Deals with the Mountain Dokkaebi
"By the way, the mountains have been awfully noisy lately," the mountain dokkaebi sighed thickly. He tapped the edge of his headband with a thick finger.
"Back in the day, it was just tigers or bears making a racket. But these days, unpleasant things keep coming and going."
"You mean the foreign kaeyi?"
"Aye, that's what they call 'em. Creatures without roots or lineage. It's a headache having these ominous bastards slinking through the mountains. Not just for me—my friends too."
The mountain dokkaebi's territory was a remote peak where humans rarely tread. In old times, they'd grab passing travelers day or night for a wrestling match. But as eras changed and fewer people climbed these forsaken slopes, even their existence began to fade.
"Even if we force a match, the damn things are so varied in shape, there's nothing to grab. No crotch, no waist—how do you even apply a technique?"
The mountain dokkaebi grumbled while mimicking with his body. His gestures carried genuine frustration: the agony of being unable to wrestle for lack of a proper grip.
"So, blacksmith, make me a sturdy ssabwa girdle that can latch onto those bastards tight. Something that won't slip, grips perfectly, and never snaps no matter the force."
Seojun nodded, studying the mountain dokkaebi. Beneath the hairy face lay simple honesty and curiosity, coupled with a resolve to overcome his plight. It was a starkly human trait, unlike typical kaeyi.
Maybe these guys could be the allies I've been looking for.
"A ssabwa girdle... Got it. But do your friends need ones too?"
Seojun probed gently. The mountain dokkaebi wasn't alone—he'd said his buddies were suffering the same headache.
The mountain dokkaebi scratched his head sheepishly. "We need 'em, sure... but we're not well-off. Mountain herbs or mushrooms won't cover the cost, will they?"
Mountain dokkaebi had little grasp of human currency. Even if they found gold veins, they'd scatter the treasures; rare herbs or fungi meant nothing price-wise.
"I'll make ssabwa girdles for all of them. No charge."
"Oh? For real? You're one generous blacksmith!"
The mountain dokkaebi's eyes widened round. Seojun smiled and continued.
"In exchange, I have a favor to ask."
"Name it. I'll help however I can."
"Baegbaekgyo seems to be converting foreign kaeyi too. I need intel and proof."
At Baegbaekgyo's name, the mountain dokkaebi's face hardened. He stroked his chin beard, narrowing his eyes.
"Baegbaekgyo... I've heard of those scum from a friend."
"You know them?"
"Know 'em well. Must've been fifty years back. A pale-faced half-breed freak holed up deep in the mountains. Thought he was just a lunatic at first, but soon more in similar garb started gathering."
The mountain dokkaebi dredged up memories, his voice low and grave.
"They built altars in the mountains and held bizarre rites. Each time, the mountain's vital energy clouded, beasts vomited blood and died. We tried driving 'em out, but there were too many, too vicious."
His scowl deepened as recollections surfaced.
"Things quieted for a while, then a nearby rift collapsed, spawning foreign ghost stories. They moved there, proselytizing other kaeyi to swell their ranks... That's all I knew."
The mountain dokkaebi eyed Seojun. "They really converted foreign kaeyi?"
"Yes. They even stirred up a kaeyi incident right in the city center recently."
The mountain dokkaebi nodded heavily, grasping the gravity. He paused, deep in thought.
Baegbaekgyo was a thorn in their side too. But tangling with them was another matter. Seojun's offer was tempting, though. With solid ssabwa girdles, subduing foreign kaeyi would be far easier.
"Good proposal. Benefits us too."
The mountain dokkaebi grinned, baring yellowed teeth.
"But pretty words ain't enough to trust. Gotta see your skill first. Make a ssabwa that suits us perfect, and I'll rally all my friends to help."
The condition for proof of skill was clear. Seojun nodded confidently.
"Understood. You won't be disappointed."
Seojun dove straight into planning. Typical ssabwa used cotton or synthetic fibers. But for battling foreign kaeyi, the material had to be special—capable of gripping even formless foes securely.
Leather won't cut it either.
He fetched mana ore ingots from the storeroom. Common for hunter gear, they conducted mana well, but results varied by use.
"A ssabwa from iron?"
The mountain dokkaebi watched with interest. But Seojun answered with action, igniting dokkaebi fire to summon purple fox flames.
"Whoa, not a dokkaebi, yet you wield fox fire."
Amazed, the mountain dokkaebi fell silent, observing the work.
Seojun heated the ingot in the purple flames, slamming it onto the anvil and raising his hammer.
"Sss."
Concentrating, he reined in his kaeyi energy, syncing it with his heartbeat and channeling it into the hammer.
Clang!
He struck the glowing ingot, embedding the energy. Mana wouldn't infuse, but kaeyi energy could be forced in.
Clang!
Dozens of folds and strikes gradually wove in the energy. Faint at first, but after repeated hammering sessions...
Clang!
The mana ore's nature shifted, now attuned to kaeyi energy instead of mana. It exuded a savage, kaeyi aura.
"Hoo."
He reheated the transformed ingot, forging it into a long rod. Then, at intervals, he sheared off pieces and lightly hammered them on the anvil.
Clink, clink.
The shards became small links, which he coiled around the anvil's horn into elongated rings.
Clink, clink.
Connecting the rings revealed the form: an iron chain.
"An iron chain ssabwa..."
The mountain dokkaebi broke his silence, expression mixed. It defied convention, hard to shake prejudices.
Undeterred, Seojun finished it: tempered in oil for toughness, polished meticulously for grip, coated to prevent rust.
"Done."
Seojun presented the completed iron chain ssabwa. Well-finished, it gleamed nicely.
"For wrestling, huh..."
Skeptical, the mountain dokkaebi took it, testing the feel and wrapping it on.
"Hoh... This is the real deal."
Surprisingly supple, no hindrance to movement. Perfect for fair wrestling.
"Wanna test it out sometime."
"Pardon?"
"Kidding, kidding."
Seojun broke into a cold sweat at the un-jokey joke. Wrestling a mountain dokkaebi would torment him endlessly.
"You said no pay, but can't take such fine work for free. You seem to like ore, so how about this?"
The mountain dokkaebi pulled a fist-sized iron ore from his bosom. Its exposed hematite and hefty weight marked it prime quality. Above all, it pulsed with yokki energy.
"Where'd you get this..."
"Deep mountains always have veins. When we mountain dokkaebi settle, yokki infuses 'em. Like it?"
"Exactly what I needed."
Doyokshini's yin iron supply was dwindling, bottlenecking mass production of anti-kaeyi gear.
"Glad to hear. Got heaps in the mine—take what you need. Mutual aid keeps relations smooth."
"You mean..."
"I'll convince my friends. Count on us."
"Thank you for accepting."
"No need for thanks. Just watch those Baegbaekgyo scum trespassing our backyard. We get crumbs too."
Seojun bowed deeply, sincere. Securing yin iron and allies was ideal.
"As a bonus, my friends are in the same boat. Whip up those chain ssabwa quick as you can."
"How many?"
"More the better, but twenty for now."
A week's output. Seojun nodded.
"Come back in a week—I'll have them ready."
"Thanks, blacksmith. My pals'll love 'em."
The mountain dokkaebi tied the chain ssabwa to his waist and danced out gaily. Joy radiated from his retreating figure.
"Finally..."
Seojun watched him go, then gazed afar—toward Daegwallyeong, site of his family's disappearance.
No leads for so long. But now, the outline of that kaeyi dungeon break emerged.
Just a bit further...
Burrowing into Baegbaekgyo would yield solid clues. He was certain.