By the time we returned to the forest near the docked boat after gathering information from the village, we couldn’t see a thing in front of us.

Ji-ryong’s warning had come true.

The fog that had started trailing us from the village had finally caught up and swallowed us whole.

Between the clouds spilling from the mountain’s waist and the mist rising from Lake Poyang, the area now looked like we had walked into a sea # Nоvеlight # of puffy clouds.

“Is it this way? Uwaaah!”

While fumbling our way toward the boat, the ground beneath me suddenly gave way, and my body was sucked downward in an instant.

– Splash!

“So-ryong!”

I heard the sound of rocks and dirt falling into water below.

– Splash, splash!

Just when I thought I’d fall straight in with the rocks, I felt a sudden tug on my sleeve.

It was Hwa-eun—she had grabbed me just in time, still holding onto my sleeve like we had earlier to avoid getting separated in the fog.

When I looked down, I saw a hazy shimmer of water under the swirling mist.

That must have been Lake Poyang.

Hwa-eun tugged me closer and said,

“So-ryong, don’t move around too much. You really can’t see anything ahead. We need to be careful.”

“Got it. Thanks, Hwa-eun.”

She pulled me back onto a patch of grass, and as I wiped the cold sweat from my brow...

I suddenly felt the warmth of her body next to me.

And then her sweet scent, thick in the fog, curled around me.

Hwa-eun had scooted in and was now sitting right up against my side.

So close, I could feel her body heat through our clothes.

“U-um, it’s just that I really can’t see anything... I thought we shouldn’t get... s-separated...”

She jumped to explain herself before I said anything.

Cute, wasn’t she? Taking advantage of the situation like that.

That’s our Hwa-eun—never misses an opportunity.

‘Man... come to think of it, it has been a while since we’ve kissed or hugged, hasn’t it?’

Now that I thought about it, it had been quite a while since Hwa-eun and I shared any real skinship. The kids had been keeping us too busy lately.

While that was running through my head, Hwa-eun leaned in even closer.

Close enough to feel her pulse, not just her warmth.

Looked like she was having an acute So-ryong Deficiency.

Yep. She needed a charge.

And what kind of charge?

A So-ryong charge, of course.

If we hadn’t had any skinship lately, it only made sense that her So-ryong levels were dangerously low. The only solution was a recharge.

‘Absolutely.’

But I couldn’t help but wonder why the deficiency hit her today. She’d been fine up until yesterday. Then I remembered.

‘Ah... right, yesterday, Ji-ryong and Eumbong...’

Even if Hwa-eun normally didn’t pay much attention to those things, seeing them must’ve made her start thinking.

You might ask, “Would seeing others really make you want to do it too?”

But it’s not such a baseless idea.

Take the huaung, for example.

Huaung is one of many names in the Central Plains for a panda—it means “flower bear.” In my past life, pandas were on the brink of extinction.

Habitat loss, pollution, and excessive poaching had all contributed to the crisis.

People in the Central Plains were desperate to help them breed—after all, creatures like the Yangtze River dolphin and the giant softshell turtle were already disappearing.

But pandas didn’t make it easy.

They weren’t interested in reproduction. Even during mating season, they refused to mate.

All those damn pandas wanted to do was munch on bamboo and nap all day.

So the numbers dropped, and breeding remained stagnant.

Then someone came up with a brilliant idea.

“Let’s show them porn!”

The thinking went: if you show pandas an erotic video, maybe they’ll finally get it on?

It sounded absurd—but it worked.

Once they started playing panda mating videos, the pandas actually began to breed and have babies.

The “porn,” of course, was panda mating footage, not human.

Anyway, if Hwa-eun needed a So-ryong charge, it was only right to oblige.

I gently slipped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her a little closer.

“W-what is it, So-ryong?”

She had obviously been waiting for it and still pretended to be startled.

I replied in a soft, romantic voice.

“I just realized we haven’t been able to be alone together lately, because of the kids. I’m sorry, Hwa-eun.”

“So-ryong...”

As I stirred the mood, Hwa-eun rested her head on my shoulder.

Just a slight turn of my head now and we could start a kiss—the most efficient form of So-ryong charging.

My heart beat faster—it had been a while.

I slowly turned my head.

And then—whoosh! Something dark swooped between us.

“Urgh.”

“Kyaa!”

Startled, we both toppled in opposite directions—and a very familiar voice rang out.

– Tsrururuu. 『Dad! Mom!』

The intruder, of course, was none other than Bini.

『"O-oh, B-Bini! How did you find us in all this fog?"』

– Tsrut. (Aunt Seol said the fog was too thick and sent me out to look for you. I picked up some familiar vibrations, so I came. When it’s dark and hard to see, only Bini, Sister Ranghyang, and Uncle Orange can figure out who’s nearby, remember?)

Come to think of it, Bini, Ranghyang, and Orange the Ji-yeong Snake were all burrowing types.

They could sense vibrations through the ground.

Just like submarines use sonar to detect enemies, these guys could read movements and locations through earth vibrations.

So Bini had tracked us that way.

Nice and all, but... the timing sucked.

Dad wanted a kiss too, y’know.

Gyaaah!

『"O-our daughter came to find Mommy and Daddy~?"』

"Y-yeah. That’s so sweet, Bini."

– Tsrururu. (So... what were you two doing?)

“N-nothing?”

“We were just, um... waiting for the fog to clear.”

– Tsrut. (Got it. Let’s go back, Dad, Mom.)

Bini took two of her many little legs and placed one in each of our hands.

So, with forced smiles, Hwa-eun and I followed her through the mist back to the boat.

[We’ll find another chance when we climb the mountain later.]

[Got it!]

We whispered secretly to each other as we walked.

Raising kids while trying to sneak in affection felt like a full-on covert operation.

***

We returned to the ship and immediately organized a search team.

The fact that we couldn’t see a thing ahead because of the fog also meant our children could move comfortably within it.

From what we heard, regular mist usually started just above the mid-mountain level.

That meant there wouldn’t be people climbing up there—so our children could freely explore the upper slopes too.

“Did you confirm the location?”

It was Ji-ryong, asking as we prepared to ascend.

“Yes. They said the mouth of the rock resembling a flying dragon on Flying Dragon Peak is a cave, and ice has formed there.

Originally, of the seventeen caves, the six near the summit of Yeo Mountain began freezing one by one as if the ice was migrating. Now, they say, the mouth of the dragon-shaped rock at Flying Dragon Peak is frozen.”

When I explained what I’d heard from the herbalist, he nodded, a suspicious expression on his face.

“There’s definitely something strange going on.”

“Right?”

“It really feels like something is moving from one place to another.”

“That’s what I thought too.”

There was only one reason I knew of for a cave to freeze like that.

In my previous life, there was a place called the Ice Valley in Miryang, where air cooled as it passed through layers of rock inside a mountain, causing condensation and expansion in crevices that formed ice.

Aside from that, it made no sense for ice to form in the relatively warm fall.

And ice forming alternately in different caves?

Even more absurd.

Those caves likely weren’t connected.

Which meant the conclusion was: near the summit, something had likely been moving through those seven caves.

After the discussion with Ji-ryong, Hwa-eun came in with a bundle of food. Sister Seol, now used to this kind of life, had two thin blankets rolled up like a WWII soldier’s pack slung over her shoulder.

“For now—Cho, Yeondu, Jeokwol-nim, shall we go together? The fog’s a bit thick. Will you be okay?”

—Chii!

Apparently bored, Jeokwol-nim fluttered down and perched on my shoulder. Behind her, Cho and Yeondu stepped up.

“Hyang stays with Dad. Seol, Bing, and Dong, you’re coming too. We don’t know if the target will attack with ice.”

If the opponent was an ice-attribute spirit beast, then those with similar powers would be best suited to defend.

And Hyang, with her fire abilities, would be a perfect counter.

That lineup would do for now.

“Sorry to the rest of you. It’s hard to see in this fog, so we’ll have to fly—and I can’t take everyone. We’ll be back soon.”

—Tsrurur. 『It’s always me who gets left behind.』

—Kisit.

Bini grumbled and Yo-hwa jangled the bells on her legs, but by now they were used to it. No major fuss.

So we launched straight from the deck.

The mist and fog mixed together above the deck, making it look like we were rising into cotton clouds.

“Everyone, just fly upward until we’re clear of the fog. Got it? Jeokwol-nim, you too.”

—Chii.

—Tsrurur.

—Shaaa.

The air felt heavy and damp as we rose.

My ears popped as we climbed, but eventually, the fog thinned, and bright light began to filter through.

“We’re out!”

Seol-nui’s voice, still wrapped around Cho, came from right next to me—she must have kept pace.

Just like the herbalist had said, only about a third of the peaks jutted above the mist.

Since the mountain was broad, peaks and rock formations poked up like scattered islands above a sea of fog.

“Let’s see... the five big rocks shaped like old men are the Five Elders Peaks. Oh, that sparkling part must be water? Then that’s the Great Heavenly Pond.

Past the Five Elders and the Great Heavenly Pond, that smaller pond in the same direction is the Little Heavenly Pond...

That way, everyone. Cho, Yeondu, this way. Jeokwol-nim, follow me.”

—Chii.

As we passed the Five Elders, their old-man-shaped rocks bunched together like a folding screen, a large swamp came into view.

From above, it looked spectacular.

The sunlight reflected off its surface like a mirror.

“Wow, it’s beautiful.”

“Last night we couldn’t see a thing. But this place... it’s incredible.”

“Apparently a lot of people come here for the scenery.”

As we chatted, flying past the Great Heavenly Pond toward the Little one, I spotted a dark cave near a rocky outcrop.

“Let’s land and check that out. Yeondu, take us down there.”

—Shaaa. 『Understood, So-ryong-nim.』

There were supposed to be seven caves at about seventy percent up the slope, and ten more below that—this was one of the seven.

A cave that had previously frozen over.

When we landed and looked around the area, it was clear this cave had been frozen.

Most of the surrounding vegetation had died.

Likely frost damage from sudden cold.

There were even traces of people around the entrance.

“This really was one of the frozen caves, huh?”

“Yes, looks like it. Jeokwol-nim, could you make your wings sparkle? I’d like to check inside.”

—Chii.

With Jeokwol-nim perched on my shoulder, I cautiously checked inside.

Of course, we were going to confirm the Flying Dragon cave soon, but I wanted to make sure the caves weren’t connected somehow—or if there was any reason ice might have formed here.

It wasn’t very deep, and the back was blocked off.

That alone was enough to confirm the ice had formed artificially.

I was just about to step outside again when—

—Chiiiii!

I turned toward her. She was pointing with her antennae.

Looking where she directed, I saw a rock placed against the wall—and three long claw marks gouged into the surface.

They had clearly been made by something sharp and solid, like claws.

Not a wolf or fox. Not a bear, leopard, or tiger.

I’d learned the basics of reading animal tracks from Sister Seol as a member of the Beast Palace.

But this—I’d never seen or heard of anything like it.

It looked like something out of a movie from my past life—like the aftermath of a protagonist slashing with claws that came out over his fists.

I brought Seol-nui over to ask.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. If these are claws, we’d better be careful.

That’s almost like a dagger. A single swipe could shred your chest.”

I still didn’t know what kind of creature left those marks—but I had a feeling we’d find out soon.

Time to regroup and head for Flying Dragon Peak.

“Let’s go.”

After flying for a short while, the ridge of a rocky mountain appeared before us.

It twisted and turned like a flying dragon in the clouds.

That must be Flying Dragon Peak.

“There it is!”

At the far end of the ridge.

The dragon’s head faced the basin below, and just as the herbalist had said, a cave mouth sat where the open jaws would be.

—Drip. Drip drip.

Water trickled down from the rocky “mouth” like drool.

“It really looks like it’s drooling.”

“Creepy...”

We landed a little away from the entrance and approached cautiously.

What we saw inside the cave was... bizarre.

Just five meters in, the entire passage was sealed off by solid ice.

Though water dripped steadily from outside, the thick ice plug within was completely intact.

As I peered closer into the entrance—

The light filtering in let me see something through the opaque ice.

“Wait, what’s that!?”

Suddenly, my mind went white.

Inside the dark cave, beyond the ice, something white lay collapsed.

I couldn’t make it out through the cloudy wall of ice, but there was a red shape near what looked like its mouth.

A tongue?

If its tongue was half-hanging out like that, it was in critical condition.

—Bang! Crash!

I struck the ice with fist and palm, but it didn’t budge.

I immediately shouted.

“Cho! Go get Bini!”

I didn’t know what it was, but I knew one thing:

We had to save it.

The body rose and fell as if gasping—but it couldn’t wake up.

The situation was dire.