The Dog Who Became a Woman
The Geuseunsae soared upward, casting a massive shadow of straw and reeds over my head. From beneath that giant, tattered cloak, a thick, braided straw rope—the kind used to hang a man—dropped down like a snake.
It was the very moment that rotting rope sought to coil around my neck.
"Lonely, my ass. I’m already suffocating in a three-bedroom penthouse."
I wiped the fake, terrified expression off my face and curled my stiff lips into a smirk. At the same time, the zipper of my tightly sealed puffer jacket burst open with ferocious intensity.
A set of teeth cloaked in blue yogi slammed mercilessly into the shadow of the cloak.
The body of the Geuseunsae, which was supposed to be immune to physical attacks, stretched and tore like tough rubber the moment Huchu’s teeth made contact.
"Kieeeek!!!"
A strike that shredded the pure spiritual body itself. From the empty hole of the monster that had been mocking me with my mother’s voice just moments ago, a bone-chilling, ear-piercing metallic screech erupted.
"Nice! Keep biting and don't let go!"
I cheered, gathering spiritual power at my fingertips. While Huchu held the bastard down, I intended to blast my spiritual power at point-blank range and burn it all to ash. But then.
The thick sea fog spewing from inside the Geuseunsae's cloak suddenly began to expand explosively. This wasn't just some Byeong-rank stray ghost. It was a catastrophe that had grown to Eul-rank—or perhaps even higher—by devouring 149 victims.
[...It hurts...! It hurts!!!]
A bizarre, tangled scream of hundreds of vengeful spirits burst from the hole, and a massive wave of resentment poured toward Huchu.
"Yelp!"
Huchu, who had been latched onto the spirit body, couldn't withstand the overwhelming mass of malice and was sent flying. She rolled across the ground and reverted to her original, small puppy form. Having not yet fully recovered her yoryeok in this world, she lacked the strength to handle a mass equivalent to 149 people.
"Huchu!"
Just as I rushed to shield her, dozens of rotten straw ropes spewed by the Geuseunsae whipped around my entire body.
'Damn it, my flames aren't working...!'
I blasted fire from my hands, but the overwhelming density of the wet sea fog and the vicious eum-gi (yin energy) the monster emitted were suppressing my flames. My breath hitched. I had walked into a tiger's den calling myself a hunter, only to be on the verge of being eaten instead.
That was the moment.
Kwaaaaang!
Splitting the thick fog in two, a blue slash imbued with cold water energy cut through the night sky.
"Kishaaaak!"
The straw ropes trying to strangle me were sliced to pieces by the chilling sword strike. Seo Hwarin, wielding the Haetae Sword, burst out of the darkness, followed by Sahyeon, whose golden eyes flashed as he charged in, kicking up a massive sandstorm.
"Agent Kang, get down!"
With Seo Hwarin's shout, Sahyeon's claws struck toward the monster's cloak. The physical attack still missed, but the storm he created temporarily cleared the thick sea fog around the Geuseunsae.
[...!!]
The Geuseunsae's empty face distorted grotesquely as it looked between the three of us. The monster's hunting condition was 'isolation.' With the target count increased to three, and having taken significant damage to its spirit body from Huchu's earlier strike, it seemed to have no intention of forcing a fight.
Srrr-
The 149 voices of resentment the Geuseunsae had been emitting died down in an instant, and its giant cloak shadow seeped rapidly into the thick fog like ink spreading on paper.
"Where do you think you're going, you bastard!"
Sahyeon growled and tried to chase it, but the monster had already evaporated without a trace. As the fog slowly cleared, only the three of us, gasping for air, and Huchu, lying limp on the ground, remained in the quiet tangerine orchard.
I sat on the edge of the soft bed and let out a deep sigh. In the middle of the room lay Huchu, groaning with her fur standing on end from overexerting herself yesterday.
My bait operation yesterday was half success, half failure. I had successfully drawn out the main body and proven that its weakness was 'spirit body damage,' but Huchu's yoryeok was far from enough to handle it.
[It is a natural outcome, you foolish thing.]
Hurai, who was pecking at a piece of room-service toast on the table, shook her beak arrogantly.
[Even if that Huchu is a beast of the underworld, she has lost her power and can only use about 10 percent of it now. Furthermore, she tried to chew and swallow a mass of 149 vengeful spirits with her current yoryeok, so of course she got a stomachache.]
"Then what should I do, Elder? She's the only card in our team that can tear that thing apart. Is there no way to raise her yoryeok?"
Hurai looked at me as if I were pathetic.
[You still do not know the value of the ignorant Yang-gi you possess. Your body is a walking, giant furnace and a spiritual elixir. Take that puppy into your arms immediately and continuously pour your energy into her.]
"My energy?"
[Indeed. Your pure Yang-gi will fill her empty core. Keep her by your side and in contact with your skin all day. Then, by tonight, you will be able to tear that rag to shreds.]
The method was simpler than I thought. I immediately scooped up Huchu, who had been lying on the floor, and hugged her tightly to my chest. Then, I drew warm spiritual power from my dantien and slowly channeled it into her body.
"How is it, Huchu? Do you feel better?"
[......Ma, Master. For a proud hunting dog of the underworld to be held in a human's arms and act spoiled... this is deeply shameful...]
At first, Huchu stiffened and tucked her tail, seemingly wounded in her pride. But as the overwhelming, warm Yang-gi radiating from my body seeped through her fur, her telepathic voice began to waver noticeably.
[Ah...... but......]
Huchu's blue eyes rolled back. Her rigid body melted like freshly baked bread, and she buried her nose into my chest, taking a deep breath.
[Th, this... this is irresistible... Master's energy... is so warm and thrilling... I feel yoryeok filling my entire body... Haa...]
"Yeah, yeah. Eat up and recover quickly."
I chuckled and gently scratched under Huchu's chin. Gone was her usual dignified, knight-like tone; Huchu, having perfectly succumbed to her 'dog' instincts, was lying on her back, belly exposed, intoxicated by my spiritual power. On her black fur, a subtle, blue yoryeok of the underworld was becoming noticeably deeper.
. . .
While I was playing the role of a spiritual battery, hugging Huchu in the suite, Seo Hwarin and Sahyeon were at the Jeju branch's underground training facility. It was due to Seo Hwarin's insistence that they couldn't waste the remaining daylight hours, as the Geuseunsae only appeared at night. However, the opponent for that sparring session was far too immense for the two from the Seoul branch to handle.
Kwaaaaang!!!
The thick walls of the underground training facility rang out loudly.
"Ugh...!"
Seo Hwarin stabbed the Haetae Sword into the floor, barely supporting her body as she was pushed back. Her entire body was soaked like a drowned rat, and a faint trace of blood stained the corners of her mouth as she gasped for air.
"Haa, haa..."
Beside her, Sahyeon was on one knee, grinding his teeth in fury. His weapon, the sharp claws of a black tiger, were broken, and the massive sandstorm he boasted of had long since turned into mud scattered across the floor.
"What's wrong? Is this all the skill the Seoul branch's ace and the monster rookie have?"
In the center of the training hall, Bu Yaein stood with her arms crossed, looking relaxed. Beneath her feet, blue waves swirled, and behind her back, the phantom of a giant dragon coiled, emitting overwhelming pressure.
"The reason water is scary is that even if you cut it or stab it, it changes its form and swallows you whole. Your sandstorm is nothing but wet mud before my waves, rookie."
Sahyeon's eyes flashed blue at Bu Yaein's mockery, but he couldn't rush in recklessly. He had painfully experienced that his full-power strike from moments ago had been futilely crushed by a tsunami she had raised with a flick of her finger. This was the difference in class—one of only five Gap-rankers in all of South Korea.
Bu Yaein's gaze now turned to Seo Hwarin.
"Seo Hwarin. Your Haetae water energy is clear and solid, but it's too shallow. A river cannot defeat the ocean. You have always been trapped within the framework of those rigid principles, drawing limits for yourself."
"......Thank you for the advice, Branch Manager."
Seo Hwarin bit her lower lip, gripping the broken sword hilt tightly. A rival of the same age. But a vast gap in talent that felt like it could never be bridged. Usually, her pride would have been wounded by the inferiority complex, but now, a deeper venom and resolve burned in her eyes.
'Weak. I am still far from enough.'
She remembered her helplessness from last night, having to leave the situation to Kang Hankyul and that puppy without being able to do anything. To protect the 7th Team she was responsible for, she couldn't stop here.
"It's not over yet."
Seo Hwarin staggered and stood up again. Seeing her eyes, Sahyeon also chuckled, forcibly regenerating his broken claws and standing up, shaking off the mud.
"You're as stubborn as ever. Let's go one more time. This time, I'll really bite your throat off."
Two beasts whose pride had been broken were baring their teeth once again toward the overwhelming ocean.
. . .
"Yawn..."
I couldn't overcome the pouring drowsiness and let out a huge yawn on the bed. From morning until now, I had been rolling around in bed for a whopping four hours without letting Huchu out of my arms even once. Endless infusion of spiritual power. Huchu seemed completely addicted to my energy, burying her face in my chest and sleeping soundly with the most comfortable expression in the world.
"Well, I got a good rest thanks to her, too. Night's coming, so maybe I should get some sleep..."
I, too, led my weary body, patted the back of Huchu, who was nestled in my arms, and slowly closed my eyes. A warm and soft sensation. She was an excellent body pillow.
How much time had passed?
Knock, knock, knock.
"Agent Kang. The sun has set. It's time to depart."
Seo Hwarin's strict voice came from outside the door. She sounded a bit exhausted from the aftermath of the sparring, but her tone was firm.
"Umm... Yes. I'm coming out."
I mumbled in my sleep and tossed and turned. My arms felt unusually heavy and warm. It was too big to be a puppy, and I felt soft curves.
'Huh? Did Huchu gain weight since this morning?'
I subconsciously stroked what was in my arms. It wasn't smooth puppy fur. It was very soft and cold, like silk... Human skin?
"......?"
I snapped my eyes open. And I stopped breathing at the sight unfolding before me.
"Agent Kang? Are you okay? I'm opening the door."
Click.
Seo Hwarin used the master key to open the door and walked in.
"Tonight's operation will be much more..."
Seo Hwarin's voice, which had been continuing, stopped dead. Her gaze was fixed on the bed—specifically, into my arms.
"......"
"......"
Silence flowed. I, too, was frozen, staring blankly down at the existence held in my arms.
The black puppy Huchu was gone. Instead, a breathtakingly beautiful naked woman with jet-black, shoulder-length hair was rubbing her face against my chest, nestled in my arms. A faint blue mark was etched on her forehead. It was Huchu, perfectly humanized.
"Umm... Master... your energy is so good... hold me more, more..."
The woman mumbled in a seductive voice in her sleep, hugging my neck and tangling her legs with mine.
"Uh..."
I turned my creaking neck to look at Seo Hwarin standing by the door. Seo Hwarin's face turned white with shock, then immediately flushed red, and she began to tremble violently.
"Ag, Ag, Agent Kang Hankyul...!!! To call a woman into your room while waiting for an operation and do such a shameless thing...!!!"
"No, no, it's not like that! Team Leader! This is a misunderstanding! She's not that, she's Huchu... no, a Shikigami...! It's a real misunderstanding!!!"
I tried to pull the woman off in a panic, but the woman, perfectly addicted to my Yang-gi, clung to me like a leech and wouldn't let go.
Ten minutes before departure. The worst, most desperate crisis of my life, where my social survival was threatened—far more fatal and unfair than the horrific serial disappearance case in Jeju Island—had arrived.