By the time we returned to camp with our exhausted group after a night-long pursuit, dawn was already breaking.
“Little Hero So, what happened?”
“Heavenly Master, how did it go?”
Despite the early morning light, the campfire was still burning brightly.
A savory aroma drifted from the pot hanging over it.
Apparently, the interpreter and Tenzin had kept the fire going and prepared food.
It was chilly, and after wandering around all night, everyone was hungry and needed to warm up. Grateful, I quickly sat by the fire and answered their questions.
“Ah, everything went well. There was a spirit creature clinging to the monkey that Gungbong had killed. It didn’t have anywhere to go, so it attached itself to Gungbong for a while. It was scared and tried to flee, but I caught it—no, I brought it back.
Oh, and the one currently moving Gungbong’s body is the spirit creature. But you can treat it normally. We talked things through, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Wait... You’re saying there’s a spirit creature inside Miss Gungbong’s body?”
“Yes.”
I explained it casually, but the interpreter blinked, clearly struggling to process it.
His gaze flicked back and forth between me and Gungbong.
The idea of something “inhabiting” a human body wasn’t something he could easily accept.
Tenzin, however, smiled and handed me a bowl of warm porridge.
He didn’t seem concerned at all.
“It’s cold, and you’ve suffered through the night. Please eat this. And to think, you negotiated with a spirit creature through words. Truly, you are the Heavenly Master.
Another spirit creature appearing like this... It’s clear the very path you walk draws them, Heavenly Master...”
“At this point, I bet if I coughed, he’d say that too was proof I’m the Heavenly Master.”
Tenzin believed with unshakable certainty that I was the Heavenly Master. No matter what I did, it would become further “evidence” in his eyes.
I ignored the rest and focused on the porridge.
—Slurp.
As I began eating, the others and the children started gathering around the fire one by one.
Even the kids who usually weren’t fond of sitting by the fire huddled close, perhaps because their body heat had dropped after wandering all night.
That’s when I noticed the harvestman inhabiting Gungbong’s body hesitating in the background.
She looked awkward, fidgeting with her fingers, unsure of what to do.
If someone else saw her, they would’ve just thought she was Gungbong.
I gestured her over.
“What are you doing? Come sit. You had food earlier, right?”
“Me? Ah, yes. The food was for this woman’s body, not me, but... I understand.”
Because she had mimicked Gungbong and eaten earlier, I told her to eat again. Hesitantly, she approached and sat a little distance from me.
I called to Tenzin.
“Tenzin, please bring some food for Gungbong as well.”
“Of course, Heavenly Master.”
As I ate, I asked the harvestman,
“By the way—do you have a name?”
“Y-you mean me?”
“Yeah.”
“No, I don’t...”
“Really? Then I guess calling you Gungbong isn’t right, so I should give you a name.”
“You’re going to name me?”
“Yeah. I can’t just call you ‘hey you.’ But calling you Gungbong feels wrong, too.”
“You could just call me Gungbong...”
She suggested I keep using that name, but could I?
Absolutely not.
If I wanted to keep her by my side permanently, I needed to give her a name within the three days before Gungbong woke up—to establish her sense of belonging.
“Harvestman is called ‘Mangju’ in Central Plains dialect, so I guess something with ‘Mang’ in it? Wait—I should check if she’s female first. I think she is, but I better be sure.”
Gender confirmation was crucial when naming something.
I asked,
“Hey, you’re female, right?”
“Huh? Yes, I am. How did you know?”
“Oh, there’s a way to tell.”
I had known because she didn’t have reproductive organs.
Ordinary spiders don’t have external reproductive organs; they store their sperm in a web-like structure and pass it to the female. But in harvestman species, males have prominent reproductive organs.
Since she didn’t have those, I figured she was female.
So—gender confirmed: female.
Harvestman in Central Plains: Mangju.
“Maybe I should go with something like Manghui? No... sounds too much like Gungbong. How about using the ‘Star’ character from her being part of the Star category in the Sun-Moon-Star-Quake list?”
As I considered various names, Sister Seol suddenly spoke up.
“Now that I look closely, So-ryong, doesn’t she kind of look like a rabbit?”
That drew my eyes back to the horns on her back.
They really did resemble rabbit ears.
They weren’t rigid either—they twitched like real ears, though they weren’t actually ears. They were more like soft horns growing from her back, likely similar to the structures found in Bunny Harvestman species.
I stared at her for a while and then came up with a good name.
“Alright. Then your name will be Soto (Xiaotu).”
“Soto?”
“Yeah. It means ‘Little Rabbit.’ The horns on your back look just like rabbit ears.”
The pronunciation “Xiaotu” gave it a soft, cute feel.
Smiling, I asked,
“Do you like it?”
“It’s not about liking or not... I-I’m just grateful. This is... it’s the first time I’ve ever had a name. Soto...”
She repeated the name quietly, her expression drifting into something wistful.
Seeing that, I was convinced my guess had been correct.
“She definitely wants to belong somewhere.”
More than being touched by the name itself, she seemed to crave being part of a group.
Some harvestmen species are known to live in groups. Judging by how she used to inhabit a monkey and lived among a troop, I felt certain she desired community and a sense of belonging.
She claimed she needed a host body because of her weakness—but if solitude were fine, she could’ve just hidden somewhere in another animal.
So why had she stayed with the monkeys?
Usually, the more intelligent a creature, the more sensitive it is to loneliness.
***
Since we’d spent the entire night chasing Soto, we decided to rest for the day.
Even for martial artists, staying up all night took its toll.
Inside the tent, where the children had already claimed their spots, I called out,
“Alright, everyone scoot over a bit.”
—Tssrrr. 『Got it, Daddy.』
Cho responded first, pushing the others aside and heading toward the tent’s edge.
But as we made space inside, Bini’s complaints erupted.
—Tssrt. 『Stop pushing! It’s cold over here.』
—Tssrrt. 『But we need more room in the middle for that lady and Mama.』
—Tssrrrr. 『Ugh! I wanna sleep next to Daddy too!』
—Kyu-ki?
—Tssr. 『No, Ranghyang Unni doesn’t need to move. Bini will scoot over more.』
Even though it was still daylight outside, the tent’s outer edges were colder than the center once the sun went down.
To make room in the center, the larger kids had to move outward—and Bini, being one of the bigger ones, ended up squeezed to the side.
Cho moved too, but as the oldest sister, she didn’t complain. Bini, as the youngest, did.
I walked over and patted her head gently.
“Sorry, Bini. Just for today, okay? Tomorrow I’ll ask Yo-hwa Unni to expand the tent.”
—Tssrt. 『Tch... fine. I’ll be nice just this once.』
“Yo-hwa, let’s make the tent bigger tomorrow.”
—Kisit.
With a reluctant expression, Bini moved to the outer edge of the tent.
As she did, she shot a disgruntled look at Gungbong—who stood awkwardly by my side.
This whole shuffle had been because of her.
Or, to be precise, because of Soto inhabiting Gungbong’s body.
Why did this happen?
Well, we originally had three tents.
One for the men, one for the women, and one for me and the kids.
Naturally, Gungbong—meaning Soto—was assigned to the women’s tent.
But since she was technically a spirit creature possessing a human body, most of the women refused to sleep near her, save for Sister Seol and Hwa-eun.
We couldn’t very well place Gungbong’s body in the men’s tent either.
So the debate began.
“C-couldn’t Little Hero So just sleep with her?”
“What?! You’re saying So-ryong should sleep with Gungbong?!”
“But Little Hero So already sleeps with the other spirit creatures.”
“But that’s Gungbong’s body!”
“Technically, it’s the spirit creature inhabiting Gungbong’s body that he’d be sleeping next to.”
In the end, since the only tent left was the one I shared with the kids, the conclusion was that she’d sleep with me.
There was no issue with Soto sleeping among our spirit creatures—but the problem was Gungbong’s body.
Letting her sleep in my tent would mean, even unintentionally, that I’d be sharing a bed with Gungbong.
Naturally, Hwa-eun objected with unwavering resolve.
“I can’t allow that!”
Just then, my sister-in-law offered a suggestion.
“Oh, that’s right... Ah! Then what if I sleep there too?”
“You mean me and So-ryong sleeping with Gungbong?”
“Yes! And I’ll be between the two of you. You two are engaged anyway, so it’s fine, right?”
“Hmm... I suppose since we are engaged, there’s no real issue with sleeping beside each other.”
Suddenly Hwa-eun, who had been firm as a stone just a moment ago, reversed her stance without hesitation.
I tried to ask if this was really okay, considering how many people were around and how this might look—but her sharp glare cut me off before I could finish.
“I mean, still, there are a lot of people and—”
“It’s just sleeping, right? So-ryong?”
“Then couldn’t it just be Soto sleeping with me and that would still be just sleep—”
“So. Ryong?”
Hwa-eun’s eyes made it clear this would be anything but “just holding hands.” Fearing the consequences of any further protests, I gave in. And so, we had to rearrange everyone’s sleeping spots to make room for the three of us.
“I-I’m sorry... It’s because of me.”
Soto apologized, seeing the children shuffle around to make space.
I shook my head, and Hwa-eun, in a tone meant to reassure her, added,
“It’s alright. Nothing we can do.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry about it. It worked out fine.”
“Worked out...?”
“We mean the sleeping arrangements worked out nicely, that’s all.”
Hwa-eun seemed pleased, likely because it meant she could legally sleep next to me.
She didn’t have bad sleeping habits—except for one odd thing: she kept putting her leg over me while she slept.
“...What is this?”
***
Soto had said it would take three full days for Gungbong to wake up.
But by halfway through the second day, something unexpected happened.
“If you’re tired, feel free to sit on Hwanji or Hwana’s back. Gungbong’s body still seems a bit weak after the fever. Hwanji and Hwana are fellow spirit beasts—they won’t mind.”
“I-it’s fine. The fever was just from my venom—only happens at the start.”
“Oh, so Gungbong’s okay... but what about you, Soto? You’re not hurt or worn out from all the running?”
“I’m alright.”
“Okay, then let’s take it slow.”
We were heading toward Podarlap Palace.
To help Soto feel included, I’d asked the others to be kind to her, and I kept engaging her in conversation myself.
She responded and continued walking—but then suddenly stopped.
And burst into tears.
“Eh—uh... Are you alright? Are you waking up?! Wah, what the—?!”
I rushed over and checked on Gungbong, who ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) turned to look at me.
“I think I’m waking up sooner than expected. Little Hero So, I’m scared! Wahh...”
Though tears streamed from her eyes, she looked totally calm—then burst out crying again.
Apparently, Gungbong was regaining consciousness faster than expected.
“...This is not good.”
She wasn’t fully awake yet, and I hadn’t managed to help Soto fully feel included. I started to panic a little—until Soto’s voice reassured me:
“Her body’s not ready yet, but her mind seems to have woken up first.”
So there was still time.
I explained to Gungbong, the true owner of the body.
“Gungbong, can you hear me? Don’t panic. It’s nothing strange. Calm down and listen to me. I’ll explain everything. What’s the last thing you remember?”
“...That I had a fever and felt sick?”
“Right. What happened is—while hunting, you...”
I gave her a rough summary of everything that had happened.
Her response had two parts: gratitude—and an apology.
“You guys realized I’d been possessed? You really are my true friends! Oh, and sorry about your monkey.”
She was thankful we had noticed something was off about her—and she apologized to Soto for killing her host.
Soto had been a victim too.
No one brought it up, but the fact that we only noticed the change because she’d started acting smarter became our little secret.
After that, Gungbong quickly accepted the situation—that she couldn’t yet move her body and that Soto would need to keep using it for another half day or so.
“Ah, I get it now. It’s fine. I’m partly to blame anyway.”
And just as quickly, she began adapting to Soto.
“Feed me that.”
“This?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you taste it?”
“Yeah, I think my tongue’s finally getting its feeling back. Also, this is actually really convenient.”
“What is?”
“I mean, I just lie here and tasty food gets delivered to my mouth. I don’t have to walk—the body just moves on its own. It’s great!”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
She said it was nice not having to do anything while Soto handled everything.
“So Ji-ryong’s saying we’ve got about ten days left, so we can afford to take it slow.”
“Ah, I see. But wow—you’re super smart, huh?”
“M-me?”
“Totally! You always pick up on things even when they’re implied. I’m terrible at that. Seriously, you’re amazing!”
Instead of being scared of Soto, Gungbong started admiring her—like she’d found her own personal life navigator.
And then, the next day, when Gungbong fully regained control of her body—
She made a completely unexpected proposal.
“Little Hero So, could I borrow this girl for a while?”
“Excuse me?”
“You said you’d let Soto go once I could move again, right?”
“Uh, yes?”
“But Soto said she likes it here—she likes how kind the other spirit creatures are and how nice everyone is.”
Ooh, nice!
It was good that Soto felt like she belonged and wanted to stay—but I wasn’t sure why Gungbong wanted to borrow her.
Gungbong explained further.
“But if she leaves my body, she won’t be able to speak until she finds a new one, right? That’d be frustrating. And if she stays with me, I won’t have to keep asking people to repeat what they said.
She explains all the complicated stuff, too. It’s super helpful. I’m fine letting her borrow my body sometimes.”
“...Ah.”
I... did not see this coming.
I had been planning to accept Soto into our group and eventually help her find a proper host body.
At the Tang Clan, we’d surely be able to find a surrendered female Blood Cult member or someone Soto could use. If not, we could just capture someone from the Blood Cult or Five Venoms Clan and hand them over.
But now Gungbong wanted to loan herself out.
I hesitated—what if they grew too close, and Soto ended up leaving with Gungbong?
Just then, Soto spoke up.
“So-ryong-nim, I saw your memories from when I was inside Gungbong. I know you care deeply for spirit creatures like me. So I’ll follow you.
Staying in Gungbong’s body is just because we’re used to it—and it’s convenient for both of us. So there’s no need to worry.”
According to Soto, she could partially glimpse the host’s memories while inhabiting their body—and from that, she had come to understand what kind of person I was.
That’s why she told me not to worry.
Either way, it worked out.
Soto wanted to stay.
And as Gungbong said, we couldn’t just leave her mute until a new host body was found—so I nodded.
“Then... shall we do that?”
I was happy to have gained a new companion—but somehow, it felt like I’d also picked up an unexpected bonus.
“Why does this feel less like a loan and more like... an unwanted attachment?”
And with that, our journey toward Podarlap Palace continued.
