Chapter 28:Because we met again like this

I had a dream.

A dream of a colossal serpent coiling around the world, spitting venom at me, trying to devour me.

“Ugh…”

I’d had a lot to drink last night.

It was supposed to be off-limits until the academy started, but Baek-ryong’s sister insisted we have a few drinks.

One drink led to another, and eventually, we were drinking straight from the bottle.

Even though I could dispel the alcohol with internal energy, there was an old martial arts saying:

‘If you’re going to dispel alcohol with internal energy, don’t drink at all.’

There was no point in drinking if you weren’t going to enjoy the buzz and the hangover.

I agreed with that sentiment.

Ha-yeon and Liera had low tolerances; Estelle and I could handle our liquor.

We each carried one of them home, and they all passed out.

‘I guess I had a weird dream because I drank so much.’

A giant serpent large enough to coil around the world? Could such a thing exist? It had even spat venom so potent that it affected me, even in my Poison Immunity state within the dream.

Could such an overpowered creature, with both incredible physical abilities and potent venom, exist? Then again, my own existence probably seemed overpowered to others.

That’s why I was pondering something that could easily be dismissed as just a weird dream.

‘Just in case, I should improve my poison resistance.’

My current poison resistance was at the level of Thousand Poisons Immunity.

I planned to elevate it to Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity and further enhance it by training in various poison techniques.

Becoming a true poison master granted complete immunity, but it also rendered one sterile, so I’d stop just short of that. I wanted to have children in this life.

I wanted to leave a mark on the world in this, my final life. That thought resonated with me.

I got out of bed, stretched, and loosened my muscles.

Exercising with alcohol in my system was detrimental, so I stuck to light stretches.

Assuming everyone was still asleep, I left my room and found someone else already awake and stretching.

“Good morning, oppa. Did you sleep well?”

Estelle, my fellow heavy drinker. She was making soup while watching YouTube videos.

“Morning. You’re up early.”

“You know how my body is.”

Yes, I knew her body very well. Every nook and cranny… but she probably meant her Saintess body.

Her Saintess body naturally maintained its optimal state, regardless of alcohol. Some called it a “sacred body.”

A body that grew stronger and more resistant to impurities with increasing divine power.

If you spilled a drink on her, only her clothes would get wet.

And even without showering, her body remained clean. She often joined me in the shower anyway, just for fun.

“You said you were still connected to the goddess of your world, right?”

“Yes. But her faith is weak in this world, so my progress is slow.”

I had an idea to address that.

‘My wives need to get stronger too.’

Initially, I’d planned to become powerful quickly to avoid being confined, but my priorities had shifted.

I’d absorbed a Divine-grade elixir and would grow rapidly thanks to my Status Window.

I needed to find the being who’d given me my abilities and stop whatever Ymir had warned me about.

Could I do it alone?

The Primordial Giant himself had told me to “stop it.” If it were something I could handle alone, he wouldn’t have phrased it that way.

To protect the world I lived in, the world they lived in, they needed to regain their former strength.

Confinement didn’t matter if the world itself was at stake.

I’d discuss that later, when everyone was sober.

I enhanced my sense of smell to identify the soup she was making.

‘Beef… Bourguignon?’

A rather advanced dish for a beginner, but considering she was following a YouTube tutorial, the quality was surprisingly good.

I approached her from behind, wrapped my arms around her shoulders, and rested my head beside hers.

“Your cooking has improved a lot. How did you learn to make this?”

“After you disappeared, I was left alone with my thoughts. I realized how helpless I was without you. How incompetent I’d become. So I practiced, thinking about the day we’d meet again. I wanted to cook for you.”

Thump.

I felt her heartbeat against my hand.

The time I’d been gone… She’d been thinking of me, working hard for me.

While I’d barely given her a thought.

Losing emotions was terrifying.

It dulled you to the point where you forgot the people you once cherished.

“Don’t make that face. We’re together again now.”

She smiled, reading my expression.

She was right.

We were together again, and we could rediscover our lost emotions.

I’d overcome countless limitations in other worlds.

An emotional wall? I could break through this one too.

I could do anything for those who believed in me.

“Instead of making that face, kiss me and show me some love.”

We’d kissed only once in 17 years. And in the past week? Countless times.

But she wanted it, she liked it, I liked it, and I wanted to regain my emotions.

I kissed her again. It was brief, since she was cooking, but it was enough to brighten her expression.

As I pulled away, savoring the aroma of the soup, I said:

“It smells delicious.”

“Are you talking about the soup, or me?”

She flashed a playful smile.

A true vixen.

She’d been a somewhat mischievous Saintess in the past, but marriage had turned her into a temptress.

“Both. What would you do if I said that?”

I’d become adept at handling her flirtations. This was the best response. As she reached for me, the door opened.

“Hmm… Something smells delicious…”

“My head…”

Ha-yeon, who’d passed out after one diluted glass of whiskey, and Liera, who’d succumbed to one and a half, had awakened. Estelle withdrew her hand and focused on the soup.

After sharing Estelle’s delicious meal, we went to get our uniforms.

Even with my disguise, the other three would attract too much attention if we walked, so we took a taxi.

After a fierce battle for the seat next to me, I ended up in the front, with the three of them in the back.

Seung-ah and Shin-woo had gotten their uniforms yesterday, so only the four of us needed them. We arrived at the uniform shop.

It was relatively empty, with most students having been fitted yesterday. But I spotted a familiar face.

“Alice?”

The girl who’d christened me with lemonade on our first encounter was getting her uniform fitted.

“It’s been two days, Yu-won. And these are…?”

“Friends I knew before entering the academy. We’re here for our uniforms.”

I introduced them as friends for now.

“More women…”

Liera muttered something under her breath.

Alice extended her hand.

“I’m Alice, from the Strauss family. Nice to meet you.”

Ha-yeon took her hand.

“I’m Cheon Ha-yeon, Yu-won’s friend. May I ask what your relationship with Yu-won is?”

She immediately went into interrogation mode, despite there being no relationship between Alice and me.

“We met at the exam venue and exchanged greetings…”

Alice seemed to be sweating slightly.

Thankfully, she didn’t spill any lemonade this time.

“That’s a relief.”

Ignoring Alice’s confused expression, the other two introduced themselves.

“I’m Estelle, also Yu-won’s friend. Nice to meet you.”

“Liera.”

Since Ha-yeon had already shaken Alice’s hand, the other two kept it brief. After the introductions, Alice finished her fitting and left.

“See you at the academy.”

-Don’t forget our dinner date this weekend.

-Of course, I remember.

I’d actually forgotten due to the Divine-grade elixir incident, but I remembered as soon as I saw her.

As Alice left, all three of my wives pinched me.

“You attract women like flies…”

“We know you’re charming, but please exercise some restraint, Yu-won.”

“Flirt.”

I was being unfairly accused. I hadn’t flirted with anyone.

It wasn’t my fault she’d grabbed my hand and wet herself.

I freed myself from their pinches and they headed to the women’s section.

As the only male, I went to the men’s section, got fitted, checked myself in the mirror, and returned to where I’d left them.

They were all wearing their uniforms.

Seeing women at least 29 years old in school uniforms almost made me burst out laughing, but I maintained my composure.

“Do they suit us…?”

Ignoring the age factor, they looked good. Ha-yeon, with her youthful features, looked like an actual student.

“They look great.”

“What about me?”

Estelle’s ample bosom strained against the uniform, accentuating her curves.

“It suits you.”

“Compliment me too.”

Liera, though smaller than Ha-yeon and Estelle, also looked good in the form-fitting uniform.

“Beautiful. Very beautiful.”

After spending the entire day complimenting them in their uniforms, I finally went to bed.