Chapter 1

**The Spirit King Elquines [Revised Edition] The Spirit King Elquines - Chapter 1 (1/608)**

**Prologue**

‘On a certain year, April 26. I died.’

It sounds dramatic, but it’s just a copy of the opening scene from a cartoon I saw recently. Still, I think it’s a pretty brilliant choice of words. After all, I could really see my dead body right in front of me.

“Wow...”

I looked at the familiar figure sprawled in the middle of the road with a somewhat bewildered feeling. The thick, black hair, the thick-rimmed glasses that covered more than half of my face, the thin body, and the tacky light blue school uniform. It was definitely the same as the me I saw in the mirror this morning before leaving for school.

“Is this... really? Really? For real? Really?”

Even though I saw it with my own eyes, I couldn’t believe it. I repeatedly slapped and pinched my cheeks, but the bizarre reality before me (yes, this was undoubtedly reality) didn’t disappear. I, floating in the air, looking down at my dead body... this was the situation.

“Ah! I’m going crazy! Why did this have to happen to me!”

My name is Kang Ji-hoon.

I am a 17-year-old ordinary high school student from South Korea. I have never once doubted that I am ordinary. My athletic skills are average, my grades are average, and my physical appearance and size are nothing special. If I’m not ordinary, who in this world can be called ordinary?

They say being ordinary is the hardest thing in the world, but I thought being ordinary was the easiest and simplest thing for me. Until a few minutes ago, my thoughts hadn’t changed. That is, until the ‘accident’ just now.

The cause of the accident was trivial. Korea, being a small country with complex traffic, often sees traffic accidents. My mistake was trying to study a bit, something I usually don’t do, by memorizing English words while walking. Who would have thought I’d be hit by a car that ran a red light without even getting a chance to react?

‘Ah, so that’s why they say doing something out of the ordinary can lead to death...’

The old saying is not wrong. The wisdom of our ancestors is not something made up out of nowhere. So, is this a punishment for ignoring the advice of adults? Even so, isn’t this punishment a bit too harsh?

Moreover, it wasn’t a severe collision, just a light one. Of course, even a light collision can cause a significant impact, but there were no visible injuries or bleeding. Yet, I died from just that. This is clearly wrong, isn’t it?

The surface of the body was so clean that even the driver who hit me and the police who arrived didn’t realize I was dead at first. I even tried to return to my body, but it kept repelling my soul. After 20 minutes of not breathing, I had to give up.

Ah, I really died in such a ridiculous way.

**Chapter 1**

It’s been three days since I ended my absurdly short life. However, my life hasn’t changed much. I still wander around in my school uniform, attend classes, and even watch the process of my body being collected and the funeral being held.

Recently, I’ve been standing in front of my portrait, pretending to recognize the friends who come to pay their respects. It’s quite amusing. I can now see the true nature of my friends, which I never knew before. Especially, the sight of those who usually act carefree or are quiet, shedding tears and snot during the funeral, is quite a fresh shock.

However, no matter what I say or do, they can’t see or hear me. The stories in cartoons and movies where ghosts interact with the living are just that—cartoons and movies.

No one here can sense my existence. I haven’t even met another ghost yet, which is a bit strange.

In a place like a funeral home, I can’t be the only one who has died. Evidence of this is the numerous funerals being held in this building alone. Some even started later than mine. Yet, I haven’t seen any other souls. How is that possible?

For the first few days, I thought a Grim Reaper would come eventually. But as the fourth day passed, I started to feel anxious.

‘Could it be that after death, you just drift alone forever?’

By this point, it’s not unreasonable to think this.

I clenched my lips in frustration. I’ve always hated being alone. Especially in a situation where I’m buried among many people who can’t recognize me, it’s even more uncomfortable. In such moments, things I don’t need to think about come to mind, like the fact that the person in charge of the funeral is a friend, not my family.

‘Well... I didn’t expect them to be sad for me.’

My parents and siblings, whom I called family, were strangers to me. They never showed much affection to me even when I was alive. I thought they would at least hold a formal funeral for the sake of public perception.

However, their gaze towards their deceased son and brother was merciless. They planned to cremate and scatter the ashes on any mountain without a funeral. It was Ha Tae-jin, a friend, who stopped them. The funeral expenses were entirely raised by the students in the class.

I looked at Tae-jin, who was standing as the funeral director, with a bitter smile. He was always cheerful and energetic, to the point where it was a flaw. But now, his face looked as if he could strangle someone. Thinking that I was the one who made his face look like that didn’t feel good.

‘Ugh, this won’t do. Positive mindset, positive mindset!’

I shook my head vigorously to clear the intrusive thoughts.

I didn’t want to bring my past worries into my afterlife. I wanted to forget everything and be happy as soon as possible. For that, I needed new experiences and new connections.

‘That’s it! Let’s go out! Let’s go out and find fellow souls in the same situation!’

I hadn’t seen any other souls, not even a shadow, but it was too early to be disappointed. I had only been dead for about four days. I couldn’t assume that everything I’ve experienced so far would be all there is.

Moreover, if there are no connections, I can make them! If it’s hard to find souls after death, I can wait for someone to die and watch their soul come out!

Fortunately (or unfortunately), hospitals are places where people’s lives hang in the balance several times a day. Finding someone about to die would be as easy as eating cold porridge. I would be happy to have a friend, and a new ghost wouldn’t be lonely either. It’s a win-win situation!

‘Maybe I’m a genius!’

“Great! Shall we go?”

I made a quick decision and stood up. But before I could turn around confidently, a face appeared in my field of vision. It was Ha Tae-jin, the funeral director.

Among the crying friends, he was the only one who maintained a calm expression. But he was also the one who mourned my death the most deeply.

“I’ll be happy.”

I smiled bitterly and patted Tae-jin’s shoulder, which I couldn’t actually touch.

“Move on, Tae-jin.”

* * *

If someone asked me to describe my current feelings in three words, I would say without hesitation: absurd, absurd, and absurd. Have I ever had such an absurd experience in my life?

Finding the ICU in the general hospital was surprisingly easy. As a soul that can pass through walls, I didn’t need to climb stairs or wait for the elevator. So, when I first found the ICU, I was still burning with enthusiasm, determined to make a comrade (comrade?).

The ICU was as cold and solemn as I had imagined. Unlike regular wards, the patients here were truly on the brink of life and death. Most of them looked critically ill. It was a place of concentrated sorrow and pain, where both the patients and their families suffered.

Most patients were unconscious, with oxygen masks or complex devices that I suspected were unnecessary. I tried not to look directly at those who seemed to be in critical condition.

Even though they were relying on machines to survive, they were undoubtedly fighting to live. I felt guilty for coming with impure intentions, but I tried to be confident.

After all, I’m already dead. What’s wrong with looking for a companion because I’m lonely? I’m not wishing for death; I just want to form a bond with someone. For the one who is about to die, meeting a senior (senior?) would be much easier to adapt to the new environment. Yes, that’s right.

“Sang-min! No! Open your eyes, Sang-min!”

“Brother!”

Perhaps my wish was too strong.

After coming to the ICU, it didn’t seem like much time had passed, but signs (signs?) were already showing. A boy around my age, with an oxygen mask, started to breathe heavily and convulse violently. He was wrapped in bandages from head to toe, indicating a severe injury.

Doctors and nurses rushed to take various measures, but the boy’s fading breath seemed beyond help. Even with my lack of medical knowledge, I could tell the boy had no hope.

Because his soul was rising.

“Wow...”

The process of the soul separating from the body was quite shocking in many ways. A transparent body, identical to the one lying cold, floated up into the air. It was a creepy scene, like something from a horror movie.

The moment the soul completely separated from the body, the doctor shook his head solemnly, and the boy’s family began to weep. The boy was completely dead.

“Well, let’s see if he can recognize me.”

I felt a bit sorry for the boy’s family, but since I had been looking forward to this moment, I approached the still motionless soul with a friendly greeting. But right then, it happened.

Paaah!

“Huh?”

A burst of white light suddenly appeared on the opposite wall. The people crying didn’t notice it, so it was clearly not ordinary light. Startled, I stopped approaching the new soul and hid behind the wall. It was an unconscious action.

After hiding, I realized it wasn’t necessary, but by then it was too late to come out. Something was emerging from the light.

‘What is this, a person?’

Surprisingly, two men walked out from the light. They were stunningly handsome Westerners, the kind you only see in movies.

They were dressed in elaborate outfits that were quite different from modern clothing. Their hair was so long it reached their feet. Except for the lack of wings, they looked like the angels people often describe.

The beings, whether angels or something else, approached the boy who was still sitting dazed on the bed. They started a conversation that was hard to understand, with one explaining and the other asking questions.

“Pisces, Sang-min, nationality Korea. A 16-year-old high school student. Cause of death: traffic accident. The death record is complete.”

“Destination?”

“He must walk the path to the next world. He has too much karma.”

“So, he belongs to the Central Department. Handle it accordingly. Is this the last soul for today?”

“For now, yes.”

The man reporting nodded, and the other man nodded in understanding. Then he grabbed the still dazed boy and lifted him into the air. The boy’s soul still seemed unaware of the surroundings.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Mr. Phreunis.”

Paaah!

That was the last thing I saw. When I came to my senses, they were already gone without a trace. I stood there in a daze for a while. Honestly, I doubted whether what I saw was real.

“I thought there were no Grim Reapers because no one came to take me.”

Yes, I really thought that. But whether they were angels or Grim Reapers, they were definitely there to take the boy’s soul. Even though I couldn’t understand most of their conversation, their appearance, which matched the boy’s death, was proof enough.

But why not me? Why didn’t they come for me?

“What is this...”