Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: New Nest
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Dragons are repulsive.
They sneak into the human world and create chaos just to satisfy their twisted amusement called "play."
Because of that, humans unknowingly become toys for dragons and suffer.
I've seen countless humans lose their lives to these dragons' simple "games."
"Filthy scum."
In a rundown motel.
The Dragon Slayer sat on the edge of the bed, his hatred for dragons plain on his face.
His missing eyes inexplicably stung.
"Just how much more are they planning to mess up the human world? Treating us like toys forever."
The Dragon Slayer stuck a Marlboro Red between his lips.
He was reasonably satisfied with Earth's cigarettes.
Then he turned his gaze to the old TV leaking English audio.
-The Rothschild family has announced they will spare no support for Texas, which has been turned upside down by the dimensional gates.
Rothschild.
A member of that family appeared on the screen.
The Dragon Slayer glared at him as if he wanted to kill him.
Having chased dragons for so long, he could spot one instantly even through a TV.
"Rotten dragon bastards. Not in Korea, but playing their games among the elite of a country called America. Do they really get off that much on deceiving humans for fun?"
Those guys would surely sow chaos in the human world again for their own entertainment.
Just like what happened to me and my family.
"I'll go to America. No choice but to crush them."
Thinking that, the Dragon Slayer gripped his necklace tightly.
At that moment.
Bang bang-!
"An intruder? How polite, knocking and all."
Whoosh-
At the sound of the door being pounded aggressively, the Dragon Slayer grabbed his massive sword and opened it.
Creak-
Opening the door revealed a motel lady with permed curly hair and thick makeup.
The motel lady squinted her eyes triangularly and yelled fiercely.
"Mister! When the hell are you gonna pay up on that room fee? And what's with that toy sword! Grown-ass man still playing with toys?"
"..."
"Instead of screwing around, get a job and pay what you owe! Act your age and work!"
"..."
"Sigh, I'm the idiot for letting you stay long-term. If you don't pay by next week, you're out! Got it?!"
Slam-!
The motel lady vented her frustration fully and stormed off.
The Dragon Slayer felt like his ears were bleeding.
"...Before heading to America, I need to make some money first. This world demands way too much of it."
Before hunting dragons.
You had to earn money first.
The Dragon Slayer pulled on a cap he'd scavenged from the clothing donation bin and stepped outside.
"Jo Hyun-gyu Staffing Agency, was it? That place was decent."
Even for a Dragon Slayer.
Surviving in the modern world was tough.
***
04 District was specialized for residential living.
Full of people with decent jobs and decent pay.
It was similar to life before the dimensional gates appeared.
Which meant it was a great place to live.
Kids could grow up safely, and it was ideal for stable families.
I'd also heard there were a lot of single women in their twenties.
'Dating? I can't hold back anymore.'
Two years had passed.
I was no longer an Association hero but a freelance one, uncontracted with anyone.
I could pick and choose jobs, leaving me with plenty of free time.
'Time on my hands? Perfect for dating.'
Mm-hm.
I nodded to myself, dreaming of a rosy future.
Then Hwaryeon's head came flying at my back.
"Dragon Headbutt!"
"Ow!"
I thought my back was broken.
Why a headbutt out of nowhere?
"Hwa-ryeon. What the hell? You some pachycephalosaurus?"
"I'm not a pachycephalosaurus! I'm a Red Dragon!"
"Then why headbutt me?"
"'Cause Dad was thinking something weird just now!"
...She's sharp about this stuff.
Suryeon and Choryeon nodded in agreement with Hwaryeon.
"Dad's face shows it all when he thinks dirty thoughts. All creepy."
"Who you calling creepy, Suryeon."
At Suryeon's words, Choryeon piled on.
"I don't know if Father realizes, but we watch him all the time, so we know everything!"
"Yeah?"
I don't carry a mirror around.
So I have no idea what my face looks like when I fantasize about dating.
Anyway.
After a short break at the rest area for some casual chat.
We decided to head to our new home.
"Everyone hop in. Time to roll again."
"Wait, Father! I want something to eat!"
"What?"
"Th-that! I wanna eat that!"
Point-
Choryeon pointed at the food court in the rest area.
It was a corner selling all sorts of street food snacks.
"I'm curious about those egg potatoes! And the sweet potato sticks too!"
Here comes Choryeon's vegetarian phase again.
Choryeon strongly appealed for sweet potato sticks and egg potatoes.
"Here, take the card and go buy them yourself, Choryeon?"
"Yes, Father! Leave Mangmong here! I'll go alone!"
We swapped the card for Mangmong, and Choryeon trotted off to buy food.
We got in the car and waited for her.
During that time, Suryeon said quietly.
"Hmm, Dad."
"Yeah?"
"What if we leave without her first, and she comes running and drops the egg potatoes? Wouldn't that be hilarious?"
I imagined it after hearing Suryeon.
Choryeon running happily with egg potatoes and sweet potato sticks.
Spotting us leaving and panicking as she speeds up.
Splat-!
Egg potatoes and sweet potato sticks scattering across the asphalt.
Choryeon would definitely cry then.
"Suryeon."
"Yeah."
"That's not a dragon idea. That's straight-up devilish."
"...Just kidding."
With the controversy, Suryeon claimed it was a joke.
I couldn't let my daughter go through something so awful.
Choryeon arrived soon, holding egg potatoes and sweet potato sticks in both hands, yelling at the window.
"Father! I got the egg potatoes and sweet potato sticks!"
"Tch."
Suryeon opened the back door for her.
Choryeon hopped in the back seat beaming.
On the way to our new nest, we shared the egg potatoes and sweet potato sticks.
It took a while in the car.
"Kids. We're here."
"Yay! New nest!"
"Hmm, that's my new home? Not bad for a dragon."
"Th-the buildings are huge! Is the whole building ours!?"
"Ma, Mang-! Mangmang-!"
The kids reacted each in their own way upon seeing the apartment.
Some even mistook the entire complex for our nest.
I headed toward Tubby and Skinny waiting at the entrance of Building 3.
"I'm here. You got all the stuff moved in?"
"Yes, exactly, bro! You pick the spot, we moved everything!"
"Good work. Thanks as always."
Pat pat-
I patted Tubby and Skinny on the shoulders.
They bowed their heads and said.
"No biggie, bro! We're the thankful ones. You always tip generously."
"We'll work hard too and move to 09 District someday, live like this!"
They look rough.
But they're good-hearted at their core.
"Wash off those tattoos. Work hard. Live right. Tell Gu Bong-gu I arrived safe."
"Yes, bro!"
"See you later."
"Got it! Congrats on the success, bro!"
Tubby and Skinny bowed 90 degrees and drove off in the truck.
The dragon kids waved at them.
"Bye-bye, Piggy and Anchovy Uncles!"
"..."
"Drive safe, Uncles!"
With Tubby and Skinny gone.
We entered the apartment.
And rode the elevator, no less.
'How long since I lived somewhere with an elevator? Back when my parents were alive, I guess.'
The kids found the elevator fascinating and inspected it closely.
Thud! Thud-!
"Does it fall if I do this!?"
"Quit it, Hwa-ryeon! Stay still in the elevator!"
Beep- Beep beep-
"Feels like a game."
"Why you pressing other floors! Suryeon! Cancel everything but the top!"
Creak-
"Feels like the doors are opening, Father! Emergency escape possible!"
"Hey, Cho-ryeon! Don't force the doors open! Mangmong, no peeing! Mark territory later!"
"Maaang..."
These kids.
They go nuts over anything new and start acting up.
Must be that jammin age.
Full of curiosity, doing all sorts of weird stuff.
Ding-
While wrangling the troublemakers, we reached the 17th floor.
I shoved them out before they caused more chaos.
"Everyone out quick! And head to 1704, the open door over there!"
"Wow, new house!"
Stomp stomp stomp-
The kids rushed toward the new nest.
Felt like all my energy was gone before even arranging furniture.
"Whew, not easy from the start."
Already drained.
But I put on work gloves from my pocket and entered my new home.
"Wow! Super spacious! Now I can run around! Yay!"
"Like three times bigger."
"Mangmong can run around too now!"
"Mangmang-!"
The moving boxes were neatly stacked in the living room, and the dragons and Mangmong were jumping over them.
"Master bedroom, two bathrooms, living room, kitchen, two kids' rooms, storage, utility room. Kinda old-school, but solid layout. Sturdy too."
Heard most new apartments collapsed when the dimensional gates hit.
No rebar, so they crumbled easy.
That's why more old apartments survived.
"Alright, time to unpack."
Gotta arrange the furniture.
Too much for one person.
"Hwa-ryeon."
"Yeah!"
"Help Dad out."
"Why me!"
"Help me and you get your own room. Suryeon and Choryeon share, you solo."
Zoom-
Hwaryeon stuck right to my side.
"What do you need help with?!"
"Move some furniture. You're strong."
"Hmph, I am pretty strong!"
Flex-
Hwaryeon showed off her solid muscles.
Still baby fat, so didn't look super ripped.
But dragon dense muscle would help.
"Okay, sofa against that end wall!"
"Yarararara!"
"Dresser opposite the sofa!"
"Aja jajaja!"
"TV on top of the dresser!"
"Udadadada!"
Dragon yells are unique.
Hwaryeon helped me move furniture energetically.
"We'll help too!"
"Mangmang-!"
Heave-ho-
Choryeon and Mangmong pitched in too.
But mostly moral support.
"Scissors in the kitchen. This is mine. Dad's clothes in the master... One's mine."
Of course, Suryeon found heavy lifting annoying, so she just placed small items around.
After a long time.
"D-done! Roughly finished!"
We managed to unpack most of it.
Not all furniture arrived yet, so the place felt empty.
But with my daughters and Mangmong, it didn't matter.
"Tonight we can all crash in the living room with blankets... Unpacking's done..."
"Moving day means jjajangmyeon!"
"You know it, Hwa-ryeon."
Good memory.
We called the Chinese place number Tubby and Skinny thoughtfully left.
Like last time, we spread newspaper on the floor and ate jjajangmyeon, jjamppong, tangsuyuk, and fried dumplings.
"I'm having jjajangmyeon and jjamppong! Rawr!"
"Two fried dumplings each. No more."
"Hehe, yummy! Father! Love the new house!"
Glad the kids like it.
I wiped jjajang sauce from Choryeon's mouth.
We were in a new environment unlike before.
But moments like this made me sure we'd live harmoniously and happily, just like always.
"Everyone like the house?"
"Yeah! Awesome!"
"It's good."
"Yes! The best, Father!"
"Mangmang-!"
They liked it.
That was a relief.