I decided to go to the mountain at night.

...No, it wasn't to dispose of a body or do something weird like in a drama.

It was to observe the Perseid meteor shower.

The mountain behind our neighborhood has no bright lights and a clear view of the night sky, so I thought it would be a great place to watch the meteors.

...Or so I thought. Dammit. I didn't see a single star... it was a total waste of effort.

Only a few stars are visible, and not a single meteor. It's a total disaster. There are too many clouds, and the leaves are blocking the sky...

Out of pure spite, I kept climbing. Isn't there like a 'sweet spot' or something? Hiking at night is dangerous, but... the mountain behind my house should be fine, right?

There were rumors about snakes appearing on this mountain, though.

Ugh, it's so dark. Should I just go back? What the hell am I doing just to see some meteors? With all these clouds, a 'sweet spot' won't even matter.

Huh? What the hell is that huge thing over th—

Ah.

F***, a real snake appeared. A massive one.

I bolted.

But there was one thing I forgot.

I see ghosts. Of course, I have absolutely zero intention of becoming a shaman. If I become one, people will treat me like a con artist, I'd have to perform exorcisms, study shamanic lore, and work a service job where I have to cater to people's whims just to get paid. There are so many taboos, I'd have to serve a god, and I'd probably suffer from that weird 'spirit sickness'...

Just because you see ghosts doesn't mean you have to be a shaman.

But a problem has arisen.

That python I saw back then was a thousand-year-old serpent god called a Heoju or something. No, not a god.

Heoju (虛主)

[A deceptive spirit or stray ghost that enters a shaman's body while pretending to be a Master Deity.]

[They disguise themselves as high-ranking deities (Buddha, God, etc.) or ancestral spirits to demand initiation and mimic divine powers. However, their essence is selfish and fickle, so they soon grow bored and leave, or ruin the mental health and life of the person serving them.]

...In short, you're screwed if you serve one. Whether it's a deceptive spirit or just a stray ghost. Though I don't think a thousand-year-old snake is just a 'stray ghost' level.

Anyway, I have no intention of becoming a shaman, and even if I did, I wouldn't serve a legendary 'false listing' scammer like that Heoju...

But the bastard keeps following me.

What am I supposed to do?

And because I keep avoiding him, using talismans to block him, or chasing him away, it seems he's developed a bit of a competitive streak.

...Or is he just having fun talking to me? I did indulge him for a few words. I just cursed at him and turned away, but maybe that was entertaining to him.

Then aren't I screwed?

Still, I'm Guest, the one who always finds a way. I'm such a high-value shaman prospect that even he covets me.

..Then can't I just hide my presence or something?

So, after scouring the internet, looking through shamanism community posts, and putting in all sorts of effort because of that guy...

I mastered Concealment, which perfectly hides my presence, and Distraction, which can confuse him.

Thanks to my incredible shamanic 'vessel'—which, if it were a house, would be a luxury apartment in Gangnam—that I used to think was a curse, I was able to use them immediately.

Fortunately, that lunatic hasn't been able to break these two techniques yet, so I'm running away while using them... but even for me, it's hard to maintain them for long.

Do I have to keep running like this? Or should I try an exorcism?

Anyway, whether I take that guy in as a tenant in my 'luxury suite' vessel,

or fall for his 'rental scam' and 'false listing' tactics,

I will not serve him as my god. Never.

So now, let me describe that madman who is stalking the hell out of me—