Chapter 118
The magical technique that burned internal organs alive combined with Yeo Moon-beom’s power had doubled in strength as it overwhelmed the Black Fox.
“Aaaarghhhh!”
The attack had hit directly.
The Black Fox, severely shocked, rolled on the floor howling like a beast. His tails, riddled with holes like punctured shields, turned white before transforming into dark gray ashes.
“A mere human who can’t even live a hundred years has not only interfered with my quest to become the supreme ghost, but has so futilely destroyed tails containing eight hundred years of spiritual power…!”
Even with the fox bead, his opponent was human, not a ghost. His mistake was completely falling for the trap due to carelessness.
The Black Fox, unable to contain his rage, unleashed his final magical technique. A black whirlwind filled with curses swept through the area.
But the attack, noticeably weakened in power, was worse than not attacking at all.
The whirlwinds, colliding with the white wind created by Yeo Moon-beom, disappeared without a trace before they could manifest their curse. The roar created by the collision of powers shook the surroundings like an earthquake.
“There’s a saying that a fox borrows the power of a tiger to flaunt its authority.”
To dream of becoming the king of ghosts when you’ve merely been scraping by, leaching off humans.
It was laughable. Yeo Moon-beom, without a shred of mercy, swung his fist and struck the Black Fox’s face. Four lines remained where the blades on his gloves had sliced through, with reddish-green blood flowing down.
“But what now? I’m a tiger who has gained the power of a fox. Can you defeat me?”
He drove a follow-up strike into the concave abdomen where organs had melted away. The Black Fox, taking the ghost-energy infused attack directly, vomited blood with a strained groan. A foul stench emanated from the blood clots that kept oozing out.
“Does it hurt?”
A suppressed, low voice resonated. Yeo Moon-beom looked down expressionlessly at the body struggling like an overturned insect, then stepped on it with a cracking sound. A howl of pain echoed within the narrow cave.
“The humans you devoured must have hurt more than this…”
If not for the fox monster before him, he could have at least gathered his mother’s remains to comfort her soul. He could have visited to pay respects whenever longing overcame him.
Rage surged through him. He pressed down harder with his foot on the Black Fox’s body. A fierce impulse rose within him to tear the creature limb from limb and throw every last bit of flesh to wild beasts.
“It was no different from you beasts killing livestock for food. Even humans kill other humans like insects, so what wrong is there in making those insignificant creatures my food!”
“Shut up!”
The Black Fox glared at Yeo Moon-beom, who was barely restraining his murderous intent, and sneered.
“You can never defeat me. I’ve placed a curse on my last puppet. The spell to turn the dokkaebi into a dueoksini was activated the moment my tails disappeared. Only I can break it—would you still kill me? Hwahahahaha!”
Yeo Moon-beom kicked the Black Fox’s face again as he burst into laughter, as if knowing everything. He had anticipated that the fox would use Eun-hwi as a hostage to threaten him, but the vileness of using any means necessary made him nauseous.
“Lead the way. To where Eun-hwi is.”
He made the blood-soaked body stand and headed toward the punishment room deep in the cave. Professor Bang Ki-bong, shaken by the Black Fox’s claim that Eun-hwi had already become a dueoksini, grabbed Yeo Moon-beom’s shoulder with a trembling hand.
“Director Yeo.”
“It will be fine. Don’t worry and stay somewhere safe. From here on it’s dangerous, so I’ll go alone.”
He intended to restore Eun-hwi’s upright and pure original self by any means necessary.
Even if he lost his life and could never be by Eun-hwi’s side again, it didn’t matter. As long as he could save him completely.
Gripping the Black Fox by the nape of his neck, he opened the door to the punishment room. Jang Gitae, who had been sitting deeply in an armchair adorned with black leather and metal framing, slowly stood up and spoke.
“You’ve come.”
Jang Gitae, showing no reaction to the badly injured Black Fox, beckoned with his finger to summon the half-dokkaebi who had been hiding in the shadows.
His face was still white and youthful, but the vibrancy that had once been as fresh as summer leaves was gone.
“Eun-hwi, snap out of it!”
“…”
“Eun-hwi!”
A malevolent yin energy emanated from Eun-hwi, who had been transformed into an evil spirit by the magical technique. Sulfur-colored eyes filled with resentment and hatred swept over Yeo Moon-beom, as if deaf to his desperate calls.
“Chairman Jang. I can’t become a beast and start cultivating my powers all over again. Quickly, return my bead!”
Shaking off Yeo Moon-beom’s arm, which couldn’t hide its agitation, the Black Fox quickly ran to Jang Gitae. He apparently planned to recover his power from the fox bead and create new tails.
Jang Gitae removed the fox bead he had been holding under his tongue and showed it. Just as the Black Fox’s eyes filled with hope at the sight of the gleaming bead filled with dark energy—
Bang!
After swallowing the fox bead again, Jang Gitae picked up a revolver from the table and pulled the trigger. The ghost-infused bullet accurately pierced the Black Fox’s heart. It happened so quickly that no one could intervene.
The Black Fox trembled, looking down at his pierced chest.
“H-how could… you promised… to return it… whenever needed…”
“Humans don’t need to keep their promises, you know. You’ve watched for so long, yet you still don’t know me? How disappointing.”
Bang!
With the sound of the revolver’s cylinder turning, another gunshot rang out. As the bullet flew like a fierce wave and penetrated the Black Fox’s forehead, Jang Gitae’s lips twisted into a diagonal smile.
“You know what? Even if the original body dies and disappears, as long as the fox bead remains, I can command the puppet affected by the spell. I was just waiting for an opportunity to deal with you, and thanks to my son, I easily obtained the bead. It worked out quite well, didn’t it? Hahahahaha!”
The wicked are drawn to their own kind, but alliances formed without bonds are easily broken.
Yeo Moon-beom’s eyes trembled slightly. The blood pouring from the head, crushed like a watermelon, made him frown involuntarily. Fortunately or unfortunately, Eun-hwi, under the curse, stared blankly into space with unfocused eyes.
“If I had waited just a little longer, I could have become a nine-tailed fox… It’s unjust, so unjust. Deeply unjust…”
The splattered blood and fur turned into black ashes and scattered like dust.
Jang Gitae, who had been watching with a smile as the fox perished without leaving a trace, shrugged as if nothing had happened and sat back on the sofa. He positioned the half-dokkaebi, now his puppet, in front of him like a shield.
“Moon-beom. I once told you that gangsters need to move when money and honor are at stake.”
Jang Gitae took out a cigar from a leather box engraved with an elegant pattern and lit the end with a cigar lighter.
Hiss—
Soon, smoke spread everywhere, covering the rotten smell of the ghost. After deeply inhaling the thick, acrid scent and savoring it with his tongue, he continued speaking.
“You wanted my position badly enough to throw away even your honor. It’s exactly the kind of thinking my son would have, which pleases this father. A ruler, big or small, is always followed by a bloody history. To reign over others, you must inevitably sacrifice your subordinates.”
Sacrifice.
Yeo Moon-beom deeply despised his biological father, who nobly packaged acts worse than beasts—betraying both heavenly and human principles.
He was a monster more cruel and terrible than any ghost.
“Is that why you killed my mother and grandfather?”
Jang Gitae’s eyes widened slightly as Yeo Moon-beom mentioned the truth he had never spoken of before. He smiled as if amused by the consecutive unexpected situations and exhaled smoke.
“Yes. Thanks to them, you and I have been able to enjoy our current wealth. Even now, I’m grateful to those two who quietly sacrificed themselves for us. Don’t I hold ancestral rites for them every year at great expense? Where else could you find such devotion?”
It was an absurd sophistry.
How painful it had been to vividly see, at every moment, the final image of his mother dying miserably after resistance.
Yeo Moon-beom clenched his fist. His nails digging into his palm felt like they were scratching his heart. Anger that seemed about to explode consumed his entire body.
“You’re my son, so I’ll give you one last chance. If you give up now and take the Black Fox’s place, I’ll at least spare your life.”
Jang Gitae took out a cutter and cut off the burnt end of the cigar. It was the greatest mercy bestowed by someone who immediately disposed of chess pieces that were no longer needed.
“I’ve always thought that to become strong, one must become lonely like you.”
He had sought to become a monster himself in order to eliminate monsters.
He had believed that he must leap alone into the flames that blackened him, not getting close to anyone, not giving his heart to anyone.
“But now that I’ve gained the power I so desperately wanted, I’ve realized that true strength lies in embracing even the loneliness of others. Not in ruling over others through force like you.”
He didn’t need power obtained at the cost of corrupting his own soul. Yeo Moon-beom looked at Eun-hwi, who had lost his heart because of him, and then without hesitation, crushed the White Fox’s bead in his hand.
“I will take revenge on you with my own strength, Father.”
White fragments infused with yin energy scattered into the air in small pieces. Jang Gitae, who had been sneering at the fragments disappearing as futilely as soap bubbles, ordered the half-dokkaebi with a suddenly fierce expression:
“Kill that foolish bastard right now!”
Eun-hwi leaped up, holding dokkaebi fire that had risen long like a blade. Yeo Moon-beom assumed a defensive stance, waiting for the imminent attack.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
