Chapter 181: Instinct (s)

#181

And sure enough –

“Dokyeom, I think… this isn’t a good idea. Let’s think of another direction.”

Most opposed Dokyeom’s intention. Especially Beom Yeonhu and Agon.

He understood why. Dokyeom himself had agonized over his idea hundreds of times before bringing it up.

Nevertheless, he had tried to come up with a way that minimized sacrifices, and because he thought it was the most feasible, he told everyone. Because it seemed like the best option.

And in the end, everything went as Dokyeom had planned.

“Miss Jihyun, hurry. It’ll be night soon.”

“I know. I’m not keen on it either…”

A pitch-black shoe filled Dokyeom’s vision. As soon as the foot lifted, an enormous force slammed down on his back like a stone.

Thud!

Without even letting out a breath, Dokyeom’s eyes flickered and closed. One side of the sky was turning black along with the sunset, he vaguely saw.

When I wake up next, will I be in front of everyone…

Dokyeom’s eyes, which had been watching the sunset, soon darkened and closed. It was also around the time Ju Uiryeong nervously looked down at the paper in his hand, and around the time an unseen text filled the space in front of Han Dokyeom.

[The demon ‘Orias’ of the ‘Lemegeton’ wipes its face and bows its head deeply.]

***

Is it always this snowy in winter?

Cheongi, curled up in a narrow cave with wide eyes, stared endlessly at the white snowflakes. The silently falling snow had already erased the footprints left during the morning outing.

In its arms lay a small beast trembling as if having a seizure. It was a rabbit that had been bitten in the stomach by a wild dog during the morning outing and was dying.

[It’s okay. If I hold you like this, you’ll recover soon. That’s why my tiger body is healthy now.]

Cheongi soothed the rabbit, which was barely breathing, and pulled it into its warm embrace. The rabbit was too small to give to Eomdongi, and Eomdongi did not consider rabbits as food among the mountain beasts. So the rabbit was an animal that had to be saved.

[Hey, I’m going to go see Eomdongi for a bit when the sun goes down. Do you want to come with me? Or stay here? Ah… you can’t move. Then I’ll hide you well, so stay here for a moment. I’ll make sure the mountain beasts can’t get to you.]

Cheongi licked the rabbit’s head, which was breathing weakly and twitching its nose, then pressed its cheek against the rabbit’s face, which twitched its whiskers as if answering. Not as warm as Eomdongi’s hand, but still warm.

Right… Eomdongi’s hand is warm. He was gentle when he stroked me…

It had been a long time since she had felt that touch. Cheongi shook its head and quietly gazed at the world where the sun was setting. It waited, blinking, holding the rabbit, until the sunset retreated and the world turned black.

And when complete darkness fell, Cheongi finally rose from its curled position. It placed the rabbit to one side and covered it with leaves that carried its scent, not forgetting to hide it.

[I’ll go out for a bit. I’ll just listen to Eomdongi’s voice and come back, so you sleep. It’s okay. The bleeding has stopped. When I come back, I’ll find and pick some grass you can eat.]

Cheongi lowered its body and crawled out of the narrow cave. As soon as it stepped on the snow, it shook its body. Then it turned to leap up the mountain. But someone appeared before Cheongi.

Step-

It was the sound of shoes. Cheongi blinked and looked at the shiny shoes. As it raised its head, it saw a short-haired man in white clothes above neatly falling black pants.

He didn’t scream or flinch like other people. He didn’t even look surprised.

Only his black pupils visible through his jet-black hair seemed sharp. The man’s mouth suddenly curved smoothly.

“A divine beast?”

[You… know me?]

“Seems like you know you’re a divine beast.”

Cheongi realized that the man could communicate with it and bristled its fur. Until now, everyone who could communicate with it were outsiders who had come from ‘outside,’ and they sometimes threatened Eomdongi, tried to kill Cheongi, or incited or bewitched the villagers.

“Saves me the trouble of searching.”

And this uninvited guest, like the previous intruders, intended to kill Cheongi. Seeing the man holding a long sword, Cheongi lowered its body and bared its teeth.

[Why do you keep coming in here? Why do you keep harassing me and Eomdongi?]

“Me? You should speak properly. Who’s the one clinging to that guy Eomdongi like a dog missing human affection, harassing him?”

As the long sword swung through the air, a flash flickered among the snowflakes. Cheongi’s eyes blinked. It was a more dangerous light than any sword it had seen so far. Cheongi backed away hesitantly, then remembering the rabbit in the cave, wrinkled its nose and growled.

[Get out of my way before I kill you.]

“Oh, you can kill? Didn’t the lovesick Eomdongi tell you not to kill people?”

[Grrr!!]

Killing intent flickered in the beast’s yellow eyes. The tiger’s massive body instantly charged at Geon Ita. Geon Ita also swung the sword he was holding horizontally.

Swoosh, the drawn sword cut through the air instead of the tiger’s hide. The surrounding air grew tense. Cheongi stared at Geon Ita with sharp eyes as if warning him.

[Even if I die, you won’t get anything anyway. It’s the same no matter how many times you try.]

“That I’ll know after I kill you. Who knows. Maybe if I skin you and take it to that guy Eomdongi, he might react.”

[Don’t mess with Eomdongi!]

That damn Eomdongi, Eomdongi. Who would acknowledge such a one-sided love affair?

Once, Geon Ita was the same. He thought that if he tried hard alone, everything would return. That heaven would acknowledge him, that his efforts wouldn’t be vain, he had endured alone. What was the result?

Everything came back as his own shackles.

On the day the gates appeared in the world, Geon Ita lost his only sister and, unfortunately, awakened by absorbing her life. To reverse it, he stained his hands with countless blood, searching for a method and an answer.

He thought there must be a hunter somewhere who could revive people, that there must be a way to bring her back even at the cost of his own life. He tirelessly searched and dug through the world.

But in the end, he found nothing and had to visit the empty funeral hall with empty hands. How much he cried, crushed by guilt. Each time, Geon Ita heard the voice of the demon that polluted his ears.

[The demon ‘Baal’ of the ‘Lemegeton’ whispers that he knows the answer.]

The bastard used his silver tongue, and after a long journey, Geon Ita realized that this was not the path he wanted.

It was Geon Ita’s insight skill that could discern the right and wrong of principles and things. Through this skill, he avoided hardships and dangers, found the right path, and survived until now.

Then one day, after years of no results. On a gloomy day as if it would pour rain, Geon Ita found a small clue for the first time from a man who suddenly appeared before him.

A man with a small, lively face. That man was Ju Uiryeong.

“You’re Geon Ita, right? I’m Ju Uiryeong. Hey, wait a minute! How can you leave like that when someone’s talking! I came to make a proposal! No, at least listen to what I have to say! Hey! Geon Ita! I can give you what you want!”

Unbelievably, perceived those words as a ‘clue.’ Even if the flow was too small and faint, it was the first hope he had encountered.

So Geon Ita decided to join hands with him and share his purpose. That was only half a year ago. Days with no results except for the first clue. His emotions dulled, even what he wanted became faint, and only vain moments repeated, splitting his brain.

Should I give up? Was there never a way?

He was about to finally let go of the rope he had been clutching to the limit. He loosened strand by strand, leaving only the last one, waiting for the moment. Wondering when it would be good to let go.

The last moment when he left lingering regrets was definitely like that.

[Ah… Yes. I asked the director for work and was deployed to the site as a guerrilla.]

Until he met Han Dokyeom.

[Why do you keep avoiding my eyes?]

[I didn’t avoid them.]

The moment those gray eyes were engraved with provocation, Geon Ita faced a thrill. For the first time, he was chased by in his violently pounding heart. A silent laugh escaped. If Han Dokyeom had read the thoughts sprouting beyond that futile smile, he would have shaken off his hand and run away.

It was a boiling personal desire. He must follow Han Dokyeom’s path. Through that, what Geon Ita wanted would also be achieved.

‘Instinct’ whispered like that. As if all his passive behavior until now was a lie, madly.

And that grew bigger like flesh every time he faced Han Dokyeom. It was even fierce at times. So he watched Han Dokyeom. He thought to help him at least a little.

“So if you also want to escape, you need to leave this place.”

Geon Ita shook off the snow on his blade. It was when Cheongi’s reflection appeared on that blade. As the sword was about to dig under the beast’s chin, the air changed. With someone’s shout.

“No, Mr. Geon Ita!”

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