Chapter 154 : Chapter 154
Chapter 154
“Hero play?!” William roared.
No, it wasn’t that. I ducked back, dodging his swinging rifle, then delivered a swift roundhouse kick. The precise, agile move sent William flying across the training ground.
“No,” I said firmly.
It wasn’t hero play. It was a desperate struggle to survive. I’d given everything, faced death countless times, and never once half-assed it.
“No matter how you deny it, the truth doesn’t change,” William said, standing up unscathed. In the split second my kick flew, he’d reacted, blocking with his rifle.
Wild Instinct (Lv 4) warns: Your opponent is William of Ulvhadin! The patriarch of the family, the source of Wild Instinct! His mastery of Wild Instinct is equal to or surpasses yours!
I swallowed hard.
“You think standing like a rock against threats with your body will earn forgiveness? That facing raging storms of adversity erases your wrongs?” William’s voice was sharp, accusing.
We clashed again, rifles swinging, kicks flying. We fired at point-blank range and tackled each other to the ground.
William shouted about the sins of young Martin. I shouted about the wrongs of Kim An-hyun.
Yet, ironically, our words aligned.
“Think things are going smoothly? That the world’s on your side? Forgiveness isn’t begged like that!” William bellowed.
“I used to think that way!” I shot back.
“Wrong is committing with the resolve to be a sinner forever! You carry the weight of sin until you beg forgiveness! When it’s all over, how will you handle the forgiveness you didn’t seek?”
His rifle swung up, catching my jaw. My mind blanked for a moment. Gritting my teeth, I steadied myself instead of collapsing.
“I’ll change from now on!” I declared.
“The world will judge you through tinted lenses!”
“I’ll prove them wrong!”
“It’s not as easy as words!”
“I’ll cling to it with everything I’ve got!”
“You don’t understand because you haven’t tried!”
Father and son fought until blood seemed to burst.
Sebastian and William’s hound battled, their massive bodies straining until they collapsed, exhausted. Martin and William staggered, each desperate to land one more blow, until we both crumpled to the ground.
“Huff, huff!” I gasped.
“Hu, ha,” William panted.
Our rifles clashed, screaming. Our unprotected bodies collided, conveying our hearts. Father and son poured everything out, lying side by side on the ground. Our hounds, influenced by our emotions, lay nearby.
“….”
“….”
After a long rest, William spoke first.
“You’ve grown strong.”
“…Yes.”
His treating me as his son felt strange. I wasn’t Martin. Just a shell, Kim An-hyun inside. This was practically our first and last real conversation, like strangers.
“When you glared at me, vowing to cut ties, I wondered what would become of you.”
“….”
“Yet you overcame and made it this far.”
“….”
“Son.”
“….”
Patriarch William. More emotional than I’d thought. But I wasn’t his son. I was Kim An-hyun, not Martin.
Because I possessed this body, and because I had a human heart, my chest ached.
Then, a chilling sensation hit me, like a cold bullet piercing my mind.
“…Or rather, someone who’s taken my son’s body.”
“…!”
I jolted upright, shocked. William stood too, staring at me squarely. His solid frame and beastly eyes pressed down on me.
“I realized during our spar. You’re not my son. Who are you?”
“….”
My mind froze, my head blank.
“Who are you, clinging to my son’s body, overcoming hardships with such tenacity?”
Goosebumps crawled over me.
“…Proof?” I managed to ask.
“My instincts screamed it.”
“That’s proof?”
“You’ve trained Wild Instinct. You understand, don’t you?”
“….”
Of course he knew. If I could sense it, how could William not? It was only natural. His realm was higher than mine, likely at the peak of Wild Instinct.
“My seed, raised for seventeen years. Even if we were apart often, and I wasn’t fully devoted to raising you.”
“….”
“I’m that boy’s father.”
Father. Yes. The miracle of a parent’s bond with their child is well-documented, countless in studies. Especially with Wild Instinct.
“You’re not my son. But you’re helping him. Training to overcome hardships, making the world better. Yet, ironically, you view the world cynically. It’s possible if you forcibly possessed his body.”
“…!”
Such insight on the spot. It wasn’t just Wild Instinct—his mind was razor-sharp.
“If you won’t speak, fine.”
William reached out, and his clothes flew into his hand. Advanced mana control, not system-aided like me or attribute-driven like Gilbert. The matured realm of a gold knight. He threw on a thick fur coat over his torso and led the way.
“Follow me.”
His hound trailed behind.
[Whine.]
I turned to see Sebastian, back to normal, dragging my clothes and rifle to me.
‘…Hmm.’
I dressed and followed William.
‘Looking back, it’s full of red flags.’
From William’s perspective, what was Martin like? Young Martin, once called a prodigy, fell to ruin under Vistavern’s influence, then faced reformation at the academy.
‘That was Martin.’
Then he abruptly changed and left home.
‘That’s where Kim An-hyun begins.’
Top of academy midterms. Excelling in subjects. The princess' black knight. Thriving against demons. Close ties with the Elidore Marquisate.
Now, conquering a level 5 Time Chaos Dungeon under reconsideration, the significant Fog Island. Reviving the World Tree, hailed as a guardian by elves.
‘How did these changes look to William?’
Remarkable for a short time, but he might think, ‘He’s finally grown up.’ But with Wild Instinct at its peak, he could suspect someone else had taken his son’s body.
‘The problem is William’s demeanor.’
He seemed certain I wasn’t Martin, yet didn’t shoot me dead. Instead, he led me somewhere… deep into the mansion’s core, obvious even with my eyes closed.
‘Strange.’
A place not even in Martin’s memories.
“….”
“….”
William stayed silent, only leading. Soon, a massive door with a dog’s head appeared, and he stopped.
“I don’t know what you’re aiming for or your purpose.”
“….”
“So swear here.”
“….”
Swear. Not just empty words.
In this world, a swear was no light matter. It was staking your martial prowess, noble honor, beliefs, and mana—ready to lose everything.
“…I swear.”
“I, possessing Martin von Targon Ulvhadin’s body, always prioritized his survival.”
True. I fought to survive the end.
“I acted to avoid tarnishing his honor.”
Honestly, even street dancing would’ve been better than Martin’s infamy.
“I did my best to protect those around Martin.”
Lilac. Oh, Lilac.
“And I will forever.”
“…Good.”
William pushed the iron doors with his muscular arms. With a heavy groan, the doors swung open…
“…!”
A colossal hunting dog statue, carved from a sheer cliff, appeared. Studded with jewels, it radiated divine blessing, filling the chamber with auspicious energy. Before it lay a lake, formed by a waterfall flowing from the statue’s eyes.
“How much do you know about Ulvhadin’s legend?”
The legend of Ulvhadin. I recalled a museum visit during a field trip to Petrak Kingdom, explaining their hounds.
Know-It-All (Lv 4) recalls: A legend of a hunting dog winning a god-hosted hunt, blessed alongside its master.
“Only what most people know,” I said.
“Legends are often lies.”
William stepped into the lake, unconcerned about soaking his clothes or rifle.
“But Ulvhadin’s is true. Since ancient ancestors, we gained near-divine power to hone wild senses to their peak within human civilization, thanks to a god’s blessing. The ability passed through blood, but as you know, mixed blood dilutes and muddies it.”
Some bloodline families even resorted to incest to preserve it.
Of course, that’s an old story.
“To prevent the blessing’s dilution, we Ulvhadin built an altar in the mansion’s underground depths to keep it pure. The secret passed down to patriarchs alone. It’s costly in effort and maintenance, but many families preserve their identity this way.”
Patriarch William, a peak gold knight and border-guarding count. Despite feats feared as demonic by foreigners, the Ulvhadin family remained small for this reason.
“…Why show me this?”
“Why, you ask.”
“Yes. Why.”
The secret of the family’s power, known only to patriarchs. Why reveal it to a third party possessing his son’s body? I couldn’t help but wonder.
“I, William, will now break Ulvhadin’s traditions and rules.”
He turned to face me. Even without Wild Instinct’s guidance, I knew. His eyes held resolve.
“One final proposal.”
Maybe something shocking, like kin murder… but it didn’t seem so. No, it felt weightier than that.
“If you bring an answer satisfying my demand, I’ll help you inherit the Ulvhadin patriarch’s seat and fully awaken Wild Instinct.”
“…!”
Inheriting the patriarch’s seat and fully awakening Wild Instinct! Joy surged, but shock and confusion made me question.
“Why—why make such a decision so suddenly?”
“Because I know your purpose serves a greater good, nameless hero.”
My heart skipped. Nameless hero. That term alone was for me, Kim An-hyun, not Martin.
“You have your reasons for your actions. Somehow, you ended up in my son’s body, the worst of villains.”
“….”
“For the greater good, I set aside personal feelings… and offer cooperation.”
Some might call William heartless. What greater good justifies abandoning a son? Even a reckless, rotten villain is a fruit of love.
“Rather than see my son die in disgrace, plunging into hell’s abyss.”
Yet that was a father’s best for his son.
“Let him sacrifice for the greater good. Not just him, but me too.”
Tears welled in William’s eyes. A father’s tears. But his expression stayed firm as he wiped them away.
“Whether you’re an angel, an ancestor’s soul, or a divine arrangement, it doesn’t matter. Guarantee my son won’t fall into hell’s sulfur pit… and show even a slight chance of redemption. Bring that proof, and I’ll gladly give the patriarch’s seat and Wild Instinct’s full awakening.”
A desperate resolve. Even facing a god, William would say the same. Examine his words. A trade? No. A sacrifice? No. He staked his life, soul, and afterlife to save his son from hell’s abyss…
“…I understand.”
How could I, of all people, refuse that offer?