Chapter 21
Chapter 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Part 9. Winter (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The last time he had witnessed "the birth of life," it hadn't been such a beautiful sight.
Some round in the past.
About 15 km east of the Gaza Strip in Palestine. Following the train tracks through an area without even proper roads led to a shantytown called Dyrrel.
It was a place where those with nothing and destined to have nothing gathered, selling whatever they could to survive amid the conflicts.
He had stopped there for supplies and accidentally witnessed a mother, covered in dirt and blood, giving birth right in the middle of the street in broad daylight.
A filthy, contaminated street without proper sewage. In a war zone where even digging wells was forbidden by harsh laws, the mother's cheeks were sunken, her body gaunt and shriveled to the point where bones showed on her thighs. She wailed hoarsely, not so much in labor pains but begging to be saved because she felt like she was dying.
There were plenty of onlookers, but no one approached. The mother's emaciated frame screaming as if being torn apart looked demonic, and the ignorant treated her like a plague, merely eyeing her from afar. The closest thing was a starving, diseased stray dog sniffing around, waiting to see if it would become food.
He didn't know why.
Acting on an inexplicable feeling, he tossed dollars to an experienced midwife from a nearby brothel to help with the delivery. But the seasoned midwife took one look at the mother and refused the money. She said the woman wouldn't be able to give birth.
He didn't take the money back. He just told her to try anyway, even if it failed.
The mother's unopened birth canal heaved like she was about to vomit, struggling to expel a large mass, but it faltered at the critical moment. In the end, her precarious breathing simply stopped.
But as the mother went still, the baby came gushing out with the afterbirth. The startled midwife caught it, but for some reason, the infant was already dead.
A dead mother had given birth to a dead child.
He didn't blame the midwife and simply left the scene.
Not a pleasant memory.
He never thought of it again afterward.
Or so he thought.
Crack, craaack—
Watching the Blue Dragon's egg split open, why did that memory resurface?
It hadn't come to mind in his previous life.
Crack...
The hatching was slow.
The cracks spread like spiderwebs, bit by bit.
"Sis!"
Gaeul called out to Yeoreum.
Yoo Ji-tae sat silently in the dorm living room, waiting for it to emerge on its own. Bom sat beside him, hugging her knees as she watched the egg, while Yeoreum stayed quiet for once. Gaeul, who had been beside herself with excitement at the first crack—over getting a little sister—now held her breath, watching the miracle unfold.
Thud.
A piece of shell broke off and fell.
Soon, a small reptilian head poked out from the gap.
A baby dragon, eyes still closed, its puffy face slowly peering around.
Winter had been born.
*
By the time he returned from buying formula and bottles at a nearby department store, the kids were sitting in a circle in the living room, staring at Winter.
"Whoa, it's moving! Whoaaa... Look at those wings. Was I ever this small?"
Gaeul gazed at Winter in wonder.
The tiny one staring at an even tinier one.
Bom picked up the not-so-small Blue Dragon and began wiping away the grime with baby wipes. Her movements were surprisingly natural.
"Did you learn this somewhere?"
"Yeah, my mom did it for me like this. Normally, we'd lick it clean, though."
She even remembered that. Yoo Ji-tae just watched.
"Want to hold her?"
"I'm good."
When Yoo Ji-tae declined, Gaeul jumped in.
"Me! Me me me! I wanna hold her!"
"Her skin's still soft, so be gentle."
"Okay!"
Gaeul awkwardly lifted her and peered into the Blue Dragon's face.
"......"
She froze for a long moment, mouth slightly agape in a daze. Then she thrust it toward Yeoreum like hot potato.
"What? What am I supposed to do with it?"
"Just hold her once, sis. This, this... it's just..."
"Not interested."
"No, just hold her once? Wow, seriously... Uh, ah, just take her!"
"Has she lost her mind? I said I'm not interested."
Today's Gaeul was unusually bold. Yeoreum took Winter with a grumpy face and grudgingly held the dragon.
After scanning it up and down, she lowered her head, sniffed its scent—from the white belly up the chest, along the wings, to the head. Then she flicked her tongue out and licked the tiny horn. Yoo Ji-tae had no idea what that meant.
"Well, she is kinda cute. Here, you take her."
"I'm good."
"Want her?"
Yeoreum tossed her over like discarding something. Unable to dodge, Yoo Ji-tae caught Winter.
She was hefty. Every squirm transmitted vividly through her blue skin. Held close, her heartbeat thrummed strongly. The little dragon heart in this small body was already doing its job.
Then he felt eyes on him.
For some reason, Bom, Yeoreum, and Gaeul were watching him.
"Hehe."
What are you looking at?
"No, nothing. It's just... weird. This image doesn't suit you at all. Oh! Can I take a picture?"
No.
Before he could say it, Gaeul had already opened the camera app on her watch device.
"Wait, Gaeul."
"Yeah?"
As Gaeul was about to snap, Bom grabbed her hand and fidgeted. Suddenly, dirt appeared between their fingers, followed by a tiny flower sprouting up. Magic-made flower.
Bom plucked it and tucked it between the Blue Dragon's bat-like ear wings.
"How's that?"
"Whoa... so pretty."
Then she went, "Huh? Huh?" as if struck by an idea.
"Oh, Bom-unni. One more flower."
Feeling uneasy, Yoo Ji-tae watched as Gaeul took the flower from Bom and approached him, sticking it in his ear. Then she burst into chick-like giggles. Bom and Yeoreum were grinning too.
With the pretty pink flower in his ear, Yoo Ji-tae's dour expression made for a striking picture.
"Taking the pic!"
"......"
Click!
They snapped a few more, shared them among themselves, and giggled. Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-tae just held Winter still.
Finally, the trembling Blue Dragon's eyes fluttered open cautiously.
She looked at Yoo Ji-tae.
He met her gaze.
*
Night grew late.
With Bom volunteering to watch the baby, Yeoreum headed to her room, and Gaeul reluctantly clutched her declaration speech script and went to hers.
He warmed some formula and filled a bottle. What did newborn dragons eat? When asked, Bom said she didn't need to eat, but she'd enjoy the sensation if given something tasty.
Curious about the taste, he tried a bit—bland milk flavor. Probably perfect for a baby.
"I'll do it."
Bom took the bottle.
Winter gulped down the formula, glancing back and forth between Bom and Yoo Ji-tae. He had no skill to read dragon expressions, but the Scales Eye showed waves of delight—pure joy.
Winter loved it.
It was late at night.
As he headed to his room, Bom asked if he could stay a bit longer.
"Why."
"Classes start soon and we'll be busy, but we have time now. Thought I'd teach Winter some magic transfer."
"Magic transfer?"
"Yeah. She'll grow fast day by day, can't stay like this for years. So, polymorph."
He knew it wasn't ignorance.
Magic transfer used the caster's life force as collateral, consuming massive mana—like carving out your own flesh to feed.
Not half your lifespan, but those he knew ended up bedridden for months after.
"You sure?"
"Yes. I'd like her to share fun experiences sooner."
"Got it."
Safe in the dorm, but transfer left her defenseless, so he needed to stay.
He settled on the sofa.
"Winter. Don't move from now on."
Sensing Bom's intent, Winter stiffened.
Bom hugged her and pressed their foreheads together. Brain-to-brain for consciousness and emotion transfer—necessary skinship.
Soon, mana flowed from Bom's forehead to Winter's.
Yoo Ji-tae silently stayed until it finished.
It didn't end in one go.
Four to six hours a day. Over two, three days. Yoo Ji-tae helped Gaeul with her speech audition during that time. Awaiting the polymorph moment.
By day four, Bom's face was haggard with exhaustion. She poked at the sushi he bought, her eyes unfocused.
"You okay, unni? You look like a zombie."
"Yeah... a bit tired."
"Much left?"
"Probably finish today."
"...Tough. Kinda jealous, though. I wanna touch Winter too."
Gaeul pouted. Winter slept over ten hours a day, spending awake time receiving magic from Bom. No room for others.
Bom's efforts paid off. Past midnight on day four, after completing the transfer, the drained Bom collapsed face-first onto the floor.
"Done?"
"......"
Her head nodded on the floor.
She had pushed beyond her limits. Yoo Ji-tae carried her to bed.
"Sleep deep."
"Won't sleep too long."
"Why."
"Gaeul has her interview... few days... then get up..."
Her voice cut off mid-sentence.
Soon, she was snoring loudly. He tucked her in and stepped out.
Outside, something unfamiliar caught his eye.
A head of sea-blue hair, wavy and tousled.
Tiny body. Tiny head. Even tinier shoulders. Below her small back, a diaper he'd bought—probably Bom's doing, though unnecessary.
Winter had polymorphed.
The human-formed child sat on the floor, tilting her head curiously. Yoo Ji-tae approached quietly, squatted, and greeted her.
"Hi."
Winter turned.
Her big blue eyes held fatigue, but meeting his gaze, a bright smile bloomed.
She grinned wide, then worked her lips. Probably couldn't speak yet.
Yoo Ji-tae lifted her up.
Already looking three human years old, she stood on her own legs.
Polymorphed dragons grew fast, staying young for millennia. Recalling past rounds, the Blue Dragon would shoot up like the others.
Standing, she needed clothes, so he borrowed one of Gaeul's smaller t-shirts.
She fiddled wondrously with the hem reaching her knees.
Late night, and Winter looked tired from the transfer.
"Bedtime."
As he picked her up, she stretched her arms wide toward him. Staying still, she leaned forward, grabbed his cheeks, and pulled him close.
A kiss? He tilted away subtly, but her tiny forehead met his.
At that close range, her blue eyes blinked into his.
He smiled faintly.
She seemed to think this was how to show affection.