Episode 76 – The Unstoppable (6)
“My dad is fine. At least, I can reason with him logically. But my mom… that’s another story. Sorry, but it might get a bit annoying.”
“You don’t have a good opinion of your parents.”
“Well, that’s…”
In the car driven by the manager, Park Tae-jun, who had been talking enthusiastically beside me, suddenly flinched and shut his mouth at my words.
I didn’t mean anything by it, but it seemed he misunderstood. Did he think talking about my lack of parents was some kind of humiliation?
“I just asked out of curiosity. It’s just studying together, why are you overreacting?”
“…Sometimes you’re too cool for your own good.”
When I snickered, he sighed. Yet, he didn’t try to act knowledgeable about it.
I’m not an idiot; I know my attitude isn’t conventional. But honestly, I just didn’t want to care.
This act was merely a brief escape from the grueling life I’d led for the past hundred years, to relive nostalgia for my hometown and refresh my spirits through a new life.
Regardless of what feelings Park Tae-jun harbored toward me or how his parents viewed me, I had no intention of playing along.
“Still, the closer we get to our destination, the more ominous I feel.”
At that moment, Ren overhead murmured in a tense voice.
I turned my head to look out the window past Park Tae-jun’s face. This wasn’t just a casual trip anymore. The rift in the space I had seen last time, the Dimension Gate, vividly resurfaced in my mind.
“Ahem. We’re almost there.”
Surprisingly, even though Park Tae-jun was not looking at his own face, his face turned red, and he diverted his eyes. This was the same brat who used to see me as a trophy, now suddenly coy.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Were there any special happenings in your home lately?”
There was still some time before we reached our destination. I attempted to gather more information with a blunt question.
“Um, suddenly?”
Flustered, Park Tae-jun scratched his head.
“I don’t think anything in particular happened. My dad and brother are always busy with work. Mom’s hard to see as usual. And when I do see her, all she asks about is my grades.”
“…Is that so?”
Even though he came from a wealthy and powerful family, he didn’t look particularly bright when talking about his family. It makes sense; everyone’s situation is different.
But what I wanted to know wasn’t about bleak family circumstances. If I slipped up, I might not be able to maintain even that bleak family dynamic.
“Tae-jun, maybe don’t go into too much detail about your parents…”
“Then, I’ll ask Manager Jang instead.”
So, I shifted the target of my question. Rather than the kid Park Tae-jun, I directed my query to the manager, Jang Woo-seok, with whom I could discuss deeper, more serious, and darker matters.
He glanced at us through the rearview mirror, surprise flickering in his eyes.
“Has nothing happened, really?”
“That’s an impolite question to ask freely. Try to be a bit more reserved in front of them.”
“If nothing’s wrong, that’s a relief.”
He lightly admonished me, but I noticed a shake in his eyes. He certainly seemed to know something.
Just as I debated whether to use my magical sight to pry deeper, he spoke.
“Recently, it seems the boss has been in a good mood. So, if he acts a bit differently than usual, don’t be startled, just adapt.”
“Oh, my dad?”
In the end, Manager Jang revealed one tidbit of information to Park Tae-jun. He looked completely shocked, as he had no idea his father had been acting a bit upbeat lately.
[I should probably ask about the monsters of Nebaros.]
In the meantime, I leaned back in my seat, maintaining my silence, and conveyed my intent to Ren through telepathy.
“The monsters are so varied that it’s hard to specify or define them. Their forms, races, abilities, and origins all differ.”
[But surely it can be summarized.]
“Umm… The monsters of Nebaros are cursed, fallen beings, as I understand.”
Ren unloaded the information he had. Indeed, since the last Dimension Gate opened, there had been a spike in monster appearances.
But these newly increased monsters were just lowly creatures. Their intelligence was low, and they couldn’t control their desires—just a bunch of weaklings.
What annoyed me were the ones still lurking, slowly expanding their territory somewhere in society.
“Monsters, despite their great diversity, ultimately fall under the single category of monstrosity due to their nature. They are consumed by a strong personal desire or craving, leading to their fall, and they are unrestrained. For them, the priority is not the order and laws of the world but merely the fulfillment of their own desires. They’ll go to any lengths to achieve it.”
[If those monsters start moving, neither Ariana nor Rene will have time to fight.]
Honestly, even if I wasn’t involved, this world is confusing enough on its own. Plus, I could guarantee that there were still some longing for greater chaos in this world. The fact that their origin was triggered by me wasn’t worth considering, so I dismissed it.
Those creatures sought chaos different from mine. In other words, they were my competitors and a potential threat to me. If they were to hinder me, there was no reason for me to stay idle.
“We’ve arrived.”
Just then, the vehicle came to a halt. In the affluent area of Seoul, a two-story house with a yard stood, which was Park Tae-jun’s family home.
[The stench is revolting.]
“Oh no. This place is already…”
Both Manager Jang and Park Tae-jun stepped inside the house casually, but I followed behind, looking up at the house with a furrowed brow.
Dungeon. That was the first thought I had upon seeing this house.
Because it had already turned into a den for them.
—
“Um, Mom.”
“Oh my! Who is this child?”
Entering his own house, Park Tae-jun looked visibly tense and stunned upon encountering her at the entrance.
His mother, Yoo Ji-young. The family member he kept the farthest distance from, the one he was most reluctant to face. Park Tae-jun knew she was indifferent to him, her second son. He had given up completely after realizing he couldn’t reclaim the interest of a mother who had long departed, whether he succeeded or faltered.
Thus, he was even more startled. How long had it been since she showed such a gentle and kind smile, he couldn’t gauge it. His last memory of her was already stuck in his childhood.
“Oh, didn’t you hear from Dad?”
“I did. But I want to hear it directly from you. Such a lively… no, such a pretty child.”
While Park Tae-jun fumbled, she swiftly walked over and patted Lee Jin-ah’s head. But in that instant, Jin-ah’s eyes twitched, unnoticed by anyone.
“She’s just a friend.”
“Is that so?”
Park Tae-jun felt his face burning in this utterly unexpected situation. Yoo Ji-young’s reaction was far too strange.
She didn’t yell or insult Jin-ah as he had expected, given her tendency for tyranny.
“Then why don’t you both go to your room? I’ll bring you something.”
“Y-you’re doing it yourself?”
Surprisingly, despite her disdain for doing chores, she didn’t bark orders at the maid and headed towards the kitchen herself.
Caught off guard by the bewildering situation, Manager Jang and Park Tae-jun sat there, staring blankly at the vacant spot she had just occupied.
“Manager.”
“Uh, yes?”
“Maybe we should go outside.”
In that moment, Lee Jin-ah’s eyes sparkled, and she quietly spoke up.
—
“Honestly, this feeling is kind of strange. I don’t remember the last time Mom looked at me like that.”
“…”
“It seems she’s really in a good mood. That’s a relief. I thought she’d say something awful to you.”
In his room on the second floor, after coming up and stretching out in a chair, Park Tae-jun sighed in relief as he looked at Lee Jin-ah, who was sitting on the bed.
Meanwhile, Jin-ah sat quietly with a complex expression, deep in thought.
“Are you happy? That your mother is brightening up and smiling at you again?”
“Of course. Is that even a question?”
But then, at her sudden response, Park Tae-jun frowned.
No matter how much he adored her, and no matter how much he’d been entranced by her, there were lines. There were things that his still-immature heart couldn’t let replace the affection he longed for from his parents.
The moment he reconfirmed that smile and affection, all the grievances of the past few years vanished. It testified to how much he had yearned for it.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing.”
Park Tae-jun shot back with a hint of irritation after looking into Jin-ah’s eyes. But she shortly diverted her gaze. He needed to pay attention to the look in her eyes—one she had never shown him before.
“Poor thing.”
Ren, who was hovering above Jin-ah, murmured in a voice inaudible to Park Tae-jun.
Compassion, or perhaps pity. That was what Jin-ah had momentarily displayed in her eyes toward Park Tae-jun.
Seeing him genuinely happy with the bait she was offering, and the grim future that lay ahead.
“Let me tell you one thing first.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t lose yourself. Whatever happens, endure and grow stronger. Only strong men can get what they desire.”
She earnestly advised him. It didn’t matter whether Park Tae-jun understood it or not. It was a display of the Demon King Takilas’s consideration for the relationships he was continuing to foster.
“Tae-jun? Are you in there?”
“D-Dad?!”
That was when someone knocked on the door.
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