NOVEL NEXT Chapter 150: Past And Present (2)
Nathira lowered her stance slightly, as if preparing to unsheathe a nonexistent katana.
She had seen this move more times than she could count.
The same move Arthur had taught Cassie.
In a split second, she drew against the air, and a large golden arc ripped through the darkness, cleaving the space in half.
The void cracked, and a radiant seam of light poured through, splitting the domain into a vast semi-sphere.
As soon as the split in space appeared, a soft baritone voice spoke out:
"You still got it, little sis."
Nathira, Sylvia, and Echidna raised their gazes to the two figures who appeared in the rift above.
A handsome young man with long black hair and sharp red eyes.
Wrapped in his arms was an equally stunning woman with blonde hair and green eyes.
The man's lips curved in a knowing smile. "And it's nice to see you, Sylvia."
Sylvia's expression was like ice. "Can't say the same for you two."
The woman clinging to the man scoffed. "Is that any way to speak to your father?"
Sylvia stared at the woman, too shocked to speak at first.
Then she replied with a single word. "Bitch."
Tessia's face twisted. "What did you just say, you brat?"
Ariel, still holding Tessia, sighed. "Baby, you don't have to get worked up over a kid."
Tessia snuggled closer. "Yeah, sweetie, you're right."
She turned to Sylvia with a smirk. "Either way, it seems our little Sylvia and Nathira fell for a mortal, just like I did."
Sylvia couldn't argue with her.
The irony wasn't lost on her.
As the saying went: like mother, like daughter.
She too had fallen madly in love with a mortal.
But that didn't mean she was the same as her mother.
Never, not once, had she stopped the gods from loving mortals.
Neither was she planning on abandoning her child after Arthur got her pregnant, which she was certain would happen soon.
And most of all, she wasn't a lunatic who would destroy the world just because she couldn't apologize.
But she wasn't going to say any of that to her mother.
Sylvia grinned. 'As Arthur said, you can't give a speech to every villain.'
The blonde-haired goddess locked eyes with the two and opened her mouth without letting out a sound.
Instead, she let them read her lips as she gestured with her hand:
"Get your asses down here."
Tessia's eyebrows twitched. "It seems you want to die that badly."
Nathira took a step forward. 'It looks like they can't kill us.'
It was a given that even Mi-kyong would hesitate to kill beings who had entered the realm of gods.
But there was something Nathira was certain she hadn't accounted for.
The strange woman who was so obsessed with Arthur that she rewrote history from the beginning of the world and made herself a false god, igniting wars and betrayals just so she could take Arthur for herself.
It was sick.
And yet, Nathira almost admired it.
Which was why she was going to prove that no one was crazier than her.
In the blink of an eye, she vanished.
Ariel's and Tessia's eyes widened as Nathira appeared before them, golden draconic scales flashing across her arms.
She seized their faces with her clawed hands.
They both felt their skin twist and burn under her grip.
Then she hurled them into a distant building.
The moment she did, the domain surrounding them shattered into dark fragments.
Nathira landed softly, exhaling as if nothing had happened, as a chime rang in her ears.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
『 Uhmm… You're already insanely strong… so the world wishes you good luck in your love life 💓』
『 Oh, and you, along with seven others, get a title: Cheater. No clue why you got it though. 』
Nathira blinked, then her face darkened. "Seriously?"
She finally got System-chan, and now it was spouting nonsense.
She sighed, turning towards Sylvia. "Relax. I sealed their cores, they won't be moving for a while."
Echidna and Sylvia just stared at her.
"What?" she asked, tilting her head.
Echidna pointed at the wreckage. "You literally just one-shotted gods, and you're asking what?"
Nathira glanced at the piles of debris from the collapsed structure meters away.
"I'm not normal. So don't compare me with your common-sense sister."
Neither could disagree. Nathira wasn't normal. She hadn't been for over a thousand years.
The twenty-seven-year-old girl who had defeated most of their enemies in the war.
She was a monster among monsters, probably the most powerful person in the world besides the three Gods.
Nathira's gaze shifted suddenly, her expression tightening.
"Sylvia, something's happening to Art."
Sylvia's face grew pale. "I can feel it too. Plus, a system just popped up in front of me."
Without another word, they both sat cross-legged, putting their lives in Echidna's hands.
The moment they closed their eyes, a beam of light escaped their bodies.
Sylvia's was a golden pillar and Nathira's a large star.
Then a bright light engulfed their world, and in the next moment, they passed out.
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Seven pillars and one star all connected to a singular figure.
The infinite lovers and their lover.
Each and every one of the girls dreamt of the life of a certain man. It was vague at first, but as time passed, it grew clearer.
They were in the soul of their husband, and now they were watching his trauma.
If they passed the test, they could give him the courage to stand again.
If they failed… #&#-@$&
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[Sesang Elementary School]
(A month before the accident)
"Hey, pass the ball, Jung-ah!"
A young girl kicked the ball into the air, but before she could make a volley, the figure of a girl with half her hair dyed blonde appeared in her vision.
"It's the monster!"
The moment the children, around thirteen, heard those words, they scattered from the field without saying a word.
"Kikiki." Mi-kyong snickered softly. "These fools really are scared of me."
Beom-seok sighed. "Mi, I don't think you should be scaring our classmates."
Mi-kyong pouted, glancing at Beom-seok.
Lingering for a moment, she apologized. "I'm sorry… I won't do it again."
The almost too-cute boy rose up on his tiptoes and patted her head. "There, there."
Mi-kyong lowered her head like a sulking puppy. "Stop it."
Beom-seok smiled and ran a few steps ahead of her. "Though, I don't think I can be scared of you or ghosts."
Mi-kyong looked at him with a smile, as though staring at her very reason for being. "Does that mean the moment you start fearing me, you'll also be afraid of ghosts?"
Bemmy blinked at her question. "That came out of nowhere."
He thought for a moment when he noticed the curiosity in her eyes. "I guess so."
He dropped his hand from his chin, opening his eyes fully. "In all honesty, I might become afraid of many things."
A cold breeze passed, and Mi-kyong shivered slightly. "I'm happy," she whispered.
Beom-seok raised a brow. "What was that?"
She shook her head quickly. "Nothing."
Beom-seok kicked the ball and passed it back to her. "Let's play a game. If you win, I get something. If I win, I get something."
Mi-kyong was about to nod but froze.
Her face paled as she pointed at him with trembling hands. "You scammer! You think you're so smart. Hmph! I'll let you know I get good grades."
He chuckled at her reaction. "Hey, Mi."
Mi-kyong turned to him and froze.
The setting sun contrasted almost perfectly with the young man's face, casting him in a gentle, golden glow.
He smirked broadly and pointed at her. "I like you, Lee Mi-kyong. Marry me."
His voice was the cheekiest thing she had ever heard.
'Proposing before even dating?'
Her cheeks burned red.
But it wasn't like she disliked it.
No. She loved it.
She had long since realized her feelings for the boy in front of her.
Her man. Her world. Her anchor. Her existence.
Mi-kyong clasped her hands together like a shy schoolgirl, and with a wide grin that stretched past her eyes, she answered:
"Yes. Let's get married."
Before Beom-seok could respond, the beautiful girl who had come into his life like a storm and changed everything jumped on top of him.
"Mi, time out, I can't breathe."
Mi-kyong nestled against his chest, inhaling his scent as if she were addicted to it. "I love you, Beom-seok."
Beom-seok's gaze lingered on the girl lying on him, then he patted her lightly.
"I love cute things too."
Mi-kyong raised her head to meet his eyes.
"Hmmm..." He stared at her in surprise, but in the next instant she leaned up.
Her lips pressed against his in a soft, tender kiss that lasted far too long.
Beom-seok didn't know when his hand cupped her face or when their tongues met.
After a while, they broke apart, both breathing unevenly.
Mi-kyong smiled, her cheeks completely crimson. "Now every time you think of kisses, you'll remember me."
Beom-seok looked away. "I doubt it."
Mi-kyong pouted. "We'll get married either way, so it's not a bad thing to give me full ownership of kisses."
Seeing Beom-seok unmoved, she felt a stab of jealousy in her chest.
She knew he was only teasing, but knowing that didn't lessen the sting. It almost felt like he had already cheated on her.
She cupped his cheeks. "Then promise me this. Every time you feel unwell or sad, think of me, think of my lips, and want them."
Beom-seok's eyes widened in surprise at her words. "Mi…"
She was about to grin, but his face went flat. "That's literally the same thing."
He sighed softly. "Still, I'll agree, just for your sake."
She smiled brightly, as if she had just won the lottery. "I love you."
Beom-seok chuckled. "Well, can you get off me now? You're heavier than me, and honestly this makes you feel like those 'Ara Ara' ladies."
Mi-kyong giggled softly and slid to his side, resting on his arm as they lay in the grass.
Neither of them spoke for a while as they gazed at the dimming sky.
Then, in a serious tone, Mi-kyong asked:
"Bemmy, let's move in together."
─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───