As Taeseong stood up, the towering woman hastily stepped back.
“You’re not human. What are you?”
“…Po. Po. Po.”
When Taeseong took a single step forward, the massive woman immediately ducked behind a nearby stone wall. However, her towering height left her head fully visible above it.
Realizing at once that she was a “monster,” Taeseong thought briefly.
‘Should I kill it?’
Though it didn’t seem particularly threatening, there was no reason to leave unnecessary risks behind when he had no idea where he was.
As their eyes met, the massive woman blushed and hurriedly pulled down her hat.
“Po. Po. Po. Po!”
Taeseong made up his mind. Rather than killing her, he decided to first assess the situation.
The area was overgrown with grass and trees. Nearby stood a few stone statues resembling Jizo Bodhisattvas, and a long stone wall stretched in one direction.
‘The team…’
Not far away, he spotted his teammates unconscious on the ground. It seemed he was the first to wake.
Taeseong approached them and began slapping their cheeks, one by one.
The first to wake was Yu Gi-jun.
“Captain…?”
Next was Oh Haeyoung.
“Mm… Taeseong? Did we arrive safely?”
Lastly, Eunha opened her eyes.
“Ugh, my head… Judging by the surroundings, we made it. But why do my cheeks hurt so much?”
“Oh, me too. My cheeks feel so sore.”
“Do the rest of you feel the same? I thought it was just me…”
Ignoring their complaints, Taeseong shifted his gaze toward the stone wall.
The massive woman had disappeared.
Even as he expanded his senses, there was no sign of her.
‘Did she run away after seeing the others wake up?’
Taeseong asked Eunha.
“Did you see a massive woman watching us from behind that stone wall?”
“A massive woman? No, I didn’t.”
At that, Haeyoung asked with a curious expression.
“A massive woman? How big are we talking?”
“Judging by her height, well over two meters.”
“What!? Over two meters? Are there even women that tall? And you’re saying she’s not human?”
“I never said she was human.”
“T-Then… Could it be a monster?”
“Most likely.”
Gi-jun, who had been listening intently, suddenly interjected.
“Captain, could it be the Palecheok Ghost?”
“Palecheok Ghost? What’s that?”
“It’s a ghost from Japanese urban legends that once set the internet abuzz. She’s said to wear a hat and stand at an imposing height of eight cheok (about 2.4 meters). Apparently, she makes a ‘Po. Po. Po.’ sound and lures people, especially men. The legend also says she can perfectly mimic human voices.”
“What you’re describing matches what I saw.”
The description, from her appearance to her behaviour, aligned almost perfectly with the legend Gi-jun had mentioned.
“How… how did she look? Was she really over eight cheok tall? They say she’s supposed to be beautiful for a ghost. Was she really that pretty?”
Haeyoung and Eunha turned to Gi-jun with disdainful glares.
“Gi-jun, are you seriously lusting after a ghost?”
“Wow, men really are something else.”
Flustered, Gi-jun hastily held up his ringed finger as he defended himself.
“L-Lust? No, it’s not like that! I was just curious! I’m married, you know!”
“Wow, hitting on a ghost even though you’re married…”
“Unbelievable. Men.”
Realizing nothing he said would help, Gi-jun turned his pleading eyes to Taeseong.
“Captain, you understand, don’t you?”
Of course, Taeseong ignored him and turned to Eunha.
“So, where exactly are we?”
This was the question that had been on his mind ever since their arrival.
“Where? We’re in Nagoya, Japan.”
“The place you drew in your sketch—is this it? You pulled us into the scene you created?”
Eunha nodded.
“Exactly. It’s one of the abilities I gained as a host. I’ve been to Nagoya before, and what I drew on the paper was a landscape from my memory. That’s why I was an essential part of this mission.”
Taeseong finally understood why the team had been so focused on her involvement.
‘This power is remarkably useful. Depending on how it’s applied, the possibilities are endless.’
“I can guess what you’re thinking, Taeseong, but this ability isn’t something I can abuse. Especially moving entire spaces like this—it drains me terribly. If I use it repeatedly, I won’t survive. Great power always comes with great limitations.”
“I see. Still, it’s impressive to travel such a great distance in one go.”
“It’s thanks to this.”
Eunha held up the brush she had used to draw.
“What’s that?”
“You’ve probably guessed, but this is another artifact. Its grade is Delta. I brought it back from the world where I became a host.”
To Taeseong, it looked like an ordinary brush.
“Alright, let’s move. We need to find lodging before dark. There’s an inn nearby.”
Haeyoung asked, “When will the Japanese team arrive?”
“They should be here by the end of the day. Since Team Leader Choi Harin herself coordinated with them, we don’t need to worry. She’s very thorough.”
“Understood!”
“Oh, and everyone, put these on. No need to ask what they’re for.”
Taeseong, who genuinely didn’t know, asked without hesitation.
“What are these for?”
“Haeyoung, explain.”
“Yes!”
Eunha handed each of them what appeared to be ordinary earplugs, except for one unusual detail—a tiny mouth was attached to each one.
They were officially called “The King’s Ears Are Donkey Ears.” Classified as an Epsilon-grade artifact, their ability to repeat whatever they heard made them a useful makeshift translator. However, they had a few quirks, such as exaggerating what they heard or spouting random, dubious rumors.
As Taeseong and his group approached the village, their path was interrupted by an ominous presence—an unsettling forest filled with repetitive paths and an eerie atmosphere. Despite their attempts to escape, they found themselves continually looping back to the same spot, marked by Taeseong’s deliberate carvings.
Their confusion deepened when they stumbled upon a grim altar, decorated with human remains in various states of decay and flanked by pillars seemingly constructed from bones. The air grew heavy, reeking of death and malevolence.
At the center of the ominous scene stood a man kneeling, surrounded by followers dressed in stark white robes. His unsettling black eyes—lacking any visible whites—fixed on the group.
“Are you the master of this forest?” Taeseong demanded, his tone sharp with suspicion.
The kneeling man rose slowly, his gaze unwavering. “And you, are you the administrators sent from Korea?”
His voice dripped with disdain as he continued, “How amusing that the worms from your uncultured land would walk willingly into this place. You must understand—everything here is a blessing granted to us by Orochi-sama.”
The man introduced himself as Abeno Takehashi, a former Japanese administrator turned devotee of an ancient, malevolent deity due to contact with a Beta-grade entity. His dark transformation had turned him into an unhinged shaman who worshipped chaos and detested Koreans.
Recognizing the escalating threat, Taeseong swiftly issued an order: “Unidentified entities ahead. Prepare for combat!”
Tension rippled through the group as they readied themselves for a confrontation against an unpredictable foe, the forest’s malevolent influence pressing down like a suffocating shroud.
