Chapter 43
Chapter 43
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: 18. Trip (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Stepping out of the classroom, snow was falling from the sky.
It must have been snowing during the few days they spent in the underground dungeon, as a thin layer had piled up on the streets.
The world was blanketed in white.
"Damn... Who would've thought I'd be seeing the first snow alone with you."
Yeoreum glanced at Yoo Ji-tae and grumbled.
"What's wrong with me?"
"You're not my boyfriend."
Yeoreum scooped up some snow and packed it tight.
"Just try flirting with someone on the street. I'll kill 'em."
"With that snowball?"
"I packed it real tight. Think it's weak? Hmm."
After pondering, she picked up a pebble and shoved it into the snowball.
Yoo Ji-tae chuckled lightly. That one definitely needed blocking.
And so, the two headed toward the residential district.
'Requesting a mid-report, my liege.'
The clone's voice brushed through Yoo Ji-tae's mind.
It had been a few days since infiltrating the demonkin organization 'Invisibility'. Seemed like it had something to report.
'Transmitting memories.'
He approved.
As the clone moved about, useful memories from what it had seen and heard were selected and flowed into his own.
Over the past three days, the clone had busied itself between the shadows and the light.
Here, the 'shadows' were where demonkin plotted in hiding, and the clone offered advice as researcher 'Vera'.
Advising demonkin among demonkin. Must've been grueling.
'For me, pretending to be a woman was the real ordeal.'
The clone grumbled briefly. Gestures of discomfort with the bra flashed in the memories.
Having lived centuries as a male persona, that made sense.
Anyway, in the 'light', the clone attended meetings.
Those required the position of 'lab director' more than the individual 'Vera'.
Yoo Ji-tae reviewed those meeting memories too.
-Does that even make sense?!
It was a conference room.
A dozen demonkin sat around a large round table.
At the head, a burly man bellowed, shaking the building.
-Thirty-three dead. Not three, not thirteen—thirty-three! That many kin lost, and you can't even give me a scrap on the enemy? You dare call this a report?!
Malevolent aura rippled from his every word. The demonkin bowed their heads at his thunderous roar.
He was one of the chosen four at the seats of authority.
The Seat of Judgment.
Catastrophe-grade demonkin Im Cheol-oh.
This man was Invisibility's fang.
His role: identify and tear apart foes.
As a 'Catastrophe'-grade, he sustained his life with countless safeguards.
-...It's minor, but there are traces of killing intent.
-Killing intent? Killing intent?! You call finding that puny trace worth blabbering about, you incompetent fool!
Silence fell again. Like children scolded by an adult, the demonkin kept their heads low for a long while.
Hoo... Middle-aged Im Cheol-oh let out a long sigh.
-Accelerate Prototype X deployment. Link high-ranks first. Extract info at the moment of death.
-Yes!
-Find them. Uncover that arrogant bastard wielding a blade against us. And bolster Wei Lian's protection—that cur. With our linked demonkin dropping like flies, the enemy might head his way.
Im Cheol-oh ordered caution. Among the demonkin Yoo Ji-tae killed were 'Collapse'-grade ones, just below Catastrophe.
Even they died without a trace.
-He's strong. Never let your guard down.
Finally, Prototype X's deployment time and place were set.
'Target: International Hunter Federation's 70-man raid team.'
'Purpose: Prototype X demonstration. X will likely step forward and wipe out all 70.'
'With X's changes, it'll differ from past rounds. Liege, you may need to move personally then.'
Got it.
Yoo Ji-tae finished reviewing and cracked his neck.
As expected, the piecemeal-moving foes were now alert.
But that was fine. He hadn't touched their core, moving meticulously every night to exhaust himself.
The cockroaches would tremble in anxiety but not scatter, with food still around.
As in past regressions.
'Then I'll keep monitoring.'
Yoo Ji-tae praised the clone and turned his head.
"Ah, gotta go in and heal with Gaeul."
Yeoreum muttered with a tired expression.
The dorm came into view after three days.
From down the hall, the Guardian glared at Winter.
He was in a cartoon character costume, thanks to Gaeul's help. Complete with ears and tail on the plush outfit, red circles painted on his cheeks.
His red eyes flickered.
The past three days had been truly hellish.
"I'll read you a fairy tale."
Shake shake.
"How about airplane games?"
Shake shake.
"Want some tasty cookies?"
Shake shake.
Yoo Ji-tae had asked him to look after Winter. So the Guardian tried everything possible.
But he got rejected every time. Winter didn't seem particularly pleased with anything.
'Don't read fairy tales like that, janitor.'
'Pardon? What's wrong?'
'Too many useless asides. Focus on the story so Winter can imagine it.'
He even sought late advice from Bom.
And thanks to that...
There was one thing Winter showed interest in.
"Miss. Shall we draw together?"
Nod nod.
So last night, the Guardian and Winter drew on a sketchbook with crayons.
This was a positive sign. Elated, the Guardian sketched a demon world scene. A dark realm, centered on the Demon King's castle, with a massive demon eye overlooking it all!
Winter eyed his drawing sourly, but who cared.
'The miss is opening up to me...!'
Couldn't miss this momentum. The Guardian decided on a bold move today.
A cartoon character kids love!
Gaeul said it was cute, so it'd work somewhat.
As the Guardian stepped into the hall...
Bom stretched coming out of her room and bumped into him.
Red eyes blinked, green gaze flickered.
"What's that?"
"Ah, miss. Well, it's like this..."
After explaining, Bom smiled slyly and shook her head.
"Pikachu, huh... Cute, but Winter'll be scared."
"Pardon? Why...?"
"Winter hasn't seen the show, doesn't know Pikachu. Go wash up."
"Ahh..."
The dejected Guardian slunk to the bathroom.
Bom looked at Winter.
The kid sat by the door, hugging her bear plush, staring out. Not all day, but at class-end time, she'd wake from naps to wait.
"Winter."
Blue eyes turned to Bom.
"Uncle's coming soon. Wanna go out and wait?"
Winter's face brightened.
Bom picked her up and opened the dorm door to step out.
A world of pure white. But this wasn't normal snow.
Actually, it started falling from the moment Winter waited for Yoo Ji-tae. Blue clan emotions affected local weather; now, her gloom brought the snow.
"Soon... come?"
Then, Winter cautiously spoke.
Bom's eyes widened. Winter had just spoken.
First time Bom heard Winter's voice.
Erasing her surprise, Bom smiled gently.
"Uncle's coming soon. With Summer."
Winter nodded.
Soon, Yeoreum and Yoo Ji-tae appeared from afar.
"Uncle―!"
Bom waved, and Winter followed.
"Why're you out? It's snowing."
"Winter missed you too much."
Yoo Ji-tae approached, crouched, and looked at Winter in Bom's arms.
Winter glanced at Bom, then timidly reached for Yoo Ji-tae. He lifted her up.
But Winter tensed up. She'd smiled from afar, but now hid her face stiffly against his chest.
Bom laughed at how cute she was.
"Whoa, Uncle! Summer unni! It's been forever!"
Back home, Gaeul welcomed Yoo Ji-tae and Yeoreum.
"Huh? Unni, what's with the snowball?"
"What else?"
Next instant, Yeoreum grinned,
and Gaeul froze solid.
Yeoreum charged; Gaeul fled to her room and slammed the door. But Yeoreum's foot jammed it open.
By the time it shut, Yeoreum was inside. "It's cooold!" "N-not there!" Screams echoed from the room.
Then Winter pointed somewhere.
What.
Yoo Ji-tae, holding her, went over. Down the hall, under the thick cushion of his usual sofa: a sketchbook.
"......"
Winter, set down, timidly offered it to him, face tense.
He took it silently.
And opened it, expecting baby scribbles.
Dragons were babies too, after all.
In the messy drawing, figures appeared. Identifiable by hair color.
Smiling Bom.
Face-down Gaeul (eyes like ><).
Yeoreum atop Gaeul (impressive detail).
Corner: armored knight and presumed clone man.
Problem: center, big-headed man with crown. Smiling, crown jeweled. Clearly more effort than others.
Yoo Ji-tae couldn't place who it was.
"Who's this?"
The regressor leaned down to Winter.
She startled, averted eyes.
"Looks like Uncle."
"This?"
"Holding Winter."
Bom's words made him look again.
Ah.
That blue seaweed thing was his back, holding Winter.
He smiled faintly, picked her up same pose. Winter shyly snuggled in.
Come to think, he'd neglected her lately.
Weekend tomorrow; could take her out.
Yoo Ji-tae asked Bom.
"Weekend, how about a 1-night 2-day trip somewhere?"
"Good idea. I'm for it."
He nodded, headed to Yeoreum and Gaeul's room to call them.
Then Bom glanced out the window.
The snow had stopped, like a lie.