STM 64

“Where do you see something?”

I pointed ahead with my finger.

“There’s a snake that looks like a dragon with five tails.”

“……”

“I’m sane. This isn’t a hallucination.”

“Alright.”

Then why does he sound so doubtful?

I got offended, and I talked to the dragon snake.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

I tried to speak formally, but I ended up using casual speech because there’s no way that little thing could be a divine beast. Besides, wasn’t the Borhumi divine beast supposed to be sealed? But there was no answer.

‘Mo, you don’t hear anything?’

[No.]

Wasn’t it staring at me because it had something to say? I thought it was the key creditor, but maybe not.

While question marks filled my head, the snake’s tail moved slowly in the air.

It stretched like rubber, and it used two of its tails to make a shape.

The shape looked like the Korean consonants ‘ㅇㄴ’. What’s that supposed to mean? I muttered as a joke.

“Is that ‘annyeong,’ hello?”

Then the tail moved again.

‘ㅇㅇ’

…Wait. What’s this. A chill ran down my back. Don’t tell me it’s that ‘ㅇㅇ’ from ‘응응,’ yeah yeah? I laughed awkwardly because even I knew that made no sense.

How would something in Tubain know Korean, let alone consonant abbreviations? But I decided to check just in case.

“My name is Adeye Lu. If you understood my name, show it.”

This time, four tails moved.

‘ㅇㄷㅇ ㄹ’¹

…What the hell!!!?

Tap!

I jumped up and stepped back.

“…Shit, what the hell is this nonsense?!”

I felt Tairok’s gaze, but I didn’t have the composure to care. What’s happening? Why does that dragon snake know Korean consonants? It can’t be a Korean snake. …Is it a Korean snake?!

“You, you, where’s your hometown?”

‘ㄱㅎ’

…Goheung?! Is it a Jeonnam snake?! I freaked out again, but Mo calmed me down.

[Based on its conversation pattern with other non-human entities, the most probable word is ‘hometown.’]

Ah, right, the rock once said its hometown was still a hometown and made me lose my patience. Then if it’s not from Goheung, how does it know Korean consonants?

“What’s wrong?”

At Tairok’s question, I quickly pointed at the dragon snake.

“No, it’s talking…”

In consonants. I barely swallowed the urge to say it out loud. Tairok looked at me and asked again with difficulty.

“Talking?”

Now wasn’t the time to just be shocked about a snake from Goheung. Tairok’s condition really didn’t look good.

“No. It’s just expressing itself in a way that’s hard to understand.”

I made up an excuse quickly and asked the dragon snake.

“Do you know how to help this person?”

‘ㅇㅇ’

“What is it?”

‘ㅅㅇ’

What’s that?

‘Mo, pick the three most probable words from this conversation.’

[1. Hate

2. Swim

3. Shower]

So it’s ‘hate.’ But aren’t two and three way too random? Mo probably just filled space for the report.

It felt like watching an office worker who doesn’t want to write their report, but I forced myself not to nag since checking with the dragon snake came first.

“You said you hate it? Why?”

‘ㅋ ㅅㅇ’

This time I immediately understood it.

[Suggested interpretation: I hate Kun.]

Ignoring Mo’s useless help, I looked back at Tairok. He had his eyes closed and his breathing was ragged, he was probably trying to bear the pain.

“You know he’s from the Kun family?”

‘ㅇㅇ’

“How will you help him then?”

‘ㅅㅇ’

…Stubborn.

“You want my help too, right? I can help only if you help me.”

‘ㅇㅅ’

I couldn’t think of an immediate word, but Mo helped again.

[1. Key

2. Umbrella

3. Pregnancy]

Key. Right, you’re the creditor. But Mo, seriously… umbrella? Pregnancy? Really?

‘Mo, I don’t need three guesses. From now on, just show the one most probable word.’

[Yes.]

Why does it always answer fast only at times like this?

Thud.

I heard the sound of someone collapsing from behind me. I didn’t need to check, there was only one person it could be. Tairok had tried to hold on, but he failed and slid down the wall to the side.

“Your Grace!”

I grabbed his shoulder, but he only breathed harshly and couldn’t open his eyes. There was only one thing I could do. I quickly turned toward the dragon snake.

“I’ll pay back what I owe for the key no matter what. Then at least tell me how to get out.”

[I free.]

“You have to be freed? Why? Are you trapped?”

The small head moved up and down.

“How can you come out?”

[Call Dorgo.]

Dorgo? The old man who was next to Zav? But how do I call him? Even if I could, could I take Tairok, who’s in bad condition, out of here without Dorgo noticing?

“There’s no other way?”

[Throw Kun away.]

“No.”

[I hate Kun.]

How much does it hate him to be this stubborn like a child? It isn’t even connected to Zav, so why does it hate Tairok like Zav does? Of course, until recently, I also used to shudder at the thought of Tairok, so I couldn’t exactly criticize it.

“But I have to save him so I can repay the key debt. I need him to deal with Dorgo when he comes. I don’t have the power to do it.”

The dragon snake’s tails stopped moving. I pleaded more desperately.

“That’s not all. I don’t know what you want from me, but…”

[Hometown.]

The word reminded me of Dia m, who had once shouted that word.

“You need a way to go to your hometown? Alright. But we have to get out of here to find it. I’m saying it again, I can’t leave without him. You have to help him. Please, help me.”

The deep blue eyes stared at me. I looked back sincerely. Then the snake suddenly moved toward me.

Why?

I only looked at its movements, and the dragon snake stopped before me and raised its head. Then it tapped my body twice.

I reached out without realizing it, and the snake wrapped around my wrist like a bracelet, as if it had been waiting. I could see it so clearly, but there was no sensation touching my skin, proving it was an illusion. It felt strange and eerie. I was really doing all kinds of things for Earth…

[Warning! Warning! Abnormal access detected in brain data.]

Access? What?

Startled, I saw the dragon snake’s tail.

‘ㅈㄱ?’

I flinched. It was like it had read my mind and said “Jigu,” Earth. I looked at the unfocused Tairok and asked quietly.

“Earth?”

‘ㅇㅇ’

There’s no way. How?

[The only way to block it is to temporarily stop your body functions. But in that case, there’s a risk of brain damage. Do you want to block it?]

Mo informed me of the only possible blocking method. Something was accessing my brain. Of course, I should’ve given the command to block it despite the risk, but I couldn’t say it.

It was because of those deep blue eyes in front of me. They looked like the endless depths of the ocean. It was a mysterious being, but strangely, it didn’t feel dangerous.

‘No.’

Right after I answered, a hot current spread from my arm and quickly reached my head. Could it really have entered my mind? Was it trying to read my thoughts…

‘I understand what you’re trying to find, child of Earth.’

An old woman’s voice echoed inside my head. Goosebumps spread down my spine. I looked down at the dragon snake in shock, but I couldn’t open my mouth.

How, with that voice?

It was the voice of my grandmother who raised me. The voice I hadn’t heard in eleven years.

How? Did it look through my entire life in just a few seconds?

But I couldn’t hear any answer. The heat that had traveled up my arm seemed to fade, and the tail began to form consonants again.

Mo interpreted them for me because I couldn’t collect my thoughts.

[I help you.]

It would help me? Even though it knew why I came here? I felt strange. It felt like it understood everything, even my real purpose.

“…Th-thank you.”

[One way to save Kun.]

“What is it?”

[Kun must accept my power.]

“How?”

[Your hand connect.]

Connect? I hesitated, then grabbed Tairok’s wrist with my other hand. I felt a brief warmth in my body, but there was no special change. Was there really no effect?

“Haaah!”

Suddenly, Tairok’s body convulsed, and he opened his eyes.

“Your Grace, are you alright?”

“Fuck… what is this… ugh!”

He cursed the moment he opened his eyes and moved his arm. At the same time, the dragon snake’s tail also moved.

[Don’t let go.]

I understood the warning and tightened my grip on Tairok’s wrist, but it wasn’t easy. He struggled roughly, but what startled me more was what he shouted next.

“Ugh, damn it, why… why the power of the divine beast…”

What? What power? I quickly turned my head to the small dragon snake on my hand.

You really were a divine beast?!

1. ↩︎

Consonant shorthand for 아데예 루, which spells Adeye Lu.