#72 She Stood There
The murals inside the cave were exactly as they had appeared in his dream. That dream. The one where Seolhwa had spoken so tenderly to Seol-a.
-Are you doing well?
-I'm doing well.
-You look happy.
-I don't know.
-I hope you are happy.
The conversation between the two foxes came back to him vividly. Without realizing it, Kang-ho thought to himself.
'I'm sorry, Hwa-ya.'
-What's with the constant apologies?
Kang-ho turned around without thinking. It felt like Seolhwa would be standing there if he looked. But all he saw was Seol-a, standing alone.
Seol-a stood still, gazing at Kang-ho.
"......"
Kang-ho soon gave her a gentle smile.
"Seol-a, come here."
Only then did Seol-a break into a bright smile and trot over happily. Kang-ho held her in his arms and turned his gaze back to the mural.
Now he was certain what this mural signified.
There were nine dimensions. And the Silver White Fangs, a subspecies of the White Fangs, could traverse them.
The legends of the druid clan were true. Perhaps the Silver White Fangs were active across those nine dimensions even now.
Suddenly.
Ziiing—
The heart of the fox depicted in the mural glowed white. At the same time, Seol-a's body shone with the same light.
Seol-a had three tails in total. Even in the mere engraving of the mural, light began to seep in.
White light for the white tail. Black light for the black tail. Green light for the green tail.
As if resonating with Seol-a, the mural began to come alive.
And then.
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gung—
The cave—no, the entire mountain—began to tremble as if struck by an earthquake.
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gung—
The shaking soon stopped, and white energy spread in all directions. It felt as if the slumbering mountain had awakened.
The energy was utterly pure, purely pure.
Kang-ho had seen many forms of mana before. This wasn't mana, nor the druids' power of nature, nor the unique mana of witches.
This energy was purely pure and comforting. Tasteless and odorless, yet it harmonized perfectly with any other force.
The energy spread everywhere.
Seol-a hopped down from his arms and toddled off toward the far end of the cave. Kang-ho followed behind.
At the deepest recess of the cave, something was visible.
Kang-ho walked slowly, then suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"......"
There, the white energy had gathered to form the shape of a massive fox.
Kang-ho could recall every detail of that fox even with his eyes closed. The soft white fur, the noble snout, the large sapphire eyes. The sound of its steady breathing. Proud yet brave, with a kind heart. His dear friend.
Seolhwa stood there.
Nng—!
Seol-a rushed to Seolhwa and sat demurely before her. Then she began to whimper and cry, chattering away in fox-speak as if recounting tales to her mother.
Kang-ho swallowed hard without realizing it. His heart pounded thump thump thump.
Slowly, but surely, he walked up to Seolhwa and stared straight at her.
Seolhwa stared right back at him.
"Hwa-ya."
Without thinking, Kang-ho reached out his hand. But the Seolhwa formed of white energy couldn't be touched.
It was as if Seolhwa was looking at him and asking.
-Friend, have you been well?
Kang-ho smiled without realizing it.
"......I've been fine."
Seol-a whimpered and waved her front paws, explaining something at length. Looking down at her, Kang-ho asked Seolhwa,
"So this was your homeland."
Seolhwa said nothing. She simply gazed at Kang-ho.
-Are you happy?
Suddenly, it felt like she was asking that.
Kang-ho picked up Seol-a, who was stroking her own muzzle with her paw, and held her close to his warm belly, pressing his cheek against her.
Thump thump thump—
He could hear her heartbeat. The soft, warm sensation was real.
Kang-ho smiled and nodded.
"Thanks to you."
Seolhwa's eyes curved like crescent moons.
Kang-ho stepped closer to her without thinking.
"Thank you, always."
-No, thank you, friend.
Kang-ho finally brought his hand to Seolhwa's forehead. He stroked the forehead of her lingering form, then pressed his own forehead to it.
This was the White Fang clan's greeting to family. Kang-ho sensed it instinctively.
This would likely be the last time he saw Seolhwa.
Seolhwa looked at him with a wistful expression.
-Ah~ It was fun while it lasted.
That was the face she made.
Seolhwa slowly brought her forehead to Kang-ho's chest.
It felt like she was murmuring softly.
-Well then, goodbye.
Hwaaak—
In that instant, Seolhwa's form began to distort. She scattered like mist.
The white energy was sucked into Seol-a's body.
And then it was completely gone.
Kang-ho felt an inexplicable emptiness and stood there for a long time, staring in the direction where Seolhwa had been.
Excitement, sorrow, overwhelming emotion, regret, happiness. A complex tangle of feelings.
His chest ached, and Kang-ho gritted his teeth.
"......"
Soon, he looked down at Seol-a.
He realized her diamond-like eyes were fixed on him.
"......You precious thing."
Kang-ho hugged Seol-a tightly and left the cave.
As he emerged, the landscape around him was changing.
The area where the Dead Dragon's corpse had coiled was transforming. The dark trees and grass that had settled on its body were reviving.
Flowers bloomed in every color, and trees regained their lush greenery.
It was all thanks to the white energy originating from this mountain.
This was—
Kang-ho finally realized.
'I see.'
Something stirred in Seol-a's heart for the first time.
More precisely, now that the mountain had awakened, her presence could be felt.
'Eternal Crystal...!'
Seol-a had one in her heart too. It hadn't awakened like the one in Kang-ho's, but it was exerting its effects nonetheless.
'Silver White Fangs...'
Silver White Fangs were White Fangs who possessed an Eternal Crystal in their hearts.
Suddenly, Kang-ho sensed movement in the underbrush. One? Two? Far more than that.
Nng—!
As Seol-a let out a low cry, they emerged from the bushes.
Foxes with pure white fur and sapphire eyes.
White Fangs, classified as SS-rank Fantasy Beasts!
The White Fangs had appeared.
They peeked out here and there, gazing at Kang-ho and Seol-a with mystical eyes.
Soon, one approached Kang-ho.
It was large. Not as big as Seolhwa, but sizable. And all the White Fangs emerging from everywhere were fully grown adults.
They alternated glances between Kang-ho and Seol-a, then slowly gathered around them from all sides.
Kiiing— Kiiing—
As if welcoming family, they cried softly and gently.
The assembled White Fangs approached and rubbed their foreheads against Kang-ho and Seol-a.
Suddenly, Kang-ho noticed wounds on their bodies. Deep gashes to shallow cuts, clearly from the recent battle with the Dead Dragon.
Kang-ho's mana surged forth.
The Beast Master's unique ability, 'Regeneration', activated.
This rapid healing for beast wounds varied greatly in effect depending on the caster's mana.
At Kang-ho's level...
Kwaaaa—
His mana spread outward, raining down on the White Fangs like a shower.
Shalara-lak—!
All wounds, large and small, healed cleanly in an instant.
The White Fangs howled joyfully toward the sky.
Kyahahahahaang—!
Soon, the White Fangs turned.
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gung—
Far off, from the northern edge, something was rushing toward them amid faint tremors.
Accompanying it was thick demonic energy.
In the distance, amid clouds of dust, a massive black serpent charged.
Resolve filled the White Fangs' faces.
Pat!
Kang-ho kicked off the ground and dashed forward. Over the coiled Dead Dragon corpse, toward the new arrival.
Gu-gu-gu-gu-gu-gung—
The demonic energy was dense. Kang-ho gauged its level.
It seemed far inferior to the Evil Dragon Kasumus he'd seen at Yeongjongdo Gate. About half its power.
'I see.'
Its size and growth were much lesser too.
His Beast Eye activated.
Body Regeneration Ability (Acquired) – This beast can regenerate its body over a long time as long as its core body parts remain intact.
All ratings S-grade. With SS-rank Fantasy Beasts like the White Fangs gathered, it wasn't unbeatable.
But that abnormal size and dense demonic energy—it shouldn't exist normally.
He checked the skills. Many were listed, but one caught his eye.
The reason the dead Dead Dragon had revived was surely that.
Pat—!
Kang-ho charged. Behind him followed a legion of countless White Fangs.
Sensory sharing with Seol-a began.
Ku-woong—
In that moment, Kang-ho heard a bizarre whoosh he'd never sensed before.
Thud— Boom— Thud— Boom—
The Eternal Crystal in his heart and the one in Seol-a's resonated, throbbing wildly.
Kwaaaa—!
The Oerblade infused with mana created a massive pillar of light. Far more brilliant and purely pure than the one against Kasumus!
The White Fangs froze in awe, forgetting to run, entranced by the sight.
At the same time.
Chalara-lak—!
Black scales covered Kang-ho's body like armor. The custom suit he'd commissioned from Smith revealed itself.
Chalara-lara-lak—!
The Kasumus scale armor enveloped him completely, dense yet supple like a second skin. It perfectly suppressed the mana boiling through his skin, preventing rampage.
As the Dead Dragon lunged, the Oerblade's blade moved.
Sseu-eung sseu-eung sseu-eung!
Three times!
The Dead Dragon's speed was gale-force, but that was its limit.
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gung—
Its body was sliced into three perfect segments, rolling and kicking up massive dust before halting.
Tak—
Kang-ho calmed the mana surging through his body. It had threatened to burst out, but the armor acted as a second skin, soothing it.
Chalak—
The scales vanished in an instant, returning him to normal.
Sae-aek— Sae-aek—
Far off, the severed head twitched grotesquely. That was the source of the regeneration.
The White Fangs surrounded it, growling.
Kang-ho approached slowly.
Shwae-aek— Shwae-aek—
The thing hissed raggedly, trying to flee, but a familiar object clung to it.
A black magic stone! Undoubtedly a Demon Realm Eternal Crystal.
The Dead Dragon that had plagued Toon World for so long—its power source was surely this.
Uji-jik!
Torn effortlessly from Kang-ho's hand, the Eternal Crystal gleamed ominously.
Jjeo-jeo-jeok—
Its body turned gray and solidified. The other severed parts did the same, crumbling to ash.
'That makes five.'
He had collected five from the Demon Realm.
Kang-ho stared at it blankly.
'Can't avoid it, huh.'
He felt the inevitable clash with the Demon Realm dimension.
-I'm going to a higher world.
To do that... I need the power of the specters in the Demon Sea.
Baal's words from the past resurfaced.
Baal was gathering these bizarre sources of power, the Eternal Crystals.
Demon Sea. Specters. Higher world.
Still mysteries to Kang-ho, but the truth surely lay in the world Baal sought.