Chapter 5: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Even the Absolute One is New to Fatherhood - Episode 5
"I'll handle it, so just wait."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kang-jun took a step forward.
"Who's the leader of this group?"
"I'm the party leader."
A young man with a kind face raised his hand slightly as he answered.
"Are you hesitating to hire us because we don't seem reliable? For what it's worth, we're both confident in our abilities."
"Well, it's not that..."
"I guarantee we won't slow you down or hold you back."
The kind-faced young man hesitated, his lips twitching as he struggled to respond.
'What should I do...?'
Kim Bong-gu, the leader of this D-rank gate raid party, was known for his gentle nature.
He had a hard time refusing requests, often to his own detriment.
But gate raids were life-or-death matters.
That's why he couldn't answer right away.
Even with experienced porters, unexpected situations could arise in an instant, and a single mistake could mean the difference between life and death beyond the gate.
Yet, he hesitated.
Ever since his father passed away when he was young, Kim Bong-gu had shouldered the responsibility of being the family's breadwinner.
And this week, he had to pay part of his mother's hospital bills—she was bedridden in a coma—along with his younger sister's academy fees and school trip expenses.
'This week, I really need the money...'
If he canceled the raid today, things could get dire.
'It's just a D-rank gate, after all. What could possibly go wrong?'
Three hunters had gathered for this raid near Guro Digital Complex Station.
First, Kim Bong-gu himself was a high-ranking C-rank hunter.
Then there was the bald, burly man serving as the party's tank, Lee Byeong-cheol, also a C-rank hunter.
The problem was the third member.
An F-rank hunter who had joined the party under the condition that he would cover the raid costs entirely and take no share of the profits.
F-rank hunters were essentially just slightly stronger than the average person—hardly a meaningful addition to the party's combat strength.
'We only let him tag along because we figured the two of us could clear a D-rank gate easily anyway...'
After making up his mind, Kim Bong-gu turned to the bald man.
"I'd prefer to just go ahead. What do you think? It's just a D-rank gate—nothing's going to happen."
"Seriously?"
"You know I have to pay Mom's hospital bills, my sister's tuition, and her trip expenses by the end of the week..."
"Tch, fine."
The bald man, Lee Byeong-cheol, hesitated briefly before reluctantly nodding.
"Alright, it's just a D-rank gate. Nothing's gonna happen. But let's be careful, just in case."
"Thanks for understanding."
"Oh, right—we've got that useless hunter too. Since he's dead weight anyway, might as well have him carry some of the porters' load."
Kang-jun tilted his head slightly at that.
"There's one more person?"
"Yeah."
"Hasn't he arrived yet?"
"Well..."
As Kim Bong-gu hesitated, Lee Byeong-cheol smirked and answered instead.
"Sent him on a coffee run."
"A coffee run...?"
"Yeah. At least he can follow orders."
He jerked his chin toward the distance.
"Speak of the devil—here he comes."
Looking back, they saw a gaunt, sickly-looking young man hurrying toward them, a takeout coffee cup in hand.
The bald man watched him approach before barking in a domineering tone.
"Hey, trash! Why aren't you running?!"
"S-Sorry..."
Snatching the coffee, Lee Byeong-cheol scowled.
"How the hell does it take this long to get one damn coffee?"
Kang-jun frowned slightly at the sight.
'So they can just boss around lower-ranked hunters like servants? I guess Earth isn't so different from the Anux Continent now.'
Since the appearance of the gates, the word "safety" had become meaningless.
The Earth he had missed so much now seemed to operate under the same law of the jungle—survival of the fittest, where the strong trampled the weak to rise and rule.
It didn't feel like home anymore.
'Kinda bitter.'
Lee Byeong-cheol carelessly tossed his bag onto the ground with a thud and muttered.
"What's everyone standing around for? We leaving tomorrow or what?"
Then, turning to the gaunt F-rank hunter, he added,
"Oh, and you—just fall back and help with the luggage. You really think these old geezers and scrawny brats can carry all this?"
"Huh? But that's..."
"You should be grateful we even let you tag along. Know your place, trash. The hell are you gonna do up front besides get in our way?"
The F-rank hunter hunched his shoulders and bowed his head.
"...Yes, understood."
"Damn right."
Satisfied, Lee Byeong-cheol turned his gaze to Kang-jun.
"Hey, newbie."
"Newbie?"
"Yeah, you."
He stepped closer, his tone bordering on a threat.
"Let me make this clear—don't slow us down. Once we step into that gate, nobody's gonna have time to babysit you."
Then, glancing at Crabsley, he added,
"Same goes for you, old man."
With that, Lee Byeong-cheol strode toward the gate first.
Crabsley let out a long sigh and muttered under his breath.
"The nerve of that insolent whelp!"
With that, everyone began final preparations for the D-rank gate raid.
The hunters checked their gear while the porters divided the luggage.
"I'll take the heaviest bags."
The gaunt F-rank hunter spoke cautiously, but Kang-jun shook his head.
"We can just split it evenly."
"N-No, even if I'm F-rank, I'm still an Awakened."
The young man forced an awkward smile as he hefted the bulkiest bag.
"I might not be much help in a fight, but I can handle a few bags."
Kang-jun handed him one of the lighter packs.
"Fine, suit yourself."
Then he stared intently at the F-rank hunter, his gaze piercing.
Under the scrutiny, the young man blinked.
"Uh... something wrong?"
Kang-jun shrugged.
"Just a word of advice."
"Advice...?"
"I need to make money today."
"Huh? What does that—"
"I don't want any trouble."
His tone was flat, almost icy.
"So keep up the act. Play weak, carry the bags, and stay quiet until we're done."
"Wha—?"
"You know exactly what I mean."
With that, Kang-jun turned to Crabsley.
"Let's go."
"Yes, my lord."
The F-rank hunter could only stare blankly at their retreating backs, utterly lost.
Soon, party leader Kim Bong-gu began discussing entry procedures with a Gate Management Bureau official.
'Must be the registration process.'
The official fiddled with a handheld device before gesturing to some documents on the desk.
"C-rank hunter Kim Bong-gu and four others—your reservation for the Guro Digital Complex Station gate is confirmed. You may proceed."
Kim Bong-gu took a deep breath.
"Alright, let's move out."
Just as he was about to step forward—
"Mr. Kim, one moment."
The official adjusted his rimless glasses, which were perched precariously on his nose.
"Even though this is just a D-rank gate, there've been multiple fatalities here recently. I'd advise caution."
"Fatalities?"
"Yes. It's under investigation. Other hunters who cleared it said the difficulty wasn't unusually high, but for some reason, deaths keep happening."
He added, "Just be careful."
"Thanks."
Kim Bong-gu took the first step into the gate—
Whoosh!
The moment his body touched the rift, he was sucked in like water down a drain, his form spiraling into the void.
One by one, Lee Byeong-cheol and the F-rank hunter, laden with bags, followed.
"Let's go."
"Yes, my lord."
Kang-jun stepped forward—
Darkness swallowed his vision, and a strange voice echoed in his ears.
[ Registering player information... ]
[ Quantifying combat capabilities... ]
[ Loading achievements... ]
[ 10%... ]
[ 40%... ]
[ 80%... ]
[ Player's physical abilities exceed measurable parameters. Unable to quantify accurately. ]
[ Player registration complete. ]
Slowly, his senses returned.
A desolate, eerie forest came into view.
No—"forest" wasn't quite the right word.
It was a place filled with withered trees, so parched it was impossible to tell how long they'd been dead.
"Whoa, this gate's got a creepy vibe. Undead-type monsters, right?"
"Yeah. Let's clear it fast."
Everyone scanned their surroundings like meerkats, wary of the sudden change in scenery.
Except for one person.
Kang-jun was staring intently at the translucent window floating before him.
"Hmm...?"
Or more accurately, he was scrutinizing the status screen he was seeing for the first time.
[ Player: Lee Kang-jun ]
[ Class: Necromancer ]
[ Level: 1 ]
[ Titles: Ultimate Necromancer (SS-rank), Dimensional Invader (SS-rank), Demon Slayer (SS-rank), Dragonslayer (S-rank), Plunderer of the World Tree (S-rank)... ]
[ Strength: ??? ]
[ Agility: ??? ]
[ Stamina: ??? ]
[ Magic: ??? ]
[ Divine Power: ??? ]
[ Unallocated Points: 0 ]
[ Subordinates: ??? (Player level too low to summon subordinates.) ]