TGMC 12

chapter 12

Spirit of Disaster

The plane that departed at 6 p.m. arrived at Auckland Airport early the next morning.

Still, thanks to flying business class, we felt less tired.

Both my mom and I were flying business class for the first time in our lives.

Satisfaction was a perfect 100 out of 100.

Especially on long-distance flights, business class seemed truly worth the price.

“Welcome to New Zealand. Enjoy your trip.”

We got off the plane, greeted by the flight attendants.

First, we went through immigration.

The process was simple.

All we had to do was show our passports.

Next, we collected our luggage.

Because we had flown business class, our baggage came out first.

Then, stepping into the arrivals hall, we saw many guides holding signs.

We found ours among them.

[Happy Tour Guide Lee Seon-kyu]

I pulled my suitcase over and spoke.

“Hello. We are Song Min-woo and Park Eun-jung, who applied for the 7-night 9-day Happy Tour package.”

“Ah, welcome. Nice to meet you. I’m guide Lee Seon-kyu. You can just call me Seon-kyu.”

Seon-kyu.

He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with gentle eyes and a soft, pleasant voice.

He would be responsible for our tours on the North Island from day 1 to day 4.

“Please wait over there until all the guests arrive. Once everyone is here, we’ll have a brief meeting and depart.”

“Yes, understood.”

We went to the bench he indicated and sat down.

The Happy Tour package required a minimum of 10 people.

So besides us, at least eight more had to be there for the trip to start.

Luckily, there were a total of eleven guests.

While waiting for the others to finish immigration, I scanned Auckland Airport with my eyes.

For New Zealand’s largest airport, it wasn’t very big.

Compared to Incheon International Airport, it seemed compact and tidy.

“Mom, I’ll go check outside for a bit.”

“Okay. Don’t take too long; we don’t know when the others will come.”

“Yes.”

Stepping outside, I took a slow breath.

“Whew.”

The air was incredibly clean.

It even felt fresh to taste.

[The air here is amazing. So clean! This is the best!]

Banguli’s expression brightened instantly.

The weather felt like early summer in Korea.

During the day, short sleeves would suffice, but in the early morning or at night, a windbreaker might be needed.

Back inside the airport, a group of strangers huddled together.

These were the other guests for the 7-night 9-day Happy Tour package.

When everyone except one had arrived,

Guide Lee Seon-kyu hesitated slightly.

“Ms. Park Yoo-jung, we’re just waiting on you…”

As if on cue, a woman came rushing, pulling her suitcase.

Her hair was messy, and she wore large horn-rimmed glasses.

Her first impression was somewhat clumsy.

She panted as she spoke.

“Huff, huff… I’m sorry. I waited at the wrong gate.”

“That’s okay. You’re Park Yoo-jung, right?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“All eleven guests are here. Before we start the meeting, does anyone need the restroom? …No? Then we’ll proceed.”

The group of companions for the trip was straightforward.

A couple with twins, a couple from Bundang, an older couple, my mom and I, and Yoo-jung traveling alone.

It was easy to tell them apart.

“I’ll be responsible for your tours on the North Island from day 1 to day 4. My name is guide Lee Seon-kyu.”

As everyone listened quietly, he smiled.

“It’s a bit embarrassing, but let’s give a round of applause. Haha.”

Clap, clap, clap.

With the delayed applause, Seon-kyu briefly introduced the schedule and today’s itinerary.

Then, we followed him to the parking lot.

There, a mini-van awaited to transport us around the North Island.

“Our first destination is Waitomo. This place is famous for Waitomo Cave, where we’ll take a boat and tour the cave. Let’s go now.”

Waitomo Cave is an essential stop on any New Zealand package tour.

The main attraction is exploring the glowworm caves by boat—glowworms being small fireflies.

Inside the cave, the walls are dark, but the ceiling glows with thousands of blue lights.

Waitomo is about two hours from Auckland Airport.

During the ride in the mini-van, I looked out the window.

The sky was a dazzling blue with fluffy clouds scattered, and golden fields stretched as far as the eye could see.

The pastoral scenery naturally calmed my mind.

‘Do you like it, you two?’

I asked Hoya and Banguli in my mind.

Since forming our contract, I could communicate with them telepathically.

If I had to speak aloud all the time, people would probably think I was crazy, so this was a relief.

‘Feels like I’ve really become a spirit tamer,’ I thought.

Banguli grinned in response.

[It’s amazing! I didn’t think such a beautiful place existed. There must be places with abundant natural energy here.]

I agreed with Banguli.

With such pristine nature, it was almost certain that areas rich in natural energy existed.

And where natural energy gathers, spirits like Hoya or Banguli could exist.

[There must be a prince on a white horse here too, right?]

‘Huh?’

[See? I was right. There’s definitely a prince on a white horse.]

Uh… Banguli.

Let’s relax a bit first.

Whether there’s a prince on a white horse or a terrifying monster, no one knows.

Don’t get your hopes up too high. The bigger the expectations, the bigger the disappointment.

Hoya spoke cautiously.

[In my opinion, the spirit might be on the snowy mountain we saw on the plane.]

Mount Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand, located on the South Island.

We planned to trek there on day 6.

‘Not now, but on day 6, we might meet a spirit while climbing Mount Cook.’

The trek, called Hooker Valley, would follow the valley trail up Mount Cook, visit Mueller Lake, then descend.

The round trip would take about four hours.

That would be the best chance to check for spirits.

“Wait a moment. We’ve arrived at Waitomo. We’ll start the cave tour shortly.”

Groups with package tours entered the cave in order.

It was our turn.

We took a boat inside Waitomo Cave.

Compared to Korean caves, this one felt different.

Unlike Korea, where LED lights were everywhere, New Zealand’s caves were kept natural.

Only minimal lighting was used, which was turned off immediately after the guide finished explaining.

Perhaps that’s why the natural beauty felt more vivid.

Especially when the lanterns were turned off completely and the cave grew pitch-dark.

I couldn’t help but exclaim.

Thousands—perhaps uncountable—glowworms clung to the ceiling.

When they all glowed blue, the light reflected on the water, forming waves of blue.

Riding the boat through this, it felt like crossing the Milky Way.

“Son, this is really beautiful.”

Mom held my hand tightly, marveling at every detail.

The only drawback was that photography inside was prohibited.

After about thirty minutes, we exited the cave.

“How was it? Amazing, right?”

“Yes!”

“It’s the best!”

The children eagerly spoke, showing just how magical the tour was.

After the cave tour, we had steak nearby for lunch, then took the mini-van to Rotorua.

There, we visited a Polynesian spa.

It was a sulfur hot spring, ranked among the world’s top ten hot springs.

After changing into swimsuits, we enjoyed the hot spring, then had dinner at a Korean restaurant and gathered for drinks.

Before drinking, everyone gave brief self-introductions.

“We’re from Hanam. Both of us are office workers. The twins are very noisy, and they don’t listen to us, but we’ll manage them. Thank you.”

“We’re from Ansan. Married over forty years. At our age, our kids sent us on this overseas trip. That’s why we’re on this package.”

A young couple and an older couple.

Next, my mom introduced herself.

“You may not know Uljin, but we run a small Korean restaurant in a nearby rural area. My son sent me on this trip for my 60th birthday. Please take care of us.”

Then it was my turn.

How should I introduce myself? I quit my office job long ago.

Once the pension remodeling is done, I’ll become a lodging operator, but that’s over four months away.

Finally, I spoke.

“I quit my office job, moved to the countryside, and run a YouTube channel. I’m preparing for a pension business. I brought my mom for her 60th birthday.”

The young couple showed interest.

“You have a YouTube channel? What’s the name?”

“Do you post farming vlogs?”

“Well, it’s a mix. I post farming life, but mostly cat videos. I recently rescued a stray cat family near home.”

“Oh, I’m a cat owner too. Can you share your channel? I’ll subscribe.”

“Well, actually…”

Normally, I wouldn’t have mentioned my channel. I barely had a hundred subscribers.

But after one short went viral, subscribers grew quickly, surpassing a thousand.

Thanks to that, I could easily share my channel name.

“You’re raising it as a yard cat? But why Jun-soon of all names? It’s so rustic.”

Haha.

Whatever others said, the cat’s name was Jun-soon.

It had already been five days since arriving in New Zealand.

We had toured the North Island’s main attractions, and it was now time to go to the South Island.

The trekking schedule was set for the next day.

Starting early morning and ending in the afternoon, the round trip would take four hours.

The destination was Hooker Lake, midway up Mount Cook.

According to the guide, at Hooker Lake, we would see glaciers and Mount Cook’s permanent snow.

After flying domestic from Auckland to Christchurch, we met a new guide and briefly toured Christchurch.

On day six, after breakfast at the hotel, the trek began.

The higher we climbed, the more beautiful the scenery.

Jagged snow-capped mountains towered above, while emerald lakes formed from melted glaciers sparkled below.

After walking about 1 hour 30 minutes, the well-maintained trail ended, and steep paths appeared.

When we reached Hooker Lake, the snow-covered peaks came into view.

Most of this snow would never melt.

Along the way, we occasionally heard the sound of breaking glaciers.

[There! I can feel the spirit’s energy there.]

Banguli pointed to the snowy Mount Cook peaks.

As expected, this was another hub for spirits.

Then, a tremendous rumble echoed.

The snow-covered peaks trembled.

Soon, a massive amount of snow cascaded down.

An avalanche.

And on that avalanche,

I could clearly see something, its entire body made of ice, racing over the snow.

That’s right.

This avalanche was not natural.

It had been caused deliberately by the ice spirit.

‘Banguli… I don’t think this is the prince on a white horse you were hoping for.’

‘…It’s better to just ignore it. Seems like a strange one.’

Banguli, who had been full of excitement, hid hastily.

I also turned my gaze away.

It seemed best not to get involved.

Judging by its actions, it was likely a troublemaker.

No, at this level, it was a spirit of disaster itself.

As we tried to quietly distance ourselves,

Hoya finally spoke.

[That spirit noticed we’re here.]