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**Disaster Shaman.**

Just hearing the name brings to mind a shaman with a terrifying reputation.

By mere mention of the nickname, one might envision a villain bringing about storms and earthquakes, bent on destroying the world everywhere.

But in reality, contrary to that grand title, he was a scholar.

Kenneth, a disaster shaman, was quite a renowned geologist in academia before he developed an interest in magic. He earned his doctoral degree with a thesis related to geophysics and made significant contributions to paleontology by excavating fossils in various locations.

When he unearthed a complete fossil of a sauropod dinosaur, he even made an appearance on the news, with the fossils he discovered displayed in natural history museums across America… His standing in the field of paleontology was on an impressive level.

And that’s not all!

He also achieved several accomplishments in structural geology, the most notable being “measuring unilateral effects associated with seismic waves using magical reflection marks.” This research, sparked while he was messing around with a radar sensor at a colleague professor’s house, made seismic predictions much more precise, transforming the unpredictable calamity of earthquakes into a somewhat predictable disaster.

The lives and properties saved as a result… are likely beyond measure.

Moreover, he was quite wealthy.

Kenneth had a deep understanding of geology, and he didn’t hesitate to profit from it. He possessed a remarkable talent for resource exploration, leveraging that ability to generate income.

And naturally, the resource field is rife with interests.

It wouldn’t be surprising if those entangled in such interests wielded considerable power.

Just think about the power of oil, a resource found underground… it’s on an enormous level.

Kenneth.

He had it all.

Money.

Power.

Fame too.

Everything.

Yet, despite appearing to lack for nothing, people always feel a sense of incompleteness.

There’s no end to yearning, and satisfaction is never eternal.

Kenneth wished to contribute to the world beyond mere research. He didn’t want to just aid in developing devices for predicting earthquakes, but to genuinely create a peaceful world with his own hands, so that no one would suffer from calamities.

But how easy could that be?

No matter how much money one pours in, preparation for disasters remains uncertain. How could a single individual tackle a challenge that even organizations and countries struggle with?

Many considered Kenneth’s desire to be unrealistic. Some suggested he should work even harder in his research to fulfill what seemed like a grand delusion.

But Kenneth ultimately discovered a method.

Magic.

He reached the conclusion that by utilizing this bizarre yet mysterious ability, he might just be able to control disasters.

Thus, he began his journey into magic at an old age, becoming a shaman. And the process wasn’t difficult.

Magic wasn’t something one was necessarily born with talent for. It was a power that anyone could wield, as long as they performed it correctly and could bear the cost.

Using his extensive connections, Kenneth gathered an assortment of magic spells and memorized them all. While honing his skills as a shaman, he began researching spells related to “disasters,” which was intrinsically tied to his desires.

Of course, it wasn’t easy.

Disasters were the very essence of calamity created by nature. Thus, spells associated with such disasters inevitably required the prefix ‘great’ (대).

Great Magic Ritual.

A frenzied ritual demanding a national budget and an absurdly immense cost, beyond belief.

Researching such rituals could never be said to be easy, even as a mere figure of speech.

To use it once required monumental amounts of budget and time, and there needed to be others willing to participate in the Great Magic Ritual.

Yes.

Individuals to share the “cost” of the Great Magic Ritual.

How could that be an easy task?

Nevertheless, Kenneth didn’t give up. He used his fortune, his connections, and his fame.

Moreover, he wasn’t merely conducting research—he actively pursued means to earn money for his research budget and plowed the earnings into magic.

And thus, pouring astronomical sums of money—

He succeeded in performing the Great Magic Ritual without the assistance of the state.

The Great Magic he performed brought a bountiful harvest to a certain regional area.

Admittedly, this area didn’t even reach the scale of a large farm… but the repercussions were tremendous.

For three reasons.

First, Kenneth was live-streaming the performance of the Great Magic Ritual on the internet.

Second, a massive tornado was sweeping through the region where he was performing the Great Magic Ritual.

Third, due to his Great Magic Ritual, the tornado vanished.

A magic that could make a tornado disappear!

To see it unfold live-streamed!

Naturally, the impact was unforgettable.

Especially since the person wielding this magic was a scholar of notable reputation!

With that one performance of the Great Magic Ritual, Kenneth gained immense fame.

Building upon that prominence, he traveled across America researching disasters and preventing them, gradually becoming even more renowned but…

There was a problem.

A very big problem.

The ability Kenneth wielded was “magic.”

Magic always demands a cost.

No matter how big or small.

It always does.

Especially since Kenneth’s field of interest lay in disasters.

It was inevitable that it would be tied to the immensely costly “Great Magic.”

And it didn’t take long for his previously healthy body, free of maladies, to become worn down.

The lustrous hair he had well-maintained fell out, his skin transformed into a dry shell as if absorbing nutrients like a vampire. His once pleasing figure began to wither away, while internal issues ballooned his stomach.

His nervous system suffered problems, inflicting sudden pains all over his body, leading to a host of complications.

Had he saved even a bit of the overflowing money, it wouldn’t have been odd for him to be bedridden.

As his physical health deteriorated, so too did his mental health.

His personality, previously just stubborn, began to morph into a deranged version of itself, transitioning towards increasingly extreme behavior.

If he had once been like a solid rock, the Kenneth of now resembled a deadly weapon forged from stone.

The intelligence agency began expressing concerns about Kenneth’s changing demeanor…

And not long ago, a crisis finally erupted.

“[How many times have I said this!!!]”

“[How many times have I warned you not to throw waste into the Acidic Hot Spring Water!! How many times must I repeat myself!!!]”

“[Because you threw trash and harmed wildlife! I told you! Don’t dump waste, yet you keep doing it right into the hot spring water! How long must I repeat myself!!!]”

“[You useless morons have no right to study here!!! Get out of this place at once!!!]”

“[And you lot too! Get out at once! Management? What kind of management is it to throw trash in this precious area!!! No one is allowed to enter from now on!!!]”

Researchers and officials engaging in such unreasonable behavior.

Kenneth was furious at them and drove them all out.

Even as they prepared to voice their complaints…

“[I’ll flood you with high-temperature acidic hot spring water! If you don’t want to die, get out now!!!]”

He would unleash acidic hot spring water capable of making a person vanish in an instant.

Not only that, but he also created waves with it, swallowing their equipment while allowing them to barely escape with their lives.

“[From now on, no one is allowed to enter this place. Want to challenge me? Then be prepared to fight my water-made puppets!]”

Was that the end?

No.

Using the acidic hot spring water as a material, he made something resembling golems and positioned them all over Yellowstone National Park, preventing people from entering.

Initially, he warned them lightly and chased them off… but when someone attempted to use force, he would injure them just enough to subdue them and then throw them out of the park.

Occupation.

Yes.

Yellowstone National Park was occupied.

By Kenneth, a scholar and shaman.

For America, this was bewildering, absurd… truly.

It was such a bizarre situation that one couldn’t even find the words to rate it.

If they tried to force him out with police, it seemed unlikely against his powerful connections; bringing in the military would likely elicit outrage from those who had friendships with him. Just mentioning the ‘military’ might cause those closely tied to him to froth at the mouth.

If not, it was probable that higher-ups would quickly intervene.

After all, how could they treat such a precious genius scholar and shaman of America so coercively?

Sending capable individuals to secretly apprehend him?

While not impossible, it was unlikely.

There weren’t many who wanted to fight a shaman.

It’s challenging, frustrating, and there looms the fear of future repercussions.

Furthermore, since a shaman could be a valuable connection, there were few who would want to end up on bad terms with him.

Plus, the decision to involve capable agents couldn’t even be made.

If they were to fight him, Kenneth would inevitably have to use magic, which would shorten his lifespan and further deteriorate his health.

Those connected to Kenneth wouldn’t want that to happen.

Thus, Yellowstone National Park was currently occupied by Kenneth.

…Absurdly so.

 

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