episode_0061

Tangled

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Cheonui Mubong (Heavenly seamless).

The clothes made by fairies show no traces of sewing or needlework.

The fabric is softer than anything and stronger than anything.

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“Sob.. Master! Please wake up quickly..! Huh.. Master, you’re not dead yet!”

“…?”

I’m not dead? I thought I was torn apart by claws without a chance?

I open my closed eyes.

Heesun, shaking my body while crying, appeared.

‘Am I really alive?’

In relief, I pull Heesun in front of me and hug her tightly.

“Ugh..! Huh.. I was worried, Master!”

“Haah.. Thank goodness.. that you’re alive.. ugh!”

A pain surged from my chest.

It seemed like my rib was broken, making movement uncomfortable.

… Just getting hit by a tiger and surviving is lucky enough.

But my body wasn’t sturdy enough to withstand a tiger’s claws….

I cautiously touch the chest hit by the tiger’s paw.

… Huh? Why is the garment..?

The outerwear that should have been torn was intact without a scratch.

‘My body wasn’t.. strong.. Heesun’s clothes.. did they protect me?’

Surprised, I look at Heesun.

If it weren’t for that woman… I would have died.

“I wanted to save you. But you ended up protecting me instead?”

Thud.

Heesun responds with a kiss to my words.

A bright light emanates from Heesun, reducing the sharp pain in my chest.

“Master shouldn’t get hurt.. We should be happy for a long time.. we need to have many children like ants… So please don’t get hurt….”

“Uh.. uh..”

I don’t understand this harmony at all.

Our Heesun is indeed a fairy…. I realize it anew.

[Roar!]

“Muoooo!”

The tiger, engaged in a fierce confrontation, pulls out the spear stuck in its chest.

That tiger seems quite wounded in its pride.

Well, it wasn’t an ordinary tiger to the extent of calling itself a mountain military officer, so when did such a creature encounter a weapon like a spear.

Moreover, the chest wound was caused not by a spear but by a mere human I looked down upon….

The tiger, with its wounded pride, shows its fangs in frustration, seeming eager to rush towards the spear, but it seems to instinctively know that it would be futile to attack with force and desperately restrains itself from charging.

[Roar!]

Letting out a loud roar, the tiger circles around the spear and approaches Heesun with its mouth wide open.

I panic, forgetting that I don’t have a spear, and quickly search around for one to confront it, but there’s no way the spear that was just stuck in the tiger’s chest would be here.

“Muoooo!”

The startled tiger quickly raises its arm to stop the approaching tiger, as if we were not its original target, sneering at us, then turns its body towards the spear and thrusts its mouth towards Sari’s neck.

[Roar!]

… It was certainly a cunning creature.

Facing Sari head-on seemed hopeless, and since speed was our only advantage, it probably planned to startle Sari, who was guarding us, and bite his neck while he was distracted.

Ha! A weakling..

Crunch!

And.. a careless one!

[Roar!]

One of the tiger’s teeth breaks off as it bites Sari’s neck.. howling in agony, it collapses to the ground.

I thought I had dealt with it skillfully and instinctively, but a mountain military officer? A tiger? That’s pitiful.

Our Sari is a mythical creature with the strongest offense and defense in folklore!

Your stories of smoking and chasing after women are nothing compared to him.

You should have just run away. Your refusal to let go of your pride is your downfall.

Pwaaaah!

The tiger, unable to regain its senses due to pain, is struck by the thick foreleg of Sari.

[Crack!]

The tiger flies away, making pitiful sounds.

[Thud! Thwack! Thump!]

The tiger staggers, spitting blood.

Certainly, that one didn’t seem like an ordinary tiger.

Whether it’s a tiger or not, when hit by Sari’s massive foreleg (a lump of iron), it’s a blow that can send blood spurting and life ending in one strike. Even if bones break, organs rupture, and blood is vomited, somehow, it seems like its lifeline is still intact.

“Sari! Don’t let that one live! Let’s cut off its breath right away.”

“Mu-oo!”

As Sari moves forward with heavy steps towards the tiger, there is a sudden sound.

Phweeesh! Thud!

“Ugh..!”

Stopping abruptly at the sound of an arrow whizzing past my ear.

“There! It was that monster over there!”

“What’s going on? Everyone! Reload your arrows!”

Despite the dark night, torches illuminate the scene as if it were daytime.

Startled by the noisy fight between the tiger and Sari, villagers, perhaps alerted by the commotion, gather around, pointing arrows and spears at Sari.

Why now of all times!

We need to kill that tiger to free our father!

If only I had a spear in hand, I would pierce its heart!

At that moment,

As if reading my mind, Sari spits out something long.

Clang!

A loud noise echoes as something falls… a spear?

Did our Sari know how to do this…?

Surprised, my eyes meet Sari’s mischievous gaze.

After expressing gratitude with a glance, I grab the spear and rush towards the tiger.

“You there! Can’t you stop! What are you doing! Capture that one!”

“Yes!”

As I run towards the tiger, the guards try to restrain me.

“Out of the way! We must catch the tiger!”

Trying to get past the guards and approach the tiger, I am suddenly stopped.

Thunk!

“Argh!”

In the end, I am subdued by the guards and forced to kneel.

“Mu-oo-oo!”

“Don’t move, Sari! Don’t engage with these people!”

Feeling threatened, I quickly shout to prevent Sari from approaching.

Things have taken a complicated turn.

Meanwhile, watching from behind, Byungbang, trembling with fear, cautiously approaches.

“Hmm.. You there! What’s all this commotion in the middle of the night! And what in the world is that monster!”

“……”

Oh no… Sari’s presence shouldn’t have been revealed like this…

“Quickly explain!”

“…It’s just an animal I raise. Please don’t harass the innocent creature.”

“What! Innocent? How can such a troublemaker be innocent?”

“It was provoked… The tiger is lying there injured; we must kill it quickly! Please release me!”

Slightly taken aback by the mention of provocation, Byungbang stammers.

“P-Provoked! Even if a tiger appeared, causing a disturbance is unforgivable!”

“So, you’d rather sit back and watch while the tiger attacks me and devours me?”

“You…!”

Byungbang’s beard trembles.

I glare angrily at the one who prevented me from killing my enemy.

“You insolent fool! You dare to…”

“That’s enough-”

It was the village head’s voice.

Byungbang’s hand, raised to slap my cheek, freezes mid-air.

“Village head..!”

“……”

The village head walks over, yawns once, then in a sleepy voice, asks me:

“So, it’s a tiger.”

“Yes, village head.”

“Hah, that damn tiger always seems to be chasing after you.”

“……”

Although his rude words boil my blood, I manage to contain myself. Reputation aside, he has no right to overturn me as he pleases.

“The animals I raise only caused a disturbance to save me and my family, and I would be satisfied by just cutting the tiger’s throat. Whether it’s leather or meat, I will offer everything to the lord… Please just let me kill that guy.”

“Hmm.. Is that so..? Hey, go over there and check if there’s a tiger.”

In the darkness, the lord orders a soldier to go and confirm the presence of a tiger beyond the bright torch.

The chosen soldier hesitates at the mention of a tiger, his face turning pale, but eventually he pushes through the crowd and heads to check on the tiger.

“What about it. Is there a tiger?”

Asked, the soldier stutters in response.

“Yes, yes, my lord! Seeing the bloody and yellowish tracks, it seems the hunter did not lie! It appears the tiger has fled!”

Ah… The news of the tiger fleeing felt like a punch to the gut.

If those rascals weren’t here, we could have saved our father!

‘Growl…’

Suddenly.. A powerful sensation captivates me…

Thud!

That eerie feeling sends shivers down my spine.

-You have already been marked by this body’s spirit! Hahaha How dare you think you can escape from the mountain warrior so easily now!

The words of the remembered tiger echo.

‘Could it really be… that I am possessed by an evil spirit…’

My heart darkens.

No matter what it takes, I must find and kill that creature.

“Hmm.. So the tiger ran away… Well, the leather is as good as gone then… You there! Soldier! Because of you, a valuable piece of leather was lost!”

“Ha, haha.. My lord.. How could I have known there would be a tiger here.. I… As regrettable as it is, catching such a large beast…”

The soldier’s words make the lord look at him.

“Oh. That’s not bad either…”

Suddenly stopping his speech, all eyes turn to the lord.

“Oh… How can such a woman be there…!”

The lord’s gaze fixed on Heesun beside Sari.

Step by step, the lord approaches Heesun…

“Oh… Your beauty is truly exquisite.. Very lovely..”

The lord’s arm reaching out to touch Heesun’s chin without permission.

“No, my lord! Even if you are a lord, how can you touch another person’s wife so casually!”

“Oh. Someone grab that guy.”

Despite my angry shouts, the lord continues to reach for Heesun as if unaffected.

Feeling anxious, I try to push through the soldiers towards the lord…

Thud!

“Scream.. Ack!”

The lord… tumbles far away, rolling vigorously.

“Oh no!”

“Gasp!”

The soldiers cry out in horror at the sight of a mere animal touching the lord…

Sari wraps her arms around Heesun, preventing people from approaching.

I too… feel my heart sink heavily.

The soldiers quickly move the fainted lord to safety…

In the midst of the chaos, Byungbang commands the soldiers to attack and…

“You scoundrel! How dare you attack the lord! Go, kill him and skin him!”

“Yes!”

The situation spiraling out of control leaves me dizzy.

I must somehow resolve this twisted situation.