Queen of the Shadows

13. Dungeon Children

Cale sat on his bed, inside his room, gently brushing Sooah's hair with a hairbrush. He was lost in his thoughts. 'What happened to the children who were reported missing? Are they really stuck inside a dungeon?'

"Mom!" Sooah looked up. "What're you thinking about?" She asked curiously, noticing that Cale had suddenly stopped brushing.

Cale shook his head. "Nothing." He replied. Cale began braiding her long hair bit by bit, starting with separating into parts.

"Mom. How come I don't have a dad?" Sooah suddenly asked. "Those two men that were with us before. They couldn't be father, right?"

"Uhh.." Cale sweated. "Those two aren't your father." He awkwardly smiled. "You don't have a father because I don't have a significant other yet."

"You mean like a lover?"

Cale nodded. 'Not that I'll have one anytime soon.'

Sooah held a mirror in her hand, admiring her new hairstyle. She turned towards Cale, with a bright smile. "Mom! Look at my hair! Isn't it pretty?" She got up, running around as she waved her braids around, twirling.

Cale smiled softly. "Of course. You look like a princess."

"If I'm the princess, then you're the queen!" Sooah tugged on Cale's shirt.

The shadows, hidden, tucked away in the corner, blushed, captivated by Sooah's cuteness.

"That's right, my little princess! You're the princess, and our liege's the queen!"

They cried out loud.

Sooah jumped on the bed, standing behind Cale as she began playing with his medium-length hair. "Mom. I'll do your hair now!"

"Alright." Cale easily agreed.

Sooah then fell onto the bed, lying on her stomach as she kicked her legs up and down while supporting her chin in the palm of her hands. "I'm down!" She handed Cale the mirror.

"I look.. very.. pretty..." Cale stared at himself in the mirror. His hair was unevenly, loose strands kept flying everywhere.

"I know." Sooah spoke proudly. "Mom is the prettiest person on the planet. And with my help, you look even prettier!" She squealed.

"Of course!"

The shadows agreed with Sooah.

"Who else would the prettiest person be but our queen?"

"The princess knows best!"

Cale got up, putting the hairbrush down on the side. 'Why are you still calling me "mom"?' He thought he was clearly a man.

[ What are you doing, player Cale Henituse? ]

The system asked. It had been silent for quite a while since he entered the dungeon.

'Nothing. I will do nothing.' Cale smirked happily. He got his money, and his peace. Cale fell down onto the bed, next to Sooah.

"Ow!" Sooah cried. "You're pulling my hair!" She held onto her head.

Cale shifted, getting off her hair. "Sorry.." He laid on the bed, facing away from her as he closed his eyes ready to sleep.

"Are you going to sleep already?" Sooah asked.

"Yeah."

"Hmm.." Sooah crossed her arms, sitting up criss-cross applesauce style, thinking. Then she grinned. Sooah jumped off the bed, like at the end of a gymnastics' performance, her arms stuck outwards. 'I'm going to find mom a husband!'

"Sooah?" Jinah turned around. "What're you doing outside your room? What about Cale?" She bent down.

Sooah ran into her arms, hugging Jinah. "Auntie, auntie!" She called out. "Mom's asleep. So I'm going to find mommy a husband!"

"A- a husband...?" Jinah stuttered. She picked Sooah up, holding her by her arms. A thought suddenly crossed her kind. She grinned slyly.

"Yeah!" Sooah smiled. "I want a father!"

Jinah smiled brightly, one that could trick a child with their kind looks. "I know a guy fitting to be both your father and Cale's lover."

"Hm. Who?"

Jinah continued to smile, not speaking a word.

Sooah childly punched her with her clenched fists. "You're being a meanie, Auntie! Tell me! Tell me!"

"Alright! Alright!" Jinah moved her head backwards, letting her head dodge her attacks. "But don't tell anyone." She whispered.

"I won't." Sooah pouted.

"My brother."

"Your brother?"

Jinah nodded. "He's not only hot, but he's also caring." She began rambling exaggerating Jinwoo's characteristics. "He may seem cold on the outside, but he's actually a softie." Jinah winked at Sooah. "Don't worry. He'll only show this side to the one he loves."

Sooah's eyes lit up. "I wanna meet him!"

Jinah smiled. "I can organize a meeting with him for you."

"Yes! Thank you, auntie!"

"Of course!" Jinah swung Sooah around in the air around like a circle, holding her under her armpits.

"President." Jinchul was reporting to the chairman of the Korean Hunters Association. "There has been an increase in the amount of reported missing children."

"Isn't that a problem for the Korean government?" Go Gunhee, the head, asked. Though he was worried about the children, there were matters he couldn't attend to. He was busy working with the piles of papers on his desk. "We deal with things related to the gates and hunters."

Jinchul sweated. "There is a correlation between the missing children and the amount of gates appearing recently." He handed Gunhee a file.

Gunhee flipped open the folder, glancing at the information. He got up. "Then we should take action immediately."

Jinchul flinched.

"If it's related to the gates, the press will have no choice but to keep quiet about our interference." Gunhee explained. "How many hunters are currently available right now?"

Jinchul looked at his tablet, adjusting his glasses. "XXX B-rank hunters, XX A-rank hunters."

"What about the S-ranks?"

"Currently only Sung Jinwoo is available, the rest are currently in dungeons already. There is another S-rank hunter, however, based on the information we were provided, that hunter decided to remain as a normal citizen."

Gunhee turned towards the window, staring down at the city. "Please try convincing that hunter to help us."

"Yes.." Jinchul nodded. "Sir. I have something to say."

"What is it?" Gunhee glanced at him.

"The hunter I mentioned just now, he came out of a dungeon recently. To be specific, a double dungeon." Jinchul sweated nervously as he looked up at the president. "When he came out, he also brought out a child."

Gunhee's eyes widened. "What?" His full attention was on Jinchul's words now.

"I asked the child a few questions. From what I gathered, the child was brought from the outside to the dungeon."

"This is very serious." Gunhee frowned.

Jinchul's expression hardened. "I agree, chairman."

"Someone is luring children to go inside the dungeons..."

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The threat actually works, guys.

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