Waking up to the small commotion, Tae-geon slowly sat up.
The first thing he saw was the Dark Elves, Min-chan, and the rest of his group gathered in one place.
It was an unusual sight.
The memory of his ribs being crushed by the Lizard Warrior's tail was still vivid, yet his body felt impossibly light.
Confused, Tae-geon looked around, then quietly shook his head.
"...What is this?"
"Oh! Hyung Tae-geon, you're awake?"
Do-yoon bounced over and patted Tae-geon's shoulder.
"Thank goodness. I really thought you were going to die."
"How's Young-ho?"
In response, Do-yoon pointed into the distance with his finger.
[SNORING... SNORING...]
Young-ho, who had been deathly pale from blood loss, was now lying sprawled on the ground, snoring peacefully as if nothing had happened.
"Hah... I'm glad, but..."
Tae-geon gave a hollow laugh.
"...What did I do so wrong in my past life?"
Only then did Tae-geon's gaze shift to Min-chan.
He was talking about something with his usual indifferent expression, and in front of him stood the Dark Elf warrior Arden and the golden-haired Elder who appeared to be her mother.
It was hard to believe that a fierce battle had just taken place, as now it was a time for words instead of swords.
The scent of battle remained, but the atmosphere had already shifted to one of negotiation.
"Tell me what you want..."
The Elder spoke with a sense of urgency.
Min-chan pointed to the forest across the stream and said.
"First, I want the land along the stream. The land on your side, of course."
The Elder's expression hardened at his words.
"That... doesn't make any sense, does it?
To have outsiders who might be enemies right at our doorstep? It's too high a price to pay."
Just then, Tae-geon, who had just regained his composure, quietly approached and took over.
"If it's land you can't protect, wouldn't we be better than the lizards?"
The Elder opened her mouth to object but then closed it.
The 'negotiation style' that Min-chan had shown just a moment ago had not yet faded from her memory.
And the soldiers had all witnessed it.
"..."
A heavy silence.
The one to break the stillness was Arden, who gritted her teeth.
"Mother, this is absurd!
How... how can you give land to a human? And breaking a curse, that's... that's a scam!"
The Elder closed her eyes, then slowly opened them.
Her eyes held the weariness and sorrow of countless years.
"...Arden. Our tribe's numbers are decreasing every year.
At this rate, only I, who escaped the curse, will be left, and everyone else will disappear."
"...Mother."
"If this is a possibility that can change that course... wouldn't it be worth taking a chance on?"
At her words, Arden bit her lip and turned away.
Just then, Do-yoon stepped forward, trying to lighten the mood with a cheerful demeanor.
"Whoa, whoa, folks. Calm down.
If we settle on that land, you see—we'll also block the lizards and solve the curse.
It's a win-win! A future of coexistence! Isn't that right?"
The Elder and Arden both looked at Do-yoon at the same time.
His smile strangely overlapped with the face of a greedy merchant.
"And with our Noona Dam-bi's skills, a curse like that is easily solved.
Of course, there's a discount for beautiful women."
Do-yoon even added a wink, which made Min-chan chuckle and Tae-geon sigh in exasperation.
Just then, the Elder said in a low voice.
"Fine. I will give you the land by the stream. However, there is a condition."
Min-chan nodded.
"Tell me."
"If you can really break the curse that suppresses us... show me proof first.
Start with Arden."
Min-chan stared at the Elder for a moment, then quietly answered.
"Good. I'll show you in person when our people arrive."
The Elder closed her eyes for a moment, then slowly nodded.
She then gestured to her soldiers.
"Break formation. Recover the injured. Everyone, clean up."
Following her command, the Dark Elf soldiers began to move in an orderly fashion.
It was a sign that there would be no more conflict.
Only then did Min-chan relax his shoulders and say.
"Alright. Wake up Young-ho, and let's all move."
The tense atmosphere that had enveloped the battlefield slowly dissipated.
After one last exchange of glances, the Elder and Min-chan turned away without another word.
Two moons hung side by side in the sky.
On the way back to the Guryeo Village, their steps felt much lighter than before.
"Don't you think we've changed a lot?
Coming back to the village feels like returning from a war."
Young-ho stretched lazily and muttered.
"What war?
You got stabbed, put on a show, fell into the water, and just lay there all day."
Tae-geon replied gruffly from beside him.
Next to him was Arden, who was walking blankly.
"He's only acting tough now that he's fine."
Young-beom chuckled and interjected.
Min-chan remained silent.
But his eyes were on the welcoming party of people beyond the village entrance.
Yoon-hee and the young Dongyi children ran and clung to Do-yoon's legs, and behind them, Gap-soo, Sang-cheol, and Dam-bi came out to greet them.
"I'm glad you're safe."
Gap-soo's eyes scanned the group.
Her gaze immediately fell on Min-chan and Arden.
"Is that one... a hostage?"
"A bargaining chip."
Min-chan answered briefly.
"You're the one who attacked our people."
Dam-bi met Arden's gaze without flinching.
"She's a guest now."
At Min-chan's words, Dam-bi shrugged.
Tae-geon coughed, stifling a laugh.
"Seriously... you never know what's going to happen."
"I know. But... the important thing is that we're alive."
Do-yoon said.
And the moment they entered the village, Min-chan spoke.
"Let's all rest. We fought for a long time today.
And... a different kind of battle begins tomorrow."
His gaze was directed at the empty lot next to the large kiln in the center of the village.
That's where the real negotiation with the Dark Elves was set to begin tomorrow.
[CRACKLE... POP.]
The dry firewood scattered sparks, and the soup in the pot over the campfire simmered.
The smell of meat spreading with the smoke tickled the noses of those who had been drenched in the smell of blood all day.
Min-chan was sitting with his back against a wooden post, while Do-yoon and Young-ho playfully bumped shoulders while flipping meat over the fire.
"Ah, I feel alive again.
Meat is the best for replenishing your energy after losing blood."
Young-ho sniffed.
"You just laid there like a corpse and slept soundly while everyone else was fighting, and now you're talking about meat?"
Young-beom teased, nudging his wide backside with his foot.
"I lost more than a basinful of blood.
Healing magic doesn't fill your blood back up, you know."
Young-ho muttered in exasperation.
Next to them, Tae-geon sat silently, massaging the remaining pain in his bones.
His gaze fell on Dam-bi and... the captured Dark Elf warrior, Arden.
The two women's eyes met for the first time.
One, a resolute shaman as sharp as a sword, the other, a proud Dark Elf warrior.
"Why are you looking at me?"
Arden spoke first.
Her hands were empty, but her gaze was still intimidating.
"Because I feel a strange energy."
Dam-bi replied.
Arden stared at Dam-bi for a moment, then quietly asked.
"You... said you could get rid of the curse?"
"To be precise, we're going to experiment to see if it can be broken."
Dam-bi said with her arms crossed.
"The curses I know are the remnants of pain.
The pain that accumulates in the body or mind turns into a grudge and clings to the target.
Do you have any idea what it could be?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Arden shrugged and shook her head.
At that moment, a clear, transparent energy gathered at Dam-bi's fingertips.
Arden's shadow, cast by the campfire, flickered as if it were alive.
It was different from the 'divinity' that the Dark Elves felt, but it was clearly a power that commanded nature and energy.
"My guess was right.
Seeing that it has a will, what dwells within you is a vengeful spirit."
Dam-bi muttered softly.
And the moment that energy touched Arden's skin—
[ZZZAP—]
A faint, static-like spark flew.
"Ugh...!"
Arden gritted her teeth.
Cracks, like old wounds, appeared on her skin, and from within them, a pattern like black veins slowly rose.
"The curse is mixed in with the blood.
It's something that has been passed down for a very long time."
Dam-bi whispered, narrowing her eyes.
When she withdrew her hand, the black veins slowly retreated back into her skin.
For a moment, all eyes were on Arden.
Min-chan quietly approached and asked.
"How is it?"
"It's possible.
But... this isn't just one person's problem."
Dam-bi's gaze passed over Arden and looked into the distance, into the darkness.
"It's not just Arden, the entire tribe has to gather for it to be properly broken."
"Then...?"
Arden narrowed her eyes.
"We have to go to the Dark Elf village."
Dam-bi's answer was short but firm.
The next morning, before the sun rose, Dam-bi appeared in the village square.
She carried a basket in her two hands, and it was filled with neatly dried herbs, peeled tree roots, and sliced fruits.
In the cool morning air, the scent of herbs subtly spread.
"Hmm... The setup is ready."
Dam-bi muttered to herself as she put the basket down.
Arden, who was watching from the side with her arms crossed, asked.
"Are you really... saying this will work?"
"I said it was possible. I didn't say it would be successful."
Dam-bi replied calmly, then added indifferently.
"Oh, and give me a strand of your hair."
Arden frowned.
"What do you need my hair for?"
"You'll see later."
Dam-bi carefully pulled a strand of hair from Arden's head and placed it in the basket.
Then she began to prepare the herbs again.
Arden's eyebrow twitched slightly.
'Could it really... be broken with this?
The children who consume their life force with every small wound, who grow older with each passing day.
That centuries-old curse... could it really be wiped away by a human's touch?'
It was hard to believe.
But somewhere in her heart, she, Arden herself, felt a tiny spark of hope.
Min-chan, who was watching from a distance, asked in a low voice.
"When do we leave?"
"Now. We have to get there before sunset. We need to hold the ritual in the dark."
At Dam-bi's answer, the group packed their things and set off.
The path through the canyon was quiet.
A thick fog, sharp rock spires, and a silent forest...
In the hushed landscape, only the sound of the wind brushed against the leaves.
Just then, beyond the forest, something was hanging from the giant trees.
"What is that, a magpie's nest?"
Young-beom said, narrowing his eyes.
"You put a head there for decoration?
How can a magpie live there?
It's an eagle. Use your head."
Young-ho retorted.
They were massive structures made of thick branches and green vines, shaped like hollowed-out chestnut burs.
Vine bridges connected them, hanging in the air like a spider's web.
Arden, who was walking ahead, stopped and slowly turned her head to look at the group.
"That's how it might look to you.
We moved higher and higher to avoid our enemies.
Because anyone who wasn't a fellow Dark Elf was an enemy."
Min-chan shrugged indifferently and continued walking without a word.
The area beyond the hill looked like an empty, wide field from a distance.
But as they got closer, old patterns carved into the ground and ancient black wooden statues of various shapes came into view.
"This is... the altar of the spirits."
Arden said in a low voice.
"It's simple, but well-kept. No corruption.
But... that one, the statue in the middle is a bit strange."
Dam-bi walked around the altar once, then stopped in front of the central statue, which stood among the others.
Its eyes were sharply carved, and its form looked like it was crying out with its mouth open.
The face of the child in its arms was deliberately erased, worn and blurry.
"I wasn't born yet, so I don't know the exact details.
But according to the stories passed down... it's said to be the form of an Elf who broke the law and was punished."
Dam-bi nodded at Arden's words.
And with her fingertips, she lightly caressed the surface of the statue, whispering quietly.
It was as if she was touching an old wound.
"...I'm sorry."
At that moment, the golden-haired Elder walked into the center of the altar.
Soon after, middle-aged Dark Elves followed, quietly taking their places.
"I was told to gather all the tribe members."
"That's right. There isn't much time.
Please collect a single strand of hair from every single person.
And prepare clay dolls to match the number of people."
At Dam-bi's words, the Elder nodded and immediately gave the order.
The gymnasium group also moved busily to assist with the ritual.
Soon, the two moons began to look down on the altar from over the mountain range.
The campfires on either side of the altar blazed, pushing back the darkness, and the Dark Elves stood around the altar, holding clay dolls with strands of hair embedded in them.
In front of the altar, neatly arranged were the herbs, peeled tree roots, and cut fruit slices.
Dam-bi slowly bowed in all four directions.
The sweat on her forehead quickly ran down like raindrops.
"Two moons light the way below the heavens...
O' spirits trapped in black blood, remain in this world for a moment.
O' souls wandering with a grudge...
Your descendants seek to reclaim that memory—so remain here and speak."
Suddenly, the campfires flared violently, shaking the surrounding air.
[JINGLE—JINGLE...]
"We will revive the time we turned away from...
Pass through the darkness, and dwell within this body."
Dam-bi vigorously shook a bronze bell.
At that moment, the shadows of the Dark Elves began to writhe as if they had come to life.
They soon lost their form, turning into black smoke and seeping into Dam-bi's body.
"Ugh—!"
Dam-bi's shoulders lurched, and her body trembled violently.
At that moment, sharp whispers were heard from all directions.
No one had opened their mouths, but someone was definitely muttering in a hushed voice close to their ears.
"You forgot...?"
"Give it back!"
"Breathe... again..."
The campfires shot up in flames as if they were exploding, and as the trembling subsided, the flames also died down.
Dam-bi slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were not white but filled only with an inky blackness.
And then—
"... "
Her mouth opened.
The voice was clearly Dam-bi's, but it was not her own.