The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 26

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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 26

“Young Master…!”

When Soya raised her voice, Gayul jumped down from under the tree and began to run away.

Soya chased after Gayul.

“Kyahak!”

Gayul was quickly caught by Soya.

She had forgotten that Soya had received the Wind Bead from Sanho.

Gayul, who had a strong competitive spirit, felt a bit wronged at being caught by Soya.

“Krwang! Krwang, krwang! (This is cheating, Cotton Ball!)”

Gayul was pounding the ground with his front paws to express his dissatisfaction.

Just then, Soya gently inserted a flower blossom into Gayul’s round ear.

“Kreureung? (What, what is it?)”

Seeing the flustered Gayul, Soya burst into giggles.

“It’s a penalty. Since I caught you, Young Master.”

“Krwang! Krwang, krwang! (I don’t want to! I’m the great third son of the White Tiger family…)”

Gayul jumped up and struggled with his short front paws to remove the flower.

“Huh? No! A penalty is a penalty!”

Soya grabbed Gayul’s front paws to stop him.

“Kreureung…! (Who decided on this penalty!)”

Toward the huffing Gayul, Soya smiled brightly and suggested.

“Then this time, you be ‘it’, Young Master. If you catch me, I’ll let you remove that flower.”

“Krehng? Kreureur… Krwaang! (What? I don’t want… Cotton Ball! Where are you going!)”

Before Gayul could finish speaking, Soya began running toward the opposite direction.

At that moment, a bright smile bloomed across Soya’s face.

It was a clear and cheerful laugh that even Soya herself had forgotten how to make for a long time.

* * *

Thanks to the Wind Bead, Soya could hop around the bumpy slopes without difficulty, but she couldn’t match Gayul in stamina.

Thanks to the balanced speed and endurance, their game of tag became an evenly matched contest, unlike when they played ball in the garden.

Soya and Gayul played tag for a while, running around before sitting down panting.

They had played so energetically that even Gayul, who never lost to anyone in stamina, was a bit tired.

After sharing the lunch box that Yeonjeong had prepared, Gayul returned to his human form and lay down on the grass field, taking a purring nap.

Beside him, Soya was playing with flowers when she noticed Su Ri’s expression wasn’t good.

“Su Ri, what’s wrong?”

“I think I have an upset stomach.”

Su Ri answered while breaking out in cold sweat.

“Are, are you okay? Shouldn’t we go down right away?”

“I can’t ruin Young Lady’s first outing because of me. I’ll quickly go to White Tiger Palace, so don’t go anywhere and stay right next to the Young Master, Young Lady. Understood?”

Su Ri smiled weakly at Soya, who was stamping her feet anxiously. That smile looked so strained that Soya became worried.

“Yes, yes! I’ll stay right next to the Young Master, so please go quickly, Su Ri!”

As soon as Soya finished speaking, Su Ri transformed into a large wolf with a poof!

Quite urgently, Su Ri ran down the mountain in one breath and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

‘Su Ri is really fast even without the Wind Bead.’

She had heard that the beast-people of the blue wolf family, who boasted wind-like speed, had become warriors protecting the White Tiger’s direct lineage for generations thanks to that ability.

‘I wish I had such a wonderful special ability too.’

Soya thought the blue wolves who protected others with their abilities were so cool.

Special Ability.

A unique power possessed by beast-people, usually passed down through family bloodlines.

For beast-people, it was natural to awaken their Spirit Core and manifest their special ability, but it was impossible for Soya, who had her Spirit Core stolen for three years after her First Beast Transformation.

Even though she had regained her Spirit Core now, Soya’s Spirit Core couldn’t function properly and was in such poor condition that it would threaten her body if left alone.

Just recently, her Spirit Core had caused problems and made her collapse, worrying everyone.

Although she was diligently taking the medicine Sara had sent morning and evening, Soya secretly knew.

She would probably live her entire life as a half-beast with a broken Spirit Core.

[Take away the child’s Spirit Core and confine her to the Cold Palace.]

[If that child makes you sad, I’ll remove her from your sight forever. So don’t cry, Lili.]

When she thought of Father and Hwayu, her heart still felt heavy.

However, Soya felt that thinking of them now didn’t hurt her heart as much as before.

Because she knew all too well now.

They were never her family from the beginning.

The broken Spirit Core was the price for stealing Miss Lili’s place and making them sad and hurt.

Thinking that way, Soya could swallow down her sad feelings, even if just a little.

Besides, there were also warm hands that had comforted her when she was crying sorrowfully.

‘And it’s okay even without special abilities. I’ve protected people too.’

Soya recalled the colorful stone talismans she had completed with Yeonjeong and Sanho’s help.

Then her gloomy mood improved considerably.

‘When I go down this evening, I should make a talisman with these flowers and give it as a gift to Little Young Master. I hope he likes it this time.’

Soya was grinning while looking at the Sky Flowers in the basket.

“Huh…?”

Suddenly, Soya’s ears perked up.

Kreureung…

An unfamiliar cry came from the bushes.

“…!”

Soya instinctively jumped up and looked toward where the sound came from.

Then she froze in place with a start.

A wild beast was glaring with threatening eyes, drooling.

‘Why…’

Soya, frozen with tension, thought with trembling eyes.

‘Yeonjeong clearly said that the beasts of Horim Mountain don’t attack people.’

But right now, there was no time to figure out what had happened.

‘I need to run away…!’

Her hands and feet began to tremble.

Soya remembered when she had felt this sensation before.

The day she left Vermillion Bird Mansion, when she was left alone after the summer festival and faced the Black Masked Man – the aura she felt then.

This was clearly killing intent.

‘I can run away. Last time I stupidly fell and almost died, but this time I have the Wind Bead that Sanho lent me.’

Soya clenched her fists tightly and glanced at Youngest Young Master.

Youngest Young Master was sleeping soundly a little distance away.

The wild beast in front of her seemed focused on her and hadn’t noticed Youngest Young Master.

Thud!

Soya stamped her foot and ran in the opposite direction from where Gayul was.

Then the wild beast began chasing after Soya.

Thud! Thud, thud, thud!

Urgent footsteps echoed through the mountain.

Hearing the sound, the number of beasts chasing after Soya began to increase one by one.

Soya was forced to go deeper and deeper into the forest to avoid the beasts.

After running like that for a while, Soya reached a dead end. A massive black rock blocked the path.

Soya glanced back behind her.

The wild beasts, realizing that Soya had nowhere left to run, began leisurely surrounding her.

Growl…

Growl…

Grrrowl…

Soya gulped and turned her head to look at the rock again.

The black rock blocking her path was too big and tall.

After hesitating for a moment, Soya soon began climbing up the rock.

Normally, she wouldn’t have thought to climb a rock.

However, Soya had the Wind Bead that strengthened her ankles and legs.

Soya moved her hands and feet quickly, crawling up the rock.

There were a few moments when she almost slipped, but she safely reached the top of the rock.

Just as the panicked beasts were gathering in front of the rock.

Grrrrrrrrowl―!

Suddenly the sky became dark and the ground began to shake.

Due to this, Soya’s body, which had been clinging tightly to the rock, slipped and she fell hard on her bottom.

“No…!”

Soya, who hastily got up again, froze for a moment.

The beasts that had been baring their sharp teeth at her just moments ago were now whimpering as if frightened.

‘Huh…?’

As she blinked her eyes, unable to understand what was happening while watching the beasts lose their fighting spirit and hesitantly step backward.

Suddenly, a huge shadow fell over her head.

Soya, who was slowly tilting her head back, froze completely.

She could understand what the wild beasts had seen to become frightened.

What she had thought was a large rock was now standing upright.

Suddenly, an eerie fear incomparable to before washed over her.

‘It’s not a rock! That’s…!’

Soya’s pupils shook mercilessly.

Gray eyes gleaming under the black, hard shell. Four thick legs supporting the rock-like massive body.

It was a demon beast.

“Grrrrrrrowl!”

As the rough cry echoed, the ground vibrated once more,

Crash!

The demon beast struck the ground with its thick front paw, and the earth split open.

“Squeeeak…!”

“Kiiing…!”

The beasts that had been hesitantly watching fell into the split crevices before they could even be surprised and run away.

In an instant, Soya was left alone with the demon beast in the empty clearing.

“Grrrrrowl…”

“…”

Soya couldn’t make even the smallest breath and froze in place.

She had to run away.

She had to flee quickly.

The fear that surged from witnessing the scene moments ago bound Soya’s body tightly.

“Grrrrrowl…”

The demon beast looked at Soya with gleaming gray eyes.

Just as tears were about to trickle out from instinctive fear.

Rustle―

The rough and hard black skin like tree bark peeled away, and the demon beast’s body melted down like mud, wobbling…

“Squeak!”

It became a small, black furball.

“Peep?”

The black furball tilted its head while looking at Soya.

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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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