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“As you know, browsing the internet allows you to come across all sorts of stories. People love to showcase their tales to one another.”

Jinseong’s chilling story of horror began so casually.

“In that sense, the internet is like a treasure trove for me. When I turn on my personal computer, I can find countless stories that stimulate my peripheral nerves.”

Casually.

As if he were laying out facts.

Jinseong’s tale resonated clearly in the warrior’s ears.

“So?”

“But one day, I stumbled upon a strange post in that treasure trove. I’m not sure how to describe it, but it looked like the ordinary thread format you see often on fear boards… yet something felt off.”

Jinseong said that and slightly frowned.

“Off?”

“Yes. I’m not entirely sure how to put this… umm, it hasn’t been long since I had my own paranormal encounter, but after visiting all these places, I feel like I’ve gained some inspiration. It felt like that inspiration was telling me this post was anything but normal.”

Jinseong’s expression was like that of a tormented prophet unable to articulate the ominous feeling.

“So I started reading that post carefully. Well, it wasn’t too long, so I finished it quickly. It began with a legend that was said to float around in the area where the author lived, but that…”

Jinseong’s words trailed off as he glanced over at the stone statue of Ksitigarbha. He then sneakily observed the warrior’s reaction.

The warrior seemed to catch onto something in Jinseong’s behavior as his face contorted.

“Is that here?”

“Uh, yes.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“No, it’s not nonsense… I mean, there could be a ghost story or two in any area….”

Jinseong pouted slightly as if offended by the warrior’s harsh retorts.

“Regardless, according to the content of that post, there’s a very ominous mountain in that area. It suddenly appeared hundreds of years ago, and it’s said that anyone who lives there is cursed, so no one dares to enter.”

“And the name of that mountain is Kurotsurugimine?”

“Oh, they didn’t state it so directly. Generally, when discussing local ghost stories, people avoid mentioning names directly for fear of consequences. The post only described it as having a sharp peak like a sword, black rocks, and dense woods that feel eerie… just vague descriptions like that.”

He said that and puffed his chest out with a strange pride.

“But with those descriptions, it’s easy to locate it. I found it in no time.”

“Hah. Quite the bragging rights you have.”

The warrior glared at Jinseong with a low growl.

Realizing his position, Jinseong seemed to shrink back slightly.

“No, it’s not bragging… Ahem! Let me continue the story. So, for a long time, no one lived near that mountain, and people didn’t even approach it. Naturally, bad rumors spread, and a high monk decided to visit to check if those rumors were true.”

Jinseong coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment, before continuing.

“The monk, who had practiced for a long time, recognized the mountain’s ominous energy right away. He understood that to stop it, a pretty significant ritual had to be performed. However, it wasn’t a simple sacrifice; it had to be a human sacrifice, which made him worry.”

“Human sacrifice…?”

“And so, after much contemplation, the monk decided against the human sacrifice and instead vowed to erect stone statues of Ksitigarbha throughout the mountain to suppress the ominousness. He sought to reduce the misfortune and murderous intent scattered all over the place with the compassionate Ksitigarbha’s power.”

As he continued, Jinseong seemed to pause momentarily to collect his breath.

Then, lowering his voice, he continued the tale.

“But here’s the thing. The monk crafted five Ksitigarbha statues from bodhi wood, but oddly enough, strange occurrences kept happening only to one of those statues.”

“Strange occurrences?”

“Yes. Oddly, the fifth Ksitigarbha kept facing problems. It got knocked over by earthquakes, shattered by lightning, eaten by insects… In fact, there were even instances where townsfolk, who had never dared to approach the mountain, came up and vandalized the fifth Ksitigarbha statue. These were people who wouldn’t even consider approaching out of fear.”

His voice dipped to a sinister tone.

“And as you know, the number four is notoriously ominous. It sounds just like the word for death. In a mountain where merely stepping foot supposedly brings curses, with the fifth statue incomplete, it stays at four? That’s ominous. Too very ominous.”

“Hmm…”

“At that moment, the monk reflected. The murderous intent that clung to this mountain was too horrifying to be handled by mere statues. It felt like the malice residing in that mountain had a will of its own and sought to harm people. So he gathered stone masons and high-quality stone to create not just statues, but stone statues instead—this time six, to ensure it wouldn’t drop back down to four should some bad thing occur.”

His ghostly tone wrapped around the Ksitigarbha, piercing the warrior’s ears, while the cold air seemed to sweep over him.

“Crafting those statues was no easy task. The stone mason encountered indescribable accidents and injuries, and intense seasonal rains and snowstorms made it extremely difficult. But thankfully, they managed to create six stone statues and placed them all around the mountain.”

The warrior found himself involuntarily pulled into Jinseong’s words.

“After placing the stone statues around the mountain, the vibe certainly improved. Creatures of the mountain that used to be rarely seen started appearing, and the eerie atmosphere and ghost sightings which were often reported ceased entirely. But…”

Jinseong, without blinking, gazed directly into the warrior’s eyes, who was engrossed in the conversation.

“That peace didn’t last long. The statues got broken.”

Jinseong gestured toward the Ksitigarbha.

The one whose neck had been shattered to pieces.

“Just like what happened when they were making the wooden statues, someone climbed up one day and smashed one of the stone statues. But the strange part was, this was someone who normally didn’t even touch alcohol, yet here they were, completely drunk. And, even though they weren’t particularly strong, they decapitated it with just a worn-out hatchet. It was as if they were possessed by a ghost.”

“Hmm.”

“But thankfully, the monk anticipated such occurrences, so instead of five, he had made six, preventing any serious issues from arising. That’s the legend posted online.”

Jinseong finished his tale, looking at the warrior, his expression carrying curiosity that triumphed over lingering fear.

“Have you ever heard such a legend?”

“Tch, nonsense. Never heard of anything like that.”

The warrior replied gruffly.

However, contrary to his brusque tone, there was an unsettling quality in his gaze as it wandered toward the Ksitigarbha statue.

“Is that so? Then is the follow-up story just nonsense…?”

“Follow-up story? There’s more to it?”

“Oh, yes.”

Jinseong nodded.

“Before I tell that story, let me ask you one question. How many Ksitigarbha statues stand on this mountain?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“If the number differs from what I know, my story would be deemed a lie, wouldn’t it?”

The warrior pondered Jinseong’s words for a moment before responding.

“Three.”

“Three? Is that so?”

“Why? Is the number different?”

“Oh, no. It’s the same…?!”

Jinseong feigned shock with exaggerated gestures.

“Wow, is this for real…?”

Jinseong turned his head toward the Ksitigarbha statues, unable to hide his delight. With exaggerated excitement, he disguised his heavy breathing, flushing his face a vibrant red.

As if overwhelmed by an unexpected revelation.

“Now, the follow-up story gets scary. Back in the time when Japan was an empire, the Americans bombed various places in Japan, right?”

“Americans?”

The warrior raised his brows in surprise at Jinseong’s claim.

“Weren’t the Americans our allies during the imperial era?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Jinseong blinked, seemingly taken aback by the warrior’s response.

“Japan was allied with Germany and Italy, you know?”

“Oh, really? Ahem. Keep telling your story.”

“Anyway, during the bombings, the Ksitigarbha statues got destroyed. All three of them, in fact.”

Jinseong pointed to the headless Ksitigarbha statue.

“That Ksitigarbha, along with two others, were left, bringing the total down to three. Fortunately, it’s three and not four, but… Here’s the thing. From some point on, people began to see.”

“See what?”

Jinseong paused for a moment before answering.

“The fourth Ksitigarbha.”

“The fourth….”

The warrior mumbled, sounding uneasy.

“They say the fourth Ksitigarbha has only a head.”

“Just the head?”

“Probably the head from the headless Ksitigarbha statue.”

Jinseong said it matter-of-factly.

“They say the fourth Ksitigarbha is made of a pitch-black body unknown in origin, with a white stone head attached to it. And it’s said that if you see that Ksitigarbha, something bad will definitely happen to you shortly thereafter.”

Jinseong flashed a grin.

“It’s like it’s giving a warning.”

 

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