Chapter 92: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Absolute Dad 92
Absolute Dad Episode 92
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
A massive helicopter cut through the skies above Oda City in Shimane Prefecture, Japan—the site where the Calamity-grade Gate had manifested.
Inside the helicopter sat South Korea's S-rank hunters, dispatched as reinforcements for the crisis.
"This is taking longer than I expected."
Seol Eun-bin, the Ice Witch, murmured under her breath. Jung Yoon-chan nodded in agreement.
"The typhoon forced us to reroute."
Under normal circumstances, the flight from Seoul to Shimane Prefecture would have taken no more than two hours, even accounting for the helicopter's limited speed.
But the violent typhoon swirling around the Calamity-grade Gate had forced them to take a detour.
"We should be almost there..."
Seol Eun-bin trailed off as she peered through the window, her eyes locking onto the faint outline of the Gate shimmering ominously over the water's surface.
"It's... overwhelming."
True to its classification, the Calamity-grade Gate exuded an aura of sheer, unfathomable dread.
And beyond that rift—
A torrent of malevolent energy, so thick it defied description, was seeping into the world.
"Hey, um..."
Seol Eun-bin hesitated, glancing around at the other hunters before speaking again.
"Would it be so bad to... politely ask him for help?"
Not a single person in the helicopter needed clarification on who he was.
Yet, the moment she finished speaking, the atmosphere inside the cabin plunged into icy silence.
"Well..."
Go Du-yeol was the first to respond.
"Even if we did ask for his help, I think we should at least try fighting it ourselves first."
The sheer oppressive aura radiating from the Gate was enough to send chills down their spines. Even Go Du-yeol, despite his confidence, couldn't help but feel a flicker of intimidation.
But asking for help before even attempting to fight? That just didn't sit right with him.
"We face it like warriors first."
Kang Sung-hyun chimed in.
"Agreed."
Then he added,
"And if it is truly beyond us, he'll step in on his own. We wouldn't even need to ask."
His mind flashed back to the conversation he'd had with Kang-jun upon returning from New Delhi—the same day he'd unwittingly attended a child's school entrance ceremony.
"I'm curious about the 'direction' your power will take."
To which Kang-jun had replied:
"My power will be used for my own desires."
And then, with utter calm:
"Preserving the peace before my eyes is also part of those desires."
The look in Kang-jun's eyes as he watched his daughter had been unmistakable—
The gaze of a beast fiercely protective of its young.
And in that moment, Kang Sung-hyun had known:
As long as that child exists, peace will endure.
'Right...'
If the Calamity-grade Gate before them truly posed a threat to that peace—
Then the man who claimed to have no interest in playing the hero would undoubtedly move to protect what was his.
"We've arrived."
The pilot's voice crackled through their headsets, signaling their arrival.
The helicopter began its descent, roaring as it lowered toward the landing zone.
Same time.
"We cannot comply."
Inside the emergency command center, tensions had reached a boiling point.
"As the Minister of General Affairs stated, it would be prudent to wait until all hunters from the allied nations arrive before entering the Gate."
The speaker was Genji of the Shadows, Japan's 3rd-ranked S-rank hunter, his tone unyielding.
Nuclear Samurai, leading the emergency council, furrowed his brow.
"You know as well as I do that we don't have the luxury of waiting. The situation is critical."
The Calamity-grade Gate hovering over the sea had already expanded to the point where it could unleash monsters at any moment.
The second wave of hunters needed to enter now—
Yet a faction of hunters with close ties to the Ministry of Finance kept obstructing the operation under the guise of "national interest."
"No. We must wait."
Genji's voice was firm as he scanned the room, addressing the gathered hunters.
"According to the footage of Oni Minami's return, the Gate's boss monster appears to possess intelligence."
"Yes, likely..."
"It was even desperately searching for someone. That suggests there may be room for negotiation."
Every hunter present had seen the footage of Oni Minami's return.
"■■■, where are you?"
The voice alone had been suffocating in its menace.
"I will grant you time."
It was the voice of an apex predator, one that sat unchallenged at the top of the food chain.
"If you fail to bring '■■■' before me before my patience runs out, I will erase this entire dimension without a trace."
If they couldn't bring this person, annihilation awaited.
But if they could...
Then the monster might leave without further destruction.
Nuclear Samurai, however, scoffed.
"So you're suggesting we negotiate with a Calamity-grade Gate's boss monster? That's absurd."
Genji remained unfazed.
"It's worth attempting."
Then he added pointedly:
"Your plan, on the other hand, is reckless."
"The word you're looking for is pragmatic."
The two locked eyes, the air between them crackling with tension.
"Even if we do suppress the Gate, losing our hunters will weaken Japan's national power."
"Why are you all so fixated on the aftermath when we haven't even entered the Gate yet—?"
"If the situation is truly that dire, then you and your Shogun Guild hunters can enter first to buy time."
Genji's lips curled into a mocking smile as he added:
"Apologies, but I have zero interest in playing the sacrificial lamb."
His gaze swept over the other hunters before he continued lazily:
"It would be far more efficient—and logical—to let the allied hunters act as shields before we move in."
Nuclear Samurai slammed his fist on the table with a BANG!
"How can you—in a crisis like this—!"
He turned to the Shogun Guild hunters, his voice grave.
"Prepare to deploy."
Then, firmly:
"We will buy the time."
The Shogun Guild hunters rose in unison, responding with a resounding, "Yes, sir!"
Meanwhile, Genji muttered under his breath:
"Ugh, just drop dead already..."
He lit a cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
Most hunters aligned with the Ministry of Finance despised Nuclear Samurai.
The man hogged the public's adoration—like a thorn in their side.
This situation was no different.
Oni Minami, the 2nd-ranked hunter, had returned a broken woman, and her Oni Slayer Guild had been wiped out.
Yet here he was, preaching about charging in first to buy time.
Disgusting.
"Ah, wait..."
A wicked thought crossed Genji's mind, and he smirked.
'With Oni Minami broken, if Nuclear Samurai dies too...'
Wouldn't that make him Japan's top-ranked hunter?
"Then how about this?"
He suddenly spoke up, his tone dripping with false magnanimity.
"The rest of you can wait for the allied reinforcements..."
Then, with a dramatic turn toward Nuclear Samurai, he declared:
"Meanwhile, I will join you and the Shogun Guild in entering the Gate."
"What—?"
"My guild, the Shadow Corps, will also enter and help buy time."
Nuclear Samurai eyed him suspiciously.
"Why the sudden change?"
Genji took a long drag from his cigarette before exhaling slowly.
"I was moved by your unwavering sense of justice."
As he spoke, his fingers brushed against the Return Stone hidden in his coat pocket.
'Killing Awakened ones still grants EXP.'
His plan was simple:
Enter the Gate with Nuclear Samurai and the Shogun Guild.
Wait until they were exhausted.
Then—
Slit their throats and reap the rewards.
'Deaths inside a Gate are common. No one would investigate.'
Especially not in a Calamity-grade Gate—an event that could annihilate nations.
'Who would even bother?'
Once the deed was done, he'd use the Return Stone to escape with his guild members.
'After that, just shed a few crocodile tears for the cameras. Mourn the "brave hunters." Easy.'
Satisfied with his scheme, Genji let out a low, sinister chuckle—
Click.
A Ministry of Finance official burst into the tent, urgency in his voice.
"The Korean hunters have arrived."
Nuclear Samurai nodded.
"Good timing."
Then, curtly:
"Bring them in."
Genji's eyes gleamed with hidden delight.
Soon, South Korea's S-rank hunters began filing into the tent.
Genji puffed on his cigarette, studying them with a predator's gaze.
'If I can manipulate them into entering the Gate...'
He swallowed hard, his mind racing.
'Not only will I gain massive EXP, but Korea's national power will plummet with the loss of their top hunters.'
They'd lose diplomatic leverage, leaving them no choice but to rely on Japan for future Gate suppression.
'Perfect.'
With a wolf's grin hidden beneath a sheep's smile, Genji stood and greeted them warmly.
"Thank you all for coming. I know this was a difficult decision—your support means everything."
To him, these S-rank hunters were nothing more than walking EXP.