Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood Episode 44

"Aldebaran."

At Kang-jun's call, the 'leader' ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slightly raised his head.

It was Aldebaran.

A certain humiliating day from the past seemed to faintly overlap with the present.

"So it's come to this again..."

He muttered resignedly in a low voice.

"Kill me."

When the army of the dead led by Immortal invaded his kingdom Kerema, Aldebaran had witnessed the power of '■■■' firsthand.

An anomaly.

Even though he had succeeded in attaining divinity by obtaining divine status and authority, his footing as a god was still incomplete. There was no way for him to win.

"Disappointing."

Kang-jun responded curtly before squatting down right in front of Aldebaran and coldly asking:

"Giving up rather quickly for a god, aren't you?"

Aldebaran let out a bitter laugh at that, then glanced around the chapel that had become a complete mess in an instant before answering.

"I'd prefer if you called it being realistic for a god."

Not only was the chapel filled with the army of the dead led by Immortal, but even the two demon lords once called 'Hunting Dogs' were stationed here, weren't they?

Most of his believers had already been torn to shreds by them, and those who hadn't had chosen to become sacrifices and taken their own lives.

There was no way out.

All that remained...

Was death.

Kang-jun quietly replied, "Fine..." before tilting his head slightly and asking another question.

"By the way, how exactly did you manage to become a god?"

Aldebaran sneered in response.

"Oh ■■■, do you also wish to become a god?"

"No, not particularly."

"It was thanks to the 'achievements' and 'narrative' I had steadily built up over time."

As he said this, Aldebaran nodded once before continuing in a composed tone.

"Even after losing everything to you and fleeing Anux like a coward, fortunately the 'achievements' and 'narrative' I had built did not disappear."

"What does that—"

"Gods are not born—they are made. They are created through word of mouth passed from person to person, or through written records."

He added after finishing his words.

"My original plan was to manifest in this Earth dimension to further spread awareness of my existence and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠solidify my 'footing as a god.'"

"Footing?"

"I swore to gain stronger power by being worshipped by more people and take revenge on you who took everything from me, but..."

As these incomprehensible words continued, Kang-jun's expression gradually darkened.

'Aldebaran...'

Though he didn't quite understand what these grand terms like 'achievements' and 'narrative' meant, Aldebaran had not been forgotten even after leaving Anux.

The reason was that Kang-jun had deliberately preserved the history related to Aldebaran as a warning, leaving him as an example so that no one would dare rebel again.

Thanks to this, Aldebaran's life story became a 'folktale' that served as a cautionary tale, passed down orally across generations on the continent even after times changed.

"The Deposed King of the Dead..."

That was the title of the folktale recounting Aldebaran's life.

And...

It was also the 'divine name' Aldebaran obtained upon being reborn as a god.

"Even if it's not me, someone will eventually cut your throat and steal that arrogant title of '■■■' from you."

Kang-jun tightly grabbed Aldebaran by the hair and asked with a sneer.

"Who would dare?"

At this, Aldebaran suddenly burst into laughter before continuing in a tone overflowing with madness.

"Immortal, called '■■■' throughout the Abyss—you may possess formidable power, but you are pitifully ignorant."

Then he added again.

"Gods from various star clusters, of incomparably higher status than I, have set their sights on that title of yours."

Kang-jun muttered "Star clusters, star clusters..." several times in succession before suddenly recalling something.

[ The Backstar of Hrimthurs 'The Giant with Sewn-Shut Mouth' is hostile toward you. ]

[ All gods of the star cluster 'Asgard' are hostile toward you. ]

[ Your presence as ■■■ becomes even more distinct. ]

These were the messages that had appeared when he accidentally got caught in the Calamity-grade Gate near Sillim Station some time ago, after defeating the boss monster 'Frost Giant Hrimthurs.'

"Asgard..."

At Kang-jun's low muttering, Aldebaran grinned and replied.

"It's not just the gods of the Asgard star cluster. All the gods of the great star clusters are coveting that title of '■■■' you possess."

Kang-jun spoke.

"That's quite unpleasant."

His displeasure didn't stem from the fact that beings called 'gods' were after his life.

It came from the thought that they might disrupt the peaceful daily life he was currently leading.

"Perhaps I should make an example of you to ensure no one else dares set foot here."

Aldebaran sneered at this and openly mocked him.

"Ah, even with that title of '■■■,' you're still just a human at heart, so of course you'd feel fear..."

"You're mistaken."

"Aren't you trembling in fear that the gods of the great star clusters might take that '■■■' title from you if you're not careful?"

After a moment of contemplation, Kang-jun answered.

"It's been so long since I last felt it that I wasn't sure, but you're right—I am trembling in fear right now."

As Kang-jun nodded in admission, an indescribably ominous energy began to ripple out from his body like threads.

"I fear losing my 'peace.'"

Since returning to Earth, Kang-jun had never asked for much.

Not more, not less—he only wanted to continue living exactly as he was now.

"For the longest time, I yearned for death."

The energy radiating from Kang-jun's body began to intertwine and twist, taking the form of thick iron chains...

"Tormented by homesickness, I languished for hundreds of years. It was an excruciatingly painful and tedious time."

Finally, the 'Black Magic' shaped into massive chains tightly bound Aldebaran, rendering him completely immobile.

"I drank poison potent enough to kill a giant with just a drop—several cups of it every day."

For Kang-jun, an immortal life where he could neither die nor age was not the 'blessing' many dreamed of, but rather a cruel 'curse.'

Even if he formed bonds with others, they would quickly grow old or fall ill and leave him, leaving only himself behind in the end.

His longing for his homeland only grew stronger with time, yet finding a way back remained frustratingly out of reach.

"I even walked into the purgatorial flames of Kalpa Fire (劫火) that are said to burn everything to ashes."

"......"

"I even tried jumping from the top of the World Tree and attempted seppuku with a divine sword."

Kang-jun stood up and casually added.

"All of it was futile."

As he clenched his fist, the chains of Black Magic began tightening around Aldebaran's body with increasing force.

"Ghhh...k...!"

Meanwhile, Kang-jun didn't even glance at him and simply continued speaking.

"Since nothing worked, I became desperate to die."

Soon, the body of the leader that Aldebaran had possessed began to grotesquely deform, becoming as soft and malleable as dough.

"Then, amusingly enough, I started wanting to live."

"Ghh...aaah...!"

"To live peacefully and happily, just as I am now."

Even as Aldebaran's form became unrecognizable, he was still alive.

"H, how...amusing..."

Kang-jun looked down at Aldebaran, whose body now resembled a fruit crushed under a truck tire.

"P, peace and happiness... How shamelessly you spout words that don't suit you in the slightest..."

Kang-jun indifferently stomped on one of Aldebaran's fragments and replied.

"Gods are annoyingly tenacious."

With only his form remaining, Aldebaran's 'mouth' struggled to continue speaking slowly and laboriously.

"As long as you hold that title of '■■■,' you can never have peace... or happiness..."

Kang-jun asked in return.

"Is this a curse born of resentment?"

"I'm only speaking the truth..."

"That's rather petty."

Aldebaran responded.

"S, since I'm dying anyway, I might as well tell you the secret behind that '■■■' title you so presumptuously claimed..."

"A secret?"

"In the process of attaining divinity and becoming a god, I learned the truth of the Abyss... That title has rules..."

The 'mouth' of Aldebaran, now just a remnant of his form, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moved busily as he continued.

"Y, you who bear the title of ■■■... cannot easily die. Even if you do die, you will inevitably revive..."

As if wary of something, Aldebaran paused briefly before urgently continuing.

"B, behind that incomparably great title... hardship and adversity, crisis and suffering... will follow you like a shadow..."

At that moment, Kang-jun frowned.

"Hm?"

Though Aldebaran's mouth—now just a remnant—seemed to be shouting something...

No sound reached Kang-jun's ears, as if it had been 'muted.'

"T, the... Creator God..."

"Who?"

"H, he's interfering..."

Aldebaran's mouth screamed desperately.

"T, the greatest of all gods has appeared... The one who granted you that title of '■■■'..."

Kang-jun began looking around.

He didn't sense any suspicious presence.

Then, suddenly, a cheerful ding! rang out, and several status windows appeared before Kang-jun's eyes in succession.

[ The Creator God intervenes to block the divine Aldebaran from revealing secrets! ]

[ The divine Aldebaran's existence is erased. ]

[ You contributed the most to the divine Aldebaran's erasure. ]

[ Your presence as '■■■' becomes even more distinct. ]

[ EX-grade title, 'Godslayer,' is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠newly unlocked. ]

[ You absorb a portion of the divine Aldebaran's power. ]

[ All gods of the Abyss are watching you once again. ]

As Kang-jun read through the flood of 'system messages,' his expression grew increasingly grave.