The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 233

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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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Part 2, Chapter 25

“Grrrr…”

A massive beast-shaped demon beast charged at Soya.

Soya summoned the Baekho Sword in her dazed state.

Though the energy of her spirit core was blocked, making it difficult to fully utilize her special abilities, she was still a direct descendant who inherited the bloodline of the Death God Beast and a daughter of the White Tiger Family.

Even without her special abilities, she possessed martial prowess comparable to any decent warrior.

Swish—

As she swung her sword, the demon beast that had been charging at her let out a grotesque scream and collapsed.

The other demon beasts hesitated momentarily upon seeing this, but instinctively sensing that her condition was far from normal, they all charged at Soya in unison.

Soya immediately readjusted her grip on her sword and cut down the demon beasts rushing toward her.

She was barely managing to defeat the demon beasts, but somehow her limbs moved somewhat sluggishly, unlike usual.

In fact, her head had been heavy since earlier, and she couldn’t put much strength into her hands.

To make matters worse, her vision gradually became hazy and blurred.

Sharp claws grazed Soya’s shoulder just as the Baekho Sword made a scraping sound and sliced through the demon beast’s torso.

“Ugh…”

Soya grabbed her shoulder with one hand.

Dizzy—

Her head spun. Even when she tried to stand straight, she could barely put strength into her legs.

She could feel the surrounding air growing hot and stuffy.

Staggering from the burning heat, she barely managed to support herself by driving the Baekho Sword into the ground.

Along with heat waves that warmed the atmosphere, suffocatingly hot energy spread from her body and pressed down on the surroundings.

The demon beasts that had been baring their teeth at Soya just moments before became frightened and backed away, then unable to withstand the oppressive heat in the air, they began collapsing one by one.

Crackle. Crackle.

Small sparks ignited in the air.

Just as she gradually reached her limit and was about to collapse with her legs giving way.

“Soya…!”

Along with the refreshing scent of wind, someone’s firm arm caught her around the waist.

Soya lifted her head to look at him.

Your Majesty…

She wanted to call out to him aloud, but her lips wouldn’t move.

Soon her eyelids slowly closed.

* * *

Last autumn, when Gayul was suffering through his Second Growth Stage.

Soya paced anxiously back and forth in front of Gayul’s room, not knowing what to do, as if she herself were experiencing growth pains.

A little later, Gayul, having overcome all his growth pains, ran around White Tiger Palace in the form of a massive tiger, showing off his growth.

“Krahang! Look at this, Cotton Ball! I can do things like this now!”

Every time the large tiger snorted, grass and trees swayed violently.

Gayul even performed the bizarre act of using his breath to knock down fruits hanging from trees.

Watching this, Gaya and Ga Hyeon shook their heads in dismay, but to Soya’s eyes, Gayul looked incredibly cool.

At that age, even a mere one-year difference often feels tremendously significant.

“That’s really amazing, Elder Brother!”

Excited by Soya’s praise, Gayul knocked down all the tree fruits on Horim Mountain that autumn, and as a result, they had to go around collecting tree fruits every day for the animals that had lost their food.

And not long after, as the year changed, Soya also turned seventeen.

“Congratulations on turning seventeen, Young Lady! Soon after you complete your Second Growth Stage, you’ll become a ‘real adult’!”

Soya felt both curious and worried at the same time.

“But the Second Growth Stage pains will be very painful, won’t they?”

To that question, Gaya said it was too long ago for him to remember, and Gayul just showed off his growth while brushing off Soya’s words.

Even Ga Hyeon, whom she had hoped would be helpful, only gave an absurd answer: “What if our Soya gets hurt? Why don’t you just skip the Second Growth Stage and remain a small, cute Baby Bird like now?”

All three of them weren’t much help to Soya, who was worried about her approaching Second Growth Stage.

“If the First Growth allows young beastmen to achieve physical growth, then during the Second Growth Stage, both physical and mental growth occur simultaneously.”

Sara, who had come to check on Gayul’s condition, explained.

“Mental growth…?”

Soya looked at Gayul, whose mental level seemed completely unchanged, with an expression that showed she didn’t quite understand.

“Yul Elder Brother doesn’t seem to have changed at all…”

“…Let’s consider that youngest tiger an exception.”

Sara coughed awkwardly with an embarrassed expression.

“Baby, do you remember what it was like during your First Growth?”

“My head was hot, and it hurt very much.”

“That’s right, you achieve physical growth. But since it’s quite painful for young beastmen to endure, their mother stays by their side to ease the pain.”

“Father stayed by my side and watched over me.”

“Yes, Saeon did that. But the Second Growth Stage must be overcome alone without anyone’s help. It’s also a symbolic time of becoming a truly independent adult, leaving the parents’ embrace.”

“So that’s why they say you become a ‘real adult’ after completing the Second Growth Stage?”

“That’s right. Didn’t your parents also get married not long after completing their Second Growth Stage?”

“Wow…!”

Soya’s cheeks turned red at the story about her parents.

“Anyway, the Second Growth Stage digs into the weaknesses in your heart. It’s harder because it tests both body and mind simultaneously, but if you overcome it, you’ll be able to become a very wonderful adult bird, baby.”

At the time, she couldn’t fully understand those words from Aunt Sara, who smiled kindly while stroking her head…

‘So this is the weakness in my heart.’

Soya thought as she stared blankly at the scene unfolding before her.

Tall pavilions with antique tiles on red pillars stood in rows.

On one side, servant women were burning Soya’s belongings.

Crackle. Crackle.

They poked at the fire carelessly as if annoyed, then left.

Soya approached the pile of ashes and picked up a half-burned doll.

Black soot clung to the Baby Bird doll made of red cloth.

After brushing it off with her hands, she headed toward a small building in the corner of the estate.

The cold, chilly building where sunlight didn’t reach was the saddest space in Soya’s memory.

Six-year-old young Soya, left alone in the Cold Palace, was struggling and straining to attempt beast transformation.

With an empty spirit core, there was no way she could succeed no matter how hard she tried.

Soya’s eyes drooped as she quietly watched that scene, but soon she muttered in a calm voice.

“I’m sorry, but this is no longer my weakness.”

At that moment, the surrounding background shattered with a crash.

[Weakness ultimately depends on how you set your mind to it. So don’t be too afraid, my baby who’s like Cotton Ball.]

She seemed to hear Aunt Sara’s voice.

Above the crumbling background, young Soya looked around with a frightened face.

Soya approached young Soya and knelt down to meet her eye level.

“It’s okay, Soya.”

“Wh-who are you, sister?”

Instead of answering that question, Soya smiled brightly and whispered.

“It will hurt a lot right now, but if you wait just a little, you’ll be able to meet real family members who love you.”

“…?”

Soya placed the doll in the arms of young Soya, who was blinking with a bewildered expression.

Then the space surrounding them completely collapsed and white light engulfed her.

Soya slowly closed and opened her eyes.

This time, her room in White Tiger Palace spread out before her eyes.

Nine-year-old little Soya was lying on the bed, tightly hugging a tiger doll while gazing out the window at the setting sun.

‘Ah, there was a day like this too.’

The day she was about to leave White Tiger Palace due to Eun Siyo’s threats.

It was a distant old memory of when she first received people’s warm affection, only to feel sad at the thought of losing it again.

That day long ago when she feared being hated and abandoned once more.

‘But this is no longer a weakness either.’

Soya approached the nine-year-old Soya with a gentle smile.

“Wow, how wonderful for our Soya.”

The young Soya, sensing a presence, lifted her head.

“This is a secret, but soon the most wonderful father in the world will appear before Soya.”

“A father?”

“Yes. A wonderful father who will become your safest and strongest shelter in any moment.”

“But…”

Soya knew the reason for the anxiety that settled on the young Soya’s face.

The word ‘father’ had been the most frightening word in the world to her until then.

“So you don’t need to be afraid. This is no longer your weakness either.”

Once again, the background began to crumble and collapse.

“Yes…”

Nine-year-old Soya nodded her head obediently.

Though her expression was puzzled, seeing her younger self answer meekly without asking more questions, Soya smiled softly.

Before she knew it, the scene before her eyes had changed.

‘Huh? This place is…’

This time it was a completely unexpected location.

It was the Imperial Palace, a place Soya had visited several times by now.

‘Why the Imperial Palace…’

Strange sounds came from the building in front of her.

She froze.

Soya’s face hardened at the ominous feeling.

Opening the closed door and entering inside, Soya was startled.

A red-haired girl was suffering in agony, looking like a demon beast.

Grrr…

Grrrr…

That crying sound made her heart sink instinctively.

It was when Soya was approaching her, swallowing nervously.

Grrr…

The moment she locked eyes with the girl who lifted her head while making strange cries, Soya froze in place.

It was Soya herself.

There she was, corrupted to her very soul by evil magic.

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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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