The Serpent King's Hidden Lair
She parted ways with Baek Hye-seo, the master of the forest. Haneul could've gone with her, but the other animals blocked Hye-seo's path, refusing to let her join. Something about lacking the qualifications to meet the king. So Haneul just exchanged numbers with Hye-seo and rode off alone on the wolf toward the king's domain.
As they drew closer to the king's lair, she could feel it. This was the end of the gate—the edge of the world for these creatures.
Retracing their steps up the path they'd come, crossing the forest and scaling the cliff, passing the waterfall... now Haneul stood before a massive cave.
"Whoa. There wasn't anything like this a minute ago."
"Woof."
"The king put up a barrier? But I couldn't even see it? Must not be your average barrier."
"Woof woof."
The reply came: a barrier protected by the world itself. In other words, a place shielded by the gate.
Still, something felt off. Nothing escaped Haneul's eyes.
"Weird."
Was it because she'd been forcibly placed beneath the world's surface upon entering the gate, blinding her to it? Or had its existence been concealed, its power restrained? Neither made sense.
If she had to pick the more plausible... no, she couldn't. It was both. They'd deliberately lowered their divine rank to enter another god's realm, submitting to its influence.
And if that was the case, gates must be incredibly vital to the Constellations. Creating worlds like this demanded immense devotion, time, and power.
Even so, the gods built these gates to gather faith and create apostles. Why would such lofty beings go to such lengths? Using humans, whom they'd once utterly despised.
'Not all of them died after all. Heck, even Grandpa Chronos is still kicking.'
Did they just lend out fragments of themselves, hiding their true bodies? Or were they too resilient to die from that? Or maybe, as they always claimed, this was all fate's guidance.
Whatever the reason, to uncover it...
'Gotta do the same thing as last time.'
To repeat it, she'd need to find a way up there somewhere. That meant dealing with a few human-origin divinities again. Last time, it was the higher-ranked heroes among them—but no guarantee it'd be that easy now. Could turn into a longer, more annoying process.
The old Haneul would've sighed at that. Not anymore. She was vastly different now.
'Gates are fair game for going all out, right?'
Monsters sometimes burst out of gates en masse, but the gate's world never encroached on the outside. So whether this inner world got wrecked or not, Earth would be fine.
Haneul let go of the fragile thread of sanity she'd been clinging to. Madness crept up, wetting her nape, and she grinned brightly.
"Perfect."
"Woof?"
The wolf shuddered inexplicably, goosebumps rising. Haneul smacked its rump playfully—smack smack—urging it onward. But even as it took the hits, the wolf refused to budge. It shook its head firmly: no further.
"Guess I'll go alone?"
"Woof."
"What happens if the king dies? Who's next? Got a prince or princess? Hey, bro, wanna stage a coup?"
The wolf blinked dumbly. Then it rolled onto its back submissively, licking her hand and cheek devotedly. Its tail wrapped around her, enveloping her in fluffy warmth.
"Awooo..."
"Got it."
Haneul stroked the wolf's massive head, then turned and headed into the cave.
She'd thought pressing the 500-Million-Year Button would hurl her into an empty void. It didn't. Whether from spamming it or its nature, she ended up in a remote world.
The backdrop was medieval fantasy. There, Haneul was a slave—not a sex slave, thank goodness, just for labor. No gods, no kings. Yet nobles existed, making the world chaotic and messy.
Gods had long lost humanity's hearts. How could heartless beings rule humans? So the richest noble became the de facto king, gaining more chances to contact the divine.
Haneul started a new life there. Adapted to her changed body, learned the language, got used to slavery, made friends. A pretty face was the best weapon—people shared food, snuck her treats, even spared her the rough jobs.
Rough jobs meant holding a shield as meat fodder against magical beasts.
Anyway, life was decent. Tags: #medieval, #slice-of-life, #prodigy.
Hardened by Earth's labor, she excelled at medieval slave work. With her perfect face, genius voice... in a kinder world, they'd tag #petpet too.
But the world was cruel and cold. Friends didn't last. Slaves became meat shields, food, firewood. Still, Haneul survived.
Slaves even bragged about shackles, cuffs, polished chains...
She gained "parents." They died too. Meat shield, food, firewood, or stress relief. She never knew how. Maybe all of the above. Haneul saw half a corpse.
Then she fled the city, wandered the forest, found a cave like this—and gained an unexpected boon.
"I just remembered something from about 624 billion years ago."
It's been ages since I met a human qualified to see me, and I was glad... but you start spouting nonsense right away.
"Qualified? You mean getting chummy with the animals?"
Yes.
"So there were others like me before?"
The Imoogi blinked, lost in thought for a moment.
Strange... my memory's fuzzy. Feels like there was... and wasn't.
"You're the king of this forest?"
Back then, the boon-giver was an Imoogi. Now, coiled before her eyes, the forest king was also an Imoogi. The fateful overlap made her heart flutter with bittersweet thrill.
Indeed, I am the king of this forest.
"Whatcha doing here?"
What would an Imoogi like me be doing holed up in a cave like this?
"Prepping for ascension, huh."
Haneul's casual reply earned a sour glare from the Imoogi.
"Just say it nicely. Why the death stare?"
No desire to explain what you already know.
"That's how conversations work. You wouldn't get it—you got no friends."
Enough nonsense. State your business—you earned the right to see me. Lusting after this ancient Imoogi's inner core?
Haneul plopped down cross-legged and shook her head.
"Nah, don't need that stuff."
Then why seek me? Even befriending the forest children.
"Befriended, not skewered. Anyway, no Constellation messages here."
Voices of the heavens don't reach here.
"I hear mine fine."
I meant the voices of heaven.
"Exactly. Mine's clear as day. You're hearing it too."
The Imoogi narrowed its eyes, flicking its tongue.
Your name is Haneul?
"Yup. That's me."
An exceedingly arrogant name.
"Heard that a lot."
Her name sparked plenty of fights.
"Constellations can't see here either?"
Beings of differing ranks could.
"Like Yahweh, Buddha, Heavenly Lord?"
The Imoogi jolted upright in shock.
Don't utter their names lightly! No need to provoke them...!
"So unless it's them, no one sees here?"
...Yes.
Every gate had an owner like this, and their lairs were off-limits by Constellation pact? If so, contrary to the Imoogi's words, one Constellation—the gate's true master—might be watching.
Haneul recalled a distant memory, hazy beyond her perfect recall. Easy enough: the first world she'd dropped into.
Its god was a dragon. The classic azure azure dragon from Eastern myths. Medieval fantasy with a dragon? Sure, but her world was so chaotic and mad. She went mad too.
"What happens to the gate when you ascend?"
The forest will get a new master.
"No, what about the gate?"
I mean the forest. A successor will come.
The gate was the forest? Haneul blinked, then nodded. Not impossible for a Constellation's passion project.
"Who'll be next?"
Probably the tiger.
"Tiger? Outta nowhere?"
The Imoogi chuckled lowly.
Ever heard of the dragon-tiger clash?
"Tiger ascends too? Flying around?"
Not my place to say, but does crawling change ascension?
The Imoogi shrugged—innate superiority. The tiger would've fumed.
"How old are you?"
Nine hundred ninety-seven this year.
"You're ancient."
Not all as Imoogi—500 years as serpent, 497 as Imoogi.
Just like back then.
You hear my age and still no respect. Stubborn? Fearless? A bizarre human.
"Heard that plenty. Ascension preps going well?"
The Imoogi stared silently.
"Maintaining the forest's energy ain't easy, right?"
Just like back then.
...How do you know?
Rumble rumble—
The Imoogi rose in the vast cavern. Too tall to crane her neck, Haneul flopped flat on her back.
You... what are you?
"Haneul."
The Imoogi's yellowish eyes wavered. Was that just a name... or a declaration of being?
"I wanna leave this forest."
...Tricky. Even if I told you, it's impossible. You can't leave the forest.
"Just point the way out. I'll handle the rest."
Haneul smiled faintly, certain. Beyond this forest lay the city where she'd slaved.