🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
𝔞𝘸ė̇𝘣s𝐭𝔬𝚛𝕚𝘦𝐬.𝕔𝐨𝔪
At the same time, a rural village located near Gokseong, Jeollanam-do. A group of people had just arrived in a car.
Screech!
Thud.
Bang.
“So, this is the place?”
“Yes. Jugok Village, Gokseong-gun. It’s the area where the initial report came from.”
Defense Corps exorcists had been dispatched yesterday after receiving a report from a villager, but they couldn’t find anything unusual despite a thorough patrol.
However, another report came in today. The state of the village was strange, they said.
The first and second reporters were different people, but their testimonies mostly matched, so they decided to investigate again.
“Stay alert. For some reason, we’ve lost contact with the reporter since this morning.”
In the worst case, there might already have been casualties due to some kind of incident.
Because of that, the exorcists entered the village with heightened tension.
However, at first glance, the village itself seemed normal. Children were playing as usual. The villagers were diligently doing their daily tasks.
“Oh. What brings sirs here today?”
“Oh, Mr. Choi. We received another report today. Has anything strange happened?”
“Oh, these people again. I told you it was just a mood thing. . . . . . .”
Mr. Choi apologized to the exorcists, looking somewhat tired.
“I’m sorry for causing you unnecessary trouble.”
“No, it’s our job. We’ll go and meet the reporter first.”
The exorcists split into three groups and started moving.
One group went to meet the reporter to hear a detailed testimony, while the other two groups went around the village to identify anything unusual.
Lee Eun-ji, the most experienced 3rd-grade exorcist among the group, took one of her juniors and went to meet Park Min-chul, the young man who had made the second report, and started talking to him.
However, the conversation was quite disappointing.
“I-I’m sorry. Maybe I was mistaken because I was drunk. . . . . . . I don’t remember yesterday very well.”
“Is there anything that comes to mind?”
“Yes. Like the elders said, I think it was just a mood thing. I’m really sorry.”
The investigation ended without any results, and Lee Eun-ji left the house feeling uneasy.
Just as she was about to return, she happened to catch a few villagers and was talking to them when the other two groups, who had been scattered, returned and joined Lee Eun-ji’s group.
Heo Yoon-hyeop and Han Su-jeong, both 3rd-grade exorcists. And a newcomer who had just passed the exam and was working as an apprentice.
Han Su-jeong suddenly shouted to the group, unable to contain her gaze.
“I got an urgent call from the team leader! He said it’s an emergency, so we need to get back ASAP. . . . . . .”
“The team leader? He didn’t say anything to me?”
“Well, he seemed a bit out of it. Let’s just get back there as soon as possible!”
Han Su-jeong grabbed Lee Eun-ji’s shoulder, who was puzzled, and hurriedly led the group out of the village, feeling anxious about something.
When the five exorcists gathered in front of the car they had come in, Han Su-jeong finally let out a big sigh of relief.
“Why have you been acting like this? What’s the emergency?”
“T-That was a lie.”
“What? Are you crazy?”
Han Su-jeong turned her gaze to the bewildered group and spoke with a nervous expression.
“Didn’t you find anything strange?”
“The villagers? They all seemed tired, but there was nothing unusual. . . . . . .”
“. . . You really didn’t feel it?”
“What exactly?”
Han Su-jeong briefly glanced towards the village and shivered, running her hand down her forearm as if she was still getting goosebumps.
“N-No.”
“What?”
“While we were walking around, not a single person in the village blinked.”
“. . . What did you say?”
The exorcists were shocked.
Thinking back carefully, it was exactly as she said. None of the villagers had blinked.
Of course, that was impossible for a human being.
“. . . You’re right. That was definitely the case.”
Silence fell over the forest.
As everyone was in shock, Yoon-hyeop, who had been silent until now, blinked and opened his mouth.
“I never would have thought of that.”
“Senior Yoon-hyeop, you’re so oblivious! Anyway, it’s definitely strange. First, let’s contact the superiors. . . . . . .”
“I’ll try to be more careful from now on.”
“Huh?”
Slash!
In that instant, Han Su-jeong’s neck, who had uttered the question, flew into the air.
Immediately after, Lee Eun-ji’s heart was pierced as she tried to pull out her sword with wide eyes.
Thud.
“. . . Senior!”
Thud!
Crash!
Shin Jae-min, a 3rd-grade exorcist who had just gotten rid of his newbie tag, jumped in, but all he could see was his own body, now split in half.
“Ah. . . . . . . Ah. . . . . . .”
Han Chae-yun, who witnessed her seniors being killed right before her eyes, froze up and couldn’t even think of fighting back.
As Yoon-hyeop approached her and put his finger in her mouth, Han Chae-yun struggled with her body, her eyes wide with terror.
A moment later, Han Chae-yun broke free from Yoon-hyeop’s embrace and stood up with a trembling body.
Her eyes, which had been focused, were now empty.
“I’m glad I ate one just in case.”
With that, an inexplicable silence fell over the village once again.
𝐚𝕨𝘦𝚋ṡ̇ṫ̇ᴏ𝕣𝘪𝙚𝔰.𝙘𝕠𝕞
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