The Chick Class Hunter is Being Filial - Chapter 31

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chick Class Hunter is Being Filial! Episode 31

In an instant, space tore in a straight line behind him. Three eyeballs rolled clockwise within the darkness.

The Team Leader reached out with a shocked expression.

“Gidan!”

He reflexively tried to grab Gidan’s arm, but Gidan moved faster.

“Gidan-!”

As soon as Gidan crossed through space, the smell of the sea flowed in. The door closed behind him, blocking the Team Leader from following.

– Welcome, human child.

Malikian’s field was the Ship Graveyard.

On the dried-up seabed-like ground, old and massive ships stood here and there, some lying on their sides.

Gidan raised his eyes.

In the center of the ship graveyard stood a hull so massive it could cover a small town, imposingly upright.

Malikian stood on the deck of that ship.

Gidan drew ‘Biart’s Yearning’ from his Inventory and gripped it.

His reason had already fled. A blinding rage consumed his mind.

Meanwhile, Malikian’s four hands gripped his Great Sword and struck the ground.

Kurung-

Multiple doors appeared around Gidan as sword blades quickly revealed themselves.

Malikian smiled at him as he dodged the attacks by pulling back his body.

– Now I must reclaim the sword from one who is unworthy.

* * *

The detached house with a swimming pool was Mother’s dream.

“Dana, let’s move!”

That was why.

The reason Father poured all of his severance pay and Mother’s life insurance money into purchasing a detached house with a swimming pool in a remote area of Gangneung.

Not only was commuting to school inconvenient due to the remote location, but cleaning the swimming pool was so burdensome. His only son would complain every time, but Father would just laugh, saying what’s the point of letting a perfectly good body sit idle.

“Pool maintenance seems pretty good now that I keep doing it, right? To think this was your mother’s dream – isn’t it modest and lovely?”

However, in Dan’s eyes, the swimming pool was neither modest nor lovely.

The bright blue tiles were haphazardly stuck on without proper alignment, and it was more like a large eyesore that made him miss Mother every time he looked at it.

Still, when he looked at Father’s face saying it was Mother’s dream, he would usually respond with “I guess so.”

“Want to play catch after we finish cleaning?”

“I don’t have the energy for that…”

“Hey man, sports is all about stamina. A guy who plays baseball getting weak like this.”

“Ah… I can’t, I can’t.”

“Dana. Bases loaded, long ball flying! Center fielder Gidan! If you can’t catch it, it’s over! Walk-off loss!”

The ball Father threw flew toward the swimming pool.

Gidan, who was passionate about baseball, would instinctively react to such scenario setups, so Father would deliberately use this to his advantage.

“Ah, seriously! A comeback loss is too much!”

When he would get worked up and rush into the swimming pool, Father would burst into hearty laughter. That was what made it wonderful.

Our swimming pool was that kind of place.

A place where Mother’s dreams, Father’s regrets, and our memories had all melted together.

Until that day came.

It was when he was returning home early because there was no afternoon training.

The surroundings were dark and ominous. At the time, he thought it was just going to rain. So he went to the swimming pool to find Father and suggest they bring in the laundry…

Thud.

The baseball that fell from his hand rolled and tumbled into the swimming pool that was dyed bright red.

At the end of the ripples caused by the baseball, ‘that thing’ was there.

It had the form of a person wearing a black hood pulled deep over their head, but its build was larger than a bear. A monster from another world that could only be seen on YouTube.

‘That thing’ was gripping Father’s body tightly with four pitch-black hands.

Gidan realized for the first time what it meant to have fear bind all four limbs.

“Dana, Dan… go, go… Run away. Quickly.”

Even with a terrified expression, Father couldn’t let go of his worry for his son.

“Run away. Hurry.”

Father’s voice was trembling beyond measure.

Gidan was confused and frightened. His mind was like a blank sheet of paper, and he was so breathless it felt like his throat was being strangled.

The ball was floating on the bloody water.

On our swimming pool.

Father.

The baseball.

‘That thing.’

“Bottom of the 9th, 2 outs!”

A cracked death rattle struck his head with a bang.

“Runner on third, Gidan!”

Father’s voice commanded.

“Base Stealing!”

As his stiff body gradually relaxed, Dan turned around and began to run.

Behind Dan as he fled pathetically, ‘that thing’ seemed to be giggling with laughter.

What clung to his back was a miserable shudder.

That day when he was too afraid the monster might chase him to even turn his head once.

That son who had nothing but a decent body, who had good stamina from playing baseball, ran away so well, leaving Father behind.

A successful and miserable Home Steal.

Sitting in the shelter, just staring blankly as the String Guild Leader handled everything alone.

After that day, Gidan watched videos of On Jurim closing Great Dungeons and returning every single day.

Day by day, his admiration grew larger and his self-loathing deepened.

His Awakening only came two months after that incident.

The birth of the 5th S-Rank.

Korea sent both condolences and praise simultaneously, and the media reported on Gidan’s Awakening day after day.

It was around that time that the situation was settled and the funeral was held.

“If only the boy had awakened just a little earlier…”

At the Funeral Hall, voices expressing his feelings could be heard here and there.

‘If only I had gained power just a little faster.’

Then on that day, I wouldn’t have run away so foolishly.

For a while, he dreamed of throwing baseballs.

The impoverished imagination of a middle schooler who only knew baseball was just about that much.

Wishing he had the courage to throw a baseball at the monster that devoured his father.

In the dream, he draws the monster’s attention with a baseball and awakens as S-Rank.

And at the moment he somehow saves his father, Dan opens his eyes.

Even when he deliberately pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes again, the rest of the story wouldn’t continue. It was indeed a meager imagination.

In reality, the result after throwing the ball might not have been good. It could have been even worse.

Still, at least in his dreams, he had the courage to face it.

After awakening, putting himself in reckless situations was all just reliving that day.

Because he wanted to properly recreate the heart-crushing regret he recalled every day.

That he used to dream of for a while.

Like in that dream.

* * *

“Graaah!”

Clang!

Gidan blocked the Great Sword rushing toward his face.

When he deflected the attack to the side with overwhelming force, Malikian sneered and twisted the sword’s trajectory again.

The blade of the pitch-black Great Sword cut deeply across his chest.

“Urgh!”

His eyes snapped open from the pain of being cut dangerously close to right above his heart. When he came to his senses, Gidan was falling from the massive ship.

‘Ah.’

His vision is blurry.

Was it too much after all?

‘…’

Still.

Isn’t this enough to say he accomplished it?

He knows he can’t succeed.

Even so, charging forward wasn’t recklessness for Gidan, but courage. That was his atonement.

Kuuung!

As Malikian’s Great Sword pierced the ground, dark energy stretching out like skeletal tree branches came rushing toward Gidan.

Before he knew it, all the muzzles of that day’s regret and anger were pointed at himself.

What I hated more than having no power to fight back was myself, who couldn’t become like Father.

My weak self who lacked even the courage to sacrifice.

Gidan closed his eyes without moving a single finger, as if accepting everything.

His twisted reason rationalized his desire to collapse.

At least I didn’t run away like a fool, right?

Right.

So I did well…

Right.

Well enough to face this kind of end…

Just then, petals began to scatter around him one by one.

The petals wrapped around him as if protecting him.

– Thousand Cherry Blossoms!

The dark energy veered away from the cherry blossom’s domain.

– Gidan!

At the voice that broke through his reverie, Gidan opened his eyes.

“…?”

The Bear Doll fell into his arms.

‘A dream?’

The soft and fluffy fur of the Bear Doll touched him.

This sensation…

‘It’s not a dream.’

“Ugh!”

Gidan spread both arms with all his strength and embraced the child.

Thud!

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————