Go Byeonggap expertly set splints in place. He wrapped bandages tightly over the wound to secure it. A few ribs were broken too, but there was nothing he could do about that right now.

‘What kind of shit did she go through?’

Had he been rolled up in a straw mat and beaten? Every limb was shattered. The only mercy was that his neck bones and spine were still intact.

‘A low-grade potion won’t cut it. For fractures this bad, I’d need at least a mid-grade one.’

After the emergency first aid, Go Byeonggap browsed the Ancient Shop. He remembered seeing an item suited for this situation.

‘Found it.’

[Bloodmend Dumpling]

-Price: 1,300 Crystals

-Description: A dumpling that regenerates blood. Can replenish lost blood. Overconsumption may cause side effects.

[Fleshmend Dumpling]

-Price: 1,300 Crystals

-Description: A dumpling that regenerates flesh. Can sprout new tissue. Overconsumption may cause side effects.

[Bonemend Dumpling]

-Price: 1,300 Crystals

-Description: A dumpling that regenerates bones. Can heal broken or missing bones. Overconsumption may cause side effects.

He’d never used one before, but he had a rough idea of their effects. Byeonggap was about to buy a Bonemend Dumpling when he stopped short.

‘No need to feed her one right now.’

He still didn’t even know what the strange woman was. If she turned out hostile, there was no reason to waste a good item on her.

Byeonggap closed the shop window and sat down a few paces away from the woman.

Then he studied her carefully.

‘Not human. Not a goblin either. Not any monster I know.’

Her appearance was oddly ambiguous.

Her height wasn’t tall or short—maybe around 160 centimeters? Her skin was very white. Of course, it was a pallid color, utterly devoid of life. Her black hair was so long it easily brushed past her hips.

The problem was her features.

The woman had enormous eyes—so huge they seemed to dominate her entire face. They were pitch-black without any whites, giving her the look of a bee’s eyes.

Her other features, by contrast, were delicate. The overall effect was deeply unnatural.

She also had no body hair except on her head. No eyebrows, no armpit hair—everything else was smooth and bare.

At a glance, she seemed mysterious, but the longer he looked, the more she reminded him of an unsettling hollow.

«Where in the world did she come from?»

Dorma asked quietly.

«Beats me. This is why you lot are going hungry and suffering, after all.»

«What a bizarre creature. Could she be one of those beings from beyond the Mist that you mentioned before, Lord?»

«I was thinking the same thing.»

Go Byeonggap recalled the dark silhouette he’d glimpsed through the Mist. Its build was exactly her size.

«Dorma. You’ve never seen anything like her either? Nothing in your past memories?»

«Unfortunately, no. Nothing comes to mind.»

«What a headache.»

«At least it doesn’t look dangerous. That’s a relief.»

«Don’t count on it.»

Go Byeonggap had seen the monster-woman tear into raw chicken with her bare teeth. There was nothing gentle about it.

«Fair point. With limbs bent like that, I suppose it’s not a threat.»

«Think it can understand us?»

«If it can’t… well, nothing we can do about it.»

«Will you kill it?»

«No point feeding and housing it. We’ll see what it does first.»

«Yes, My Lord.»

Go Byeonggap waited in patient stillness for the creature to come to.

Time crawled. One by one, the goblins he’d sent to scout began drifting back.

Gobungi stepped forward to report.

«My Lord. No way. Outside. Found none.»

«Is that so? Nothing else like that out there?»

«No. Searched. Every inch. Nothing.»

Go Byeonggap smacked his lips and nodded.

«Good work, all of you. Go eat.»

«Yes!»

«Dorma. You too. Eat.»

«Understood. Summon me if anything happens.»

The goblins filed out until only one remained.

Byeonggap stood alone, watching over the monster-woman. Her chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths.

He was just thinking — a weird thing shows up, and now I can’t even get home — when it happened.

“Cough!”

The creature hacked. Then her splinted limbs twitched. She was waking.

Byeonggap rose quickly and approached. This time, his sword was properly belted at his waist.

“Nnngh…”

A thin moan escaped her lips. He kept a careful distance and waited.

It didn’t take long. Her eyelids fluttered open. Pitch-black pupils stared out without a filter.

“Huh?”

She tried to sit up. But with the splints strapping her arms and legs, she flopped like an overturned turtle.

The monster-woman looked down at herself, her face twisting in shock.

«Coming to?»

Byeonggap asked in the goblin tongue. Whether she understood was anyone’s guess. At least there was a better chance of it than Korean.

She flinched and stared at him. Her mouth worked — opening and closing — but nothing came out. She was too stunned to speak.

She squirmed again. Desperation bled through every motion. She wanted to flee, terrified.

“Ahh! Aaah…!”

Then she let out a piercing scream. No surprise there — thrashing like that with broken limbs was bound to hurt.

«Don’t force it. You can’t move anyway, in that state.»

«Hnnk!»

«Do you understand me?»

«Urk! Urrk!»

«Hell. Has she lost her mind? Or can’t she understand me?»

The strange woman was in full panic.

Go Byeonggap just stood there with his arms crossed, waiting for her to wear herself out.

Just as he’d expected. She didn’t last long before drooping limp. He asked again.

«Do you understand me?»

«…….»

The strange woman looked up at him, her eyes threaded with fear. After a moment, she gave a tiny nod.

«You understand? Is that what you just said?»

She nodded again.

Not a beast, then. Thank god.

Just then a chicken sauntered past them, unhurried. Byeonggap didn’t spare it a glance—but the strange woman did. Her eyes locked on the bird, tracking its every step.

Spit dripped from her open mouth.

‘Hungry, is she?’

The guess wasn’t hard to make. First time they’d met, hadn’t it been obvious? The woman was starving.

Byeonggap turned on his heel without another word and headed for the goblins’ eating area.

The goblins paused their meal to greet him.

He waved them off and spoke to one normal goblin.

«Hey. Give me one of those.»

«Huh? This?»

«Yeah, that. Just one lump.»

«Ah, got it. Here.»

He took the fire-seared chunk of monster meat.

«Lord. Eat?»

«Why would I eat this? Finish your meal.»

«Okay. Bye.»

Byeonggap returned to the strange woman. Then he thrust the meat right in front of her face.

Sure enough—her eyes rolled white as she lunged her mouth forward.

He yanked his hand back.

«Hahk, hahk, hahk!»

«Looks like you want to eat, huh?»

Nod, nod.

The woman bobbed her head with near-fervent enthusiasm.

«Answer my questions, and you’ll get it.»

«Wha—t……?»

‘Whoa.’

Byeonggap swallowed. That voice caught him off guard.

It was stunning. Like the melody of a top-tier harp—not that he’d ever heard one. At any rate, it didn’t match her appearance at all.

He cleared his throat twice to steady himself.

«Who are you?»

«……I’m Ea.»

«I didn’t ask your name. I asked what you are.»

«What I am? If you mean my race, I’m Niphi.»

«Niphi?»

«Yes, Niphi.»

Byeonggap chewed on the word. Nothing like that in the monster encyclopedia.

«And what are you? You don’t seem like a Grugle.»

Ea shot back without hesitation.

Byeonggap retorted, irritation creeping into his voice.

«Hell if I know. What the hell’s a Grugle?»

«They are the Gluttonous Monsters. I fled here to escape them.»

«Well said. Did you come through that mist?»

«Yes.»

«How? You shouldn’t be able to cross the mist.»

«That is…»

Ea hesitated. The meat in Go Byeonggap’s grip was growing cold.

«I don’t like stalling. Answer me sharp and quick.»

«Before that, tell me—what are you?»

«Me? I’m human.»

«Human!?»

Ea flinched, startled.

«Are you truly human? I thought humanity was extinct.»

«Damn it. This’ll go on forever.»

When one question breeds another, the story spins in circles—and he hated circles.

«No more questions from you. You only answer what I ask. How did you cross the mist to get here?»

«…Promise you won’t kill me, and I’ll tell you.»

«Don’t kid yourself. You’re in no position to bargain.»

«I can kill you—but I won’t. So promise me you won’t kill me either.»

«Kill me? With that body?»

«Yes.»

Go Byeonggap snorted.

«Try it if you can.»

«I don’t want to. It would harm me as well.»

«Sounds like you’re bluffing to scare me—but you picked the wrong target.»

«It’s not a bluff. I really have that power.»

Ea’s tone was firm. Her eyes wavered endlessly, but she didn’t seem to be lying.

Go Byeonggap instinctively put his hand on his sword hilt.

After a moment, he sighed.

«Fine. I promise I won’t kill you. Now spit it out.»

«I have the power to ignore the laws of the world. That’s how I crossed the mist.»

‘What the hell is this nonsense?’

«Explain in detail.»

«For example: water flows downward by nature’s law—but I can make it flow upward. I defy the world’s rules.»

She turned her head with effort, looking at the mist beyond the bushes as she continued.

«With that ability, I forced my way through the mist that denies entry. Though it came at a cost.»

‘That kind of power exists?’

Among awakeners, some had unheard-of abilities—but never one that defied the very laws of the world.

«Did you come here alone?»

«Yes.»

«Why here?»

«Didn’t I tell you? I fled to escape the Grugles. This was the only way to shake them off.»

«Why were those Grugle things chasing you?»

Ea looked at Go Byeonggap as if the question itself was absurd.

«To devour me, probably. Those creatures consume anything in their path.»

Go Byeonggap withdrew his hand from the knife’s hilt.

It was clear now that this mysterious being named Ea had come from beyond the mist. And she showed no sign of hostility.

No reason to kill her, then. He needed to extract information from this one.

«By the way… would you mind giving that to me?»

Ea gazed at the lump of meat in Byeonggap’s hand, her voice pitiful, almost pleading.

«I’ve been starving for so long. Please. I’m so hungry.»

«Is that why you bit into my chicken?»

Ea’s face turned pale. She looked away.

«I’m sorry. But I had no choice. I wasn’t myself then. Really. You have to believe me.»

«Tch.»

Byeonggap shoved the meat into Ea’s mouth. She worked her jaws like a ravenous beast, the fist-sized chunk vanishing in under ten seconds.

«I hate to be rude, but could I have more? This wasn’t enough.»

«Wait here.»

He headed toward the goblins, planning to scrounge a few more pieces of meat.

Mealtime was already over; the goblins were cleaning up together in camaraderie.

«Gobungi.»

«Huh? Ah! My Lord! Did you call for me?»

«Yeah. Any meat left? You guys finish it all?»

«There’s some left!»

«Good. Put the leftovers on a plate and bring them to me.»

«Ah, yes! One moment! Please wait!»

Gobungi hurriedly gathered the remaining meat. Meanwhile, Dorma approached.

«My Lord. Has that one awakened?»

«Yeah. Woke up. Good timing. You’re coming with me to see her.»

«Understood.»

«She said she’s a Niphi. Do you know what a Niphi is?»

Byeonggap asked casually, his gaze still fixed on Gobungi.

So he didn’t notice Dorma’s expression shift.

«Did you just say… Niphi?»

«Huh? Why? Does that name ring a bell?»

Only then did Byeonggap turn his head.

Dorma was pressing a hand to his forehead, lost in thought.

He finally managed to speak.

«As far as I know, a Niphi is…»