The Spiritual Beast (1)

The reason Lee Ha-neul could use the club was simple.

Apparently, just by enveloping her body with the mystical force called gi (氣), she could wield the club.

Whether it had any connection to the gi used by goblins and Martial Artists was unknown for now.

The only ones likely knowledgeable about this were

San-gun, or perhaps Old Man Wang-tae.

As for San-gun…

I didn’t really want to ask him.

Though I wasn’t sure why,

But I had a strong feeling that if San-gun found out I was a ‘spiritual beast’, it would lead to troublesome consequences.

In any case, since I could now indefinitely maintain my three-tailed state, I figured I might as well ask Old Man Wang-tae unless absolutely necessary.

Regardless of the specifics,

The fact that Lee Ha-neul could use the club meant the Jiri Mountain Yokai Extermination Office’s forces had been bolstered, which was certainly positive.

Yes,

I simply handed over the goblin club to Lee Ha-neul without fuss.

“Are you sure I can really keep this?”

“Yes. It would be useless for me to have it anyway.”

Even if I brought it to the other world, San-gun would just dispose of it.

Unlike Lee Ha-neul, I could not wield the mystical force called gi.

It was better to entrust it to Lee Ha-neul and enhance the office’s might.

However,

No matter how proficient Lee Ha-neul became with the club, she could not unleash its power as indiscriminately as the ‘Formless Shadow’ had.

Apparently, an immense amount of gi was consumed with each use.

“It seems the stronger the spell, the more gi it consumes.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. For example, if I try casting a spell to forcibly command someone else…”

Thud.

Thwack.

Thud thwack.

[Bark]

As the club’s effect activated:

“Woof, woof, woof! Woof woof! Woof!”

Dog barks –

No, fox barks began coming out of my mouth.

“Huek, heek… Th, this is tough… My gi is completely drained…”

“Woof, woof… Ugh, what are you doing? Stop it… Woof, woof!”

“You don’t know how to stop it?”

“What an… Woof. Irresponsible way to… Woof.”

Thus,

For a full 5 minutes, I kept barking until the echoes resounded through the mountains.

---

Miho informed the director that she would return to the other world.

The director asked if she could come back to the office in 5 days.

Fortunately, Miho readily agreed to the director’s request.

After bidding Miho farewell,

The director fell deep in thought.

Recently, the director had been spending more time alone in contemplation.

Currently, the Jiri Mountain Yokai Extermination Office had lost its self-sufficiency.

No,

Not just the Jiri Mountain Office, but

Every office in Korea had lost its self-sufficiency.

The cause was undoubtedly the powerful yokai that had suddenly begun appearing.

After the annihilation of the Jangsan Office, the government devised countermeasures, but

From the director’s perspective as an office operator, those countermeasures were so absurd as to be laughable.

What were they?

To increase office scales and double salaries to recruit more personnel.

If Grade 2 or 1 yokai appeared, it would not matter if there were 100 or 1,000 combat personnel at the office.

Even the government knew manpower was not the issue, yet they proposed such countermeasures –

It was merely a superficial measure to quell the current chaos for now.

The real countermeasures would begin now.

One week later,

An ‘Emergency Countermeasures Conference on Recent Yokai Trends’ hosted by the government would convene.

Naturally, all directors including the Jiri Mountain director would attend,

As well as Martial Artists, Spell Masters,

Lee Ha-neul, and the recently prominent Spell Master ‘Ho Joon’.

The director then began compiling a report to present at the conference,

Whose contents could be considered bombshell statements that shook the very foundations of humanity.

While uncertain if Miho would accept it,

The director had made up his mind:

‘To reveal Miho’s existence to the people.’

---

Before returning to the other world,

I bade farewell to the Yokai Extermination Office staff.

Of course,

In my three-tailed form.

The female employees who came to see me off expressed concern, saying:

“Miho, will you be able to find your way home?”

“…Yes.”

“You’re not going to trip and fall, are you? Should I escort you home?”

“…”

Clearly treating me like a child.

I was not a genuine ten-year-old girl, but

Even so, I was

A two-year-old fox yokai, no less.

Unlike the doting female employees,

The male staff had sullen expressions.

The reason for their displeasure was simple:

They wanted to see my seven-tailed form.

Should I manifest it?

The sight of the male employees licking their lips with lecherous looks was unpleasant.

I would never manifest it.

Eventually, unable to contain his desires,

Grade 7 employee Kim Myung-ho, a member and former president of the Miho Fan Club at the Jiri Mountain Office,

Ended up kneeling before me in entreaty:

“Ms. Miho, could you please manifest your seven tails just once before leaving…”

“No way.”

“Arrrghhhh!”

Did he think I did this solely for my own comfort?

Manifesting seven tails would harm them too.

Until I could fully control my fox instincts,

I did not intend to manifest seven tails before human males.

---

Upon returning to the other world, the first yokai to welcome me was undoubtedly Dopo.

“Miho!”

“Hello.”

“I missed you, Miho!”

Sniff.

Sniff sniff, sniff sniff.

As soon as he caught my scent, Dopo came scurrying over like a ghoul, then began circling me while letting out sniffling cries.

“Miho, you grew another tail? And I can’t sense any yogi! What happened out there?”

“Well, a few things occurred.”

“You smell similar to Lord San-gun!”

Really?

Hee hee.

Hee hee hee.

Upon Dopo’s words, I began sniffing myself here and there.

…I couldn’t really tell.

Perhaps it was because I had evolved into a ‘spiritual beast’.

In any case,

The overjoyed Dopo then climbed up my leg onto my shoulder,

And promptly plopped down atop my breasts, using his tiny limbs to poke and prod my bosom as he spoke:

“Your breasts got so huge too?”

“…You’re imagining things.”

“Not imagining! Really, really, really huuuge! And softer too! I wanna sleep here, Miho.”

“Wh, what nonsense is this!”

“Seems comfier than that ‘bed’ thing you brought. Squishy squishy! Soft soft!”

Shoomp.

Having said his piece, Dopo then burrowed into my clothes before

Nestling himself in my cleavage, only poking his head out to speak:

“Warm!”

“Ah, that tickles! Get out, you rodent!”

Since I could not awkwardly grasp and yank out his tiny rodent head,

Unable to react either way, I merely wiggled my feet in place.

So ticklish, you crazy rodent!

…Though,

It did feel rather soothingly soft, in a pleasing way.

Hmm,

Well,

Having him as a portable breast warmer…

No, chest warmer didn’t seem so bad an idea after all.

---

Next to greet me was Old Man Wang-tae.

No,

More accurately, he did not come to greet me, but

“Tsk tsk tsk… For such a vulgar vixen to flaunt her massive breasts out in the open… The other world has become debased.”

He seemed to have come solely to blindly criticize my body.

That damn perverted old geezer.

“Old Man, it’s been a while, and that’s all you have to say?”

Since I had something to ask Old Man Wang-tae anyway, I greeted him cordially.

“Even your voice is vulgar. Shut that mouth, you vixen! Did you think spiritual beasts could act however they pleased?!”

“…”

However, his response could hardly be called friendly.

With no choice,

In order to properly converse with Old Man Wang-tae, I took my three-tailed form.

It was more convenient to be in seven-tailed form in the other world, without yogi consumption,

While also serving as Spirit Power practice.

“Huhuhu… Miho, did you have a good look around the outside world?”

“Haah.”

Upon taking my three-tailed form, as if his earlier hostility was a lie, Old Man Wang-tae immediately donned a benevolent expression as he gazed at me fondly.

Ugh,

Why was I so vexed?

Overcome with pettiness, I reverted to my seven-tailed form.

“Begone! Vulgar wench, get lost!”

Again, three tails:

“Miho… Huhuhu.”

Seven tails:

“Get lost, I said!”

Three tails:

“So adorable as always today, Miho… Huhuhu.”

Seven tails:

“Begone!”

What an excessive reaction.

---

Putting aside my teasing of the elderly for now,

I reverted to my three-tailed form and bluntly asked Old Man Wang-tae:

“Old Man. Do you happen to know what a spiritual beast is?”

“I don’t know much, but I do know the ruler of this other world, San-gun, is a spiritual beast. Huhuhu.”

Right.

I knew San-gun was a spiritual beast as well.

So,

I asked:

“What about me, Old Man?”

“…”

“From your perspective, do I seem like a spiritual beast or a yokai?”

“Currently, a yokai.”

“What if I manifest seven tails?”

“A spiritual beast. The aura feels similar to San-gun’s. Though your physique is utterly displeasing.”

No matter how mystical yokai were said to be,

Where in the world could such a being exist?

Even the renowned nine-tailed ‘Daji’ of the past who could manifest up to nine tails –

Could she freely shift between yokai and spiritual beast like me?

I beseeched the Old Man:

“Old Man, please tell me what a spiritual beast is.”

“I don’t know.”

“I’ll go into your pouch. Please, tell me, I beg you.”

“Miho, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but I truly don’t know.”

“…”

“And why are you making such a request of me?”

The Old Man’s following words made me sense the inevitability of my fate:

“Go to San-gun, Miho.”