Inheriting the Throne of the Underworld

Chapter 4: The Inheritor of Mythology (2)

[ ‘A 3,000-Year-Old Promise’ ]

– Classification: Unfulfilled Rumor (E)

– Connection: Hogu Byeolseong, Yeomra

– Content: It is said that the Goddess of Plague has come to find the King of the Underworld to fulfill an old promise (…)

– Effect: (!) This rumor is a Connection Rumor. It currently has no effect.

“A Connection Rumor?”

A ‘Connection Rumor’ is literally a rumor created by a ‘connection’.

Like ordinary rumors, they can transform into tales of heroism and valor, but the difference lies in their origin from ‘connections’ or ‘relationships.’

For example, party members who defeated a Goblin Lord might generate a rumor like ‘Goblin Lord Joint Attack’.

However, Connection Rumors are much harder to obtain than ordinary rumors.

As the name implies, it literally requires a connection, a deep bond.

Furthermore, the growth conditions for Connection Rumors are invisible.

While ordinary rumors grow when you accumulate Karma Points by clearing dungeons or performing similar actions, Connection Rumors grow ‘whenever the connection strengthens.’

That’s why they’re usually only seen between family members, old friends, lovers, or party members who’ve shared life-and-death experiences.

But this… is happening between Hogu Byeolseong and me, whom I met for the first time today?

Why?

“Hey, kid.”

Hogu Byeolseong called out to me.

“No, should I really call you Yeomra now?”

Her voice was light, but for some reason, it was tinged with emotion.

“It’s nothing, it’s just… hearing that the old man died, I can’t help but worry about his descendants.”

It reminded me of the venom she spewed in front of the Great King’s tomb.

Her emotions, once concealed, suddenly felt palpable and heavy.

“I owed the old man a favor a long time ago.”

Damp and deep, something clinging to her like venom.

I didn’t ask any further questions.

I felt like I already knew.

Why she came when she heard the Underworld was destroyed.

Why she was angry at the civil servant who tried to demolish the tomb, as if it were her own matter.

Why she asked me if I was truly confident in becoming the King.

“…Yeomra, that old geezer lived for 20,000 years, he lived long enough.”

And now, at this moment, just facing her suppressed resentment… it was naturally flowing into me.

“Still, I didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to see him again so suddenly.”

I silently listened to her words.

“…Well, I guess even if I’m lonely, it won’t be as bad as you, the new Yeomra.”

Trailing off, she gave a somewhat awkward laugh.

“Anyway, the old man told me to become a Soul Reaper someday to repay the debt. I kept putting it off because it was annoying, and it’s already been 3,000 years.”

[TL/N: Chasa → Soul Reaper]

[ Would you like to accept ‘Hogu Byeolseong’ as the God of the Underworld? ]

[ Yes/No ]

The pop-up window appeared once again.

“How about it, will you at least make me a Soul Reaper?”

A window leading from a past connection to a new one.

“Two heads are better than one, and 10 billion divided is still 5 billion.”

I don’t know the conditions for a Connection Rumor to occur.

But I know that sometimes, even with someone you’ve just met, you can feel a strong bond.

For example…

When you share the same longing for someone who is no longer there.

[ ‘Hogu Byeolseong’ has become a Soul Reaper of the Underworld. ]

Or when you want to confide your deepest sorrow to someone who would understand it best.

[ (!) A ‘Rumor (E)’ has been completed based on your Karma. ]

So this connection belongs to Yeomra, my second father, who is no longer here.

[ ‘A 3,000-Year-Old Promise’ ]

– Classification: Rumor (E)

– Connection: Head Soul Reaper Hogu Byeolseong, Yeomra

– Content: The Goddess of Plague sought the King of the Underworld to fulfill an old promise. But the King was no longer there, and she fulfilled the promise to his only remaining son. The promise to become the King’s Soul Reaper someday.

– Effect: (!) This rumor is a Connection Rumor. When the Soul Reaper carries out the King’s orders, their abilities increase by 30%.

…A 3,000-year-old promise.

What could have happened in that distant past?

I didn’t ask, and simply accepted her.

I’ll find out someday.

If the connection I inherited from my father truly becomes my legend.

* * *

“Wow, this actually works!”

Hogu Byeolseong exclaimed as she checked her status window.

“It really says Soul Reaper?”

Her official title is now Head Soul Reaper.

She’s also the new chief Soul Reaper of the Underworld.

Well, she’s the only one, but still.

Anyway, as the supreme god of the Underworld, I can also see her status window.

[ Hogu Byeolseong (Plague Goddess)(Underworld Soul Reaper) ]

* Powers – Poison, Plague, Afterlife

* Skills – [L]Poison(lv.1), [L]Plague(lv.1)

* HP 33/33

* Strength 37/37

* Magic 31/31

* ……

“All her skills are Legendary too.”

Well, Mama Goddess Hogu Byeolseong is the daughter of Dae Byeolsang, the King of the Plague Gods.

She was, so to speak, the princess of the Plague Kingdom.

In the Korean Peninsula, the only gods greater than her are the Grandmother Samsin or the Siwang, whom I served.

[TL/N: Samsin Halmeoni also known as the Grandmother Samsin— the goddess of childbirth and fate.

Siwang also called the Ten Kings of the Underworld.]

Even my brother Gangrim couldn’t surpass her, they were equals at best.

That’s probably why she already had two existing powers.

Now that she’s a god of the Underworld, she’s also gained Afterlife.

But even if they’re Legendary, her skill levels are still at 1.

To raise these levels, we’ll need to add more rumors.

Until then, she’ll only be able to exert power equivalent to her Mana.

“So, have you decided where to go?”

Hogu Byeolseong, who had come to sit beside me, asked.

Her once wild, black hair was now neatly tied up with a binyeo hairpin, and upon closer inspection, I noticed streaks of green interwoven throughout.

Since we just met today, I don’t know if it’s always been like that or if she dyed it for fashion as she adapted to the modern world.

“Not yet. I’m looking for a place that would be good for completing my Rumor.”

I scrolled through the device as I replied.

At the moment, we were alone at a deserted bus stop.

Whether intentionally or not, the place where the Space Gang— I mean the Cosmic Order Preservation Council had graciously opened the portal was a completely deserted countryside.

However, thanks to the ‘Hunter-only terminal’ they handed us, we weren’t completely lost.

Simply put, it was a communication device based on a smartphone.

It was the first time in almost 50 years that I held a smartphone, but contrary to my expectations, the world hadn’t changed much since the Hunter era, so I could handle it without any difficulty.

…I thought the world had been turned upside down and development had stopped, but maybe even the advancement of civilization was influenced by the Cosmic Order Preservation Council.

Well, it’s 2071, so there might be other changes I don’t know about.

“As the King of the Underworld, it would be good to start with rumors related to ghosts.”

I continued speaking as I scrolled down.

Incomplete rumors have an unknown potential effect, meaning they have literally infinite possibilities.

But on the other hand, it also means that if it manifests into an irrelevant rumor, it’s game over.

So, to turn this rumor into the ‘Legend of the King of the Underworld’, we needed actions befitting that title.

“If we just pretend to be Hunters and take on requests, we can earn money and grow the rumor at the same time.”

I wasn’t sure if she, who spews venom whenever she gets angry, would accept it, but I repeatedly emphasized that we needed to hide the fact that we were gods.

“While we’re working, we have to blend in with humans. There’s no benefit in revealing we’re gods right now. With this body, it might even be dangerous.”

“Hmm, I roughly understand that. Humans these days are quite irreverent.”

Unexpectedly, she spoke as if it was no big deal.

I don’t know when she returned, but she seemed to have adapted well to the modern world.

…Honestly, she’s much better than my brother Gangrim, who was active until recently.

That old-fashioned guy even hated cars in the modern human world.

“…Ah.”

Suddenly, it dawned on me once again that my brother was now truly gone.

Now that I was out of the Underworld, the memories that usually surfaced unconsciously only served to remind me of his absence.

“What’s wrong? Did you find something?”

Hogu Byeolseong, who was watching me, asked.

Her question snapped me back to reality.

“No, I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

“You seem relaxed. Not in a hurry, are you?”

When I answered awkwardly, she chuckled, crossing her arms. Her playful jab was rather welcome.

It helped clear my distracting thoughts.

“Sorry. I’ll keep looking.”

Pushing away the emotions that were clouding my mind like fog, I focused on the smartphone again.

As I scrolled down, something immediately caught my eye.

“Ah, this looks good. A request to exorcise a Gwibul.”

It was a notice that perfectly fit our conditions.

It was a request to get rid of a Gwibul that appeared in a village.

A Gwibul is literally a Buddha statue possessed by a ghost, and it’s very easy to exorcise by simply burning the statue itself.

If we take this request, we can relatively easily obtain a rumor related to the underworld.

“A Gwibul is ultimately a monster. The place where it appeared is probably a dungeon now.”

Usually, dungeons that appear in residential areas like this aren’t very dangerous.

These dungeons are Normal dungeons without higher ranks like Unique or Epic, and if you’re lucky, you can get about 10 Karma Points.

Karma Points are a numerical representation of ‘Karma’, which is the system’s standard for evaluating a target.

In this case, Karma refers to the influence, or ‘karma’, that a target has accumulated throughout their existence.

Karma Points, the numerical representation of Karma, have several uses, and one of the most prominent is to upgrade Rumors to higher ranks.

“To complete the Incomplete Rumor I have, I need 100 Karma Points. That means we need to clear at least 10 of these dungeons.”

“Hmm, that’s quite a grind, kid.”

Hogu Byeolseong suddenly frowned.

“I get that upgrading this Rumor thing is good, but at this rate, when will we get stronger and earn 10 billion?”

Then she crossed her arms again and asked.

“Isn’t there a more reliable way to make money?”

Does she have something else in mind?

“A god should act like a god and use their divine powers.”

“Divine powers?”

“Yeah, I’ll spread a plague among humans and charge them for the cure.”

“…!”

Ah, I was momentarily tempted.

“But I’m now the god of rewarding good and punishing evil… such a heinous method is a bit…”

“No, you’re the god of the Underworld.”

Chuckling, she whispered softly.

“Think about it, Yeomra. Even if a few people die, they’ll all become our people in the end.”

“…!”

Well, she’s not entirely wrong.

If I were a bit more cold-hearted, I might have been swayed.

“…But Mama, are your powers strong enough for that?”

Not that I’m actually going to do it.

She doesn’t have her full power, so it might not be possible.

When I asked with that in mind, Hogu Byeolseong shrugged.

“Divinity is ultimately about harmonizing the world’s cause and effect. As long as the scales of the universe don’t tip, it’s fine.”

Whatever the fuck it meant, it sounded like a proper godly answer.

“So I did the math.”

She seriously counted on her fingers, one by one.

“First, I’ll give a million people diarrhea. Then, if I charge them ten thousand won each to cure it, that’s exactly 10 billion.”

[PR/N: That’s Diabolical 💀🙏]

Oh my.

Mama Goddess, you’re truly a terrifying god.

It’s no wonder Gangrim warned about the Plague Gods every quarter.

“But hey, are you going to keep calling me Mama?”

Hogu Byeolseong suddenly asked.

“Technically, you’re the one they should be calling ‘Mama’ or… ‘Papa’ Yeomra. You’re the Great King, after all.”

It seems she wants to sort out the titles.

“Then what should I call you?”

When I offered to let her choose whatever she’s comfortable with, Hogu Byeolseong’s eyes sparkled.

“You called Gangrim ‘hyung’ (older brother), right?”

“Yes, I did.”

Actually, that’s because we were truly brothers.

Soul Reapers originally consider Yeomra their true father.

So even though we’re not blood-related, the 300 Soul Reapers are all siblings.

Of course, we don’t have bodies, so we can’t be blood-related in the first place.

“Hmm, I’m only 1,600 years older than Gangrim.”

Is that so?

“Then call me ‘noona’ (older sister) too.”

Hogu Byeolseong patted my shoulder in a friendly manner and chuckled.

She said being called “noona” by a kid who’s not even a hundred years old made her feel a thousand years younger.

“Then I’ll call you… Oh! How about ‘Jeonha’?”

She then gave me a new title.

“Somehow, ‘Yeomra’ still reminds me of the old geezer, so it doesn’t feel right.”

She added, as if talking to herself. I pretended not to notice the deepening sadness in her eyes and replied.

“Okay, Noona. Please call me that.”

* * *

A while later.

After getting off the bus, we had to walk for quite a while to reach a mountain village.

We decided to exorcise the Gwibul after all, as a biochemical terror attack on a million people was a bit too much, even for her.

“Wow, what is all this?”

Hogu Byeolseong’s eyes widened at the entrance of the village.

“They still have such big Jangseungs these days?”

[TL/N: Jangseungs is a totem pole usually made of wood— traditionally placed at the edges of villages to mark village boundaries and frighten away demons.]

The Cheonha Daejanggun, grinning with its teeth exposed, and the Jiha Ye Janggun, glaring beside it.

[TL/N: Cheonha Daejanggun means “Great General Under Heaven.” This inscription commonly appears on one of a pair of carved wooden or stone poles called jangseung that traditionally stand guard at the entrances to villages, temples, or other significant locations. Jiha Ye Janggun means “Female General of the Underworld,” is the counterpart to “Cheonha Daejanggun,” and is often found inscribed on the other jangseung pole.]

The two generals, towering over the visitors, exuded an air of authority befitting the village’s guardian deities.

But suddenly, I felt something was off.

“There doesn’t seem to be a name for the village, does there?”

I was a bit puzzled because only the directions to get here were provided, not a specific address.

It seemed this village really didn’t have a name.

Considering there wasn’t even a simple signboard despite having Jangseungs.

Moreover, even though it was daytime, the entrance was somewhat dim, giving off a vibe that you wouldn’t want to enter unless you had a reason to— like a request.

“Yeah, it’s so eerie, it’s like a scene from ‘Hometown Legends’.”

Hogu Byeolseong agreed.

‘Hometown Legends’, huh.

Maybe she actually came back before I was even born?

To know of such an old show.

“Hey, why is it like that?!”

Suddenly, Hogu Byeolseong spewed venom.

“Why is the Dangsan Tree so rotten?!”

[TL/N: Dangsan Tree is also known as a “Village Guardian Tree.”]

It was a completely dead, blackened tree. Being a god, she seemed offended by the neglect of the sacred tree.

“…”

A rotten Dangsan Tree right at the entrance.

The ¹Obanggi flags hanging from its branches were tattered, unbefitting its status as a guardian tree, and the uncleaned offering table below emitted a foul odor.

[TL/N: Obanggi also called “five-color flags,” are vibrant and symbolic banners used in Korean shamanism.]

The stone tower of the Seonangdang shrine, which must have been carefully built, was also half collapsed. It was definitely strange to leave it unattended like that.

[TL/N: Seonangdang shrine is a sacred site in Korean folk religion dedicated to the village guardian deity, Seonangshin.]

Hogu Byeolseong, who was looking around, also clicked her tongue— seemingly sharing the same thought as me.

“Damn, this place looks cursed even without trying.”

Well, it was actually cursed.

That’s why something like a Gwibul appeared.

“Well, let’s go in first. Maybe something big happened that they couldn’t take care of.”

I calmed down the grumbling Hogu Byeolseong and took a step forward.

Feeling the gaze of the towering Jangseungs.

But then.

[ (!) Beopmeomigryeogtinhehehe ]

As soon as we entered, a strange pop-up window appeared.

[ (!) Beopmeomigryeogtinhehehe ]

[ (!) Beopmeomigryeogtinhehehe ]

“Huh? What’s this!”

Hogu Byeolseong also reacted, seemingly seeing the same thing.

[ (!) Belgyeoegyeogdoomryutgyutgyangbeggyeddaekgigdwitddaryakbandokdingggwiddaebeok ]

[ (!) Belgyeoegyeogdoomryutgyutgyangbeggyeddaekgigdwitddaryakbandokdingggwiddaebeok ]

[ (!) Belgyeoegyeogdoomryutgyutgyangbeggyeddaekgigdwitddaryakbandokdingggwiddaebeok ]

……

The strange pop-up windows continued endlessly.

And then.

[ (!) The governing laws of space are changing. ]

At some point, a readable window appeared.

“What’s this?”

As far as I know, there are two things that ‘the governing laws of space are changing’ could mean.

“…A dungeon?”

Yes, a dungeon.

A subspace where monsters from myths and legends materialize.

“No, is it a ‘Field’?”

Or a Field created from ‘tales of valor’ or ‘heroic epics’.

“The entire… village?”

A chill ran down my spine.

A Field refers to a space where the laws have been altered by tales of valor or heroic epics.

Awakened individuals could change the laws of a certain space using their own tales of valor or heroic epics.

Not only that, but they could also amplify that power by consuming their own ‘Karma Points’ or the ‘faith’ of those who worship them.

If the entire village is a Field, it’s at least a heroic epic… maybe even a legend.

“…But there’s no ‘Law Guidance’.”

I calmly assessed the situation.

If this village were truly a dungeon or a Field, we would see the set ‘laws’ and ‘influence’.

But there were only strange pop-up windows— no guidance display.

Then what’s going on?

“Are you the Hunters?!”

Just then.

Amidst the confusion, about ten young men and women surrounded us.

“You’ve come, Hunters!”

Calling us Hunters, they must be the clients who requested us to catch the Gwibul.

“What the… why are they all dressed like that?”

Hogu Byeolseong frowned as she looked at the clients.

“Are they all shamans?”

They were all dressed in white mourning clothes (sobok).

The man in the center was the only one wearing colorful clothes, and his face was painted white, making it obvious that he was a shaman.

The fact that they had neglected the Seonangdang shrine despite their attire made me even more suspicious.

“Hunters, please help us.”

The painted-face man spoke.

“The Buddha statue we were praying to is acting strange.”

So far, it was the same as the request we received.

But then.

The moment I made eye contact with him, I shuddered slightly.

[ (!) ‘Book of the Dead (L)’ is activated according to your Karma. ]

As the Book of the Dead skill activated automatically, the painted-face man’s information appeared in my vision.

And the moment I checked that information, I realized why those strange pop-up windows had appeared earlier.

Yes, that was the reason.

———