Toxic Parent Reincarnation ~ When I Doted on My Daughter Destined to Become the Final Boss, She Ended Up Liking Me an Abnormal Amount ~
Aldo woke up with a tickling sensation in his nose. It turned out that Irisโs hair had brushed against his face, physically irritating his nostrils.
โSniff, sniffโฆโ
Iris was breathing softly in her sleep, adorable as ever. She was tightly clinging to Aldoโs body, using him as a hug pillow. Aldo could feel the slightly higher body temperature typical of a child.
His face was itchy, but he couldnโt bring himself to wake Iris. However, she was holding onto him with considerable strength, making it difficult to move away without disturbing her. If he tried to shake her off, she would surely wake up.
As he pondered what to do, Iris let out a soft โMmmโฆโ and raised her head, her eyes meeting Aldoโs.
โAh, Daddyโฆ Good morning.โ
โAh, good morning, Iris. Can you move aside a bit?โ
Aldo gently asked Iris to move. His face was itchy, and Irisโs body heat was starting to feel a bit too warm.
โHuh? Aahโฆโ
Iris yawned, still half-asleep. She didnโt seem to fully understand what Aldo was saying and instead clung to him even tighter.
โIrisโฆโ
Aldo gave up and gently patted Irisโs head.
โ
Once again, Aldo and the group arrived at the dungeon in the back mountain. Each of them equipped themselves for the dungeon and moved forward. They climbed the mountain, encountered enemies, tore them apart, and threw them aside in a relentless advance. However, humans have their physical limits.
โStillโฆ where could the spirit be?โ
Clara muttered in a tired voice.
โUnlike a dungeon, the mountain has many routes, and thereโs no clear โdeepest part,'โ Aldo replied.
โSorry, Aldo, Iris. You came to such a tough dungeon for our sake.โ
Mountains can be treacherous terrain, and when combined with a dungeon, the difficulty increases significantly.
โPhewโฆ Iโm tired.โ
Iris plopped down on a tree stump. Although Iris was a powerful mage, she was still a 9-year-old girl with a slightly delayed physical development, and her stamina was limited.
โAre you okay, Iris? Should we rest here?โ
โHmmโฆ If Daddy carries me on his back, I think I can keep going.โ
Iris once again sought comfort from Aldo. Aldo exchanged a glance with Clara.
โAlright, Iris. But once you regain your strength, you have to walk on your own, okay?โ
โYay! Thank you, Daddy! I love you!โ
And so, Aldo ended up carrying Iris on his back as they continued their climb.
โAldo, letโs aim for the summit for now.โ
โYeah. If the spirit is anywhere, it might be there.โ
Without any concrete evidence, Aldo, Clara, and Iris, who was riding on Aldoโs back, decided to head for the summit.
โWhoa, a wraith appeared!โ
โGarou!โ
Iris unleashed a powerful wraith magic, taking down the wraith with a preemptive strike. Even while being carried on Aldoโs back, her magical prowess remained undiminished.
โAmazing, Iris. One hit!โ
โWell, of course.โ
โIris, if you can cast such powerful magic, doesnโt that mean your stamina is recovering?โ
โYep!โ
Iris hopped down from Aldoโs back and started walking on her own. Eventually, they reached the summit.
At the summit stood a wraith with the appearance of a woman with goat-like horns. She had gray hair, brown skin, and was dressed in a bondage-style outfit that was quite eye-catching.
โMy, my. You made it all the way here? Coming to such a rural mountain, you must have a lot of free time. Or is your group just that persistent? Heehee.โ
The wraith covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. Then, she immediately assumed a martial arts stance, ready for battle.
โHere she comes!โ
โYeah! Sheโs probably the boss wraith. She seems to have a high level of intelligence.โ
The wraith leaped forward with incredible speed, rivaling even Aldoโs swift movements. Her target was Iris.
โNot on my watch!โ
Realizing the wraith was aiming for Iris, Aldo quickly positioned himself to protect her. He intercepted the wraithโs path and launched a sword attack.
โOops.โ
The wraith dodged backward, evading Aldoโs strike. Then, she swiftly lowered her stance and closed in on Aldo.
โWhoaโฆ!โ
Physically, Aldo had the advantage in size and strength. In a direct confrontation, Aldo would overpower her. But the wraith understood that the key to defeating a stronger opponent was to get in close and strike unexpectedly.
โTake this!โ
โUghโฆ!โ
The wraith kicked Aldo in the abdomen, sending him flying. He managed to stay conscious, clutching his stomach, and glared at the wraith.
โIris, get ready to cast your magic!โ
โOkay!โ
Clara joined the fight against the wraith. The wraith, like Clara, was skilled in martial arts. Clara attempted a high kick, but the wraith blocked it with her arm.
โHiyaaa!โ
The wraith blocked Claraโs high kick with her arm, but the impact still resonated through her limb.
โUghโฆ Not bad. But I can do better! Take this!โ
The wraith countered with a spinning kick, dealing significant damage to both Aldo and Clara.
โGahโฆ!โ
โKyaa!โ
Seeing Aldo and Clara get hurt, Iris felt a surge of hatred toward the wraith. She channeled that hatred into her magic.
โGarou!โ
Iris unleashed the wraith magic she had mastered. This was the same magic that had defeated a boss wraith just days before. She directed the powerful spell at the female wraith.
โGahโฆ!โ
A direct hit. Iris thought she had won. But the female wraith smirked.
โToo bad! That magic doesnโt work on me.โ
โWhaโฆ whyโฆ!โ
Iris was shocked. The wraith magic, which she believed to be her most powerful spell, had no effect. This wraith was strongโtoo strong for her. The thought of being powerless against such a foe made Iris lose her will to fight.
โAh, ahโฆ!โ
โIris!โ
Aldo called out to Iris, but her mental resilience was fragile. Having been bullied by stronger beings in the past, she had developed a sort of trauma when facing powerful enemies.
โClara, Iโll distract her. Use that time to heal us.โ
โGot it.โ
Clara was the only one in the group who could use healing magic. If she were taken out, it would be game over. But as long as Clara could recover, they could keep fighting.
โWell, well. Not bad, protecting the girl and charging at me. Hah!โ
The wraith attempted to kick Aldo in the jaw, but he blocked it with his sword.
โTchโฆ!โ
The wraithโs shoe was damaged by Aldoโs blade, and she frowned in anger, clenching her fist.
โThat was my favorite pair of shoes. How dare you! Hah!โ
The wraith tried to punch Aldo, but he blocked it with his left arm.
โUghโฆ!โ
The impact sent a numbing pain through his arm. Even with his high resistance to damage, the wraithโs strength was formidable. Butโ
โApat!โ
Claraโs spirit magic healed some of Aldoโs spiritual damage.
โThanks, Clara.โ
โSave the thanks for later. Letโs take her down.โ
โRight!โ
Aldo and Clara exchanged determined glances. Their fighting spirit was still strong. But Iris was still broken.
โWhyโฆ all I have is wraith magicโฆโ
Irisโs confidence was shattered. If her wraith magic, her greatest strength, was useless, then what was her worth? Would Aldo still care for her if she had no value? These thoughts, though not fully formed, weighed heavily on her heart.