#109 It Smells
Snoring rumbled through the log cabin like thunder. Zzz! Zzzzzz!
Theo and King were going at it like they were in some contest to see who could snore louder, belting out a duet that shook the walls. Seol-a's eyes sparkled as they snapped open.
These days, she'd gotten into the habit of turning in early and rising with the dawn—a routine picked up from traveling the path of training with Kang-ho. Her first order of business each morning? Sneaking out.
She crept around cautiously, scouting Kang-ho's status like a spy on a mission. Darting back and forth, she even flicked her tail across his face to test him. He lay there stock-still, at perfect attention even in sleep. After a thorough sniff—sniff sniff—she confirmed he was out cold.
Satisfied, Seol-a leaped from the bed and prowled around the sleeping King. He'd come back not long ago and spent every day training like a maniac before crashing hard with epic snores. Truth be told, she wasn't all that interested in him. But after a careful once-over, she cracked the door open and slipped out.
Poof! Transforming into her fox form, she bolted across the snowy plains at full speed.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Her destination? The Rampage family villa.
She sat primly at the door, grooming her fur, when it creaked open. A blonde girl peeked out.
Poof! Seol-a shifted back to human form.
The blonde girl—Ena—scooped her up in a tight hug and whisked her inside.
"My Seol-a!"
"Yeah."
Seol-a accepted the cookie from Ena. It was bigger than two palms pressed together, so she had to grip it with both hands. Nibbling away bit by bit, she eyed Ena.
"What’s King up to today?"
"Sleeping."
"He’s still snoozing?"
"Zzz-zzz."
"Like how?"
"Like this."
Clutching her cookie, Seol-a flopped onto the floor, scratched her side, and let out a big yawn.
"Kyaa! Oh no!" Ena clapped her hands over her mouth, beaming with delight.
"?"
A question mark popped up over Seol-a's head. Why is she like this?
Ena, lost in her fantasies and squealing with joy, soon grabbed Seol-a's hand tight.
"King’s gonna win today, right?"
"Win?"
Defeat wasn't in Seol-a's dictionary. That was for cowards, and King? He had guts, she figured.
"Yeah!"
"Kyaaaa! How?!"
Ena clamped her mouth again, thrilled.
"?"
Truly baffling. Seol-a decided to savor the rest of her cookie slowly. She tucked it carefully into her pocket and waved.
"Yeah, bye! See you tomorrow!"
Next stop: the Ice Palace. The snowfields had vanished, replaced by lush green grass and vibrant flowers blooming everywhere. She ran a bit, paused to admire them, and before she knew it, the sun was blazing high.
Seol-a sat neatly in front of the Ice Palace. Han Su-hwa soon emerged, scooping up the little one and heading out.
"It's you, Seol-a."
Seol-a liked her a lot. She circled her excitedly, then buried her nose in the woman's dress. It smelled like fresh winter air—invigorating.
"Good."
She nuzzled into Han Su-hwa's arms, breathing deeply for a good long while before lifting her head. Being with her made this snowless world feel just fine. It energized her whole body.
"Good!"
The little one wriggling in her arms spotted Seol-a and grinned wide. She'd grown a tad—her legs were a bit longer now.
"Hey, cookie."
Seol-a pulled a piece from her pocket and offered it. The toddler's round eyes watched her mouth intently.
"Mine!"
The kid's vocabulary was still limited to that one word. Lately, more people had been gathering around these parts. Seol-a played with her in the flower-filled meadow until she spotted a massive four-legged beast lumbering into view.
Kirin.
He lived nearby but never came too close. He'd just stand at a distance, watching over Seol-a, the little one, and Han Su-hwa's home before vanishing.
But today, there was one extra under his watch.
Seol-a blinked at the man now crouched right in front of her.
"!"
She knew him. Her eyes narrowed in a pout.
Poof! Fox form again—tail stiff and straight. But then she tilted her head.
No trace of that old malice from when he'd fought Kang-ho. None at all.
"......"
The man—Kang Jun-seok—stared down at fox-Seol-a for a long moment before speaking.
"So you've taken the name Seol-a."
Seol-a cocked her head; the toddler piped up.
"Mine!"
"Looks just like her from back in the day."
He smiled faintly and stroked her head.
Over there, eyeing them warily: Kirin, apparently.
Murim world...
Kang Jun-seok had been there once. He'd clashed with the Cheonma! And in that fight, for the first time—and last—in his thirty-odd years as Baal, he'd heard a massive ego say:
—Damn it, run. Run!
Beings from that world. That Kirin over there, and Han Su-hwa the ice dragon. The Eternal Crystals they held. And this little fox, Seol-a, with her own.
Monstrous freaks gathering on this land one by one.
He might even run into that Cheonma bastard. And an inevitable clash with the Demonic Cultists could follow.
But.
Not now.
For some reason, he felt like putting those thoughts off for later.
......
"Morning, Furball."
Kang-ho grinned at Furball, who'd shown up in the front yard bright and early. He stroked the beast's brow, then fed him a hefty chunk of prime meat, groomed to perfection.
Furball dug in eagerly, and Kang-ho watched with eyes full of affection.
Good boy.
He owed this guy big time. Probably from the day they first met right up to now. Without him, Kang-ho might've drowned in booze and never crawled out.
He fetched a massive comb from the shed—big enough for Furball's enormous frame. As he worked through the fur, Furball purred contentedly, grrr rumble.
Grrr rumble— After combing every inch and flipping him for belly scratches, Han Su-hwa spoke up.
"You look at him like family."
"Family, huh."
Kang-ho chuckled, gathering the shed fur into a pile as he combed.
"Yeah. Spot on."
Furball panted happily and licked him—slurp slurp.
—Aaaah! Overslept!
King's scream echoed from inside.
Then crash bang clatter—furniture and dishes shattering, no doubt from tripping over something.
Soon.
The door flew open. King stumbled out, covered in bruises from head to toe. Full-course beatdown from Kang Jun-seok yesterday? Expected.
"Bro! We gotta go! Ranking match day!"
Kang-ho smirked.
"I know."
Kang Jun-seok arrived, Seol-a and the little one in his arms.
"Heading out?"
"Yeah. About time."
Kang-ho scanned the sky. There— a flying craft escorted by twin Thunderbirds.
Whump-whump-whump—
A sleek mega-helicopter descended over the log cabin.
"Picking up the driving skills quick, I see."
Ian and Theo were in the cockpit. Theo waved them over.
Kang-ho patted Furball's cheek.
"Wanna come?"
Krreung! Furball shook his head. He wasn't one for fights—today called for a sunny nap spot.
* * *
Whump-whump-whump—
—What the hell is that?
—Rampage's chopper!
The massive helicopter cut through Seoul's skies toward the arena. It touched down at the landing zone, and reporters swarmed, snapping pics of Kang-ho's crew.
Click-click—
Kang-ho grimaced, annoyed.
"Such a pain."
—King, one word on your mindset for this ranking match...
—Who do you predict wins...
Pushing through the barrage, King entered the arena, face taut with nerves.
Seoul, World Ranking Exhibition Match—the so-called "Rookie Battle." Today: SS-rank #10 King vs. SS-rank #11 Jet.
Public consensus? Jet's overwhelming victory. But whispers about King were turning sour. Sure, he was insanely popular, but post-SS-rank, his actual feats were thin. In this SNS era, he got pegged as a masterfully marketed Awakener.
Jet, from the prestigious Colosseum of the Four Great Sects, had racked up steady results since his SS promotion.
In short: "If King gets Beast King's or Ian Rampage's artifact, sure win. Otherwise? Toast!"
Kang-ho couldn't care less about public opinion. The world rankings had drawn tourists from everywhere for the final festivities—the 40,000 seats were packed. King's tension made sense.
Kang-ho asked again.
"Want the Star Seat Gauntlets?"
"......"
King gazed at the sea of faces, drew a deep breath, and exhaled.
"They'd just cry 'gear advantage' again."
Fire blazed in his eyes.
"I'll clash with my own power."
"Fine spirit. Ready?"
"Yessir!"
Kang-ho clapped his back hard before stepping aside and asking Jun-seok.
"What do you think?"
"Sharp instincts."
"Dodged okay?"
"About 20%."
"Not bad."
Dodging 20% of that guy's strikes was huge. Not full power, sure—scaled to King's level—but still, from a Weapon Master at peak proficiency.
Soon, Colosseum arrived from across the field, full guild entourage in tow. Kang-ho's eyes lit on one and smiled.
"Oh ho, Myeong-wang?"
Myeong-wang, Colosseum Guild Master of the Four Great Sects, making a rare appearance.
"Myeong-wang?"
Kang-ho nodded toward the middle-aged man at the front.
"What rank in Korea?"
Theo, watching silently from behind, spoke up.
"Surprisingly well-informed."
Suddenly, Kang Jun-seok's eyes narrowed.
"Something off."
"Huh?"
"That guy. Myeong-wang..."
He murmured low.
"Smells like Murim."