How a Veteran of the Urban Legend Gallery Survives – Chapter 26

Byeon Dae-sik’s house was located in the most remote part of the village.

The narrow path leading up to it could hardly be called a road, and the gravel underfoot crunched with every step. It felt like someone had deliberately made it difficult to find. The house, perched alone on the mountainside, looked like a ruin at first glance.

Weeds had grown waist-high, and the walls were cracked in several places. Cracks spider-webbed through the moss-covered bricks, and dried vines snaked up the walls like serpents.

The gate was so old that it had rusted and corroded to a reddish hue. It might have once been black, but now even that trace was faint. A stillness, as if time had stopped, hung in the air. An eerie silence seemed to envelop only this house, as if no wind dared to blow here.

Cheon Seungsoo whispered softly into my ear.

“Is this the right place?”

His voice was filled with doubt. And for good reason—it was hard to believe anyone could live in such a dilapidated house.

“Yes. According to the satellite images, this is the correct location.”

I nodded as I answered, but I wasn’t entirely sure myself. I couldn’t help but wonder if we had come to the wrong place.

The Team 3 leader knocked on the gate. The old iron gate rattled in response, creaking loudly as if protesting the intrusion. The sound of the rusty gate was unnaturally loud.

We waited for a while, but there was no response. Just as the Team 3 leader was about to knock again, we heard footsteps from inside. Slow, heavy footsteps approached.

Finally, the gate opened. A gaunt middle-aged man peeked out from the crack.

His graying hair was disheveled, as if it hadn’t been combed in a long time, and his thick beard looked like it hadn’t been shaved for at least a week. His eyes were sharp, like someone who had been on guard for a long time.

He blinked slightly, seemingly taken aback by the sight of fourteen people at his door. A flicker of wariness passed through the deep wrinkles on his face.

“Who are you?”

His voice was rough, like someone who hadn’t spoken to another person in a long time.

The Team 3 leader stepped forward.

“I’m the supervisor of Assistant Lee Seong-ho. We came to ask you some questions.”

At the mention of Lee Seong-ho’s name, Byeon Dae-sik’s expression changed subtly. He clearly reacted to the name.

After a moment of looking us over, he spoke.

“…The house is small, so not all of you can come in.”

His tone was curt, but the fact that he didn’t slam the door shut suggested he was at least willing to talk.

He opened the gate wide and went inside. The creaking sound of the gate echoed once more. The Team 3 leader hesitated for a moment, then entered with two team members. Cheon Seungsoo followed immediately, and Narae and I trailed behind.

As soon as we stepped inside, a musty smell hit our noses. It was the distinct odor of mold from an old house. The wallpaper was torn in places, and the ceiling was covered in black spots. The wallpaper had bubbled up in several areas, likely due to moisture.

The living room was cluttered with all sorts of junk. Piles of old newspapers had turned yellow, and broken ceramic fragments were scattered on top. Rusty tools were stacked in a sinister manner, resembling instruments of torture. The thick layer of dust suggested that these items hadn’t been touched in a long time.

But what was even stranger were the Buddha statues placed throughout the house. Large and small statues stood like sentinels, guarding every corner of the house.

The walls were densely covered with talismans. They were even pasted on the window frames and above the doors.

‘Is he afraid of something?’

The sheer number of Buddha statues and talismans suggested that he was clearly guarding against something. It seemed like he was trying to protect himself from an unseen enemy.

We sat down in a corner of the living room. The dusty cushions emitted a musty smell. Byeon Dae-sik poured water into old teacups.

He spoke first. His voice was still filled with wariness.

“What do you want to ask?”

“We want to ask about the whereabouts of the employees who came with Assistant Lee Seong-ho.”

The Team 3 leader answered. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.

Byeon Dae-sik took a sip of water and shook his head. His hands trembled slightly.

“I don’t know anything about their whereabouts.”

At that, the Team 3 leader’s voice sharpened. It seemed like his patience was wearing thin.

“Really? If the village chief doesn’t know, and you don’t know, then who does?”

Byeon Dae-sik set down his teacup. It made a small sound as it hit the table.

“Seong-ho and I only exchanged brief greetings. And I’m not the type to mingle with others, even with the villagers.”

“My subordinate left a note saying he asked for your help.”

At that, Byeon Dae-sik’s eyes widened.

“A note? He left a note?”

The Team 3 leader pulled out the notes from his pocket and handed them to Byeon Dae-sik. The folded paper spread out on the table.

Byeon Dae-sik slowly examined the contents of the note. His expression changed subtly, as if he had made a decision.

He rubbed his nose and spoke.

“Both you and that person… Did you come here knowing something about this village?”

The Team 3 leader exchanged a glance with Cheon Seungsoo. They seemed to be on the same page. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded. It seemed like it was time to share information.

“What we know is that every year, outsiders who come to S Village disappear.”

At that, Byeon Dae-sik let out a long sigh. It was as if he had resigned himself to the fact that an old secret was being revealed.

“I don’t know much, but…”

“It’s fine. Please, if you know anything, tell us.”

Byeon Dae-sik got up and walked to a cabinet. The old cabinet creaked every time it was opened. He pulled out a bundle of documents and placed them in front of us. The yellowed papers showed signs of being taped together multiple times.

“I quit my job as a detective and settled in this village exactly five years ago.”

He flipped through the documents as he spoke. Tiny notes were scribbled all over them.

“According to my investigations, every year between March and May, outsiders who come to this village disappear.”

A chill ran down my spine. I didn’t need to check the calendar. It was March now.

Unconsciously, my face must have turned pale, because Byeon Dae-sik stroked his chin and added. His voice carried a strange tension.

“And there’s one common factor when the outsiders disappear.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. Someone’s breathing seemed to grow slightly rougher.

“A common factor?”

My voice cracked more than I expected.

“A ritual.”

“A ritual?”

Byeon Dae-sik pulled out a sheet from the pile of documents. A faint photo was attached to it. It showed the back of a woman in a red skirt.

“Yes, you may or may not know this, but there’s a young shaman living in the northern part of the village. Every time she performs a ritual, outsiders disappear.”

I tried to recall similar horror stories I had heard. Countless tales flashed through my mind like a slideshow. But there were too many stories involving human sacrifice or rituals. It was hard to pinpoint which one this was.

In most horror stories, rituals were a means to solve problems, not the cause of people disappearing. This seemed like a different kind of horror story.

“That’s all I know.”

The Team 3 leader sighed and started to get up. It seemed he had decided there was no more information to be gained.

“Wait.”

The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Something had just occurred to me.

“Then what about the ‘Smiling God’?”

Byeon Dae-sik looked puzzled. His eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“The Smiling God? What’s that?”

I looked at Narae. As a decades-old fox spirit, I hoped she could discern the truth. But Narae shook her head.

From her reaction, it seemed Byeon Dae-sik really didn’t know about the ‘Smiling God.’

We left the house. The late afternoon sun cast slanting rays. The surrounding weeds cast long shadows.

* * *

“It looks like this will be a long-term operation, so Jeong Woo and Assistant Kang will need to borrow food and exploration equipment from the Gangwon branch. I’ve already contacted the branch manager, so just go and pick it up.”

At Cheon Seungsoo’s words, Kang Hana and I nodded.

Moon Jinwook asked in a worried voice.

“Isn’t it dangerous for just the two of you to go?”

“It’s fine. There haven’t been any major anomalies so far.”

At Cheon Seungsoo’s words, I nodded. But inside, I felt a rising sense of unease.

As the sun began to set, I walked with Kang Hana to leave the village.

But something was strange.

Even though it was afternoon, the road out of the village was shrouded in fog.

It was the same fog that Assistant Lee Seong-ho had written about in his note. The white fog that obscured vision seemed to writhe as if alive.

“This… it’s what was written in the note…”

Kang Hana’s voice trembled. She must have been thinking the same thing.

But there was no choice. We had to go get the equipment and food. We slowly stepped into the fog. I couldn’t see my feet at all.

That’s when it happened.

Ssshh— Ssshh—

A dragging sound could be heard.

It sounded like a wet mop being dragged across asphalt.

I slowly turned my head. Kang Hana was looking in the same direction. Her face had turned pale.

For a moment, it felt like my breath had stopped.

A human figure with no lower body was crawling across the asphalt.