Chapter 23

Hong Yeom-rang surveyed his surroundings.

The energy filling this place was impossibly clear and pure. And yet, there was something strange about it. Something that could drive a person mad.

For the first time, he felt unusually calm. He licked his lower lip.

Now he understood why the goblins couldn’t enter this place.

Anything tainted would turn tail and run the moment it reached here.

That was how clean it was.

At the same time, it endlessly amplified a person’s own energy. It stirred up what was already inside him and pushed it higher and higher.

If someone lost their grip for even a moment, they might think they had surpassed human limits and become something like a god.

“Miss, so you were here.”

He didn’t even need to search.

A little further in, he spotted Hisa sitting in a field of white grass.

On her thigh, while she wore his yellow durumagi, lay a white tiger cub that had only just begun to grow.

What now.

Every time he saw something new, it left him stunned.

That thing was clearly a tiger.

A pure white one, just like this forest.

“…How…?”

“A goblin told me.”

Even as he answered, Hong Yeom-rang didn’t take his eyes off the tiger.

The beast was asleep.

Even if it was still growing, it was already large enough to be dangerous.

Instinctively, he understood.

This thing was the master of this place.

Grrr…

As Hisa stroked under the tiger’s chin, it let out a low rumbling sound.

It was unclear whether it was truly asleep or just pretending.

“This is Baek-ah. He just fell asleep.”

“I didn’t ask. Get up.”

It was pure instinct.

In this forest filled with refined energy, Hong Yeom-rang felt an inexplicable rejection toward the beast.

To him, it looked like Hisa was doing nothing but sitting there, gently petting it.

In this place, even time felt meaningless.

Hong Yeom-rang held out his hand to Hisa.

She stared at it.

It was the hand he had once held, then let go of without hesitation.

Should she take it again?

She had planned to leave once Baek-ah fully fell asleep. Even with his eyes closed, she knew he wasn’t truly asleep yet.

Instead of taking Hong Yeom-rang’s hand, Hisa placed her palm over Baek-ah’s eyes.

“Baek-ah, I’m leaving.”

This was a place where he rested quietly. She didn’t want to cause a disturbance.

So she whispered, even though she knew he wasn’t asleep yet.

The low rumbling stopped instantly.

Under her palm, she felt the beast open its eyes.

– That sword can’t cut me.

Baek-ah pushed her hand away first, then stretched lazily as he rose.

He looked at the human pointing the royal sword at him.

It was surprising.

For a human to enter this place, his energy had to be exceptionally pure.

“What the hell is this now.”

– I am the master of this mountain. Show respect.

“You show respect to a king, not to a beast.”

Baek-ah openly ignored Hong Yeom-rang and looked at Hisa, who was getting up beside him.

“He grew up as the young master of a family that served the kingdom.”

Hisa spoke as if making an excuse.

At the same time, she grabbed his mane, just in case he lunged.

“What?”

“Hm?”

Both Hong Yeom-rang and Baek-ah looked displeased despite her trying to smooth things over.

Only Hisa looked troubled between them.

She tugged at Baek-ah’s mane.

The tiger wrinkled his nose in irritation.

Rude and insolent human.

Even if killing him meant delaying his own growth as the mountain deity, it wouldn’t matter.

That would just mean Hisa stayed with him longer.

When Baek-ah stood, he was already taller than Hisa.

Still, Hong Yeom-rang could tell he wasn’t fully grown.

A half-grown tiger like this was far more ferocious than an adult.

Even if it spoke like a human, it was still a beast.

And Hisa stood right beside it, completely unguarded.

“Get over here right now!”

She felt no fear of injury.

She bled like a human, looked like one too.

If there was a reason Hong Yeom-rang couldn’t cut her down, that was it.

He reached out his free hand.

Just as Hisa finally tried to take it—

Crunch.

Baek-ah opened his jaws and bit down on her hand.

– Pathetic human. Hisa belongs to me.

With her arm caught in his mouth, the beast spoke.

In that instant, Hong Yeom-rang tightened his grip on the sword.

He kicked off the ground and lunged.

He aimed for the beast’s neck and slashed across.

Baek-ah didn’t dodge.

A human’s blade couldn’t harm him.

Thud.

The sword sank into his fur, glowing with sharp energy, but it didn’t pierce his hide.

The strange, godlike sensation Hong Yeom-rang had felt earlier vanished instantly.

He leaped back at once, putting distance between them.

Baek-ah still had Hisa’s hand in his mouth.

“Yours?”

Hong Yeom-rang asked quietly, steadying his breath.

There was no blood pouring from the tiger’s jaws.

It hadn’t bitten all the way through.

Hisa remained still.

– I made her this way. So she’s mine.

“You turned Hisa into a monster?”

At that moment, Baek-ah released her arm.

Then he kicked off the ground and leaped high.

It was a massive jump, one that could crush a human beneath him in an instant.

Hong Yeom-rang couldn’t dodge in time.

The beast’s paw slammed onto his shoulder and drove him into the ground.

But Hong Yeom-rang didn’t yield.

Even while pinned, he raised his blade and aimed it under the beast’s jaw.

– Monster? How dare you!

Baek-ah roared.

The forest trembled with his voice.

The dry white branches shook violently, and the white birds scattered in fear.

Hisa froze.

She had never seen Baek-ah this angry.

Nor had she expected Hong Yeom-rang to attack him.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

White blood began to fall from Baek-ah’s jaw.

It splattered onto Hong Yeom-rang’s cheek.

Despite the thunderous roar, the human did not retreat even an inch.

That unyielding spirit finally pierced the beast’s hide and drew blood.

For the first time since his birth, Baek-ah felt pain.

His fury surged.

How could a human blade wound him?

Grrr…

He bared his white fangs.

He pressed down harder with the paw on Hong Yeom-rang’s shoulder.

Still, Hong Yeom-rang didn’t budge.

With a cold, expressionless face, he focused only on driving the blade deeper into the beast’s jaw.

Thud.

The blade pierced further.

In that instant, Baek-ah sprang back.

White blood scattered where he had stood.

“Stop!”

Hisa stepped between them, facing both Baek-ah and Hong Yeom-rang.

“Move. I’ll butcher it.”

Now that he knew the beast could be cut, Hong Yeom-rang’s voice turned icy.

Shhk.

He flicked the royal sword lightly through the air, and the remaining blood fell cleanly away from it.

Baek-ah’s breath grew heavy.

It felt like he had fully woken up.

Looking at Hisa standing between them and Hong Yeom-rang beyond her, something clicked.

Cause and effect.

He wasn’t fully grown yet.

If he had been the true mountain deity, that human could never have cut him.

The only reason he could—

was Hisa.

Baek-ah stared at her back with resentment.

She didn’t know.

Only Hong Yeom-rang could see the beast’s malice clearly.

“Come here!”

Because she wanted it.

Because Hisa wished for it, that insignificant human had been able to wound him.

He was the one who saved her.

So why?

For a human, Hong Yeom-rang’s presence was extraordinary.

In this forest filled with pure vitality meant to nurture Baek-ah’s growth, the human stood strong, radiating power.

Baek-ah clicked his tongue.

He didn’t want to blame Hisa for something she wasn’t even aware of.

In the end, it didn’t matter.

As long as he didn’t let her go, she belonged to him.

She would have no choice but to return here.