The Stealthy White Rat
The impact of accidentally seeing Geomseol Mumeong’s naked body on the screen had been far-reaching. In his past life, Bukjin had been a shut-in who never left his house, spending all his time on the computer. Back then, he had watched plenty of "renowned works" from a country called Japan and felt he had a sufficient understanding of the female form. However, the actresses in those works could never hope to compete with Geomseol Mumeong. Comparing them to her was like comparing a tiny firefly to the brilliant, overwhelming moonlight. The beauty of a goddess was a form of art in itself—the ultimate masterpiece of the human body.
'Wait, what am I thinking?'Bukjin felt a sudden wave of shame, as if his impure thoughts were defiling the goddess. Even if she was just an apprentice goddess...
'Phew, forget it! Let’s just call it bad luck!' His mind in a whirl, Bukjin took a deep breath and circulated his Hyeongi through his meridians. Only then did his heart begin to settle. But then, a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
"Wait a minute! No... didn't Geomseol Mumeong start that video call last time, not me?"
The realization hit him hard. 'Did I... get played again?'
Just then, a strange crunching sound reached Bukjin’s ears. He turned his head toward the source of the noise. There sat A-kwang, looking pristine after his bath, his fur sleek and glossy. The rat was perched on the edge of the bed, wearing a cute little smile as he industriously chewed on a plant root.
"A-kwang, what are you eating?" Bukjin asked blankly.
A-kwang held up the half-chewed root for Bukjin to see.
"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"
"Is it tasty?" Bukjin asked.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
"That root you're eating... it looks awfully familiar." Bukjin’s expression began to turn murderous.
"Squeak?!"
The next moment, Bukjin let out a roar of pure fury.
"You little bastard!!! You’re eating the Divine Grass I spent 500 gold on?! Argh! You damn rat! I’m going to kill you!"
Bukjin lunged at A-kwang. The rat was so startled he nearly wet himself.
"Squeak! Squeak...!"
A-kwang scrambled off the bed, squeaking frantically as if trying to explain himself while making a break for it. But he didn't get far. He suddenly froze in his tracks and let out a massive belch. A cloud of green gas erupted from his mouth.
Thud!
The next second, A-kwang collapsed onto the floor, motionless.
"Are you playing dead now?!" Bukjin barked, grabbing the rat by the scruff of his neck and hoisting him up. As he did, he noticed A-kwang’s plump body had gone stiff as a board.
"Huh? Is he really dead? Was that grass poisonous?" Bukjin was genuinely shocked. 'I knew Geomseol Mumeong was a scammer, but is she this malicious? Did she try to silence me just because I saw her naked?!'
A cold sweat broke out across Bukjin’s body. He hastily snatched the half-chewed root from A-kwang’s paws and tossed it aside, then began inspecting the rat’s condition. A-kwang was still breathing. His heart was beating, and he had a pulse. After a moment of deliberation, Bukjin activated Su-hwan, enveloping the rat in a glow of healing light. The blue rings of energy were rapidly absorbed into A-kwang’s body.
"The healing power is being absorbed! That’s a good sign!" Bukjin sighed in relief. He continued to cast Su-hwan repeatedly. He must have cast it over twenty times until A-kwang’s entire hide seemed tinted blue. However, the rat remained unconscious, showing no signs of waking up.
Bukjin was at a loss. He leaned in closer to get a better look at the rat. Right then—
Pffft!
The unconscious A-kwang suddenly let out a loud fart. A plume of green smoke rose from the rat’s backside. Bukjin, caught completely off guard, inhaled a lungful of the gas. Instantly, the world began to spin, and his head throbbed with dizziness.
"Not good! The farts are poisonous!" Bukjin staggered back, frantically casting Su-hwan on himself. Gradually, the dizziness subsided.
"Cough, cough! The toxicity of that root is insane! A-kwang ate it directly, so the poison must have permeated his entire system... This is bad. There’s no hope. A-kwang, are you really going to die like this?" Bukjin muttered, genuinely worried.
He whipped out his smartphone and opened the Messenger app to send a message to Geomseol Mumeong. However, she was either busy or ignoring him, as no reply came.
"Fine. It looks like there’s no way to save him. I’ll just have to bury this Ghost Rat in the ground. If he keeps emitting poison like this, people are going to get hurt." Bukjin shed a single metaphorical tear for A-kwang. 'Thank you for taking the poison for me. I'll give you a proper funeral.'
With that thought, Bukjin turned back to look at A-kwang. His jaw dropped in confusion.
"Wait, what? Where did he go?"
In the brief moment Bukjin had looked at his phone, A-kwang had vanished. "How can a fat Ghost Rat that big disappear in the blink of an eye?"
Bukjin was stunned. "Was he faking it the whole time and ran away while I was distracted?" He reached out to touch the spot where A-kwang had been lying, and something incredible happened. A-kwang was still there. Bukjin’s fingertips brushed against the rat’s fur, but he couldn't see him.
'Did this Ghost Rat... learn Stealth?'
As Bukjin continued to poke the invisible rat, A-kwang’s form suddenly flickered back into existence like magic. One thing was different, though—his once-grey fur had turned a pale, snowy white. It looked as if he had been bleached. Despite the color change, his fur was still sleek and glossy, feeling as soft as the finest silk to the touch. A-kwang’s overall aura had become significantly more refined. The scruffy, provincial Ghost Rat had been transformed into an aristocratic one. The white fur made him look even cuter, setting him apart from any ordinary member of his species.
Gurgle!
A strange sound erupted from A-kwang’s stomach. His eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright. Clutching his belly, he began to let out frantic squeaks. Before Bukjin could say a word, another puff of smoke rose from A-kwang’s rear, and the rat dashed out toward the garden bushes.
"Ah," Bukjin said, realizing what was happening. "So he wasn't dying, he just had an upset stomach. Did he get food poisoning?"
Bukjin looked down at the half-eaten root in his hand. Its name was the Small Heavenly Star Dew Grass.
Description: Divine Grass
The description in Geomseol Mumeong’s shop on the AlXpress app was infuriatingly brief. It didn't mention what kind of divine powers or effects it had at all.
"That damn apprentice goddess..." Bukjin lamented.
He opened the Messenger app again and sent another inquiry about the effects of the grass, but still, there was no reply.
"Does eating this grass grant Stealth?" Bukjin recalled the change A-kwang had just displayed. It seemed like an incredible ability, but the side effects were clearly severe. After some thought, Bukjin decided to scrap any idea of testing it on himself.
A moment later, Bukjin felt a strange sensation in the room. He expanded his mental awareness.
"A-kwang, you little...!" Bukjin roared in anger.
Suddenly, A-kwang shimmered into view beside the bed like a ghost. In his paw, he held a sharp dagger shaped like a Ghost Rat’s claw. He had been tiptoeing toward Bukjin with extreme caution, looking for all the world like he was attempting an assassination.
"Squeak?!" A-kwang’s pupils contracted, and a look of pure panic washed over his face. He looked back and forth between Bukjin and the dagger in his paw. His fur stood on end in terror.
'He caught me! I'm doomed! That demon is going to kill me!'
Frozen in place, A-kwang let the dagger drop to the floor with a clatter. He then cupped his chin with his paws and flashed Bukjin his most "adorable" smile.
Slap!
Bukjin didn't hesitate for a second. He backhanded A-kwang across the face. The rat went flying, slamming into the wall and sticking there like a flattened piece of dough.
"You damn rat! Have you lost your mind? You actually tried to ambush me?" Bukjin was livid.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak!" A-kwang slowly slid down the wall. He scrambled over and began prostrating himself at Bukjin’s feet, his face pleading for a chance to explain. But Bukjin’s rage wasn't so easily quenched. He snatched A-kwang up and began pummeling him mercilessly.
A short while later, A-kwang had two massive black eyes, making him look more like a panda than a rat.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..." Faced with the fear of death, A-kwang was desperate to survive. He knelt before Bukjin, moving his paws frantically to explain something. He placed one paw over his heart and pointed the other toward the heavens, as if taking a solemn oath.
Bukjin glared at him with sharp, suspicious eyes. 'This little rat still hasn't accepted his place as a servant... He’ll clearly try to take me out the moment he sees an opening. Keeping someone like this around is just asking for trouble.'
A-kwang had literally just gained the power of Stealth and immediately tried to kill Bukjin. Who knew what he would try next? 'He’s dangerous! Maybe I should just tie him up and send him to Dean Cho Heun to be roasted or steamed!'
Just as Bukjin was considering this, A-kwang suddenly bolted upright again, clutching his stomach and squeaking in agony. Simultaneously, another cloud of green gas filled the room.