TOMDB 08

Chapter: 08

The dim garden of Baekmyo Hall.

It was as though the summer night had paused to catch its breath—even the chorus of cicadas had fallen silent.

Then—

Tap, tap, tap.

Men dressed in black suits scattered throughout the garden.

At regular intervals, they drove silver objects resembling metal spikes into the ground.

As soon as they did, golden strands stretched between them like a spider’s web…

Swoosh—

A thin barrier, radiant like sunlight, unfolded over the garden before fading from sight.

The gentle ripple made the jujube tree and blades of grass sway softly before everything returned to stillness.

“What are you doing?”

I stared at the scene with wide eyes.

Baek Eun-ho answered indifferently.

“We’re setting up a barrier. It will keep the Corrupted from entering. They probably haven’t discovered your identity yet, but if they do, there’s a high chance they’ll attack Baekmyo Hall.”

“Oh…”

So I didn’t have to worry about being ambushed inside Baekmyo Hall anymore.

I was impressed for a moment before frowning.

“Wait a second. Does that mean you’re expecting me to live inside here all the time?”

Eun-ho smirked and folded his arms.

“Why are you always in such a hurry? I was planning to give you this anyway.”

Thud.

Something dropped from his fingertips into my palm.

It was a silver bracelet adorned with green jade beads.

The large bead in the center shimmered brilliantly, as though it had trapped the light from the depths of a clear lake.

“What’s this?”

“A jade bracelet.”

Eun-ho answered simply.

“I infused the center bead with my spiritual energy. If the Corrupted get close, the color will become dull. It can also block about one physical attack.”

“So after the second attack, I’m on my own?”

“When the bracelet blocks an attack, the bead will shatter, and I’ll appear immediately.”

I looked Baek Eun-ho up and down skeptically.

“Hmm… But are you actually good at fighting? Wouldn’t it be better if you just assigned me a huge bodyguard who looks like Ma Dong-seok?”

One corner of Eun-ho’s lips curled upward in disbelief.

“Did you just ask a tiger whether he’s good at fighting? I’m Baek Eun-ho—the direct descendant of the Tiger Clan and its only heir.”

“Yeah, yeah~ So what exactly can the Tiger Clan do?”

“Dominate.”

“Dominate?”

“That’s right. Physically or mentally.”

Ah, I see.

I nodded and teased him.

“So that’s the secret behind Baekho Group becoming such a giant corporation. You just forced all your business partners into submission.”

“Oh? If you don’t like it, hand that VIP card back.”

I hurriedly waved my hands.

“No! That was a compliment. In the age of capitalism, conglomerates are king. Go, Baekho Group!”

Eun-ho laughed in disbelief.

After a brief silence, he turned to look at me again.

“Oh, right. I heard about Jung Ra-bit.”

“So? Did I pass the test?”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Baek Eun-ho scratched his chin.

“You’re better than I expected. I didn’t think you’d cure Jung Ra-bit that quickly. Neither humans nor divine beasts had managed to help her for years.”

I let out a dry laugh.

Seriously? This divine beast had some personality issues… no, divinity issues.

“What? Was it a problem you expected me to fail?”

“More importantly.”

Eun-ho calmly changed the subject.

“I heard you read Jung Ra-bit’s memories.”

“…!”

I took a deep breath before briefly explaining the vision I had witnessed during the treatment.

“…It’s possible my mother’s death was also connected to the Corrupted.”

Eun-ho’s gaze turned cold.

“Hmm. Understood. I’ll investigate it.”

“Really? You’re going to help me?”

I asked with widened eyes, surprised by his answer.

He replied firmly.

“Once it’s connected to the Corrupted, it’s no longer just your personal problem. It’s an issue that concerns all divine beasts.”

After our conversation ended, Baek Eun-ho and his group finished inspecting the barrier before leaving.

As I looked around the now peaceful garden, I suddenly slipped my hand into my pocket.

“Oh, right. I forgot to return Chairman Baek’s badge again. Well, I’ll probably see him again sooner or later.”

“Meow.”

A soft cry came from behind me.

The white cat, Alfred, lightly jumped down from the top of the stone wall.

“Where did you disappear to?”

[The Tiger Divine Beast’s aura is far too overwhelming. Stay near him too long, and your energy gets drained. More importantly, that’s an exceptionally strong barrier.]

I slowly looked around the garden.

Surrounded by the walls of the traditional hanok, the space felt even cozier and safer.

“Really? I can’t tell things like that, but… it does make me feel strangely calm and secure.”

A small smile naturally spread across my lips.

Protected by the barrier, Baekmyo Hall felt like the perfect sanctuary.

Just like the days when my kind, gentle mother had still been by my side.

That night.

Chairman Baek Ho-jung’s residence.

A teapot on the table in the reception room released gentle curls of steam.

Moonlight from the early summer night stretched across the room through the window.

“So, Eun-ho.”

Leaning comfortably against the back of his chair, Chairman Baek Ho-jung lifted his teacup.

His graying hair revealed the deep wrinkles across his forehead.

“Did everything go well at Baekmyo Hall?”

His voice echoed quietly through the room.

“Yes, Father.”

Baek Eun-ho sat upright across from him.

With his hands neatly folded on the table, he nodded.

“The barrier has been completely secured. The Corrupted won’t be able to approach the area. I also gave her the bracelet infused with my spiritual energy for protection.”

“Well done.”

Setting down his teacup, the chairman continued slowly.

“So… that girl. Doctor Go Yeon-hee. What do you think of her?”

Eun-ho remained silent for a moment before taking a sip of tea.

The fragrance of black tea drifted gently through the air.

“I acknowledge that she’s an outstanding doctor. Neither you nor Jung Ra-bit was an easy patient, yet she healed both of you immediately. And hearing that she can even read memories certainly makes her intriguing. But it’s still too early to conclude that she’s truly special.”

A sharp light flashed through the wrinkles around Baek Ho-jung’s eyes.

“No. To me, she’s already more than special.”

“…Father?”

Eun-ho looked up in surprise.

The chairman took a slow breath before continuing.

“Her bloodline… her spiritual energy… she’s hiding many things. And despite not being a complete divine beast, she possesses purification abilities like that. How could that possibly be ordinary?”

Without replying, Eun-ho looked out the window.

His lips remained tightly pressed together, his eyes filled with deep thought.

The moonlight filtering through the curtains softly illuminated the side of his face.

Deep underground.

Beyond a massive sealed stone gate, a staircase descended into darkness.

Ancient patterns carved into the stone walls gradually emerged from the shadows.

Rumble—

At the center of the underground chamber—

A crystal as large as an adult’s forearm rested upon a blackened altar.

Dark swirling patterns flowed endlessly across its surface.

Thump.

Thump.

Every so often, an eerie heartbeat echoed from within the crystal, creating the illusion that it was alive.

“…”

The Corrupted, dressed in black robes, stood in a circle surrounding it.

Without moving a muscle, they stared at the crystal.

Their eyes were black and empty, like bottomless pits.

“…”

And seated upon a high chair overlooking the altar—

A man wearing a half-mask that concealed the upper half of his face watched the scene below.

The corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly in satisfaction.

“So it’s already halfway full. Faster than I expected.”

“Yes, Leader. Collecting Baek Ho-jung’s spiritual energy made a tremendous difference. As expected of the clan head’s direct bloodline—his spiritual power was extraordinary.”

The subordinate kneeling beside him eagerly agreed.

His voice was high and thin, hissing like a snake with every breath.

“Excellent. At this rate, no more than three years remain.”

The man called the Leader rose from his seat.

Looking down upon the Corrupted, he spoke in a quiet yet commanding voice.

“Once that crystal is completely filled, the seal will break, and our ‘God’ will awaken. When that day comes, this world will enter a new order.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Then—

Crack.

The crystal suddenly trembled violently, producing the sound of something splitting apart.

One of the Corrupted shouted in alarm.

“L-Leader! Something’s wrong! The spiritual energy we’ve stored… it’s escaping!”

The golden spiritual energy accumulated within the crystal should have been completely consumed by the dark energy.

Instead, as though time itself were reversing, the brilliant light slowly began flowing back out.

“…!”

The Leader narrowed his eyes.

Behind the mask, they glowed with a chilling light.

“So the rumors were true. Baek Ho-jung really recovered.”

He shot a cold glare at the subordinate beside him.

“Explain this. Wasn’t it you, Jung-ik of the Middle Wing, who confidently declared Baek Ho-jung could never recover?”

The man called Jung-ik hurriedly bowed until his forehead touched the ground, his voice trembling.

“My deepest apologies. The dark curse was definitely cast correctly. But… something is wrong. It seems an unforeseen variable has appeared.”

“A variable?”

The Leader’s voice echoed through the underground chamber.

“There are always variables. But if you tolerate them, there can be no order.”

As the Corrupted swallowed nervously…

The Leader slowly tilted his head and muttered quietly, almost to himself.

“What kind of variable could it be… Ah. Could there be another Purifier?”

“…!!”

Shock spread through the room instantly.

A deep frown formed between the Leader’s brows.

“This is troublesome. A Purifier is the greatest obstacle to our plans. Discover their identity at all costs.”

He exhaled quietly before looking around at everyone present.

“This world has been broken for a very long time. A Purifier is nothing more than a neat bandage placed over a festering wound.”

“…”

“By carrying out the will of our God, we shall recreate this world from the very beginning.”

Everyone held their breath beneath his calm yet icy gaze.

“How are things progressing with Baek Ho-jung and Baek Eun-ho?”

At the Leader’s sudden question, another subordinate stepped forward to report.

“Baek Eun-ho has been acting somewhat strangely. Recently, he’s been in frequent contact with the rabbit clan’s Jung Ra-bit.”

“Jung Ra-bit…?”

“Yes. And her spiritual energy has suddenly become remarkably abundant.”

A sharp smile spread across the Leader’s lips.

“Good. Use that rabbit as bait. The Purifier will reveal themselves.”

The air in the underground chamber grew even heavier.

The crystal atop the altar shook ominously, and from its surface, black mist—resembling blood itself—began to rise.