The Cub Raised in a Horror Game - Chapter 7 - Had the Baby Imprinted on Him?
The baby did not know that her sudden appearance and disappearance could cause Dreist such distress, nor was she aware of the hope he had pinned on her. To her, it was simply a very good, very long sleep.
“Nia, Nia…”
Inia, full and rested, was gently roused from sleep.
She let out a huge yawn, and upon opening her eyes, she was met with the caring expressions of Chu Wang and the other children.
The baby’s little mind had not yet fully developed; she couldn’t retain what happened in her dream, and the moment she woke up, the poor Vampire Lord was forgotten.
However, the emotion from the dream lingered. The confusion of being alone and unable to find her brothers and sisters in the dream still lingered in her heart.
The moment she saw them, she immediately reached out for a hug, sticking to them tightly.
Chu Wang picked up Inia. Seeing her sleepy-eyed yet dependent manner as she burrowed into his chest, his tense shoulders finally began to relax.
“The baby is fine. That’s great,” the children all sighed in relief.
They had rushed to the abandoned shipping container at the edge of the garbage ocean in the middle of the night. Between setting up the new home and scouting the surroundings, everyone had been busy all night.
They were initially worried that the noise of moving would wake the baby, but she slept incredibly soundly. Even when the sky began to lighten and the new home was ready, Inia showed no sign of waking up.
Chu Wang was the first to notice something was amiss. He called Inia several times, but she didn’t even twitch an arm or a foot, scaring everyone badly.
It wasn’t until nine in the morning, after sleeping for nearly twenty hours, that the baby finally woke up. She had no idea how difficult the night had been for the older children, and she fussed and clung to them as usual.
She was a baby who was happy all the time. Sometimes, just meeting her gaze or making a funny face would make Inia crack a wide smile.
Even when lying down and gazing at the mobile of spinning wind chimes the children had made for her from plastic and scraps, she would entertain herself—sometimes babbling da-da-da, other times yi-ya-wa-ah—appearing perfectly joyful.
No one could resist the sight of a little infant’s eyes curving as she giggled; just watching her made one feel happiness in their heart.
The children had grown accustomed to Inia ’s presence. The few hours this morning that she hadn’t woken up, the atmosphere was oppressively silent. Without a lively, chattering baby around, the air could be that quiet.
Fortunately, she was fine!
Chu Wang had checked Inia multiple times this morning using his full-power Eye of Analysis. Even though it clearly stated the baby was fine, he still couldn’t relax, checking her status every so often.
Now that she was finally awake, nestled in his arms as before, the tension that had gripped the young boy all morning slowly subsided.
He intended to check on her again with his eyes, but his vision blurred. Staying up all night and overusing his ability had drained his energy.
Chu Wang shook his head, still forcing himself to use his power to make sure Inia was truly safe. Only then, suppressing the nausea rising in his throat, did he turn his attention to the other children.
“Follow the established rotation for guard duty. The rest of you should rest and recuperate. Get yourselves back in shape.”
The children followed their tasks methodically. Soon, those on watch were in position, and the rest fell into a deep sleep.
Chu Wang, as always, appeared calm and dependable before his younger siblings, yet it was clear his composure masked a restless mind; even in sleep, he held Inia close to his chest.
The baby was unusually quiet. She hadn’t spent much time in the vampire’s world, having scurried off after her meal. Her long, uninterrupted slumber was entirely the result of digesting the nourishment she had taken from Dreist.
The concentrated evil, dark power from the Grand Duke was so intense that Inia hadn’t absorbed much of it even after digesting it until now, leaving her with the languid feeling of post-meal fullness. That was why she was able to remain so well-behaved and still in the young boy’s arms.
Chu Wang closed his eyes and drifted into sleep immediately. The combined toll on his energy and physical strength had left him utterly spent.
Incredibly, he managed a brief wake to instruct his siblings to take care of Inia, ensuring she was fed, before collapsing instantly back into slumber.
The eldest girl, Lina, and the youngest boy, Tiny One, were assigned the task of feeding the baby. Yet when they brought vegetable mash and biscuit paste to Inia’s lips, she clamped her mouth shut and turned her head stubbornly, refusing the food.
Although she had forgotten her dream, the taste of the chocolate cake she had eaten in it lingered vividly in her memory. The bland vegetable puree was instantly dismissed from her preference, and as for the biscuit paste… well, she might allow herself a tiny bite out of politeness.
No matter how young, Inia was a Lord of a dungeon; those dark, malevolent energies were her true nourishment. With so much of that power still being digested, ordinary food held no appeal.
For the first time, the usually compliant baby was uncooperative, leaving Lina and Tiny One bewildered. They tried several more times; the baby’s lips were smeared with vegetable puree, but she adamantly refused to open her mouth.
The two children exchanged glances. They looked at the baby refusing to eat, then at their exhausted older brother sleeping beside them.
Big Brother had labored all week for the move, and his eyes had been bloodshot just moments ago. He had finally managed to get a full night’s sleep. But he was the one who understood Inia best among the children. If they didn’t wake him, the baby might go without eating all day.
What a dilemma! Both the baby and the Big Brother were the most important family to them!
“Brother Chu, Brother Chu… The baby won’t eat a single bite, what should we do?”
The next second, the siblings squatted by Chu Wang and began to shake him.
Chu Wang propped himself up, wincing as the few hours of forced sleep left him with a splitting headache and throbbing eyes. It was clear that the energy he had spent so recklessly was nowhere near fully restored.
His voice was hoarse. “Bring her here, let me see.”
Chu Wang was nearing the end of puberty, and this deep, slightly muffled voice sounded almost like an adult’s.
Lina and Tiny One felt a twinge of embarrassment at their failure and carefully handed Inia back to him.
Back in her brother’s arms, Inia blinked up with wide, innocent eyes, as if the mischievous baby who had just refused her meal had nothing to do with her at all.
Chu Wang recalled that before Inia woke, every one of his checks had shown the [Full] tag. Logically, she had slept nearly twenty hours and been awake for another two or three—she shouldn’t be without an appetite, yet…
The memory of her unnaturally long sleep weighed heavily on him. A thought, one he didn’t dare confront fully, pressed on his chest, making even the smallest stirrings of it hard to bear.
The young boy lowered his head, holding the baby tightly and burying his face against her tiny shoulder.
“Inia…” he whispered, his voice muffled.
The rest of the words never left his lips.
By now, he no longer cared whether Inia was a Dungeon Lord. He only wanted to watch her grow, to teach her to speak his name, and to give her the very best he could.
But he was still so weak—living only in a junkyard, feeding Inia wild vegetables, rat meat, and half-eaten salvaged biscuits, forcing her to sleep in a cardboard-box crib and play with toys made of scrap.
If one day she vanished from the junkyard, and someone in another world could feed her better food and give her a happier life… if he truly loved her, and it was for her own good, how could he possibly say, Don’t leave me?
His rational mind told him that would be the right choice, yet his heart was being torn apart, and Chu Wang felt an ache that was almost unbearable.
Just then, he felt the baby stir.
“Brother.” Her voice was soft and milky, yet the two syllables rang with unusual clarity.
Chu Wang looked up, staring blankly at Inia.
At her age, although she could now say “brother” and “sister,” most of the time it was unconscious or merely an interjection. Rarely were the words spoken correctly. This was likely only the third time she had clearly called him “Brother,” and he couldn’t tell whether she truly recognized him or if it was coincidence.
Her clear, translucent amber eyes reflected his shadow as she reached out a small hand and gently touched his brow.
“Mmm-hmm, brother,” she said again.
Chu Wang remained stunned. And then, suddenly, a strange sensation bloomed in his mind—a mystical feeling, as if he and the baby were somehow spiritually connected.
It felt as though… the baby had somehow imprinted herself onto him.