Chapter 112
We wandered through the jungle city. Sometimes we used the Hwaryeon radiator to burn plants with fire, and explored the urban areas that had collapsed due to vegetation. We continued until it got dark and we could barely see ahead.
"We should find a place to sleep soon."
"What! I want to keep exploring!"
"We've played a lot today. Let's rest now, Hwaryeon."
"Tch!"
Hwaryeon clicked her tongue at the suggestion to rest. Being young, she didn't seem tired from all the walking. I took Hwaryeon's hand and led her to a relatively intact building.
"Be quiet and follow me. The night is darker, so it'll be more dangerous."
"Hmph, if I burn everything it'll be bright and not dangerous!"
"Burning everything here would be more dangerous, kid."
I wasn't worried about Hwaryeon protecting us with fire. However, the other heroes searching separately from us would likely die from Hwaryeon's fire. Her fire isn't ordinary fire, but dragon's breath.
"This place looks safe enough. Let's sleep here tonight."
"Fine then!"
Thud-
I put down my luggage and started preparing for the night. I laid out the sleeping bag I had packed and lit up the area with a portable lamp. Then, I took out some simple food for dinner.
'...I only packed food for myself.'
It might be a bit insufficient, but I cut a round rice ball in half and gave it to Hwaryeon.
"Let's share this, Hwaryeon. Here, eat this rice ball."
"Food!"
Drool-
Hwaryeon drooled at the sight of the rice ball. She immediately took it and opened her mouth wide.
"I'll eat well!"
Chomp-!
Hwaryeon opened her mouth wide and devoured the rice ball in one bite. I pinched Hwaryeon's puffed-up cheeks and said.
"You rascal. I told you to eat slowly or you'll get indigestion."
"Mmph, it's fine!"
"Here's some water if your throat gets blocked."
She really needs a lot of looking after.
I couldn't help but smile as I watched Hwaryeon chewing with her mouth full of rice ball. She looked more like a squirrel than a dragon.
"Hwaryeon."
"Mmm?"
"Don't tell anyone you're a dragon. You'll ruin the dragons' dignity."
"What's that supposed to mean! I'm such a scary dragon!"
Roar-!
Hwaryeon tried to threaten me by showing her claws, but to my eyes, she just looked like my cute daughter.
As we chatted to pass the time, it started getting late and our eyes grew heavy. After exchanging information with other heroes, I put Hwaryeon in the sleeping bag and said.
"Sleep quietly here. And wake me up if you need to use the bathroom."
"I can go to the bathroom by myself!"
"I know, but it's dangerous, so wake me up. I'll be sleeping outside."
I put Hwaryeon to sleep in the sleeping bag, while I decided to sleep sitting on a nearby steel bar. Just in case magical beasts approached and attacked Hwaryeon while I was asleep.
After tucking Hwaryeon into the sleeping bag, I touched her forehead, which was the only part visible, and said.
"Go to sleep quickly. If you sleep late, you won't grow tall."
Hwaryeon blushed and bit her lip slightly before saying.
"You sleep well too, Dad... or not... be careful of your back..."
She's subtly showing concern for my injury.
Despite being in an unfamiliar place, Hwaryeon quickly closed her eyes and fell asleep. I was only able to close my eyes after seeing Hwaryeon fall completely asleep.
My back where the thorns had been stuck was a bit sore, but I was just glad Hwaryeon wasn't hurt.
***
Morning came.
Hwaryeon and I walked around the city, munching on simple hot bars.
"Hwaryeon."
"Mmm?"
"Where could the core be?"
"How should I know!"
Hwaryeon shouted irritably.
Well, of course Hwaryeon wouldn't know.
'If it was easy to find, they wouldn't have let the city turn into a jungle like this.'
I heard they had just been cutting the vines when they crossed the border until now.
They didn't want to waste manpower on closing this dimensional gate, and they hadn't made efforts to reclaim Bupyeong district.
However, I heard that the government had recently requested the Hero Association to reclaim Bupyeong district.
"Ugh, this is annoying. I want to go home quickly and fart on Choryeon."
"Eww, gross!"
She's getting jealous for no reason again. I found the jealous Hwaryeon cute and turned my head.
For some reason, Hwaryeon looked at me with a contemptuous expression.
'...She's probably just pretending to be contemptuous, right?'
She clearly likes her dad but is just embarrassed. Thinking this, I searched the surroundings to get home quickly.
That's when it happened.
-Crackle... Hey...! Is anyone there...!?
"I'm here."
-We need a quick response...!!
Suddenly, the sound of a radio came through. I answered the urgent voice on the communication.
"What's going on?"
-Problem in Zone B3...! We need help...! Who's there...!?
"It's Lee Ha-jun."
-You're just a C-class hero...! Of all people... Damn it...!
"..."
Maybe I shouldn't help. Hwaryeon seemed to have the same thought, muttering beside me.
"I want to hit him!"
"I agree, Hwaryeon."
But as an adult, I should be able to forgive such a minor slight.
I don't want to act petty in front of my daughter either. I put the radio in my pocket and unfolded the map.
"It's quite close. Let's go. Hwaryeon, transform into a lizard right now!"
"I'm not a lizard! I'm a dragon! And it's not transforming, it's returning to my original state!"
"Whatever. Just transform!"
"Hmph!"
Hwaryeon snorted, clearly displeased.
Still, she quickly released her polymorph and returned to her lizard state. I put her on my shoulder and ran towards Zone B3, looking at the map.
"Even without being asked for help, a hero rushes to save people. Got it, Hwaryeon?"
-Dad, that's so cheesy!
"..."
I just wanted to say something cool. To think it's cheesy.
I felt hurt even before the battle began.
"Sob sob."
-You said men shouldn't cry! Dad, don't cry!
My daughter was being quite harsh on me.
***
Zone B3.
It’s not an official name, but coordinates arbitrarily marked on the map.
As we reached the area mentioned on the radio, I could hear the sounds of battle in the distance.
"Looks like they're fighting over there."
-Let's go! I love fights! Let's go!
With Hwaryeon, excited about the fight, on my shoulder, I reached the battle zone where the sounds were getting louder.
There, a giant plant like the rose we saw before was fighting with the heroes. Hero Kim Chang-soo, looking tired, saw me and shouted.
"Hey, rookie! Stay back! What are you doing?"
"I'm here to fight too."
"You're in the way, get lost!!"
Boom-!
A huge tooth mark appeared on the asphalt where Kim Chang-soo had just been standing.
It was a trace of the plant fighting the heroes. I pointed at the plant and said.
"Hwaryeon. That's called a Venus flytrap."
-Venus flytrap? Cool name!
"Right? But it looks a bit gross."
-It kinda does!
As I was explaining plant knowledge to Hwaryeon, Kim Chang-soo yelled at me again.
"I said get lost!!"
He's quite impatient.
They say people these days lack patience, and I thought that was true. I put my backpack on the ground and faced the Venus flytrap with its mouth wide open.
"It looks quite vicious."
Swish-
I looked at Hwaryeon on my shoulder and asked.
"Hwaryeon."
-Yeah?
"You can handle this, right?"
Hwaryeon answered excitedly.
-Of course! I want to fight! I'll burn it with fire!
Good.
I lifted Hwaryeon up.
Lift-
Then I held Hwaryeon with her mouth wide open in front of me. And then.
"Lee Hwaryeon Radiator, fire!"
-Roar!
Whoosh-!!
Showcasing Hwaryeon's overwhelming firepower, I gave the man-eating Venus flytrap a fire treatment. The other heroes looked at me with dumbfounded faces.
"W-What... is that firepower...!!"
"I can't see clearly... Is that level of firepower coming from his hand...?"
Due to Hwaryeon's overwhelming firepower, the surroundings were brightly lit. Because of this, the Venus flytrap monster that had its mouth wide open towards us was also pushed back.
-Screech!!
"Ugh, gross."
The Venus flytrap started burning while making a horrible noise. Hwaryeon spun her tail like a propeller and increased her firepower.
-Roar!!!
As a result.
Whoosh-
The Venus flytrap that had threatened us disappeared, turning into a handful of ashes. I patted Hwaryeon's head as she exhaled smoke after breathing out fire so impressively.
"Well done, Hwaryeon. I'll buy you something delicious when we get home."
-I want chicken! I wanna eat chicken!
"Alright, I'll buy you whatever flavor you want."
-Yay!
Hwaryeon seemed to have relieved her stress and was in a good mood. Then, the heroes whose lives we saved approached.
I quickly hid Hwaryeon behind my back and said.
"Is anyone hurt?"
"No. Thanks to you."
Kim Chang-soo, who had been hostile to me at first, answered awkwardly. He looked at me and asked.
"But weren't you holding something in your hand just now?"
"No?"
"Then, are you saying that firepower is your ability?"
"Y-You could say that."
I can't say Hwaryeon did it.
Kim Chang-soo looked at me suspiciously for a moment, but then bowed his head to thank me.
"Thank you, you saved our lives."
"Really? I saved your lives?"
"We would have been in great danger if it weren't for you."
Hmm. Still, I'm not feeling better.
The memory of being disrespected is bothering me.
I reluctantly held out my hand to resolve this feeling.
"W-What? You want to shake hands?"
Swish-
As Kim Chang-soo tried to grab my hand, I pulled it back.
"No."
"Then what?"
"Payment for your life."
"What?"
"You said I saved your life. So you should pay for it."
"..."
Kim Chang-soo looked at me as if thinking, 'What kind of jerk is this?' Hwaryeon, hidden in my pocket, also sent me a telepathic message.
'Dad. That's ugly.'
Shut up, kid.
Ignoring my daughter's words, I said.
"So what are you going to give me?"
"Ahem..."
Kim Chang-soo glanced at his team members, then pointed at the ashes of the Venus flytrap.
"There are seeds in the Venus flytrap's remains. Take those."
"I'm taking those anyway. What else?"
"...I'll give you this too."
Swish-
Kim Chang-soo handed over a fist-sized, shimmering magic stone. It was a rare stone that monsters sometimes drop.
'This isn't bad as payment for a life.'
My bad mood completely disappeared. I put the magic stone in my pocket and left, waving my hand.
Since Kim Chang-soo's team was searching this area, it would be better to look for the core elsewhere.
"Venus flytrap seeds... I wonder if Choryeon would like them as a gift?"
As I was walking, observing the small seeds, Hwaryeon returned to her human form and blocked my path.
She held out her hand towards me and shouted.
"Dad! Give me that pretty jewel!"
"Just like a dragon. You're crazy about shiny jewels, huh?"
"Give it to me quickly!"
Let's get her dressed first.
I put clothes on her. Then, I looked at the magic stone for a moment, considering.
'Well, I can sell it later, so I guess I'll give it to her for now.'
The market price for magic stones is low right now. I can sell it after the price goes up a bit.
I tossed the magic stone to Hwaryeon, who was blocking my way.
"Here, catch."
"Yes! A jewel! Hehe!"
"Don't lose it and treasure it."
"Got it! I won't lose it!"
Hehe-
Hwaryeon grinned, seeming to be in a good mood. Being a dragon, she seemed to like shiny things like jewels.
"Let's go find the core quickly, Hwaryeon."
"Okay!"
Hwaryeon, excited after receiving the jewel, followed closely behind me. With Hwaryeon like this, we walked through the city to find the core.
Our picnic with my daughter in the collapsed jungle city was slowly coming to an end.
"Dad! Look over there!"
"?"
"It's a dinosaur!"
In the form of a dinosaur in the jungle city, that is.
-Screech!!