His head finally cleared, and he immediately picked up his phone and called somewhere.
“I’m Theodora. It’s me, Han.”
A delighted woman’s voice came through.
— I’ve been waiting for you to call.
“That sounds ominous.”
— How’s Yurian?
“He hasn’t woken up yet.”
— That’s strange... Want to send him back to me?
“That was a funny joke, Theodora.”
— Haha, I’ll be waiting anytime. I always welcome new test subjects.
Theodora Weiss.
An authority in somatic reconstitution.
She’d directed all sorts of unethical experiments on criminals at the Guantanamo Research Institute.
But after she was caught conducting an experiment to stuff the SSS-class monster Veilach Shados—captured with great effort by the U.S.—into a human body, she herself became an SSS-class criminal.
In particular, once it was revealed she had kidnapped innocent people for experiments, her already scheduled sentence kept getting extended.
— Anyway, the fact you called me... does that mean you’re ready to make a deal? What do you want?
“I need a suitable candidate to become the master of the 99th floor.”
— Hmm, that’s a tall order.
“Not necessarily.”
On Ijo shrugged and continued.
“How did you summon Veilach back when you were at Guantanamo?”
— Ah... so that’s how you want to approach it? Right. Makes sense. But it’ll be hard to do in Korea.
“Why?”
— You’re asking how we summoned Veilach in the U.S.?
She spoke with a smile in her voice.
— We triggered dungeon breaks. A lot of them.
“...”
— It’s hard to cause that many dungeon breaks in Korea. Your pool of Awakened is good there. Better than the U.S. or Europe, if you ask me.
“That’s true.”
— Plus, with that On Jurim around, he’ll cover most situations anyway.
“...”
After a brief silence, she suddenly asked:
— So, shall we make a deal?
As if she had a great idea.
“A deal?”
— I’ve been trying to use On Jurim as a test subject. I finally found a bit of a lead.
“Use On Jurim as a test subject?”
— Yup.
On Ijo let out a hollow laugh.
“Theodora, aren’t you overconfident? Your opponent is On Jurim.”
— I can do it. I’ve got a plan.
“...What are you going to do?”
— I’m going to open a grand dungeon in Korea.
“So that’s why you need me?”
— I was going to try it without you if I had to... but you happened to call. Maybe it’s a chance sent by God. What do you say? Want in? I’m thinking big. It won’t be bad for you either.
Thinking that it was truly absurd for a woman who repeated unethical experiments to invoke God, On Ijo lowered his eyes.
Is this truly God’s will? A title wavered before his eyes.
But—
“You think you can throw up a grand dungeon as a smokescreen and capture On Jurim with just that?”
— No. Of course not!
She laughed and continued:
— I know On Jurim has Sheir, the master of the 99th floor. His power must come from there.
“...”
— I’m going to put Sheir into a vessel. Like we did with Veilach.
“That’s it? «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Same as with Veilach—the vessel won’t withstand it.”
— We’ll fuse Sheir as the master of the new grand dungeon we open now. If he becomes the dungeon’s master, the vessel will hold a little longer. Simply put, I’m asking you to help me open a grand dungeon to capture Sheir.
“Hm...”
— Not a bad idea, right? If On Jurim loses Sheir, he’ll inevitably weaken.
It wasn’t a bad idea.
Or maybe he couldn’t tell whether it was his thought or the title’s influence.
Either way, his mouth moved naturally.
“So, how are you planning to pay for my help?”
— I have an SSS-class monster already in a vessel. Once it’s done, I’ll hand it over to you. It’ll make a fine master for the 99th floor.
“...Fine.”
— I knew you’d say that. I’ll contact you when I’m ready, Han.
“Yeah. I’ll be waiting.”
On Ijo ended the call.
His eyes sank.
On Jurim and Sheir... Various thoughts tangled together in his mind.
***
Chapter : Endure the Weight of Parents’ Day
The Chick Class classroom was unusually busy today.
They were in the middle of a lesson making carnations for Parents’ Day.
Amid the kids crowding together, folding petals and pasting leaves to make carnations, Guru suddenly let out a deep sigh.
Glance.
Watching Guru’s dark expression, Woojoo carefully peeked at the bouquet of carnations she had made.
“You did a good job.”
“Peep!”
Perched on her head, Mephisto agreed with Woojoo’s praise, and Gu Hwiyeon, sitting across from them, chimed in primly:
“Even Hwiyeon thinks it’s not bad. It’s not sigh-worthy.”
But Guru shook her head hard.
No matter how heartfelt a handmade carnation was, Guru felt it wasn’t enough.
“Dis not enough.”
She took all the puzzled looks gathering on her and spoke weightily.
“Gwuu... dis is Gwuu’s fiwst Parents’ Day since Gwuu got a daddy.”
The mood froze with a sharp clink.
It might be a familiar holiday for the other kids who’d celebrated it every year, but for Guru it carried the special meaning of a “first.”
Ignoring how the other kids had gone stiff, Guru went on.
“And awso...”
There’s more?
While Woojoo and Hwiyeon fidgeted, not knowing what to do, Guru said:
“Gwuu’s weight on Parents’ Day is diffwent from a normaw famiwy.”
“...Is it?”
Woojoo looked puzzled but forced himself to nod.
But what came next broke his composure.
“Cuz Gwuu got two daddies.”
“What?!”
“Whaaat?!”
Woojoo and Hwiyeon yelped in surprise.
When the table burst into commotion, the teacher stepped in.
“All right, Chick Class! Let’s zip-our-lips~”
“Zip!”
With their mouths clamped into a straight line, the kids rolled their big eyes toward Guru.
“Why? How? Since when?”
“Did you, like, find him?”
Hwiyeon and Woojoo rushed up to Guru.
Guru nodded.
“Fwound him. Biowogicaw daddy.”
“Whaaat?”
Worked up, Hwiyeon crushed her carnation with a crinkle, then jolted and started smoothing the petals back out.
“What kind of person is Guru’s real dad?”
“Uuung, he’s kinda...”
Guru tilted her head.
“Useless...”
“...”
“So Gwuu gotta take wesponsibiwity.”
“Ah...”
A sympathetic sigh rippled out from the kids.
“And Daddy is at the hospitaw wight now.”
“Why? Is he sick?”
“No, but he hasta hide fow now.”
“Aaah...”
Hwiyeon and Woojoo’s eyes went glassy like frozen fish.
A useless biological dad hiding from people in a hospital?
Even to kids’ ears, it didn’t sound great.
Hwiyeon’s pupils quivered before she finally spoke:
“Guru, th-that’s, um, nice for you... having two dads...”
'That’s the best you’ve got?'
It was the best they had.
Woojoo and Hwiyeon traded a glance loaded with meaning.
But Guru just blinked and then—
“Yup!”
She beamed.
“So Gwuu’s gonna pwepawe a gwand pwesent.”
“A grand...?”
“A present?”
Woojoo and Hwiyeon cocked their heads.
