The Returner Chapter 105

"So, what you're saying is…." (mom)
Madam Park Seon-Duk's jaw nearly hit the floor as her eyes took in the breathtaking beauty standing right in front of her.
She'd been thinking that lazy bum of her son was managing to reel in some really amazing catches lately. But, it seemed that he had caught a nonsensically massive fish now.
No, hang on a minute, was it correct to call this beauty a nonsensically massive fish in the first place?
Wasn't this more like her idiot son going fishing with nothing more than a flimsy wooden fishing rod and ending up bringing home a freaking whale?
"….You wish to stay in our home for a while?" (mom)
When Park Seon-Duk asked in a shocked and disbelieving tone of voice, Yi Ji-Hyuk sneaked an eye signal to her.
'Mom, tell her it's not going to happen!'
Park Seon-Duk quickly caught onto her son's signal and acted accordingly.
After all, he was her only son, so this much was nothing!
"You can stay as long as you want! We have plenty of rooms left, anyway." (mom)
"MOM?!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Don't you worry about a thing, my boy! Let mom take care of everything! (mom's inner monologue)
The boundless love a mother had for her child was being sent down the wrong path.
However, from Park Seon-Duk's perspective, her son wasn't foolish enough to reject a beauty that even a fellow woman like her found simply too bewitching to behold.
'It's too much to ask for marriage, but if he could stay with her for a little while, I'm sure it'd do a world of good for him.' (mom)
It should be enough to leave him with lasting memories.
Those memories would be more like nightmares to Yi Ji-Hyuk, though.
"I shall inconvenience you until I find a permanent residence of my own." (Affeldrichae)
"Oh, no. Please, do stay as long as you like. I don't mind if you decide to live here for good, you know." (mom)
"M, mom, but, but, but, that…." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"You, be quiet. Let mom do all the planning." (mom)
"….Ng."
Yi Ji-Hyuk became instantly depressed, shuffled towards a dim corner and squatted there, before mournfully scratching the floor.
Witnessing this spectacle unfold, Affeldrichae was overcome with shock.
A completely rude and inconsiderate man - Yi Ji-Hyuk was a man who flipped birds in the gods' faces with total impunity.
So, the fact that there was yet another lifeform existing above such a being in terms of power dynamics was utterly unthinkable to her.
Hell, he was an existence that didn't even bat an eyelid when calling her, the Lord of Dragons, with mean names like 'fatty lizard' or 'that dang lizard woman'.
So, she couldn't help but be shocked after seeing such a man crumple in defeat from just a few words and slink off to a dinky little corner to sulk.
'Is this the fearsome existence called one's mother?' (Affeldrichae)
An existence capable of subjugating a being that nearly drove an entire world to the brink of destruction with a few simple words…. One's mother.
For a dragon who had no such concepts as mother/child relationship, she simply couldn't understand it. However, although she may have failed to understand the emotional aspect of this situation, that didn't mean she couldn't figure out what was going on here using her power of deduction.
Affeldrichae instantly figured out who was in charge of this family.
"Thank you, mother. I'll be in your care." (Affeldrichae)
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was gnashing his teeth.
The translation magic patch must've been working wonders; she was so eloquent in speech that others would mistakenly think this blondie's name was Kim Deok-Soon, instead of something exotic like Richae.
"Why! Why?! Why did you come here and make a guy's life a living hell?! Don't you have a lot of money already?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"I do, but the problem is, I don't have any identity documents." (Affeldrichae)
"Just find a hotel room or something and stay there, will ya?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"….But, it's dangerous for a lone woman, though?" (Affeldrichae)
HUL?!
What did I hear just now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly began digging out his ear canals.
He dug hard and fast enough to nearly draw blood, and then asked again.
"Mind repeating that again? Maybe I'm having trouble with fatigue lately, 'cuz I keep hearing nonsense." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Nonsense….." (Affeldrichae)
She lightly bit her lower lip and turned her head away.
That sight of her looked so sad and downtrodden, witnesses to this scene were almost compelled to hug her tightly and tell that everything would be alright.
"How dare an ungrateful punk like you mutter such things to a woman?!" (mom)
"Wah?! What!! I, I can't even tell anyone what's really happening here, too! Imma go crazy at this rate!! Dang it, yeah, the king has donkey ears!!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Be quiet!" (mom)
Mom, you must not be deceived by her!
That woman only looks beautiful because of the polymorph spell! Her actual appearance is a lizard that looks so strange, you might faint from the shock!
Is this what they mean by 'charmed by the nine-tailed fox'?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk instantly grew curious as to how Madam Park Seon-Duk would react if she were to witness Affeldrichae's actual appearance.
Oh my goodness me~. Your fangs are so pointy and pretty.
Your scales are so wonderfully smooth and well polished, too.
Can I take one with me?
….Yeah, that beauty is nothing but a fake image created by magic!
So, you must not be fooled, mom! (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
"Hul."
Yi Ye-Won exited from her room after hearing all that fuss outside, only for her jaw to hit the ground after laying her eyes on Affeldrichae.
Plop.
She then collapsed to the floor and began shedding tears of bitter resentment.
"I was already having a hard time with Dah-Som and Hae-Min unni, yet why did the last boss have to appear now?!" (Ye-Won)
Indeed, she hadn't even cleared the mid-level boss yet!
"Mom!! Why did you give birth to me with this face?!" (Ye-Won)
"But, isn't your face perfectly fine?" (mom)
"How can you still say that with her standing next to you?!" (Ye-Won)
"….Cough." (mom)
Who knew that her own daughter would end up looking like a squid in her own eyes?
Even though she was the very precious apple of her eye….
I'm so sorry, my child. Even I have to concede that this woman is simply too much. (Mom's inner monologue)
"Your oppa brought her home. She's going to be staying with us for a while." (mom)
"In the same room?" (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly cried out in denial.
"NOOOO WAAAAYYYYSSS!!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I am a human being!! How can I a share a room with a dang lizard?!
Richae tilted her head slightly. It seemed that there was a bit of a loading time for the translation of the words 'living in the same room' to be transmitted.
"Ah….."
She suddenly smiled brightly and spoke up.
"Please, don't worry about us. We've already lived together before, after all." (Affeldrichae)
"…….!!!!!"
"…….!!!!!"
…..
…..
….Oh, so my mom's eyes were originally that big, huh.
…Mom? Please stop glaring at me like that. Please.
And you, why are you looking at me like that, Ye-Won? Is your dear brother that untrustworthy in your eyes?
This is just impossible….
I'm still your brother, though….
If you continue to stare at me like that, looking so shocked and all, I'm gonna feel really awkward, right? Don't you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
"….So, like, look somewhere else before I pluck your eyes out." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Oh, you mean me, son?" (mom)
"No way that's true, mother." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk nodded her head in acceptance and gently held Affeldrichae's hands.
"So, then…." (mom)
"Yes?" (Affeldrichae)
"When are you planning to tie the knot?" (mom)
"I told you, that's wrrrrrrrrooooooong!!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk's frustrated and tearful cry resounded throughout the house.
*
"You aren't going home?" (Jeong Hae-Min)
"……."
"You, you don't like me, do you?" (Jeong Hae-Min)
"Yes. So far." (Kim Dah-Som)
Meanwhile, outside Yi Ji-Hyuk's house….
Unable to accept defeat and leave for their respective homes, Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som loitered around the vicinity of the house before finally making small talk after one solid hour of staring at each other.
"I also don't like you, you know?" (Jeong Hae-Min)
"I'm sure you don't." (Kim Dah-Som)
Would you hear this wet-behind-the-ears youngling babble like that?
Jeong Hae-Min's personality dictated that she should yank that insolent girl's hair down and have a proper go, but then again, what was there for her to gain by doing that? Now was the time to be open-minded and all.
"You…. You pretend to be so well behaved and demure in front of Ji-Hyuk, but when he's not around… You really have a particular mouth on you, don't you?" (Jeong Hae-Min)
The open-mindedness could jump in a lake for all she cared!
"I'm learning a lot from your example." (Kim Dah-Som)
Jeong Hae-Min began trembling from rage.
However, she was a pro idol through and through.
Wasn't being calm and composed a necessary virtue for all idols out there?
"I really don't like you." (Jeong Hae-Min)
"I know." (Kim Dah-Som)
"Even then, this isn't the time for us to be at odds with one another. Don't you agree?" (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Dah-Som silently nodded her head.
She was full of confidence when it came to her outer appearance. But when that woman whose name was Affeldrichae or some such entered the fray, her confidence shattered into little bits and pieces.
"They look like they know each other. You saw that too, right?" (Jeong Hae-Min)
"Yes." (Kim Dah-Som)
"Not only that, he took her home, too." (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Dah-Som's eyebrows began quivering in rage all of a sudden.
Well, she still hadn't been allowed to set foot inside his house yet!
But that d*mn fox got a free pass? How much unfair could this situation get?
"That is why we shouldn't be fighting among ourselves. We need to unite and present a common front." (Jeong Hae-Min)
"Yes, I agree." (Kim Dah-Som)
"You too, Gah-Yun-ah!" (Jeong Hae-Min)
Doh Gah-Yun slowly emerged from Jeong Hae-Min's shadow and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk's house with an unreadable expression on her face.
Her job was to follow him no matter where he went, but she too wasn't allowed to enter that house.
But that woman…..
Grit.
"Gah-Yun-ah. Calm down." (Jeong Hae-Min)
Nod.
Jeong Hae-Min calmed Gah-Yun down and continued to speak.
"Well, it's not like I'm planning to do something with Ji-Hyuk, but to acknowledge a woman who just showed up out of the blue from nowhere, no. My pride won't let me." (Jeong Hae-Min)
"I was planning on doing something, though." (Kim Dah-Som)
"….I think you should learn to control yourself a bit before we start." (Jeong Hae-Min)
"But, if I end up as an old spinster, who'll take the responsibility?" (Kim Dah-Som)
Hah, this girl dares to?
She's probably talking about me, right? (Jeong Hae-Min's inner monologue)
Jeong Hae-Min was about to start an almighty stare-down, but stopped and groaned out grandly.
She must maintain this common front for the time being!
"First of all, we gotta find out who that woman is. Gah-Yun-ah? You know what to do." (Jeong Hae-Min)
Nod.
"That's right." (Jeong Hae-Min)
It was a bit weird to see the smallest person here, Jeong Hae-Min, order others around, but she'd been duking it out in the competitive world of entertainers for a long time. Which meant that she looked rather natural doing it.
"Let's uncover that snake-like woman's real identity first!!" (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, she was already halfway there. (TL: Still remember what the Korean word for a lizard is?)
*
"Whew….."
It was the early hours of the morning. Yi Ji-Hyuk lay in his bed in his darkened room and stared at the ceiling, his mind full of complicated thoughts.
"I'm going insane here." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why did she really come?
Dragons never lied. More so, to a dragon, lying to a lower species like human beings was completely unthinkable.
Specifically, it wasn't that dragons chose not to lie, they couldn't lie in the first place. So, there was no reason for Yi Ji-Hyuk to suspect what she was saying.
She came to see him.
What a terrifyingly frightening prospect that was.
Hadn't she had enough of arguing with him for the past thousand plus years?
But, more importantly….
Gates from the demon world are opening up?
And it's connecting to here? To planet Earth?
What a terrible situation this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
If the denizens of the demon world were to invade this planet, then truly unimaginable things would unfold in this world without a doubt.
Many meanings behind that word 'things', obviously.
First of all, demons incomparably stronger than monsters from the Gates that had been opening up, will flood this place, and….
Right, more importantly…. (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly shook his head.
No, wait, There's no reason to worry about that right now.
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk couldn't open such a powerful gate without the aid of the Eye of Latrel. Even if a portal connecting this planet and the demon world opened up, since it needed to cross the incredibly vast distance existing between dimensions, it'd be very difficult for a true demon king-level character to get here unscathed.
If he were to face small fries, then sure, he was confident of doing something about them.
But, what was this?
What was this anxiety?
The combination of anxiety and disharmony bubbling from deep inside the pits of his stomach was tormenting Yi Ji-Hyuk's thought process.
"Looks like you can't fall asleep." (Affeldrichae)
Hearing that voice, Yi Ji-Hyuk growled menacingly.
"Didn't I tell you to never intrude on my bedroom?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae replied while looking rather troubled.
"You sounded like how you were back then just now." (Affeldrichae)
"Stop provoking me." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk's cold and distant eyes landed on Affeldrichae.
"I'm not sure what your end game is, but I promise you, you better do it in moderation. I may have ended up in this state, but if I really set my mind to it, I can still rip you apart limb from limb. Especially when you can't revert back to your original form." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though Yi Ji-Hyuk's voice dripped with malice and killing intent, Affeldrichae simply smiled back at him.
And that smile only served to push Yi Ji-Hyuk further into the zone of discomfort.
"How do you feel, now that you're back home?" (Affeldrichae)
"How do I look to you?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"You look…. relaxed." (Affeldrichae)
"Bingo. I've been really enjoying myself." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae quietly studied him for a while, before opening her mouth to speak.
"When was the last time you slept?" (Affeldrichae)
"………….."
"You know what's happening to you right now, don't you?" (Affeldrichae)
"I know better than anyone." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"The power of dark magic gradually eats away at a person. You were able to maintain your sanity back in Berafe even though you wielded unimaginable power. Because, both your body and mind continuously regenerated. However, even with the blessing of immortality, you came close to losing your mind several times." (Affeldrichae)
"So what?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"You're no longer that immortal being. You know this too, don't you? If you continue to rely on the power of dark magic, then that inevitable moment will come. And that's when this world will meet its true Apocalypse." (Affeldrichae)
"So? Are you going to stop that from happening? By killing me?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wouldn't this be the perfect time for that?
What should I do, then? Give up and let her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
It was then, Affeldrichae walked over to Yi Ji-Hyuk's lying body, and gently embraced his head.
"What are you doing now?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"With my current power, I can't purify you. No, even if I was back in my true form, that would still be impossible. But, I can give you a little bit of respite, for now." (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae's warmth began flowing into Yi Ji-Hyuk's head and to the rest of his body.
"….I'm getting sleepy." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"I'm sure you haven't been able to sleep for the last few months. So, sleep. Rest." (Affeldrichae)
"This… Isn't… this… too… embarras…" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldn't finish his sentence and fell into a deep slumber.
While listening to his soft, rhythmic breathing, Affeldrichae slowly stroked his hair.
'What a truly unfortunate person you are.'
She wished for him to take a long, refreshing rest.
After all, there weren't a lot of days remaining for him to relax like this.
She gently smiled and continued to stroke his hair until the morning sun rose up over the horizon.
Fin.