Penalty? I am sick to death of penalties.
I had only suffered one once, but losing half the lifespan I had gathered was a nightmare I never intend to repeat. Besides…
I am not about to let some stray ghost ruin my gold mine.
When Yeonwoo reached the edge of the pond two crew members were edging forward, trusting only the weak glow of their phones.
“Stop right there,” Yeonwoo said, blocking them. “If you go in now you will end up dragged under as well.”
They would be no help at all, nothing but extra party favors for the water ghost.
Leaving them behind, he dove straight into the water.
They said it was shallow.
Yet the water was deep enough to cover his head.
A water ghost that old, huh.
Eerie energy pressed in from every side. The distorted space that marked the ghost’s domain.
The pond was shallow in reality, but inside the ghost’s territory it was different.
That was why Min Yerin could not surface.
Time is short.
The water was so dark and clouded that nothing could be seen, yet Yeonwoo thrust his hand downward without hesitation.
A pale fingertip appeared.
Yerin was struggling to reach the surface.
He seized her hand, and her eyes flew open.
At that instant a cheerful chime rang even under water.
Lifespan obtainable: +80 days
Min Yerin’s status window flashed.
Name: Min Yerin (27, female)
Occupation: well-known actress
Alignment: absolute neutral
Skills: steady projection, perfect diction, conveying intent, emotional resonance …
There was more lifespan than he expected, and plenty of details, but he skimmed it.
This was no time.
[I found her first, she is mine… mine…]
The water ghost sensed the change.
Its bloated, decayed hands fanned through the water, trying to claw them back.
[Come with me… come together…]
Black eye sockets gleamed with malevolence.
Together my foot.
The thing even reached for him; this revenant had been festering here a long time.
[Come… togeth— gaaaah…]
Yeonwoo flicked his hand.
The black strands binding Yerin’s ankles snapped like rotten thread.
Without missing the moment, he hauled her upward.
Their eyes met for a second, then Yerin’s eyelids drooped.
She had been under only two minutes, but panic had stretched the ordeal; it was a wonder she was still conscious.
[Why do you interfere, she is mine…!]
The ghost thrashed, but only briefly.
Yeonwoo’s power ripped its form apart; it melted into the water with a long scream.
A moment later he strode from the pond, drenched, Yerin limp over one arm.
“Ye-rin!”
“Medical team is standing by!”
Outdoor shoots always carry variables, so medical staff were on standby, and thank heaven they were.
“Min Yerin will be fine,” Writer Min reported, looking drawn and pale. “I thought my heart would stop. If not for you, Yeonwoo, it could have been disastrous. She asked for you, but I told her to rest first.”
“You did well,” Yeonwoo replied, toweling himself with the blankets the crew brought.
While the medics worked and the lights were restored, the set slowly calmed.
“I still cannot grasp what happened,” the writer muttered, hand on her chest. “They said that pond was shallow. The staff could have been in danger too, but you stopped them. How can we thank you?”
“Perhaps let him rest,” the director added.
“Oh, of course. Yeonwoo, you must be exhausted, sorry, I was so upset. Seonghyun, look after him.”
“There is no need to worry,” Seonghyun said, taking the towel to dry Yeonwoo’s hair himself.
“It is summer but night in the mountains… you will catch cold if you stay wet.”
His tone was gentle but felt oddly like scolding.
“Are you angry?” Yeonwoo asked.
“Does it show?”
“A little…”
“Ah, even you noticed,” Seonghyun sighed. “You did not have to risk yourself. Someone else could have gone.”
“I doubt it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Can you truly not feel it here?” Yeonwoo glanced around. “This place is full of ghosts.”
Seong-hyeon blinked. “Ghosts…? I did not sense anything.”
[Of course you did not.] Dong-jaryeong squeaked from Yeonwoo’s chest.
[Nothing that vile can get near you; your power is too strong.]
People with spiritual power fall into two kinds.
If the power is weak, ghosts flock to torment them.
If it is strong, the power itself repels most spirits.
Seonghyun belonged to the second kind.
“I see,” he said softly. “Even so, please do not scare us like that again. Rest. I doubt we will continue shooting tonight.”
They moved to the lodging, but next morning the forecast was wrong.
“Redo of scene thirty-seven,” the assistant announced. “Seonghyun, get ready.”
“So soon?”
“Director tried to stop her, but Yerin insisted she would not delay production.”
“Waiting for you.” Writer Min beamed as Yeonwoo arrived, pointing ahead. “She has been looking only for you.”
In costume as So Yejin, Min Yerin stood alone.
Strangely, everyone else kept their distance, watching.
“Yesterday,” she said before he could speak, “thank you.”
Another pleasant chime sounded.
Successfully harvested lifespan: 80 days
The two months’ worth he had earned now came in, and on top of that:
Achievement evaluated…
Reward: Premium Crystal-clear Pronunciation [A]
Unexpected extra skill.
Yeonwoo answered smoothly, voice already softer.
“Anyone would have done the same.”
“No.”
Eyes unwavering, she shook her head. “Most could not. Something was in that water, was it not?”
He stayed silent.
“That answer is enough. I owe you twice now. If ever I can help, say the word. I will repay you.”
“Very well…”
“It’s a promise.” She turned away, almost brisk, yet the corners of her lips seemed to lift.
“Drink this.” Writer Min bounded over, pressing a cup into his hands. “Mint-choco frappuccino, java chip, extra whip, right?”
“How did you know?”
She laughed. “I did not. That person brought it and said it was for you.”
Across the set, Min Yerin stood, looking this way.
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