Chapter 84: Hunt the Gumiho (2)

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A vast plain emerges east of White Cloud Valley, its sky shrouded in perpetual black clouds that blur the line between day and night.

This land of unending darkness, untouched by light, is known as the Plain of Despair. Hordes of yokai roam freely across its desolate expanse.

It's a high-risk zone that Vestia has nationally forbidden anyone to approach.

At the plain's center stands a ruined fortress, a place even these yokai hesitate to near.

Once a grand city showcasing the prosperity of the ancient Vestia Kingdom, it fell to yokai occupation and crumbled into ruin. Now, it serves as a meeting place for a select few powerful yokai.

Inside the fortress, in a vast meeting hall.

An eternal fire burns at its center.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

A massive body with a hundred legs, each seeming to move with its own will, takes a seat at the round table.

Narrow, inscrutable eyes. A black fedora and tuxedo. A cane neatly held by several leg-like hands. This was the centipede yokai, the Hundred-Legged Gentleman.

"Dear me, I seem to be a tad tardy. My apologies. It takes quite some time to don all my footwear, you see."

Generally, yokai of a certain power level tend to hole up in their own territories, rarely venturing out. The Hundred-Legged Gentleman was no exception.

He didn't particularly enjoy coming to the surface as someone living in seclusion in underground tunnels, but today was special.

The Dark Fox had summoned the yokai, claiming that the gumiho had appeared.

"I never dreamed the gumiho would awaken after all this time. Wouldn't you agree?"

"She likely emerged from her seal quite some time ago. Only now has she recovered enough power for us to sense her presence."

The woman exchanging words with the Hundred-Legged Gentleman took the form of a horse.

She was the Seventh of the Twelve Zodiac Spirits.

"Guhuhuhuhuh. Of course! That's exactly how it should be! Wouldn't you expect nothing less from the gumiho?"

A hulking figure with muscles so massive he seemed to struggle just crossing his arms bellowed heartily.

He was a dokkaebi.

Known as the King of Dokkaebi, Duoksini.

For Duoksini, who loved nothing more than testing his strength against powerful opponents, the gumiho's return was excellent news.

"Where is the gumiho now? I must go meet her at once!"

Duoksini grinned from ear to ear like a child promised a trip to an amusement park, looking expectantly at Heukbi for an answer.

Though wearing an eye patch, Heukbi could easily sense his gaze, but she paid it no mind. She simply swished her black tail leisurely, savoring her tea.

"Even if you were to seek her out now, you wouldn't achieve what you desire. At present, she's likely no more than a six-tailed fox, far from a full gumiho."

One of the Three Great Fox Spirits.

The Celestial Fox, the Gumiho, and the Dark Fox Heukbi.

The fox who reverses fate.

She could plunge an emperor into the abyss or elevate a vagrant from the streets to the imperial throne.

She was a dangerous being who could flip the fates of a prince and a beggar as easily as turning over her palm.

In the past, the Dark Fox had been one of the twin pillars of the fox clan alongside the gumiho, but she was also the greatest traitor who had forsaken her kind.

For she had sided with the heavens, lending her strength to hunt the gumiho.

If not for her, perhaps the world would now be under fox rule.

"Moreover, we have no time to play with the gumiho. The order from Heaven is to eliminate the threat before she is fully reborn."

"Hmm."

The yokai's reactions were ambiguous. They were yokai. They obeyed no one's orders, faithful only to their instincts.

Following orders went against their nature, and being told to capture the gumiho, a fellow yokai, was naturally displeasing.

The Horse of the Twelve Zodiac Spirits asked.

"Wasn't capturing the gumiho originally the Celestial Fox's role? Why has this Mandate of Heaven fallen to us yokai?"

"I am not certain of that myself, but perhaps the Celestial Fox has betrayed Heaven."

"Hmm…"

"Refusal is not an option. Those that do will face divine punishment for the same crime as the gumiho."

Even yokai who lived as they pleased feared divine punishment. If that was the alternative, capturing the gumiho seemed preferable.

"Lady Dark Fox, would you entrust the task of eliminating the gumiho to this humble monk?"

When the other yokai hesitated, an old man holding a monk's staff stepped forward.

Though he wore human skin, he too was a yokai. A fallen monk who had become a yokai after devouring his companions out of fear of death.

"It would be difficult for you. Though weakened, she is still a gumiho."

"I have a plan, so kindly allow me…"

"Hm."

The fallen monk persisted, refusing to give up easily.

The current gumiho was like a fragile raft adrift on a vast sea. She may self-destruct even if left alone, but stirring up waves would hasten the process.

The fallen monk, in particular, excelled in such matters, making him perfect for the job. Heukbi hesitated because she could see right through his intentions.

An opportunity to deal with the infamous gumiho. He planned to eliminate the weakened gumiho and monopolize her spiritual power.

After a moment's consideration, Heukbi spoke.

"Very well. I will entrust this task to you."

She hadn't fully grasped the gumiho's current state. Sending the fallen monk as a vanguard to assess her strength didn't seem like a bad idea.

The fallen monk withdrew, overjoyed.

"I shall not disappoint you."

***

The night was thick with darkness.

Dim light from magic stone streetlamps illuminated the quiet streets of Vestia, where only a few nocturnal beastkin stirred, beginning their nightly activities.

Tap. Tap.

The fallen monk's staff struck the ground rhythmically. He walked through the deserted streets after successfully infiltrating the city.

The gumiho was somewhere within these walls.

He couldn't fathom why the gumiho would mingle among people. The one he knew would have long since gone on a rampage, devouring them all.

Finding her in such a city would be no easy task, especially if she were alone. Causing a disturbance would only draw unwanted attention from the beastkin.

Should I take care of Vestia while I'm at it?

If so, he just needed to restrict the beastkins' movements.

Deal with the gumiho and clean up the troublesome beastkin. But using a wide-area spell recklessly would leave traces.

Stealthily, like a rat gnawing away, start from the invisible cracks. By the time they notice, it will be too late.

Fortunately, the fallen monk had an appropriate spell. He targeted a lone rat beastkin passing through an empty alley and cast his spell.

***

"Ugh, I'm so drunk…"

Baylon, a deer beastkin, staggered, swaying his body as he walked. He had drunk far too much.

But it couldn't be helped. No male in the world could refuse drinks offered by the bunny girls of Rabbit in the Moon, Vestia's finest tavern.

Anyone capable of that must not be a man. Or perhaps someone who finishes faster than a rabbit.

"Ugh, gotta pee."

Baylon fumbled with his waistband, facing a wall, and soon a strong stream of liquid could be heard. He relieved himself without hesitation.

The relief of emptying his bladder was so pleasant that Beilun couldn't help but hum a little tune.

"Pee-pee-pee, shake-shake-shake~ Pee-pee-pee, shake-shake-shake~"

Having finished his business, Beilun tidied himself up. He was about to stagger back in the direction of his home.

"Huh?"

Across the narrow alley.

A dark shadow blocked his path.

The round ears suggested it was a rat beastkin.

"Hey. Why are ya standing there blockin' the way? Move aside so I can pass."

"…"

"What, can't hear me?"

No response. She just stared blankly into space.

Did she drink too?

Or maybe she's on drugs?

What had been a good mood was now thoroughly ruined. Baylon pushed past the rat beastkin, deliberately shoving her shoulder hard as he went.

***

The next day, in broad daylight.

Baylon trudged forward, his hunched shoulders rising and falling slowly with each step.

His steps were heavy and unsteady as though the warm sunlight was pressing down on his head. He looked like he might collapse at the slightest breeze.

As if he had fought a long illness, his complexion had lost its original color and deep shadows formed under his eyes. There was cold sweat pouring down his cheeks, and his breathing was ragged, like a broken music box.

He looked like he could barely take a step. It was more accurate to say his body was leaning forward by inertia rather than walking.

The antlers he had once been proud of looked pitiful today, and his gaunt appearance made him look like he was on the verge of death. Everyone who passed by looked at him strangely and kept their distance.

"Yo, Baylon. You okay? You don't look well."

A beastkin who recognized him approached with a worried face and tried to speak to him, but Baylon showed no reaction. Thud. Thud. Thud. He just kept walking aimlessly.

Then Baylon's body swayed and—

Thud.

He finally collapsed to the ground.

"Baylon? Hey, Baylon!"

The man turned Baylon's body over. His eyes were rolled back, black veins standing out prominently.

"What's going on? Is he okay? Is he dead?"

"We need a doctor! Don't just stand there gawking, someone call a doctor!"

A commotion arose in the middle of the street, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

It was the beginning of a plague.