Free Web NovelChapter 352: My Child
Normally, he would have felt the drain on his magic power, but whether due to his rage or something else, he felt nothing.
If anything, it was as though the growing surge of magic was pushing him forward.
The man’s eerie smile only made him angrier.
Why did someone like this have the right to mock his family?
Why did someone like this have the right to hurt Mama?
Why...
Why was a man like this his father?
The thought that this man’s blood also flowed through his veins made him sick.
The inescapable bond of blood felt like a denial of his very existence.
"I’ll never forgive you."
He froze the man’s feet and pinned him to the ground.
The ice blades he created became sharper.
He accelerated them further with wind magic.
Refusing to allow any chance of escape, he sent the floating blades crashing toward the man.
"An interesting way to use magic."
The man’s laughter only fueled Cari’s fury.
Faster.
Sharper.
More.
He would use everything he had to bring this man dow--
"Cari!"
"!"
That voice brought everything to a halt.
"Cari... come here."
Someone was calling him.
There was no way he could mistake that voice. It belonged to the person who was more precious to him than anyone else.
"...M-Mama?"
Even though he could hardly believe it, Cari turned around and saw Qiong Xing standing there, supported by Katarina.
His injuries had been severe.
Simply remaining on his feet should have been painful.
Yet Qiong Xing smiled as though he had come to bring him home, holding out his arms toward him.
"You’ve done well. Come here."
"Ma--!"
Drawn to that smile that seemed capable of embracing everything, Cari tried to run to him.
The moment he moved, however, all strength left his body, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Cari!"
Qiong Xing immediately realized it was the backlash from overusing his magic.
Cari’s body had become weak and unresponsive.
A chill spread through him, and trembling ran through his limbs.
He knew it was bad, yet there was nothing he could do.
His consciousness was already beginning to fade.
"...It’s alright. Everything is alright now. You’re safe."
Somewhere in his fading awareness, he heard those words.
Then something warm enveloped him.
"Thank you. Thank you for trying so hard."
"Ma... ma..."
He remembered.
He had felt this once before.
It was Qiong Xing’s warm magic.
Gentle and comforting, it felt like Qiong Xing himself.
Slowly, warmth returned to his cold hands and feet.
"It’s alright. Cari is my child. My precious, precious child. No one else’s. My child."
That’s right.
That man was no longer his parent.
His family was here.
His strong and dependable papas.
His cheerful and energetic little brother and sister.
His reliable brother.
And most importantly, his beloved Mama. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
When he managed to move his fingers slightly, Qiong Xing gently squeezed his hand in return.
"Cari... loves Mama."
"Yes. I love Cari too. Thank you for protecting me, Cari."
Hearing those words from the person whose acknowledgment he had wanted most filled him with happiness.
Then he quietly lost consciousness.
"To think someone would interfere when I was so close."
"I told you, didn’t I? I will not forgive anyone who lays a hand on my children."
...
While holding Cari tightly in his arms, Qiong Xing glared at the man standing before him.
"I’m not a particularly patient person either. And after seeing my precious child hurt, I’m quite angry."
"Hahahaha! Angry? A brat who doesn’t even know how to hurt people properly dares to talk big! I thought if he went berserk, he might at least wipe out all of you... but in the end, he’s still useless. Worthless."
Qiong Xing would not allow him to call Cari useless any longer.
"No, that’s you, isn’t it? You only know how to flaunt your strength. You know nothing of supporting others, nothing of helping others. You know nothing of seeking people, nothing of loving people. You are a foolish... failure."
At those provocative words, the smile vanished from the man’s face.
"...A failure? Me?"
To be honest, Qiong Xing was still afraid of him.
But the presence of the family he trusted more than anyone gave him strength.
"Isn’t it true? You possess none of the things that truly matter as a person. What part of you, who lacks so much, could possibly be called perfect?"
There was no such thing as a perfect person.
That was precisely why people supported one another.
Whether human, beastman, or demon, that truth did not change.
Even if this man stood at the very top of the Demon Region, he could only do so because there were others beneath him.
There were subordinates, companions, and people who needed him.
Only because they existed could someone stand at the top.
"This child is neither useless nor a failure. He possesses what you lack. ...Unlike you, the truly worthless one."
"You bastaaaard!"
Even after losing both arms, the man charged at Qiong Xing in a rage.
But Qiong Xing was no longer afraid.
He understood now.
"Elias, above us."
"Got it."
A black blade descended from overhead, but Elias reacted to Qiong Xing’s warning and knocked it away.
"Leander, right."
"Yeah."
A mass of fire that came around from the right was swept aside by Leander.
Then, anticipating an attack from the left, Joa raised his sword.
When Qiong Xing informed him it was coming from below instead, Joa quickly cut apart the vines stretching toward Qiong Xing’s feet.
"Nura, Roan, don’t let him rest."
"Roger!"
"Right."
As if they had no intention of giving him a chance to recover, dragon breath erupted from Iseul and Roan, engulfing the man in flames.
His pained groans echoed through the area.
Perhaps he had intended to capture Qiong Xing and steal his magic power.
But everyone stood between them, making it clear that they would not allow him to take even a single touch from Qiong Xing, let alone his magic.
