Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Blue Blue Aquarium (3)
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Objectively speaking, I'm strong.
There probably aren't even ten people in South Korea who could beat me.
That's because my body structure is different from other people's.
Clang-!
"My ma, machete isn't cutting? My machete that can slice through diamond like butter!?"
I could sense his bewilderment from behind the snake mask.
Honestly, I was a little surprised too.
'This isn't cutting.'
After consuming dragon mana, my body has gradually taken on properties similar to a dragon's.
I've grown skin as tough as dragon scales.
"Daddy punch-!"
Crash-!
"Wha, what the hell!! My machete!!"
By wrapping my fist in pure mana, I can smash most weapons.
It feels like my body is no longer human—more like a dragon's.
Of course, it's still much weaker than a real dragon.
But it's like I've become a pseudo-dragon.
'It's hard to believe this body is mine.'
That doesn't mean my skills are lacking, though.
The villain boss tossed aside the machete handle and swung his fist at me.
'I can tell just from his shoulder.'
Right jab.
Right jab.
Left hook.
And then.
"Body blow?"
"!!!"
"I'm hitting first."
"Urk-!!"
Counter.
My dynamic vision has improved a lot too.
And I've polished my technique through martial arts training with Hwaran.
My body was so overpowered that I rarely needed technique in the first place.
'When I fought the Dragon Slayer. This should make it easy to win now.'
Even in the worst-case scenario.
I've built a body that can protect the kids.
And I've trained my skills diligently so I won't lose.
I picked up the machete blade and hurled it at the guy clutching his gut on the ground.
"Let's go again. I'm not done yet."
"You crazy bastard…"
Shing-
The snake-masked man grabbed the machete blade and charged at me like a rabid dog.
"Don't underestimate me!! I'll kill you!! Unlike you, I've earned the right to be a new human!!"
"What's a new human?"
"Uwaaaah!!"
Boom-!
The man leaped explosively and swung the blade.
Swish-! Whoosh-!!
He moved with reckless abandon, like a mad dog ready to bite anything in its path.
Foam dripped from his mouth as he lunged—it was straight out of a rabies textbook.
"Grrrrraaah-!!"
"You're fast. But sorry. Body enhancement types don't match up well against me."
Of course, his blade never touched my body.
I dodged every swing and planted my fist in his jaw.
Thud-!
"Leader captured alive. Trainee, you done?"
No way that small fry got the drop on Trainee.
I jumped up to check inside the massive tank.
"Kekeke… This is my power, humans."
"W-Wow! Amazing!!"
"He's around our age! He looks like a hero!!"
Splash splash-
Twenty small fry floating in the water.
Trainee had taken them all out and was safely chatting with the kids in the water.
She secretly loves the attention.
'...Does she like being the center of attention or hate it?'
She hates it normally.
But put on a mask, and she craves it.
'What even is Trainee…'
Middle school syndrome is hard to understand.
Maybe because I've never experienced it myself.
I sighed and went over to Trainee.
"This is cool. You can breathe underwater."
"I am water soon. Water is me soon. I control it as I please."
"Oh, impressive?"
Pat pat-
I ruffled Trainee's hair wildly.
She swatted my hand away and yelled.
"D-Don't do that!"
"Hooji malagu."
"I hate Daddy!"
Hmph-
Trainee puffed out her cheeks and turned her head.
Good, she finally dropped the act.
"Alright, time to head back? Other heroes should be arriving soon."
"No, wait a bit."
"Why?"
"Those idiot humans said a helicopter's coming."
Glance-
Trainee looked up at the sky.
Sure enough, through the hole in the ceiling, a helicopter with a massive net appeared.
"They were planning to haul over a hundred people away with that net, huh."
"…"
These trash bastards.
I planted my feet and gauged the helicopter's altitude.
And then.
"Daddy's heading out."
I leaped out of the water with all my strength.
My body shot up like an arrow, reaching the helicopter's height.
"You bastards. Why do you keep messing with kids?"
They were probably behind that kindergarten kidnapping too.
I locked eyes with the helicopter pilot and thrust my fist forward without hesitation.
"Leave the kids alone, you bastards!"
Boom-!!
The helicopter exploded the moment my fist connected.
"Whew, that feels better."
I blew up the helicopter and landed safely back in Trainee's tank.
Trainee returned the water to the tank and restored the shattered glass.
-Kyu!
"Thanks, beluga. See you next time."
-Kyukyu!
Trainee waved goodbye to the white beluga.
Then she turned to the kids, who were still sitting quietly.
"You guys go back to your parents now. You're free."
"Th-Thank you! Dark Blue Dragon!"
"I'm definitely writing about you in my diary today!"
Smirk-
Trainee lifted the corner of her mouth slightly and walked over to me.
"Let's go, Daddy."
"Yeah, Trainee. But we barely got to see the aquarium today. You okay with that?"
"Yeah, I saw everything I wanted. It was fun too."
Fair enough.
She got to go full chuunibyou, so of course it was.
"What was it again? Dark Blue Dragon?"
"…Don't."
"Why? You said it yourself."
"…That's something only I can say. So don't talk about it."
It's fine when she does it.
But hearing it from someone else embarrasses her.
I took her hand and left the aquarium.
"You did great today, Trainee."
"Hmm, of course. It's me, Daddy."
"Yeah, you're amazing, Trainee. Your chuunibyou is pretty impressive too."
"Daddy, what do you mean?"
Well, still.
It was a relief the kids all made it back to their parents safely.
***
Summer vacation homework.
Class 1-1, Lee Soo-ryun.
"Hmm, what to start with? 'Today I went to the aquarium with Daddy'?"
Scribble scribble scribble-
Trainee started writing her field trip report on the homework paper.
"Nah, just going to the aquarium is boring."
She decided to adapt from that book she bought before.
Trainee rewrote the opening line.
"Today, Daddy died. Or maybe yesterday."
Daddy's healthy cooking in the kitchen.
But for artistic value, she'd kill him off first.
"Then I went to the aquarium and saw all kinds of fish."
Tropical fish.
Jellyfish.
Penguins.
Beluga.
"I met the fish in the giant tank. It was fun meeting it."
Hmm.
Trainee stared holes through the paper for a moment.
Not satisfied, she furrowed her brows.
"Too elementary school-ish."
Trainee grabbed the paper and flopped onto her bed.
She lay on her stomach, kicking her feet idly and rolling the pen.
"Hmm, what next."
What happened after that.
"The Dark Hero appears."
Scribble scribble scribble-
Trainee wrote about her exploits matter-of-factly.
Of course, she had to hide her identity.
"Suddenly idiot humans attacked. I was taken hostage and tied with ropes. Then the Dark Blue Dragon appeared."
Now for my part.
Pretending it wasn't her.
"The Dark Blue Dragon is the smartest and coolest dragon among dragons. Super strong, the strongest of all dragons."
Scribble scribble scribble-
Trainee diligently wrote her exploits as if they were someone else's.
She sprinkled a bit of MSG here and there.
But she considered even those parts factual.
"The kids were enchanted by the Dark Blue Dragon's exploits. They wanted to be like that blue dragon. Of course, the blue dragon was cool. But I didn't think so."
Her part was done.
Next, write about Daddy.
Trainee filled out the page length with stuff about Daddy.
"Daddy's an idiot. But reliable. There was one strong human, and he toyed with him like a plaything. Even the Dark Blue Dragon—er, I mean—would've had a hard time beating him."
Trainee wrote that and pondered for a bit.
"But what was with the snake mask? Hmm, gotta search online later."
The internet is god.
Thinking that, Trainee wrote more about Daddy's exploits.
"Daddy destroyed the helicopter that arrived later. Seeing that jump power, I think his 'molting' phase is coming. Daddy's gonna get even stronger."
And.
"On the way home, holding Daddy's hand. He seemed a bit cooler than usual."
Scribble-
"…This feels off."
Face flushing red, Trainee erased it and rewrote.
"He seemed decent compared to usual. This should do."
Ahem-
The moment she filled the required length.
"Trainee!"
Eek-
"Dinner's ready! Come eat!"
"…Dinner was ready, huh."
She jumped a bit at the call.
But Trainee got up from bed like nothing happened.
Before that.
"…Gotta hide the homework in the drawer."
Too embarrassing to show anyone.
And so Trainee secretly stashed the report in the drawer.
Leaving her final words on it.
-It was more fun because I was with Daddy. Hope we go play together again sometime. The end.
Trainee poured a bit of her true feelings into the report.