This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 13

“I got it, right? We’re going to fill this with water.”

“…Yeah.”

Honestly, I still had my doubts about whether she could really do it, but it seemed like she was willing to at least give it a try.

With a serious expression, Yoonseo nodded once and then started staring intently at the cup I had placed in front of her.

How long had it been in that state?

Since this was her first attempt, it seemed like she needed to focus, as I could see tension slowly creeping into Yoonseo’s brow.

Before I knew it, a line formed on her forehead, making me want to reach out and smooth it over with my fingers.

It was clear to anyone watching that she was concentrating, so I refrained from doing that.

“Ugh…”

A somewhat distressed sound slipped from her soft pink lips that were tightly pursed.

So, it wasn’t going well after all.

I had expected this outcome, so I wasn’t feeling particularly disappointed.

After all, Yoonseo looked like someone completely lost at this moment.

And more than that, if it just worked right away when I said, “Give it a try!” then what was the point of pretending to be a genius?

If that were the case, she would already be a genius.

‘Maybe my explanation was a bit lacking?’

Looking at Yoonseo’s reaction, it seemed that my explanation wasn’t quite understandable for someone like her, who was seven years old.

So what should I do?

How could I explain it in a way that Yoonseo would grasp the concept?

“Ugh…”

She had elegantly manipulated water in the bathroom, but here it wasn’t going as smoothly as she wanted, so maybe that bothered her a bit.

She had only briefly closed her eyes, but in that moment, I noticed her switching to “pufferfish mode,” looking distressed enough to make me pause and carefully part my lips.

“Uh… Yoonseo?”

“…Yeah?”

“If it’s not going well, how about trying this?”

“How…?”

“So, think of it like creating a dark cloud.”

“A dark cloud?”

“Yeah, imagine gathering the hidden ones in the air to form a dark cloud, and then…”

I trailed off, motioning for Yoonseo to point at the empty cup.

“Pour the rain into this cup.”

That should help clarify the image better than before.

Fortunately, it seemed Yoonseo understood a bit better, as she nodded, looking like she might get it now.

That didn’t mean there was a dramatic change though.

‘It seems like…’

It would take some time for her to succeed.

So, I asked Yoonseo to continue practicing the same method, and from that day on, I started researching those known to possess abilities similar to hers.

Of course, this time I borrowed my mom’s mobile phone.

‘There are quite a few cases…’

For the sake of convenience, I named Yoonseo’s ability “Water Manipulation,” and though it was a rare talent, there were surprisingly many known cases.

And from what I gathered, it appeared that Yoonseo’s awakened talent ranked among the top tier of such abilities.

As proof, most cases I found in my search had limitations on the types of liquids they could manipulate.

In contrast, Yoonseo had almost no restrictions, so I could safely say that was the case.

‘Okay. At least I’ve secured one source.’

I hadn’t tested every liquid in existence, but being able to control various liquids was obviously better than just controlling water.

‘By the way…’

I suddenly wondered if things like mercury were considered liquids for this purpose.

Having stumbled upon many reported cases, I was taken by surprise, but there were indeed many notable references.

One particular case caught my eye, involving a villain who could not only control movement but also manipulate temperature.

From what I read, this villain had operated about twenty years ago, and whenever they unleashed their power, everything around turned into a sheet of ice!

As I focused on that case, I realized that the requirements I set for Yoonseo were genuinely feasible.

It seemed that this villain was well-known since the records indicated that they could summon ice out of thin air, targeting heroes directly, even without any nearby water source.

If Yoonseo could reach the point where she could create water freely in the air, would she be able to manipulate temperature just as easily?

I wasn’t entirely sure how it would play out, but if it was true, it seemed important enough to remember.

Well, apart from cases where such talents gained fame as villains, it seemed quite a few had taken on firefighting roles as well.

When it was difficult for fire trucks to enter certain environments, they would step in to assist.

Those who had prepared to become heroes but failed the qualification examinations seemed to often go in that direction, and fortunately, the skills they demonstrated during firefighting efforts made them frequently recruited even after their hero debuts.

In that way, while I analyzed case after case of those with skills similar to Yoonseo’s, she focused on the tasks I had assigned to her.

She came over to our house daily to practice.

As for me, I didn’t really mind whether she came over or not, but after a few days of this routine, I decided to bring it up casually.

To cut a long story short, it ended up being unproductive.

When I told Yoonseo what if she got caught by her dad while practicing at home, she looked like she was about to cry and asked if she wished to get caught.

Of course, I rebutted that it wouldn’t happen, but it did little to ease her feelings of disappointment.

Because of that, I ended up with quite the loss.

While it was all good, I had to secretly dispose of things I’d stashed away to avoid my mom’s peculiar belief that eating flour-based foods too often is bad for you.

‘Ah… my cup ramen…’

It was a special curry udon flavor I had saved for later, and who would have thought it would end up getting taken this way?

“…Is it good?”

“Hmph…!”

She turned away, trying to ignore me, but the way her cheeks moved while munching indicated how much she truly enjoyed it.

I mean, it was obvious it had to be delicious.

Curry is good, udon is good, so combining them?

Especially since it probably had tons of MSG in it, how could it possibly taste bad?

“Could I have just one bite…?”

What could it possibly taste like?

I had tried curry udon, but this was my first time seeing it in cup ramen form, and watching Yoonseo enjoy it made me feel curious to the point of madness.

So, I cautiously asked her for a small taste, but unfortunately, I was denied that opportunity.

Yoonseo seemed to have flared up at the idea of sharing even a single bite with me.

‘No, it was originally mine…’

Seeing her get that angry left me with no choice.

If I got another chance, I’d have to buy my own.

After soothing her up a bit, I attempted to refocus on her training, but I couldn’t help but wonder if that curry udon had some special properties I didn’t know about.

There had been no news for several days—until now…

“Uh, uh…?!”

Finally, I noticed a change.

‘Wait, did this happen so suddenly?’

At first, it was minor and trivial.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but it felt like the air had suddenly grown humid, so I glanced over at Yoonseo.

As soon as I did, I heard a startled sound from her, and when I followed her gaze, I saw something grayish floating in the air.

‘Um…?’

Hold on.

Why does it seem to be getting larger?

I couldn’t dismiss it as just my imagination because the cloud, no, the size of the mist was definitely bigger than before.

It probably tripled in volume.

What startled me was it was still growing larger.

The first time I genuinely felt a sense of crisis was right at that moment.

What if that kept growing?

If it reached a size sufficient to cover the room?

Wouldn’t my room turn into a place where a sprinkler had burst?

“…Stop!!”

Given the situation, I hurriedly urged Yoonseo to halt her progress.

After all, the task I assigned was to fill the cup with water, so there was no need for her to expand the cloud beyond what was necessary.

‘Wait, is that even a cloud?’

It certainly looked like a dark cloud, but I honestly wasn’t sure.

I felt a little hesitant about reaching out either.

So, I requested Yoonseo—its creator—to stop it at this point.

“Uh, huh?”

Her response didn’t inspire much confidence.

It felt as if she had been lost in thought and had just barely come back to reality.

Perhaps because of this, the size of the cloud had somehow doubled in the blink of an eye.

What was even more alarming was that the atmosphere around us had shifted noticeably.

Just moments ago, it felt humid as if it were raining outside.

But now that I focused, I found the dampness had vanished and was replaced by a dry atmosphere surrounding us.

If it had just been dry, I wouldn’t have been so surprised.

What truly caught me off guard was the sensation of something being sucked away along with the dryness, invading not just the surroundings but also my lips.

It was as though that cloud was sucking all the moisture from the environment, leaving my lips parched.

My skin felt drier than before too.

‘What the…’

I clearly instructed her to fill the cup with just water, but somehow this unusual attack technique was forming instead.

Sure, it was just Yoonseo not knowing how to control her powers yet, but what if she mastered it later and summoned that cloud?

I vehemently imagined a future where the exposed moisture in my body would be rapidly drained away, turning me into a desiccated mummy.

In her mind, Yoonseo looked completely bewildered.

It seemed that after being told to just give it a try, she never expected an actual cloud would materialize.

It had already grown larger again, now reaching a size that wouldn’t seem out of place if it were floating in the sky, and I could see the dazed expression on Yoonseo’s face.

“Did I really create that…?”

“Yes, you did create it, so…! Just stop!”

It felt like my skin would either completely dry out or that cloud would go berserk, causing a flood in my room. I shouted anxiously for her to halt, and thankfully, it seemed to snap her out of it, as she looked a bit flustered and nodded vigorously.

And then, similar to before, she began staring intently at the very cloud she created, scrunching her face up with a look of concentration… but it didn’t take long for her expression to shift into one of distress.

The moment Yoonseo’s face turned to a frown, I instinctively sensed something was wrong.

No, it was beyond just being wrong; it felt like it was a complete disaster in the making.

“Oh, no…”

“What?”

“I told it to shrink, but… it’s not shrinking…”

The instant that statement escaped Yoonseo’s lips, almost as if it were responding to her, the size of the dark cloud started to shrink before—

Drip—

A transparent droplet condensed and plopped into the cup.

At that moment, I had a weapon ready for negotiations with the adults.