Chapter 163 Even the Almighty is New to Being a Dad Chapter 164
Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood Episode 164
A crisp night air rushed into my lungs.
"This way."
Marbas sniffed repeatedly as he led the way, and the rest of us followed briskly behind him.
"I suspect some foolish humans are attempting to summon the Great One."
Marbas guessed that a group was conducting a ritual to summon "Baal."
How else could the scent grow stronger with each passing moment?
'Baal...'
Kang-jun mulled over the name.
It was a name tangled in bitter history.
One that had left its mark on his mind.
Once—
Though it was long ago, Kang-jun had fought countless battles against formidable foes.
Each one had been a true "strong one," worthy of the title.
They were powerful, arrogant, and full of pride.
Beings who wielded absolute might within their own dimensions.
Otherwise, how could they have dared to raise a blade against him?
"My lord has triumphed!"
Of course, he had never lost.
They were strong.
They were rulers of their own realms.
"Pathetic."
Yet, they were never his equals.
And so...
Many of them faded into obscurity.
Most did.
Nearly all were forgotten by Kang-jun.
But...
Some remained etched in his memory.
Like the Heavenly Demon who once ruled the martial world, or the Demon King Baal, who reigned supreme over all demons in the underworld.
In truth...
During his battles against the 72 Demons and the Demon King, he had suffered severe wounds and even been cursed—condemned to endure nightmares every time he slept.
'They were strong...'
But now, he had grown stronger.
Not that he was ever weak.
But he had surpassed even that.
Divine power.
The unfathomable "unprecedented might" he had obtained.
Because of it...
He had become incomparably stronger than his past self.
'Now, he's no longer a concern.'
As Kang-jun hurried after Marbas, his gaze lingered on his companions, lost in thought.
The two divine beings from Flower-Fruit Mountain and even Thor would likely not struggle against Baal...
"But seriously, what's going on?"
Go Du-yeol suddenly spoke up.
Despite being told to stay behind...
The self-proclaimed "big brother" had stubbornly followed.
"If things turn dangerous,"
Kang-jun landed on a rooftop before leaping again, continuing mid-air.
"Stay behind us."
A conversation he'd had with Jo Min-jin during the birthday banquet flashed through his mind.
"Trust me, in this world, there are more than one or two enemies you wouldn't stand a chance against."
Even if hunters were among the strongest Earth had to offer, their limits were clear.
They couldn't face Baal.
Forget Baal—they might not even be able to stand against the lowest-ranked of the 72 Demons.
Go Du-yeol was no exception.
Then—
Go Du-yeol answered firmly.
"No."
After a pause, he added,
"I hate just being protected."
Kang-jun frowned at his words.
"Especially by my little brother. That's the worst."
With that, Go Du-yeol suddenly sped up, overtaking Kang-jun.
"Anyway..."
Kang-jun, about to scold him for recklessness, swallowed his words.
'That idiot bald fool...'
Because for once, the carefree and boisterous man's eyes were clouded with sorrow.
As if...
He carried the weight of the world's worries in his gaze.
"Doesn't suit you..."
Did he have his own burdens?
Probably.
In a world where everyone had their own story.
'The world we live in now...'
Wasn't it exactly that kind of world?
'A goddamn messed-up world...'
And so, they chased Baal's trail, racing through the silent city in repeated bursts—
"This place..."
Soon, they reached a lawless zone—a den of crime where anything went.
"A forsaken city..."
They had arrived at the outskirts of what was known as the "forsaken city."
Marbas gradually slowed before stopping completely, muttering,
"It's definitely nearby..."
Then, sniffing repeatedly, he added in a hushed voice,
"The stench of the Great One is so thick in this area that pinpointing the exact source is difficult."
Indeed, at some point, a dense demonic energy had begun to pulse through the air.
"In that case..."
Kang-jun trailed off before calmly issuing orders.
"From here, we'll split up and search."
Then, he locked eyes with Go Du-yeol.
"Hey, baldy."
Go Du-yeol stared back at him.
"If you find anything suspicious, don't act alone. Wait until we arrive before making a move."
Go Du-yeol didn't respond immediately, his lips twitching briefly.
"Fine."
He finally answered half-heartedly.
"Then we're splitting up."
With that, they each headed in different directions.
A few candles dimly illuminated a dark, hidden chamber.
Creak, clank...
Creak, clank...
Creak, clank...
Amidst the eerie silence, a single cyborg unit entered the chamber.
"Brethren."
The cyborg spoke in a flat, toneless voice.
"The day has finally come."
Men clad in black robes, their hoods pulled low, fixed their gazes on Doctor Alpha Boom's cyborg unit.
"All the faithful of our order will never forget the debt we owe you."
"No need for formalities."
"Thanks to your offerings of high-quality sacrifices, the ritual has been expedited."
One of the robed men shifted his gaze to the altar at the side of the chamber.
The Goat of Mendes.
An inverted pentagram—the symbol of Satanism—was drawn in vivid red blood upon the altar.
"P-please, spare me..."
"I beg you..."
"Let me go...!"
Dozens of people sat bound hand and foot, unable to move.
Some were civilians, but...
Mixed among them were hunters who had gone missing after being dispatched to the same site as Doctor Alpha Boom's cyborg unit.
"I'll keep quiet about this! Just let me live!"
"We'll forget everything we saw! Please...!"
"Doctor Alpha Boom, you're supposed to be with the Management Bureau!"
The cyborg emitted a bizarre, monotone laugh before sneering softly.
"Do you wish to call me the 'Management Bureau's dog'?"
"Why would a hunter like you work with these lunatics—?"
"Not lunatics. Pioneers who will usher in a new world."
The mechanical voice echoed calmly.
"Do you know what ability I gained upon awakening?"
A brief silence followed.
"Absolute intelligence."
The cyborg tapped its head twice—tap, tap—before continuing.
"Once, I believed this intellect would one day save all of humanity."
"You were—"
"But this world is full of phenomena that science cannot explain or verify, isn't it?"
The cyborg's joints creaked as it approached a bound hunter.
Creak, clank—
It crouched directly in front of the hunter, leaning in until their faces were inches apart.
"I gave up long ago on uncovering the truth behind Earth's mysteries."
"You—"
"Though it's not something I can openly admit, am I not revered as the greatest scholar in the world?"
No one could deny that he was, by far, the most brilliant mind among all scholars.
"If I cannot uncover the truth, then no one can."
"What are you trying to say?!"
"Have you ever heard that the final destination of all science is religion?"
An emoticon of a wide grin appeared on the cyborg's visor.
"Once, I despised scholars who turned to religion as an escape—"
"Don't tell me—"
"Yes. I, too, have embraced 'religion.'"
The religion Alpha Boom had devoted himself to was the Cult of the Malevolent God—a new faith that worshipped demons and evil deities.
Moreover...
Its doctrine centered on the apocalypse, making it a religion of doomsayers with roots across the globe.
"Embrace the teachings of our order."
After a pause, he continued.
"I have accepted the future the scriptures foretell."
"What does that—"
"I hope you, too, will face the reality awaiting you."
He added,
"The world is hurtling toward ruin."
Though his voice was a distorted mechanical monotone, it carried absolute conviction.
"As you know, increasingly dangerous gates have been appearing over time, haven't they?"
"But—"
"Meanwhile, humanity's progress has long stagnated. Hunters are stuck in place."
He countered.
"And what is humanity doing now?"
"We're trying to overcome—"
"No. They're too busy lining their pockets."
The cyborg stood.
"The world's leaders parrot empty words of peace while dividing into factions and scrambling for selfish gains."
"That's baseless nonsense!"
"For years, I've sold advanced weaponry worldwide, profiting more than any arms dealer."
After a pause, he asked,
"Enough to fund astronomical research costs and still have plenty left."
"......"
"What type of weapon do you think sold the most?"
When the hunter hesitated, the cyborg answered flatly.
"Tools of mass slaughter."
He let out a staccato laugh before continuing matter-of-factly.
"Even as humanity should unite against the coming calamity, these pigs are too busy pointing guns at each other."
"They have no choice—"
"Every budget is spent on weapons of war, dividing into factions, watching each other like hawks."
He was disgusted with the world.
"To these pigs, peace is nothing but a pearl necklace. Isn't humanity just a vile pest deserving of judgment?"
The hunter's voice trembled.
"You're insane..."
The cyborg shook its head.
"Not insane. Just one of the few who realized, sooner than the ignorant masses, the path this world must take."
He turned to the robed devotees.
"We should begin soon."
The robed figures formed a circle around the wide altar.
As they began chanting, the blood-drawn pentagram on the altar glowed brightly.
The bound captives, sensing danger, began to thrash desperately.
"P-please, let me go...!"
"Spare me!"
"Untie me!"
The cyborg spoke.
"Fools believe they are living, but in truth, they are already dying."
Then added,
"They were destined to die eventually. Think of this as merely hastening the inevitable—it might ease your resentment."
The sacrifices writhed violently as—
"He is coming."
—their skin began to dry and wither on the altar.
"Please...!"
Simultaneously, a 'fissure' began to form in the air above the altar.
Crackle—
The rift slowly expanded.
"That's him...."
Beyond the rift, the silhouette of a boy curled up like a fetus began to flicker into view.
"He is awakening...."
The boy huddled beyond the rift rapidly grew, feeding on the vital energy of the sacrifices laid upon the altar.
"More...."
Just as several sacrifices collapsed to the ground, their bodies resembling desiccated mummies, the boy showed the faintest hint of movement.
"Offer me more nourishment...."
The cyborg spoke then.
"O Baal...."
The boy was the central figure of the apocalypse, as preached by the doctrine of the cult the cyborg had devoted himself to.
Their doctrine simply described him as the ruler of the demon realm.
The one who reigned supreme above the 72 Demons, bearing the title of 'Demon King.'
"Awaken now, we beseech you...."
Soon, 'Baal' would rise.
"May you become the herald of our cult's resurgence...."
The Evil God Cult did not worship Baal alone.
They venerated all malevolent deities capable of bringing about Earth's destruction.
Their plan was to summon these dark gods one by one, beginning with Baal.
Just as the boy-shaped Baal's movements grew more pronounced—
BOOOOM!
The chamber door suddenly exploded inward.
Go Du-yeol, Korea's 5th-ranked S-class Hunter, known as 'Iron Man,' stormed in, breathing heavily.
"Damn rats, scheming in the shadows—!"
The cyborg tilted its head slightly, staring blankly at Du-yeol.
"It's been a while."
"Alpha Boom."
"Perfect timing."
The cyborg's neck creaked as it turned, its voice devoid of inflection.
"You'll make excellent fodder."
Du-yeol quickly assessed the situation.
What the hell are they up to?
Though he couldn't decipher their exact scheme, one thing was clear—they were orchestrating something extremely dangerous.
This is bad....
His younger brother had warned him repeatedly not to act alone, no matter how suspicious the circumstances.
But...
Seeing the sacrifices on the altar withering away through the cracked door, he couldn't just stand by.
"Vice Guild Master!"
Among the dying sacrifices was a member of the Solitude Guild, where Du-yeol served as deputy leader.
"Hold on! I'll get you out!"
Du-yeol sized up his enemies.
The hooded ones can't stop their ritual....
Only Alpha Boom's cyborg was closing in on him, its mechanical joints clicking ominously.
One cyborg....
He could handle that alone.
The problem was...
The boy curled up beyond the rift atop the altar.
That thing reeks of danger....
He couldn't discern its nature, but his instincts screamed at him.
The oppressive, malevolent aura was unmistakable.
"Haaah..."
Du-yeol exhaled deeply, muscles coiling as his veins bulged grotesquely.
"Bring it on!"
His body swelled with power, every fiber primed for battle.
"Pity. No matter what you do, you can't overcome science."
"Big talk!"
"Only those beyond science's grasp can defy it."
The moment those words ended—
BANG!
A deafening noise, like a gunshot, erupted as a crater formed where the cyborg had stood.
BOOM!
In the blink of an eye, the cyborg lunged, driving a fist straight into Du-yeol's gut.
"Guh—!"
A near-perfect strike.
Every ounce of force concentrated into a single, devastating point.
The most efficient, most ideal attack.
This....
Dizziness washed over him from the sudden pain.
Du-yeol muttered, voice laced with unease.
"That punch... feels familiar."
Alpha Boom's cyborg closed the distance again.
"Recently, I acquired some useful data."
"Cough..."
"A woman I'd never seen before wielded near-flawless martial arts."
It then assumed a stance Du-yeol recognized instantly.
"Instructor..."
It was Iriel's combat style.
"I lost several valuable units, but securing perfect 'combat data' was worth it."
Du-yeol spat blood, fists clenching.
"A real man charges straight ahead!"
The cyborg rushed in again, and the two engaged in a brutal exchange.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
At a glance, Du-yeol seemed to be taking the brunt of the hits.
"Just a tickle to a real man!"
Grabbing the cyborg's wrist, he yanked with monstrous strength.
CRACK!
The cyborg's entire right arm—along with a tangle of wiring—was ripped clean off.
The cyborg merely stared at its severed limb, unfazed.
"Grotesque strength."
It then glanced at the cultists still chanting at the altar.
"Capturing him alive seems impossible."
"Then..."
"Be careful not to get caught in the crossfire."
The cyborg raised its remaining arm, aiming at Du-yeol from afar.
"Let me show you something special."
High-density mana rapidly condensed above its palm.
Eraser Beam.
A new weapon, refined through countless trials, designed for mass slaughter.
"Though its range is limited, it erases everything within its radius."
"You bastard..."
"For a brief moment, it burns hotter than the sun. You won't feel a thing."
A smiley-face emoticon flickered across the cyborg's visor.
"You were a good comrade."
Just as the mana was about to discharge—
"Tch. You never listen."
Kang-jun stepped into the chamber.
"Brother, fall back!" Du-yeol shouted urgently.
"Huh?"
"It's dangerous! Get out!"
Kang-jun let out a quiet scoff, amused.
"Dangerous?"
Then, the two divine beings from Flower-Fruit Mountain entered.
"Brother, who do we kill?"
"Stone Monkey, we kill all of them!"
Thor and Marbas followed.
"You dragged us out at this hour. Prepare yourselves."
Marbas's eyes locked onto the stirring boy beyond the rift.
"Master! That's the eldest brother!"
"Oh?"
"Let's send him straight back to hell!"
The cyborg tilted its head at Kang-jun.
"One of those from before..."
It added flatly,
"I'll melt you all together."
Du-yeol roared, veins bulging.
"Everyone, stay back!"
He stomped his feet deep into the ground like a sumo wrestler.
BOOM!
Clashing his fists, he bellowed,
"Don't move a muscle!"
The desperation in his voice made Kang-jun and the others freeze, exchanging glances.
"I'll protect you...."
A massive, translucent shield materialized before Du-yeol.
Miracle Shield.
An S-rank skill he'd awakened with from the start.
Initial skills always reflected the wielder's deepest desire.
His was to protect.
"I—"
The cyborg's palm erupted with blinding light.
FWOOOOOSH!
A torrent of condensed mana surged toward Du-yeol.
The next instant—
Light flooded the chamber.
BOOOOOOM—!
The entire room quaked violently.
When the dust settled, Kang-jun was the first to speak.
"You okay?"
He examined Du-yeol's charred, blackened body.
"I..."
His skin was scorched, blistered all over.
Worse—
His eyes had rolled back, yet he remained standing, unconscious.
"I..."
Kang-jun frowned.
"What's he mumbling...?"
Leaning closer, he listened.
"I hate... people I can't protect..."
"Huh?"
"I hate failing to protect them..."
Du-yeol's massive frame began to tilt backward.
THUD!
Collapsing flat on his back, he muttered once more,
"I hate... not being strong enough..."
Kang-jun watched silently before speaking.
"Thanks for protecting us."
"Don't mention..."
"Rest now."
Then, glancing at the cyborg, he added,
"Brother."
Du-yeol's lips twitched.
"Did you just..."
Then, he finally passed out.
"Sniff sniff..."
Marbas trotted over, sniffing him.
"Master."
"Yeah?"
"This guy..."
Wagging his tail, Marbas added,
"He's smiling."
Kang-jun sighed.
"Leave him be."
Cracking his neck, he muttered,
"Must be a good dream."
The next moment—
CRACK!
The cyborg's head went flying.
"One down."
Kang-jun had moved like lightning, his fist obliterating the machine's skull.
THUD. ROLL...
The cultists panicked, chanting faster.
"Next."
Then—
"Kekeke... Too late."
The cyborg's severed head chuckled, voice glitching.
"He has awakened...."
The boy beyond the rift opened his eyes.
No—
He was no longer a boy, but a grown man.
"I've slumbered too long."
He stepped out of the rift.
"I remember the day my brethren were torn apart. I've relived that humiliation endlessly."
He laughed, wild and unhinged.
"I've returned stronger than before my defeat!"
His voice dripped with madness.
"Immortal! Once I regain my full strength, I'll tear you apart!"
Kang-jun blinked.
"Me?"
Baal froze.
"...Eh?"
He stared.
"Huh?"
Blinking rapidly, he muttered,
"How are you—"
Then, sniffing the air, his gaze landed on Marbas.
"My flesh and blood! Glorious Marbas!"
"Yes, eldest brother."
"You woke me!"
"Nope."
"Then you've come to aid—"
"Not at all."
Marbas cut in flatly.
"Master, I'm innocent."
"I know."
"I have nothing to do with him."
Baal gaped.
"Big brother, it was so good to see you."
"You... traitor—"
"Back to hell you go."
Marbas smirked, tail wagging.
"I'll enjoy all the wealth and glory you failed to claim in your stead."
Then, as an afterthought:
"Oh, and say hi to the others in hell for me."
"You wretch—!"
"Tell them Marbas is doing just fine thanks to picking the right side."
He burst into manic laughter.
"Kekekeke! Stupid brothers...."
Pure delight—and a hint of madness—tinged his voice.