“Wow, our Silaph. Up early this morning? Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. Did you sleep well too, Father?”
“Of course, of course. Ah, I’m hungry. Shall we eat?”
“Yes, sounds good.”
A warm, peaceful breakfast with the family.
“Father, thank you for always making such delicious meals.”
Silaph hopped down from his chair and gave a polite little bow, his tiny hands pressed together at his belly.
I fought the urge to smile too broadly, but deep down, I was proud.
How could a baby less than a month old be so well-mannered?
He never caused trouble and always seemed to handle things on his own.
No wonder he’s the favorite among the missionary clan members.
Especially with the wives exhausted from childcare.
“Um…”
Just as Silaph was about to sit back down, his eyes blinked as if he’d suddenly remembered something.
The little angel fluttering his tiny wings, hesitating like that, was unbearably adorable.
“What is it?”
“Father, could you hold me too?”
“Hold you?”
“Yes. Please hold me.”
Ah, so that’s it. He must have been watching me hold Sujeong and feed her milk yesterday.
He must have been really jealous.
“Of course. There’s no reason not to.”
I reached out my hands, and Silaph beamed, stretching out his little arms toward me.
“Silaph.”
But before our hands could even touch, a calm voice cut between us.
Seraph, sitting beside me, was quietly watching Silaph.
“Haven’t we started eating yet?”
“Ah…”
“And I told you not to be spoiled.”
“Yes…”
Her tone was stern, unyielding.
Silaph’s arms dropped, and his head bowed in disappointment.
His tiny wings fluttered briefly before drooping.
“Please sit down.”
Silaph obediently returned to his seat.
Honestly, that was a bit harsh.
A child asking to be held isn’t too much to ask.
“Are you enjoying your meal, my daughter?”
Feeling sorry for him, I tried to cheer him up, and Silaph’s smile returned, if only a little.
“Yes!”
He grinned brightly, clutching his spoon with his tiny hands.
“Silaph.”
But once again, Seraph’s sharp reprimand came down without fail.
“That’s disrespectful. You’re not supposed to eat until your father starts.”
“Ah…”
“I’m pretty sure I taught you that.”
“…I forgot.”
Silaph pouted his lower lip for a moment.
His cheeks puffed out in a slightly sulky expression.
Seraph’s eyes narrowed, as if she caught the fleeting defiance.
“Even though you know you’re wrong, you show no remorse… Silaph, put down your spoon.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“I’m sorry, Suhyun… Silaph? Come with me.”
“Sorry, Mother. I was wrong.”
Flustered, Silaph pleaded pitifully, but Seraph stood up without another word.
Without looking back, she walked away, and Silaph hurried after her, anxious and unsure.
Once they left the dining room, the tense atmosphere finally eased.
I let out a long breath I’d been holding.
“…That seems a bit much.”
“Don’t be too upset, Father.”
Marga, sitting quietly across from me, offered a comforting word.
“Silaph was born already possessing intelligence. He’s fully aware that he’s an angel.”
“I understand that it’s necessary for him to adapt to the human world… but that was clearly a child’s behavior just now.”
“It can’t be helped. To change an already formed nature, you have to pay attention to even the smallest details. Please try to understand Mother.”
“Hmm…”
I had left Silaph’s upbringing entirely to Seraph.
I know very little about angels.
But still…
“I’ll go check on them.”
As I kept watching the dining room door, I heard the chair scrape as someone stood.
For some reason, I felt a little awkward.
“Sorry. Could you look after Silaph for a bit?”
“Of course. I’ll do my best as the older sister.”
Marga smiled brightly, almost happy, and hurried out of the dining room.
Left alone at the table, I finally felt a bit relieved.
But that wasn’t the only problem.
Childcare issues could be worked out between us, but Silaph’s condition…
When I checked with my third eye, as expected, it was confirmed.
Half-Heaven, Half-God.
And One-Third.
It means one-third.
I still don’t know what it means exactly, but there’s definitely a connection.
I’m Demi, Silaph is One-Third, and the other child is Quarter.
Half, one-third, and one-quarter.
What on earth could that signify?
“……”
No matter how much I thought about it alone, I couldn’t find an answer.
It had been a concern since Sohyun was born.
And the fact that I still don’t have an answer means it’s something I can’t solve on my own.
Wasting more time worrying won’t help. It’s better to seek help.
Once I made up my mind, I set down the spoon I’d been holding.
Finding the woman I considered an advisor wasn’t difficult.
She was sitting at the lobby table on the first floor, right outside the dining hall.
Hwajeong, with her striking red hair neatly draped, sat propping her chin with one hand.
She had earbuds in and was staring intently at her laptop.
By the way, who gave her that laptop?
I admired her blend of innocence and sharpness for a moment, then cleared my throat and started walking.
“Don’t come any closer.”
But before I could take a step, Hwajeong spoke without even looking at me.
“Keep at least a meter’s distance. Don’t even think about touching me. I’m not some easy goddess.”
She rattled off all this very quickly.
It was a sharp tone I hadn’t heard in a while.
“…What are you watching?”
“This? Don’t answer. BC 4000.”
I’d never heard of that program.
But Hwajeong smiled, unusually satisfied.
She swung her long legs back and forth.
“It shows the daily lives of prehistoric people in a pretty comical way. More fun than I expected.”
Then she waved her pretty hand dismissively.
I wondered why I hadn’t seen her around lately—guess she was hooked on a drama.
Anyway, that’s all well and good, but I’m in a pretty desperate situation right now.
“Help me.”
“?”
Was that really so unexpected?
Hwajeong finally looked up from her laptop.
“Something serious?”
“Counseling?”
Her sharp eyes narrowed.
“Not here to get you pregnant, right?”
“Hey.”
Why do I even bother talking to her?
“No, I heard recently that Gwanghui’s priestess got pregnant. Or never mind. Is it important?”
“Sort of. I’ve thought it over from every angle, but I just can’t figure it out. They even said they can’t be sure about the zero code…”
“…What?”
Hwajeong’s attitude changed at that.
She pulled out her earbuds and lightly tapped the laptop keyboard as if pausing it.
Then she pushed the chair opposite her back with her foot and said,
“What is it?”
“Yaaawn… huh?”
Having just put the baby to sleep, Jegal Haesol yawned as he came down the stairs.
There was no particular reason for his sudden alertness.
He just happened to notice the two people sitting at the lobby table.
Hwajeong was saying something, and Kim Suhyun nodded occasionally.
The atmosphere was quite serious.
“How many times have you absorbed the life force of Gehenna? Twice? Thrice?”
“About that many, I think. Is that the cause?”
“No, listen. Normally, humans don’t turn into gods just by absorbing divine life force. Maybe if it were thousands or tens of thousands of times, but just two or three times is like pouring a single bag of nutrient-rich fertilizer and a tank of water on a drought-stricken field. Or like a brief strong gust of wind on a sail-less ship.”
“So…”
“But your situation is different.”
“How?”
The deep conversation piqued Jegal Haesol’s curiosity, who was second only to his scholarly zeal.
He tiptoed closer, trying to eavesdrop.
Hwajeong’s explanation continued.
“As I said, a one-time energy absorption doesn’t affect your core at all. But if it’s continuous, that changes everything. Quite a lot.”
“Hmm. Sorry, can you explain that more simply?”
“Are you stupid? Have you already forgotten who you were carrying in your heart?”
“Ah… no way. So you’re saying…”
Now understanding, Kim Suhyun’s expression grew serious.
Hwajeong nodded gravely.
“I can’t be certain, but this is my best guess. Because the circumstantial evidence is strong.”
Kim Suhyun had been one with Hwajeong for over five years.
Since carrying her inside, they’d been inseparable, not even a second apart.
Not only that, but with each awakening—first, second, third—Hwajeong’s power grew stronger, and so did its influence.
Plus, they’d used the flame fusion ability to forcibly unite multiple times.
“In that case, the life force Gehenna shared at that time has to be seen differently.”
Exactly.
Kim Suhyun’s body wasn’t a drought-stricken field, but a fertile plot gradually cultivated by Hwajeong.
And if you pour nutrient-rich fertilizer and water on it?
If the ship had sails and a strong wind blew?
“Well, the conclusion is, maybe you should accept the truth as it is. You’re a Demi-God, Silaph is a One-Third God, and the other child can grow into a Quarter God. Of course, all depending on their own efforts…”
“Wait a minute. You’re joking, right? Or maybe not?”
“Sorry to say, but the chances of that are slim.”
“…”
Kim Suhyun cut in, but Hwajeong dismissed him firmly.
“At this point, you should know, right? There’s even proof. Starting with your user info, which is off the charts abnormal. Like that angel who conceived your child, or Gehenna’s daughter treating your kid so well.”
“Okay, I get the first two, but why Sunah?”
“Are you an idiot? Do you think she just changed her attitude for no reason? The one who treats humans like bugs? She only acts like an older sister because there’s something useful about you.”
“So, in the end, it’s all my fault?”
Suhyun’s face twisted slightly.
“Well… I don’t want to say this, but isn’t it too soon to jump to conclusions?”
Hwajeong crossed her arms, her expression ambiguous at the self-reproach in his voice.
Her slightly tense eyes seemed to be reading his thoughts.
“Hmm, hmm. If you want to live and die like a human, then yeah, wake up from that dream. But honestly, I think living even half as a god isn’t so bad.”
Suhyun glanced at her, puzzled.
“Not to mention your lifespan. Your power must be way beyond what it used to be.”
Hwajeong quickly added, “Really?”
“Yeah. I bet you could put up a decent fight against Gehenna or even me right now.”
“What?”
“Don’t get cocky. Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m talking about your avatar, not your true manifestation. If you went all out, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Hwajeong snapped sharply, then softened her tone again.
“Anyway, look at it this way. You’re a vessel of a god now. That means you can influence the divine even without me. Every move you make, every swing of your sword carries your own unique weight. It’s not even comparable to a typical divine user.”
“Hmm…”
For some reason, Hwajeong’s voice carried a subtle coaxing tone, almost like she was gently persuading him.
Suhyun, lost in heavy thoughts, didn’t notice.
After a brief pause, Hwajeong glanced around nervously before speaking again.
“And… well, I like it too. Being connected to a god boosts my prestige, makes me stand a little taller…”
Her eyes darted sideways, fiddling absentmindedly under the table.
“Uh… and, well, maybe we’ll be together for a long time to come…”
Her voice grew quieter, even faltering at times.
That caught Suhyun’s attention, his eyes widening.
“Huh? What did you say?”
As expected, the answer didn’t disappoint.
“…Shut up.”
Hwajeong frowned and snapped her head away sharply, the sound almost cracking the air.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
So, the groundwork for Kim Suhyun’s invincibility is firmly laid… (hehehe.)
Starting from the next chapter, the main story of this omnibus will begin.
As I mentioned in a previous note, it deals with parallel worlds.
I have a question for readers: what do you think about the future where Yoo Hyun-ah comes back to life?
I’d really like to hear your thoughts to help me while writing the side stories.
Please, I’m counting on you.
(__)
P.S. My first lecture is at 10 a.m. today, and I just finished this… ^_ㅠ