Fumbling with a lock, there was a click—and the door swung open. I couldn’t believe how clumsy it was, with no precautions whatsoever. The person who stepped inside was an ordinary man. Not an awakener, but F-rank, dressed like any nobody. Not American, not from around here—maybe Arab? Then again, America’s full of every race, so he could’ve been American. In any case, he was a different sort of kidnapper from the ones I’d faced before. Well, after my reset, that is. “Before, low-rank hunters might’ve tried approaching just in case...” But now, apart from the mid-ranks right after my reset, it was all S-ranks. Even kidnappers had tiers, I guess—though they were still kidnappers. No wonder there was zero security, just one surveillance camera. The man came to the bed, offering me a potion. It wasn’t one of the officially regulated Hunter Association bottles from any country. A black-market brew stamped with a low-rank label, in a plain vial that wouldn’t fit in an inventory. Dungeon byproduct bottles were pricey, after all. He had no translation device, it seemed, so I shook my head. Could he understand English? You practically needed basic English to peddle illicit potions. “No, potion! Umm, danger!” The problem was, I sucked at English too. Seong Hyunjae’s stolen translation device was back in my inventory—unusable, and if I tried to use it, they’d just take it again. He held out the potion again. But it was dangerous for me. And I had plenty of better potions in my inventory. “Dragon! I want fairy dragon! Healing dragon! Dragon skill cure me!” I figured I needed my dragon to find Gyeol, so I said as much. Fortunately, he seemed to understand. I coughed a few times while chanting “please, dragon,” and he nodded, then stepped outside. He closed the door but didn’t lock it—that amateur. A moment later, he returned with a crate. I heard flapping wings inside. Oh dear, Gyeol! “Yes! Very thank you! You good guy! Box open please!” The crate opened, and a silvery fairy dragon burst out. Gyeol, who’d been huffing, blushed pink when he saw me. He only mouthed the word before darting into my arms. The man grinned, showing white teeth. I wanted to pet Gyeol, but my arms were bound. I lifted my arms as if asking to be freed, but he shook his head firmly. So much for that. “Um... my arm pain. Back! Chest side please.” What to say to ask him to turn me around? I tried asking for a little slack, but he refused. “Healing dragon. Okay.” He gestured to Gyeol, then locked the door and left. Gyeol nestled close to my face and whispered: “Daddy, are you okay? That’s blood!” “It’s fine. Sometimes when you live, you cough up blood. It’s more dangerous if it pools inside. Are you okay? Those bad people didn’t hurt you?” “They just locked me so I couldn’t run away. Daddy, it’s warm here. And they used strange words.” An Arab might say that. But America’s miscellaneous, so he could be American. I’d love to visit California sometime. “But it’s not another world, Daddy.” Gyeol stared at me sternly. “Stay still! Uncle will come to rescue us.” “They won’t hurt you, so you can just stay. Gyeol won’t help either.” His slim golden eyes were surprisingly resolute. I thought if I just got Gyeol back, I could wriggle free of the ropes. “An arm injury is easy to fix. It’s fine.” Even as he spoke firmly, Gyeol massaged my arm with his forepaw. I couldn’t untie myself alone. Still, I needed to find my items—especially the Earring. “All except the earring are bound to me, so they must still be stored.” Fresh chapters posted on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁 Pointing to the closed door, I looked at the bare earthen walls and dirt floor. “I’ve recently discovered an F-rank hunter locked up here. They might treat me nicely and call home, but clearly not.” “I could pay their ransom.” They didn’t look well-off. Maybe I could persuade them verbally. For now, I’d wait for someone else to enter. “Gyeol, I think you’ve got siblings now.” Since we share a father, they count as siblings. Gyeol stopped kneading my arm and blinked those golden eyes at me. “I knew they existed, but aren’t they just beasts?” “They’re black dragons—dragon species, not beasts. I said it before, and since Yuhyun’s blood flows in them... And that little one spoke well; maybe he learned how to shift from the black dragon into human form.” The kid had surprised me too. I expected at most a mid-rank monster. Maybe it was due to the black dragon’s influence. “So... if we formally name them, they’d gain independence like you did, Gyeol.” “Daddy can’t name them alone. Do it with Uncle or Auntie.” “...That’s what I plan, but I named you by myself, Gyeol.” Instead of answering, the fairy dragon’s wings trembled. “I like my name, but still. ...Daddy?” Gyeol hesitated, twisting his tail with his forepaw. “You don’t dislike them, right?” “Huh? Of course I don’t.” “But you hated them. Because you were born from the transcendent’s magic stone that killed Uncle.” I regretted not being able to hug or stroke him with my arms tied. “I did hate Diarma, but that has nothing to do with you. I was the one who combined magic stones to create the beast and tried to use it. You bear no blame, Gyeol. I’m the one who’s sorry.” “It’s not your fault. If you were born from someone who hurt Daddy, I’d hate them too... Even if they did nothing wrong.” His ears drooped sadly. He’d been worrying this whole time... No wonder—how could he forget? “Even knowing it was wrong, feelings don’t change easily. That’s human nature. But from the moment I saw you in person, I never disliked you. You’re you, completely different from that evil dragon.” “If, by chance, Diarma’s form had left any trace in you, I might’ve held a grudge—despite believing I shouldn’t.” I confessed honestly after hesitating. I couldn’t just hide what he already knew. “But in the end, I’d love you for who you truly are. Any prejudice would vanish, and I’d love you just as I do now.” “...I know. I thought so too.” Though he said he knew, he teared up a bit and pressed his head against my arm. Even if he believed it, hearing it in words mattered. Dialogue was vital. “At first, I was a bit scared. So I didn’t ask for a name immediately. Normally you get your name at birth, but that’s when you become independent from Daddy. I thought I’d help you first and prove my worth, and then it’d be okay to have a name.” “...Even if you were a powerless ordinary child, Gyeol, I’d never abandon you. Never.” “Mm. But I’m glad you didn’t name me right away. You were alone then.” This little rascal. He seemed cheered up as he nuzzled my cheek with his own. “Honestly, I’m jealous of my siblings. But I’ll treat them well. They’ll like Daddy a lot—hope you do too, Gyeol.” I was fine with the kid, but I worried about the black dragon. They wouldn’t fight, would they? “The black dragon remembers old memories, so he likely won’t follow me blindly. Probably.” “But because you’re Daddy, he’ll like you!” “...Not everything likes Daddy.” “But you’re a good Daddy.” Gyeol’s eyes sparkled. Speaking of that... at our first meeting I was told I wasn’t qualified to be his guardian. Thanks to Yuhyun’s intervention, at least they treated me as guardian—otherwise not at all. “Gyeol, unfortunately there are many people in this world who dislike Daddy. Not everyone will like you.” “I know. There are many who fought you. It’s strange to dislike someone without reason.” I don’t get why people dislike others for no harm done. I haven’t been caught, and most were self-defense anyway. Though trapped and bound, I’d spent a leisurely time with Gyeol for the first time in a while. Chatterbox was surely dead, so I wasn’t too worried outside. Unless a transcendent interfered, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) no one was in danger. They’d worry about me instead. “This is a total secret, but I like your human face.” “Really? I thought you hated if I resembled the Sesung Guildmaster.” “Just that! If that vanished, it’d be all yours. No more comparisons.” Gyeol raised his snout proudly. Good answer—the Guildmaster did have a cute childhood face. “And, um... the one who influenced me a bit this time helped too.” He spoke around it. It must be Seong Hyunjae. “The space-shift, you know.” “...What? Seong Hyunjae did that? How?” “Probably a skill he had long ago. He might be in pain now.” My heart sank. Gyeol saved me, but that Seong Hyunjae’s skill... Damn, is he okay? “Even though I hate to admit it, since we were once the same kind, he could’ve moved you to me from another space. He must’ve contacted Grandfather for help, too.” “So was that the sword that appeared on Chatterbox’s neck?” Gyeol shook his head. “That was Grandfather’s sword. It resonated with Uncle’s. I don’t know why it showed on Chatterbox’s neck.” It seemed someone had planted it there beforehand. Without that sword disabling Chatterbox, killing him would’ve been tough. Anyway, my chest tightened. Grateful for the help, but he needed to take care of himself! “So, Daddy. Um... sorry to Seong Hyunjae, but stay away from him. Absolutely.” “If he’s really unwell, he might instinctively try to swallow you.” Gyeol spoke seriously, but I had no clue what he meant. Did he develop cannibalistic tendencies when ill? “Why would Seong Hyunjae try to eat Daddy?” “He’d do it! Anyway, it’s dangerous, so when he’s around Uncle, Auntie, the next-door neighbor, the government guy—ask if it’s okay. You’ll never just pass by.” He said better not let the black dragon know. Why all the secrets? I nodded at his pleading. Hopefully Seong Hyunjae’s resting well. With Soyeong and Evelyn around, the Guildmaster will be fine... I trust Chief Song won’t neglect him. And Yuhyun better not go wild. Yuhyun, your brother’s safe. Yerim, be nice to him. After some time, someone opened the door again. This time there were three people, including the man from before. One approached me, took out his phone, and said something. [“I have claimed you.”] The phone’s robotic Korean sounded surprisingly good. [“You will obey me.”] [“I am selling you. Stand up.”] [“Does the dragon escape?”] “No. Follow me. Right? And help me.” “Ah—help me! I can’t get up alone.” One of them helped me to my feet. Gyeol clung to my shoulder as we walked down the corridor to another room, where people in white head coverings waited. Oh no, is this really Saudi Arabia?