The Hatchling Wakes
“Kyuuuuh.”
He woke from his dream and shook his head against the dizziness.
Roses and vines tumbled off his body in a shower.
As his senses sharpened, the first thing he noticed was his body's growth.
Crack!
Stretching out his front legs in a big yawn, his stiff body let out a satisfying pop.
His frame had grown subtly—bones, hide, even his weight had increased.
He'd worried a little about his health during the long sleep, but his muscles felt even more solid now.
'Nice.'
Thud.
He stood on all fours, arched his back, and stretched fully.
His rigid body loosened, the ache turning into a tingling sense of release.
'Hoo! Feels great.'
His yawning maw had lengthened noticeably, giving off a boyish vibe.
The faint fatigue he'd felt was gone after the deep sleep.
That was when it happened.
“You're awake!”
“……?”
A bright, innocent voice rang out clear as a bell.
He turned toward the sound and met pink diamond eyes staring right at him.
She looked about six or seven now.
The chubby-cheeked child grinned with an adorable smile.
[Who are you?]
“Me?”
Thank goodness telepathy worked.
The child pointed at herself, tilting her head and blinking.
“Heungmi!”
[Heungmi?]
'Right, the one that came from fusing with the fox bead... this kid?'
In that instant, a small info window popped up before his eyes.
Species: Baby Succubus: One-Tail Fox
Hatching Condition: Infuse the master's dream into a Bewitching Black Rose for a slim chance of birth.
Growth Requirement: Nutrients infused with the same attributes as the master.
※ Special Notes:
A demonic (dream demon) soul has dwelled in the seed with slim probability.
Bound to: Lune Eclipse
Servant Contract: Complete
Disposition: Loyal
The dream demon and succubus souls have fused with the One-Tail Fox soul to be born.
And it didn't end there.
You can now add achievements to this world!
The One Who Synthesized a Soul from Another Realm
'What's this achievement stuff?'
He rubbed his head with a groan, and the child pointed at him intently.
“……Daddy?”
[No!]
'I haven't even gotten married—what the heck!'
Chilled by the creepy title, Rune stared in shock, but the child tilted her head the other way.
“Then…… Mommy?”
[Do I look like a girl to you!?]
Her innocent face packed a punch straight to the back of his head.
The child blinked, clapped her hands, and let out a gasp.
“Ah! Master?”
[……Drop it. What kind of master calls me that.]
Rune rubbed his face with a paw.
A rich rose scent wafted from it—must've been a flower petal stuck there.
“Drop master? Then what should Heungmi call you?”
“……”
He needed to settle on a title fast.
Rune calmed himself and waved his paw gently.
[Just 'Rune' is fine.]
“Ruuune……”
[Yeah. Rune. That's my name.]
The child murmured 'Rune' to herself, then beamed a bright smile and spread her arms wide.
“Lord Rune!”
“!”
Hop.
She leaped into his embrace, hugging the hatchling—who was bigger than her—like a big dog.
'Eek.'
Startled by the sudden hug, he made scales clack as he tried to escape.
But she clung too tight—it was impossible.
'Guh.'
He couldn't struggle roughly either.
In the end, Rune surrendered, going limp as a sign of defeat.
His upside-down view, head thrown back, was a sea of flowers.
'Isn't that all roses?'
Black roses filled the Black Room.
It looked like a little garden now—not something grown in just a year or two.
[Hey, do you know how long I've been asleep?]
The child tilted her head, then spread both hands wide, showing ten fingers.
[No way—ten years?]
“Yeah, ten!”
He'd thought it was a good long sleep, but this was intense.
Ten years seemed reasonable, but a strange doubt crept in.
'Maybe more than ten?'
She seemed pretty smart, but he couldn't fully trust a kid's grasp of numbers.
Calling a male like him 'mommy' didn't exactly scream common sense.
'Gotta see Christina, Rai, or even Baekya to check.'
He scanned the room quickly, resolve firm.
His eyes landed on a blanket nearby, an artifact bracelet for human form, and a yellow magic stone.
The magic stone pulsed with a familiar aura.
Gauging the inscribed spell, he nodded in understanding and gripped the stone.
'Teleports straight to Christina. Probably for when I woke up.'
He slipped on the artifact bracelet and shifted to human form.
'Grown a bit here too.'
About nine years old now.
Still small, but the longer arms and legs felt right.
Whoosh!
Bam!
'Good. I like it.'
Rune punched the air, grinning in satisfaction.
He warmed up with jumps, kicks, and thrusts, then brushed off his clothes.
“Gotta go.”
“Where?”
“Outside. To see the others.”
Heungmi's fox ears drooped sadly.
“Take me too!”
“Wasn't the rose your real body? It's not like it has legs—can you even walk?”
At that, Heungmi's face fell like an abandoned puppy, and she hugged his arm with both of hers.
She rubbed her soft cheek against it.
“If Lord Rune takes me, I can!”
“……Ah. Like that, huh.”
Rune got it after a moment's thought.
Her true body, the Demon Realm rose, was bound to him, so he had authority to let his servant move.
“Alright. Let's go, Heungmi.”
“Yay! So exciting!”
Her droopy ears perked right up.
She let go of his arm, giggling and hopping around.
Meanwhile, Rune clutched the teleport stone, lost in thought.
'Woke up and suddenly have a kid—how do I explain this?'
……It sounded weird when he put it like that, but he shook it off.
“Stop bouncing and come here. Let's go.”
“Okay!”
Heungmi ran over barefoot and jumped into his arms.
As expected, Rune caught her securely and activated the stone.
“Oh my, Rune!”
“Peep!”
[O_O!]
Christina, Baekya, and Rai spotted him the moment the teleport activated, all startled.
They'd been having tea time—treats neatly arranged on a white table.
Baekya flew over first, landing on Rune's head and pecking at his hair with its feet.
'This guy's looking kinda...... like a broiler chicken.'
Baekya had grown while Rune slept too.
Its black feathers numbered three now, and its fluff was longer.
Christina and Rai looked unchanged.
“You're finally awake! How do you feel?”
“Slept great—feels even better now.”
Poke.
Heungmi peeked out from behind Rune's leg, using it like a pillar.
All eyes turned to the unfamiliar black-haired child.
“Who's that……? Never seen her before. What happened?”
Rune couldn't spill everything about the dream.
As he hesitated, sorting his thoughts, Christina's blue eyes chilled.
“That's demonic energy.”
“Yeah. A soul from the Demon Realm rose in the Black Room. A succubus.”
“Succubus?”
Rune nodded in confirmation.
“Her name's 'Heungmi.'”
He couldn't explain the soul fusion via dream into the One-Tail Fox Heungmi—that was as much as he could say.
“I see…… Hmm.”
“Eek.”
Christina's power swept over Heungmi, who folded her black ears and trembled slightly.
The girl gripped Rune's leg, eyeing Christina warily.
Rune gently stroked her head, sensing the tension.
Finished checking, Christina nodded reassuringly.
“Very rare, but it seems a soul from the Demon Realm rose absorbed your energy. However…… bound to a dragon, its original succubus nature is heavily diluted.”
Her eyes now sparkled with curiosity, a smile playing on her lips.
“Demonic, yet also beastkin. But her core is…… I can't fathom how.”
She was purely intrigued now.
“I know the world's vast, but this is new. If anything, a fox beastkin?”
'Well, it's the offspring of a kumiho synthesis.'
Beastkin.
Those with animal traits, unbound by beastly instincts.
Human-like, with enough intellect for communication.
But that wasn't the point.
“Anyway, she's not dangerous, right?”
“Yes. As your bound servant, she'll be loyal. It's fine to keep her around.”
'Good thing the One-Tail Fox Heungmi soul is at the core.'
Perfect.
With light-aspect Christina's approval, her place was secure.
“I permit it, but raising her is all on you. Understood?”
“Got it. Don't worry.”
Meanwhile, Baekya, who'd been listening, locked eyes with Heungmi.
Heungmi's eyes lit up.
“Cluck-a-doodle!”
“Peep?”
Her eyes sparkled like she'd spotted tasty food, licking her lips.
Baekya flapped in panic, sensing danger.
'Is this okay? Fox and chicken.'
He didn't want to imagine it, but the worst-case flashed in his mind.
Heungmi baring fangs with a nyaa, chomping the dangling Baekya, then bounding over for praise after a 'successful hunt.'
“……”
Then, additional info surfaced.
- Animalistic instincts remain.
“……”
It sounded like 'she might hunt even if she doesn't eat.'
Even house cats, well-fed, sometimes pounced on heels.
'Something about bragging superiority after a successful hunt.'
Maybe overthinking, but Baekya did have that...... mid-tier chicken vibe.
Rune looked down at Heungmi, pondering.
“Heungmi.”
“Yes?”
“Hungry?”
“Yep!”
Christina smiled softly, preparing a warp spell.
“It's been ages since we all ate together.”
She seemed delighted, but Rune's gaze turned distant.
'Should I tell her the food's to stop her from hunting Baekya?'
Rune pondered two kinds of 'hunt':
Civilized meals.
And instinctual hunting urges.
Time for countermeasures.
'Monster hunting it is.'
Training was good, but real combat was best.
After ten years' sleep, he needed hunting experience too.