Chapter: 780
Knock knock.
Knock knock.
It’s a night when the sound of bugs chirping is especially clear.
It seemed like it was daytime just a moment ago, but the moon was already up.
Meanwhile, I was climbing the mountain path under the moonlight.
The faint scent of grass and the autumn breeze blowing shouldn’t make you feel too bad.
“Hah…”
My expression as I walked wasn’t very good.
How could it be good?
‘I’m so tired I could die.’
I feel like I’ve been in a typhoon all day.
I didn’t do anything special, but I was so tired I thought I was going crazy because of the situation.
I had a mountain of things to do today, but the only things I managed were attending the funeral and eating the white horse stone.
Other than that, I couldn’t do anything else I had planned.
No time? No.
There was only one reason.
As I walked up a little, the plains I had mapped out in advance came into view.
It’s a place that’s quite far from Hanam, particularly sparsely populated due to the high and rugged mountains.
After glancing around briefly, I swung my hand and threw what I was holding.
“Ugh!”
Something fell to the ground with a short scream.
Woof—!
“Huh?”
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the scene that unfolded next.
The thing that was spinning around and falling to the ground surprisingly stopped before hitting, floating in mid-air.
The identity of the little rascal was the one who has been giving me a headache since daylight.
This was Ddoldol, who looks like me when I was young.
After finishing my chat with Mrs. Mi, I immediately went back to Ddoldol and took him up the mountain.
When I snatched the little guy away, I felt an inexplicable sense of regret, but it wasn’t the time to worry about that.
There were so many things I had to figure out.
“Can you fly?”
Even though it takes human form, does that mean it can fly now just like it originally could?
As I was looking at it curiously, I heard a response from Ddoldol.
“Chirp…”
‘Chirp?‘
“Oh, I was so surprised—!!”
“Hmm?”
I widened my eyes at the sight of him screaming.
What’s this?
“Why are you just throwing things around…! What if you get hurt?!”
“What are you, anyway?”
What the heck is this kid?
“You speak quite well, don’t you?”
Just a moment ago, he seemed like some innocent child who didn’t know anything.
Now that I look at him, he looks completely different.
His pronunciation is clear, and there’s a spark in his eyes.
Now this means—
“Were you acting?”
“Hmph.”
Oh, he’s a crafty one who pretended to be innocent on purpose.
When I asked about this ridiculous situation, Ddoldol snorted in response.
“It wasn’t acting. I was just sitting still.”
Ddoldol frowned as if something displeased him.
Maybe it’s because he resembles my younger self, but I felt an urge to knock him one.
For now, I held back.
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why were you just sitting still?”
So, what’s the reason behind him innocently staying still?
When I asked that, Ddoldol answered with a curt expression.
“Everyone likes that?”
“What?”
“People like innocent little babies. Since babies pose less danger, they’re harmless, right? Of course, I take after my father, so I don’t think I’m that harmless.”
“Hah…”
There were few responses to such a long spiel.
I could only give him a look of disbelief and a disgusted expression.
Those were not the words a young child of about six or seven should be saying.
What a smart aleck he is…
Especially saying all that while looking like me makes him appear even craftier.
Thud… thud…
The fellow who had been floating gently descended to the ground.
Simultaneously, his red outfit fluttered a bit.
I had been wondering why that outfit felt so familiar.
“Are those, by any chance, my clothes?”
“Yeah.”
“This is driving me crazy.”
Being a red outfit, it obviously belongs to the Gu Clan.
Since they said he was found naked, it means someone must have brought these clothes for him.
Among those, I thought it looked familiar, but surprisingly, it turned out to be the clothes I wore when I was young.
But—
“… Where on earth did you get that?”
That is the question: how did you end up wearing the clothes I had at that age?
It was something I should have tossed away a long time ago, so seeing Ddoldol wearing it seemed bizarre.
“Someone gave me the clothes.”
“This? The white mom.”
“Huh… what?”
I frowned at that.
“What?”
“White Mom gave it to me.”
“What kind of crazy word is that?”
“Huh? White Mom is White Mom.”
“No, who is this white mom…?”
Instead of responding immediately, I pondered for a moment.
White mom.
White color.
White…?
No way.
“… Are you talking about Namgung Bi-ah?”
“Yes.”
“But why do you use those words?”
What’s with “white” and “mom”?
Setting aside why he has my childhood clothes, I was left speechless at that absurd term.
I think “white” refers to white hair.
The other part doesn’t make sense.
“Why is she a mom?”
“Huh?”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
Why are you trying to disguise a perfectly normal woman as a mom?
Even.
“I’m not your father either. So why do you call me dad?”
“Dad is dad.”
Ddoldol quipped with a smirk.
You know what’s really irritating?
‘That guy made a hurt expression when I told him he wasn’t my dad just moments ago.’
And now he’s sporting a look that seems almost mocking.
That little rascal…?
Yeah, I get it.
Fine, we’ll go with the idea that he’s my kid since he was born after siphoning off my energy. I’m furious about it, but I can deal with that.
But—
“Why is she a mom?”
Where did the term “white mom” even come from?
I asked him with an inquisitive tone, and Ddoldol shook his head.
“She’s not really a mom.”
“Right, she’s not your mom!”
“But she likes being called that.”
“What’s the deal with that?”
“If you call her and she likes it, then it’s a good thing, right? I liked the yellow mom and the green mom too. I think the black mom especially likes it.”
“…”
What is this, a color game now?
I can vaguely tell who’s who by the colors.
And the fact that calling them makes them happy implies that—
“You mean you did it on purpose?”
“Good things are just good…”
Thud—!
“Ugh!!”
I swung my fist towards his tiny head.
When I smacked him like that, Ddoldol clutched his head.
“It hurts! Ugh…!! Why did you hit me?”
“Because you deserve it! Who on earth makes kids into mothers? Do you want to die?”
“There’s nothing to hit! This is just violence!”
“Oh really?”
I thought he only had good pronunciation down, but it seems he’s also quite articulate.
And that makes him even more detestable.
“I’m your father, right?”
“And so?”
“Then hitting you is more education than violence. That’s right, it’s education. Just think of it as some home schooling.”
“That’s complete nonsense.”
Ddoldol quickly distanced himself, looking angry as he spoke.
“Dad didn’t get that kind of education either!”
“How do you know that?”
“I know! I know everything!”
Ddoldol shouted with confidence.
“…”
Well, I didn’t have a comeback to that.
He’s got a point there.
‘Indeed. I didn’t get that kind of education.’
Even if my father terrified the life out of me, I don’t recall any severe beatings.
In fact, it was more neglectful than anything.
So I grew up without ever receiving that kind of education.
“So you know better.”
He grinned and started walking.
With a little force, the distance between us closed, and his little nose was right in front of me.
“Yikes!”
The rascal jumped back in fright, but my hand was already reaching out.
I know because I grew up without it.
“Children who don’t listen need a bit of a beating as they grow up.”
Maybe that’s why I turned out this way.
Thinking back on it, just before I touched him—
“No!”
Whoosh whoosh—!
“Hmm?”
A flare of flames erupted from the loud-mouthed brat.
It was a familiar blue fire. A flame resembling my own energy.
Ddoldol was covered in flames, as if he were wearing a fireball. I watched with curiosity about what he would do next as the flames gradually increased in size.
Krrrrrrrrrr—!!
Before long, a great body revealed itself along with a rough roar.
“Oh.”
This was the appearance of Ddoldol that I recognized.
The form of a monster with a colossal size.
The little rascal had reverted back to his previous form.
‘I guess he can go back to how he was.’
Thank goodness.
‘I was worried he wouldn’t transform back.’
If he couldn’t use that form, I would have had a headache figuring out how to utilize him in the future.
Fortunately, it seems that his human form isn’t fixed.
The only difference is that he’s much smaller than when he was fully grown.
‘That doesn’t matter, since you can shrink or grow at will.’
What matters is density, not appearance.
If something changes in me and causes a change in Ddoldol, then that’s probably why he took human form.
Now, what about his monster form?
‘There’s definitely been a change.’
There’s not much difference in appearance, but the presence is what stands out.
It feels leagues beyond some red monster or other.
‘It’s not quite to the hundredth level… but probably a notch below that.’
It’s right below a white-level monster.
To be precise, it’s probably a bit weaker than the one I had previously weakened with a’ holy spear.’
That alone signifies considerable strength.
Growl—…!
Ddoldol bared his teeth and let out a roar.
As I gazed at him, I kept my silence.
He doesn’t take to the air and flee.
It seems he knows he’ll be caught soon.
After merely observing, I let out a sigh.
“Hey.”
Growl.
“Can you return to being human in that form?”
Growl…
That seems to indicate it’s possible.
“Then come back.”
…
It was clear there was some hesitation.
Seeing that, I clicked my tongue.
“You won’t get hit for growing bigger, right? Just come back. I won’t touch you.”
Growl?
“Seriously. I promise I won’t hit you.”
Originally, I had no intent to capture him and beat him up.
Even that flick I gave him was an impulsive act of anger.
I wanted to throw away any educational excuses and smash him a bit, but—
‘After all, this is the younger version of me.’
When it comes down to actually hitting him, I hesitated a bit…
The bigger issue is that I can’t control my strength right now.
‘That’s why I hit him earlier.’
The force that should have been lighter than expected ended up quite strong.
This could’ve gotten serious; hitting him should have just been a playful tap but risked blowing his head off.
Thank goodness Ddoldol has a higher durability than I imagined. If not, that could’ve turned dire.
“… So, just come back. And if you don’t, I’ll catch you and then beat you, for real?”
Growl…
The hesitant Ddoldol finally starts to move at my words.
Whoosh whoosh—!!
The same flames from before envelop his form, and as the flames die down, his small body landed back on the ground.
“… Are you really not going to hit me?”
“I won’t hit you.”
Letting out a sigh, I looked at him.
The more I stared, the more he looked just like me.
“Hey.”
“Yeah, Dad.”
“No… Not Dad… Actually, never mind. This is fine.”
What does the title even matter? Let’s just move on from that for now.
“What caused you to change into that form?”
I asked with curiosity why he ended up like this.
Then—
“Don’t you know, Dad?”
“I don’t know; that’s why I ask. If I knew, why would I be asking?”
“Then how could I possibly know? If I knew, I would have said so!”
“…”
What a face-palmingly silly response.
… Should I smack him regardless of strength control or his stubbornness?
‘Ugh!’
Not only do we share faces, but even our manner of speaking is similar.
Do all the folks that engage with me feel this urge?
‘I can see why they’d get annoyed.’
It seemed like everyone was getting mad when talking to him.
I’m starting to understand now. I need to hold back next time.
Anyway.
“That means you don’t know either.”
“I was just eating, and suddenly I was like this.”
“You were in my place?”
“When I got smaller, there was nowhere to hide… then I found a white mom.”
“…”
What kind of bad timing made him run into Namgung Bi-ah?
What on earth was she doing in my place?
I’ve got to ask her later.
That said, what matters now is…
‘This guy also doesn’t know the reason.’
If I have a change, then he will change too.
And, while this time there was a transformation, what could have led a monster to become human?
Also.
‘Just my luck, huh?’
The fact that he got caught was the biggest problem right now.
If he could only be a monster, it would have been easy to just tell him to lay low.
‘Besides, I already finished talking with Mrs. Mi.’
The little rascal’s whereabouts have already been set.
Now, thinking to say no feels awkward.
“Hmm.”
“Dad?”
No matter how much I racked my brain, I didn’t have an immediate answer.
Then what do I do?
‘What to do about what?’
There is only one clear answer.
“You go first.”
“Huh…? Uh, where?”
“Do you recall the lady who came earlier?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Go to that house and live there.”
“Huh?”
At my words, Ddoldol had a blank expression.
“I’m going to live there?”
“Yeah. You’ve got to live there. There’s a reason for it; even if it’s a bit uncomfortable, just hold tight.”
“Okay.”
“Huh?”
This time, I was startled by his nonchalant answer.
“… Are you really okay with that?”
“Yeah.”
Ddoldol showed no concern, whether sincere or not.
“Why are you okay with this?”
“Huh? Shouldn’t it be okay?”
“No…”
Is he just at ease because he’s born a monster?
From my standpoint, it feels a tad awkward.
“It’s okay. I think I’ll be able to settle in comfortably.”
“… Did I misjudge something?”
“Huh?”
You feel you could settle in well at Mrs. Mi’s residence?
I couldn’t wrap my head around Ddoldol’s calm proclamation.
Even walking together is burdensome to the point of driving me crazy, but he’s comfy just staying together?
‘Oh, but still, Mrs. Mi will probably be busy, so she won’t be at home much.’
We decided to stay together to keep watch over him. She probably won’t be there often.
Right, watching over.
If it were anything else, there wouldn’t be any reason to send him to stay.
Even though I suddenly had to make Ddoldol a pawn…
‘It will be easy to pull him out if necessary, so everything should be fine.’
You give your sacrifices, and you get the benefit.
That’s about all I can do now.
“Anyway… Since this is how it is, starting tomorrow, stay quiet there.”
Just like he appeared to be.
Live as if you don’t know a thing. When I said that with that intention, Ddoldol nodded.
“Got it.”
“And just in case I’m saying this: if you get caught secretly causing trouble, you’ll be getting some education.”
“Tch.”
“Tch?”
“Nah.”
There was a trace of disappointment in his voice. Almost as if he had been considering creating some trouble.
What on earth is up with this kid? Who does he take after to be so clueless?
I genuinely wanted to smack him just a little, but I held back stubbornly.
‘Not yet… Not yet.’
I tried my best to restrain myself. At least for now, I needed to hold back.
Even if I have to deal with it after this.
‘… First, let’s check.’
Whoosh.
First, I let Ddoldol hang around. I recall what brought me to this mountain.
A noticeable change, perhaps due to channeling energy.
It’s time to see how much it is.
Whoosh…!!
As soon as I released my sensing technique, all kinds of information came flooding in from all directions.
It felt more than double the usual area of sensing.
My insides almost turned queasy at having this much perception covering the entire nearby mountains.
“Hahh…”
I took a moment to collect myself and summoned my energy.
Even in a mountain devoid of many people, I should really try and keep this sealed off.
‘For now, let’s… start refining it slowly.’
I began to move my hands little by little.
The feeling is one thing, but the most important point is something else.
Whoosh.
A spark appeared above my hand.
Along with the increased sensation, there was also something else I felt.
‘The firepower has increased.’
Even though my body’s energy level hasn’t grown, the density of firepower is on the rise.
This was something that I instinctively knew. That I wouldn’t be able to control it at the moment.
If I unleashed my power to check it, I might end up unable to control it and wipe out everything around.
Thus, the reason I climbed this mountain for a check.
‘Then, just how much has it increased?’
It’s time to satisfy the curiosity I’ve held back all day.
‘If there’s a chance, perhaps I could even be three times as strong.’
That thought ignited expectations.
Even if it’s just three times, that’s already a staggering figure. It probably wouldn’t actually be that much.
With that conclusion, I powered up the flame.
The blue fire began to shine.
“At first, I’ll just lightly release it.”
I directed the flame optimally at the rock ahead.
The anticipation was for a thin stream of flame.
Ultimately, just enough to touch and scorch the rock.
I aimed for sustaining the energy rather than creating a massive explosion.
Woosh—!
The vibrations surged.
“Kaaaaaaah…!!”
To my shock, what burst from my hand was no small firework; it was as big as a house.
The blue flame exploded forth and enveloped the area in an instant.
The target rock got completely consumed by fire and melted away.
“…?”
My expression, too, melted away upon witnessing it.
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