Chapter 69: The Ghostly Concert Hall

Conscripting three songs from the abandoned practice room in Hongdae and arranging them to use as B-side tracks.

“Is that possible?”

“Don’t underestimate the skills of a top-tier producer, Sun-woo.”

“For someone like that—. I shall not finish my sentence.”

“Could you not do that? It bothers me immensely.”

It didn’t really matter if he finished his sentence or not.

But since the CEO said it bothered him, the Demon God deliberately stopped speaking.

“There is even a trot song, yet you say arrangement is possible. You are competent in a way that seems incompetent.”

“Does the unfinished sentence imply incompetence?”

As expected, the Demon God deliberately didn’t answer.

‘Though the familiars would likely be pleased.’

He should ask them before arranging, but they would probably welcome their songs going out into the world in various versions.

Of course, he would have to release the original songs separately as well.

So there was no big problem.

“Acquisition of B-side tracks ends there.”

The problem lay elsewhere.

“What about the title track? Have you contacted the person named Lucio?”

“Ugh.”

“‘Ugh,’ you say?”

The hands that had been moving agilely, engrossed in work, stopped abruptly.

The Demon God stared—, stared very intently—, at the CEO.

“……”

“……”

The CEO held out in silence, but eventually couldn’t endure it and confessed.

“I was rejected.”

“Rejected? Did you say rejected just now?”

The Demon God frowned at the arrogance of humans.

“Well, you see. The email didn’t even give a reason, just a reply saying it would be difficult…”

The CEO looked unconvinced. He found a photo on his phone and thrust it at the Demon God.

In the photo was a handsome South American man wearing sunglasses.

“Is he your type, CEO?”

“What kind of disastrous thing are you saying! Where did you learn such words?!”

“I thought saying this meant I was being unprejudiced? Anyway, if not, then never mind. So who is he?”

“This person is composer Lucio!”

The Demon God looked at the person in the photo again.

There wasn’t much else to glean, but this time, the building behind the composer caught his eye.

“ISM, Izm?”

Come to think of it, this was a short internet article with a photo.

It was an article published by an entertainment critique magazine with a serious tone, stating that up-and-coming composer Lucio Moreira had visited a domestic agency.

“I had high hopes because he was an overseas composer beyond Izm’s reach, but?”

At the Demon God’s words, the CEO nodded.

“This article is from yesterday, you see? The visit was in the morning, but I got the reply email late in the afternoon. Is this a coincidence?”

There was no way to confirm it immediately.

But suspicion was pointing towards Izm’s interference.

“CEO, did we not acquire several investors? Yet it is still difficult to deal with Izm?”

In terms of financial power, Origin was now quite robust.

The daughter of the spirit the Demon God met while acquiring the dorm remained an investor, and a large corporation called Samkang was also supporting Origin.

“Of course, they say money is everything, but…. Investors invest in our album business, but they don’t get involved in lobbying or networking within the entertainment industry. Izm is still dominant there.”

It meant their influence within the industry was different.

For example, if Lucio wanted more activities in Korea, he had no choice but to hold hands with Izm rather than Origin for now.

The Demon God finished understanding with the CEO’s explanation.

“Is that so. Hmph, it is the CEO’s incompetence.”

“Incompetence! It’s because our starting points were different from the beginning!”

“One is competent only if they can transcend the gap.”

“Aren’t you being too strict?”

The CEO gaped but barely managed to compose himself.

“Anyway, I’ll try emailing composer Lucio again. Maybe I was too roundabout in the last email.”

“Understood. I shall give extra points for your attitude of not giving up.”

“So, why are you grading me, the CEO…”

The Demon God lost interest in the CEO’s continuing words and sank into his own thoughts.

‘It would have been good if all song acquisition was solved with the masterpieces obtained in Hongdae. But it doesn’t work out that easily. If there wasn’t just one urban legend involving a masterpiece, I would have searched more…?’

Wait, did Zion say there was only one ghost story?

He did not.

Zion never mentioned the number of ghost stories.

He only introduced an urban legend near Hongdae because the Demon God said he was in Hongdae.

“CEO, then continue your work. I must go to my room.”

“Sun-woo? Did you hear what I said? I told you not to evaluate the CEO carelessly.”

“Of course, I did not listen.”

“Cough.”

The Demon God coolly moved to his room.

And picked up his phone to text Zion.

[Zion]

[Respond immediately]

Then, surprisingly, Zion responded immediately.

[Sun-woo texted first?!?!?!]

‘He’s a top-tier idol, so he shouldn’t be free? It seems the encouragement I gave last time was effective.’

ㅗ^^ㅗ

He was confused whether he used it correctly or not, but it seemed he used it correctly.

Then.

[ㅗㅗ^^ㅗㅗ]

Let’s start with encouragement first.

[Sun-woo…? Why…?]

[I have a question]

[What question warrants that…?]

[Try to answer with vigor]

[Uhm…]

[About the ghost story you told me last time]

[Ah, you didn’t like it?]

[No]

[That is not so]

[I was very satisfied]

[!!!!]

[Most satisfied in recent times]

[I commend you]

[Really? I thought you found it boring!]

[Did I not commend you at the time as well]

[ㅗㅗ^^ㅗㅗ]

[?]

Finally, Zion realized something strange.

[By any chance, Sun-woo]

[Are you sending that emoticon to tell me I did well?]

[That is correct]

[So that was it!!!! Okay!!]

Realizing the meaning of the emoticon, Zion was extremely happy.

And, he happily accepted the wrong emoticon with a heart of worship.

Eat PQ, eat it twice => Eat commendation, eat it twice.

Translation complete!

[I’ll eat it well, eat it twice!!]

“Hm?”

The Demon God tilted his head.

Was there some communication error in the meantime? The conversation feels slightly off?

However, the Demon God was a magnanimous Demon God who didn’t dwell on trivial matters.

[Let us get to the main point]

[Yeah!]

[Is there another ghost story involved with a masterpiece like the Hongdae practice room?]

[Whether it’s an urban legend, mountain legend, sea legend, anywhere doesn’t matter]

[I shall go]

Then Zion’s surprised message flew in.

[Sun-woo, you went to the Hongdae practice room?]

For Zion, who liked the occult but wasn’t the experiential type, it was unimaginable.

“To think he didn’t tell me to go.”

The Demon God calmly informed the astonished Zion of the result of his visit.

[Nothing happened]

[It was a false rumor]

Nothing good comes from humans getting involved with spirits.

It is better for Zion, his fan, to stay without such experiences as he does now.

[I see]

[Ghost stories are often false rumors]

[That is true. Apart from that, are there more masterpiece ghost stories?]

Ideally, there should be.

Let there be more.

If only there were more so the title track supply could be solved…

[Sun-woo]

[?]

[If it’s fun this time too?]

[Hoh]

It was quite a cheeky opening for Zion.

[Do you desire something?]

[Yeah]

[If it is something I can grant, I shall grant it]

He attached a subtle condition, but it was enough for Zion.

[Good!]

[Are you confident?]

[Will it be as fun as last time?]

Then, an unexpected answer flew in.

[This time goes beyond that level]

[??]

The story began.

[Somewhere in Chungnam, just out of Gyeonggi-do]

[Why on earth is it in a place like this]

[—in a location that naturally makes you think that]

Certainly, Zion had a knack for storytelling from encountering many ghost stories.

[There’s a performance hall that went under and was abandoned]

[Following an abandoned practice room, an abandoned performance hall?]

[So it must be linked to a masterpiece, right?]

Indeed, it was persuasive.

[To the nearby residents, it’s just a bleak eyesore]

[But the surprising thing is]

[Performances still continue]

[Performances continue?]

[You just said it went under?]

[Yeah]

[And this is a ghost story]

[Then?]

[No one organized it]

[No one was cast]

[No one attended]

No one.

No human.

[Such a performance continues]

It means a performance by beings other than humans.

The Demon God began to feel very interested in the ghost story.

[Of course, there must have been someone who visited this time too?]

[Naturally]

[They say there is someone who went]

[And there are words that person conveyed]

[Is it that they don’t remember the song this time either?]

[That goes without saying]

[He conveyed something else]

[What is it?]

[The words he conveyed were—]

Were?

[The beings continuing the performance were evil spirits]

“Evil spirits!”

He says evil spirits.

There is a masterpiece and there are evil spirits!

He said it would surpass the last ghost story, and indeed it did.

[Send the location immediately!]

[Sun-woo]

[Location!]

[I told you it wasn’t just on the level of the last ghost story]

[I still have one more thing to tell you]

The Demon God waited for Zion’s next words with a pounding heart.

[Sun-woo]

[Do you know the program Mystery Horror Commando?]

[I know it]

He knew it.

It was a variety show with the concept of digging into domestic occult incidents or spots to reveal the truth.

The Demon God had also been interested and looked it up once.

[It was a mess?]

He turned it off as soon as he saw it.

Thinking about it, it was natural.

Since humans cannot see spirits in the first place, it was impossible to find proper mystery horror.

He was disappointed seeing them wrestle with irrelevant incidents or places.

[But]

[About the performance hall ghost story]

[It must have become quite famous recently]

[Mystery Horror Commando is going there?]

The Demon God, whose trust in Zion had risen, wondered if Mystery Horror Commando had chosen a proper place this time.

[That would be troublesome]

[If they make a fuss there first]

[And the casting offer came to me too]

[?]

It wasn’t a program a top-tier idol would go on.

However, since it was well known that Zion was an occult maniac, they put in an offer.

[I declined on the company level—]

The one thing Zion said he had left to say finally revealed itself.

[Should I recommend you instead, Sun-woo?]

The Demon God was so overwhelmed with happiness he almost fainted.

Loyal worshipper.

Continue to be loyal. Be very loyal.

I shall watch over you.

***

Meanwhile, at that time.

“Will this place be okay.”

A man was looking down at a photo placed on a table in a hotel suite.

The man was Lucio Moreira.

A talented up-and-coming composer from Brazil.

Especially among occult fans, rumors were quietly spreading that he made songs that perfectly suited their tastes.

“It has to be okay. It must be okay.”

Right now, his face was contorted miserably.

“Hey. Will you be okay?”

Lucio, who traveled between countries, had a close friend who handled schedules and negotiations.

He reached out to comfort Lucio, but Lucio swung his arm and swatted it away.

However, at the slapping sound, Lucio himself was surprised and looked at his best friend.

“S-sorry.”

Best friend Rodrigo shook his head even while clutching his stinging hand.

“It’s okay. I know well that you are suffering.”

At Rodrigo’s understanding, Lucio covered his face with both hands.

“Ugh…, ugh….”

He was almost moaning.

“<Beyond a Dawn>.”

The name of the song the Demon God and Ha-gyeom sang on Ki So-eun’s radio show popped out.

“Was that song the greatest work of my life?”

Lucio, who originally had excellent inspiration, wrote a masterpiece every time he received psychic stimulation, and <Beyond a Dawn> was the best among them.

A song written after receiving intense stimulation upon entering an ancient temple said to have served a god of another world.

It was even evaluated as a song that calls souls.

Actually, there were rumors that souls appeared.

However, after writing that very song, Lucio fell into a tremendous slump.

“Hey, isn’t a slump natural for an artist. Surely you’ll write a masterpiece again soon.”

Rodrigo offered comfort, but.

“Damn it! Since that song, I haven’t received any psychic stimulation at all. Commissions are piling up, but the new songs are all mediocre—”

Handling commissions with songs written in the past had its limits. Now even those songs were almost gone.

No matter what, he had to regain psychic stimulation.

With that single thought, Lucio Moreira toured psychic spots within Brazil. When that didn’t help recover, he toured South America, North America, and eventually went as far as Japan.

While at it, he stopped by Korea here.

He received invitations from agencies or composers, but in truth, he had little interest.

Only.

Only psychic stimulation was his goal.

His eyes turned to the photo on the table again.

“I’ve already been to countless places. To go here now…”

Having visited numerous psychic spots, he looked despairingly at the place in the photo.

And there.

An abandoned performance hall, ruined and dilapidated, was captured.