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Chapter 2

Act 1: The Land of Dokkaebi (2)

A wide plateau stretched across the heart of the Uilta Mountain Range.

It was the very end of a warm spring.

Vibrant maples lined the ridges, while royal azaleas and clover bushes dotted the low hills, with blooming peach blossoms being the most beautiful of them all.

The spring greenery blanketing the slopes seemed to whisper and boast of its lushness. Even the newly sprouted buds joined in the display.

It was indeed a magnificent mountain vista that could be called the picture of spring.

But the beauty ended right there.

Following the ridge line further up revealed a plateau so flat that it was easy to forget you were on a mountain, and at the end of that sight was a sacred taboo rope and a wooden plaque.

Written on the wooden plaque was a warning that seemed out of place amid the beautiful scenery.

[Ahead is the Ghost Temple. Forbidden territory for mortals. Turn back without fall.]

When you ignored that grim warning and took even a single step past the rope, the landscape flipped entirely.

The lush spring mountain vanished as if it had been an illusion. In its place was a wasteland of blood-red streams with rotting ritual ropes draped on everything. Withered tree and dead leaves scattered as bleak and biting wind blew.

This place is Land of Dokkaebi, and the people who inhabit this place are either Dokkaebi or their kin, known as Ghostkin.

“Quite the view, isn’t it?”

When they walked through the gate of the temple, Mong Ryeon flashed a grin.

“So! First impressions of Ghostkin’s territory?”

“Spooky,” Yise said.

“How boring of you.”

“Interesting, too. Why is like this?”

“When you’ve got that many beings radiating Demonic Qi packed into one place, the environment is bound to decay under the strain. By the way, if you cross that rope and leave, you’ll never find your way back in with your human weak strength, so don’t even think about wandering off.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

On the way here, Mong Ryeon had casually told Yise that she was the Chief of the Ghostkin and the person in charge of the Ghost Temple.

It was so far beyond anything he’d imagined that he’d spent a moment working through it with a blank face.

She’d promised to let him hunt and kill demons, but she wasn’t basically one of them herself?

Is this really okay?

Mong Ryeon seems to read what his face said as she explained this, “I can guess what you’re thinking, but Ghostkin aren’t like ordinary demons. We’re only classified as demons because we’re born with the natural ability to control Demonic Qi. Heck, we’re actually humanity’s strongest allies. Just think of us as a different kind of kids.”

Yise gave a quiet nod and said nothing more.

They walked across muddy ground for a short distance before a gate with an inscription reading ‘The Autumn Gate’ came into view.

With the groan of rusted hinges, the massive doors parted and revealed the world inside.

At that moment, dozens of Ghostkin with each bearing their own set of horns turned toward them.

Their faces were initially warm and welcoming, but the moment they noticed Yise’s presence, their pupils suddenly turned crimson.

Seeing dozens of eyes flash in perfect union was a deeply unsettling sight, enough to make Yise’s heart skip a beat.

A human?!

It’s really a human…

Mong Ryeon bellowed out as if to announce to the room.

“He is a new family!”

“You’re all at the age where boys fight to establish a pecking order, but try not to cause too dramatic,” Mong Ryeon advised quietly.

“I know my place. I won’t cause trouble.”

“Hey, I’m not telling you to walk on eggshells and be a pushover. It’ll probably take a while before they fully accept you, so I just want you to hang in there. Since we’ve decided to bring you here, you’ll basically family now.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Watching Yise answering in his usual mature tone, Mong Ryeon clicked her tongue once.

The kid was weirdly mature for his age. It feels like she was staring at an old man wearing a child’s face, or someone living through their second lifetime.

‘Ugh, get a grip. What nonsense am I thinking?’

Mong Ryeon chased the pointless thought away. Yise was busy scanning the compound and quietly mapping the interior of the Ghost Temple with his eyes.

It was instinct as much as habit.

Past the Autumn Gate stood a massive grand hall with tiled-roof buildings flanking it on either side. In front of them lay several open spaces which appeared to be training grounds.

Up the mountain trail to the right, he could spot several more structures, though there didn’t seem to be an obvious path leading to them.

“Alright, this is as far as you go with me. I have to go back on border patrol. See you this evening.”

“Chief.”

“Yes?”

“What should I do until you get back?”

“Eat well. Rest well.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not just today. From today onward, you need to eat well and grow well. If you want to fight, those stubby arms and legs of yours need to be at least properly built and grow. Getting some meat on your bones is priority number one right now. If you stunt your growth now, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life when you’re out there trying to hunt demons.”

“I’ll take that to heart.”

Mong Ryeon ruffed his hair, then called out to a girl who had been standing some distance away and was stealing glances at them.

“Gong-ah. Come here.”

“Yes, Chief!”

The girl named Gong-ah practically launched herself across the courtyard the moment she called.

She was a tomboyish girl with round eyes and plump lips.

After calmly smoothing down his ruffled hair, he cast a quick glance at the girl of his age, and their eyes met.

Gong-ah blinked and let out a cheerful giggle.

“Take this kid to the head cook and tell her I asked to look after his meals. Then get him set up with a place to sleep.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Gong-ah chirped.

“She is a lively child.”

Once Mong Ryeon left, Gong-ah turned to Yise with sparkling eyes and looked him over from head to toe.

Finally, her eyes crinkled into happy crescent moons as the space, “Nice to meet you! I’m Gong-ah. What’s your name?”

“Yise.”

“Yise… That’s a unique name!”

Is it?

When he didn’t bother to reply, Gong-ah began circling him like a curious puppy.

“Whoa, cool. You really don’t have horns!”

“Obviously. I’m a human.”

“Are all humans born with ears this small and skin this yellow?”

“Pretty much.”

“Hee~”

She poked and prodded him curiously for a bit, then her eyes lit up again. “Want me to show you around? Oh, wait, are you hungry?”

Yise shook his head. “I’m fine. For now.”

“Awesome!”

She grabbed his hand and then immediately started dragging him around in every direction.

She first pointed out the massive central building.

“That big building in the center is the main hall. It’s basically where everything at the Ghost Temples happens. There are tons of rules and off-limits areas inside, so don’t go wandering in on your own.”

Then she pointed at the buildings flanking the main hall.

“The halls on either side are the living quarters. There are plenty of empty rooms, so just pick one you like.”

And then, she showed him the rest of the outbuildings facing the front courtyard.

“Over here’s the training ground, and this is the kitchen. Mealtimes are at the Hour of the Dragon (7 AM to 9 AM), the Hour of the Horse (11 PM to 1 PM), and the Hour of the Rooster (5 PM to 7 PM), so don’t be late! And don’t worry too much about telling the time, they ring a giant bell when the food is ready. Normally, you’re not allowed in the kitchen outside of mealtimes, but since Chief asked specially, you should be fine!”

“If you take the path climb and up toward the hill, there are burial mounds for those who’ve passed and stone statues of our past Chiefs. That area is a sacred sanctuary, so no footing around up there! Oh, and there’s our secret base behind the main hall, but I’ll show you that later!”

After giving him the full tour of the compound, Gong-ah led him to the kitchen.

She knocked on the wooden door a couple of times, and it swung open to reveal an old woman.

“Auntie! This is Yise, her human, and the Chief asked us to make sure he gets fed!”

The cook’s eyes went wide with surprise as she sized him up, but she soon let out a warm smile.

“Sounds like the Chief’s brought a home new addition. My, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a human! Nice to meet you, dear. How old are you?”

“Ten this year.”

“My, how polite and mature.”

“What! But I am twenty-two!”

The woman patted Gong-ah on the head and added, “Humans age about twice as fast as Dokkaebi, dear. So if you think about it that way, Gong-ah is only a year older than Yise.”

“That makes me the older one!”

“Sounds like you’re happy to have a little brother. Look after him properly.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Gong-ah gave a cheerful bow and scurried off.

A moment later, a feast was set down in front of Yise.

There were so many side dishes that it seemed as though the table’s legs might buckle under the weight.

“Isn’t this… too much?”

“Sweetheart, you’re way too skinny for a ten-year-old. You’ve gotta eat to grow.”

“But I just…”

“A freelancer.”

“A human, at that.”

Someone who didn’t even share the same species as them and was relying entirely on their charity. Realistically speaking, he might have been invited but could be cast out at any moment he should disappoint Chief Mong Ryeon.

“Nonsense. Once you’re inside the gates of the Ghost Temple, you are a family. I’m not about to let any child under this roof go hungry as long as I draw breath. Now eat before it gets cold.”

“—Thank you.”

Despite his worries, the woman before him was genuinely kind.

Yise dipped his spoon and took a sip of the savory broth.

It was warm.

The warmth slipped down his throat and settled in his stomach before spreading through his whole body.

Out of nowhere, the morning’s events surfaced in his mind.

He recalled the reason he’d followed Mong Ryeon without a shred of hesitation.

It was simply because…

The porridge she’d handed him in that bamboo container was warm.

When his own neighbors had hirt him to die in the freezing cold, that porridge was the only thing that had warmed his shivering body.

Much like the warmth in the heart of the woman who sat smiling at him right now.

Yise worked his spoon until he was so full, and made sure not a single dish on that table was left unfinished.

But of course, a new home is never entirely welcoming.

“Hey, human!”

Yise turned to look at the young boys who had just stepped into his path as he was slowly making his way through the buildings to pick a room. They looked a year or two older than,

They were likely the “we” Gong-ah had referred to when she spoke of our “secret base.”

Yise turned calmly and waited to hear what came next. He knew that in times like this, keeping your mouth shut and discerning what the other person actually wanted was always the best move.

“You’ve got some nerve setting foot in the Ghost Temple when you’re just a human.”

“And grabbing Gong-ah’s hand on top of that? The nerve of you.”

“Someone needs to teach you a lesson.”

Children show their malice more easily than you’d think. And the reason behind it is usually simple.

‘Jealousy.’

That girl Gong-ah must be something of a princess around here, and these three didn’t like that she’d shown him any warmth.

“You mute or something? Say something.”

They’d even rolled up their sleeves, so they were clearly planning to rough him up a bit.

Yise thought it over for a moment, then slowly lowered his head.

He could feel their hostile stares on top of his head shift to bewilderment.

Swallowing your pride was the easy way out of this.

Even if they were only kids, there was zero benefit in making enemies in a place where he was a guest.

To put it cruelly, he was simply a beggar here.

“I’m sorry for trespassing into Ghostkin territory when I’m nothing but a human. I know I’m being shameless, but please let me stay. A demon slaughtered my entire family, so had nowhere left to go and ended up following the Chief here.”

“What? Uh… wait, no…”

“You didn’t have to put it like that… Humans really go straight for the gut, don’t they?”

These kids had never dealt with someone surrendering without a fight and dropping a tragic backstory on them. They were flustered and didn’t know what to do with themselves.

“Wait, this isn’t what was supposed to happen! Hey, what do we do now?”

“Nice to meet you,” Yise said.

Right on cue, a clear, booming voice rang out from across the compound.

“S-chwii! Wol-jang! Owi-geol! What do you think you’re doing to our new family member? I’m telling the Chief!”

Gong-ah had appeared out of nowhere and began to scold the three young boys. They squirmed and floundered for a while before eventually retreating, and Gong-ah turned to Yise with an apologetic expression.

“I’m so sorry, Yise. They aren’t bad kids… they’re just not used to humans, so they’re acting out a little. I’ll make sure they won’t do this again.”

“It’s fine. But what’s going on?”

“The Chief is back. She wants to see you.”