Chapter 53
Even now, looking at Baek Hamin and Baek Eunseong together, they were practically identical, but seeing their childhood faces, they looked so alike it was truly astounding. At that moment, hearing footsteps approaching the two children, I turned my gaze in that direction.
"Baek Eunseong! What are you doing here—oh, an incoming student?"
"Uh, yes..."
And seeing the face that appeared, I furrowed my brows deeply.
"My younger sibling is also an incoming student. It would be nice if you two got along."
"Yes..."
"The entrance ceremony is about to start. Shall I take you there?"
Seeing Baek Jiseong extending his hand with a friendly face made me want to throw up. Like that, Seong Dohyeon took Baek Jiseong's hand and headed to the auditorium, and even after that, he couldn't take his eyes off Baek Jiseong.
Somehow, it was hard to keep watching that sight. I ended up squeezing my eyes shut. Then, memories rapidly flashed before my eyes.
They were all memories of the days when Seong Dohyeon harbored an inferiority complex toward Baek Eunseong.
Baek Eunseong being praised alone, Baek Eunseong surrounded by family, Baek Eunseong receiving guild offers...
As time passed, Seong Dohyeon's inferiority complex grew worse, and eventually, Seong Dohyeon began to hate Baek Eunseong by attaching nonsensical reasons.
Just how long do I have to watch this inferiority complex series?
As I let out a deep sigh, the memories that had been floating in the air and twisting dizzily began to gradually slow down. Feeling somewhat stable, I opened my eyes, and beneath my feet stood Seong Dohyeon and Baek Jiseong side by side, looking about twenty years old.
"What is this?"
"Eunseong told me to give it to you."
"Baek Eunseong?"
Seong Dohyeon, with a fiercely contorted face, ripped open the box Baek Jiseong had handed him as if tearing it apart.
"Ugh, what is this."
"What is this."
Inside was a gold, snake-scale-patterned tie. It was a design too tacky to be considered respecting Baek Eunseong's taste. Seong Dohyeon must have thought the same, as he threw the box to the floor. Just as he was about to stomp on it, Baek Jiseong raised his hand to stop Seong Dohyeon.
"Don't be like that. Eunseong picked it out with a lot of thought."
"This?!"
"Of course. Didn't you hear? It's the dress code for the graduation party."
At Baek Jiseong's question, Seong Dohyeon fell silent with a resentful face. Of course he hadn't heard.
I didn't even know how many times Seong Dohyeon had gone crazy with his inferiority complex toward Baek Eunseong and caused trouble. He was subtly—no, openly—ostracized among his peers for his near-troublesome behavior, and Seong Dohyeon shifted the blame for that back onto Baek Eunseong.
I crossed my arms with an impassive expression. I already knew the story after this. Taking the tie at Baek Jiseong's words, Seong Dohyeon attended the graduation party, only to—
"What is that!"
"Wow, Seong Dohyeon is really something else."
"Eunseong, did you see that?"
He was humiliated. Mockery and criticism poured in from other hunters directed at the tacky snake tie that was completely unrelated to the dress code.
Surrounded by ridicule from all sides, Seong Dohyeon trembled with shame in the middle of the party venue before turning away. Shaking off Baek Eunseong who came running from afar to grab him, Seong Dohyeon hated and loathed Baek Eunseong from that day until the day I possessed him.
Hmm. Looking at it like this, it's obvious that Baek Jiseong was playing tricks in the middle, but it seemed Seong Dohyeon was so blinded by his inferiority complex that he didn't notice anything. Unlike me, who let out a light sigh, Seong Dohyeon, who returned to the association and vomited tears for a long time, began to wither away day by day with hatred toward Baek Eunseong. That sight was the last.
"Are you alright?"
As the memory cut off, Baek Eunseong caught me as I staggered from dizziness. I stared up at the pink eyes and slowly blinked.
Perhaps because I now knew the full context, Baek Eunseong looked different. I didn't feel the fury boiling up inside me like before.
As I clenched and unclenched my fist and came to my senses, voices that I hadn't heard earlier came pouring in. Even after hurriedly opening the skill window and reducing the intensity of the 'Day Words, Night Words' skill, the booming voices still hammered into my ears.
"I'm telling you it's true! This is my third time in a dungeon!"
"Don't lie!"
"I've been here five times, you know?"
"If you've been five times, then I've been ten times!"
While some kids competed over the number of times they'd entered a dungeon, the relatively calm and composed kids gathered around Baek Gyeongmin. To the kids asking what's this, what's that, I could see Do Yudam standing quietly beside the child answering gently.
Do Yudam looked around with sparkling eyes, trying hard not to show how amazed he was. Because I knew exactly what that feeling was like, I couldn't help but be concerned.
Should I look after him? But with Jeon Jiyun there, there's probably no need to worry—just as I was contemplating this, the teachers called the children together. It was time to begin the subjugation in earnest. I forcefully peeled off Baek Hamin, who was clinging to my calf and refusing to let go, and pushed him on the back.
"Uncle... do I really have to go over there for you to watch me?"
"You have to go over there for me to watch you do it."
"Hmph!"
While Baek Hamin, making a crying face, dragged his feet as he walked over to line up, children here and there started bursting into tears saying they were scared or running to their guardians refusing to do it. Baek Hamin also glanced around and subtly tried to run toward me, but was caught by Asil and struggled.
The teacher, sweating profusely, somehow managed to gather the children and pointed to the core placed on one side, explaining step by step. At the words that they could form groups or go alone, the children who had been glancing around started gathering in twos and threes.
Everyone was forming groups, but only Baek Hamin stood alone.
"Why is your nephew like that?"
"Um..."
When I asked while touching my forehead, Baek Eunseong only smiled awkwardly without any particular answer. I clicked my tongue and looked at the teachers busily moving around explaining the rules to the children.
"Understand? Each person takes down two, then brings back two magic stones."
"Yes~"
The children who answered brightly screamed when the teacher touched the core. But they were still proper hunters who had passed the test. The confusion was brief. The children soon steadied their postures and began to respond.
Watching to see what kind of magical beast would appear, I gave a small nod when an Otogio rolled out. It would be boring for kids with dungeon experience, but it was the optimal magical beast for those without.
With its appearance of haphazardly lumped together smashed TVs, computers, and all sorts of machinery, the Otogio, despite its bizarre look, could be taken down simply by turning off the power button attached somewhere on it.
As the chaotic atmosphere settled, the first one to throw a punch at the Otogio was Do Yudam.
"Nice."
Just as I let out a genuine exclamation, suddenly flower petals fluttered from all directions. The roses that bloomed with fierce vigor instantly subdued two Otogios and seeped beneath Baek Hamin's feet.
"Uncle, I'm done!"
Baek Hamin, who had submitted two magic stones to the teacher, ran toward me with bright smiles, pattering along.
Well, with that level of skill, there's really no need to form a group. While thinking that, I alternated my gaze between the kids forming groups and fighting magical beasts, and Baek Hamin who was separated from them.
'...Wouldn't it be better to develop some social skills?'
Seeing how he plays with Baek Gyeongmin and Yang Jiyul, he doesn't lack social skills. But on the other hand, I also thought that living like this now would make it easier for Do Yudam to seal the dungeon later when he becomes a villain.
How was it in the original work...?
[Viewing Right Used]
The status window was still full of illegible characters. Just as I was trying hard to recall my memories and focus on the content, a sharp scream pierced through my consciousness.
"Daddy—!"
A child about to be crushed under the Otogio's remains caught my eye. I urgently tried to call Asil, but Baek Eunseong stomping the floor came first.
In that moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion. As if Jeon Jiyun had summoned the wind, the Otogio's remains shot up into the sky, and Jeong Uichan ran out reaching out his arms as if to shield the child.
At that moment, a golem that suddenly sprang from the ground curled over the child. Dust swirled up hazily, and the surroundings went quiet.
And a little while later, as the golem slowly raised its body, the tear-soaked child burst out from the golem's embrace. The guardian who hugged the child tightly expressed gratitude to Baek Eunseong multiple times for saying it was okay.
"Thank you so much, Vice Guild Master."
Looking now, each of the children had a small golem attached to them. It seemed they intended to make them grow like that in case of unforeseen situations.
"When did you attach them?"
When I asked in admiration, Baek Eunseong replaced his answer with an embarrassed smile. While the teachers checked the children's conditions, Baek Jiseong's secretary stared intently at Baek Eunseong.
After the teacher gathered the startled children in one place and gave another warning, the subjugation resumed.
The children who had collected two magic stones early like Baek Hamin stepped back to rest, but most were still facing the Otogios with cautious faces. Seeing that Baek Gyeongmin was among them, I watched the child with a surprised face.
Do Yudam was slow because Jeon Jiyun kept giving instructions like do this, do that, but why Baek Gyeongmin? He should have the skill to easily subdue an Otogio, so it was strange.
After watching the situation for a while, I let out a sigh.
Who on earth put that burden on that young child's shoulders?
A tense flow poured out from the small body. It was visible to the eye that he was even afraid to lift his toes due to the pressure.
Because of that, while the coordinates for summoning the swamp were perfect, he kept failing to hold the magical beast's steps. Each time, Baek Gyeongmin bit his lip firmly while looking at Baek Jiseong's secretary.
I can tell without looking. It's because of Baek Jiseong.
Did he give an order to conquer the dungeon with skills far superior to Baek Hamin's? Sighing heavily, I took out the bundle Choi Jaegeun had prepared at the mention of break time and sat down on one side, laying out a mat.
"Baek Hamin. Wipe your hands first with a wet wipe."
"Uncle, ah."
While I was busily moving around with various preparations before feeding him the snacks full of Choi Jaegeun's dedication, Baek Hamin suddenly called me.
As I reflexively opened my mouth, a tiny hand slipped something in. I reflexively covered my mouth at the snack that melted smoothly in my mouth.
What is this? What's so delicious?