Chapter 303

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“Lucia! Did you see? Did you see? I did it! I did so well, right? I did amazing, right? Praise me! Praise me quickly! Hug me! Pat my head!”

Alice, having surpassed the wall, reverted to her sloth-like demeanor.

She scurried over and leaped into my arms.

Burying her face in my chest, she rubbed her soft cheeks against me.

In a high-pitched voice, she demanded praise, giggling like a rabbit.

This was the first time I had seen Alice so elated. If she had a tail, I imagined it would be wagging furiously. Was surpassing the wall that enjoyable? Well, I suppose it would be. She was  now a captain-level supernatural, after all. She had reached the pinnacle of humanity.

“Good girl, good girl. Yes, our Alice. You worked hard, didn’t you?”

“Yes! I worked hard!”

I patted Alice’s head, filled with pride.

She subtly pulled at her soft cheeks, grinning sheepishly.

How adorable. Yes, Alice is definitely cutest when she’s smiling.

Motherly… no, maternal instincts were surging within me.

I even had the absurd thought that I might start lactating right now.

Still, it was terrifying how potent talent could be.

Others could toil their entire lives and never even come close to reaching the captain-level.

There was a reason it was called the pinnacle.

The summit of the field of supernatural abilities.

The highest realm a human being could reach.

Of course, strictly speaking, there were levels higher than the captain-level. Yoo-seong was a prime example, as were the heroes of the past who had stood against Bael.

But beyond that point, it was hard to call them “human” anymore. Michael’s epithet, “The Godlike One”, was because he had become closer to a god than a human. From there, it wasn’t “supernatural ability” anymore, but the realm of “divine power”, making it ambiguous to call them supernaturals.

In any case, Alice had reached the pinnacle of humanity.

A mere first-year academy student.

Not through underhanded methods like Eugene, but through a legitimate path.

And not through hellish training or discipline, but simply by observing.

An absurd talent. A bug in the world. If Eugene copied supernatural abilities, Alice copied skills. She observed, felt, embodied, and made them her own. Not the abilities she received from the Four Seasons, but a talent Alice was born with. In some ways, it was an even more fraudulent talent than Eugene’s.

‘How absurd was the era where there were four Alice-like individuals?’

The era when Yoo-seong was active as a hero, not the God of War.

A true golden generation, led by him, where unparalleled heroes joined forces.

The heroes who waged a full-scale war against Bael, the king of the Devil Gods, and managed to achieve a draw.

Iris’s talent was exceptional, her talents were on a level that could be compared to Alice’s. Yoo-seong, for example, had already surpassed captain-level when he first met Lucille as a teenager.

‘Well, the golden generation of this era isn’t lacking either.’

Reaching captain-level without training, Alice’s talent was on a level that surpassed even them, though they could be compared. Among the descendants of Yoo-seong and Iris, Alice was the only one who had fully awakened the bloodline of their ancestors. Even the heroes had barely managed to transcend the wall after grueling trials that shaved away their flesh and bones.

The other children were the same. Eugene went without saying, and Arin, Leo, and Anastasia were all promising prospects. They were the only ones who had risen to the same level as the heroes during the infinite regressions. If even one of them surpassed the pinnacle, the war would be over. The balance would tilt overwhelmingly to one side, and the war could no longer continue.

The end of acceleration is a full halt.

Danger sense no longer ends with sensing.

The clones covered the world entirely with itself.

Even in the ‘novel’, they proved their talent by reaching captain-level in a short period. It wasn’t common for them to transcend the wall during the infinite regressions, but that was because the two-year timeframe was too short. What could they do when time reverted before they could grow? If only their growth could be accelerated… Yes, let’s think about that later. For now, let’s focus on praising Alice.

“Yes, cute! So cute! Kind, cute, and incredibly capable!”

“Hehe.”

The corners of Alice’s mouth trembled.

She leaned her face against my chest and wrapped her arms tightly around my waist.

I wondered why she kept glancing at Seri.

Seri, biting her finger, looked at us with envy.

Alice, staring at Seri, occasionally wore a smug expression.

Why are you being competitive?

Could it be that you’re overly high-strung because of that?

To show off to Seri?

When did our innocent Alice become so cunning? Could it be Frey pretending to be Alice? Judging by the fact that she’s not stuttering, maybe it is Frey… No, when I think about it, there were regressions where Alice became as sadistic as Frey…

“Her growth is much faster than expected. A happy miscalculation. At this rate, before long…”

Yoo-seong muttered to himself with his arms crossed. The new training ground was destroyed, leaving not even a skeleton of the past, but there was no regret on his face. Rather, considering it the price for the birth of a new pinnacle, it was a worthwhile trade.

“No, maybe that’s too hasty a judgment. Talent alone might be enough up to this point, but beyond that is the divine realm. Without the experience to support that talent… Hmm?”

Yoo-seong’s muttering, which continued barely audibly, was cut short. A troublemaker had appeared. Yoo-seong looked at the wine-red-haired girl who was tugging at his sleeve. Seri said with a tearful expression.

“Papa, help me.”

“Papa… what?”

“Alice is bullying me. Mama is discriminating. I’m cold…”

“???”

Sometimes, people become rigid when they receive too much information at once and can’t process it immediately. Yoo-seong was in that state now. He rolled his blue eyes repeatedly, as if he didn’t understand Seri’s words. I gaped. I didn’t expect Seri to do this so openly.

To me, Yoo-seong was a friendly person like family, but to the outside world, Yoo-seong was the God of War.

The God of War was the pillar of humanity.

The most massive pillar among the commanders.

The mainstay that sustained current human society.

The epithet “Living Legend” was not an exaggeration.

Everyone revered the God of War.

His status, power, and achievements.

How many people didn’t deify Yoo-seong?

At most, it could be counted on the fingers of two hands.

To openly call Yoo-seong “Papa” and ask for personal help.

I hadn’t expected it, and Yoo-seong certainly hadn’t expected it either.

God of War Mars was a cold, ruthless figure who strictly separated public and private matters. But even when wearing the mask of the God of War, he couldn’t help his true nature in the end. Yoo-seong moved his lips, unable to show any reaction. I think I know what he’s thinking. He’s not thinking anything. No, he can’t. It’s too absurd and sudden, his brain has short-circuited.

I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

I was so focused on Alice that I forgot.

Seri is currently in a very emotionally unstable state.

She’s become anxious because I, whom she relied on psychologically, only cared for Alice.

Well, there’s no choice. As Seri’s (temporary) Mama, I can’t just leave her alone.

“Seri, Papa is busy, so you shouldn’t bother him.”

“Mama!”

I thought she would refuse if I tried to pull her away, so I just picked up Alice and approached Seri. Seri brightened and scurried over. When I stroked her head as I had done with Alice, she purred like a cat. Is she really a cat? When I tickled her chin, the purring grew louder. Maybe Seri is a cat wearing human skin.

“Pa… what?”

Yoo-seong wore an even more dumbfounded expression.

He didn’t understand Seri’s antics or my response.

With a dazed face, his chest began to tingle.

This feeling… this cool, heavy sensation… Lucille inside me is whispering to return to the little devil Lucia. 

Be quiet. I’ve grown. I’ve decided not to complicate matters with a moment’s mischief. 

What? You’re saying it would be okay just this once? Hmm. Hmmm. Yes, well, just this once!

“Yoo-seong Papa hasn’t acknowledged Seri yet~ It would be awkward to suddenly call him Papa.”

“Could it be… is Papa an irresponsible man who sleeps around and doesn’t take responsibility?”

“That’s right~ I was just a one-night stand, sob sob.”

“That’s… to think Papa would be such a scumbag… I feel sorry for Mama…”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Mama has Seri, right? We don’t need an irresponsible husband. Our daughter is enough.”

“Mama…!”

“What kind of crazy nonsense… no, bullshit are you talking about?”

Yoo-seong, who had suddenly become a scumbag, couldn’t stand it and joined the conversation.

I glanced at Yoo-seong and quickly turned my head away.

“Come on, Seri. Let’s leave the bad Papa behind.”

“Okay, Mama!”

“No, what is it?”

“Should we have hamburger steak for dinner tonight?”

“Yes!”

“No, I mean what’s going on?”

“Hmph, I don’t know people who ignore their own daughter.”

“My daughter died over 100 years ago…”

Ah.

It stabs my conscience when you put it like that.

Lucille inside me. What kind of tallulah do I use in this situation… Ah, she ran away after egging me on! So cruel!

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Sorry for being so late!

Lately, the uploading schedule has been… (Runs away).

By the way, the inner Lucille isn’t the real Lucille, but the little devil Lucia.

Yep, it’s all just herself.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
No no, keep going, hurt this man like no tomorrow.

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