LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 426
Chapter 427
“Ggghh.”
“Burping in front of someone, huh, you rascal.”
I scolded Tae-oh, who lazily let out a burp.
It seemed like some sort of reaction indicating he had eaten well, but even so, isn’t that just rude behavior?
“Waaah!”
“Let’s not do that next time, okay?”
“Got it! But I’m really full! It’s the first time I’ve felt this full after just one bite!”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m curious just how full that is.”
“Hmm… it was as big as the rock on the mountain!!”
What an impenetrable comparison! But I guess it conveyed just how enormous it was.
While I patted Tae-oh’s head as he beamed with joy, Yeon-woo stood up. Jung Yu-jin then scratched their cheek and chimed in.
“I didn’t think we could clean this up so easily.”
“Hey, I’m someone who’s caught the Demon King. Do you think I’d be caught off-guard by a simply grown-up Doppleganger?”
“…That’s true. So, we’re done handling this, right? All these townsfolk have been eaten?”
“Most likely. Let’s look for any survivors. The conclusion can wait until afterwards.”
Jung Yu-jin nodded at Yeon-woo’s suggestion.
They decided to leave the survivor search entirely to Jung Yu-jin. Spreading their senses throughout the village was a bit exhausting.
And Jung Yu-jin wasn’t in any shape to be getting into fights either.
“What a scenic village!”
“Right? I didn’t even know there were such places in our country.”
The quiet village nestled in the mountain valley was truly the kind of sight you could only find in a photograph.
The landscape was perfectly unobstructed by the trees that had only grown tall enough to let the view be seen.
Just how obscured had this place become that there were no signs of human life in such an open view?
Even if they were scattered about, you’d think other villages or cities would be visible from the mountain.
Though Yeon-woo didn’t think humans were the enemy of the earth, a landscape devoid of any signs of humanity wasn’t bad either.
As the children stared blankly at the scenery, Jung Yu-jin returned. Surprisingly, several people were following behind. A child, and a husband and wife, a family of three.
“They really were here!”
“They lived at the very edge of the village. I gave them a rough explanation and brought them along.”
“Lucky them.”
There was truly no way to argue against that statement.
The Doppleganger would have had no reason to pay attention to the street. Most likely, there was something far tastier nearby.
“T-thank you…”
The husband stepped forward, bowing his head as if to represent the family.
Perhaps it’d be better to reassure them. To an outsider, we might look like butchers who wiped out the entire village. Not a drop of blood was shed, but still.
Thinking that, Yeon-woo fiddled with Relin’s Warehouse.
Then suddenly, mats fell from the air, and food and toys tumbled down.
The couple’s child sparkled at the sight. Shar and Tae-oh were the same.
Watching the child tug on their parents’ clothing while looking up, Yeon-woo said, “Let’s have a little break before heading to the city.”
The first to respond to Yeon-woo’s invitation to sit was the children. They dashed onto the mat that Yeon-woo had laid out, eagerly starting to munch on the snacks.
“J-Jinho…!”
The mother called out to the child in a panic, but the snack-smitten child didn’t stop.
The child darted onto the mat with swift moves to grab the snacks.
“It’s fine. You two should sit down as well.”
Once the couple sat down, their expressions relaxed as if relieved.
Well, even though Yeon-woo was well-known throughout Korea and the world, there were always those who didn’t recognize him.
Living in a mountain valley where the reception is poor tends to keep such people around.
Yeon-woo told the children to play with their family and slipped away. It was time to prepare graves for the villagers.
Creating graves for those who fell victim to the Doppleganger was one of Yeon-woo’s few habits.
*
Returning to Harmony City with the family who lost their village without understanding why, Yeon-woo set out every day thereafter to handle Doppleganger-related incidents.
Peaceful resolutions were rare. Mostly, they ended with an encounter with a Doppleganger that culminated in Tae-oh swallowing it whole.
It was to be expected. After all, they were only taking on confirmed Dopplegangers.
As he diligently searched for the essence of the Doppleganger, considerable changes began happening to Tae-oh.
“Looking cool, confirmed.”
Standing before Yeon-woo with a striking pose was a ruggedly handsome young man with dark skin.
With black hair and black eyes, his features were sharp, giving off strong Middle Eastern vibes.
Amazingly, it was Tae-oh. After feasting on the essences of various Dopplegangers, Tae-oh had now adopted a near-adult appearance.
“Wow, our son looks unbelievably handsome.”
“Hehe.”
The slight difference in height between him and Yeon-woo was forgiven as he playfully scratched his head while grinning adorably.
With Yeon-woo at 180cm and Tae-oh at 178cm, the good proportions made Tae-oh appear taller than Yeon-woo at first glance.
Physically, it seemed he hadn’t fully matured yet, looking more like a teen transitioning to adulthood.
‘Are you watching, Dawn?’
[Hehe, heheh, heehee….]
‘Wow haha, what a creepy laugh!’
Worried he might miss this moment, Yeon-woo called out to Dawn, who sounded like he was already watching.
“People love it when their bodies are well-built, you know? Want to work out together? Dawn would love it.”
[Kyah! I’m super into it!!]
Yikes, that was ear-piercing. The shrill scream from Dawn made Yeon-woo’s face scrunch up.
After all, it’s not polite to shout in someone’s head.
“Hmm… If Dawn likes it, I’ll give it a try.”
“Great! I’ll make sure you get the best body ever. Just leave it to Dad!”
“Alright! If it’s Dad, I can trust it…!!”
[Oppa, you’re awesome…!!]
Is that so… Does that mean he’s calling me oppa now?
What a truly calculating spirit that child had! Honestly, it doesn’t matter what I’m called.
Well, it wouldn’t be great to overwork a growing spirit child with strenuous training. I was planning on keeping it moderate.
“Let’s hurry and show Mom, Tae-oh!”
“Mom will surely love it! Let’s rush!!”
Watching Tae-oh dash off with a face full of excitement, I couldn’t help but chuckle. His size had grown, but he was still my little one.
In fact, while his physical changes did come with increased capabilities, what would be more important to Mom? It was enough that our child has become more beautiful and handsome.
*
Nea’s first reaction to seeing Tae-oh, who was now almost fully grown, was to burst into tears.
It was the kind of crying you’d have when realizing your little one has grown up so much!
Because of that, Shar, Tae-oh, and Yeon-woo all had to gather to comfort Nea.
I heard that the reason she cried was that upon seeing the well-grown Tae-oh, waves of emotion washed over her.
“Indeed, as a spirit, growing like this is possible….”
Nea spoke while sniffing, her expression mournful.
In truth, Shar could take on an adult form at any time but refrained from doing so, fearing that people would confuse them for their mother.
Considering that gold dragons in that world reproduced in a way akin to self-cloning, it made sense.
I’d seen them once before, and aside from a slightly different atmosphere, they were identical.
Nea gently stroked Tae-oh’s head. Watching Tae-oh rub his head against her hand like a puppy brought a warm smile to her face.
Only then did Nea appear relieved enough to share a soft smile. It’s a parent’s instinct to worry when their child grows suddenly, and to fret even if they don’t grow too large.
“Looks like you had a good day out again. I’m glad.”
“Of course. While you’re worrying about me, care about someone else. My survival rate is at an all-time high.”
“Who’s worried about that?”
In response to Yeon-woo’s playful banter, Nea smiled gently. When I see such smiles, I felt shy, realizing I too was loved.
Perhaps, in Yeon-woo’s mind, he believed he hadn’t only received romantic love from Nea but also a motherly kind of love.
It wasn’t that Claire’s affection was lacking. However, with the number of children in the orphanage dividing it up, my desire for affection felt satisfied for the first time.
So, Yeon-woo sat there for quite a while, embracing Nea.
As the four of them formed a cozy bundle, a voice suddenly came from behind.
“…What are you doing without working?”
The cold-sounding voice belonged to Riley.
Dressed not in an apron but in a suit and a white coat, Riley appeared as if it had been a long time since I had seen them.
“This is a scene meant for tears.”
“Nonetheless, when it’s work time, one must work. The tasks piling up before us seem endless.”
“True enough. We’ll see each other when work’s done. Until then, you all should be fine, right?”
Nea said as she affectionately stroked the children’s faces. The two kids nodded, and Dawn, who had followed Riley and Nea into the lab, jumped out.
“T-Tae-oh… You’ve become super handsome, huh?”
“Hehe. Dawn knows a thing or two. I can now run while carrying Dawn!”
“Kyah!?”
With excitement bubbling over, Tae-oh began running while carrying Dawn on his back. Dawn’s face turned bright red as he hung on.
Well, I guess that’s fun. Must be nice.
Regardless, work needed to be accomplished. Before the all-out war started, I had to ascertain everything related to Moryo and Hwayo.
“I suppose it’s time I put my hands to work again…”
“I’m truly delighted to hear you say that, Yeon-woo.”
At her words, Riley beamed with joy. I began to wonder if I really hadn’t worked as much as I thought.
Returning home with the children, Yeon-woo sat in front of the computer and received some documents through Relin’s Warehouse.
It wasn’t anything significant. Just updates on Sullivan’s directives and such. Other than a few budget allocations, they were all minor points.
“I should finish quickly and spend time with the kids.”
Working from home was just a wonderful system. When contracted with magic, there’s little chance of employees leaking information.
What could be better than working while feeling the presence of beloved family?
(Continued in the next chapter)