Past Life Returner-Side Story 46: New Year (2)

Woo Yeon-Hee just blinked. She did feel strange because the cold had lingered for too long. However, the pregnancy test clearly showed two lines. It wasn’t that she had never imagined this day. In fact, she often vaguely fantasized about how truly happy she would be if she had a child with Seon-Hu.

However, when this became a reality, worries and regrets overcame joy. Woo Yeon-Hee blinked back tears, and her lips trembled.

What… What do I do? I didn’t know.

She began rummaging through the cabinet. The cold medicines she had been taking were there. She then searched through the trash can, pulling out not only empty beer cans but also any trash she could find. She checked the labels on the cold medicines and other trash, unconsciously biting her nails.

Her thoughts didn’t stop there. She remembered her travels, wandering through tourist sites and every time they docked at a port. What she thought was a simple cold was actually signals from the child in her womb. 𝑏𝘦𝑑𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Something like, “Mom, I’m in your belly.”

She did not realize this and lived her life drinking alcohol, eating unhealthy ice cream, and, worse, taking medication! Were the cold medicines the only problem? She had even taken painkillers in her eagerness to explore the tourist sites more. These thoughts rushed at her, and tears streamed down her face.

Looking back, it was unlikely that a cold would last that long. Why had she ignored it? Woo Yeon-Hee couldn’t stop crying, feeling immensely sorry for the child in her womb. She worried about the potential harm caused by the medicines she had taken.

"Amanda… What should I do?"

Woo Yeon-Hee lifted her head and spoke. Amanda stood there, trying to understand the situation with wide eyes.

"I didn’t know and ran around in the rain like crazy. I must have been out of my mind. Is it okay to take these medications?"

Woo Yeon-Hee handed Amanda the cold medicine and painkillers. Amanda accepted them but kept glancing at the pregnancy test on Woo Yeon-Hee’s thighs. Amanda knew the true identities of Woo Yeon-Hee and Seon-Hu. Learning that 'Mary' was carrying His child was shocking!

Amanda checked the items with trembling hands, possibly more so than Woo Yeon-Hee.

"As far as I know, taking cold medicine shouldn’t be a problem."

"I also drank alcohol."

Woo Yeon-Hee's tear-streaked eyes wandered aimlessly. In the eyes of Awakened, especially those under Mary's control in the Final Stage of the Stage of Advent, she was known as a ruthless villainess. Seeing this side of Woo Yeon-Hee was probably a first for Amanda.

"Please calm down and listen. I’ve seen this a lot around me."

Amanda tried to calm her trembling heart and sat beside Woo Yeon-Hee.

"Many people do the same thing. Everyone makes the same mistake."

Upon checking again, the pregnancy test still showed two clear lines. Although He was resting in the body of a human named Ethan, his omnipotent and omniscient divine status was highly revered. Amanda had to compose herself, realizing she was witnessing another enormous secret of the world.

"But such mistakes usually have little to no effect on the fetus. Don't worry. And congratulations, truly."

Amanda’s attempt at comforting her did not work on Woo Yeon-Hee’s anxiety. Her gaze was still unsettled. Frankly, Amanda wanted to ask what Woo Yeon-Hee was worried about. It was His child! Even if such actions negatively affected the baby inside her womb, everything would be resolved with just a touch of Him. He would never stand by idly to a child born between His beloved woman and Him.

From what Amanda had observed, He truly loved His woman and would be overjoyed more than anyone else at having a child.

But where was He on this joyous day? She had seen Him cooking in the kitchen this morning, as he had been doing lately, but not since then.

***

In a place where screams and the clashes of weapons intertwined, Joshua had recreated a game he used to enjoy playing within the spiritual realm. He had been immersed in the game until about a month ago, but all interest evaporated the moment he reached the top. The spiritual realm was created to relieve boredom and to demonstrate efforts to regain the will to live, so as not to ignore the Master’s hard work.

"You know what this is, right?"

After glancing at the battlefield spread out below, Seon-Hu placed something on Joshua's table. It was a dish worthy of being called art. It was schnitzel, a German-style, fried pork cutlet. The scent of lemon zest wafted from the schnitzel filled the air, accompanied by the delicate smell of spring from the white asparagus on the side. The sauce created beautiful curves on the plate, enhancing the aesthetics of the schnitzel, the cut asparagus, and the small cherry tomatoes.

Seon-Hu could confidently say his cooking had surpassed perfection.

If this doesn't work, there’s nothing more I can do with food.

Schnitzel was Joshua's favorite dish when he was a boy, as Seon-Hu had heard from Joshua's family. Joshua enjoyed dishes with white asparagus, just like any German, and he sought this dish until the Day of Advent.

"This is schnitzel with white asparagus. I figured you'd like it since it was your favorite. German cuisine isn’t bad, right?"

"Thank you, Master. Would you like to join me?"

"Of course."

As Seon-Hu sat next to Joshua, he added, “There's no need to stop them.”

Their gaze naturally drifted downwards.

"Let’s enjoy the meal while watching the spectacle."

There was no need for Seon-Hu to stop the battle below. If he could instill the will to live in Joshua by solely focusing on food, he would have succeeded long ago. This time, like enjoying a meal while watching TV, they should keep it casual. That was how Seon-Hu wanted to start, making it less stressful for Joshua.

"I haven’t seen that fellow before, have you? The one that looks like us.”

Seon-Hu pointed at a subject. It was positioned in the center of the field. Specifically, it was handling the middle attack route among the three attack routes.

“It was summoned yesterday.”

Although it came from another dimension, its appearance was an exact replica of a human, which was unusual. That was the reason it attracted Seon-Hu's attention. It wielded a sword and knew how to use energy through supernatural means.

Seon-Hu recognized its identity immediately. This place was a recreation of the game he and Joshua enjoyed playing. But strictly speaking, this was a hell created for malicious spirits and also a path of Asura[1] Entities filled with malice acted merely as minions, engaging in endless battles until they truly perished or were annihilated.

Those with larger energy reserves would play roles similar to the main characters in the game, repeatedly experiencing this hell until they were defeated on the battlefield. And typically, those entities with larger energy were of a particular type. They were beings with the potential to challenge divinity.

Just as the beginning of Doom Kaos and Old One had started, those who reached the universe's truths through their enlightenment harbored significant energy. They could become the second Doom Kaos and Old One.

As enlightenment faded over eternal time, leaving only the ambition to become divine, they also possessed the potential to challenge the singular divinity.

Dell had taken on the role of monitoring and eliminating such creatures. She, now serving as the hands and feet of the master of the spiritual realm, was the second among the Valkyrie sisters with consciousness.

"So, who is the extremely wicked one this time?" Seon-Hu asked.

The Valkyrie that was being summoned here indicated that it was an entity that was thoroughly wicked, as it had not been annihilated yet.

"It's one that slaughtered an entire civilization. It didn't discriminate between enemies, allies, or kin."

"I thought so," Seon-Hu responded, having already noticed its malicious gaze.

"It seems adept at frontline battles but not so much at management, huh? There’s always one like that."

"I agree, Master. By the way..."

"Hm?"

"Did you move on to the next tier?"

"...Let's eat for now."

Seon-Hu diverted the topic back to the meal.

1. A world of suffering where the wars never end. 👈