Mercenary Black Mamba

"Ah, the space transfer spell!" Sun Woo Bang Na exclaimed in surprise.

"Is it that impressive of a technique even for you?"

"It is the pinnacle of the lost Ying and Yang Arts. The space transfer spell is a legendary technique that binds time to a third-dimensional space, making it 4-dimensional. Take a look at that uncovered red soil. Before it was demolished by bulldozers, that soil raised an old town of a few dozen traditional houses with tiled and thatched roofs. By using the space transfer spell to fix time to when the town existed, the town will forever remain in its place as long as the barrier stays up."

"Well, all that talk about dimension or space pockets wasn't complete hogwash after all."

"To be specific, this spell is used to bind time rather than transfer space. The purpose of the spell is to conceal oneself but could be used to hide a large number of supplies with the help of a powerful Onmyoji. However, the pocket of space created within the space transfer spell is unstable. It needs constant protection by a barrier to be maintained."

"So they use the pool of energy from the ground to maintain the barrier?"

"Precisely. The only prevailing truth between Heaven and Earth is time. The most powerful spells and techniques perish in its flow. This energy is the foundation of this world and represents all things positive. Because this energy was taken from them, the townspeople became depraved and had their lives shortened without their knowledge. We can take out the metal stakes that are nailed in the ground's energy points but there is no solution to the space transfer spell."

"I guess that's why there were so many cancer patients and criminals in this town. Dirty work as one would expect from those nasty people. Is there a possibility that this spell is scattered all over the country like the metal stakes?"

"You need a Grand Onmyoji and a massive amount of supplies to create a pocket of space with the space transfer spell. The possibility is unlikely."

"That's a relief. Well, come on then!"

"Please wait for a bit. Let me first take care of the evil spirit hiding in the pool of energy."

Sun Woo Bang Na felt confident. She felt as if she had all the power in the world after she obtained Nova. Being a mythical object, Nova increased her spiritual energy two to three times. Her eyes, now strengthened by the energy, located the spirit.

"Evil spirit? Ugh, what is it now?"

Mu Ssang thought about Rousseloufe inside of him. Here, evil spirits meant spiritual entities that can exert force in the physical world. Dokkaebi is one such type of spirit and spiritual entities that are not able to exert force are called illusions. Perhaps he was destined to constantly encounter obstacles. It was just his luck for it to be so difficult to build a single house.

"For every receiver, there is a sender. There is a spirit hiding in the pool of energy that is working as a catalyst between the energy and the pocket of space."

Sun Woo Bang Na started to gauge the distance going back and forth from the energy point with a magnet. Sun Woo Ma Go nervously stood on standby with the Sword of the Seven Stellar Gods in her left hand and Nova in her right.

"Third is water, seventh is wood… If fire is second, then earth is sixth… Metal twenty-eighth, ha!"

Sun Woo Bang Na struck Nova into the ground after the incantation. A strange sound came from the energy point. The ground started shaking violently. Then — boom! A looming figure the size of an ox burst from the ground.

"Huh, ain't that something."

It was a massive figure with needle-like fur. Radiating a dark aura, its eyes were ablaze with hellfire. The very definition of an evil bear spirit.

The spirit started rushing towards Mu Ssang like the wind, scattering pebbles and dust behind him.

"You! Do I look that easy to you?"

A sharp shout interrupted as he was about to attack with Balsara.

"How dare you, you dirty thing!"

Ma Go threw the Sword of the Seven Stellar Gods without hesitation. Calculations are unnecessary when it comes to mythical weapons controlled by spiritual energy. The sword traveled with such speed that it seemed like it disappeared in a flash, only to reappear protruding through the top of the spirit's head. As the spirit stood back up and was about to attack, Ma Go struck him with Nova.

With a flash, a wheel of light erupted from the mythical weapon. There was a sound similar to an exploding hot air balloon. And with the sound of hissing air, it dissipated. A pile of ash accumulated on the ground then sank beneath the earth.

'Woah, she isn't a shaman. She's an Amazoness!' Mu Ssang marveled. Despite being a woman, she was bold, her attacks perfect in both timing and accuracy. Flawless execution. She was not just an ordinary shaman, but a fighter.

"All sorts of thing are poppin' up. What is it?"

"It's an Oniguma (bear spirit). Mountain Gods in Japan make bears that are centuries old do their bidding like how Mountain Gods in Korea use tigers."

"Tsukinowaguma? That sounds like an insult. Those Japanese and their names. Why is it causing a ruckus over here?"

"Pfft! This Tsukinowaguma works like an antenna that transfers energy to the space pocket."

Sun Woo Bang Na explained while holding back laughter.

"Tsukinowaguma or whatever croaked. So the pocket of space should've become like an unplugged refrigerator. Can space pockets collapse?"

"There is a medium working as a backup battery. It will hold it for a while, but it will collapse in time."

"That can't happen. No, my treasure! Come on!"

Mu Ssang giddily shoved the mother and daughter to the backseat and hurried over to the Social Services Building. To Mu Ssang, who experienced it all, this was just like playing another game.

Sun Woo Ma Go seemed to flinch at the entrance to the basement and took out the Five Colored Flags. She then chanted an incantation while making hand signs.

"Sibangsamsae Obangjineon Simudeungeungju Bahabarabara!"

There was a fluctuation in energy at the entrance to the basement. Ma Go drove the Five Colored Flags into the doorpost. A scream reverberated through the air. The scream was terrible enough to rip the souls of the weak to shreds. A cloud of blue smoke in the shape of a cat rose from the doorpost.

"You wicked thing! Go back to where you came from."

Ma Go took Nova out and swung at the spirit. Poof! The smoke exploded like fireworks.

"It's a Nekomata (cat spirit) that protects the barrier."

"Ma Go ain't no pushover."

"Ma Go is the successor of Dudurisok (Tree God Faction)."

"Dudurisok?"

A word he's never heard of.

"Dudurisok is a group that has its roots in Bihyung, who became the Dokkaebi King after defeating the Spirit King Gildal back in Silla Era. Dokkaebi is a compound word between Dotgu(mortar) and abi (man). Mortar was a tool to process grains and at the same time a weapon. And abi means a healthy man. So in modern terms, Dokkaebis are Navy Seals. Ma Go transcended her limits and became the Dokkaebi Queen, master of all spiritual techniques. Japanese-made spirits like Nekomatas can't hold a candle against her."

"That's good then."

"It is thanks to the increased spiritual energy and the mythical weapon. Everything is the grace of the Great God."

"What grace, even gangsters give their goons weapons. Hmm, I'd like to see her fight Kamuge!"

Mu Ssang said with a smile on his face.

"Let us proceed."

The Sun Woo Bang Na mother and daughter lead the way into the basement. The basement was still pitch black. Sun Woo Ma Go took out two bells the size of oranges and began to shake them. The bells became brighter each time they rang.

"Illuminate!"

The two bells stuck to the ceiling and started emitting a bluish light. Mu Ssang nodded his head. Spellcasting arts that require mediums to activate were certainly in a league beneath Ma Go.

"Hmm, things have changed!" Mu Ssang murmured to himself as he looked around the basement. There were ten stone pillars each about 1.5 meters glaring in red, twenty metal poles as thick as a duck egg was coated in a blurry light, and something glistening in white flowing in between them like a stream. This place was nothing short of a fantasy. Surely, the basement was empty when they locked up An Bae Tae and his crew.

"The concealment spell broke when the Nekomata was defeated. Those metal poles are a medium to receive and transfer the energy to the space pocket. It's made of sterling silver, and they used streams of mercury to connect them to the stone pillars. Seems like this Onmyoji had an abundance of both spiritual energy and money."

Sun Woo Bang Na said in awe. It would have cost a fortune to install a spell like this underground.

"This Yamanashi Hanzo guy was greedy to the point that he was dubbed the Money Idolizing General. Who knows what kind of corrupt acts he must have committed as the governor of Chosun (Korea 1392~1897). What are the stone pillars?"

"They're the axis that is holding up this spell."

"Can you remove it physically?"

"It's possible with one million Kwan's worth of force (4 million kg) applied at once, but the space pocket would disappear."

"They made it so complicated. These stingy pricks!"

Mu Ssang slowly loosened his grip from Rakshasa's hilt. The spell was created with the mindset 'if I can't have it, then no one can'. Mu Ssang shook his head at the stinginess.

"My daughter and I will take care of it."

The Sun Woo Bang Na mother and daughter put down their knapsack and took out their tools one by one. A black felt hat, a red jeogori (traditional upper garment), a green skirt, a black gwaeja (traditional jacket), the Five Colored Flags (ebony, crimson, indigo, alabaster, amber), the Sword of the Seven Stellar Gods, and staves came out one after the other. They had really stuffed their bag.

"Are you about to perform a Pudakgeori (exorcism)?"

"Yes, sir. There is an Oni (Japanese Dokkaebi) on every axis that supports this spell. You would normally have to perform a Gut (complex exorcism) to break its connection, but a Pudakgeori will be enough thanks to Nova."

Sun Woo Bang Na took out a magnet and confirmed the orientation. The flow of time between heaven and earth is ever-changing. If one were to make a mistake in calculating the time and orientation of the spell, it would just end up being a meaningless struggle.

Amongst shamanic rituals, there are Bison, Pudakgeori, and Gut. A Bison is a ritual where one shaman offers a prayer, a Pudakgeori is performed by 2~3 shamans with instruments and dance to rid of lesser spirits, and a Gut is a joint ritual with many shamans, musicians, and offerings of food and drinks.

One-on-one combats would be considered a Bison, a Pudakgeori when beaten by a couple of people, and a Gut when it's an all-out group assault.

For an average shaman, the purpose of exorcism — whether it be Bison, Pudakgeori, or Gut — is to wish fortune for the dead and ward off evil. And the order of the ritual goes from Chungshin (calling out to the gods), Oshin (pleasing the gods), and Songshin (seeing off the gods).

Amongst shamans, those who are trained in combat and spellcasting are called monks. Monks are more specialized in warding off evil than they are in dance or music. Sun Woo Bang Na was closer to being a monk than a regular shaman. And Sun Woo Ma Go, the successor of Bihyung the Dokkaebi King, was already a monk without a doubt.

"The calling of the North is water. Its authority is with ebony. Hyunmyojinwon!"

"Hyunmyojinwon!"

Sun Woo Ma Go repeated the spell cast while planting the ebony flag to the designated spot. The flagpole made of a lightning-struck Jujube tree sunk into the pavement as if the concrete were mud.

"The calling of the East is wood. Its authority is with indigo. Donginhosaeng!"

"Donginhosaeng!"

Sun Woo Ma Go planted the indigo flag.

"The calling of the South is fire. Its authority is with crimson. Sungwangbomyung!"

"Sungwangbomyung!"

Sun Woo Ma Go planted the crimson flag.

"The calling of the West is metal. Its authority is with alabaster. Chungjungyunheo!"

"Chungjungyunheo!"

Sun Woo Ma Go planted the alabaster flag.

"The calling of their intersection is earth. Its authority is with amber. Jungsangyugu!"

"Jungsangyugu!"

Sun Woo Ma Go planted the amber flag. These two were in complete sync.

"Hanin Daegilsang Daewung Daegwangmyung Pohwi Daeanjeong Chiwu Daehwiri Wangum Daeyerak! Surisuri Mahasuri Susuri Sabaha"

Sun Woo Bang Na collapsed on the floor after the incantation. She was sweating buckets after spending so much spiritual power.

'Pfft!'

Mu Ssang almost let out a laugh. She was indeed a member of Pantheon. He did not think the words of cleansing said before prayers would be used as an incantation. The words are similar to "amen" or "abracadabra" which is often heard in Africa.

The Five Colored Flags all stiffened up at once. The amber flag at their intersection began shining. A low hum echoed throughout the basement. What seemed like a pencil-thick pillar of light grew bigger and bigger.

Eventually, the pillar of light grew to the thickness of an arm and began to pulsate. A massive amount of energy could be felt. Sun Woo Bang Na pointed to the first metal pole to their left with Nova.

"Go forth!"

The pillar of light enveloped the metal pole. and with a hiss, the metal pole disintegrated like sand and poured onto the floor. A monster with a horn on the crown of its head appeared from where the metal pole used to be.

"Huh, it's a Japanese Dokkaebi (Oni) like the ones in the picture books I read as a kid," Mu Ssang remarked, bemused. It was a textbook Japanese Oni with a single horn and a spiked metal bat. As a little kid, Mu Ssang thought that all Dokkaebi looked like that. This imagery was a testament to the failing education system. The monster lunged at Sun Woo Bang Na. She avoided the attack with ease and the metal bat struck the ground. And with a boom, sparks flew everywhere.

"Ho! It has physical force!"

Ma Go leapt in front of the surprised Mu Ssang while brandishing Nova. While leaving behind a trail resembling a halo, she split the Oni in two. Soon after, the Oni burst like a balloon with an audible pop.

"As expected of the Dokkaebi Queen — the Bihyung's successor!"

"An Oni is a formidable spirit, but it seems it wasn't a problem for my daughter," said Sunwoo Bangna, slightly boastful.

"Oni is another word for sewage gunk."

Mu Ssang did not really care whether evil spirits or Oni popped up. These lesser spirits were insignificant compared to the real monsters created by Rousseloufe or Kamuge, which were monsters genetically altered and enhanced with sorcery.

"Fufufu, the word Oni is used to describe all Japanese spirits."

Sun Woo Bang Na chortled at his awful dad joke. He was young, but the Avatar of the Great God was certainly quite different from the rest.