Chapter 2

‘Ha, haha… Even if I receive it, I can’t use it.’

Still, it was satisfying to see Baek Seung-jun’s face distorted in frustration.

He may be ranked 1st in South Korea, but he was only 16th in the global rankings.

While he was a hero in our country, he would be overshadowed by top rankers when he went abroad.

For someone as self-centered as Baek Seung-jun, it must have been unbearable.

However, by successfully conquering Morpheus, he could quickly rise to the top and become rank 1.

“I’m going to give those bastards who looked down on me a taste of their own medicine by killing Morpheus.”

But that plan went completely awry.

Baek Seung-jun, who was full of anger, approached me in big strides.

‘I’m about to get cursed at.’

I might even be expelled from the guild without obtaining any equipment.

‘Well, then how do I get the medical expenses? I seem to be seriously injured.’

There is a healer among the guild members, but they probably won’t treat me because they’re eager to impress Baek Seung-jun.

Swoosh.

That’s when it happened. Something cold touched my neck.

It was Balisarda.

“…?!”

When I looked up with questioning eyes, Baek Seung-jun wickedly curled his lips.

“You can take away the bound rewards if you kill the person it is bound to.”

Thrust!

It happened in an instant.

Balisarda was pierced in my throat.

I looked at Baek Seung-jun and the guild members with disbelief in my eyes.

“How dare you try to steal what’s rightfully mine? Know your place.”

It was you who tried to steal what I should have received!

However, no one blamed Baek Seung-jun or sympathized with me.

It was at that moment, amidst my fading vision, that a new notification window appeared.

[Successful raid reward (binding) ‘Inheritance of Nightmares’ has been granted!]

[Automatically triggered due to the detected perilous situation of the bound owner.]

‘This is strange. Why is it not in a [locked] state this time?’

Amidst my dying breaths, a vague question arose and then vanished with my consciousness.

The last memory that appeared amidst my fading consciousness was a sight I couldn’t have imagined.

Morpheus’s corpse rising like a zombie and massacring Baek Seung-jun and the guild members.

The tearing screams felt like a ‘nightmare,’ yet strangely, my heart felt at ease hearing those sounds.

* * *

“Kkyang!”

My eyes snapped open.

‘What the hell happened?’

I was clearly on the brink of death just moments ago.

For defeating a monster that was going to destroy the Earth.

“Phew, wha reif!” (What a relief!)

Just as I sighed in perplexity, I heard a strange sound coming from somewhere.

It sounded like a newborn kitten whimpering.

‘Come to think of it, someone yelled ‘Kkyang!’ when I woke up too.’

Looks like there’s someone else here.

I raised my body to check.

No, I tried to.

But all I managed to do was flail around helplessly, waving my chubby and round hands and feet.

‘Oh, why are my hands and feet like this?’

They’re as round and plump as glutinous rice cakes.

I couldn’t move my body, and my physique had been deformed.

Could this be the effect of the reward ‘Inheritance of Nightmares’ that was automatically triggered at the last minute?

‘Then this is not a reward, but a curse!’

Well, it certainly seems that way.

Since I received a reward that wasn’t in a [locked] state for the first time.

I let out a heavy sigh at my pitiful situation.

“Heeyu… heeyu?”

However, the sound that came out of my mouth was like a whimpering kitten.

I let out a sigh of frustration because I still couldn’t understand why, but all that came out of my mouth was a cute sound like ‘Hiing, awoong.’

‘Could it be that the sound I heard earlier was also made by me?’

This is just like a young baby.

My hands, my feet…

Unable to grasp the situation, I was left perplexed when I heard the sound of a door opening abruptly.

‘A monster?’

I held my breath.

Thud, thud.

The sound of heavy footsteps.

A chilling coldness.

A towering shadow looming over me.

And it was unbelievably outrageous to the point of sending shivers down my spine…

‘A handsome man?’

My small mouth opened in surprise.

Cobalt blue eyes as cool as the surface of water on the verge of freezing.

Neatly arranged, shining golden hair.

A perfectly sculpted nose and beautiful lips set in a tight line.

A beautiful man, resembling a masterpiece, was looking down at me coldly.

With a gaze that can only be described as ‘cold’ no matter how you looked at it.

‘What’s this? Are there monsters that look like this?’

It seemed like I wasn’t the only one who had doubts about the presence before me.

“This is my daughter?”

The monster murmured in a deep voice. It was a familiar line.

“She looks strange. Hideous.”

While saying that, the monster couldn’t take his eyes off me.

“Why are your cheeks so squishy? It’s unpleasant.”

He seemed like a cold-hearted father from a parenting drama.

“To think such a fragile being exists.”

It’s strange.

It’s mysterious.

It’s weak.

These words were classic lines from dads in parenting dramas, and in fact, elicited an ‘I absolutely love her’ reaction.

I was a fan of romance fantasy, particularly parenting dramas.

A parenting drama that features a dad who initially feels awkward about the unexpected presence of his daughter, but eventually falls head over heels in love with the tiny and fragile creature.

Despite saying he didn’t like me, his hands would itch to pick me up and hold me tight.

And just as I had imagined, the man scooped me up in his arms.

Look at this! Despite saying no, his body is being honest!

A rough touch, as if he were handling an object.

Even this touch was a cliché in parenting dramas.

“So light. You have less presence than a feather.”

As I observed the man with a furrowed brow, scrutinizing me, I became certain.

‘It seems like I’ve been reincarnated in a parenting drama!’

After all the hardships, I finally found solace!

I knew well over a hundred ways to captivate an emotionally reserved father.

I clenched my small hand, smaller than a pebble, with determination.

To think I was born as the precious only daughter of a powerful figure!

Overwhelmed with joy, my small figure with tightly clenched fists trembled uncontrollably.

‘After all the hardships in my past life, it seems like the gods are granting me a gift!’

Tears welled up in my eyes.

In my previous life, my parents passed away early, and I had to take care of my three younger brothers all by myself.

That’s why I thought,

‘Please, in my next life, don’t let me be born as the eldest. It would be nice if I had an older sister or brother, especially an older sister.’

But the gods didn’t grant my wish.

In parenting dramas, the protagonists are either stepchildren or have only older brothers, so I had no luck.

‘But it’s okay. Now I don’t have to bear all the burdens alone.’

Even though Dad still looks at me with doubts, I know everything.

According to the ‘laws of parenting dramas,’ Dad will gradually become more absorbed in me.

Soon enough, he’ll be so infatuated that he won’t know what to do!

Bursting with happiness, I giggled and buried my face in my dad’s embrace.

As my rosy cheeks pressed snugly against his chest, my dad hesitated for a moment before gently holding my wobbling body.

One of Dad’s large hands enveloped my entire small frame.

I raised my head from Dad’s embrace and smiled bashfully.

Dad’s eyes flickered.

‘I should do lots and lots of cute things. That way, life will be smooth.’

To lead a peaceful life just by being loved and acting cute.

‘It feels somewhat passive, but… I guess it’s still happiness, right?’

It was when I was scheming (?) inside my little head.

Creak.

At the careful sound of the door opening, I turned my head with a whimper.

There stood a handsome child with shining golden hair cascading down.

Perhaps around five or six years old?

He was good-looking, even pretty.

‘Is it a boy? Or a girl?’

Despite being young, he has a strong self-assertion and attractive facial features.

Yet, there was a cold chill that made me avert my gaze.

‘So, is this child… the foolish younger big brother from a parenting drama?!’

Seeing the deep, meaningful eyes that looked like they had a story to tell, I became more certain.

At first it would be,

‘What’s with this thing squirming like a caterpillar?’

He would show the same initial reaction, but gradually…

‘Don’t you dare touch my younger sister!’

Become a character who would clearly be an overprotective, foolish younger big brother.

‘If not, then I must be an only child!’

Well, these days the trend in parenting dramas is not about being an only child.

It’s about having one older big brother or twins.

Sometimes, there can even be three or more.

‘I wished for an older sister, but having a big brother is fine too! The more cool and strong characters who love the protagonist, the better!’

That’s what I thought at that moment.

The child was taken aback and turned pale at the sight of dad.

“What is it?”

“I heard that you have returned after completing the punitive expedition.”

“So?”

“I came to greet you…”

The child, trembling, felt the icy gaze of the man as he spoke.

It seems like his default setting is ‘coldness.’ I wonder how difficult it is for a young child to handle that?

“You’re doing unnecessary things.”

“……”

“Don’t bother me and go to your room.”

It was when the child was about to leave, shoulders drooped.

“Wait.”

The child turned back to Dad with anticipation.

“Julia said that you caused a commotion while I was away.”

“That’s…!”

“I won’t tolerate such behavior, Alexis Parchision.”

But Dad shattered the child’s expectations.

“You are the older sister, therefore you should set a good example for your newborn younger sister.”

The child looked hurt.

However, surprisingly, he skillfully suppressed his emotions and quietly responded.

“… Yes, father. I will keep that in mind.”

Wait a minute. ‘Older sister’?

‘Does that mean this child is my sister?’

Was I not an only child or the youngest daughter with an older brother?

This is different from the cliché in parenting dramas!