Chapter 179 Even the Almighty is New to Being a Dad Chapter 180
Absolute Dad Is Also New to This - Chapter 180
An anomaly occurred.
"Grrrrrr—"
Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over the entire area, and the guttural growl of a beast echoed loudly.
Sköll and Hati.
Divine beings of the star cluster Asgard, they were colossal wolves born with the fate of eternally chasing the "sun" and the "moon."
Two massive wolves, their enormous maws alone large enough to blot out the sky, peered down from above.
"Sköll and Hati have set their sights on their master's enemy."
Amidst this, a violent gust of wind erupted from Kang-jun's body.
Whoooooosh—
The force sent Bong-gu stumbling backward as he crossed his arms and muttered with difficulty.
"H-Hyung-nim—"
The overwhelming power was undeniable, enough to leave anyone awestruck.
The aftermath of the wind pressure split the earth and shattered the ground.
The air currents grew unstable, scattering rocks and dust everywhere.
A chilling, spine-tingling aura permeated the surroundings.
"W-What the hell is this—?"
And what in the world was that monstrous figure?
Even Baal couldn't hide his shock.
"Damn it, what is this?!"
Had he really been struggling all this time against such an unfathomable monster?
"Everything was meaningless..."
The time he had spent gritting his teeth, enduring to defeat Kang-jun, now felt utterly futile.
Standing before an insurmountable wall, he was clearly drowning in frustration and despair, blaming himself.
Baal's gaze shifted slightly toward the trembling deity who had lost all will to fight.
"Pathetic, really..."
At this point, he almost pitied her.
"Good grief—"
She had even dropped her weapon to the ground.
Her complete loss of fighting spirit was palpable.
"Just how—?"
The ■■■ she had witnessed wielded several divine authorities similar to those of the gods from the great star cluster Olympus.
Water, wind, lightning...
And likely many more beyond that.
She had underestimated him.
Most deities spent what could be called aeons obsessively honing a single authority.
Even after dedicating such an unfathomable amount of time, most failed to achieve mastery—so she had assumed he was merely an imitation.
"■■■'s lightning is in no way inferior to my father's authority..."
And yet, he possessed his own unique authority on top of that.
The inky shadow coiled behind his back gestured.
The figure standing guard behind ■■■ was...
Indescribably sinister and ominous.
Death.
A word unfamiliar to Athena, who had been a deity since birth.
Yet...
A clear sensation began tightening around her throat.
"■■■..."
Hadn't he been nothing more than a mere human not long ago?
But...
How had he obtained such power in such a short time?
"If the source of that power is an epithet..."
Now she understood why the "■■■■" from the Cthulhu Star Cluster had been so desperate to claim his title.
"So that's how it was..."
Wasn't she herself feeling greed in this situation?
Even with death beckoning, she was consumed by avarice.
That epithet was undeniably alluring.
"My liege!"
In contrast, Dibald was moved to tears.
"With my limited insight, I had assumed you had already reached a realm so distant that no further progress was possible—"
His voice trembled.
"And yet, you've attained an even more absolute power than before!"
Kang-jun let out a quiet laugh.
"Enough."
Then he added,
"Was I not already peerless from the beginning?"
Despite his nonchalant tone, Kang-jun also felt a thrill within.
This was an achievement.
For the first time in a long while, he recognized that he had taken another step forward.
[ The reconstruction of the possessed authority, Heavenly Calamity (EX-Grade), has begun. ]
[ The possessed authority, Heavenly Calamity (EX-Grade), is being reborn as a new authority. ]
A change was occurring.
[ The possessed authority, Heavenly Calamity (EX-Grade), has been erased. ]
[ A new authority, Arrival of Ruin (EX), has been acquired. ]
The authority he had stolen from the deity Susanoo during their encounter near Shimane Prefecture in Japan had now been reconstructed.
"Arrival of Ruin."
Though it was a newly acquired authority, he inexplicably knew exactly how to wield it.
"Dibald."
As Kang-jun's words trailed off, Dibald immediately gathered his mana and formed a barrier, enveloping the unconscious hostages and their group.
"It's dangerous."
Kang-jun summoned his divine power—
"Step aside."
At his command, Dibald channeled his mana and fused several spells together.
Binding, protection, teleportation...
In an instant, he activated Mass Teleportation—a spell only mages who had surpassed the 8th Circle could cast—
Whoooosh!
A pillar of light engulfed them before vanishing without a trace.
"Good..."
Kang-jun then glanced back at Athena—
"I'll give you a chance to live."
At those words, Athena's pupils trembled violently.
"My father is your inferior."
The sudden statement made Athena's brow twitch.
"Repeat it ten times, and I'll spare you."
Humiliated beyond measure, Athena, seething with rage, snatched up her fallen spear and shouted—
"You bastard—!"
Despite her fierce tone, her face was drenched in unmistakable terror.
She was certain of her defeat.
Yet...
She wanted to die with honor.
"I will never forgive you!"
She charged at Kang-jun once more.
Unlike before, her strike was hesitant—
Just as she thrust her spear at point-blank range—
BOOOOOOM!
A whirlwind of living text and a vicious gale erupted from Kang-jun's body, sending her flying.
"Guh—!"
Kang-jun muttered quietly,
"You cannot reach me."
Unfortunately, it was the truth.
As much as she hated to admit it...
There was no way.
"Realize the gap between us."
Then, he softly recited the activation phrase for his newly reconstructed authority.
"Arrival of Ruin."
Once again, countless fragments of living text poured from Kang-jun's body—
"The authority of Heavenly Calamity that ■■■ wields originally belonged to Susanoo, a deity of the Takamagahara Star Cluster."
"After binding Susanoo's limbs to a cliff and tearing out his tongue, ■■■ stole the authority of Heavenly Calamity—"
"And fully reinterpreted its boundless potential, capable of plunging all into terror depending on its use."
The next moment—
CRACKLE—BOOM!
Black lightning, devoid of any light, rained from the darkened sky.
"The authority has been perfectly reconstructed."
Like brushstrokes on an ink painting, several streaks of pitch-black lightning lashed the ground—
CRACKLE—BOOM!
Then, in an area devoid of even a drop of water, a crimson tidal wave of blood surged forth, swallowing everything in its path.
Whoooooosh—!
It was a scene of absolute ruin.
"Damn it—!"
Athena frantically flapped her wings, soaring high into the sky to evade the lightning and blood tide—
Whoooooosh—!
The pursuing wave suddenly morphed into a massive hand—
CRUNCH!
—and seized her.
CRACKLE—BOOM!
CRACKLE—BOOM!
CRACKLE—BOOM!
Black lightning struck her repeatedly.
Like a bird shot from the sky, she plummeted—
THUD!
Kang-jun leisurely walked toward her.
Step. Step.
As her consciousness faded, Athena trembled at the approaching footsteps—
"I'll do it—"
She forced her lips apart and whispered weakly.
"I'll say it—"
She was begging for her life.
"Please—"
Her body refused to obey, but the blurred silhouette of ■■■ drew nearer.
Death.
An inescapable fate, even for a deity, was closing in.
She was terrified.
In her fear, she pleaded for mercy.
"I'll say it, so spare me..."
Kang-jun crouched before her and nodded.
"Good choice."
Then he immediately asked,
"But first, answer me."
She silently agreed.
"Why did you covet my epithet?"
"Was it just for power?"
With great effort, she forced out her words.
"Soon... the ■■■■ who rules all Outer Entities... will awaken..."
Kang-jun motioned for her to continue.
"When he opens his eyes... the Abyss will be destroyed again..."
"Again?"
"Every time he awakens... the Abyss is doomed to repeat its ruin..."
She added,
"He promised... that if we helped him claim your epithet... Olympus would be spared..."
Kang-jun pressed,
"So you opposed me out of fear of him."
She gave a slight nod.
"You fear him more than me?"
Athena hesitated, then spoke in a tone of utter despair.
"This world... is nothing but a ■ of ■■■■."
Thus—
"Every time he awakens, it is destroyed. No matter what we do, we cannot stop him."
Kang-jun scoffed.
"Sophistry."
Then he continued,
"Fine. I'll give you a chance to live."
He had promised her a way to avoid annihilation.
Ten times.
If she closed her eyes and endured the humiliation ten times, she would survive.
"Ugh—"
Having already spilled a handful of her own living text, she clenched her fists in shame.
"My father... is your inferior."
A tidal wave of humiliation crashed over her.
"My father is your inferior."
She repeated the words.
Three times, four times, five times...
By the tenth repetition—
"I am no one's inferior."
Kang-jun added,
"I am unprecedented."
"......"
"So, how should I put it—"
He grabbed her throat like a villain and whispered,
"An unprecedented bastard, perhaps?"
Then—
SNAP.
He twisted her neck.
Like breaking a twig—
It snapped effortlessly.
"Ghk—! Y-You promised—!"
Her body began dissolving into polygonal fragments.
"Promises are made to be broken."
Kang-jun added,
"Though there are some I do keep."
At that moment, he thought of Seol.
"But why should I keep one made with vermin like you?"
Then he muttered,
"Whoever's waking up soon..."
"You vile—"
"From now on, you'll fear me more."
She vanished without a trace.
Ding!
Status windows appeared before Kang-jun one after another.
[ The deity Athena of the Olympus Star Cluster has been annihilated! ]
It was a hard-earned, meaningful victory.
"Huh?"
Kang-jun's eyes widened as he stared at the status window.
He had expected valuable information from this triumph—
But an unexpected reward awaited him.