Chapter 134: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Even the Absolute One is New to Fatherhood Chapter 134
Like all soldiers who volunteered for military service, those under Iriel's command at the time were uniformly stubborn and headstrong.
Each was burly in stature, with tempers so fiery they could rival actual flames—reckless to the core...
Not a single soldier among them feared death, often behaving as though they'd throw a fit if they couldn't stand at the very frontlines of battle.
"Our lord will revive us!"
"Let us take the vanguard!"
"Let us meet a glorious death!"
They were certain that even if they died, the master they served would bring them back.
They believed they would be resurrected as valiant undead warriors, roaming battlefields for eternity.
Yet there was one person who could make even these fearless soldiers of the Huang Kingdom tremble in terror...
"Do you doubt this instructor's qualifications?"
The former deputy minister of military affairs.
Later...
The one who rose to become the Minister of the Imperial Household.
"Discipline must be enforced first."
It was Iriel.
Unaware of this, Lee Hwa-jun charged toward Iriel with all his might...
Boom! Kaboom—!
A series of small explosions erupted beneath his feet, propelling him forward.
Ranked 49th among Korea's S-class hunters.
Lee Hwa-jun.
His epithet was "Pyromancer," but...
The Unique Ability he awakened with was actually the power to trigger explosions proportional to the amount of mana he expended as a catalyst.
"Who dares to lecture whom?!"
Confident in his victory, Lee Hwa-jun unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, swinging his limbs wildly...
Tap, tap, thud.
Yet Iriel deflected every strike effortlessly with the palm of his hand, not a single hint of hesitation in his movements.
The S-rank hunters watching the spectacle couldn't help but murmur in genuine awe.
"Incredible..."
"Wow..."
"Good heavens..."
They were utterly overwhelmed by martial prowess that could only be described as transcendent.
Then, as Lee Hwa-jun overextended with a heavy punch and lost his balance, staggering...
Crash!
Iriel seized the opening instantly, gripping his wrist and yanking him forward with a sharp "Hup!"
"Discipline Enforcement, First Form."
The next moment.
"Wha—?"
His vision flipped upside down.
A sensation of weightlessness...
And the high ceiling came into view.
"Roll left."
With a thunderous "Kwoooom!", Lee Hwa-jun's body was mercilessly slammed into the hard floor.
It was a flawless ippon seoi nage—executed with effortless, fluid motion.
"Ghk—!"
Lee Hwa-jun, now embedded in the ground at terrifying speed, gasped for air, his eyes wide as saucers.
'W-what kind of strength...?'
It was just a throw, yet his ears rang with a shrill "Bzzzt—!"
His mind reeled, his insides churned violently, and he couldn't even breathe properly.
As he wheezed, lost in the thought, 'Is this what getting hit by a truck feels like?'—
"Discipline Enforcement, Second Form."
Iriel, still gripping his wrist tightly, yanked him up with another "Hup!" and forced him upright...
"Roll right."
This time, with a slightly different variation of the throw, he slammed Lee Hwa-jun into the opposite side of the floor.
"Guhhhk...!"
The horrific sight made several S-rank hunters turn their heads away, unable to watch.
"Take a good look, all of you."
Iriel hauled the now thoroughly demoralized Lee Hwa-jun back to his feet, his voice icy.
"This is the fate of those who dare to defy their superiors."
The next moment.
"Discipline Enforcement, Third Form."
Iriel wrapped both arms around his waist, locking them firmly...
"Prone stretch."
Then, lifting him clean over his head, he hurled him down with full force.
Kwoooom—!
Lee Hwa-jun's face cratered into the solid ground, leaving him embedded in the floor.
Go Du-yeol, who had been watching blankly, muttered under his breath again.
"I-Is that a German suplex?"
A lethally dangerous wrestling move capable of shattering spines and necks.
Why such a technique was euphemistically named "prone stretch" was beyond him.
"Well then."
Iriel adjusted his sleeves and spoke in his usual measured tone.
"If any cadets still doubt this instructor's qualifications, raise your hands now."
The hall was dead silent.
"Where's Gyu-ri?"
Lee Soo-bin, dressed in pajamas after finishing her bedtime routine, rubbed her sleepy eyes as she asked.
"She went to work."
After a brief "What for?" and a glance at the clock on the wall, Soo-bin muttered again.
"It's already past ten..."
Kang-jun shrugged in response.
"She'll probably be back soon?"
Nodding, Soo-bin shuffled toward her bedroom...
Meanwhile, Kang-jun whispered to Seol, who was dozing off in his arms.
"Seol, time for bed?"
"Mmm... Seol sleepy now..."
Carrying her to bed, Kang-jun gently patted her back until—
"Huh, already out."
He smiled down at her, now fast asleep.
Just then—
"Hm?"
Kang-jun's gaze snapped toward the window.
A breeze fluttered through the slightly open gap...
Making the curtains sway wildly.
"Divine energy?"
Not only that—he could sense a familiar power beyond the window.
He recalled what Thor had told him recently.
"With the world's narrative entering the Gi phase, all deities are gathering for an important announcement."
"It's rare, but not unprecedented. Asgard is preparing for the upcoming 'Banquet of Stars.'"
It seemed someone had come to deliver an "invitation" to that very banquet.
Suddenly—Crack!—a rift split the air before the window.
"Phew, made it just in time."
A small boy in a crisp suit squeezed through the fissure, panting.
With golden curls and bright, twinkling eyes, he was unbearably cute.
A pair of tiny, angelic white wings fluttered on his back.
"You are ■■■, correct?"
As the boy opened his mouth to introduce himself—
Snap!
Kang-jun clamped a hand over his mouth and whispered a warning.
"She just fell asleep."
The boy, still making muffled "Mmph! Mmph!" noises, glanced nervously at the sleeping Seol.
"I don't care who you are."
"......"
"If you wake her, I'll kill you."
The boy nodded frantically.
Then, reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out a sealed envelope and handed it over.
"Hm?"
Kang-jun opened it and skimmed the neatly written letter.
[You are cordially invited to the Banquet of Stars.]
[Warning: Failure to attend will result in penalties.]
No date, time, or location—just a threat of consequences for absence.
Frowning at the discourteous invitation, Kang-jun barely had time to react before—
"Um..."
The boy, gauging his expression, whispered urgently.
"■■■, I'm sorry, but we must leave immediately."
"Now?"
"Yes! If we don't hurry, we'll miss the train..."
After Thor's explanation, Kang-jun had already decided to attend.
With all deities gathered, it was the perfect chance to issue a warning:
Anyone who dares covet my ■■■Epithet■■■ should prepare for death.
Still, the sudden rush irritated him.
"Why only now?"
The boy winced.
"Apologies, but unaffiliated deities are... prioritized last for invitations."
After a brief "Hmm...", Kang-jun threw on a hoodie and texted Soo-bin:
"Something urgent came up. Watch Seol for a few days."
Just then—
"Kang-jun?"
A voice called from behind the closed door.
"Let's go."
Kang-jun pressed his hand against the rift.
His form was sucked into the swirling void—
The boy followed.
Creak.
The door opened.
"Kang-jun?"
By the time Soo-bin entered, the rift had vanished without a trace.
"Ugh, that was suffocating."
The boy fanned himself.
"I hate whispering."
Kang-jun glanced around.
It felt like standing on the moon's surface.
Endless stretches of dark earth...
And in the distance, the vast expanse of space and stars.
"Ah, I never introduced myself. I'm one of the Creator God's proxies, escorting ■■■ to the Banquet of Stars."
"Proxy?"
"Yes. I also manage the Abyss, so apologies for the delayed invitation."
He then handed Kang-jun the reins of an eight-legged horse waiting calmly by the rift.
"We ride this?"
"To the train station."
"Then take a train?"
"Exactly."
The boy beamed.
"You must be well-connected."
"Meaning?"
"This is Odin's steed."
He added,
"You do know Sleipnir, right?"
After a pause, he continued.
"When I mentioned you might be late, Odin generously lent him."
"Who's that?"
"Thor's father—renowned for his close friendship with the great ■■■."
Trailing off, the boy quickly changed the subject.
"We're really late now."
Kang-jun mounted the horse.
The boy settled in front of him.
"Given the urgency, we're taking a dangerous shortcut. Be careful."
With a light "Tsk!" from his heel against the horse's flank—
"Hiiiiiiiiigh!"
Sleipnir's eight legs blurred as they shot forward like lightning.
"Oh, right!"
The boy suddenly remembered something and yelled over the wind.
"The shortcut passes through the Abyss's chaos—watch out!"
Just as he finished—
"Kreeeeeeek!"
"Kueeeeeek!"
"Kuuuoooooh!"
Grotesque, indescribable entities loomed toward them.
"Oh gods, Outer Entities!"
"Outer Entities?"
"Yes! Beings from beyond the Abyss!"
The boy paled.
"Even the Abyss's high deities fear them—the servants of the Great Dreamer! We must escape!"
Kang-jun didn't know what they were...
But as he watched them, one thought crystallized:
I can't fight them all.
Maybe not even one.
If...
He made it to the banquet, he'd ask Thor about these "Outer Entities."