My hair had grown longer. At first, I was startled and jumped in surprise, but as I thought about it, it wasn't really that surprising.
‘I already knew my body wasn’t normal...’
My hair and nails didn’t grow well, and I hardly produced any waste.
Most importantly, after the torn-off leg randomly sprouted, I gave up on trying to understand my body.
At that time, I was lost in delusions, thinking maybe I was a special type of being or an alien... but now, I understood it just a little bit more.
‘So, what is this? Homogenization?’
With awkward hands, I gently touched the ends of my hair. It was shoulder-length. The sensation of my hair wrapping around my fingers felt strangely awkward.
"Now that I think about it, I also grew horns on my forehead, and dog ears appeared on my head. Growing my hair longer must have been possible too... By the way, Ha-yul, isn’t this some kind of special ability?"
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"...It’s not a special ability."
I shook my head while feeling Elia’s hand, which was still softly caressing my hair with wide eyes.
The change in my body through homogenization.
The horns of a one-horned beast and the dog ears were examples of that. Compared to those changes, the fact that my hair had grown wasn’t that surprising.
But the problem was that I hadn’t specifically used homogenization.
It just grew... no, it just changed by itself as I thought about it.
This wasn’t temporary. If I wanted it, it would stay this way.
‘What about the opposite?’
I briefly thought about it. I imagined my hair shortening to its usual length, hoping it would return to its previous state.
"Oh. It’s getting shorter again."
Elia gasped. It looked as if time itself were rewinding as my hair returned to its original length.
She touched the hair slipping from her grasp with a regretful hand.
Eventually, the hair stopped shortening. It had returned to its original state. It was quite a spectacle.
‘Is this a fairy characteristic? Or is it a feature of my body?’
I couldn’t tell. I’d have to gather the fairy children back at the mansion and ask them. Since fairies typically have ethereal traits, they might be able to do it easily...
"Ha-yul, is there anything you’ve forgotten?"
"Yes?"
While I was lost in thought, Elia placed her hands on my shoulders, asking the question with a curious look on her face.
For some reason, my body tensed. Her chattering voice echoed in my ears, and the hands on my shoulders felt as heavy as if carrying Mount Taesan.
‘Forgotten?'
I didn’t know. Since Elia had asked such a question, I turned my head quickly. Swish! As I calmly recalled the past, there was nothing specific I had promised.
"...I don’t know..."
"Yo, you shouldn’t say bad words."
"Muuhh..."
Slowly, Elia’s fingers pressed against my lips.
‘Ah.’
The voice that came from the confession necklace directly in front of me made my eyes widen.
"That’s not... no... (That wasn’t my mouth...)"
"Ugh! You shouldn’t curse so recklessly."
Elia firmly cut off my rebuttal, shaking her head. Her reaction caused my mouth, which had been murmuring a defense, to snap shut.
Unlike her usual gentle and warm demeanor, there was an invisible force behind Elia now that made it difficult to resist.
Her presence made the feathers of the sky flutter behind me and caused my head to naturally bow.
"I’m sorry..."
The words that came out were pure surrender.
I lowered my eyes and mumbled, and Elia’s aura softened. Her gentle touch patted my head.
"Thank you for saying that. I know you don’t like when Yeon-hwa curses, right? I feel the same way."
Her hand, which had been patting my head, moved down to gently squeeze my cheeks. As my head was lifted by her hand, I met her golden eyes.
"It hurts my heart when ugly words come from such a beautiful mouth. Of course, it’s unavoidable if you think it, but I hope Ha-yul doesn’t speak bad words through any means."
Elia’s fingers gently caressed my lips. With a somewhat worried expression, she asked,
"Did I make you feel uncomfortable...?"
"Uh-uh, no..."
I shook my head in response to Elia’s concerned words. It was clear that I had made a mistake, and it was right for me to be scolded by her, so how could I feel bad?
Then, Elia, smiling brightly, gave me a quick kiss. The tickling sensation wet my lips.
[Smooch]
"Mm?"
And while it might sound a bit perverted, I actually didn’t mind being scolded like this.
It reminded me of times when I used to get scolded by my master and had my bottom smacked.
It was a bad thought, but I didn’t mind being worried about or scolded by someone...
Shaking my head to clear away the thoughts, I buried my face in Elia’s embrace.
I buried my face deeply in her soft warmth, and the faint scent of milk filled my nose.
Elia, with wide eyes, smiled gently and let me settle more comfortably in her arms.
"Hehe, when I was younger, after my siblings got scolded, they would always run to mom and hug her, and now Ha-yul is the same."
Elia, smiling and laughing, gently stroked my hair.
[Mom?]
"Yeah, that’s how it was back then. Or maybe... is it still like that? The youngest is still young though."
Elia, who had rested her chin on my head, mumbled playfully. Occasionally, she would rub her cheek against my hair or kiss the top of my head.
Her affectionate actions made me bury my face deeper in her embrace, and I tightened my arms around her waist.
Suddenly, I remembered something the 5th round had said.
Although my physical age could be guessed, my mental age seemed much younger.
...When I think about it carefully, it does seem like that.
If I compare myself to the past, things have certainly changed a lot.
Back then, I could never imagine having such embarrassing and awkward thoughts and actions. But now, I’m casually doing them without any hesitation.
It’s mine, and it’s a kind of selfish desire that I wouldn’t want to share with anyone.
‘...Did I realize that?’
I didn’t care much.
A lot had changed compared to the past, but that doesn’t mean I want to let go of what I’ve worked so hard to gather.
A vibration from the ceiling echoed. Magic activated, and the voice of the announcer rang out.
[Heeek]
Through the warmth of happiness, the cold reality pierced through...
The event was meant to be filled with laughter, chatter, and teasing, a showcase of lighthearted fun.
And as if to prove the event's intention, the procedure was as ruthlessly malicious as expected.
"I’d like to begin by thanking all of you for gracing this precious event."
The host, standing on stage, bowed to the audience with a lively tone.
The event hall had been set up as a temporary facility well before the Birth Festival began. Though it wasn’t the best, it was far from a poor setup, and everything necessary was provided.
"Honestly, there’s no need for a grand explanation of the event. You all know why you’re here, right?"
Just as the host said, there were no signs of confusion on the faces of the audience members.
Most of them were too busy watching the participants who had taken the stage, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
The first part of the event was simple. It was a chance for the students to show their original selves before they underwent their transformations.
A large hologram appeared in the air, showcasing the students standing on stage.
A few drones were also floating around the ceiling of the hall. It wasn’t just one but several.
For a moment, I thought about using magic to destroy them, but I quickly suppressed that impulse, as it could cause trouble for others.
On stage, the participants—who were, for lack of a better word, like pigs led to the slaughter—were introduced.
Of course, not everyone looked miserable.
There were some with calm expressions like Yeon-hwa, and others like Baek Ah-rin, who were laughing as if they didn’t care.
But most of us, including myself, wore faces that could only be described as gloomy or defeated.
Yet, the more the expressions of the participants dulled, the brighter the expressions of the audience became. Why was that?
The cruelty of laughing at someone else’s misfortune was unbearable.
[Heh]
As I stood waiting for my turn, with a gloomy face, I suddenly tensed up as I sensed an approaching presence.
Some of the students I had met while active in Siyoram were here, including Lee Ji-yeon, who seemed to have come to watch with her friends, casting a strange glance my way.
I blinked my eyes, opening them slowly, and then...
Through the information conveyed by my Observation skill, I saw familiar faces: my teacher and Professor Liana.
Our eyes met.
My teacher, with his arms crossed, let out a small chuckle, while Professor Liana waved at me, smiling brightly.
But that wasn’t all.
On Professor Liana’s lap sat Se-yul, and the fairies were all gazing around in wonder, their eyes wide with curiosity.
Naturally, everyone was wearing their Recognition Obstruction Magic tools, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in my heart.
[Huff...]
Why had everyone come to watch this? I couldn’t understand. There were plenty of other fun and exciting events to enjoy.
Why this one...?
I felt like I was suffocating.
Se-yul, the ones lifting me up as some kind of king, were all staring at me...
"Now, next student!"
Before I knew it, it was my turn.
With trembling legs, I slowly stepped forward.
At the same time, my image appeared on the hologram.
A playful cheer erupted from the audience. The loud noise made my half-open eyes squint.
I wanted to escape. I almost wished I could be training instead at this moment. Of course, since this was Yeon-hwa’s request, I couldn’t just leave...
[What?]
At that moment, something vibrated deeply in my chest. It felt like a small but significant tremor, almost like a premonition.
It was a familiar sensation, and one that hadn't been so intense recently, making my eyes widen.
[Special Ability “Perfect Beauty” is evolving.]