What Did We Just See?

After repeating the explanation several times, the Earth Spirit finally—barely—believed that I wouldn't devour it.

It kept screaming that it would do anything I asked, yet it was so suspicious about this. Go figure.

「Master. This. Spirit. Really. Can't. Understand. Words.」

Amjeong kept wanting to smack the Earth Spirit midway through, but I held it back. No matter how dim the Earth Spirit seemed, it was still stronger than Amjeong right now. Was it thinking of charging at me because it trusted me? Or out of competitive spirit? Anyway.

From talking with the Earth Spirit, it went beyond just being naive or simple—it truly knew nothing of the world. No way it had spent its entire time just hanging around those talking bones, right? Amjeong clearly showed signs of having wandered the human world quite a bit...

And now I could see the Earth Spirit was even sharing its own energy with the bones. It was like pouring water into a leaky jar; if it kept this up, it wouldn't be able to exist as a spirit much longer. It might revert to a refined spirit or even a basic nature spirit.

「Then why did you come here?」

「Master. And. Same. Human. Wanted to find. So. I. Guided. Here.」

At Amjeong's words, the Earth Spirit blinked, then clapped its front paws with a smack!

「Right! Come to think of it, you, human! You look like my friend! Hmm, hmm. Way more amazing than my friend! But I admit it!」

Good that it noticed. 「Should've. Known. At first sight. Dense. And. Dim. No. Eyesight. Master. Can I. Hit it. Just once? It'll. Snap. To attention.」

The admiration for a fellow spirit was gone; Amjeong was whispering again about wanting to smack it. I whispered back not to, gathered my thoughts, and asked a question.

[Why are those bones your only friend?]

「Because it's my only friend?」

[Since when have you been friends?]

「Very. Very. Long ago!」

[Decades? Centuries?]

「Didn't. Count. Don't know!」

Hmm. I see... Instead of pressing with questions that wouldn't yield easy answers, I decided to teach it what needed pointing out first.

[You said you have to protect your friend, right?]

「Human! If you're threatening me by taking my friend hostage—」

[Your friend is almost at its limit. Like those herbs crumbling to dust in that stone jar, once those bones turn to powder, your friend will vanish too.]

「!!」

The Earth Spirit's eyes widened at my words. 「Don't lie!」

[I'll show you why it's not a lie.]

I had no intention of grabbing its weakness from the start and blackmailing it into doing my bidding. The Earth Spirit was very useful, but I didn't want to use it that way. So, give and take it was. Mutual aid in exchange for help and cooperation. And the help here would be extending the shelf life of those bones.

I reached out toward the bones. 「What are you doing!」

The startled Earth Spirit blocked the way, but regardless, my energy reached the death spirit clinging to the bones.

[Come here.]

<Uh, uh?>

At my command infused with power, the death spirit was yanked out like a radish from the soil—pop!—from the bones.

Without the bones to cling to, the death spirit looked just as expected: unable to form any proper shape, like a wisp of smoke. A battered old bone spewing rough, refined energy, combined with a death spirit so ancient it had lost instinct and reason. It had endured this long only because the Earth Spirit shared its energy.

<Hweee... eueue...>

「Friend! My friend! Don't cry! I'll do something, anything!」

Seeing it wail and flicker like it might vanish any second, the Earth Spirit fretted, glared at me with eyes full of fury. 「What did you do!」

[Showing you what's about to happen soon. What becomes of a death spirit cut off from the bones.]

It wasn't a threat, just stating facts, but the Earth Spirit paled as if it were being blackmailed. 「I'll, I'll just keep sharing my energy!」

[Until when? Forever? You can't. Your energy isn't infinite. But I have a way. A way to 'preserve' your friend without using your energy. And if you want, you can even talk anytime.]

Those bones could be considered a gui-mul too. Like the chest made from a child's parents that became one, these bones had gone through a similar process. But unlike the chest bolstered by the Black Spirit Jade that devoured other spirits, these had nothing—so once collapse started, it would end in an instant. All those years of endurance for nothing.

[Will you accept my help?]

「Help...」

The hesitating Earth Spirit suddenly glanced at Amjeong. It was seeking an answer from its kin, and Amjeong replied confidently, as if waiting.

「Master. Is strong! Smashed. Evil spirits! Smashed. Evil humans! Even. Gui-mul. As subordinates! Accept. Master's. Help! Good. Results. Will come!」

「Strong, huh...」

The Earth Spirit squeezed its eyes shut, then opened them. Resolve gleamed in its black eyes. 「Got it. I'll do anything—save my friend! Even like this now, it used to be smart, kind, and gentle! Without my friend, I wouldn't be me today! My one and only friend and teacher!」

I nodded. [Good. Gather the bones and follow me.]

「You're helping my friend?」

[If my method works, it might be more than just helping.]

「Oho?」

Leaving the puzzled yet relieved, smiling Earth Spirit behind, I leaped up. Retracing my path quickly, I arrived back at the hospital room. Seeing the tablet by the bed jogged my memory.

Ah, right. Today was Bin-i's sea fishing stream. She must be at the spot by now, fishing away. Hope she catches something good.

I quickly turned on the broadcast—and

The screen shook with the churning waves—pure chaos. Fishermen yelling in a frenzy, Bin-i frozen in shock, blinking blankly. What happened? My guess... yeah, probably Pungjeong up to something. After last time, it must've loved the sweet ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠qi I gave it and done the same. But the reaction was way more intense than the threadfin bream—different kind of hype. What the hell did she catch to cause this uproar?

With Bin-i dazed and the camera not shifting, I checked the rapidly scrolling chat—and figured out what I missed...

Ha... Pungjeong, you rascal...?

"Heh, heh heh, heh heh heh heh?"

"Ha, haha, hahaha?"

Nam Young-hu and Son Gi-tae stared at the screen, leaking empty laughs nonstop.

It was streamer Coronodon's first broadcast as a Yeonghu Fishing Gear angler. They'd carved out busy schedules to watch live together—and witnessed that scene in real time.

Yet even after seeing it, they couldn't quite grasp what happened. A massive cod hauled up. Fine. The captain staggering under its weight? Cool. But gold jewelry and gems spilling from its mouth? Even gold coins! If the cod on deck wasn't flapping its gills and tail now and then, they'd have thought it was something else disguised as one. Totally bizarre.

"Heh heh heh heh?"

"Hahaha?"

After shaking their heads like broken dolls for a while, Nam Young-hu straightened up, face serious. Son Gi-tae followed.

"Heh heh... I know cod eat anything, but this is... novel. Novel. Shocking. Special."

"Indeed."

"Not ordinary. Not at all..."

Pointing at the cod's bulging belly, out tumbled a handful of gold teeth and a bundle of elongated oval gold coins.

"Setting aside the gold teeth... those long oval coins. Weren't they in old Japanese period dramas? I remember a scene where an actor in a kimono stacks them neatly, wraps in paper, and presents them."

"Yes, I've seen that. And, uh, those Maneki-neko, the Japanese beckoning cat figurines with one paw up—some hold those coins."

"Ah, right. Yeah."

"Let me check the name..."

Son Gi-tae tapped his phone and answered. "Small ones are called koban, large ones oban."

"So, Japanese stuff?"

"Maybe. Shape matches, but hard to say everything—coins aside—is Japanese."

"Why."

"The jewelry that came with. Sir, remember when I was into old accessories?"

"Yeah."

"Saw a photo of a Silla-era tomb gold ring—looks just like the one from the cod's mouth."

"Whoa. Then?"

Nam Young-hu's eyes sparkled. "Round coins, maybe. But jewelry stolen by Japanese from our land?"

"Could see it that way."

"Plus gold teeth."

"Nazis did that too, right?"

"Yep."

Nam Young-hu clenched his fist at the mention of Japan—deep-seated grudge first. Colonial atrocities, plus personal business snubs: rebuffed for "learning" tech, outright despised as Korean!

In this Mars colony era, still 'Joseon scum'? Damn Japs!

Just thinking spiked his blood pressure. Now they bowed with smiles for contracts, calling him "sir"—but he never forgot. Japanese wait for falls, then swarm to trample—no help offered.

"If those accessories are from sunken ships nearby—"

"Japanese looting our treasures and artifacts, ship sank en route... possible."

"Mm!"

How many cultural treasures looted in colonial days? News said 180k overseas, 76k in Japan.

"Government might contact us."

"Japan too, seeing the coins."

"Coins? Why?"

"Just in case."

"What case?"

"Real just-in-case." Son Gi-tae, unusually dragging, showed his phone.

"This."

"What's that." Nam Young-hu tilted his head at black kanji on the oval coin.

"Sir, know Japan's buried treasure legends?"

"Nope."

"One's Toyotomi Hideyoshi's hoard."

"Imjin Invasion guy?"

"Yes."

Nam Young-hu frowned—why here? Son Gi-tae shrugged. "Worried for kid after death, buried massive gold for emergencies. So huge, Japan dug everywhere searching."

"Oho... so those coins?"

"Doubt it." Shrug. "All that era's coins looked like that."

"Hmm. Yeah. No way. Plenty land in Japan to bury."

"Right. Records say mine buried—even sent robots."

"Hmph."

Rubbing chin thoughtfully, Nam Young-hu continued. "Still, shame. Should've assigned exclusive cameraman from first shoot."

"Very regrettable. Who'd expect this? At best—"

"At best?"

Eyes flashing, Son Gi-tae added hastily. "Meter-plus or big one."

"Meter-plus or big one, 'at best'?"

"Sir, this is unprecedented! Manipulation accusations incoming."

"Live start to finish—what manipulation."

"Threadfin bream still called fake. Without Gak Dusic's timely article, might've been roasted. 'Bought expensive fish for views'."

"Hmm..."

Frowning, Nam Young-hu changed topic. "Sea treasure finds—how handled here?"

"Under Buried Cultural Heritage Act, auto state-owned."

"What! State takes all gold? Finder gets zilch?"

"Varies by value—rewards or compensation."

"Ugh, scraps after taxes... government's stingy."

"Yes."

Why state profits from our stunt? he grumbled inwardly.

"Anyway, your phone'll blow up soon—"

Bling bling bing~

Before Son Gi-tae finished, Nam Young-hu's phone rang. Known number—relief.

"Gak Il-sik."

"Fast."

Why dread government calls sans guilt? He answered calmly. "Hello."

Voice laced with suppressed anger beneath usual seriousness—Nam Young-hu hung, surprised.

"Hmm..."

Knock. Secretary entered. "Call for you, sir."

"Who."

"National Maritime Cultural Heritage Research Institute."

"...Heh."

Bureaucrats slow usually, fast now. Took phone. "Hello."

Voice's sincerity and passion—Nam Young-hu nodded. "Yes. Understood. Relics preserved as shown—even cod that swallowed them."

〔Ah, thank you. Convenient time and place for you and Coronodon?〕

Nam Young-hu thought, then spoke.