The dense forested mountain was pitch black, making it impossible to see even a step ahead. The headlights of the car barely illuminated the dirt road ahead, revealing only what lay directly in front of them. As the vehicle rattled forward, Mu-ryeong sat in the passenger seat, glancing at his surroundings.“It’s seriously dark out here.”He wasn’t exaggerating. The mountain road, devoid of streetlights, was swallowed in absolute darkness. Even the faint glow of the moon couldn’t erase the deep shadows cast by the towering trees. Mu-yeon, gripping the wheel tightly, clicked her tongue in frustration.“This is why accidents keep happening…”—Turn right in a moment.A soft chime rang as the GPS gave its directions. Mu-yeon scoffed as she yanked the wheel sharply, muttering about why anyone would bring a car into a place like this. In the backseat, Hwan-young clutched his seatbelt silently, his gentle features betraying a rare wariness. Mu-yeon’s driving style was far rougher than her appearance suggested.‘There’s a certain section of this mountain road where accidents happen a lot.’The reason they were out here in the dead of night was simple. Mu-yeon had received a case from the Exorcist Association, and she insisted that real experience was necessary for those who wanted to become exorcists. She had brought them along to witness the job firsthand.‘It’s an isolated mountain path. Some people claim they saw something strange, while others say their steering wheel suddenly turned on its own.’Listening to the explanation, Seung-joo had long since started looking queasy, clutching Seolgi tightly. He muttered something about how lucky the dog was for not understanding Korean. For Mu-yeon and Mu-ryeong, this was just another work-related discussion, but to an outsider like Seung-joo, it was nothing short of a horror story.‘If it was just a rumor, I wouldn’t bother. But real accidents have happened, so we need to check it out.’The police had likely investigated the area, but they would have found nothing. At most, they would put up a warning sign and call it a day. Mu-yeon had mentioned that this road was the only route through the mountain, so blocking it off wasn’t an option.‘Hwan-young, you need to understand this if you want to be an exorcist. We investigate cases that people would normally dismiss as urban legends.’The infamous highway ghost that once terrified drivers? It had turned out to be the lingering spirit of a car accident victim. The ghost had tried to warn people to slow down but ended up causing even more accidents instead. Thankfully, the spirit had been guided to pass on before turning into a vengeful ghost. Mu-yeon had taken the opportunity to lecture them about the dangers of speeding at least three times.‘We’ll check things out. If it really is a spirit, we’ll help it pass on.’‘But you’re driving all the way out here just for one ghost?’Mu-ryeong tilted his head. It didn’t make sense for someone like Mu-yeon to be assigned such a minor case. She was one of the most skilled exorcists in the Association, specializing in high-level vengeful spirits. There was no way they would send her for a simple investigation.‘Well… that’s not the only ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) reason.’As expected, Mu-yeon smirked and shook her head. She even shot Mu-ryeong a proud grin, as if pleased by his sharp instincts. The dimples they shared appeared in the exact same places.‘A man died in a nearby villa recently.’At those words, Hwan-young immediately realized that this was the real reason. Mu-yeon’s voice had dropped into a serious tone. Her normally round eyes narrowed slightly as she explained.‘It’s been a while since his death, but his name still hasn’t appeared in the afterlife’s records. He must have lingering regrets, preventing him from moving on. The reapers have been sent multiple times, but nothing has changed.’Hwan-young frowned. Something about that didn’t sit right with him. With so many people dying every day, did the Exorcist Association really monitor all of them? How many souls had they failed to track until now?‘You all know what happens when a spirit lingers too long, right? They turn into vengeful ghosts.’Mu-ryeong and Hwan-young nodded, while Seung-joo furrowed his brows. He looked uncomfortable with how familiar this knowledge was to him. Mu-yeon absentmindedly patted Seolgi as she continued.‘It’s reaching that point. The Association has already sent several exorcists, but they only found low-level spirits in the area. None of them could locate the missing soul.’‘…Low-level spirits?’‘Residual energy that has clumped together. Like the one that attacked you on the first day of school. They’re harmless to most people, but they give off strong negative energy, so we exorcise them on sight.’‘Ah… that thing.’Mu-ryeong had seen it before. He hadn’t paid much attention when he deflected it, but he had watched Mu-ryeong purify it—a writhing mass of black sludge.‘You were attacked by a low-level spirit?’Mu-yeon widened her eyes, scanning Hwan-young with sharp interest. He tensed under her gaze, unable to meet her eyes directly. As Mu-ryeong subtly flinched at the tension, Mu-yeon eventually shrugged it off.‘Anyway… the case kept escalating until it landed on my desk.’If she failed to handle it, the higher-ups would get involved next. Mu-yeon sighed as if it were a hassle. Hwan-young, meanwhile, realized that she was just one step below the executives in rank. At only twenty-seven, that was an impressive position.‘So, I have two jobs tonight. One: investigate the accident-prone section of the road. Two: locate and help the missing soul pass on.’If the spirit had already turned into a vengeful ghost, then exorcising it was the only option. Mu-yeon added that last part with casual indifference.Hwan-young, however, didn’t miss the flicker of unease in Mu-ryeong’s expression.‘I don’t think it’ll be dangerous, but I won’t force you. Are you in or out?’Mu-yeon’s bright smile carried unwavering confidence. It was as if she already knew what their answers would be. When Seung-joo hesitantly asked, “Are you sure it’s not dangerous?” she simply replied that she would never take kids anywhere risky.‘I’m going.’Mu-ryeong was the first to speak. His expression was oddly composed as he blinked slowly, then turned to Hwan-young with an expectant look—one that left no room for refusal.‘You’re coming too, right?’And that was how they ended up in the borrowed car, heading out to the scene.Mu-yeon, as always, believed in taking swift action. The moment the decision was made, she had insisted they leave immediately, as if striking while the iron was hot. Seung-joo, in response, had promptly abandoned them before dinner, heading straight to the neighbor’s house."Seung-joo’s still a coward, huh?""He insists he’s not scared.""Still as stubborn as ever."Mu-yeon chuckled as she deftly maneuvered the wheel. The GPS had gone completely silent at some point, though none of them had turned it off. Their final destination loomed ahead—the villa where the missing soul had died, waiting to be put to rest.This translation is the intellectual property of ."This road is seriously messed up…"The winding, endless curves of the mountain path showed no sign of stopping. Thankfully, none of them were prone to motion sickness—otherwise, they would have had to pull over halfway up. At this point, it was no wonder accidents kept happening here."A normal person wouldn’t even be able to drive here."Mu-ryeong stuck his head out slightly, peering through the window like a meerkat. For exorcists, who had excellent night vision and reflexes, this level of darkness was nothing. The problem wasn’t visibility—it was the terrible condition of the road itself. The uneven terrain made the ride rough and unpleasant.—Turn left in 300 meters."We’re still not in the accident zone?"Hwan-young scowled at the way the car shook with every bump and turned to Mu-yeon for confirmation. She shook her head."Probably not. I didn’t see any warning signs."If the police had investigated, there would at least be some kind of marker. And if multiple people had died here, there should be traces of spiritual energy—but there was nothing."Mu-ryeong, you didn’t sense anything either, right?""Yeah, it’s clean."Mu-ryeong answered calmly. He had been keeping his senses sharp the entire time but hadn’t picked up any negative energy. Just in case, he glanced at Hwan-young, who furrowed his brows before nodding in agreement.—Continue straight until the next instruction."Finally, it’s over."The moment the GPS finished speaking, the path ahead opened into a long, straight road through the mountains. Mu-yeon let out a sigh of relief and stretched her back. She made a mental note to warn them never to drive here as beginners—this road was strictly off-limits for inexperienced drivers."Seung-joo would’ve passed out if he were here."Both Mu-ryeong and Hwan-young silently agreed. With nothing but darkness and dense overgrown vegetation surrounding them, this place was bound to unsettle someone like Seung-joo. If he could see spirits, he would at least know there was nothing there—but since he couldn’t, his mind would probably fill in the blanks with worst-case scenarios."Isn’t this place too dangerous to be here alone?"Hwan-young frowned as he surveyed the isolated, overgrown roadside. This wasn’t supposed to be a dangerous mission, but the eerie, abandoned atmosphere suggested otherwise. A small thought lingered in his mind—would Mu-ryeong end up dealing with these kinds of jobs in the future? The idea bothered him more than he expected."You get used to it.""Still…""Are you worried?"The question didn’t come from Mu-yeon—it came from Mu-ryeong.Hwan-young flinched slightly and turned his head. Mu-ryeong was staring at him intently, as if trying to read his thoughts. After a brief hesitation, Hwan-young gave a small nod."…Yeah."For some reason, a flicker of dissatisfaction crossed Mu-ryeong’s face. Of course, there was no way he’d be annoyed by something like that—Hwan-young was probably just imagining it. Before he could dwell on it further, Mu-ryeong had already straightened up as if nothing had happened.The road ahead remained relatively smooth for a while. It was still bumpy, but at least it wasn’t twisting and turning like a rollercoaster anymore.After what felt like a long climb up the mountain, the GPS voice chimed in again.—You are now 50 meters from your destination."Already?"Mu-ryeong’s eyes widened. All he could see ahead was a steep hill. Was the villa just past that? As he pondered, the GPS spoke again.—You will arrive at your destination shortly."That’s weird…"Even Mu-yeon seemed confused this time. The accident-prone area hadn’t shown up yet, and according to the reports, the villa should be much deeper into the mountains.Is the GPS malfunctioning?The thought had barely crossed their minds before a strange, creeping sensation brushed against the back of their necks.Screech!The car came to a sudden, violent halt.The force of the stop threw their bodies forward, and before Mu-ryeong and Hwan-young could even react, the headlights illuminated the scene ahead.—Continue straight.A cliff.

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