How Druids Live with the Beast

‘…Black Hound?’

Eun-ho turned his head again to look at the creature.

Was that its name, or the name of its species?

Even though it had shrunk in size compared to before, it was still large enough that Eun-ho had to look up at it.

The overwhelming fear had faded, replaced by an even greater curiosity that piqued his interest.

The bright brown eyes, resembling orange, were now shining as the dark clouds in them cleared away.

‘Beautiful.’

It was such a mystical creature that he even pushed the flying tablet aside.

At a glance, the Black Hound resembled a large wolf, but its features were sharp enough to make it feel like a different species altogether.

It had small horns on its head, and golden markings resembling writing were scattered across its body. It looked less like a beast and more like a messenger of a god.

“Hello, puppy.”

Eun-ho cautiously extended his hand with a trembling voice.

At his gesture, the Black Hound pulled back warily, looking at Eun-ho.

Their gazes met.

The Black Hound’s eyes, filled with discomfort, contrasted sharply with Eun-ho’s eyes, which were full of wonder.

“Since you waited this long, I guess you’re not planning to bite me, right? You saved me.”

Eun-ho smiled.

He was about to extend his hand further but glanced at the tablet that was hovering around him.

Its behavior was almost like a puppy, so it didn’t seem threatening.

When the name of the Black Hound flashed on the tablet screen, Eun-ho pressed it.

《Black Hound.》

**《Born in darkness, it prefers dark places and mostly lives in shadows. Its fur is made of tiny bits of darkness, and occasionally, it exposes itself to light to shed its fur.

…》

《It has a straightforward personality. It is very self-willed and lacks flexibility.》

As the information scrolled down, Eun-ho stared at his hand.

‘So, when I touched the Black Hound, the tablet displayed information about it? Is this the power of a Druid?’

As Eun-ho was thinking this, the Black Hound suddenly turned its head to the right.

Eun-ho’s gaze followed.

It was just a forest, with nothing in sight.

“There’s nothing there?”

Just then, a shadow fell, and Eun-ho looked up.

The Black Hound, having opened its mouth, moved closer.

With its large teeth, sharp yellow eyes, and imposing steps, Eun-ho’s body would typically tremble in fear, but he just stared in awe, mouth open.

The fur that swayed with every step was a work of art. Especially the tail, which, following the dark color, blended with a golden hue, creating the feeling of looking at the night sky in an oil painting.

Eun-ho realized this was what the word “captivating” was meant for.

He then smiled softly.

“I don’t know if you can hear me, but you don’t seem like you’re going to hurt me… You saved me, after all.”

Chomp.

The Black Hound bit Eun-ho’s clothes.

“You’re such an impatient one, huh?”

Eun-ho laughed lightly, but his expression quickly darkened.

His body grew limp, and pain rushed in.

The shard of glass lodged in him, the bruises from the breaks, and the blood now dripping were finally visible.

‘How did I not realize I was hurt?’

Once he saw the wound, the pain flooded in.

As the Black Hound ran, Eun-ho’s body swayed, and he felt like he might die.

“Uh, excuse me, could you let me down?”

Eun-ho’s face turned pale.

As he watched the blood fall, he realized how serious his condition was.

“I’m… right now…”

BANG!

Suddenly, a loud explosion interrupted Eun-ho, and he turned his head.

Amidst the flying debris, he saw a car in the center.

Had the Black Hound moved to avoid the explosion?

“See, you really did save me, right?”

Eun-ho smiled brightly.

For the first time, someone had saved him. He was overwhelmed with emotion.

“You’re a good puppy.”

Whoosh.

A sudden sound made Eun-ho’s eyes dart around.

As the Black Hound turned its body, the explosion went off.

‘…A bomb? No, something feels off.’

Eun-ho’s head moved from side to side.

It sounded like an explosion, but it was different. There were no sounds of something being embedded or broken.

It was a completely different power. Eun-ho couldn’t even name it.

“……!”

Eun-ho lifted his head.

The direction the Black Hound was heading toward seemed disordered.

A sense of foreboding grew, making Eun-ho feel like they shouldn’t go that way.

He held his breath and tugged at the Black Hound’s fur.

“Sorry!”

“Grrr!”

The Black Hound was startled and abruptly stopped, causing Eun-ho to tumble to the ground and roll.

“Grrrrrr.”

Eun-ho could feel the Black Hound’s anger.

It felt like a warning: How dare you?

BOOM!

Just then, an explosion erupted in the direction the Black Hound had been heading.

The growling of the Black Hound stopped abruptly, and it looked at Eun-ho with a confused expression.

“…I just had a feeling. I’m sorry for pulling your whiskers.”

Eun-ho gave an awkward smile.

This was his first time being helped by someone, and also his first time saving someone, so it felt strange.

The only choices had always been whether to kill or be killed.

It felt like he was finally getting out of the jungle of reality that had been limited to these two options.

The Black Hound approached, its sharp claws extended.

Its bright yellow eyes met Eun-ho’s.

Though Eun-ho couldn’t understand what it was saying, he didn’t look away from its gaze.

“You’re impatient. I just confirmed it was a misunderstanding, right?”

The Black Hound snorted loudly and drew a line in the ground with its paw.

“…Don’t come near? That’s a bit petty. We’re equal, you know. 1:1.”

“Grrr.”

“Not petty, huh?”

The Black Hound looked at Eun-ho with a gaze full of disdain.

“What’s with that look?”

Eun-ho was annoyed by the look, and when he tried to protest, the Black Hound turned its body away.

Taking a deep breath, it barked loudly.

“Grrrrr!”

The sound was so loud it almost felt like thunder.

The noise seemed to trigger Eun-ho’s worsening condition, and cold sweat began to pour down his face.

‘…I want to know what’s happening too.’

Eun-ho grabbed the tree beside him and managed to lift his upper body.

Even this simple action drenched him in sweat.

Although most of his body was hidden behind the Black Hound, a human leg could be vaguely seen.

It was a person.

“Hey, puppy. You think you can run away without us chasing you?”

A loud voice boomed as if speaking through a megaphone, and Eun-ho leaned against the tree, taking slow, deep breaths.

‘…So, I just happened to meet the Black Hound, who was being chased by these people? The strange power they used instead of a bomb?’

The situation was not good.

Should he call them poachers?

“Puppy. You think you can just show up after I’ve killed everyone? You’re the pride of our purifier!”

‘What is this? Did they kill the Black Hound?’

One thing was certain: the reason the Black Hound had been wary of him in the beginning was because of these people.

He didn’t know when or why they had been chasing it, but it was clear they were the cause.

“…What? A filthy traitor?”

At that moment, a man’s voice directed itself toward Eun-ho.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. Born human and yet siding with beasts. Aren’t you ashamed?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Our purifier has a great mission to eradicate all mythical beasts from this land! You’ve tainted our mission! Die! Die!”

‘…Good grief, Eun-ho. Why are you always attracting this kind of trouble?’

Eun-ho was speechless.

He had left his company thinking he could finally catch a break, but now he had gained some strange power, gotten caught up in a misunderstanding, and ended up in an entirely different world.

And now some weird cult was saying they would kill him.

Eun-ho closed his eyes tightly, then slowly opened them again.

Blood was seeping into the ground.

‘…Honestly, I’m kind of pissed off.’

The corners of Eun-ho’s eyes narrowed with anger.

Why did he have to listen to this nonsense?

Boom.

Suddenly, the sound of a drum echoed in his ears.

Boom.

The drumming sound was followed by the sound of various instruments, as if a tribal ceremony was being performed.

‘…No. This isn’t an instrument.’

It was something else.

Whoooosh.

Suddenly, the sound of the wind became even clearer than before.

The nature that had always been distant seemed to seep through his skin.

‘…Ah.’

Eun-ho understood.

The sound was the sound of nature.

His anger was merging with theirs.

Though it sounded insane, every time he exhaled, he felt an unmistakable connection with them.

“Do you think I’ll let you die peacefully? Do you think I’ll just watch as you die?”

He heard the enemy’s mocking laughter.

Was it because he looked that pathetic?

“You’re so scary. My whole body is trembling.”

But Eun-ho smiled too.

He could sense where they were, as if someone whispered in his ear, the image of four people flashing in his mind.

‘With this power, they want me to deal with them?’

Eun-ho’s smile grew.

Anything was fine. He was sick of being betrayed, and he didn’t want to be dragged around anymore.

Following the intense emotions hidden in the stillness, the trees suddenly began to shake.

As if responding to the movement, the tree next to him swayed as well.

The movement spread, expanding in the direction Eun-ho was looking.

Green light wrapped around the plants, responding to his breath.

“Get out of the way. You’ll get hurt.”

Though the Black Hound didn’t understand Eun-ho’s words, it instinctively sensed something was approaching and moved aside.

The ground trembled as it swiftly advanced toward the enemies.

The Black Hound scratched the ground with its hind legs several times, releasing darkness from its body.

The flickering shadows resembled flames.

The Black Hound shifted its weight back, seeming to prepare for something, then suddenly lunged forward.

It dove into the shadows cast by the sun and appeared behind the purifier like a silent hunting dog.

The huge shadow startled the purifiers, and they looked behind in alarm.

‘…When did it arrive?’

By the time their minds were filled with astonishment, countless roots burst out of the shaking ground.

Like a monster’s grip, they mercilessly wrapped around them.

“What, what is this? The power… the power…!”

“Burn it! Burn it… ugh!”

The roots silenced them all.

The green light that had started from Eun-ho reached the roots that bound them, and the enemies were dragged, spinning, toward the ground.

“Go a little further.”

Following Eun-ho’s words, the roots tightened around their throats.

“…Cough!”

As their faces turned bright red, the roots suddenly stopped.

Eun-ho let out a heavy breath and collapsed, sliding to the ground.

‘…Wow. Wow.’

His body trembled, as if warning him of danger, and he couldn’t maintain his strength.

Perhaps due to losing too much blood, his consciousness became blurry.

The Black Hound’s ears twitched.

With wide eyes, it looked at Eun-ho, then turned to face the enemies.

“…Grrrr.”

It growled low and, with a displeased expression, extended its sharp claws.

“…Hah, huff!”

It approached the enemies, who were coughing violently as they grabbed their throats.

“Kill them! Do you think I’ll beg for my life from you filthy bastards?”

No matter what they muttered, the Black Hound swung its arm widely.

Whoosh.

Like a hammer swung through the air, it wrapped around them all and sent them flying far away.

Without looking back, the Black Hound moved toward Eun-ho.

Whoosh!

Something suddenly shot into the ground, and the Black Hound stopped in its tracks.

“Move back!”

A woman’s sharp voice came from above as she descended from the air.

She alone seemed to be wrapped in the wind like a cloak.

‘…Did a person just fly?’

Even through his blurry vision, Eun-ho was stunned by her appearance, as if his mind had stopped.

“Are you alright?”

She asked, but Eun-ho couldn’t answer.

Even speaking was too difficult.

She touched her smartwatch and began speaking.

“This is DS-21. During a nearby search, an unknown force was detected. It’s presumed to be a rogue psychic. During the pursuit, a mythical beast was also found. This creature, which has left its designated area, attacked a human. The patient is currently seriously injured, urgent support is requested.”

She looked over Eun-ho’s condition.

With his broken arm, fractured leg, and blood dripping everywhere, it was clear he was gravely injured.

She used the adrenaline injection she had as an emergency medicine and injected it into Eun-ho’s body before raising her head.

The Black Hound was watching her.

Though it was quite alert, her gaze was directed further behind.

It seemed as though the forest itself had moved, with plants growing abnormally.

‘Who did this…?’

She then looked at the Black Hound.

‘Did that mythical beast do this?’

Touching plants was a very dangerous power.

As she began to move cautiously, someone tugged at her clothes.

“…The mythical beast didn’t attack first.”

Eun-ho muttered firmly, then lost consciousness.

‘What nonsense is this?’

She shrugged off his hand and scoffed.

If a mythical beast hadn’t attacked a person, who would have?

She turned to look behind her as she heard footsteps.

“I think that mythical beast caused this situation.”

“Fine, I understand. Take the patient.”

“Can you manage alone?”

“They’ll be here in three minutes.”

“This is DS-21. I will be taking the patient.”

She reported via her smartwatch, then lifted Eun-ho.

At that moment, the Black Hound’s fur stood on end.

It puffed up its body and seemed ready to approach, just like when it first encountered Eun-ho.

“This is DS-19. According to the report, the mythical beast not only left its designated area but also attacked a person. We will subdue and kill it.”

A man spoke into his smartwatch, then opened his palm.

Crackling.

Light swirled around him.

The Black Hound tensed, looking up at the sky and howling.

“Wooooo!”

At its cry, the psychic’s power began to dissipate.

“Y-Yes, this is DS-19. The mythical beast…”

Suddenly, someone grabbed the man’s arm, stopping his words.

The shadow cast by the person was long, indicating they were tall.

“What are you doing?”

A man in a white lab coat walked over. He looked to be in his early forties at most, but his long tied-back hair and scruffy beard gave him an appearance that didn’t match his age.

“…S-Director Seol Tae-ho?”

The man trembled, his voice faltering.

Who wouldn’t know Seol Tae-ho in the Mythical Beast Management Bureau?

He was the youngest director of the Mythical Beast Research Institute and the creator of the smartwatch being used for mythical beasts.

Not only that, but his many inventions had permeated beyond the Mythical Beast Bureau into everyday life, and even a country’s leader couldn’t treat him carelessly.

“What did I ask?”

“Everyone, stop! Stop!”

The man ordered his subordinates to halt.

Of all people, this man had to show up now.

The situation was getting worse.

“What more should I ask you?”

Seol Tae-ho’s deep voice reverberated as the man frantically waved his hands.

“First… it’s a misunderstanding.”

“I saw you trying to kill the Black Hound. You’re saying this is a misunderstanding? This?”

Seol Tae-ho raised his voice.

Not long ago, he had happened upon the Black Hound by chance. It had been a glorious discovery.

Since he didn’t like people much, he had intentionally chosen a somewhat distant spot to observe it. He had been watching for three weeks already.

He had briefly left his spot, and when he returned, this mess had occurred. Wasn’t it strange that he wasn’t angry?

“Do you not know the Mythical Beast Protection Act? Why do you think that exists? Who were you trying to kill?”

“That’s… the mythical beast attacked a person. A mythical beast that attacks people can’t be protected by the Mythical Beast Protection Act, as you know.”

“That’s laughable. Why would the Black Hound attack a person for no reason? Haven’t you always hated mythical beasts?”

“No, Director! Really! It truly attacked, and we just took action!”

The man shook his head desperately, sweating profusely.

If Seol Tae-ho used his influence at the Mythical Beast Bureau, chaos would ensue, and the man felt his world closing in.

“Stop the nonsense. The Black Hound isn’t that kind of mythical beast. How long do you think I’ve been in this field compared to you?”

“It’s not…”

Just then, a vibration sounded, and the man quickly pulled out his phone, relieved.

“Look at this! It’s true!”

[DS-21: The patient has been transported to a nearby hospital. They are currently undergoing emergency surgery, and their condition will need to be assessed.]

It was a message sent two minutes ago.

Seol Tae-ho frowned as he read it, and his expression slowly softened.

He read it several times, but the message didn’t change.

The Black Hound had truly, genuinely, attacked a person.

Now, it was the man who was sweating.

“…Uhm, which hospital is this?”