Muhan's eyes blazed with fierce determination as he gazed at Gunhee, his mind reeling from the sudden surge of power. "Wow, what was that surge of power right now?" he thought, his curiosity piqued.
Gunhee's smile hinted at his amusement. "What's up with the red hair?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with interest, as he referred to Muhan's brief, fiery locks.
Muhan's charming smile was amplified by his Aether Awakening state, making him look even more captivating. "Don't know," he replied, his nonchalance belied by the intensity in his eyes.
Gunhee's expression turned serious, his smile fading. "Let's wrap this up, shall we?" he said, his voice low and menacing.
Before Muhan could even blink, Gunhee vanished and reappeared behind him. His left leg bent upward and then swiftly forward, while his right leg supported his body. The kick was devastating, aimed squarely at Muhan's neck.
Muhan's eyes could barely react to Gunhee's lightning-fast maneuver, but his body wasn't fast enough to dodge. "Damn, he's fast!" Muhan thought, his mind racing. "Can't react, gotta block!"
With a surge of determination, Muhan focused on increasing his strength to block the kick. He realized that Gunhee's maneuver had broken reality within the pocket dimension, a feat that seemed impossible. "Is that even possible?" Muhan wondered. "To break reality in a pocket dimension?"
The reality of the situation hit Muhan like a ton of bricks. Mi-cha's father was indeed formidable, and this was a one-sided battle. But Muhan refused to give up. "I'm not gonna give up!" he declared, his voice firm.
With a fierce cry, Muhan steeled himself to face the kick head-on. He attempted to counterattack, using Aether to amplify his strength. His Aether energy surged, as he prepared to clash with Gunhee's devastating kick.
With a fierce cry, Muhan steeled himself to face the kick head-on. He attempted to counterattack, using Aether to amplify his strength. However, Muhan deactivated his Aether energy and decided to use his raw strength to block the attack.
As Gunhee's kick connected with Muhan's defensive stance, Muhan was sent flying, and the pocket dimension dissipated, bringing them back to the sparring grounds. The smoke cleared, revealing Muhan unconscious on the ground, while Gunhee stood tall.
"As expected of Dad, there would be no scratch on him," Mi-cha said, tears welling up in her eyes. "He managed to put a scratch on him – look at his face, dear," Iseul said, pointing to the small cut on Gunhee's face.
Gunhee's expression turned somewhat angry, yet calm. "What the? He put a scratch on me?" he said, looking at Unconscious Muhan. A smile spread across his face. "Not bad, kid!"
........
Muhan's piercing eyes slowly fluttered open, and he found himself in a Nano space ship, his head resting on Mi-cha's lap. She smiled tearfully, her eyes brimming with relief. As he tilted his head to the side, he saw Gunhee and his father engaged in a heated conversation, their voices low and urgent. Despite their anger, they seemed to be trying to calm themselves.
"Mi-cha, what happened?" Muhan asked, his voice husky from sleep. Mi-cha continued to stroke his hair gently, her fingers tracing the contours of his face. Some of her hair fell upon Muhan's neck, and he couldn't help but notice its silky texture and sweet fragrance. "Wow, her hair is so silky and smooth, and it has a nice fragrance," Muhan thought. "I didn't notice this about her."
"You scared me, Muhan," Mi-cha said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You were out for like an hour." Muhan's gaze met hers, and he smiled weakly. "Really? Your dad's strong, that's for sure. For him to knock me out for an hour, and he was even using a fraction of his power… well, I lost."
Mi-cha's expression turned slightly angry and pouty. "You're saying 'I lost' like it's a trivial matter," she said, her voice tinged with frustration. "I guess you don't care about me." Her words were laced with emotion, and Muhan's heart skipped a beat.
"It's not like I don't care about you," Muhan said, his voice sincere. "I care about you so much, and I also plan to have a future with you." As he spoke, Mi-cha's face blushed brightly red. The words replayed in her head like an echo, and she couldn't help but feel a flutter in her chest. "But I lost," Muhan continued, his tone serious.
Mi-cha's face was still flushed as she tried to maintain her composure. "What are you saying, Muhan? You didn't lose," she replied, her voice firm. Muhan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'I didn't lose'?"
Mi-cha nodded toward her father's face. "Look." Muhan raised his head from her lap and saw a small cut on Gunhee's face. "You mean I did that?" Mi-cha nodded, a small smile on her face.
Muhan's thoughts turned inward. "That doesn't make me feel good," he thought. "The fact that I was using full power and I even had to transform, yet the result was just a small cut… I have to become stronger."
Just then, Gunhee approached them, a warm smile on his face. "Alright kids, welcome home," he said, his voice booming through the Nano space ship. The ship flew through a wormhole at incredible speed, and Muhan felt his stomach drop.
As they emerged on the other side, Muhan saw the Realm of Aethoria stretching out before them. The Nano space ship soared through the neon-lit void of space, dashing through the outerverse and into the Hyperverse. They traversed the omniverse, leaving a trail of glittering stardust in their wake.
Finally, the ship settled on a planet outside the Multiverse, its engines humming softly.
As the Nano space ship landed on the planet, Gunhee and Han emerged first, followed by Iseul and Chae-min, who seemed to be getting along surprisingly well. Muhan and Mi-cha brought up the rear, their eyes locking briefly as they stepped out of the ship.
The bright sky blue hue of the atmosphere enveloped them, courtesy of the planet's dual stars. Muhan's gaze wandered, taking in the bustling space airport. Space travelers from all corners of the universe parked their ships here, exchanging stories and secrets.
An attendant hurried up to Gunhee and Han, bowing slightly. "Welcome back, sir," he said to Gunhee, and then to Han, "And you too, sir." Han's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression expectant. "Alright, where's the car?" he asked.
Gunhee's response was calm and collected. "Here it comes." As if on cue, a sleek, black Nano Car rushed to the scene, its acceleration a blur. The car stopped in front of them, and the doors slid open automatically.
The car's interior was spacious, with six seats that seemed to mold to their occupants' bodies. Gunhee and Han took the front row, while Iseul and Chae-min occupied the second row. Muhan and Mi-cha settled into the third row, their legs almost touching.
As they entered the Nano Car, Gunhee injected an AI core into the system. A smooth, melodious voice greeted them. "Greetings, Mr. Han and Mr. Gunhee. I'm IRA. Please enter your destination."
Gunhee relaxed into his seat, his eyes half-closing as he replied, "Avalon estate." The AI responded, "Alright, then. Please buckle up." The car started moving, its acceleration smooth and silent.