Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: 26. The Chick the Chick Picked Up (3)
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Underground chapel of Invisibility. In the darkness, crimson flames soared high.
A few of Wei Lian and "Wei Lian's demonkin" had gathered there.
Wei Lian offered a sacrifice, burning it to honor the beings of the abyss. He prayed that, at Melishia's ballroom, a cadet might receive a rare blessing from them.
All of it would soon become Wei Lian's power.
Kiiiek—
The chapel door opened right then.
'What crazy bastard...'
Interrupting a ritual was unforgivable. He whipped his head around irritably, but upon recognizing the intruder, Wei Lian smiled calmly.
"You've arrived, elders."
Wei Lian, whose personal might rivaled "Collapse-rank," held considerable standing even within Invisibility.
For even him to show such deference, the demonkin before him numbered among the scant twenty left worldwide.
And the man and woman standing there were precisely two of them.
"You look well, Wei Lian."
The middle-aged woman spoke first.
From her jawline to her elbows and wrists—every joint on her body resembled that of a marionette doll.
Her gaze was utterly vacant.
She was a Collapse-rank demonkin.
「Magic Engineer Izel Halifa」
One of Invisibility's elders.
"Even so, your presence brings me some relief. My sincere thanks for your assistance."
"Your silver tongue rolls as smoothly as ever."
"I humbly ask for your guidance. As you've no doubt heard..."
Wei Lian lowered his gaze.
"Yeah. He croaked. That batshit old geezer."
They were speaking of Hasegawa, Japan's Collapse-rank demonkin.
"Tch tch. Good riddance. He kept nagging me to make him more puppets—such a pain. Pathetic old fool, obsessed with his refined noble games..."
"I have no words."
"Keep 'em in your mouth even if you do. It's complicated enough."
Wei Lian bowed politely to Izel, then looked behind her.
"Elder."
The man, blankly staring at the altar, turned his head.
His visage exuded antique elegance just by looking. It was hard to believe he was a demonkin who had lived 470 years.
A man who had once been Wei Lian's idol.
"It's been a while, kid."
His low, heavy voice reverberated through the entire altar.
Currently, five Calamity-rank demonkin existed worldwide.
And four of them belonged to Invisibility, holding the title of "Seats."
They were lords with their own forces. At the same time, as Calamity-ranks, they had received immense authority from the abyss's beings.
「Seat of Oaths, Demon King Jun」
The one preparing for the next era's currents as Lair's vice principal.
「Seat of Judgment, Im Cheol-oh」
Invisibility's fangs. The one who tore enemies apart.
「Seat of Iron Blood, Bartali Argorian」
Invisibility's legion commander. The lord with the largest army, who had once driven Yoo Ji-tae to despair in the second regression.
And finally, this man.
「Seat of Non-Wish, Noah」
Twenty years ago, during the East Asian Great War, the one who erased Nigeria, Chad, and surrounding regions from the map.
Known to wield abilities related to the "mind."
But little else was known about him. Even Wei Lian, an executive, knew only that the man was 470 years old.
Even among demonkin who eyed each other like hawks, he was an outlier.
"I sincerely apologize for troubling you, elder."
"And you're to be Invisibility's fifth sword?"
"Yes. Though unworthy, I've been chosen by the abyss, but interfering forces give me headaches."
Meeting that gaze even briefly sent chills down his spine.
Yet Wei Lian felt overwhelming emotion instead.
"With your aid, this unworthy body vows to ascend to the Seats and contribute to the great cause."
Noah nodded lightly and turned to gaze at the altar.
"Adversaries have always existed."
"And now, none remain... With your protection, who would dare oppose us?"
No reply came to Wei Lian's words.
"One would hope..."
Noah murmured cryptically at the altar.
Peep. Pee-yung.
'Truth be told, I'm not fond of being touched by others...'
Pee-woong. Pee-yung.
'I hatched in a breeding pen. Spent over a decade there, growth stunted.'
Pee-woong. Pee-yung. Pee-yung-pee-yung-pee-yung.
'Humans shoved their hands in to force-feed me vile drugs. "Vitamins," they called it. Ridiculous. Wrong ingredients for me.'
Pee-yung!
'So please, no petting my feathers!'
The chick rambled on about its past traumas. But Winter, unable to understand a word, kept stroking its head regardless.
"...Good chick."
Pee-yung.
'I'm not good. I can be plenty naughty...'
The chick's mutterings weren't the least bit intimidating.
"...Kkyu-yeo."
Pee-woong. Pee-yung.
'Not cute. How long do you plan to pet me?'
'Stop. This is a warning.'
'Keep petting my head like that and...!'
Winter's gentle hand continued. The chick's eyes began to droop. Midway through muttering 'If you keep petting me like thaaat...', it let out a "Peep!"
'Hng...!'
What was it feeling, anyway.
Age notwithstanding, a chick was still a chick.
Then Yeoreum's door burst open.
Wearing just panties and shorts haphazardly thrown on, she yawned lazily.
Lately, she hadn't stuck around the house from day to night. And whenever she was home, she looked exhausted.
"...!"
Gaeul startled and hid the chick behind her back.
"...?"
"...!"
"My little sis, you make it way too obvious every time you hide something."
"Huh? Me!?"
"What're you hiding?"
"Nothing?"
"What is it? Show me now."
"N-no!"
Resistance was futile.
Gaeul was swiftly pinned and squirmed on the floor.
Yeoreum snatched up the chick.
"...What's this yellow thing?"
"Nooo! My Pee-yung!"
"Pee-yung? That's its name?"
"Yeah!"
"What kinda name is Pee-yung for a non-baby? It's just a chicken with a good shelf life."
Gaeul scowled fiercely.
"What? A chicken with a good shelf life? You're the old hag! Dummy!"
"Yeah, monkey."
"Ugly! Mean personality! Pervert! Trash! If I had strength, I'd...!"
Her tirade halted before glowing red eyes.
"You'd... what?"
"Uh...? Hehe..."
"Waaah! W-wait! Tap! Tap!"
Gaeul got as good as she gave.
Meanwhile, the chick freaked out and flapped its wings.
Pee-yung! Pee-yung!
'This stench—is it cigarettes!? Horrid. Stay away!'
"Hm."
As Gaeul panicked helplessly, Yeoreum pressed her nose to the chick's body and sniffed. From head to tail, meticulously. Then she tilted her head and licked its beak.
Peep!
'Gyaak!'
Not interested, apparently. Yeoreum tossed the chick back to Gaeul and stretched languidly.
Pee-yung...
'God is dead...'
But when the chick ate, she took interest. Yeoreum squatted, blankly watching it peck at food.
Then she grabbed the feed dish and tugged it away.
Pee-yung!
The chick charged, slamming its head into the dish.
Yeoreum tugged it again.
Pee-yung! Pee-yung!
The spirit beast chick hopped after it surprisingly fast.
So Yeoreum held the dish at a teasing height—just visible, but out of reach.
......
The chick's gaze shifted from the dish to Yeoreum.
A strange tension hung between them.
Peep.
'You little sh—.'
The chick swore for the first time.
Gaeul always took photos of things that delighted her. Animals, plants, food, people—no exceptions.
Today was no different. With the chick dozing in Winter's arms, a large wrist approached its head.
Lazy eyes opened. Winter smiled.
Click!
Gaeul snapped the shot.
"Awesome! So cute. C'mere, ajusshi!"
Yoo Ji-tae was suddenly dragged into frame. Assuming she wanted him to take the photo, he reached for her watch—but Gaeul said, "Hold Winter!"
Yoo Ji-tae picked up Winter.
Winter picked up the chick.
Click!
"Now take one of me!"
She handed over the watch.
Gaeul even filmed a video. Winter and Gaeul giggled, bouncing the chick around. They showed it to Bom studying in her room—tilt head—and to Yoo Ji-tae scribbling on paper in the living room—tilt head.
"Gaeul."
Yoo Ji-tae called then.
Even mid-fun, something pricked at her conscience. Gaeul's eyes widened.
"M-me?"
"Let's talk a bit."
Gaeul sat cautiously on the sofa, gauging his mood.
Yoo Ji-tae rarely called the kids aside like this. It made her heart sting.
"Ugh... I was gonna tell you anyway..."
"About what."
"I went to the amusement park. When the reporters were there."
Beating him to the punch, Gaeul answered carefully.
"Sorryyy..."
Her head drooped, hair cascading. She looked like a rain-soaked puppy—so pitiful that Yoo Ji-tae lost the will to scold.
"Got it. Be more careful next time."
"Yes..."
But even after, Gaeul lingered.
Something more on her mind?
"Um, but..."
"Yeah."
"You've always told me not to, so I didn't? Mom said adults have reasons."
"Mm."
"Why... can't I show myself to people?"
A question she'd harbored all this time.
Why she couldn't appear before others.
She'd asked casually before. Yoo Ji-tae had dismissed it with "It's dangerous."
Gaeul looked up at him steadily.
Caught between desires and prohibitions, having lost what she craved most in this flawed world—her golden eyes swirled with grievance, doubt, anxiety.
Like the gaze of actress Ayeta, who had moved the world to tears in the third regression.
"There are bad people."
"Bad... people?"
"Yeah. Truly vile ones. They thrive on others' sorrow and pain."
Standing before crowds would inevitably make her their prey.
Overcoming it was up to the individual.
But Gaeul couldn't.
Time and again.
"...Can't you protect me, ajusshi?"
The regressor met her golden eyes and continued.
"That's why I'm protecting you now."
"......"
"But your life is long. In another world, you could stand before anyone anytime. Just hold on a little. Got it?"
His words seemed to comfort her somewhat. Gaeul nodded.
"Yes."
He could leave it there, but cheering her up might be better. The thought crossed his mind.
"Wanna go eat something yummy together?"
"Ooh, yes! What about Winter?"
"Just us today. We can chat."
"Yay!"
Lately, Winter didn't fuss when Yoo Ji-tae left. He took Gaeul out carefree.
But meanwhile.
Something Yoo Ji-tae hadn't foreseen began unfolding nearby.
The watch Gaeul had removed for photos. Left alone, Winter fiddled with it.
"......"
Winter replayed the recent videos. A hologram display popped up.
Clips of Winter and Gaeul playing played in sequence.
Quite satisfying to watch.
"...This."
Winter showed the videos to the chick.
Intrigued, the chick approached the display and pecked at its lookalike with its beak.
So cute—Winter beamed.
"......"
Still clumsy with gadgets, Winter poked the screen randomly. Below the video were three dots. Tapping them brought up "Share." Share? What's that? Without thinking, Winter hit share, then a familiar red button.
Suddenly odd text appeared, and the display went dark.
Winter tapped futilely, then shook the watch.
"...Ung."
No response...
Only when the display brightened did Winter touch it again.
Thirty minutes later.
A video appeared on the global platform YuTuV.
No eye-catching title or description.
No subscribers on the channel.
No one should have viewed it.
And yet.
"A-boo-boo. Uh-bu..."
In a Ulsan household, while mom cooked, a toddler browsed YuTuV on his phone. Random search terms led him there.
Finishing the video, the kid burst into giggles. Kids were honest—and this unedited, unpolished clip charmed him utterly.
Decades into video media's ubiquity.
The child recalled his mom's "like" button habit.
It began so faintly.