Chapter 164

Chapter 164

Chapter 164 – Reorganization (1)

A pool of water spanning roughly one hundred meters across lay quiet.

At this moment, a single man and a collection of wild beasts shared the waters.

Chwaaah—

A great white tiger, a crescent-moon bear, a timber wolf, a massive river hippopotamus, and several other creatures rested together.

While they initially resembled standard wild animals, each one radiated a formidable and heavy aura that proved they were far from ordinary.

Among the beasts, the white tiger was particularly prominent, pressing close to the man floating in the middle of the pool, Cha Hyun-seung.

She behaved just like an oversized domestic feline.

Accepting the affection of the three-hundred-kilogram predator without any hesitation, Cha Hyun-seung reached out and stroked her head.

The white tiger let out a low, vibrating purr, thoroughly enjoying the attention.

Grrr…

‘Pet me more, do not stop!’

Because Cha Hyun-seung possessed the unique gift of emotional telepathy, he could comprehend the tiger’s thoughts perfectly.

“Yes, yes. Baeksul, you have endured the most grueling tasks, haven’t you?”

In return, sharing his thoughts was simple for the white tiger, whom he called Baeksul.

Grrrr…

‘Give me more praise!’

When a moment of peace arrived, it was meant to be relished to the absolute limit.

After all, this tranquil respite was a hard-won reward after weeks of relentless, exhausting labor.

Right then.

Swoosh—

The air within the nearby pavilion on the edge of the pond warped, and a figure materialized.

Recognizing the newcomer’s face, Baeksul instantly went rigid.

“Cha Hyun-seung.”

Hearing his name called, Cha Hyun-seung looked up.

“Jae-hyun-nim?”

“Do you have a moment to converse?”

“Certainly.”

Without a second thought, Cha Hyun-seung prepared to step out of the water, but Kim Jae-hyun raised a hand to halt him.

“No need. Remain right where you are.”

Baeksul cast a highly irritated glance toward the man standing on the pavilion platform.

Her frustration was understandable.

She remembered the crushing pressure radiating from Kim Jae-hyun, the raw power he had displayed during their initial encounter, and her beastly instincts warned her of the massive divide in their relative standing.

It was obvious that this human was incredibly potent.

But was it truly necessary for him to carry himself with such arrogance?

Cha Hyun-seung was the undisputed alpha of their pack.

She despised seeing anyone look down on him.

Grrr!

‘I highly dislike this man.’

Still, she could never directly challenge the decisions of her alpha.

She understood that throwing a tantrum in this spot would only damage Cha Hyun-seung’s dignity.

Thus, despite her brewing anger, she was forced to tolerate the intrusion.

All she could do was quietly monitor their exchange.

Grrrr…

‘Is this the prelude to yet another grueling campaign…?’

Ever since their initial meeting with Kim Jae-hyun, they had been subjected to a relentless, endless slaughter of monsters.

Naturally, she assumed this meeting was to command more hunting.

However, the words that escaped Kim Jae-hyun’s mouth were entirely unexpected.

“Are you familiar with the Gashin?”

“The individuals who received power directly from you, Jae-hyun-nim?”

“Indeed. Though the public misinterprets it, I do not actually bestow awakening talents. Rather, I forcefully draw out and awaken a person’s dormant potential.”

“…In that case, what occurs to those who already possess awakened powers?”

“Typically, their existing gifts are amplified, or they manifest new, complementary abilities.”

He proceeded to detail the diverse perks, authority, and obligations that came with being a Gashin.

“I have always felt a sense of obligation toward the Gashin.”

“By coming here to explain this to me in person, does it mean you wish to bring me into your ranks?”

Kim Jae-hyun gave a firm nod in response.

“Precisely. Your strength would be an invaluable asset. Will you pledge yourself as a Gashin?”

Gashin.

Baeksul, sharing a mental link with Cha Hyun-seung, immediately grasped the true nature of this proposition.

It meant submitting to this man’s authority and becoming his subordinate.

Clack!

‘Preposterous!’

It was an insulting offer.

How could a proud leader like Cha Hyun-seung agree to bend his knee and serve under someone else?

“I accept.”

Huh?

“Back during that freezing storm, when I sensed the entity breaching the defensive wall, I realized something. To safeguard my own life and the lives of those I cherish, I must obtain greater power. Since you intend to utilize my abilities, I shall utilize your resources and strength as well.”

“An admirable perspective.”

Huh??

Baeksul found herself entirely unable to process this turn of events.

It was not just her; every single beast lingering in the pond who had been listening to the conversation wore a stunned, disbelieving expression.

Krah, kraang!

‘No, you cannot!’

This was entirely different from merely cooperating to hunt down beasts.

But before Baeksul could leap in to intervene…

Whoooo—

An otherworldly radiance manifested, sinking directly into Cha Hyun-seung’s chest.

And then.

Paaah—

In an instant, a blinding torrent of light burst from his body, expanding outward across the entire area.

Baeksul, standing right beside him, was engulfed by the brilliant flash without warning, and a searing, agonizing pain suddenly ripped through her entire being.

‘!!!’

The sheer intensity of the sudden agony left her unable to even voice a cry.

It felt as though her very bones and muscle fibers were being torn apart and reshaped. She panicked, but luckily, the torment subsided almost as quickly as it had begun.

The real issue, however, was that her physical form refused to obey her commands.

For several heartbeats, she could not twitch a single claw, though thankfully, the paralysis receded swiftly.

Once the brief episode ended and she opened her eyes, she found herself staring directly into Cha Hyun-seung’s face.

In that moment, completely ignoring her own physical state, Baeksul demanded answers.

“Why on earth! Why would you surrender your independence and swear loyalty to that human!”

In her overwhelming fury, Baeksul failed to register that she was speaking in perfect human tongue.

It was then that she noticed Cha Hyun-seung’s frame, which was pressed close to her, was completely rigid and trembling awkwardly.

Only then did she recall the strange agony she had just felt, and her panic for Cha Hyun-seung’s well-being flared.

“Are you hurt?”

Instinctively, Baeksul leaned in and gave Cha Hyun-seung’s cheek a gentle lick, just as she always did.

“Eh…!”

Cha Hyun-seung gave a sharp shudder and froze up even tighter, resembling a stone statue.

Observing this bizarre behavior, Baeksul’s worry reached a fever pitch.

“Does the pain still linger? Pull yourself together!”

Just then.

From the top of the pavilion, Kim Jae-hyun’s amused voice drifted down.

“I did not anticipate that reinforcing a master’s traits would yield this sort of outcome. On another note… I was unaware that your closest companions were exclusively ‘females’.”

Baeksul whipped her head around, preparing to snap at Kim Jae-hyun for making such a bizarre remark.

She wanted to demand that he immediately cure whatever was wrong with Cha Hyun-seung.

Though Kim Jae-hyun terrified her, Cha Hyun-seung’s well-being was her absolute priority.

However, the moment she tore her eyes away from the frozen Cha Hyun-seung, a bewildering sight greeted her.

“Huh?”

The beast companions who had been resting in the pond were gone. In their place, a crowd of completely unfamiliar human women occupied the water.

“Who are you people?!”

Initially, she assumed that an enemy squad had somehow infiltrated and surrounded them.

“What have you done to our pack?!”

But a moment later, she sensed something bizarre.

An inexplicable spiritual connection linked her to these women—a bond she had previously shared only with her beast companions.

Furthermore,

‘What is going on?’

There was something highly unusual about their physical structures.

They did not look like ordinary human beings.

A few of them possessed animal ears atop their heads, fluffy tails extending from their lower backs, and feathered wings protruding from their shoulders.

Most shockingly of all, the scent they radiated was incredibly familiar.

“Is that… you guys?”

The distinct scent of her pack mates clung to these strange women.

It was in that exact second that Baeksul realized her own body had undergone a transformation.

“Wait, why…?”

She was speaking in human words.

Looking down to inspect herself, she froze at what she saw.

In place of her proud, stunning white coat, flawless, pale skin resembling smooth jade now covered her entire body.

Even the powerful chest muscles she once possessed had been replaced by unfamiliar soft curves, matching the anatomy of a human female.

“W-what is the meaning of this?!”

Baeksul scrambled to her feet, glared at the man who had caused this anomaly, and shouted fiercely.

“What did you do to us?! Revert me to my true form this instant!”

Kim Jae-hyun offered a faint, knowing smirk.

“Are you absolutely certain that is what you desire?”

Stunned by Kim Jae-hyun’s unwavering composure, Baeksul faltered, her voice dropping to a murmur.

“W-what are you implying…?”

“Well, in this state, many new opportunities become available to you. Would you truly wish to discard those possibilities and go back to being a simple beast?”

“…Opportunities?”

“By maintaining this human shape, there are countless activities you can engage in alongside him. Furthermore, should you wish to, you can still return to your original beast form whenever you like. And…”

Opportunities.

Following that single word, the rest of Kim Jae-hyun’s explanation faded into white noise.

A singular, primal urge began to roar through her thoughts.

Currently, she possessed the exact same human anatomy as Cha Hyun-seung.

Which meant…

‘We can produce offspring!’

Baeksul gave a solemn, firm nod as she stared up at Kim Jae-hyun.

“I understand completely!”

With that, she slowly turned her body and locked her gaze onto Cha Hyun-seung.

Cha Hyun-seung, who was still mentally linked to Baeksul, instantly read the raw, intense hunger burning in her eyes. Panic-stricken, he tried to back away.

“B-Baeksul, hold on a second…”

“Hyun-seung! Impregnate me!”

Before an incredibly awkward spectacle could play out in the middle of the afternoon pond, I activated my teleportation and vanished from the scene.

‘Beastkin.’

It turned out that by admitting those who had transitioned into beastkin as my personal retainers, I could actually grant them formal citizenship.

Furthermore, every single one of the transformed beastkin had successfully awakened.

They retained the capability to shift back into their original predatory forms, and each had acquired a specialized, unique trait that perfectly complemented their nature.

‘This represents an immense surge in our combat capabilities.’

Regrettably, not every single beast under Cha Hyun-seung’s command was capable of undergoing the transformation.

Only his immediate inner circle who had been present in the pond experienced the evolution into beastkin.

Even so, the sheer power gained was remarkable.

‘I must give serious thought to expanding my circle of retainers.’

The newly born beastkin all boasted awakened traits rated at least A-rank or higher.

Though their current loyalty and devotion toward me were minimal, those were bonds that could be cultivated and strengthened over time.

While I was brainstorming the best ways to deploy these beastkin, a group of spirits suddenly materialized before me.

[Ah, here you are.]

“You have all gathered in one place. It has been quite a while.”

“Greetings~”

“Salion won’t stop pestering everyone…”

“Grr.”

When I shifted my gaze to Salion, the living ember flickered intensely as it spoke.

[Hmph. Do not get the wrong idea. I am not keeping watch over you because I assume you are swamped with work.]

I quietly wondered if it would kill them to just give me a day of peace, considering they knew how busy I was.

‘The others frequently lose track of time playing and skip their daily visits entirely.’

Yet, Salion made a point to show up at least once every single day without fail.

I suppose it was its own way of looking out for my well-being, even if I did not find it particularly helpful.

Salion drifted back and forth in front of me like a pet begging for approval. Finding the display rather endearing, I reached out and gave it a soft pat.

“I appreciate it.”

[Hmph!]

At the same time, I began channeling the vital energy of the World Tree, feeding it directly to the spirit kings.

Wooo~

“Wow~”

“Delicious.”

Water, fire, wind, and earth.

As the spirit kings quietly consumed the energy, a system alert popped up for the first time in a long while.

[Salion’s level has increased.]

[The local attribute power of fire has risen by 100%.]

[The attribute power of fire has achieved maximum efficiency.]

This indicated that Salion had successfully reached level 10.

Observing this, I was once again reminded of how incredibly effortless it had been to raise Cami.

Even at this very moment, Cami was silently watching over the residence, requiring absolutely no upkeep or effort on my part.

Cami matured rapidly simply by absorbing sunlight on clear days.

‘In comparison, these spirits feel like needy children that require constant nurturing.’

Truthfully, it was a bit of a chore.

However, they were charming and highly functional, so I did not mind the trouble.

‘Particularly as the Earth Spirit King, Trowell, increases in level, the reconstruction of Seoul will accelerate significantly.’

Trowell was the spirit who showed up the least among the group.

Consequently, he possessed the lowest level, currently sitting at level 6.

If Salion dragged him along by force, his leveling rate would naturally speed up, which was a highly favorable development.

‘This should suffice.’

Just then, another alert chimed.

[The necessary prerequisites have been satisfied.]

[The class ‘Spirit Master’ has been unlocked.]

A brand-new class path had opened up.