TGHD Ch 25

The situation was becoming quite serious.

The origins of the Mansagul ghost story traced back to an incident five years ago when a human skeleton was discovered in a cave. A tourist, visiting the Mansagul pond, had noticed a giant snake’s shadow and heard a hissing sound, prompting them to investigate the cave, where they found the body.

However, no other bodies were discovered after that, and most of the locals, like Saerok, dismissed the incident as just a ghost story. Some even believed that the ghost story had helped make Mansagul’s pond more famous, attracting visitors, which wasn’t a bad thing. After all, there were no other notable tourist attractions in the area apart from Mansagul.

But now, with the recent storm, the ground on the mountain had shifted, and bones were found around the area. This shocked everyone. To date, there had been no unresolved missing persons cases in the region. There had been a few people who got lost in the mountains but they were quickly found and sent home. This meant that the bones being discovered likely belonged to unreported victims.

Although the bones were found in different locations, they all shared one significant common feature.

“The ribs were all broken…” Ryubeom sighed quietly. It wasn’t that the bones had deteriorated with time and then broken. They had been left broken from the start. The only hypothesis that could be made from this was clear.

The victims had been eaten by the Imugi. Like the snake, if it had killed the humans by crushing their torsos, that would explain the broken ribs.

The police were conducting a search across the entire mountain to identify the victims. They were focused on finding personal belongings, so police lines were set up to keep onlookers away.

“Do you think we can get through them…?”

“There are a lot more than I thought, but it’ll be possible. And there’ll be even more later in the afternoon.”

Right now, Ryubeom was with Yeohwi, making their way up the mountain. While the police had been blocking access to the mountain for their search, the two had quietly taken an alternate route. However, there were more than ten police officers at the only path leading up to Mansagul.

As Yeohwi had mentioned, additional officers from other areas would be arriving in a few hours. Right now, it was just the local station’s personnel gathered.

Ryubeom calmly surveyed the area. Luckily, no unusual “Yogi” had been sensed in the mountain yet.

“If more people come, Imugi might react, so we need to check first,” Ryubeom muttered.

Once more search teams arrived in the afternoon, it would be harder to approach Mansagul, and they couldn’t predict how Imugi would act. Yokai didn’t like their territory being intruded upon. Although sightings had only occurred in the cave, Imugi could be quietly hiding, and if it acted unexpectedly, there could be a serious incident.

Ryubeom took a deep breath and cast a camouflage spell on himself. He needed to blend in with the police searching the mountain. His usual outfit of a hoodie and jeans was covered by a blue police uniform.

“Oh, your skills have improved a lot,” Yeohwi remarked, clapping his hands.

Ryubeom turned his gaze away, slightly embarrassed. Though Yeohwi’s praise was kind, there were still some awkward aspects in the disguise.

“Aren’t you going to camouflage yourself?” Ryubeom asked.

“I’m fine. I’ve cast a spell to obscure their perception,” Yeohwi answered.

“…You really know a lot of spells,” Ryubeom muttered.

“It’s nothing too impressive. I can easily deceive normal people with it. Besides, we’ll be moving stealthily.”

Actually, since they were in the mountains, they could have climbed without disguising themselves, using stealth to avoid detection. But for a smoother approach and to use the spells Yeohwi had learned, they decided to disguise themselves.

Yeohwi smiled. “You look good in a police uniform, Young Master. I wonder if we’ll see more outfits like this in the future.”

“…Don’t say weird things,” Ryubeom muttered, pressing the police cap lower and turning his head.

The two of them then proceeded quietly towards Mansagul, keeping a low profile as they passed the police officers, who were focused on their search. Fortunately, they weren’t detected.

Reaching the entrance to Mansagul, Ryubeom let out a quiet sigh of relief. Yeohwi clapped softly beside him, complimenting his work. Ryubeom smiled faintly, feeling a little proud.

After taking a brief moment to regroup, they entered Mansagul. With the hypothesis that the Imugi was real and consuming humans, they needed to proceed with extreme caution. The air around such a yokai was distinctly different from the playful ones; a creature that took lives exuded a dangerous aura. Those who had consumed blood should never be underestimated.

Mansagul had lights to guide the way, so finding their path wasn’t difficult. Ryubeom occasionally checked areas without lights, most of which were dead ends or dangerous paths.

Though they wanted to avoid confrontation inside the cave, it was important to familiarize themselves with the terrain in case they had to fight Imugi. Ryubeom was meticulously observing the space.

However, in his intense focus on the investigation, his camouflage began to fade.

“You can’t come in here!” A police officer, turning a corner, shouted upon seeing Cheon Ryubeom. His uniform had reverted back to its original form.

Ryubeom flinched and took a step back, but Yeohwi quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him down a side path. In an instant, a red aura spread like heat waves, and they disappeared.

“Ah…” The hypnotized officer sighed vacantly, his eyes dull and unfocused. Another officer approached him with a question.

“Who were you talking to?”

“Uh? Uh… there was definitely someone…” the officer murmured.

“Ah, looks like it’s time to leave.” The man clicked his tongue.

“Be careful. You never know if the mountain spirit stories are real,” he warned, patting his comrade on the back. If anyone had tried to enter Mansagul, they would have been stopped by another officer at the entrance, creating a commotion. As they spoke about dispelling the ghosts, the rough pat on the shoulder caused the other officer to yelp and stumble away.

As the two of them successfully diverted any attention away from themselves and moved further, Ryubeom remained perfectly still, not even breathing. It wasn’t just for the sake of sneaking in… It was because, in the rush to hide, Yeohwi had suddenly wrapped him in his arms. The warmth that enveloped his back made Ryubeom freeze completely.

Yeohwi, holding Ryubeom from behind, silently scanned the surroundings, then smiled faintly.

“Shall we move again?”

He released his arms from around Ryubeom’s waist and spoke in the same calm tone as usual, with no hint of excitement or awkwardness, as if the brief contact meant nothing at all.

Ryubeom hesitated for a moment, his lips slightly moving. He should have been relieved that Yeohwi was acting normally, but strange questions kept popping up, ones that he couldn’t shake off. Even now, and especially… since that day.

How can Yeohwi act like nothing happened?

It was a ridiculous thought. He didn’t want to ask this question, and he didn’t want to know why he was even curious about it. He had silently agreed to avoid talking about Yeohwi and that incident, but for some reason, he kept thinking about it, even though he didn’t want to recall what had happened.

Moreover, while Ryubeom could make excuses, like having drunk too much and being hypnotized, which made his memory hazy, Yeohwi had barely drunk any alcohol, so he must have remembered everything clearly. So, it should be Ryubeom who was grateful that Yeohwi, even in a playful way, hadn’t mentioned that night.

Ryubeom bit his lip slightly, and in that instant, a shocking realization hit him. He had been so focused on avoiding Yeohwi since that night that he’d forgotten one crucial thing. That night, his lips had been torn, and his palm had a large wound. He had deliberately injured himself to hold onto his consciousness.

But the next day, there was no trace of it. It had healed far too quickly for it to be attributed to the Tiger Clan’s healing abilities. The only explanation was one thing.

Yeohwi must have healed him.

“……”

Caught in this strange feeling, Ryubeom barely managed to turn his head. After clenching and unclenching his fists a few times, he finally composed himself. He needed to focus on the search.

A little further in, Ryubeom spotted a sign.

“Young Master, that seems to be the wishing pond.”

The Wishing Pond.

It was a small pond nestled at the corner of a narrow path, marked with a sign and surrounded by a wooden fence. Ryubeom checked if there were any signs of police nearby before walking closer.

There was a high likelihood that the Imugi’s energy was contained in that pond. Whether the Imugi had intentionally created it or not, by confirming the energy of the pond, Ryubeom could gauge the extent of the Imugi’s power. Therefore, confirming the Yogi’s presence was a priority, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel curious about what might rise to the surface as he approached the pond.

“Don’t let anything enchant you, no matter what you see.”

Ryubeom muttered to himself and also warned Yeohwi. Yeohwi didn’t respond but just smiled slightly, and Ryubeom realized with a bit of embarrassment that he had been worrying unnecessarily. A Yogi from another tribe likely wouldn’t be easily swayed by other energies. He only had to be cautious himself. With that thought, Ryubeom continued forward, his focus sharp as he approached the pond.

But upon reaching the pond, Ryubeom couldn’t help but be puzzled.

“…There’s nothing here?”

It wasn’t that the reflection didn’t show on the surface of the water, but that there was no water at all.

Given the fence around it, it was clear that there had been water in the pond, but now, nothing could be seen. Ryubeom stared down at the sunken space in disbelief and then shifted his gaze. He wondered if maybe it was just invisible to him, but Yeohwi had the same puzzled expression.

“There’s not even a trace of moisture.”

“…Did it dry up already?”

“Hm, have there been any rumors that it’s been drying up little by little?”

Ryubeom tried to recall. If it had dried up naturally, rumors about the water level decreasing would have spread by now. But before coming to Jeju, he hadn’t heard any such rumors, nor had he received any useful information from Ilok’s family.

“Saerok said that it was still full of water when he came a few months ago…”

Saerok, after turning 18 this year, had visited Mansagul, hoping to see the pond’s reflection for the first time. He had also been curious about the spirit of the mountain guardian and the wish that could be made at the pond. Of course, Saerok had said that he hadn’t seen either.

When Ryubeom relayed what Saerok had told him, Yeohwi’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“So, you’ve become quite close with Saerok, huh? Using informal language and calling him by cute nicknames?”

“What? What nickname…?”

Ryubeom was about to respond, insisting that he had never used any nickname for Saerok, when he sighed, remembering. Since the day Saerok had drunk, he had started calling Ryubeom “Beombeom” unexpectedly.

Because they were the same age, Saerok had been especially friendly toward Ryubeom. With Yeohwi, he had been polite, perhaps due to his unusual appearance or because he might have been aware of Hn Entertainment’s successor status.

“I was called ‘Young Master’ by you, and all I got in return were cold stares.”

“No, back then…”

“Everyone else becomes friends with you so easily. Sigh, how can it be so hard to form a bond that transcends tribes…”

Yeohwi spoke with a hint of sorrow.

“At this rate, you might end up getting closer to Saerok than me. How much I tried to get this friend spot, and now, I’m being pushed aside, becoming a stranger…”

Ryubeom blinked, startled. He realized that Yeohwi was joking, but hearing such a sorrowful tone right in front of him made it hard to rebuke him coldly. It felt like he had done something terribly wrong.

“I should’ve noticed when you started hanging out only with Saerok these past few days…”

Now, it seemed like, based on just words, he was becoming the villain who was having an affair. Overwhelmed by the onslaught of words, Ryubeom finally blurted out.

“No! You’re my only friend…!”

Saerok didn’t know that Ryubeom was a Tiger Suin, nor did he know why Ryubeom was interested in Mansagul or what his ultimate goal was. The only one who knew all of this was Yeohwi.

It was Yeohwi who had given him the flower for his birthday, the one who had listened quietly when he spoke nonsense in front of the night sea, and who told him not to feel bad about everything, assuring him that he was doing well. Yeohwi was the one person who had spoken words that Ryubeom had never even heard from his own kin.

“There’s only you.”

Moreover, Yeohwi was the first true friend that Cheon Ryubeom had made. He was a unique existence—so irreplaceable that Ryubeom sometimes wondered if he could ever create another connection like this.

For a brief moment, Yeohwi fell silent at Ryubeom’s words. He looked surprised, even a bit flustered, before quickly putting on a smile, one that seemed as though it had crushed something beneath it.

“Young Master, don’t you think you’re a little too fond of me?”

“…What?”

“There’s only me, and I’m the only one, huh? To suddenly make such a romantic confession… you’re making me shy.”

Ryubeom’s mouth fell open in shock. He hadn’t thought about it while speaking, but now, reflecting on it, he realized just how odd it had sounded. Stunned and embarrassed, he fell silent, but Yeohwi chuckled lightly.

“Is it really necessary to look at me like you’ve just seen something revolting?”

The expression on his face, open-mouthed in horror, clearly conveyed a look of disgust. The faint undertone of “what nonsense is this?” made Ryubeom feel uneasy, and Yeohwi, understanding, shrugged as if to say, “I’ll stop the joke here.”

With that, Ryubeom slowly turned his head, trying to steady his racing heart.

He must just be reacting because they were in such a confined space together, Ryubeom thought, trying to suppress the feeling. He spoke with a cold, detached voice.

“Don’t joke around like that again.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

Despite Yeohwi’s bright and cheery response, Ryubeom remained silent, rubbing his lips absentmindedly as he slowly moved his steps. He needed to focus on the search again.

It seemed that Yeohwi had stopped with the playful teasing, now speculating aloud as he surveyed the surroundings.

“If the pond really is gone, why would that be?”

“Could the Imugi have summoned a storm and drained its energy, absorbing the power from the pond? Or maybe that storm was an accident?”

“Hm, that’s possible. Maybe there was a fight…”

Having searched together in Sagwido, Ryubeom and Yeohwi had developed a habit of narrowing down possibilities through conversation, and Ryubeom naturally followed along, considering all the possible scenarios.

It’s clear that the water in the pond has disappeared unnaturally. If that’s the case, they needed to figure out why, but was there really a battle? If the Imugi had fought, there should have been some trace left, but there were no unusual signs around Mansagul. Only human bones had been found.

Could the traces of the battle have been washed away by the storm? Or was it something else…?

“Are there any clues in the Imugi legends? Well, there are quite a few famous ones…”

“Oh, actually, there’s a story from the old days about a giant serpent that lived on Jeju Island.”

Ryubeom immediately responded to Yeohwi’s question. This was a story he had thought of as soon as he had connected Sagwido on Jeju Island with the legend of the giant serpent.

In the Tamra Jicho and Yakcheonji published in the late Joseon period, there is a story of Seoryeon, a newly appointed magistrate of Jeju, who defeated a giant serpent. This serpent, a ‘yomang’ (妖蟒), lived in the Kimnyeong Cave in Jeju Island and was said to have used magic to stir up storms.

The people revered it, offering a 15-year-old girl every spring and fall at the sacrificial table in front of the cave, praying for a good harvest. If they didn’t make offerings, the serpent would cause storms and ruin the crops. The government even kept records and managed the offerings for each household.

Seoryeon, angered by this practice, decided to attack the serpent on the day of the sacrifice. The villagers were too afraid to join him, but Seoryeon, with two subordinates, pretended to perform the ritual and summoned the serpent. As the serpent tried to eat him, Seoryeon stabbed its mouth with a spear, and his subordinates killed it by chopping off its head with axes.

Ryubeom briefly summarized the story as he fiddled with his chin.

“Honestly, when I think of a giant serpent being discovered in Jeju, I immediately think of the yomang, but it’s dead, right? After the evil practices ended, it must have died.”

“But now, we have damage caused by a storm.”

“Exactly. So, I wondered if maybe the yomang hadn’t died, and it fled from Kimnyeong Cave all the way to Mansagul… but the time gap is too long, and, more importantly, if the yomang were still alive, that would mean all these bones we’ve found were sacrifices.”

And one of them was a corpse that hadn’t even been a year dead.

“…Human sacrifices in this day and age?”

“Hm, the ugly sides of the world can persist surprisingly long, though.”

Ryubeom muttered this with a subtle expression, and Yeohwi responded as if it were completely natural. Having seen certain things before, particularly while visiting a research facility under the Han River, Ryubeom nodded in agreement. But still, in a time when agriculture wasn’t as crucial, would anyone still be performing human sacrifices for good harvests?

In fact, when Ryubeom had subtly tried to inquire with Ilok’s parents, who ran an orchard, if they had heard any suspicious rumors around the area, they had seemed completely unaware.

While walking, deep in thought, Ryubeom suddenly noticed something strange in his line of sight.

“Huh? What’s that…? Could it be a trace left by the Imugi?”

He had tilted his head upward and spotted something that seemed like a large scale imprint on the ceiling, covered in mud. Based on the state of the mud, it looked as though the trace had been made just hours earlier.

It had rained in the early morning, so maybe the Imugi had come and gone during that time. Ryubeom began following the trace, imagining various scenarios in his mind.

Minutes later, he arrived at a dead end.

Standing in front of a wall, Ryubeom calmly surveyed the area. His amber eyes shimmered with a faint golden glow. Using his energy to inspect the wall, he found it was pulsating.

“…It’s a barrier.”

“Hm, it seems we’ve reached the Imugi’s stronghold.”

Yeohwi seemed pleased that he had found it so quickly. Ryubeom, too, had the same thought, but now the question was how to deal with the barrier. Could it be broken? This was…

“Should we just smash it?”

“Young Master, again…”

“I’m going to use my sword this time.”

“You’re going to hit it with your sword, aren’t you? Young Master, you really need to differentiate between swordsmanship and using a sword for violence.”

Ryubeom’s gaze slowly shifted to the side.

Yeohwi let out a hollow laugh and then looked around. From the fact that a barrier had been set up, it was clear that this was their base, but it was dangerous to break in recklessly. Imugi could react immediately, and they didn’t know what the terrain inside the barrier was like, so it was necessary to be cautious.

“Let’s try to enter quietly, just in case. They might be asleep, right?”

“Hm, then maybe we can slightly open the barrier…”

“Would you like to hold my hand for a moment?”

Ryubeom looked down at the hand extended to him in surprise. He hesitated, not immediately grabbing it, and Yeohwi smiled faintly.

“Don’t worry. My energy won’t enter your body at this level.”

At the light voice, Ryubeom froze. He wanted to make an excuse, but the comment hit too close to home. Even just a moment ago, when he hurriedly hid and clung to Yeohwi, he had stiffened, and now that he was about to hold his hand, anxiety surged. The thought of skin touching skin made him overly self-conscious.

But he had held hands before a few times, so reacting excessively now seemed strange. After regaining his composure, Ryubeom placed his hand over Yeohwi’s.

Then, Yeohwi drew something in the air with his index finger, and the wooden beads on his wrist seemed to glow, creating a hum, before a circular string appeared around his hand.

Honestly, Ryubeom was amazed. When he used magic, a single string would appear with a flick of his hand, but around Yeohwi’s hand, two rows of strings swirled. It meant he was using a complicated spell with a lot of spiritual energy. Was this bracelet so special?

Now that he thought about it, when he faced the mermaid, three strings had appeared…

“Just a little closer.”

While Ryubeom was revisiting his faint memories, Yeohwi whispered softly and pulled him by the hand. Ryubeom stiffened instinctively and was led along. He moved almost as if he was being embraced.

When Yeohwi extended his hand, the wall ahead buckled. At first, the barrier vibrated as if trying to block the intruder, but when the red light spread like waves, the gap slowly widened. Ryubeom walked behind Yeohwi, watching the scenery shift as he marveled aloud.

They had successfully entered.

“Wow… Yeohwi really knows a lot of amazing spells.”

“I’ve learned a lot just from living. And the barrier seems weaker than I thought…”

At Ryubeom’s genuine admiration, Yeohwi just smiled softly. He seemed more surprised that breaking the barrier was so easy, which piqued Ryubeom’s curiosity even more.

“Someone with this level of magical knowledge—didn’t they offer you a high position in your family? Like becoming an elder or perhaps giving you a position to study magic?”

With such a high understanding of magic and immense talent in its application, it didn’t make sense for such a family to leave him be. Or was it that all fox families displayed this level of talent? He had heard they were particularly skilled in magic, but Yeohwi’s abilities seemed to be on the level of a genius.

“You really are incredibly talented… Ah, um. I shouldn’t be asking things like this.”

However, just as Ryubeom was about to blurt out more, he quickly shut his mouth. Yeohwi never really answered questions about himself properly. He had once said that when Ryubeom was strong enough to cast mental magic on him, he would tell him, but that seemed far off for now.

It was a bit bitter to realize that while he had told Yeohwi everything about himself, he knew nothing about him in return. But the things he had shared were not because Yeohwi had forced him to talk; he had volunteered them.

It would be strange to suddenly open up and ask Yeohwi to share his inner thoughts too. With a slightly downcast expression, Ryubeom turned his gaze away.

Yeohwi looked down at him, then slowly opened his mouth. It was a somewhat impulsive action.

“Actually, I’ve liked magic for a long time. I thought it was fun to weave different spells together to create new ones.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. I hated studying other things, but magic was interesting, so I looked for books on my own. Actually, people around me said I had talent…”

Ryubeom’s eyes sparkled as he listened intently. Yeohwi’s story about combining beginner spells to create powerful magic seemed like something out of a textbook, but it was amazing that he was willingly sharing this with him.

“If people around you recognized your talent, I’m sure you got a lot of offers?”

Yeohwi smiled strangely.

“I did receive offers, but I ran away because I didn’t want the responsibility.”

“…Huh?”

“So now I’m being punished like this…”

His pitch-black eyes flicked. Ryubeom, who had confirmed that Yeohwi was looking at the beads on his wrist, was left confused. Yeohwi had been offered a high position in his family, but he ran away because he didn’t want the responsibility, and now he was being punished… was that related to the bracelet?

Could it be that Yeohwi originally had a lot of spiritual energy? If he had done enough research to study magic, he probably didn’t have a small amount of energy. So maybe Yeohwi had refused the family’s offer, and as punishment, the head of the family had drained his energy, leaving him to rely on the bracelet to use magic? Perhaps the elder, Guil, felt sorry for him and gave him the bracelet?

Ryubeom carefully asked,

“How long do you have to keep receiving this punishment…?”

The question came after noticing that Yeohwi’s gaze at the bracelet earlier had looked unusually lonely. Yeohwi, taken aback by the unexpected question, widened his eyes in surprise before tilting his head and smiling.

“Probably forever?”

“What? No, you could just run away if you don’t want to work. What’s wrong with being a layabout?!”

“Are you supporting me, or are you insulting me?”

At Ryubeom’s outburst, Yeohwi let out a small laugh. Then, as if signaling to focus on the search, he gestured toward the deeper part of the cave, and Ryubeom, suppressing his curiosity, nodded. Honestly, he was already happy with the conversation so far.

It was enjoyable getting to know Yeohwi better.

Ryubeom was briefly surprised by his own thoughts but didn’t deny them. His heart felt light, and he spoke to Yeohwi with a tickling sensation.

“Yeohwi. If there’s any way I can help reduce your punishment, just let me know anytime. I’ll help you.”

Since Yeohwi had been helping him close the Sagwido to fulfill his own wish, Ryubeom felt it was only right to return the favor.

“……”

However, Yeohwi didn’t smile at those words. He just quietly looked at Ryubeom for a moment, then seemed to want to respond playfully, but instead of saying anything, he turned his head away. It was unclear whether he looked confused or flustered.

Afterward, their progress continued quietly.

Now that they had entered Imugi’s lair, they moved as quietly as possible. The interior looked identical to the cave they had seen earlier, but the main difference was that there was no lighting here. Darkness was not a problem for beasts, but here, with no light at all, it was difficult to get a sense of direction. They were reluctant to light a fire as it would expose their position to Imugi.

As Ryubeom cautiously walked, he discovered something on the wall.

“Handprints.”

Handprints, as if a person had scraped the wall. They were long, as though something had been dragged across the surface. If human sacrifice had indeed occurred, had Imugi brought the victims here and played with them like toys?

The dried bloodstains exuded a deep sorrow. Furthermore, there was an eerie energy throughout the space, likely the vengeful spirits of humans who had died at Imugi’s hands.

“If they died here, they probably couldn’t ascend…”

The souls of the humans might have been trapped by Imugi. Ryubeom sighed as he gently touched the wall, his resolve to eliminate Imugi growing stronger.

How much time had passed? They had been walking for quite a while, long enough to become accustomed to the pitch-black darkness, but there was still no sign of an end. There were no traces of Imugi, and most notably…

“…Doesn’t it feel like we’re going in circles?”

Ryubeom suddenly stopped in his tracks, asking the question. Yeohwi, seemingly having had the same thought, nodded and looked around. There was no light, no sound—an eerily quiet space.

“Why would they make their lair like a maze? To prepare for intruders?”

“Hmmm, the barrier alone should be enough for that…”

Yeohwi slowly stroked his chin. He murmured, somewhat uneasy about the rather weak barrier, and surveyed the surroundings. If they had intentionally left ‘traces’ to lure them toward the barrier, and then created this maze, it could only mean one thing…

“To trap us?”

Ryubeom sighed at Yeohwi’s deduction. Could it be that Imugi had anticipated Suin the tiger’s approach and deliberately set up a trap? Although he had tried to hide his energy, it might have been detected unknowingly. Perhaps when he trained in the mountains not long ago, some of his energy had leaked out.

If that was the case…

Bang! Suddenly, Ryubeom slammed his fist against the wall. Yeohwi, confused by his sudden action, asked why he was doing that, but Ryubeom didn’t answer. He struck the wall several more times, forcefully but not enough to collapse the cave. He made sure the sound was loud enough to echo.

Bang, bang, bang…

Until the echo of the tremendous noise faded, nothing happened in the cave. Given the commotion they had caused, Imugi should have appeared by now, but the lack of response led to one conclusion.

Ryubeom spoke in a faint voice. Imugi hadn’t trapped them in the maze to wear them down…

“Imugi must be outside the cave.”