Chapter 88
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 88
Spirit beasts do not ordinarily take an interest in human affairs.
They are creatures who shut themselves away in their nests, living free and easy while looking down over their territories.
By human standards, they are no different from homebodies, and it is no exaggeration to say they spend their entire lives in their nests.
Therefore, their nests are always veiled in secrecy.
Not only does the location change every time, but the nests are protected by powerful barriers, so they cannot easily be invaded.
The only reason things were possible now was that Azure Tiger had luckily gone half out of its mind; in a normal state, they would not have been able to get anywhere near it.
"Still, you never know, so once we enter, follow me closely. If you get separated, you might not be able to get back out."
When Park Ha-yul, who had been explaining at length, finally came to a stop, Joo A-rin nodded along.
Thinking to herself that he really did know a great deal.
.......
Honestly, it was no longer surprising. Well, this sort of thing had happened more than once or twice.
There was no need to go all the way back to the distant past.
Seeing through the true nature of the thought-form, knowing the geography of Mount Geumgang as if coming and going from her own home......
The way he had packed all those supplies after a single word from Lee Taek-jin was also utterly incomprehensible.
She had tried to act indifferent, but the luxurious tent that was practically a villa, and all the foodstuffs and equipment reminiscent of luxury camping.
When the seasoned tomahawk had gone onto the grill, had she not unconsciously gotten excited and licked her lips?
She had kept a little distance because of the strange misunderstandings(?), but when she thought about it, in the end it was no different from being in his debt again.
It was not the sort of thing she wished for, but whenever she met that person, it was always like this.
Joo A-rin found it both grateful and uncomfortable.
"Let's go in."
Anyway, when Park Ha-yul took the lead and walked forward, she set aside her idle thoughts. Because she was secretly tense, she quickly followed behind him.
Swoosh—
The moment they passed through the fog, a chilly dampness settled over her whole body.
As her senses dulled and her field of vision narrowed, she felt the reality of his warning that they could end up wandering in circles.
Each step, each step was not easy.
Her sense of direction grew vague, and she felt as if she were floating off somewhere.
"Just look at my back. If even that's hard, grab my clothes or something."
But Park Ha-yul walked on with astonishing composure, and without hesitation.
Without realizing it, Joo A-rin clutched a handful of his collar—then hastily switched to holding it between her thumb and forefinger.
Embarrassed for no reason, she asked a question.
"You can see ahead well, I take it?"
"No. The fog's thicker than I expected. But it's not difficult. You just have to go straight."
"Excuse me?"
Isn't that the harder part?
It was just as she was belatedly worrying that they might have come in too recklessly.
The fog gradually cleared.
At the same time, as the restraint that had been constricting her senses loosened, Joo A-rin was able to face a startlingly new landscape.
The light had shifted as if time flowed differently from outside.
A round full moon hung in the sky, and its yellowish moonlight shone over a vast plain and the sea surrounding it.
"......."
Because it had been a long time since she had faced the night sea, Joo A-rin stared blankly for a moment, then asked in a puzzled voice.
"Wasn't Azure Tiger a tiger?"
And for good reason.
If it was a tiger, shouldn't it live like a tiger, in deep mountain ranges or in a jungle thick with undergrowth?
But why the sea?
"Ah, well......."
Park Ha-yul scratched his cheek and muttered somewhat sheepishly.
"This one's a bit unique."
* * *
Azure Tiger was a spirit beast that possessed both the water attribute and the wind attribute, and it preferred the sea over the mountains, and fish over beef.
That was why it had blue fur, but by human standards, it was no different from an eccentric.
"I see."
Once he briefly explained, Joo A-rin looked down at the endless black sea as if finding it newly fascinating.
Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to her, she opened her mouth again.
"Then how do we find it? Surely not into that sea......."
"No. There's no need for us to find it. You can just call it."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
"How?"
"We just introduce them so they can get friendly. Azure Tiger and your pet."
"Ah......."
Joo A-rin nodded as if she finally understood.
"But not now. Let's get ready first."
I left Joo A-rin waiting and walked across the field dyed in moonlight.
We had come out to hunt a tiger said to be the greatest of hunters, so we could not just recklessly call it in. A perfect and meticulous trap.
I examined the surrounding terrain and features to dig a pitfall that even a tiger could not easily escape.
Before long, I found a suitable candidate site.
It was a sunken pit of a decent size.
Dry grass covered the bottom, and with blue fur stuck here and there, it looked like a place Azure Tiger sometimes visited to rest.
"Hm."
After roughly picturing the trap's structure in my head, I took out the four spare strands of Cheonjam Thread I had brought in advance.
I drove one end of each deep into the ground so they could withstand Azure Tiger's thrashing.
I made the opposite ends into loops, ready to slip over the creature's legs the moment it set foot here.
Since it was too early to feel at ease with just this, I also manifested a sorcery art to assist with the binding and engraved it into the ground.
A 64-stroke, 2-star Wood-Style Sorcery, Grasp of the Earth.
It was one of the 2-star sorcery arts I had received from Chief Secretary Choi, and I had learned it in advance for this hunt.
Once activated, wooden stalks wreathed in mana would surge up and seize Azure Tiger.
After the preparations were complete, I gestured toward Joo A-rin. When she came over, I explained the plan.
I told her that if we failed to capture it in one go, Azure Tiger would hide in the sea, and I requested her freezing support.
"Then I'll summon it."
Joo A-rin closed her eyes for a moment and stretched her hand forward.
"Continent of the beginning. One who stands upright in chaos......."
The Joo family's unique summoning incantation flowed from her lips.
The special chant that only a chosen bloodline could recite resounded across the field.
Then, a moment later, two horns engraved on an ice shield.
The Joo family crest was etched into the empty air, and through it as a passageway, Hae-rin, a water divine beast resembling a lion, appeared.
As the soulmate destined for Joo A-rin from the moment she was born, the individual had not even finished its infancy, so it was only the size of a wolf, and the scales that should have covered its whole body had only settled around its chest.
Grrr.
Hae-rin scampered over to Joo A-rin and rubbed its cheek against her, while glaring fiercely at me.
What's this bastard doing alone with my master?
It seemed to be asking.
With its nostrils flaring and rough snorts bursting out, that was exactly what it looked like.
I waved my hand as if to say not to worry.
Only then did Hae-rin wag its tail gently and focus on Joo A-rin.
"Listen carefully to me from now on."
Joo A-rin stroked Hae-rin and explained the situation that was about to unfold.
At that, Hae-rin barked sharply, then scampered off toward its position.
It was a spot about 3 meters away from where the trap was set, and considering Azure Tiger's swift movements, it was practically point-blank range.
Maybe because of that, Joo A-rin kept looking back with a worried expression.
That's why her summoning never improves.
She is cold toward herself, but unusually lenient toward those under her.
The problem was that in dangerous situations, she would not summon them in the first place, and would try to get hurt herself instead.
These guys are supposed to grow by getting knocked around.
Tsk.
If I had a divine beast, I would have worked it until its tongue was sweating.
"Come on. We should get started soon."
There was a lot I wanted to say, but I swallowed it for now and gestured to Joo A-rin.
The signal was to hide quickly.
Joo A-rin forced herself to turn away and hid her body in the undergrowth.
Left alone as bait, Hae-rin soon began releasing its energy.
As befitted a water-attribute divine beast, a water energy similar to Azure Tiger's but denser soon whirled through the surroundings.
About a minute passed.
Rumble.
In an instant, the sea to the east surged and rough spray began to fly, and something with a dark shape cut through the water and approached this way.
Whoooosh—
But its speed was like a bullet shot from a gun barrel.
It truly reached the shore in the blink of an eye, and tens of thousands of water droplets scattered as if a wave had crashed over a breakwater.
Grrrrr—
Bursting through it, a blue tiger the size of a large SUV set foot on the field.
[Name: Azure Tiger (靑虎)]
[Grade: Spirit Beast (513 years)]
[Attributes: Water (50%), Wind (50%)]
[Description: A tiger with blue eyes and blue fur. Its stripes have a pale gray tint. One of the spirit beasts representing the Republic of Korea, it has guarded Mount Geumgang for generations. Its strength is its great speed, and the combat power of an adult over 700 years old rivals that of a Tier 5 Awakener.]
If I had activated Appraisal, a message like this would probably have appeared.
But the awe the real thing inspired was beyond that.
Its oppressive presence weighing down on the space and its imposing bearing were more than enough to earn the title of sovereign.
ROAR—
It kicked the ground once more, radiating the presence befitting the master of Mount Geumgang.
The distance closed in an instant.
It came charging in almost as if flying, and raised a front paw the size of a pot lid to swat Hae-rin.
"Now."
But this was as far as it went.
The moment I gave the signal, I moved the Cheonjam Thread.
I seized both of Azure Tiger's front legs and both hind legs in one motion.
Green light flashed from the ground.
Wooden stalks that had grown before anyone knew it wrapped tightly around Azure Tiger's body.
Riiip—
Following that, pure-white cold seeped through Azure Tiger's entire body.
Joo A-rin, who had moved beside Hae-rin, had cast her freezing art.
So no matter how swift Azure Tiger was, it was helpless.
Like a tiger shaped like the Korean Peninsula, it stood frozen with its hind legs planted on the ground and its front paws stretched out, panting roughly.
Its blue eyes, which had been like a symbol, were dyed red by the thought-form and scattered thick killing intent.
"It won't hold much longer...!"
Joo A-rin shouted through clenched teeth, seemingly giving it her all.
I had already noticed without her saying so.
Because the sturdy Cheonjam Thread was stretched taut as if about to snap.
"Can't let that happen."
I threw in even the last strand of Cheonjam Thread I had saved to bind Azure Tiger, then quickly examined the area near the back of its neck.
And I found it.
There, a six-eyed entity—the worst of the thought-forms, called the Six Souls—was clinging and draining Azure Tiger's life force.
It was the most tenacious of the many negative emotions Azure Tiger harbored, and if I dealt with it alone, I should be able to return Azure Tiger to normal.
[Using trait, Manifestation.]
The moment I confirmed the target, I manifested First Sword.
I spent SP to disguise it as an ordinary dagger, and engraved the second 2-star sorcery art I had specially prepared for this hunt onto First Sword.
A 64-stroke, 2-star Fire-Style Sorcery art, White Flame.
As its name suggested, it was a sorcery art that produced white flames.
A demon-quelling flame that burned more brilliantly when it used an unnatural, wicked existence as its wick.
As soon as the grafting was complete, I grabbed First Sword and broke into a run.
Then Azure Tiger's eyes, which had lost reason and flashed only with killing intent, fixed on me.
But I did not dodge. I faced it and closed the distance.
"Hold on a little. I'll save you soon."
It probably could not hear me, but I spoke anyway and kicked off the ground.
In one leap, I reached the Six Souls clinging near the back of its neck.
I drove First Sword into the six eyes.
Riiip—
In an instant, white flames surged up with a heat like burning skin.
Heeheehee—
The eerie laughter that had echoed along with the flames lost strength as time passed.
Grrrr—
At that, the red light in Azure Tiger's eyes gradually returned to its original color.
But letting my guard down was forbidden.
The important part started now.
The fact that a spirit beast of Azure Tiger's level had its body stolen by a wicked existence meant the aftermath of its qi deviation was that severe.
The mana that had been corrupted and transformed still remained in its body, eating away at Azure Tiger's flesh.
If left like this, the end would be death. All that would remain would be its blue hide.
Of course, as the hide of the master of Outer Geumgang, its value would be considerable, but the original goal—Joo A-rin's growth—would go down the drain.
In terms of importance, obviously the latter. So, obviously the latter.......
......Or not.
Would the hide actually be better?
I wasn't certain, but if I could also obtain the spirit core, the former seemed like the slightly better choice.
"Hm, so that's how it is......."
An unexpected shift in thinking. It was just then that the demon of desire squirmed in a corner of my heart.
['Greed' calls out. You, who resemble me.]
[It sends praise to its master's greed for thinking of the hide before a dying tiger.]