The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 100

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 100

 

“An intruder.”

 

As Gaya released a chilling killing intent and pressed down on Seolyeo’s body.

 

Bang!

 

Seolyeo transformed into a large black wolf.

 

“Grrrowl…!”

 

Soya cried out in surprise at the sight of Seolyeo baring sharp teeth and growling at Gaya.

 

“Seolyeo, no!”

 

At those words, both Gaya and Seolyeo stopped simultaneously.

 

When Soya ran toward them and extended her arms toward Seolyeo, Seolyeo quickly transformed into a small baby tiger and leaped into Soya’s embrace.

 

“Seolyeo, why did you follow me here?”

 

She had deliberately brought no one this time because it might be dangerous.

 

But how on earth had he followed her all the way here? Soya couldn’t understand.

 

“I’m the warrior who protects Soya!”

 

Seolyeo, in the form of a baby tiger, declared from Soya’s arms.

 

At that boldness, Gaya raised one eyebrow and asked back.

 

“This suspicious fellow is Somsom’s protecting warrior?”

 

“That’s right! I’m Soya’s warrior! The Great Tiger and Sanho said so!”

 

Seolyeo pointed with his front paw at Saeon, who was holding his forehead and sighing deeply on one side.

 

“I thought he was a persistent fellow, but I didn’t expect him to follow so stealthily.”

 

Saeon shook his head and said.

 

To deceive even him, a White Tiger beastman with developed five senses, and follow like this. It was astounding.

 

“But what exactly is this fellow?”

 

Gaya muttered while looking at Seolyeo with suspicious eyes.

 

“Not a bird beastman. Not a wolf beastman. Not a tiger beastman either.”

 

“I’m…!”

 

Seolyeo couldn’t answer easily and closed his mouth.

 

This was because he too didn’t know what he was.

 

And this was also a question that Seolyeo had carried alone in his heart for several years.

 

It was when Seolyeo’s ears and tail drooped down.

 

“Seolyeo is just Seolyeo.”

 

Soya hugged Seolyeo tightly and said to Gaya.

 

In an instant, Seolyeo’s gray eyes trembled slightly.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“R-right. I’m just Seolyeo.”

 

Seolyeo quickly nodded and agreed.

 

Then Gaya, who had been looking at Seolyeo with still suspicious eyes, soon burst into a chuckle and nodded.

 

“Well. If Somsom says so, then it must be so.”

 

He bowed his head toward Seolyeo and gently stroked the baby tiger’s head.

 

“Just Seolyeo. You have teeth too, so you must protect our Somsom well. Got it?”

 

“Grrrowl?”

 

At those words, Seolyeo bared his teeth and growled.

 

Soya burst into laughter.

 

* * *

 

Two days later. The demon beast extermination battle.

 

Soya and Seolyeo each transformed into small birds and hid inside Saeon’s clothes.

 

Saeon quietly gazed at the Northern Region’s Black Earth.

 

Scattered demon beast corpses were visible.

 

It was a scene he didn’t particularly want to show his young daughter.

 

Beyond that Black Earth, they had to go deeper to the Dark Earth Underground Palace, known as the Swamp of the Dead.

 

To get there, they had to break through Taowu’s Demon Beast Legion.

 

Soon, at the sound of approaching war cries, Soya peeked her head out.

 

Demon beasts were swarming in.

 

Their numbers were so vast that from a distance they looked like a pitch-black wall, making Soya gulp.

 

With someone’s charge cry, the battle began.

 

From here and there came the sounds of metal cutting through air, blood and flesh splattering, and demon beasts’ screams.

 

Soya, who had been blankly watching the scene, unconsciously clenched her beak.

 

While I was eating delicious food and having a warm bed at the White Tiger Palace.

 

The people here had been enduring in such a place for all that long time.

 

To protect the continent’s peace, sacrificing their own peace…

 

At this realization, Soya’s heart somehow grew hot.

 

‘I want to help these people too. But…’

 

Right now, Soya was in a position where she had secretly snuck here, so she couldn’t reveal herself.

 

There was only one thing she could do for them.

 

‘I must awaken Hyeonmu and defeat evil to end this war.’

 

The reason demon beasts kept swarming endlessly no matter how many were killed was because of the demon beast Taowu leading the Demon Beast Legion.

 

When evil loses power, naturally the demon beasts also lose power following their master.

 

For that purpose too, Soya had to break through those demon beasts and head to the Swamp of the Dead.

 

In the fierce battlefield, Saeon cut down demon beasts more powerfully and elegantly than anyone else.

 

Though he had the White Tiger Family’s special ability ‘Steel’, he drew his sword to cut down enemies instead of annihilating demon beasts barehanded, considering Soya and Seolyeo hiding in his embrace.

 

If he slaughtered demon beasts barehanded and demon beast blood splattered, the children would be frightened.

 

His sword blade drew clean trajectories as it cut through demon beasts.

 

Each time he made a stroke, demon beasts fell like autumn leaves.

 

There were even some who were mesmerized watching his martial prowess.

 

“Well now, it seems like cover isn’t even needed.”

 

Gaya chuckled beside him while clearing away demon beasts, then winked when he made eye contact with Soya.

 

Saeon chased after the demon beasts going deeper, then subtly changed direction.

 

The demon beasts’ cries and the sounds of battlefield blades clashing gradually grew distant, and quiet stillness arrived.

 

Soya and Seolyeo, who had been inside Saeon’s embrace, popped out.

 

Just as he was about to place the two small birds on his shoulders and move deeper inside to find the Swamp of the Dead.

 

Boom!

 

With an earth-shaking sound, a demon beast wearing black armor appeared before him.

 

“Stop, Baek Saeon.”

 

A rough voice like metal scraped low.

 

“…Demon Beast Legion Commander, Taowu.”

 

Saeon’s eyes narrowed as he recognized Taowu, the demon beast leading the Northern Lands’ Demon Beast Legion.

 

“You cannot go any further.”

 

Taowu pointed his sword at Saeon.

 

Foul smoke was rising from the black blade.

 

“…”

 

Instead of drawing his sword, Saeon assessed the situation with cold eyes.

 

The demon beast Taowu’s ability was to tear space with that Demon Realm Sword and summon demon beasts.

 

The moment Taowu moved, their path would be blocked.

 

Then what he needed to do here was…

 

“Cotton Ball. Do you trust Papa?”

 

Saeon asked in a small voice to Soya, who was sitting on his shoulder with a tense expression.

 

“Father…?”

 

“Seolyeo! Quickly take Soya and escape!”

 

With his shout, Seolyeo transformed into a large wolf, grabbed Soya in her mouth, and dashed inward.

 

“Father!”

 

Toward Soya who cried out in surprise, Saeon grinned and said.

 

“Papa will protect this place, so be careful and come back safely, Baby Cotton Ball.”

 

“You cannot go into that inner area!”

 

Taowu, who belatedly grasped the situation, swung his sword and tore through space.

 

From the cracks in the space he had torn, demon beasts poured out and blocked the path of Soya and Seolyeo.

 

“Kiriik…!”

 

“Kkuweaek…!”

 

The moment Seolyeo hesitated for an instant at the demon beasts suddenly pouring out.

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrung—!

 

With a sound that shook heaven and earth, a pure white, massive white tiger appeared and pounced on the demon beasts.

 

The demon beasts that had blocked Soya and Seolyeo’s path were instantly torn beyond recognition.

 

‘Father is…!’

 

Soya was momentarily captivated by Saeon’s beast transformation form, which she was seeing for the first time.

 

Seolyeo, who came to her senses first, grabbed Soya in her mouth and began dashing again.

 

Seolyeo ran toward the deeper interior, running and running again.

 

Tadak, tak. Tak. Tadak.

 

Only the urgent sound of Seolyeo’s footsteps echoed through the silent space.

 

Eventually, Seolyeo’s steps stopped.

 

When Seolyeo set down the small bird’s body she had been carrying, Soya released her beast transformation and stood before the swamp.

 

“This is… the Swamp of the Dead.”

 

A massive black swamp spread out before their eyes.

 

Soya looked at the water surface where black bubbles were bubbling up.

 

Perhaps because of its name, the Swamp of the Dead, she felt a little eerie.

 

“There are stairs here, Soya!”

 

Seolyeo discovered the stairs.

 

Stone stairs carved with the forms of a turtle and snake led down below the black swamp.

 

—If you follow these stairs down, there’s the Black Tortoise Clan’s palace below that swamp, child.

 

The voice of the Divine Beast was heard.

 

“Below the swamp?”

 

—Yes. This swamp is ultimately an illusion, so breathing won’t be a problem. The problem is the phantoms of the dead. They try to bewitch visitors and trap them in the swamp.

 

—Many fall into the swamp after being caught in illusions, so you must be careful, Baby Bird.

 

Soya took a short deep breath and stood before the stairs.

 

“Seolyeo, let’s go.”

 

“Yes!”

 

When she stepped down one step, the top of her foot was submerged in black water.

 

Even knowing that the rippling black water was an illusion, she somehow felt a chilling sensation.

 

However, Soya gripped the railing tightly and stepped down one step at a time, lower and lower.

 

Her body gradually became deeply submerged.

 

Past her ankles and calves, her knees, and slowly up to below her neck in the black swamp.

 

With one more step, her face would also be submerged.

 

Soya felt a sudden fear.

 

At the very moment when a small hesitation bloomed in her heart.

 

She remembered the people in the fierce battlefield she had seen just before.

 

Thinking of those people who had given up their own peace for the continent’s peace while facing the endlessly surging demon beasts, Soya suddenly felt courage surge up.

 

‘It’s okay. I can do it.’

 

Strength entered her hand gripping the railing.

 

‘I’ll send them all back home.’

 

Just as the people of White Tiger Palace were all waiting for Gaya, they too would each have families waiting for them.

 

She was confident that she understood the heart of waiting for family better than anyone.

 

Therefore, Soya could muster courage.

 

‘Above all, Father is protecting my back.’

 

Eventually, she stepped down one more step, and her head was submerged in the swamp.

 

Ggoreureu. Ggoreuk.

 

The sound of air bubbles brushed past her ears.

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