Jeong Gyeoul drooped her tail as if she was disheartened.

It was the first time she felt this weak since reaching the Transcendent level.

“So, what do the Divine Spirits want… I’ll try my best.”

[Find the past.]

[The reason you came here.]

[A connection to your previous world.]

[Until then, you cannot leave the Realm of Immortals.]

Even Jeong Gyeoul herself didn’t know, but the Divine Spirits seemed to think her possession had meaning.

‘How am I supposed to find that…’

In her past life, Jeong Gyeoul was a moderately lazy and kind civil servant who died after being hit by a truck.

Now, there was no way to investigate the truck driver.

“Hint! Give me a hint. A hint!”

She had been possessing a 7-year-old child’s body for over 8 years.

In that time, nothing had come to mind, and now the Divine Spirits were threatening her, but it wasn’t like something would suddenly come to her.

She wanted to flip everything over in frustration… but she didn’t have the ability to do so.

It felt like going back to her 7-year-old self, when she was captured by an A-Class villain and had her ribs crushed.

[You must figure it out yourself.]

[We cannot interfere.]

[Higher beings are involved.]

In the end, it seemed they didn’t know either, so they dumped it on Jeong Gyeoul like subcontracting.

It was like a small business being crushed under the tyranny of a large corporation.

The Divine Spirits disappeared after saying that.

Just as they had appeared suddenly in the palace without any warning, they vanished in an instant.

“…This is messed up.”

To escape the Realm of Immortals, she needed to find a Dimensional Stone?

In a world where the immortals who captured them seemed like low-level guards.

Divine Spirits that even her Transcendent-level senses couldn’t detect.

And she was supposed to find a Dimensional Stone while avoiding everyone’s eyes in such a place?

Escape was hopeless.

‘Whether it’s the Divine Spirits’ mission or finding the Dimensional Stone, it’s all the same, damn it…’

She gave up and plopped down on the floor.

[Kid, let’s go see the Jade Emperor.]

“…Didn’t the people who just left say they were the Emperor?”

[The place where we were just conversing was filled with all the Divine Spirits of heaven and earth.]

[The Jade Emperor calling you means he intends to give you a position in the Realm of Immortals.]

Giving her a position in the Realm of Immortals.

It would be a shocking story if Cha Seo-rin or her master heard it.

But to Jeong Gyeoul, it just sounded like, “We’re going to bind you.”

‘I’m screwed… If I’m tied to a position, it’ll be even harder to think of an escape plan.’

She had been confident that no matter which dimension she went to, she could cause some chaos, fight a bit, and get a Dimensional Stone to escape.

But this place wasn’t so easy.

Even Jeong Gyeoul found it overwhelming.

It was a dimension where even low-ranking positions were given to force labor.

No solution came to mind.

Jeong Gyeoul glanced at Cha Seo-rin and Shin Hyeon-joo, who were still unconscious.

‘…What did these kids do to deserve this?’

The center of all oppression.

The epicenter of incidents and accidents.

Poor little chicks who got caught up in it just by being nearby.

For now, it seemed she needed to meet the Jade Emperor before deciding on a course of action.

***

“…So, you’re giving me the position of Philmaon?”

Philmaon (弼馬溫)

The position the Jade Emperor gave to the mischievous protagonist of Journey to the West, Son Goku.

A managerial position overseeing the stables.

It was essentially a hollow position with no honor or authority.

If it were those Divine Spirits, maybe, but these two immortals in front of her seemed like she could handle them…

If she defeated them and proved her strength, maybe they’d give her a more respectable position.

She had two people under her.

It seemed too much for a stable keeper to be responsible for two people.

As soon as she showed her fighting spirit, the Jade Emperor seemed to read her mind and responded.

[Impossible. Positions in the Realm of Immortals are not determined by combat or merit.]

The Jade Emperor was straightforward again.

Maybe the Divine Spirits had interfered earlier.

With the word “impossible,” she was kicked out of the Zimi Palace of the Great Brahma Heaven.

The next place she arrived at was where the horses Philmaon was supposed to manage were kept.

Fortunately, there was a building similar to accommodations.

She could lay the sick chicks there.

At least there was no trouble in the stables…

Philmaon, huh.

After reaching the Transcendent level, all she got was taking care of horses.

The reality check hit her hard.

‘Well, since it’s come to this…’

Maybe she could follow in Goku’s footsteps and dream of becoming the second Great Sage Equal to Heaven?

Finding the reason for her possession seemed impossible.

It wasn’t like they’d say, “Oh, you can’t find it? Then just go back to Earth and think about it.”

She didn’t like the saying “If you’re not smart, your body suffers,” but this time it fit perfectly.

She didn’t think she could win against the big shots.

Becoming a nuisance in the Realm of Immortals and forcing them to expel her seemed like the best plan.

To do that, she needed to meet the original troublemaker, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

According to the two immortals earlier, Son Goku was currently missing.

While diligently managing the horses, she’d start by looking for Son Goku’s whereabouts.

Thinking like that, being a stable keeper didn’t seem so bad.

If she chatted with people who came to ride horses, maybe she could get some information.

But that thought didn’t last long.

The immortals were all weirdos.

[Are you the new Philmaon? You look so scrawny, you’d collapse from one kick of my horse.]

Some provoked her.

[Rare beauty even in the Realm of Immortals, come find me at night.]

Some made comments that would violate obscenity laws.

[A human daring to come to the Realm of Immortals.]

The racism she experienced in the Demon Realm was still here.

“Ugh, damn it…”

She had planned to find Son Goku and get advice on causing a spectacular scene before making her move.

But she didn’t think she could hold out until then.

Every time she thought that, she swallowed her frustration, thinking of the chicks who were only looking at her back.

“Wow, amazing. These are the peaches of Bando Garden.”

“The ones Son Goku stole and ate, right? But is it okay to give them to us humans…?”

“Apparently, the farming techniques in the Realm of Immortals have improved, so they can mass-produce them now.”

I thought they were only looking at my back, but they were admiring the Queen Mother of the West’s peaches.

It seemed like the chicks were doing better than me.

I almost spat out the frustration I had swallowed.

In Cha Seo-rin’s case, her devotion to the Divine Spirits seemed to pay off.

She was being called here and there, receiving affection.

Shin Hyeon-joo was skillfully navigating the situation and benefiting from it.

Meanwhile, I was just shoveling horse manure and working hard.

Then one day.

Prince Nata came to the stables.

[So, you’re the new Philmaon.]

Nata didn’t provoke, make obscene comments, or discriminate.

He just looked at her with pity.

“…Hello. Do you need a horse?”

[Bring out 20 horses for my subordinates to move.]

At that moment, my intuition kicked in. I felt something.

‘Nata is moving?’

The immortals seemed to treat Philmaon as just an NPC, as they talked about work, gossip, romance, and scandals in the stables.

Thanks to that, I knew there weren’t many incidents in the Realm of Immortals.

The only major issue was the disappearance of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

There was nothing causing chaos in the Realm of Immortals.

No foreign news, no demons.

In this situation, the only thing Nata and his subordinates would move for was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

While handing over the horses, I subtly dropped a hint to Nata.

“…That monkey brat is causing so much trouble.”

I said it just loud enough for him to hear, starting to bait Nata.

After all, gossip is the best way to get close to someone.

And Son Goku was the best topic.

Since Philmaon Son Goku defeated Nata and declared himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

The higher-ups in the Realm of Immortals would have no choice but to blame Nata.

I’m not sure if he was properly punished, but he must have gotten some flak.

[Are you talking about the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?]

As expected, Nata took the bait.

“Ugh… That monkey left a precedent with the Philmaon position, so now I’m suffering here.”

[The Philmaon position is new, but there has always been someone managing the stables.]

This stubborn Nata just sat there, spouting nonsense when I wanted to gossip with him.

He seemed hopeless.

“…Is that so? All 20 horses are ready. Take a look.”

[I don’t know why you want to meet Son Goku, but if I find him, I’ll tell him the new Philmaon is looking for him.]

‘…Can he read minds?’

No, probably not.

He didn’t seem to know I called him stubborn.

He probably couldn’t read minds, but he was either smart or quick-witted.

“…Thank you.”

If I said more, my plan might be exposed, so I closed my mouth, pretending to be busy.

If Nata and his subordinates couldn’t find Son Goku, then I had no way to find him either.

Until good news came, I’d endure here, dealing with racists and potential sex offenders.

‘My life…’

It felt like just yesterday I was living comfortably as a Transcendent-level hero.

Now, I’m shoveling horse manure, and I don’t even know what I’m doing.

I resent the chicks who are enjoying their tour of the Realm of Immortals, unaware of my suffering.

Since it’s come to this, I’ll cause some chaos no matter what.

‘Brother Goku, I want to see you.’