Chapter 35

Beomjin swallowed hard. Shin Seoyul, now half-human and half-beast, radiated a pressure on a completely different level from anything he’d felt in unarmed combat..

There was no way to even guess how to fight something that could breathe lightning like a dragon.

From the tips of her trembling fingers, flashes of blue lightning flared and died again. Her eyes, glowing an ethereal azure, gleamed with hostility. To her, Beomjin wasn’t a person anymore—he was an obstacle.

The closer he got, the more the air around him burned. His hair stood on end; even the air brushing his skin felt sharp enough to cut. The killing intent around her was so dense it felt like electricity itself had taken form.

Beomjin clenched and unclenched his fists. His arm still tingled from earlier, but at least he could still move.

He remembered the white flash that had fallen from the sky—the instant his body gave out, powerless against the lightning. He had no intention of reliving that moment.

How the hell am I supposed to fight this?

Before he could even think, Seoyul growled low and crouched. Scales rippled across her body like armor sprouting horns. She looked like a hybrid between dragon and human—and the instant her pupils narrowed, she lunged.

She shot forward like a raptor tearing through air without wings. Beomjin didn’t step back—he charged forward. As she descended, he ducked past her trajectory and threw a punch timed to hit the moment she landed.

Even if she’d transformed, she was still just a young girl—no combat training, no experience. It might be cruel, but knocking her out was the only way to stop her.

His fist struck toward her temple with perfect timing.

Crackle!

It connected cleanly—but the surge of electricity hit first.

“Ghh—!”

Pain shot through him, spreading across his body in a single blinding instant. His muscles spasmed; his joints trembled. His heart thudded violently as the wound on his thigh began to burn.

He stumbled back, his whole body numb and unresponsive.

She really is a dragon. He’d underestimated her—and now he regretted it.

Seoyul chased him relentlessly, each movement fierce and unyielding. Her attacks were clumsy but unending—swipes, kicks, and strikes that came without rhythm or thought.

He tried to find an opening to counter, but each time he got close, his body jolted. It was like trying to fight someone wrapped in a high-voltage fence. The moment his hand came near, the current exploded outward.

All he could do was dodge, keep his distance, and call out to her.

“Seoyul! Snap out of it!”

No response. She moved like a beast gone mad, clawing, kicking, and screaming as she lunged again.

Beomjin slipped to her side, ducked under her arm, and drove his fist upward into her abdomen—the same spot he’d struck earlier that morning.

“Kh—!”

Lightning burst across her skin again, numbing his arm, but he didn’t stop.

Thud!

He felt the resistance of scales. She doubled over, gasping, a strangled sound escaping her throat.

“Please, Seoyul—stop!”

He grabbed her shoulders and shouted with all his strength. The current seared through his arms, but he gritted his teeth and held on.

“Aaaah!!”

She screamed like a creature out of a nightmare. Her hair lifted, crackling, and her eyes shone with blue fire.

Crack!

The lightning erupted from her body.

Pain exploded down Beomjin’s spine.

“Ughh!”

He was thrown back, muscles spasming, his wounded thigh twitching uncontrollably. It felt like fire spreading beneath his skin. He could feel the electricity flowing directly into his wound.

And strangely—it didn’t destroy him. The pain dulled. The energy was being absorbed, pulled into the mark the Imugi had left behind.

Maybe… he could endure this.

Maybe this is why he survived that day.

He gritted his teeth and stood again.

Crash! Crackle!

Lightning struck the walls and roof of Seoyul’s house, shattering windows and burning the ground. In the distance, villagers who had gathered to watch began to panic.

“Ahhh!”

Seoyul screamed, clawing at her hair. As she stumbled toward him, breath ragged and wild, Beomjin saw an image overlap—the sight of the beast that had once charged at him like a tank.

He steadied himself and waited for her next attack, ignoring the agony in his leg.

He could only think one thing:

Thank god it’s Seoyul… and not another dragon.

Because even in her rampage, her movements were honest—too honest. He could see every attack coming.

Beomjin aimed for her abdomen again. He clenched his teeth, praying this blow would finally stop her. Driving power from his shoulder blades, he threw a full-force smash.

Seoyul’s fingers were already aimed his way. As he met her unfocused, glowing eyes, he braced himself.

Bzzz—KRAK!

Lightning burst upward from Beomjin and shot toward the sky. When the flash faded, his fist was already buried in Seoyul’s stomach. Smoke hissed between them as he drove his punch in to the end.

“Kh—!”

Seoyul bent over, clutching his shoulder for balance. Sparks flickered from her trembling fingertips.

BOOM!

Black smoke rose from Beomjin’s shoulder as a flame erupted, scorching the fabric. At that same instant, his other fist struck again—another clean hit to her abdomen.

The girl who had been standing like a pillar finally went limp in his arms.

“Haaah…”

Covered in soot, Beomjin let out the breath he’d been holding. Then he dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, resting his trembling legs that had absorbed all her lightning.

Silence fell across the yard.

The fence was splintered, the windows shattered, part of the roof charred and smoking. Seoyul lay beside him, unconscious. Her scales had vanished, the crackling aura faded away. She looked like a child who’d cried herself to sleep after a long nightmare—breathing softly, finally at peace.

Beomjin pressed a hand to his burned shoulder. The fabric had melted and fused to the wound, blood seeping through the edge. The stench of burnt flesh hung faintly in the air.

From a distance, the villagers began to approach. At their front was Lee Geonjung, stepping forward as if to represent them all.

“…Is it over? Are we safe now? There won’t be any more trouble in the village, right?”

His expression was tangled, but relief filled his voice.

“Yes. You can relax now.”

Beomjin’s reply was flat. He rose slowly and lifted Seoyul in his arms. Her sweat-soaked body was surprisingly cold and damp. Tiny traces of static still crawled across his skin.

“…You people only ever think about yourselves. Don’t you even care about her?”

His tone was bitter, sharp enough to cut. His glare swept across Geonjung, Eunjung, Doyun, and the villagers alike.

“I’m taking her with me. This isn’t a place she can stay anymore.”

“You can’t just decide that on your—”

“Enough!”

Beomjin’s roar cracked through the night. The echo rolled through the broken yard, and every sound vanished.

“If you make this girl suffer any further… I won’t stand by next time.”

He forced his voice to remain polite, but the edge beneath it was unmistakable. Ordinary villagers couldn’t sense it, but the Beast-Blooded could—Geonjung’s face turned ghostly pale.

“Wait, what do you think you’re—”

Eunjung snapped, stepping forward, but Geonjung stopped her with an arm. He quietly motioned the others back, retreating from the killing intent that poured off Beomjin in waves.

They could only watch in silence as he carried Seoyul inside.

Morning sunlight crept through the cracked window. The smell of smoke and ozone still lingered, but the air was clear, the sky painfully bright.

Beomjin slept with his back against a wrinkled blanket, shadows dark beneath his eyes. His clenched fists twitched faintly. The rough bandages around his shoulder were stained, and his clothes hung in tatters.

He stirred at the vibration of his phone.

It was a message from Jinyoung—the reply to the one he’d sent the night before, right after returning to the house.

[Arrived. Okgye-ri village entrance.]

In front of him, under a light blanket, Seoyul slept peacefully. The scales were gone, the heat in her skin had cooled.

It was time to leave this hateful village behind.

“Ugh…”

Pain lanced through his limbs as he pushed himself up. Every muscle ached, but resting wasn’t an option.

He packed only what was necessary, then carefully lifted Seoyul onto his back. Her small frame was featherlight—too light for what she had endured.

He stepped outside, heading toward the village entrance. A few villagers saw them and froze. None dared to speak. One by one, they turned and vanished down the alleys.

At the entrance, a black SUV waited beside his car. When she saw him, Jinyoung stepped out.

“You’re late.”

Jinyoung’s tone was casual, but her eyes shifted subtly the moment she saw Seoyul.

“That’s her? She’s still just a kid.”

“I almost got burned alive by this kid last night.”

Jinyoung snorted softly and opened the car door. Beomjin carefully seated Seoyul in the back.

“Hospital first?”

“Yeah. For her… and for me.”

“Wow, you? Admitting you’re tired?”

“…I’m worn out. Physically and mentally.”

Jinyoung tilted her head, intrigued.

“No goodbyes to the villagers?”

“Goodbyes?”

The disgust in Beomjin’s voice was too obvious to miss.

Right then, as if on cue, Geonjung came rushing over with several villagers in tow.

“Agent Baek! Thank goodness you haven’t left yet!”

Panting heavily, he came to a stop. When he finally noticed Jinyoung, he stiffened and swallowed hard.

Normally, Beomjin would’ve introduced her—but not today. He simply waited, silent and expressionless.

“S-Seoyul, she’s…?”

Geonjung leaned toward the SUV, trying to peek inside.

Now you care?

Beomjin frowned. “She’s coming with us. Why? Didn’t I make myself clear last night?”

“Well, yes, but Seoyul is still a minor. She can’t leave the village without a guardian’s consent—”

“I’ll handle it. Her legal guardian isn’t here, so she’ll be placed under government protection.”

“Well, then of course I’m her guardian—”

“Chief Lee,” Beomjin cut him off sharply. “Aren’t you even a little ashamed saying that?”

Geonjung flinched. Beomjin gave Jinyoung a look—start the car—and opened the passenger door. Startled, Geonjung hurried forward a few steps.

“But! Seoyul could be the Dragon’s heir!”

“Hah.”

Beomjin laughed under his breath. He shut the passenger door and strode toward Geonjung, glancing briefly at Doyun standing behind him. Then, leaning in close, he whispered:

“If I hadn’t stopped Seoyul last night, your entire village would’ve been ash before sunrise. You should be thanking me for cleaning up the mess you made—poking a sleeping dragon awake.”

His voice dropped lower, colder. “Now stop pestering me. Or should I start poking into Doyun instead? Assault, property damage—I’m sure an investigation would turn up plenty.”

Geonjung’s eyes darted away. Beomjin gave a curt nod and turned back toward the SUV.

The vehicle pulled away quietly, leaving the village behind. The further they drove, the smaller the sign for Okgye-ri became until it vanished beyond the mountain curve.

Jinyoung drove in silence. Beomjin watched the passing scenery until his eyelids grew heavy. The night’s battle already felt like a dream.

When he opened his eyes again, the car was shaking gently on the highway—already back in Seoul.

“You’re up? We’re almost at HQ. Might be time to wake her too.”

“Let her sleep. We’ll wake her once we’re there. I’ll hand her over to the director, make introductions… then I’m taking the rest of the day off. My shoulder feels like it’s hosting a fireworks show.”

The calm didn’t last long. Jinyoung’s phone buzzed, breaking it instantly. She glanced at the screen, then handed it to him.

“Sorry, but looks like that rest isn’t happening.”

A single message glowed on the screen:

[Homicide reported near Sadang Station]

“…Of course.”

Beomjin exhaled through his nose, staring out the window with a weary smirk.

“Fine. But we’re stopping by a pharmacy first. My shoulder’s about to start shooting sparks again.”