Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood Episode 81

That evening.

Inside the newly built villa in Yeoksam-dong—the new home for Kang-jun and his family—the calm voice of a young news anchor quietly filled the air.

- Today, the World Awakened Association officially announced the complete disappearance of the 'Calamity-grade Gate' in New Delhi, India.

- Since the emergence of the Gate phenomenon worldwide, this particular Gate had caused the most significant property damage and loss of life...

- In response, the association has pledged to accelerate investigations and research into the spontaneous disappearance of multiple Gates...

Seated on the plush leather sofa while watching the news, Lee Soo-bin let out an impressed "Wow..." before murmuring to herself.

"What a relief..."

Then, with a cheerful tone, she patted the plump rear of Marbas, who was curled up on her lap.

"At this rate, maybe we'll be able to live peacefully again soon..."

Just then, the firmly shut bedroom door slowly creaked open, and Kang-jun stepped out.

"Where's Seol?"

At Soo-bin's hushed question, Kang-jun scooped up Marbas from her lap and answered.

"She must've been exhausted from running around all day. The moment I put her to bed after her bath, she was out like a light."

Soo-bin nodded a few times, then glanced at Kang-jun's attire and asked again.

"By the way, where are you going?"

Kang-jun was dressed in a full tracksuit, as if he were heading out somewhere.

"Just taking a short walk."

At that, Soo-bin's gaze naturally drifted to the clock hanging on the living room wall.

"A walk at this hour?"

"Just feel like walking."

"Alright, be careful..."

With Marbas tucked under one arm, Kang-jun opened the front door, then turned back to add quietly:

"Don't wait up. I might be late."

With those words, he stepped outside with Marbas in tow...

"Okay..."

Soo-bin remained seated, her expression unusually serious, staring blankly at the front door long after Kang-jun had left.

"Hmm..."

Her brother, who had been unreachable all day, had only shown up in a frantic rush after the entrance ceremony had already begun.

And though she couldn't fathom how, he had arrived with a procession of top-ranked Hunters in tow.

When she asked what was going on, he simply said Kim Bong-gu and Go Du-yeol had brought them along.

But really?

Soo-bin had unintentionally overheard snippets of her brother's conversation with those elite Hunters...

"We will repay ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the 'favor' you've shown us at the earliest opportunity."

Unlike the Hunters, who maintained an excessively deferential tone, her brother had spoken to them with casual indifference.

"Tch, just focus on keeping yourselves in check."

He was definitely hiding something.

She didn't know what, but...

He was definitely hiding something.

"Could it be...?"

Soo-bin's expression grew increasingly grave.

For some reason, her brother's past words resurfaced in her mind.

"I'm telling you, I was an 'emperor.'"

"Of course I was the strongest in the world."

"I'll protect you, so don't worry."

And then, the words of Choi Dol-soi and Iriel also came flooding back.

"On the Anux continent, the Lord's presence was akin to that of a god. The people prayed to him daily..."

"The Lord..."

"My primary duty as the head of the imperial household was to serve and assist the Lord at his side..."

Just as Soo-bin's thoughts deepened—

Beep, beep, beep.

The sound of the front door unlocking echoed, and Crabsley appeared with a bright smile.

"I'm back!"

"Yes, madam," Crabsley replied cheerfully, shaking a bag in his hand. "I picked up some discounted items from the convenience store. Would you care to join me for a snack?"

At that, a squeaky "Eeeek!" sounded as Iriel also emerged from her room.

"Your Grace, did you bring the 'Flame Chicken Stir-Fried Noodles'?"

"Tch, they said those weren't on clearance."

Watching their exchange, Soo-bin finally let out a soft chuckle.

'What was I even thinking...'

The crisp night air rushed into his lungs.

"Woof! Woof!"

Marbas, nestled snugly in Kang-jun's arms, wagged his stubby tail left and right, clearly in high spirits.

It had been quite a while since he had gone out alone with his master, 'Immortal.'

Tongue lolling happily, Marbas glanced up at Kang-jun and asked curiously.

"Master, where are we going?"

"Shh."

"Please tell me it's not the 'vet'..."

The 'vet' he had been dragged to by Immortal's sister not long ago was the stuff of nightmares.

That so-called veterinarian had not only jabbed him with sharp, pointy 'syringes' but also...

"Oh? He hasn't been neutered yet?"

...had the audacity to suggest castration to Immortal's sister.

Recalling the memory, Marbas shuddered involuntarily.

"We're not going to the vet."

"Then where?"

"We're almost there."

The place Kang-jun and Marbas arrived at in the dead of night was the 「Gathering of the Secret Wealthy」 building tucked away in Insa-dong Market.

"You're here."

'Swift Blade' Yoon Hee-soo, who had been waiting by the entrance, bowed respectfully.

"Let's go in."

Just then, Yoon Hee-soo's gaze drifted to Marbas, who was peeking out from Kang-jun's tracksuit.

"Oh my, where did this adorable little dog come from—"

Noticing the attention, Marbas scowled deeply and growled in a voice laced with restrained malice.

"Hey, hey, what the hell are you staring at?"

"T-The dog just talked—"

"Want me to pluck your eyeballs out?"

Completely overwhelmed, Yoon Hee-sou gasped and turned to Kang-jun in shock.

"Hey—"

Thunk!

Kang-jun flicked Marbas on the head and chided him like a misbehaving child.

"Why are you scaring people for no reason?"

Marbas sulked and whined weakly.

"But he's pissing me off..."

Even if he had lost some of his power and was now living as Kang-jun's pet, he was still one of the '72 Demons'—a ruler who once governed the entire demon realm.

'Even a fallen noble is still noble, huh...'

Marbas glared murderously at Yoon Hee-soo and snarled.

"Watch your step, punk."

Thunk!

Another flick landed on his head as Kang-jun strode ahead.

"I said stop scaring people."

With that, Kang-jun pushed open the doors of the 「Gathering of the Secret Wealthy」 building and stepped into the expansive lobby...

Yoon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hee-soo, still looking utterly bewildered, followed behind as they entered the vast lobby.

"O great Immortal...!"

A goblin in a tailored suit, stationed at the information desk, scrambled forward and bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

"I have been waiting, my lord..."

Kang-jun lightly tapped the goblin's shoulder with an indifferent expression that showed not a trace of emotion before asking:

"Where's Kazan?"

Only then did the goblin raise its head again and explain with utmost deference:

"The manager is waiting for you at the helipad prepared on the rooftop of this building."

Kang-jun gave a single nod before responding:

"Lead the way."

Following the goblin, they briefly boarded an elevator entirely lined with pure gold.

With a cheerful ding!, the elevator arrived at the top floor...

"Greetings to the great Immortal."

Kazan, impeccably dressed in his usual wrinkle-free tuxedo, bowed respectfully to Kang-jun before adding:

"I have prepared every single 'gift' that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the young miss requested without omission."

A glance revealed mountains of boxes filled with toys piled high on one side of the helipad—all the latest trending toys procured from the toy store on the first floor registered under Seol's name.

"You've worked hard."

Kang-jun casually replied before setting Marbas down on the floor—the demon who had been hiding inside his training jacket with only its head poking out.

"Alright, we're going to find someone now."

As Kang-jun finished speaking and glanced at Yoon Hee-soo, she began pulling out items one by one from her bag.

They were keepsakes—clothes her missing daughter 'Hye-soo' used to wear and toys she played with.

Kang-jun carefully placed Marbas on the floor and gestured toward the child's belongings with his chin, continuing his explanation.

"We're going to find the owner of these items. Remember the lingering scent well."

At those words, Marbas suddenly let out an "Ah!" before wagging its tail furiously and muttering in an excited tone:

"So this is finally my 'first mission'..."

Until now, the only tasks assigned to him had been essentially being a glorified babysitter for the 'little Immortal.'

'This is my chance to prove my worth to the Immortal and achieve my dream of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rising in status...'

Marbas buried his nose in the child's belongings, sniffing aggressively with a battle-ready stance—"Sniff, sniff..."

"Tracking..."

Soon, a thin, elongated crimson stream appeared before Marbas's eyes.

This was one of the unique abilities possessed solely by the Great Demon Marbas—ranked 5th among the 72 Demons of the underworld.

As long as Marbas remembered a target's scent, he could locate them anywhere across the vast abyss.

"Can you find her?"

"Of course."

"Then let's depart."

Kang-jun activated his own authority as well...

"Naglfar."

At that moment, with a CRACK!, a massive fissure tore through the air.

[ Naglfar responds to your summons. ]

The colossal warship Naglfar revealed its majestic bow once more...

Clatter!

As a ladder unfurled downward, Kang-jun turned to Kazan and said:

"Load everything aboard."

The goblins moved in perfect unison, loading the boxes of toys Seol had ordered onto Naglfar's deck...

Kang-jun scooped Marbas back into his arms, tucking him inside his training jacket before asking Yoon Hee-soo quietly:

"Shall we go meet her?"

The massive warship Naglfar could instantly arrive at Niflheim's Netherworld—the Eternal Spring of Rest under Kang-jun's dominion...

Sniff, sniff...

Guided by the crimson stream before his eyes, Marbas repeatedly directed Naglfar's path forward.

"It seems we must pass through this gorge..."

Trailing off, Marbas surveyed the scenery before him and hesitated.

The red thread indicating his target's location stretched far upstream.

"Didn't you say earlier we were looking for a person?"

"I did."

"If we continue straight, this leads to the Yellow Springs... doesn't it?"

At Kang-jun's questioning "Yellow Springs?", Marbas nodded and elaborated:

"Whether called the Sanzu River, Yellow Springs, Styx, or Jordan—the names vary..."

"And?"

"Think of it as a great river connecting all the netherworlds of the abyss."

As they sailed along the waterway, the scenery gradually began to shift.

"Is that mist...?"

Like entering a massive estuary, the river merged with a vast downstream current...

Thick fog blanketed the area, revealing jagged rocks covered in moss.

"The entrance."

Beyond, a rift resembling a Gate undulated like a heat haze.

Soon.

The moment Naglfar's bow gracefully made contact with the rift...

[ You have entered the Threshold of All Netherworlds. ]

[ The rulers of every netherworld are watching you. ]

The scenery before everyone's eyes instantly warped—

BOOOOOOM—!

Naglfar, which had been sailing along the river, abruptly crashed onto barren land, screeching as it gouged the ground.

Yoon Hee-soo, who had been staring down from the deck, swallowed dryly before turning to Kang-jun:

"Th-those things swarming toward us... Is this really okay?"

Thousands of indistinct shadows were rapidly surging toward Naglfar.

"Wraiths."

Yoon Hee-soo studied the creatures Kang-jun called wraiths again.

She couldn't tell what they were, but handling that sheer number seemed impossible.

Then Kang-jun unzipped his training jacket, pulled out Marbas, and said:

"Puppy."

Marbas was already drooling as if eyeing prey.

Grrrr...

Kang-jun tossed him overboard before adding quietly:

"Eat up."

Soon, a dark aura began coalescing around Marbas as he landed—

From within the thick fog, his voice rumbled ominously:

"Ah... how long has it been since my last meal...?"

As the poisonous mist cleared, the being that had been a Doberman puppy mere moments ago revealed his true form.

A demon of towering, muscular stature with a canine head and eerie crimson eyes glowing fiercely—the Great Demon Marbas, ranked 5th among the 72 Demons who once ruled the underworld, had fully unveiled his original appearance.

"You shall pay with death for daring to obstruct the path of the great Immortal...!"

Yoon Hee-soo instinctively stepped back, overwhelmed, prompting Kang-jun to scoff.

"Why so surprised?"

"Huh?"

"He's the lowest rank in our household."

Yoon Hee-soo blinked. "Then who's first...?"

Kang-jun cut her off. "Obviously Seol."

Then, carnage unfolded.

"KHAHAHAHAHA—!"

Like a wolf unleashed among sheep, Marbas rampaged through the wraiths...

With every swipe of his claws, dozens of wraiths were torn apart.

He snatched the shredded remnants, devouring them with savage crunches.

With each wraith consumed, Marbas's size grew progressively larger.

"A flavor rivaling the braised pork ribs personally prepared by the Immortal's sister...!"

It was a time of gluttony.