I’m the Only One Who Can’t See Ghosts - I’m the Only One Who Can’t See Ghosts chapter 14

14 – DMZ(1)

* * *

They said that souls were cruel, obsessive, and held grudges by nature.

Kim Sojin also learned it that way.

After countless battles, Kim Sojin learned about the cruelty of souls. They did not hesitate to harm someone, to kill someone, and did not regret it afterwards. Those psychopaths that Yoo Hahjin taught her were like that.

She decided to hide this side of herself in front of Yoo Hahjin.

Betrayed by her parents, betrayed by the teachers who raised her, betrayed by the elders of her family. After those days passed, Kim Sojin realized what she held grudges against. It wasn’t betrayal that she held grudges against. It was the grudge of loneliness.

If she held grudges against betrayal,

She would have already sought complete revenge against everyone involved.

She would have become a complete monster.

But Kim Sojin didn’t.

She didn’t become a complete monster and lived as a human. The reason why Kim Sojin lived as a human, without becoming a complete monster, was because she met Yoo Hahjin.

In the end, it meant that she was a lonely being searching for someone.

And now, with Yoo Hahjin saying that he would go to heaven and earth, Young-Ah Kim Sojin realized what her soul was attached to.

“…I can never, never lose it.”

The girl’s eyes grew cold.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, it was morning.

And it was a morning I had to go to the DMZ.

Did the people who enlisted in the past also face such a morning?

“To go to the DMZ in an era where conscription is gone.”

There was nothing to say since it was a disaster I brought upon myself, but after learning more about the DMZ yesterday, I became even more unwilling to go.

To explain how much of a terrible neighborhood the DMZ was, I had to explain how North Korea had gone to ruins. North Korea was said to be a communist country where shamanism and superstition were natural and they beat up Buddhists and Roman Catholics, considering them atheists.

Of course, they destroyed all the village protecting trees, shamans, and temples, and those who could do such things were taken as political prisoners and tortured to death.

From the day the psychic abilities were awakened, it is said that there were not just one or two psychics who were tortured to death, but also not just one or two spiritual sanctuaries that were destroyed.

On the day people were able to see ghosts, a week later, North Korea collapsed and perished. The collapse of the system that was supposed to protect against the souls of shaman priests who had turned into demons and the demons themselves. The synergy of these two turned North Korea into a living hell.

Northern China also became a living hell for the same reason. Thus, the demons from North Korea and China gathered in Manchuria and gave birth to a being called Guizon.

There was not much information about this being called Guizon. Anyway, it was said to be a powerful demon and all there was to hear was that it had been successfully stopped in Korea.

Anyway, North Korea is hell, and the DMZ is the closest land to that hell.

There is even a saying that the DMZ is more dangerous than inside North Korea.

Ghosts are attracted to people, and there are no people inside North Korea.

According to this logic, it is said that demons gather in the DMZ.

And I had to go to that DMZ.

Damn, I really don’t want to go.

So I got off the Paju-bound bus.

“No, the bus only goes to the outskirts of Paju.”

I slung a electric kickboard over my back and unfolded it. It is a cost-effective method of transportation, renting for only about 20,000 won a month. I rented it for about 10,000 won for a week.

Vroom – I rode the electric kickboard and crossed the abandoned city of Paju.

Seeing a city abandoned and in ruins makes me feel like I’ve become a character in some kind of apocalyptic story.

Maybe I should build a bunker in preparation for the apocalypse.

Looking at how the world is going these days, it wouldn’t be surprising if it collapses at any time.

With that apocalyptic sentiment, I took a selfie.

“Hmm, this place is kind of cool.”

Looking at the photo, I feel like writing a pointless post titled “Yu Hajin shot.”

I should show it to Jamsooni later.

I took a selfie in front of a shopping center and got back on the electric kickboard.

It’s still quite a distance to the DMZ, as expected.

It was still too peaceful.

I took another selfie in front of a bridge crossing the Imjin River.

The wetlands that stretched out beyond the Imjin River displayed the beauty of nature that could be seen in a documentary.

Looking at the wetlands, I opened my mouth.

“Should I bring Jamsooni here later? That kid is either stuck at home unless I take him out.”

Vroom – I continued to approach the DMZ on the electric kickboard.

By the way, how far apart are Paju and the DMZ?

It’s too peaceful here.

Although I occasionally saw tanks passing by, I didn’t think it was strange since it’s the area near the DMZ. I thought it was natural for tanks to be moving around in a military zone.

How far north did I go?

I arrived at a place where people who could be called real soldiers were gathered.

They looked at me with wide eyes full of surprise.

Their injuries were severe. Even with bandages covering them, they were covered in blood. From those missing limbs to those I couldn’t tell if they were still alive, it was truly a battlefield field hospital.

“No, what is going on here?”

I shook my head in disbelief.

* * *

The DMZ is hell.

No, it’s worse than hell.

The psychics deployed in the DMZ infiltration mission had the same thoughts and feelings. They couldn’t help it.

“It must be the second test to reach the DMZ in the first place.”

The initiation into the Cheonji guild is originally conducted through three tests.

But this time, it was announced that only two tests would be conducted.

People thought that the guild needed many new members this time, so they lowered the passing score.

That was until they heard that the second test would be held in the DMZ.

There were dozens of tanks lined up at the entrance of Paju City. The surface of these tanks was engraved with dozens of intricate patterns in cinnabar ink. They were all patterns known to ward off evil. The tanks themselves were completely focused on defense, with no offensive capabilities.

“Today, our family alliance will penetrate the DMZ.”

In Korea, there were four main types of psychic groups. The SeStupMoo, the union of the Yeongcheosa family that inherited the bloodline of specific deities. The family alliance, who followed the cultivation method created by a powerful psychic and his disciples. They were called factions, and their union was called sects.

Groups formed by renegade psychics for their own gain, like gangsters. They were simply called SaPa.

And lastly, the Cheonji, who managed these groups through their power.

They could be divided into these four groups.

And today, the owners of the tanks gathered here were none other than the family alliance, the SeGa. They gathered their strength to bring the children of SeGa who passed the first test to the DMZ.

“I won’t speak empty words. The Paju breakthrough is dangerous. Even with dozens of specialized tanks, the amulets and talismans provided to the soldiers, and the trained forces, this will be a dangerous mission.”

Park Jong Cheol, the person in charge of this mission, said.

“But by carrying out this mission and having a member of our family affiliated with Cheonji, we will get closer to dominating Korea and even further, dominating this secular world.”

The person in charge declared.

“Let’s go! Let’s imbue the heavens and the earth with the power of the oldest families! Let’s surpass the ancestral realm and shake our destiny in the celestial realm!”

With that, the soldiers of the family boarded the armored vehicles.

And the operation began.

Despite being protected by reinforced iron and receiving injections and blessings, eerie sounds began to resonate inside the armored vehicles. The sound of flowing water. The sound of something submerging. The sound of something sinking. The sound of something writhing in the depths. The sound of the armored vehicle contorting under pressure.

Upon hearing the sound, a man inside the armored vehicle spoke.

“Sir, Captain. We need to escape before going any deeper. This armored vehicle cannot withstand the water pressure.”

“What is this nonsense you’re talking?”

The Captain laughed and said.

“This is not the sea, it’s a river. Can’t even withstand the pressure of a river. We still haven’t reached the sea. The river flows meaninglessly towards the sea. Let’s go to the sea. To the sea. To the depths. To the boundless dark waters.”

“Sir, Captain!”

As such, one of the armored vehicles driving on the road fell into a sinkhole. The strange thing was that despite the armored vehicle sinking, there was nothing inside the sinkhole but pitch black darkness.

The situation inside another armored vehicle was as follows.

“Including the Captain, a total of 13 personnel have entered Baekseok-ri.”

“Confirm it again. The 7th platoon consists of 10 personnel.”

Upon hearing those words, the Captain looked back at the platoon members. The necks of nine platoon members had already been severed and the remaining three were laughing in a grotesque manner.

The situation inside another armored vehicle was like this.

“God damn it. God damn it. Why are there so many damn powerful demons right before the demon king! I’ve already seen four!”

“f*ck, just try to stay alive. f*ck, I’m really loyal, I swear.”

“Driver, step on the gas slowly but quickly! If we accidentally step on something like a wandering spirit, both you and I will die!”

“Then you guys put more effort into boosting your spiritual power! f*ck, just thinking about the round trip is driving me crazy!”

The driver couldn’t believe everything outside the car window. Dancing demons, demons hanging upside down while dancing, demons rummaging inside the stationary armored vehicle while dancing. And a person riding an electric kickboard leisurely touring around Paju City.

No, that’s a person.

But that made it even more unbelievable.

Even with the reinforced armored vehicle made of reinforced iron and painted with the protective color of the suppressor, filled with the power of the suppressor engraved with shamanistic symbols, chaos broke out.

But to just cross Paju on an electric kickboard?

It was a fact that was too unbelievable.

While the driver was in confusion, the seats behind him fell silent. The driver, thinking that the silence had some meaning, aimed his gun at his temple.

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Disappearance, annihilation, death.

While listening to all the reports, Park Jong-chul, who was riding in the command armored vehicle, muttered.

“It’s a great sacrifice. The oldest bloodlines will remember that sacrifice.”

I could not save everyone anyway.

So it was right to save the noblest bloodlines.

Park Jong-chul nodded with a proud expression as he watched the special forces sacrificed according to the operation. However, his expression soon twisted. It was because some pictures appeared on screen.

It was a picture of a man.

A picture of a man riding an electric kickboard across the streets of Paju, a picture of a man who stopped in front of the second most dangerous store in Paju and took a selfie, and a picture of a man who took a selfie in front of the Imjingang Bridge where the most dangerous Aswangs gathered.

“This is what they meant by monsters···?”

Park Jong-chul felt fear for the first time in a long while as he looked at that picture.