[ Hey, Park Jinseong. Thank you so much for happily accepting my request. Moreover, you’re not doing this for personal gain but for the sake of the country—truly a remarkable person, I think. ]
[ Ha ha, it’s nothing. ]
[ No, no. The saying that international events can become the face of a nation really touched me. Yes, despite that, those warriors can’t control their tempers and end up staining the nation’s image. Your words made my heart feel so free! ]
[ Ha ha ha. ]
[ I want to resolve this before it stains the nation’s image. I know I can contribute… hee hee hee. But seriously, I heard you got an invitation for an event, and even though that requires a lot of energy, here you are helping out! How can I not be happy about this? Hey, Park Jinseong. You are truly a blessing to this country! The mere appearance of a shaman is a joy, but someone with such patriotism—it’s nothing short of a blessing! The heavens are surely watching over! ]
[ You’re too kind. ]
[ Too kind? Come on, people must show some humility too. Hey, Park Jinseong. If I finish this job well, I promise to reward you handsomely. Yes, you can look forward to it. I’ll choose something you’ll really appreciate, so finish this job well and come back! ]
*
Time passed.
The sun that had risen far away slowly made its way up into the sky, and just as it began to move slightly, a car stopped in front of a hospital in Chungju.
It was an ordinary taxi.
Though the only special thing about it was that it came from Seoul.
Clunk.
A young man stepped out of the somewhat worn-looking taxi.
Dressed in a black suit with a black tie, as if he were attending a funeral, he was tall and slender, looking quite suited to the outfit.
After stepping out, he smiled amiably while adjusting his tie.
He then entered the hospital holding a sports bag in one hand.
“Hello. How can I help you?”
The man confidently approached the desk.
Showing slight fatigue, he smiled at the staff member who asked him and said, “I’m here to go to the morgue.”
“Excuse me? The morgue?”
The staff spoke in a calm tone, as if asking where the convenience store was located.
But within that calmness lay a chilling word.
Morgue.
A place where corpses are stored.
He mentioned a place that ordinary people wouldn’t usually visit.
“Why are you going to the morgue… Ah, are you a family member? Or perhaps an embalmer?”
The staff member seemed puzzled by the man’s statement but quickly understood his attire and nodded.
The man was indeed wearing a black suit.
A formal attire one would expect at a funeral.
Such clothing was typically worn by someone related to the deceased or the mortician.
“Oh, that’s not it. But I do have a connection. The name is Park Jinseong…”
“Park Jinseong… Park Jinseong… Ah! It’s you!”
At the mention of the name “Park Jinseong,” the staff member’s eyes widened as if something had clicked.
His tired eyes brightened as he inspected Jinseong’s face, realizing he looked exactly like the person he had seen on TV not long ago.
It was a surreal moment to see someone who had appeared on the television right in front of him.
While many celebrities might visit a large hospital in Seoul, they were certainly not a common sight at her place of work.
Of course, Park Jinseong wasn’t a celebrity… but he had indeed appeared on TV.
It was extraordinary nonetheless.
“Yes. Could you please show me your identification…? Okay. I’ve confirmed your ID. So, Park Jinseong the shaman, you need to head to the rapid freezing section, not just the morgue. Take the elevator to the morgue, and there will be people waiting for you; just follow them.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Jinseong took the elevator to the morgue as instructed.
It was moving slowly as hospital elevators typically do but didn’t take too long since there weren’t many users.
Once at the morgue….
“Ah, welcome, Shaman! Nice to see you!”
As the staff had mentioned, there were people waiting.
The first thing that caught his eye was a group of well-built men. They all had muscular physiques, from young adults to middle-aged individuals who looked quite strong. Some wore police uniforms while others sported casual clothing suitable for movement.
Nearby, there were people sitting with their backs leaning against the wall.
They looked just like doctors.
Wearing masks pulled down, they sipped coffee, but upon hearing his arrival, they slowly started to rise.
“Hello.”
“Good to see you! I heard you came from quite a distance; did you head straight to the hospital?”
“Yes. I need to confirm the body for anything to proceed, right?”
“Oh, you must be tired after hours of travel… So, let’s not waste any time and get to it. That guy over there, Kim, will guide you.”
The detective, upon seeing Jinseong, welcomed him enthusiastically.
So lively, one might say.
“Tch, calling him ‘that guy Kim’ isn’t a very nice way to refer to him. No matter how much of a friend he is, I sometimes feel like I want to punch him for those moments…”
“Ah, enough already, just guide the shaman. I need to head upstairs for a bit.”
“Oh, you big guy is scared of something? There are restrooms on this floor, but you still want to go upstairs, huh?”
“Scared? What are you talking about! It’s just… the atmosphere feels a bit eerie…”
“Eerie? As if a ghost might pop out? I told you, seeing ghosts in the morgue is rare! Just go do your business.”
“Alright, my turn is over, so take care of your work! It’s not like I can go in there anyway.”
“True. It’s better for you not to come in so the shaman can focus on his magic.”
With that, the detective seemed to finish his task, guiding Jinseong and taking the elevator upstairs. The other police officers opted to wait outside rather than follow them inside the morgue.
Clunk.
And so, the heavy door opened, and the forensic scientist and Jinseong entered the morgue.
No, to be precise… they headed toward the rapid freezing section, which was regarded as special even within the morgue.
Beep.
When the door of the rapid freezing section revealed itself, it was surprisingly warm, contrary to its name.
The expected bone-chilling atmosphere was nothing more than the air conditioning set to a reasonable level.
“Strange, right? You’d expect somewhere named like this to be freezing like the Arctic, but it just feels like a nice cool place.”
The forensic scientist slowly put on his mask and spoke to Jinseong.
His light tone seemed aimed at easing Jinseong’s tension.
“But this is all about choice and focus. While it may look shabby and cramped, this utilizes the latest technology. There’s no need to waste energy by spreading the cold all over the room, right? So….”
The forensic scientist grabbed the large machine’s handle with his latex-gloved hands.
As he gripped the bar-shaped handle tightly, a clattering sound indicated that the contents inside were revealing themselves.
Swoosh.
With it came a horrifying cold.
One might think that their breath would turn to ice crystals upon inhaling such frigid air.
“See, we’ve managed to concentrate the cold only where the corpse is stored. Rather than just preserving the body from decaying, we freeze it outright. Awesome efficiency, right? If we hadn’t designed it this way, it would have cost a fortune in refrigerants and electricity bills!”
Clunk.
The forensic scientist placed the body on an autopsy table, easily sliding it into the table despite its lean physique.
After laying the body down, he shut the machine’s lid to stop the cold from escaping, then brushed his hands off. He then dipped a hand into a liquid on a mobile shelf, scrubbing his hands as if washing them, while looking at Jinseong.
“This freezing method is fantastic. It prevents spoiling, making it perfect for autopsy. Besides, any viruses or germs freeze along with it, so it’s great! But the downside is that the hands of the person performing the autopsy get really cold.”
“Hmm. It doesn’t seem like it’s just merely cold…”
“Heh, well, it’s to be expected. When you coat your hands with this solution, it’s not a big deal. No worry of frostbite! Plus, it has excellent disinfecting properties.”
The forensic scientist drew a line in the air with his eyes and asked Jinseong.
“Shaman, if you’re going to handle the body yourself, you should coat your hands with this too. Ah, it’s quite potent, so you’ll need to wear gloves. You’ll see latex gloves over there on that shelf. They might have a little of the coating solution on them, but to make sure, it’s better to dunk them in like I did for full coverage.”
Jinseong gazed at the body resting on the autopsy table.
The flesh was peeling away, revealing a gruesome face, with a gaping hole in its chest.
As he saw the marks on the body, Jinseong smiled and said, “I don’t think it’s necessary to touch it.”
