Suddenly being asked to become the father of a child made my mind go blank.

But I had to pull myself together.

If I delayed, my body might melt away completely.

I hadn’t used any grand technique—rather, I seemed to be directly exposed to Zimjo’s enormous venom. I didn’t know how time flowed within a mental landscape, but it was certain that I didn’t have much.

Before the last grain of sand in the hourglass fell, I had to either persuade Zimjo with different terms or make a decision.

The first thing that came to mind was the matter of my wives.

This body already had an owner.

Three of them, in fact.

I was a man with a rather complicated shareholding structure, so to speak.

I intended to bring that up and propose another kind of relationship.

Something like friendship.

“Actually, I already have wives. Th-three of them. So...”

At my words, Zimjo stared at me blankly.

Those black-violet pupils glimmered calmly like a lake deep within a forest.

Then suddenly, a mischievous laugh filled the room.

“Ahahaha. What strange words. Don’t worry— I shall get along well with your wives too.”

Get along with my wives, she said.

That wasn’t the issue.

“No, that’s not what I meant. My wives’ permission...”

As my voice trailed off, Zimjo grasped her chin and stared at me intently.

Her expression carried a faint, mocking smile that seemed to say my words were meaningless.

Like listening to the excuses of a child.

“Those women couldn’t even come near my venom, could they? Would they prefer that you melt away and vanish, or that you live on—even if it means becoming the father of my child?”

I had nothing to say.

Of course my wives would choose the latter.

They weren’t the kind of women who would wish death upon the man they loved.

“Then it’s naturally the latter, so you need not worry.”

Zimjo’s words flowed softly, yet the certainty hidden within them constricted me.

However, even if my wives consented, there was still the practical problem.

Her request to become the father of her child wasn’t simply asking to be her husband.

It was a deranged proposal for copulation and conception—blood and flesh tangled together.

'A cloaca...'

The reproductive and excretory organs of birds were integrated into a single structure called a cloaca. Just thinking about it made my head spin.

No, putting that aside, there was no way offspring could be born from mating between me, a human, and Zimjo, a bird.

Human and ape genes differ by only about one to six percent, yet even that doesn’t produce a viable embryo. Between human and bird, it was utterly impossible.

Of course, in this world of spirit creatures capable of bending reality itself, I couldn’t say it was absolutely impossible.

But it should have been absolutely impossible.

I asked cautiously.

“So, I mean, our species are different...”

“I don’t care,” Zimjo said. “It’s a trivial matter. I have decided already. Only your decision remains.”

Species differences were no issue at all, apparently.

She even called it a trivial matter.

Zimjo seemed to be some kind of free, progressive bird with windlike views—one utterly without prejudice toward other species.

If a person like that existed among humans, there would probably be no racism in the world.

'Incredibly progressive.'

“I-I see. So it’s not a problem for you...”

“So, your answer?”

With a subtle, alluring smile, Zimjo rose from her seat and approached me.

That smile was faint like moonlight filtering through clouds, yet the heat hidden within it overwhelmed me.

Each step she took brought a tangible pressure.

Every step felt like a question demanding an answer from me.

Swallowing hard, I took a step back and opened my mouth again.

This time, I had to bring up the fundamental issue—the problem of the child itself.

Leaving aside our intentions, if the goal was offspring, then I had to tell her that conception was impossible. Maybe that would reset the relationship.

“Th-that’s all fine, but, um, we’re... different species, so we couldn’t possibly produce offspring, could we?”

Zimjo replied without a trace of hesitation.

“Don’t worry. We certainly can.”

“I-I was under the impression that we couldn’t.”

Zimjo frowned slightly, thinking for a moment, then said,

“I cannot explain it now, and even if I did, your mind would not comprehend it. But do not worry. We can certainly create a child.”

My head went blank again, but my body was literally melting, and the situation was urgent.

I could just say to hell with it and try to live first, thinking about the consequences later, but I couldn’t ignore the aftershocks.

Sure, if I connected with her, I’d gain immunity to venom—but my wives, the people around me, my spirit-creature friends, and my children would not.

And if later, when no child was born, she blamed me and released her venom in rage?

That would be a catastrophically serious problem.

“A-and if no child... happens?”

My voice grew small.

Almost a whisper.

At that question, Zimjo let out a breathy laugh.

“What a worry-filled man you are. If no child comes, would that not be my fault? It is always the woman’s fault when a child cannot be born, so do not fret. Now, are we settled?”

In short: there was no problem, so I should just become the father of her child.

She was pressing hard.

“C-can’t we just be friends instead?”

At that, Zimjo’s expression turned cold. Then she returned to her chair and crossed her legs.

It felt like the negotiation had failed.

I had dabbled in psychology once, and I’d heard that when someone folds their arms or crosses their legs toward you in conversation, it means their heart is closed. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

“It’s not a bad proposal for you either, yet you’re foolish. Well, it can’t be helped. If you dislike it so, I’ve already made my offer.”

At the same time, Zimjo snapped her fingers.

As she did, the golden crown atop her head shimmered and swayed.

Suddenly, my body tilted.

All strength drained from me, and I collapsed onto the cold golden floor with a thud.

“W-what—how!?”

This was Zimjo’s mental landscape.

So naturally, her influence here would be immense—but never before had I experienced the owner of a mental landscape acting upon me so directly.

Then, one of my eyes blurred; the world faded in one eye, and something strange appeared in the other.

In that remaining eye, I began to see the ends of my limbs blurring and dissolving.

At the same time, Zimjo’s cold voice echoed.

“Ah, time is short. Your toes have just vanished. The lives of those who enter my venom—how fleeting they are.”

At her words, I looked down at my feet. Just as she said, my toes were gone.

Apparently, she was showing me the state of my body outside.

Or had she linked it directly?

Startled, I raised my hand.

My fingers were disintegrating.

Fingers turning to ash, scattering slowly.

My skin cracked, crumbling to dust, my vision blurring, and the sight in my remaining eye was darkening into pitch black.

I shouted desperately.

“I—I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”

I hadn’t the faintest idea how I’d explain this to my wives later, but I had to live first if I wanted to apologize at all, didn’t I?

Then my vision returned.

Zimjo, who had somehow approached, embraced me and said,

“A fine decision.”

Her lips pressed against mine, and my vision turned black-violet once more.

***

Inside black-violet flames, So-ryong’s body was slowly scattering.

Even the light of the Beast-Heart Technique shining from his chest was fading away.

So-ryong’s wives cried out desperately in pain.

“S-So-ryong!? Hang in there! Nghhh!”

“Master, you can do it! Please!”

“Kkyaaa! So-ryong!”

So-ryong’s fingers and toes had already dissolved completely.

His ears were gone, his nose had vanished—only traces remained that he had ever been So-ryong.

It was when everyone prayed for a miracle, holding onto fading hope.

The fading light of the Beast-Heart Technique suddenly winked out like a snuffed lamp.

At that sight, Seol, who had been watching So-ryong tensely with both hands clenched, collapsed.

“Ry-Ryong-ah! Huaaahhh!”

Her first beloved junior.

Not bound by blood, but a younger brother so precious she would not have regretted giving her life for him—and now he had become ashes and died.

He must have perished to the venom before successfully claiming Zimjo.

They had pinned their last hopes on him, but it must have been too much.

The times she had spent with So-ryong flashed before her eyes like a lantern reel.

Then those scenes blurred and began to run down like rain.

Memories turning to sorrow, sorrow pouring as tears.

“Huaaahhh!”

Seol hurled herself toward the venom in a frenzy, but Wheel Lady Heo Muha threw herself forward and caught her.

“Let me go! Let me go!”

“No! If I let you go, how could I face my juniors later!?”

“Huaaa! Ryong-ah! Ryong-ah!”

“So-ryong! Huuuuhhh!”

“Master! Uaaahhh!”

Behind them followed the wailing of So-ryong’s wives, and with their cries, the martial artists of both Murim and the Central Plains broke into lamentation and tears.

“The young hero of the martial world, gone so pitifully...”

“Ahh, even Heaven is heartless.”

Everyone inside Beast Valley was engulfed in despair and grief.

Then, suddenly— from So-ryong’s chest, which they had thought already lifeless, a brilliant light exploded.

—Puhwaaa!

A blue radiance that made everything around gleam cold.

In an instant, the inside of Beast Valley was flooded with blue light.

—Flap!

Then, Zimjo—who had been still before {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} So-ryong—came to her senses, shot forward, and landed before So-ryong’s wives.

[You are that child’s wives, yes? That child lives, so you need not worry. By the way, he said there were friends who could heal the body—who are they?

He lives, but it would be best to heal him as soon as possible.]

At the moment the blue light burst out, the pain stabbing through their heads—or rather, through their souls—had vanished.

So-ryong’s wives leapt to their feet and ran to Moji and Soji, who were lying and rolling nearby, and embraced them.

It seemed So-ryong had succeeded in connecting Zimjo within the mental landscape.

“You guys! Are you okay!?”

—Myu-myu.

—Myuu.

The group communication link wasn’t restored yet, so they couldn’t make out exact words, but the feeling was clear: We’re okay.

They quickly begged the two.

“Moji, Soji, hurry and heal Daddy!”

“Hurry!”

So-ryong’s condition was clearly dire at a glance.

Almost all his skin was gone, leaving only muscle.

His fingers, toes, ears, and nose—only traces remained.

Moji and Soji, fluttering in their wives’ arms, quickly flew up but soon fell back down.

Because they couldn’t approach So-ryong through the venom.

“Ah! The venom!”

At that, Zimjo strode toward the venom and began sucking it in.

[What a handful you are.]

The venom was drawn into Zimjo in an instant.

As soon as the venom vanished, Moji and Soji clung to So-ryong and began healing.

From So-ryong’s body as well, healing light was now emanating—perhaps channeling Moji and Soji’s ability.

While still standing, So-ryong’s skin, fingers, and face began to return little by little.

“So-ryong!”

“Th-thank goodness!”

“Waaahhh!”

Everyone shouted in joy.

As So-ryong’s body fully recovered and Hwa-eun threw her long robe over his naked form—

Suddenly, energy gathered around So-ryong’s body.

Natural qi from the surroundings began to flow into him.

—Rumble!

At the same time, dark clouds gathered overhead.

Huge storm clouds swirled and began to gather above So-ryong’s head.

Then the clouds turned into five colors—red, blue, green, and others.

“W-what is this!?”

While everyone was confused, Zimjo shouted.

[Th-this—! Could it be he has reached such a realm!? Everyone, fall back from this child!]

The moment Zimjo cried out—

—Kwarrrr!

Five-colored lightning struck down from the sky toward So-ryong.