The Dokkaebi's Magic Ball That Calls the Typhoon
In the garden, after devouring snacks through the butlers' pleading, I returned to Princess Kailian's chambers.
In the middle of the room, a mountain of gifts prepared by the Eastern envoys for me was piled high.
“Kyau…?”
Is all of this mine?
“Blanc, this is all yours. Come on, let’s see what we’ve got.”
Princess Kailian untied the first package with sparkling anticipation.
“Ooh… this is Eastern silk.”
Saintess Lina gasped and carefully unfolded the fabric. The flowing texture and subtle colors carried a refined, elegant charm different from Western silk.
Kailian immediately held the silk up against my body, fussing with excitement.
“Blanc! Look! If I make Eastern clothes from this, it’ll look so cute on you! And the white color will match your fur perfectly.”
“Kyau…”
It feels nice, but clothes would be too tight—I don’t like that.
I shook my head and brushed the soft silk with my tail. The sliding sensation wasn’t bad.
“Kyau.”
Let’s unwrap the next one.
The next box gave off an especially sweet, dense aroma.
Gwapyeon? The scent is a bit different from Yakgwa… what’s inside?
When I opened the box, glistening orange fruits neatly folded inside emerged.
“This is a dried persimmon. It’s the Eastern persimmon fruit, dried, and everyone loves it regardless of age. Would you like to try one, Lord Blanc?”
“Kyau!”
Of course!
I opened my mouth wide and looked at Haetae, who carefully placed a persimmon inside.
Chomp, chomp…
“Kyauung…”
Outside is crisp, inside like jelly—it melts into a rich sweetness the more you chew! It’s delicious!
The natural flavor is completely different from desserts here, and I like it.
“Kyau!”
I love this!
I smiled brightly and wagged my tail.
Can’t make this here? I’d just need to grow persimmon trees…
I slid the persimmon box toward my cat tower with my front paw.
This is mine. Don’t touch it. Lumia can have a little.
After that, strange items kept coming out: wild mountain ginseng, mother-of-pearl boxes, jade ornaments, and more.
I was curious about the taste of the ginseng, so I tried a piece, but it was gross and I spat it out.
It’s good for the body, but the taste matters.
While the butlers were mesmerized by the gifts, one thing caught my eye.
A large, round object resting in the corner.
It was a clear white porcelain vase.
It had beautiful patterns engraved on the surface, as if the Joseon artisans were equally skilled.
The curves were full and generous, with a wide opening at the top.
As a feline beast, I couldn’t pass by such a perfect space. If I had one, I’d have to push my body inside.
That’s it.
I crept over and draped my front paw over the opening, then flowed my body inside smoothly.
Slurp.
I was sucked in like liquid. It was surprisingly spacious and cozy inside.
The cool porcelain felt soothing on my belly fur, sending a pleasant thrill through me.
It felt like entering the small fort I used to build as a kid—warm and satisfying.
“Grung…”
A satisfied purr echoed inside the vase, turning into a deep, resonant hum.
I curled my body and rested my chin.
I should take a nap here. Kailian couldn’t do a belly raspberry in this spot anyway.
Suddenly, something hard pressed against my rear.
“Kyau?”
What is this? Is there something inside?
I wiggled and pulled out the object on the floor.
It was a small ball the size of my fist, held in my front paw.
It looked carved from wood, with iridescent patterns and a faint glow.
“Kyau?”
What is this?
I leaned in to look closer, and Haetae, who had been arranging the gifts, noticed me.
She blushed, her cheek squished against the vase opening as she peered at me.
“Lord Blanc… you look like a fairy of the vase…”
“Kyau.”
Fairy? I already know what this is?
I tapped the ball with my front paw, and Haetae snapped to attention and explained.
“Ah, that’s the Dokkaebi’s Magic Ball. The mischievous goblins of the East give it to people they like. It’s a magical tool that grants very small wishes.”
“Kyau?”
Wishes?
“Yes. If you shake or roll the ball while thinking of what you want, it pops out. But since goblins use it for pranks, it’s not grand… just toys or snacks.”
Snacks? That’s not small!
My ears perked up.
With this, I could eat snacks whenever the butlers aren’t around?
Making food with my divine power is inefficient because I get hungry, but this is free!
I leaped out of the vase with a serious expression and placed the ball on the floor.
Great. Let’s test it.
My wish was one thing.
A huge, juicy piece of meat.
I smacked my lips and imagined a massive meat chunk in my head.
“Kyau!”
Come out, meat!
I rolled the ball vigorously with my front paw.
Rolling.
The ball spun across the floor, flashing multicolored light, and something fell right in front of me.
It was a massive piece of meat the size of my torso, with thick layers of meat clinging to the bones.
The glossy brown surface and the savory aroma that tickled my nose were perfect.
It was exactly what I wanted.
“Kyauuuu!!!”
The goblins are the best!
I cheered and hopped in place.
Where are the goblin kids?! I’ll kneading them right now!
Excited, I wagged my tail wildly and charged the meat, tearing into the giant chunk with no hesitation.
Juice burst, the chewy texture enveloped my mouth… but nothing happened.
It was all soft and mushy.
“Ky, kyau…?”
I bit down and stopped moving.
The texture was weird.
No crispness or fiber, just soft like pudding, with a strange bouncy feel.
And the taste.
The savory fat and salty meat flavor vanished, replaced by a vaguely bitter, bland sensation on my tongue.
This taste… I’ve had it before…?
Is this acorn jelly?
It’s a piece of acorn jelly shaped like meat?
“Pfft…”
I spat the meat-shaped jelly out and frantically scrubbed my face with my front paw.
A wave of betrayal shook my body.
What the heck is this? Where did my meat go, and why is there gross jelly here!
Stunned, Haetae approached and added softly, “I’m sorry… before I could explain, you already used it… The goblins love pranks, but they’re kind creatures who consider people’s health.”
“Kyau?”
Even though it’s nice, it crushed my pure heart so mercilessly?
I stared at Haetae with soulful eyes.
“If you wish for food, it always comes out as acorn jelly that’s good for the body. I heard eating this means no more stomach troubles. No matter how delicious your imagination, the taste is always acorn jelly.”
“Kyaaaaang!!!”
There’s no way! These scam goblins! I’ll tell Grandpa!!
I hurled the jelly chunk with all my anger.
The bouncy jelly smashed against the wall with a dull thud.
Health and all that aside, it has to taste like meat! Jelly meat? That’s ridiculous!
The Eastern goblins… I’ll have to get Grandpa to scold them…
I snorted and smacked the magic ball with my tail, pushing it into the corner.
I’ll never use that again. Pfft pfft. Cheater.
“Sniff… kyeng?”
The ball I had thrown rolled across the floor and stopped in front of Lumia.
Lumia looked at the ball with curious eyes.
“I want to try too.”
Lumia thought of a toy that would let her play with Blanc happily and rolled the ball.
Rolling.
Pshshshsh!
Instead of a light pop, a sound like a deflating balloon came with a burst of white smoke that filled the entire room.
When the smoke cleared, a giant object lay spread out on the floor.
It was a huge, flat, round white mass like a dropped water droplet, jiggling like jelly or pudding with a glossy shine.
It was so transparent inside that a faint bluish light swirled around, looking refreshing.
“Waaaa! What is this!”
Lumia’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she poked the transparent mass carefully.
Poke!
The instant her finger touched it, a bouncy elasticity was felt.
It didn’t get wet like water, but wrapped in a stretchy membrane.
“Waa… amazing! It’s water but it doesn’t get wet!”
Lumia jumped on top of the slime cushion with glee.
Splat!
Jiggle~
“Kyaa! I’m sinking!”
Lumia’s body sank deep into the white slime.
Because of the sticky bounce, she didn’t sink completely, but flailed like someone trapped in a swamp.
Every time Lumia moved, the giant slime wobbled.
“Big brother! Look! It’s super cool and soft!”
“Kyau.”
Is this another weird trap?
I watched the slime with suspicion.
My trust in acorn jelly had hit rock bottom from the earlier incident, but seeing Lumia so happily rolling around made curiosity stir.
It… looks fun?
I carefully placed one front paw on the slime.
Squeak.
The moment my paw pad jelly touched the slime, it stuck with a pleasant sensation.
Cool, soft, and stretchy.
It felt like walking on a giant pudding.
“Kyauu…”
Unconsciously, I was happy and climbed on all four paws. The weight made the slime sink in and gently wrap around my feet.
This is… a wish-granting item…
“Kyau!”
It’s fun!
I jumped over to Lumia.
The slime bounced me high into the air with tremendous elasticity.
“Hehe, big brother’s flying!”
Lumia found the sight fun and started jumping too.
Every time we moved, the slime danced and swirled.
The butlers stared in a daze at the scene.
Two innocent little cubs laughing and playing happily wrapped the atmosphere in warmth.
After jumping around for a while, we got tired and lay flat on the slime.
My body stuck to the slime and gently wrapped my tired muscles.
This… is really good…
The power of the Dokkaebi’s Magic Ball is truly a marvel, but I’ll never use it for food again. The goblins of the East may be playful, yet their tricks leave a bitter aftertaste in the heart of a true carnivore like me. Still, the memory of Lumia’s joyful laughter and the bouncy comfort of the slime remains, a small island of whimsy in the vast empire of pampered divinity.