As you pass through Baekun Valley and head east, the plains stretch out, where black clouds permanently cover the sky, blurring the distinction between day and night.
This region, devoid of any light, is called the Plains of Despair, where hordes of yokai roam the land.
It is a high-risk zone, officially prohibited by the governnt of Bestia.
In the center of the plains, even yokai avoid approaching, lies a desolate, ruined fortress. Once a major city, proud of the ancient Bestian kingdom's prosperity, it was overtaken by yokai and left in ruins. Now, it serves as a eting place for a few powerful yokai.
Inside the fortress's grand eting hall, an unextinguishable fla burns at the center.
The sound of many feet, each moving as if with its own will, filled the chamber as a giant, centipede-like figure took its place at the round table.
With slitted eyes that made it hard to read his thoughts, wearing a black fedora and tuxedo, and holding a cane in several of his many legs, was the centipede yokai, Baekkak Gentlen.
“Ah, it seems I’m a bit late. My apologies. It took a while to get my shoes on,” Baekkak Gentlen said with a sly smile.
Typically, yokai with substantial power rarely leave their territories. Baekkak Gentlen was no exception.
Residing deep underground, he wasn’t fond of venturing to the surface, but today was a special occasion.
The Dark Fox had summoned the yokai, claiming that the Gumiho had reappeared.
“To think the Gumiho would awaken at this ti—I never could have dread it, don’t you agree?”
“It’s been quite so ti since she erged from the seal. It’s only now that she has recovered enough power for her presence to be felt,” replied a female voice, taking the form of a horse.
She was Wu, one of the Twelve Yokai Spirits.
“Heh, heh, heh. Naturally, naturally! That’s how it should be for the Gumiho!” a muscular giant laughed boisterously, his bulging muscles making it difficult for him to even fold his arms.
He was a dokkaebi. So even called him the king of dokkaebi—Dueoksini.
For Dueoksini, who relished challenging the strong in tests of strength, the return of the Gumiho was a fortuitous event.
“Where is the Gumiho now? I must go et her imdiately!” Dueoksini grinned, eager as a child promised a trip to an amusent park, his gaze fixed on Heukbi, waiting for an answer.
Despite wearing a blindfold, Heukbi could easily sense Dueoksini's gaze. However, she paid him no mind, casually sipping her tea while her black tail swayed gently behind her.
“There’s no point in visiting her now. In her current state, she’s not a full Gumiho yet—only a Yukmiho.”
Heukbi, the Dark Fox, was one of the three Yoho, along with the Sky Fox and the Gumiho.
She was the fox who could reverse fate.
A dangerous entity, capable of plunging an emperor into ruin or raising a beggar to the throne, flipping the destinies of princes and paupers as easily as turning her palm.
Once, Heukbi stood alongside the Gumiho as one of the twin pillars of the Hoyo tribe, but she was also the most infamous traitor of her kind.
She had allied with the heavens and helped hunt the Gumiho.
If it hadn’t been for her, the world might have already been under the foxes’ rule.
“And besides, there’s no ti to toy with the Gumiho. Heaven’s orders are clear—she must be eliminated before she fully becos a true Gumiho,” Heukbi stated.
“Hmm.”
The yokai’s reactions were mixed. They were yokai, after all. They followed no one’s orders and lived by their instincts.
To follow orders went against their very nature. Moreover, being told to hunt another yokai, especially the Gumiho, wasn’t sothing they would willingly accept.
Wu, one of the Twelve Yokai Spirits, asked, “Isn’t it the Sky Fox’s job to hunt the Gumiho? Why are we yokai being given this task?”
“I’m not sure of the details,” Heukbi replied. “Perhaps the Sky Fox has turned her back on the heavens.”
“Hmm...”
“But refusal is not an option. If we disobey, we’ll face the sa punishnt as the Gumiho—divine retribution.”
Even yokai, as carefree as they were, feared divine punishnt. If that was the case, it was better to deal with the Gumiho.
“Lady Heukbi, please allow to take on the task of eliminating the Gumiho,” said an old man holding a staff as he stepped forward.
Though he wore the skin of a human, he too was a yokai—a corrupt monk known as Pagyesa, who had beco a yokai after devouring his own companions to escape death.
“It won’t be easy, even for you. She’s still the Gumiho, weakened as she may be.”
“I have a plan. Please, entrust this to .”
Heukbi paused, pondering for a mont.
Pagyesa was persistent, refusing to give up easily. In her current state, the Gumiho was like a small boat adrift on a vast sea—vulnerable to destruction, even without interference.
And if anyone excelled at taking advantage of such weaknesses, it was Pagyesa. Heukbi could clearly see his ulterior motive: he wanted to claim the Gumiho’s power for himself.
After a brief consideration, Heukbi agreed. “Very well. I’ll leave this task to you.”
It wasn’t a bad idea to send Pagyesa as a scout to gauge the Gumiho’s strength.
Pagyesa smiled and bowed. “I won’t disappoint you.”
Night had fallen, and darkness blanketed the city.
The dim light of the streetlamps barely illuminated the empty streets of Bestia, save for a few nocturnal beastfolk who had just begun their activities. The city was otherwise still and quiet.
Tap. Tap.
Pagyesa’s staff tapped rhythmically against the ground as he walked down a deserted street, having successfully infiltrated the city.
Sowhere in Bestia, the Gumiho was hiding.
Pagyesa didn’t know why the Gumiho was blending in with humans. The Gumiho he knew would have already been causing chaos, devouring people left and right.
It would be hard to find her alone in a city like this. If he caused a disturbance, the beastfolk would intervene.
‘Maybe I should deal with Bestia while I’m at it.’
All he had to do was restrict the beastfolk’s movents.
Killing the Gumiho and taking care of the troubleso beastfolk in one fell swoop. But using large-scale spells would be reckless and draw attention.
He needed to be subtle, like a rat gnawing away, unnoticed, until it was too late.
And fortunately, Pagyesa had just the right spell for the job. He targeted a lone rat beastfolk passing through a deserted alley and cast his curse.
“I’m so drunk...”
A deer beastfolk nad Vailen swayed unsteadily as he walked, his body moving this way and that. He’d had far too much to drink.
But he couldn’t help it. After all, no man could resist the drinks served by the bunny girls at the best tavern in Bestia, Rabbit in the Moon.
Anyone who could resist wasn’t truly a man—or was too quick in other areas.
“Ugh, I need to pee,” Vailen muttered as he turned toward a wall, fumbling with his pants. Soon, the sound of a strong stream echoed through the alley as he relieved himself without reservation.
The feeling of emptying his bladder was so refreshing that he couldn’t help but hum a little tune.
“Pissing, pissing, shake the tail, tail~ Pissing, pissing, shake the tail, tail~”
Once he’d finished, Vailen adjusted his clothes and started walking back in the direction of his ho.
“Huh?”
A dark shadow stood in the narrow alley ahead of him.
It was a rat beastfolk, standing completely still, blocking his path.
“Hey, why are you just standing there blocking the way? Move aside and let through.”
“...”
“Can’t you hear ?”
The rat didn’t respond. She stared blankly into space, her expression vacant.
Is she drunk too? Or maybe she’s on sothing?
Vailen’s good mood was quickly ruined. Irritated, he deliberately shoved the rat beastfolk’s shoulder hard as he passed by her.
The next day, in broad daylight.
Vailen walked slowly, his shoulders slumped, each step labored.
The warm sunlight bore down on him as if pressing on his head, making his steps heavy and unstable, as though he could collapse from a re gust of wind.
His once-proud antlers looked pitiful today, and his gaunt appearance made him look like a man on the verge of death. Passersby gave him strange looks, quickly stepping aside to avoid him.
“Hey, Vailen. You alright? You don’t look so good,” one of the beastfolk recognized him and approached with concern.
But Vailen didn’t respond. He just kept walking, slowly, steadily.
Until, finally, his body swayed.
And he collapsed to the ground.
“Vailen? Hey, Vailen!”
The man turned him over, only to find Vailen’s eyes rolled back, and black veins bulging beneath his skin.
“What the hell? Is he okay? Did he just die?”
“Soone get a doctor! Don’t just stand there!”
A crowd quickly gathered in the middle of the street, drawn by the commotion.
It was the beginning of an epidemic.
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