Chapter 71
Chapter 71
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Episode 26. The Chick That the Chick Picked Up (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
…….
Atop the towering clock tower.
Yoo Ji-tae sat there, suppressing his presence as much as possible, gazing out into the distance.
His eyes were fixed on Gaeul.
She had said she could go alone, but he hadn't let her. Was it because he didn't trust her? No, that wasn't it. It was just that with anything involving Gaeul, he needed certainty.
More than with Bom, Yeoreum, or even Winter.
Gaeul's heart was especially fragile.
Unaware of his gaze, Gaeul shook her golden hair as she toddled off somewhere.
But strangely, there was no sign of the chick today.
Gaeul panicked.
She got down on the ground and pressed her face to it. Then she just stood there blankly for a while. Probably trying to recall its scent.
…….
Soon, Gaeul started running somewhere. Toward the amusement district. Tracking the chick's location by smell, perhaps.
Yoo Ji-tae stood up as well.
But her steps soon halted.
Gaeul hesitated.
'This sticky, musky smell... I've smelled something like it before. What was it? Hmm... Ah. That cat from the Amazon?'
'Huh? A cat? Then our peep's in big trouble, right!?'
'Sh-should we go? I'm a dragon too. If I really try, I can run fast. Faster than any reporter could chase.'
'We can just grab the chick and go, right?'
'Agh. Ugh. I should've learned teleport from Bom unni... Then I could poof in, grab the chick, and poof out...!'
'But, but... I promised ajusshi I wouldn't go where the reporters are! If I go, I'd be breaking my promise to ajusshi...'
'Ah...'
'Yeoreum unni did say promises are made to be broken, though...'
'No, Mom said to treasure promises like your life...'
'What do I do?'
'What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do...'
'Ah. I'm such an idiot.'
'I should've just brought the chick home ages ago. It's cold and dangerous out there. Why did I hesitate?'
'You dummy. Yoo Gaeul. Idiot. Why'd you do that? Just feeding it isn't enough?'
'But Mom said to think a hundred times before letting someone into the house... Living together is a whole different thing...'
Gaeul snapped out of it.
At some point, her legs had started running on their own.
The amusement district. A place packed with games in every building. Cadets in their uniforms mingled with guardians everywhere, along with the blue badges of administrative staff.
And among them, white badges marking reporters and media personnel.
Realizing too late, Gaeul covered her face with her hands and ran. Fortunately, no one grabbed the rushing Gaeul.
Even so, she kept her direction precise. After running for a while, she reached a quiet back alley and caught her breath.
It's nearby.
That was when it happened.
Mrrrooow!
Peep!
From the other end of the alley came a sharp cat yowl and the chick's cry.
Gaeul startled and headed to the corner. Then she peered to the opposite side.
Three large cats were rolling around furiously. Claws out, attacking something. One tumbled after getting hit.
And mixed in with them was...
A yellow fluff ball!
……!
Startled, Gaeul's body jerked.
'Huh?'
If she hadn't sensed something off, Gaeul would have jumped out.
'Eh? What? What's going on?'
Gaeul hid again and observed.
The fluff ball's cottony wings grew slightly and slapped a cat's cheek.
Smack!
Yaow! The cat rolled over.
But another cat lunged from the side, claws sharp.
Gaeul was confused. Come to think of it, those cats... they're standing on two legs. How is that possible?
Then, a conversation from her friends a few days ago popped into Gaeul's head.
—By the way, the professor seemed really flustered. Something going on?
—I heard there was a problem at the spirit beast nursery.
Spirit beast nursery?
No way...
Shrrk! Peep!
The chick tumbled after a claw swipe. A small wound bled red, staining its yellow feathers.
Gaeul froze in the unexpected situation.
…….
By then, Yoo Ji-tae had arrived.
He watched from a rooftop, observing.
Mrrrow!
The cats yowled sharply. To anyone else, just cat noises, but Yoo Ji-tae understood.
A skill from an adult dragon.
Gaeul had Fallen Babel (S) too, but she was young. Her understanding of magic and skills was low. She couldn't grasp spirit beast speech yet.
Meanwhile, the cats raised their claws.
Mrrrooow!
'This is it!'
They charged at the chick.
The fallen chick lifted its head. Its black eyes glowed blue.
Pew-pew-pew-pew!
Mana-charged beak pecked the cats like a woodpecker. Kyow! Woeow! Two tumbled. Finally, the biggest mackerel tabby got its nose pecked and collapsed in panic.
But the chick wasn't unscathed. It had taken solid hits from claws and flopped down.
The area fell silent.
Meooow...
'Guh... Not bad, Laser...'
The wounded mackerel tabby staggered up.
Peep.
'Enough pointless territory fights.'
Meooow... Meow.
'Heh... You're strong, sure. But your beak's all you've got.'
Peep?
'What?'
Meooow. Meooow woeow!
'All that yowling for someone in such bad shape!'
The cat was right.
The chick staggered, then collapsed on one leg.
So, the fight's end.
It looked up at the sky.
Peep. Peeeep...
...So high and blue. How many times have I dreamed of this view?
Kyaow! Kyaoow.
'Hmph. Lost in sentiment? Quit the nonsense and leave our turf.'
Peeeep. Peeow. Peeyooow.
'I thought leaving our narrow cage would reveal a vast world... But even here, you try to cage me.'
Meow!
'Shut it!'
Mrrrooowww!
The cat yowled threateningly.
Yoo Ji-tae decided to watch silently.
The boss cat and chick's conversation continued.
'One last question! You were ready to give up these past days. Why come back?'
'I never gave up. There was just a girl waiting for me. I had to see her.'
'What?'
'Didn't want to abandon my duty. She was the first to treat me kindly.'
'Tch... Still so soft. Fine. Goodbye!'
Yaaooowww...
The cats raised claws and charged ferociously.
Fiercer than before.
Peeoow...
'The yolk... tasted good.'
Resigned, the chick bowed its head.
A moment of crisis.
Startled Gaeul stepped forward, bumping a rusty bike in the alley.
Clang!
……?
……!
Cats and chick turned, eyes meeting Gaeul.
"Ah, uh... th-that!"
Panicked Gaeul blurted.
"Um, uh... S-sorry for interrupting your fight."
Silence hung briefly.
Peep?
The chick chirped.
"So, the cat and chick were fighting over territory. You butted in, and the cats ran off?"
Yoo Ji-tae feigned ignorance.
"Y-yeah..."
"And it got beat up by the cat, ending up like this?"
"Y-yeah..."
Gaeul answered in a dejected voice.
On the fluffy cushion lay the chick, breathing but unconscious.
Yoo Ji-tae scanned its mana. Fine. No threat to life.
"I heard the spirit beast nursery got wrecked. This one's probably from there. Its wounds look bad..."
"Hm."
"Will the chick be okay...?"
Gaeul looked worriedly at it.
Yoo Ji-tae nodded.
"Bom."
"Yes."
Healing magic didn't exist long ago. Not until the Green Dragon clan created it.
Bom approached, placing her hand on the tiny body.
The power of nature to recover from any storm. It began flowing from Bom's fingertips.
Dragon mana mixed, green light spread round, slowly seeping into the chick.
Gaeul and Winter stared blankly.
The fist-sized body was covered in bloodstains. They believed it would heal, but worry gnawed. Gaeul clenched her fists tight.
Minutes passed.
Slowly.
The chick cracked its eyes open.
……!
The awake chick tilted its head at surroundings, cautiously standing. But weak, it faceplanted into the cushion after steps. Bom smiled.
"Not yet. Don't get up."
Peep...
"And Winter. Can you make some water?"
Winter spread her tiny hands. Mana gathered into a droplet.
She glanced at Yoo Ji-tae, then carefully extended it to the chick. Her small hands trembled tensely.
The chick finally stood and pecked the water. Tilted head, swallowed a few times.
Its black eyes turned to Gaeul.
Peep! Peep!
It had come to.
The revived chick no longer avoided Gaeul.
Peep peep!
It ran to her. 'Wha, whoa?' Surprised, Gaeul cupped it carefully. It rubbed its head on her palm, acting cute.
"Aww..."
As Yoo Ji-tae lounged on the sofa watching silently, the chick crossed the living room to him. Then bowed.
Peep.
'You probably can't understand me.'
Peep. Peeow.
'I'm from Cayman, a branch of the Join Clan.'
Cayman. One of the nearby otherworlds.
As Yoo Ji-tae guessed, dimensional rift to a dungeon.
Peeeep. Bpeep. Peep. Peep peep!
'Name's Laser. They called me that at the nursery. You seem the boss here. My thanks!'
He skimmed the young spirit beast's intent.
Polite one.
"Aww... It looks like it's saying thanks... So cute."
Gaeul unwittingly nailed it, eyes sparkling.
Laser then approached Bom, bowing.
Peep. Peeow. Peep.
'You're the one who healed me. Thanks to you, I'm hale. No more pain.'
Peep peep peep!
'Grateful. We Join Clan of Cayman never forget favors.'
Peep!
'I'll owe you forever!'
"Yeah. Okay."
Bom gently stroked its head with a finger. Soft yellow fluff against her skin.
"Huh? Unni, were you just talking to it?"
"No? Just felt like responding."
Meanwhile, Laser went to Winter.
Bowed.
……!
Shocked Winter looked to Yoo Ji-tae.
He nodded; she placed a hand on her belly, bowing to the chick.
So cute, Bom and Gaeul giggled.
Peeeep!
'Thanks for the fresh, clean water!'
Peep. Peep.
'Beautiful girl. It tasted like heaven's nectar.'
Winter glanced back at Yoo Ji-tae, eyes asking permission to touch. He nodded; she slowly bent, hand to floor.
The chick hopped onto her hand without hesitation.
…….
Winter hesitated instead. She stroked gently. Pleased, chick peep-peeped, rubbing against her hand.
"...Pretty."
Winter's cheeks flushed; she stomped cutely. "Ugh..." Overcome by adorableness.
Finally, from Winter's hand, the chick approached Gaeul.
Though walking, its steps solemn.
Slower than to others.
Laser bowed.
And stayed bowed long.
Gaeul panicked instead. 'Huh? What's it doing?' She knelt, lowering herself.
Laser chirped softly.
Peep. Peep.
'You are. My savior.'
Peep.
'My, guardian deity.'