Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: Us from Another Dimension (1)
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Surprisingly enough.
Suryun had found her lost game console.
From what she told me, it had fallen under the cleaning supplies cabinet.
"What if you go around dropping your game console like that, being all careless?"
"..."
At my words, Suryun glanced at me.
Her face was quite flushed.
"I don't know... I have no idea why my game console was there... I'm never carrying it around with me again..."
She hugged it tight.
Suryun said that as she clutched the game console preciously.
"So no one can steal it... So I never lose it again... I'll leave it at home from now on..."
"Yeah, that's a great idea, Suryun."
Games should be played at home anyway.
Carrying a game console around just increases the risk of losing it.
'The game console probably doesn't want to go outside either.'
It's too risky out there.
"So, Dad."
"Hm?"
"You stay home too."
"What are you talking about now?"
Suryun was telling me to stay home.
I'd love to stay home if I could.
But I can't.
"Dad has to earn money, Suryun. You know that."
"...I know it in my head. But Dad has to stay home. You can't get lost."
Am I some kind of game console?
Suryun's face looked full of seriousness.
It seemed like her dragon-specific possessiveness had kicked in.
I placed my hand on her head and spoke softly.
"Suryun."
"...Yeah."
"Dad can't just stay home, okay? I explained it last time too."
"...I know. But I realized something this time. If you lose it right in front of your eyes, nothing comes of it."
She's right.
Even if you play the game diligently.
If you end up losing the console, all that effort goes down the drain.
It'd be the same if you lost your game account.
'I get which button triggered her possessiveness now. But...'
I stared into serious Suryun's eyes and said.
"If you lose it, you just find it again, right? Like what happened this time."
"..."
"It's not broken, just lost, so it's fine. Don't worry."
You can find it again later.
Suryun thought about it for a moment after hearing that, then nodded slightly.
"...Okay, Dad. You're right this time."
"Yeah, Suryun. Thanks for understanding."
It had been a long time since I last broke through Suryun's stubbornness.
Thanks to this incident, Suryun stopped carrying her game console outside.
And she cut back on playing games until late into the night.
"...I cleared it all."
Once you beat the game, there's nothing left to do anyway.
'I can just buy her chips appropriately to regulate it.'
Even her secret gaming sessions.
I was able to normalize them easily with this approach.
This game console incident left a pretty deep meaning for us.
It could even be seen as very important.
***
The Hero Association after a long time.
I sighed from exhaustion as I entered the entrance.
Unlike before, though, I wasn't wearing shabby track pants—I had on brand-new ones.
"Ugh, this is such a pain..."
Why did the chairman insist on meeting me in person?
We could've just talked over text.
Feeling extremely annoyed, I pressed the elevator button for the association.
"He calls me in on the weekend... If it's nothing important, I'm flipping the place upside down and leaving..."
I'm not even an association hero anymore.
I'm a freelancer now.
Dragging me to the association like a dog on my golden weekend.
'Well, I owe the chairman too much to refuse.'
My daughters' identities.
The artifacts that hide my daughters' powers.
I've received quite a few favors from the chairman.
"As long as he doesn't ask for pictures of my daughters every time he's bored... Like they're his grandkids or something. Ridiculous..."
Haa-
As I grumbled about the chairman, the elevator doors I'd been waiting for opened.
Inside was someone I hadn't seen in ages.
"Lee Ha-jun."
"Oh, Han Ji-su!"
"I said call me sunbae."
"Han Ji-su sunbae!"
A face I hadn't seen in a while.
It'd been about six years since we first met.
And somehow, she was getting prettier.
"You're almost 30, and you're getting even prettier."
"...You wanna die?"
"Huh?"
It was a compliment—why the reaction?
At the sudden killing intent, I broke out in a slight cold sweat and stepped back.
Han Ji-su looked at me and sighed.
"You're still clueless about women, Lee Ha-jun. Haa, what did you even do with all those years?"
"Raising kids made the years fly by."
"You're older than me, and you say that..."
True, I'm almost 30 too.
Getting to the age where marriage talk starts.
'Screw it, maybe I should ask Han Ji-su to marry me? A-rank hero, loaded, and pretty face.'
As I thought that to myself, Han Ji-su sighed.
"Haa, you're thinking something weird again, aren't you."
"W-what, I didn't."
"It's all over your face. Anyway, you're here to see the chairman, right? Hurry up. He'll get mad if you're late."
"There's still time."
Han Ji-su glared at me sharply as I said that.
Then she suddenly frowned and stared at my face.
"...But hey, Lee Ha-jun."
"Yeah, Han Ji-su sunbae."
"Did you get plastic surgery or something?"
Not plastic surgery—more like a complete body overhaul.
I decided to brush it off vaguely.
"Yeah, a little? Tweaked it some."
"...Really? Well, way better than before."
"What?"
"You're handsome now, so it's nice to look at. Now hurry up."
"H-hey, why push!"
Han Ji-su said that and shoved me into the elevator.
Thud-!
The elevator doors closed.
I let out a hollow laugh at the firmly shut doors.
"Ha, what was that? Did she fall for me or something?"
Well, I did get a lot more handsome.
I stared at my reflection in the elevator mirror.
"My daughters say this version of me is cringy. But even I think I'm pretty good-looking."
So why no popularity on SNS?
At this level, endorsement offers should be non-stop.
As I felt regret about reality, I arrived at the chairman's floor.
Knock knock-
"I'm coming in."
I knocked lightly and opened the door.
Creak-
There was already a guest inside.
Someone whose face I recognized from the classroom incident last time.
'...Should've dressed up if I knew. Did I mess up wearing track pants?'
I approached him and greeted first.
"Long time no see. Si-hu's dad."
"Yes, long time no see. Hwaryun's dad."
He extended his hand sharply.
As I shook the hand befitting a corporate chairman, I thought to myself.
'Didn't expect to meet here. Why's he here?'
I turned to look at the chairman for the answer to that question.
He was wearing his thick association mask, with a solemn expression.
'He's in work mode now, huh.'
Then I'd have to play along.
I bowed my head toward the chairman and spoke politely.
"Long time no see, Chairman. I came because you called."
The chairman smiled contentedly and said.
"Good to see you, Hero Lee Ha-jun. Sorry for calling you suddenly."
"No problem. If the chairman calls, of course I come."
By the way.
"May I ask what this is about?"
I cut straight to the point.
Kim Jung-hoon next to me chimed in.
"Chairman. I'd like to hear the main topic soon too."
"Fair enough, it's about time. And the timing's perfect."
The chairman smiled kindly and handed us some papers.
I checked the contents right away.
"Hm, this is..."
"A contract, Chairman?"
A contract.
One for freelancers, not official heroes.
"Ahem."
The chairman cleared his throat and said.
"Yes, it'll be quite a shock to you two."
"A shocking contract??"
How shocking could it be?
I immediately buried my face in the contract to check the details.
"Upfront payment of 500 million... And 300 million later, success or failure...?!"
A total of 800 million?
I wagged my finger at the chairman.
"Pen."
"...Don't just look at the payment—read the contract properly."
"Do I have to read it?"
800 million.
Do I really need to?
I grumbled a bit and read the contract.
"...Now I get why it's 800 million. But Chairman."
"Speak."
"Is this even doable?"
No matter how I thought about it, it seemed tough.
"An S-Rank Dimensional Gate raid? You serious?"
S-Rank Dimensional Gate.
Even worldwide, the countries that've cleared one can be counted on one hand.
And now we're suddenly raiding that one?
The chairman must've lost it.
"What the hell are you thinking, raiding that?"
"You know it too. Korea's land keeps shrinking."
"I know, but..."
"To be frank, it's getting critical. At this rate, Seoul can't accommodate everyone. If the population doesn't drop, it'll saturate soon."
Land shrinking slowly.
Too many people.
The result: resource shortages.
"...So, raid the S-Rank Dimensional Gate?"
"Exactly. Raiding the one in Incheon solves the population issue easily. That's why I need you two."
S-Rank Hero Kim Jung-hoon and A-rank Hero me.
That's what the chairman was saying.
'No matter how I look at it, an S-Rank Dimensional Gate is dangerous...'
But someone has to do it.
For my daughters to live more peacefully, someone has to.
Money, environment, all of it.
'I have to do it for my daughters.'
The moment I resolved myself.
Kim Jung-hoon next to me spoke up firmly.
"I'll do it."
"...!!"
A step late.
But I shouted right away.
"Me too!! I was actually gonna say it first!!"
Even I thought it was a bit pathetic.
The chairman looked at me like he couldn't believe it.
But he soon nodded and spoke solemnly.
"...Not an easy decision. Especially for you two. So I sincerely thank you both."
He stood, bowing 90 degrees to us.
I smiled slightly at that and said.
"If you're that grateful, make it 1 billion instead of 800 million. More is better."
"..."
"..."
Why are they both looking at me like that?
It kinda hurt my feelings.