âKyyyaaahhhkk!!â (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won screamed at the top of her voice as the cup in her hand fell to the floor.
âWhat happened?!â (mom)
Park Seon-Duk was taken by surprise from her daughterâs cry and hurriedly ran out of the kitchen. Now normally, her child would never exhibit such a behaviour.
She was a child that flattened a cockroach with her bare hand and then proceeded to rub clean the resulting matter off her palm on a wall, after all!
So, for a girl like that to scream her head off?!
Park Seon-Duk wielded the kitchen knife sheâd been using to slice carrots and arrived at where her daughter was. And thenâŠ. her eyes became super duper extra large.
âW, why are you coming out from there?â (Ye-Won)
âPardon?â (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ye-Won was trembling like a leaf as she pointed at Affeldrichae, caught redhanded as she walked out of Yi Ji-Hyukâs room.
Just why was this woman coming out of her oppaâs room, of all places?! Not only that, in the early morning, too!
Could this beâŠ. that? THAT?!
Oh my gosh!! Oh my gooooosssshhh!! (Ye-Wonâs inner monologue)
âH, how can youâŠ. On the first day, no less!â (Ye-Won)
âPardon?â (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae tilted her head in confusion. Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk also exited from his room while yawning out loudly.
âWhat now? What is it?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âYouâre so dirty!â (Ye-Won)
âWhy am I dirty now?! Have you finally lost your mind? Your hair is more dirty.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âHow can you do that when there are other people in the house?!â (Ye-Won)
âWhat are you even talking about? Were you daydreaming again?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âIâm gonna tell Dah-Som about this.â (Ye-Won)
âŠ.Did you forget that you bullied her not too long ago? So why are you acting like that now? (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
Women were such indecipherable creatures, indeed.
âWhat are you talking about, anyway? Explain so I can understand whatâs going on here.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âHow can I say that out aloud with my own mouth?!â (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Wonâs face reddened up considerably as she angrily pointed at her brother, hot steam escaping from her nostrils.
âBesides, your sole remaining plus point was you being an innocent guy, but nowâŠâŠ..â (Ye-Won)
âWhat do you mean, my sole remaining plus point?!â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you have any idea how many plus points I have?
Time to move on! (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
âStop talking rubbish and get out of the way. I want to go to the bathroom!â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âHul, you wanna wash up? Iâve never seen you wash up in the morning before! But today, the first thing you do after waking up is that! I knew it!â (Ye-Won)
âI want to pee, you dumb little girl!! Pee! You want me to pee all over you, instead?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âYouâre so dirty!!â (Ye-Won)
âŠ.This girl, she really knows how to get on someoneâs nerves, no?
Should I show her what being dirty really means? (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
The front bell began ringing non-stop out of the blue.
Park Seon-Duk was standing there, totally stupefied and speechless, but the ringing bells brought her back to her senses.
Who could it be, in such an early morning? Park Seon-Duk walked over to the intercom and picked the receiver up.
âHello? Who is it?â (mom)
â âMother, itâs me, Hae-Min! Please, open the door! Hurry!â
Why was she here so early in the morning?
As soon as Park Seon-Duk opened the door, two females rushed past her and entered the house.
âYi Jiiiii-Hyuuuuk!!â (Jeong Hae-Min)
âHulâŠ.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head after seeing Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som enter the house in hurry.
Wait, were they originally that friendly to begin with?
Enough to walk around together?
Sure, he heard from somewhere that women could easily make friends, and just as easily become enemies; but, from the beginning, didnât those two have a relationship similar to that of a cat and a dog?
âD, Dah-Som-ah!!â (Ye-Won)
Ye-Won ran over to Kim Dah-Som and grabbed the latter girlâs shoulders.
âT, that woman, she, she came out of oppaâs room! Just now!â (Ye-Won)
ââŠâŠWhat?â (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som began glaring at Affeldrichae without a shred of emotion visible in her dead-still eyes.
Where did she come out from? From that room? This morning?
Only after a single day? (Kim Dah-Somâs inner monologue)
Suddenly, Kim Dah-Somâs expression became abruptly cold.
âSo, thatâs how it wasâŠâŠâ (Kim Dah-Som)
Seeing that kind of an expression on her face, Yi Ye-Won felt a nasty case of goosebumps break out all over her body.
Hul, this isnât what I wanted?
What is this feeling, like Iâve just set off a serious incident in motion just now?
This girlâŠ. WhyâŠ. Why is she so terrifying? (Ye-Wonâs inner monologue)
âWhere did she come out from?â (Jeong Hae-Min)
Meanwhile, Jeong Hae-Min asked as her entire body trembled.
Seriously now, that blondie was such an outstanding beauty, yet how could she be so impatient like this?!
Could this be how things worked in the West?
Even then, wasnât this waaaay too outgoing?
*SFX for tears forming in Jeong Hae-Minâs eyes*
As soon as certain liquid began forming on the edges of Jeong Hae-Minâs eyes, Yi Ji-Hyukâs complexion quickly paled.
âHey, you, donât you dare crâŠ.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âWAAAAAAAIIIIIIILLLLLL!!â
It was six oâclock in the morning.
Everyone living in Seoulâs special ability-user residential area was forced to wake up against their will.
The visibly-tattered Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly collapsed to the floor and planted his head there.
âI might really die at this rateâŠ..â
What is this nonsense, so early in the morning?
I finally got to sleep for the first time in ages, too! (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
All the fatigue that got washed away with the sweet slumber was rushing back in at the moment.
âWhyâŠ. Why are you all acting like thisâŠ. WhyâŠ. Why me?!â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing Jeong Hae-Min still sniffing her nose, a powerful migraine began its assault on Yi Ji-Hyukâs head. He threatened her with another spell inside the black gate, but for some reason that didnât work this time. And when he did try to shove her inside as promised, the group of females, with Yi Ye-Won as the lead, pounced on him like a bunch of cats with their tails on fire, so he had no choice but to stop.
They did everything to pacify Jeong Hae-Min for the next ten minutes and only then did her crying stop. It wasnât just Yi Ji-Hyuk; even she was too exhausted to continue.
âHere, drink this.â (mom)
âSniff, thank youâŠ.â (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min received the juice that Park Seon-Duk handed over and sipped quietly on that.
âSoâŠ..â (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som, who had been wordlessly observing the situation from the side, finally opened her mouth.
âCan anyoneâŠ.â (Kim Dah-Som)
âŠ.Did someone switch on the aircon?
Why is it suddenly so cold in here? (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
ââŠ.Explain to me what happened?â (Kim Dah-Som)
âŠ.Sheâs not saying anything important, yet why am I getting so much goosebumps?
Did this girl come from the Mother Russia or something? Her passive skill is emitting cold atmosphere, isnât it? (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
âWhat do you mean, you want an explanation? Nothing important happened here!â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âImportant?â (Kim Dah-Som)
Did she suddenly develop a selective hearing?
Should I just rip open a new earhole for her, instead?! (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
Until then, Affeldrichae couldnât figure out what was going on here and continued to tilt her head this way and that, but out of the blue, she clapped her hands.
Why was she behaving like that way now?
âI think I understand why everyone is so perturbed this morning.â (Affeldrichae)
âUhm, okay?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âThere is no need for anyone to worry. The act of reproduction all of you have been fearing did not take place.â (Affeldrichae)
âT, the act of reproduction?!â (Ye-Won)
What was this? What were these words that were at once way too suggestive, and not suggestive at the same time?!
Even Kim Dah-Somâs jaw dropped to the floor.
âOf course, there was an act similar to that one, howeverâŠ.â (Affeldrichae)
An act similar to that one?
Jeong Hae-Minâs eyes began emitting a dangerous light as her entire body trembled once more.
What could be so similar to that, then? (Jeong Hae-Minâs inner monologue)
âWhat bullsh*t are you talking about now?!â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly shouted out, but Affeldrichae could only tilt her head in confusion again.
âWell, even if we werenât actively trying to copulate, isnât embracing someone one of the steps that leads to the act of reproduction in the social etiquette pattern set by humans?â (Affeldrichae)
âEmbrace?â (everyone)
What was she even talking about?
âAnd, even though it was a simple act of embrace, as we performed this act for the entire length of the night, when viewed from humansâ emotional perspective we have shared our feelings quite intimatelyâŠâŠ..â (Affeldrichae)
âOh, come on!!! Godd*mn itâŠ.!!â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I just calmed her down, yet you go and make her cry again in less than three minutes?!
Besides all that! Just what kinda mouth does this girl have on her that she manages to be this f*cking loud?! (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
By this point, he shouldâve gotten more or less used to her loud crying, but he found himself unable to adapt even now!!
âArgh, just shut up already!! Shut up!! Why are you throwing a d*mn tantrum in someone elseâs house this early in the morning?! Why!!â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âIndeed, this is too much.â (Affeldrichae)
When Affeldrichae lightly waved her hand around, the reverberating wails of Jeong Hae-Min suddenly became silent as if someone pressed the mute button.
Jeong Hae-Min had no idea that her voice had vanished and continued to wail in complete silence, her mouth so wide open that her uvula was in full display to the onlookers.
âIâve learned today that a humanâs voice could be used as a strategic weapon. How surprising. Looks like I should start researching on magic spells that can create noise.â (Affeldrichae)
ââŠ.Do what you wantâŠâ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âŠ.Argh, why donât you all just disappear, why donât you. (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly crumbled to the floor in utter defeat.
Just when would this hellish life of his change for the better?
âHahâŠ.. this d*mn lifeâŠ.â
As soon as Oh-Sik heard the front door of the house open up, his body shivered reflexively and he hurriedly ran forward to stand on its hind legs.
It wasnât as if this house was some sort of a lair of devils or something, yetâŠ.
It was already difficult with the Bringer of Apocalypse here, yet what was up with this woman who smelled just like a dragon? And not just any dragon, either.
At the bare minimum, she smelled like an Ancient class.
It was the scent of a truly powerful being that could easily crush Oh-Sik with nothing but a simple glare. So, it was understandable that Oh-Sik would be acting totally disciplined right now.
He had somehow gotten friendly with Yi Ji-Hyuk, but then, another one had appeared to act as his master.
Richae took a look at Oh-Sik standing straight in a saluting position while looking very nervous, and formed a soft grin.
âBy the wayâŠ. Are you looking after this child?â (Affeldrichae)
âIndeed, there are many who keep Ogres as guardians, but could this child protect your dwelling sufficiently if you weaken him by this much?â (Affeldrichae)
âI supply him with Mana when necessary.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âMm, I see.â (Affeldrichae)
âAnother thing. Oh-Sik ainât a guardian of the house. Heâs a pet.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âA pet?â (Affeldrichae)
âYou know. Iâm keeping him as a pet, like youâd do with dogs.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Richae continued to stare at Oh-Sik for a bit longer, before tilting her head.
Sure enough, it did kinda look cute.
âBut, surely there are much cuter creatures out there?â (Affeldrichae)
âOnce you become family, itâs a bit harder to change your mind along the way.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae continued to tilt her head as if she wasnât really convinced at all.
âHowever, if an enemy intrudes on your family while youâre not here, can a weakened Ogre protect them from harm? Even if it was at its full strength, it might not be enoughâŠ. Yet, with such a small body?â (Affeldrichae)
âHmmâŠ..â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whenever something happened, Yi Ji-Hyuk would immediately return here, but no one knew what might happen in the future. And besides, many unsavoury things were beginning to happen around the world, too.
âYouâve got a way?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âIf youâre interested.â (Affeldrichae)
If she could do it, then all she had to do was to do it. Yet, she always made it like so that others were owing her a favour.
ââŠDo it.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âUnderstood.â (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk found her bright smile rather unlikeable.
Indeed, he didnât like that smile, yetâŠ
What an odd feeling this was.
He was getting all nostalgic about it.
âŠ.Of course, heâd seen that face for over a thousand years, so that might be it.
Hell, there was a time when he had to see that face every single day for around a century straight.
When looking back objectively, could he have returned to Earth if it werenât for the help of this dang lizard woman?
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly shook his head.
âAm I getting close to my own death or something?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He heard that when a person was about to die, he or she would become quite sentimental and all thatâŠ.
Wait, I missed this dang lizard woman?!
Eheii!! Stop screwing around.
If I start recounting all the crappy sh*t I had to go through because of her, then Iâd jump up in anger in the middle of my sleep!
And no, itâs not âthatâ jumping up!
Iâll really jump up! Really! (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
Affeldrichae gently waved her hands about. A pure-white hole formed in the air, then transparent beings came out from there and melded in with the house.
âSpirits?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âAlthough not foolproof, I believe this much will be of some help. Most importantly, Iâd be informed of any change taking place right away.â (Affeldrichae)
âHmm. Sure, thatâs true.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âŠ.But, was it possible to summon Spirits in this world, too? (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
âThey are crossing over from the Spirit dimension, so it wonât matter which world youâre in when summoning them.â (Affeldrichae)
âI told you to stop reading peopleâs minds!â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âBut, you know such a thing is impossible, even with magic.â (Affeldrichae)
Thatâs why I dislike you even more!
Stop reading what others are thinking by taking a look at peopleâs faces!! (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
âYou, you really do have a knack for getting on other peopleâs nerves, donât you?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âYou said those exact worâŠ.â (Affeldrichae)
âShut up!! I donât wanna know how many times Iâve said that! Iâve probably said it hundreds of times by now, right?!â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âBut, it wasnât all that much, though?â (Affeldrichae)
ââŠ.Oh, really?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, you shouldâve said something.
No, hang on. I told her to shut up, didnât I? (Yi Ji-Hyukâs inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and started walking towards the office. However, there was someone here that grabbed and pulled at his clothes.
A tearful Jeong Hae-Min was clinging onto his clothing.
âWhat now?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min opened and closed her mouth several times, before pointing at her tongue.
âYou havenât undid the spell yet?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âShould I?â (Affeldrichae)
âWhat, so you donât want this girl to speak for the rest of her life?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âMaybe. When looking at it objectively, it seems to me that itâd be the best for everyone to block the mouth capable of firing sonic attacks.â (Affeldrichae)
âStop talking nonsense and undo the spell.â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âWithout a doubt, humans are an illogical species.â (Affeldrichae)
âI donât want to hear that kinda evaluation from a lizard, so stop wasting time and undo the spell.â(Yi Ji-Hyuk)
âAlright.â (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae waved her hand in the air once, and right away, a deep gasp escaped out from Jeong Hae-Minâs mouth.
âW, what the hell was that?! What was that!!â (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly shook his head again.
âHow about keeping quiet if you donât want your mouth to be sealed again?â (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing Jeong Hae-Min hurriedly squeeze her mouth shut, all Yi Ji-Hyuk could do was spit out a long sigh.
At least in the morningsâŠ..
Realising that his life from here onwards would never be peaceful again, Yi Ji-Hyuk sorrowfully facepalmed.