Chapter 77: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Absolute One's First Time Being a Dad Chapter 77
With Kang-jun's single utterance, the entire world was painted in new colors.
It was a sight so breathtaking that calling it picturesque would be an understatement...
And in that moment, everyone present was utterly transfixed.
[■■■ thought:]
The words resonated in the ears of all present.
["The eternal winter that has descended upon Niflheim certainly pairs well with the word 'death'..."]
["The seasonal cold where all life plunges headlong toward death resembles 'death' itself..."]
The indistinguishable voice—or perhaps living text—continued unabated.
["However, I found it too cruel."]
Kang-jun's gaze swept across the entire world.
["For those who arrived here having lost everything, this cold was far too merciless."]
["Thus, I envisioned 'spring.'"]
["A season brimming with vitality, where the wind carries warmth against the skin and vibrant flowers bloom across abandoned fields."]
The fragrance of flowers blossomed in every direction.
["This place has been established as the warmest location across all the underworlds of the Abyss..."]
["This world, once simply abbreviated as 'underworld,' has now claimed a new name."]
The entire Abyss resonated.
["The new name for this world is..."]
『Eternal Spring of Repose』
["This is ■■■'s new myth."]
All eyes turned to Kang-jun.
["Another chapter turns."]
["The 'void' welcomes ■■■."]
Then Kang-jun spoke.
"Aren't you leaving?"
His question, delivered with perfect nonchalance, was directed at the hunters still frozen in place.
"Since we're pretty much done here, we should head back."
With that, Kang-jun was the first to begin walking toward the rift leading back to the outside world...
"We should also—"
Kang Sung-hyun, who had been about to say something, paused and looked at Yoon Hee-soo, who was wearing a deliberately sorrowful expression.
"What's wrong?"
Yoon Hee-soo kept turning his head as if searching for someone.
"If this is where the dead come..."
"Then?"
"Wouldn't our 'Hye-soo' be here somewhere?"
At the mention of his daughter, who had died in a gate accident, Kang Sung-hyun hesitated, his lips moving soundlessly.
"Wouldn't that person know?"
When Yoon Hee-soo asked while looking at Kang-jun's retreating figure, Kang Sung-hyun muttered softly, "Well..."
"Just who is he...?"
Though they knew nothing about the man's identity, it was clear he was someone capable of performing what could only be called 'miracles.'
Hadn't even the overwhelmingly powerful boss monster of a Calamity-grade gate chosen to end its own life rather than defy his words?
With a single utterance from him, not only had the terrain changed at will, but the very color of an entire dreary world had been completely inverted.
'We could sense a level of authority that we could never hope to match, no matter how hard we trained in our lifetimes...'
It was obvious he had reached an unfathomable realm they could never attain, even if they devoted their entire lives to it.
[This gate will soon disappear.]
At that moment, a system message bearing the same content appeared before everyone's eyes, and Kang Sung-hyun patted her shoulder, forcing a composed tone.
"Let's go back for now."
It was time to return.
The moment they exited the gate, several cryptic system messages began appearing before Kang-jun's eyes.
[Due to your intervention, the 'scenario' of the Asgard Star Cluster is undergoing major revisions.]
[The 'Scheduled Day of Destruction' for the Asgard Star Cluster has been postponed indefinitely.]
[Some deities of the Asgard Star Cluster express their gratitude for delaying their destruction.]
After muttering "What is this..." Kang-jun waved away the messages floating before his eyes.
Then he pulled out his smartphone from his pocket, checked the time, and paled as he muttered.
"I'm going to be late..."
Immediately, Kang-jun turned his gaze toward where the Reclamation Team hunters were gathered, intending to hurry them along given the urgent need to return to Korea...
"It's disappearing..."
But they were all completely absorbed in watching the rift hovering in the air above the Akshardham Temple.
The 'Calamity-grade Gate'—a catastrophe that had stolen part of Southeast Asia from humanity—was gradually vanishing.
What they were witnessing wasn't just the disappearance of a Calamity-grade gate, but a faint glimmer of hope for all humanity's future.
"Suppressed..."
Kang Sung-hyun murmured softly before finally checking on his comrades' conditions.
Though there were many injured, fortunately, their wounds seemed minor.
'Everyone's returning safely...'
They had succeeded in rescuing 'Time Reaper' Jung Yoon-chan without significant losses, achieving their original objective...
And beyond that, they had even accomplished the monumental feat of suppressing a Calamity-grade gate—a triumph for all humanity.
'All thanks to that man...'
Just then, Kang-jun approached Kang Sung-hyun and asked bluntly.
"Did you call the plane?"
At this, Kang Sung-hyun licked his parched lower lip and replied cautiously.
"We just finished reporting to the Management Bureau, so it should arrive within the next five or six hours..."
Kang-jun frowned deeply.
"Running would be faster."
Then, after a moment of thought:
"Status window..."
As Kang-jun muttered into the air, several system messages appeared in succession.
[Divine Name: God Who Slays Gods]
[True Name: Lee Kang-jun (■■■)]
[Star Cluster: Unaffiliated]
[Class: Necromancer]
[Level: 59]
[Level progression has been locked.]
[Specific conditions must be met to unlock.]
【Condition: Complete the altered scenario of the Asgard Star Cluster.】
[Titles: Fate Denier (EX), Godslayer (EX), Ultimate Necromancer (SS), Demon Slayer (SS), Dragon Slayer (S), Plunderer of the World Tree (S)...]
[Strength: ???]
[Agility: ???]
[Stamina: ???]
[Mana: ???]
[Divine Power: ???]
[Bound Followers: 2]
[1. Chartia von Crabsley]
[2. Sud Ru Mardian Iriel]
[Upon reaching level 60, a new follower slot will unlock.]
[Divine Abilities]
[Mythography (EX): All your thoughts and actions are recorded as 'myth,' spreading throughout the Abyss and passed down through generations.]
[Master of the World's Strongest Serpent (EX): The world's most powerful serpent, 'Ouroboros,' awaits your call somewhere in the Abyss.]
[Voyage of Destruction (EX): You can freely navigate the great ship 'Naglfar,' which travels between the realms of the living and the dead.]
[Additional abilities will unlock as you absorb more divine power.]
The first thing to catch Kang-jun's eye was the 'Level' entry.
'Locked?'
He hadn't received any system messages related to 'Level' for a while, so it seemed certain conditions had been imposed.
'Scenario...'
To bring his former comrade and loyal follower back to Earth, he would need to steadily increase his 'Level'...
'But that's not important right now.'
Kang-jun, who usually paid no attention to his status window, had checked it to review his 'Divine Abilities.'
Until recently, his only ability had been 'Mythography,' which activated arbitrarily regardless of his will.
Now, upon inspection, he seemed to have gained two more abilities that could be activated at will and used effectively.
'Master of the World's Strongest Serpent must be the ability to summon Ouroboros...'
It seemed to be an ability acquired after slaying Jörmungandr in the recent Calamity-grade gate in Insa-dong.
Kang-jun's gaze lingered on the description of his new ability, 'Voyage of Destruction (EX).'
'This must be the new ability I gained this time...'
Having roughly organized his thoughts, Kang-jun spoke into the air, his voice imbued with divine power.
"Naglfar."
As soon as Kang-jun uttered the activation phrase, a deafening "KREEEEEEE!" echoed as the sky was torn apart...
And the massive prow of the great ship they had seen inside the Calamity-grade gate reappeared.
A long ladder unfurled from the hovering ship, swaying gently in the wind...
After climbing halfway, Kang-jun looked down at the Reclamation Team hunters and spoke softly.
"I have something important, so I'll have to go ahead."
Then, as if something was bothering him, he hesitated before asking offhandedly.
"Want a ride?"
Meanwhile.
After extensive remodeling and expansion, 'Snow White Kindergarten' had reopened for the new semester and was bustling with activity.
- We thank all prospective students and parents for coming, and now we begin Snow White Kindergarten's entrance ceremony...
The emcee's voice echoed through the auditorium...
"Kang-jun, why isn't he answering his phone...?"
Lee Soo-bin bit her nails as she spoke, and Seol pouted before asking timidly.
"Auntie, where Daddy?"
Soo-bin forced a smile and gently stroked Seol's hair.
At the moment, Seol was neatly dressed in an adorable yellow uniform reminiscent of a chick.
She had been excited all morning to show her father how she looked in her uniform, but Kang-jun wasn't answering.
"Well, I'm sure Daddy will be here soon..."
"Really?"
"If he's late, we can just take pictures to show him."
At this, Seol burst into tears.
"Daddy said he'd come... liar..."
Just then.
"Huh?"
Soo-bin turned her head sharply at the sudden voice behind her...
"Long time no see?"
The speaker was Lee Mi-yeon, the chairwoman of the Yeoksam-dong Parents' Association, with whom she had previously clashed at a café.
"My, my."
Her gaze swept over Seol.
'That's a Hermès kids' backpack made from premium fabric, and those are the limited-edition Chanel kids' shoes that sold for an exorbitant price!'
After glancing at Soo-bin's attire, she smirked and continued in a mocking tone.
"Hmm, seems like you overdid it for the entrance ceremony? I don't know how you got products even I couldn't obtain..."
Trailing off vaguely, she suddenly widened her eyes exaggeratedly and covered her mouth.
"Oops, are they imitations?"
Soo-bin retorted sharply, "Excuse me!" but Mi-yeon waved her hand dismissively and continued sarcastically.
"Oh my, it was just a joke. Why are you raising your voice and ruining the mood?"
"Listen—"
"What's wrong with you? Acting like you actually dressed your daughter in fakes?"
She looked around at the other parents nearby, laughing. "Right?"
"No fighting..."
Seol, sensing the tension, tightly gripped Soo-bin's sleeve.
"Oh, by the way, I don't see your husband. Don't tell me you came alone to your child's entrance ceremony?"
Soo-bin didn't even glance at her as she replied indifferently.
"Hmph, what business is it of yours whether I came alone or not? You're awfully nosy..."
Mi-yeon giggled and interjected.
"Well, I didn't see him last time either, so I wondered if you were a single mother struggling to raise a child alone..."
At this, Seol muttered, "Single mommy?" and Soo-bin's eyes widened.
"Why have you been like this since last time? Why keep saying such things in front of a child...?"
Mi-yeon cut her off abruptly.
"Seems there's a misunderstanding. I just thought you reminded me of my younger sister."
Then she turned to Seol.
"Sweetie, you should listen to Mommy, okay?"
"Okay?"
"It must be so hard for her to raise you alone."
Seol hesitated before answering timidly.
"She's not Mommy..."
Mi-yeon frowned deeply and began spinning her imagination.
"Oops, if she's not Mommy, then is she from a childcare facility—"
At that moment, Soo-bin shouted, eyes blazing.
"What on earth are you saying now?"
Mi-yeon looked around and raised her voice for all to hear.
"Does it make sense for children from childcare facilities to be educated in the same space as our kids?"
Murmurs spread through the crowd...
And Seol finally burst into tears.
"Waaaaah!"
Mi-yeon grew even more emboldened.
"And to think you'd dress your child in 'imitations' just to keep up appearances..."
"They were gifts!"
"Are you seriously trying to excuse that? Who would give gifts worth tens of millions—"
Just then.
"I did."
A massive man stepped between Soo-bin and Mi-yeon, his voice gruff.
"Oh, Uncle Tiger..."
It was none other than Go Du-yeol.
"Uncle Tiger gave them."
Seol, spotting Du-yeol, cried out tearfully, "Uncle!"
The crowd in the auditorium parted to make way...
Thud, thud...
The nation's top hunters, looking exhausted, began filing into the auditorium.
It was a lineup so dazzling it effortlessly captured everyone's attention.
"Isn't that Black Wolf Kang Sung-hyun?"
"Swift Blade Yoon Hee-soo is here too..."
"And Ice Witch Seol Eun-bin?"
"Even Filial Son Kim Bong-gu is here..."
"Do they have kids enrolled?"
"Safety is guaranteed, then..."
Yoon Hee-sou crouched before Seol and gently stroked her hair.
"Sweetie, remember me?"
Seol nodded.
"Mm, I remember..."
"Really? You remember me?"
"Yeah, you gave me candy..."
"So smart."
Bong-gu, who had arrived late, rushed over.
"Seol! Why are you crying?"
"Uncle..."
"Who made you cry?!"
Just then.
"What's going on...?"
At Kang-jun's voice—the last to enter—the elite hunters immediately stepped aside...
"Daddy..."
Seeing Kang-jun, Seol's sorrow welled up, and she began crying even harder.
"Who...?"
Kang-jun's icy gaze swept over everyone.
"Who made her cry...?"
The auditorium froze solid.