The Omen of Misfortune
Mom and Bin-i had gone back for her stream, and Lee Pil-nyeo had stopped by to check on me before leaving too. Now I was just waiting.
Any ordinary person fumbling with the lid to pour out booze would contaminate and ruin precious wild ginseng wine, but the nature spirits handling it meant no such worries—a real plus.
Screeech.
The window slid open, and a plastic cup with a bear doodled on it floated over lightly. The Wind Refined Spirit held the cup, sealing it with wind to prevent spills on the way.
「Brought. It.」
As the Wind Refined Spirit withdrew the breeze, an intensely fragrant aroma of wild ginseng wine instantly filled the hospital room. Anyone who smelled it would immediately think, Whoa, this is something truly precious!—it was that remarkable.
【Good work.】
「No. Problem. For. Master. I'll. Do. Anything.」
The Wind Refined Spirit bobbed happily like it was dancing. Crystal had stayed behind to keep the globefish from dying, so only the Wind Refined Spirit had hurried back to the hospital. Though I hadn't ordered the globefish fishing myself, the results were great all around, so I'd praised it and pumped it full of qi. Now it was strutting with joy.
「We. Worked. Hard. Too. See? Our. Realm. Has. Grown.」
「Me. Too. We're. Colleagues. Happy. For. Each. Other's. Growth.」
At the Wind Refined Spirit's words, the Fire Refined Spirit chuckled and gave me a twinkly-eyed look.
「Drink. Now?」
「All. Of. It?」
【Yeah.】
Until now, I'd been grinding up the catches from the refined spirits into a juice-like slurry and taking it through my nasal tube. Sucking booze through my nose like this felt... novel.
「Slurp. Slurp.」
「Going. Right. In. Slurp. Slurp.」
The spirits knew something good would happen when I drank the wild ginseng wine, so they danced around thump-thump in delight. The wine flowed through the tube into my body...
Oh. Ooooh—this energy—
My eyes snapped wide open on their own!
It felt like absorbing the energy of an entire mountain whole—intensely powerful. If this was the stuff from the 231-year ginseng that Gwang-jeong had appraised, what the hell would a 650-year root be like? Rumor had it some big corp chairman once chewed through one over three hours and thirty minutes...
And this wasn't just steeped in cheap soju either. No way they'd waste over two centuries of prime ginseng on that.
Thanks to the Heavenly Wood, my body still hummed with faint warmth, but now it blazed hot. Sweat beaded on my forehead.
I closed my eyes tight and focused on absorbing the ginseng wine's energy as best I could...
Then I sensed it. Most of the energy was heading one way.
To the Heavenly Wood in my right palm.
It was sucking in the ginseng energy like a parched man chugging water.
I hesitated for a moment. I could stop the Heavenly Wood from devouring it if I wanted...
No. Let it be.
Opening my Spiritual Eye so quickly, regaining even a bit of movement—it was all thanks to the Heavenly Wood. When you've received grace, you repay it.
Besides, if its power kept growing like this, it'd benefit me too.
I directed every bit of ginseng energy in my body straight to the Heavenly Wood. Hot warmth gathered in my right palm—whoosh—gone. More wine—gathered—whoosh. Like pouring water into a bottomless jar, but I'd give it everything I had.
【Keep bringing it until I say stop.】
「Got. It.」
The Wind Refined Spirit zipped back and forth for a good while, bringing more. After about a dozen full bear-cup loads through the tube, the Heavenly Wood finally seemed satisfied and stopped sucking it up.
Alright, now to really boost my Spiritual Eye—
Prick.
Hm? What now.
Something up with the Heavenly Wood again?
「Master. Moving?」
【Yeah.】
Quick as ever, the Wind Refined Spirit worked the remote to raise my upper body. I checked my right palm—the Heavenly Wood looked just like the last time I'd seen it. I'd thought maybe roots had taken hold from the texture.
「More. Ginseng. Wine?」
「Still. Plenty. Left.」
【How much is left?】
「Way. More. Than. What. We've. Drunk. So. Far.」
Great news. Before telling it to fetch more, I checked the clock. About an hour until Lee Pil-nyeo returned.
【Yeah. Bring more.】
I kept drinking and absorbing. This time, the Heavenly Wood stayed quiet, so I claimed all the energy for myself, channeling it fully into growing my Spiritual Eye.
My realm advanced. The Spiritual Eye strengthened. Past fingers and toes, now I could move my wrists and ankles too.
Nice!
Craved more, but Lee Pil-nyeo was due soon.
【Stop. And clear out the ginseng aroma.】
「On. It.」
The Wind Refined Spirit swirled around, gathering up the room-filling fragrance.
Moments later.
Rattle.
Thinking I was asleep, Lee Pil-nyeo approached quietly.
"Oh. Thought you'd be napping. You're awake."
She smiled as always upon seeing my open eyes—but I couldn't smile back.
An ill omen shadowed her face.
The mark of misfortune. And from its shape and color, tied to a child's death.
The silver lining: faint hue meant high mutability.
I knew she had one son and one daughter. Oh Hyun-jun and Oh Ye-rin.
Which one?
If either got hurt, she'd grieve deeply. Mom and Bin-i would too. And I'd feel pretty damn bad myself.
Oh Hyun-jun. Oh Ye-rin. If only I knew more about them.
I could've tracked them down and intervened right away.
As I pondered, staring at the spirits still bobbing eagerly...
Wait. Something was slowly overlaying the misfortune mark.
Fading its color further...
Oh ho! A mark of a noble benefactor.
Someone would appear to aid her child.
Who?
* * *
"Doo-sik. Check this out. How's it look?"
"Bandit."
"Aw..."
Rustle rustle.
"Doo-sik. This one."
"Brigand."
"Aw..."
Rustle rustle.
"Doo-sik."
"Pirate."
"...Gak Doo-sik."
Crunch.
Gak Il-sik clenched his fist so hard it cracked. Gak Doo-sik straightened up fast.
He pulled his eyes from the monitor, yanked out his earbud, and tried again with more sincerity.
"Look, just don't force it. Wear something comfy like usual."
"How can I wear my usual stuff? It's Coronodon's fan meet!"
Gak Doo-sik plugged his ears at his brother's fiery wail, then sighed.
"I'm saying, comfy clothes keep your mind at ease. Makes no sense squeezing into an ill-fitting suit. You'll sit all stiff like last time, scared it'll rip if you move. Everyone around thinks you're pissed and freezes up, not saying a word?"
"Uh..."
"Bro, you gotta consider the destructive power of your looks."
"Hmm."
Gak Doo-sik eyed his sheepish brother scratching his jaw. Off-season had loosened him up; he'd bulked out, and any twitch threatened to split the suit seams. Never slim to begin with, now with fat layering his muscles from good eating, he was peak muscle pig.
"You're gonna devour tons of globefish, right? Prime protein—half that haul straight to your gut?"
"Well... yeah, but. Hm."
Help me out here, Gak Doo-sik grumbled inwardly, scratched his nose, and pressed on.
"You'll bring it up today, yeah?"
"Bring up what?"
"Jeez. The article!"
"Oh, right."
"Don't get food-brained and forget."
"Hey! What do you take me for? Look—alarm's set on my phone."
Under heavy suspicion, Gak Il-sik thumped his chest.
"Don't worry! I won't forget that."
"Yeah. Thanks... Just text right after it's decided. Even half a day, and it'll stick elsewhere."
"Huh? Why?"
"Here."
Gak Doo-sik pointed at the monitor, pulled his earbud, and cranked the speakers.
Gak Il-sik's face twisted demonically the instant he looked.
"Th-th-those fu-fu-fucking bastards!!"
Gak Il-sik roared till his throat burst.
"I'll kill those shits—!!!"
"Volume! Volume down! Complaints incoming! And these aren't the only ones. I know it's legit, obviously."
"Urghhh!"
Eyes shut, snorting angry breaths to simmer down, Gak Il-sik glared wide.
"Got it. First thing at the meet, I'll ask and text you. Prep the article and wait."
"Already done."
Gak Doo-sik clicked to show the draft. Gak Il-sik skimmed it, then slapped his shoulder in surprise.
"Whoa, Gak Doo-sik~ Writing well for once?"
"Ow ow! Hurts! What do you mean 'for once'? I'm always solid on facts and nonfic."
"Yeah yeah. Article's good. Solid job."
"Time to gear up and go, no?"
"Crap."
Gak Il-sik checked the clock, scrambled into casual-but-slightly-dressed-up clothes. Rushed out, hailed a cab.
Good thing I trimmed hair and beard early.
From self-admitted bandit vibe to fierce brute—Gak Il-sik was pleased.
Heh heh. Decent enough not to embarrass meeting Coronodon...
Grinning at his reflection in the window. The cabbie shuddered at the smile in the rearview, unnoticed.
Those jerks. Daring to trash our Coronodon.
He'd seen channel beef spark viewer wars plenty, but this needed addressing.
First lie wins, as they say.
Faker spits and runs; victim stresses explanations. Seen it too often.
Our Coronodon deserves good times now. Can't watch her suffer from idiots!
Cabbie quailed at Gak Il-sik's scowling, grinning, frowning faces. Cab flew to the airport.
"Thanks! Super fast. No change needed."
Beaming as he hopped out, Gak Il-sik strode eagerly inside, body buzzing with anticipation.