I was completely ntally exhausted, but this was what real training should be.
Up until now, my training had been way too mild.
No, I couldn’t even call it training.
The insults and curses ant to shake my ntality were so ta they made yawn, and ditation...
Honestly, I had even dozed off during ditation.
‘No, I wasn’t slacking off—it's just that I’m still young, so closing my eyes naturally makes sleepy... It’s just part of growing up, right?’
But this kind of ntal exhaustion—this was real training.
Just as Sister Seol said, training ant pushing past one’s limits, so today, I resolved to go beyond mine.
Not only could I check out Cho’s special ability, but I also had a chance to aim for Cheongwol as well.
— Tssrrt.
But despite my call, Cho didn’t imdiately co over from beside Bini.
Normally, he would rush over without hesitation, so I found it strange and gestured at him again.
"Cho?"
— Tssrrrrr.
He stared at for a long mont before sending a concerned ssage. "Dad, you said you were exhausted. Are you sure you're okay...?"
"Kuhuk—!"
His words hit right in the heart, completely unguarded.
It was like I had just been sold off to the Empty Death Horse’s three hundred slaughters—my dear Cho was worrying about more than anything else.
‘Gyaaaaah!’
So this was the true love of a firstborn daughter for her father?
It was a completely different level of understanding and care compared to the second child or the youngest.
My Cho had the broad heart of an older girlfriend.
First, she had let Bini go first. And now, even though she must have been incredibly eager to check out her own special ability, she was holding back because she was worried about .
Wasn't this the true special ability of a well-bred firstborn daughter?
‘Filial daughter Cho—every special ability, fully acknowledged.’
Suppressing my overwhelming emotions, I walked over to Cho, who was standing by Bini, and stroked her head.
‘Even if my ntality crumbles and I beco trash today, I will confirm Cho’s special ability!’
"It’s okay. Don’t worry and co here, Cho. I rested a little, so I’m fine now."
— Tssrrt... "But still..."
Once again, I reassured her, telling her I was fine now after resting a bit. Then, I brought her over to Sister Seol, preparing to channel my Beast Heart Art.
"Alright, let’s get started. Sister Seol—"
"Got it. I need to take a close look at this too."
If this had been about internal energy, I would have placed my hand on her back or chest.
But since this was about ntal strength, Sister Seol placed her hand on Cho’s head instead.
"Start."
At her signal, I placed my hand on Cho’s head and began channeling energy into her.
Unlike Bini, who had initially resisted slightly, Cho accepted the energy as smoothly as a well-prepared student taking an exam.
If the energy of Beast Heart Art had the fresh feeling of green, then Cho’s energy was a deep, sky-like blue.
They felt sowhat related.
As the energy mixed inside her, Cho’s aura turned from fresh to crisp and invigorating.
‘Ah, this feels like... soda?’
It had the kind of exhilarating coolness of a carbonated drink.
But regardless of how refreshing it felt, my ntal strength was rapidly draining.
Compared to Bini, Cho absorbed my energy even more aggressively, pulling the ntal force of Beast Heart Art straight into her body.
Even Sister Seol was surprised as she observed, her eyes widening.
"Wow, this is insane. It’s really sucking in a huge amount of energy, huh?"
Sweat poured down my forehead.
Dark mories I had buried deep suddenly resurfaced, shaking my entire mind.
With Bini, the process had taken about fifteen minutes. But since Cho was in her teenage phase, this was taking even longer.
By the ti about twenty minutes had passed, I finally managed to pull my hand away.
"Kkuhooooooh...!"
I collapsed onto my back, gasping for air.
The ntal exhaustion was on a level I had never experienced before.
It felt like the entire world was conspiring against , making everything look crooked and unfair.
Then ca the waves of despair and frustration.
‘Sniff... I’m a worthless—no, wait. But am I really wrong...?’
Just as I was drowning in my own misery, I heard Cho’s voice.
— Tssrrrrr.
Still lying on my back with my shattered ntality, I turned to look at Cho, who was curled up and trembling slightly.
Then, all of a sudden—
A gleam flashed across her shell.
"What... What was that?!"
I was too drained to even react properly, but Sister Seol’s voice was filled with excitent.
We both stared at Cho, full of anticipation.
She curled up once more, shivered a little... and then...
She tilted her head at in confusion.
— Tssrrt?
We waited.
And waited.
But nothing else happened.
Then, Sister Seol let out an utterly disappointed sigh.
"What? That’s it?"
I was just as stunned.
My ntality had been burned to ashes, but this was all we got?
Ah... suddenly, life seed so pointless.
I had suffered so much, but there was no visible change.
It really felt like the whole world was out to get .
"Ah, I hate everything..."
***
"Cho, do you feel anything strange? If you notice anything different, tell your auntie."
— Tssrrt?
Sister Seol ignored my shattered state and started questioning Cho.
Given how much ntal strength I had lost, there had to be so kind of change, but there was absolutely nothing.
"Do you feel stronger?"
— Tssrr.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"Any faster? Can you sll better? Hear things more clearly?"
— Tssrrrrr. "Nope..."
"Really? You don’t feel anything at all?"
— Tssrrrr!
Even though Sister Seol couldn’t exactly understand Cho’s words, she was so dedicated to animals that she was basically deciphering them by instinct.
If soone were watching, they’d think she was actually having a conversation with her.
An animal communicator? It really seed that way.
"This is strange. Did we not use enough energy? You don’t feel drained at all?"
— Tssrrr.
Cho’s answer was clear—there was no discomfort, no strange sensations, nothing unusual at all.
She didn’t even feel tired like the others.
In the end, after a long mont of exchanging puzzled looks, both Sister Seol and Cho slowly turned their heads toward .
Sister Seol walked over and grabbed my arm, trying to pull up.
"There's no way we can continue today. Let's try again tomorrow," Sister Seol said. "You used up too much energy after infusing Bini. That might be why things didn't go as expected. Sothing about it just feels off."
"...Again?"
"We agreed to train, didn't we?"
"Oh... right."
I was so ntally exhausted I felt like I was going to die, so the thought of doing this again made groan. But when I thought about it, I did rember agreeing to train.
‘Did I speak too confidently without realizing how much this would take out of ...?’
— Tssrrrr. "Dad, are you okay?"
My vision darkened at the thought of doing it all over again, but Cho moved closer and gently brushed my face with concern.
At the sa ti, Sister Seol’s voice carried a playful yet firm tone.
"...So of course, we’re doing it again tomorrow, right?"
"...Yes."
How could I say no when Cho kept asking if I was okay?
In the end, I resigned myself to the most difficult endurance match—one that would continue past the break of dawn. Sister Seol agreed to check on everything again tomorrow.
By then, Hyang would be deep asleep, and Cho would be standing guard over Bini until she woke up.
And if Bini stayed asleep for a long ti, we'd have to spend the night here, making this the perfect eting spot.
"Then, we’ll et here again at dawn while Hyang is still sleeping."
"Got it. Co on, I’ll walk you back to the outpost."
"Okay. Cho, keep an eye on Bini until she wakes up. If she doesn’t wake up before dawn, I’ll co get you both."
— Tssrrt.
And so, the day ended with no real results.
As I headed back to the outpost, I could only hope that after sleeping, my ntal state would recover.
When I arrived, Huaon looked at in shock.
"Sister Seol, what happened to So-ryong?"
— Tssrrr!?
She looked worried, wondering if I was sick.
Sister Seol, without missing a beat, gently rubbed Huaon’s back and reassured her.
"Ah, it’s nothing serious. I’ll explain everything when we get back to the outpost later. No need to worry."
Knowing that Hyang would make things difficult if she found out, Sister Seol skillfully covered for .
‘Nice one, Sister Seol.’
I silently gave her a thumbs-up and imdiately collapsed onto my bed.
The ntal exhaustion was so overwhelming that I felt like I was about to pass out at any mont.
"But still, So-ryong looks really sick..." Huaon murmured.
"I said he’s fine. I just put him through so training. Training."
"Really? So-ryong, are you okay?"
Even as I lay on the bed, Huaon continued to fuss over .
I was exhausted, but I reassured her one last ti before finally surrendering to sleep.
"I... just need to lie down for a bit..."
"...So-ryong? So-ryong?"
"...He must’ve been really tired. He’s already asleep..."
Huaon and Sister Seol’s voices were the last thing I heard before I completely blacked out.
***
I woke up feeling stiff and sluggish, the damp air seeping into my nose.
This place wasn’t usually hot, so why did my neck feel sticky?
‘What’s going on? Am I sweating?’
The air wasn’t particularly warm, yet an uncomfortable humidity clung to .
As I tried to sit up, my gaze caught several pairs of glowing eyes in the darkness.
‘What the—?!’
Startled, I realized they belonged to Yoha, who was watching from the shadows, and Hyang, who was draped over , fast asleep.
Since these creatures didn’t have eyelids, they always slept with their eyes open, which could be pretty creepy at tis.
I sat up on the bed and reached for the pitcher on the table, drinking straight from the spout.
— Gulp, gulp, gulp.
The quiet, dark room was filled with the sound of water being swallowed down.
Feeling slightly refreshed, I glanced toward the window to figure out why it was so warm.
It was shut.
Since Qinghai tended to get chilly at night, Sister Seol or Huaon must have closed it before going to bed.
‘I should open it up a little.’
Most of my kids were cold-blooded, aning they beca sluggish in cooler temperatures.
I only needed to let in a little cool air.
As I unlatched the window and pushed it open, complete darkness greeted .
Thick clouds covered the sky, hiding the moon entirely.
Despite opening the window, the air that ca in wasn’t cool at all—it was just as humid and sticky as the air inside.
Turning to check the other window, I noticed it was already open.
‘Oh, one was open all along?’
Just as I dismissed it as nothing more than the humidity, a flash of light flickered in the distant sky.
A few seconds later, a faint roll of thunder followed.
— Rumble.
It was the classic sequence—lightning first, then thunder.
Though it sounded far away, the sky trembled with a soft, lingering echo.
‘Is it going to rain?’
Distant thunder and lightning were usually signs of incoming rain.
As I looked outside, confirming my suspicion, I soon heard the faint patter of raindrops beginning to fall.
— Plip, plop, patter, patter.
And with it, the fresh scent of rain-soaked earth filled the air.
The sll of damp soil and the dust stirred up by raindrops stimulated my senses.
It was rare for it to rain heavily in Qinghai, so I found it fascinating.
Then suddenly, I rembered—Cho and Bini were still outside.
‘That’s right—Cho, Bini!’
Millipedes needed moisture to survive, but they were also highly sensitive to water.
They were under a large tree, so they should be fine, but if the rain got too heavy, it could be a problem.
Without hesitation, I bolted out of the room.
I had no idea how hard it would rain, but if they got completely drenched, it could be dangerous.
For creatures like millipedes, if their breathing systems got too wet, they would have trouble absorbing oxygen.
— Patter, patter, pour.
I dashed through the dark, passing by the training field and slipping past the guards on patrol.
The downpour intensified, drenching bit by bit.
By the ti I reached the large zelkova tree where Bini was sleeping, my clothes were ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ completely soaked.
Bini was still there, curled up peacefully.
But Cho... was nowhere to be seen.
— Rumble.
As I frantically scanned the area, a flash of lightning lit up the sky.
And in that split second—
I saw her.
Amid the pouring rain, with scales glistening under the flash of lightning—
Cho was soaring into the sky.
"Holy—!?"
Her body moved like a fish, gliding effortlessly through the air.
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