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“...!” Kang Jin-Ho froze stiff like a stone statue. \'Mother wasn\'t asleep?\'

But he made sure to sense his mother\'s presence and confirmed that she was asleep before entering the house, though?! The TV was on, but Kang Jin-Ho was certain that Bake Hyeon-Jeong was deeply asleep on the living room couch.

What could be his mistake, then? Maybe it was that damn door lock?! Why did the Kang residence\'s door lock lack the function of muting the alarm?!

Besides all that...! How could his mother wake up so quickly even though Kang Jin-Ho had been extra cautious!

“...Kuh-hum. Yes, Mother. I\'m back.”

“You\'re a bit late today.”

“Yes. I had something to take care of.”

“Hmm...?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong narrowed her eyes, her voice containing a subtle hint of discomfort.

Kang Jin-Ho instinctively began analyzing his appearance.

\'I\'ve already removed the stench of blood from me.\'

He also changed out of his shredded clothes and destroyed his shoes. Which meant he should look presentable. As for his trusty Crimson Destiny and Azuremourne, Kang Jin-Ho stashed them well out of sight in the garage, so...

Everything seemed perfect, but that failed to put Kang Jin-Ho\'s mind at ease.

“Hmm. It\'s been a while since the last time you stayed out late like this, son. Were you with your friends?”

“...Yes, Mother.”

“I see. Get some rest, then.”

Kang Jin-Ho celebrated in his mind. He survived!

Although Baek Hyeon-Jeong\'s eyes silently said, \'I don\'t like how you come home late at night like this, but you\'re not a child anymore. Nagging a grown-up adult about coming home at dawn is a bit too demeaning, so I\'ll graciously suppress my discomfort this one time. So, it\'ll be better for everyone involved that you crawl back home on time. Okay, son?\'

As Kang Jin-Ho was well aware of the intent behind his mother\'s silent look, a flood of cold sweat quickly broke out on his back. “I, uh, I won\'t stay out late like this again, Mother.”

“I see. Thank you, son. I know you\'re a considerate person.”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn\'t help but hear that as \'Come home late again, and I\'m going to shave your head bald, son.\' He coughed to clear his throat, then addressed his mother. “You should also head to bed soon, Mother. And... Even if I\'m late again, it won\'t be anything to worry about, so please don\'t sleep on the couch like this.”

“Ng, okay. But I wouldn\'t have to sleep on the couch if only you came home on time. Don\'t you agree?”

“...My apologies,” Kang Jin-Ho grimaced while bowing his head. If there was someone else here, he might have screamed Save me! to them right about now.

“And, son... That is a weird thing to say to a parent like me.”

“I\'m sorry?”

“How can a parent not worry about their child?”

“...!”

“If I suddenly don\'t come home without even a phone call, what will you do? Will you be alright with that, son?”

“No, I wouldn\'t be,” Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head.

Of course he wouldn\'t be fine with that. As a matter of fact, he\'d probably urgently drive around Seoul trying to find Baek Hyeon-Jeong. If he thought the hours were getting too uncomfortably late, Kang Jin-Ho would\'ve mobilized every martial artist available in the Assembly to find his mother, too!

\'...Oh.\' When Kang Jin-Ho considered this situation from the other side, he realized something profound. “Mother... If I think I\'ll be running late, I\'ll make sure to call ahead and let you know.”

“It\'d be wonderful if you do that, son. But things don\'t always go according to plan, right?”

“...”

“I\'m kidding, son!” Baek Hyeon-Jeong vigorously pounded her son on his back. “Yes, I\'m being silly for trying to keep a grown-up son under my thumb like a little kid. I know that. But it\'s not easy to change myself.”

“N-no, Mother. It was my fault this time.”

“Sure, sure... Anyways, looks like I\'ve been needlessly holding up a tired man. Go on, get some rest, son.”

“I will.”

“Don\'t forget to wash up first, though. Don\'t just go to bed because you\'re tired, okay? Hmm, I don\'t remember if there\'s a spare towel in the bathroom for you. If you don\'t find one, then...”

“I, I\'ll take care of it. Don\'t worry, Mother.”

“Oh, my goodness. Looks like I was being silly again.” Baek Hyeon-Jeong gently chuckled while heading to the main bedroom. “Get some rest, son.”

“Of course,” Kang Jin-Ho nodded. While watching his mother enter the bedroom and close the door behind her, a complicated smile formed on Kang Jin-Ho\'s face.

“Mister Jin-Ho... Isn\'t it difficult?”

Lee Hyeon-Su\'s question suddenly rang inside Kang Jin-Ho\'s mind. He wanted to hear from Kang Jin-Ho if it was difficult for the identities of a son, a friend, and a martial arts expert to coexist in one person.

How did Kang Jin-Ho respond back then?

“No, not really.”

Yes, that was how he replied. Not really, he said.

However, he wasn\'t being honest with that answer. Even Kang Jin-Ho would sometimes feel cornered or annoyed by various family situations. So, the true reply would\'ve been something more than \'not really\'.

“...It\'s all worth it, though.”

Yes, this was the correct answer. Kang Jin-Ho\'s honest desire? Even if he acted like an inhuman demon outside his home, Kang Jin-Ho wanted to remain as a son that would make his family proud. A son that his family could rely on. Maybe he was being selfish here, but he didn\'t care.

How calming it was to have people caring about you, to welcome you back with warm smiles after you dragged your mind home... Especially when your mind had been ravaged by the bloodlust and primal urges to fight and kill! No one in this world would appreciate this fact more than Kang Jin-Ho right now. And know how fortunate he was to have this environment.

After entering the shower, Kang Jin-Ho turned on the water, then leaned his head against the wall.

“...Blergh!”

A lump of dark blood leaked out of his mouth. Kang Jin-Ho stopped trying to swallow back all the reverse-flowing blood and quietly vomited it out.

“Fuu-woo...”

A quiet little sigh also leaked out of his mouth. Vator... He was strong.

No, he was weak. No, that couldn\'t be right. He was strong.

The concept of what was strong and weak had become a mess in Kang Jin-Ho\'s mind. In the past, when Kang Jin-Ho had reached the zenith of cultivation as Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor, someone on the level of Vator wouldn\'t have troubled him this much. Even if Vator\'s physical body had reached the pinnacle that the cultivation methods of the past could not replicate, he still wouldn\'t last a second against Kang Jin-Ho at the peak of demonic cultivation.

Just one flick of Kang Jin-Ho\'s hand containing his intent would\'ve been enough to utterly disintegrate Vator\'s physique. A simple task for the past Kang Jin-Ho proved to be so much harder for his current self.

However, he must not show any weakness. It didn\'t matter whether it was Lee Hyeon-Su or Wiggins!

Even Kang Jin-Ho knew that his strength was the most-important component in propping up the delicate balance in South Korea and East Asia. There was a huge difference between Kang Jin-Ho \'easily winning\' and \'struggling to eke out a victory\' against Vator, at least in the eyes of the witnesses.

That was why he needed to clench his teeth and endure even though his innards were messed up and his legs were shaking precariously!

“Blergh!”

Kang Jin-Ho vomited another mouthful of blood, then carefully inspected the inside of his body.

\'There doesn\'t seem to be any major issues.\'

Although his organs were in a mess, making a full recovery shouldn\'t be too hard. In fact, a few days of good rest should do the trick.

“Fuu-woo...”

Kang Jin-Ho turned the shower head toward his face and let the water flow for a while. The corner of his eyes caught his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

\'...My progress isn\'t slow.\'

It hadn\'t even been ten years since Kang Jin-Ho resumed cultivating. Other people would\'ve required decades upon decades of cultivation to reach the same level of strength, so Kang Jin-Ho\'s cultivation speed was extremely fast. In fact, the current him should be several times stronger than back when he was thirty years old during his second life.

Yes, Kang Jin-Ho\'s progress was definitely fast. Even so...

\'It\'s not enough.\'

This thirst didn\'t want to leave him alone.

No matter how hard he tried to convince himself, \'it\' was simply not enough for him. Imagine a man who could fly freely with a pair of majestic wings. If he was forced to walk after his wings were taken away, and he had no choice but to be satisfied with his sturdy legs since his wings would only grow back in a while... Would that man feel happy about his situation? Of course not.

That would be impossible.

\'I need to grow stronger!\'

Kang Jin-Ho bit his lower lip. Lee Hyeon-Su might be right. With no other options available, the Crimson King might avoid attacking Kang Jin-Ho for the time being. Maybe, that man would even offer a truce. A gesture of conciliation of some kind.

However, what about after that? Or, what if things don\'t go the way Lee Hyeon-Su envisioned?

There were simply too many things at stake for Kang Jin-Ho to keep his fingers crossed and hope for the best.

He opened his eyes and stared into the mirror again. He saw his reflection. Not Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor, but Kang Jin-Ho was looking right back at him.

\'It\'s getting a bit harder, isn\'t it?\'

Calling it \'a bit\' might be underselling it, however. Kang Jin-Ho wryly chuckled. He had to admit that sometimes, he missed those days. And he even sympathized with those days, too. Those days when he was Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor, that was.

Those days when Kang Jin-Ho freely roamed the breadth and width of Zhongyuan with unstoppable force and zero fear! Yes, he missed those days.

If Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor was here instead of Kang Jin-Ho, he\'d have already forced his way back to China by now. He\'d try to destroy and tear apart every obstacle in his way to chop the Crimson King\'s head off. That was how tough Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor was.

However...

Kang Jin-Ho extended his hand to hide his face from the mirror.

\'A victory at any cost will leave nothing behind for me.\'

People sometimes misunderstood something important. They believed that victory was everything. That they could get anything they wanted after winning. That statement was true... but also wrong.

The \'winning\' itself wasn\'t important. What mattered was which battles you won. For instance, Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor always emerged victorious. Yes, he did lose at the end, but his whole life could be seen as a series of victories. Even so, he had nothing to leave behind.

Victories with nothing to show for them? What meaning was there? Kang Jin-Ho might yearn for Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor\'s strength, but not the way he lived his life.

\'...It doesn\'t matter even if things are tough.\'

Kang Jin-Ho simply had to carry this burden, no matter how heavy it was. And do so without trying to avoid his responsibilities, too. Only then would his victories mean something. They would finally be worth something more.

Kang Jin-Ho used the shower head to wash away the blood on the floor. It was as if... As if he was removing the final traces of a vicious battle.

***

Kang Yu-Hwan grinned and waved at his son. “Morning, son. How was your sleep?”

“It was fine, thank you,” Kang Jin-Ho replied while glancing at the living room clock. \'I didn\'t get the time wrong, so how come?\'

He had woken up a bit late this morning, which was unlike his usual self. Around this time of the day, his father should already be off to work, but Kang Yu-Hwan was still home for some reason.

Kang Jin-Ho scanned the living room. “Where is Mother?”

“She went out earlier, saying she\'s got an appointment to get to. And she left without even preparing breakfast for you!”

“That\'s fine, Father. I can always prepare my own meals.”

“Mhm. I\'d have chewed you out if you didn\'t say that.”

“Ahaha... ha…” Kang Jin-Ho awkwardly chuckled. His father seemed to love laying out unexpected traps like this every now and then!

“Anyways. Want some breakfast?” Kang Yu-Hwan asked.

“Mm... No, I don\'t feel like it. I\'ll just get an early lunch later,” Kang Jin-Ho replied while shaking his head.

“Is that right? Since it\'s been a while, why don\'t we head to my cafe together? Go get ready, son.”

“...Sorry?”

“What\'s wrong? Did you make any other appointments today?”

“Today? Well…” Kang Jin-Ho frowned a little. Of course he didn\'t make any appointments for today. Besides, his daily life always unfolded like this, anyway. He knew he needed to do something, but... There wasn\'t anything that required his immediate attention. “Alright, I\'ll accompany you.”

Kang Yu-Hwan gently smiled at his son\'s reply.

***

Kang Jin-Ho was slightly taken aback. “We aren\'t driving?”

“Why should we? It\'s not that far, anyway. Let\'s try to save our planet, son.”

Kang Jin-Ho could only smile awkwardly at that. “Father, how about I drive you to work?”

“Come here, son. Come on.” Kang Yu-Hwan gestured at his son. Kang Jin-Ho didn\'t say anything and stood next to his father. Kang Yu-Hwan leaned forward and gravely explained. “You see, we humans...”

“Yes?”

“...Need to walk once in a while, son.”

“I\'m sorry?”

“Tell me. After getting your license, you\'ve basically been driving absolutely everywhere these days, right?”

“...”

“See, that\'s what human beings are like. Once we\'ve tasted convenience, we don\'t want to go back. However, always going after what\'s fast and convenient will mean we\'ll miss some things.” Kang Yu-Hwan patted his son on the back, then took the lead by walking ahead. Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly followed after his father. “Yes, I know I sound like a boomer, but it\'s true.”

“No, Father. You don\'t sound like a boomer.”

“Rely on your car all the time, and you\'ll eventually arrive at a place you can\'t drive through. And you\'ll also not notice so many things. Sure, you\'ll get to the destination faster. And more comfortably, too. If you only care about the A-to-B commute, then yes, a car is the best option. However, son... Our lives aren\'t always about meeting our goals, right?”

“...”

Kang Yu-Hwan continued to speak. “I mean... We\'re all striving to be happy, no? So, it\'s fine to be a little later than usual. Take a look.”

When the father-and-son duo walked past the rows of gray concrete buildings, they were greeted by a public park lush with verdant vegetation. Kang Jin-Ho\'s attention was momentarily stolen by this sight.

This place shouldn\'t have been all that notable. A forest like this was a common enough sight just beyond the city limits, after all. However, it being in the middle of a large city hit a little differently than usual.

Kang Yu-Hwan sounded a little proud as he scanned the forest. “You can\'t come here with a car, son.”

“...You\'re right, father.” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded away.

The two men leisurely entered the forest. Soon, Kang Jin-Ho\'s hearing caught the sounds that should\'ve been rare within a densely populated city—various insects chirping and buzzing away.

Kang Jin-Ho slowly looked up. The public park\'s footpath was bathed by toasty summer sunlight, with the shades of the verdant trees gently swaying side by side.

Kang Yu-Hwan smirked. “It\'s not so bad, right?”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded, his lips also curling up into a grin. “Yes.”

He was right. This wasn\'t so bad. Truly...

“Yes, it\'s not bad at all.”

An expression Kang Jin-Ho forgot how to make returned to him in full force just then. A genuinely warm smile formed on his face.