Chapter 556

“Being a Shaman… well, most of them are harmless beings…”

“Hmm…”

Of course, it wasn’t that Shamans were dangerous beings among the Capable Persons. Most Shamans were akin to monks, diligently pursuing only their goals.

When I think about the warriors who plunge into the dark world like the Mafia, or Alchemists who continually research to join terrorist organizations or create new drugs… Shamans certainly fall into the low ratio of criminals among the Capable Persons.

From the perspective of the Country, Shamans are capable individuals with powerful abilities that are difficult to control, yet they aren’t resources that a Power Holder can’t rely on for significant assistance at any time. Sure, the thoughts and actions they have can be hard to grapple with… but even so, if they show goodwill, at least it doesn’t approach as enmity; it’s just a matter of showing the attitude of ‘I am here showing you kindness,’ so for them, it isn’t a loss at all.

But the problem is…

When these little Scamps called Shamans create a ruckus, they sure do it big time.

One widely known illegal activity of Shamans involved preventing a scholar from cutting down trees with a Shaman in the Amazon for studies on living beings. It wasn’t until the Brazilian authorities intervened that a mutual agreement could be reached, and because it tangled the companies, the state, and academia altogether, it became a topic that surfaced on people’s lips frequently.

Yeah.

That widely known act was that.

Do you understand? That the reported incidents hardly scratch the surface of what really goes down?

Countless events unfold in the world. And most of them remain unknown for various reasons. They could be too trivial, not attracting attention, agreed upon by all involved, classified confidentially, feared to incite copycat crimes, worried about secondary victims, too gruesome, and so on…

Many matters become buried for all those reasons.

And among those buried lies truly unimaginable acts committed by Shamans.

In some places, they remain as old stories, passed down through word of mouth. In others, they float around as urban legends, regarded as mere fantasies. Some end up classified as confidential, resting in intelligence agency drawers, while others have their very existence erased entirely.

When was it again? There was once a horrific rumor circulating in South America.

A mad murderer offering people as sacrifices at Aztec ruins. The frightening rumor claimed that anyone wandering at midnight would be caught by that mad killer and offered up to a feathered serpent.

People attributed this rumor to the dismembered bodies found at the Aztec ruins, and once they learned those bodies belonged to infamous gangs, they brushed it off, saying, “Oh, just the gangs killing one another. That’s typical.” Thus, the rumor faded away.

At first glance, this incident looks like just a typical day in South America. A bit brutal, sure, but something you could see happening there… Surprisingly, hidden stories lie beneath.

It was the Shamans who conjured that carnage.

Intelligence agency investigations revealed that a Shaman visiting South America got entangled with a notorious gang in the area. During that process, friction arose, leading the Shaman to engage in combat with the gang that had assaulted them. The dismembered bodies found at the Aztec ruins were traces of that battle.

Given that the Shaman primarily wielded abilities related to poison, discovering dismembered bodies, especially within the Aztec ruins… must make for a meaningful tale.

Intelligence agencies were nearly certain that the Shaman performed a human sacrifice ritual and wiped out the gang.

There were instances where poachers fell ill and died consecutively.

A horrible illness caused their bodies to ooze pus and rot alive over time. Unsurprisingly, those afflicted howled in agony, and no matter how strong the painkillers, they did little to quell their suffering.

Those witnessing this horrendous disease panicked, fearing it was a terrible ailment. Noting that all the afflicted were poachers, they treated it as a zoonotic infection and locked down the entire surrounding area.

As investigations continued…

Ultimately, what emerged reassured everyone with a sigh of relief.

The deaths of the poachers weren’t due to a new disease but radiation instead.

Sure, radiation is dangerous. But isn’t that a better outcome than a new disease?

The rampant fear subsided almost instantly. Later reports followed, highlighting the poachers believed radioactive materials obtained from an abandoned hospital were actual medicinal drugs, mocking their foolish actions until the interest completely dwindled.

Yet, contrary to the reports that merely stated the poachers acted stupidly and thus perished, a hidden truth lay in this incident.

These poachers had never even set foot in the abandoned hospital, nor had they ever consumed the radioactive material as medicine.

According to a report compiled after an investigation using Psychometry, a Shaman had been residing in that area.

The Shaman lived alongside a herd of animals, obtaining necessary herbs or plants from them and providing food in exchange – they maintained a sort of symbiosis.

However, that’s when the poachers appeared.

The poachers killed or captured all the animals that had a symbiotic relationship with the Shaman. The Shaman tried to intervene, but how formidable could an ailing old man be, stripped down due to rituals?

Moreover, these poachers made their living by selling animals to criminal organizations, and some even had murder experiences.

Naturally, the poachers threatened the Shaman. They even fired tranquilizers at him, meant for large animals—if it hit the old man, it wouldn’t be surprising if he died. Of course, the Shaman wouldn’t succumb to such attacks; this was pointless. The Shaman politely requested they release the animals…

Yet those foolish poachers paid no heed to that courteous request and even smashed a portion of the altar the Shaman was constructing.

And naturally, the Shaman was furious.

Using magic, he incapacitated them and injected the radioactive material they carried into their bodies. He then returned them to the village, ensuring that the animals wouldn’t suffer if they died suffering in the forest and their bodies wouldn’t be torn apart, causing suffering to other animals.

And so, those returning to the village experienced intense pain from their bodies breaking down due to radiation, feeling themselves rot alive.

Each cell shattered, their bodies decaying while still living.

That pain must have been unspeakable.

In one way, it could be viewed as receiving just deserts, but conversely, it also constituted murder.

Murder that should bear legal consequences.

Yet the Shaman faced no punishment.

The first reason being that the area where the Shaman resided was nearing a level of anarchy, and the second reason was that the Shaman had friendly ties with Power Holders.

Thus, the truth was buried.

Because it was entirely reasonable to use armed force to protect oneself in that region.

Due to the assistance of the Power Holder wanting to avoid gossip about the Shaman, who was close to him and provided significant help.

And numerous similar events existed.

A Shaman discovered that by adding a slight symbol to items continuously produced in factories and performing a ritual, dangerous magic could be wielded, leading to an incident where he broke into a large corporation’s CEO’s house and made them recall everything. Another Shaman created floods to submerge villages due to the dangerous ruins, causing a calamity. There was even a case where the home of a Local Notable trying to cheat a Shaman was cursed…

The incidents initiated by Shamans differed immensely from those perpetrated by ordinary capable individuals.

It’s the norm for them to get tangled up with the powers that be, whether at local levels or national levels.

At least among the matters they create, there are generally acceptable motives like self-defense or revenge; there are escape routes as well…

Yet still, it’s undoubtedly troublesome.

Especially considering that each incident is good news material.

And naturally, those who can access such hidden secrets remain cautious and wary of Shamans. Even simply reading about the events caused by Shamans makes one instinctively realize, “These are situations where messing up could lead to dire consequences.”

Thus, the long-term powers or those with strong authority strive to maintain ties with Shamans.

Knowing well what they could do.

They understand how to reciprocate kindness and what would happen if they garnered their wrath.

And Lucas’s recent assault happened due to that very perception towards Shamans.

No, more precisely speaking…

“It’s likely that the sudden plan change was due to that Shaman, right?”

“Yes. We suspect it’s because of the Shaman incident that occurred at Yellowstone National Park.”

Rather than out of respect and fear for Jinseong, who had just become a Saint, it would be fair to say it arose from the wariness concerning the Shaman—’Disaster Shaman’—who recently caused a major incident at Yellowstone National Park.