Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: A Home Without Dad (2)
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C-rank promotion exam.
After reading the text Han Ji-su had sent me, I took the association's elevator down to basement level 20.
"Basement level, huh. Nice to be used to it."
Ding-
I stepped out of the elevator doors without hesitation.
Right in front of me stood Han Ji-su, dressed in a sharp black suit, waiting for me.
She scanned me up and down, shook her head, and said,
"...Lee Ha-jun."
"What's up, sunbae?"
"Aren't you taking the promotion exam too lightly...? Where's your weapon, and why are you in that ratty tracksuit?"
Han Ji-su looked like she thought I was a lost cause.
In response, I confidently thrust out my fist and declared,
"My weapon's this fist, and I couldn't afford clothes."
"...Is it because you're raising kids and short on cash?"
"Well, you could say that..."
Though it was more because of debt squeezing me tight.
I decided not to overshare.
Han Ji-su seemed at a loss for words and beckoned me with a hand as she turned around.
"Come on. Everyone's waiting."
"Got it."
I followed behind Han Ji-su down the corridor.
The place was huge inside, so it took a good six minutes just to walk the hallway.
Eventually, we arrived in front of a massive steel door, 20 meters tall and firmly shut.
"Damn, that's huge. Even a dragon could get through easy."
I wondered if the kids were doing okay.
They better be behaving, eating what grandma gives them without causing trouble.
As I worried about the little ones, Han Ji-su spoke quietly into her watch.
"I'm here. Open the door."
With her command, the door began to slide open.
Pssshhh-!
A cloud of white vapor like steam obscured my view.
I followed Han Ji-su inside, thinking to myself,
'Smells like cotton candy. Wonder if the kids like that stuff. They're probably fine without me.'
Honestly, the exam didn't worry me at all.
What had me anxious were the kids I'd left at home.
'Should I just head back now?!"
It was driving me crazy with worry.
I tapped Han Ji-su on the shoulder.
"Sunbae."
"What."
"Can I go back right now?"
"Why?"
"Worried about my daughter."
"..."
Han Ji-su gave me a look that said, *What kind of guy is this?* before asking quietly,
"...Didn't you leave her with someone?"
"I'm worried, you know? Is she eating okay? Playing fine?"
"...Then just pass the exam. You pass, and the kids eat better food."
She had a point.
I nodded, convinced by Han Ji-su's words.
Still, my unease about the kids lingered.
This was the first time I'd been separated from them for so long.
'Hope they're doing okay without Dad.'
Sigh-
My sigh was laced with worry.
Anyway, once we entered through the door and stood in the massive warehouse.
One by one, other D-rank heroes like me started appearing.
Seeing them, I could tell why Han Ji-su had sighed earlier.
"Swords, spears, glaives... why are all those weapons sparkling like that."
"Heroes carry gear befitting their rank. Those are all artifacts, probably."
Artifacts.
Items infused with mana that grant unique abilities to the weapon itself.
Way out of reach for commoners like me price-wise.
"Bet they rake in the cash. So jealous."
Gotta pay off my debt quick.
When the number of heroes with shiny artifacts hit sixteen.
Han Ji-su, the highest rank among us, shouted toward the group.
"Sixteen participants in total. Congrats on making it to the promotion exam. But whether you pass or not is up to your skills alone. The exam lasts until you succeed or give up. This one's testing endurance."
Endurance is essential for any hero.
This exam was to verify that qualification.
With that, Han Ji-su gestured to a staff member standing off in the distance.
The staffer approached, gripping a pair of scissors my size with both hands.
Then he started snipping at the space next to where Han Ji-su stood.
Snip snip-
And right there, a blue membrane appeared.
A dimensional gate had opened.
Han Ji-su addressed the exam participants.
"Go inside."
With that, me and the others threw ourselves into the dimensional gate.
It wasn't long before we arrived in a dimension bright as day, though there was no sun.
The dimension itself felt nothing special.
Until we spotted the black spheres, each the size of my torso, embedded in the ground.
They looked rock-solid at a glance.
'What the hell are those? Meteors?'
Mysterious black spheres scattered across the ground.
Han Ji-su, who had followed us in, pointed at one and said,
"From now on, your job is to destroy those mana-infused black spheres. Keep going until they break or you give up. Use any method you want."
Got it.
I eyed the black sphere as Han Ji-su explained.
"So, basically, I gotta smash that tough thing with my fist...?"
This might be trouble.
I clenched my fist and swung at the black sphere experimentally.
Clang-!
"Fuck, that hurts..."
No sign of it cracking, and my hand throbbed like hell.
Looked like my return was gonna be delayed longer than expected.
I had a bad feeling.
***
Smack-
"All done! Man, that was good! Ate great even without Dad!"
Hwa-ryeon hopped up from her seat and patted her belly dramatically after finishing.
She said she ate well, but...
Half her bowl of rice was still left.
"...Me too."
"Mine as well..."
Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon followed suit.
They'd barely touched their food before getting up from the table.
The kids left their plates right there and headed to the living room.
The smell of food lingered in the room since no one cleared the table.
"Hmph, let's watch some TV!"
Hwa-ryeon plopped down in front of the TV.
Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon, with nothing else to do, sat beside her.
Hwa-ryeon grabbed the remote and started flipping channels.
"What should we watch."
"Nothing fun on."
"Yeah..."
Boring.
The kids stared at the TV with bored faces before looking away.
They didn't bother turning it off.
At least the TV noise made it less quiet.
"...It's already brushing time."
Hop-
Cho-ryeon was the first to stand and head to the bathroom.
She squirted toothpaste on her brush and started brushing.
Scrub scrub-
Rinse-
Spit-
Cho-ryeon emerged with sparkling clean teeth.
Su-ryeon followed, brushing and coming out.
Then Su-ryeon turned to Hwa-ryeon, who was spacing out, and asked,
"No brushing, unnie?"
"Hmph, not doing it! Why should I when Dad's not here!"
Dad's not around.
So I'm not doing it.
Hwa-ryeon grumbled and waddled over to the castle she'd built on the floor.
She squatted in front of it and stared.
"...I don't like it! Better if he'd just taken us along! Why'd he go alone! No fun without Dad!"
Tap tap-
Hwa-ryeon poked at the castle with her finger, venting her frustration.
After sitting there staring at it for a while.
"Yawwwn... Getting sleepy, unnies..."
Cho-ryeon yawned, rubbing her droopy eyes.
Su-ryeon closed the book she was reading and said,
"...Then let's sleep. I was getting tired anyway."
"Hmph, suit yourself!"
With that, the kids started unrolling the blankets they'd set aside.
Flap-
Hwa-ryeon spread hers and flopped right down.
"Something feels off!"
"Unnie, you put it on backward."
"No way!"
Hwa-ryeon bolted up in a fit.
Sure enough, it was inside out, just like Cho-ryeon said.
Hwa-ryeon puffed her cheeks like a pufferfish.
"This is all because Dad's not here! I hate Dad!"
Why'd you have to leave!
Now I'm the weird dragon!
Hwa-ryeon lay down on the properly laid blanket, still sulking hard.
The kids all settled into their usual spots.
But sleep didn't come easy.
"...Someone turn off the light."
"It's too bright to sleep, unnies."
Normally, Lee Ha-jun would turn off the lights before bed.
But tonight, Lee Ha-jun wasn't there.
So the oldest by rank, Hwa-ryeon, yelled,
"Cho-ryeon! You do it!"
"Why me, unnie?"
"You're the youngest!"
"Okay..."
Droop-
Cho-ryeon slunk over with her tail down and switched off the light.
Click-
In the dark room, the kids closed their eyes to try and sleep.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Hwa-ryeon sprawled out like a starfish.
Usually, she'd fall asleep with her feet hooked over Lee Ha-jun's leg.
But without him tonight, her sleeping spot felt all wrong.
"Ugh, my legs feel weird! Can't sleep like this!"
"..."
Su-ryeon felt the same.
She usually dozed off to the sound of Lee Ha-jun's snoring.
Without it tonight, something felt off.
Being there one day and gone the next.
That empty spot wouldn't fill easily.
Su-ryeon gazed up at the dark ceiling for a moment before murmuring softly,
"...Never thought I'd say this. But without Dad... it feels kinda off."
"..."
"..."
The kids didn't voice it, but.
Deep down, they agreed with Su-ryeon.
The dark room.
A house without Dad.
At its center, wide-awake Cho-ryeon opened her eyes and said,
"Can't sleep tonight for some reason. I miss Dad."
When's Dad coming back?
Cho-ryeon prayed he'd return soon.
Even without sleep, she kept her eyes shut, just waiting for time to pass.