Chapter 99: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood - Episode 99
The next day, afternoon.
Thud...
Bong-gu stopped in his tracks while walking down the street.
"Huh?"
His gaze became fixed on the 'latest model smartphone' visible through the display window of a mobile phone shop for a brief moment...
※ Special Discount Today Only! ※
※ Device Completely Free! ※
※ The Owner Will Get Mad! ※
After reading the discount signs plastered all over the window, Bong-gu scratched his head while going "Hmm..." thoughtfully...
"Welcome!"
He ultimately stepped inside the store.
Even after a full day had passed, the world remained abuzz due to the 'Gate' that had appeared in Oda City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan.
Kang-jun, who had been staring at the TV news broadcast, scratched his stomach and muttered:
"Seems like they handled it well..."
Just then, the doorbell rang...
"Kang-jun, could you open the door?"
Kang-jun lazily replied "Yeah" and shuffled toward the entrance when—
"Papa!"
Seol, who had been quietly drawing on the floor, looked up with sparkling eyes.
"Seol open door!"
Upon closer inspection, Seol had grown noticeably taller—she could now barely reach the doorknob if she stood on her tiptoes.
Having recently discovered the joy of opening doors, she now raced to answer them whenever deliveries arrived.
"Who is it?"
An immediate reply came from the other side.
"It's Uncle Bong-gu."
Seol immediately cheered "Waaah!" and began pulling the door wide open...
"Seol, how have you been?"
"Missed you!"
As Bong-gu scooped Seol into a tight hug, Kang-jun stretched and yawned before asking nonchalantly:
"What brings you here?"
Bong-gu awkwardly waved two large paper bags in his hands.
"Nothing special. Just thought of you and the family, so I brought some gifts."
Lee Soo-bin, who had been washing dishes in the kitchen, removed her rubber gloves and walked out. Seeing the bags, she said sheepishly:
"You didn't have to bring anything..."
"It's really nothing much."
"Sorry for always receiving things from you..."
Kang-jun's eyes lit up as he asked:
"What is it?"
Bong-gu dramatically announced "Ta-da!" and pulled out four boxes containing the latest model smartphones.
"They just released these new models a few days ago."
At this, Crabsley and Irriel, who had quietly entered the living room, whispered to each other:
"I saw these in a commercial recently..."
"I think I've seen them too."
Bong-gu handed them boxes labeled 'Brother' and 'Sister' respectively and added:
"For you two, I got devices compatible with your current SIM cards so you can switch them right over..."
Then he gave Crabsley and Irriel boxes labeled 'Old Man' and 'Young Lady' and explained:
"For you two, I registered them under my name since getting them under yours might be tricky. You can start using them right away."
Crabsley let out a low "Hoh..." and gripped Bong-gu's hands tightly.
"I've been wanting one of these but couldn't bring myself to ask... Young man Bong-gu, I shall never forget this kindness..."
Irriel was similarly moved.
"Human."
"Yes?"
"Thank you..."
Clearly delighted with the gift, she gently stroked the box before barely managing to express her gratitude.
"Mr. Bong-gu, I'm truly grateful..."
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she muttered "Look at me..." and hastily added:
"Please, come inside."
At that moment, Seol tugged at Bong-gu's sleeve with a slightly anxious voice.
"What about Seol?"
Bong-gu immediately pulled out a 'Secret Princess' themed phone—Seol's favorite cartoon.
"Of course I didn't forget yours."
Thus, thanks to Bong-gu's 'surprise gifts,' smiles bloomed on everyone's faces.
Little did they know...
This was the beginning of the 'calamity.'
Since Kang-jun and Lee Soo-bin were already smartphone users, they didn't need much time to adjust, but...
"To make a call, dial the number and press this button. The other person will receive your call."
Crabsley and Irriel were completely absorbed in learning 'how to use smartphones' from Bong-gu.
"To think one can converse across vast distances... Not even the Huang Kingdom of Anux possessed such artifacts..."
Irriel muttered in amazement before turning to Crabsley with utmost seriousness.
"Grand Duke, these 'smartphones' would be immensely useful in wartime."
Bong-gu watched their awestruck reactions to each new function with a satisfied smile.
"That covers all the basics. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Crabsley immediately responded:
"Ah, come to think of it, my coworker at the part-time job seemed to use this for 'entertainment' too..."
"Entertainment?"
"If I could enjoy such entertainment after finishing my tasks, I'd have no regrets..."
After murmuring "Ah, games," Bong-gu opened the app store and showed them the list of downloadable games.
"Just pick any game here, install it, and you can play anytime."
Crabsley muttered:
"Whoa, lit."
Bong-gu blinked. "Huh?"
Crabsley proudly declared:
"Banging, slaying, legit."
"Uh... Old man?"
"Learned it from my coworker."
The Korean language patch seemed to be taking increasingly bizarre turns.
"Human."
This time, Irriel spoke up.
"I wish to learn how to preserve memories..."
"Yes?"
"Lady Soo-bin called it... 'selfies,' I believe."
Bong-gu promptly opened the camera app and taught her how to take photos...
He even downloaded several 'filter camera apps' from the store and installed them himself.
Finally, Bong-gu checked the time.
"Oh? When did it get so late...?"
After confirming the hour, he stood up hastily but still added politely:
"I've saved my number in your contacts, so call me anytime if you have questions."
After Bong-gu left...
"Hmm..."
Crabsley was completely engrossed in browsing the app store's game listings...
"I shall retire for the night first."
Iriel was utterly absorbed in taking selfies with her phone's beauty filter camera, the shutter sound clicking incessantly.
"What's this? Everyone's having fun, aren't they?"
Kang-jun spoke in a reproachful tone, eyeing the two of them.
"Stop making noise and go play in your rooms."
"Why are you standing in front of the TV like that?"
"Ah, my deepest apologies..."
"Go play in your room."
"As you command, my lord..."
Crabsley, gently swiping his smartphone screen with his index finger, retreated to his room...
"Hey."
This time, Kang-jun turned his gaze toward Iriel, who was still lost in her "selfie trance," and scolded her again.
"Click, click—my ears are bleeding from the sound."
"M-my deepest apologies..."
"Hey, you too. Go play in your room."
"I shall obey my lord's command..."
Then, Kang-jun's eyes shifted to Seol.
"Hello? Hello?"
Seol, too, was completely absorbed in playing "pretend phone calls" with the smartphone she had received as a gift...
Suddenly, Kang-jun cleared his throat—ahem, hmm—and spoke to Seol in a playful, teasing voice.
"Hello, is this Seol's house?"
"Yes!"
"Can I speak to Seol, please?"
Kang-jun responded in an exaggeratedly sweet tone.
The sheer contrast in temperature was so stark that...
Lee Soo-bin stifled a giggle.
That night, deep into the late hours.
"What the—?"
Kang-jun, who had stepped into the kitchen for water in the middle of the night, found the two of them still sitting at the dining table, glued to their phones.
"You're still at it?"
Iriel, startled, quickly lowered her phone—which had been clicking away with selfies—and replied,
"Ah, did we disturb you...?"
Kang-jun, shaking his head in exasperation, muttered, "Fine, whatever," before turning to Crabsley.
"Don't tell me you still haven't picked one?"
Crabsley puffed up with pride as he answered.
"I have just now made my selection, my lord."
Kang-jun raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What is it?"
He leaned over to check the game Crabsley was installing on his phone.
"Let's Play Marble!"
It appeared to be a mobile game based on the famous board game Blue Marble.
"How do the rules go again...?"
Crabsley, brimming with excitement, immediately explained.
"Though I've only skimmed the instructions, it seems to be a thrilling contest of commercial prowess between myself and my opponent."
"Is that so?"
"Each player uses their given resources to purchase and develop land, seizing the opponent's wealth, and ultimately, the one who accumulates the most fortune emerges victorious."
Iriel tilted her head.
"Then isn't this precisely the Grand Duke's expertise?"
During his tenure as Minister of Finance in the Anux Empire, Crabsley had often been dispatched to underdeveloped cities to stimulate commerce.
He had a keen eye for assessing the feng shui and conditions of neglected regions, identifying industries worth investing in—a skill honed through years of experience.
Even major merchant guild leaders would wait months, sometimes years, just to seek his counsel on economic strategies...
"Indeed, this is my very field of mastery."
Kang-jun smirked. "Oh? Think you'll do well?"
They waited briefly for the game to finish installing.
[ Installation complete! ]
As soon as it finished, Crabsley launched the game and immediately began matchmaking.
"Please enter your nickname."
"Just put in a pseudonym."
After a moment of thought, Crabsley combined some slang he'd recently picked up from a part-time worker and typed in his nickname.
[ Welcome, Ojigojiri Choi Dol, to the world of Let's Play Marble! ]
Crabsley muttered under his breath.
"I meant to type Ojigojiri Choi Dolsoi..."
But due to the character limit, only Ojigojiri Choi Dol had registered.
Kang-jun nudged him. "Hurry up and start."
Crabsley tapped the start button.
[ Connecting to opponent... ]
[ 3... ]
[ 2... ]
[ 1... ]
[ The game will now begin. ]
At that moment, Crabsley sensed something was off.
"Uh...?"
His character was dressed in nothing but a ragged pair of trunk underwear, while...
His opponent's avatar was decked in lavish attire, with a sports car parked conspicuously behind them.
"It appears I've been matched against someone quite skilled in commerce... and exceptionally wealthy."
Iriel smirked.
"Even so, they're no match for the Grand Duke's experience."
Kang-jun chimed in.
"Yeah, how much real experience do you even have?"
Crabsley, bolstered by their words, muttered confidently,
"Compared to actual fieldwork, this is just child's play..."
Then—
[ Your opponent rolls the dice first! ]
[ S-rank luck item Double Charm activates! ]
[ Effect: First dice roll is guaranteed to be a double! ]
[ S-rank luck item Faulty Navigation activates! ]
[ Effect: 99% chance to move backward instead of forward! ]
[ Your opponent has arrived at World Travel! ]
[ S-rank luck item Airline Miles activates! ]
[ Effect: You may take World Travel twice in a row! ]
Within mere minutes—
"Uh... uh..."
Utterly crushed by a pay-to-win opponent without even getting a single turn, Crabsley's face darkened.
"Damn, guess experience doesn't mean squat..."
Kang-jun turned and walked back to his room.
"Grand Duke, I'm disappointed."
Iriel, too, stood up and left.
"J-just one more chance...!"
Then, a pop-up appeared on the screen.
[ Feeling the sting of defeat? ]
[ We've got you covered! ]
[ Stunning lineup, unbeatable value! ]
[ Starter Pack—55,000 KRW! ]
[ Available for a limited time only! ]
Crabsley sighed deeply and muttered under his breath.
"So this dimension called Earth truly is a world ruled by golden capitalism..."
But despite his words, his eyes remained glued to the "Available for a limited time only!" prompt.
"Let's see... how much have I saved...?"
He headed to his room, opened a drawer, and counted the 10,000-won bills he'd stashed away.
600,000 won.
Crabsley's monthly salary was in the two-million-won range, but since Soo-bin had set up a savings account for him, he received about 400,000 won monthly as pocket money.
It was Soo-bin's thoughtful gesture—so that if he ever reconnected with his family, he could return home with the money he'd saved.
In reality, Crabsley's only expenses were the occasional snacks he enjoyed, so his savings had steadily grown.
"55,000 won could buy me several bowls of seonjitgukbap..."
Then, abruptly, he muttered, "No..." and shook his head.
"As the Minister of Finance who once steered the economy of the Anux Empire, how can I admit defeat to some pay-to-win amateur?"
Determined to secure victory, he resolved to spend exactly 100,000 won.
Placing ten 10,000-won bills beside his phone, he tapped the Purchase button.
[ Payment of 100,000 KRW completed. ]
The items were delivered immediately after the payment went through...
But for some inexplicable reason, the cash beside him remained untouched.
He opened the drawer to recount—still there.
"Huh?"
He tapped the purchase button repeatedly.
[ Payment of 100,000 KRW completed. ]
[ Payment of 100,000 KRW completed. ]
[ Payment of 100,000 KRW completed. ]
[ Payment of 100,000 KRW completed. ]
No matter how many times he pressed it, the same thing happened.
His cash didn't disappear—only the in-game currency increased.
"Wait...?"
Crabsley began mashing the purchase button wildly.
"Wait, why am I even working part-time...?"
He muttered as his fingers grew numb from tapping.
"If money just duplicates itself...?"
At the same time.
Bzzzzzz.
Bzzzzzz.
Bzzzzzz.
Bong-gu's phone vibrated violently on his desk.
Every single notification was a payment confirmation text...
But...
"Zzzzz..."
Bong-gu was lost in dreamland.