Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 25

Eunho looked at Yoonhwa and said.

“Ah, you had to meet a nine-tailed fox sooner or later.”

“How do I use this orb?”

Yoonhwa glanced at Hyun as she spoke.

“You… don’t know how to use the orb?”

“I’m never going to tell you.”

Eunho smirked mischievously and made a mocking suggestion to Yoonhwa.

“Then let’s play a game.”

“If I win this game, you’ll tell me how to use the orb.”

Yoonhwa asked.

“What if I win?”

Eunho scoffed.

“If you win, I’ll return the Fox Orb.”

His gaze was challenging, and his attitude toward Yoonhwa was arrogant.

“The rules of the game are simple.”

“I’ll tell your past in front of your friends.”

“You just have to listen to their reactions and not be afraid.”

“Pretty easy, right?”

Yoonhwa felt a bit worried after hearing the game’s rules but couldn’t refuse.

Eunho felt the suspicious gazes from Yoonhwa and her friends and suggested mockingly.

“If you don’t trust me, how about making a soul pledge?”

His words momentarily shocked the friends.

“What’s that?”

Eunho continued.

“If we make a soul pledge, we can never break our promise.”

“If you win, I’ll return the Fox Orb, and if you can’t trust me, then it’s the only way, right?”

Yoonhwa fell into thought for a moment.

The soul pledge wasn’t a trivial decision. But to get back the Fox Orb, she had to beat Eunho at any cost.

“Alright. Let’s do it, soul pledge.”

Yoonhwa replied as if she had made her decision.

Her friends looked at her with supportive eyes, deciding to share this crucial moment with her.

Eunho elaborated on the soul pledge proposal.

“For this soul pledge, we’ll write down our promises on paper and each drop our blood on it.”

Following his words, Eunho brought paper and a pen to the table.

Then, humming happily, he began to write his promise down.

[Eunho will return the Fox Orb to Yoonhwa if he loses the game.]

The friends quietly watched this process, and the tension rose as Eunho wrote the pledge.

After Eunho finished, he handed the paper to Yoonhwa.

Yoonhwa took a deep breath and added her condition on the paper.

[Yoonhwa will tell Eunho how to use the Fox Orb if she loses the game.]

Seeing the pledge conditions written down, Eunho smiled with satisfaction.

Then he pricked his finger with a sharp object to drop his blood onto the paper.

“Now it’s your turn, Yoonhwa.”

Yoonhwa hesitated for a moment but finally mustered the courage to prick her finger.

“Ouch…!”

As Yoonhwa’s blood fell onto the paper, the soul pledge was completed.

After Yoonhwa pricked her finger, she realized her wound wasn’t healing as quickly as expected.

On the other hand, Eunho’s blood stopped almost immediately and his wound healed quickly. Eunho’s fast recovery seemed like a demon’s trait, leaving the friends puzzled by the difference.

“Really cowardly to the end.”

Hyun said with an annoyed tone regarding Eunho’s recovery.

Eunho replied with a cheeky smile.

“Our demons inherently heal faster than humans.”

Yoonhwa was worried about the non-healing wound but tried not to show her anxiety.

Seojin, seeing the blood, said.

“I’ll wrap it up for now.”

Seojin carefully wrapped Yoonhwa’s finger with cloth. Now ready to focus on the game, Yoonhwa stated firmly.

“Thanks. Let’s start.”

Yoonhwa spoke with determination, focusing on her game with Eunho.

Eunho’s voice resonated slowly in the bright darkness.

His words pierced the friends’ hearts like a cold wind.

“Long ago… about 200 years, or so? I can’t really remember.”

“Anyway, Yoonhwa was the most beautiful girl in the village.”

“But Yoonhwa’s power was unpredictable, and she was always holding onto the thread of danger.”

“She hid her identity and got along with her friends.”

“…Seems a bit similar to you guys now~?”

“One day, Yoonhwa lost control of her power and wiped out her friends and the entire village in an instant.”

“Not just her friends’ families~”

“She exterminated all the humans in that village.”

“And then she hid in the forest.”

“Really~ irresponsible, don’t you think?”

“Someone like this having the Fox Orb…”

“You all would end up dead too~?”

“Didn’t eating the liver I gave you make you go crazy?”

“That’s Yoonhwa’s true nature.”

The friends were shocked by Eunho’s tale, and that shock subtly changed their perception of Yoonhwa.

Their gazes mixed with sympathy and fear.

They never imagined Yoonhwa’s past could be so brutal and tragic.

Yoonhwa felt her friends’ stares and unknowingly lowered her head.

Though she was angry at Eunho for exposing her past,

The greater emotion was the fear deep inside her.

She tried not to reveal that fear, but she couldn’t completely suppress the sound of terror resonating deep within her heart.

Hyun approached Yoonhwa and reached out his hand.

“…Yoonhwa, you’re not alone. We’re here with you.”

Seojin also looked at Yoonhwa and gently said.

“Right, we’re Yoonhwa’s friends. No matter what happened in the past, what matters is you in this moment.”

Eunho leaned closer to Yoonhwa and whispered in her ear.

“Did you really think you could perfectly control your power?”

Kangtae spoke to Eunho with a determined attitude.

“Even if you try to scare Yoonhwa, it won’t work! We believe in Yoonhwa.”

Yoonhwa felt deeply moved by her friends’ warm words.

She took a deep breath to overcome her fear and boldly stated to Eunho.

“Even if you dig up my past, I won’t back down to you. Because my friends are by my side..!”

“I’ve trained hard now…!!”

In that moment, Yoonhwa realized she was ready to confront Eunho, having overcome her fear.

Her heart was filled with gratitude and love for her friends.

As Yoonhwa shouted with confidence, Eunho was taken aback.

Yoonhwa’s bold shout filled the living room, causing a mix of confusion and anger on Eunho’s face. A complex emotion of surprise and contempt flickered in his eyes.

“What? You… you think you can beat me?”

Eunho spoke sharply.

“You’re just a bad nine-tailed fox playing with humans.”

“You really are a bad nine-tailed fox!!”

At that moment, a bright light flared up fiercely from the contract before them, slowly igniting.

The flames grew steadily, turning the paper to ashes right before Eunho’s eyes.

“No, what is this…”

Eunho muttered in a startled voice.

The friends couldn’t hide their shock as they watched the flames from the contract.

Yoonhwa was filled with a sense of achievement for overcoming her fears and confidence that thanks to her friends’ belief, she could reclaim the Fox Orb.

“Now I see, true power lay in friendship and trust.”

Yoonhwa said, touched.

“No matter how much you try to scare me, I will never back down!”

As the ashes of the contract were blown by the wind, a small light blinked from Eunho’s pocket and flew toward Yoonhwa.

It was none other than Yoonhwa’s Fox Orb.

The orb gently landed on Yoonhwa’s palm, and she brimmed with tears of joy.

“My… my orb has returned!”

Yoonhwa shouted with a voice full of happiness.

Eunho clenched his teeth in anger, frustration, and astonishment.

“This is…”

“How did I lose the orb!!”

Eunho’s surroundings grew darker.

Hyun spoke to Eunho firmly.

“It’s over now, Eunho..!”

“You can’t defeat us. Yoonhwa’s power is beyond your imagination.”

Seojin and Kangtae also showed their support for Yoonhwa by standing by her side. Their friendship and solidarity made them stronger.

Yoonhwa whispered to the Fox Orb.

“Be my strength again.. to protect us.”

At that moment, the living room was filled with warm light and love, and Eunho felt powerless in the face of that power.

“Ahh…!”

Eunho threw a flowerpot beside him, hitting the light.

The light shattered with a loud noise. In an instant, the living room turned dark.

“In darkness, I am the strongest..!!”

“Unfortunately, you all must die.”

“Blame the Fox Orb.”

As the living room fell into darkness in an instant, Eunho’s silhouette began to grow.

His form became distinct in the shadows, radiating an ominous energy.

“Now, nine-tailed fox..! This is the end for you and your friends!”

Eunho’s voice echoed in the darkness.

His words dripped with rage.

Yoonhwa stepped forward, determined to protect her friends.

“You will never touch our friends!”

There was resoluteness in Yoonhwa’s voice.

Yoonhwa brought the Fox Orb to her mouth and absorbed it. A bright light emanated, and Yoonhwa felt something different compared to before.

Seojin and Kangtae, along with Hyun, stood by Yoonhwa, supporting her.

They showed determination in their faces instead of fear.

Eunho launched some dark energy toward them.

The darkness rushed toward the friends like a wave, but Yoonhwa resolutely reached out her hand.

“Stop tormenting us!”

As Yoonhwa extended her hand, a bright light suddenly burst from her fingertips.

Drawing on the power of the Fox Orb, she blocked Eunho’s darkness.

At the moment light and darkness clashed, the entire living room trembled and a deafening roar echoed.

The friends cheered Yoonhwa from behind, lending their strength to her.

“Yoonhwa, you can do it!”

Their support empowered Yoonhwa.

Yoonhwa’s light grew brighter and pushed back Eunho’s darkness.

Ultimately, Yoonhwa’s light completely vanquished the darkness, forcing Eunho back.

Eunho, overwhelmed by the light, screamed and shrank down to the size of a small child.

As the darkness receded, the living room returned to a peaceful atmosphere.

The friends looked at each other and sighed in relief.

Yoonhwa expressed her gratitude to her friends, sharing the joy of overcoming the ordeal they experienced together.

“We did it, friends! Thanks to you!”

Yoonhwa spoke through tearful eyes.

“You’ve all been through so much. Great job…!”

Seojin said warmly.

Even without the lights, the living room still glowed brightly.

At that moment, in a corner of the living room, a small curled shadow slowly revealed itself.

It was Eunho. Now shrunk down to the size of a small child, his face was filled with defeat.

The friends cautiously approached Eunho.

Yoonhwa stood in front of him and let her hands drop.

“What will you do now?”

Eunho began to plead pathetically before Yoonhwa and her friends.

His voice trembled with fear and despair.

“Please… I beg you. Save me…!”

“I… I’m really sorry…”

Tears streamed down his face; his expression was twisted with genuine remorse.

Yoonhwa paused, observing the small Eunho’s pleading figure. Her heart was conflicted between anger and sympathy.

“It’s hard to forgive you when considering what you’ve done…”

“But I won’t kill you..”

Kangtae warned Eunho sternly.

“You must take responsibility.”

Yoonhwa proposed a soul contract to Eunho.

“Let’s make a soul contract.”

“This promise will be that you will not harm us or this village anymore and will live doing good things.”

“And I will forgive you.”

Eunho looked thoughtful for a moment at Yoonhwa’s proposal for a soul contract.

His eyes flickered with anxiety and contemplation, and his lips trembled slightly.

“A soul contract… is that really a way for me to change…?”

He alternated his gaze between Yoonhwa and her friends, seriously considering what such a contract would mean for him.

‘Can I really keep that promise?’

Eunho’s contemplation was brief but profound. His past mistakes clashed with potential for the future in his mind.

The friends waited silently for his decision.

Their expressions were filled with the will to give Eunho courage and an opportunity for change.

Finally, Eunho sighed and nodded.

“Alright… I also want to change.”

“I want to atone for my past mistakes… Let’s make a soul contract.”

His voice contained determination, and his eyes sparkled with resolve for a new beginning.

Yoonhwa felt relieved in her heart at Eunho’s decision and began preparing the contract.

From this moment on, there was hope that Eunho’s new life would start in everyone’s hearts.

Yoonhwa prepared the contract.

She wrote clearly on the contract.

[Eunho will no longer harm Yoonhwa or my friends.]

[Eunho will help the villagers and take positive actions to atone for his past mistakes.]

[If Eunho violates this contract, I will kill him.]