episode_0245

“Uuuuu… !”

Her wide-open eyes were rather cute. The facial features, even the small habit of raising her arms. How could she look exactly like Yeon-i when she was young? Looking at these things, I can really say that she is my daughter.

But there was also a clear difference. At that time, Yeon-i was nervous and sensitive about everything because she had a limited lifespan. Even Yeon-i’s dedicated servant, who did not like me, sometimes couldn’t handle her outbursts and would ask me for help.

Compared to back then, Soo-ah’s tantrums now are just cute flirting.

really.

“Sniff, sniff… ”

Then, Su-ah shook her nose here and there on her own. After concentrating on sniffing for a while, Su-ah stopped and muttered in a questionable tone.

“Different female scents are shared… ”

… Is it because I’ve been sparring with Jin Ye-seo all this time that I’ve started to smell? It definitely seems like Su-ah and Jin Ye-seo need to become closer.

If I had said something like that in front of other people… I don’t even want to think about what would have happened.

“This guy. He calls a person a female.”

“Whew.”

But there’s no need to scold her right away. Su-ah just lacks common sense.

I lightly grabbed Suah’s cheek and stretched it, and a squeaking sound like a doll could be heard. I held Suah in my arms and headed to the bathroom. It was also the perfect time.

Su-ah asked curiously.

“Dad, where are you going?”

“Going to take a bath.”

“Huh.”

Then, Su-ah’s body suddenly froze. The fear that was welling up in her bright eyes was obvious. Su-ah immediately tried to escape from my arms, wriggling her arms and legs.

“Soo, Sooah, take a bath… ”

Who would say she’s a cat? But this time, I don’t plan on granting Su-ah’s wish.

Bathing is one of the essential elements for a human being to live like a human being. So, as a parent, it is clearly dereliction of duty to let your daughter do it.

As soon as I stepped into the bathroom, Su-ah burst into laughter, popping bubbles as if nothing had happened. Afterwards, we sat across from each other at the table and had a light dinner.

“Chew it well… Yum.”

I stared blankly at Su-ah, who was sitting across from me. It was a strange feeling to see a creature with eyes exactly like mine clanking dishes.

For a moment, it felt like the world was filled with only peace and hope. I couldn’t help but wish for this small moment of happiness to last forever.

*

“Dad… I’m sleepy… ”

Su-ah, who was nodding off while sitting on a chair, rubbed her eyes and walked over to me and hugged my legs. I picked Su-ah up and headed to the bedroom. I was about to put her down on the bed and cover her with a blanket when Su-ah suddenly opened her eyes as if she remembered something she had forgotten and shouted.

“Kiss!”

“… What?”

“I forgot!!”

Su-ah, who had gotten up, stretched out her arms and jumped up and down. I had no choice but to hug her again because of her desperate attitude. Well, it’s not unusual for a child to want the warmth of their parents…

licking

“… Su-ah?”

Suah’s kiss is very unique. She sticks her tongue out halfway and licks my lips. And the animal that comes to mind is… of course, a cat.

The kiss I know is a light kiss on the cheek or mouth. Should I teach Su-ah how to do it too?

“… Su-ah?”

I was just getting lost in such light thoughts. Suddenly, Su-ah stopped moving. Before I knew it, a visualized silence had engulfed the bedroom.

“… ”

Su-ah, frozen, was staring blankly at me. She looked like she had been shocked by something.

A faint moisture was gradually rising in the fountain of tears around her eyes. Soon, Su-ah’s face distorted and tears began to flow freely.

“Huh… Huh… ”

A sad cry broke the silence of the night. No matter how much I tried to comfort her, the sadness that I couldn’t figure out was getting deeper. And I was barely able to go to bed after I laid down Su-ah, who had fallen asleep from crying.

And that night I had a dream.

***

I was running somewhere I didn’t know. The blurry scenery soon expanded and filled my field of vision.

Dead grass and trees. Beneath them, the ground is cracked and black, emitting toxic fumes.

A pungent smell filled my nose along with my five senses that were vividly expanded. Even though my breath was ragged and my limbs were screaming, I did not stop running tensely.

I turned around and looked at the group. What I saw were familiar faces. Three older sisters. The elite of the 66th Regiment and my precious benefactors.

All of them have large and small scratches all over their bodies. Their protective suits and blades, which had not been serviced for several days, were already tattered. They were already beyond repair.

Why am I running through such an unfamiliar place with my sisters?

It didn’t take long for the mystery to be solved. Suddenly, a sticky liquid of unknown origin that had pooled on the floor flashed past, reflecting my face like a mirror.

Sharp, slitted eyes that are always drenched in fatigue.

That person who seemed to find joy in life in grumbling, beating me to death, and using sparring as an excuse.

I was… the captain.

-Jin, Sehwa, Chaewon! Are you okay?

Soon, a familiar voice came out of my mouth. The older sisters exchanged glances with each other for a moment and nodded.

-Still not moving! More importantly… Captain! In front!

-Queeeek!!

At the signal from the astonished Sehwa, I immediately turned my head and looked ahead. With an ear-piercing cry, a grotesquely twisted demonic beast burst out. It had thousands of tentacles writhing all over its body, and it opened its mouth and rushed toward us.

I pulled out the blade that already had several teeth missing. I cut off dozens of tentacles that were piercing like needles and jumped onto the demon’s back. As I stabbed the area where the spine would be and scratched downwards, I heard a cry of pain.

Within moments, the massive body collapsed, sending ripples through the surrounding air.

-The mutation levels of the demons are increasing. It is certain that they are approaching the center of erosion.

I nodded to Sehwa’s analysis, but didn’t slow down. As the past memories surged in like waves, I had become one with the owner of my body.

The reason we set foot on this land is because we have finally caught the tail of the ghost that has been chasing us for 15 years. However, it did not take long for us to realize our mistake.

In this game, the hunters are not us, but them. This was all a trap to trap me, and before I knew it, we were caught in the middle of the enemy’s net.

The exit has already been blocked for a long time. Then there is only one way. Instead, it is to pierce the hunter’s heart.

The forced march continued for several days. Plants twisted in strange ways, spewing poisonous spores in all directions, powerful demons chasing us in unison as if possessed.

Every single element surrounding us reacted hostilely to us. Thanks to this, we were right in front of the enemy’s heart, but the condition of the members was already at rock bottom.

There were other problems as well.

-Jin! Come to your senses!

-Huh, huh?

The pupils of the members blurred and cleared repeatedly. Some members shook their heads as if trying to shake something off.

In the middle of hell, we were going crazy. We were each facing our own nightmare. I knew it was a classic witches’ trick to cloud the rationality of the intelligent beings, but there was nothing I could do about it.

-Friend… you said…

And I too am haunted by a ghost. A very old ghost from a fallen world.

-T, so after that… T, t, but why… me…

-It’s noisy.

It started whispering again, blood pouring out of its gaping eye sockets. Since it was talking more today, I stuck the blade into its mouth. Of course, there was no impact.

-Hee, hee, hee…!

The shape that dispersed like fog left a horrible laugh that seemed to scratch the brain. Soon, the voice of the ghost foretells destruction.

-In hell… I’ll wait… See you soon… friend…

*

In the ruins of an old civilization with a view of the sea to the east, we were finally able to face the true nature of the hunter.

Five women surrounded us from all sides. Behind us, the shadows of giant demons passed by.

-He is truly a rival.

And then the woman in the middle who had been looking down on us arrogantly the whole time opened her mouth.

-I never thought I’d break through that siege with less than half the strength I had at my prime.

I could tell intuitively that that was the one who had lured us into this trap and brought us here.

And the task is clear. Kill all the witches in this place. Including that one who is arrogantly mumbling something.

A long battle soon begins. The members who have been working together for over a decade are united as one to withstand the enemy’s attacks.

I finally crushed the head of the first witch. A day later, the second witch followed. After two more days, I finally crushed the throats of the third and fourth witches.

-Amazing, truly amazing.

And there’s only one witch left.

-You are worthy of unification! All of you!

Ignoring the mockery that sounded like praise, he charged forward and aimed for the woman’s forehead. Crunch! Giant demons jumped out from all directions and surrounded the witch. The new members who were blocking the demons that covered the area in pitch black like a swarm of ants broke away. They had almost no energy left because they had already used up all their remaining strength.

Before I knew it, I had arrived alone in front of the witch. Behind me was a mountain of mutilated and cut corpses.

Even an omnipotent god cannot stop the attacks of this street. Let alone those bugs. If you just stick a blade between their eyebrows, they will soon crawl on the ground and howl like animals.

But the witch stood motionless with a sinister smile. Soon, her skin began to ripple and change shape. Soon, the face of a woman, like a pure white saint, looked at me and smiled faintly.

-oil well…

It was just a momentary hesitation caused by the attraction imprinted on my soul. I knew better than anyone that it was not real.

But it was too much hesitation to create even a moment’s gap.

-I told you.

And the woman with a faint smile moved her lips.

-That guy… won’t be able to move.

-Phew!

And with a terrible pain piercing through my heart, I finally woke up from my dream.

*

“Oh my… !”

Cold sweat flowed down like rain. The tips of my raised fingers trembled uncontrollably. My mind was still in the middle of the battlefield, but my body was already feeling the comfort of the bed.

I suddenly looked out the window. The window rattled eerily today, perhaps because of the strong wind. The wind was blowing from the northeast.

“Short…Long?”