The Freed Slaves Are Obsessed

"Ugh."

The searing pain from my abdomen spread throughout my entire body, engulfing my mind. Struggling to stay upright, I finally collapsed forward.

Rin stood there, staring blankly at my fallen form on the cold ground.

"Master...?"

No response.

She thought, maybe I was just playing a trick. Surely, I'd get up and start joking again.

But I didn't move. I lay motionless, and even the faintest movements began to fade away.

In the blood-soaked forest, amidst the smoky air, a different scent of blood wafted into her nose—my blood, fresh and vivid, sending chills down her spine.

"Master!"

Rin finally realized something was wrong. She quickly ran to my side and flipped me over.

Embedded in my stomach was a large claw, about 10 centimeters long, from a wolf beast. The claw still twitched as if it were alive, as did the surrounding corpses of blood wolves that squirmed toward us.

Rin knew leaving the claw as it was would be dangerous, so she gripped it and pulled it out with all her strength.

"Gah!"

The claw came out with a sickening squelch, and blood gushed out as the wound was no longer sealed.

"Oh... oh..."

Rin's hands hovered in the air, lost and unsure. She'd learned magic to destroy beasts and mesmerize others, but never to heal the wounded.

I coughed weakly. The air was thick with the heat from her fox fire, and blood wolves continued to crawl toward us.

In a panic, Rin scooped me up and ran.

To the city.

To home.

At a speed far beyond what we’d ever walked together, she tore through the forest with an almost deafening sound of air being ripped apart.

The city came into view in the distance, but to Rin, it was only a step away. With a leap, she vaulted over the city walls.

The densely packed buildings in the city were merely obstacles. She only saw one place—Seyra's home. Rin didn't know about hospitals or temples; she only knew Seyra, the one person she could turn to in my absence.

Inside the house, Rin raced up the stairs to the second floor, where Seyra stayed. She pounded on the door with all her might.

"Seyra! Seyra! Master is hurt! Come out, now!"

For a moment, there was a creak from within, and then the door slowly opened.

Even though Seyra wasn’t a healer, Rin felt a sense of relief just seeing someone familiar in front of her.

"Seyra, Master... Master..."

But something was wrong with Seyra. She was covered in wolf fur, and her cold eyes looked down on Rin with a chilling gaze.

Tonight was the full moon—a night when Seyra’s wild instincts as a werewolf would surge. And dawn was still a long way off.

We had been near the Red Night Forest, and I was drenched in blood—everything was there to provoke Seyra’s primal side.

"Seyra...?"

Seyra stepped forward, and Rin sensed the danger, slowly backing away.

Crack.

Seyra’s hands grew thicker, her nails extending into beastly claws. Without warning, she swung her savage arm diagonally.

Whoosh.

The claws missed Rin’s ears by a hair, crashing into the wall behind her, shattering it.

"Seyra! Get a hold of yourself!"

But Seyra's attack continued, as if she couldn't hear. The house quickly turned into a wreck.

"S-sorry, Seyra!"

Realizing that talking wouldn’t work, Rin kicked Seyra in the stomach with just enough force to push her back.

Crash!

Seyra was thrown out through the broken wall, landing in a heap outside. Seizing the chance, Rin dashed out of the house, with me in her arms.

She glanced down at me. My face was deathly pale, as if I were on the brink of death.

Rin’s heart pounded painfully.

Where could she go? Who could she ask for help?

Rin knew nothing. She didn’t know how to live in this world.

She had no one to turn to. People avoided her as she ran, stained with blood, and not a single hand reached out to help.

Because she was the Red Fox. Because she was the monster that brought misfortune.

"Master, Master..."

Rin trembled, desperately shaking me. I, who had always hugged and petted her in times like these, was now growing cold.

Yet the blood pouring from me was disturbingly warm, as if embodying the misfortune that Rin carried.

Rin sat on the ground, holding me tightly in her arms.

"I did warn you, did I not? That you'd be covered in misfortune and die."

The voice was familiar, yet subtly different. Rin jerked her head up, and standing before her was a young woman, her face veiled under a conical hat.

Her presence was so faint that others might not notice her, but Rin saw through it. She recognized her—Yuhwa.

"Grandma... Master, he..."

Yuhwa approached, examining my near-dead state with a calm expression.

‘Is this good luck, or bad luck?’ she wondered.

Yuhwa had been out for a stroll when she heard the commotion and came across us.

Had she been a moment later, it might have been too late. My heartbeat was faint, but I was not yet meant to die.

After giving me first aid on the spot, Yuhwa brought us to a guest room in the Celestial Tower.

She laid me on the bed and placed a fox fire on the wound. Unlike Rin’s flames, Yuhwa’s fire was meant for healing.

I was still in poor condition. Although the wound was treated, it would scar, and I had lost a lot of blood. My weak constitution would need time to recover.

Yuhwa stepped out into the hallway, where Rin, still covered in blood, crouched waiting. She had been outside, wary of her misfortune sparking further accidents.

"The treatment is done, and his life is not in danger. He hasn’t regained consciousness yet, but he will."

"..."

"So, what happened? How did he end up like that? Did you stab him yourself?"

"Master wanted to go back, but... I didn’t listen... I brought misfortune... because of me..."

"Hmm."

Yuhwa could guess what had happened without needing the details.

Rin, who had become more arrogant as she learned magic, likely put me in danger, intoxicated by her own power.

It was complicated. It could be that ignoring my warning led to this, or it could be Rin’s curse of misfortune taking its toll.

‘What to do...’

Simply telling her it wasn’t her fault would be a mistake. What answer would be right? What could I say to help her?

Yuhwa’s pupils widened slightly, and she let out a silent laugh. To think she’d be worrying about a nine-tailed fox.

Life is truly unpredictable.

After thinking it over, Yuhwa finally spoke.

"Yes, it’s your fault. Your master is hurt because of you."

Yuhwa’s decision was to be blunt. But she wasn’t going to condemn Rin based on uncertainties.

"But this isn’t because of misfortune. It’s because of your reckless actions."

Luck and misfortune are beyond human control. Even with foresight, Yuhwa couldn’t predict everything.

But some people take precautions, while others act accordingly afterward. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"What did you do? Did you train to overcome any misfortune that might come your way? Or did you gain knowledge to make up for your lack of power?"

"..."

"You did nothing. You learned a few tricks and acted as if you were invincible. You were lazy, arrogant, and lacked humility. And that’s why those around you got hurt."

Rin couldn’t refute it. Every word was true. She buried her face in her knees, staring at the floor.

"Don’t blame your mistakes on misfortune. Don’t treat it as an excuse."

Yuhwa’s harsh words were relentless. If I were here, I would have blocked Rin’s ears, calling her grandma’s ranting nonsense. But I wasn’t there.

Rin had to listen to Yuhwa’s harsh truths without a filter.

"Look at him. Your master is incredibly weak. Unlike us, who recover from wounds with ease, he has to teeter on the edge of life and death."

Rin glanced at the room where I lay. Fearful of spreading her misfortune, she couldn’t even look at me directly.

"Despite being so weak, he stood by your side, risking his life to protect you. So, are you going to keep sitting there, waiting for him to pick you up?"

Yuhwa pondered. Blaming today’s events on misfortune would allow Rin to move past it for now.

But if she did, Rin might continue to dodge reality, using misfortune as an excuse. She could lose all will to improve.

Yuhwa took a different path, one she normally wouldn’t.

Taking a deep breath, Yuhwa softened her tone.

"...Well, on the other hand, if you work hard, things might change."

The sudden gentleness in her voice made Rin’s ears twitch slightly.

"Do you want to go back to Baekun Valley?"

Rin hesitated before shaking her head.

"Do you want to stay with your master?"

"...I want to stay with him."

"Do you want to protect him?"

"I do."

To go against one’s fate takes everything—talent, strength, and relentless effort.

Foxes carry misfortune, but they also hold the potential to defy destiny.

"Then don’t just sit there. Get up. I’ll teach you to become a true fox yokai."

The heavens rage, threatening to strip me of my title as their envoy.

But Yuhwa closed her ears to it.

It was something she shouldn’t do as a celestial fox. But the impression these two left on her had shaken her heart.

This was her rebellion, not as a celestial fox, but as a mentor—a role she hadn’t intended to play.

"Follow if you want, or stay here. The choice is yours."

With that, Yuhwa disappeared back into the heavens, her silken robes fluttering behind her.

Rin gazed into the empty space where Yuhwa had vanished, a determined glint in her mismatched eyes.

With renewed resolve, Rin rose, cast a last glance at the room where I lay, and followed Yuhwa’s path into the unknown.