Chapter 79

A small village that had never seen such commotion began to stir with unrest. The Huayo people, who had been eavesdropping with their ears pricked up, started murmuring amongst themselves.

“What do you mean ‘we’re going to die’? What does that even mean?”

“Do you believe what the humans say? It’s obviously nonsense.”

“But these ominous events keep happening nowadays…”

“It’s because Huayo disappeared, and now we’re bearing the brunt of his misfortune.”

The reaction among the Huayo people was split. Some believed the world was set on their destruction, while others thought the calamity had merely shifted due to the disappearance of Gumiho.

Reactions were mixed. Even the parties involved were unaware of the detailed circumstances. The only one who knew the truth was the fox elder, who had deliberately limited the information.

In the distant past, when it was openly known that Lin was a Gumiho, disputes would endlessly arise.

Receiving a heavenly mandate while living like a dog of the heavens was impossible. Half of the people wanted to break Gumiho’s seal and incite another rebellion.

On the other hand, half completely opposed, claiming that defying the heavens was just repeating history’s foolish mistakes.

In the small village with nowhere to go, even uniting together was insufficient. The unrest was a serious matter.

After much deliberation, the elder of that time chose the path of placing all the blame on Gumiho.

The heavenly mandate was erased from the foxes’ minds over several generations, and Hongho was branded as a cursed monster.

The reason the Huayo people had to live in Baeyun Gorge was said to be because of Hongho.

When this was done, all that remained was Hongho, who woke up from the seal only to be immediately branded a sinner. By setting up the powerless young Gumiho as a shield, peace returned to the village.

Carami sighed internally.

“Still, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

A fox like the third Hokage.

Walking with a staff while holding back their power.

Is it fox magic? Anyhow.

The situation with Harold was different. The Huayo people in Baeyun Gorge were nothing more than trash that didn’t need consideration.

Though Carami, deep down, wanted to let them die or live as they pleased, it wasn’t possible to live in the world however she wanted.

“So, what are you planning to do? We’re busy, so we need to leave soon. If you keep stalling, we might just go.”

“…What do you want?”

The elder cautiously probed Carami, wary of her intentions. However, Carami shook her head exaggeratedly, indicating that she meant something else.

“Still haven’t grasped the situation, have you? Once we leave, it’s clear you’ll all end up as monster food, right? It’s not about what we want but rather, you should be begging ‘Please, save us.'”

“…”

It was the truth. The Huayo people had been facing life-threatening dangers ever since Gumiho disappeared from Baeyun Gorge.

Moreover, even if Omiho returned, there was no way to prevent their departure. If Lin left, certain death awaited.

The Huayo people lacked the ability to escape outside while evading the monsters. They had no other choice but to save their tribe.

After much thought and deliberation, the fox elder finally bowed their head.

“I beg you. I don’t want to die. We didn’t want to end up like this. Tell me, why must we bear the sins of our distant ancestors when we’ve done nothing wrong?”

Had they not defied the heavens? Had they not lived contentedly without greed, they wouldn’t have needed to be confined to Baeyun Gorge.

The elder lamented their ancestors’ misdeeds while pleading for sympathy. Carami scoffed as if mocking their flimsy excuses. Perhaps because she was a fox, she was exceptionally skilled at pretending to be pitiable.

“Don’t play the victim now. Didn’t you dump everything on Lin, who knew nothing?”

“We had no choice. If not, we would’ve all perished.”

“How revoltingly rational. If I were in charge, I would have led to a much better outcome.”

“That might be true, but back then—”

“Spare us the excuses. Let’s cut to the chase.”

The elder could do nothing against a significantly younger human acting unruly. They quietly listened to Carami’s words as she continued.

“The existence threatening the Huayo people. Is it the Bear Ghosts outside?”

“Yes.”

Bear Ghost (熊鬼).

Since ancient times, this entity has been regarded as the guardian deity of Baeyun Gorge and is the fundamental reason why the Huayo people cannot leave.

The Bear Ghost feeds on the mountain’s spiritual energy and is a colossal 40 meters in size. Its breath carries mysterious power that lingers in the air without dissipating.

That breath creates the fog that covers Baeyun Gorge.

‘This is unsettling.’

Thinking about breathing in the breath of a bear with every inhale made Carami suddenly feel unpleasant.

Anyway, the goal is for Lin to defeat the Bear Ghosts, and that will free the Huayo people from their fate of death.

Of course, she had no intention of offering her services for free.

“I’ll capture the Bear Ghost for you, but there are two conditions.”

Now, it was about to get to the main point.

The elder had no idea what Carami would demand and anxiously swallowed.

“First. Reveal who Lin truly is to everyone here, including their heavenly mandate.”

“…And the second condition?”

“There’s supposed to be a shrine underground that only the fox elder knows about, right?”

“How in the world do you—?”

The elder was shocked to a degree akin to gasping. It was strange, wasn’t it? While stating that only the fox elder knew about the shrine, how could an outsider human know about it?

Certainly, there was a hidden shrine underground in the fox cave. It was a location whose very existence was only known to the elder.

“How in the world…?”

Carami seemed to have completely pierced through the reasons for the shrine’s existence.

How?

When the elder initially considered this man merely someone to be cautious of, now he felt outright fear, knowing that accepting his offer here could lead to irreparable consequences.

“Do you accept or not? We don’t have time.”

But the elder wanted to survive.

He followed his survival instincts.

“I will accept the first condition. But regarding the second…”

“Why not? Is it impossible?”

“Given Gumiho’s current strength, I judge it to be insufficient. Even if you go to the shrine in this state, there’s a high possibility of losing control instead of making it your own power, rendering the offer meaningless.”

“Then you’re refusing to show it, is that it?”

“It’s not refusal. Defeat the Bear Ghost first. Proving that ability signifies the minimum qualification.”

The elder’s expression was resolute. With their lives at stake, even the elder who had previously kowtowed immediately refused this point without compromise.

‘So it’s come to this, just as I thought.’

The elder’s rejection was within what Carami had anticipated.

In the original story, Lin needed to return to Baeyun Gorge to grow into a proper Gumiho—before they died for failing their heavenly mandate.

It was a time attack. Lin had to grow before then.

When Omiho’s growth stalls, they must return to Baeyun Gorge, accept the elder’s request to defeat the Bear Ghosts, and only then, as a reward, gain access to the shrine.

Carami knew this information. Her freedom far exceeded that of the game, meaning new options appeared.

She had hoped to gain leverage beforehand, thinking that catching the Bear Ghost would be smoother, but it seems that didn’t work.

“Hmm, if you’re going to be this stubborn, there’s nothing I can do. Alright. We’ll take care of the first condition first, and I’ll tackle the second after everything is done.”

***

The fox elder gathered all the Huayo people in the village’s small square and revealed the truth.

Lin’s identity.

Why they were in Baeyun Gorge.

The reasons for the increasing misfortunes.

What would happen if Lin disappeared.

Realizing their lives were in Lin’s hands, the Huayo people were struck with immense shock.

“Are you kidding…?”

One of the Huayo who had previously tormented Lin stared at the elder with trembling lips. The elder slightly lowered their eyes, avoiding eye contact.

Meaning what they said was indeed the truth. Naturally, the Huayo’s gaze turned toward Lin next.

“Huayo… I mean, Lin? You’re not going to abandon us, right?”

“E-Eh? We’re family, after all. There’s absolutely no way! Right? Let’s eat meat together from now on! Animal viscera is quite delicious, you know.”

“We’ll catch those Bear Ghosts for you, obviously meaning that we’ll get you out of here.”

The foxes approached Lin with smiles that reeked of insincerity, akin to those of flatterers bowing to a king.

Lin felt discomfort looking at their subservient figures. A tumult of confusing emotions welled up in the depths of their chest, swirling uncontrollably.

They, who had once treated Lin as a calamity, now behaved as if Lin were a savior, simply because Lin had grown a few more tails.

Can perceptions truly shift so easily, like turning the back of a palm?

Lin felt unpleasant.

They didn’t want anything to do with these people.

With a flick of their body, Lin disappeared somewhere in the village.

“What is this? Where are you going? You’re not leaving, are you? You must catch the Bear Ghost first!”

“Surely not. If Huayo leaves, we die, don’t we? Huayo’s survival so far was thanks to how we didn’t chase them away and regularly shared our potatoes. If Huayo has a conscience, they should cooperate with us.”

“Exactly, right? In terms of reality, we’re family. Why would Huayo disregard the natural order?”

Watching them indulge in their self-serving arguments, Carami sighed. It seemed they hadn’t learned to read the situation, having only interacted within this secluded village.

Carami went in the direction Lin had disappeared. Lin was squatting in a secluded corner of the village where no one else was.

“Is something wrong? What doesn’t sit well with you?”

Even though Carami had approached up close, Lin’s gaze remained fixed on the cold ground.

“People who sought to belittle Lin and drive Lin away now need Lin. Lin holds the lives of those who tormented Lin in their hands. Isn’t that gratifying?”

“Lin didn’t want this. Lin wished to be treated as a fellow fox, as family… ”

Lin had always been a few steps away, watching. Watching the foxes laugh and interact with each other. They were envious and had dreamed of being treated that way one day.

However, the Huayo now didn’t view Lin as family. They only saw Lin as a tool to sacrifice themselves for the Huayo’s benefit.

Lin felt indescribable disappointment, hoping the Huayo would see them differently.

“Hmm, it seems Lin is fixated on the concept of family.”

“What…?”

“Lin, the concept of family is, in fact, pretty meaningless, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

Lin’s ears perked up.

Carami smiled wryly, the kind of smile that could only fit a slave trader, someone who knows what they’re scheming.

“Were you seeking to live together because of some familial obligation? No, that’s not it. You just woke up one day and realized you were already living together. The same goes for them. Family relationships are ones where no one gets to choose. They’re like heavenly mandates.”

A child doesn’t choose their parents, and the parents are the same. Even for the child they bore, the child wasn’t someone they specifically chose; it just happened.

“People say these are ties we can’t sever. Even if we didn’t choose each other, and even if we don’t like each other, we are bound to one another. Imagining this sounds uncomfortable.”

“…”

“But the people we meet throughout our lives are different. I choose the people I want to be with, and the people who want to be with me choose me. It’s a relationship of mutual desire, like the way I chose Lin.”

Lin tilted their head slightly.

“A relationship where one or both parties choose. A bond forged by our will, not destiny. Isn’t it beautiful? I think such connections are more intimate than family. What does Lin think?”

Lin thought for a moment.

Carami, who is an outsider but provides for them.

The Huayo, who are family but only think of themselves.

There was no need to ponder further.

“Lin feels the same. They are not as important as Master. Lin likes Master more. Lin wants to be with Master.”

“Then why insist on receiving recognition as family from them? You only need to impress me. Lin is my slave, and slaves only need to please their master.”

It was entirely correct.

All Lin had to do was meet the expectations of the master who rescued them that day. The safety of the Huayo people was never within consideration.

The master-slave relationship is more significant than familial ties.

Having reached a conclusion, Lin dusted themselves off and stood up.

“Lin will catch the bear.”

All for the master’s sake.

---