#97 Aquamarine Sticky Rice Cake
The newborn ice dragon hatchling was truly tiny. Choi Kang-ho gazed quietly at the little one.
She was about the same size as Seol-a had been right after hatching—roughly the size of two fists stacked together. Her appearance...
"Hooh..."
How should he even describe it? Kang-ho pondered seriously.
'An aquamarine sticky rice cake...'
She looked like two glutinous rice cakes mashed together, yet strangely, she had tiny eyes and a little mouth. Upon closer inspection, she even had small arms and legs, enough to suggest she could scurry around on all fours. Two perky little ears poked up too. This tiny creature had everything she needed.
Kang-ho looked up at the ice dragon, Han Su-hwa. Her eyes seemed filled with heart shapes. Biting her lip, she stared down at her child before turning to Kang-ho.
"......"
She stared at him intently. Feeling the silent pressure, Kang-ho slowly opened his mouth.
"She's cute."
'This little thing will grow into an ice dragon?'
Come to think of it, Seolhwa had been small as a hatchling too. Even Kang-ho hadn't imagined she'd grow so massive.
A smile spread across Han Su-hwa's lips. She replied in a soft voice.
"Right?"
"Yeah."
"She's so cute. So, so cute. Incredibly cute..."
"She really is."
Seeming overwhelmed by her child's beauty, she kissed the wriggling hatchling's forehead repeatedly.
'I see.'
Kang-ho smiled faintly at her. No joy in the world could surpass the birth of one's child. Suddenly, he recalled the day Seol-a hatched—the scenery of the white zone that day, and that moment of awe. He'd never forget it, even on his deathbed.
"Congratulations. What a joyful day. Makes me want to throw a party right now, but..."
The little one, startled by the sudden change in environment, clung tightly to her mother with wide eyes.
"We'll wait until she's settled a bit."
Kang-ho fixed his gaze on the hatchling. Once she'd calmed, she stared right back at him with her tiny eyes, as if she liked him.
He leaned down to meet her gaze.
'Little one.'
The hatchling suddenly beamed at him, blinking once. Kang-ho blinked back with a grin.
'Grow up strong.'
"Um..."
Han Su-hwa spoke up.
"Hm?"
"Thank you for letting us settle here. I wanted to show her to you first."
"No need to thank me."
Kang-ho nodded and added,
"Get some rest."
"Yes."
She cradled her child and stood. Then she turned toward Theo, who lurked curiously in the corner of the house.
Theo pretended disinterest at first, but glanced over as she approached.
"Thank you for helping me back on the mountain."
[Hmph, dealing with such small fry wasn't much trouble.]
It was a lie, really. Theo had broken a real sweat against Zhang Wei. Fighting in his home base had saved him; otherwise, it would've been a nightmare.
'Fair enough.'
Still, he didn't think he'd have lost. Things might've been different with the Kirin joining in.
Glancing at the child amid his thoughts—
'She's small.'
She beamed at him.
"You can touch her if you'd like."
[R-Really?]
As Theo's face lit up, she nodded.
"Yes."
Theo cautiously reached out and stroked the hatchling's cheek. It felt incredibly soft and squishy.
[Eek!]
Suddenly, the hatchling opened her tiny mouth and started suckling his finger.
[Eek, n-no, little one. Stop.]
Theo widened his eyes and turned to Kang-ho.
[Kang-ho, look at this. She's so small and so warm.]
Flustered, he stammered on.
[W-Warm. My god...]
Soon, his face softened as he gazed down at her.
[......Yeah.]
The wriggling hatchling grinned at him too, clearly approving.
[Warm, huh. Kids are warm. Is that how they are?]
"......?"
Theo shook his head and asked Kang-ho,
[Sh-Should we wake Seol-a?]
"Nah. We'll show her later."
Seol-a was still clumsy with fragile things.
Understanding, Theo nodded.
[O-Okay...]
The sky cleared beautifully. A bright sun shone down, warming the world to a pleasant 20°C. The World Ranking Tournament had begun.
"Ugh..."
Kang-ho scanned the surroundings with a reluctant expression.
"Hng..."
The stadium was packed with spectators. Today was the preliminary match of the World Ranking Tournament.
World Rank 10, Russia's Marina Ivanova.
World Rank 11, Britain's Lucas Walden.
These thirty-somethings, the rising stars of the second generation, clashed fiercely. Even if the main event had ended in a forfeit, these were world-rankers most people saw once in a lifetime.
As the crowd filled the arena with heated debates and cheers, Kang-ho—
"Yawn."
—yawned lazily.
Seol-a, wriggling in his lap, watched the match with keen interest. She went wild for anything involving fights, after all.
Familiar faces dotted the big event. Kang-ho held out his hand to Park Jun-woo beside him. The Sword God looked like a simple old man next to his friend as he shared his snack.
"......"
Kang-ho eyed the yanggaeng and snorted.
"What?"
"You're turning into a grandpa too. Yanggaeng tastes good now, huh?"
"Yep. Suddenly started craving sweets."
Park Jun-woo chuckled. Kang-ho smirked too.
"They're fighting well."
Park Jun-woo watched the intense duel below, arms crossed.
"These kids have spirit."
"Young and ambitious. I like that energy."
As Kang-ho and Park Jun-woo chatted, a man approached them.
"Hm?"
Park Jun-woo glanced at him and tilted his head slightly.
The man bowed to Park Jun-woo.
"Hello, Master."
"It's En."
Park Jun-woo smiled warmly and waved.
Kang-ho turned to look. Tao En. Now World Rank 5, a young powerhouse in his late twenties, the Divine Sword of southern China.
He had short, neat hair and a well-groomed martial robe—a classic Chinese warrior.
"How have you been?"
"I'm doing fine as always. And drop the 'master' thing."
Park Jun-woo shrugged.
"Half a year of guidance doesn't qualify me."
"That half year put me a decade ahead."
The sword clans of southern China had long ties with Park Jun-woo's Sword God style.
Tao En clasped his fists in respect.
"You're my master for life."
Southern China, unlike Zhang Wei's Paewangmun, had a stellar reputation for walking the righteous path.
"And this is..."
Tao En turned to Kang-ho and swallowed hard. He bowed deeply.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Choi Kang-ho."
"Likewise."
Kang-ho returned the greeting lightly.
"I've heard of your fame. You're well-known in China too."
"Cut it out—he hates that stuff."
Park Jun-woo replied, popping yanggaeng into his mouth. Kang-ho pointed to the seat beside him.
Tao En bowed and sat.
Thump, thump—his racing heartbeat was audible. He glanced nervously, sweating, clearly tense.
"Relax."
He nodded at Kang-ho's words.
"Y-Yes..."
Suddenly, Park Jun-woo checked his phone and frowned.
"Gonna take this call."
"Sure."
As Park Jun-woo walked off,
Tao En hesitantly asked Kang-ho,
"If it's not too rude..."
"Go ahead."
"Um..."
Tao En faltered, choosing his words. Kang-ho stared and prompted,
"Wondering if I took out Xiao Shin or Zhang Wei?"
"......!"
Tao En flinched and bowed his head.
"Sorry if that's rude. I wasn't prying, just..."
Kang-ho knew China's internal strife. The divided land bled in endless wars, worst between eastern Paewangmun and southern Justice Alliance. Zhang Wei led Paewangmun, Xiao Shin his right hand. Naturally, Tao En was from the south.
Kang-ho met his eyes evenly.
"I didn't touch them."
"......!"
The answer carried layers.
"Planning to complain?"
Tao En shook his head.
"N-No. They've been our enemies for ages. Honestly, it's a relief. Xiao Shin vanishing... he's probably dead too."
He sighed deeply.
"Zhang Wei returned home yesterday and was assassinated. By his own subordinate, in his lair."
"I see."
Kang-ho replied flatly. Blood for blood. A tyrant like Zhang Wei, stripped of power and fear, couldn't survive. The dark side of the Awakener world—mana granted immense strength, but just as easily stripped it away.
"It's top secret now, but the media will blow up soon."
"......"
"Without Xiao Shin and Zhang Wei, Paewangmun will implode. Won't take long."
Kang-ho smiled bitterly. He knew well the futility of ruling by force and fear.
"Why tell me?"
"What I'm searching for..."
Tao En lowered his voice.
"Must be tied to them."
"Searching..."
Kang-ho tilted his head.
"For what?"
"My..."
Tao En swallowed.
"Father."
[Whoa, these maniacs... how many did they kill?]
Theo clicked his tongue while shoveling.
[Father, dig deeper.]
Thud—thud—each swing of his father's sword carved deeper pits. Theo was burying Zhang Wei's jiangshi—now just corpses.
Zhang Wei had far more than Xiao Shin. Disposable attack fodder, all the more pathetic in death.
[Demons have no room to talk. Humans go harder sometimes.]
Theo grumbled as he interred them one by one. These had been powerhouses in life. If they'd grown naturally, the world would swarm with elites decades from now. Corpses revealed potential.
Like Kang-ho's Beast Eye, Theo had the Corpse Eye.
For example, the one ahead:
FF wear meant shattered. Proof they'd been abused without maintenance. B potential? Perfect for a durable skeleton soldier. Wasted.
[No philosophy, no respect for corpses or life. Resources are finite, idiots. What's in those thick skulls?]
Theo griped, finishing the burials and stretching.
[Oof, my back...]
By the time he'd buried them all and cleaned the lab wrecked by Zhang Wei, the sun hung high.
[Anyway...]
Theo wiped sweat from his brow and eyed his cave lab.
[Nothing beats a cave.]
The corpse inside was one of Xiao Shin's jiangshi. The most unique he'd seen lately.