A small girl ran forward and glanced around. She then found something and her anxious face turned into a bright smile.
“Puppy! Puppy!”
She held up a piece of fried chicken in her hand and the Kerox that had been sleeping in the shadows raised its head. It was the most common monster in the otherworld.
“Whoa! You’re a huge one!”
The monster was three meters long. Its sharp teeth could be seen from its slightly open mouth but the girl didn’t seem to be bothered at all.
“Are you hungry? Give me a hand! Hand!”
“Grrr…”
The Kerox growled but the girl just grinned. She got closer to the Kerox with the chicken and the Kerox’s large head moved.
“NO!”
Someone gasped, and many were shocked. A bone-crunching sound was heard from the Kerox’s mouth.
“Wow! You’re a good boy!”
The girl praised the monster as the Kerox chewed on the small chicken leg and then lowered its head next to the girl’s body. The girl then patted the Kerox’s head, which was bigger than herself. She was treating it like a small puppy. Joonbum laughed.
“She tamed a monster.”
“Yeah, she has talent,” Doral said. He pointed at the girl.
“She has the talent to befriend animals, just like you.”
Doral shifted his eyes to Joonbum.
“Me?”
“It wasn’t only because Galfus was hurt that you were able to befriend her. It was because of your power.”
“What power?”
Jinpok became confused, but Doral nodded and pointed at her.
“As I said, it’s a talent. It’s something you were born with. She’ll probably be able to tame any animal or monster alike. She’s better than any Ainos in that regard.”
“Wow, are you serious?”
Jinpok was astonished. The Ainos had a special affinity for befriending animals, but the representative of such a race was now complimenting a little girl with such remarks.
“However, it seems that her talent isn’t only limited to animals.”
Joonbum mused and looked around. Tens of soldiers around were gazing at the girl with caring, affectionate looks.
“Heh. That one is a treasure too.”
Jinpok smirked and took out a cigarette. He was staring at an older boy who was glaring at the giant Kerox. His expression was filled with anger, fear, and hesitation.
“Look at that! He’s already like an adult!”
Jinpok laughed and Joonbum also smiled.
“And that girl is too damned smart,” Hectos said as he came up to them while chewing on some jerky. Arwen and Gedenkroy, who came with him, nodded.
“Her power influences us too.”
“Really?”
Joonbum then glanced at the girl, Ahn Misun, again. The siblings who were found on the deck of the aircraft carrier were now being cared for by the entire Southern Army.
“Whoa. She got up on it!” Jinpok shouted and everyone turned. The girl had now gotten up on the back of the Kerox’s head. Everyone froze and stared at them.
“We now have ourselves a Kerox rider. I thought they couldn’t be ridden?” Jinpok mumbled and turned to Doral.
“No, at least not to my knowledge.”
Doral shook his head and Arwen seemed to be shocked also. Even the Ainos, who had a special talent to befriend any animal, couldn’t do such a thing.
“Then, how do you explain that?”
Jinpok pointed at the girl.
“Let’s go! Puppy, run!”
The girl shouted excitedly above the Kerox’s head, which looked unenthusiastic. Yet, the Karox began to move slowly on the deck and her brother Ahn Jungho followed them with an anxious expression.
“Grr…”
The Kerox growled and the soldiers in its path quickly moved away.
“T-that’s…”
Doral was at a loss for words too. She was literally riding the monster. It was something he had never seen before.
“Your Majesty. We have a report that there is a trace.”
A soldier hurriedly came up to Joonbum. Doral turned to the soldier.
“Where?”
“Jeju Island, sir.”
“Jeju?”
“Yes, sir. Or at least it must be, location-wise. But the size is different, sir.”
“Why? How different is it?”
“The landmass has increased five times its original size in comparison to the knowledge we have from the historical maps.”
“Five times?!”
Jinpok exclaimed and walked up to the soldier. The soldier was nervous but continued, “Yes, Commander. It seems that the entire landmass has risen up above sea level. And as with the children’s statement, it hasn’t been too long since they were dragged here by the seagulls.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“How far is it from here?” Doral asked after Jinpok’s comment.
“It will take half a day by boat, sir. The scout team is already on the way.”
They thought it would be somewhere nearby, but they couldn’t find any place that matched the description from the children.
‘So, they were from Jeju Island.’
“Grrrr.”
The giant Kerox slowly walked up to them.
“Hi! Mr. Emperor! Hi, Mr. Jinpok! Hi, Mr. Handsome Uncle!”
Misun shouted excitedly above the Kerox’s head as Jinpok laughed and waved at her. Joonbum then said to her, “Hey, Misun, Jungho. Let’s go find your mother.”
“I… I need to go… my kids… they are out there… they are…”
“Hey! Get yourself together! They’re already dead! Come on!”
A middle-aged woman shook another woman’s shoulder. Her voice showed that she was desperate and worried.
“N-no… they’re alive! They must be alive! Please… you have to let me go…!”
She tried to resist but then she slumped down in despair and helplessness. Her eyes filled with tears.
“S-suhee… You have to get it together. Forget about the kids! You need to live!”
“N-no… my kids… my kids…!”
‘Is it really over?’
Lee Youngah, who was trying to stop Ahn Suhee, looked like she had given up. It had been a long time. The past twenty years was too harsh for her and Suhee. They had spent their twenties doing live internet broadcasts of themselves. They were beautiful then, and they earned enough money to live well. However, when they decided to retire from the broadcasting business and went to Jeju Island for a vacation, everything changed.
What they saw on the news in their hotel room was the earthquake that split the North American continent into four land masses.
End of Chapter
