The Shaman Desires Transcendence

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Magic is a discipline that requires a lot of money.

If you spend little, it can cost almost nothing, but if you spend a lot, it can require a vast fortune.

For instance, a simple love charm, a prayer for a safe childbirth, or magic related to fortune belief doesn’t need much money. In the case of Jeoong, a good luck and disaster prevention magic in Korea, you only need a bit of straw and three coins to perform it, and even making a talisman can be done with paper, a brush, and some ink. Additionally, one of the most beloved forms of magic among people is carrying a rabbit’s foot, so basic talismans or everyday-use magic can truly be inexpensive and easy to use.

However, things change when it comes to magic that produces significant effects.

A lightning-struck jujube tree, an ancient doll, the blood and entrails of a freshly slaughtered beast, spring flowers blooming in winter, a shriveled mummy…

The preparation list suddenly leaps in complexity.

Items that could be obtained for free or just pocket change turn into challenges that can only be barely obtained after traversing the entire country, requiring a few dozen to even billions worth of money to acquire. Even talismans that produce noticeable effects often require refined red sand and intricately crafted talisman paper, with the cost of materials easily surpassing hundreds of thousands.

Rituals of magic?

Needless to say.

To minimize risks, all sorts of expensive ingredients are used lavishly.

But even so, that’s still the easier part.

When it comes to the Great Ritual of Magic, you have to tap into the national budget.

You must set up an altar, use materials worth more than the weight of gold like water, and call upon countless people for assistance. The consecration ritual performed on Mt. Tai requires such immense costs that even in a gigantic country like China, it’s a monumental endeavor, and for the Dan-gun Rite, even the Republic of Korea, known as an economic powerhouse, has to save up for several years to pull it off.

Fortunately, the Wicker Man ritual performed in Ireland is relatively cheaper, but there’s the drawback of its effectiveness being lower.

This is why magic absolutely requires money.

And a lot of it.

A tremendous amount.

‘I chose to be a mercenary for this reason, after all.’

The profession of a shaman has a strong affinity towards common folk, making it easy to blend into the community. If you wanted to, you could find work anywhere, and various large companies would grovel to recruit you. Plus, Jinseong had a knack for divination, making him a target of interest even for the wealthy. Ever since the Third World War broke out, he had received numerous proposals asking him to come stay as a guest in their homes.

But despite this, he chose to be a mercenary purely for the money, materials, and information about new magic.

Money.

Materials.

New magic.

There’s a single commonality that ties these three together.

Money.

Materials are obviously chunks of money, and new magic often lies dormant in ruins or ancient texts. Naturally, exploring and excavating ruins costs money, as does preserving and deciphering ancient manuscripts. Even if he were to learn new magic, it would require additional materials, which meant even more money involved.

It was an ironic situation.

Using magic that didn’t require a lot of money, yet needing more money than anyone else.

But new magic demanded new materials, and unfamiliar magic required unfamiliar materials, leaving him no choice. On top of that, during the chaotic times following World War III, the prices of those materials skyrocketed.

Thus, Jinseong had to be a mercenary.

He had many advantages.

Traveling across the world made it easy to access materials that he couldn’t find in one region without spending a fortune, and he frequently had opportunities to meet reclusive sages or retired hermits to glean information about magic, which was excellent for enhancing his skills.

There was also a reason why shamans were particularly favored.

Mercenaries, wandering dangerous places rife with superstitions and facing life-threatening situations, found that the mere presence of a shaman gave them courage. For them, shamans were living totems, living talismans, and lucky mascots that protected their lives. And if they had skill? They could earn a fortune.

Thus, Jinseong could earn a remarkable amount compared to other mercenaries.

Even if he later became a target of avoidance.

‘If only I had been reborn as an adult rather than a minor…’

Despite having a job that could earn him a hefty sum, the reason Jinseong was engaged in such cumbersome work was that only adults could hold jobs in mercenary companies, or in other words, private military companies (PMC).

Guaranteed status.
Age above adulthood.

Though each company had its differences, these two things were commonly held.

No matter how skilled you were, if you couldn’t prove your status, you’d get turned down, and if you weren’t of age, it was an automatic rejection. This was due to the Child Rights Convention established after World War II, and if they accepted minors into a PMC, they would immediately face severe penalties. The mildest punishment included hefty fines and years of disqualification. In severe cases, businesses could collapse, so PMCs would never accept child soldiers under any circumstances.

‘However, lamenting youth is a privileged complaint. There are many ways to acquire money besides being a mercenary, and I would do well to explore them.’

Thus, Jinseong chose the easiest method.

Quicker and more efficient than getting hired by a large enterprise, seeking help from the government, begging in his family, or appealing to the National Defense Council or patriot groups.

The most familiar method!

“Great Mother Capital.”
“Sambon Money.”

Jinseong moved towards the building.

Thud.
Thud.

His footsteps were light, like riding a horse.
“Fortune is but fleeting in hand, thus all this is guided by the stars.”

Stars twinkled in the sky, and streetlights sparkled on the ground.

Gold sparkled too, as the three shone.

“What a lucky day it is.”

The number three appeared frequently in myths. It represented a singular mystery and balance. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three; the smallest number to form a group is three, and heaven, earth, and man make up the world, which is also three. In Greek and Roman mythology, the balance of the universe is maintained by the three: Zeus of the sky, Poseidon of the sea, and Hades of the underworld.

“Behold, good fortune is already upon us.”

Jinseong smiled at the man exiting the building.
“Sprouting oocytes grow and prosper, forming a great multitude; how marvelous that is!”

A heavily muscled man, beams of smiles covering his face, with small lumps near his jawline, approached Jinseong, cradling a shabby cat as if it were treasure.

“Shaman! You’ve arrived! Allow me to escort you!”

It was time to reap the rewards.

Jinseong followed the exuberant man, who was so filled with joy that he barely knew what to do with himself, into the building.

Inside, the building was clean and stylishly designed, contrasting with its outer appearance. It seemed deliberately crafted to instill trust in customers coming to borrow money. However, the elevator looked aged, with worn-out windows, suggesting they hadn’t updated that.

“Here, this is where I work. What do you think?”

As soon as they arrived on the second floor of Great Mother Capital, the man proudly boasted, causing Jinseong to chuckle.

“A-very good! Truly, truly wonderful.”

The white wallpaper and marble floor.
The European-style paintings whose meanings eluded understanding.

Additionally, upon being guided to the boss’s office by the man, it got even more ridiculous.

The office, lined with wooden wallpaper and a marble floor, was filled with antique-looking furniture, yet the problem lay in the fact that they were not truly antiques but rather a poor imitation. At a glance, it appeared to be European style, but upon closer inspection, it felt like someone without real knowledge of Europe trying to show off.

The expensive-looking items without any sense of unity were adorned with the same European paintings as outside.

A nouveau riche.

It was the very essence of a nouveau riche painted in illusion.

Jinseong didn’t like this display, yet he was in a different mindset now.

“Ah-huh! A truly magnificent Japanese nouveau riche is visible here!”

There are different types of nouveau riche.

While they might all look equally vulgar to true wealthy individuals, surprisingly, the appearance of nouveau riche differs by country.

In Korea, nouveau riches like Lee Yang-hoon display an air of detachment while being power-oriented. They prefer to flaunt expensive, sophisticated things, moving as if to advertise their great worth. Because of that, they tend to favor Eastern paintings that seem impressive and evoke awe.

American nouveau riches emphasize historical and traditional aspects while also valuing modernity. At a glance, it may seem like they flaunt expensive, state-of-the-art yachts, sports cars, mansions, and skyscrapers, but Americans carry a complex about “history” and often go out of their way to make up for it.

Chinese nouveau riches lean heavily towards a gold-centered attitude. While one might think that their strong pride in their ancient history would affect this, that’s not the case. They want to stand out regardless of their historical pride.

Historically, the Central Plains folk were the most fitting for merchants and showcased their wealth through extravagance, enjoying being exceptional. Unfortunately, the nuanced mindset fitting for a great merchant faded with the Cultural Revolution, and today’s Chinese nouveau riches remain only in a state of gold-centered culture. Anyone who observes a Chinese nouveau riche can truly feel what it means to be “covered in money.”

And then there’s the Japanese nouveau riche, standing right before Jinseong.

Despite adhering to the values of history and tradition while yearning for Dapa Nippo (脱亜入欧), they long for Europe more than anyone, yet fail to accurately replicate it due to insufficient understanding.

“Truly as expected of a Japanese lending company, splendidly. Very splendidly furnished.”

There couldn’t be a better place to plunder.

Jinseong said this as he gazed at one spot.

“Hehe, I’m glad to hear that! If only there were an oyabun here, I’d introduce you to him; such a shame!”

Jinseong’s eyes fixated on the man scratching his head in regret, located behind the man with the fantastic decor.

A middle-aged man lay slumped in a chair, resembling a pile of hamburger meat.

“At least since no one’s here, you can explore comfortably. Please, feel free to look around.”

The middle-aged man, now a smear of blood, curiously twitched as if his muscles were spazzing and repeatedly contracted and expanded, all while letting out a thin, ragged breath and staring vacantly into the air. His pupils shifted as if seeing something, contracting and expanding endlessly as they morphed shapes.

“Oh, and this… is a secret, but since you, Shaman, have come here, you can’t leave empty-handed, can you?”

Said the man, heading to the corner of the office to gather a sizable bundle.

“I’m not sure if you’ll like it… but I have prepared chocolate. It’s been stuck in the corner and is about to go past its expiration date…”

Thud.

The hefty bundle landed on the floor with a heavy thud.

It was filled with something shiny.

Though it couldn’t be eaten, it was sweeter than chocolate and had no expiration date.

Something very shiny.

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