Absolute One's First Time Being a Dad - Episode 97

It happened in the blink of an eye.

"Good heavens...."

The hunters, as if they had all made a pact, stared up at Ouroboros with their mouths agape, unable to even think of closing them.

The sheer size of the creature was so immense that the mere thought of standing against it was unthinkable.

Only its head had poked through the sudden rift in space, yet it blotted out the entire sky.

"If just its head is that massive...."

One hunter muttered under his breath, swallowing hard before trailing off, then continued in a dazed voice.

"Then how big must its ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠body be...."

That's when it happened.

Sluuuurp....

Ouroboros, having swallowed Yamata-no-Orochi whole in one gulp, raised its head high.

Something enormous lodged in Ouroboros' throat squirmed violently, the sight unmistakable.

Squirm! Squirm!

Yamata-no-Orochi, sensing its impending death, was putting up a final struggle from within.

But with each gulp! that followed, Ouroboros' throat convulsed several times....

Sluuuuurp....

Ouroboros, its long tongue flicking in and out, suddenly spat out a single sword onto the ground.

"A sword?"

As Kang-jun approached the fallen blade, the hunters instinctively parted to make way....

Just as Kang-jun picked up the sword, still dripping with venom, and examined it closely—

Ding!

[Your authority, 'Mythography' (EX-grade), has been activated.]

[The Creator God has begun writing your myth.]

Once again, the story echoed forth.

「The mightiest serpent in the world, Ouroboros, obeyed its master ■■■'s command and devoured Yamata-no-Orochi whole...」

「From Yamata-no-Orochi's eight tails, it retrieved the sword hidden within the hardest eighth tail and presented it to its master.」

Kang-jun muttered under his breath.

"Spoils of war...."

Still facing Ouroboros, Kang-jun wiggled his fingers in a beckoning motion.

Ouroboros, like an obedient dog, gingerly lowered its head toward him.

"Good job."

Kang-jun gently stroked the serpent's scales before adding,

"Go back now."

With just those words, the colossal serpent withdrew into the rift and vanished without a trace....

"A summon? A tamer...?"

Nuclear Samurai, Japan's top-ranked S-grade hunter, who had been watching the spectacle with a dumbfounded expression, cautiously asked,

"W-Who are you?"

The young man before him had single-handedly taken down what was presumed to be this gate's 'boss monster'—the very creature that had subdued him with just a casual wave.

Even when the combined forces of both nations' vanguard teams struggled against the eight-headed serpent, this man had annihilated it in an instant.

In truth, the suppression of this Calamity-grade gate in Oda City, Shimane Prefecture, was entirely his doing.

Was such a thing even possible?

It shouldn't have been.

At least, not by any conventional understanding.

Though he frequently interacted with top-tier hunters from various nations, he couldn't think of anyone capable of such a feat.

Then.

Kang-jun turned his head slightly and fixed Nuclear Samurai with an indifferent stare.

Their gazes locked in midair, tangling and clashing....

Nuclear Samurai felt crushed under the sheer pressure, as if a giant were looming over him.

"Listen carefully."

Kang-jun spoke.

"This is your achievement."

With that, Kang-jun glanced at Jung Yoon-chan.

Yoon-chan gave a slight nod and replied quietly,

"I'll handle it."

Kang-jun patted Yoon-chan's shoulder and said,

"Keep their mouths shut."

"Understood...."

"Then I'll be going."

In an instant, Kang-jun leaped into the air, landing lightly on Naglfar, which hovered weightlessly above.

Zzzzzzzzz....

Naglfar tore through space once more with its bow, sailing unhindered into the rift.

At that moment.

The same system message appeared before every hunter present.

[The gate 'Heavenly Calamity's Nest' will soon disappear.]

It was the standard notification that appeared upon successfully suppressing a gate....

"Could everyone gather for a moment?"

This was the only opportunity for the vanguard team to convene and discuss matters discreetly.

Sensing their limited time, Jung Yoon-chan cut straight to the point.

"The suppression of this Calamity-grade gate must be credited to our 'vanguard team' of hunters."

It was time for damage control.

"It has to be."

Same time.

"Status."

While riding Naglfar back to Korea, Kang-jun decided to check his status screen for the first time in a while.

The reason? The system message he'd glimpsed after defeating Susanoo.

[A new authority has been unlocked.]

With a ding!, a translucent window appeared before him.

"Let's see...."

Kang-jun skimmed through the lengthy status screen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠until he found the newly unlocked 'authority.'

[Calamity (EX)]

By expending divine power, you can summon disasters such as thunderstorms, typhoons, and tidal waves in a designated area.

"Oh."

Kang-jun let out an impressed hum.

"Now this is a godly authority...."

Pleased with the unexpected gain, he then examined the sword obtained from Yamata-no-Orochi.

[Chojigenken (Grass-Cutting Sword)]

Grade: EX

Description: One of Takamagahara's 'Three Sacred Treasures,' this divine sword was embedded in Yamata-no-Orochi's eighth tail. Legend states only divine beings or their vessels can wield it.

Unique Effects: 3.

After reading the description, Kang-jun channeled divine power into the hilt.

Ziiiiing....

The blade shimmered with an eerie blue light as he gave it an experimental swing.

Swoooosh....

A faint afterimage trailed the sword's path before fading slowly.

"Not bad for misdirection...."

Amused, Kang-jun accelerated his swings, executing a few modified sword techniques.

They were adaptations of the demonic swordplay used by the Heavenly Demon he'd once fought to the death.

Swish, sw-swish, swswswswswish!

For an instant, it seemed as though dozens of blades were swinging simultaneously—

The first effect, Phantom Blade.

Next, Kang-jun pointed the tip forward and thrust, releasing a trickle of divine power.

The second effect, Extending Blade.

Swish—!

The blade bent like a serpent lunging forward, then straightened, its length extending several handspans before returning to its original form.

"I like this effect too..."

In life-and-death battles, the difference between victory and defeat, between survival and death, often came down to a single inch.

Even just this one effect alone had plenty of practical uses, but combining it with the first effect would elevate its versatility even further.

This was the second effect—Serpent Blade.

Finally, Kang-jun lightly nicked the tip of his own finger with the edge of the sword, testing the potency of the venom that began to seep in.

"Oof, damn."

He let out a low mutter of admiration.

"Stings a little..."

A single drop of this poison could kill even a giant, but his body was immune to even the deadliest toxins—so all he felt was a slight sting.

Originally, Yamata-no-Orochi's venom was so potent that just touching it would melt a target in the blink of an eye.

"Pretty useful, huh..."

With that, Kang-jun tossed the Chojigenken into Naglfar's cabin as casually as if it were a piece of junk.

Clang, clang, clink—

At the end of the day, Kang-jun wasn't the type to rely heavily on weapons. To him, this was just a "decent sword."

"Wonder if I'll ever need to use it."

### Meanwhile

At the Snow White Daycare Center in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, an unprecedented emergency was unfolding.

The moment news of the Gate outbreak spread, a retractable dome—capable of withstanding even heavy bombardment—sealed the building shut.

Surrounding the daycare was Black Mamba, Korea's top-ranked Hunter security firm, contracted exclusively to protect Snow White.

Inside the spacious auditorium, hundreds of children sat huddled together, laughing and chatting as they watched cartoons on a large screen.

One of the teachers quickly scanned the room before lowering her voice to a whisper, addressing her colleagues.

"Honestly... this might be the safest place in all of Seoul right now."

Ever since news broke of a Calamity-grade Gate appearing in neighboring Japan—and the subsequent announcement of its suppression—the daycare had remained lively.

Thanks to the calm and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠composed guidance of the teachers, the children maintained a cheerful atmosphere, as if they were on a field trip.

And the teachers themselves, following the meticulously prepared Emergency Response Manual, were able to stay composed—unlike in other disaster scenarios.

"I heard the dome covering our building is made from Otherworld minerals..."

"Rumor has it the cost was so astronomical that only a few government buildings have them installed..."

"Not to mention, we've got Black Mamba, the top-ranked security firm in the industry, guarding the perimeter..."

In fact, among the teachers and parents, there was even a joke going around: "The day Snow White Daycare becomes unsafe is the day the world ends."

"Whew. I was really worried when I heard it was a Calamity-grade Gate, but thankfully, nothing happened."

Now that the Gate had been suppressed, all that remained was to assist the children as their parents arrived for pickup.

Then, the teacher who had first spoken up suddenly remembered something and turned to Lee Ji-hee, a rookie teacher in charge of the Love Class.

"Oh, right. Ji-hee, about Seol from your class..."

Ji-hee tilted her head slightly. "Seol?"

"I heard she's from an extremely high-ranking family?"

"Really?"

"Just look at her outfits when she comes to daycare."

When Ji-hee gave her a puzzled look, the teacher glanced around before whispering again.

"Most days, her outfits cost well into the thousands..."

Ji-hee gasped. "Th-thousands?!"

Another teacher chimed in. "You didn't know? On days she carries her Hermès Kids Birkin, it's probably in the millions..."

Ji-hee's mind went blank as she tried to calculate how many years of her salary that would take.

"What about her parents?"

At that question, Ji-hee immediately recalled Seol's father.

"He's... incredibly polite."

Seol's father always arrived in casual workout clothes, yet his manners were so impeccable it almost made her feel self-conscious.

The other teachers' eyes widened in unison. "Really? Really?"

They began sharing their own observations.

The only real standout traits were his youth and striking good looks compared to other parents.

Ah.

Come to think of it, Seol was from a single-parent household.

Hadn't they said her mother passed away during childbirth?

That might be why Seol talked about her dad so much.

Ji-hee had heard the story about "making pizza with Dad" at least a hundred times.

"Most high-ranking parents are insufferably overbearing, but this is surprising..."

"Right? Like, the way he dotes on his kid is next level..."

"Ji-hee, remember when you gave a candy to a kid and had to write an apology letter?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. 'Only organic snacks prepared by our dedicated patissier'..."

Then another teacher spoke up.

"I heard the reason so many S-rank Hunters showed up on enrollment day was because of Seol..."

"I heard that too."

"Plus, the rumor that the director visits every day just to check on Seol? They say he only peeks into the Love Class..."

This rumor had started because Kazan made it a habit to visit daily, quietly observing Seol's class before leaving.

"And didn't someone say the director prostrated himself in front of Seol during enrollment?"

Another teacher scoffed. "Okay, that's too much..."

Just then—

"You—Young Lady...!"

The auditorium doors swung open, and a goblin in a crisp tuxedo and monocle stepped in, frantically scanning the room.

"Director?!"

It was none other than Kazan.

"Director, you're here?"

The teachers bowed in unison, but Kazan didn't even acknowledge them. His eyes bulged as he shouted in near-panic.

"Where—Where is Seol from the Love Class?!"

The teachers exchanged glances—

"Gobwin Uncle!"

From the back of the room, Seol—who had been watching cartoons—suddenly spotted Kazan and came running over.

"Young Lady, are you unharmed?!"

Kazan's eyes welled up with tears as he asked. Seol simply nodded. "Mm!"

THUD!

Without warning, Kazan dropped to his knees and kowtowed before her, his voice trembling.

"I apologize for arriving so late..."

The teachers' jaws dropped in shock.

"Uncle, why you bow again...?"

Then, the doors opened once more.

"Princess."

At the voice behind her, Seol spun around. "Daddy—!"

She sprinted straight into Kang-jun's arms, burying herself in his embrace.

"You've arrived..."

Kazan bowed deeply to Immortal, and Kang-jun responded with a slight nod before turning his attention elsewhere.

"Seol, wait a sec."

Gently setting her down, Kang-jun turned to Lee Ji-hee, Seol's homeroom teacher, and bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle.

"Thank you for today as well..."

The sheer irony of the situation—where the director was groveling, yet this parent was bowing respectfully to her—left Ji-hee's mind completely blank.

"Uh, ah, no, I mean—"

This was her first year teaching.

Lee Ji-hee's thoughts short-circuited.