I Became a Wendigo in a Fantasy World

24 – Episode 24

“You’re disqualified as a shaman. Instead of living like this and causing trouble, why don’t you put down the favor Wendy gave you and become a beast…”

“Calm down. It’s not like a major problem has occurred. At most, the soil has just turned slightly black.”

When Skadi murmured with eyes devoid of soul, Wendy was taken aback and tried to revive her spirit.

She hadn’t called her here to scold her in the first place. She just wanted to analyze the cause out of curiosity…

Above all, Wendy didn’t feel any energy from the soil.

“Now, calm the chaos and focus on the soil. Can you feel any negative energy from it?”

Skadi cautiously raised her head and checked the soil. The soil had lost its previous fine brown color and turned black, but it was difficult to see it as contamination.

Rather strangely, there was a subtle liveliness, soft to the touch.

Scadi cautiously scooped up the soil, feeling it between her fingers and inhaling its scent.

Not the sliminess of pollutants or the earthy smell of dirt, but the right moisture and a faint aroma of grass.

While delving into her knowledge, Scadi identified the nature of the soil.

“This… seems like black soil.”

“Black soil?”

Scadi nodded cautiously. Her confidence had waned due to the unexpected turn of events.

Separate from Scadi’s reaction, Wendy was surprised by the term “black soil.” It wasn’t the soil that appeared in fantasies. Such soil also existed on Earth.

Prominent regions included the black soil zones of Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine.

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“Looks cursed just by its name, but on closer inspection, it’s quite the opposite.”

The black soil was, in simpler terms, fertile land.

Thanks to nutrient-rich chernozem, it was perfect for plant growth.

But… why would such soil appear in a place where someone buried or planted their heart?

“This kind of soil wouldn’t just appear without reason. Any guesses as to why?”

“Give me a moment. Let me think…”

Scadi adjusted her posture and immersed herself in thought. Once again, the honor of a sorceress was at stake.

“I have to get this right, swearing on my mother’s name!”

Though she didn’t know the crime her departed mother had committed, Scadi delved into her knowledge relentlessly.

And she inferred a plausible possibility. Drawing on the ground, she began her explanation.

She drew a large heart and wrote three hundred years next to it.

“The heart brought by Wendigo-nim is no ordinary heart. Honestly… It’s hard for me to believe that a three-hundred-year-old mountain spirit exists.”

“Is that such a difficult thing? I mean, aren’t spirits known to transcend lifespans, just like the mausoleums?”

“Well… Unlike spirits, mausoleums are frequently hunted. Probably because there’s a lot to gain from them.”

…”

Wendigo was perplexed, but in his own way, he could understand.

Even in modern times, animals on the brink of extinction or those with supposed culinary or health benefits weren’t that rare.

Mausoleums, being creatures whose effects could be felt directly on the skin, justified humans risking their lives to hunt them.

Catching even one could turn someone into a hero or provide an opportunity to completely change their life.

“It’s understandable that saliva would involuntarily flow when comparing it to useless spirits that are hard to catch even if you try. It’s rare for a mausoleum to live long. But what does that have to do with this?”

“Mother said that the byproduct of a mausoleum that has lived for over a hundred years can create an unparalleled treasure in the world.”

She sketched the treasures she knew next to the heart.

A hammer summoning lightning, a belt imbued with the strength of giants, a dagger turning opponents into a handful of blood…

Extraordinary treasures from the tales of heroes were sometimes gifts from gods, but more often than not, they were treasures created by heroes from captured mausoleums.

She noted numbers beside the treasures.

As little as fifty years to as much as a hundred years.

However, three hundred years were granted only to the heart of Kikas.

“This is the level of the mausoleum my mother estimated. She thought it had to be at least this level to create such an item. But the heart brought by Wendigo is something that’s been around for three hundred years.”

“Is it equivalent to burying three treasures roughly?”

Skadi tilted her head. Was it a statement that it wasn’t that extraordinary?

“That’s deeper than you think. It might be different when there are three different treasures. This is just one. It’s even the heart with the most potent power.”

“……”

Even if Scadi hunted a mammoth that lived for fifty years, it was enough to create a treasure. However, the mammoth Wendygo caught had lived for an astounding three hundred years. The depth of the mystery imbued in Gikas’s heart was unparalleled, preventing any comparison with other treasures.

Naturally, such an item was almost never buried in the ground. If a human had it, despite the reluctance, they would have used it immediately.

‘No. It wasn’t just buried for three hundred years, as others might have thought… It was a more remarkable creature than I expected.’

In light of Gikas’s pride, it felt naturally justified.

While everyone else failed to surpass a hundred years and perished, he had lived for three hundred years. It would have been strange if he didn’t take pride in it.

… Truly a pitiful worm, no, it couldn’t be anything other than a parasite.

Scadi, expressing the gathering of mystery rising from the ground, continued her explanation about the heart.

“The method my mother taught is about letting the flowing mystery of nature cleanse the essence, but this heart seems to have a different depth. It’s not about cleansing; it’s about direct confrontation.”

“Then shouldn’t the earth decay? The mystery of that thing might not be the kind that coexists with nature.”

“That’s a bit of a different story. Even if it doesn’t coexist with nature, in the end, its origin lies in nature.”

From the extreme toxicity of killing elephants to plagues taking thousands of lives, to pests causing epidemics, even the herbicides created by humans.

Ultimately, their essence originated from nature. Just their nature caused them to go crazy.

In the face of the greatness of nature, Gikas’s mystery was nothing more than an exceptionally crazy thing.

“In the end, the mystery held by this heart will crumble in the face of the power of nature… I think this soil is its byproduct.”

“I see.”

Regardless of whether her deduction was right or wrong, Wendygo accepted it.

After all, he had become a creature somewhat like a spirit by chance, not a being unrelated to magic.

Such complex matters require the judgment of someone with deep understanding, experience, and knowledge. It would be the right thing to follow the judgment of a person who possesses these qualities. Otherwise, if an outsider makes the judgment without proper expertise, it can lead to all sorts of problems.

Above all…

“It’s not surprising that the monster in the movie resembles a worm. It’s not strange that it’s able to make the land fertile.”

Honestly, regardless of Gizkas’ origins, his appearance was so worm-like that it didn’t feel strange at all when his heart made the land fertile. If any problems arise later on, it wouldn’t be a big deal to deal with his heart.

Wendigo looked up at the self-conscious Scadiek and exclaimed,

“I can only trust Scadiek as a reliable sorcerer. I hope you will continue to help me when I need it.”

“If I can be of any help, I will be glad to do so!”

She replied confidently and brightly.

In the end, no one knew what would happen to the heart, but Scadiek was happy and Wendigo was satisfied, so it was a good thing, wasn’t it?

Sometimes, it’s good to just let things slide.

* * *

While the heart continued to spew venom or nourishment, time kept passing by.

Leaves fell, trees became bald, and animals each started their own way of hibernation.

Naturally, people also began preparing to endure the winter.

Preparing food, replenishing firewood, renovating their homes to withstand the cold winds…

Thanks to the totem that Scadiek had erected, this winter was less harsh, otherwise they might have had to prepare for death.

“The village relies heavily on Scadiek’s favor.”

“eeek!?

The Wendigo, who had hunted elk through the window (this time, there was no sound of screams), returned to the village, lost in thought.

Honestly, when it came to matters related to the village, Scadi’s efforts shone brighter than Wendigo’s. Perhaps unlike Wendigo, Scadi was not quite human.

Forming a connection between modern humans and medieval humans was a difficult task from the start.

Unlike Wendigo, Scadi understood people’s grievances all too well, and she helped people as much as possible with her abilities.

‘So, whenever she gives a speech, people gather to listen to her stories.’

Wendigo looked back at the village and observed Scadi, who was unfolding stories to the people in the open space.

With a bright smile, waving her staff around, eliciting responses from the crowd, she resembled a skilled politician.

‘Even so, it’s not to that extent.’

Wendigo shook his head, expressing his thoughts. What was lacking in Scadi that she needed to garner support from people?

She had already captivated people perfectly with her abilities and personality.

This must be something she genuinely enjoys doing.

“When Wendigo pulled out the mystery of the sinister earth dragon, he lost that power and took his last breath. However, even after his death, the mystery still lingered!”

‘Really exhilarating.’

Wendigo chuckled as he watched Scadi, who continued to narrate with a proud expression.

But what was the story of the earth dragon? He had never caught such a thing himself.

Wendigo approached Scadi slowly. Unaware of his presence, Scadi continued the story in a delighted state.

“When the mystery he pulled out was planted in the ground, it followed the natural order, making the land fertile! This dark soil is the proof!”

‘In an instant, a parasite turned into an earth dragon.’

Wendigo was puzzled. Not only had Gikas, who was a parasite, turned into an earth dragon, but his mystery had nothing to do with the land…

Before he knew it, Gikas had become the notorious evil dragon who seized the mystery of this land.

The story of Skadi’s supervisor was also a story, but the warriors had their own problems. They raised their shoulders, boasting with pride as if they were intoxicated with honor.

“Ha, it was truly remarkable. Even though the wicked minions of the evil dragon screamed and attacked, we, who serve the spirits, wielded our swords without any fear!”

“When the spirit threw a giant spear made of ice, the world seemed to collapse and screams erupted!”

‘These guys, did they forget that the ones they faced were parasites?’

Even the warriors who could easily refute it began to believe, “Ah, the one we faced wasn’t a parasite, but a dragon!” Skadi’s story mixed with the supervisor’s became the truth.

Among the people sharing the story, someone pointed at Wendigo. Wendigo walked towards them with heavy steps.

“Spirit! Is it true that you defeated a dragon?”

“Can we also live on fertile land from now on?”

‘If I say no, they’ll be greatly disappointed.’

Wendigo glanced at Skadi as the people stared at him with shining eyes. Skadi stared back at him with even stronger determination.

If other spirits had seen this scene, they would have praised, ‘Humans are quite interesting!’

People cannot truly worship spirits with mediocre shamans. The people’s distrust of spirits was as strong as steel.

But look at them now.

They are all looking at him as if they were directly revealing themselves like fairies or mountain spirits from old stories.

Wendigo felt something beyond respect from them.

In the past, Wendigo would have despised and waved his hand at the emotions they sent. It was natural since he had never received such treatment.

But now?

“Yes. After an intense battle, I ripped out his heart. And I returned his mystery to nature, so this land will soon become fertile.”

“Ooooh!!!”

Wendigo threw away his elk far away and calmly admitted the truth. Even though admiration erupted around him, he accepted it without any hesitation.

The current Wendygo received worship without any hesitation. Living for so long had made her thick-skinned.

But she had her own reasons for being thick-skinned.

“If I can’t live quietly, then I must become the best.”

Elementals, shamans, and even demons. Unimaginable beings kept appearing on Earth.

In this world, where the most extraordinary things could reveal themselves at any moment, there was only one way to survive.

To become strong enough that no one could touch you!

She was already strong enough, but complacency in her current strength would be foolish. If an opportunity passed by, shouldn’t she seize it?

So, even if it was fake or embellished, she felt a bit embarrassed by people’s worship…

“Oh, spirits, please watch over us!”

“Watch over us!!!”

‘… It’s still a bit embarrassing.’

Perhaps it was because her conscience still lingered.

Wendygo fought hard to overcome her self-consciousness.