I checked my leg again and removed the cast. As the paralysis in my leg wore off, a keen throbbing pain set in.
“Endure that much pain! It keeps you from overexerting,” Dr. Ho-yeon said, looking at Seong Hyunjae—but of course speaking to .
“And be careful walking for a few more days.”
“Yes.”
“My previous two were too young, but if only I’d been ten years younger...”
“...Pardon?”
Was she talking to Seong Hyunjae? Even ten years younger, she’d still be two zodiac signs apart. Well, a mid-thirties person and soone in their fifties—let them deal with that.
“What an honor,” Seong Hyunjae said softly, smiling. Dr. Ho-yeon humd and stroked her chin.
“Co to think of it, a twenty-year difference at our age isn’t bad. Want to go on a date?”
You’re older than twenty years more than , though.
“Sorry, I already have plans.”
“Oh? With whom? You drag him everywhere. I’m jealous.”
Even if you are... Seong Hyunjae, she’s so blunt with you. I wondered what she’d say to Director Song. Dr. Ho-yeon held out her hand, and Seong Hyunjae eagerly handed her his business card, slipping it between her wrinkled fingers and waving it.
“I still don’t have your number. Buy a drink next ti.”
“You’ll pay, Doctor?”
“He’s got money to burn.”
She flounced her white coat and turned away without a backward glance. The door swung shut.
“You really going to have that drink?”
“I ought to treat him. My partner’s indebted to him.”
“He’s a future Haeyeon guild mber, so why the Sesung Guild Leader? If you’re making excuses, I’ll refuse.”
Seong Hyunjae seems to like older won. In any case, I was finally cleared to leave the hospital. I contacted Haeyeon and looked at Seong Hyunjae.
“You have no intention of confessing to , ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) right?”
“Of course I have.”
His confidence made almost think he ant “I have none” instead of “many.”
“...Many what?”
“The most recent: that the dessert you had for lunch wasn’t diet food.”
“But you said it used zero-calorie sweeteners!”
“Han Yujin, it’s fine if you gain so weight. It’s good for your health.”
“S-spare the trivialities. I ant important things—things relating to or the Transcendents.”
“That’s sothing we exchange.”
Even if we exchange them... I’ve already revealed almost everything. The only important things I’m hiding are those I can’t disclose.
“There are none, for .”
“Then none for either.”
I stared at his unconvincing smile. The fairy drake climbed onto my shoulder and whispered,
—“Let’s just ignore that, Dad.”
He’s far too competent to ignore. But I couldn't press him further, so I retrieved my staff from inventory.
“If I lean on the staff, it’ll raise suspicion.”
“Myeong-woo added a stealth enchantnt.”
Completely natural walking might still be impossible. It’d be foolish to claim I sprained my leg when there are healing potions and a healer on standby. Calling it a curse that blocks potions would be too dramatic.
“I don’t have many reasons to walk on my own anyway. Just be a little careful.”
“Then I’ll just carry you.”
A Haeyeon helicopter was due to pick up on the rooftop—walking there myself was fine. But my leg still ached enough that the offer tempted .
“Then I—”
—“Gyeol wants to co too, Dad!”
The fairy drake fluttered down beneath the bed. Gyeol’s body instantly grew larger, silver-white hair tinted pink cascading over his shoulders, and he glared sharply at Seong Hyunjae, who peered down at from the bed. Peace gave a perplexed little growl.
“I’ll carry you. He’s unnecessary.”
But you... Gyeol stretched out both arms to lift . Though bigger, he was still weaker than —a fairy drake after all. After a few heaves that only made wobble, he pouted in defeat.
“Dad...”
Gyeol whimpered, unable to lift . I needed to comfort him...
“It’s okay, co here. Let’s shrink back to fairy drake size, or sothing.”
Seeing Gyeol turn back into the little drake, exactly like Seong Hyunjae, felt oddly uncanny. His round eyes looked up at wetly...
“Feeling a bit strange with like this, aren’t you?”
“Excuse , you once called ‘Dad’.”
I embraced the restored drake. He probably doesn’t rember our dreamworld adventures. Seong Hyunjae curled his lips.
“Wait a mont—”
“Dad.”
Gyeol’s eyes went wide. Then, in a shocked squeal—
—“I really hate that!”
“I thought you wanted to hear it, Han Yujin.”
“I don’t!”
—“Let’s ask Uncle and Aunt to co, Dad. Or you could ride Peace!”
“They’ll be here soon.”
Peace said mounting him, even with a saddle, is tricky. I propped myself on my staff and asked Seong Hyunjae to help pack. Soon, Yuhyun and Yerim arrived, asking if I was okay.
“I just get a dull ache, but I can move fine. They left so pain deliberately.”
“That’s good. Take care of yourself now, Mister.”
“Yeah, hyung.”
I wished the sa for myself—no one gets hurt because they want to.
Back ho, a day later, the pain in my leg had greatly subsided. With limited mobility, I worked at a leisurely pace while caring for the kids—though “leisurely” was a stretch given the backlog.
Then—
“There’s a C-rank dungeon near Seoul Education University.”
Yuhyun said. We should go once.
“That’s close. We can go and return right away. Gyeol, stay ho with Ppiyak, Bellare, and Horang. With Uncle, Auntie, and Peace around, Dad’s fine.”
—“...Okay.”
Gyeol answered sulkily. Unlike before, he couldn’t share my body, and I worried about leaving him with the rookie—he might auto-trigger defensive magic like last ti. Novices are basically Transcendents.
“Mister, here.”
Yerim handed sunscreen. Since I intended to care for my skin, it seed complex. Thanks to her and Yuhyun being S-rank, I only washed my face. Yerim used sheets now and then—dark ones that scared Ppiyak and Bellare. I slyly asked Haeyeon’s styling team, and they gave a gentle set.
There were creams for morning, night, eyes, neck—but I ended up using only the basics.
“But aren’t you overdoing it? You hated sunscreen before.”
Yerim narrowed her eyes.
“Mister, did you develop a crush?”
“What? No.”
I liked soone before regression; it wasn’t new. And her aning of “like” differed.
“Surely not Dr. Ho-yeon?”
“...He’s more like a much younger son, even a lateborn. Admirable, but no.”
Not Hyun-ah, not Whitebird, not even Riette—why suddenly Dr. Ho-yeon?
“There aren’t many new people. What about Sister Sohan?”
“No. I told you I’m not thinking about romance.”
“They say people who say that fall in love and marry first.”
Considering age, I’d indeed be likely to marry soonest. But no intention, no partner.
I told her to stop joking and headed into the dungeon. Knocking on the gate, instead of a snowy field, a broad adow stretched before us, with a large lake to one side.
[Honey~!]
A volleyball bounced into view out of thin air.
[Hello, Honey! Brother Honey! Little Waterdrop! Catty!]
“Little Waterdrop” made Yerim sound like the heir to the rmaid Queen. She did inherit so power, after all.
[I’ve remodeled this space for you, Honey. You can stay longer now, and ti here flows faster than outside!]
Faster ti—perfect for training.
[Of course, I can only provide the space. Elder Chaos is still an exception as I said before!]
No problem, the volleyball bounced reassuringly.
“Thanks for thinking of us.”
[You’re welco!]
I petted the spinning volleyball and it popped high into the air—sort of cute.
“The third one’s here too, then.”
A familiar yet strange voice, and Young Chaos appeared—in an adult’s sleek, tall form. Nearly as tall as Seong Hyunjae, facially more mature than Yuhyun, long hair tied in a single braid swayed.
“Why the adult form today?”
“I had so business.”
Chaos reverted to a boy—hair shortening instantly. His adult shape was his default, then.
“You’re a lee-type hunter, right? Doesn’t long hair get annoying?”
lee hunters rarely grew long hair—uncontrolled hair could be a liability. Even support classes favored short hair to avoid being grabbed by monsters.
“That’s just rookies. Above a certain level, hair or flowing robes don’t matter. You can even use them in combat.”
Calling us rookies...
“My brother’s hair never got in the way. It’s just that in my neighborhood, guys keep it short. Right, Yuhyun?”
“You said you prefer it short.”
“W-well, I ant whatever suits you.”
I wasn’t in my right mind then...
“I like long hair too. It suits you, Elder.”
While I stamred, Yerim raised her hand.
“What about ? I’m mostly ranged.”
[I know magic types well!]
The volleyball interjected, spinning.
[I recomnd tentacles or fins as well as hair!]
Tentacles? Fins? Why tentacles?
“Chaos, do you like tentacles?”
[I have fins too. They hold mana well. Hair or fins can store mana externally, doubling usage. You can finely tune magic that way—though it’s too early for Little Waterdrop.]
“Long hair’s a hassle, though.”
Yerim frowned.
“Tentacles are out, fins... aren’t they uncomfortable to clothe? Wings, maybe?”
[Wings are fine too.]
“Like Noah-oppa’s, appearing and disappearing at will?”
[Of course. You need that control to be practical.]
“Then I’ll go with wings! How do I get them?”
[Little Waterdrop must create them herself, with mana.]
Yerim pressed her lips together, looking bewildered.
[Even if it’s long, she could do it within a hundred years.]
A hundred years is a lifeti.
“Then let’s check your body condition first.”
Young Chaos held a long wooden staff.
“Tapping is best.”
“...Pardon?”
Master, no! I was startled, but Yuhyun and Yerim looked unfazed.
“That ans hitting, right? Gently! I object to violence! Schools ban corporal punishnt now!”
“Why is it banned?”
“For human rights—”
“Then take it too.”
...What? Before I could protest, Yuhyun and Yerim blocked . Peace, sensing the tension, grew into Apex form.
“No, not Hyung.”
“Mister’s fragile enough. His leg surgery was recent.”
Those kids... helpful but look after yourselves too. Young Chaos looked at them and said calmly,
“It’s good for your health.”
“...Pardon?”
“For circulation and a bit of mana flow, since I can strike the right amount.”
Like a massage? At that, Yuhyun and Yerim exchanged glances.
“Hyung... it’s good for you, he says.”
“Mister, would you endure it a little?”
They’d fallen for it already. Even I felt tempted.
“I’m fine, really. But please be gentle. I’m already healthy.”
“If you want gentle, don’t start.”
“That’s cruel! Who would– huh!”
Fwoosh! The staff sliced the air, narrowly grazing my arm. Peace bared his fangs.
—“Grrr.”
Young Chaos’s eyes slid to Peace.
“Alright, you too.”
Master! That’s animal abuse! Before I could shout for Peace to flee, the onslaught began.
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