Chapter 77
Eun-hwi’s frightened eyes suddenly widened at the clear voice that resonated in his chest.
“…Mountain God?”
However, the message transmitted through spirit communication ended there. As if to say that acting on faith was solely his responsibility, there was no further intervention.
‘Does the light that illuminates darkness truly exist within me?’
‘Can I, who can’t even chase away a single crow, save Moon-beom?’
The threatening figure of Eodukseoni was reflected in the confused half-dokkaebi’s eyes. Fear spread throughout his body, making him forget even the thought that he should close his eyes. A giant fist filled his paralyzed vision.
Bang!
With a tremendous roar that split the sky, everything shook as if an earthquake had occurred. Trees, unable to withstand the vibration, shed their delicate leaves to the ground.
Fortunately, the bluish protective barrier firmly protected the inside without a single crack. Enraged that the barrier wouldn’t break easily, Eodukseoni launched another attack with a fierce momentum.
“Kraaaaaagh!”
Bang! Bang!
Under the successive attacks, Eun-hwi crouched down, covering his head with both hands.
Although half-human, he was somewhat accustomed to negative energy due to the flow of goblin power within him. However, the negative energy of Eodukseoni, who charged in with a roar, was so strong that it felt like his whole body was being crushed. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and sweat poured down like rain.
What should I do? I’m scared…
Even though he had been bullied often, he had never felt such intense killing intent before. Even when the human-faced bird had attacked with strong winds in the Mountain God’s domain, it hadn’t carried such a damp and gloomy energy.
“Come out now! Are you trying to mock me like your father?”
It seemed that Eodukseoni’s goal was not to trample Dr. Hong and Moon-beom to death, but to absorb their positive energy to gain power comparable to the Jangseung dokkaebi.
Although all goblins disliked Eun-hwi because he smelled like a human, Eodukseoni particularly despised Gabi, who had thrown away everything for humans, even more than Eun-hwi.
Saying that he had brought down the dignity of goblins.
He would often mock Eun-hwi, asking if his father was doing well even though he knew he had left the island, and when Mongdalgwi and Yagwanggwi were beating or throwing stones at him, Eodukseoni would stand by, insulting Gabi and causing Eun-hwi mental anguish.
And now, just like the Jangseung dokkaebi he so despised, his son was also closely associated with a human known as a monster hunter.
It was as if he had touched a sore spot.
“Jangseung dokkaebi, you rascal! You keep interfering with me until the end!”
When no attack seemed to work, Eodukseoni, who had been repeatedly throwing his body against the barrier to break it, glared angrily and once again transformed into a black mass. It was to find a gap in the barrier and penetrate it.
The evil energy spread widely, enveloping the entire Hwichukdang in a circular shape. It was an ominous force that shattered even the belief that the barrier would never break.
I’m scared. I’m so scared…
The half-dokkaebi, engulfed in pitch-black darkness where not a single starlight or moonbeam could enter, trembled violently.
He felt as if his inner self was gradually crumbling and disappearing, as if he was losing something important.
That feeling, which he had forgotten for a while but was so familiar that it gave him goosebumps, was the loneliness he never wanted to experience again.
“You’re a being that should never have been born. No one loves you.”
“…No! That’s not true!”
“How can you be so oblivious? Everyone hates you. Even the one you call family abandoned everything and left, didn’t they? Because you’re a disgusting and creepy burden. Because you’re useless. Isn’t that right?”
“N-no… *sob*”
Lies. I don’t want to hear this.
Eun-hwi shook his head and covered his ears. But he couldn’t block out the voices that arose like intrusive thoughts. His back, hunched to make his already small body look even smaller, trembled pitifully.
Tears that had rolled down his cheeks fell in large drops onto his knees. As he felt them seeping coldly into the fabric, he raised his head, and at that moment,
‘You won’t be hated. Don’t worry.’
‘How could anyone hate someone so adorable?’
The kind words Moon-beom had said to him echoed in his mind like a mantra. It was the sound of light engraved deep in his heart.
“Ah…”
Only then could he understand the Mountain God’s intention.
Eun-hwi gritted his teeth, listened to the voice in his heart, and gently closed his moist eyelids. As the chilling fear gradually disappeared, the unstable trembling of his eyelashes soon ceased.
I want to save him. I want to save Moon-beom.
I really want to save him.
He had told me to disregard myself and stay in a safe place. But I couldn’t let him bear the despair and emptiness of endless darkness alone.
Even if he had the strength to overcome it alone, two were always stronger than one. If I could help even a little, he would be able to overcome this crisis quickly.
Eun-hwi stood up, putting all his strength into his legs. His slender ankles buckled for a moment, but the warm energy swirling inside the barrier gave him strength.
The shine returned to his hair, which had been submerged in deep shadows. At the same time, the dokkaebi fire that had been emitting a bluish flame gradually brightened, producing a yellow light, and then radiated a cold yet warm brilliance like the full moon in the night sky.
“Give back the souls of those two people right now!”
Eun-hwi walked out of the barrier. Although the strong wind and ground tremors made him breathless and his whole body shook, it was okay because the dokkaebi fire that brightly illuminated the darkness enveloped him.
“Hahahahaha! Are you finally ready to receive your punishment?”
The black fog that had spread widely in all directions gathered and twisted, becoming a slimy and eerie mass.
“You’re the one who should be punished! You evil thing!”
The half-dokkaebi, having completely shaken off his fear, leapt off the ground and jumped towards Eodukseoni, who had inflated his size.
Darkness as deep as the bottom of the ocean surrounded the dokkaebi fire without leaving even the slightest gap.
An eternal time passed, whether it was a moment, an hour, half a day, or a full day, impossible to gauge.
Between the sinking consciousness, only the sound of crackling firewood could be heard.
…Firewood?
He had clearly been fighting against Eodukseoni. As a faint red light seeped in, Eun-hwi slowly lifted his eyelids to check his surroundings.
Where is this…?
This was a large Western-style house that he had never seen even on TV. A fire was blazing in a fireplace made of antique apricot-colored marble, and next to it stood a fir tree decorated with twinkling lights and colored glass balls. The interior was so lavish and splendid that it looked just like a palace where Westerners might live.
It felt like a dream, but the warmth of the fire on the logs and the smell of burning wood were too conscious to be a fantasy created by the unconscious.
Almost like someone’s memory.
‘Wow. It’s a Christmas tree! I’ve never seen such a big tree before.’
As Eun-hwi looked around with a bewildered face, he caught sight of a boy approaching the tree with an excited expression.
The boy, about a hand span taller than him, had a youthful face with round features that still retained some baby fat, but his dark eyes with a grayish tinge and deep, intense gaze were quite impressive.
Even without the long scar running down his left cheek and jaw, Eun-hwi could recognize him immediately. The boy, exuding a mature aura unsuited to his young age, was none other than Moon-beom.
What’s going on?
Although he existed in the same space, the young Moon-beom neither recognized nor acknowledged him. All Eun-hwi could do here was watch him.
‘You seem to like it.’
A man slowly walked in. With his large build and tall stature, he exuded a commanding presence even in the spacious house. He resembled the man Eun-hwi had once seen in a TV commercial who looked like Moon-beom.
The man, emanating a negative energy that Eun-hwi hadn’t felt when seeing him on screen, picked up one of the many gift boxes piled under the fir tree and handed it to Moon-beom.
‘Go ahead and open it.’
‘Is it okay for me to touch something that looks so expensive?’
‘Of course. All these are gifts I prepared for you.’
Moon-beom, who had been staring at the dozens of gift boxes with an unbelieving expression, looked up at the man with the brightest smile he had ever shown.
‘F-Father. Thank you. I’m so happy.’
‘I’ve been very upset that I couldn’t do anything for you all this time, not knowing that I had a son who looks just like me. From this year on, let’s enjoy Christmas together with your father.’
‘…’
‘What’s wrong, Moon-beom?’
Moon-beom, who had been hesitating to speak, opened his eyes wide once as if gathering courage, then spoke.
‘Um… Father. Can we invite Mother too?’
‘Well. I believe your mother left you with me because she has someone else to meet.’
‘…Someone else?’
‘I guess you didn’t know about adult matters at all. Why don’t we spend a cozy time just us men today, without worrying about such a frivolous woman?’
‘…Yes.’
An indescribable disappointment settled on the boy’s face as he slowly nodded. His hands became rougher as he unwrapped the gift box.
A cold sneer appeared on the man’s lips as he looked down at the child who was openly displaying his emotions.
