episode_0018

“I did wash quite thoroughly, though.”

“…Didn’t she knead and rub you every day?”

“Oh!”

That’s right. She kneaded, stroked, and did just about everything to my cheeks whenever I brought her a drawing.

To think that sticky touch, like a sucker, was actually a real sucker…

Time for a wash!

“She marked you so thoroughly; it wasn’t for nothing that I touched you.”

She added that even though Geomgeom followed her, Talasha’s trace was so strong that she thought Geomgeom was her subordinate.

No wonder—it wasn’t like she was just copying me in her right mind.

…It couldn’t be, could it?

“Heh heh.”

“But what exactly does ‘marking’ mean?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much—just a feeling of embedding one’s existence into you, assimilating you into a single being.”

She said it was nothing, but it’s totally something!

I didn’t bother to say it out loud; she’d read my thoughts anyway.

“There’s a spring nearby that can wash away the marking. Would you like to go there?”

I pondered for a moment.

Just for a brief moment.

“Yes, let’s go!”

If Talasha, who is presumed to be an Outer God herself, is concerned about how strong the marking is, then it’s better to remove it.

I’ll see it again someday.

“Heh heh, then shall we go right after the hunt?”

I nodded, then paused.

After playing around, touching Geomgeom’s soft cheeks, isn’t Han Yuseong getting too lax?

Leruye was so decisively rejected, but what makes him trust Talasha?

Suddenly, it was a battle of Han Yuseong versus Yuseong Han, but I decided to trust Talasha.

If she heard this decision, she would suck at my lips with her suckers and pinch me, but I had a different reason to trust her.

They often say children are a reflection of their parents.

“Eek, hee hee, bwaah!”

I watched the children running around the black swamp, tearing apart monsters with bright smiles on their faces.

The children play so innocently, and just looking at Geomgeom, how diligent and cute she is!

They clearly grew up seeing only good things.

In that sense, Talasha could be trusted.

Leruye would be upset if she heard this, but I have to speak my mind.

You should have just raised one cute daughter properly.

“Alright, everyone! Time to come back~”

Just as I was about to apologize to her, Talasha, with a bright voice, gathered the children who were playing.

“Ugh!”

The children, drenched in blood and black mud, returned to us and shook their entire bodies.

But the blood and mud, clinging like sticky gum, showed no sign of coming off.

“Alright, everyone, follow your mother.”

The children trailed closely behind Talasha, who held her hands high and gently waved them.

Of course, I was included among them.

“Ooh…”

“Wow!”

“Heh heh.”

The place they arrived at was none other than a mysterious spring.

It was a spring that shimmered with rainbow light and seemed to have a muddy texture, but after putting a hand in and stirring it, and then pulling it out, the water that flowed was transparent.

—Sploosh!

The children sploshing into the spring.

After Geomgeom, the last to dive in, the calm spring maintained its original appearance.

Did they sink? It must be a diving game, right?

“They’re not dead, are they?”

“Don’t people usually avoid saying such ominous things in front of a mother?”

No, they’re not surfacing at all!

—Shhhwwwooosh!

Just as worry started to set in, the spring parted, and something began to float up.

Little black things, like clumps of black dust, floated gently on the surface of the spring.

The little black things, flapping their short, stick-like legs and beaming with lazy smiles, were all nine of them.

In other words, that was the children’s true form.

“They’re cute.”

“Heh heh, indeed.”

As I watched the children swimming, flapping their stick-like legs, I felt myself getting closer to the children.

No, it wasn’t just a feeling, it was real!

I shouted at Talasha, who was slowly pushing me from behind.

“Hey, do I just go in? What about preparing myself? What about my resolve for the future? A final word to my beloved family?”

“What are you talking about? Do you need such great resolve?”

“I was just kidding.”

Talasha said that since the marking was all over my clothes, simply stepping in would take care of it.

Indeed, ever since I had been ‘given’ to her, there was nothing from my head to my toes that she hadn’t touched.

—Plop!

Inside the spring, it felt like sticky chocolate, yet when I moved my limbs, it was like an ordinary cold bath.

How could two textures coexist? Amazed, I fully submerged my head and stayed for a long time before slowly coming up.

“Phew!”

“Mister, Mister!”

Just as I was grabbing the rocks surrounding the spring and flailing my feet that couldn’t reach the bottom, the children approached.

The children, like black cotton balls, clung to me, then playfully nibbled and tickled my body with their stick-like legs, making me laugh uncontrollably.

“Hee hee hee.”

“Bleh.”

The children, starting with Geomgeom, put on a grand display of affection.

As I stroked and hugged each of the clinging children, Talasha, who was squatting beside me, subtly whispered.

“Shall I enjoy it with you too?”

“The water temperature is perfect, hurry up…”

—Rustle, thud.

The spiderweb dress falling to the floor.

I was momentarily flustered by the unexpected strip show, then her long legs, revealing her pure white thighs, slowly entered the spring, and a nude Talasha quietly took a seat beside me.

…A bit suggestive, isn’t it?

“Buzzz!”

Thus began the uncomfortable mixed bathing.

Talasha, now unveiled, covered her mouth with both hands.

The children, who had been clinging only to me, had long since moved to Talasha, who was right beside me.

Two children floating in front of Talasha.

Seeing them floating atop a white island, I was more amazed than horrified.

Bigger is better, yes.

While quietly enjoying the bath, I noticed Talasha, who kept her hands over her mouth even as she watched the children rub their cheeks against my face.

“Aren’t you uncomfortable?”

“This is more comfortable than revealing an unsightly appearance.”

—Poke, poke.

“Huh?”

“Uh-huh!”

Someone poked my side. I glanced over to see Geomgeom, who had somehow returned to her child form, was the culprit.

Geomgeom, wearing a black coat, pointed at Talasha with a proud, chin-raised expression.

Alright, I get it. I’ll do it.

“You were beautiful, weren’t you?”

“What?”

“Just now, when I wiped your mouth, I caught a glimpse.”

“…”

She’s already been caught. Talasha slowly took her hands off her flushed face and embraced the children scurrying around.

Her slightly parted plump lips, and the sticky spiderweb slowly dripping down from her lips to her chin.

The finishing touch was the sharp teeth peeking through her slightly parted lips.

They were what people commonly called shark teeth.

It was my first time seeing them in person, but it didn’t feel awkward at all.

I felt like I finally understood why they were so popular.

And I also understood why she was called a ‘churro maker’.

“…Whatever that means, it sounds a little… inappropriate?!”

“It’s a compliment, really.”

“…I’m embarrassed…”

“I don’t mind.”

“I am affected.”

Talasha, argument demolished!

We spent a leisurely time like that and slowly emerged from the spring.

I didn’t forget to let Talasha out of the spring first, of course, both for ‘ladies first’ and to prevent accidents.

Leaning on the firm dirt ground, I emerged from the spring, my body heavy with the soaked water, and I couldn’t help but make a tearful face.

I thought the children would be the same, but then I saw them shaking their entire bodies like dogs shaking off water, becoming completely dry.

Me too, me too!

Envious of the children, I got on all fours and shook my entire body.

Talasha’s face, glimpsed momentarily, looked sad, but it must have been my imagination, right?

“Wow, I’m all dry now.”

“Mister, let me ride!”

I judged the children who wanted to ride on me with the wisdom of Solomon.

“Two of you can step on my shoulders and climb up, and Geomgeom can sit on my head.”

“Yay!”

A happy ending for everyone.

With that, I turned to return with everyone.

But then, the world slowly crumbled.

The moon distorted and the ground sank.

To avoid falling, I grabbed onto the ground that had become a cliff, but the land itself melted away, and my body descended into the depths of the abyss.

I still have so much I want to do!

“Ah, Yuseong. It’s already time to return.”

“Already?”

It feels like more than three days have passed.

As I descended with the crumbling rubble, I looked at the children and Talasha.

…It’s subtly falling slowly, as if giving us time to say goodbye.

I almost embarrassed myself by putting on a melodramatic scene for no reason.

“It was truly fun.”

“Me too.”

“…I want to meet you again, would that be alright?”

“Of course. I truly miss the children too, you know?”

“How cheeky.”

“I’m going too.”

Hop.

Geomgeom, who was standing among the eight children waving their hands at me, jumped down and into my arms.

Yes, we’ll go back together.

I waved goodbye to the children and Talasha, who were each showing their distinct personalities as they bid farewell.

“…You allowed it.”

With Talasha’s strangely clingy words, my vision completely faded.

—Pop!

“Gasp.”

It feels like I stepped on a landmine.

I should tell Geomgeom to try and fix this.

As I thought that, I tried to close my wide eyes again, but something felt wrong.

Normally, I should be seeing a luxurious ceiling with a chandelier…

But now, I only see something like a metal plate with dents here and there.

When I subtly shifted my gaze—

“…Good morning?”

Miss Chris, holding her heavy, cherished hammer, thrust it right in front of my nose, and with one hand raised, wiggled her finger.

Thanks to that, with a whoosh, the slightly tilted hammer fiercely approached, ready to flatten me into a pancake.

“Miss…”

I left my last words like the one-eyed man vanishing into dust.

Of course, thanks to Miss Chris, who withdrew her hammer, I didn’t die.