Chapter 66

"This kid lying here is Chahaya?"

Jokyungmin, who had been blinking in a daze, suddenly looked down at Chahaya. Then he pointed at the child with his index finger.

"Right now... this kid is Chahaya?"

"Yes. After he was drenched in the jellyfish variant's bodily fluid, he suddenly started shrinking."

The video of the jellyfish variant hunt that appeared in the East Sea had already spread widely.

Seo-un, not knowing why Chahaya was like this, searched for the video and saw him tearing the jellyfish apart with his hands. He had come to the office without even wiping off the toxic bodily fluid.

Judging by the hunting time, he had almost flown from the East Sea. It was unclear what he had used to get here, but his phone was nowhere to be found.

Jokyungmin rolled up his sleeves and flipped open the child's eyes. When the star-like pupils were revealed, he involuntarily took a step back.

"Really...?"

Although it was unlikely that the Tachun guys would have set up a hidden camera, Jokyungmin found it hard to believe Seo-un's words.

Jokyungmin placed his hand near Chahaya's heart and released cosmos. Jokyungmin's cosmos was a warm, golden thread.

Seo-un watched Jokyungmin extend the thread over Chahaya's entire body with a fiery gaze. However, he examined Chahaya so thoroughly that Seo-un felt almost guilty for his suspicion. When Jokyungmin withdrew his hand, the golden wave of energy disappeared instantly.

"Except for the shrinking, all his bodily functions are normal."

Seo-un almost leaned against the wall.

"Then can it be fixed? What if he keeps shrinking? Is there any way?"

"First, calm down, Deputy Guild Leader."

Jokyungmin sat Seo-un, who was pacing, at the end of the bed.

I was surprised too, so it's understandable that you're flustered. Even if they are top-tier, they're still young, so it's natural to panic when something unexpected happens. Jokyungmin quickly took out his phone and called someone.

"Hey, Professor Lee, this is Jokyungmin. You know about the jellyfish variant that appeared today? Yeah, in the East Sea. He tore it apart with his hands? No, don't get sidetracked, just send me some information about the variant. It's nothing, I'm just curious."

After finishing his call, Jokyungmin lowered Seo-un's arm, which was picking at his fingernails.

"Deputy Guild Leader, let's wait and see. I've asked a professor for some information."

To prescribe any treatment, we need to know more about the variant.

"By any chance..."

Seo-un suddenly lifted his head.

"Could it be a side effect of the gate?"

For a moment, Jokyungmin looked taken aback.

"...If that's the case, we're all screwed."

Jokyungmin, uncharacteristically, let out a crude remark.

"Let's not jump to conclusions. It's definitely because of the variant."

Jokyungmin, without realizing whom he was trying to reassure, maintained a hopeful attitude. While waiting for a reply from his colleague, Jokyungmin watched the jellyfish hunting video, and Seo-un occasionally wiped the cold sweat from Chahaya's body.

Although there was no fever, the child was groaning, perhaps due to the sudden change in his body. Seo-un also massaged the child's small arms and legs.

"Deputy Guild Leader, did you grow up receiving a lot of love?"

Seo-un was puzzled by the sudden question.

"Just from what I've seen in hospitals. Parents who received a lot of love tend to be very devoted to their children."

"This is Chahaya, not your child."

"Even to friends, and if it's your own child, even more so."

Although he received a lot of love from his mother, he never showed it when he was sick, out of respect for his father. The only person who had taken care of him with utmost devotion when he was sick was Chahaya. Thinking about it, it would be more strange not to like him.

After waiting for a long time, Jokyungmin's phone started ringing one after another.

Jokyungmin carefully read the message from his colleague. Seo-un also stood up to look at the screen, but the text was all in English and densely packed like an encyclopedia, making it hard to follow.

How long had Jokyungmin been here? Seo-un kept checking on Chahaya's condition. It might be an illusion, but he no longer seemed to be shrinking and still looked like a child of seven or eight.

<Currently, 'Chahaya' is in the polyp stage.>

"Polyp stage?"

"It seems to be in the polyp stage."

Jokyungmin pushed up his glasses with his index finger.

"What, Deputy Guild Leader. You already knew and were just testing me?"

Seo-un, who had first mentioned the polyp, hastily shook his head. The timing of the messenger was not good.

"No, don't misunderstand. I really needed help, so I called you."

"Sure, if you already knew, why did you call me? And why are you in Tachun with that head and ability? Why not go somewhere more comfortable and better treated?"

Jokyungmin seemed to think that Seo-un had read all the information sent by his colleague. Although Seo-un wasn't that good at English, he let Jokyungmin misunderstand.

"Professor, what exactly is the polyp stage?"

Jokyungmin showed his phone screen.

A preliminary disaster alert text message about the jellyfish variant appearing near the East Sea today.

"So, the one Chahaya caught is this. Well, you've seen how this variant is born and grows, right?"

Jokyungmin firmly believed that Seo-un had interpreted the data he was reading. If he admitted he didn't know now, he would have no way to explain mentioning the polyp stage. Seo-un was trying to come up with an excuse to get out of this.

<Drumroll! 'Elephant Shrew Seo-un'’s self-esteem guardian appears! I'll only say this once, so listen carefully. Ah, let me tell you the life story of the 'Small Protection Tower Jellyfish.' When it hatches from the egg, it becomes a planula, a very small larva. It swims around the sea and attaches to a suitable rock. That's the polyp stage! It grows by sucking in plankton and becomes a strobila. When it grows, it becomes a jellyfish. That's the highly condensed life story of the 'Small Protection Tower Jellyfish'!>

"Yes, I get it."

Although there was a significant time gap, Seo-un nodded seriously. Jokyungmin showed a slightly uncomfortable reaction but continued.

"The interesting thing about this creature is that if it gets injured or ages, it can revert to the polyp stage. In other words, it can continuously rejuvenate, making immortality possible. However, as a variant, it seems to have released its characteristics as a toxin. By making the threat a weaker entity, the variant can survive more easily."

Only then did Seo-un understand what Jokyungmin was trying to say.

"So, you're saying Chahaya has been poisoned and shrunk?"

"An ordinary person would have died the moment they were poisoned by the toxin. Since Chahaya is a long-lived species, he managed to survive and revert to the polyp stage."

Jokyungmin pointed at Chahaya.

"Since I've been here for a while and he hasn't changed, it seems he's in the polyp stage, which is like a child's stage in human terms."

<That's correct. Ah, ah.>

"Then... do we just wait for him to grow back?"

It would take at least ten years to return to his original state. Seo-un felt dizzy.

"No way. Once he wakes up and the toxin is completely gone, he'll return to his original state. But for a 3rd stage to reduce him to this state?"

Jokyungmin snorted, mocking arrogance. Even though Seo-un glared coldly, Jokyungmin didn't apologize.

"Since there's nothing else wrong with his body, there's nothing I can do."

Jokyungmin spoke as if he had come to see a patient faking illness.

"Thank you, Professor. But... if this story leaks out,"

"Deputy Guild Leader, do I seem that bad to you? I dislike your guild because I think they're a bunch of ruffians, and that opinion hasn't changed. And when he wakes up, tell him that I'm still investigating the variant's properties and will contact him when the results are in. You should also keep me updated on his condition."

Seo-un deeply bowed as Jokyungmin left.

"I'll definitely contact you. Please be careful on your way out."

Jokyungmin waved his hand, dismissing the formalities.

"Hey, but he looks like a doll. If he were always this well-behaved, wouldn't it be great?"

Smiling, Jokyungmin opened the front door. Surprisingly, he even looked around before leaving.

Although Seo-un was still tense, worried about Chahaya, he plopped down on the bed. Without a moment to catch his breath, he looked at the child, one leg on the bed.

As Jokyungmin said, he looked like a doll. His face, plump with baby fat, contrasted with his relatively long limbs, suggesting he would grow tall.

Seo-un, who had stroked Chahaya's round forehead, headed to the mini-fridge. Even though it was a small fridge, it only contained a few bottles of water and a few cans of beer.

Kid, why do you live like this?

The house was already small, but why were there so many empty spaces? It made him feel sad.