How Druids Live with the Beast

“…M-Mung, Big Dog.”

Eunho spoke in a trembling voice, but there was no response.

Was it really this terrifying to turn your head sideways?

But what could he do? Just imagining Bar Teacher’s hard black shell brought a primal fear rushing in.

‘No, it can’t be. It’s impossible. What I saw wasn’t a tentacle, and it didn’t suddenly pop out, right? …Okay, let’s gather some courage.’

Eunho held his breath and, with his face shaking, finally managed to turn his head.

The slowly revealed figure made his eyes widen.

It wasn’t Bar Teacher.

‘It looks like a squirrel…?’

For a moment, he thought it was a squirrel, but when he noticed the fluttering leaf-like antennae instead of ears, he quickly dismissed the thought.

Wasn’t it the antennae that made him mistake it for Bar Teacher in the first place?

The thick gray fur didn’t seem to have much sheen, and it was small, about 70-80 cm tall. Its front and hind legs were short, and its tail, which was fluffy enough to match its body size, was very charming.

Its face was small, with tiny front teeth peeking out from a slightly wrinkled nose.

It was a new Beastkin.

Eunho, filled with excitement, immediately put on the headset hanging around his neck.

“Hello, friend.”

His voice was cracked from just waking up, but Eunho smiled brightly.

Maybe it was because he had just woken up, but he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so refreshed.

He was just in a great mood this morning.

The Beastkin, with eyes tinged green, slowly blinked in response to Eunho’s greeting.

Eunho, seeing that the Beastkin didn’t react at all, blinked in return.

After blinking a few more times, the Beastkin suddenly collapsed backward.

“Not there!”

Eunho shouted, hurriedly opening the window, only to find the Beastkin lying on its back on the ground, showing its belly.

‘…Ah, this is the first floor, right?’

Back when he lived in his original world, his apartment was on the 8th floor.

He sighed in relief, brushing his hair upward.

“Are you okay?”

“…I-I was surprised.”

The Beastkin spoke with as wide eyes as it could, its voice muffled, possibly due to a short tongue, making it sound a bit off.

From the mouth that was slightly open in shock, large bubbles, like soap bubbles, began to rise.

‘…A Beastkin Spitting Bubbles?’

Eunho’s eyes followed the bubbles that floated up gently.

As they caught the sunlight, reflecting in a rainbow of colors, a smile naturally spread across his face.

“Don’t touch…”

Tap.

Before the Beastkin could finish speaking, Eunho, who had already extended his finger, touched the bubble, causing it to burst.

Just as Eunho’s smile began to widen, he suddenly felt something grabbing him from behind.

Biiiiiing!

The high-pitched sound of a broken speaker reverberated, and Eunho quickly grabbed his headset tightly.

It felt as though someone was grabbing his hair and forcing him into a headbang, the shock overwhelming him.

Drip.

Blood started to flow from his nose, but Eunho didn’t feel it at all. His eyes, losing focus, only shifted to the sight of the black hound entering his view.

‘…Wow. What’s going on? The world’s spinning?’

The black hound was saying something, but his ears weren’t working.

When the black hound crumpled his face and closed his mouth, Eunho immediately grabbed him.

Looking at the hand, the black hound sighed deeply.

‘Just being quick-witted isn’t enough.’

For a brief moment, Eunho had considered killing the Beastkin, but just then, his hand reached in.

The black hound stared at the Beastkin.

It had just marked its territory and was on its way back.

Even though it had been warned, the brave creature turned out to be no bigger than a booger.

Its size had pricked the black hound’s pride.

“…Uwaaah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

The Beastkin flailed with its short front legs.

It whimpered like a child crying, but the black hound only found its existence unpleasant.

“Enough.”

With a thunderous voice, the Beastkin froze, its crying abruptly stopping.

“…Mm?”

“Does entering my territory mean you’re willing to die?”

“Te-territory?”

The Beastkin’s eyes darted around as it froze in place. Looking up, the massive black hound filled its vision.

“I… I didn’t know! I swear!”

Its leaf-like antennae stood up straight, and its front toes trembled in fear.

“Do you think your words will make sense now?”

The yellow eyes of the black hound darkened.

No matter how foolish, the Beastkin should have known about territory.

“Big dog… Big brother.”

Eunho mumbled, trembling as he got up.

Only then did he feel the blood flowing from his nose and quickly wiped it away.

“Lie down, human.”

“…Well, this is different from poison, but still has an interesting flavor.”

Eunho chuckled.

The black hound sighed at the sound of his laughter.

“Human, don’t reveal your stupidity.”

“…It’s still a little ‘humming,’ but it’s okay. That friend didn’t mean it.”

“Why is it that every time, you’re such a hassle? Didn’t you learn that you shouldn’t get close to unknown beings?”

The black hound raised its voice a little, and Eunho buried himself in its fur.

“Where the heck did you go this morning? I was looking for you desperately, Big Dog.”

“I went to mark my territory.”

“…Did you, uh, rub your head against it, or pee on it…?”

The black hound’s front paw gently pressed on Eunho’s head.

“…Ow, my head. Big Dog is crushing it, making it hurt more.”

When the black hound lifted its paw immediately, Eunho smiled despite his exaggerated complaints.

“I’m not a beast, human.”

“Of course, I know. Why would my Big Dog be a beast? But what should I call you? Should I just say you’re a mysterious being?”

“…Just call me whatever, whether Beastkin or black hound.”

Eunho was curious about the black hound’s behavior, as if it were holding something back, but he didn’t ask.

He petted the black hound and looked toward the window.

Soon, he saw a small hand clinging to the window frame.

“Over there, friend.”

“…Sorry.”

“It’s okay, but could you show me your face? It must be hard hanging on the window.”

“I… I’m dangerous.”

“I’m curious how dangerous you are. Or should I just come to you?”

Eunho stood up, pulling the black hound with him.

His head spun for a moment, but he was able to walk.

“…Don’t come. Don’t come.”

He could see the Beastkin’s antennae standing up on the window frame. Its hand was trembling uncontrollably.

Eunho reached out and grabbed the Beastkin.

The Beastkin’s feet dangled as it looked at Eunho with wide, surprised eyes.

‘…It’s light as feathers?’

Like a ghost, the tablet flew over and displayed a message.

“Beastkin recognized.”

“Dororong.”

‘Dororong?’

Eunho looked at the Beastkin again.

Seeing its dazed expression and appearance, he thought the name was fitting.

“…”

“…”

“They live in groups with family, and can be found in any warm place. They sleep hanging upside down, holding onto trees or other objects with their tail, so they are very light. They prefer to stay in one place, rarely moving, and their front and back legs have degenerated and are short. When curled up, they are very calm as long as they are left undisturbed.”

“Their cries are unique, and despite their innocent appearance, you must be cautious of the bubbles they release from their mouths. When they burst, they cause strong vibrations in the air that attack the eardrum and even the brain. Their teeth are also sharp.”

After reading the explanation, Eunho looked at Dororong, and noticed its eyes had lifted slightly.

When he gently set it down, Dororong’s expression finally relaxed.

Eunho picked Dororong up again, and as its eyes lifted higher, he placed it back on the floor.

Its expression calmed again, and Eunho couldn’t help but laugh.

“…What are you doing right now?”

Dororong puffed up its chest.

“No, it’s just that your expression changes so suddenly, it’s fascinating.”

At Eunho’s smile, Dororong avoided his gaze and lowered its head.

It felt a bit embarrassed.

Its short front paws dug into the ground as it froze in place, suddenly feeling a strange sensation.

Even its tail seemed stiff, and Eunho tilted his head in confusion.

“What’s wrong? Did you forget something?”

“…The human… said something.”

Dororong was stunned by the thought.

How could a human speak their language?

“The human… said something!”

Dororong lifted its head and stretched out its front paws, shouting loudly.

The small sound echoed through the house, and the black hound wagged its tail in the living room, while Eunho blinked in surprise.

“Well, you see, I’m a bit special, you know. By the way, our friend has been here since the morning…”

Eunho looked at his wrist to check the time, but his wrist was empty. He looked around, then spotted a digital clock and stood up.

It was 3:24 PM.

He’d been waking up at precisely 5 AM every day, regardless of weekends, and seeing this time felt like an emotional revelation.

Accepting that there were no alarms or bosses pressuring him in this world, everything suddenly seemed different.

“Big Dog! I… I slept until the afternoon!”

“The human said something again!”

Whether it was the shouting human or the shouting Beastkin, the black hound looked at them with disdain.

If only the Beastkin weren’t so dangerous, he might have moved it.

“I really must be in another world!”

There was no terrible boss or awful workplace here, and that’s what made this world different.

Eunho felt content and asked, “So, why did our friend come here?”

The house they were in was located far from the city.

Did it come down from the mountains behind the house?

In a way, it was the first guest to visit their home.

At last, Dororong stopped making a fuss and sat down, lifting its front paws in a calm manner.

“I saw a really big house from the mountains. I like big houses.”

“Did you really come from the mountains? Are there many Beastkin… I mean, do you all live there?”

“There are many. But I…”

Dororong briefly looked a little down, then stood on its four legs.

“Human, I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“It’s okay. I’ve gotten stronger all of a sudden.”

“Since I know you live here, I’m leaving now.”

Dororong waved its front paw and turned its back, walking away.

Its posture looked strangely bitter, and suddenly, Eunho thought of Hempia.

“Wait a minute, friend.”

Eunho called out to Dororong, who was heading toward the window. It turned around and tilted its head.

“Why?”

“Are you… looking for a place to live?”

Having seen some information about Dororong, Eunho felt uneasy and brought up what was on his mind.

It had been said that Dororong didn’t move much in one place.

It was so stationary that its front and back legs had atrophied and were short.

But it had walked from the mountains to this house. It was after something urgent.

That something seemed to be a ‘home’ right now.

Had it been driven out, or had it lost its home?

Along with thinking about Hempia, Eunho also remembered Poiki.

The image of losing one’s home felt very similar.

In the past few days, everything that had happened weighed on Eunho’s mind, and he couldn’t help but feel concerned.

“If you’re okay with it, would you like to live here? It’s pretty big, with up to the third floor.”

Unlike Poiki, who needed to move constantly, Dororong was different.

When the black hound perked its ears and stood up, Dororong stepped back in surprise.

Its back hit the wall.

“…Human? Are you saying you want to take that thing in? It attacked you. Have you already forgotten?”

“I’m sorry for saying it without consulting you first. But didn’t I say I would be a temporary shelter for the Beastkin?”

“What does that matter? That thing is perfectly fine. There’s no reason for you to get involved.”

“That might be true, but I want to know why our friend, who likes to stay still, came all the way here.”

Eunho gave a playful smile.

He really enjoyed these small connections.

It felt special, like he had become someone unique, being the only one to hear their stories.

“You… want to take me in? What?”

Dororong looked confused, shaking its head in disbelief.

But hearing the reason, it might have wanted to stay.

“…I shouldn’t be here.”

It hurriedly climbed up toward the window, as if being chased by something.

Eunho stood up as well.

“…Human. Thank you for asking me like that.”

Dororong waved its hand again before falling out of the window.

Eunho touched the window frame and slowly sank down to sit.

“…What a shame.”

“Human.”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“The house is big, right? Of course, it might seem smaller because our big dog makes it look that way.”

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

“Then what?”

Eunho looked at Dororong running away. He wanted to grab it right then.

Could he? Would it be forcing it?

A lot of thoughts swirled in his mind.

“Why are you so interested in us? You’re different from other humans.”

Hempia was like that, and so was Poiki.

Eunho’s curiosity was very broad.

“You know, only I can hear your voices, right? …I guess that sounds a bit embarrassing.”

Eunho fiddled with his earlobe.

Slowly, his gaze softened.

“…I’ve gotten a bit tired of people. Of course, that’s not to say I don’t like them. How could a social creature like a human live without other people?”

Eunho stood up from his seat.

“My big dog helped me without any reason. He made a good first impression. Ron, Pipi, Aran.”

Hempia, Poiki.

Their faces already started to grow and settle in his mind.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been living so steeped in society, but even a simple word feels so warm. And wanting to feel that warmth again… does that make me sound perverted?”

“…Perverted? What does that mean?”

“Eh, whatever, it’s just personal satisfaction.”

Eunho turned his head and smiled widely.

He confidently approached the black hound.

“Let’s go, big dog.”

“Where to?”

“To hear the story of Dororong, who might become our future roommate.”

“…Ha.”

The black hound sighed.

“Human. Chasing after it might not be the answer.”

“That might be true, but I’m just curious. Besides, our guest came all the way to our house, and I didn’t even offer snacks or tea. That’s just not polite.”

Most of what Eunho said was probably not understood, but the black hound looked at Eunho with a firm gaze, then crouched down.

“Fine.”

“I’m not doubting you, but just asking in case… you do know not to break any walls, right?”

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

“Right? I know our big dog is smart.”

Eunho was finally relieved and was about to climb on but stopped.

“Hold on, let me grab my bag.”

Eunho ran for a moment, then turned back to casually ask.

“Would it be okay to have a glass of water? Or do you think it’ll be hard to chase after me?”

With that interruption, the black hound exhaled deeply and crouched down again.

“Do as you wish, stupid human. Do you think I’ll lose the scent?”

Hmph.

***

“…What… what is that?”

As soon as Eunho stepped outside, he gasped in surprise.

Black smoke was rising near his house.

It looked like there was a fire.

“Didn’t I tell you I marked my territory?”

The black hound showed a look of pride.

Stretching out its front paw as if expecting praise, Eunho grabbed his hair.

This was bad.

What if someone saw this and reported it?

In a hurry, Eunho pulled out his glasses from his bag and put them on.

The eyes of a bird of prey.

Looking into the distance, he saw flashing lights on top of a car.

“…The police and fire trucks are already here?”

Eunho clicked his tongue.