Gotta Get Stronger or Get Locked Up
If I don't want to be confined, I have to become stronger. *Yeah, I'm pretty much screwed. That was the conclusion I reached after much deliberation. I'm fucked.
My ex-wives had suddenly burst into my home, but I figured I'd be spending more than half the day at the academy anyway, so I could at least relax there. Nope. I'd clearly underestimated them.
They say the prodigal son returns home enriched by experience? Women who'd already reached the pinnacle in their respective fields—what happens when they go all out? I hadn't predicted it at all.
The time it took them to master Korean, skipping over expressions that confuse even long-time residents of the country: a single day. Sure, people say Hangul is easy, but it actually takes foreigners about 88 weeks to fully learn Korean. And they nailed it in one day.
The moment they did, they all headed to the association as a group to register as otherworlders, successfully listing their ages as 17. Sure, some people raised eyebrows at their overly mature appearances, but they all cowered under the women's piercing gazes and didn't dare voice any objections.
The association staff really suck at their jobs.
Couldn't someone with backbone just say, "No matter how I look at it, you don't seem 17"?
Honestly, that'd be tough... Even I, with A-rank power, shrink under their stares. It's weirder if ordinary folks or F-rank hunters don't get intimidated.
But aren't civil servants supposed to push back regardless? I was a bit disappointed in them right then. The bureaucrats in romance novels I read were super competent, but reality isn't like fiction, I guess.
The second they got home, they hopped online, applied for academy entrance, and started prepping for the written exam using my study materials. They'd occasionally ask me or Seung-ah for help on stuff they didn't know, but since they were all brilliant to begin with, they quickly stopped needing to ask and just powered through the problems.
"Yu-won. How do you solve this one?"
Of course, they didn't stop asking entirely. Sometimes, even on problems they could clearly solve, they'd ask me on purpose. The way they'd press their bodies against mine while whispering in my ear made it hard to tell if they genuinely didn't know or just wanted an excuse for skinship.
"Oppa. How do you do this one?"
Estelle would plop her soft, divine pillow of a chest right on my head while I was sitting and ask about a problem. The sensation against my head and the sound of her heartbeat needlessly stirred my heart.
"Darling. I don't get this one."
Liera would say that, stick right to my side, and blatantly reach for my pants. After a few days living with them, I'd gotten fully used to the right amount of force needed to deal with them, so I could lightly swat her hand away.
"This problem is solved like..."
I'd explain it as if nothing happened, and she'd click her tongue in annoyance before slinking back to her seat.
"Yu-won-ah."
"What's up?"
After I'd help them with problems, Seung-ah would often strike up a conversation.
"Um... your ex-wives are studying the exam material way too fast. They're already solidly in passing range..."
I'd noticed it too. Language barriers and a simple written academy exam couldn't stop my ex-wives. They were overwhelmingly strong even intellectually.
"Honestly, the practical exam is a breeze even at C-rank hunter level."
The school I was attending was Korea's top academy, but with active C-rank combat power, the practical wouldn't be an issue at all. Sure, most instructors were A-rank, some even touching S-rank, but the academy's goal wasn't just to cherry-pick the elite—it was to cultivate students. There were filters, but setting the bar at active B-rank or higher would be too steep.
Probably won't even have 100 admits...
And even if there were a B-rank level hurdle, I doubted they'd fail. Sure, crossing dimensions had weakened them to C-rank levels, but these were women who'd topped their fields in their worlds. Their control over power was on another level from Earth hunters, so even at C-rank output, they could probably punch way above B-rank.
Hell, maybe even A-rank...
Once they started regaining their strength, S-rank would come quick in a few years. To hold my own among them, I needed to get serious about training.
I didn't even need to chant the activation phrase aloud. Just thinking about it brought up the blue window in front of me.
Luck couldn't be upgraded with points, and all other stats were capped in increments of 9. You get 1 point per level up to allocate, but breaking a stat from one 9-step tier to the next required points equal to the current value. To push 59 Strength to 60, it'd cost 5 points.
That's why awakeners typically only used points up to the 9s and trained the rest naturally.
Levels didn't rise just from killing enemies either—they drew potential from the slain, and how well you absorbed it determined your gains. Personal insights also created level walls.
I didn't break 100 until Super Peak, and 200 only after Fire Realm.
All S-rank hunters were known to be level 200+. After checking my stats, I scrolled down.
The two S-rank traits below were inherited effects from Five Lives. When I first reached Fire Realm, I underwent marrow cleansing and gained the A-rank Brain Spirit Body trait. Inheriting it to the next life and hitting Fire Realm again evolved it to S-rank Brain Spirit Body. Sadly, no further changes even after more marrow cleansings. But it massively amplified Mukroe Byeokryeok Singong, so I was content.
World Savior came from slaying the demon king in Estelle's world. Effect: "The world helps you." Just that one line, but S-rank inheritance made it worthwhile.
And I grinded hard in Liera's world. Not sure if it boosted my luck trait, but everything was a jackpot. A country boy and girl building a kingdom in just 20 years? Yeah.
So why aren't you helping now, you bastard...? Did it think my ex-wives going to the academy benefited me? No signs of interference.
I'd gotten other traits from hitting 100 in stats, but they didn't inherit.
Mental hitting 100 gave me the A-rank Clear Mirror Still Water. When I pretended to be crazy and dumped into Strength, I got the A-rank Gigantic Strength. If even those inherited, it'd be broken OP, but no free lunch.
Whatever, stats can be raised.
I had tons of other skills from past lives, but these were all I'd acquired this one. Strong enough for Earth's top tiers, but still felt woefully inadequate.
To survive among my ex-wives, I need to get way stronger...
I'd planned a chill, leisurely life this time around, but that's shattered. If I stagnate, they'll power up in a flash and do whatever they want with me. Especially Liera—she'd kidnap and lock me up to make me hers alone, no question. And it wasn't just her; the others had fierce possessiveness too.
Become strong enough they can't touch me. Protect myself. That was my new goal this life.
Of course, pursuing it might drag me into messes or bring me closer to them than ever. But even to maintain those bonds, power was essential.
With that resolve, I turned to Seung-ah and spoke.
"Seung-ah."
"Yeah..?"
"Mind if I use your family's training grounds too?"
As I'd said before, Seung-ah's family was filthy rich. Naturally, they had fingers in the global awakening business trend, and they'd built top-tier training facilities at home for her.
I could've trained solo, so I'd never asked, but now I needed it. Training at this pace wasn't enough.
"Huh? You? You're welcome anytime."
She smiled and agreed readily, even though it was her private space and another guy joining might feel awkward. Sixteen years of ironclad bro-friendship don't fade.
"You're the best, Seung-ah."
I grabbed her hand tight in thanks. Seeing her face flush oddly, I vowed to myself: starting today, I'd begin hellish training to protect myself.