Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: The Pied Piper (5)
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It was dangerous.
The magic power emanating from it felt off.
Hwa-ryeon faced the robot emerging from the darkness and shouted.
“What are you! You’re not even a Game Ranger! Why are you riding a robot?!”
Whirr—
The robot stepped forward with a massive engine roar.
It was humanoid, but covered head to toe in machinery.
Its eyes glowed with red LEDs as it spoke to Hwa-ryeon in a voice mixed with mechanical tones.
“I’m the one who should be asking questions, kid.”
“I’m not a kid!”
“Noisy ones are definitely kids. More importantly, kid, why aren’t you asleep?”
“Hmph, isn’t that obvious!”
Shrug—
Hwa-ryeon raised her shoulders and declared confidently.
“Because unlike those idiot minions, I’m super strong!”
Whoosh—whoosh—
Hwa-ryeon threw punches as if telling the robot to come at her.
In response, the robot spoke in its eerie mechanical voice.
“To think there’s a magic power awakener in that little kindergarten. Capturing you wouldn’t be half bad. And...”
Clank—!
The robot drew a red magic sword and said.
“I really hate clueless brats like you who don’t grasp the reality in front of them. If you’d just stayed down quietly, I would’ve let you go easy.”
Swoosh—!
With those words, the robot swung the magic sword.
The blade left a massive gash where Hwa-ryeon had been standing just a moment ago.
“Whew, that was close! I almost got in big trouble!”
Zap—
Hwa-ryeon, who had dodged by a hair’s breadth, glared at the robot.
The robot met her eyes with its identical red gaze.
“Copying my eyes and everything! You’re dead today!”
“Be a good little test subject for our organization, kid.”
Raaargh—!
Red Dragon Hwa-ryeon let out a roar.
At the same moment, the robot began moving properly.
“Take this! Raaargh—!”
Heat and flames filled the room as it eyed gaps in Hwa-ryeon’s defenses.
The robot muttered softly while watching her.
“I thought she was just a brat. Even with this hunk of junk I got as a gift, she’s no pushover.”
Robot.
The person inside reevaluated Hwa-ryeon.
Even using a robot powered by the pure magic extracted from over a hundred children, it wouldn’t be easy.
“With that insane magic power, if I drain it, I could get even stronger along with this robot.”
The human inside the robot licked his lips at Hwa-ryeon’s impressive abilities.
***
While we were rushing around searching for Hwa-ryeon.
A crisis hit us.
“Daddy...”
“Father...”
“Uh...”
Drip—
Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon wiped away the sweat pouring down their faces and asked me.
“Why is it so hot in here...?”
“It’s too hot, Father...”
Indeed.
Why was the hallway so hot?
It was winter, but abnormally warm.
I fanned the kids with my hand.
“It feels like it’s getting hotter the deeper we go... Can you all hold out?”
“If it gets any hotter, I don’t think I can...”
“Me too...”
The kids didn’t look good.
Especially Cho-ryeon, who was weak to heat.
“Mangmang...”
“Mangmung seems really hot too.”
Pant—pant—
Mangmung panted, trying to regulate its body heat.
How should I handle this?
As I pondered while walking, a good idea struck me.
“Su-ryeon!”
“What, Daddy...”
“Come here!”
Grab—
I picked Su-ryeon up.
Aimed her at the hallway and shouted.
“Su-ryeonmon! Blast water down the hallway!”
“...That’s annoying. But since it’s you, Daddy, I’ll do it.”
Tsk—
Though displeased, Su-ryeon clicked her tongue and promptly spat water.
“Blue Dragon Laser Beam.”
Splashhhh—!
Cold water sprayed endlessly down the hallway.
As it hit the scorching walls, the ambient temperature on our skin naturally dropped.
Drip—drip—
I wiped the water dripping from Su-ryeon’s mouth after she finished and said.
“Good job, Su-ryeon.”
“...Put me down already.”
Since Su-ryeon didn’t seem pleased.
I quickly set her down.
Then I took the lead and walked down the hallway.
“Now it’s bearable. You okay, Cho-ryeon and Mangmung?”
“Yeah! Mangmung and I are fine now. It’s cool!”
Cho-ryeon said that and clung to my side.
She seemed happy to stick close without the heat.
“I didn’t lower the temperature so you could do that.”
Zap—
When Su-ryeon shot her a sharp glare, Cho-ryeon quickly hid behind me.
‘These kids are fighting even in this situation.’
It felt routine now.
I sighed and strode forward.
Then, I sensed the white smoke thinning.
“The smoke seems to be clearing up ahead.”
“Yeah, you’re right, Daddy.”
As tension built from the shift in atmosphere.
“Mangmang!”
“Mangmung!”
Mangmung suddenly bolted forward down the hallway.
We hurriedly followed.
There, kindergarteners lay sprawled in the hallway.
“What? Why are all these kids gathered here?”
“They all seem unconscious, Father!”
Looking closely, they were all passed out.
Seeing them lying unnaturally in the hallway, Mangmung tugged at my sleeve.
“Mangmang!”
“What is it, Mangmung?”
“Mangmang!”
“You want me to follow you?”
“Mang!”
I followed Mangmung down the hallway as instructed.
That’s when I understood why it had barked at me so urgently.
“Mangmang!”
“Hwa-ryeon!”
Through a severed iron door sliced by something sharp, I saw Hwa-ryeon.
She was battling a fast-moving machine.
Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon pointed at the machine and shouted.
“That’s... a Game Ranger robot...?”
“It’s a Game Ranger robot, Father! It really exists! But why is it fighting Hwa-ryeon sis?”
It looked like a Game Ranger robot on the surface.
But it wasn’t a Game Ranger robot.
It was...
“Gundam.”
“What’s that, Daddy?”
“We young dragons don’t know about that stuff!”
“...”
I’m pretty young too.
Anyway.
Feeling a bit wronged, I watched Hwa-ryeon diligently dodging the Gundam’s attacks.
“Dodging’s not fair! You tin can!”
“Stop scurrying like a rat and die already!”
I couldn’t just stand by.
“That bastard dares touch my daughter?”
Clench—
I clenched my fist and charged at the Gundam lunging toward Hwa-ryeon.
Like a cousin poking at a Gundam on display during Chuseok, I smashed it down hard.
“You bastard! You dare touch my daughter!?”
“Daddy!”
“Break!”
Crunch—!
My fist landed squarely on its head.
At the same time, a grotesque mechanical groan came from the Gundam.
“Guh, guh...!!”
Crash—!
The Gundam flew back, head struck.
Was my punch that effective?
Cracks spread across its head, eventually splitting it in two.
“Ugh, ugh... Damn it... Who the hell are you...?”
Its hidden face emerged from behind the helmet.
He looked like a 60-year-old scientist with glasses and white hair.
He glared murderously at me and said.
“You damn punk... Smashing my head out of nowhere...? Who the hell are you...? A hero...?”
I answered firmly to the guy clutching his head.
“I’m Hwa-ryeon’s dad.”
“Dad...? So those two over there are your daughters too...?”
“And if they are?”
Pfft—
He burst into laughter, then eyed me greedily with regret.
“Your daughters have such fine magic power—they would’ve made great materials... What a shame...”
“...”
This guy’s done.
I pushed Hwa-ryeon behind me and muttered.
“Hwa-ryeon, go over there with Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon.”
“No way! I wanna fight too! He’s my prey!”
“No.”
Was I too firm?
Hwa-ryeon looked startled at my face.
I gently stroked her head and said.
“Adults handle adult matters. Go rest over there, Hwa-ryeon. Got it?”
“...Fine, for now!”
Nod—
Hwa-ryeon nodded slightly and scampered—scamper—over to Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon.
Now, without interruptions, I faced the man in the Gundam.
“Those kids outside too. This whole thing was your doing, right?”
“And if it was, what’re you gonna do...?”
“Beat you up first.”
And.
“Beat you up even more for messing with my daughter.”
“Is that so...”
Pfft—
The Gundam looked at me regretfully.
“I thought I could start over using those kids... What a shame...”
No need to hear more.
I clenched my fist and charged.
He frantically dodged using the machine’s magic power and attacked with his sword.
But it was all just brute force and speed.
Attacks I could handle.
‘The magic power in that machine must all be stolen from others.’
And he might’ve taken my daughter’s magic power too.
‘Senile old trash. Stealing kids’ power to get strong?’
Fuming, I swung at him.
To knock some sense into that head of his.
But even I knew.
A mind that decayed with age couldn’t change.
***
The dragon watched her fighting father and muttered.
“I wanted to fight too!”
“Why bother with the hassle, Hwa-ryeon sis? Just chill.”
“Yeah! He left me out! So unfair, Hwa-ryeon sis!”
“Mangmang—!”
Cho-ryeon and Mangmung vented their grievances at Hwa-ryeon.
She just waved it off.
“Well, it happens!”
“It doesn’t just ‘happen’!”
“Quiet! Don’t sass your sis! Anyway!”
Peek—
Hwa-ryeon glanced cautiously at her father smashing the Gundam and whispered.
“Daddy’s scarier than I thought when he’s mad.”
“...Yeah, he’s usually soft. But mad? Kinda scary.”
“Yeah, Father’s pretty scary when angry...”
“Mangmang...”
Whisper—whisper—
The kids muttered while watching their furious father.
Including how a bit scary he was.
“But Daddy’s strong! Just a tiny bit weaker than me!”
“He’s soft usually, so just don’t make him mad.”
“Right, Father’s scary when mad...! But super reliable!”
And including how reliable he was.
Though a little scared of their dad’s angry face, the kids understood his feelings.
They stared piercingly at their dad’s back as he fought hard for them.
Unaware their own eyes sparkled.