Chapter 30: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Absolute Dad 30
Absolute Dad Episode 30
Nam Hyun-chul forcibly dragged Kang-jun into a dimly lit alley where not even the streetlights reached.
"You don't know who you're dealing with, do you?"
Nam Hyun-chul glared at Kang-jun with a menacing grin, his voice dripping with intimidation.
"Yeah, that's why you'd dare act up without knowing your place."
Instead of responding, Kang-jun slowly glanced around his surroundings.
'No people in sight, and not a single security camera in this alley...'
Just then, Nam Hyun-chul removed the gold watch from his wrist and asked in a chilling tone:
"Which part should I break first?"
His son—precious, raised like a jewel—was someone he'd never even raised his voice at before.
No matter the reason, he had no intention of letting the man who laid hands on his son walk away unscathed.
The guild's legal team would handle the aftermath anyway.
"Should I snap one of your arms?"
"......"
"Or maybe your ankles would be better?"
"......"
"Or how about I knock out all your teeth?"
"......"
Under normal circumstances, the other person would already be on their knees, begging for forgiveness.
But when no answer came, Nam Hyun-chul narrowed his eyes at Kang-jun.
"Not answering me?"
His temper flaring, he jabbed Kang-jun's forehead with his index finger repeatedly.
"Hey, you mute?"
Poke.
"Look at this bastard."
Poke.
"When someone talks to you, you answer, got it?!"
As he shouted, blue sparks crackled across his body—"Zzzt, zzzt!"—flashing intermittently.
His muscles swelled to the point of nearly bursting, and his height seemed to have grown by a full handspan.
His hair grew long like a beast's mane, while his fangs and nails sharpened endlessly.
Beastification.
This wasn't just a transformation that blended human and beast into a half-human, half-animal form—
It was a shapeshifting-type Unique Ability that drastically enhanced physical capabilities and granted animalistic instincts.
Grrrrrl...
Baring his fangs, he growled low and locked eyes with Kang-jun like a predator sizing up prey.
A Hunter using their Unique Ability against a civilian was no trivial matter—something that couldn't be swept under the rug.
He had planned to intimidate Kang-jun by revealing this form, just enough to humble his arrogance...
'How the hell is this bastard so unfazed?'
The moment their gazes met in the air, that same inexplicable unease from before gripped him again.
How could he describe it?
It felt like driving a truck with broken brakes straight toward a thousand-foot cliff.
'Why do I feel so unsettled?'
Just then, his animalistic instinct—the very thing that had saved him from death countless times—whispered urgently in his ear:
Run.
But Nam Hyun-chul desperately ignored the warning, forcing himself to snarl even louder to mask his fear.
'He's just a civilian, isn't he?'
Even if Kang-jun were a Hunter, the fact that he'd never heard of him meant he was undoubtedly some low-tier trash.
'Yeah, that's right...'
Swallowing dryly, he jabbed Kang-jun's forehead again with a finger now several times thicker than before.
"You really have no sense of self-preservation. If you think anyone who's seen this form has ever walked away alive, you're sorely mistaken—"
Then—
Kang-jun suddenly grabbed his index finger and bent it backward with a sharp snap!
CRACK!
A grotesque sound echoed as Nam Hyun-chul crumpled to the ground, writhing.
"Ghk—! Kgh—! Kghhh—!!!"
The pain was so overwhelming that his vision blurred. He tried to pull his finger free, but it was futile.
'W-What kind of strength...?'
Meanwhile, Kang-jun calmly slipped off one of his slippers, gripping it tightly as he muttered under his breath:
"Everyone, parents are their children's mirrors. To teach them manners, public etiquette, consideration, and patience... adults must first lead by example..."
It was a passage from the Parenting Encyclopedia he'd been reading whenever he had time lately.
The words had resonated with him so much that he'd underlined them in fluorescent marker and even added red asterisks.
"When a child makes a mistake, give them time to reflect and help them realize it on their own. That's a parent's role..."
"W-What the hell are you...?"
"If a child acts out severely, don't coddle them. Even if it hurts, a firm reprimand is necessary to help them learn..."
"Ghk—! P-Please...!"
Kang-jun tightened his grip on the slipper—
Then swung it down mercilessly.
WHOOSH—!
The slipper cut through the air like a massive serpent, twisting and coiling in black arcs as it lashed out without restraint.
THWACK—!
Just then, Bong-gu turned the corner into the alley and immediately shouted in panic:
"H-Hyung-nim!"
"...Tch. Too late."
With a sigh, Bong-gu tightly shut his eyes and turned his head away, refusing to watch.
THWACK—!
THWACK—!
THWACK—!
THWACK—!
The alley only returned to silence after that ominous sound repeated several more times.
The creepiest part?
With every strike of the slipper, Kang-jun recited passages from the Parenting Encyclopedia like a man possessed by the ghost of parenting grievances.
"Especially during childhood, a parent's upbringing profoundly impacts their child's entire life..."
"......"
"A wise parent's discipline teaches children how to navigate the world wisely..."
"We resolved things amicably, so I'd like to go home now."
That was Kang-jun's nonchalant statement when he returned to the police station just minutes later.
The officers could only stare wide-eyed, alternating their gazes between Kang-jun and Nam Hyun-chul—who was slumped unconscious over Bong-gu's back.
Kang-jun, whom they'd assumed wouldn't return unharmed, was walking back perfectly fine on his own two feet...
Meanwhile, Nam Hyun-chul had to be carried back unconscious, eyes rolled back, with slipper marks densely imprinted all over his face.
"Bong-gu, he must be heavy. You can put him down now."
At Kang-jun's words, Bong-gu muttered, "Whew..." and unceremoniously dumped Nam Hyun-chul onto the floor.
THUD.
Nam Hyun-woo, who had been gaping in disbelief, rushed over and shook his father desperately.
"D-Dad?! Dad—!"
Even the half-bald police chief could only mutter in stunned confusion:
"H-How...?"
Kang-jun nudged the dirt-covered, unconscious Nam Hyun-chul with his bare foot and answered:
"He seemed really tired. Passed out right after we reached a mutual agreement."
"Eh...?"
"We tried waking him, but he wouldn't budge. Thought about leaving him, but figured it'd be bad if he choked on his tongue."
The officers could only stare silently, carefully examining Nam Hyun-chul's battered state.
'Did this young man really do this to Nam Hyun-chul?'
The circumstantial evidence pointed overwhelmingly to "yes," but they couldn't bring themselves to believe it.
The unconscious man was Beast Nam Hyun-chul—ranked 10th among A-rank Hunters.
When Kang-jun said, "Let's go," and started walking, his family obediently trailed behind him.
"Kang-jun, where the hell did you leave your shoes?"
"My Lord, this humble one pledges eternal loyalty..."
"Sir, what's in that bag you're holding?"
"Ah, I got some expired food from the owner."
The remaining officers could only watch their retreating backs like dogs who'd lost the chase.
In Nevada, USA, there exists a top-secret military operations area strictly off-limits to civilians.
Area 51.
This underground research facility was originally used by the U.S. Air Force for testing and developing advanced aircraft.
But three years ago—
After the appearance of the Gates worldwide, its purpose changed entirely.
Deep inside the complex underground labs, a small girl barely clung to life, sustained by machines.
Several researchers in white coats surrounded her, diligently recording data on their charts.
"What is Saintess Merrem's current condition?"
At the white-haired director's question, a researcher respectfully reported:
"Since her last prophecy exactly 100 days ago, she hasn't opened her eyes even once."
The director's gaze shifted back to the unconscious girl.
'Saintess Merrem...'
She was an Otherworlder rescued by hunters from Alteon, one of the world's top guilds, from beyond a Gate.
Introducing herself as a saintess, she displayed an unusually friendly attitude toward Earth's inhabitants—
And possessed the ability to glimpse fragments of the future, known as Future Sight.
Occasionally, she would claim to hear the voice of the god she served, using it to predict Gate appearances worldwide and minimize casualties.
A hundred days ago—
It was solely thanks to her prophecy that the damage from the Calamity-grade Gate in Southeast Asia had been minimized.
"Director!"
A researcher suddenly shouted, eyes fixed on the monitor displaying her vitals.
"M-Merrem is waking up!"
After months of stagnation, her temperature, breathing, pulse, and blood pressure began fluctuating wildly.
Then—
Merrem, who had been dependent on life support, suddenly convulsed before snapping her eyes wide open.
"A... a terrible calamity has descended upon Earth..."
The entire room fell deathly silent.
Then, in that suffocating stillness, she continued:
"Director!" the researcher urged urgently. "Please, try to give us more details!"
Merrem licked her lips weakly before forcing out the words:
"I-Immortal...!"
Each syllable seemed to drain her strength as she struggled to speak.
"H-He... is a being so powerful and terrifying that even the god I serve fears him... A true calamity... Where he treads, only ruin follows..."
"Good heavens..."
"The Emperor of the Living who rules the dead... The calamity from another world who reduced the entire Abyss to ashes... He has finally appeared on Earth..."
The director couldn't hide his troubled expression as he studied her grave face.
'I've never seen her this shaken before...'
Even when predicting the Calamity-grade Gate in Southeast Asia, she had remained perfectly composed.
Swallowing dryly, he cautiously asked:
"Merrem, please try to calm down. Are you saying this Immortal is truly that dangerous?"
"Director, how can you ask such an obvious question?! All the gods of the constellations watch him in fear, calling him '■■■'!"
The director frowned.
"What did you just say...?"
For some reason, that single word had been completely unintelligible—as if distorted by static.
"Immortal's footsteps have touched this Earth... The destruction of this dimension cannot be far off now...!"
Suddenly, Merrem began convulsing violently, foam forming at her mouth.
Her vital signs fluctuated wildly on the monitors—
Beep! Beep! Beep—!
After coughing up dark blood, she seized once more before collapsing unconscious again.
The researchers immediately scrambled to stabilize her worsening condition.
Meanwhile, the director muttered under his breath:
"Immortal..."
His expression grim, he turned to the large monitors lining the walls—
State-of-the-art surveillance equipment tracking Gate activity worldwide in real time.
The screens displayed nothing but peace—completely at odds with the terrifying word "calamity."
"If such a dangerous being has appeared... why is everything still so peaceful...?"
He was utterly baffled.
"Achoo—!"
Back home, Kang-jun sneezed while slurping up the last of his sea snail stew.
Lee Soo-bin frowned. "Kang-jun, are you catching a cold?"
"I don't get sick..." he mumbled before going back to noisily eating.
Then—
"Kang-jun, try mixing rice into the stew like this."
Intrigued, Kang-jun obediently mixed rice into his bowl.
After taking a big bite, his eyes widened in amazement.
"Wow, this is revolutionary."
"Good, right?"
"Yeah. Give me another bowl."
It was just another peaceful evening—no different from any other.