Gaige instantly calmed down after savoring the children's cakes. It was at that moment he realized how childishly he had reacted. He approached the group, still frozen in surrender poses with their arms raised while kneeling. "Um, sorry, I took your opponent again," he said awkwardly. The shocked expressions of the group gradually shifted to an awkward response. "N-no. They had it coming," Axel replied. "Haha, we really can't compete with you," Anniston added. "This is the first time I've seen someone 'die' from a slap," Dambie commented. Laughter filled the area, though the atmosphere grew even more awkward when Axel suggested, "Let's buy cake to celebrate!" He even tried to put his arm around Gaige's shoulder but ended up hanging on him since he was shorter. "Celebrate what?" Gaige asked. "Well.. uuhhh…" Axel scratched his chin while thinking about a reason. He knows that Gaige doesn't want anyone to know about the emergency funds they were hiding, but he thinks it's not bad
"Wow, you've killed quite a few," Gaige commented as he stepped into the abandoned warehouse, his gaze falling upon the blood-red floor. It wasn't a far-fetched assumption that Ainspenser had caused the thunderous explosions echoing through the silent city night. "I've only taken down six," Ainspenser casually replied while she flicked the blood from her crimson whip. Unbeknownst to her, Gaige was quietly approaching with an intent to confront her. Gaige struck her from behind, causing her body to spin and nearly throw her off balance, but she managed to land gracefully. "What was that?" Ainspenser asked, bewildered by Gaige's sudden attack. "You know I care about the returnees, but you've killed six," Gaige thundered. "What? Do you know them?" "It doesn't matter whether I know them or not," Gaige said firmly. "You shouldn't be taking the lives of returnees. Not on my watch." "I-I didn't realize..." Ainspenser took a step back as Gaige continued to approach slowly. They only st
"Bettine?" Gaige called, his voice laced with doubt. He stared at the woman, his eyes filled with a mixture of longing and uncertainty. She approached them slowly, as if they had been separated for a long time. "My princess…" Gaige whispered with a bittersweet smile, his steps growing larger as he reached out to touch the woman he truly loved. "My knight, you we- ack!" The woman coughed up blood the moment Gaige stabbed her in the neck with his pocket knife. She collapsed to the floor, unable to utter any final words, as Gaige had struck her at vital points. Meanwhile, Ainspenser, who witnessed this shocking act, was left in confusion. Initially, she thought someone dear had come to stop what was happening and had coldly let the woman fall to the floor. She also felt anxious about the expression on Gaige's face, one she had never seen before. She believed that the enchanting woman would undoubtedly steal her place, so why had Gaige suddenly stabbed and killed her? "I'm sorry. Are
In the dimly lit, abandoned warehouse, the couple stood facing each other, the air heavy with tension. Gaige couldn't help but let out a sigh at Ainspenser's reaction, but he could also empathize with her."You'll be my wife in this world," Gaige said to Ainspenser. What Gaige said sounded romantic and sweet, but to Ainspenser, it carried the implication that if they were not in this world, he might find someone else. "Earth doesn't allow polygamy," she reminded him, which made Gaige laugh even more. "I know about that. We're even going to make a vow. So what are you scared of?" Gaige said. "I'm not scared," she denied. "Fine. So is that all you're curious about?" Gaige asked. "No. Why did you kill her after seeing her here?" Ainspenser inquired. "Who?" Gaige asked. "That woman!" she clarified. Gaige's bitter smile returned. He gazed into Ainspenser's peculiarly colored iris before saying, "That wasn't Bettine. That person was another returnee—an ability user type. I suspect t
"Are you leaving me?" Gaige asked in a melancholic tone. His face contorted as though he were struggling not to cry, but this expression was not for Ainspenser. He hugged his son, who was still so tiny in his arms, trembling in fear that, once again, another child of his would leave him. "He will become a slave in heaven too," he thought internally, deeply disapproving of his son's ascension, which would likely turn him into a cherubim serving the gods for eternity. He didn't want that fate for his child, nor did he want him to become a mere work machine. "I-I'll find a way not to ascend!" Ainspenser exclaimed as she panicked at seeing Gaige in such a state. It was ironic, considering that for half her life, she had worked hard to rank up so she could ascend. But everything had taken a different turn after meeting Gaige. "How?" Gaige asked, gently patting Lambert as he had been awakened by Ainspenser's loud voice. "I don't know yet, but I will make sure the three of us stay togethe
"Why are you so low on energy?" Patal asked, his concern apparent as he observed Gaige leaning his head against the window, seemingly lost in thought. He wondered if Gaige was feeling saddened by their departure from the home they had worked so hard to build. "Don't mind me," Gaige replied, dismissively waving his hand. Contrary to Patal's assumption, Gaige was feeling drained from all that had transpired over the past few days. Ainspenser had become increasingly excited about their wedding, and his son was occupied with matters contrary to what was written on his system. "Alright, just let me know if you need anything. Axel and the others still need time to load everything onto the truck," Patal said. The entire building had been emptied. They had rented three trucks, two vans, and one car for their journey to Litongan town in Aogrive country. This was one of the reasons Gaige felt drained. "What's wrong, papa?" Lambert asked, sitting comfortably beside his father in the backseat
In a small rural town of Aogrive, a peculiar family had chosen to build a small mansion, nestled in the middle of a forest, away from urban life. The two people behind the construction of this home stared out from the mansion's window, each wearing a different expression. "Hey, Ainspenser," Gaige called. "Yes?" Ainspenser replied sweetly. She looked highly pleased at the view they could see from the balcony of their room. However, Gaige's frown deepened as Ainspenser's expression brightened. "How much did you spend on all of this?" Gaige asked, crossing his arms. Ainspenser didn't answer his question but instead shifted the topic, pointing at random things in their front yard. Gaige didn't actually need to hear Ainspenser's response, as it was quite obvious that she had spent a considerable amount of money preparing for their wedding. Yesterday, they had arrived at the small mansion that Gaige had bought six years ago. Their move into their new home had gone smoothly. But today, w
Today was the wedding day, and everything had been meticulously organized and planned. However, the groom and the bride seemed to have their own way of making things go awry. Patal commented, "I think you messed up the order," as he fixed Gaige's hair. On the other side, Lisa was busy ironing Gaige's clothes. "Do I?" Gaige replied with a wide smile. "Yes, the honeymoon should come after the wedding." "Well, I already got it backward since I had a son first," he proudly said, which only elicited sighs from the two of them. Fifteen minutes before the wedding ceremony was set to begin, the groom and the bride were still not ready because they couldn't resist being playful at such times. The system that Gaige had thought would help them had actually betrayed them. Nevertheless, the couple remained in high spirits, even though everyone else was panicking due to their tardiness. "See, we made it on time," Gaige casually said, despite the exhausted expressions of everyone around them.