Episode 32
‘I was too naive.’
Of course, after causing such a commotion last night, it was inevitable that people would notice.
Joon-wan’s heart was heavy as he stood at the entrance, getting ready for work, his regret lingering.
“You need to stay home today.”
“Are we going out again tonight? I want to go out.”
Hanin asked, her expression brimming with confidence. He shook his head.
“I’ll be busy for the next few days.”
“Why?”
“There are some things I need to take care of.”
The truth was… he had canceled all his appointments to care for her. He felt sorry for his students, but he had a grueling schedule of make-up classes ahead of him.
‘And there’s a lot of work to catch up on.’
His lectures, writing projects, and other commitments had piled up. It would be difficult to maintain his current workload while caring for Hanin and searching for a way to help her become a dragon again.
He decided to significantly reduce his commitments.
‘But what can I have Hanin do that would boost her confidence, make her feel useful, and not draw too much attention?’
Drying up flooded rivers and streams, as she had done last night, was the most helpful task, but it was too risky, attracting too much attention, as evidenced by today’s news.
‘What can she do?’
While at the university, he searched for records related to flood control and continued his research on dragons and similar creatures, particularly Gangcheol.
‘But something doesn’t add up.’
Gangcheol were creatures associated with drought.
‘We saw proof last night that Hanin can wield the power of a Gangcheol. But… aside from briefly boiling the water in the bathtub, she hasn’t caused any harm to this city.’
It was strange for a Gangcheol, a creature that turned autumn into spring.
‘Are there any similar cases documented?’
…There weren’t. The more he researched, the more he found stories about subjugating Gangcheol.
‘What if someone discovers her true identity?’
That was his biggest fear.
That night, he returned home and told Hanin,
“What we did yesterday might have attracted unwanted attention.”
“Why?”
She tilted her head, confused.
“We did a good deed, didn’t we? Thanks to me, the water level receded, and the land, houses, and fields are all dry now.”
“Yes, we did a good deed. That’s true. But the world has changed a lot while you were asleep.”
“…”
“Humans fear things they can’t explain. If events like yesterday continue to happen, people will search for an explanation, and they might discover that you’re not human.”
“…”
“And then, some might try to control you or eliminate you for their own purposes.”
She still looked unconvinced.
“Wouldn’t it hinder your ascension if more people learn about your true identity?”
“Well… that’s true.”
She nodded, but then raised an eyebrow.
“So, what do you want me to do?”
“We won’t be drying up flooded rivers or streams anymore. It’s too risky.”
He had come up with an alternative.
“Tonight, we’re going to dry up an orchard.”
What if they helped one small village at a time? It wouldn’t make the news, would it?
The soil in many villages was still waterlogged, the drainage systems clogged, and crops were suffering from pests and diseases.
“You talk too much. Just get to the point.”
And so, they set out on another volunteer mission that night.
They drove for a while, passing rice paddies and fields, before parking the car. Hanin rolled up her sleeves and stepped out.
Joon-wan was a scholar, not a farmer. He couldn’t guarantee that drying up the land wouldn’t cause further damage.
“Stay back.”
She seemed to know more about this than he did.
“Oh my…”
Hanin walked into the orchard, her figure barely visible in the darkness. She squatted down, touched the soggy soil, and let out a soft gasp.
“They’re all drowning. How painful and agonizing it must be. If only I had more power…”
She placed her hands on the ground.
And then it happened.
Even from a distance, Joon-wan could feel the soil beneath his feet becoming drier and looser.
***
I had almost boiled the creatures living in the river when I dried it up the previous night.
‘Power control is key.’
Drying up the waterlogged soil without harming the creatures living within it. It required precise control over my newfound power.
‘But how much control do I have over the power of a Gangcheol?’
I wasn’t sure. Every time I used my power, the empty space where my Yeouiju used to reside felt hot, as if something was forming within it.
‘What happened to my body while I was unconscious?’
I began drying the land, carefully regulating my power to avoid harming the roots of the plants and the creatures living in the soil.
‘I can still help living beings, even as a Gangcheol.’
“Maybe becoming a Gangcheol is an opportunity. An opportunity for you to learn about this new world, adapt to it, and help humans.”
Perhaps Joon-wan’s words, which I had doubted, were true.
And then it happened.
“Even if it’s not the will of the heavens, isn’t accumulating merits the fastest way to regain your divine power and ascend again?”
‘Yes, I haven’t completely changed.’
The thought filled me with warmth, a different kind of heat than before.
And that energy flowed from my palms into the earth.
‘This is…’
I could feel the waterlogged soil drying up, becoming loose and fertile, regaining its life force.
I looked up at the trees, their roots embedded in the earth.
The leaves of the trees, weakened by the flood and having lost their fruits, regained their vitality, quickly sprouting new buds, then blossoms, and finally, fruits.
‘The power to heal and restore life.’
It wasn’t something I could have done with my previous powers. I knew it instinctively.
‘Is this even possible?’
This was the power of a Gangcheol.
‘The power to heal, not destroy… for a Gangcheol…’
***
Joon-wan, standing at a distance, felt a wave of heat wash over him.
And as the soil dried up, the trees quickly bore fruit.
‘Oh my…’
He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t witnessed the flower blooming from the artificial stem before.
After a while, Hanin lifted her hands from the ground, dusted them off, and stood up. She walked towards him.
“I’m done. Where to next?”
The next stop was a rice paddy filled with water. She waded into the paddy, her steps careful not to damage the rice plants, and repeated the process.
It took a long time to help a single small village. Thankfully, the dogs, either roaming free or on leashes, didn’t bark at them.
“Hmm…”
Hanin, back in the car as dawn approached, didn’t seem as excited as she had been the previous night.
“Hmm…”
She seemed troubled.
Joon-wan looked at her, tilting his head. She frowned and said,
“I think my powers are returning. But…”
Her next words made his heart sink.
“It’s not the same power as before. It’s the true power of a Gangcheol, not a dragon.”
“…”
“But I’ve never heard of a Gangcheol possessing this kind of power. The power to heal and restore life, not destroy…”
She looked at him anxiously.
“Is it really okay for me to keep using this power?”
“It’ll be fine.”
He reassured her, though he had no idea.
“You think so?”
She seemed relieved.
“Seeing this village made me sad.”
She turned her gaze towards the window and spoke in a different tone,
“I was originally the mountain god of this land. Seeing what has happened because of me… I should have given up my Yeouiju sooner. Much sooner.”
Her words made him feel a pang of guilt.
“At first, I was angry and frustrated about losing my Yeouiju and becoming a Gangcheol…”
“…”
“But isn’t it a good thing that I can atone for my mistakes with this new power? If I can become a dragon again, I’ll shower this land with blessings. Next year’s harvest will be bountiful, enough to make up for this year’s losses.”
He thought to himself,
A creature with such thoughts could never be a monster. No matter how hard she tried, she could never become one.
She might be capable of causing harm with her existence, but she wasn’t a monster at heart. She was even willing to sacrifice herself to help others.
‘If there’s such a thing as dragon material… she’s it.’
That was why he wanted to help her become a dragon even more.
But a sudden realization struck him.
‘But if she becomes a dragon… if she ascends to the heavens… I’ll never see her again, will I?’
Her ascension would inevitably mean their separation. It was a simple truth, but he had only just realized it.
“Oh… I’m sleepy.”
Hanin yawned in the elevator.
‘Separation…’
He suddenly felt a strange sadness.