This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 393

In an instant, the mobile phone shattered into pieces with a loud thud as it hit the floor.

The scene passed by as if filmed in slow motion.

For me, it felt unbearably eerie to witness.

Honestly, it couldn’t have been any other way.

It was inevitable that the sight of the mobile phone, falling to the ground in a tragic, broken state, felt like a glimpse into my own future.

Was that why?

The chilling presence that started to run down my spine sent shivers of realization through me.

As that sensation flowed down my back, I found myself frozen, overwhelmed by the very aura it emitted.

Maybe it was trying to warn me not to entertain foolish thoughts.

The tentacles, adorned with the fragments of the phone I had just broken, reached out to gently caress my cheek, as if to show me what could happen if I acted carelessly.

“Oh dear… it seems you were quite startled when this suddenly popped up, Daddy.”

The voice, laced with an air of amusement, was completely out of place in the situation.

For me?

I couldn’t comprehend the girl’s demeanor at all.

It was baffling, considering I had no idea what was so funny.

Of course, what baffled me even more was the statement that spilled from her lips.

“Daddy?”

I had noticed it before, but what on earth was her basis for calling me that?

Back when we first crossed paths, I assumed, in my naivety, that a child might do that without thinking, but… given the current circumstances, that particular part stuck in my mind like a thorn, gnawing at my nerves.

If I had my way, I’d question why exactly she referred to me as her father…

“Well, it’s just because it’s your first time, but if you keep seeing it, you’ll naturally get used to it.”

I managed to hold my tongue.

It didn’t seem wise to offend a girl who was a monster in disguise even though she appeared normal.

Especially since I had no idea of her thoughts towards me.

So, despite the eerie sensation crawling across my cheek, I kept my mouth shut…

“Or… should I turn you into someone just like me?”

Perhaps she didn’t like that I had been silent, despite her warmth since earlier.

Her unsettling words slid right into my ears.

To suggest she would turn me into something just like her.

Was she implying she would attach those… grotesque tentacles to my body?

“At first, it would be hard to adapt, but once you get used to it, nothing could be more convenient.”

Surprisingly, it seemed so.

At least, from what she was saying.

So, I couldn’t just keep my mouth shut forever and let her interpret my silence as consent, only to find myself in a bind later.

If I was going to express my will, I needed to do so clearly without leaving any room for misinterpretation.

I subtly glanced at the girl, carefully opening my mouth.

“…No.”

“Huh? Why? It’s incredibly convenient once you get used to it, isn’t it?”

Of course, adjusting to it wasn’t that simple.

Even just from her reaction to my refusal, it was evident.

She had a confused look, as if she couldn’t comprehend why I was rejecting her offer.

Simultaneously, it felt like she was questioning why I was turning down something so useful right in front of me, unfurling those crimson tentacles in a wiggly dance…

Watching her, I could feel the urge to ask if she genuinely didn’t realize how outlandish it was, rising up in my throat.

Naturally, I kept that to myself before I let it slip.

At that moment, I was doing my best to hold back my words.

“Anyway… just a little longer to wait.”

The unsettling statement slid into my ears, just as chilling as the tentacle proclamation from earlier.

Just a little longer to wait.

The moment I heard that, my mind flashed to the rift.

Why had it chosen to settle in such a place? Perhaps it was merely waiting to open?

If that was indeed the case, it came as a slight surprise.

After all, people believed that the Another Ones could manipulate rifts at will.

But now here I was, pondering why a girl who was undoubtedly a superior entity would be waiting for the rift to open.

Does this mean that contrary to popular belief, the rift phenomenon isn’t so easily wielded by the Another Ones?

“You went so far as to team up with mere bait to find Daddy… If you bring him to her, I’m sure Mother will be quite pleased, won’t she?”

While I was pondering in my mind, the girl’s slightly excited voice continued, and in that moment, I realized who she truly was.

And… I recognized the identity of the entity she referred to as Mother.

Was it the Queen of the Another Ones?

You know, the monster clad in human skin I had fought to escape the rift when I had the ill fate to be dragged in with Chae-rim?

That must be who the girl was calling ‘Mother’ and ‘Queen’.

And what does it mean that this girl dares to call her that?

The issue was, why on earth was she calling me Daddy…?

‘Was there something that happened back then…?’

No matter how hard I racked my brain to clarify that part, nothing came to mind.

It made sense, considering the only action I had taken during that ordeal was to hide in a suitable place until I sensed Chae-rim in danger, then leaping out to intercept an attack aimed at her.

But to question whether something had strayed into that in-between situation? Naturally, I had my doubts.

‘…No way.’

Despite the fact that she was wearing a human guise, she was still a monster who might merely wear a smile like the girl in front of me, so maybe her feelings didn’t align with a typical human experience.

Well, thinking about it that way didn’t change much in terms of understanding.

‘Or perhaps…’

Was it because of this arm?

Honestly, that seemed a bit more feasible.

So, what if my arm changed, along with a certain power that came with it, wasn’t just coincidental?

What if the plot was to target Chae-rim, and because I ended up taking the hit for her instead, they shifted their goal?

‘Come to think of it…’

When I returned from Heogye, that Doctor I met warned me regarding my arm.

She said while the power tied to my left arm was significant, if not handled correctly, it could backfire dangerously.

Honestly, at that time?

I thought it was similar to typical words doctors throw at their patients.

You know, the classic advice about not drinking too much, avoiding too spicy food, and exercising.

I assumed it was along those lines, but what if it was much more?

What if the Another Ones had sought after the very power labeled as a bomb that the Doctor foresaw?

That scenario increased the odds of why the Queen of the Another Ones allied herself with villains to find me.

All the scattered puzzle pieces were starting to click into place, and in that unnerving sensation, I found myself grimacing unconsciously.

“It’s time.”

Perhaps out of boredom from waiting, or simply out of curiosity for the human who called her ‘Daddy’, the girl began poking me with her tentacles, making me feel an odd sensation as she stood up.

And just as that girl moved—

“Shall we… go, Daddy?”

The empty air began to twist unnaturally.