Epilogue Chapter 61 - Interlude - Bros (1)

A refreshing breeze swept the apartment rooftop. Shining lights filled the concrete city as if they were looking down at the night sky.

“I apologize. It got a little too rowdy for your first day here, didn’t it?”

Oh Kang-Woo leaned forward on the rooftop railing and handed Kwon Oh-Jin a beer can.

“Not at all. I should be thanking you for giving us such a grand welcome.”

“I wouldn’t call it grand... my wife was scolding me earlier about why I was serving kimchi stew in this situation.”

“Haha. Not at all. It helped me settle in.”

An awkward silence fell after the conversation. Kang-Woo had planned to build his friendship with the otherworldly individuals to avoid unnecessary conflict, but couldn’t think of what to talk about with Oh-Jin now that they were left alone.

Kang-Woo opened his mouth after some thought, “Umm... Ha-Eun, was it? She seems to be getting along well with my wife.”

“Oh, she tends to be a little... no, very easy-going.”

“Same goes for Yeon-Joo...”

Kang-Woo recalled how they were drinking boisterously with their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders as if they had known each other since they were kids. The two women with similar personalities and looks, aside from their breasts, were hitting it off so well that they did not even notice Kang-Woo and Oh-Jin sneaking out.

“That aside, weren’t you two lovers? You call her

noona

.”

Even if a man was dating an older woman, they usually spoke casually to each other.

“Oh, I’ve been calling her that since our days in the orphanage, so it’s more comfortable to call her

noona

than her name.”

“Orphanage?”

“Yes.”

“You were also raised in an orphanage, Oh-Jin?”

“Oh, you too, Kang-Woo?”

Kang-Woo and Oh-Jin stared at each other in surprise. They chuckled, finding out they shared something else in common— they both grew up without parents.

“It seems we have much in common, Oh-Jin.”

They possessed two of the Primordial Darknesses, were raised in similar backgrounds, and also had a complicated relationship with women. It was like looking into a mirror.

‘And one more thing.’

They did not have their guards down despite amicably sipping beer together.

‘A surprise attack... wouldn’t work.’

Kang-Woo simulated a surprise attack on Oh-Jin but it failed. It was impossible to subdue Oh-Jin with one attack.

“Yes, I agree. We have... many things in common.”

Oh-Jin nodded with a smile and dropped the empty beer can toward his shadow.

Crunch.

The beer can crumpled once it touched Oh-Jin’s shadow and vanished without a trace. It just so happened that from the moment they arrived at the rooftop, Kang-Woo had naturally placed himself in a direction where Oh-Jin’s shadow couldn’t reach— as if it were a coincidence.

‘He knew,’

Oh-Jin thought.

He didn’t know if Kang-Woo was cautious or if he knew a portion of what the Black Sky could do, but one thing was for sure.

‘Lies don’t work on him.’

Oh-Jin was an extraordinary liar. Not only could he fool others but even himself. He had tried twenty-three times since the moment he met Kang-Woo to try and place him within his range of attack. He acted through lies so flawless that they even fooled himself, but they all failed.

“I have to admit, it’s fascinating,” said Kang-Woo as he looked down at Oh-Jin’s shadow. “How can you move without showing any bloodlust— no, any

intent

itself?”

Humans always moved with intent, for even the slightest motions like reaching for something, glancing at something, or taking a step. All action was bound to hold an intent.

‘But...’

Kang-Woo couldn’t feel any such intent from Oh-Jin’s actions. It was as if he were moving without himself realizing it.

“Well... you could call it a petty trick,” Oh-Jin replied.

“It’s a little too amazing to call a trick.”

Kang-Woo smiled bitterly and leaned more on the railing. It was funny how they were chuckling while holding an invisible war of nerves.

“Shall we stop?”

“Yes, this should be enough.”

This was more than enough confirmation that they held no ill will toward each other. There was no need to fight each other for the sake of fighting like battle-hungry Saiyans.

“Well... I’m honestly a little curious,” Kang-Woo mentioned.

“About what?”

“The power you possess is called the Black Sky, right?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you curious what would happen if the sky and the sea were to clash?”

Kang-Woo did not ask out of a desire for battle— it was purely out of curiosity. Oh-Jin smiled and nodded.

“I’m also a little curious...”

The two of them stared fixedly at each other. Black Nimbus Clouds and the Flames of Voracity surged explosively. However, they stopped simultaneously as the Black Sky and Demonic Sea were about to clash head-on.

“But it’s probably best we don’t test it.”

“That’s true.”

Kang-Woo and Oh-Jin smiled insincerely and withdrew their powers. They were both far too powerful to clash out of curiosity. Their surroundings would pay the price of that curiosity.

“Since it’s probably fate we met like this, why don’t we speak casually to each other?” Kang-Woo suggested.

“Hmm... but we only just met.”

“Come on, my wife and your noona are already cussing each other out.”

“That’s because they’re the weird ones.” Oh-Jin chuckled and nodded. “But yes, that sounds good. To tell you the truth, I don’t have any experience being close to guys my age.”

“Hm? Were you only close to Ha-Eun even in your days at the orphanage?”

“Yes. Even after we left... I didn’t have the opportunity to make guy friends.”

“Wow~ and you have three lovers... no, you said that goddess is also your lover, right? You have four lovers and didn’t get the chance to make guy friends? This is a bit...”

Kang-Woo smiled teasingly.

“Ahem. I-I don’t think you’re one to talk,” Oh-Jin retorted.

“Hehe. I at least have two guys I consider my little brothers.”

“That’s...”

Oh-Jin groaned and averted his gaze from Kang-Woo. Kang-Woo snickered and leaned back on the railing.

“Maybe this is your chance,” he remarked.

“Well... if you’re going that far, I suppose I have no choice. Allow me to speak casually.”

Oh-Jin smiled faintly and nodded. He had been wanting to get close to Kang-Woo from the moment they met. He felt a sense of familiarity with Kang-Woo for some reason.

“Thanks,” Oh-Jin said.

“Hm? About what?”

“You know... I wouldn’t have been able to treat an otherworlder so kindly.”

“We might be from different worlds but they’re not that different.”

“You have a point there.”

Kang-Woo asked proudly, “Oh, how was the kimchi stew? You’ve never had kimchi stew that delicious in your world, have you?”

Oh-Jin smirked. “Yeah. Your wife is great at cooking.”

“My Darling is a phenomenal cook.”

“Bella’s a great cook too. Oh, but she’s better at Western cuisine than Korean.”

“Bella is... the tall blonde one, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Come to think of it, she and the short one had very similar looks and aura.”

“Oh, Cassia and Bella are sisters. Cassia is the older one and Isabella is the younger one.”

“What...?” Kang-Woo’s eyes widened. “Wait a second. That’s a shimaidon—”[1]

“Man~ you guys have a great view! The nightscape is to die for!”

Oh-Jin sweat bullets as he blatantly looked away from Kang-Woo. Kang-Woo scoffed dumbfoundedly.

“Damn pervert.”

“Shaddup.”

“How could you lay your hands on biological sisters...?”

“I don’t wanna hear that from a man with three wives.”

“At least I don’t have four lovers.”

“Not that much difference between three and four.”

“What’d you say?”

‘Look at this mofo, getting cocky as soon as he gets comfortable. I can’t let this slide.’

“Come to think of it, how old are you?” Kang-Woo asked.

“Me?”

“Yeah, man. Though we’re speaking casually, we at least need to determine who’s the older one.”

“Hmm...” Oh-Jin groaned.

As Kang-Woo mentioned, determining who was older and younger was quite important among Korean men. They often demanded to hear how old the other person was when they got into an argument.

“Ha-Eun is a little over thirty, so are you somewhere around that age too?” Kang-Woo asked.

“I’...” Oh-Jin fell into thought. He nodded as if he had made up his mind about something and said firmly, “To tell you the truth, I’m a regressor.”

Kang-Woo was left wide-eyed by the shocking statement.

“A regressor?”

“Yeah, so if you take into account the amount of time I’ve lived, I’m way older than noona.”

“I see. So, how old?”

“I’m not sure.” Oh-Jin looked up at the night sky as he smiled and continued, “I don’t remember exactly, but... I’d say around a thousand years old.”

“A thousand, huh? Mhm, I see. Then I guess I’m the older one.”

“What...?”

‘I’m over ten millennia old, you snot-nosed brat.’

1. Shimaidon is a Japanese term referring to a situation in which a man gets to have his way with two sisters at once. ☜