The Cub Raised in a Horror Game - Chapter 9 - Do They Even Know How To Take Care Of A Child?!

The ocean was always silent.

Its attitude toward her seemed one of indifferent observation, neither welcoming nor driving her away. Only the gazes cast from the dark corners of the ocean hinted at scrutiny and watchfulness.

The baby did not know which night of her dream this was, but she had played in the ocean for many nights until her stomach began to rumble again—after a month and a half, she was ‘hungry’ once more.

Inia, who had been entirely absorbed in playing, finally paused in the water. She gazed at the seabed, littered with broken walls and ruins. Clear bubbles surged upward with her movements. In the vast, boundless ocean, there was only her—the outsider infant. No other living creature existed.

“Waaah!”

After the excitement faded, Inia’s eyes widened as a sudden realization hit her—something was wrong. Why was she all alone here? Where had her loyal Brother-Bus and Sister-Cradle gone?

Because she couldn’t remember the details of her dreams, the past few nights had simply been a repeating loop of: Wow! What is this? So fun! Wow! What is this? So fun! Wow! What is this? So fun!

It wasn’t until hunger struck that the baby finally broke free from this endless loop.

Though young, she possessed innate survival instincts. Ordinary children, when hungry, would seek help by crying or trying to attract adult attention. Inia was no different, except that as a Dungeon Lord, her power instinctively and actively sought out objects to absorb when her belly rumbled.

In the vast ocean, following the currents around her, the baby suddenly caught a faint scent—one she had smelled at the Vampire Lord’s place before.

Inia’s eyes instantly brightened.

Though the cub had forgotten Dreist’s existence, the memory of that delicious feast was clearly etched deep in her mind.

The aroma of that delicacy acted like a coordinate, guiding her forward from afar. The baby, who had just grown tired of playing in the water, immediately regained her vigor and paddled hard toward that place.

She didn’t notice that her dreams about this ocean had continued without pause. She had swum aimlessly every night and had unknowingly drifted far from the starting ocean area. As a result, before long, the ocean ahead gradually shifted from bright to dark.

A sense of danger surged from every direction. The currents in the dark ocean zone began to churn restlessly, as if they could drag someone into an undertow and swallow them whole at any moment.

But to the baby, every rising bubble carried the scent of food, each one smelling irresistibly delicious. Inia automatically absorbed the dark energy spilling from the currents as she pushed herself forward.

If the vampire tasted like a tower of lavish and sweet chocolate cake, then the flowing ocean water tasted like cold, crisp, sparkly grains, even giving a crackling sensation like popping candy that made one unable to stop.

In the midst of this endless ocean, the baby’s figure was so small, yet she seemed capable of piercing straight through the darkness.

Eating as she went, Inia unknowingly swam deeper and deeper into this dangerous ocean region. The dark ocean was like a heavy fog that refused to part, and only the seawater from which she absorbed the dark energy would fade from pitch black to clear.

Gradually, a ring of bright, clear bubbles seemed to form around her. No matter where she swam, it split the shadowy ocean cleanly into two.

This place was too wide and too vast. It was so immense that Inia’s journey to search for the great feast was broken across many nights yet still did not end.

Fortunately, after entering the black ocean zone, she absorbed the energy freely drifting in the seawater every night. The amount wasn’t much, just enough to cover the baby’s daily consumption; otherwise, she would have become undernourished again.

In the midst of days spent eating normal food and nights spent secretly feasting in her dreams, Inia’s body grew healthier and stronger.

On one ordinary afternoon, Sugar Bean and Xiao Shi, resting while watching over the house, were chatting together. Beside them, the baby crawled expertly toward her treasure chest. She sat down with a soft thump and lifted her gaze to the box.

Inia was becoming more decisive now, even choosing her toys on her own from time to time. Whenever this happened, she would let out a few baby sounds, calling for the older children to help.

The two children on watch noticed her by the box, but since Inia always crawled everywhere, they weren’t sure if she was simply passing by or if she wanted a toy, so they didn’t speak up right away.

Brother Chu had said—what was it called again… Oh, right, “Do not disturb Inia when she is deep in thought; it helps her learn to concentrate.” They had no idea where Brother Chu had learned such professional-sounding terminology.

So, the undisturbed baby sat on the ground, gazing at the box in front of her for a while. She suddenly placed her small hand on the box, pushed strength into her bottom, and then, wobbling slightly, stood up.

Sugar Bean and Xiao Shi, who had been chatting, snapped their heads around, staring in utter disbelief at Inia nearby.

—The baby could stand up! Ah!

Sugar Bean let out a sharp gasp, nearly shouting in excitement. But faster than him, a palm came down with a crisp smack. Xiao Shi covered his mouth, afraid that he would scare the baby with a sudden cry.

However, because the hand over his mouth was so forceful, the sound of the slap rang out clearly, prompting the unsteady Inia to turn her head and look over with curiosity.

The two children watched her nervously, afraid her attention would drift and she might accidentally bump herself against the box.

Instead, she hesitantly took two small steps toward them before plopping back down onto the ground. Seeing Inia land safely, the two children let out a long breath, and joy flooded their hearts once more.

“Inia, you’re incredible! You’re the best child in the world!” Sugar Bean happily rubbed the baby’s head, his lips still a little red from the slap. Xiao Shi couldn’t resist giving Inia a big kiss.

That evening, word that the baby had stood up spread to the other children, and the entire base was filled with a warm, cheerful buzz.

Surrounded by her beaming brothers and sisters, Inia sat quietly with her toys, carrying herself with the calm dignity of a tiny, unbothered sage.

“Baby, can you stand up again?”

The children who had missed the scene earlier gathered around her, offering little snacks and tiny treasures, hoping she would grace them with another performance.

The baby blinked innocently. She didn’t understand what they were saying or what they wanted from her, but being crowded like that made her think the older kids were about to “capture” her again—so she hurriedly crawled away.

Just then, Chu Wang stepped through the container door and reached out to scoop Inia into his arms.

“She’s still young. You don’t need to worry if you missed it. She’ll be standing up often in another month or two.”

Hearing Chu Wang’s gentle reassurance, the children nodded, though their faces still showed a hint of regret.

“Brother Chu is right. The baby will be standing soon. A few days won’t make a difference.”

“Brother Chu is so composed!”

Chu Wang calmly took the warmed food box and carried Inia outside so she could eat her dinner.

To keep the baby’s eating habits from being noticed by others, he had recently been feeding her outside. Over time, everyone had grown accustomed to her little quirk of needing a view while she ate.

No one realized that beneath his calm, mature exterior, the young boy was quietly anxious.

“Inia, next time you learn a new skill, can you wait for Brother to be here before showing it?” he gently negotiated with her as he fed her.

The baby lifted her cute little face, staring at him with an innocent, puzzled look, as if asking: What are you talking about?

Chu Wang could only sigh and gently stroke her head, resigned.

He couldn’t help but think how much better it would be if their living environment were more normal. That way, he wouldn’t have to go out looking for supplies every day and could stay with Inia from morning till night, watching her grow little by little, and wouldn’t miss those precious moments.

The baby was blissfully unaware that, because of her, Chu Wang’s life ambition had shifted from opening the gates of hell to wanting nothing more than to become a full-time brother.

She was currently absorbing most of the energy she gained from the ocean each night—a perfect balance—so Chu Wang, who checked Inia’s status every night before going to bed, still hadn’t noticed any problems.

After Inia fell asleep, she returned to the deep sea, skillfully swimming and eating.

The further she went, the stronger and stranger the dangerous feeling in the water became. It was as if countless eyes were watching her from every direction, yet the baby paid them no mind, utterly oblivious. She was like a puppy racing toward its food bowl, leaving no room in her eyes for anything else.

Gradually, a long, narrow shadow began to take shape ahead. The chaotic currents carried more and more dark energy toward the baby, but she no longer absorbed any of it.

After all—the shadow ahead was the main course! In the presence of its true form, the scattered energy in the currents no longer held any appeal.

Inia finally reached the darkest depth of the ocean. Before her stretched an abyss so deep that even light could not penetrate.

A tiny figure, a steep, dark, deep-ocean cliff loomed. It felt as if merely standing nearby could pull one’s soul into the darkness.

The pressure here was unbearable; any player standing here would only think of fleeing immediately. Humans naturally feel instinctive danger around dark, unfathomable places, and since this was the seabed, where movement was restricted, the fear only multiplied.

However, Inia felt no fear whatsoever. She dove straight into the abyss.

—What’s black or terrifying? In the baby’s eyes, this place was pure bliss, like a tiny mouse tumbling into a jar filled with rice.

The cub ate, ate, ate, ate, ate! The cub feasted wildly!

That icy-cold sensation hit again. Perhaps because Inia was eating the main course this time, the ocean tasted like mint ice cream sprinkled with popping candy—cold, crisp, and with a crystalline texture.

After the storm of consumption, the baby’s head felt cold from the ice, and she couldn’t help but sneeze.

Chew, chew, chew, so delicious. What a strange texture. Just one more bite, one more bite, one more bite…

It was another satisfyingly delicious dream.

The next day, when Chu Wang woke Inia—this time around noon—he already had a premonition. But when he saw that, besides [Full], the baby’s status also showed [Mild Cold], his fists clenched tightly.

—What kind of morally bankrupt adult from which world fed this baby?! Do they even know how to take care of a child?!