I PICKED UP A CHILD IN A DUMPSTER-Chapter 90: The power of the King.
"ಠ,_｣ಠ I feel like I’m missing several very important explanations right now."
Just as the girl inhaled to scream again, Si Hon reacted instantly.
He lunged forward and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her tightly against him before clamping a hand firmly over her mouth.
The scream died in her throat.
"Don’t!" he whispered urgently.
Outside the door, the monsters were still gathered. Even the smallest noise could bring them crashing through.
Si Hon leaned closer, lowering his voice until it was barely more than breath.
"Who are you?" he demanded quietly. "And what is that mascot over there?"
The girl froze in his arms, stiff with shock. For a moment she didn’t move at all. Then slowly, carefully, she reached up and touched the hand covering her mouth, tapping his wrist twice in signal.
Take it off.
Si Hon hesitated, then slowly removed his hand.
The girl inhaled sharply, her eyes darting around the room in panic as if expecting the walls themselves to be listening.
"I... I’m the king," she whispered.
Si Hon blinked.
"What?"
Before he could question her further—
BANG.
The heavy stone door shook violently as something massive slammed into it from the other side.
"King!!!"
The muffled screech came from outside.
"We help you!!! Open door!!! Wahhh!!!"
Another voice shouted angrily.
"King!!! Human has many blue floating thing!!!"
Another impact thundered against the door.
BANG.
Dust drifted from the ceiling.
The girl immediately stepped away from Si Hon, pushing his arms off her waist as she hurried toward the strange mascot suit hanging from the iron stand.
Si Hon followed behind her, completely baffled.
"What are you talking about?" he whispered urgently. "What do you mean you’re the king?"
She glanced over her shoulder, eyes wide.
"Shhh! Shut your mouth for now!"
Si Hon instantly nodded.
The girl turned back to the mascot suit. Without hesitation she grabbed the zipper running down its back and pulled it open.
The inside looked hollow.
Then she stepped into it.
"I’ll show you," she said quietly.
The zipper closed.
For one brief second, nothing happened.
Then the mascot suit glowed faintly.
The soft white fluff began to ripple as if something alive was waking beneath the fabric. The round black button eyes suddenly darkened... then blinked.
They turned real.
The fur thickened, spreading naturally across a massive muscular body. The oversized cartoon claws hardened into long, curved talons, while the round smiling mouth stretched slightly as if real muscles were forming underneath the costume.
The transformation was subtle but undeniable.
The mascot wasn’t just clothing anymore.
It had become flesh.
Si Hon stared in silence.
Slowly, almost cautiously, he stepped forward and reached out.
His palm pressed against the creature’s arm.
Warm.
Soft.
Alive.
He could feel muscles shifting beneath the fur.
"The fuck..." he muttered under his breath.
He rubbed the fur again just to be sure.
"Okay... a lot of weird things have happened to me today," he said slowly, "but this actually shook me."
His eyes lifted toward the massive mascot head.
"What is this? Magic?"
The King moved.
The iron hanger behind it slid inward automatically, retracting neatly against the wall as if it knew the suit was no longer needed there.
Inside the costume, the girl’s voice came out muffled but firm.
"I’ll answer everything later."
The giant mascot head tilted slightly toward him.
"But if you want to live... obey me."
Si Hon didn’t even hesitate.
He nodded.
Immediately, the King turned and tiptoed across the room toward the cabinet. Even inside the massive mascot body, the movements were strangely light.
She opened a drawer and pulled out a coil of rope.
Before Si Hon could react, she grabbed his arms.
He stiffened in shock as she yanked them behind his back and began tying them together quickly and tightly.
"Hey?" he started to whisper.
"No talking," she muttered.
Within seconds his wrists were secured.
Then— to his absolute disbelief, the giant mascot simply picked him up like he weighed nothing.
Si Hon blinked.
"What the hell—"
She carried him to the large bed and dropped him onto it.
The soft mattress sank beneath him.
Then she turned and walked toward the door.
Outside, the Munches were still slamming against it.
The King lifted the heavy locking bar.
CLANG.
The door swung open.
Instantly, dozens of Munches poured into the chamber.
"KING!!!"
"King we save you!!!"
"King safe!!!"
Their distorted voices filled the room as the creatures rushed inside, claws clattering against the floor.
Then one of them suddenly stopped.
Its glowing eyes locked onto the bed.
On Si Hon.
The human lying there with his arms tied behind his back.
"King... beat human?!"
Every Munch turned to look.
They stared at the massive King standing proudly near the door.
"King strong!"
One of them shouted excitedly.
"King beat human!!!"
Another pointed eagerly.
"King so strong! King beat smart human with many floating thing!!!"
The room erupted into chaotic chanting.
"King! King! King!"
The creatures jumped and screamed in excitement, their long arms waving wildly.
Finally, the King raised one massive clawed hand.
The reaction was immediate.
Every Munch fell silent.
The King turned slowly toward Si Hon as if considering him.
Then she spoke in the rough broken language the monsters used.
"STOP."
She paused.
"Me will..."
The giant head tilted slightly toward Si Hon.
"Me will punish human."
She gestured toward the door.
"So you all go."
The Munches immediately began cheering again.
"King punish!!!"
"King strong!!!"
"King smart!!!"
"We obey!!!"
But then one Munch stepped forward.
Drool dripped from its open mouth as it stared at Si Hon lying helpless on the bed.
"No... me wanna watch King punish human."
The room went still.
Slowly, the King walked toward the creature.
Her heavy footsteps echoed softly across the stone floor.
She stopped directly in front of it.
Her massive hand rested gently on top of the Munch’s head.
"You no obey," she said calmly.
The creature grinned.
"Yes. Me no obey—"
CRACK.
Her claws tightened.
The Munch’s skull exploded in her grip.
Blood splattered across the floor as the creature collapsed instantly.
For a moment, the room was silent.
Then the remaining Munches erupted into wild chanting again.
"KING!!!"
"KING STRONG!!!"
"KING KILL!!!"
They grabbed the corpse of their fallen companion and dragged it away eagerly.
One by one, they began leaving the room.
"We obey King!!!"
"We obey!!!"
Within seconds, the chamber was empty again.
The King stood silently for a moment. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
Then she walked back to the door and pushed it closed.
CLANG.
The locking bar dropped back into place.
The room returned to quiet.
Only the torchlight flickered across the walls.
Slowly, the King turned toward the bed, toward Si Hon.
"Now," she said.
