Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Episode 20. Underground Labyrinth (1)
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It was the dead of night when they arrived at the dorm.
Far off, a pair of green eyes gleamed from someone perched on the veranda railing.
Winter lay curled up in Bom's lap, fast asleep and leaning into her embrace with eyes closed.
Once inside the dorm, Bom wore her usual sullen expression, but her gaze had lingered on Morning Star from afar. She seemed puzzled.
As Yoo Ji-tae entered the dorm and laid the injured Morning Star on the sofa, preparing to head to his room—
Bom approached him quietly.
He stopped and turned to her. She looked like she was hesitating over something.
"What is it?"
"……."
"Something to say?"
"Yes. Actually……."
She glanced down at the floor, hesitating.
Was she trying to say something? Yoo Ji-tae waited patiently for her thoughts.
"Actually……."
Then she hesitated again. Her bangs half-covered her eyes. Her lips trembled.
She thought it over, wrestling with some inner conflict before deciding.
"Yeah……."
"Yeah?"
Finally, she lifted her head, her face back to its usual blank stare.
"Actually, while you were gone, Ajusshi, Yeoreum snuck into your room for a bit."
"What?"
It was the last thing he expected.
Come to think of it, that explained the dragons' scents lingering in his room.
"She was thrilled there were six bottles of booze left, so I told her no way, of course?"
"…Yeah."
"But would Yeoreum listen to me? She kept saying she just wanted a taste."
Bang!
Someone flung his door open like they were trying to break it.
No, the doorknob had actually shattered, dangling loose.
Yeoreum stood there. Her red bob was a mess, her cheeks flushed pink, and her unfocused eyes spun in different directions.
For a split second, he glanced past her at the floor.
Of the ten bottles of bourbon whiskey he'd bought the night before last, he'd drunk four. But now, every single one lay scattered empty on the floor.
Looks like she'd gotten a proper taste after all.
Click.
Her wandering gaze locked onto Yoo Ji-tae. But silence stretched between them.
A strange tension hung in the air.
The quiet dragged on.
Then Yeoreum grinned lazily and spoke.
"Oppa~."
Oh no.
"Oppa~…… Why'd you come back so late?"
Yeoreum slurred, her tongue thick with drink.
He had no idea how to handle a drunk dragon.
Yoo Ji-tae glanced at Bom.
"Yeoreum. Time to go back to your room."
"Whyy? I wanna sleep with Oppa~……."
"You're drunk."
"What're you talking about? I'm not dr—click!"
Bom pinched her forehead.
"Come here. Hey? Come on?"
Yeoreum's body slumped. Bom rushed over and caught her. Then Yeoreum nuzzled into Bom's chest, mumbling.
"Mmm…… So soft~……."
But that wasn't the end of it. There had been two presences in the room from the start. While Bom dealt with the drunk, Yoo Ji-tae peered inside.
"……."
From the bed half-hidden by the wall, Gaeul struggled to sit up, her face slack and body trembling. Had Yeoreum force-fed her or something?
The utterly wasted hatchling spotted Yoo Ji-tae and feebly raised a hand.
"Heeey. Yoo~."
Then she started acting up.
"It's been forever, hasn't it? Can't even get a glimpse of your face~."
"……."
"That's no way to be~. Mom said to smack wandering men on the butt~……."
"……."
"You know what kind of guy does that…?"
Gaeul trailed off, staring blankly at the wall. Then her face twisted in a scowl.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Honey. Who's that bitch?"
What the hell?
"I knew it…… All that time you spent getting old, and you still haven't grown up…? What? 'Ran into her by chance'? You gotta at least wipe the drool off your mouth before lying~……."
"……."
"You said you'd love me forever, but I fell for it. I fell for it. You think I like old geezers like you—? Back in my day, I had carts full of twenty-year-olds younger and hotter than you~."
"……."
"No surprise where you get it from~. Should've known when your dad was groping me a thousand years ago……."
Listening, it sounded like one messy family.
Then Gaeul whipped her head sideways, her expression venomous.
"You. What're you staring at? Enjoying the show? Did you drown your tact in soup…… Get over here. Hey. I said get over here, can't you hear me…?!"
She reached out like she was grabbing someone's hair. Her immersion was so intense it was like possession. Yoo Ji-tae could almost see Gaeul's dragon mom yanking someone's hair out right there.
No choice. He raised his hand in a knifehand strike and chopped the back of her neck.
"Kyaang!"
The hatchling passed out.
The next morning.
"……."
"……."
"……."
Olivaceous, red, and golden eyes fixed on Yoo Ji-tae. The hatchlings stared at him in silence.
"……."
Winter rolled off the sofa and glared at Morning Star on the floor. Her tiny arms were crossed.
The word floated above her face.
He'd planned to tell them to drink in moderation when they woke up.
But suddenly, it felt like an interrogation.
Bom, Yeoreum, and Gaeul stared at Yoo Ji-tae, demanding answers. Who the hell is she? What's your relationship? Why'd you bring her here?
The regressor pondered his options briefly.
Option 1: Ex-girlfriend.
Not a great explanation. Morning Star, covered only by his jacket, had been naked until Bom dressed her that morning, and battle scars still marked her body.
Option 2: A soldier who was a demonkin.
That muddied why he'd brought her here. They were in advanced education and harbored hostility toward demonkin. Yeoreum might even charge and kick her head off.
Option 3: Some evil from beyond fate's horizon possessed my past lover's body and—
…Rejected outright.
"Who is she?"
Bom asked with her usual expression.
Her tone and face suggested it was no big deal.
"Saw her naked at dawn."
Yeoreum chimed in.
"Hmmm. Never pegged you for it…… You're just another horny guy, huh? Right? That……."
Yeoreum tapped her fist into her palm.
Then burst into giggles.
"My mom said not to let strangers into the house……."
Gaeul's voice held worry.
Your dad probably did……
Anyway, he couldn't dodge forever. Yoo Ji-tae blurted the first thing that came to mind.
"Someone I know."
Their expressions shifted differently.
"Right? You start knowing a girl. Take off her coat, she's your little sister. Take off her shirt, she's your girlfriend. Take off her panties……."
"Whoa, hold on! Just why'd you bring someone you know all the way here?!"
Gaeul pressed again.
"What's the deal? Huh?"
She snuck a glance sideways.
Yoo Ji-tae shook his head.
"Nothing."
The hatchling's eyes brimmed with suspicion.
For some reason, her stray bangs formed a '?' shape.
"Don't get the wrong idea. She's just someone I know. Not that close. She doesn't even know me."
It was the truth.
If the 'Evil' was gone, Morning Star would've lost her 'memories outside the timeline.' In other words, when she woke up here, she'd see Yoo Ji-tae as a total stranger.
"Then why bring her here, someone who doesn't even know you?"
"Needed to."
"Money?!"
"No……."
Gaeul apparently thought he was some kidnapper.
Well, close enough.
After a moment's thought, Yoo Ji-tae spoke.
"There's a bad guy out there. Hiding tight, but she knows where. So I'll keep her around a bit and ask."
"Oh? Then what after you ask everything?"
"Send her off."
Yoo Ji-tae subtly checked the Apocalyptic Clock's status.
The Apocalyptic Clock (EX) was still hard at work.
It had zipped to 5%, then slowed after 7%. Probably wrap up around 15%.
Not enough to pinpoint the guy perfectly.
"Look, I don't really care……."
"I do!"
Gaeul cut Yeoreum off.
"Why."
"This is our lair. I want it to just be ours."
Gaeul said carefully.
Lair? School?
Then it hit him—dragon lair (nest). Gaeul glanced sideways again before continuing.
"I love our 'lair.' Coming back from outside relaxes me. Staying here without going out is fun too. It's the first time I've felt this since leaving Mom's nest. Having another human besides you here feels…… uncomfortable……."
"What about the cleaner?"
"He's not human…… And lairs usually have guardians like him anyway."
It wasn't just Gaeul. Yeoreum eyed Morning Star unhappily, and crossed-armed Winter agreed.
Surprisingly, Bom seemed the least bothered.
He knew dragons were territorial, but it still struck him.
He could ignore them and keep her anyway. He'd have in the past.
But recalling his clone's daily memories, these conflicts usually snowballed. And the dragons mattered more than Hasebyeol.
No helping it. As he pondered alternatives—
A status message appeared.
Abnormal status: Mental Corruption.
A common phenomenon from other dimensions. Victims acted rude and violent, like their personalities had flipped.
But Hasebyeol turning out like that?
The mystery solved hours later.
It was a weekday. Bom and Gaeul headed to the academy district, skipping Yeoreum who had no classes. Yoo Ji-tae lounged in his room, Yeoreum watched TV in the living room—
Slowly, Hasebyeol's monolidded eyes fluttered open.
Cat-like face. Sensing the unfamiliar space, she looked around and locked eyes with Yeoreum.
"Kyaa!" Hasebyeol screamed.
"Wh-what is this place!?"
"Beats me. Definitely not your house."
Hasebyeol checked her clothes. Unfamiliar T-shirt. No underwear. Realizing this, she freaked out.
"Who are you? What did you do to me?"
Yeoreum had heard about the mental corruption from Yoo Ji-tae.
So she tried to be careful.
"Wondered if we banged or something, but he said no. So shut up. You're loud."
Best she could do.
"B-banged? Crazy…… You messed up."
Serious-faced Hasebyeol grabbed a nearby glass vase. 'Huh? This psycho?' Yeoreum scowled and stood.
She smashed the vase against the wall. Crash! Shards flew, and she gripped a sharp piece like a knife.
"Move! Let me out!"
"……."
"I'm a superhuman, you know? Don't wanna hurt you, so move when I say!"
That's when Yoo Ji-tae ambled out of his room.
Mental corruption cases he knew turned near-psychotic. Hasebyeol, though corrupted, was still fairly polite.
Probably her fairy-like personality.
Yeoreum glanced at Yoo Ji-tae.
Her eyes said: Can I smack her?
He nodded. Just subdue her enough.
"Auntie. Put that down."
"Who're you calling auntie! I'm twenty-six!"
She snapped at the weirdest point. Her slightly mature look was her complex.
"Said it again. Put it down. Nicely."
As Yeoreum approached, Hasebyeol scowled and attacked.
Hasebyeol's world rank 871 was thanks to demon lord Rakshta's power. Without demonkin strength, she was weaker than expected.
Yeoreum blocked the flying glass with her teeth.
"Wha—?!"
Even pushing hard, it didn't budge.
Next instant, Yeoreum crunched the glass. Crunch! Shards scattered.
Hasebyeol freaked again.
"Told you."
Yeoreum lunged, locking in a polished joint lock. "Kyaa!" Hasebyeol hit the floor screaming.
Then—
Yoo Ji-tae, watching silently from afar, felt another gaze.
Bzzz……
Glowing red eyes.
He turned. The guardian was glaring at him.
"Return my sword……."
It was off too, from the mental corruption's aftermath.
"Didn't you take it? Answer me. Yoo Ji-tae!"
What a mess.
He rubbed his temple.
But perfect—he'd just thought of where to stash these two crazies.
A deep, secret place untouched by outside influence. Where he'd kept the dragons in past regressions.
Underground Labyrinth
That'd work great.