In an instant, both demons dropped to the ground—transformed into two ordinary turtles, no larger than a man's chest. They landed with a dull thud.
The castellan, who had been watching with bated breath, finally let out a long sigh. He leaned back against the wall, exhausted, and let his weapon fall from his grasp.
As Goi passed, the castellan muttered words of gratitude.
Goi gave only a small nod in reply. Without a word, he turned away—his cloak fluttering behind him—as he walked back toward the thunder of battle.
After the fierce battle, a deep silence settled over Sohyun Castle. The moon hung low, and the castle's barracks slept, unaware that something was stirring behind them.
In the far corner of the training yard, Odami, the young lieutenant, looked around cautiously. After ensuring no one was watching, he crept forward and began to dig.
Master... my revered Baekwoo. Soon, the treasures will be in my hands. I swear... I will avenge you.
His hands worked the earth in silence as he recalled the moment his master died—the mountain sage Baekwoo, who had raised him.
Back then, he had been just a frightened cub, hiding in fear. The memory was a blur, but the horror was real—something monstrous, demonic. When the creature was gone, he had crawled to his dying master.
Baekwoo, blood trailing from his lips, smiled gently.
"My sweet little Odami... I'm sorry. I must leave you now."
Odami had wailed, overcome with grief and terror.
"It wasn't a battle I should've fought… I thought he was just a beast… but midway through," the sage whispered. "If ever you sense the presence of a dragon or anything like it... run. No matter what. Just run."
Then, Baekwoo looked up at the night sky and sighed.
"If only I had even one of Dangun's sacred treasures... I wouldn't have fallen so pitifully... Just one, even..."
Turning back to his disciple, he smiled warmly.
"My powers will vanish soon... but what remains, I give to you, my child."
He placed a hand on Odami's furry head, and a warm light poured into him—through the crown, into the spirit. The light shimmered, rippling through bone and muscle. Something awakened within him.
"Master Baekwoo!" Odami cried.
But the sage, now visibly older, frailer, gave his final words:
"My sweet Odami..."
And then, he moved no more.
The warmth of that light... still lingered.
In the shadowed stillness of the training yard, Odami kept digging in silence, his heart pounding.
Master, I've finally found it. Just wait a little longer... I'll finish what you could not.
Suddenly, his fingers scraped against metal.
His eyes widened. With a hurried glance around, he unearthed a small iron chest and pried it open.
Inside—two of Dangun's Three Sacred Treasures.
His breath caught. The bronze mirror... the bronze bell...
"Master... with these, I can find that dragon bastard and make him pay..."
But then—
A delicate tungso melody drifted through the night air.
Odami froze. Snapping the lid shut, he quickly buried the box once more and scattered earth over the top.
Drawing his blade, he stepped forward, voice low.
"Who's there?"
The melody continued, haunting and calm.
"Show yourself," he demanded. "Who are you?"
The music stopped.
From the shadowed trees, a lone figure emerged. Goi.
"Is knowing who I am that important... beast?"
Odami staggered back in shock.
"You... You saved me this morning! What do you mean, beast?"
Goi shook his head slowly.
"I figured you had your reasons... but all this, just to dig up treasure?"
He drew his bronze gladius.
Odami blinked. Why not the steel blade? That glow... Is that—
Golden light spilled from the blade, bathing Odami in its warmth.
And in that instant, his true form unraveled.
Where the young lieutenant once stood, now loomed a hulking bear demon. His sword fell from his claws as he stared at Goi with blazing eyes.
Damn it... How long has he known?
No matter. That blade—it might be the last of the sacred treasures. This could be fate.
The bear roared and charged. His massive forelegs lashed out with brute force.
But Goi had already sheathed the gladius, and now held the steel blade.
Each swing of the bear's claws struck only empty air. Goi flowed like wind and shadow, and with every evasion, he countered—a dozen precise strikes landing in return.
Twelve missed attacks. Twelve wounds inflicted.
Breathless, the bear staggered.
"How... can a mere human... do this to me? It's not fair! I spent three centuries chasing those treasures!"
Goi sheathed the steel blade. Slowly, he unsheathed the gladius again.
"Three centuries? Must've been hard."
His tone was flat. Void of sympathy. The bear's limbs trembled.
"I found them here, in Sohyun. But enemies swarmed before I could even hold them for a quarter-hour! So I buried them—right here!"
Goi gave a small shrug, voice dripping with mock pity.
"Ah... sorry to hear that."
Then his eyes hardened.
"Cleansed!"
He swung the blade. A golden arc cut through the bear demon.
As the light faded, what remained was no longer monstrous.
An old bear, weary and peaceful, lay on the ground.
Perhaps... that man... Goi... perhaps he'll finish what my master could not. Perhaps he'll avenge us...
Odami closed his eyes, returning to the form of an ordinary bear—and breathed his last.
Goi stepped forward and opened the buried chest.
Inside, the bronze mirror and the bronze bells shone softly, touched by golden light. As if answering a silent voice, Goi smiled faintly.
"Yes... I'm glad to see you too."