Calicia spat out the dirt in her mouth, nodding as if to say, I knew it would come to this.
It was said that the earth was both the parent that nurtures life and the source of all things. Naturally, the soil carried the memories of time. Depending on its history, its taste and scent could vary widely. Yet, in the soil of this mountain, she felt nothing at all.
This phenomenon usually appeared in Gwihwa (鬼畫)—paintings imbued with a spirit.
A world created by the intense desire of a ghost. It was both an illusion and not, both real and unreal at the same time. Perhaps this mountain was of a similar nature.
“Enough already, let’s move!”
Calicia shouted at Ian, who had been glued to the ground for an hour, sensing magical energy. He didn’t even twitch, seemingly unfazed by the monotony.
“Shh.”
Ian whispered, drawing up his own energy, warning her not to break his concentration. His plan was to trace the flow of magic to find a clue that could unravel the illusion.
“Move! There’s nothing more to find here anyway!”
The problem was that he was looking for clues in the wrong place. Gwihwa was usually a world created to help a ghost resolve the grudges it held in life.
Thus, there were generally two ways to escape such a space.
The first was to understand the creator’s intent and follow the “correct path.”
[ QUEST ]
You are trapped within a Gwihwa. Take on the role of a character, complete the story, and resolve the spirit’s grudge immediately!
※ Caution ※
Character assignments are the exclusive right of the spirit. They cannot be arbitrarily chosen or changed.
Penalties, such as injury or death, may be imposed depending on your assigned role.
ex) Take on the role of Lee Mong-ryong in The Tale of a Magistrate’s Success
The second way was to go directly to the creator and forcibly take the answer. This required considerable force but allowed a quicker escape. Of course, this was only possible if one knew who the protagonist was.
“Move already!”
To do that, they had to leave the mountain as soon as possible and get the story moving.
“If you’re not helping, at least shut your mouth. We’ll find traces soon enough.”
“Traces? This isn’t magic—it’s a ghost’s creation!”
Unable to hold back, Calicia shouted. No matter how much she tried to explain, it was like preaching to the deaf, and her frustration boiled over.
“Another of your absurd arguments. No sage in the empire has ever even mentioned magic in relation to Gwihwa.”
“I’ve already told you twenty times—it’s not magic.”
Calicia ground her teeth and clenched her fist in secret.
“You’ve failed to convince me with that pitiful logic twenty times in a row.”
“….”
She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. What a stubborn fool.
Divination, by its nature, existed beyond reason and science. It couldn’t be measured or judged with precision.
So Ian’s attitude was even harder to understand. Ghosts, superstitions, transcendental phenomena, mysteries—words inseparable from the Gwimun Gwan-sal.
Yet, why was he so stubborn?
“Fine. Let’s just give up. Whether we become monster food or ghost food, let’s see what happens.”
Ah, since it’s a fantasy romance, add monsters too. Calicia, with a blank stare, flopped on the ground like it was a bed.
Ah… I should’ve looked at the book title earlier. Why Gwihwa of all things?
She sighed, recalling the book that had led her into this world. Whatever it was, she had to finish the story quickly to escape the Gwihwa.
Whether I’m the protagonist or a side character, this is a headache. Why… Is there dragon blood hidden here? Or maybe there’s a reward for playing my role well.
Her expression darkened. The more she thought, the more questions piled up. There was only one solution in such cases:
Don’t look at the forest—look at the trees.
Focus only on the problem directly in front of her. For example, escaping the Gwihwa. Thus, the priority now was to move the story forward.
“By the way, what monsters usually appear in mountains like this? Do they vary like local specialties?”
She clasped her hands behind her head and yawned, scratching her stomach without fail.
“This is…”
A hint of embarrassment came through Ian’s voice. Calicia’s scratching had lifted the hem of her dress, revealing her ankles.
Round ankle bones protruding pinkly, and long, white legs. Ian sighed, squeezing his eyes shut.
For a moment, he couldn’t help but recall the sweet scent she gave off.
“…Hah.”
He moved his lips in disbelief.
“Orc? Ogre? I only know the ‘O’ series, somehow.”
“…Stop babbling and get up.”
Rubbing his tired eyes, Ian pressed at the corners of his eyes.
“If they’re both in the ‘O’ family, maybe their lineage is the same. No matter how I think about it, they look similar…”
“Balus.”
Ian’s tone turned cold as he scolded Calicia. In a situation where cooperation was essential, playful behavior was unacceptable.
“Ian Rachies. You know that if you die in a Gwihwa, you go straight to the afterlife, right?”
“That’s just unverified information.”
“Right, right. But if we get stuck until sunset, this’ll be quite a show. Most ghosts and monsters are nocturnal, after all.”
Calicia stopped her explanation. The mountainous terrain in the north made nighttime travel especially risky. Ian would know this best without her emphasizing it.
“By the way, I have no magic and even less physical strength.”
Calicia hummed a carefree tune, a shameless smile on her lips.
“Oh, right. I’m good at dancing and singing, though. Want a cheer?”
After some debate, the two decided to descend the mountain. Walking among the trees, Ian paused for a moment.
The winding dirt path led down to the foothills. Sparse weeds and small stones scattered along the narrow trail. Ian carefully pressed his foot to the ground.
…Solid.
He was checking the soil’s texture. Places long traveled by people naturally compacted over time, like this trail.
“Not a proper path, but definitely used by people.”
His eyes sharpened as he noticed the first meaningful clue.
After walking along the path for a while, they arrived at a grassy plain. Among waist-high weeds were moss-covered rocks.
○○ Village
Calicia’s gaze lingered briefly on a marker stone, indicating the village entrance. Its surface was corroded, but she could tell its purpose.
“Balus, over here.”
Ian gestured to two large statues at the village entrance. Thick wooden bodies with stern features, as if ready to shout.
Tenchadaijun
Chikadaijun
Strange symbols carved into their bodies. Ian quietly assumed a defensive stance. They resembled wooden golems, though not a standard type.
“Someone’s put effort here. Even in a remote village, they brought golems.”
“…Yeah.”
Calicia nodded vaguely, stunned. If her eyes didn’t deceive her, these were Jangseung (traditional Korean village guardian totems).
“Balus.”
Calicia’s gaze, arms crossed, shifted between dullness and sparkle. Marker stones and totems—so familiar.
Could this really be a Gwihwa? If so, was this world created based on the memories of a general?
If dimensional intervention were possible, why hadn’t it answered before?
Originally—
“Calicia Balus!”
“Ah, yes. Speak.”
Her calculations interrupted by Ian’s call.
“Since there are golems—or rather, totems—there must be an important clue here.”
Calicia grimaced at this unexpected answer. Her priorities, momentarily blurred, seemed to snap back into focus. Dimensional intervention aside, the first priority was to return to reality with this bewildered young master.
“Not golems, but Jangseung.”
“Jangseung?”
“Trees imbued with spirits. A kind of sacred object. Just like how you make statues in temples.”
Originally, Jangseung protected villages from evil spirits and disasters. They were so highly respected that rituals were held by shamans. The old people never treated them carelessly.
“But these…”
Calicia examined the totems, clicking her tongue in disapproval. Deep cuts and axe marks—clearly, some malice had left its mark, intent on harming the village.
“The spirits have already left. Empty shells.”
The eyes of the now-empty totems stared into the void, having lost their sacred essence.
