OT

The setting of this novel is Earth in a parallel universe.

Stunned...

Insane.

This time, there was no way I could hold back the curses. I'd sworn I'd never use doll holes or onaholes or anything of the sort — and now they wanted me to hand them over to A-jeong? What if it left her with trauma?

Ah...

I considered refusing — it wasn't a forced mission — then simply rose to my feet. So long as A-jeong wasn't hurt, no mission had ever done me harm. I accepted it.

I entered the second floor, A-jeong's residence. The layout wasn't particularly different from mine; it was just more aggressively pink, which put me off a little. I stepped straight into the master bedroom and looked around a room of identical design. The one clear difference was the absence of that deep, lingering scent of the World Tree.

"Subspace..."

Thank you.

They were such repulsive objects that I had absolutely no desire to touch them with my bare hands. And somehow the letters had already been written as well. I looked up into empty air, and the contents of those letters settled into my mind.

Focusing on the Subspace to my right, my original Subspace closed and vanished, and three boxes I had never seen before appeared inside the Subspace obtained from the future. Their exteriors were a luxurious black-and-crimson two-tone. I set the boxes on A-jeong's bed and left the room in a hurry.

Then, restless, I walked out of the building entirely.

Seeing them in the flesh is a completely different dimension from seeing them in memory.

Every time I opened Subspace, those uncanny dolls stared back — lifeless eyes fixed in permanent little smiles that sent a full-body ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crawl of revulsion through me.

I came out into the garden and could still see Kang Ho off in the distance, still crawling away even though he'd left some time ago.

Tsk... Well, the walls are four meters high and it's the middle of the night, so no one will see — but making him crawl on all fours with a collar on...

A ridiculous thought crossed my mind: maybe ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Constellation hadn't given us four-meter walls because of the monster invasion, but so we could indulge in this kind of perverted play without worrying about being seen.

I felt so stifled. Maybe it was because I still couldn't sleep as deeply as A-jeong — the faces of the twenty-two women processed into Pillows kept rising unbidden, and pity welled up with them. The miserable part was that I felt not a shred of genuine remorse. No guilt at all — only pity.

Who knew that having no guilt would be this unsettling.

It was a strange thing to say, but it was my honest feeling.

I pulled out my phone and texted Yuri that there would be no threesome with A-jeong today. Then I climbed into the car and sat there staring blankly for a while.

"Huh?... Yes."

Jini's voice came out of nowhere, along with that abrupt recommendation to check the mission contents. Letters appeared before my eyes, and I let out a low groan at the thought of how hard it would be to come back quickly.

"Ah..."

Just a few simple lines. But among every mission I had ever received, the difficulty looked incomparably high.

Awaken mana... They say only a handful appear in the Central Plains each generation.

Ah... the thirties?

Over there I was still five years old. The thought of having to endure twenty-five years in that world made my vision go dark.

No... I already took the elixir pill U Gil gave me...

The reward listed as "Companion" made no sense to me, so I stared at it until an explanation of the skill appeared beside the word.

My head was getting complicated. Bringing women back from that world was good — the future was growing bleak, and even if the combat over there was against people, they would be individuals tempered by martial arts and real battle. The problem was deciding whom to bring, and later deciding whom to take from here to there.

What? So that was the purpose. That's why they told me in advance.

No wonder I'd been getting a sense of déjà vu, as if some event involving those kids was about to happen. This was it. I would have to spend at least ten-odd years over there — long enough for the children to pass nineteen.

"Hold on — what does the invasion being pulled forward three years have to do with Awakening?"

Hmm... so Awakeners appear every year, then?

I nodded and recalled the cooldown on my Dimensional Experience. By the cooldown schedule, I was set to cross over somewhere over the Pacific.

"So do those four also have to board the plane with me?"

The candidates were among my wives. Their faces flashed past one after another, and I narrowed it down to Hye-yun, Ji-yu, and A-jeong.

"Hye-yun is the primary wife, but I'm not sure. Whether she could endure that kind of killing. For now, she's out."

I would have to talk it over with her, of course — but Hye-yun still had to act, and if murder put killing intent into her eyes, it might be more than she could handle.

"A-jeong... A-jeong could endure it, but if she went through that kind of experience over and over..."

I had a premonition she would drift so far from the A-jeong I knew that she'd become unrecognizable. I'd finally drawn out her M tendencies, and now I had a feeling she'd turn into an extreme S. I shook my head.

"Ji-yu... Hmm. She can already see souls, and in the future she's practically the strongest Awakener."

For some reason, Ji-yu pulled at me. Of course I would gather all the wives and discuss it properly — but my pick, for now, was Lee Ji-yu. I had a gut feeling she would absolutely tear it up over there.

The engine rumbled to life. Figuring a short drive might clear my head, I eased the car out of the estate grounds. On the quiet village road, my clone came into view holding six leashes and waving. You little shit. Embarrassing... I snorted a laugh and headed for the main gate, which opened automatically.

Quiet, almost rural scenery. I pointed the car toward Gangnam, destination set for Hangang Jium for the time being. Then I flipped open the folder phone, hit the speed dial, and connected to Jeong-mi's number.

"Yeah. Are the kids all asleep?"

Those little ones are on my mind too.

It was a loophole, really. If I spent ten years in that world, they would clearly pass nineteen long before the Yellow Turban Rebellion even began.

"Then wake one of them to watch the kids — no, just come down alone. Leave them with Ji-yu and Emily. Let's go on a late-night date. A drive."

Before consulting the wives' opinions, I would have preferred to discuss things with Jeong-mi, Hyeon-ju, and Eun-hee if they'd been available — so I decided to talk it over with Jeong-mi.

"Yeah. I'll call when I—"

Click. She hung up so eagerly I had to snort a laugh and close the folder phone.

Being the small hours, the empty roads stretched open and refreshing ahead of me, and maybe that was why the turmoil in my chest settled a little.

What, if I just don't use the Pillows, that's the end of it, right?

I snorted, shook my head, and pushed the speed a little higher. My personality really had changed. I'd been unsettled over having no guilt — and the moment a practical problem hit me, that unease washed away clean.

I'd told her not to come out, but there she was in front of the apartment's main gate — Jeong-mi in a dress and a red coat. I pulled up; she confirmed it was me and climbed into the passenger seat, setting a large bag at her feet.

"Master. Is something wrong? You don't look well."

"Whatever it is, let's just get going first."

It was nearly three in the morning. I needed to be back at the estate by seven, so time wasn't exactly generous. Going a full day without sleep was nothing a single Vitality Pill couldn't fix.

"Finish the move tomorrow. For now, take Na-hee and the kids up to Hye-yun's place on the third floor, and before Eun-hee and Hyeon-ju arrive—"

"Ah... yes. I'll do that. But we transform right away too, right?"

"Yeah. You heard?"

Jeong-mi nodded, looking genuinely delighted.

"From Bboae. She said she became mid-to-late twenties younger... I'll get younger too, right?"

The Hoechunbu came to mind. Had applying it together produced such a dramatic rejuvenation? I opened Subspace with my right hand and drew out one Rejuvenation Talisman. She looked at it curiously. I held out the yellow talisman; the moment she took it, it flared with light and vanished.

"What is this?"

She didn't seem particularly shaken.

"It's called a Hoechunbu — a talisman that makes you look ten years younger. Bboae applied one too. When you arrive tomorrow, there'll be semen in the fridge in my master bedroom. Drink some of that and you'll change."

"Ah... Master. Do you have any more of these?"

Figuring she wanted to take care of Mi-jin, Eun-hee, and Hyeon-ju, I nodded, pulled out about thirty Hoechunbu, and handed them over. She cradled them carefully and tucked them into her handbag.

"Why? Looking after Eun-hee and the others?"

"Yes... and also that mother-daughter rice bowl and sister rice bowl I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mentioned before... I want to do those for you..."

Ah... well, nothing to be squeamish about. How old are those Taoists? As long as they look young on the surface, that's enough.

I'd already slept with a woman whose face-value age was unimaginable — not once, but twice.

"Do as you like."

Jeong-mi rested her face against my arm and grinned.

"Master, you'll accept my mother's slave declaration over the phone too, right? She'll probably still be in America then."

Just like Jini said — she's pretty much figured out the Absolute Obedience Contract...

"Sure. Whatever. Handle it yourself."

"Thank you, Master."

"It's nothing. But why do you keep pushing your mother on me?"

I asked while watching the road. I was heading north for now — planning to pass through Eunpyeong-gu and turn around somewhere around Uijeongbu.

"Hehehe. Well... I want Mom ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to live a long time. Happily. When that dangerous world comes, I have a feeling Master will only look after his own women and children."

"Hmm... sharp eye. Heh..."

Is that just my nature? Selfishness? She figured that out without even a fragment of the future...

No matter if they were my women's mothers or siblings — aside from the mansion I'd given Kang Ho in the residential complex, I only intended to house my own women and children. Of course, if there were underage kids involved, I'd have no choice but to allow those as well.

"Master. Just let the women bring their families into their houses..."

"No. Housing other women even if they aren't mine is fine — but then one becomes two, and next thing you know you've got fathers, older brothers, younger brothers piling up."

"Ah... yes."

Hangang Jium came to mind.

"Don't sell Hangang Jium — tell them they can live there if they want. Once they gain power, I'll rotate a few people through on assignment. It's close to Yeouido anyway."

"Ah!!! Thank you, Master. That'll work. If the families are gathered in one place, we'll worry less."

I nodded. She had a point. Easier to protect them if they were together.

Then building houses near Suseo-dong would do it... well, they'll figure it out.

"Ah. And once the body modification kicks in, breast milk will come in. All of you. Expressing it in the morning won't interfere with activity, but..."

"What? Breast milk?"

I'd almost forgotten that too, until Jeong-mi's enormous chest reminded me just now.

"Yeah. Try making cheese with the leftover milk. Do you know how?"

"Hehehe. Yes. I make ricotta cheese fairly often. I'll look up other cheese recipes too. Any precautions?"

"Separate them by animal type — fox, tiger, and so on... the flavors can mix."

"Yes..."

By now Jeong-mi just nodded along even when I said bizarre things, as if she'd come to expect it.

"Master, but does it taste good?"

"Fox. I've only had A-jeong's, and it's heavenly. A fruit fragrance hits you first, then the taste is sweet and refreshing — something I can't really describe. For foxes the aroma and flavor change depending on what fruit they eat; for a tiger like you, Jeong-mi, it's nuts; for the rest it's fixed."

"Huh? That... Master's semen taste?"

"I don't know... I don't either."

"I'll compare them for you. Hehehe."

I shrugged, and Jeong-mi's laughter floated over. Apparently my sheepish expression was entertaining.