There’s a Monster Inside Me Chapter 7

There’s a Monster Inside Me

Chapter 7

The village was quiet in the blue haze of dawn.

A few industrious mountain birds fluttered up into the air, but the surroundings were shrouded in a whitish fog.

The person who came to fetch me entered the entrance of the village school at that exact moment when the first light appeared.

“Hello. I am Pureum Usol from the Thousand-Year School.”

Master and Yeolmae, who had been looking outside the door the entire time, were startled. It was because they couldn’t tell where or how she had appeared.

“Oh, please come in.”

The woman with long flowing hair entered through the gate. An air of nobility overflowed from her neat appearance and every step.

The silver-haired woman had unusually green eyes.

She wore a purple hat and blue military uniform. On her back were a bow and quiver, and at her side hung a long sword with a ring-shaped pommel.

The red waistband, one hand-span wide, signified a blood oath. The blue uniform meant protection of the world, and the purple hat symbolized the pursuit of unchanging truth.

All of these were the official attire of the Thousand-Year School.

“Senior, I pay my respects. My surname is Bada and my name is Maru.”

I put my hands together and bowed deeply. Master and Yeolmae looked at me with unfamiliar eyes.

They must have found it strange since they had never seen me being so polite before.

“Usol… meaning a large, magnificent pine tree.”

Master  gathered himself and made a cordial greeting.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“A very good name.”

“Thank you.”

“Your surname is Pureum…”

When Master showed interest in Senior Usol’s surname, she tensed slightly.

“Somehow it reminds me of the blue roof tiles where His Majesty resides.”

As expected of Master.

The surname ‘Pureum’ was a transformation of the royal family’s character ‘Cheong (青)’, changed in the way commoners create surnames to conceal its origin.

With Master’s pointed observation, Senior Pureum Usol was certainly breaking into a cold sweat.

“Master, I will be leaving now.”

I ended the situation before the senior became more uncomfortable.

“Go! Hurry up and go! I said go.”

Yeolmae coldly spat out the words and turned away sharply.

She had promised herself she wouldn’t cry and even shouted, but her eyes were welling up.

“Yeolmae, don’t cry. Your brother will definitely return. I won’t make you wait long.”

“I’m not crying… UGH.”

Yeolmae, who had been holding back with all her might, finally shuddered. Despite acting tough, our Yeolmae has such a tender heart.

“Go now. Go on.”

“Master, I will return soon when I get leave. Please stay healthy.”

“Yes, go now. Go on.”

Master, forcing his drooping eyes to open wide, waved his hands dismissively. Seeing Yeolmae trembling back in his arms, something welled up inside me.

After prostrating myself with my forehead to the ground, I clenched my fists and turned around.

Senior Usol, who had been waiting, quickly took the lead.

THUMP! THUMP!…

As I followed her, I never once looked back.

Only after crossing the hill and then another ridge did I hesitantly look behind.

Even though the village was barely visible on the distant mountain ridge, the outlines of Master and Yeolmae were still there, watching me like stones waiting for a loved one’s return.

Only then did sadness surge inside me.

Senior Usol only looked ahead, not at me.

It was fortunate that I didn’t have to show my contorted expression.

My luggage heading to the Thousand-Year School was simple. Knowing that necessary items would be provided at the academy, I deliberately didn’t increase my burden.

However, on my chest was a large basket. It contained my precious young Imugi.

Though it would be natural to be curious, Senior Usol never asked what was in the basket.

Even when she saw me climb a tree during a brief rest to steal a bird’s egg and put it in the basket, she didn’t even glance at it.

I couldn’t tell if it was because of her noble birth or because she had been taught to restrain her curiosity.

After walking all day, we arrived at the scheduled lodging in the early evening.

It was just the perfect day to let one’s guard down, what could happen when escorting just one student?

And.

I knew well that misfortune never misses such moments.

“Your room is over there. We’ll depart again at dawn, so get some rest.”

“Yes, understood.”

Two rooms and one wooden porch.

The small thatched house was clean but empty.

I greeted her respectfully and didn’t bother Senior Usol further.

I quickly entered the room she had indicated and first placed my young dragon down in the corner of the wall.

When I slightly opened the round lid of the basket, the bird’s egg was nowhere to be seen.

“HOOO…”

A meal in broad daylight…

The young Imugi, which usually only ate eggs in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep, had fed during the day today. It still pretended not to notice and kept its eyes closed.

After putting down my luggage, I pulled over the small table that was placed next to the door.

Lifting the cover embroidered with dandelions, white rice and various vegetable side dishes were arranged in transparent white porcelain. When I touched the bowl, it was still faintly warm.

“Incredible.”

Receiving such an impeccably prepared meal, not knowing who prepared it or when, was still amazing even experiencing it again.

I devoured the rice and side dishes ravenously.

The taste was extraordinary.

It was only natural. Among the divine power wielders of the Thousand-Year School were those who served the Thousand-Handed Culinary Deity.

The Thousand-Handed Culinary Deity is the name of a god with a thousand hands who elevated cooking to the realm of art.

A disciple of this Thousand-Handed Culinary Deity can bring out the full aroma and taste of food the moment they touch ingredients, and can create heavenly flavors with just slight additions and subtle adjustments.

Even without thinking of celestial gods like the Thousand-Handed Culinary Deity, summoning just one kitchen god, fire god, hearth god, or stove god would dramatically change the taste of food.

Furthermore, food infused with divine power protects the body of the person who eats it and makes their vitality flourish.

I emptied my bowl completely, not leaving a single drop of soup.

I didn’t forget to wash and tidy up the dishes in the kitchen.

After finishing everything, I went outside with a bundle I had prepared in advance.

Tightly wrapped in cotton cloth were finely crushed tobacco leaves. The acrid scent stung my nose.

Using the spoon I had eaten with, I dug a shallow trench around the thatched house, then grabbed a handful of tobacco leaves.

I sprinkled them lightly around the thatched house. I wrapped several layers around the house in a dense circle, leaving no gaps.

***

Pureum Usol climbed onto the thatched roof and carefully observed the new student’s actions.

Having completely erased her presence and concealed her energy, the other seemed completely unaware.

From the scent carried by the wind, she easily recognized that the student was sprinkling tobacco leaves.

‘Why is he doing that…?’

Usol watched Bada Maru spreading the black powder with strange eyes.

***

Night came before long.

I lay down under the blanket but didn’t fall asleep.

I waited continually for them to appear.

Soon, bizarre and hideous sounds could be heard.

“KEEEHYAAA…”

“KIHYAAA…”

Despite anticipating it, the terrible metallic sounds made the hair all over my body stand on end.

CRASH!

I opened the door and went out, but it was pitch black everywhere and I couldn’t see anything.

“What’s happening?”

Senior Pureum Usol appeared suddenly with her sword at her waist.

Suddenly, a memory from my past life surfaced.

Back then too, the senior had tied her silver hair tightly and faced monsters with me.

While the senior confronted the enemy, I had hidden in the room. Trembling in fear while gripping the doorknob was all I had done then.

“Senior, it seems some unpleasant things have come to visit.”

But now it’s different from then.

I may not be of much help, but I can at least give advance warning. That alone might help avoid the terrible outcome from last time.

“Stay out of this.”

“Yes!”

Even without Senior Usol telling me, that was my intention.

As I am now, I have no means to deal with them.

My divine power is insignificant, and I have no precious sacred objects or shamanic tools to counter evil spirits.

I would have to be a bystander in this fight, but I decided to be a thorough observer instead.

My keen eyes would provide clues for defeating the enemy.

“SHEEEK…!”

A metallic sound sliced through the air.

A massive tree-like body with branching heads appeared. It was a three-headed snake, a Samdusa.

Threatening red tongues flicked in and out between sharp teeth.

Pureum Usol scanned the surroundings as she faced the monster.

“Where are the knights…?”

Her voice was low, troubled.

No matter how exceptional a talent she was, there were always those protecting Senior Usol around her.

Since they wouldn’t stand by and watch such a vicious monster approach, there was only one answer.

The guards protecting the senior had already been eliminated.

It was grim, but all we could hope for was that the life-risking guards had drained a significant portion of the enemy’s strength.

“KAEK!”

The snake approaching the thatched house raised its necks stiffly in front of the scattered tobacco leaves.

All three heads shook in the air simultaneously, clearly showing disgust.

‘It worked!’

The corners of my mouth turned up without me realizing.

Tobacco leaves that snakes hate… even with three heads, it was no different.

As I was mentally rejoicing, Senior Usol’s gaze felt piercing.

‘Huh, why…?’

What was she doing looking at me instead of keeping her eyes on the enemy?

A sorcerer sitting at the tip of the Samdusa’s head chanted a spell.

It seemed he was trying to force the snake to move.

“KAEK!”

The Samdusa shuddered. It was torn between following the sorcerer and dealing with the terrible tobacco leaves, or turning back and facing the sorcerer’s dreadful scolding.

Finally, the sorcerer leaped off the head of the indecisive snake.

WHOOSH!

The sorcerer stirred up the wind.

Senior Usol didn’t miss the moment when the tobacco leaves scattered.

A fierce blade entwined with silver energy rushed toward the sorcerer.

KWANG!

The moment the ringed-pommel sword sliced the ground, the sorcerer retreated swiftly. One of the snake’s heads that had been waiting carried its master and soared high into the sky.

Another head revealed its sharp teeth and attacked Senior Usol.

“Look out!”

Before I could even finish shouting, the senior rolled her body.

Again, the third head opened its mouth toward Usol. Its long tongue moved threateningly.

Senior Usol’s drawn sword blocked the fierce fangs.

CLANG!

The sound of the monster’s teeth colliding with the great sword was sharp.

The three-headed snake’s body pushed into the area where the sorcerer had raised the wind.

“KAAAK!”

Another head burrowed into Usol’s side.

“Dodge!”

Once again, the senior leaped before the shout reached her.

She stretched out her hand, trying to grab the snake’s sharp fangs.

At that moment.

I shouted loud enough to make the surroundings disappear.

“It’s poisonous! Don’t touch it!”

There was no time for formal speech.

Senior Usol quickly withdrew her arm.

“Oh no, how…?!”

A groan escaped from the sorcerer’s mouth.

Senior Usol rolled across the yard and nimbly jumped over the thatched fence.

There, the tobacco leaves I had sprinkled remained like crosshatches.

She looked at me with eyes full of suspicion.

Oh no, I gritted my teeth. I’ve become suspicious to both enemy and ally.

It was natural since I knew beforehand about sprinkling tobacco leaves and that poison coated the three-headed snake’s fangs.

But… how could I not?

In my past life, Senior Usol had fought a difficult battle against the sorcerer.

And that day…

Senior Usol lost one of her arms.

The senior fought valiantly against the three-headed serpent. She defeated the sorcerer and also annihilated the monster snake. She never made a mistake.

However, she didn’t know that the wicked sorcerer had coated the snake’s entire body with deadly poison.

The poison, which quickly dissolved through her wounds, had no method of healing.

In the end, the senior lost her left arm.

As for me, I just hid in the room trembling while holding the doorknob, truly the world’s greatest fool.

Even after losing an arm, Senior Usol didn’t give up on becoming a divine warrior.

She even caught and comforted me whenever I ran away at the sight of her.

“Bada Maru, there’s no need to hide. That day’s incident actually made me feel lighter. So you don’t need to feel even a hint of guilt.”

Not even the loss of her arm could break her resolve.

Eventually, she rose as the kingdom’s greatest warrior and the people’s hope.

In my past life, Senior Usol was the hero in my heart. She was light. She was the sun.

The more my life shrank into a dark world, the more I admired her.

…Being such an amazing person, I couldn’t help it.

SWISH!

With a sharp slash The senior’s ringed long sword severed one of the Serpent’s heads.

“Watch out for the blood!”

At my warning, the senior immediately widened the distance between herself and the three-headed serpent.

“You… you’re really annoying.”

Originally, I was completely outside the sorcerer’s interest.

He had come targeting the royal family’s neck, but a worthless person repeatedly interfering at important moments seemed to irritate him.

“I must get rid of that one.”

The snake head carrying the sorcerer glared at me.

“Ah, this is a bit troublesome…”

That horrible snake head showing interest in me was unexpected.

My divine power is still only as small as a millet, how did this happen…?!

Muttering spells flowed from the sorcerer’s mouth.

Then the cleanly cut snake head began to sprout anew, struggling.

“Kill him!”

As soon as the order was given, the huge mouth plunged toward my crown.

“Damn it!”

I flung my body from the wooden porch into the room.

CRASH!

BOOOOOOM!

My ears were deafened by the tremendous roar as if an earthquake had occurred. It was as chaotic as if lightning had struck both heaven and earth.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!….

Stone dust fell from above my head.

I stared at the ceiling with blank eyes.

There was a huge hole in what had been my room until just moments ago.

Filling the gaping ceiling was something long, smooth, and white.

GROOOWL…

A white, beautiful white snake that had pierced through the thatched roof of the house and stood with its head upright!

The snake of snakes!

The king of kings!

It was an Imugi!