Chapter 64
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: A Family Name Made on the Spot
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* * *
Returning home after a long time, the Yu siblings tidied up the place.
Unlike Cheon Doun, they didn't make any special preparations for the winter.
They didn't care if the vine roof melted away when the acid snow fell. Even if their home was completely destroyed, they wouldn't mind.
They could just build a new one when spring came. The free-spirited siblings weren't as attached to their home as Cheon Doun was.
The siblings gathered the fallen leaves from the vine roof and tossed them into the sea. They circled the rock, leaving their scent in various spots.
And with that, their home maintenance was complete. Just leaving their scent was enough to keep any nearby monsters at bay.
Finally, they placed the yellow ore they had received from Cheon Doun in a suitable spot.
The gently glowing ore gave off a lighthouse-like feel, just as the siblings had wanted.
“Not bad. Alright. We’re all done here, so shall we head over to the forest?”
Late that night, the two flew toward Cheon Doun’s house.
They had deliberately set out at night. Thinking the fence would be finished by now, they wanted to enjoy the atmosphere properly.
“Just as I thought, it’s done.”
The golden, glowing fence was visible even from high up in the sky. The house, shining with a faint green light, was also in plain sight.
The two found it odd that the house was glowing with a fluorescent light.
‘What is that?’
Landing in the yard, the siblings stared blankly at Cheon Doun’s house. Yu Beom hesitated for a moment before circling it once.
He looked for some monster that might be hiding somewhere in the house, but there was nothing of the sort.
“This… this is quite…”
What could they even say? The siblings’ jaws dropped at the result that so far surpassed their expectations.
They had expected the fence to glow, but they never imagined the house would be shining so brilliantly alongside it.
The sagging cobwebs and the shadows they cast were the final touch that sealed the atmosphere.
“You’re here?”
Just then, Cheon Doun, who had returned from washing the fluorescent sap off at the waterfall valley, greeted the siblings.
“The house has… changed quite a bit. Did something happen?”
“Not really. Just did some winter prep. The house would collapse if it snowed. Anyway, you came at a good time.”
Cheon Doun went inside and brought out the beaker containing the root.
Exhausted from its trip to the cave area, the root was sleeping peacefully inside.
“I need to give this little guy a name, but I can’t think of anything good. Can you give me a few suggestions?”
“A name? Sure. But don’t you think you should be the one to name it? You’ve known it since it was young.”
“I was thinking the same thing. But the names I came up with all seem pretty bad.”
“So you do have some ideas. Tell us. Let’s take a vote.”
At the word “vote,” Cheon Doun began to speak.
“The first name is inspired by where it lived. Since it lived in a small cave, I thought of Gulpuri.”
The siblings’ expectant expressions instantly darkened. Seeing this, Cheon Doun continued.
“There’s another one. Taking the first and last syllables of Mandragora, how about Mangora?”
The siblings’ expressions grew a little darker. Cheon Doun nodded.
Even he thought they were terrible names. That was why he wanted the siblings’ help.
“Any other candidates?”
“Of course. This little one has quite the spirit. To highlight its Mandragora origins and its spirited nature, I was thinking something dragon-like, so Drago—”
“We’ll name it.”
Yu Beom cut Cheon Doun off. He had a feeling that hearing any more suggestions would be a pointless exercise.
“Just give us some time. I’ll think about what would suit it with my sister.”
He felt that if they left the naming to Cheon Doun just because of their brief connection, the poor root would be pitiful.
Cheon Doun himself wasn’t fond of his own name ideas, so he agreed to the siblings’ proposal.
Just as the naming dilemma was settled, a Gate opened in front of the house.
Manager Kim emerged, clutching a large bag. Having come from home so late at night, he was once again wearing the teddy bear pajamas his nephew had bought him.
“Sir, I’ve discovered something. A great discovery! I came to tell you… about… it…”
Manager Kim’s excited voice trailed off. His gaze was fixed on the house visible over Cheon Doun’s shoulder.
His eyes trembled. His mouth fell open. He instinctively took a step back. Seeing this, Nam Giseok nodded.
‘I know that feeling.’
Having gone through the same process himself, he completely understood how Manager Kim felt.
Was the house attacked by aliens? Though he knew it was absurd, the thought crossed Manager Kim’s mind.
‘D-Don’t ask. I saw nothing. It’s best to pretend I don’t know about this.’
Not getting involved was the key to a long life. Manager Kim shrewdly decided to feign ignorance.
Despite his decision, he couldn’t help but steal glances at the house.
“How is O Bongsu?”
“Ah, I took him to my place to recuperate. He’s progressing quite well.”
“That’s a relief. So you didn’t come here for that. What brings you here so late at night?”
“I wanted to show you this.”
Manager Kim took a small glass bottle from his bag. Inside was a thin, silver wire.
“It’s a rootlet from the metal Mandragora. It fell off naturally during the examination. As soon as it detached from the main body, the Mandragora components dissolved, leaving only the liquid metal.”
At Manager Kim’s words, Cheon Doun’s eyes lit up with interest. Kim Nari, too, listened intently, as this was related to her.
“So as the rootlets fall off, does the liquid metal leave its body, returning it to its original form?”
“That’s not it. The main body regenerates the amount of liquid metal that was lost. It seems to be producing the metal internally.”
Kim Nari was surprised by Manager Kim’s words. She didn’t have such an ability.
“After some investigation, it appears to be a recent physical change. I believe it’s a transformation that occurred while it was consuming an abundance of demonic energy.”
Liquid metal was a rare metal said to be no longer obtainable. The fact that it could be produced internally, even in small amounts, was astonishing.
“That’s a great discovery. Did you rush all the way here just to tell me that?”
“That’s part of it. But the most surprising part is yet to come. It’s about the explosion spell on the feathers. I tried creating a formula using this liquid metal as a medium.”
Manager Kim spoke with an excited expression. The siblings, who had been listening from the side, moved closer as the conversation turned to a matter concerning them.
“Completely undoing the spell is still difficult. However, if we create a formula with this liquid metal as a medium, it should be possible to disable it temporarily. We can make the spell disappear for about three days a week.”
The siblings’ faces filled with astonishment. What Manager Kim described was more than enough for them to set foot on their homeland again.
“When will that spell be possible?”
Yu Beom asked. A month from now. Perhaps a year. Three years would be fine, too. Even ten years would be great. As long as there was hope, they could wait indefinitely.
In response to the siblings’ question, Manager Kim confidently patted the bag he was holding.
“It’s possible right now.”
He had anticipated this and brought all the necessary materials. Manager Kim smiled as if to say so.
“No need to drag this out. Let’s begin immediately.”
He took out about thirty different materials from his bag. After arranging them in their respective positions, he placed a piece of paper with the formula written on it in the center.
“You two, please stand here. Yes, just like that. Don’t move until I say it’s done.”
Even as they followed his instructions, the siblings wore dazed expressions.
Something they had been prepared to wait a decade for was now right before their eyes. They looked blankly at the unbelievable reality.
As Manager Kim activated his ability, the formulas written on the paper floated into the air.
The liquid metal, serving as the spell’s medium, sizzled and melted into a black substance.
“We should go buy clothes first thing when we get outside the Gate. I know a clothing store we can go to.”
The siblings couldn’t answer. They remained motionless, tense with the fear that Manager Kim might fail.
Cheon Doun smiled quietly and looked at Kim Nari.
“Kim Nari. How about you come with us this time?”
“M-Me too?”
“Yes. There’s no reason to avoid going outside the Gate anymore.”
The research institute no longer existed. Knowing this, Kim Nari still hesitated to answer.
“Is… uh, are you going too, mister?”
Going alone was scary. When she asked out of that anxiety, Cheon Doun nodded. Seeing that, Kim Nari felt a sense of relief.
Cheon Doun on her right. The new siblings on her left. If they all went together, it wouldn’t be scary.
“What’s this? I’m hurt, Kim Nari. So you don’t need this uncle, is that it?”
“Ah! Uncle Nam Giseok! It would be great if you came too. It’ll be great if we all go together, holding hands.”
With Nam Giseok joining in, she felt as if she had gained an army of ten million.
‘An outing. This is an outing. We’re all going on an outing outside the Gate.’
Kim Nari smiled, her face as full of anticipation as the siblings’.
* * *
Mr. Bak, the owner of the clothing store in the slums.
Whenever he had a free moment, he would peer out of his shop, scanning the area.
‘Where did that O Bongsu kid go? He said he was going to the Hunter Association to get measured, so why haven't I heard anything yet?’
It had been several days since he’d given the boy bus fare, telling him to go to the Association since it didn’t seem like a common cold.
With still no word, Mr. Bak was starting to worry.
As he was looking around outside his shop, his expression hardened when he saw five or six men approaching.
It was the gang that had been stirring up trouble in the area recently. They headed straight for his shop, as if he were their target.
“Hey, Mr. Bak. Have you thought about what we talked about before?”
“Ah, about that… I have no intention of closing my business. I’m not planning on leaving the shop.”
“Don’t be stubborn, think it over. I told you we’d give you a generous price for the spot.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I…”
“Move it, boss. Guys from the slums never get it when you ask nicely.”
One of the men standing beside the leader grabbed Mr. Bak by the collar and threw him.
Thrown onto the street, Mr. Bak squeezed his eyes shut. He braced for impact with the asphalt, but someone caught him, preventing his fall.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh…? Y-You’re…”
It was the big-spender customer from before. Mr. Bak was surprised to see Cheon Doun. His expression soon clouded with worry.
“Thank you for your help, but you should leave quickly. Those men are a notorious gang in this area. There are Awakened Ones mixed in with them. You’ll be in danger too, sir.”
Mr. Bak whispered. He had intended for only Cheon Doun to hear, but the gang, with its mix of Awakened Ones, heard everything.
They lifted their chins with arrogant expressions.
“You think you can just walk away after interfering with our business?”
“Hey now, not so fast. You stepped in so openly, you must have been prepared. What family are you guys from?”
They spoke with menacing faces. Even seeing a child like Kim Nari in the group, they tried to frame them as a rival gang to pick a fight.
Their intention was to pressure those around Mr. Bak, assuming they were his acquaintances.
“Hey, you there. Kid. What crew are you with?”
“C-Crew?”
“Yeah. You know this could blow up into a war depending on your answer, right?”
They didn’t hesitate to threaten even a young child.
Kim Nari panicked. When asked which group she belonged to, the first thing that came to mind was the TDA Research Institute.
She was a chimera belonging to that place. But she couldn’t say what was recorded in her mind.
As she hesitated, unable to answer, Cheon Doun came over and patted her head.
Cheon Doun looked at the members who had crossed the Gate with him. The first he saw were the avian siblings, watching the situation with amused faces.
To cross the Gate, Yu Beom had, for the first time in a while, taken a human form down to his head. Yu Jia had also removed her bone helmet.
Yu Beom without his bird head and Yu Jia without her bone helmet. It was unfamiliar, but the siblings’ distinct golden eyes, which gave them an eerie feel, remained the same.
Next to them was Nam Giseok, making the sign of the cross over his chest. Manager Kim was there too, copying him.
Then there was Kim Nari, standing with an anxious face, and Mr. Bak, who had gotten roped in.
Cheon Doun looked over his group before turning his gaze to the gang members.
They had asked what family they were from. Cheon Doun answered them.
“We’re the Coconut Family.”
“Pfft. Ah, my bad.”
Behind him, Yu Beom let out a small laugh before clearing his throat. Kim Nari’s eyes sparkled at the name Coconut Family.
‘F-Family…!’
Family. A warmer word than ‘tribe.’ A tight-knit something, like people who share meals from the same pot. Was that it? Was I part of the Coconut Family?
Kim Nari looked at the gang members. She hesitated for a moment, then took a step forward, placed her hands on her hips, and shouted defiantly.
“I… I am a member of the Coconut Family!”
Kim Nari proudly declared her affiliation.