Chapter 694: Side Story Chapter 174 - Paradise (4)

Side Story Chapter 174 - Paradise (4)

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW! WHERE ARE YOU ALL FROOOOOOOOOOOOM?!”

“I’VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!!”

“ARE YOU FROM OUTSIDE LUCEO PUUUUUUUUUUUUUURE?!”

The three mothers raised their arms like members of a cult worshiping an ancient evil god and shouted their lungs out.

Oh Kang-Woo, not wanting to lose, also raised his arms and shouted, “WE’RE FROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM A PLACE CALLED ZEXAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!”

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!”

“IT’S SO VERY NICE TO MEET YOU AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!!!”

The three mothers lowered their arms and joined hands with one another. The two mothers on each side grabbed Kang-Woo’s hands with their free hands, making a circle.

“I’VE HEARD OF A PLACE CALLED ZEXAL FROM THE APOSTLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!”

“WHO ARE APOSTLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES?!!”

“THEY ARE THOSE WHO DELIVER THE WORDS OF THE ALMIGHTY LORD AKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAART!!!”

“OOOOOHHH!!! I SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

They rotated clockwise in a circle, holding hands.

“HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE LORD AKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAART?!!” Kang-Woo asked.

“AAAAHH, HE IS OUR GOD!!!”

“AAAAHH, HE IS OUR JOY!!!”

“AAAAHH, HE IS OUR EVERYTHING—!!!”

They rotated so crazily that it looked like they would fly away like a UFO.

“Ah...”

Cha Yeon-Joo averted her gaze from the group, making an expression of accidentally swallowing a bug.

She turned to the three children looking up at their mothers with sparkling eyes and asked, “Are your mothers... always like that?”

“Hm?”

“Hehe, not always! They’re just happy because we have guests!”

“They’ll calm down after some time!”

The three children shook their heads as they giggled. Yeon-Joo sighed in relief. She would have gotten the hell out of there if she had to partake in dinner under such insane energy.

“Then... could you ask your mothers to calm down?”

“Hehe!! Okay!”

“We’ll do that!!!”

The three children nodded energetically and walked toward Kang-Woo and the three mothers spinning around.

“Mom! We’ll be late if dinner isn’t prepared soon!”

“Oh, right!”

“Dearie me, I’ve lost track of time!”

The rapidly spinning Beyblade stopped. The mothers calmed down and let go of each other’s hands.

“Hehe! Mom! Let’s all eat dinner together tonight!!”

“Yes! That sounds wonderful!”

“We can have the dinner at our home! Emily and John’s mothers can bring the dinner rations!”

“Alright!”

The mothers smiled radiantly and extended their arms toward Kang-Woo and the others as if they were family members they had been separated for decades.

“Hohoho! We’re sorry for getting so excited.”

“Not at all. Rather, we should thank you for welcoming us so grandly despite the sudden visit.”

“Anything for treasured guests.”

There was no hint of caution whatsoever in their joyful expressions.

“...” Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes.

The children and their mothers’ expressions were radiant and full of life. He couldn’t sense a hint of pain, sorrow, or despair from them. They were all living the happiest lives.

‘No.’

This world itself was brimming with happiness.

‘So... this is the paradise Akart was referring to.’

“Hah,” Kang-Woo chuckled.

The sense of uneasiness grew thicker.

“God, I’m getting dizzy from all this hype,” Yeon-Joo remarked as she shook her head.

Layla nodded in agreement and came closer. She looked around and said in surprise, “Mmm, but... they all seem so happy.”

“Does it seem that way to you?” asked Kang-Woo as he turned to Layla.

“Pardon? Well, as you can see...”

“Then wait just a little longer.”

“...?”

Layla tilted her head, unable to understand. Kang-Woo walked past her and walked toward the women having a heated discussion.

“Hohoho, just a moment. Our husbands will be home from work soon.”

“Please feel free to take a seat and rest! Oh, but... our living room is a bit small.”

“Then why don’t we eat in the garden tonight?!”

“Great idea! I will move the table outside!”

The three mothers energetically welcomed them to their homes. Moving around indoors in a three-meter alien suit was uncomfortable so going out to the garden was much better.

“It’s like we’re having a picnic,” Seol-Ah remarked.

Echidna added as they sat in the garden, “It’s my first time being on such a boring picnic.”

Dinner was prepared quickly as they chatted in the garden. The tables from the three houses were joined together and they laid out a mat for everyone to sit on.

“Hahaha!! Another fruitful day as always!”

“Working is so fun!”

“I’m so hungry after a day of hard work!”

Thirty minutes passed and the boisterous voices of three men echoed from a distance.

“My, dear!! Come here!”

“We have guests!!!”

“WHAT?!!”

The three men ran toward the group in surprise.

“GUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESTS?!!”

“GUESTS ALL OF A SUDDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN?!!”

“UNBELIEVABLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

The men also welcomed Kang-Woo and the others, just as excited as their wives.

Kang-Woo took some time to calm them down and asked brightly, “What do you all do for a living?”

“Hahaha!! We go to the temple in the morning to be given work to do!”

“Today, we built houses on the town’s outskirts!”

“Today was a fruitful day as always!”

The three men laughed heartily as they took off their tops that were drenched with sweat.

“Hehehe! Good work today as always, Dad!”

“Here you go! Cold water!”

The children brought buckets of water and sprayed their fathers with it.

“Man! That feels good!”

“Just this makes hard work worth it!”

The men smiled brightly as they washed their backs in the garden.

“How are you compensated for your daily work?” asked Kang-Woo, reminded of the word rations the mothers used earlier.

“Compensated? Naturally, enough food to fill our stomachs for the day!”

“A joyous day of work and delicious food!”

“What else could you want more in life?!”

Families of Luceo Pure seemed to receive a certain amount of food as daily rations in exchange for working.

‘Th-This is...!’

Kang-Woo’s eyes widened.

‘Giving laborers corresponding work and compensating them the same way... damn commies!!!’

Luceo Pure was no different from a communist state.

“Hoho! Dinner is ready!!”

“Everyone, gather around, and let’s eat!!!”

Food was brought to the tables as Kang-Woo was in thought. The white plates for each person contained three pieces of meat and the same amount of fruits and vegetables for everyone.

“Eh...? This is all the meat we have for today?” asked Dale as he frowned.

Dale’s mother scolded, “We have guests. You haven’t forgotten the rule set by the Great Akart, did you? Rations must be divided equally among everyone.”

“Ngh... but...”

“Dale, what did Mommy say?”

Dale nodded in disappointment. “Yeah... rules are meant to be kept.”

“Oh, then why don’t I share my share of meat with you?” mentioned Seol-Ah as she pointed at the pieces of meat on her plate.

“You can’t.” The mother shook her head with a serious expression. “Rations must be divided equally among everyone. That is the rule.”

“But...”

“The rules must not be broken.”

“It’s just that I don’t like meat very m—”

“The rules... must not... be broken,” the mother said as her eyes shone chillingly.

“Oh... okay.” Seol-Ah nodded with an awkward smile.

The woman’s serious expression turned radiant again.

“Hoho!! Shall we dig in, then?”

“Man! The food looks delicious as always!”

Everyone gathered around the connected tables.

“Hmm... it will be 6 PM soon. Let us say grace.”

The residents of Luceo Pure raised their arms toward the sky as if lifting it.

“Please, join us. You must pray before meals. That is one of the rules of Luceo Pure.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Understood.”

Kang-Woo and the others raised their arms as well.

“Oh Great Akart, protect us with the Light of Truth. Guide us with your sacred wisdom and set alight our paths filled with darkness so that we are not led astray.”

The prayer echoed throughout the garden— no, throughout the town.

“What the hell...?” mumbled Yeon-Joo, her voice slightly shaking. “Is everyone... having dinner at the same time?”

Chills went down her spine as she heard the prayer echoing throughout the town. Every resident eating simultaneously was logically incomprehensible to her.

“Munch, munch.”

“Yum!”

They began eating after the prayer. It was so silent that their loud chatter and bright laughter earlier felt like a lie.

“Urgh...”

However, the silence was broken by Dale as he closed his lips around the end of his fork. There wasn’t much to eat since rations for nine people had been divided among sixteen.

“Here... you can have some of mine,” Seol-Ah whispered as she placed a piece of meat on Dale's plate, unable to watch any longer.

“Huh? B-But...”

“Here, before your mother notices. Okay?”

“O-Okay!” Dale smiled brightly and stuffed the piece of meat Seol-Ah gave him into his mouth. “Urpp!!”

The meat got caught in his throat because he ate it too fast.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!!”

“Dale? Are you okay?” Dale’s mother approached him worryingly. “Huh? This is...”

She picked up a piece of meat that fell on the ground after Dale coughed it up.

“Didn’t you... eat all of your meat earlier?” she asked.

“Th-The thing is, Mom...”

Seol-Ah stood up and bowed. “I secretly gave him one of mine because he seemed so hungry. I apologize.”

“Oh...” expressed the mother, understanding what happened. She giggled and nodded. “I see.”

“I sincerely apologize,” Seol-Ah remarked.@@novelbin@@

“Hohoho. It’s alright. You don’t have to apologize.” The mother smiled gently and shook her head.

Seol-Ah bowed again and sat back down.

“That aside, Dale.”

“Y-Yeah, Mom?”

Dale’s mother lovingly swept back Dale’s hair and continued, “You broke a rule.”

Pierce—!!!

“Huh...?”

Dale’s mother grabbed a fork and stabbed it into Dale’s neck with all her might. It was so sudden that Kang-Woo and the others froze.

“What the—”

“DIDN’T I TEACH YOU?!! NOT TO BREAK THE RULES?!!”

“Kurgh!! Gah!! Arghh!!”

Stab!! Stab!! Stab!! Stab!!

She repeatedly stabbed the child’s neck with a fork. Blood splattered like a fountain and drenched the table.

“Hahaha!! Way to go, honey!!!”

“Yes!! Those who break the rules need to be punished accordingly!!!”

The men burst into laughter.

“Why did you do that, Dale...?’

“I-I know. Why was he so greedy?”

John and Emily shook their heads as they clicked their tongues.

“Phew! My apologies, it seems I haven’t educated him well enough.”

“Hahaha!! No worries!! Everyone can make mistakes now and then!”

“Alright, let us congratulate Dale’s mother for her hard work!!”

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!!

The sounds of clapping and joyous laughter, as they cheered with radiant smiles, echoed throughout the garden.

“Aaaahh.”

Their expressions were so bright that it was blinding.

“Of fucking course.” Kang-Woo gritted his teeth and smiled. “Paradise, my fucking ass.”

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