I PICKED UP A CHILD IN A DUMPSTER-Chapter 129: MIMI 100% SMART, CUTE, POWERFUL!

The moment moved on just like that.

Si Hon watched Han for half a second— just enough to confirm the boy had settled— before shifting his attention back to Mimi. The brief softness in his expression faded, replaced by something more focused, more deliberate.

"You can see my stats, right?" he asked, his tone calm but edged with quiet insistence.

Mimi nodded immediately, drifting a little closer in the air as her gaze slid toward the hovering screen beside him.

Her eyes flicked across the numbers, scanning quickly, her finger coming up to tap lightly against her chin as she studied it with surprising seriousness. "...Nothing’s wrong?" she said after a moment, tilting her head just slightly.

Si Hon’s eyes twitched.

Slowly, he raised a hand and pointed directly at the numbers like... they slapped him right there. "No, something is wrong," he said flatly. "Why is everything above twenty five? Why did my stats suddenly jump?"

Mimi blinked.

Once.

Then twice.

And then—

She crossed her arms, letting out a small hum as realization snapped into place. "Ohhh," she dragged the sound out, expression shifting into something far too confident for someone her size.

With a casual flick of her finger, another screen appeared beside them— brighter, more animated, almost playful compared to the static status window.

This one was different.

A chibi version of Si Hon stood inside a dim cave, gripping a femur bone like it was the most natural weapon in the world. Behind him, chaos unfolded in full force— dozens of MUNCHES charging after him, the scene looping in frantic, exaggerated motion.

"See, papa," Mimi began, her voice lifting instantly as she slipped into full explanation mode, "Systemy already explained this... ( •̀⤙•́ )"

On screen, the chibi Si Hon bolted forward, dodging left and right in a messy sprint as a small green +1 blinked into existence beside him. Mimi pointed at it proudly, like she had just uncovered something brilliant. "When you move a lot or do physical stuff, your stats go up naturally! That green one? Agility!"

The motion didn’t slow— it escalated.

Chibi Si Hon suddenly stop and lifted the bone, the movement was dramatic— and in the next instant, he vanished, reappearing somewhere else with a sharp pop. A flash of blue and purple +5 burst beside him, brighter, more noticeable.

"That one is intelligence and mana, appa!" Mimi added, clearly enjoying herself now, her voice carrying that excited rhythm as she continued.

And she didn’t stop there.

She kept going, breaking everything down piece by piece— each increase, each trigger, each hidden mechanic behind what looked like simple numbers. The explanation flowed faster now but stayed clear, connecting actions to outcomes, turning chaos into something structured, something understandable.

And slowly—

It made sense.

Si Hon nodded once, then again, his gaze lowering slightly as he processed it all, the tension in his expression easing just a bit as everything settled into place. When the screen finally faded— the cave, hallway, room, the chibi version, the chasing monsters dissolving back into nothing— Mimi remained floating there, arms crossed, chin lifted just a little.

Proud.

Very proud.

Si Hon glanced at her, then away, then back again, like he was deciding whether to acknowledge it out loud. "Huh," he muttered under his breath.

And then—

Without warning—

Mimi’s entire demeanor shifted.

Her eyes lit up.

Bright.

"Oh! Appa!" she chirped suddenly, snapping upright midair as if a new thought had just struck her out of nowhere. "Mimi learned something new!"

Si Hon glanced at her again, this time with a bit more interest. "What is it?"

Mimi didn’t answer.

Not right away.

Instead—

She closed her eyes.

And then—

She glowed.

At first, it was soft— barely noticeable, a faint shimmer clinging to her outline like light unsure if it wanted to stay. But it didn’t stop there. The glow deepened, brightening in pulses, flickering in uneven beats as if something inside her was expanding faster than it could stabilize. The air around her shifted with it, tiny particles beginning to scatter outward until—

Poof.

A quiet burst, more gentle than explosive, sending dust like fragments drifting through the space like light caught in motion.

And when it cleared—

She was bigger.

Not towering. Not overwhelming.

But undeniably bigger, and not chibi anymore.

About Suha’s height now, her feet hovering just above the ground as she planted her hands on her hips, chin slightly raised, a proud, almost smug grin spreading across her face like she had just unlocked something incredible.

"Mimi learned how to be big!" she announced brightly, her voice carrying that same playful triumph.

Then— just as quickly—

Her shoulders dropped a little, the energy dipping as reality caught up with her.

"But still just a projection," she added, quieter this time.

Si Hon stared at her.

Just for a second.

Then he laughed.

Not loud, not exaggerated— but real. A quiet sound that slipped out naturally as his hand moved again, brushing over the ring with a gentler touch this time, more deliberate than before.

Mimi noticed.

Of course she did.

Her expression softened just a little, the sharp pride easing into something warmer as she looked at him. "Well..." she said, tilting her head slightly, "it’s cool, right?"

"Yeah," Si Hon nodded without hesitation, the answer simple but certain. "It is."

That was enough.

Mimi beamed— brighter than before— and then, just as suddenly, her form flickered again, shrinking back down as the glow collapsed inward. In seconds, she was back to her smaller, chibi floating version, hovering comfortably in front of him like nothing had changed.

A brief pause settled between them.

Then Si Hon tilted his head slightly, something catching his attention. "Wait... what phase are you in again?"

Mimi didn’t hesitate.

She smirked.

Immediately.

Raising one finger with exaggerated pride, she lifted her chin just a bit higher. "Still phase one!" she declared, voice full of confidence. "Imagine Mimi in phase two... or three... or more!"

"Yeah," Si Hon muttered, watching her more carefully now, his gaze lingering longer than before. "Imagine..."

But inside—

That thought didn’t sit lightly.

(Isn’t this kind of broken?) The idea pressed in quietly, heavier the longer he held onto it. (Hacking systems... entering windows... giving passives...)

Each point stacked on top of the last, building something that didn’t feel balanced— not yet.

(And that’s just phase one?)

His eyes stayed on her for a moment longer, the weight of that realization settling in deeper than he let show. Mimi, meanwhile, stretched midair like nothing was wrong, arms lifting lazily as another small yawn slipped out of her.

"Well, appa," she murmured, her voice softening again, drifting toward that sleepy tone from earlier, "Mimi needs to rest now ( •̀⤙•́ )ง"

Si Hon nodded once, the tension in his gaze easing as he let it go— at least for now.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Go ahead."

And just like that—

She disappeared.

The light faded, dissolving without resistance. The faint glow vanished completely, leaving nothing behind but still air and silence settling back into place.

And once again—

It was quiet.