Upgrade (2)
Ping!
Im Du-ho’s mother, who had been stirring the ladle, paused for a moment. A clear notification chime rang out from the smartwatch on her wrist.
Sender: Hunter Management Bureau Welfare Division
Korea Daebyeong Hospital Ophthalmology Appointment Application Form
Please choose an appointment date
Her eyesight was poor, so after listening to the text through her earphones, her expression stiffened at once.
Then all the other family members’ watches chimed at the same time.
“Honey! Something weird just popped up on my watch!”
His father came out of the bedroom, and a moment later, the twins hurried out of their room in an uproar.
“Du-bin! It says crack insurance is free? It wants me to accept enrollment!”
“Hey, that’s a scam! Crack insurance costs how much a month? There’s no way it’s free!”
A little later, the family sat gathered in the bedroom, taking turns reading the holographic text displayed on their smartwatches.
It was hard to dismiss it as a scam.
“Mom, the sender says it’s from the Hunter Management Bureau.”
At Du-na’s words, their mother answered uneasily.
“Honey, why would they send something like this?”
“Exactly.”
“Dad, I’m telling you, this is a new kind of scam. The kind that tricks people into giving up their personal information.”
At Du-bin’s words, even their father was beginning to agree—when suddenly!
“Ah!”
“What do I do!”
At Du-na’s shout, everyone turned toward her. She looked on the verge of tears.
“I… I accidentally accepted it!”
“Hey, you little idiot! Why would you touch that?! Turn off the smartwatch—now! I said turn it off!”
Just as Du-na was flailing around trying to shut off her smartwatch,
“I’m home.”
Du-ho’s voice came from the front door.
Thud, thud, thud.
Du-bin ran out.
“Hyung, this is bad! That airhead Du-na fell for a scam, and—”
“A scam?”
Du-ho was startled, and then Du-na burst out of the bedroom and smacked the back of Du-bin’s head.
“Hey! Im Du-bin. You call your big sister an airhead? You want to die?”
“Forget that, that’s not the problem right now! Hyung, look at this.”
Du-ho narrowed his eyes and checked Du-bin’s smartwatch.
Hmm…
“So… Du-na accepted this?”
“I told you it did!”
“Yeah, nice work.”
“????”
When Du-ho smiled calmly, Du-bin’s eyes went wide.
Just then, their parents came out of the bedroom.
“Son! Hurry and contact the cyber crime unit….”
As the family crowded around the entryway in confusion, Du-ho scratched his head and said coolly, “It’s not a scam.”
Everyone froze, and Du-ho explained.
“My department pre-registered this because they were expanding family welfare benefits for employees. Looks like the text messages just went out today.”
His father frowned in confusion.
“Expanding welfare? All of a sudden?”
“The Bureau’s budget went way up this time. Apparently they’re expanding employee welfare in a big way too.”
While taking off his shoes, Du-ho continued as if it were nothing.
“Since I’ve been there six years, I qualified for family benefits. I knew Mom’s eyesight was bad, and there happened to be ophthalmology coverage in the welfare package, so I signed you up.”
His mother’s face lit up.
“Oh my! So this is real?”
“Yes. Dad’s health checkup and my little brothers’ crack insurance are now almost free for employees’ family members too.”
Du-bin asked in disbelief, “Crack insurance is free? That even possible?”
“Kid, it’s not completely free. The Bureau covers ninety percent of it. You only have to pay about fifty thousand coins a month.”
The family’s eyes widened.
Which made sense.
After all, crack insurance that used to cost five hundred thousand coins a month was now only fifty thousand.
Du-na grabbed his arm and asked, “Oppa, this really is safe, right? I was the only one who accidentally accepted it.”
“Yeah. Good job.”
Then, in a lower voice, he added, “And don’t tell anyone else about this. They said there was a limit on the number of people, so it might cause trouble if word gets out.”
Du-bin gave him a thumbs-up.
“…Hyung. Honestly, you’re so cool.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Du-ho ruffled Du-bin’s hair.
Then his mother came over and took his hand tightly in both of hers.
“Our eldest son… I knew how hard you’ve been working, but thank you. Thank you so much….”
Her eyes began to glisten, and Du-ho felt his chest tighten. Just as he was at a loss for words, Du-bin cut in teasingly.
“Hey, hey, why are you crying on such a good day?”
Meanwhile, his father said nothing. He only looked at Du-ho for a long moment before turning away.
The broad shoulders trembled faintly.
“Dad’s crying too?”
“I’m not crying. Cough… I just have something in my throat.”
When his father finally turned back around, forcing his voice steady, his eyes were already wet.
“…I should’ve handled things like this much sooner. I’m ashamed.”
At that, something in Du-ho’s chest stung sharply.
Isto asked,
-Du-ho nim, why did you lie?
If I said it was my money, what do you think would happen?
-They’d thank you, wouldn’t they?
Wrong.
-Eh?! Eh!
The moment they heard that, Mom and Dad would refuse it and tell me to cancel it immediately. Then your little brothers would just go along and say it was fine too.
So this was the right way.
But…
-I’m disappointed. That you’d go through all that trouble and hide the credit, Du-ho nim….
Isto, in a family, you don’t start tallying who deserves the praise. And besides, you did the hard part.
-Huh! No way! I merely did what I had to do!
I did what I had to do too, Isto.
-Is that so…?
Keep watching as we live together. You’ll understand before long.
-Mm…
Isto seemed to think about it for a while before replying,
-Since they’re your flesh and blood, I guess they’ll help with world conquest someday. Hehe~.
* * *
Late one night, a month later.
Du-ho lay in bed and twitched a finger.
At once, a faint silver dust spilled from his fingertips and drifted toward a bag of chips on the chair.
Rustle.
A single chip rose into the air and stopped in front of his mouth.
The moment Du-ho took a bite,
the air rippled, and Isto stepped out of the Garage carrying a laptop.
Oh! Oh!
-As expected of Du-ho nim! You’re training even during your break. I’m impressed!
“Training?”
-Nanobot control, of course! You’re trying to use them like your own limbs, aren’t you!
Uh…
He was just lying there eating chips.
Sometimes a convenient interpretation is better than the truth.
In truth, over the past month, Du-ho had been using the nanobots in his daily life whenever he could.
His skill with them had improved dramatically, and by now there was no exaggeration in calling them his third hand.
Du-ho smiled faintly and turned on his smartwatch.
2069 National Government Functional Skills Competition
Eligibility: Related majors, same industry (license holders)
Evaluation Criteria: Practicality 30%, Creativity 30%
Production Period: 1 month
Exhibition Venue: Comprehensive Skills Training Center
Prize: 100 million coins for first place
Date: 2069.1×.××
※ Gold Prize and Grand Prize entries will be submitted to the global competition
Du-ho didn’t care about the global competition listed at the bottom.
That’s a matter for another world.
Even so.
“I guess I should apply.”
-Ooh, what’s this?
Instantly, Isto’s LED eyes widened.
Oho!
-You’re going to make a hundred million coins!
While filling out the application, the corners of Du-ho’s mouth tilted crookedly. He looked down at Isto.
Sometimes I envy that bottomless confidence.
“A senior manager at the Bureau told Assistant Manager Park to enter, but that bastard was afraid his actual skill would get exposed, so he shoved it onto me.”
Du-ho shrugged and continued.
“I said I was on contract and only graduated high school, so I couldn’t do it. Then he hit me with the whole you’ve got all the licenses and six years of hands-on experience, so you’re eligible, now shut up and enter.”
Yeah, I remember!
-I thought my mana circuits were going to burn out trying to hold back after hearing that!
At Isto’s outrage, Du-ho laughed softly.
“But honestly? That works out better for me.”
-Huh??
“Most of the participants will probably be master’s and doctoral degree holders. If I place there, it’ll give me bonus points when they hire permanent staff.”
Oh! Oh!
-Then you have to win!
“Hey, I told you most of the participants are master’s and doctoral degree holders.”
-So what?
…Ha.
“Forget I said anything.”
Isto jumped back in.
-But that dumbass, I mean, Assistant Manager Park.
“Hey, call him Assistant Manager Park.”
-Anyway. That guy’s been looking down on you more and more lately, Du-ho nim.
“I was already thinking of giving him a proper beating after I get back from the Abyss.”
-As expected, you’re wise! People like that need to be stomped, crushed, and broken on a regular basis!
Du-ho thought of the time Isto had slapped the Ratkin’s cheeks.
One smack, and the head had spun a full circle.
“Isto.”
-Yes.
“Don’t you dare get involved.”
-Eh? …Y-yes.
A little later, after the registration was complete, Isto’s LED dimmed.
-I’m hungry now. Thinking used up a lot of energy.
Isto pulled a mana stone from his pocket and crunched it down like a snack.
Then Du-ho noticed the half-empty mana stone pouch.
“You’ve gone through a lot of mana stones.”
-Yeah, I guess so. By the way, how much did you make selling the mana stones, Du-ho nim?
“I sold the Ratkin stones little by little, and I kept just one King’s Ratkin stone to auction off. It went for quite a bit.”
-Altogether, how much?
“A little over two hundred million.”
Fireworks seemed to burst in Isto’s LED eyes.
Oh! Oh! Oh!
-Then your parents’ medical expenses are covered!
“At least for a while.”
Then Isto asked, worried,
-So you won’t have to go into the Abyss anymore?
“As if. I still need mana stones for you to eat, and I’ve got to save money to move too.”
With that, Du-ho got to his feet and began changing clothes.
-Where are you going this late at night?
“We said I’d enter the Abyss tonight.”
Oops!
-Sorry! I forgot.
“It’s fine. Your gaps make you feel more human, actually.”
-Huh, that feels like you’re insulting me in a roundabout way!
Isto stared up at Du-ho.
“What is it?”
-Tomorrow’s work, I mean. Won’t you be tired?
“Don’t worry. Didn’t you say time flows slowly when we’re in the Garage together? Then I can rest enough there and go to work after.”
An icon of a lightbulb flashed in Isto’s LED display. He immediately gave a thumbs-up.
As expected of Du-ho nim!!!
-Your tricks are becoming artful little by little!
“That was a compliment, right?”
-A compliment, yes! Absolutely not a backhanded jab! Never! No way! Hehe.
“…….”
Strong denial meant strong affirmation.
So.
Yeah, it was a backhanded jab.
Well…
That just means we’re getting closer.
With a faint smile, Du-ho opened his status window.
“Isto, how do I use this dimensional entry thing?”
-It’s simple. Just think that you want to enter the Abyss.
In other words,
thanks to this, he didn’t have to go all the way to Yeouido.
Also—
-I still don’t get why they check who goes in and out.
“Maybe it’s to protect Hunters who’ve been in the Abyss for long stretches?”
-Looks to me like it’s more about control.
“Control?”
-The Five Great Hunter Families built the system, and by tracking entry records, they can tell how many Hunters there are, which Hunter guilds keep entering, and so on. Guilds that want to expand their influence….
Du-ho decided to change the subject.
He didn’t particularly want to hear conspiracy theories right now.
“What was the name of the main monsters in the place we’re going this time?”
-I told you, didn’t I?
“It just slipped my mind.”
Hmm…
-Cobalt Scales and Drake Runners, sir.
“You said Drake Runners are humanoid lizards, right?”
-That’s right. Actually, both of them are bipedal. For reference, there are Sand Worms too. They live underground, so they’re hard to find.
“Thanks.”
-Eh! No problem.
Isto, perhaps embarrassed, slipped back into the Garage.
All right, then. Time to go in.
Du-ho slowly closed his eyes.
Then he pictured the Abyss.
And then!
> Dimensional entry activated
> Only the first floor is accessible
> Do you wish to proceed?
> Accept / Decline
When Du-ho opened his eyes, the status window floated before him.
After taking a deep breath, he answered, “Accept.”
> Moving to the first floor of the Korea Abyss
At that instant, the air rippled.
The space itself wavered like water, and a circular blue portal formed.
Du-ho pushed his body through the portal.
Where the portal had vanished, only faint particles of mana shimmered for a moment before melting away like snow.
* * *
-Du-ho nim.
“Yeah?”
Isto looked up at Du-ho and asked,
-Why did you come into the Abyss so late at night?
“Because Hunters won’t be around.”
Ah~.
-So you didn’t want to be disturbed.
That was part of it, yes.
“I also didn’t want them finding you.”
-Huh??
While Isto stood there, flustered, Du-ho looked around.
A searing desert.
I expected desert, but this is beyond anything I imagined.
Endless sand stretched in every direction.
Ridges rolled like waves, and here and there cacti stood bristling with thorns.