The Modern Life of an Absolute Being - Chapter 96 (96/200) #96 Watch Closely, Little One.
"......"
Ian propped his chin on his hand, gazing off into the distance across the snowy expanse. Something else felt off.
"Hmm......"
As Ian stared intently for a long while, Kang-ho approached him with a deadpan expression and spoke up.
"Ever heard of the butterfly effect?"
"Ah, it's been a while."
Kang-ho nodded toward the building. In the middle of the snowfield stood a quaint ice castle. Adorned with beautifully intricate ice crystals, it had appeared out of nowhere.
"You brought that Ice Dragon egg, right?"
"......Yes."
"Thinking about it, this is all because of you."
"Pardon?"
Kang-ho's face grew serious as he continued.
"No matter how I look at it, you don't seem to be much help in my life."
"Hahaha! Good one, sir."
"Don't laugh. I'm not joking."
"Uhahahahaha!"
"Getting old means you don't even listen anymore."
Kang-ho sighed and glanced at the girl beside Ian, who was watching with wide, sparkling eyes.
"Grandpa Kang-ho!"
"......"
The girl's name was Ena. Her lush golden hair cascaded down to her waist, and her straight, prominent nose caught the eye first. Her large, beautiful brown eyes sparkled vibrantly, and her cheeks brimmed with youthful vitality. Overall, she was a rare beauty in her early twenties.
"Grandpa Kang-ho! Where's King?"
Ena was Ian's cherished daughter.
"King......"
Kang-ho glanced back at the log cabin. There, King was sneaking out, and their eyes met.
"......"
"......"
King nodded. Kang-ho nodded back. Then, turning with a grin, Kang-ho said to Ena,
"Over there. He's running away right now."
"Ah! Thank you, Grandpa Kang-ho!"
As Ena waved and dashed toward King, he slapped his forehead and shook his head in exasperation. Ian watched his daughter go with a fond smile, but his expression hardened once she was out of earshot. His voice turned grave.
"Is Xiao Shin dead?"
"Yeah."
"I heard rumors that Zhang Wei is crippled now."
"Rumors spread fast."
Kang-ho stared straight at Ian, who looked somewhat bitter. His gaze was fixed on the ice castle in the distance. After a long moment, Ian spoke up.
"I suppose I should apologize over there."
In truth, it wasn't really his fault. All he'd done was bring the Ice Dragon egg—and he'd given it to Kang-ho, who had simply kept it safe. It all stemmed from desire. Xiao Shin and Zhang Wei's greed had drawn them here, leading to their self-destruction. The void left by their shattered ambitions had simply manifested in this place.
Perhaps it was fate for the Ice Dragon and Kirin. Landing on this land from the Murim world. Meeting Kang-ho, the only one who could heal them here. Maybe the wheel of grand destiny had turned them toward this end.
Kang-ho had never seen beings like them before. A world of SS-rank Fantasy Beasts that commanded the climate. The Murim world must be filled with such unfamiliar entities.
"Do what you think is right. She's probably sensitive right now, so maybe later."
A man watched their heated debate. Theo stared piercingly at his smartphone screen, chin propped, then beckoned to Seol-a, who was wandering nearby.
Seol-a rushed over eagerly and plopped onto his lap.
"Mommy."
Seol-a looked up at Theo and said.
—Someone who feeds you, puts you to sleep, dresses you, and takes care of you when you wake up. Someone who loves you so much and thinks you're so pretty.
That was Seol-a's concept of a mom, so it was hard to call it wrong in that sense.
[......]
This kid's been hooked on the word "mommy" lately.
Theo scooped Seol-a up and hugged her tight.
[It's weird.]
Yes, it was truly strange. Theo had never imagined he'd grow so fond of this tiny fox kit.
At first, she was just a mana-sucking monster fox. But as the saying goes, steady drips soak through clothes—before he knew it, Theo had grown deeply attached to this world.
[......]
Theo gazed into Seol-a's eyes and thought. Back in the Demon Realm, his life had been an endless cycle of boredom and hollow peace. When his father died honorably on the battlefield, the entire family force became battlefield fodder. From then on, Theo lived alone in his massive castle, creating undead servants one by one.
With all those servants, he'd never felt lonely. A place filled with countless undead, echoing only with the clatter of bones—that was Theo's castle.
Looking back now, that world had lacked any real vitality.
[Hmm.]
Theo hugged Seol-a tighter. She wriggled in his arms, ticklish.
Warmth. And vibrant life—felt all at once.
[Hmm...]
Theo wasn't used to this warmth. He'd spent so long preferring lifeless undead over the living; it was only natural.
"Whatcha doing?"
Suddenly, Kang-ho entered, arms full of bundled items.
[Nothing.]
Ah. Theo realized it without thinking.
'My heart's changed.'
Since losing his demonic energy? Or because his environment had shifted? Theo had grown accustomed to this at some point—and he even loved it.
He felt his heart, hardened since his father's death, completely transforming. Or perhaps he'd been trying to forget loneliness all along.
'That's why my undead have changed too.'
Theo lifted Seol-a up again, meeting her eyes. Then, to this vibrant, warm little one bursting with life, he spoke.
[Watch closely, little one.]
"Yeah."
[Mommy and daddy mean almost the same thing.]
"Daddy?"
[Yeah.]
Theo suddenly looked wistful.
[Daddy's like mommy. When you don't see them, you miss them like crazy.]
"Really?"
Seol-a's eyes widened like she'd just learned something new.
[And super strong. Crazy strong. So they protect you completely. They scold you sometimes. But they're Superman who makes you strong too. Then you'll be super tough.]
"!"
Seol-a nodded as if she got it.
Theo pulled out his father's skull from his pocket.
[This is my daddy. Cool, right?]
"Yeah."
Seol-a stared at the skull, then blinked. Suddenly, she bolted toward Kang-ho, who was heading to the kitchen.
"......?"
Kang-ho looked down at Seol-a clutching his pant leg.
To Seol-a, Kang-ho was the strongest person she knew. No one in the world was stronger. He made her strong and tough, protected her completely.
Seol-a fixed her sparkling eyes on him, then beamed and reached up, shouting,
"Daddy!"
Thump!
Kang-ho's eyes bulged, pupils rolling. It was a massive heart attack—and he wasn't ready for it.
"Ugh."
He crouched in the kitchen corner without thinking.
Seol-a tilted her head and called again.
"Daddy!"
"Urk."
Kang-ho bit his lip. Lately, he'd been having experiences he'd never had before. His heart pounded wildly.
Soon, a smile crept onto his face unbidden. Slowly, he spoke.
"......Yeah."
Seol-a paused, thinking, then pointed at Theo, lost in reminiscence.
"Mommy?"
"......"
Kang-ho stared at him. Seeing Theo's slightly dazed face, Kang-ho gave a wry smile.
"Want some?"
Kang-ho sat on the log cabin roof, offering his half-empty vodka bottle to Theo.
[Sure.]
Theo took it and chugged.
Cheorwon's spring night under the bright moon felt cozy and bittersweet somehow. Kang-ho gazed up at the sky and spoke.
"Miss home?"
[What?]
Theo snorted.
[Not at all.]
"Yeah?"
[Hmm.]
Theo scratched his forehead.
[Maybe a little. I don't wanna live there again, but sometimes I think it'd be nice to visit. Places full of memories, y'know?]
"Makes sense."
Kang-ho nodded lightly. His eyes had grown cold.
"Found a way to the Demon Realm from Bassago."
[......!]
Theo startled and looked at him.
"Baal is an old friend and comrade. Might have to make a choice I'll regret again."
[Baal......!]
Kang-ho grabbed the bottle back and chugged. The bit over half remaining vanished in seconds.
Theo, grasping immediately, blinked blankly, then nodded.
[I'll prepare.]
"Thoroughly."
[Yeah, thoroughly.]
Kang-ho silently offered his fist. Theo bumped it lightly.
Suddenly.
Patpatpat—
Something flew across the sky in the distance. Ice fairies.
Shwaaa—
The air grew tense. Kang-ho smiled.
"Looks like it's hatching."
Ice fairies encircled the castle, emitting light. The world bathed in cold yet warm glow.
The birth of new life!
Kang-ho had seen this once before. Snow crystals sparkled across the world, beautiful and radiant.
Under Cheorwon's spring sky, thick snowflakes gently fell in an untimely spectacle.