Even the Absolute One is New to Fatherhood - Episode 73

Click, clack...

The moment she took a step forward, every gaze in the hall instantly converged upon her.

She possessed a beauty so flawless and elegant, it was as if she had stepped out of a painting—features so delicately crafted they might have been painstakingly brushed onto silk by a master artist.

Her snow-white skin, crimson lips, and radiant vitality only accentuated the mesmerizing allure of her piercing gaze.

"Ugh..."

Meanwhile, Jo Min-jin had begun trembling even more violently after locking eyes with her.

"Welcome."

The woman glided toward the windows lining the banquet hall, peering down at the view below as she continued speaking.

"This is paradise."

Her voice carried an indescribable, mystical power—low, smooth, and unhurried, yet impossible to ignore.

"Do you see that peaceful sight?"

Beyond the window stretched a serene cityscape.

"Famine, drought, crime, poverty... The people here have long forgotten such grim words."

She turned back, her tone growing impassioned.

"Children play without a care in the world. Adults work only if they desire to."

Her eyes swept across the gathered hunters.

"And yet, no one goes hungry. Everyone is guaranteed warm meals and comfortable beds each night."

A sly smile curled her lips.

"Quite different from your world, isn't it?"

Just then, a ding! echoed in Kang-jun's ears as several system messages flashed before his eyes.

[The deity of the Asgard Star Cluster, the Keeper of the Twisted Underworld 'Hel', sneers openly at you for walking right into her trap.]

[The deity of the Asgard Star Cluster, the Keeper of the Twisted Underworld 'Hel', activates her divine authority: 'Honeyed Lies' (SS-rank).]

[The deity of the Asgard Star Cluster, the Keeper of the Twisted Underworld 'Hel', warns that you will soon lose all your companions.]

Kang-jun's brow furrowed. "This bitch..." he muttered under his breath.

Then—Ding! Ding!—another flurry of messages appeared.

[Conditions met! Hidden Piece activated!]

[Hidden Piece: Debate with Hel.]

Hel, the deity who rules over Niflheim's underworld, is renowned for her silver tongue.

She has resolved to ensnare you and your companions with her honeyed words!

Can you triumph in this war of words and protect those dear to you?

※ Upon success, this event will merge with your existing myth, "The One Who Shattered Niflheim's Barrier," and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠evolve into a new legend.

Kang-jun glanced at the other hunters, but they remained silent, enraptured by Hel's speech. The messages seemed visible only to him.

No—

Hel herself had paused, her eyes fixed on empty air as if reading something. After a moment, she turned back to Kang-jun with a knowing smirk.

'Don't tell me... she got one too.'

It seemed she had received a similar prompt.

What reward had the system dangled before her?

Countless theories tangled in his mind. Had other gods grown stronger this way—forging myths and absorbing divine power?

'One thing's clear...'

Hel had likely been lured into this confrontation just as he had.

Perhaps she had orchestrated this from the start—to steal his divine authority or title.

'A battle of words, huh...'

The system demanded he defeat her in debate.

But Kang-jun was no silver-tongued orator. His life had never required persuasion—only force.

'This is bad.'

Though he'd need to hear more to be certain, the odds were stacked against him.

This had been a trap all along.

Her desperate pleas for him to leave after he shattered the barrier, her groveling apologies—all to lure him into this game.

'Not entirely unexpected, though.'

He'd prepared for this possibility.

"Pathetic, isn't it?"

Hel struck first.

"Your world. It's utterly pathetic, no?"

She strode forward, stopping directly before Kang Sung-hyun's impassive face.

"Disaster lurks around every corner. You fight for your lives daily."

"Well—"

"And why? Because without you, that wretched world has no one else capable of defending it."

Her gaze swept the room.

"Yet do any of those you've saved truly appreciate your sacrifices?"

Madness seeped into her voice.

"Your nobility has become expected—an obligation they feel entitled to."

She poured herself a glass of wine, took a sip, and continued leisurely.

"That is why I call your world pathetic."

The liquid sloshed thickly as she swirled the glass.

"What's the point?"

Her voice trembled.

"Why devote yourselves to such ungrateful wretches?"

Shivering with fervor, she whispered,

"How pitiful..."

Then, softer:

"I wish to save you."

Kang Sung-hyun frowned. "Save us?"

"How does this place appear to you?"

"It's—"

"Infinitely peaceful. Prosperous. Beyond comparison to your world."

Her smile widened.

"I am Hel, ruler of this paradise."

She settled into the head seat, her voice a velvet murmur.

"I promise to ensure you live here—happy, peaceful, eternally."

A murmur rippled through the hall. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"No more life-or-death struggles. You'll never raise a weapon again."

Her words were syrup, dripping with temptation.

"No more stench of blood. Only fine food, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wine, and comfort."

A few hunters' eyes flickered—those weary of their relentless existence.

Hunters were, in truth, glorified cannon fodder.

Celebrated as stars by the media, yet disposable as flies.

What use was glory before death? What value did wealth hold then?

How many could endure this life with sanity intact?

Bleeding, breaking, suffering—only to return to the frontlines before their wounds healed.

If they weren't exhausted, that would be strange.

"Hasn't it been agony?"

Hel, the Keeper ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the Twisted Underworld, pressed ruthlessly.

"By what right does your world demand such sacrifice?"

Even S-rank hunters might be trapped—forced into this life by talent they never chose.

Branded selfish for refusing to waste their gifts.

"Do you truly wish to die like moths—for those unworthy of salvation?"

Her face twisted in mock horror.

"You believe you're living, but you're just... slowly dying, aren't you?"

A benevolent sigh.

"I only wish for noble souls like yours to be cherished as you deserve."

Her lips curled into a bloody smile.

"Here. In paradise."

Yoon Hee-soo's voice cut through the silence.

"And why offer such generosity?"

Hel didn't flinch.

"Can't a goddess simply care?" she purred.

"You are all far too noble and sacred beings to be endlessly sacrificed in such a wretched world."

Some hunters began to visibly waver.

"I think I'd rather stay here and start a new life. My family's already gone because of those damn Gates—what's the point in going back anyway...?"

"Me too..."

"I'm sick to death of life-or-death battles. Honestly, I've wanted to quit this thankless hero act for a long time now..."

Just then, Go Du-yeol, veins bulging on his forehead, roared:

"What the hell kind of weak-willed nonsense is this—?!"

If there was one small mercy, it was that there were still some like Du-yeol—people who hadn't lost their rational minds.

"This doesn't add up."

Yoon Hee-soo, the Swift Blade, rested her hand lightly on the hilt of her sword and continued:

"If this place is truly the paradise you claim, why does it exist inside a Calamity-grade Gate?"

Hela, however, showed no change in expression as she smoothly countered:

"Perhaps it is the divine will that only those worthy of salvation may set foot in 'paradise'..."

Trailing off, she added with effortless eloquence:

"Most would call this a 'privilege.' And given that you've made it this far, you've more than earned it."

With that, she picked up a fork and knife, her tone dripping with saccharine sweetness.

"I would never force you to stay. I'm merely offering a gentle suggestion out of concern."

Then, as she sliced into the steak on her plate, she casually added:

"You must all be starving. Why not eat first, and we can continue our discussion afterward?"

She speared a piece of steak with her fork, popped it into her mouth, and chewed with relish.

One hunter, unable to resist, grabbed his own utensils and babbled in a feverish rush:

"Yeah, let's just eat first—"

At that moment, a system message flashed before Kang-jun's eyes.

[ The divine entity The Giant with Stitched Lips is delighted. ]

[ The divine entity The Flame Giant Who Craves Ruin roars with laughter. ]

[ The divine entity The Thunder None Can Withstand gnaws at its nails. ]

Kang-jun swiped the messages away with a flick of his hand and muttered:

"Silver-tongued devil..."

All eyes turned to him.

"Words won't cut it."

Another flurry of messages appeared.

[ The Giant with Stitched Lips mocks you, asking if you admit defeat. ]

[ The Flame Giant Who Craves Ruin clutches its stomach, howling with laughter. ]

[ The Thunder None Can Withstand shouts that you can do this. ]

(Why the hell was that thunder bastard always cheering him on?)

Regardless—

Kang-jun slammed his fist onto the table with all his might.

KWA-BOOOOOM!

The table—crafted from fine wood, meticulously sawed and planed—split cleanly in half. Plates, silverware, and food scattered across the floor.

"KYAAAAAH—!"

The maids shrieked, covering their ears and curling into trembling balls.

"Touch the food, and you die."

The hunters gulped in unison, suffocated by the sheer pressure radiating from Kang-jun.

"And I don't mean I'll kill you. I mean you'll actually drop dead."

Hela's voice rose in outrage.

"You've just violated the Rules!"

"What rules?"

"Only words may decide the—"

Kang-jun cut her off with a scoff.

"Bullshit."

"Y-You—!"

"Did I hit you?"

He picked up a fallen knife.

"What 'force' did I use, huh? What's the big deal?"

"But—"

"And what's it to you if I do use force?"

Hela, barely containing her fury, shrieked:

"Because the Creator God's laws are absolute—!"

Another wave of system messages flooded in.

[ The Giant with Stitched Lips vehemently demands the Creator God's intervention. ]

[ The Flame Giant Who Craves Ruin rages at the injustice. ]

[ The Thunder None Can Withstand defends you, claiming you were merely emotional. ]

Kang-jun scanned the hunters and sighed.

"Ah, you idiots..."

Not one could muster a reply, their lips trembling silently.

"You've all suffered so much 'protecting the world.'"

A heavy silence followed.

"I'm hardly one to talk, hiding in the shadows while you played heroes..."

Unbeknownst to him, his voice carried the same compelling force as Hela's—an inexplicable magnetism that seized attention.

"Just endure a little longer, even if it's hell."

His words were firm.

"The world's never been fair. But looking back, you'll laugh it off eventually."

Then, he added:

"And I've seen it."

He'd seen children clamoring for action figures modeled after these hunters, toys replicating their weapons.

"I've seen the peace you've upheld. Even my own daughter nags me for hunter merch..."

No matter how dangerous the world became—Gates, monsters—people still commuted to work, ate out, drank coffee, chatted. They lived their lives.

"So, thank you."

He glanced at the knife in his hand—a blunt steak knife.

He was no orator. But seeing was believing, right?

Time to show them the truth. Surely even the Creator God would accept this as evidence.

"Sorry, but it's time to face the fucking truth."

With that, Kang-jun hurled the knife straight at Hela's forehead.

THWACK!

The blade buried itself deep. Hela toppled backward, crashing to the floor.

"W-What the—?!"

"H-How—?!"

"Hey! What did you just do?!"

Amid the uproar, Kang-jun said flatly:

"This isn't paradise."

Then, quieter:

"It's a far shittier world."

He murmured, "Let's go home..." before continuing:

"I've spent countless nights longing to return to that 'wretched' world."

His gaze swept over them.

"You must have your own reasons to go back."

He didn't know their stories, but his words were sincere.

"So, let's go home."

As he finished—

"■■■, you've finally..."

The thin veil enveloping the world began to peel away, revealing the truth.

"You've raised your blade against me too..."

With a sickening riiiip, Hela's face split open, exposing her true visage—half alive, half necrotic, a being between life and death.

"My father's nemesis..."

She wrenched the knife from her forehead and snarled:

"The sworn enemy of my kin, Jörmungandr..."

A dark, unfathomable energy erupted from her, strangling the air.

"You—a fool who seized the title ■■■ merely by catching the Creator God's eye..."

The opulent banquet hall warped into a tower of bones, piled high with corpses. The beautiful maids melted into grotesque revenants, their flesh sloughing off. Even the idyllic cityscape beyond the windows twisted into a nightmarish hellscape.

—Just let me rest...

—Peace...

—Eternal peace...

The voices of the dead and vengeful spirits filled the air.

"You've defied the Creator God's laws! Now you'll lose everything and vanish into oblivion!"

She screamed at the heavens:

"Creator God, deliver your judgment—!"

But nothing happened.

"What the hell are you on about?"

Kang-jun scratched his ear, unimpressed. He blew on his fingertip and added:

"And..."

His eyes swept over the countless spirits and wraiths crowding the underworld.

"Pretty sure this is my home turf?"

He meant every word.