Absolute One's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠First Time Being a Dad - Chapter 67

The wastelands of Sonawuli were densely populated with massive stone statues that moved of their own volition.

Each wielded enormous spears or swords as they closed in on Kang-jun...

"Why are there so many of them?"

The shadowy spear floating behind Kang-jun repeatedly pierced through their bodies with ease.

Whoooosh—!

The leading colossus crumbled into dust, scattering in the wind...

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!

Yet dozens more stone warriors still surrounded Kang-jun, advancing with murderous intent.

"No end to them."

As Kang-jun muttered and channeled his mana, the ground began to tremble violently.

Grooooooan—!

The earth undulated like waves on a stormy sea, tectonic plates shifting...

"Come forth."

Dozens of massive coffins erupted from the ground, their doors swinging open as 'Ancient Giants' emerged.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—!

These giants dwarfed the stone colossi occupying Sonawuli by several times.

They were the same creatures Kang-jun had fought in the destruction-grade gate near Seoul's Insa-dong.

Now resurrected as his loyal servants, they existed solely to annihilate enemies on command.

"I can play the numbers game too."

As Kang-jun watched the Ancient Giants systematically dismantle the stone warriors, his brow suddenly furrowed.

"Hmm..."

He'd detected something—an unmistakable trace of divine energy emanating from the colossi, however faint.

"Loki, was it?"

The energy bore similarities to that of the Asgardian god he'd encountered before.

Yet...

There were subtle differences—similar in nature but distinctly separate in origin.

"Something's definitely involved here..."

If this gate too was the handiwork of a so-called 'god'...

Then this was far beyond what any reclamation team could handle.

Kang-jun glanced back the way he'd come.

"Speaking of which, why are they taking so long?"

Despite him clearing the path ahead...

The reclamation team hadn't even left Sonawuli's outskirts yet.

"You might have all the time in the world, but I need to wrap this up today..."

Pulling out his phone, Kang-jun screenshot his route on the map app and sent it to Bong-gu.

Following his exact path would get the team to New Delhi unscathed.

"Haah..."

As Kang-jun exhaled deeply and prepared to rejoin the fray—

Ding!

A crisp notification sounded as a system message appeared:

[ The divine being of Asgard, 'Guardian of the Divided Underworld', has shown hostility toward you! ]

"Knew it," Kang-jun muttered, stretching casually. "Told you something was up."

Without hesitation, he lunged at a colossus, shattering it with one strike.

"Just wait quietly," he said, dusting off his hands. "I'll be there soon to smash your ugly mug too."

Time passed.

Meanwhile, the reclamation team had already survived a brutal skirmish with several colossi.

"We expected difficulties, but this..."

The monsters occupying Southeast Asia exceeded all expectations.

Just four.

Four stone colossi had left the team battered.

No fatalities yet, but injuries were mounting.

"So this is the power of New Delhi's destruction-grade gate..."

Kang Sung-hyun wiped sweat from his brow as—

"I can't walk..."

Eun-bin collapsed, mana depleted. Du-yeol hoisted her up with a grumble.

"Pathetically weak."

"Ahh, comfy!"

"Keep talking and I'll drop you."

Even swiftblade Yoon Hee-soo looked exhausted, inspecting her chipped sword.

"The edge is gone..."

Every hunter bore the marks of battle.

Then Bong-gu checked his phone and spoke up.

"We should detour left from here. It'll be safer."

Sung-hyun frowned. "That mountainous terrain will slow us down, and deviating from—"

"If we follow this route," Bong-gu interjected politely, "we can minimize casualties all the way to New Delhi."

He added firmly, "Just trust me this once."

Receiving real-time updates from Kang-jun gave him confidence.

Heesoo tied back her disheveled hair and studied Bong-gu.

"Do you have detection abilities?"

"Something similar..."

"Then you should lead navigation."

Sung-hyun nodded and announced, "From now on, Kim Bong-gu guides our movement!"

Unlike other reclamation teams focused solely on extermination, theirs had another objective—entering New Delhi's gate.

'And we've already lost one member...'

Bong-gu's non-combatant manager had vanished upon arrival in Sonawuli.

Flexibility was key to minimizing further losses.

Following Kang-jun's path, the team advanced swiftly toward New Delhi, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠engaging only scattered colossi...

"Are you alright?"

Noticing Hee-soo's limping gait, Bong-gu moved to support her—

Slap!

She violently shrugged him off, eyes blazing as she hissed:

"Expose my injury and I'll kill you first."

"But—"

"I've no attachment to life anyway."

Her voice turned venomous.

"Pretend you saw nothing."

And once again, he tried to hide his injuries, forcing himself to act fine as he took a few more steps.

"More importantly, aren't you hiding something too?"

"Me? What would I—"

"That manager you brought along went missing, yet you don't seem the least bit concerned."

At those words, Bong-gu couldn't hide his fluster. "Th-that's..." he stammered incoherently for a moment.

"Because you're certain he's still alive, aren't you?"

Yoon Hee-soo narrowed her eyes slightly.

"The Calamity-grade ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Gate that appeared in Insa-dong last time. I saw your manager entering it alone."

"Hunter-nim..."

"At the time, it was just a suspicion, and I thought I must have been mistaken, so I let it go. But now?"

She added in a warning tone.

"Even if I have to run a few cold blades through you, I want to hear what secret you're hiding."

Bong-gu hesitated, unsure how to respond, and she drove the final nail in.

"If you keep quiet about my injuries, I'll suppress my curiosity—until this Reclamation Team mission is over."

At that, Bong-gu's expression darkened instantly.

'In other words...'

She meant that once the mission was over, she would begin a full-scale investigation into him.

Meanwhile, at that very moment.

A man knelt on the ground, slumped over.

A sword lay across his lap.

He had long, unkempt hair and a thick beard.

His appearance was haggard, but his eyes burned with intensity.

He was human.

But now, he had surpassed human limits in swordsmanship.

He had grasped the ultimate truth of the sword—

And reached the pinnacle of its principles.

"You've become quite usable now."

The Death Knight standing before him spoke in a low voice, clad in ornate armor.

"All thanks to you, Master."

The Death Knight's crimson eyes glowed as he looked down at the man and replied softly.

"To absorb my teachings so thoroughly in just a year and a half—that is entirely your own merit."

Then he added,

"It seems it's time for me to leave."

With that, the Death Knight mounted the spectral steed waiting beside him.

The man slammed his forehead against the ground with a thud and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Thank you—for everything!"

The Death Knight before him was not just his savior but the great master who had guided him to heights he could never have reached alone.

"M-may I dare ask... your name, Master?"

The Death Knight tightened the reins of his steed and answered in his usual chilling voice.

"My name is Nazgûl."

After that brief reply, he added quietly,

"If you ever return to your home dimension, Earth, and encounter one called 'Immortal'... be sure to deliver this message."

Jung Yoon-chan murmured,

"Immortal..."

That was the name of the one his master had been searching for.

In fact, the only reason he had been saved was because of Immortal.

Because he shared the same homeland, his master had taken him in.

"What message should I deliver to him?"

Nazgûl answered.

"Tell him that Nazgûl—who swore eternal loyalty to him—prays fervently for his arrival on Earth, the world he so longed for."

And once more,

"That I pray for his happiness."

Yoon-chan nodded several times, and Nazgûl gazed into the depths of the gate before asking,

"You called this place a 'Gate,' didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Though I don't know what that means..."

Nazgûl continued.

"This is no Gate."

"Then...?"

"It is the threshold of the Netherworld."

His voice grew distant as he added,

"I was searching through all the Netherworlds of the Abyss to confirm whether he had truly fallen into eternal slumber."

Then, with relief in his tone, he said,

"Fortunately, it seems he has not. One day, he will surely reach the dimension called Earth..."

Yoon-chan nodded slowly.

"If I ever meet this 'Immortal,' I will deliver your message without fail..."

Nazgûl looked at him and added,

"For that, you must survive this place and return to Earth alive."

Then, regretfully,

"I would open the path for you myself, but I fear any further interference would be unwise."

This was one of the many Netherworlds within the Abyss.

And the absolute being who ruled this place—

Had long been watching, wary of his meddling.

"Though your achievements are great, whether you can escape this Netherworld remains to be seen..."

Yoon-chan bowed deeply.

"Was it not thanks to your teachings that I achieved so much?"

"True..."

"With the skills I've honed and my Unique Ability, I believe nothing is beyond my reach."

Nazgûl gave a low hum.

"A difficult request, but... survive. And keep your promise."

With those final words, the spectral steed let out a piercing cry—

And in an instant, shot into the sky with Nazgûl atop it.

Zzzzzzzzzzt—

The fabric of space tore open, and for a brief moment, the silhouette of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a massive structure—reminiscent of a European castle—flickered within the rift.

"I've been away too long..."

Nazgûl and his steed spiraled downward like water draining into a sewer before being swallowed by the rift.

"Thank you..."

Yoon-chan kowtowed deeply toward his master's fading figure before rising to his feet.

"The time has come..."

He didn't know how much time had passed on Earth, but he had spent two full years inside this Gate.

No...

If he accounted for the time he had reversed using his Unique Ability, it might have been closer to a decade.

But it had been time well spent.

Thanks to his master, he had reached heights he never dared imagine and achieved tremendous growth.

"With this power..."

He was confident he could protect Earth and its people.

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

The colossal soldiers that had never dared approach under his master's watch now emerged one by one.

"Time to move forward."

Though he had spent years in this Calamity-grade Gate, he had only wandered near its entrance.

The Hunters dispatched to suppress it had fled, unable to even handle the guardians at the threshold.

Who knew what horrors lurked deeper inside?

And as for the Gate's boss monster—he couldn't even begin to guess.

But one thing was certain.

"I am different now."

With that quiet murmur, Yoon-chan tightened his grip on his sword.

In an instant—SHING!—his figure vanished, and the nearby colossal soldiers began falling apart in pieces.

Jung Yoon-chan, the Time Reaper.

The man known as Korea's undisputed top Hunter, with not a single failed Gate raid to his name.

His long training complete, he now moved to suppress the Calamity-grade Gate in New Delhi, India.