The Shadow of the Inner Realm, Geusseundae the Dark Lord (2)

This incident occurred about a year ago.

Despite a year having passed since becoming a fox yokai, Miho still lacked the will to live.

It was understandable, given her life was limited.

Of course, she could prolong her life somewhat by draining the vital essence from human men or devouring their livers.

However, her human identity still superseded her fox yokai identity, preventing her from even considering harming human men.

To Miho, death seemed preferable to employing a fox yokai’s method of obtaining life force.

As she entered the ‘acceptance’ stage of coming to terms with death, Miho’s behavior became unrestrained.

Fated to die soon from lacking life force, she told the yokai of the Inner Realm:

“Don’t pay any attention to me.

Don’t even speak to me.

Just treat me like I’m invisible.

When I die, just bury me somewhere sunny.”

…Of course, there were no sunny spots in the eternally moonlit Inner Realm, so her final request went unheeded.

Naturally, her other two requests were also ignored.

The loquacious Depot and Grandfather Pouch, who adored children, began rambling incessantly at Miho’s bedside nest.

The squirrel yokai Depot said:

“Chkchkchk, chkchkchkchk!”

Miho heard Depot’s long-winded tale but tuned it out, reducing it to mere ‘chk’ sounds – clear evidence of disregarding him.

The child-loving Grandfather Pouch said:

“Hurhurhurhur. Miho, won’t you come into this old pouch of mine?”

Miho also tuned out Grandfather Pouch’s words.

In fact, he had never actually said “won’t you come into my pouch?” – it was just Miho assuming the perverted old pouch would say something like that.

As Depot prattled, Miho ignored them, and this routine persisted, until a piece of information slipped from their mouths that Miho could not easily dismiss:

“Miho, Geusseundae has returned!”

Perk.

At Depot’s words, Miho perked up her fluffy fox ears and responded:

“…Geusseundae?”

“Wow, Miho actually replied! It’s been so long since she last spoke!”

“Hurhurhurhur, it must have been about a month, I’d wager.”

That Miho had simply uttered a single response was enough for Depot and Grandfather Pouch to cheer delightedly, giving an idea of just how dire Miho’s condition was at this point.

Geusseundae was a yokai Miho had heard about from Depot before.

If the Inner Realm’s ruler, the Lord of the Mountain, represented the light (明), then Geusseundae was the shadow (暗) of the Inner Realm.

He was a yokai embodying darkness itself.

For some reason, he frequently left the Inner Realm, which was why Miho had not encountered him there over the past year.

The typically indifferent Miho reacted strongly to Depot’s words “Geusseundae has returned”, violently wagging her tail as she asked:

“Where is that yokai right now?”

“Where else? He’ll be in the darkest part of the Inner Realm.”

“…Thank you, Depot, Grandfather.”

“Wow, Miho thanked me!”

“Hurhurhurhur.”

While Miho thought she had fully accepted death at this point, that was not actually the case.

She simply lacked any means to survive.

‘Geusseundae’ was the most powerful yokai in the Inner Realm, barring the Lord of the Mountain himself.

A yokai that strong might know an ‘alternative method’ to obtain life force.

Clinging to that slender hope, Miho set out to find Geusseundae.

Before long, she was able to meet him, though the details of their conversation remained unclear.

“Miho, what did he say? What did Geusseundae tell you?”

“…Nothing. I’m going to sleep, Depot.”

The returning Miho wore an expression so fraught with turmoil that it silenced even the normally talkative Depot.

---

“Do you see anything? I can’t see a thing…”

“No, I can’t see either.”

“But you’re a dog, Miho. Don’t dogs have better eyesight than humans?”

“I’m a fox, not a dog. And a fox’s eyesight isn’t that different from a human’s.”

“Dog or fox, what’s the difference?”

“…”

There is a difference.

Dogs and foxes are distinctly separate animals.

An animal’s eyesight stems from its sense of smell.

What this means is that canine animals, having a far superior sense of smell over eyesight, first smell objects before visually identifying them.

They utilize their keen sense of smell to detect scents, identify the source, and only then can they truly ‘see’ it.

In that sense, with my sense of smell rendered meaningless here, my eyesight could not function properly.

It would be no exaggeration to say I had effectively lost my eyesight completely.

Relying on memory, I walked forward, aiming for the Inner Realm’s central area where the Lord of the Mountain resided.

For some reason, I had a strong conviction that Geusseundae would be lounging there, waiting for me.

While not an extremely far distance from the entrance to the center, with nothing visible and no scents, we advanced at a snail’s pace, painstakingly groping through the darkness for three full hours.

“Haah, this is so stifling… Miho, are you sure this Geusseundae yokai is really a good one?”

“Probably…?”

“Probably?! But you said he was a good yokai earlier!”

“The criteria for ‘good’ differs for each person. From my perspective, he is a good yokai.”

It’s only natural to view someone as good if their intentions align with yours, and as bad if they don’t.

In that sense, Geusseundae was indeed a good yokai to me.

Because the Lord of the Mountain himself trusted him.

If the Lord didn’t trust him, he would never have allowed Geusseundae into the Inner Realm to begin with.

I recalled my conversation with Geusseundae from a year ago:

‘By any chance, do you know a way to obtain life force?’

‘!@#$%^$’

…As expected, I couldn’t remember.

Whenever I tried recalling our conversation, his words seemed obscured by a dark veil, leaving me unable to remember exactly what he had said.

While I didn’t fully remember our exchange, it had been unpleasant yet strangely reassuring amidst the turmoil – a confusing experience.

After some time wandering by memory, we fortunately arrived at the central area of this ‘fake Inner Realm’.

I carefully surveyed the surroundings.

Though utterly dark to the point of rendering objects indistinguishable, there was one peculiar point still faintly visible to the naked eye:

The area presumed to be the Lord of the Mountain’s throne was uniquely darker than anywhere else.

No, ‘darker’ didn’t quite capture it.

What is darkness, to begin with?

Darkness is a concept that can only exist in the presence of light.

Darkness and light are inextricably intertwined concepts, strongly interacting to the point of being inseparable.

Without darkness, there is no light.

Without light, there is no darkness.

Yet in this fake Inner Realm, not even the faintest glimmer of light existed.

The swirling abyss before me was essentially a colossal paradox, utterly negating my very understanding of ‘darkness’ itself.

This was the embodiment of the yokai named ‘Geusseundae’.

Gloopgloopgloop.

The darkness moved.

I could see it, and it seemed Ha-neul could too.

“What is that…”

Gradually, the darkness began coalescing into a distinct form – one at once familiar yet strangely alien to me.

One tail, two tails, three…

…Eight tails.

Geusseundae had assumed the shadowy form of an eight-tailed fox.

“Mi, Miho, is that you?!”

“No, it’s not me, that’s…”

There has historically been only one eight-tailed fox yokai.

“Dalgi…?”

It was not me, but Dalgi’s shadow.

The moment I realized this, an astonishing phenomenon occurred.

Fssssssshhhhhhh.

An eerie sound began, and the veil of darkness enveloping us slowly dissipated.

What was this…?

The only way to dispel darkness was ‘light’, yet I had not used any fox-fire.

It was not me or Ha-neul who banished the darkness – it was Geusseundae himself.

As the darkness lifted, a location became visible – a place resembling the royal palace of an ancient Chinese kingdom rather than Korean architecture.

In the palace’s center stood a resplendent golden throne emanating brilliant light.

And lounging upon that throne in a sensual pose was the shadowy figure of a nine-tailed woman, exuding an aura of mystique.

While her silhouette was visible, as a mere shadow, I could not discern her face.

Ha-neul, who had been by my side, was now nowhere to be seen, but I did not panic.

I did not think Geusseundae would harm Ha-neul.

He likely wished to speak with me alone.

I addressed him:

“Geusseundae… is that you…?”

The woman’s shadowy figure spoke:

“Indeed. To be precise, I am Geusseundae assuming Dalgi’s shadowy fox form. Ahahahahaha! I would have preferred taking the nine-tailed form, but that might have transgressed against the heavenly order.”

“How did you…”

“Do not ask the cause, for I shall not provide you any answers regardless. Merely accept the result.”

“…Understood. Then why did you take Dalgi’s form specifically…?”

“It is simple.”

Though his expression was unseen:

“Dalgi was the sole nemesis of the goblins.”

For some reason, I had the uncanny sense that Geusseundae wore an imperious, haughty expression.