Chapter 27
I’m translating the full chapter now, preserving the novel’s tone and formatting it as required HTML. I’ll keep all special in-universe content in styled blocks and make sure the chapter title is localized naturally.CHAPTER_TITLE: Fruition (4)
“Production-type Awakeners?”
“I-Is that certain?!”
When Kim Tae-seong, the Second Commissioner, pressed the question, Na Yong-seok answered cautiously.
“Judging from the circumstances… yes.”
Thunk!
Kim Tae-seong slammed the table with the palm of his hand and barked, “Are you joking right now? A report based on nothing but circumstances?”
“Commissioner Kim.”
Director-General Ma Jeong-seok’s deep voice settled the atmosphere in the conference room.
He stared at the agitated Kim Tae-seong for a moment, then turned his gaze to Director Na.
“State your grounds.”
Under Director-General Ma Jeong-seok’s stare, Director Na began his report.
“Actually, while I was looking through the records on Im Du-ho after hearing about the target….”
He paused briefly.
“However, since the employee had not consented to personal data access… I used the Reboot Bureau’s emergency authority.”
In other words, he had broken regulations.
Director Na bowed his head in apology.
“I will accept whatever disciplinary action is deemed appropriate.”
Kim Tae-seong waved a hand dismissively.
“You did it for the Bureau. Why would I— I’ll take responsibility.”
He glanced at the Director-General and Director Park Seon-gwon, gauging their reactions.
Director-General Ma slowly nodded.
“Continue.”
Director Na projected a hologram.
Im Du-ho (26)
Awakening Registration: Three months ago
Abyss Entry Record: None
Director Park Seon-gwon’s eyes gradually widened.
Awakened three months ago…?
At twenty-six?
“Isn’t that a huge incident in itself?”
“It is. If he were a combat-type, there’d be no reason to hide it. On the contrary, he should have been desperate to stand out….”
He continued, watching the expressions of the Bureau’s leadership.
“Mr. Im Du-ho remained in the Machine Upcycling Department even after his awakening. Then he entered one of his works in a skills competition… and took the grand prize.”
Director Na enlarged the section on his career history.
Worked 6 years in android repair and parts regeneration
Held certifications: Hybrid Bio-Interface Tuner, Ultra-Precision Circuit Designer, Android Knight, and others
“Even just looking at his certifications, you can tell he’s highly capable. And if he awakened as a production-type, then it wouldn’t be strange at all for him to build those support devices.”
Kim Tae-seong cut in with a sour expression.
“That alone isn’t enough to conclude he’s production-type. Maybe he just hid it because he was afraid of fighting.”
“...That’s true.”
As if he had anticipated the objection, Director Na brought up another piece of material.
It was part of the paperwork Im Du-ho had filled out for the competition entry.
Production Collaboration: Moru Workshop
“This is the decisive evidence.”
“Production collaboration with Moru Workshop…?”
As the name Moru Workshop rolled through the leadership’s minds, one man surfaced in their thoughts.
“Master Jang Mun-seo!”
The atmosphere in the conference room changed instantly.
Director-General Ma’s eyes narrowed, and Directors Kim and Park straightened in their seats.
“Master Jang Mun-seo… collaborated with him?!”
“That grumpy old man?!”
Kim Tae-seong’s voice trembled with excitement.
“That master wouldn’t just let anyone into his workshop, would he?”
He turned to Director Na.
“Exactly. Even that alone proves he acknowledged Im Du-ho’s talent!”
Director Park Seon-gwon, who had been listening silently, rolled his eyes once.
As though he were calculating something.
Then he said,
“If we hold onto Im Du-ho, wouldn’t Master Jang Mun-seo be drawn in too?”
At his words, Kim Tae-seong grew even more excited.
“Director Park’s right! Before the Five Great Hunter Families catch on, we need to move first!”
But Director-General Ma fell into thought, stroking his chin.
That silence made Kim Tae-seong restless.
“Director-General! Is there more to see?”
“Director Kim is right. For talent like this, securing him first is what matters.”
Even Director Park Seon-gwon was in agreement with Kim Tae-seong this time.
Director-General Ma looked at the two of them steadily before speaking.
“Have you forgotten that I once tried to bring Master Jang Mun-seo into our fold, only to be refused?”
“Hm….”
“Therefore, this time… we must not make a mistake. We’ll need to approach him carefully.”
Director-General Ma turned his head.
“Director Na. Can we find out about Im Du-ho’s family situation?”
“I prepared that in advance.”
“Let me see.”
Director Na brought up the screen.
Residence: Multi-family villa in District XX (monthly rent)
Father: Dead robot disposal worker
Mother: Full-time homemaker ※ Aftereffects from vision impairment
Siblings: Twins, second year of high school
Actually, the thing is….
“Since Mr. Im Du-ho was a contract employee, there were no family welfare benefits at all.”
“I see.”
Nodding, Director-General Ma said,
“First of all, pay special attention to family welfare.”
“Understood.”
“What do you think about offering Im Du-ho an assistant manager position?”
“Promoting a contract employee straight to assistant manager is….”
“If we recognize his six years as a contract employee, and consider his production-type awakening and grand prize win, then he should receive special bonus points, should he not?”
Ah…!
“Then I don’t think internal complaints will be an issue.”
Everyone accepted Director-General Ma’s opinion.
Then Director Na brought up another matter.
“Because of the global competition, Mr. Im Du-ho has to choose one of the judges as his mentor. That means there’s a high possibility the judges will try to recruit him.”
Hmm.
“...A mentor is unavoidable, isn’t it?”
But they couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
It would be a disaster if some random outsider snatched him away.
Just as the room grew increasingly troubled, Kim Tae-seong, who was a veteran at scheming, grinned.
“We can apply Article 47 of the Awakened Management Act.”
Everyone tilted their heads, not following him.
So he explained more clearly.
“Doesn’t it say in that clause that for a ‘special Awakened,’ the Hunter Management Bureau has ‘priority negotiation rights’?”
Ah!
“Because he’s twenty-six, he counts as a kind of special Awakened?”
“Exactly.”
“Then it’ll be hard for companies to touch him!”
The two directors went back and forth, then looked to Director Na.
As if telling him to hurry up and seize Im Du-ho.
Misreading the entire situation, Director Na left the conference room with a solemn expression.
* * *
Du-ho opened the front door.
“I’m home.”
His mother, busy in the kitchen, turned around.
Unlike before, she recognized her son standing in the doorway at once and smiled.
“Oh, you’re home already?”
“I finished early today.”
Du-ho answered, and more than the fact that he had won the grand prize, what made him happiest was that his mother’s treatment seemed to be going well.
This is the life.
Then his mother asked, “What’s that in your hand?”
“Ah, I bought some beef.”
“Beef?!”
“I just… felt like eating it. Haha.”
His mother was about to chide him, but then she noticed the pleased look on his face.
Something good must have happened.
That was how he looked whenever something good happened.
She took the meat from his hand.
.
.
.
Only in the evening did the rest of the family return home.
And then….
Gathered around the low table in the inner room, the beef on the grill turned a rich golden brown.
Sizzle, sizzle.
His father raised a shot glass and looked at Du-ho.
“Let’s have a drink.”
“Yes, sir.”
Clink!
At the sound of their glasses meeting, the two men downed their soju.
The room filled with the smell of sizzling meat.
At that moment, Du-na quickly snatched up a piece of beef that was only lightly seared on the outside.
“I got ninth place!”
As if she had earned the right to eat it, she popped it into her mouth.
Mmnnn~.
She smiled as though she had the whole world.
Du-bin, sitting beside her, shot back gruffly.
“I got ninth place too.”
Du-na glared at him with sharp, accusing eyes.
Hmph!
“You were ninth in your class! I was ninth in the entire school!”
Du-bin covered his ears, chewed the meat, and swallowed it in one go.
Their parents and Du-ho only smiled.
Oh! Oh!
As expected of blood relatives of Du-ho nim, both of them are quite intelligent!
Du-ho froze for a moment, looking somewhat sour, but soon relaxed his expression.
What’s with you?
I’m just saying nothing.
Du-ho flipped the meat and spoke to his younger siblings.
“You both did well. If you need anything, tell me. I’ll buy it for you.”
“Really?!”
“Oooh~!”
The twins’ eyes sparkled, but after exchanging glances, Du-bin took the lead.
“Hyung, just… throw us another meat party next time.”
It was obvious he was thinking about his brother’s wallet.
Du-ho reached out and messed up Du-bin’s hair.
“You punk, I can afford gifts for the two of you.”
“I’m fine too.”
“Oppa~ I’ll tell you when I need something.”
“Wow~ Im Du-na, betrayal already?!”
“What do you mean betrayal, big brother!”
“You were born five minutes earlier!”
Just as Du-bin’s lips were twisting in annoyance, Du-na snatched up a piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth.
You little—!
“That was mine! I’d claimed it!”
That was how Du-ho’s family spent a long while, happily eating meat.
Then his mother looked at Du-ho and asked,
“Son.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have something to tell us?”
The family’s eyes all turned to Du-ho.
He scratched his head and opened his mouth.
“I… won the grand prize.”
“...?”
Only the crackling of the meat filled the room.
His father stopped mid-motion with his chopsticks in hand.
“The grand prize?”
“Yes.”
The twins shouted in unison.
“H-Hyung won?!”
“Oppa won the grand prize?!”
When Du-ho nodded, the twins shot up and jumped around.
On the other hand, his mother’s eyes quickly turned red.
“My son… congratulations!”
His father, who had been sitting quietly beside her, placed a thick hand on Du-ho’s shoulder.
It was a firm, forceful grip.
He seemed so pleased that the corners of his mouth kept twitching upward.
“...Good work. My son.”
“Thank you, Father.”
After a while.
Once the excitement settled down, Du-bin asked,
“By the way, hyung. How much was the prize money?”
“One hundred million coins.”
Gasp!
The whole family’s eyes went wide.
Du-ho said, “I already sent some to Father’s account earlier.”
“Son… what do you mean by that?”
As his parents panicked, Du-ho smiled.
“Forty million coins.”
“You rascal, why would you send us that much money?”
“It’s a good day for Father, so please just accept it happily. Okay?”
When his father insisted he couldn’t possibly do that, his mother stepped in for him.
“Son, thank you.”
A brief silence followed.
Then Du-na suddenly said,
“Oppa!”
“Yeah?”
“...Let’s take a family photo!”
“All of a sudden?”
“Ohh, nice! I’ll take it!”
Du-bin stood up, placed his smart watch on the chair, and brought up a camera interface in the air.
“Hyung, bring the certificate!”
Du-ho looked embarrassed.
“Do we really need to take it with us?”
“Of course! That’s why we’re taking the photo.”
In the end, Du-ho went into his room and brought back the certificate.
“Everyone gather in. Hyung, hold the certificate up where we can see it.”
Du-bin hurried over to the family.
“Alright—
“Three, two, kimchi!”
Click—!
A little later, Du-bin sent the photo file to everyone.
His father opened it immediately on his smart watch.
Whoosh—.
A holographic family photo floated in the air.
When his father zoomed in on Du-ho with a fingertip, the letters on the certificate he was holding came into clear view.
Grand Prize - Im Du-ho
A satisfied smile spread across his father’s face.
His younger sibling’s suggestion to take the picture while he held the certificate.
Only then did Du-ho realize it.
Du-bin, you little punk… you’re better than I am.
His mother jabbed his father’s side lightly with her elbow.
“You’re doing that because you want to show him off, aren’t you?”
“Well, of course.”
Heh-heh, ho-ho, heh-heh…
A warm night of laughter shared by the whole family.
Du-ho nim.
Hmm?
So this is what family is, huh?
...Yeah.
As if feeling something stir within him, Isto fell quiet.
Du-ho smiled and downed his soju.
* * *
After the meat party, Du-ho returned to his room.
Thud.
He sat on the edge of the bed.
His routine after work had always been to head straight to Moru Workshop.
Because of that, the present quiet felt strangely empty and unfamiliar.
“I should get going soon.”
He stood up.
Using the Save Point installed in his room, he moved to an alley near Moru Workshop.
Honestly.
Can something this convenient really be okay?
Before entering the workshop—
I should shake off the buzz.
He stepped into the Garage and back out again, partly to take out the fried chicken and beer he’d prepared there in advance.
Thanks to that, his head felt perfectly clear.
In his hands were chicken and a cold beer that had somehow not cooled at all.
Wow.
The Garage is the best!
Truth be told, he had eaten only a little meat back home precisely so he could come here.
When he opened the inner door and stepped inside—
Clang! Clang!
The sound of hammering rang out.
Jang Mun-seo was forging with the support device on.
“Boss!”
Startled, Jang Mun-seo looked up.
No…
“I thought you were taking the day off.”
“I never said I was.”
“...I see.”
“Eat this and keep going.”
Du-ho lifted the bag holding the fried chicken.
A broad, genial smile spread across Jang Mun-seo’s face.
When he finished the work he was doing and came over, chicken and beer were waiting on the table.
Chiik—.
The crisp pop of a beer can opening rang out.
“Have a drink.”
Du-ho quickly handed a beer to Jang Mun-seo.
“Well, now, I’ll enjoy it.”
After a few pieces of chicken—
“Boss.”
“Hm?”
“I won an award.”
Jang Mun-seo stared at Du-ho for a moment, then broke into a smile.
Tap, tap!
With rough hands, he patted Du-ho on the back.
“Good. Really good!”
“It’s all thanks to your teaching, Boss.”
“What nonsense is that! It was the result of your own effort.”
Jang Mun-seo took a sip of beer, then suddenly asked,
“By the way.”
“Yes?”
“How long are you going to keep calling me Boss?”
Du-ho hesitated.
“Then… what should I call you?”
Jang Mun-seo laughed awkwardly.
“There are plenty of good words—teacher, master, and so on.”
Seeing Du-ho blink blankly, Jang Mun-seo added,
“Truth is… you’re the first disciple I’ve ever taken in my life.”
Du-ho’s chest swelled with emotion.
He…?
“May I call you Master?”
“Hah-hah, of course you may.”
Du-ho quickly stood and bowed.
“...I’ll work hard and learn from you, Master.”
Jang Mun-seo laughed heartily and held out his beer can to Du-ho.
Clink!
They tapped cans and drank.
“Krrr….”
“Tonight, the beer tastes especially refreshing.”
The modest celebration of master and disciple went on.