Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Resolve
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After hanging up the phone, Juan's expression was relaxed.
Park Un-ho had tried to act tough, but Juan could sense the hesitation in him.
Juan was certain.
He wasn't the type to ruthlessly abandon his woman.
Once Park Un-ho's woman arrived, he could sample her, record a video, and use it to negotiate again.
If that didn't work, he could threaten him with the child in her belly next.
If even that failed?
Target another woman.
That was the difference between a hero and a villain.
A hero who only defended was always at a disadvantage. From the perspective of someone who only attacked like himself, there was no risk in trying anything.
Heroes who defeated villains only existed in movies.
This was a fight the villain was bound to win.
If he kept harassing him relentlessly, Park Un-ho would eventually bring the Vision right to him.
"........."
I was so dumbfounded that I was at a loss for words.
Wanting the Vision meant he'd learned the magic I'd casually unleashed.
'And he dares to touch my woman?'
I'd bestowed a favor, and he'd stabbed me in the back.
Had I ever been this furious since awakening?
It just showed how intense my possessiveness over my woman was.
I released my usually restrained senses.
My thoughts accelerated to the extreme.
My expanded consciousness stretched out endlessly.
Extending beyond Jeju Island, it encompassed Korea and parts of China and Japan within my perceptual range.
I'd never pushed my consciousness this far before.
It felt like becoming an omniscient being observing the world... and at the same time, my mind cooled sharply.
The anger toward Juan faded quickly.
My emotions shrank dramatically.
........Was it because I was perceiving too much information... or some other reason....
I set aside the question.
Within the range of my expanded consciousness, I searched for Kim Kyung-sook.
But she wasn't there.
It seemed more accurate to say Kim Kyung-sook had slipped beyond my perceptual range.
As expected..... Am I still not enough?
'Suni, where's that bastard Juan?'
This meant Kim Kyung-sook was still en route to him.
I could head straight to São Paulo and beat the crap out of Juan right now.
What if I took out Juan first?
I didn't know how loyal his underlings were...... but I couldn't rule out the chance they'd harm her.
Of course, they might back off out of fear of me.
But I...
Couldn't accept even that one-in-a-million chance.
Couldn't tolerate even the slightest possibility of something going wrong.
The order was clear.
Rescue Kim Kyung-sook first.
Juan Razka second.
So I needed to pinpoint her location first.
I had no way to do that now.
If now wasn't possible, I'd make it possible.
I activated the Login skill to open a passage to the zombie world.
Stroking the head of Yu-na, who looked anxious beside me, I said,
"Wait here just a moment."
"Huh? Uncle? What do you..."
Seeing Yu-na's bewildered expression, I quickly slipped into the passage to the zombie world.
The scenery changed in an instant, revealing a stark room devoid of furniture.
The new base in the zombie world.
A room in the luxury apartment where I'd set the save point after moving from the school.
I was dedicating an entire room to the save point, but the place was so spacious it didn't matter.
Now that I was in the zombie world,
I had plenty of time.
Though right now, I just wanted to hurry up and crush that bastard Juan.
'If I'd known, maybe I shouldn't have leveled up Inventory.'
Thinking about it, it probably wouldn't have made much difference.
Leveling Body Strengthening required a ton of skill points. Even with what I'd saved, it would've only been half of what's needed for one level up.
For now, I sent a message to gather the kids.
The kids trickled into the spacious living room and sat on the sofas one by one.
"Oppa.... Are you mad? Did we do something wrong?"
Ji-ah asked.
"Mad?"
The kids sitting around on the living room sofas had slightly cowed expressions, watching my face.
Even Han Su-ji, who was usually grumbling, was quiet.
'I messed up....'
I was angry, it was true.
At Juan.
And it must have seeped into the atmosphere unconsciously.
I wasn't mad at them, but after getting slapped from an unexpected direction, I'd ended up snapping at the innocent kids.
"Sorry. I'm not mad at you guys. I just had something unpleasant happen elsewhere."
"Phew.... I was worried for nothing."
Han Su-ji, who'd been tense, finally relaxed her face and spoke.
"Then...."
Ji-ah seemed curious why I'd called them all together.
"I need to step out for a bit."
"Huh? Where to? For how long?"
Ji-ah asked in surprise at my words.
"Who knows.... I don't really know myself..... But I can send messages, so staying in touch won't be hard."
"Even so...."
I needed to expand my consciousness range.
I planned to hunt seriously and raise Body Strengthening from level 1 to 2 or maybe 3.
I had 4 spare skill points right now.
Leveling Body Strengthening once more required 60 additional points from there.
Two levels would total 188 points.
Considering the perceptual range I'd tested in the original world, two was safer than one.
'Sh, it'll take some time....'
188 points really hit home.
I'd considered Cheongju,
but it was better to leave Cheongju to Ignis and the survivor hunters.
If I went and depleted the resources myself, Ignis could be reassigned elsewhere, but the survivors would be out of work in an instant.
Cheongju would become my skill points whether fast or slow anyway.
Better to target somewhere else.
'Anyway....'
I looked at the kids.
'I should add them, right?'
If something like what happened to Kyung-sook unni happened to these kids, my bed would be a battlefield.
"Why? Uncle?"
Cha-young, Cha-won's little sister, noticed my gaze and asked with her bright, sparkling eyes.
In the end, I added the kids to the raid party too.
After Kyung-sook unni's kidnapping, I'd gained some vigilance where I'd been lax.
Everyone I cherished should be in the raid party.
That would guarantee their safety.
Not just location tracking—Suni could protect them if needed...
If I permitted it, Suni could use skills other than Body Strengthening and Login.
So if it got really dangerous, I could send Ignis through Suni.
"Nothing changes. I'm just stepping out for a while. Handle Ignis as usual."
Ever since setting up the efficient resource-sucking system here, I'd barely done anything myself.
"Got it, my lord. Don't worry and go."
Ignis replied reliably.
When I opened my eyes, two naked women were clinging to my arms.
Ji-ah and Seol-hwa.
They were hugging me tightly in their sleep.
Before leaving, I'd spent the night tangled with these two women.
They'd clung to me passionately too.
Now they couldn't even twitch from the aftermath.
I lightly kissed their cheeks and carefully got up.
'No need for full goodbyes.'
I was heading far, but if I wanted, I could return in an instant.
I quietly left the house.
'Should've hugged Cha-won too....'
Feeling that regret as I headed to the rooftop,
at the stairwell entrance to the roof stood a familiar pretty girl with a bob haircut.
It was Cha-won.
She looked a bit sulky.
I felt a pang of guilt for spending the night with Ji-ah and Seol-hwa.
Four rings of mana orbited her chest.
Whether due to talent or me, she could be considered a solid mid-tier mage now.
"Are you leaving now?"
"Yeah."
"I can't ask you to take me with you?"
"Hm...."
I'd planned to focus purely on hunting.
But seeing Cha-won clinging to me weakened my resolve.
Once I left here, seeing women would be tough. Suni was swamped in this world too.
My determination wavered before even a day passed.
Human will is so fragile.
"Sorry for putting you in a tough spot."
Cha-won approached, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me. I naturally pulled her waist close.
-Smack. Smooch. Chu....
We embraced like that for a long while, savoring each other's tongues.
When the long kiss ended and our lips parted, a transparent thread stretched between them before snapping.
"Haa...... Take care."
Cha-won said with a slight smile. I could see her flushed face.
She seemed a little embarrassed.
Her unusually cute expression made me smile unwittingly.
"Yeah."
With Cha-won seeing me off, I dragged my reluctant feet away from the residence.