“Is it just raining around here?”
An immense downpour falls, yet outside Paju Samneung the sky remains clear without a single cloud.
As if cut by a blade, the rain pours only within Paju Samneung.
Even the rainwater pooling on the ground does not escape elsewhere, but circulates solely inside Paju Samneung.
Kurururung— Kwarururung—
More water surges in from all directions than is falling from the sky. Those who steward the ley lines are purifying the blood taint that seeped into Paju Samneung and expelling it outward.
“Ugh, if this keeps up we’ll end up with a lake.”
Until a few days ago I’d despised words like rain or flood, but this rain is special.
Kwarururung—
The previous rain was Dagon’s rain, filled with hatred and malice drawn up from the Abyss. This rain is completely different in nature.
How different? Well....
“What is this! What have you done!”
This is Seonbu’s cry.
Gone is his vainglory. He clutches his head, eyes rolling wildly as he screams.
“Stop it! Stop the rain! What is this rain! It melts! It destroys! My power drains away!”
Kurururung— Kurururung—
Like a sandcastle collapsing, the gigantic blood leech’s body is dissolving.
“You inverted what the twookshin intended. It was Five Yin Stripping One Yang, right?”
They gathered five yin symbols to expel yang and forge twisted, evil power.
“I reverted it to its original form. Everything the twookshin made in Paju Samneung will disappear.”
What they had driven out—the flow of power—will return, and what they bestowed that should not exist will revert to its prior state.
“But why me too? I have nothing to do with the twookshin! The power I’ve amassed—my power—is vanishing!”
Although more slowly than the blood leech’s dissolution, Seonbu’s three-meter frame is shrinking.
His grotesque elephantine visage melts away, restoring an ordinary human form.
“My power isn’t tied to the twookshin! It’s mine, built over decades! If you only undo what the twookshin did, then it won’t affect me! Spare me! Stop this rain!”
Seonbu pleads in delirium. I answered him calmly.
“Well, my goal isn’t justice or restoring Yin and Yang.”
Normally you wouldn’t see it, but the mask I wear now reveals half my face.
The exposed half of my face surely bears an expert’s smile.
“I altered the structure to give you a taste of your own medicine. How is it? Quite effective, isn’t it? Now return to an ordinary human. Then we can duel as you wished, pure flesh against flesh.”
“Stop! Stop! Stop it! You monstrous creature! Demon! Monster! Kraaaak!”
Seonbu thrashes amid melting leech flesh, mire, and rain, shrieking curses and accusations, while drumbeats echo in my mind.
Dumdumdumdumdum—
“All right, all right. Having fun?”
I turn from Seonbu to survey my surroundings. The water is rising rapidly. It’s already calf-deep.
Anywhere lower could soon support a boat.
“This won’t do.”
[Gate Creation]
A small portal opens in midair.
“Doldora.”
Grulururuk— clickety-clack!
“All right. Good. Pull one thing out for me. And that is—”
Kwaaaaang!!
“Do you think I’ll die alone?!”
A monstrous scream from behind.
Seonbu hurtles forward, riding a torrent of gore, gathering the dissolving leech’s power for a final desperate strike.
Chyarururuk!!
A venomous curse and hatred—this must be his death-rattle attack.
Gurururung!!
Kwaaaang!!
Yet his lunge is thwarted.
A tremendous object bursts from within Doldora’s hull, blocking Seonbu’s assault.
“Kraaaak!! Damn it! What is this! What the hell is this!”
“This, my friend, is a ship.”
It’s the Dragon King’s Vessel from Insu Village. Forged to face Dagon’s descent, no ordinary assault can scratch it.
Chyaaaak— Chyaaaa— Kwarurururung—
As expected, waves of staggering volume surge from all sides.
Paju Samneung, nestled against Gongneungsan, now holds a lake large enough to float a ship.
“Grrrr— kurururuk—”
Completely spent, Seonbu sinks beneath the tumultuous whirlpool of water.
Both Blood Leech and Seonbu lie utterly subdued.
[You have overcome your phobia and defeated the object of your fear.
As a reward, your phobia is naturally healed and you gain bonus experience.]
[System: ‘Madness: Hemophobia’ has vanished.]
My fear of blood is gone. This chaos at last concludes.
Soon enough a new fear may arise, but for now I can rest easy.
“Contamination was severe—you need this much purified water.”
On the ship, I gesture and issue °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° commands to refocus the surrounding spells.
I remove the adjustments meant to incapacitate Seonbu and complete the true cycle of mutual flourishing.
“Is this enough?”
Mutual flourishing.
Though intended for purification, so much water pooling atop a mountain is unnatural.
The raindrops taper off to a drizzle. Draining it will take time, but a day should suffice.
“Bahahaha—what a spectacle!”
Suddenly I hear Seocheonseul’s laughter.
Whudududududud—
The flapping of Red’s wings.
Looking up, I see a white owl gliding through the pre-dawn sky with a golden goblin figure astride it.
“Cheonggeum Daejang, Red.”
Seocheonseul leaps from Red’s back onto the ship and laughs joyfully.
“Bahahaha—completely insane, Mr. Kim! Mr. Kim! I lost! I lost!”
“Lost?”
“Yes! I lost. I concede this contest!”
Oh, right—I had said something like that.
“Well, whether by your method, by strength, by skill, even by goblin magic, you cannot best Mr. Kim. I am utterly defeated. Bahahahaha!”
Thrilled to declare his loss, Seocheonseul breaks into song and dance, arms spread wide.
“Floating a boat on the mountain, frolicking with friends, such wondrous delight—am I awake or dreaming? I will forget my mortal cares for a while.”
My remaining mask plays drumbeats befitting his song and dance.
Dumdumdumdumdum—
A splendid dance.
Seocheonseul extends his arms to me.
“That mantle, and that mask too! You, Kim Sinhwa, shall keep them!”
[Achievement Unlocked! You have earned the recognition of Cheonggeum Daejang.
‘Advanced Achievement: Friend of Cheonggeum Daejang’ acquired.
As a reward, Cheonggeum Daejang becomes a steadfast ally, you receive the [Goblin Mask], and bonus experience.]
“Bahahaha! And now, Mr. Kim—”
Wait, wait— I know the event that follows.
“I refuse!”
“Huh? You refuse?”
“Cheonggeum Daejang remains Cheonggeum Daejang. I have no interest.”
“But the things I gave you—”
He had gifted me two of his symbols.
“Symbols aren’t what matter. Consider them gifts.”
“Ha—gifts?”
“Yes. Next time you visit, I’ll bring more gifts too. Let’s say that.”
“Bahahaha—I like that. Then I shall look forward to the gifts Mr. Kim brings next time.”
“Fine.”
I survey the surroundings and say:
“But, Cheonggeum Daejang, could you extend this purification further?”
The water pooling here has fully cleansed Paju Samneung’s taint.
If we could expand the area, we could purify other regions too.
“Well, Mr. Kim, that won’t be easy. The twookshin used these ley lines to create this oneiric realm.”
“Only miracles permitted within its bounds?”
Tonight, Paju Samneung is a pocket realm severed from the outside.
That explains why foreign inspectors or others couldn’t intervene despite the havoc.
“Right. To do this elsewhere, you’d need to mimic the twookshin’s procedures exactly.”
Beginning with recognizing Paju Samneung’s feng shui stability.
“No doubt, without your help, even I, a mage, couldn’t have so perfectly adjusted the spells.”
I say this and gaze toward the submerged Gongneung.
“Oh? Mr. Kim, the masters of this land have come to greet you.”
“Ugh, indeed.”
I see a faint shadow hovering above the water near Gongneung.
It’s the spirit of Queen Jangsun, consort of King Yejong, who rests at Gongneung. Seocheonseul addresses her with respect, honoring her as guardian of the ley lines rather than mere royalty.
“Mr. Kim, she wishes to bestow a boon.”
“A boon?”
I cannot hear her, but Seocheonseul conveys her words.
“Your curse is so bitter that she cannot touch it, but she can remove one minor penalty.”
“Really?”
One penalty trait removed? Truly?
[Achievement Unlocked! You have driven out the twookshin and healed the curse on Paju Samneung.
‘Advanced Achievement: Twookshini Hunter’ acquired.
As a reward, one penalty trait is removed and bonus experience awarded.]
Ah, I see.
So achievements manifest rewards in this way.
[System: Penalty trait ‘Healing Reduction’ has disappeared.]
The [Healing Reduction] trait that hampered recovery is gone. Before I can fully rejoice, Seocheonseul points elsewhere.
“Mr. Kim, look over there, too.”
Toward Sunneung lies Queen Gonghye, consort of King Seongjong—
“She wishes to grant you a boon as well.”
[Achievement Unlocked! You have driven out the Gourmet Expedition and slain the Blood Leech that grew in Paju Samneung.
‘Advanced Achievement: Hunter of Hunters’ acquired.
As a reward, you gain ‘Rapid Recovery’ and bonus experience.]
A sudden itch across my skin. The wounds, bruises, scars covering me rapidly heal.
‘That’s an extremely rare trait too. Nice.’
“And those two over there—ah, Mr. Kim? Well?”
The two are the Crown Prince and Princess of Yeongneung.
The gifts keep coming. What will they offer next?
“Mr. Kim, they say that if you lack a betrothed, they will grant you fortune in marriage or love.”
“...I’m not married, but please tell them I don’t need it.”
“Mr. Kim says he’s unmarried. Ah, yes. Understood.”
“Tell them I don’t need it!”
“They worry you should marry soon at your age.”
“No, I really don’t need that—”
Even if I protest, these are spirits of a Confucian realm’s married Crown Prince and Princess. Whatever I say, they’ll see me as an immature fool.
“—Just tell them you have a betrothed. And that you’d rather receive something else as a gift.”
“Ah, Mr. Kim already has one destined spouse. But he wishes to receive something else. Mr. Kim, what would you like to take?”
I reply through Seocheonseul.
“Please convey that I wish to take all the rainwater pooled here in Paju Samneung.”
“Huh—they mean all this water? For what purpose use water tainted and purified by blood?”
The water filling Paju Samneung is now purified water, no longer defiled.
I smile and answer:
“I have many uses for it.”
From afar I hear chickens crow faintly.
Soon dawn will break.
