I Gained My First Kin!

"...I have remained in seclusion within the human realm all this time, waiting for the right moment."

Battered by a relentless barrage of incomprehensible information, my brain flat-out refused to process another syllable.

The Yokai Realm? Spirit Fox? Hoju? My head spun so violently that I didn't even know where to begin asking. As I stood there hesitating and fidgeting, the woman who had introduced herself as Seolhwa spoke up first.

"Hoju-nim, is there perhaps anything you wonder about so far?"

Wow, do pretty people have pretty consideration, too? How did she know? I jumped at her offer without hesitation.

"Yes, um... pretty much everything from start to finish..."

I literally didn't understand a single thing!

"Ah, I see. Forgive my lack of foresight. I should have explained things in greater detail, taking into account your current condition..."

"N-No, it's fine. It's just that all those words sounded so difficult..."

Ugh... every time she bows forward, I can't help worrying about those poor shirt buttons screaming for mercy...

"Understood. First, the 'Yokai Realm' refers to the world of yokai layered over the reverse side of the human realm. Even if they occupy the same spatial coordinates, the scenery of the two worlds differs. For example, the very room we stand in right now might be an empty clearing or a dense forest within the Yokai Realm."

"Ah... so the Yokai Realm and the human realm exist at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the same time?"

"Precisely. As expected of Hoju-nim."

Thanks to my ultra-smart brain, I grasped Seolhwa's explanation in one go. So the 'Yokai Realm' was simply the world where yokai lived. Flip the human world over like a cardboard game tile, and you get the yokai world—something like that.

And when you say yokai, that means things like nine-tailed foxes or dokkaebi, right? It wasn't even shocking at this point, considering I'd already awakened into a nine-tailed fox myself.

...Anyway, that officially confirmed I was no longer human, but a certified yokai.

"Next, the 'Spirit Fox Clan' is a sacred tribe of foxes. As we grow and our power increases, our number of tails multiplies. Among them, the most noble and supreme individual is called the Master of Foxes—in other words, the 'Hoju.'"

"Aha, I see... But, um..."

Glancing behind me, I channeled a tiny wisp of yokai power toward my backside. A single, fluffy tail popped out with a soft poof.

"I only have one tail right now, though...?" I muttered meekly.

Watching my solitary tail swish back and forth, Seolhwa smiled with tender warmth.

"Worry not, Hoju-nim. As I mentioned, the tails of our clan multiply as we grow and cultivate our strength. In the entire history of the Yokai Realm, you are the sole being who bloomed all nine tails and ascended as the Great Yokai Fox, the true Nine-Tailed Fox. You will reclaim your power in due time."

With those words, Seolhwa released a subtle pulse of yokai power. From behind her, six lush tails—each noticeably larger than mine—swayed gracefully into view.

I could tell in an instant: this woman stood on an entirely different tier. Fortunately, she seemed fond of me right now, but the sheer pressure rolling off her convinced me that if she ever turned hostile, nothing I did could ever bridge the gap.

"S-So, does that mean I really am that 'Hoju'? I don't have any memories at all, and right now I'm just an F-Class Awakened with only one tail..."

At my timid hesitation, Seolhwa shook her head, a bittersweet and deeply affectionate look crossing her features.

"Without question, you are Hoju-nim. And... that you have become so small and ado—ahem, so fragile, is entirely the fault of us, your retainers."

"Eh...? What do you mean...?"

"Centuries ago, a catastrophic disaster named the 'Calamity Eater' descended upon the Yokai Realm. Hoju-nim fought valiantly to the bitter end, but that entity's power proved far too immense. In the end, to save everyone, you sacrificed your nine tails and all your yokai power as an offering to seal it away."

Seolhwa's crimson eyes shimmered with poignant nostalgia.

'Grieve not. For I shall surely return.'

"Leaving behind only those parting words, my lord vanished. Believing in that promise with no set date, we, your retainers, scattered to the winds and waited solely for the day Hoju-nim would descend once more."

"..."

Softening her expression, Seolhwa smiled warmly as she concluded.

"And now that Hoju-nim has kept that promise and returned in person, how could I be anything less than overjoyed?"

My jaw dropped, frozen in disbelief. A legendary hero who saved the Yokai Realm from destruction. A true sovereign who sacrificed herself to protect everyone. That was me?

"..."

Emergency sirens began blaring in my head. I was no hero. Just days ago, I was an ordinary South Korean youth in his twenties, eating discarded convenience store lunchboxes past their expiration dates and bowing and scraping before entitled, abusive customers!

What if I'm not the real Hoju? What if the Awakening system just slapped some random fox data onto my body when it transformed me into a nine-tailed fox?

Cold sweat trickled down my spine. The beauty gently swaying six tails before me was an undeniable powerhouse; the moment she unveiled those tails, the stifling weight of her yokai power nearly took my breath away.

What if I played dumb, pretending to be some great hero, only to get exposed as a fraud later?

'A brat like you could never be Hoju-nim. Die.'

'Guh-urk!'

It would definitely go down like that. Just imagining it turned my knees to jelly. A born coward like me didn't have anywhere near the guts to maintain such a colossal misunderstanding. Better to confess right now while the beating might still be mild!

"E-Excuse me! Lady Seolhwa!" Squeezing my eyes shut, I shot to my feet and yelled. "I-I don't think I'm your Hoju! I mean, I don't know about reincarnation or whatever, but up until a few days ago, I was just an ordinary human! A guy, even! I only transformed because I suddenly awakened yesterday, so...!"

Eyes screwed shut, I rattled off my true(?) identity in one breathless, runaway sprint. Even if my head were chopped off this very second, I felt I couldn't deceive her. This woman... no, this yokai before me had waited so agonizingly long for her 'great sovereign'...

"...S-So I really don't think I'm that person! Pant... pant..."

Gasping for the air I'd starved myself of, I cracked one eye open to sneak a peek at Seolhwa.

She's definitely furious...

Yet between my squinting eyelids, her face was...

Huh...?

She was smiling with utter serenity.

"It is quite all right, Hoju-nim."

"Eh...? B-But I told you, I'm..."

"You are indeed Hoju-nim."

No, I'm telling you I'm not... Did this woman even listen to a word I said? Wait, woman? Yokai? Person?

"Allow me to present proof."

Closing her eyes, Seolhwa brought her hands together neatly against her chest. A gentle, pale gold radiance bloomed warmly from her solar plexus.

That sensation was yokai power. Unlike the standard mana used by hunters, it felt distinctly pale and golden—the exact essence I had felt whenever I activated Charm.

"...Huh?"

Wait, what? A light was shining from my solar plexus, too! What was I, some superhero in a suit of high-tech armor?

As if resonating with the yokai power blossoming from Seolhwa's chest, a golden radiance rose from mine as well. Is that why the solar plexus is a weak spot on humans? At any rate, it felt bright, warm, gentle, and profoundly comforting. And above all else, the strongest sensation pulsing between us was...

"Can you feel it, Hoju-nim? It is the 'Ring of Souls' connecting you and me."

"W-What is that?"

"Fufu. It is a pledge bestowed exclusively upon the retainers Hoju-nim took under her wing in the past. Through this bond, we grew vastly stronger and could wield a portion of your divine authority. Because this imprint is carved directly into our souls, nothing could serve as more definitive proof that you are indeed Hoju-nim."

Carved directly into our souls...? Then I was really, truly the reincarnation of the Great Yokai Fox? No way...

Right then.

Ding—!

Suddenly, a status window notification popped up, and the pale golden radiance that had been glowing at my solar plexus began cascading across my entire body.

"Uh...? Huh...?"

"...! Hoju-nim!"

It felt as though yokai power was overflowing through every vein in my body. Something that had been tightly constricting me loosened just a fraction. Yielding to that incomparably ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠soothing, warm light, all the confounding words spoken by the woman named Seolhwa clicked into place.

A moment later, the brilliance gradually receded. The very first thing I noticed was a heavy, distinct sensation near my lower back.

Pop!

With a buoyant little bounce, another snow-white, impossibly fluffy tail sprang out right beside my first one. Just two days into my Awakening, I had already evolved into having two tails.

"..."

I stared blankly at the pair of tails swaying softly behind me.

It's real.

The truth was locked in, completely indisputable. Between the soul imprint Seolhwa demonstrated and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠status window popping up at the perfect time to seal the deal with a cheeky 'Yep, you're the one,' denying it any further wouldn't just be escapism—it would be a severe lapse in basic intelligence.

Fine, I'll accept it. I am the reincarnation of the Great Yokai Fox who saved the Yokai Realm centuries ago and died a glorious death!

...Even so, it still didn't feel real.

"I offer you my humblest congratulations, Hoju-nim. You have already bloomed your second tail."

Before I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠knew it, Seolhwa had dropped to one knee and bowed her head, just as she had when we first met. Perhaps because this 'Ring of Souls' had activated, but Seolhwa somehow felt much more endearing to me—or should I say, she felt as warm and familiar as family.

"Um... well, I'm still a bit confused, but... I believe you now. Everything you told me..."

"Thank you for trusting me, Hoju-nim. However..." For some reason, Seolhwa seemed to hesitate. "Might I ask... that you refrain from speaking to me in formal honorifics? I am merely Hoju-nim's humble servant. Hearing such polite deference from your noble lips pricks at my conscience..."

Ah, so that's what was bothering her.

It definitely made things feel a bit distant, especially since I was supposedly her master in the past. But to me, we basically met today, so dropping honorifics felt a bit awkward...

"Ah... casual speech is still a little... tough for me..."

"Ah, I understand, Hoju-nim. Do not worry. In that case, how about we take it slowly by simply dropping titles first? Please, just call me 'Seolhwa.'"

"S-Seolhwa..."

"Gasp!"

...?

Seolhwa clutched her chest as if in agony. What on earth was this reaction? Could this 'Ring of Souls' actually be some kind of master-slave contract straight out of an anime?! Did speaking a command shock her with electricity or something?!

"F-Forgive me, Hoju-nim. Seeing you after so long, looking so exquisite and calling my name... I was simply overcome with emotion..."

"Ah."

...Somehow, I had acquired an awfully dramatic retainer.