780 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The sound of insects crying was unusually distinct on this particular night. Just a moment ago, it felt like it was still daytime, but the moon was already rising. In the midst of this, I was climbing a mountain path under the moonlight. The subtle scent of grass and the autumn breeze weren't entirely unpleasant. "Hoo... " My expression as I moved forward wasn't exactly great. How could it be? 'I'm exhausted.' It felt as if I'd spent the entire day battling a typhoon. I hadn't really done much, yet the situation wore me out to the point of madness. I had countless things planned for today, but all I managed to do was attend a memorial service and eat Baekmaseok. I hadn't accomplished anything else I planned. Not due to a lack of time? Not exactly. There was really only one reason. As I walked a bit further, I came across a plain I'd scouted beforehand. It's a remote area, quite a distance from Hanam, with high and rugged mountains rarely frequented by people. After scanning the surroundings briefly, I flung what I was holding. "Ugh!" With a short scream, something fell to the ground. Whirr-! "Huh?" Seeing what unfolded, I let out a hollow laugh. The figure that had spun and fallen to the ground surprisingly stopped before touching the soil, floating in mid-air. The one causing me trouble since the afternoon, Doldol Yi, in the form of my younger self. After finishing my conversation with Mrs. Mi, I immediately retrieved Doldol Yi and climbed the mountain. Although Doldol Yi let out a regretful sigh when I retrieved him, it wasn't the time to concern myself with that. There were numerous things to verify. "You can fly, huh?" Even in a human form, it seems he can still fly, just as he used to. As I stared at this phenomenon curiously, a response came from Doldol Yi. "Kka..." 'Kka?' "You scared me-!!" "Hmm?" I widened my eyes at the sight of him shouting. What was this...? "Why are you throwing me around like that...!! What if I got hurt?" "What are you?" What is this kid. "You speak well now?" Just earlier, he seemed nothing more than a naive child who knew nothing. But now, he appeared completely different. His pronunciation was clear, and there was vigor in his eyes. Which means... "You were acting?" "Hmph." It means this creature naturally pretending to be innocent all along. When I questioned the absurdity of the situation, Doldol Yi smirked. "I wasn't acting. I was just staying quiet." Doldol Yi frowned, seemingly displeased with something. Because he had my younger face, it felt tempting to smack him. But I held back. "Why?" "What do you mean?" "Why pretend to be innocent and quiet?" When I asked why he found it necessary to act that way, Doldol Yi responded with a blunt expression. "Everyone seemed to like it." "...What?" "People naturally like it when young humans act innocent. Youngsters pose less risk and seem harmless, right? Though, I apparently don't seem as harmless as you." "Ha..." There weren't many responses I could make to such an extensive answer. I could only stare in disbelief or make a disgusted expression. This was not something a child barely six or seven years old should say. Cunning. This kid... was far too cunning. Especially using my face to spout such words made him seem all the more sly. Floating... Plop. The one flying gradually settled down onto the ground. Simultaneously, the red martial robe he wore fluttered slightly. The robe he had been wearing since earlier seemed strangely familiar. "Is that my robe?" "Yep." "Unbelievable." A red martial robe could only be from our household. Since he had been discovered naked before, someone must have procured it for him. I thought it seemed familiar, and astonishingly, it matched the robe I wore when I was young. But. "...Where on earth did you get it?" I questioned where he found an outfit I wore at that age. It had long since been discarded, yet Doldol Yi inexplicably wore it. "Who gave you that robe?" "This? The white mother." "Ha... what?" I frowned upon hearing the words. "What did you say?" "The white mother gave it to me." "Can't be serious." "Huh? The white mother is just the white mother." "Who's the white mother anyway...?" Before finishing the sentence, I pondered over it. The white mother. White. White...? No way. "...Are you talking about Namgung Bia?" "Yep." "Then why choose words like that?" What was white and why mother? Beyond why she had my childhood clothing, I was dumbfounded by the nonsensical terminology. White probably referred to her white hair. But the word that followed made little sense. "Why is she mother?" "Huh?" "You're spouting nonsense." Why turn a perfectly decent maiden into a mother? Even more so... "I'm not even your father, so why call me dad?" "Dad is dad." Doldol Yi laughed as he said so. Do you know what the striking thing was? 'That rascal made a hurt expression when I said I wasn't his dad earlier.' Now, he was giving me a look that borderline resembled mockery. That brat...? Fine, whatever I get it. Since he was born feeding off my energy, fine, I'll be dad, even though it feels utterly unjust. But. "Why is she then?" Where the term 'white mother' originated from was the question. As I conveyed my curiosity, Doldol Yi tilted his head at me. "She's not really a mother." "See, I told you she wasn't." "But she likes it when I call her that." "What the...?" "If someone likes it, it's all good. The yellow mother liked it too, and so did the green mother. The black mother seems particularly fond of it." "..." This wasn't some color play. Green, yellow, black... The funny thing was, I could vaguely guess who he was referring to. The statement about calling them so because they liked it implies... "Which means you knew and took advantage of it?" "It's just that good things are good, after all...." Thud-! "Ugh!!" I swung my fist at his small head. When I rapped him on the crown like delivering a gentle gibe, Doldol Yi clutched his head. "Oww, it hurts! Ugh...!! Why’d you hit me!" "I hit you because you deserved it. Who told you to turn young women into mothers? Want more?" "There's no reason to hit! That's just violence!" "Oh, really?" I thought he could only speak well, but now he talked back too. It made him even more irritating. "I'm your dad, aren't I?" "And?" "Then this isn't violence, it's education. Yeah, just think of it as family education." "That's such a ridiculous excuse." Doldol Yi quickly put some distance between us, speaking with frustration. "But you didn’t receive that kind of teaching!" "And how would you know?" "I know! I know everything!" Doldol Yi shouted with confidence. "..." I had no words to counter that. He was right. 'Indeed. I didn't receive that kind of teaching.' Although my father was terrifying, I didn't really recall getting beaten. In fact, it was more like I was left alone. So, I didn't grow up with that kind of education, but... "That's precisely why I know better." I walked towards him with a grin. In another instant, I closed the distance to be right in front of Doldol Yi. "Eek!" He tried to step back in surprise, but my hand had already reached out. Because I didn't receive it, I know well. "Kids who don't listen need a bit of discipline growing up." Maybe it's because I didn't, that I turned out like this? I thought back on that as my fingertips were about to touch Doldol Yi. "No!" Whoosh-! "Eh?" Flames rose from Doldol Yi as he screamed. A familiar blue flame. Flames akin to my own energy. Adorned with flames as if wearing the winding flame technique, Doldol Yi looked poised to do something, growing larger. Rroooaarrrr--!! In no time, alongside a fierce roar, a massive form appeared. "Oh." It's the Doldol Yi I knew. The monstrous form with an enormous body. He had returned to his original form. 'Seems he can revert to his true form.' That was a relief. 'I was worried about what to do if he couldn’t revert.' If he couldn't utilize that form anymore, managing him in the future would be a formidable problem. Fortunately, it seems the human form is not his permanent state. The difference now is that he's about half the size of when he maximized his form. 'Well, he can scale down or up in size, so that doesn’t matter much.' What’s important is not the appearance but the density. If changes in me also affect Doldol Yi, then it stands to reason he’d take on a human form. If so, how about his monster form? 'There is indeed a change.' While there's no significant physical change, his presence feels different. A sensation that can't be compared to the mere red monsters. 'Not quite at white level...but close.' In monster terms, he'd be just below the white grade. To be precise, a bit below the weakened state of the monster I had previously pinned down with a sacred spear. Even that alone tells of considerable strength. Rroooarrr--…! Doldol Yi revealed his teeth and emitted a growling sound. Observing that, I kept my gaze on him silently. He didn’t fly away to escape. He likely understood he’d be caught soon enough. I observed him quietly before letting out a slight sigh. "Hey." Rrooar. "Can you return to human form from that state?" Rroooar…. It indicated he could. "Then go ahead and change back." ... There was a hint of hesitation. Seeing that, I clicked my tongue briefly. "Think growing bigger means you won't get hit? Just revert. I won't hit you." Rrooar...? "Yeah, seriously. I won't hit you." I never intended to catch and beat him. Smacking him on the head was an impulsive mistake. Deep down, I wanted to ditch educational excuses and just smack him, but... 'Appearing as my younger self makes it complicated.' When it came time to hit him, hesitation crept in. The bigger issue was my body's inability to control strength right now. 'Even the strike earlier was.' The force, which should've been milder, came out stronger than expected. Saying it was just a smack, if he were a second or first-rate martial artist, his head would’ve burst. Luckily, Doldol Yi's durability was high enough. If not, it would've been disastrous. "...So. Just change back. If you don’t, I’ll really grab and hit you." Rrooarrr.... Upon hearing my last words, the hesitant Doldol Yi finally started to move. Whoosh--!! The same flames enveloped him, then subsided as he shrank back to his smaller form on the ground. "...You really won’t hit me?" "I won't." I let out a slight sigh, looking at him. The more I looked, the more identical he seemed. "Hey." "Yes, Dad." "No... Actually, never mind." What does the title matter at this point? I decided to let that go. "How'd you end up like that?" Why did he end up like this? I asked with curiosity. Then. "Don't you know, Dad?" "That's why I'm asking. If I knew, why would I ask?" "Then how would I know? If I did, I'd have told you first." "..." It was an audacious reply. ...Forget controlling strength, should I just hit him? 'Damn it.' It's not just the face, even the speech. Do those talking to me get this feeling? 'No wonder it’s infuriating.' I had always found people getting angry during conversations with me. Now, I understood a bit. I should hold back next time. Anyway. "So you don’t know the reason either." "I was just eating, then came to my senses and found myself like this." "Found in my quarters?" "When I shrank, I had nowhere else to hide... Then the white mother happened to be there." "..." Of all people, he ran into Namgung Bia. Why on earth was she in my quarters? I’ll have to ask when I see her later. For now, what's important is... 'He doesn’t know the reason either.' It's certain that changes in me bring changes to him. Even if a transformation occurred, why would a monster turn into a human? Furthermore. 'Unfortunately, he got caught.' That damned fact that he got discovered. That’s currently the biggest issue. If only he could stay hidden in monster form, it wouldn’t have been an issue. 'I already discussed this with Mrs. Mi.' His place had already been determined. It felt complicated to backtrack now. "Hmm." "Dad?" Even after mulling over it repeatedly, no answer emerged immediately. So what should I do? 'What else can I do?' There really was only one choice. "For now, go." "Huh...? Go where?" "Do you remember the lady who came earlier?" "Mmm." "Go live at her house." "Huh?" At my words, Doldol Yi wore a dumbfounded expression. "Live there?" "Yeah. You need to live there. There’s a reason, so bear with it even if it's a bit uncomfortable..." "Alright." "Huh?" His nonchalant reply took me aback this time. "...You're okay with that?" "Yeah." Doldol Yi seemed genuinely unfazed. "Why are you okay with it?" "Hmm? Shouldn’t I be?" "No..." Was it because he was inherently a monster that he was so relaxed? To someone like me, who was once human, it felt a bit peculiar. "It's fine. I think I'll be able to live comfortably there." "...Did you see something wrong?" "Hmm?" Doldol Yi casually stating that he could live comfortably at Mrs. Mi's residence was something I couldn't wrap my head around. Just walking alongside her was nerve-wracking, and yet he said living there would be comfortable? 'Ah, well, Mrs. Mi is probably too busy to be home often anyway.' After all, her agreement to take him in was more about surveillance, so she likely wouldn't be there herself. Right, surveillance. Otherwise, there'd be no reason to send him to her place. Though it inadvertently turned Doldol Yi into a sacrificial offering... 'If need be, extracting him back wouldn’t be difficult.' Give what must be given, and take what must be taken. That was all I could do for now. "Anyway... Since it’s come to this, live there quietly from tomorrow." Just as he presented himself earlier. Live as if you know nothing—that's what I meant, and Doldol Yi nodded. "Got it." "I'm just saying, if you get caught causing trouble sneakily, be ready for some education." "...Tsk." "Tsk?" "No, nothing." His apparent disappointment made it clear he had considered causing mischief. What is up with this kid? Who did he inherit this attitude from? I was tempted to smack him slightly, but I held back stubbornly. 'Not yet... Not yet.' I held back as best as I could. At the very least, now wasn't the time. It would be right to do it after all of this is settled. '...After I check.' Grasping firmly. While Doldol Yi remained on standby, I recalled the reason I climbed this mountain. The sudden change from absorbing energy. I intended to see to what extent this change had occurred. Wooong...!! As soon as I released my aura sense, countless pieces of information flooded in from all directions. The perceptive range seemed to have doubled. Even covering the surrounding mountains wasn’t enough to stop the sensation from churning within. "Hu..." I steadied my mind while dispersing my energy. Even in these remote mountains, it was overwhelming enough that I’d have to keep it shut under normal circumstances. 'For now, the aura sense... I’ll refine it gradually.' I moved my hand slightly. The aura sense was significant, but there was something more crucial. Whoosh. Flames rose over my hand. Aside from the increased aura sense, there was another aspect that was apparent. 'The flame power has increased.' Even though the energy in my body wasn't heightened, the density capable of unleashing fiery power was greater. It was an instinctual realization. That managing this power was currently beyond my control. If I unleashed it without due caution, I’d likely decimate the area uncontrollably. That's why I ventured up this mountain to check for myself. 'So, the question is.' Just how much has it increased? It was time to satisfy the curiosity I had been curbing all day. 'Could I have gotten about thirty percent stronger, maybe?' Such an expectation arose within me. Even at thirty percent, it was immense. Though realistically, probably not. With such determination, I empowered the flame. The azure flame began gleaming. "...Let’s start with just a light burst." I aimed as weakly as possible at a distant rock and shot. I expected a thin stream of flame. Enough to fizzle out upon contact with the rock. I focused the energy on sustaining it rather than causing an explosion. Wooong---! There was a vibration, followed by... Kuuaaaahhhh---!!! "...Eh?" Whooosh---!!! Instead of a small flame, an enormous fireball the size of a house erupted from my hand. The azure flame surged forth, instantly engulfing the front. The target rock was devoured and melted by the fiery onslaught. "...?" Upon witnessing the result, my face sank in disbelief.