Suddenly

"Alright then, let's get straight to it. No point wasting time."

Under Angelica's direction, we decided to hole up in the shopping mall basement and run a more thorough analysis of our respective abilities.

Angelica tilted her chin toward Kang Ha-rin first.

"Now that I think about it, you're the only one who hasn't introduced herself yet. What's your name?"

"Kang Ha-rin."

A curt reply.

She wore an expression edged with discomfort, like someone who found this whole situation disagreeable.

Angelica paid it no mind.

She walked right up to her and kept the questions coming without a trace of concern.

"Ha-rin. A lovely name. Now then, what is your ability?"

"...It's called 'Guardian.' It's a trait that deploys a protective barrier."

"A barrier. A protective barrier, you say. That's a remarkably rare category. What about its duration? And could you explain its resistance to impact?"

"The duration's about an hour, and its resistance is pretty strong. It held up fine even after ramming into a building."

"I see. But that doesn't seem to be all of it, is that right?"

I was the one who answered that.

"Up to three times. It can nullify supernatural abilities up to three times. It's decent, but the cooldown also being an hour is a drawback."

"Indeed. Still, it's an unrivaled ability. If utilized well, you can always gain the upper hand in battle."

That much was true.

Hadn't we actually managed to take down that wind-manipulating bastard during the department store incident thanks to Kang Ha-rin?

Without her barrier, that first strike would've killed me screaming.

"However, the resistance to impact. That part is a little questionable. How exactly does it function? Does it only activate when the target suffers damage, or is it always active?"

"Probably the former? If it were the latter, I would've just rammed my way through everything."

If it blocked anything that approached her, she could've bulldozed straight through without a second thought.

It was sturdy enough that ordinary physical impacts wouldn't faze it in the slightest.

The reason she couldn't, though, was that the shield only activated when a certain damage threshold was met.

"Understood. But if an opponent knows this information, there's a possibility they could exploit it in reverse."

"Exploit it how?"

"For example, the shield might not react to things like vision obstruction, hypnosis, or other debuff types that don't deal direct damage. Of course, that's only if it's purely determined by the amount of impact."

That was a little worrying.

I guess true invincibility doesn't exist. What a shame.

"If we ever run into an Awakened with a debuff ability, let's capture them and run some experiments."

"Well, sure. If we find a guy like that."

There was probably at least one out there somewhere.

One for the future.

"Hey, this isn't working."

*Crackle.*

Ha Hui-ryeong, who'd been testing whether she could teleport using a water bottle instead of her bat, pouted and grumbled after multiple attempts ended in failure.

"Then that's too bad. Learning what doesn't work is also an important part of the process."

"Tch, whatever. I'll just do it my way."

"Suit yourself. You're the type who moves on instinct anyway, aren't you? So that approach might yield more improvement."

At that, Ha Hui-ryeong's face soured, like she didn't quite like the sound of it.

Had she caught on that she'd just been told, "You're a blockhead, so just do whatever feels right"?

No, judging by the atmosphere, that wasn't it.

She just seemed to have a vague sense, thanks to that unique intuition of hers, that it hadn't been a compliment.

"Your tone feels kinda greasy. It's just my imagination, right?"

"It's your imagination. More importantly, is that the extent of your abilities? Did you not receive anything else from your lord husband?"

"I do have more. But what's with 'lord husband'?"

"Did you not say 'my man' was cringeworthy? So I tried changing it."

"...I don't really see the difference. Haah, whatever. Do as you please."

Angelica shrugged.

"Then tell me. What else do you have?"

"Hmm... First, there's this bat. Originally, this thing only shot out sparks because he imbued it with an attribute, right? But at some point, a similar ability came out of a scroll he gave me, so I guess it got overshadowed."

"No, it could be the opposite. Perhaps you simply grew accustomed to that lightning and awakened a similar type of ability."

"That's not certain. It's just your speculation, isn't it?"

"Well, of course. Nothing in this world is certain, and no one knows the clear answer. We simply make analyses that approach certainty based on accumulated experience."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Hey, do you get it?"

Ha Hui-ryeong jabbed me in the side.

I shook my head.

How would I know?

Angelica had always been like this, an eccentric who occasionally spouted incomprehensible nonsense.

Easiest to just let it slide.

"So, do you have anything else besides that?"

"I do. This is the one I got with my own power. It's called 'Saintess,' and it can heal wounds? Something like that, roughly."

She actually had one more skill called 'Intuition,' but Ha Hui-ryeong seemed to judge it as meaningless and didn't bother mentioning it.

Or maybe she just forgot.

"This is also unexpected. You are a Saintess?"

"I don't get why everyone reacts like that. Does it really not suit me that much?"

"An incarnation of violence claiming to be a saintess, how can anyone believe that? Most would dismiss it as the ravings of a madwoman."

Angelica's calm assessment.

At that, Ha Hui-ryeong's face crumpled mercilessly.

Piling on, Kim Ha-yoon, who'd been floating chunks of ice around herself, suddenly butted into the conversation.

"I agree. Unnie, it doesn't really suit you."

"Hey, Kim Ha-yoon. Mind your own business. Unless you want to get beaten to a pulp."

"Wow, so scary."

The moment she raised her fist, Kim Ha-yoon ducked behind my back.

Ha Hui-ryeong ground her teeth for a moment before eventually giving up with a long sigh.

"Haah... Fine. I'm going inside first. Call me when you're all done."

"Wait. There's still something I want to hear."

"What."

Angelica grabbed Ha Hui-ryeong's arm as she was about to step into the camper van.

Her eyes glittered with curiosity.

Ha Hui-ryeong, on the other hand, wore an apathetic expression, like she found the whole thing annoying.

"You mentioned healing. What exactly are its limits? Can it heal both internal and external wounds? How long does it take to fully recover? What about diseases?"

"I don't know that much. I've never been seriously hurt before."

Ha Hui-ryeong openly showed her irritation by picking at her ear.

Angelica seemed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠genuinely dumbfounded.

"Why have you never tested it? It's a rather interesting ability. For instance, weren't you curious what would happen if you used healing on a severed limb? Perhaps new flesh might even grow. And if it can even heal diseases, you wouldn't have to worry about suffering from petty illnesses in the future."

Oh.

That was a pretty tempting notion.

No problems now, but if someone were to catch a severe disease later, we'd be helpless, left with no choice but to sit there twiddling our thumbs.

But what if Ha Hui-ryeong could heal even diseases?

That would eliminate one major worry.

"Now that you mention it, it is kind of tempting. Since things have come to this, how about we get a test subject or two and run some experiments?"

That was my suggestion.

Why hadn't this crossed my mind before? I genuinely regretted it.

Should've tried it sooner.

"Mm. A good idea. Then when we head up later, let's prioritize searching for survivors."

"While we're at it, we can look for vending machine locations too. Ah, right. If the contents are good, it wouldn't hurt to move them with your psychokinesis."

Conveniently, we were in possession of a mobile base—the camper van.

So rather than hunting down vending machines every time, it'd be more efficient to pick out ones with decent product lists and position them strategically.

"Are you done talking? I'm going in first to rest."

Ha Hui-ryeong still didn't look interested.

She waved dismissively and soon disappeared into the camper van.

Seizing the moment, Jeong Ji-min shouted after her.

"Ah, I'll go with you!"

"Ji-min. And where do you think you're going."

"Ah, no. I have things to do too! I haven't told them we're skipping the morning roll call today, so the kids are probably still waiting!"

...They were still doing that stupid shit?

"Take it easy with that. Push them too hard and they'll bare their fangs."

"That's what I mean. Oppa, couldn't you use that Enslavement... thing? The scroll? On those ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bitches? Honestly, some of them get this impure look in their eyes sometimes."

"I'll consider it. So you take it easy too. Don't go causing unnecessary trouble and end up with a knife in your back."

"Ah, I get it. It's all about balancing the strong and the weak, right? Carrot and stick? I'm confident I can handle it, so just leave it to me!"

Since when had I left that kind of thing to her?

It was absurd, but I didn't bother putting my foot down harshly.

Those numbered bitches, if they had a brain among them, wouldn't dare lay a finger on Jeong Ji-min.

Just like during the department store incident and recently at the newly built elementary school, they'd witnessed our group's strength with their own eyes.

Women who hadn't surrendered their will to live even in that gang-rape hell weren't about to cause an incident just because they couldn't stomach Jeong Ji-min's nitpicking.

It was only a fleeting thought. Then Kim Ha-yoon suddenly tugged at my collar.

Wondering what it was, I leaned down, and she whispered into my ear in a tiny voice.

"Hey, but did you know something?"

"Know what."

"I just remembered it now after forgetting... Yoo-hwa-ssi, she's pregnant."

...What?

At the utterly shocking news, I froze on the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spot.

My gaze drifted for a long moment before I asked again, my voice unsteady.

"...Whose kid is it?"

"Obviously, it's your child."

"...Don't bullshit me. I saw with my own eyes that she took the morning-after pill. What the hell are you talking about. Tell me honestly. You're just messing with me, right?"

"I wish I was. But reality is cruel. That woman, she said she didn't take the pill you gave her."

Why the hell...?

In an instant, my mind went completely blank.

My temples throbbed, and dizziness clouded my vision.

Seeing me suddenly stagger, Angelica rushed to support me.

"What, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Without even giving a proper reply, I sprinted straight into the camper van.

From behind, I heard Angelica's worried cry, "Ah, hey! Why are you acting like this!?" but I had no time to answer.

Confirmation came first.

"What. Why does your face look like that?"

Ha Hui-ryeong, sprawled on the same sofa as always, registered bewilderment the moment she saw my face.

"Phone. Give me the phone."

"What?"

"Ah, just give it to me for now!"

"Uh, uhh..."

Ha Hui-ryeong, clearly flustered, fished the phone out of her pocket.

I snatched it urgently and immediately searched for Shin Yoo-hwa's name in the contacts.

"What. You don't have Shin Yoo-hwa's number?"

"Huh? She said she was cutting ties with me, remember? Her number changed and contact was lost, so I deleted it. Besides, she probably doesn't even have a phone right now. Didn't she say she lost it when she was kidnapped?"

I pressed my hand to my forehead.

Seeing me like that, Ha Hui-ryeong tilted her head before a mischievous grin slowly spread across her face.

"Ah, you heard that news from Kim Ha-yoon. So that's why you're fidgeting like a dog ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that needs to shit?"

"You knew too...?"

"Heh, don't mind what that crazy bitch says. It's probably just another one of her nasty pranks."

But wasn't there a chance?

Considering how many loads of semen I'd dumped inside her.

If she really didn't take the pill, then it was a guaranteed pregnancy.

"If you're that worried, I'll contact Min-hee and have her put her on the line."

"C-can you do that?"

"That much is nothing."

Ha Hui-ryeong took the phone from me like it was no big deal and placed the call.

And the moment it connected, a booming voice erupted from the device, having picked up immediately.

—First Younger Sibling Ju Min-hee! I've received your call! Elder Sister! For you to contact me first, this younger sibling is so moved I don't know what to do with myself....

"Yeah, yeah, that's enough. Enough. More importantly, is Shin Yoo-hwa next to you right now?"

—Hm? She is, but... shall I put her on?

"Yeah. Put her on right now."

Then the phone came back to me.

With a trembling hand, I brought the phone to my ear.

—Hello? Ha Hui-ryeong? What is it this time?

"Hey! You said you were taking the pill! So what's this shit about being pregnant!?"

The moment I heard her voice, I exploded. No preamble.

At this, Shin Yoo-hwa sounded so amused that a playful lilt crept into her tone.

—Huh? What, Jjintta, is that you? Kek, looks like this bastard heard the news. Seeing as you called me in a breathless panic right away.

"Just answer the question! Is it true? Is it really true!?"

—Of course it's true, why would it be fake. I don't joke around about stuff like this. I tested it just in case, and two lines showed up. Ah, for reference, I looted the test kit from Kim Dong-hwan's warehouse. Those guys always look for stuff like that in pharmacies and stockpile it.

My mind went blank.

After a long silence, I asked in a trembling voice.

"...It might not be my kid, right? Right? You got passed around over there. Yeah, you said you did."

—What are you talking about. Didn't I tell you? I wasn't passed around. I was exclusively for that bastard Park Jung-woo; no other guys ever touched me. Besides, Park Jung-woo had some weird principle, so he never came inside me either.

"What kind of bullshit is that."

—Until the day before you guys showed up, I was only in that bastard's room. But then he suddenly said he found his fated partner and didn't need me anymore? That's why I went over there. If you guys hadn't smashed those bastards, maybe I really would've been passed around?

So... in other words...

"...In the end, I'm the only one who came inside you."

—Right? So drop by when I have the baby next year. I'm not telling you to take responsibility, but at the very least, the kid should see what its dad looks like, right?

The moment I heard those words, the strength drained from my legs.

I collapsed in a heap and could only lose my grip on my sanity at her next words.

—Sorry I couldn't give you a virgin, baby daddy♥. Ah, but if you do come, I'll give you a breastfeeding handjob as an apology~. So you have to come, okay~?

...You insane bitch.