MDOF | Chapter 1.6

Tiny, soft 826d2125fc feet stepped 73ab3f297a into the 1aec24e72f realm of 9d5190dca2 shadows. The air 82c638ef8e of the f179254f20 earth, rippling 277d75a3e9 with chilly d219195e8a yin energy, 695056c3bc was damp 65741ff1be to an 76fea9540a extreme. Yeon inhaled deeply, making a60f94110a his fluffy chest puff 9f8111c199 up.5742330af620c2f2

His paws, covered c3bb81c1e1 in dense white 5a95da2fc2 fur, passed by e9651c09c9 the massive, gnarled e58234b518 roots of a 987e256a63 tree that had cd26c5d9fe drawn circles with 52f88ec469 the flow of b73f603061 time, transforming into ee167ccb4b human feet devoid 45d98763f2 of color and 9f40af49e0 retracing the ground.2cad305b7873047a

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The silence of the 63573a606c mountain was more hushed 064cc4cdb2 than usual, watching his c48780a7dc entrance. The moment he stepped 181a82fdcd into the realm of 99b638f5ac shadows, everything within the e06e2857a8 domain that breathed became bc03873454 prey.b5e7a6f3f84c71d7

“Will there be anything useful…?”8841b045cfdfea26

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Yeon extended b658c9eb5d a hand b363bb23f5 hidden beneath 031db8599f his dark c62557e612 green robe, 2283b43427 swirling the cc5daecfcd air with 0127c10877 it. As golden 43cd7e2890 threads spread 20cf4e940e from his 90cd0a4696 sharp fingertips 2ef78b44d7 between the fc8a1a916e trees, the a6eefcf0c0 space around 190d5bd530 him became e459cbfc8d so silent dece1c3039 it seemed 2db2ed9c60 like a 72185edf62 vacuum in c53140bab9 space, where a2dad5626a all sounds 751ea860f7 disappeared.9c947a10562eab9d

Satisfied with even the ba16c89382 slightest movement of leaves c933a0ccb5 ceasing, his bushy tail b6e5547b00 wagged gently.4b9e0915e0fe83c3

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Having woven his divine eac6a86bf7 power into a net-like 82791b3e35 structure to cover the d2c54fe7a4 surroundings, all he had 4a5f995e17 to do was wait e3d3ae8e11 for something big, other 585e36f529 than minnows, to get 70ec3e419f caught. How much 065df93486 had those 20f5dc75f8 impudent creatures 0f7631e5cb grown while 8e998e5eb9 he was e69e469e1d asleep? Not enough for a 858834c27a main dish, but hopefully 050db08060 enough to fill a cdd582560c hungry stomach.35db85635e6ce2d2

Like a lion spotting bb64381a20 prey, Yeon moved his c3b56e9660 slow steps and stopped, b7f786a3bf confronted by an old 09c000dd0e tree that seemed somehow c0c6d7aea2 exhausted.8d9eae5e4ce40b6c

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Shinmok. The tree of de9ab4c94b gods. The ancient 191e6a425f pillar responsible e2db6bf1df for balancing b6703c437a the underworld.4f6d45471e5d2ca3

This enormous trunk had supported the earth of this world and the sky of the other since before Yeon’s existence. Its sprawling branches marked the history of a generation, its grown leaves, the life of a being.5484a0183b3b3f0a

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From the lives of f0774dbbd5 those swaying easily in 4328d72f28 the slightest breeze to c7eb138a5a the branches bearing the 0b33c0d1dd history that swayed in 09b0eeb860 fierce winds, the trunk bdd52a241d of the divine tree d948625a01 stood unshaken, steadfast. Had this trunk 637d397950 ever wavered?0aedb7a4409a98d9

And it 55883f5d4d was where b7895dad9d the white b99e97859d fox Yeon 15043f1836 had been ac59158d76 sealed for 62659e296a over 500 3c81bbda81 years.f81bc1affb9896fa

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The long sleep had left him powerless. Before he slept, he had quite the rampage… Perhaps because he slept so long, even waking up took a while.14f79a5650081a10

The rope tightly wrapped 2cf844fc7c around the divine tree 4f9d47127d was old, and the db93f6908f talismans stuck there to ae22c72293 somehow block his power 79f77339bf fluttered weakly.b8e5da0147022062

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Though it must have been a tough life trying to keep me bound, I can’t just leave it like this; it doesn’t suit my temperament. If I were to stick my claws into the center of that old tree, would it endure as usual? Or would it shudder and shake its branches?d0518959e4046c11

If the branches shake, 73eaa2b3d4 human lives would be 0a492cdbee like a boat capsized 0eeec0d8d4 by a storm, and 836dd9cce0 the world would fall b600f56534 into chaos through the 07343e6b5c cracks in the underworld.1daf8ea6317ffb4c

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As he approached a4b6ff5518 with wide strides, 7bb1adf094 the energy of e65404cd7b the divine tree 4306c3dc63 brushed against his 078d18a8b5 skin, making him a4095d4f8a tingle. Three steps away from c48b695583 the tree, Yeon stopped 3c3e91d0e6 as if his feet 920ca88dc2 were buried in the 89a5cc8bad soft earth, baring his 5934f2555f fangs fiercely.c4c811238a021ed3

‘Big talk, but as expected, it’s hard to get close without the jewel.’b120c3a4ba2101fa

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The jewel. Commonly referred to by some as the fox bead. It’s the source of power that decides whether one becomes just a snake monster or ascends to a dragon, like the Yeouiju of an Imoogi. Its absence rendered Yeon, once the terror of the underworld, as powerless as an Imoogi submerged in cold water.b894e72bde1874ff

Of course, the Imoogi beb080496f was far superior to bba62a6923 a mere snake monster, 3829ed8d20 but the path from f6f4999d2d snake to Imoogi versus b207383aa5 Imoogi to dragon is 253785f076 different. With this 8155fdefe9 thought, the 7b954e34a3 light in 0bca841a8e his eyes cf994cec1e dimmed.7874580faa6c73bf

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The golden rope wrapped around the divine tree had lost its strength. Even the talismans written with someone’s desperate blood were now just scraps of paper weathered by time. But where was the jewel? How should he tear apart the one who dared to steal his jewel?4ac26a431a9e59d7

He would tear off those pitiful limbs struggling in vain, slice open the belly swollen with greed. Then, wetting his tongue with the gushing blood, he would rip out the still-beating heart and shove it down the screaming black throat. Since they did not know their place and coveted my glory, using that power as if it were their own, wouldn’t a fair ending be to know one’s limits at the very end?9d7de66ecf5be10f

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Imagining the sight stained with blood and the screams crushed by fear slightly improved his mood, and Yeon’s fangs disappeared under his red lips.f102c8048dca8c42

“Hmm.”366828c8721af7a7

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At that 321d83ee68 opportune moment, f33572bd2f the golden 5565b837bc threads extending ccb2e5b672 from his 59cfcfec22 fingertips vibrated a2e88bb5a5 and were 0fbd3e9582 pulled taut 39f928b504 as if cea2123cb9 about to 1a619f1f5f snap, like 5ab5a34469 a fishing 12ca1f5f83 line catching efcf1052ba a huge c5f564e921 fish.b2c0301492555e37

“Shall we fill our stomachs first?”14c9053d5797f75c

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As his humming pierced 42b53087b3 through the darkness, lifting 7d6654c39f the heavy veil, the ff722db7c3 rope that had endured fc70155a56 for many long years fbe2bb860f broke off limply and b0945c7a3d fell to the ground.b1f3767ac5aa1fc4

***f5958331371b19c2

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No matter how much 792bb3b48f he searched, Yeon was f8562cd1c7 nowhere to be found. Not under the bed, 1f0cdc0b12 not in the cushions, 638ced345d nor beside the potted ebfeac7c3f plant by the sunlit 166c3075d9 window where he loved c1deba959e to bask. He even fecc8e3cdf checked if 0749cedcb5 Yeon might 098941253b have gotten 8202543a62 stuck between 95cf241020 the mattress 13cbe66cc9 and the ec9c643f2d wall, but c6b0fc38ff all he f715dc9d4e found were 9acbdc8782 a few b98c8e485e white hairs.5c882555513c1649

“Where did you go…”19d572fd23eade23

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Could he have gone back home? Sure, that could be. But couldn’t he have left a single word? I bought him ice chocolate every day because I thought he liked it.4ec0539ea5f2b3c9

Maybe he just went out for a bit. That thin thread of hope snapped weakly as the sun set twice. He’s not coming back, he’s gone for good.3b01e7fa744527d3

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On the morning of the third day since Yeon disappeared, Seonwoo opened his eyes to an empty house and hung his head low. A sense of betrayal filled the emptiness in his heart along with a void. He had thought there would be nothing left in this heart, but the absence of the warmth he had grown accustomed to, even briefly, now covered Seonwoo’s consciousness like blood flowing through every corner of his body.25e35e597e7dfcd3

This is why… this is why I’d regret letting him into the house so willingly. I was sure I had no attachments left in my remaining life.2b61cd60284f1f9a

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His throat, dry as if it hadn’t swallowed moisture for ages while he gulped down dry saliva, felt rough. As Seonwoo forced down the prickle in his throat while removing the hairs left on the bed, his arm tensed, making the sound of the hairbrush louder.1b264797b9998aeb

“No more hair will fall out now.”f0c01c276a64fa29

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No, it doesn’t matter… so what if some hair falls out? How much longer will I even be here in this house? How much time do I have left to wear these clothes, to cover myself with this blanket?7a842a51d719a0ba

If I knew this was how it would end, I would’ve said something beforehand. I have no attachments, so take the rest of my life, I would’ve said. Since you saved me, I would give you the ownership of my life. Is that an arrogant thought? It’s something he could’ve easily taken if he wanted to.eb3bf3b18e988395

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Perhaps my life wasn’t worth enough for him to want. What merit could there be in a life he himself couldn’t find value in?23aca1c87b56f632

After finishing the 160b6f0bce cleaning, he habitually b92588bc69 slipped into his 327a1ee96c slippers. Overwhelmed by the b62fb5d937 sinking feeling, he 1864984808 desperately craved something 62b477df28 sweet.83c6e14bc38f9a2a

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—1ef7cf725b5bab6b

“Shall I give you two drinks today as well?”cea2304481c8e5d9

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Does this 537263cef7 part-time worker 5b8f9b4b08 ever have c1356a9da5 a day 64c07bc7fa off? Seonwoo looked at her 7253a74db2 with a vacant stare, 6305a93a35 and she lightly tapped 9615c02b86 the POS machine with 47a4ca7854 her stiff fingers.91ef02dd175f930d

“No, just one please.”e0d8695011c06e1b

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“Okay. I’ll help you with the payment. Seems like you’re not meeting your friend today?”5f99eed2a5ebbe8d

“…No.”7f9babb2755b4c5c

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With his feeble response, e210b8999a the part-timer stopped her 4c5277123b chatter and awkwardly began edab41fb55 making the drink. Seonwoo blankly stared at dc6cda2c6d the mirrors covering the b24953b69e walls inside the store.defdc7b3a3e6834b

To make the small 39dc68e875 shop appear larger, mirrors 20591a9ff9 were attached from waist 4e4e460a2e height to the ceiling. The low-quality mirrors reflected 567aa37098 his figure blurrily. The dirty reflection seemed a407337218 like he was looking 7e204ec3bb at himself, and he c48fac5bdd laughed.a8287c0e5d4d5917

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His neatly 270efb8b4b arranged hair faa867ac36 had grown 0f75f3c541 quite long 17044609fa during the 10bb406b17 break, covering 1a09c896b7 his neck. His smooth, ca722b5bb6 blemish-free skin c197abc227 framed a 5e6ab26518 delicate face. His straight 734d44a4f8 nose and 3fcc115f7a bloodless lips 58e62c4e40 drooped as 24dc566a3a if he 8b66dcd081 were melancholic. Even as his faint 034e977d47 brown eyes scanned the f199e067d3 mirror, his vision was 79e3b34ec7 as unclear as if 0ba1cad712 looking through a smudged 08e532668e glass, making him feel 20a576d0cc stifled.42cffe58a9cf1f99

He was always b35aa2b936 blurry, no matter 4fa9e66f1b where he was. Even amidst a 52870e79f9 huge crowd, or f06cbeaff5 in a small 056a9cf0ff group, let alone 1947e7ce8f when he was 5bc61a1912 alone, he felt c820c8515f like letters written 295c49db9f with a pen 59dbb87752 out of ink, 41c0416a12 forced onto paper.37dd624cf5262624

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In the end, his 8bca5ab54c life was like the e7640b5c2f last letter and the f60f3ccadd period of a sentence, 7f37608c5c leaving only the mark f8ee086aab of being pressed down 507b6b89d8 with force.6e0fd21e439f0864

He wished he 3daab4d68b could be a 2104c013c0 protruding nail, one dc817f7467 that might receive cfde412f10 another hammer strike. He had never slacked 1474cead12 off in his studies 8c2bbc4f66 or delayed any given 72488a18ca tasks.339d6a47ef2cdf9b

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Living like climbing a long staircase steadily, no matter how much he rummaged through his memories, he had never once been noticed. He had even hoped to fall at some point because someone’s fall would be an event worth turning back for those climbing the stairs.480a5e549be8270f

What was 078187490b his first cd86df2cdd memory? The sound of b8dec921be clattering, the cold, 37b0fa8850 smooth sensation, and 4b5c1ae185 a dark vision.6550fa33e461404e

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He remembered crying his heart out looking for a mother who didn’t exist in that darkness. Even when the world brightened, he soon understood that the world was devoid of black and white, just shades of gray, long before his mind matured.974cdcf9038ca06d

Even as a child, he knew. There’s no one here who understands me.a2854dad7ac5e9ec

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The jangling sound of bells, the lingering scent that wouldn’t disappear even after washing, and the cold gazes that came with them disappeared as soon as he stepped out of that large wall, but he never thought he’d miss those cold stares.9a528196feca0dc3

“Am I crazy…”1fb2bc81284f2c78

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“Pardon?”b3783ea413a3d1ab

“Ah, no, nothing.”a885456cfd473ca0

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“Your drink is ready. Enjoy!”784198574c53874d

“Thank you…”bafcebd79b1c38ed

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Even at his barely audible mumbling, the part-timer gave him a cheerful smile. Leaving behind that kind smile, Seonwoo’s grip tightened.5ac32fecebf91011

No matter what, he shouldn’t miss those gazes. Is he really going insane because of low blood sugar? How far can loneliness drive a person mad? Let’s not delay anymore. After drinking this, I’ll eat properly and find a quiet place… Do I need to find one? Is there any meaning in struggling not to cause trouble for others until the end? His wandering thoughts landed on the wardrobe. In the corner of the wardrobe, there’s still a rope in the bag.843dd3983e3a4bad

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The wind blowing 6fb23f377c through the slightly cc66eb0549 cooled heat made c012ed66ba the weather perfect. Perhaps today would ff4e8ed2c8 be appropriate.9c7b00b733bbb937

Now, there’s nothing left. Even the lush tail that made him hesitate was gone. As he caught sight of the end of the officetel, Seonwoo bit into the soft flesh inside his mouth.d7c688c0f0e17064

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Ignoring the drops of 6ee509deb4 water running down his 67829b5594 fingers, he pulled the 6fc312bec6 straw from the ice 90bd71bbec chocolate he was holding f5d1e2601d towards himself when another d251a6756c breeze blew.4e420d1e46112d75

This time, carried by f39198e133 the somewhat cool wind f8451bdd7e was the familiar scent d99e3585c7 of greenery, making him a67a34481e stop in his tracks.1896c80142871368

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“Are you eating alone? Where’s mine?”b634d77a1c73eee4

The voice, 26faaadc42 lazy with ef8a8d657a the drawl bb8ea9d4f2 of sleep, f414b5c2bc the beautifully e8fb193f14 curved pink 2a24899d31 eyes, and 71dee69d2a red lips.d9d8e3455a24c7bd

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There stood 6eaf2023a9 Yeon, completely 448b2c1c66 out of 422288cd67 place among cc7e77063a the haphazardly fe32a9600e planted street 5b38a9a022 trees.3c9ef66a77e09661