Chapter 29.1

Chapter 29.1

Ara trembled, her face twisted into a grimace. She tried to glance back, but her eyes hesitated, then stopped altogether, still staring straight ahead as they shook nervously.

For some reason, the black shape crawling out of the puddle had suddenly stopped moving.

“Grooo— rrrrrk—”

The muddy mass, tangled like a grotesque, broken wooden puppet, let out a bizarre sound.

It had no face, nor did it speak any words she could understand, yet Ara inexplicably felt that the creature was afraid—like a deserter facing a mighty general or a criminal trembling before the judge sent to condemn them.

Just as she processed this thought, an enormous pressure surged from behind her without warning. Overwhelmed by the murderous intent pressing down on her, Ara squeezed her eyes shut.

“How dare a filthy spirit crawl onto this land without permission!”

A voice so loud it felt like it would burst her eardrums whipped through the air like a tempest. Following it was a rumbling growl, like that of a ferocious beast.

Ara curled up tightly, covering her ears, her body trembling like a frightened child. It felt as though her ears were going to tear apart.

“Begone at once!”

Even with her ears covered, the commanding shout boomed loudly. Though it was only sound, it felt as if a physical whip was striking through the entire space, lashing everything within it.

“Grrooo— erk—”

The black shape let out a strange noise as it staggered.

Then, in the next instant, it stretched out its body—except for the part that had been holding Ara—and bolted toward the shadows.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The savage roar descended like a thunderclap.

Sharp, beast-like claws swiftly snatched the black figure. With immense force, they pressed down, crushing it. A sickening crunch echoed, the kind of sound you’d expect when bones shatter and flesh tears apart.

The two wrists still connected to the fleeing shadow were quickly severed and tossed to the ground. At the same moment, the oppressive weight binding Ara’s hands and feet vanished, as if it had been cut loose.

“Kreeeeech—!”

The dismembered figure melted into the shadows of the dense forest, its eerie scream trailing behind, raking across the mountains.

“Hah…!”

Ara, who had been holding her breath the entire time, finally exhaled, almost choking on it. Cough, cough. The air she gulped down too quickly turned into a fit of coughing.

The mountain, as though nothing had happened, sank back into a deep, eerie silence.

After a moment of hesitation, Ara cautiously opened her eyes. Her surroundings were impossibly clean as if it had all been a lie. There wasn’t a trace of the shadowy figure—no corpses, not even a single ant. Only Ara remained, half-buried in the filthy mud.

Well, not entirely alone.

There was one more.

Two enormous, white, fluffy pillars—larger than the beams of an old mansion, glowing with an odd light—stood before her.

Ara slowly raised her gaze, following the fur-covered pillars and realized those were not pillar at all…

What was staring back at her was a massive, snow-white wolfdog. More precisely, it was the wolfdog’s gleaming emerald eyes.

A spirit beast.

The word suddenly sprang to Ara’s mind.

A creature of myth and legend, seen only in songs or ancient tales. Towering like a dump truck, its body as solid as a marble statue, it was an awe-inspiring animal, with a gentle, pale green glow shimmering around its pure white fur.

Wait…

“Are you alright, Ara?”

…Baekseol?

Ara grimaced at the unexpected voice.

Why was it speaking like Baekseol?

No matter how much her rational mind doubted it, the enormous wolfdog gently clamped Ara’s scruff between its teeth and lifted her into a sitting position.

“You, you…”

Ara’s confusion only deepened.

Just as the overwhelming tension that had gripped her body began to release, she felt herself crumble, her strength draining away. Her mind was a mess, like scattered blocks spilled across the floor—thoughts and emotions colliding in chaos.

What on earth is going on? Who are you? Am I really still alive? What was that thing just now, and where did it disappear to?

“It’s not ‘you,’ it’s Baekseol-nim. Did you hit your head when you fell? Why are you getting confused again?”

The only thing Ara was sure of in this moment was that the massive wolfdog was speaking like Baekseol.

“Baekseol? Are you really Baekseol?”

“For the last time, it’s not Baekseol, it’s Baekseol-nim!”

The wolfdog—no, definitely Baekseol—snapped back with a growl. Its enormous maw, which could easily swallow her whole, bared razor-sharp fangs.

“S-sorry…”

Ara instinctively flinched, apologizing without thinking. The threat of tiny Baekseol growling paled in comparison to this towering form.

Seeing Ara shrink back, Baekseol let out a sigh, as if realizing the mistake.

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I guess this form isn’t very cute, huh?”

With that, the wolfdog, massive as a house, returned to its usual form—a small white dog. The glow that had surrounded its body vanished, and its once emerald-green eyes turned back to their familiar dark hue.

“Better like this?”

“Oh? Oh, yes.”