Hero’s Child C41

Chapter 41

Yet even he could see that his own hands looked wild enough to crush Uichan’s neck at any moment. He had to restrain himself. He couldn’t afford to frighten him.

Growl—

The beast that had been lingering cautiously behind him finally slinked forward, pressing its head against Yeo Taehwon’s hand. He patted its head gently.

“…Yes. Uichan is small and fragile. If I approach him in my usual way, he’ll break.”

He had realized that only today—seeing the way Uichan had looked at him, wary and trembling. There was no need to rush. Time was abundant, and opportunity even more so. He still had debts to settle, threads of unresolved business that clung to him like a stubborn curse.

La Épée and Noatis. They, too, were searching for Uichan. It was only a matter of time before they made their moves. And from the past incidents, he knew one thing with certainty—none of the three would yield an inch.

He would deal with them first. Only after that would he move on to Uichan’s matter.

“Until then,” he murmured, “I’ll take things slowly.”

If Uichan chose to leave In the Hell, Yeo Taehwon would devise a plan to annihilate the organization entirely. Once the group’s capture was secured, their interrogation would take place in Litan. And as for Under Doom’s identity—he’d see to it that every confession was twisted, every truth buried under false testimony.

Even if it meant breaking Litan’s codes.

Turning his gaze, he focused on a familiar double-paned window among the rows of apartment buildings. When a faint shadow moved behind the glass, a small, almost fond smile touched his lips.

Why did the wound heal?

The first thing Uichan did upon returning home—before even greeting Park Rion—was to rush straight to the bathroom. He pulled down his pants, unwound the bandages, and checked his injury. But the only thing that met his eyes was smooth, unblemished skin, soft as newly grown flesh.

The wound had completely vanished.

Impossible.

Again, it bore repeating—Regression couldn’t affect his own body. So then who, or what, had done this?

“…Could it be… the babies?”

He stared down at his flat stomach, then instinctively placed a hand over it. Esper abilities usually manifested between the ages of three and five. No case had ever been recorded of an unborn child awakening before birth. But then again, he wasn’t a researcher. And this world—filled with prodigies and anomalies—thrived on the impossible.

Still, the thought was terrifying.

Knock, knock—

“Uichan! You’re alive, right? You didn’t come home covered in blood again, did you?”

Uichan jerked his head up, startled, then hastily pulled his pants back on and stepped out of the bathroom. Park Rion stood there clutching a hammer, looking ready to break down the door.

“I just had to use the bathroom, that’s all. Why are you holding a hammer?”

“Really? You’re not hurt? Uichan, seriously—how can someone be a father and still scare people half to death like this?”

His eyes swept anxiously over Uichan, then he huffed irritably. Somehow, he’d acquired a frilly pink apron and was wiping his wet hands on it, muttering about lunch as he dragged Uichan toward the dining table. The smell of simmering kimchi stew filled the air.

As Uichan watched Rion humming cheerfully, he asked carefully, “Rion… There’s no such thing as a baby born already awakened, right?”

“Are you stupid? I awakened when I was four! How would a baby awaken the moment it’s born? They literally teach you this in mandatory education—it happens between three and five years old.”

“…Right. Yeah, of course.”

Rion chopped green onions without much thought. Uichan listened to him hum again, then asked softly, “You said you knew a healing hero once, right?”

“I didn’t know him. We were just classmates.”

“…Still. You said he was some kind of top graduate or something. Do you remember what kind of ability he had?”

Rion tossed the chopped onions into the bubbling stew and began serving rice.

“Healing’s all the same. They’re rare, that’s why everyone makes a fuss. But what they do isn’t really healing—they just boost recovery speed a lot. That thing in novels, where you touch someone and they instantly heal? Total fantasy.”

He tapped the rice mound proudly with his spoon, emphasizing this much. Uichan swallowed hard.

Healing espers were rare and highly valued—offices competed to recruit them as early as age three, even forming close ties with their parents. But because of that, they were also targets. Many were abducted, pressured by the government, or forced into early service.

And yet, most of their abilities were underwhelming. At best, they heightened the body’s natural recovery and dulled pain. Just as Rion said—instant, miraculous healing belonged in fiction.

But Uichan had seen it with his own eyes.

“Uichan? What’s wrong? You’ve been zoning out, asking weird stuff.”

“Huh? Oh… nothing. Just hungry.”

He waved his hands, laughing awkwardly. Rion didn’t notice anything odd—thankfully, Uichan still wore gloves, hiding any sign of his recovery.

He ate greedily, finishing two bowls of rice, and Rion beamed with satisfaction before serving him peach slices for dessert. When Uichan tried to help with dishes, Rion smacked him on the back and scolded him, chasing him into his room.

“Honestly, Uichan, you have no sense. Right, little stars? He’s limping and still wants to do dishes! What’s next, a Cinderella act? That’s why Uncle had to send him away. I did good, didn’t I? Your dad needs a proper scolding, that’s what he needs.”

Grumbling, Rion slipped on rubber gloves and started scrubbing the sink, humming tunelessly.

Uichan watched for a while before retreating to his room and collapsing onto the bed. His thoughts spiraled endlessly, yet his hands looked perfectly fine.

He pulled out his phone and searched online—first for healers, then for anything about early esper awakenings. Nothing useful came up.

Finally, desperate, he turned to an online forum.

[Title: Hello, I’m a friend of an expecting father.]
Content: A friend of mine’s baby is due soon. Is it possible for a child to awaken while still in the womb? Also, has anyone experienced sudden healing during pregnancy?
I searched online but couldn’t find clear answers. Please share any insights.

[Comments]

Eah: lol every parent thinks their kid’s a prodigy. Not even born yet? Pure delusion
1g8: That’s just wishful thinking. Go reread your basic education—awakening happens between 3–5, latest 10.
Jeonglu: Wait a sec… isn’t this the same dude who posted about a pregnant man with twins last time? bro what are you on again? So now your kid’s a healer before birth??
↳ If that were real, the Association would lose its mind.
↳ LMAO I saw that too. Congrats on the baby, but chill—it’s not good to pressure your kids already
err: Wait, are you saying the wound actually healed? First time hearing that tbh.
↳ Yeah sure, and I’m Superman
ee8: But if it’s true, that’s wild sounds like a healer in the making—how OP is this baby gonna be lmao
SKDK: Hello ^^ please contact me here → 010-4xxx-9xxx
DinaE: …If it’s true, you’re gonna lose that kid. Don’t post this online—hide them. Seriously.

“……”

In less than five minutes, the post exploded with replies. Uichan’s brief hope for real information evaporated as he scrolled further. His face paled; by the time he reached the bottom, he couldn’t bear to read more. He deleted the post immediately.

The line “you’ll lose that kid” stuck in his head like a curse. His heart raced as he shot upright.

They said people repeat their mistakes, but this—this was pure madness. He knew better. He should’ve known better. The internet, once again, was not his friend.

So his only option left was his doctor.

Still… could he really tell anyone about this?

And yet, a strange hope flickered in him. If even his own injuries had healed, maybe the third one—his unborn child—had healed too.

If this healing power truly belonged to his babies… what then?

“…Well, what else. I’ll just protect them until they’re old enough.”

He glanced down as a faint tickle brushed his stomach. Were they moving?

He tapped his belly lightly. The negative thoughts slowly melted away. It was too early to feel anything, and yet—he could almost swear he felt a faint, rhythmic flutter.

Since there’d been no pain since that day, maybe—just maybe—they were all getting along fine in there. With that hopeful thought, Uichan decided to visit the hospital tomorrow.

But still… Hyde weighed on his mind.

It wasn’t about him taking the dokkaebi—that was fine. It was the fact that he’d crossed paths with Blacktan.

The fight had ended without serious harm on either side, but Uichan couldn’t shake the image of Hyde’s face at the end—quiet, cold, and sharp as a blade.

Maybe it was better to tell him about the babies sooner rather than later—

Smack!

Uichan slapped his own cheek hard, chasing away the reckless thought. Hyde had tried to kill Blacktan once already—if he ever found out the babies’ father was one of the Three Great Heroes, he would definitely not stay calm.