A man and a woman ran toward me instead of answering my question.

Like the days when they were lizards, both of them leapt into my arms at the exact same time.

“Wahahaha! So this is what you guys looked like in your mind-space?”

Then the man who seemed to be Bing lifted me high into the sky with both arms.

“Uwaaah! Why is Bing so strong!?”

I was supposed to be the dad, but it felt like I was getting launched like an airplane—it caught me off guard for a moment. Still, I’d already committed to this “dad” concept, so I decided to roll with it.

To be honest, he looked taller and older than me, but what could I do? I already claimed the dad role.

I just pretended nothing was weird and acted as usual.

It was too late to correct how we addressed each other now, and the kids didn’t seem to have any complaints anyway.

“I can’t believe Bing turned out this handsome. And Seol is so beautiful, too.”

The two of them really were stunning.

Silver hair, silver eyebrows, pale white skin, and blue eyes.

They looked exotic—almost Western in appearance.

‘Are these really our Seol and Bing?’

For a moment, I honestly wondered if they were someone else.

The Western look was completely new. And on top of that, this kind of whole-family registration had never happened before.

But there was no reason to doubt they were my kids—when Bing put me down and I hugged them both, a familiar chill filled my arms.

Not a warm or soft sensation, but a distinct chill.

That was partly because they were lizards, but also because, true to the name I’d given them—Seolbingseokcheok—they were spiritual beasts filled with the energy of ice.

They had a cold aura unique to them, something normal lizards wouldn’t give off, and I could feel that now.

No doubt—they were our Seol and Bing.

After joyfully greeting the two of them, I felt a tug at the hem of my robe.

I looked down and saw a clearly female child pulling at my robe.

She had silver hair cut into a bob, chubby cheeks flushed pink, and she was sucking on one thumb while tugging on my robe with the other.

She was adorable—like what Cho, Hyang, or Bini might’ve looked like when they were still yellow baby centipedes.

I immediately squatted down, looked the child in the eyes, and asked,

“You must be Dong. So you’re our little granddaughter, huh? Can Grandpa give you a hug?”

Without a word, she wrapped her little arms around my neck.

Dong answered my question with a hug.

As her tiny arms clung to me, a smile spread across my face from sheer happiness.

“Thank goodness. Honestly, I was going to register Dong first, but I worried she might cry and wait alone in fear. I’m glad you were with Mom and Dad.”

I patted her head as I spoke, and Seol and Bing looked at me with smiling faces.

I was still curious how all three of them ended up in here at once, but... did it matter?

If I could handle everything in one go, that was even better.

Just registering one beast took more than ten days. Three would normally mean nearly a full month.

To do it all at once? Jackpot.

‘No complaints here.’

“Alright, then let’s head over there and talk. I’ll explain why you suddenly came in here. I tried to explain before we entered, but you probably didn’t catch it all, right?”

We all moved over to the old rock that Seol and Bing used to use as a house. I decided to explain what this space was and what would happen next.

They didn’t seem too shocked, but they still deserved a proper explanation.

Earlier, I’d only told Dong she might wake up in a strange place and that Grandpa would come find her, so she shouldn’t be scared.

Sitting on the familiar rock the kids once called home, I began to speak.

“This place is called the ‘mind-space.’ It’s a realm inside your hearts. You might’ve been startled by the sudden shift, but I’m the one who brought you here. Once I register you here, we’ll be able to talk through our minds.

Until now, I couldn’t understand a word you said, but after this, I’ll be able to hear you clearly.

That’s why I had to bring you here.”

I explained it slowly and clearly. Seol and Bing both nodded.

They were clearly delighted at the thought of being able to talk with me.

By the time I’d finished the explanation, Dong had already wandered off. I looked around and saw her sniffing flowers and inspecting blades of grass.

The place must’ve fascinated her.

Even for a spiritual beast, a child is still a child.

‘She’s so cute. Still, the explanation’s done. I should head back soon. Time flows differently here than it does outside.’

I really wanted to keep watching Dong play, but I’d already decided last time that I should return as quickly as possible.

“Dong, come here now. Time to go back.”

She was smelling a blue flower when I called out, and she ran over with quick little steps.

Worried she might fall, I got up to meet her—and just as I thought, she tripped on some grass and slid forward with her arms outstretched.

I lunged forward and grabbed her clothes, catching her just in time. She dangled from my fingertips, swinging gently.

“My little Dong almost fell down.”

I smiled as I pulled her into my arms, and she kissed me on the cheek.

Maybe it was her way of saying thanks for catching her.

Smiling, I looked at Seol and Bing and asked for kisses on both cheeks too—and when their lips touched my face, my vision began to blur.

“Let’s all meet again outside.”

The three of them smiled brightly, and the beautiful scene imprinted itself warmly into my memory.

***

It had been five days since So-ryong entered the mind-space.

When Hwa-eun stepped into the room to check on him, she couldn’t help but be shocked.

All three beasts who had entered the mind-space with So-ryong—Seol, Bing, and Dong—were awake.

They were all licking So-ryong’s face.

“You’re all awake?”

–Guuu.

–Gyuit. Gyuu.

–Ggukggu.

With So-ryong still unconscious, they couldn’t use the group chat-like communication from before, so she couldn’t confirm if the registration went well or if the kids were in good health through words.

But they looked healthy enough.

Hwa-eun rushed outside and called out Seol’s name.

“Unni Seol! Unni!”

She shouted toward a large tree outside So-ryong’s room, and suddenly the area beneath it shimmered. The room came into view, and Seol stepped out of it.

The place she came from was a hidden annex, once veiled by Jeokwol’s illusion—so confusing at first they could barely find it.

Seol tilted her head at Hwa-eun’s urgency.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“The kids woke up first!”

“Really?”

“Is something wrong?”

Hwa-eun looked worried, as if she wasn’t sure this was okay, but Seol smiled gently and patted her shoulder.

“You’re still worried even though I told you not to be? Don’t you remember? The kids always wake up before So-ryong does.”

“Oh... right!”

Hwa-eun blinked as realization struck and nodded quickly.

Now that she thought about it, Seol was right—whenever So-ryong came back from the mind-space, the kids always woke up first.

That had been true for Cho, Hyang, and Bini too.

The kids always stirred first. So-ryong always followed.

Hwa-eun realized then—she’d been worrying the whole time.

Because somewhere in her heart, the idea that So-ryong might become like Seokcheok had never left her.

“Yeah... I guess you’re right.”

She awkwardly scratched at the floor with her foot, and Seol crossed her arms and said,

“Come on. He’ll wake up today. Let’s just wait in the room.”

“Okay, Unni.”

Since the kids always woke up a few hours before So-ryong, they decided to wait together.

They settled into the room and waited for him to wake up.

But So-ryong didn’t.

A full day passed.

Then two.

Then three.

It was a night just before the full moon, with a large, looming moon hanging above the mountain peak.

Binghyeol Nanhwa, commander of the Bloodshade Unit, stared up at the mountain and asked the warriors kneeling behind her in a quiet voice.

[Is this the place?]

[Yes, Commander.]

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

This was the foot of the mountain where that bastard Wei Su Long—son of the Beast Palace and son-in-law of the Sacheon Tang Clan—was said to have rented a house.

Gazing up toward the mountainside where the house was said to be, Nanhwa asked again,

[Has his presence been confirmed up there?]

The warrior at the front bowed his head and responded.

[There are three people in the house. Villagers saw them head up nine days ago.

They say there are two women living with him—one seems to be a woman of the Sacheon Tang Clan, the other likely from the Beast Palace.

One of the two has come down to the village twice to buy food and supplies, but no one’s seen the bastard himself.

Given that he picked such a scenic spot, maybe he’s just holed up enjoying himself with the women, don’t you think?]

[And when was this information obtained?]

[Three days ago.]

[Three days?]

[Is something wrong?]

Nanhwa considered snapping at the man, but seeing the group gathered here, she decided against it.

These weren’t her Bloodshade Unit members.

If they were, they wouldn’t dare speak so confidently unless the intel was from yesterday at the latest. But these people weren’t Bloodshade Unit—they didn’t understand that verifying the target daily was standard protocol.

For her unit, that kind of thing didn’t even need to be said. It was a given.

Suppressing her frustration, Nanhwa ordered the warrior,

[You had someone watching the house, yes? Call them.]

[Yes, Commander.]

—Screeech.

At Nanhwa’s order, one of the warriors scraped a metal plate—a signal used among the Blood Cult.

Before long, a similar screech came echoing back from the mountainside.

—Screeech.

Moments later, two masked warriors descended from the mountain, slipping through the darkness to kneel before Nanhwa.

[Blood-for-Blood! We greet the Commander!]

Still staring toward the top ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) of the mountain, Nanhwa asked,

[So? Is the bastard at the house?]

[Th-that is...]

The warrior faltered, unable to answer.

Hearing his uneasy tone, Nanhwa finally turned her gaze away from the mountain and looked at him directly.

And then, something utterly unbelievable reached her ears.

[Forgive us, Commander. Something strange occurred on the mountain—we couldn’t even confirm the house.]

[What? You couldn’t confirm the house?]

[The spot where the house is supposed to be was just overgrown with grass and trees—nothing else.]

[What? What are you talking about? Are you saying you’ve got the wrong location?]

Eyes wide in the dark, she pressed him again, and the warrior bowed even lower as he replied.

[It seems... a formation has been deployed.]

[A formation!?]

A formation.

And if it was showing something different from reality—then it was a high-level formation.

Something only families like the Zhuge Clan, experts in formation arts, or heaven-born prodigies could cast.

The fact that such a formation was in place made Nanhwa’s eyes go wide with shock.

***

“What the hell is this?”

I was certain I’d been registering the kids and just starting to lose consciousness—but when I came to, I was standing in a strange place.

A bizarre space with no exit—surrounded on all sides, floor, and ceiling.

The walls and the high ceiling were made of stone, forming a circular chamber.

It should have been dark, but oddly, it was lit. And if this was a mind-space, there should’ve been kids or something present—but there was nothing.

Just a stone floor and walls. That was it.

I looked around and decided to inspect the walls. Maybe there was a way out.

I walked along the wall, feeling around, and eventually discovered there were doors.

Five doors.

Each one carved with a depiction of one of the Five Venomous Beasts.

And, strangely enough, each door featured one of my kids.

On the first door were the centipedes: Cho, Hyang, and Bini.

On the second door was the snake: Cheongyu.

On the third door were the lizards: Seol, Bing, and Dong.

On the fourth door was the scorpion: Cheongwol.

And on the fifth door was the toad: Hwayang.

Each engraving was detailed and vivid.

—Thrum.

When I placed my hand on one of the engravings, the door opened.

It wasn’t just that door—any of the five would open when touched.

It felt like I was being asked to choose one to enter.

So I sat down in the center of the space, deep in thought, trying to decide where to go.