<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 102>
Time flows quickly.
The ecosystem collapse phenomenon, the Kingmaker operation, the American Exchange Delegation, Celutis and the Archangel, and lastly, the Red Gate.
Whoa, now that I’ve listed them all out, I’ve been extremely busy.
Anyway, after somehow resolving all these incidents, I returned to the Academy only to hear a shocking announcement.
“Ki-hyuk, congrats on your return. However, there’s an exam in three days.”
“I should’ve applied for my return in three days. Then I could’ve skipped the midterms.”
“…Jin Yu-ri, are you aware of this?”
“Me? Yeah, I knew. Were you really unaware?”
“…”
“You really didn’t know, huh? That’s why they rushed you to return. I thought you were informed. Well, it’s okay. What’s the harm in failing a test? I didn’t study either. Phew!”
“Don’t act so smug, Yu-ri. That’s not something to brag about.”
“B-but! Teacher! With your senior-level skills, there’s nothing to worry about. Fighting!”
Hmm, there’s a test coming up in three days.
The midterm exam, to be precise.
Haha, the Kingmaker operation coincided with the first semester midterms, and now my return means I have to take the second semester midterms.
As Yu-ri said, I didn’t feel any pressure about the exam. I was more shocked by how much time had passed.
Out of the blue, at this moment, my daughter Spring came to mind. Just how long have we been apart? Now I feel even more determined to be a better father to her.
Thus, I breezed through the midterms, as suggested by Yu-ri. After all, grades don’t really matter to me.
Instead, I made an effort to spend time with Spring.
We drew pictures together, and I marveled at her boundless imagination…
“Dad, Dad, look at this! I drew it.”
“Wow! This is a…na…a…”
“Dad, say it!”
“Ah, a horse! A black horse! Wow, our daughter can draw so well. The details on the tail look so real.”
“Dad, isn’t that a horn?”
“Oh, right. I guess these days horses have horns.”
We also admired the autumn foliage together, during which I discovered Spring’s hidden ambition…
“Wow, it’s so pretty. Don’t you think, Berrie?”
“Yaaang!”
“Right? Isn’t it beautiful? This is what older sister learned—it’s called ‘Maple’. We only see it in the fall. Right, Dad?”
“That’s right. Our Spring is so smart!”
“Yeah! Grandma said Spring is so smart that she’ll become the representative one day!”
“The representative?”
“Yeah! The representative! Only the smartest person in the world can be it! Even Uncle Tiger and Aunt Honyang can’t do it! By the way, Dad, what is ‘sikssu’?”
“Ah, ‘sikssu’… Um… Mom, can you really…?”
“Spring will become the representative when she grows up!”
Flying together, I came to understand Spring’s unspoken loneliness.
“Waaaaaah! Berrie, look! The moon! Dad, higher! Higher!”
“Meow! Meow!!”
“Berrie loves the moon too! Higher, higher!”
“Hold on tight!”
“Woooooooh!”
“Do you like flying, Spring?”
“Yes! Yes!! I love it so much! When I grow up, I will fly in the sky! I’ll punch the bad guys then!”
“Bad guys?”
“Yes! People who try to take you away from me. They’re bad! I need you, Dad. No one else will do. I will scold them.”
“…Let me hug our daughter.”
I realized it once again.
Children grow up fast.
They stop being kids before you know it.
One day, she’ll be too tall to fit in my arms, and by then I’ll likely feel a little sad.
That moment, an idea came to my mind.
“Alright, let’s exercise!”
If Spring grows bigger, so will I.
If I train hard and grow stronger, we’ll still fit together just fine. Perhaps then, I can hold her in my arms or lift her onto my shoulders even as she grows.
…Am I a genius? Super cool.
This way, Spring will always look for me.
Somewhere far away, I think I hear my wife shouting, “Ki-hyuk, that’s wrong!” But it must be my imagination. Definitely imagination.
As I spent this time happily with Spring, before I knew it, the second semester final exams were right around the corner.
The finals were similar to previous Gate Raids. This meant I’d be apart from Spring again.
Seriously, I feel like I spend more than half the year inside Gates.
Out of indignation, I considered kicking down the door to the Dean’s Office and grabbing Cheon Su-man by the collar, but after some serious contemplation, I refrained.
That’s because an unexpected visitor arrived just then.
“Ah, long time no see.”
“Why are you here?”
Despite trying to act calm, the man standing before us was tense and frozen in place.
It was Christopher William.
Yes, the former leader of the American Exchange Delegation.
As a side note, America, or more precisely the Western region, is currently in a very difficult situation due to the “Ice Shift” used by the Archangel.
We questioned why the Archangel would use your “Ice Shift,” and the Western Palaces of America claim, “We have no idea.” Honestly, they have every right to feel indignant since it was caused by one rogue individual.
Regardless, America has to clarify the situation and negotiate with us, and William was sent as their representative.
“Park Ki-hyuk, any plans to visit America soon?”
“No.”
“…My teacher formally invites you. We wish to have a serious discussion about the future of magic…”
“No thanks.”
“At least listen until the end!!”
“…Did you just yell at me?”
“Ah, no…?”
“Alright, fine, let’s hear the story then. Let’s find a quiet place.”
“Wait, wait!”
With all the time I want to spend with Spring, what is this nonsense about America?
Ignoring William, I spent the time before the final exam with Spring and Berrie.
We slept together, ate together, and attended classes together, just like in the past when Spring was insecure.
And then came the day of the final exams. In the end, Spring started crying.
“WAAAAAAAAAAH!!”
“Spring, don’t get a sore throat.”
“Dad, don’t gooo!!”
“I’ll come back quickly. Come here.”
“Nooooo!!!!”
Spring sobbed as if she were about to lose her breath. So I made her a promise.
I will make all her wishes come true.
Dad’s Exciting Winter Break Plan!
“Spring, let’s do everything you want during winter break. Think about it while I’m gone. I’ll agree to anything.”
“Sniff, sniff, really?”
“Yes, really! Truly! I promise.”
“Promise…”
Retreat to advance. Temporarily parting so we can share more precious time together.
Spring seemed to understand this, because she suddenly stopped crying.
When we parted, she even gave me a cute bow, saying, “Father, I’ll wait for your return!”
Watching her, I couldn’t help but feel teary-eyed.
I have to go quickly. I have to come back and play with her soon.
That’s why I declared to the assault team.
“Come on, prepare yourselves. I’ll clear this as quickly as possible.”
Not a Demon Lord. I’m just a Dad.
I’ll show you how terrifying a genuinely caring father can be.
Everyone in the assault team stared dumbfounded at the center.
“…”
“…”
“…”
They say extreme shock renders you speechless.
And it’s true.
No words come to mind.
What words could possibly describe what they’re currently witnessing… or more precisely, the utterly inhuman spectacle that is Park Ki-hyuk?
Is there even such a word?
“d*e!”
Bang!
“d*e!”
Kaboom!!
“d*e!”
Kabooom-!!
Level 5 Gate: ‘Kedarcan’s Underground Arena.’
In this dungeon-like field, you fight monsters.
Every floor has different types of monsters, including ‘Elite’ bosses scattered between levels.
Win, and the path to the next lower level opens. This continues until you reach the 33rd underground floor, where the final boss room, ‘Kedarcan’s Chamber,’ concludes the game.
It’s an extremely simple pattern, so much so that it’s hard to believe this is a level 5 gate. In fact, before the ‘Ecosystem Collapse,’ this was a level 4 gate. New features were added due to the collapse:
First, the ‘Elite’ monsters became significantly stronger.
Second, a ‘Frenzy’ debuff affects the entire field.
Third, you can’t escape freely.
Combined, these changes resulted in this becoming a Level 5 Gate and also why it became less popular.
Especially because only a ‘key’ dropped by defeated monsters can allow escape—this was a fatal flaw for hunters seeking quick rewards.
Originally, it used to be a quite popular hunting ground, but its increased difficulty scared everyone off.
But Park Ki-hyuk, upon entering the gate…
It was odd.
No, it was insane.
“Ah, such a nostalgic smell…”
This is a Darkness Gate. All monsters belong to the ‘Undead’ type.
And Undead creatures? They’re Park Ki-hyuk’s favorite snacks.
Unaware of this fact, the other members of the assault team could only stare dumbly as he tore through the undead. Every so often, they’d shiver, reminded of the nightmare from their first year.
With a speed that defied belief, Park Ki-hyuk surged forward.
In just 10 days, he had shattered through 33 floors.
And now, Park Ki-hyuk stands in front of the current boss, d*ath Knight ‘Kedarcan.’ Literally. He’s just beating it endlessly.
Kedarcan, an undead skeleton, is proving the fact that a skull can crumble to dust if hit hard enough with his last desperate counter.
Summoned Skeletons.
These aren’t Park Ki-hyuk’s summoned Skeletons. These are Kedarcan’s army, called by his last-resort pattern ‘Knight Summoning.’
“What are you all standing there for! Snap out of it!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Han Jun-woo, hold the front-line defense.”
“Got it.”
“Mary, maintain the Weakening Spell.”
“Understood.”
“Jin Yu-ri, you guard this spot.”
“You?”
“Me?”
Park Ki-hyuk grinned and said,
“I’ll finish it off.”
And he sprinted forward.
With his thighs swelling as if they would burst, he surged ahead, wildly swinging his sword ‘Demon’ and clearing out all enemies in front of him. The bodies of the summoned Skeleton Knights stiffened, succumbing to the overwhelming mana of a ‘Demon Lord.’
With a single leap, he reached Kedarcan, dodged a swing, and grabbed the helmet with one hand.
Simultaneously, he unleashed all his mana.
The space seemed to collapse. From the depths of darkness, the heads of countless ‘forms’ emerged.
And…
“Break.”
Crack!
Kedarcan froze.
Though he didn’t kneel as a boss, was it truly a blessing?
“Ho, you’re resisting?”
Park Ki-hyuk grinned eerily and brought down ‘Demon.’
It would have been better for Kedarcan to kneel. The d*ath Knight exploded under the attack.
A Demon Lord versus a d*ath Knight.
An incomprehensible difference in level rendered this battle meaningless from the start.
Boss. d*ath Knight ‘Kedarcan’ crushed.
Gate Entry: 10 days, 16 hours, 9 minutes.
Clear Gate: ‘Kedarcan’s Underground Arena.’
The finals are over.
It’s finally vacation time now.
A week later. Finally, this moment has arrived.
I sat Spring on my knees. She placed Berrie on her legs, and together we flipped open a notebook.
“Let’s see, my little daughter, what did you write?”
“Me! Me! Spring will read it. Dad, call the numbers.”
“Alright then? One!”
“Go to the amusement park with Dad!”
“You wanted to go to an amusement park, huh?”
“Yeah, Hyunji went there before, and she said it’s like heaven, so fun. I wanted to go too, but you didn’t come.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to go with you! It’s supposed to be as fun as heaven, so I said I’d go with you.”
“Whoa, look at that… our daughter…”
Spring grinned broadly.
My heart aches, I can’t even speak. Is this adorable creature really human?
I’m starting to worry.
If the beginning is this sweet, will I even survive until the end?
“Dad, next! Next!”
“Alright then, let’s go to two!”
“Go to the beach with Dad! Hyunji said the sea is very pretty!”
“Beach. Okay, noted. Next is three!”
“Go to the place where Dad and I first met.”
“Ah, that would be… Oh…”
The orphanage. Happy Orphanage.
I gaze intently at Spring’s face.
“Dad went alone before, but now Spring is fine too. I’m already a big sister now, right, Berrie?”
“Eooong~.”
“Look, even Berrie will go with us.”
“…Wow.”
I’m losing it. I feel like crying.
How did this little bean grow up so quickly?
“Dad, keep going. Flow. Flow.”
“Ah… sorry, sorry. Four!”
“Dad, teach me sword dancing!”
“Sword dancing?”
“Yeah, Uncle Tiger taught me. Like this kind of short but hard sword dancing. But Dad, your sword is big. I want a big sword too!”
“Ah…! Alright, I’ll teach you. Okay!”
“Yesss!”
“Five!”
“Dad, teach me magic! I’ll also learn star magic! I know its name… uh, uh, Ah, Ah, Apo, Apo…”
“Apocalypse.”
“Apoca… lipps! I’m learning that too!”
“Nice, that’s noted. Now, six!”
“Dad, real doll-play with me!”
“Doll-play.”
Why did she add ‘real’ before doll-play? I thought for a moment, but shrugged it off.
“Okay, noted. Next, the final one, seven!”
“Dad, cuddle with me.”
“Dad, cuddle with me? What could this mean?”
“Like this, tight.”
Spring snuggled up tight in my embrace, rubbing her cheeks against mine.
And finally, I collapsed.
The Demon Lord, ‘Park Ki-hyuk,’ fainting due to an overdose of cuteness.
