823

 [Chapter 207]

[A New Star]

As the time for childbirth approached, Han Seo-hyeon was admitted to Alice Hospital.

Her belly was fully swollen, seeming to say that the child could be born at any time.

She habitually stroked her belly and watched TV to pass the boring time.

"I never imagined Shakira unnie would become an idol."

Han Seo-hyeon chuckled.

On the screen were Shakira, Ariel, Iriya, Kim Mary, and Seo Dam-bi.

They were Pandora Hearts, the joint idol group of Pandora Clan and Luminous Group.

Recently, Han Seo-hyeon's daily routine consisted of reading books helpful for childcare or watching Pandora Hearts' broadcasts like this.

Since she had stepped back from administrative duties and had nothing special to do at the hospital, there was no better hobby than this.

It was then.

[Oh! It's a big catch! The Fishing King's intuition is speaking! This is a big one!]

On the screen, Ariel was shown challenging sea fishing.

Feeling a bite, she gripped her fishing rod tightly.

Her rod was bending sharply as if a fairly large fish had taken the bait.

Surprised people ran to Ariel to support her.

[Ooooh!!]

Ariel made a strange sound.

No sound effects were needed.

Pandora Hearts, holding her waist, grunted.

Han Seo-hyeon found herself immersed without realizing.

Then─.

[─It's a big catch!!!]

Ariel reeled in the fish.

Instead of a fish, a monster larger than her appeared.

People were greatly surprised.

Pandora Hearts immediately took battle stances.

"Ugh..."

At that moment, Han Seo-hyeon felt pain.

She frowned.

She instinctively sensed it.

The child was about to be born.

She hurriedly pressed the nurse call button.

[Unnie, what if you catch a monster while fishing. We almost had a big problem...]

[Ahaha! But we subjugated it, so it's fine! Mirimeri Kim Mary, are you hurt anywhere?]

[Ugh... The season for monsters to appear is a bit early this year. It's an area where they don't usually appear due to players regularly cleaning up the waters... Could there be something wrong with the marine ecosystem that made monsters come up here? Hmm, I should inquire about this with the South Sea Association head.]

The fisherman's words from the South Sea were barely audible.

Han Seo-hyeon was moved to the delivery room by nurses who came running after receiving the nurse call.

"...!!"

With pain that felt like her belly would burst.

Han Seo-hyeon suddenly felt resentful towards Noh Eun-ha.

☆

The Guma revealed themselves.

Eun-ha couldn't help but feel wary.

The time for the Guma to cause terror is not far off now.

What should I do?

Eun-ha fell into deep contemplation.

One year from now, on a certain day.

The Guma's terror would begin.

There were less than 2 months left until the new year.

But Eun-ha couldn't think of a proper way to prepare for the calamity that would occur next year.

I know it happens next year, but I don't know exactly when...

There are so many places where their terror occurs, I can't deal with it.

Since he couldn't predict the exact timing, he couldn't deploy players to terror locations in advance.

Moreover, there were too many variables.

With Belphegor's death, the Guma no longer existed as Guma.

Armageddon and the other Ma were aware of Eun-ha's existence.

So they might change the timing or the terror locations.

In the end, even knowing, he had no choice but to let the terror happen.

"It's completely after the fact. Next year, I should just make sure not to create a situation where I leave Seoul."

"Lalala♪"

"Yeah, thanks. I'll eat well."

Worried about Eun-ha lost in thought.

Lala, who had been watering the flowers placed in the office by Eun-ae, flew over.

She picked up a cookie from the table and brought it to Eun-ha's fingers that were tapping on the desk.

Eun-ha accepted Lala's consideration and chewed the cookie.

By the way, what will really happen in this life?

Is it seven Ma since Belphegor died?

But when I saw them then, it seemed they hadn't found Agares yet...

Eun-ha recalled his recent encounter with Armageddon.

Agares wasn't there at that time.

Has the future changed?

Or has Armageddon not found Agares yet?

Eun-ha couldn't tell.

But hopefully─.

"─It would be nice if some butterfly effect occurred and they couldn't find Agares, or if Agares wasn't born..."

Guma Agares.

She with long tied hair possessed the most powerful strength among the Guma.

Eun-ha remembered her terrifying nature.

When the Guma first revealed themselves, she showed a scene of devastating an entire area with just one punch.

The ground collapsing around her and surrounding buildings crumbling was terrifying in itself.

If Agares had actively caused terror like the other Guma, the damage would have been much greater.

Despite having such power.

After first appearing with the other Guma, Agares showed no particular activity.

While other Guma scattered nationwide causing terror, she merely revealed herself and waited for players to come.

And she died at the hands of On Tae-yang's party.

Unlike her powerful strength, she met a rather anticlimactic death.

"I wonder how it will turn out this time..."

In any case, Agares would be a variable in dealing with the Guma.

Eun-ha could only hope the situation would flow in a good direction.

But deep down, he guessed.

Judging from experience so far, strangely, situations always flowed in a bad direction.

As if this was fate.

Calamity always occurred.

Eun-ha gave a bitter smile.

In the end, there was no use worrying from now about something that would inevitably happen someday.

It was inefficient.

What he could do was become stronger than now, and train the clan members to be stronger.

Then suddenly he remembered.

"The Genesis Clan Lord will die fighting Armageddon... How should I handle this?"

In the previous life.

The first person to battle Armageddon was Ji Yong-hyeon.

He died after being defeated by Armageddon while trying to stop his terror.

And Ryu Yeon-hwa, who fought alongside him, rebuked Armageddon as he declared himself to the public as the new human race.

Saying they were Ma.

"Ugh..."

The Genesis Clan Lord was currently recruiting clan members who shared his ideals.

At Eun-ha's request, he was secretly considering creating a new clan.

But if he were to die, Eun-ha and Ji Yong-hyeon's plans would crumble.

It's a real problem.

Eun-ha clicked his tongue.

It was then.

"Hello?"

[Is this Noh Eun-ha?]

His smartphone rang.

Eun-ha answered the call.

[This is Alice Hospital. Your spouse is now...]

"I'll be right there."

It was a call from the hospital.

There was no need to listen to a long explanation.

The child was about to be born.

Eun-ha hung up and prepared to go out.

"Lalala♪"

"Stay well attached so you don't fall off."

Lala followed.

Eun-ha put her in his pocket and gathered Buldak and Kang who were playing with Iriya at the church.

And then immediately─.

─Spirit Transformation

Phoenix Wings

Eun-ha flew to the hospital.

☆

Eun-ha arrived at the hospital.

People recognized at once seeing his wings.

Passersby screamed welcoming cheers.

"Thank you. But please be quiet in the hospital. A child is being born today too."

A crowd gathered.

Eun-ha was troubled.

The people blocking his way and chasing after him were annoying.

He wanted to use his power to push them away.

But he couldn't do that, and Eun-ha had to be stuck in the lobby until hospital staff came to escort him.

"I'll pray for the child to be born healthy!"

At least people prayed for Han Seo-hyeon's delivery.

Eun-ha put aside his irritation towards them and bowed his head in gratitude.

Then he headed to the delivery room guided by the staff.

"The guardian should wait here, thank you."

"Can't I go in too?"

Han Seo-hyeon's mother and Eun-ha's mother were sitting in front of the delivery room.

They had been helping with her hospital stay and welcomed Eun-ha.

Eun-ha briefly greeted them and asked the nurse.

The answer came from elsewhere.

"No, Eun-ha, you wait here with us."

"Mom, I want to see if Seo-hyeon is okay..."

"Your mother-in-law is right. Just wait here quietly."

"Mother-in-law."

"Seo-hyeon asked for that too."

Mother and mother-in-law Choi Su-bin.

Eun-ha couldn't win against the two of them.

Moreover, after hearing what Choi Su-bin said, he had no choice but to sit down quietly.

Then Choi Su-bin added.

"Seo-hyeon said she absolutely doesn't want to show you an unsightly appearance. She'll be very haggard from giving birth, and she doesn't want to show that."

"I don't mind..."

"She wants to look pretty to you."

Even though we've already seen everything there is to see.

Eun-ha had a lot he wanted to say, but in the end decided to grant Han Seo-hyeon's request.

Then, his mother took his hand.

"And there's nothing good for you to go into the delivery room now. If Seo-hyeon sees you there, she'll probably want to hit you a lot."

"Huh? No, why..."

"If you don't want your hair pulled out, just pray here for Seo-hyeon and the baby to be safe."

He couldn't understand what his mother was saying.

But his mother and mother-in-law nodded as if recalling something.

Eun-ha sighed.

"How long do I have to wait?"

"It should be fine soon. Eun-ha, when Seo-hyeon gives birth later, tell her she did well. Don't try to look dazed."

"Yes, since Seo-hyeon will be too exhausted to be happy, Mr. Noh should be very happy for her."

The two comforted Eun-ha.

Eun-ha gritted his teeth as he listened to them.

He felt strangely anxious.

He was very worried about Han Seo-hyeon going into the delivery room.

He imagined her fighting terrible pain to give birth in the delivery room.

He wished─.

─I really can't like children after all.

He wanted to eliminate the pain she was feeling, even if it meant getting rid of the child in her womb.

Han Seo-hyeon took priority over the child.

If he had to choose between Han Seo-hyeon and the child, he would choose his wife without hesitation.

Eun-ha glared at the delivery room.

And as time passed─.

"─The child was born healthy. Both mother and child are fine. But it would be too much for all of you here to go in... Just the husband, come in alone. The rest of you can check through the glass window over there."

Han Seo-hyeon had given birth to the child.

Eun-ha stood up at the words of the person who came out of the delivery room.

By then, people who had come running after hearing the news also had joy on their faces.

Meanwhile, Eun-ha cleaned himself thoroughly following the staff's instructions and entered the inner part of the delivery room.

"...You came?"

"How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

Eun-ha was able to meet Han Seo-hyeon lying on the bed.

He immediately approached Han Seo-hyeon whose hair was disheveled.

He held her hand tightly.

Han Seo-hyeon smiled weakly.

"Look at the baby first, not me."

"..."

Han Seo-hyeon pointed to one side.

The baby was lying next to her.

Eun-ha's gaze turned.

"It's your child, hold it."

"..."

A child who couldn't open its eyes yet.

The child, who seemed to be sound asleep, was bright red.

Eun-ha carefully held the child in the posture the nurse showed him.

"How is it?"

A being that felt weightless.

It was a child smaller than his forearm.

Eun-ha just looked down at it quietly.

It was amazing that such a tiny life had been inside her womb.

Above all, it was amazing that it was a life connected by his and her blood.

"Check the fingers and toes. They're all there properly, right? Look down there too. It's a healthy son."

The nurse informed Eun-ha that the child was born healthy.

Until then, Eun-ha had been dazed.

An indescribable emotion had gripped him.

A strange feeling.

Eun-ha couldn't express what this feeling was.

Then, Han Seo-hyeon seemed to read his emotions.

"How does it feel to become a father?"

"...Thank you, really."

He had become a father.

It was an emotion he had never experienced in his previous life or this life.

An inexplicable sense of responsibility welled up.

His wife looked lovable.

The child felt like his everything.

Even though he had just seen the child for the first time.

Eun-ha felt a strong sense of possession.

"It was worth giving birth."

"Thank you for giving birth."

"From now on, we'll make a world where this child can live happily."

"Yeah."

Holding the child preciously.

Eun-ha resolved once again.

He couldn't give up this life.

Calamity and such, he wasn't afraid of any of it.

☆

Winter nights are long and cold.

Song Yun-seo put on warm clothes and went outside.

"There are so many stars."

Maybe because it was away from Seoul.

Or maybe because she was looking from a mountain.

The night was very clear.

Something that others couldn't see unfolded before her eyes.

Countless stars were twinkling in the blue-black night sky.

Song Yun-seo habitually searched for a certain star among those stars.

"Found it. Huh?"

The star that defies fate.

Like the North Star, a star that didn't move and encompassed surrounding stars was shining brilliantly.

It looked just like a king ruling the universe alone.

But on this day, Song Yun-seo discovered a tiny star had appeared next to that star.

"What is that star?"

A very tiny star.

It was small enough to miss carelessly, but her gaze was drawn to that star.

Because the small star was shining brightly as if announcing itself.

It felt like─.

─A star that defies fate?

That's the feeling it gave.

It was the appearance of a star unentangled with fate in the sea of stars.

Song Yun-seo was surprised.

What kind of star was it to be unaffected by fate from birth?

No, how could it have escaped fate as soon as it was born?

Because of this, she couldn't see that star's future.

It was a small but very tiny variable.

"It doesn't seem to exert enough influence to pay attention to now, but it would be amazing when it grows big later. Then it could become a star like the Pandora Clan Lord."

A star whose 10 years later, 20 years later she was curious about.

Does everything that comes from the star that defies fate also defy fate?

No, that wouldn't be the case.

That star must be special.

But the story that star would create would be in the very distant future.

It wasn't a star to pay attention to

 Song Yun-seo blessed that star and continued to trace other stars.

"Hmm..."

There were stars approaching the fate-defying star.

Stars shining in purple.

As time passed, that star was having a big influence on the sky.

"Originally there were 9, but one disappeared after being devoured by the Pandora Clan Lord before. And another one..."

Eight stars shining in purple.

No, seven stars.

One of them was just moving together with the seven stars.

In other words, it was in the same fate.

But the fact that it hadn't been dyed in a similar color to them yet meant─.

─Is there room for improvement?

It was a peculiar star.

A star whose fate wasn't yet determined.

In other words, it meant that even she, who couldn't change fate, might be able to do something.

"The next place I need to go is decided. I should go meet that star."

Song Yun-seo sensed it.

Perhaps the reason she had been wandering around the country was to meet that star.

She began to walk.