Meeting Hand Lost But Brain Fixed a Bit
Clunk. The rickety wooden door slammed shut behind my back. At the same moment, the humid, fishy stench of blood that had filled the abandoned bathhouse vanished like a lie.
"...Hah."
I, Han Yujin, finally sucked in the breath I'd been holding. The fox spirit. That thing was scarier than any actual anomaly. My legs nearly buckled, but I forced myself to stay upright. It was too early to relax. I still had no idea if this place was safe or just the starting point for another horror story.
I looked up. A massive full moon hung in the pitch-black night sky. And beneath it...
"...Whoa?"
I couldn't help but gasp in awe. Red, blue, yellow, white, and black fabrics. Vibrant, multicolored cloths fluttered through the air. At the center stood a colossal tree.
"Wow..."
It was an overwhelming sight. The ancient tree towered at least as high as a ten-story apartment building. Twisted branches were draped with tens of thousands of colorful rags and bells. Every time the wind blew, a clear tinkle—tinkle— of metal bells filled the space.
"Th-there... over there..."
Kruru pointed at the base of the tree. In front of what looked like an entrance—a massive totem pole—someone stood.
A woman wearing a grotesque goblin mask.
'...A gatekeeper?'
I froze. Her outfit was unusual. A shortened hanbok skirt modified for mobility, paired with rugged combat boots. But the most out-of-place thing was the weapon in her hand. Not just any wooden club. A vicious metal bat studded with nails, crusted with dark, dried blood.
'That design... I've seen it somewhere before.'
A vague sense of familiarity flickered in my mind. I'd definitely read a gallery post about a user wielding something like that.
The impact feel is insane
No way. I tilted my head. Nah, no way. I shook it off again.
Besides, Santokki was a total chick magnet in the gallery, right?
While I was entertaining these suspicions, the goblin-masked woman spotted me.
"...!"
Her body stiffened. The eyes behind the mask scanned me up and down, then Kruru hiding behind me, the trunk in my arms, and finally locked onto my face.
"...Huh?"
It wasn't just me—she looked seriously thrown off too.
"A... a girl?"
She loosened her grip on the bat and took a step forward.
"No, the guardian spirit let you in, so of course you're a woman. But hold on. There's only one person due to arrive around now. But that one's a guy. Not a girl."
She was panicking hard. I was certain now.
"...Santokki?"
"...Gasp."
She yanked off the mask. Her eyes went wide as saucers, and she blurted,
"Eung-eung?"
Uh... yeah, that was her name, but hearing it out loud made the nickname sound kinda weird.
'No, that's not the point.'
This was really Santokki? The gallery troll who flirted with every woman? I'd pictured some potbellied uncle or a creepy otaku.
"You're really Eung-eung? You're actually a girl?"
The revealed face was nothing like I'd imagined. A sharp short bob on a woman in her early twenties. She muttered to herself,
"Holy crap... totally my type... Ahem. No, she's adorable."
We were both shocked by each other. But Santokki was the bolder one. She grabbed my shoulders and scanned me head to toe with burning intensity.
"Whoa, insane. You're the one who caused all that chaos in the gallery? The mastermind behind those crazy strats is this delicate little beauty? That's cheating! The gap moe is killing me lol!"
"Hold on, hold on. Calm down..."
"How can I calm down?! You acted like a total macho dude in the gallery, but in person you're... ugh, my heart."
Santokki clutched her chest dramatically.
"Anyway, I'm Iaram. I handle security here at the shrine. What should I call you? Can't keep saying Eung-eung."
"Han Yujin."
"Han Yujin? Even the name's gorgeous. Born to be a girl. Matches your face perfectly!"
No. It's the ultra-macho name I used as a guy. This was bordering on idolization. A headache in its own right.
But at least she wasn't hostile. Small mercies. I let out a sigh of relief, tension easing—
Then her gaze lingered on the trunk clutched to my chest.
"...Hold up."
Her eyes sharpened in an instant. The fangirl sparkle vanished, replaced by a veteran survivor's killing intent.
"What the hell is that?"
She jabbed a finger at the trunk.
"Oh, this? A friend's request..."
"Dump it now!"
Iaram bellowed.
"Isn't that thing carrying an anomaly? Why'd you bring it here?!"
I quickly backed away, hand outstretched.
"Wait. It's from the lady—your people's..."
But Santokki—no, Iaram—was already pulling a gong from her bosom.
—Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sharp metallic rings shattered the quiet courtyard.
"Alert! Alert! Outsider brought something unclean! Purge it immediately!"
My brow furrowed naturally.
'Damn, her reflexes are no joke.'
No wonder she was so hyper in the gallery.
And it didn't stop there. Iaram gripped her bat tighter and charged—not at me, but straight for the trunk in my arms.
"Hand it over! Gotta burn that thing here! Can't let it taint our turf!"
"No, just listen!"
I retreated, shoving the trunk behind my back.
"Where you goin'!"
But Iaram was fast. She darted to my side, snatching for the trunk.
"Graaah! Back off, nyang!"
Kruru snarled and lashed out tentacles, but Iaram dodged effortlessly and slapped a talisman right on Kruru's forehead.
"Kyaaak! Hot! So hot, nyang!"
As Kruru rolled on the ground, I whipped out the money bag and smashed Iaram's bat away. It flew off into the distance.
"Wha—that!"
"Just listen."
"No talk, just action!"
Suddenly, countless glowing orbs bloomed around Iaram.
'...Will-o'-the-wisps?'
Whoosh, whish! They surged toward me. I twisted and dodged, but...
"Gotcha!"
There were too many. From one, Iaram's hand shot out. The moment she yanked at the trunk—
—Thwack!
A dull thud echoed as something dropped from the sky, smacking Iaram square on the crown of her head.
"Agh!"
Iaram screamed and toppled over. What had fallen? A long-stemmed pipe.
"Such a racket."
A low, elegant voice. But the pressure in it weighed down the very air.
The will-o'-the-wisps surrounding us floated upward. I looked up to find the source. Perched on a thick branch of the giant tree was a woman.
Bathed in moonlight, she wore an antique black hanbok, her long hair neatly pinned up. She exuded the refined grace of a painting come to life.
But what caught my eye wasn't her beauty. Her right hand. Protruding from the sleeve wasn't flesh and blood, but a grotesque prosthetic woven from ancient wood.
The moment I saw it, a name flashed in my mind.
"...Hand Lost But Brain Fixed a Bit?"
The infamous named user always mentioned in the gallery. The mad strategist who feared no bodily harm. I'd muttered it without thinking.
Not surprising—plenty of gallery users had mistaken me for her.
A natural association. But...
"Ho. You see through me at a glance."
Instead, it piqued her interest. She leaped lightly to the ground. Her landing was soft, but the earth rippled with an invisible shockwave.
"L-Lady Leader!"
Iaram scrambled up from the dirt and bowed deeply. The woman picked up her pipe, dusted it off, and shot Iaram a cold glare.
"Is that how you greet a guest? Ringing the gong to summon goblins wasn't enough—you even threatened her with a weapon."
"B-But Lady Leader! Look at what that kid brought! It's clearly impure! We can't let it into the village..."
"I see. However, didn't I teach you to always consider context over mere facts?"
The woman's gaze slowly turned to me. Deep, profound eyes. But within them lurked a chill like peering into an abyss. I swallowed dryly, clutching the trunk tighter.
This woman was different. A level of strength far beyond Lee Kanghyeok or the Unique Company goons.
She approached me. Her wooden prosthetic creaked as she lifted my chin.
"...Red veins woven into your eyes. A fate of death."
A sigh escaped her lips.