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“I will skip the exchange of gifts. From now on, the groom and bride have become one and a single body, so such formalities are unnecessary. With that in mind, may you both cherish each other and pray for a life of togetherness!”

The wedding ceremony was reaching its climax.

“Now, let us proceed to the part where the groom and bride vow to love one another forever, as they kiss with prayerful hearts and solemn promises!”

The bizarre wedding, seemingly a twisted version of a typical ceremony, was nearly at its end. By this point, William wore an expression of resignation.

Or perhaps it wasn’t so much resignation as it was acceptance.

He might have sincerely embraced this wedding.

‘Maybe he thinks this conclusion isn’t so bad after all.’

As Jinseong watched William’s resigned face, he muttered this to himself.

“Now, groom William, please share a kiss with bride Beatrice Mary Marriott, vowing your eternal love!”

As Thomas’s words settled, William slowly began to move.

His bodysuit under his clothes forced him to move, bringing him closer to Beatrice, who was also smiling as she slowly approached him through the air.

Floating gently in mid-air, the two finally began to lean in, and soon enough, their lips met.

Translucent Beatrice, suspended in the air, kissed the gagged William, successfully meeting him without passing through his body as if it were real.

‘They’ve made it so contact is easy just for each other. Yet the dead were anchored to the living like an anchor, preventing them from drifting away, creating a sort of gravitational pull keeping them at a certain distance… Hm. They must have taken precautions so that no bad influences would arise, so it won’t turn into something like a holy marriage.’

Jinseong speculated about what had happened to William as he witnessed the scene.

From his deduction, William had truly become one with that girl.

Not metaphorically, but literally.

William now carried the girl’s soul within him like a necromancer, and her spirit could stay within William’s body as if it were her home. With this ‘temporary dwelling’, the soul’s decay would slow down considerably, allowing for physical contact with William.

When they touched, they could feel sensations.

Of course, it wasn’t really experiencing sensations.

When Beatrice and William made contact, it was merely an ‘illusion’ that they felt it actually took place.

But if the illusion felt real through their five senses, then it becomes truth.

Isn’t it the same as feeling reality while playing a VR game with all sorts of equipment strapped on?

The girl’s ghost was an existence far more vivid than that VR.

Now, when Beatrice touched William, he could experience the ‘illusion’ of feeling the sensations, the coolness and chill of her unique aura when he held her, and the scent and taste of her.

They would end up actually being able to live a married life together.

And like dropping an anchor, Beatrice would be fixed to William, unable to drift away, so this ghostly bride would be with William forever, no matter what happened.

That is, as long as William didn’t die, nor would his body rot away.

‘No, even if he rots, she might still not leave.’

And even if William’s body died, leaving only his soul, she might still stay with him.

If that were the case, as Thomas said, that ‘eternal’ love would truly continue.

“Hahaha! Thus, the groom and bride have completed their first and last marriage of their lives. This concludes the ceremony, and now, please turn around and take the first steps of your life as one! As you begin to move, dear guests, please show your encouragement and congratulations with applause!”

Thomas directed William’s body to turn towards the door.

Beatrice stood beside him, smiling happily.

Tap.

As William began to take his steps, Beatrice slowly floated along beside him.

Clap clap clap clap!

Whoosh—! Whoosh—!

As they started to move, Jinseong clapped vigorously, while the disembodied evil spirits whistled along.

It was a heartfelt display of celebration wishing them well for their future.

And in the back, Thomas wore a satisfied smile.

He blessed the couple, hoping they would support each other through life, congratulated William on starting a family, and blessed the girl who finally found love, even if belatedly.

He firmly believed that love would fill their lives with happiness and that Barachiel would surely bless the home they would create together.

Thus, the wedding ceremony came to a close.

It was a joyful celebration.

* * *

Even after the wedding ended, William did not go outside.

Standing like a broken robot at the door, he simply stayed there.

And next to him, Beatrice lingered.

Beatrice, seemingly delighted, had her arm linked with William’s and rested her head on his shoulder.

They were the very image of a blissful couple, except for the oddity that the bride’s body was translucent.

‘What a happy smile. How peculiar.’

Jinseong’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at Beatrice’s joyful face.

A person sustains their existence through three elements.

Body, mind, and soul.

Like a three-legged stove, these three pillars uphold one’s existence.

But what happens if one leg encounters a problem?

Naturally, the stove tips over.

Everything inside it will spill out, and the flames that had been burning brightly would weaken. Gradually, those flames would shrink until they finally extinguish.

Ghosts are quite similar.

Ghosts lack the physical element that makes a person exist.

Therefore, as time passes, their existence naturally decays, leaving only strong emotions. These often manifest as an obsessive form of attachment, which helps maintain their identity.

And inevitably, as time passes, this attachment worsens.

Memories fade, habits disappear, and they forget who they are.

Thus, they become phantoms.

What remains as they drift towards becoming phantoms is only the most intense emotion.

Just as a person discards unimportant items when decluttering, a ghost does the same.

They gradually decay, holding only the most important emotions and memories.

And this attachment inevitably alters their souls into entirely different entities, ultimately turning them into evil spirits or malevolent ghosts that harm people.

To harm people is not a trivial matter.

If an obsession remains for what was once a friend, that friend might be lured into death, turning them into a ghost; that’s murder. If there’s a desire to play together, and a person captures someone as if a child plays with a toy, tearing them limb from limb, that’s murder, too.

Evil spirits and malevolent ghosts cause harm to people for whatever reason.

If it weren’t for the level of obsession that could inflict harm, they wouldn’t even be called evil spirits or malevolent ghosts.

But conversely, if a ghost lacks such obsession, it doesn’t easily transform into an evil spirit or malevolent ghost.

People are constantly dying.

Somewhere on Earth, people die endlessly, and they are still dying right now.

When you look at the whole Earth, the reality is that dozens of people die every second.

Yet, ghosts are rare, and evil spirits and malevolent ghosts appear only infrequently.

Unless a whole nation, like North Korea, becomes a den of evil spirits and malevolent ghosts, or there’s a mass killing in a confined space that aggregates resentment into the appearance of evil spirits and malevolent ghosts, naturally occurring evil spirits and malevolent ghosts are hard to find.

Most people do not become ghosts.

They simply die.

But Beatrice, floating beside William…

‘Hmmm. How strange. She died as a child yet became a ghost, and though she became a ghost, she hasn’t lost her sanity; she feels happiness from being connected to the one she loved, yet doesn’t appear to cling onto anything, nor does she harm others with her mere existence…’

It isn’t completely impossible.

Such an extraordinarily rare situation isn’t unheard of either.

Typically, the kinds of beings called guardian spirits tend to display such traits.

However, when childhood tales intertwine and the existence of William comes into play, the story takes a turn.

A boy and girl once swore their love before a stone statue of a guardian angel overseeing childhood marriages.

Yet, the girl tragically lost her life. From that event onward, the boy began to spiral downwards.

The priest, who knew of the boy’s former self, felt pity for him.

Then one day, the ghost of the pure-hearted girl was discovered…

‘Sounds like something straight out of a romance novel or a movie.’

Surely, to Thomas, this must have felt like a divine revelation.

A chance to fulfill unfulfilled promises, a chance to redirect William onto the right path, and a chance to fulfill the wish of a girl so deeply in love that she couldn’t depart from this world even in death.

Thus, with pure intentions, he must have sought to connect the two.

“Hmmm.”

Jinseong grasped Thomas’s heart.

When coincidences pile up like this, it must feel destined.

That’s why he resorted to black magic to orchestrate such a grand event.

‘This isn’t a bad thing. He acted with good will, produced a positive outcome, and his magical skills aren’t shabby either. It wouldn’t hurt to deepen our connection.’

Jinseong stood up and approached Thomas.

With a smile, he said, “Typically, cash gifts are required for weddings.”

“Haha, it’s alright. Just participating in this joyous event and blessing their future is more than enough. How could I ask for more?”

“No, I feel uneasy leaving empty-handed. So I’d like to offer a small gift for this couple starting their new life.”

“A gift… I am already grateful for your presence alone. And to give a gift as well… Haha, I would have firmly refused if it were for me, but since it’s for Young Master William, I cannot decline. Very well.”

Having received Thomas’s permission, Jinseong slowly approached William.

He drew out the yin and yang energies from the Taiji within him, allowing them to intertwine in a swirling motion, creating a complex path but ensuring that they moved only along that route, endlessly circulating. Once the flow gained speed, he concentrated the amplified yang energy at the tip of his right index finger.

With that collected energy, he shaped a vessel from yin energy, and let the yang energy writhe within, creating a heated glow at his fingertips.

Before the warmth could cool, he pressed his finger into William’s abdomen.

Whoosh!

His yang-infused finger pierced William’s belly like tofu, the released yang ebbing inside, writhing according to Jinseong’s will as it settled into the perineum.

“Jinseong Park, what kind of gift is this? Is it related to the five elements?”

“Indeed. With the yang energy positioned in your perineum, your vitality will increase. Since the bride is filled with yin energy, during your marital life, your yang energy will naturally stimulate her, promoting a healthy exchange. Thus, you’ll maintain a fulfilling married life without the yin declining.”

“Hahaha, you’ve placed a blessing so essential for newlyweds. I’ve never seen such magic before.”

“It’s more of a trick used by warriors to enhance their vigor than true magic. Nonetheless, it will surely be of great help to a groom with a bride abundant in yin energy.”

“A trick, huh… Are there any precautions?”

“Indeed. Intercourse with a living woman will not increase your yang energy; it will rather deplete it. Unless you learn the techniques of chaningqi (采阴补阳) or special methods of intimacy.”

“That shouldn’t pose a significant issue. We won’t be far apart as we share a space every hour.”

“Exactly. That’s why I deemed this blessing suitable.”

“Hahaha! I can’t thank you enough. This has become quite the significant gift for Young Master William.”

Thomas was immensely delighted with Jinseong’s gift.

Replacing the speechless William, he expressed his gratitude towards Jinseong and left with William, promising to visit him soon.

“Then let’s go.”

There was no reason to linger in this now empty space.

Jinseong exited the church, holding the head of an evil spirit.

 

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