Chapter 284
Chapter 284
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 284
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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Kang Seol placed his hand on his face and felt it around.
It was far more flustered behavior than Chiwoo and Jin Ryeo, who were watching him.
“Kang Seol, what’s wrong?”
“…It’s an unfamiliar face.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Jin Ryeo narrowed her eyes.
“He’s handsome… Could it be your original face that you forgot or something…?”
“Definitely handsome.”
“Ah! That’s not saying you weren’t handsome before!”
As she said, Kang Seol’s current look had transformed into that of an astonishingly handsome man.
‘First time seeing it… A face like this.’
A total stranger’s face had replaced his own, so how could he not panic?
If it had shifted closer to his essence like Chiwoo’s or reverted to his childhood form like Jin Ryeo’s, he’d have recognized it right away—but this out-of-left-field change left him grasping at air.
‘Who the hell is this? A face from someone I don’t know at all… Is it mine?’
Even if it was, he had zero memory of it.
Handsome, sure, but no standout features beyond a tear mole under his eye—nothing special on the surface.
‘This is the trace etched into my soul? This guy? …Why?’
The form taken in the Ghost Realm was an imprint carved into the soul. Whether left by another or himself, it was so intense it had invaded and marked the soul.
Intense meant memorable too—yet why no trace in his memory?
If it even resembled someone, he could’ve reasoned it out, but no similarities whatsoever.
Truth be told, Kang Seol had been on edge inwardly right after realizing this was the Ghost Realm. Afraid it might show the masked look he wore back in the heavens.
That form might not pinpoint anything specific about Kang Seol, but with the Madness Merchant Janet and who-knows-who else watching him, better to keep it hidden.
He’d been fretting over exactly that—only for some inexplicable man’s face to appear.
Pant… pant…
Chiwoo glanced around restlessly.
Something was gnawing at him.
Kang Seol felt it too, in fact.
That’s why unease lingered even after they arrived.
“…Where’s Seolhong?”
Chiwoo scampered about friskily.
His chubby rear and sturdy build made it tough to picture his sleek true self.
“Ah! I’ll look too! Um, th-that… she’s still in her beast form, right?”
Jin Ryeo toddled off to search the area.
Kang Seol tried releasing crows in every direction to scout.
Dozens of viewpoints popped up in a flash.
But that didn’t guarantee better search odds. The terrain was all sheer rock faces—if Seolhong was clinging along, spotting her might actually be easier on foot.
‘That aside… So this is the Ghost Realm up close?’
The landscape was barren as could be.
Grass shriveled like it’d never tasted water, sandwinds howling nonstop.
Whooooosh…
The hot, parched gusts left sand gritting between his teeth—an irritating crunch.
Best way to sum up the Ghost Realm’s vibe? A world washed in gray.
Step…
Step…
‘Footsteps!’
While crows and party hit dead ends, sounds echoed from a blind angle. Looked like a path over there too.
Pant… pant…
“Seolhong! Seolhong!”
Pant… pant…
Chiwoo bolted toward the approaching noise.
“Wait, Chiwoo!”
“It’s gotta be Seolhong! I know it! I smell her!”
Tail whirling like mad as Chiwoo charged.
“Let’s go!”
Jin Ryeo dashed after him.
Chiwoo and Jin Ryeo veered into the nook, racing toward the figure emerging from the obscured spot.
Moments later, they vanished around the bend.
Then rushed right back.
Pant… pant…
“Damn! Not Seolhong! Who’s this?”
“An unknown person’s coming! Not a ghost, though…”
Kang Seol found their freakout odd. They had to figure Seolhong’s look changed too—yet this reaction?
‘Not Seolhong? Nah, that’s her.’
The walker was Seolhong, no doubt.
He sensed her aura.
‘Her form changed big-time like mine, then? …Guess I’ll see.’
Swish…
At last, the visitor appeared.
Kang Seol got why Chiwoo and Jin Ryeo panicked the second he saw her. He felt it too.
Seolhong’s form had flipped completely.
Jin Ryeo went from adult to kid—Seolhong went the other way, girl to full-grown woman.
“See? Seolhong, but not Seolhong!”
Not quite her grown-up self either—something off-kilter about it.
“…Everyone made it. Good.”
Voice was pure Seolhong, but the shell was someone else’s.
Eyes deep as abysses, taut lithe lines, the vibe radiating off her.
“…No way.”
Seolhong had become her mother.
The Sword Dancer, Yu Hwa.
* * *
“My look…”
Seolhong-in-Yu-Hwa’s-skin looked thrown. Clothes felt too tight and weird—she’d never guessed her form changed.
“What the…”
Kang Seol handed over clothes meant for Karen. With Jin Ryeo’s aid, she swapped the tiny outfit for his spares and returned—as Yu Hwa.
Weirdly, her build matched Karen’s; perfect fit.
Seolhong kept eyeing her new body’s clothes awkwardly, then glanced down at Chiwoo peering up.
“But why’d you turn into a dog, Chiwoo?”
“Not a dog! Wolf!”
As they squabbled, Kang Seol snapped alert.
‘Not the time for this.’
Adventure 33-(Special) ‘Land of the Ghost King’
You succeeded in rescuing the survivors left on Ghost Island, leaving just one final goal.
Shake off the ghosts and escape the island with your party. But that seems to have failed.
Something lingering on Ghost Island dragged you and your companions into this unknown place.
Here, everyone’s forms have inexplicably changed.
Survive. Return.
Goal: Survival and return.
Warning: This adventure is extremely dangerous.
Warning: Conditions shift moment to moment.
Remaining time 「Unknown」
“Everyone’s safe—relief. Let’s move first.”
“Got it.”
Chatting with Seolhong-as-Yu-Hwa felt like Yu Hwa herself speaking.
But as the group swapped stories on what went down…
Thud-thud-thud…
Carriage rumble from the wastes.
“People maybe?”
Chiwoo whipped around excited—Kang Seol shut it down.
“No chance.”
“Ghosts then?”
“Likely.”
“Fight?”
“Watch first. Just the one rig.”
“Sweet! With my mug, you handle talk?”
“…Yeah.”
Thud-thud-thud…
The wagon halted near Kang Seol’s crew.
Cargo hauler up close—not horses pulling.
Twin humps on back, camel-ish at first glance, but bones jutting from humps, teeth way meaner.
“Whoa… whoa…”
Coachman calmed the beasts, parked it.
Hunched back, neck wrapped in cloth. Face plenty vicious.
Ghost through and through.
“…You lot humans?”
Flinch…
Seolhong and crew eyed the ghost warily.
“Kihihi… Ease up. Rare spotting humans in ghost turf. Yaksha’s rifts let live ones slip through plenty lately—but me? Long time no see.”
“…”
“Need a lift?”
“Lift… What kind?”
“Hop on, I’ll haul to nearest city.”
“Price tag, right…”
“Ahaha… Goods work. Gold whatever. You look loaded.”
“…Stuff like that useful here?”
“Duh! Shiny’s universal.”
Kang Seol’s eyes thinned.
Choice popped.
[Unknown ghost offers ride to nearest city for goods. Response?]
1. Sketchy—reject flat.
2. Haggle price.
3. Counter with different terms, skip boarding.
4. Hardship savior—board no doubts.
…
“Deal. Then.”
“Love the decisiveness! Cargo’s rough—cram in best you can!”
Pre-board, Seolhong whispered.
“Fishy vibe. Ghost this nice?”
Kang Seol grinned.
“Plan in mind. Trust.”
Seolhong smiled back.
“Always.”
Kang Seol up front by coachman; two humans, one beast in back.
Thud-thud-thud…
Wagon tore off anew.
Faster than standard rigs.
Ghost nodded at the pseudo-camels.
“Ihihi… Humans, first Gurr sighting?”
“Gurr… Yep, first.”
Seeing one live.
Kang Seol lobbed questions.
“Name?”
“Name? Uh… Jeonggi works. Living name.”
Post-death ghost type, huh.
“Jeonggi, appreciate the favor.”
“No sweat. Anti-human ghosts? Petty types. Ghost Realm especially—ghosts distrust ghosts. Humans same diff, yeah?”
“Noted.”
* * *
Full day ticked by; party dozed, Kang Seol didn’t.
Next morn, wagon rolled out.
Endless wastes.
“So, how’d you drop here?”
“…Border snag, looks like.”
“Rough… Yaksha rift victim, eh.”
“Know Yaksha?”
“Who doesn’t? Ghost Realm celeb—Ghost King tier fame.”
“Ghost King…”
“Human, Ghost King scoop?”
Jeonggi’s gaze sharpened.
Kang Seol dodged direct yes.
Just enigmatic smile.
“Ghost King? Tread light.”
“Light?”
“Yeah. Ghosts hold back invading human realm partly from his glare.”
“Hmm…”
Jeonggi spun yarns galore.
Truth-lies blender.
“And get this…”
“But say.”
“Hm?”
“Neck cloth—why?”
Jeonggi’s eyes sank.
“Aha… ahaha… Nothin’. Just ugly bit.”
Bull.
Quick bow earlier flashed metal—wearing something.
‘Rough guess here… hold off.’
Kang Seol smiled.
“Gotcha.”
“Yeah. Oh, and…”
“Hold up…”
“What?”
Thud…
“Noise…”
“Noise?”
Thud-thud…
“Hear noise?”
“Noise like…”
Thud-thud-thud…
“Tail’s on us.”
“Tail? Where… Shit! Hya!”
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Kang Seol’s heads-up finally got Jeonggi whipping Gurr. Face grave.
“What’s the deal?”
“Th-th-that… yonder, that…”
“Help if I can. Who…”
Black-maned Gurr riders barreled from horizon at the wagon. Straight cargo bait.
“B-bandits! Caught, they strip you bare!”
“I see…”
“‘I see’ my ass—calm much? Brainstorm, I helped!”
“Hmm…”
Kang Seol chin-stroked, thinky pose. Nah, no real plans.
Lunch menu maybe.
Black Gurrs neared.
Jeonggi yelled desperate.
“Hey!”
“Jeonggi, black-maned Gurr? Ghost Realm elite breed—choice elite only.”
“…”
“Black Chain Corps.”
Jeonggi blanked.
Not stunned—how-know reaction.
“…Who’re you?”
“Black Chain main gig: hunts. Sinners mostly…”
“Shut it—pre-kill.”
Rip-!
Kang Seol yanked Jeonggi’s neck cloth.
“Defy Ghost King once here? Special chain collars ya…”
Unique-pattern chain looped Jeonggi’s neck.
“…This exact.”
“…And?”
“Why the con?”
“Kukuku… Con? Atonement ring on, and I screwed you yet?”
“Pay… Human-world junk’s trash here—what use?”
Jeonggi bared fangs.
“Gold pay? Dream on! You’d slide meek into my gut!”
“Black Chain hunting you?”
“Yeah—too late now, pity.”
“…”
“Hostages for my out! Grub later. Clear? Stew quiet till chowtime!”
Thud-thud-thud…
Kang Seol paused, answered.
“Sorry, Jeonggi.”
“Save it. Pleas won’t rewrite your doom.”
“Not that.”
“…Huh?”
Whooooooosh…
Kang Seol unleashed bottled aura.
Instant jolt hit Jeonggi.
Power beyond imagination.
“What’s th…”
“Knew start to end.”
“You… you…”
“Off.”
Kang Seol booted Jeonggi.
KABOOOM-!
“Grahhhhh!”
Jeonggi tumbled screaming.
Kang Seol snatched reins, spurred Gurr.
“Hya!”
Thud-thud-thud…
But Black Chain suspects blew off fallen Jeonggi—still wagon-bound.
Drop him to lose tail? Nope.
“Misread?”
Black crew targeted party from jump—not Jeonggi.
Then shout yanked Kang Seol’s grip.
“We’re Ghost King’s envoys! Halt wagon!”
“Ghost King? …Ghost King?”
Ghost King’s lackeys.
“Ghost King Dueoksini dispatched us.”