his body frozen."Ki Hwan-young!"Mu-ryeong’s voice snapped him back.Hwan-young squeezed his eyes shut.Then, he inhaled deeply—And exhaled a single name."…Hwan-hee."How long had it been since he last spoke that name?His throat felt raw, as if he had swallowed sand.He had never once forgotten it.But it had been so long since he had allowed himself to say it aloud that it felt like a stranger’s name on his tongue."Ki Hwan-hee."[When I give the signal, just say his name once.]Kim Mu-ryeong had told him.The spirit still has something left inside. It hesitated when you got close.Your voice gets through to him.Call his name, and when he stops moving—leave the rest to me."……."The moment Hwan-young spoke, the spirit stilled.Mu-ryeong let out a shallow breath of relief.It had worked.Now, before the spirit could regain its senses—Mu-ryeong closed his eyes.And someone pulled him into an embrace."…I’m sorry."Hwan-young.His spiritual barrier—always present, always untouchable—wrapped around both Mu-ryeong and Hwan-hee, encasing them in a steady, unwavering warmth.His voice, thick with sorrow, trembled."I’m sorry, Hwan-hee.""……."The vengeful aura that had been raging only moments ago began to settle.Mu-ryeong heard it—The first clear sound to come from the spirit’s lips.A hoarse, broken voice calling for his brother.Brother."……."The urge to cry swelled in Mu-ryeong’s chest.Something wet landed on his cheek.It wasn’t raining.And it wasn’t his own tears.But he knew exactly whose grief was spilling over."I’m sorry…."Mu-ryeong whispered, gathering his energy.Spiritual power flowed from his fingertips, seeping into the cursed mass, purging the filth that clung to Hwan-hee’s soul.The process wasn’t about erasing the spirit—It was about absorbing the agony, breaking it down, and returning the soul to what it once was.Mu-ryeong filled the emptiness inside the spirit with his own energy—And in turn, took in the emotions that had weighed Hwan-hee down for so long.This moment had been long overdue.Not just for them.But for Hwan-hee, too.How long had he wandered, lost and broken?How much suffering had he endured with nothing left but his pain?“Those twins—did you hear? They ate their own parents.”A voice, distant yet intrusive.Mu-ryeong followed the emotions swirling inside the spirit, searching for its core.A fragile, almost lifeless energy, barely holding itself together, lay hidden beneath the layers of grief and rage."It’s a cursed fate, isn’t it?""Hey, I heard your brother sees ghosts.""Tsk, poor kid. The younger one didn’t deserve this."Endless whispers.Voices belonging to strangers—too old, too young, too warped to be real.And then—"It’s all your fault."A voice he did recognize.A young girl, her words laced with bitter resentment.A voice that carried sorrow, helplessness—And the guilt of blaming the only person she had left."Because of you, our parents are dead."Hwan-hee’s memory.

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