Episode 17
Life as a Jiryong was incredibly monotonous. My days were spent burrowing through the earth, managing the earth veins, and accepting the occasional offerings and performances from humans.
‘My, how fascinating.’
After all the trials and tribulations, experiencing the human world was truly a marvel. They say that even mountains and rivers change in ten years, but the changes here were far more drastic.
The human world had transformed so much that their tools and actions seemed like magic, imbued with mystical powers.
Especially this device that displayed changing landscapes and colors with the press of a button, with humans appearing inside, laughing, crying, and acting.
‘Amazing! It’s like a combination of clairvoyance and a kaleidoscope!’
How did they create such a thing? I couldn’t sense any divine power, yet it produced sound, displayed moving images, and most importantly, it never seemed to run out of energy.
‘I can’t comprehend its workings at all.’
I spent the entire day engrossed in this device, forgetting even to eat.
When the human finally returned, as the sun began to set, he looked annoyed and ushered me into a space where water flowed abundantly, though it wasn’t a well.
‘Hey, why? I’m clean!’
I wanted to protest, but his exasperated expression made me reconsider.
I didn’t know where the water came from, but as I pulled and pushed the knobs, just like yesterday, water gushed out.
‘Ah! Cold!’
I turned a knob, and scorching hot water poured out, as if from hell.
‘Medium! Medium!’
Hot water flowed instantly without any fire, and I could adjust the temperature to my liking by manipulating the shiny metal contraptions. And when I applied certain liquids to my body and hair, they became incredibly smooth.
As I enjoyed this “shower,” as the human called it, a thought crossed my mind.
‘But…’
It was more of a worry than a thought.
‘What more can I offer someone who already possesses such wonders?’
It was a worry that wouldn’t easily dissipate.
‘He already commands magic like this.’
I didn’t know what this human who brought me here did for a living, but he could whip up a feast fit for ten people in the blink of an eye, a task that would take an entire day of labor for ordinary humans. He was like…
‘A sorcerer!’
He possessed a self-propelled chariot that moved without horses, and despite my scrutiny, I couldn’t sense any divine power. Yet, his abilities surpassed those of many skilled Taoist masters.
‘Even if I regain my full powers… could I do such things?’
—I will grant you a wish, any wish you desire.
I had made a bold claim yesterday, but what humans had always desired from me was…
“The lineage will end if this continues. Please grant me a son.”
“Please bless me with a beautiful daughter.”
“My wife has been bedridden for months with a broken leg. Please heal her.”
“I need a carp for my mother, even though it’s the middle of winter.”
Or…
“My son is taking the state examination. Please grant him success.”
“Please bless us with a bountiful harvest this year.”
…Those were their wishes.
I could grant them. Even with my diminished powers, I was a dragon who had lived for over a thousand years, consuming the earth’s energy.
‘I could handle those…’
My specialty was agriculture, but I could also locate a carp, a sacred fish, in the dead of winter, improve a family’s fortune, cure illnesses, find gold veins, or even bring financial windfalls.
‘I need to understand what humans desire in this world.’
I was curious, but also worried.
‘But there are so many things I don’t know about this world. Can I grant wishes for things I don’t understand?’
What if, after making such a bold promise, he wished for something beyond my capabilities?
‘I have my pride. I can’t fail to grant a human’s wish, can I?’
My worries materialized quickly. Before I could enjoy the delicious meal he had prepared, he called me over for a talk.
‘Hmm…?’
And I… couldn’t understand a single word he said.
“Bitcoin? Cryptocurrency? Source? What do you mean by source? And a pandemic?”
Granting the wish was a secondary concern.
‘What is he talking about?’
I broke out in a cold sweat. Thankfully, I had picked up a few words from watching television.
“I’ve seen it on the news… but what have you done to anger the plague god on a national scale?”
“…”
What had these earth-dwelling simpletons been up to?
I had no idea.
Joon-wan didn’t have high hopes for Bitcoin. He didn’t fully understand it himself, and he wasn’t short of money.
‘But a cure for an infectious disease?’
Developing a new drug could potentially save the world. He briefly entertained the possibility that this dragon could help.
Very briefly.
“This virus, a virus is an infectious agent made of protein that relies on a host to survive. It has characteristics of both living and non-living things.”
***
He explained the global pandemic, a disease that could mutate and reappear in the future.
“This virus attaches to a host and uses the host’s replication system to copy its own genome, basically…”
“…”
He had to explain everything in detail, as she probably didn’t even understand the basic terminology, let alone the disease itself.
“…”
The dragon in front of him nodded along, seemingly listening intently, but as a professor, Joon-wan could tell.
‘She doesn’t understand.’
The dragon, in her human form, was listening to his words, but she wasn’t comprehending anything.
“Do you have any questions?”
“Um, well… I…”
After his lengthy explanation, Hanin hesitated, her hands clasped together on the table.
“The plagues I’ve cured in the past are smallpox, typhoid fever, and malaria… are those not needed anymore?”
“Those diseases, smallpox, typhoid fever, and malaria, all have cures now. And tigers are much rarer these days, so there are no tiger attacks either.”
“…”
“They’re practically eradicated.”
“So, those plague gods are all unemployed now?”
Joon-wan nodded. Hanin fidgeted, her index fingers intertwined, her eyes darting around nervously.
“If it’s just a small village… I don’t know about medicine, but… I could try to scare them away with my roar.”
“…”
“I’ve never met a plague god, but even if we can’t communicate, I could threaten them…”
Joon-wan narrowed his eyes. Her words reminded him of the idiom “Danglanggeocheol” (螳螂拒轍), a mantis trying to stop a chariot with its forelegs.
‘Or rather, an earthworm in front of a chariot?’
Even if such a god existed, Hanin would be crushed the moment they met.
“So, what exactly can you do?”
“…Um, well…”
Her confidence from yesterday had vanished. He could practically see her sweating.
After a moment of hesitation, she puffed out her chest, trying to regain her composure.
“I can, ahem, procure out-of-season crops. Like grapes or carp in the middle of winter, or let’s see, tangerines at this time of year!”
“…”
“Even kings struggle to obtain such things. If you sell them…”
He could buy those at the supermarket.
“You could become rich in the blink of an eye…”
When he didn’t react to her tempting offer, she seemed to realize something and her voice trailed off.
“You… don’t want to be rich?”
She seemed flustered by his cold response.
“I can also find wild ginseng. I know where the ginseng fields are…”
“…”
“What about passing the state examination… Don’t you want that? I can improve your luck. Of course, you would still need to study… Or, you seem to be single at a late age. Perhaps you’d like to find a good wife…”
“…”
“Do you need gold veins? I know where to find them. You could be rich for generations!”
The last offer was somewhat tempting. But aside from his lack of financial need, gold veins weren’t easily liquidated.
‘Generations… at this rate, the lineage might end with me.’
She suddenly seemed to remember something and her eyes widened.
“If you have everything in this life, what about the next? What about wealth and prosperity in your next life? I can grant you a fortunate rebirth! With my dragon orb…”
Her initial excitement faded as she saw his unwavering expression. She slumped in her chair, her face crestfallen.
“Just eat your food.”
“…”
‘Even if there is such a thing, memories fade after death, so what’s the point of a fortunate next life?’
“Eat it before it gets cold.”
The food was already cold.
Hanin, who had been eagerly awaiting her meal, picked at her food, her spirits crushed. Joon-wan rested his elbows on the table and watched her intently.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll think about it some more.”
Her powers weren’t insignificant. In fact, they were quite impressive. Many people would be overjoyed to receive her blessings.
Like those preparing for national qualification exams, those hoping to win the lottery, ginseng diggers, or mining developers.
‘The problem is, I don’t have any desires.’
It was her misfortune to have encountered him, someone who had no burning ambitions or desires. Meeting him was the start of her troubles.
‘If it weren’t for me, she would be living comfortably in the heavens by now.’
The thought made him feel sorry for her. He said,
“It’s fine. Just eat. And if you can, please compensate the people here for the damage caused by the rain when you ascend.”
“That’s a given… I’ll think about what else I can do.”
She replied in a small voice.
“I… can do something too.”