Chapter 200
Chapter 200
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 200
Chapter Title: Are You a Genius?
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Two time extensions.
All day, even after pulling an all-nighter.
Having gone that far... even for a hunter like Lee Se-young, had she finally hit her physical limit?
I filled her insides to the brim, poured it all out once, then filled her up tight again, repeating the process.
-Gurgle.
"I'm hungry."
"...You're a real beast."
Lee Se-young, who'd kept up with me all the way to today, was a monster in her own right.
It was a moment that showed just how superior the physical abilities of this world's hunters were compared to civilians from my previous world.
"...What the hell are you planning? Are you insane? Just because I let you get away with it..."
Lee Se-young clenched her fists, her face flushed beet red as she yelled at me.
Her buzz had worn off midway, and she'd started screaming for me to pull out quick before she got pregnant.
She'd quieted down like a puppy after I gave her one more inside to shut her up.
I lay on the bed, holding Lee Se-young and chuckling.
"Ah... stop it, for real..."
Even as she said that, she didn't push me away, so she must've liked it deep down.
As I fiddled with her soft body under the covers, she let out a sigh and arched her chest to make it easier for me to touch.
"...What if you actually knock me up? What then?"
"Who knows. Maybe we'll just have one more person to take responsibility for. You and me."
"..."
She shivered at my words, her eyes going wide.
"...No way. You did it on purpose..."
On purpose.
"You... you crazy bastard!"
-Thwack!
A massive fist came crashing down on the top of my head.
"What kind of reason is that... I knew you were a crazy bastard, Lee Si-heon, but not this kind of crazy. Are you even crazy, or what! This is an accident, an accident!"
"Y-yeah, I get that I'm a crazy bastard. Ow. Stop hitting me."
"I don't care, you jerk! Ugh, seriously! I knew you'd just give me grief."
Why was I being treated like a middle-aged husband who came home late at night?
I'd gotten permission, fair and square. And midway through, she'd even strangled me if I didn't finish inside.
-...Don't pull out. Don't let go... Just stay stuck together.
-I'm about to cum soon.
-Whatever... You've already blasted it everywhere.
"Argh! Seriously."
Did she not remember?
She was probably playing dumb.
Women always blame the man for pregnancy scares, so it looked like I'd be following in those footsteps.
"You kept acting like you'd go again if I didn't, so what was I supposed to do?"
"Th-that doesn't mean you had to-"
"It means I was that serious."
"Argh, whatever, you jerk!"
-Thud!
I rolled right off the bed.
I lay there pathetically on the floor, not even covered by the blanket.
Was this the feeling of a couple sleeping in separate rooms?
I wasn't blameless, but did I deserve this much abuse? My body trembled pitifully.
As I spaced out, the lady of the house called down from the bed.
"Hurry up and get back up here, jerk!"
"What do you want me to do?"
"Talking back? You, Lee Si-heon?"
"Sorry."
I scrambled up and slipped back under the covers, and Lee Se-young reached out, pulling my face into her embrace.
-Smack.
A quick kiss on the lips.
She buried her head in my neck and hugged me tightly.
"Hey. Answer me."
"Yeah."
"...What were you gonna do if I got pregnant?"
"I did it aiming for that."
"...Ah, fuck. Whatever... Do what you want, seriously. But if you knock me up and leave me alone, I won't let you off."
Permission granted.
It wasn't confirmed with two lines yet, but maybe Lee Se-young had realized just how serious I was.
I brought my lips to hers, and she met them with a look like she couldn't help it.
-Smack.
-Gurgle.
A kiss, and at the same time, a rumble from my stomach.
Lee Se-young grinned ear to ear, poking my cheek like she was delighted.
"Heh heh heh. Let's go eat. How about some beef soup?"
"Sure."
Probably because we'd gone at it all day, I was starving.
I got up, and Lee Se-young started rummaging for her clothes too.
Now, the thing left to deal with... this acorn mountain.
Looking at the acorns scattered across the motel floor like a spilled sack of rice, I asked Lee Se-young,
"What do we do with the acorns?"
She slipped on her outer clothes and glanced at me, saying brightly like it was no big deal,
"Eat 'em."
Oh.
Quite the joke.
"Eat them."
"Yup."
I pouted and started gathering the acorns with magic.
When would I ever eat all these...
Acorn jelly. Jelly rice?
Might be good chilled and mixed into cold noodle broth like muk-sabal.
'Raising my wind magic affinity is nice and all.'
I was confident my wind magic was already at a level most geniuses could only dream of.
Of course, that was just affinity—the rest I'd have to learn to know.
With my potential so high, bumping one or two affinities barely registered.
"Why the long face? Smile."
"Haha."
Still, the mountain of acorns piled up had to be devoured, no change there.
I made her bear fruit... so I had to eat it up.
Her body was getting more sensitive with time, so twice more and I might really end up in acorn hell.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"...Felt good."
Acorn hell.
Might not be so bad.
I shoved an acorn in my mouth to shake off the thought.
A pleasant bitterness filled my mouth.
"...Fucking astringent."
"What'd you say?"
*****
After heading out, eating with Lee Se-young, and seeing her off, I returned home.
I told her about living with Azalea, and she threw a fit that I had to go see her once, but I barely talked her out of it.
'If those two meet now and start bickering, it'll drain me dry.'
Instinctive choice. We'd all live together eventually anyway. But for now, live in the present rather than the future.
Baekyang said to live in the now, not the future.
I rationalized it inwardly as I opened the door.
-Creak.
Inside, Azalea sat in the kitchen with a weary face, waiting for me.
"...Ah, you're back?"
The moment she saw me at the entrance, she shot up happily to greet me.
She came right up to my nose and straightened my clothes with her hand.
"No way you stayed up waiting?"
"Heh heh, no way. I slept."
She patted my shoulder, then quickly furrowed her brows.
Azalea pouted for a moment, then relaxed her expression like she understood.
"Smells like another woman."
"...You know it."
"Professor?"
"Yeah."
We both knew everything, no need to hide, so I said it straight.
Azalea yawned and handed me the clothes and towel she'd been holding.
"You eat? Want me to make something?"
"Nah, ate already... Gonna shower now... Where's Shiba?"
"Sleeping. She's been sleeping a lot lately. Must be 'cause she's a kid."
I knew Shiba was a heavy sleeper.
When Dad's around, she wakes and pours out all her energy; when he's not, she sleeps. Must be habit.
And sure enough, my hypothesis was spot on.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ‘World Tree of Purity’ throws the showerhead in surprise. -Piiiiing!
A wake-up trumpet blared from Shiba's room.
-Clatter!
Followed by the patter of chick footsteps.
Short legs made it a rapid thud-thud-thud.
Azalea laughed in disbelief, and Shiba, peeking her face out, charged at me.
"Daddy!"
With all her might, she jumped into Daddy's arms.
Her jump power sent her soaring her own height, landing perfectly in my embrace.
"Sleep well?"
"Why you come now?"
"Daddy had a lot to do."
Just meeting someone, but with Azalea here, no worries.
Even without her, there was babysitter Shin Hye-young.
"Wanna shower with Daddy after so long?"
"Pii? Yay!"
Anything with Daddy was great; Shiba beamed innocently.
No way she'd be like this even in high school, but... with Shiba, it was possible.
The kid who peeped sadly without me... Bathing with Daddy might stick.
"Tub's warmed... but it's been a bit, so it's probably lukewarm."
"...You even warmed the tub?"
"Hehe. Every two hours or so."
Water waste... Well, with magic, no issue.
If cold, just heat it with magic.
I grabbed clothes and towel for Shiba too, heading straight to the bathroom.
"Arms up."
"Pii!"
Shiba raised her hands high. Off come the leaf clothes like cabbage peels.
Kid clothes are easy if simple.
Fancy ones with ribbons are harder than adult wear.
"In we go."
I scooped Shiba up and turned on the shower.
Perfect temp on her head; she squealed from her daze.
"Piiya~! Peeheehee!"
Her hair brightened a bit, resonating.
Proof she was drinking the water.
Tree kid can't tell bathwater from drinking water.
"Don't drink, spit spit."
"Teh teh?"
"Drinking water's tastier stuff."
Wonder what'd happen if I fed her more Tree Pills like this.
Grow to adult in one go?
'Points been piling up a bit.'
Curious, I checked my status window. Not that many.
Made sense.
Wood Person affinity 1 = 10p. World Tree affinity 1 = 100p.
My meetings topped at 7-8 people. No wonder points weren't stacking.
Aim for later.
Didn't need lovers; could raise affinity anyway.
World Trees? Add a few, no biggie.
Ditch 'em if needed.
Washing Shiba's head, I rinsed my body in the warm water too.
"Byaaa~"
Shiba mouth open, gulping water; throat bobs.
Kid drinking again.
Shower water wasn't dirty, so fine.
They say eating dirt builds immunity; always pristine water might be bad.
Squirted shampoo, spread evenly on Shiba's head.
White foam gently. Shiba stared in mirror, eyes sparkling at her hair.
"Aba! Hair, hair."
"Yeah, what's with your hair?"
"White!"
"White, yeah. Don't eat this?"
Shampoo's poison to trees.
Shiba instinctively knew; hair didn't sparkle like with water.
-Splashhhh.
Rinsed Shiba roughly, into the tub.
Held underarms gently so sensitive skin didn't shock; slow dip.
Shiba shuddered entering warm water.
"Pii."
-Splash.
Floated her once; now she splashes alone.
Good on her own.
I stretched legs in wide tub, grabbed phone.
Amazing how magic engineering lets phones work underwater casually.
'Promised drinks with Cornus too.'
Azalea, Lee Se-young, Cornus. Next week, Star too.
-Me: When for drinks?
Sent, wait reply.
Soaked in warm water, watched Shiba splash, chuckled awhile.
Checked phone again; no expected reply.
No read mark either.
'Busy?'
Hope nothing wrong.
Waiting again. Phone buzzed.
-Bzzz!
Reply at last?
Lifted phone; not the one I wanted, but another message.
💬 Messages — Berry is Dancing lololololololol — Berry is Dancing I heard. — Berry is Dancing Se-young pregnancy attack. — Berry is Dancing ……Genius? — Berry is Dancing (Thumbs-up star emoticon) For some reason, it felt like praise.