NOVPUBThe materials that Eunho had presented contained a detailed chronology of events related to the Gaegyeon Myth, organized in a timeline. Compared to the concise timelines found in history textbooks, which are typically just a few pages long, this one was quite lengthy and detailed.
Eunho had been compiling this timeline with great care and attention to detail, likely to uncover something important.
‘So, the timeline Hwang Ji-ho mentioned earlier was the one Eunho had been working on. I thought it would still be incomplete.’
Eunho, having been awake for less than a year and balancing school life with numerous incident-related strategy meetings, was very busy. I had expected the timeline to be a much longer work, spanning thousands of years, so I was surprised that it was progressing faster than I thought.
It wasn’t finished yet, but the timeline was pulled out now, probably due to his analysis concerning Shin-in and Cheongho.
‘It looks like Eunho also included events from after his slumber in the timeline. Did he refer to other tigers’ words or examine some additional materials?’
Seeing Huaho in the main building reminded me of the massive library on the 5th floor of the Tiger Mansion. Since there was so much material, Hwang Ji-ho had likely called upon numerous versions of himself to review the records.
Thinking about how young Hwang Yuhyo had been overworked made my heart ache.
"I reviewed the events after I fell asleep with the help of Hwangho," Eunho explained.
"Last year, I reviewed all the records related to the deaths of Pungbaek, Usa, and Unsa. Since they had happened recently, it wasn’t difficult to help."
The records he had gone through back then were now proving useful.
I was relieved that Hwang Yuhyo’s hard work hadn’t been in vain.
Thanks to Eunho and the other clones who meticulously examined the ancient records, the timeline now contained detailed records of major natural disasters across the Korean Peninsula spanning many centuries.
When the weather gods—Pungbaek, Usa, and Unsa—disappeared, and the shaman of the Ho tribe lost her position, it seemed that the tribe had done its best to fill the void, though their efforts weren’t enough.
After the departure of the deities, communication with the celestial gods became almost impossible, and the only thing left was to record the events as they unfolded.
"The Gaegyeon Myth is missing many records. The technology of the time wasn’t as advanced as it is now, resources were scarce, and the frequent wars made it hard to leave behind records. The gaps in the timeline will have to be filled by memory," Hwang Ji-ho remarked, gazing down at the sparse sections of the timeline.
Memory, after all, tends to distort over time.
Moreover, the tigers, as the Ho tribe, had a deeply ingrained belief system and strong values developed over thousands of years.
Because these memories were recounted by the tigers, who had this steadfast worldview, there was a possibility that gaps existed.
‘Eunho has experienced different lives and, through Plmago, has seen the Gaegyeon Myth from an outside perspective, so he should be more objective. Maybe he’s sensing something?’
Eunho’s deep reflection on the Gaegyeon Myth, pouring his time and energy into recalling it, was likely due to this reason.
The Gaegyeon Myth has gaps, and within those gaps, there must be great secrets hidden.
Eunho turned to me and spoke.
"This time, I’d like you to focus on the parts involving Shin-in and Cheongho."
It seemed that, out of everyone, Eunho, the only non-ho tribe member, was hoping I would uncover something.
I wasn’t entirely sure I could find anything, but I hoped I could live up to his expectations.
As I unfurled the timeline hologram, I was caught by Eunho's words.
‘He just said “this time,” so Eunho doesn’t think the Gaegyeon Myth has only one gap, huh.’
For now, the gap I needed to focus on was related to Shin-in and Cheongho.
I set my mind to the information I knew about Shin-in and Cheongho and began examining the timeline.
The first place I checked was the moment they were first introduced.
[The Summoning of the Celestial Duel]
[Shin-in, Pungbaek, Usa, Unsa Descend]
This was something I had heard from an old tale Hwang Ji-ho once shared.
The duel became the occasion where the scattered tigers gathered together again. Hwang Ji-ho, having been defeated by both Eunho and Cheongho, went through much suffering.
The final match came down to Baekho and Eunho, and Eunho forfeited, leaving Baekho’s victory.
At this point, Shin-in, descending from the heavens, gifted a weapon to the greatest warrior of the Ho tribe, replacing the celestial gods.
‘Baekho turned down the weapon twice, but accepted it the third time. And that weapon would reveal itself when the time came.’
Baekho wielded the weapon, Baekya (White Fang), created by Eunho, and he swung it until the final moment.
In Plmago, this weapon never truly showed its full power.
Even if it had, it wouldn’t have changed the ending of Plmago.
I moved my gaze to the next section of the timeline.
[Invasion of Foreign Enemies]
[The Trial of Thirty-Seven Days]
I had heard that Jeokho and Wungnyeo first met during the Trial of Thirty-Seven Days.
Having passed the trial, the two gained immense power, contributing greatly at the front lines to defeat the invaders.
‘At this point, the Ho tribe and the Wung tribe were still allied.’
However, the war with the foreign invaders did not go smoothly.
The timeline listed the names of many victims.
These weren’t names that would have been recorded anywhere but were likely those remembered by the tigers over the ages.
Over thousands of years, the tigers hadn’t forgotten so many names.
Then, I noticed a familiar name in the timeline.
[Pungbaek, Usa, Unsa KIA]
This had been recently updated.
The three, whom everyone had assumed to be dead, were still alive.
Soon after, the timeline detailed the betrayal of the Wung tribe.
[Death of the First Leader of the Wung Tribe]
[The Second Leader of the Wung Tribe is Appointed]
[Wung Tribe Forms an Alliance with Foreign Invaders]
The Wung tribe had completely abandoned the Ho tribe after the leadership changed.
But according to Unsa’s words, the Wung tribe had already shown signs of betrayal when Pungbaek and Usa took action.
The first leader of the Wung tribe, who disagreed with the Ho tribe’s actions, had likely been removed.
During the war, there were plenty of ways to stage a death.
[Baekho, With the Support of the Peasant Tribe, Opens Gaegyeon]
At the end of the long war, a turning point occurred when the Ho tribe, cornered, found a way out and emerged victorious.
It was the legendary ritual of Gaegyeon, which Baekho performed at the opening ceremony of the military academy exchange.
The foreign invaders had summoned an evil darkness that spread across the peninsula. When the voice of the celestial god was cut off, Baekho alone headed toward the source of the darkness.
He slew countless invaders, but in the end, he aimed to cut through the darkness between heaven and earth.
The moon rabbits from the Moon Palace asked Ahn Gwa to make a thin crack in the darkness, and Baekho succeeded in splitting the darkness with his weapon.
He succeeded in opening the sky again, which is known as the Gaegyeon Ritual.
[Post-War, The Celestial Gods Descend]
This was the most famous part of the Gaegyeon Myth.
After the Ho tribe’s victory, the celestial gods descended from the open sky and granted wishes.
Some begged for forgiveness from the Wung tribe, and the celestial gods granted them their wish.
For a few years, a brief peace followed.
‘Hwang Ji-ho became the temporary leader. After seeing Eunho’s decline in health, this was when the heavenly will was violated. The Silver Hero must have been born around this time.’
During this period, there were no major disasters, and no life-threatening catastrophes occurred.
There were just a few good omens written.
‘Jeokho and Wungnyeo’s wedding, Jeho’s birth...’
However, less than a year after the birth of Kim Shinrok, the Wung tribe betrayed the Ho tribe.
Jeokho broke the Ho Tribe's protective charms, except for the one at Cheon Ik Mountain, and the couple who had worn masks lost their child.
I stared at the numbers written in the timeline for a long time.
‘From this point onward, Anda-in was waiting for the Ho tribe couple, wasn’t he?’
As a result of the war with the Wung tribe, the Ho tribe emerged victorious.
The Wung tribe caused occasional incidents but could never gather enough strength to start another war.
‘Kim Shinrok later grew up thinking he was a descendant of the Ho tribe.’
After realizing his true lineage, Kim Shinrok found his father, and after using the divine treasures, he sought out Jeokho, who was bound by the red form.
As a result, Jeokho faced even greater punishment.
Also, around this time, Kim Shinrok probably met Yong Je-geon and became friends.
‘And then time passed, Eunho fell into a deep sleep, and Hwang Ji-ho became the official leader.’
The disappearance of Shin-in and Cheongho occurred after Hwang Ji-ho became the official leader.
The tigers stared at the timeline without saying a word.
None of them voiced their thoughts, suggesting that the records here were all as they remembered.
‘There are a few things bothering me, but the key right now is what happened when Shin-in and Cheongho disappeared.’
The timeline also contained brief records of the search and investigation into the disappearances of Shin-in and Cheongho.
These records weren’t summarized because they were unimportant but because they had yielded no results at all.
If we think about it in terms of the Ho tribe’s approach to Shin-in and Cheongho, the answers would be difficult to find.
I stared at the timeline and sank into thought.
‘There’s nothing particularly notable after Shin-in and Cheongho’s disappearance. The major events only happen after a long passage of time... and the Wung tribe’s raids were regular occurrences before and after that...’
I recalled everything the tigers had told me about the Gaegyeon Myth.
And then a phrase suddenly came to mind.
It was something Eunho had said in the story Hwang Ji-ho had shared.
---"It’s impossible for everyone on this land to live without lack, just with the power of the Celestial God. One day, we must cultivate the strength to live here without relying on divine power. But, we’ll need more time for that."
In the past, the land of the Korean Peninsula was barren, and because technology had not yet advanced, it was hard to sustain the land without the blessings of the Celestial Gods. 𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑝𝘶𝘣.𝑐𝘰𝘮
In such times, after several large wars, the land grew even drier, and the Celestial Gods, having exerted their powerful abilities, consumed much of their energy.
Considering this, it seemed the Korean Peninsula might have been on the brink of a non-war crisis.
‘Shin-in, who understood the Celestial Gods’ power and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, was probably aware of this. Yet, despite that, he chose to become human and left the Ho tribe’s side.’
I then recalled the words of Unsa.
---"Shin-in deeply cherished both the Ho tribe and humanity. He wouldn’t prioritize wishes over responsibilities."
Thinking about Shin-in’s responsibility gave me a lead.
I returned to the timeline.
This time, I wasn’t focused on the sequence of events or the individuals listed.
“Eui-shin, it seems like you’ve figured something out.”
I wasn’t entirely certain yet.
But once I thought of one possibility, it became hard to imagine any other explanation.
While the tigers waited for me to speak, I hesitated for a while.
Finally, I spoke cautiously.
“Shin-in may have become human to protect humanity.”
“What do you mean by that?”
I pointed to a section of the timeline.
“If Shin-in became human, the Celestial Gods would never be able to forsake humanity.”
The timeline revealed subtle changes in the frequency of natural disasters around the time Shin-in and Cheongho disappeared.
The frequency of prayers and harvest festivals had also shifted.
It seemed that, before their disappearance, the land of the Korean Peninsula, which had been losing strength, started to regain it.
It seemed that after the long wars, the Celestial Gods had exhausted too much of their power, and Shin-in had intervened, blending into humanity to stop the Celestial Gods from abandoning the land.
