Chapter 574: Goodbye Russia
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 574: Goodbye Russia
Life is a continuous series of choices, a path where one must find their own answers at countless forks in the road.
And I couldn't agree more.
-Hey, Kang Hyun-woo.
“...”
Hyena's voice from the other end of the line struck my heart like a dagger.
But not to worry.
After all, if things got too hairy, I could just hang myself.
-Who is that woman? Why is she walking around half-naked calling you 'Papa'? D-don't tell me... you're into that sort of thing?
I desperately shook my head.
I'd rather be branded a trashy, womanizing Casanova a hundred times over. Anything was better than being labeled a pedophile, something I had to avoid no matter what.
Even more so when it was Hyena.
For the record, Ana, who could have defended me, noticed I was on the phone and hastily scurried out of the room.
The despair I felt in that moment was beyond what words could express.
-Haa...
Fortunately, it seemed Hyena decided to believe me, as she let out a small sigh of relief.
Thanks to that, I'd put out the immediate fire, but a bigger problem still remained.
I swallowed dryly and carefully began to speak.
“Hyena, I can explain everything. So...”
-Forget it.
For a moment, a chilling glint flashed in Hyena's violet eyes.
-I told you, didn't I? Don't go hitting on women in Russia.
It was like the gaze of a tiger you'd encounter in the mountains in the middle of the night.
-Don't even think about coming back to Korea. If I catch sight of you, I'll seriously kill you.
“...”
-...You bastard.
Click-
With those final words, the call ended.
In the room, settled with the cool dawn air, I could only stare blankly at my phone screen.
I wasn't even breaking out in a cold sweat anymore.
*
-To Hyena. I've thought long and hard before writing this. Where to even begin, whether I even have the right to say any of this. But I felt it would be cowardly to put it off any longer, so I've decided not to run away and to convey my feelings and my wrongdoings, at least like this. First, I'm truly sorry. I think I have some idea of how much my actions must have hurt you and made you feel betrayed. But I don't want to make excuses. Whatever the situation, whatever the reason, making you anxious and disappointing you is entirely my responsibility. It's only natural for you to be angry-
-Shut up.
The letter, which I'd spent an hour writing and rewriting, ended up being completely useless.
My world went dark, but trying to contact her again now would be the worst possible move.
In a situation like this, it would only make her resent me more.
There was only one option left.
To return to Korea as soon as possible and soothe Hyena's anger.
‘Truthfully, getting back to Korea would take less than a minute with my Magic Warp skill...’
But I couldn't just go back right now; I was worried about Valentina and Ana.
It had only been two days since the situation was resolved, and I'd already given them both rings.
Although it was a proposal made under Valentina's silent pressure, now that I'd given them the rings, I had a duty as a man, and as the head of the family, to take responsibility for them.
“...I guess that's the only way, huh?”
I scratched the back of my head out of habit and stood up.
The number of people I had to take responsibility for was growing, but I didn't have a single regret about my choices.
Perhaps it was the effect of losing my parents overnight and becoming an orphan.
Ever since I was young, my dream was to create a large family and live happily.
And that void had yet to be filled.
It's a kind of trauma... no, more like a mental illness.
‘A 6th Circle Mage with a mental illness...’
It wasn't particularly surprising.
High-ranking mages were, without exception, all broken in some significant way.
Me, Sister Lael, Valentina, Iris.
We just don't show it on the outside.
Shaking off my thoughts, I picked up the wooden box again.
Gulp-
The demon's essence I poured into my mouth dissolved and vanished before it even went down my throat.
Thump-!
In that instant, a vast amount of demonic energy began to race through the meridians of my entire body.
It was certainly an amount that would be difficult for even an Extreme Demon to handle, but I calmly suppressed the energy and quickly brought it under control.
It resisted fiercely, but to me, it was nothing more than a cute tantrum.
The newly increased internal energy steadily accumulated in my dantian.
Ding-
[You have acquired the Authority, 'Maestro of Discord'.]
[Maestro of Discord
Grade: Epic
The Authority of Andras, the Marquis of Discord.
You can incite discord in others or temporarily summon the Sword of Destruction.]
‘Incite discord?’
I tilted my head.
Based on the skill description alone, it seemed like a mental ability, but being a demon's Authority, it couldn't possibly be that simple.
‘I'll put it on hold for now. I'll have to test it when I find someone I don't mind killing. Anyway, the Sword of Destruction? What's this?’
After a moment of thought, the instant I used the ability—
Kigigigik-!!!!
“?!!”
With a terrible sound, like rusty gears grinding as they were forced to turn, space itself tore open.
Soon, from the rift in space that emanated a strange, ominous feeling, a single red sword emerged.
Ding-
[Information on a new item is being collected.]
[Discordia
Grade: Unique
A demonic sword imbued with the destructive Authority of Andras, the Marquis of Discord.
※Causes Mental Erosion upon use.
※Manifestation Time: 5 minutes]
The moment I read the item description, I couldn't help but be stunned.
It was a Unique-grade demonic sword, the same rank as the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword.
‘...An Epic-grade skill can summon a Unique-grade sword?’
It felt a little unbalanced, but considering the penalty attached to the sword itself and the five-minute time limit, it was somewhat understandable.
Grasp-
I grabbed the hilt and examined it from all angles.
“It's definitely a fine sword... but it feels really ominous.”
I didn't swing it, not even by accident.
This was no ordinary weapon; it was a demonic sword imbued with a demon's Authority.
Even with the barrier protecting the mansion, I had no desire to test the sword's performance by trashing my room.
‘I'll put this on hold, too. Hopefully... I won't have a reason to use it anytime soon, right?’
After unsummoning the demonic sword, I brought up another screen.
Ding-
[Bireciel's Fragment has successfully absorbed Andras's demonic energy.]
[The growth rate of 'Foresight' has increased significantly.]
[The penalty for 'Foresight' has been greatly reduced.]
Again, it was the growth rate that increased, not the proficiency.
It was as if 'Foresight' was hinting that, like Tam, it was something with its own ego.
“Hoo...”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
My head was a mess, but it wasn't as if I'd gained nothing.
‘...The reduced penalty probably means that one thing.’
After a moment's hesitation, I activated Foresight, which I hadn't used in a while.
Just as I expected, a whole new world opened up.
The searing sensation that had always assaulted me whenever I used Foresight was completely gone.
Despite it being a cheat-like ability that let me see the immediate future, the reason I never used Foresight in combat was extremely simple.
Every time I used it, it was accompanied by an unbearable burning pain.
It was by no means a suitable ability for battles where victory and defeat were decided in split seconds.
But not anymore.
“I quite like this.”
I smiled faintly and deactivated the ability.
However, even with the reduced penalty, the drain on my mental power was still significant.
If I used it for too long or in quick succession, my brain might just melt into mush.
‘Unless I'm in a situation where I can't use magic, I should save this as a trump card.’
Finally, I took an old book out of my inventory.
-Heavenly Demonic Divine Art
On the outside, it looked like nothing more than a worn, old book.
But the four characters engraved on the cover emanated a profound energy, its depth impossible to fathom.
Could this be defined simply as true energy?
No, this was something on a much higher level.
I instinctively realized that this book was a record left behind by an absolute being who had transcended the limits of magic power and internal energy, intended for their successor.
I had never seen his face, let alone his martial arts, yet I couldn't deny the fact that the author of this book was the greatest master of all time...
‘...I don't think he's stronger than my master, though. No, should I say they're evenly matched?’
It was a difficult question to answer.
After all, I had only briefly encountered the thought-form my master left behind, and I had only felt a faint fragment of the energy left by this book's author.
Moreover, for someone like me to discuss the superiority of two beings who had reached a supreme realm I couldn't even begin to fathom...
There was a limit to arrogance.
“Anyway, I wonder what Yeo-hwa would say if I showed her this?”
The Heavenly Demonic Divine Art is a peerless technique that only the leader of the Heavenly Demonic Cult can learn.
In effect, I had obtained a treasure of the world whose value was immeasurable.
“...But what does it mean by 'original'? Is there a fake one out there?”
The Dating App had clearly stated this was the original copy of the Heavenly Demonic Divine Art.
That would mean the one currently with the Heavenly Demonic Cult is a copy or a fake.
“Hmm... It feels like every time I gain something, I gain a new headache to go with it...”
Stroking my chin, I soon put the martial arts manual back into my inventory.
There were too many things bothering me to start learning it right away.
‘It would be right to learn it only after consulting with Yeo-hwa and ensuring it's reasonably safe.’
The saying 'more haste, less speed' doesn't exist for nothing.
Afterward, I stepped out into the hallway and headed straight for Ana's bedroom.
Creeak-
As soon as I opened the door, Ana, who was lying in bed, peeked her head out and greeted me.
“...Sir Hyun-woo?”
“Are you awake?”
“...Yes.”
Ana blushed, covering her body with the blanket.
The truth was, the title 'Papa' only slipped out when she was excited or drowsy with sleep; she never said it normally.
Because of this, when morning came, Ana would often feel ashamed and regretful of the fact that she had called me 'Papa' all night while craving affection and pleasure.
“...I'm sorry.”
“Hm? For what?”
“...Because it seems your girlfriend got angry because of me.”
Ana lowered her head like a sinner and fidgeted with her fingers.
Seeing her like that, I smiled faintly and sat on the edge of the bed.
“It's not like that, so you don't have to worry. Besides, if we're going by that logic, you're my girlfriend too, aren't you?”
“...”
Whoosh-
Ana's face turned beet red, as if it were about to explode.
She seemed pleased, though, as the corners of her lips trembled slightly.
I wrapped my arms around Ana's slender waist.
She naturally snuggled into my embrace.
“And you don't have to feel intimidated. It's true I met Hyena first, but I have no intention of dividing you two into 'first wife' and 'concubine' or anything like that.”
“...Really?”
“Of course. If anything, I'm more worried that you might be disappointed in me.”
“What??”
“It's not my place to say, but honestly, there's no way you'd like a guy who's a Casanova-”
“N-No, that's not it!!”
In that moment, Ana leaned in close, bringing her face right up to mine.
The gentle scent of freesia brushed past my nose.
“I like you, Sir Hyun-woo, no matter what anyone says. So please, don't put yourself down. My body, my heart, my life... they all belong to you.”
Slither-
The blanket slowly slid down, revealing Ana's pale, naked body.
The timing was so perfect it was as if the scene had been staged.
Pfft-
“Are you trying to seduce me right now?”
“...Huh?”
At my words, Ana lowered her gaze as if to check her own state.
Seeing that she was completely naked, not even wearing underwear, she immediately tried to cover herself with the blanket, but—
Thud-
I pushed myself up and laid Ana down on the bed.
Her large breasts swayed softly, capturing my gaze.
“S-Sir Hyun-woo...?”
“If Ana likes me that much, then I'll have to show you just how much I like you, won't I?”
“...”
Gulp-
With the sound of a dry swallow, I buried my face in the nape of Ana's neck.
Soon, the bedroom was filled with nothing but lewd, wet sounds and moans, and we frantically tangled our bodies together until lunch.