🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 18
A visceral sense of repulsion surged up, but Soha steadied her mind.
Creak—Crunch.
From the ghost’s hand came the sound of a pig’s bones being crushed. Soha circulated her energy for the first time in a long while.
She didn’t know how to do much beyond releasing or absorbing her energy, but even that alone was enough to keep herself minimally safe.
“What are you doing, human?”
Docheol flinched at the sudden shift in Soha’s aura. He had never seen such pure energy before. From her emanated a clarity as cold and clean as a winter stream.
Back in the land of perpetual night, when he’d been struck by the Hyup-woon Sword, he’d lost his reason under the spell of moonlight, so his memory hadn’t been intact.
Now, purely out of curiosity, Docheol wanted to observe this child’s transformation to the fullest. But he couldn’t let her come to harm—her life was tied to his own strength.
– Hu… man.
The ghost’s voice tore through the blood-scented air, drilling into their eardrums.
Its damp, reeking face passed by Soha, landed on Docheol, then rotated a full circle before returning to its place. A grotesque moment.
“Hey, kid.”
Docheol called to Soha, who was staring at the ghost as if entranced. But she was so focused on it that she didn’t hear his voice.
“What’s your plan, just walking up and getting hypnotized like that?”
At the very moment Docheol shouted, Soha drew the Hyup-woon Sword from within her sleeve and concentrated her mind.
A chill flowed from her body in an instant.
Docheol felt overwhelmed by her aura.
It wasn’t the impure energy of humans, nor was it the sacred power of a reaper. Was this truly the aura of the fox tribe?
It was sharper, closer to ghostly energy than human. And yet, it was far too pure to be dismissed as ordinary malice.
At Soha’s movement, the ghost’s form wavered like a candle flame in the wind.
What is she doing?
Docheol watched, dumbfounded, as Soha’s energy began to surround the ghost and gradually merge with it.
“No way… Kid, stop!”
He realized what she was attempting—Soha was trying to absorb the ghost.
“Are you insane?!”
If a human absorbed ghostly energy, it always ended badly. At best, they fell ill; at worst, if the energy was too thick, they could lose their life.
“Stop this right now! You reckless brat!”
“…It won’t be as bad as you fear.”
Soha answered as though she understood his concern.
She had done this countless times—calling ghosts, absorbing them, and offering their power back to them.
She didn’t know how to fight them, but she was more familiar than anyone with how to take their strength.
Ghosts without a true body would vanish once they lost power. She thought that made them no real threat.
“Where on earth did a kid learn something like this?”
Docheol knew this wasn’t part of human ways.
It resembled the methods of yokai more than mortals.
Could a child really have mastered this on her own?
– Ghhhhhhaaa!
The ghost writhed in agitation as Soha’s power took hold.
Under the taut atmosphere, its form began to change.
The slimy mass swelled, discarding the faint human-like shape it had mimicked.
“That thing… it’s no ordinary ghost.”
Sensing the shift, Docheol knew the situation was more troublesome than expected.
One thing was certain—neither Soha nor the ghost intended to back down.
With a sigh, Docheol stepped in front of her. In one motion, he absorbed the energy flowing from Soha’s body.
“What are you doing—”
Soha recoiled in alarm, and in that instant Docheol’s small puppy form swelled in size.
“Ah.”
Soha stumbled backward to avoid being knocked over, only to fall hard onto the ground.
Where once he had been no bigger than a forearm, Docheol had grown to the size of a large hound.
Soha’s surprise had cut off her power, halting his transformation, but this size was enough.
“This isn’t what I recovered my strength for… tch.”
Casting her a glance, Docheol stepped in front of the ghost.
– Kraaagh!
His sharp fangs lunged at the spirit.
“Docheol!”
A human could never have touched a ghost’s ethereal form—but he was biting into it.
“….”
Soha stared blankly. Even weakened, a yokai was still a yokai.
She had been planning to run if things turned dire, but now Docheol’s actions threw her off guard.
Graaar!
He tore at the ghost without mercy.
Snapping out of her daze, Soha leapt to her feet. This was the chance he had given her.
Clench.
She gripped the Hyup-woon Sword tightly and rushed toward them. All she needed was the smallest opening.
Crack!
In that moment, Docheol slammed the ghost into the ground.
Now.
Soha drew the sword fully, channeling her energy, and slashed in a single stroke. From the blade’s tip burst a blue aura that split the ghost apart.
Flaaash!
As its body divided, five green butterflies shot out from within, scattering like arrows.
The ghost’s body melted away, and the butterflies darted off at terrifying speed.
“Ugh.”
Grrr…
Soha and Docheol fell back to avoid them, both crashing to the floor.
“What… was that?”
At her question, Docheol scowled. He didn’t know for sure either.
Then—
“Soha!”
Ihwan’s voice rang through the livestock pen.
“You’re here, aren’t you! What are you doing? Nothing happened, right?”
Worry and urgency filled his tone.
Because he was linked to Soha, the instant she used her strength, he had felt her sharp energy and rushed to find her.
The Hyup-woon Sword’s power was delicate—if they tried, they could easily find one another.
“Soha! Are you okay?”
He appeared, running, clad in white sleepwear. Dropping to his knees beside her, his clothes instantly stained with filth from the floor.
“What on earth…”
He checked her body for injuries first. Finding none, his gaze shifted to where she had been looking.
There lay the blood-soaked carcass of a pig, and in front of it, a now-enlarged Docheol growling. A chill of malevolent energy spread thick in the air.
Ihwan’s eyes went cold.
“Docheol?”
Recognizing the beast, he pulled Soha protectively into his arms. His hand hovered over the sword at his waist, ready.
Docheol’s gaze followed the motion.
“Well, well.”
He sneered at Ihwan’s killing glare.
“Soha, get out of here. The adults are on their way…”
Ihwan had misunderstood, thinking Docheol had tried to harm her.
Soha opened her mouth to correct him—but before she could speak:
“What’s going on here?”
Torches flared as several people entered the pen. Heemun was the first to hurry toward the children.
Startled, Soha looked back at Docheol.
But by then, he had already sensed the crowd and reverted to his original form.
He panted with his tongue lolling, wearing the innocent look of a harmless puppy. A masterful act of survival. It had all happened in a blink.
Heemun checked both Soha and Ihwan before noticing the dead pig. Myunghun, who had followed behind, gasped at the sight.
“What happened here?”
“Indeed. Just what were you two doing…?”
Both men demanded an explanation.
Soha answered calmly.
