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

While I had interacted with Geusseundae before, those memories were hazy, like obscured by a veil. So I asked him a question I was curious about:

“Do you know me?”

“Of course, you are Miho.”

“Have we spoken before?”

“Precisely 375 days ago, we conversed in the Inner Realm.”

“…Did you perhaps erase my memory?”

“I cannot answer that.”

…So he did erase it.

Hoping he wouldn’t erase my memory this time, I continued my questioning, starting with what I was most curious about:

“Are you a spirit?”

I had two main reasons for suspecting Geusseundae was a spirit:

First, I didn’t sense any yokai life force from him.

Second, he seemed an extraordinarily powerful being, on par with the Lord of the Mountain.

An immensely powerful being lacking yokai life force could only be a spirit, right?

“No.”

However, his response was a negation.

“I am a yokai.”

“Then why don’t you emit any life force… No, never mind that. If you’re not a spirit, why do you oppose the goblins?”

Geusseundae had purposely assumed Dalgi’s form, the ‘nemesis of goblins’.

The reason was obvious – to constrain the goblins.

This fake Inner Realm was likely another means to that end.

Goblins were the enemies of all spirits.

I recalled what the Lord of the Mountain had told me:

[You, the fox spirit Miho who has set foot on the path of ascension.]

[Fulfill your duty as a spirit.]

[Fulfill your mission as one who has set foot on the path of ascension.]

The Lord had expressed that confronting goblins was a ‘spirit’s duty’, in his solemn tone implying it was unavoidable.

I could understand spirits opposing goblins.

But then, why would a non-spirit yokai create this massive fake Inner Realm and purposely take Dalgi’s form as the ‘nemesis of goblins’?

“Did the Lord of the Mountain perhaps request this of you?”

“A request? How insolent… I am not so fickle a woman as to readily accept anyone’s requests.”

…This Geusseundae yokai, it seemed that assuming a ‘shadow form’ also made him take on that shadow’s personality.

While I had never directly encountered the fox yokai Dalgi, this arrogance was said to reach the heavens.

He continued speaking to me with haughty condescension:

“Ahem, spirits are not the only ones who oppose the goblins. Goblins are beings that should rightly be opposed by yokai like myself as well as spirits like yourself – even by humans.”

“Why is that? I can understand humans, but have the goblins harmed you in some way?”

“I cannot tell if you are simply dim-witted or attempting to guide my answer.”

“…”

Geusseundae continued:

“The goblins mocked yokai like myself with the Taejasingi (Great Spirit Record).”

“Ah.”

I could understand why he opposed the goblins, now that the Taejasingi was mentioned.

Excited by this mention, I asked him eagerly:

“By any chance, did you also…”

“I too received the Taejasingi from the goblins.”

He went on:

“Like the other yokai, I was entranced by the truth that the Taejasingi guided us towards and sought to attain ascension.”

“…The qualifications for ascension.”

“Yes… The qualifications for ascension. For mere goblins to lecture on ascension, I now find it utterly repulsive upon reflection.”

“So you were one of the yokai who failed to ascend…”

I nodded in understanding.

I comprehended perfectly.

In the past, like the other yokai granted ascension qualifications, Geusseundae must have indiscriminately slaughtered humans to attain ascension.

But just before achieving it, a problem arose – the evil aspect of the demigod Dookhshini, the ‘Eodudsini’, awakened.

Legend has it the Eodudsini eliminated the ascension-seeking yokai one by one for some reason.

However, this plan was thwarted by the demigod Dookhshini’s interference.

Eliminating the ascension-seeking yokai instead fell to humans like the Spell Master Jeon Woochi and Martial Artist King of Yurdo.

Yes, here was the crux:

How did Geusseundae survive them?

Accounts from various texts and yokai suggest the Spell Master Jeon Woochi and Martial Artist King of Yurdo were powerful enough to render ascension-seeking yokai as ‘insignificant’.

…Come to think of it, the very fact that the Lord of the Mountain followed the ‘King of Yurdo’ attested to their might.

No, the more important question was not how Geusseundae survived them, but rather:

As a yokai on the verge of ascension, how could he openly operate without being eliminated by them?

Other ascension-seeking yokai like the Blue-Flamed Yoho and the Jobbed hid for a full 500 years.

Even the Formless Shadow did the same.

Yet this Geusseundae before me was different.

According to Depot, Geusseundae had already been living in the Inner Realm since he first entered it a staggering 200 years ago.

There could only be one explanation for how Geusseundae survived:

The Lord of the Mountain must have saved him…

“You are mistaken.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said you are mistaken.”

“About what, exactly?”

“I… No, I have never failed to ascend.”

“…?”

“In the past, I did attain ascension. Of course, it did not take long to realize it was a ‘false ascension’, but still.”

I was at a loss for words.

This…

What…

Grandfather Pouch had clearly stated that not a single yokai achieved true ascension.

“Did Grandfather Pouch lie to me?”

“Why would you accuse such a kindhearted yokai of deception?”

“…”

“It is only natural you do not know. For upon attaining ascension,”

“My existence was erased from this world.”

“Wh…”

I struggled to comprehend what ‘existence erased’ meant.

Did it mean he died once…?

Finally, the shadow figure raised his head to continue:

[The suffering I endured.]

[The humiliation I faced.]

[You.]

[Could never understand.]

[Not just you, but no living being could ever comprehend me.]

In an instant, an overwhelmingly powerful aura akin to the Lord of the Mountain’s swept over me, suffocating me.

After emanating this force for some time, Geusseundae seemed to regain his composure, reclining back on his throne as he went on:

“Had I not been saved then, I would have probably…”

“The Lord of the Mountain saved you.”

“You are mistaken again.”

“It was not the Lord of the Mountain who saved me.”

“It was a goblin.”

“…Pardon?”

“No, I’m not even sure if that being truly was a goblin or not.”

“It does not matter, that is unimportant.”

Unimportant? To me, this was of utmost importance.

Whether I showed interest or not, he continued:

“What is important is you, the fox spirit Miho.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. Did I not say it? Dalgi was the nemesis of goblins. In other words,”

He pointed a pitch-black finger at me as he spoke:

“You, as a fellow fox yokai, are also a nemesis of the goblins.”

“Ah, I see…”

What utter nonsense.

After the humans, now even the yokai seemed intent on burdening me.

“Until recently, the Lord of the Mountain and I could not discern whether you were an evil fox (akho) like Dalgi or a celestial fox (seonho).”

“…”

So that’s why he erased my memory.

“However, the you of today is a true celestial fox who has set foot on the path of ascension. You have already proven the Lord’s and my judgment correct by eliminating a single goblin.”

“Eh, I don’t recall mentioning anything about defeating a goblin, so how did you know?”

“All the darkness of this world falls under my dominion. While I cannot interfere, I can observe.”

“So you watched in real-time, munching popcorn, as my leg got torn off?”

“Ahahahahaha! Truly an amusing fox yokai.”

“…I’m a spirit now, you know.”

Shrrrrk!

From somewhere, he suddenly produced a folding fan and continued speaking:

“Miho.”

“Cultivate your power.”

“Gaining strength swiftly like Dalgi may be impossible,”

“But untiringly train until you manifest all nine tails.”

“Even if your body breaks.”

“Even if you suffer.”

“Even if your mind utterly shatters.”

“You must not stop training.”

“For that is your destiny.”

“…I’m not sure if you realize just how shitty that advice sounds.”

“I am aware.”

At least the Lord of the Mountain never demanded such sacrifices from me.

Yet Geusseundae was demanding I make sacrifices – befitting his title as the ‘Shadow of the Inner Realm’.

“Enough. I have said my piece, so I shall take my leave now.”

“…I don’t know how to get out of here.”

Snap!

With a snap of his fingers, the scenery began changing rapidly until…

Rooooar.

[You have returned.]

“…Oh, fuck.”

Before my eyes now stood a massive tiger the size of a house.

I had returned to the Inner Realm.

Wait, I felt like I was forgetting something…

Ah, right.

Ha-neul.

---

“Miho! Miho, where did you go!”

Ha-neul felt like crying.

Nothing was visible.

No exit in sight.

And now even Miho had vanished.

While she wasn’t a particularly timid person, the pitch-black darkness was enough to instill fear in even the bravest human.

Sniffle.

Sniffle sniffle.

Just as tears were welling up in her eyes, a faint snapping sound could be heard from somewhere.

In an instant, her surroundings changed completely.

What appeared before her eyes was…

A squirrel.

“Chk?”

“A cute squirrel!”

“Who are you, chk?”

“…Aaah, the squirrel can talk!”