Chapter 4: The Flame and the Serpent

“That’s all. Is my background not enough? And this isn’t a hospital, so why did you ask me to bring my resume? What are you going to use it for?”

Jeong Eun-gyu gritted his teeth and retorted, but Ahn Dae-young pointed at the main gate with a shameless expression.

“Have you ever been told you lack tact?”

“……What is that supposed to mean?”

“The resume I asked for isn’t about how you went through six years of medical school, one year of internship, four years of residency, one year of fellowship, and became a neurosurgery professor. I don’t care if you’re a doctor or a beggar. Well… getting a full professorship at such a young age means you have ability.”

Father Peter’s words were true. It was as if he had left his manners on a distant mountain. Jeong Eun-gyu felt extremely displeased.

“It seems you’re not satisfied. Nothing I can do about it. I’ll be going now.”

He stood up, deeply offended, and huffed as if he would kick the main gate. Meanwhile, he didn’t even know that damned guy’s occupation. With his flashy attire, he looked like a gigolo, yet he treated people with such contempt.

Kim Seok-ho, who had been listening to their conversation with his eyes fixed on the monitor, jerked his head to the side. He seemed to be debating whether to intervene depending on the situation. Ahn Dae-young, leisurely crossing his legs and flicking his toes, took out a cigarette pack from his pocket.

With his pride shattered, Jeong Eun-gyu pushed the main gate to leave immediately. But it wouldn’t open even when he pressed the button, so he struggled with the handle. No matter how hard he pushed, it didn’t budge. Why, why won’t it open? He had heard the sound of it unlocking.

“Professor. Why are you here?”

The smell of cigarette smoke filled the air. Since the room was sealed, the smoke rose quietly to the ceiling. Jeong Eun-gyu’s back stiffened.

Ahn Dae-young aimlessly rolled a flint lighter in his hand, then crushed it with a snap. *Pwoom!* A small explosion echoed in his palm. Startled by the sound, Jeong Eun-gyu turned around and saw an unbelievable sight, his lips parting slightly.

The shattered lighter pieces scattered across the table, and Ahn Dae-young’s palm was engulfed in flames, blazing as if they would soon burn out. Though the shape of the flame wasn’t as clear as a candle’s, one could distinguish the outer and inner flames.

It didn’t make sense. Was this an illusion? A flame blooming on a human palm, and a face utterly devoid of any sign of heat.

Then Ahn Dae-young clenched his fist and opened it again, as if showing off. The flame vanished without a trace. He smirked at the dumbfounded Jeong Eun-gyu.

“Team leader Kim, bring some chocolate. The professor looks like he’s about to faint.”

“Yes.”

Kim Seok-ho, who had more or less escorted the frozen Jeong Eun-gyu, sat him down again across from Ahn Dae-young, as if soothing a baby. After witnessing the flaming hand, Jeong Eun-gyu’s face had turned pale.

He chewed the chocolate but couldn’t taste a thing. He absently took the mug Kim Seok-ho offered and moistened his lips. Normally, he wouldn’t have touched that chocolate or hot cocoa.

“How is that possible? …Your hand was on fire. Yet there’s not even a burn…”

Ahn Dae-young exhaled his last puff and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.

“I didn’t show you to act naive. You really are clueless.”

He picked up the thrown resume and flipped through it.

“Your birthday is soon, isn’t it?”

Changing the subject naturally, Ahn Dae-young stared intently at Jeong Eun-gyu. Specifically, at his forehead. The red characters ‘12月’ were sizzling on his forehead like a brand.

December. December. His tongue ran along the inside of his mouth. December. Today is December 12th.

“……Yes. The 25th.”

“Less than two weeks left.”

It was a trivial reaction. Jeong Eun-gyu instinctively knew: this man’s patience was almost at its limit. If he didn’t give the desired answer this time, he wouldn’t open that main gate of his own accord.

He didn’t want to confess his situation. Honestly, he had planned to just offer to pay whatever was asked and request help to sleep soundly until his birthday. But.

“I’ve seen ghosts before. Unlike when I was young and they were vivid… now they’re just blurry shapes, lacking detail. I often dismissed them as mistakes. But lately, they’ve become as clear as when I was a child. Haa…”

Thanks to the chocolate he had been eating nonstop, some energy seeped into his voice. Only then did Ahn Dae-young pretend to listen, leaning his upper body sideways.

“And I used to only see snakes on my birthday… but strangely, this time I see them even though it’s not my birthday yet.”

“Snakes?”

“Sometimes one, sometimes a swarm… The horrifying ghosts are also a problem, but the snakes cause the most stress.”

Why… is he staring into my eyes like that? He had no way to avoid Ahn Dae-young’s gaze, which seemed to bind him without words. It felt like someone was holding his eyelids open.

His eyes felt cold. His breathing became ragged, different from before. The headache that had plagued him relentlessly surged again, gnawing at his brain…

Pwah!

At that moment. A small spark flared up in Ahn Dae-young’s pupil. It was a distinct spark.

“What did Peter tell you when he sent you here?”

Somehow angry, Ahn Dae-young ground his teeth and asked. Jeong Eun-gyu, eyes closed, leaned his exhausted body against whatever was there and answered in a faint voice.

“Can I tell the truth?”

“Absolutely.”

“He said you’d have no manners, just like whoever you take after… so I should be prepared…”

It seemed his body had reached its limit. As he collapsed, Kim Seok-ho swiftly caught him and glanced at Ahn Dae-young.

“That f*cking old man. I should have killed him back then.”

Cursing, Ahn Dae-young clenched and unclenched his fist. His expression showed he wanted to run to the church and strangle Father Peter immediately. Kim Seok-ho carefully lifted the unconscious Jeong Eun-gyu.

“He held out quite a while. The priest said he hasn’t slept properly in over ten days.”

“Take him and lay him down.”

“Yes.”

“Where’s Min-hyuk?”

“He should be back soon. He said he’d come before seven.”

“Call me when the professor wakes up.”

“Huh? Where are you going?”

He crushed the crumpled cigarette pack and tossed it into the trash can, scoring a perfect shot.

“To buy cigarettes.”

“Yes, sir. Have a good trip.” Kim Seok-ho bent one knee like a gentleman and adjusted his hold on the limp Jeong Eun-gyu without any sign of strain.

It was dawn, before the sky had fully brightened. Yeonhwa, dressed in a fine hanbok, walked on the thick snow with a crunching sound. Flower-shaped shoe prints dotted the fine, salt-like snow. She was heading to the valley to fetch water for pre-dawn prayers.

It had snowed heavily overnight. Fortunately, the valley was nearby, so she didn’t have to venture into the rugged mountain paths. The fluttering sound of birds’ wings echoed through the trees. Yeonhwa moved carefully.

The valley wasn’t frozen solid, but a thin layer of ice had formed. She struck it with a heavy stone, and it shattered with a crack. Gathering her skirt, she bent down to fill a ceramic bottle with water. As soon as she straightened up, she prostrated herself on the ground.

Her body trembled involuntarily. It wasn’t deliberate. This was her reaction to a being higher than the god she served.

Before her, prostrate and trembling, stood a man of imposing stature. His long, blood-red robe and feathered coat fluttered in the cold wind.

The man, with his long hair tied up and a long pipe in his mouth, had sharp, straight features, making it difficult to even lift one’s head in his presence.

“I greet a noble guest.”

「A shaman.」

His tone was utterly disinterested. Yeonhwa prostrated herself even lower.

“The one I serve is the master of this mountain. If you have a message, I will deliver it on your behalf.”

「Master of the mountain?」

“Yes, that is so.”

「Hahaha. Does that fellow call himself the master of the mountain?」

Contrary to his hearty laughter, the thin ice on the valley shattered completely. It sounded like a scream. Yeonhwa’s skirt became soaked.

「Just like a place where a snake’s whelp hides. You caught me with a flick of your tongue.」

Even as he disparaged the god she served without hesitation, Yeonhwa could not speak. But unlike before, her heart began to pound. An itchy pain like countless ants crawling over her skin pierced her.

The trembling, which was almost like convulsions, soon stopped. Yeonhwa, who had been prostrate as if glued to the ground, slowly rose. It was a possession. A smile hung on the man’s lips.

「Why have you come?」

A deep male voice flowed from Yeonhwa’s mouth.

「There are limits to running away. Did you think you could hide here, borrowing a shaman’s body?」

「I never ran away. And this shaman would have died long ago if not for me.」

「Then your sin is doubled. You have usurped the body of one who should have returned after finishing their life.」

Yeonhwa did not answer. Instead, she fearlessly raised her eyes and questioned him.

「What happened to the prince…?」

「The prince…? You mean that madman who was swayed by the snake’s tongue, indulging in pleasure in the heavenly realm day and night until he lost his mind?」

「It was not a snake, but a lesser dragon. And wasn’t it you, Great King, who stopped that lesser dragon? On the charge that a mere lesser dragon dared to share pleasure with the son of Yama.」

The man stared silently at Yeonhwa, who was quietly seething with anger, then smirked.

「Hahaha. Yes, that’s right. So what? Did you plan to hide in a human body, parasitize it, and ascend to heaven, evading my eyes?」

There was no need to continue the conversation. Yeonhwa fiercely turned her back. Her steps were rough, unlike when she came. Her skirt hindered her.

「I expelled the prince. Unlike you who ran away, I went through the proper process. Ah… it was a huge headache. Those ministers, not knowing their place, talked back like worthless creatures. I killed them all.」

Yeonhwa stopped abruptly and bit her lip.