Side Story Chapter 175 - Paradise (5)

“You guys...” Cha Yeon-Joo muttered in shock. “What the hell... are you doing?”

Her tightly clenched fists trembled as rage surged inside her, ready to burst at any moment. The sound of her teeth grinding echoed throughout the garden.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!!”

Yeon-Joo glared at the families and slammed her fist on the table, splitting it in two.

“Oh? Is there a problem?”

“Perhaps the food wasn’t to her liking.”

“Oh, no! I’m terribly sorry!!”

The mothers bowed apologetically as they smiled as radiantly and joyously as always as if nothing had happened.

“Ah...”

Yeon-Joo stepped back, dumbstruck. A sticky sense of displeasure spread throughout her body.

“Wh-What the hell is wrong with you all...?”

Her mind was going blank. She felt nauseous as her vision was blurring. She recalled the sight of the mother stabbing her son’s neck with a fork and the others cheering for her as they clapped.

“Urpp.” Yeon-Joo held back the urge to vomit with all her might. She said tremblingly, “He’s... your child. HE’S YOUR SON, YOU CRAZY BITCH!!!”

She couldn’t understand why a mother could be so calm— rather, smile so radiantly— after killing her son with her own hands.

“Pardon? Oh, yes. Dale is my son.”

“THEN WHY?!! WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?!!”

“Well, because...” The mother tilted her head, unable to understand why Yeon-Joo was so angry. Her eyes were like a transparent marble containing no emotions. She continued, “He broke a rule.”

“Rule...? The one about dividing food equally?”

“The Great Akart’s rules are absolute.”

“WHAT A LOAD OF BULLSHIT!!!”

In no world would a parent kill their child for eating an extra piece of meat.

“A-Aaaahh. K-Kang-Woo. Kang-Woo...!” Han Seol-Ah desperately called as she trembled.

“Kurgh!! Urghhh!!”

Dale was convulsing as blood spurted from his neck.

“W-We have to t-treat him.”

Seol-Ah used to have healing magic surpassing the Authority of Regeneration but her arsenal of magic had turned to curses after falling from grace. Seol-Ah used [Curse of Petrification] to stop Dale’s bleeding. Her fingers on his neck were shaking— she seemed to have fallen into panic.

“Step aside for a second, Darling.”

“I-It’s my fault... because I gave him that meat...”

“No, it’s not your fault.”

‘They’re just fucking insane.’

Oh Kang-Woo let a drop of his blood fall into Dale’s mouth.

“Urgh... Haaa, haaa!”

Dale was healed almost instantly. Although he was healed, he passed out likely due to residual damage.

“Oh? You healed Dale...?!”

“Honey!!! Our Dale doesn’t have to die!!!”

“What a relief!

Sniff!!

”

“It’s a miracle!! The Great Akart has bestowed upon us a miracle!!!”

Dale’s parents hugged each other in tears once Dale was healed as if their son had miraculously survived surgery with a low chance of success. People would never think the mother had just stabbed her son’s neck with a fork if they didn’t know better.

“Crazy motherfuckers...” Yeon-Joo glared at them with hatred.

She stood up and raised her fist threateningly.

“Stop, Cha Yeon-Joo.” Kang-Woo stopped Yeon-Joo as she was about to attack Dale’s parents.

“You’re telling me to do nothing... after witnessing that?”

“Yes.”

“Oh Kang-Woo!!”

“I told you to stop, Cha Yeon-Joo,” Kang-Woo said firmly, his deep chilling voice echoing throughout the garden.

Yeon-Joo flinched. She bit her lip in irritation and glared at Kang-Woo, genuinely not having expected Kang-Woo to stop her.

“It’s pointless,” Kang-Woo remarked.

There was no need for rage or questions.

“After all, this place...”

‘This blindingly radiant world...’

“Was

created

to be like this from the beginning.”

This

paradise

was created by the Titan of Balance, Truth, and Light— an entity born from the Primordial and possessed the ability to create worlds.

“So, this is the world where the souls you

save

go, huh?”

Kang-Woo snickered. The humans of this world were like machines. They simply followed rules with their desires and freedom removed. They could only feel happiness and joy— emotions like agony, sorrow, despair, or ambition did not exist.

“Don’t make me laugh, bitch.”

‘This isn’t a paradise.’

“This is just a fucking sex toy.”

This world was a manifestation of Akart’s ideals, meant purely for self-satisfaction— just like a sex toy. A grand title like

paradise

was not meant for a world like this.

Kang-Woo pulled back his chair and stood up.

“Thank you for the meal, everyone.”

He smiled and bowed courteously. The Entrion suit might have covered his smile, but it didn’t matter.

“Hohoho! I’m glad you liked it!”

“Would you like some tea?”

“No.” Kang-Woo shook his head as he stared at the smiling families. “I’m not a big fan of tea.”

“Oh... I see.”

“But there is something I would like to ask all of you.”

“Oh! Of course! What would you like to know?”

The mothers approached Kang-Woo cheerfully.

Kang-Woo smiled faintly and asked, “I would like to learn about the rules the Great Akart has made.”

“Oh! That’s no problem at all!!”

“Hahaha!! You want to learn about the Great Akart’s rules?! What an upstanding young man you are!!”

The fathers joined in as well and energetically explained each rule. Kang-Woo could barely understand them because six people were blurting out all kinds of rules simultaneously.

“Lilith,” Kang-Woo called.

The families were so excited as they explained each rule that they didn’t pay any mind to Kang-Woo calling someone.

“Yes, my king.”

“Write down each rule they say and give it to me.”

“Fufu. Understood.”

Lilith bowed and discreetly approached the families fervently explaining the rules.

Squelch.

Black hair came out from the suit’s openings and turned into tentacles. They squirmed in midair as if writing something down.

“The Great Akart has stated children under ten years old must return by 5 PM, before sunset!”

“Aaaahh! Can you feel the Great Akart’s love for our children?!!”

“Hahaha! The Great Akart has stated one must never slack off when working!”

“Thanks to him, we always feel rewarded when working!!”

“There’s nothing more refreshing than a cold glass of water after a day of hard work!!”

It was difficult to record everything said by six people simultaneously but it was a piece of cake for Lilith.

“That’s why the people of this town live in joy thanks to the Great Akart’s grace, always giving us enough food and daily necessities—”

“I see. Thank you for your explanation.”

Kang-Woo judged he had heard enough after thirty minutes of nonstop talking and stood up as he cut them off.

“Hmm? Are you leaving already?”

“Yes. I don’t want to keep you here all night.”

“Hm. You don’t need to worry about th—”

“Didn’t you say earlier that one of the rules states one must wash up at 8 PM and spend time praying to the Great Akart?”

“Oh, no! Is it that late already?!”

“Time sure flew by!!”

The families checked their pocket watches in surprise and cleaned up the garden.

“We’ll be excusing ourselves, then.”

Kang-Woo turned away from the families cleaning up after dinner and left the town. The sky turned dark before they had realized it and they could see a moon shining blue.

Wriggle.

They took off the Entrion suit which then melted back into black mucus.

“What a terrifying world...” muttered Si-Hun.

“Really? I don’t think so.”

‘Though I do agree that it’s shitty.’

“You don’t find it terrifying?”

“I mean, that’s normal for the people who live here.”

For the residents of this world, smiling with a massive gash on one’s chest and stabbing their son’s neck with a fork because he ate an extra piece of meat, was natural to them.

“Kang-Woo... did you know this world was that kind of place from the start?” asked Layla as she bit her lip.

She recalled Kang-Woo telling her to wait a little longer earlier. Kang-Woo shrugged and shook his head.

“I didn’t think it would be this bad either.”

He did feel something was off but he never expected it to be this unpleasant.

“Kang-Woo. I don’t like this place.”

Echidna pulled on Kang-Woo’s clothes with a dark expression, seemingly shocked by what had happened earlier. Kang-Woo smiled and patted her head.

“Don’t worry.” He ruffled Echidna’s black hair. “I’ll corrupt this world’s blindingly pure light.”

Kang-Woo turned around and stared at the town of Luceo Pure.

‘Now, then.’

He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. He had already come up with a way to extinguish this world’s light as he was listening to the families’ explanations about Akart.

‘It’s so simple.’

It was even easier than his Duel with the Duel King in Zexal.

‘Akart.’

“I’ll dirty this little beautiful paradise you’ve created.”

The demon smiled widely. His smile was as pure and radiant as the residents of this world.