Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: 40. Master of Myths (6)
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“What about foster children? The dependent deduction hasn’t been applied yet, right?”
Jeong Youngwoo07, the man on the run from taxes.
He had become even more brazen than before.
“Ma’am, mind if I borrow the kids for a bit?”
“Huh? Oh, sure……”
Seo-ok blinked in bewilderment.
Her parents—no, her mother—was alive and well right in front of her, yet they had to register the children as foster kids……
Normally, she would have snapped at him immediately, but she had just heard that absurd tax bill alongside everyone else.
Besides, if this man got killed by the tax collectors, her husband’s survival would be in jeopardy too.
“Kids, it’s okay. You saw it earlier, right? Just put your hand on it and come back.”
As Seo-ok spoke to the children, Youngwoo instructed Kubu to prepare the foster care certificate.
―Foster care certificate prepared.
Kubu rolled its eye once more and displayed the signature field just like before. Soon, the two children stood side by side in front of it.
Youngwoo instinctively reached to pick up the illegitimate child but changed his motion and tucked it into his waist instead.
Click.
He spread his hands wide and said,
“The signature you’re about to make will let this uncle—and your dad—live long and healthy lives.”
“Even… our dad?”
“Of course! Now, let’s sign.”
Youngwoo pointed to the holographic signature field.
The two children, Moses and I-hyeon, placed their hands on the signature fields displayed in front of them.
Flash!
―Foster child signatures completed.
―The guardian may now sign directly on the foster children.
As Kubu spoke, small signature fields appeared on the children’s foreheads.
‘What’s this… it’s way more legit than I thought.’
Youngwoo approached the foster children with awkward movements and carefully placed his hand on them.
“Th-thanks. From now on, I’m your godfather.”
He muttered whatever came to mind since he felt he had to say something, but it was sincere.
CEO Kim Tae-jun was going all-out to help them because of these kids, and above all, he had to return the value of that 15% deduction somehow.
Of course, Moses and I-hyeon had no idea what it meant to have the Joseon Supreme Swordsman as their godfather.
―Guardian signature completed.
―As of this moment, Jeong Youngwoo07 is the official guardian of Kim Moses47 and Kim I-hyeon139.
With Kubu’s announcement, a new system message appeared in Youngwoo’s vision.
「Dependent deduction activated.」
‘Oh… it applies immediately.’
So when could he check the single-parent status?
“How do we prove the relationship with the father? The special deduction hasn’t kicked in yet.”
Kubu raised its eye into the air.
―At 10 PM today, during tax collection, you can confirm the special deduction status.
“Then if it doesn’t apply, that means he’s not the biological father, right?”
Swipe.
As Youngwoo pointed at Jeong-gu with his finger, Kubu nodded with its eye.
―Correct. Additionally, if the special deduction does not apply today, arrest proceedings are highly likely in the near future.
“Nice. Arrest mortality rate was 84%, right?”
Fail to pay taxes and get summarily executed; even just forgery of public documents carried an 84% mortality rate for arrest.
But taxes could be paid on time and done with, and if Kim Jeong-gu was the bio dad, no arrest or indictment would happen.
‘No problems. Worst case, I’ll beg the chairman.’
Anyway, that wrapped up today’s tasks.
“Mr. Kubu, good work. Go ahead and clock out. Now I’ve gotta figure out how to cut the acquisition tax.”
As Youngwoo spoke, Kubu blinked and replied.
―I’ll look into more options. See you.
Swoosh.
Kubu vanished into the air without lingering.
Youngwoo sent off the tax accountant, then turned to the others left in the room.
“Good work, everyone. Time for bed!”
***
―B-497, B-497, report in. Looks like a long stick. If you’re not sure, grab the blueprint and find it.
―General, is this it? Huh? Nope. That’s D-77. Looks the same, though.
The three prisoners on the TV were finally assembling part of the laser cannon’s undercarriage.
Judging by the piles of parts everywhere, they wouldn’t even get halfway done even working through the night.
“…Should I leave it on?”
Youngwoo held the remote and asked. Seo-ok, sitting on the bed with the kids watching her husband’s face, nodded.
“Yeah. I want to watch closely today. Who knows what’ll happen later.”
Fair point.
No one knew if they’d get a room with TV next time, or who including Seo-ok might die and how.
“Got it. I’ll rest in the side room, so let me know if anything comes up.”
“Thanks.”
After her reply, Youngwoo flipped channels briefly to check for any undiscovered feeds.
But the other channels only showed Kim Jeong-gu mumbling weirdly in the dark, and the Remu adult channel was still locked.
「Paid channel. To purchase, pick up the receiver and dial 992 0909#.」
‘Kinda curious about the Remu broadcast, but……’
Youngwoo switched back to the returnee’s room.
There was CEO Kim Tae-jun in white pajamas, rummaging through the parts piles.
‘…Yeah, no way.’
How could he watch alien porn in front of the CEO slaving away at labor, with his family watching?
Dogo Chairman wouldn’t want that either.
So in the end.
“Rest up.”
Youngwoo handed the remote to Seo-ok and left the bedroom.
In the living room, Jeong-gu, Jong-su, and Officer Tae-young were sprawled near the sofa.
It was late, so everyone was exhausted.
Yet the largest sofa was spotless and empty—likely saved for Youngwoo, the room’s owner.
“Did you leave this for me?”
As Youngwoo entered the living room and asked, Jeong-gu—who had his eyes half-closed—lifted his upper body slightly to greet him.
“What about your bedroom?”
“Gave it to ma’am so she could watch CEO’s face longer.”
“You actually gave it away? Shouldn’t you be using it?”
Jeong-gu furrowed his brow.
Youngwoo shrugged.
“It’s the first day of TV broadcasts. And I’m fine anywhere I can sleep, so I’ll use the side room bed.”
“You treat your old man like a dog but act like a saint to everyone else.”
Jeong-gu hopped onto the empty sofa.
Youngwoo looked at his father and said softly,
“You rest deep too, Dad. Who knows what’ll happen when we wake up.”
Dawn was breaking soon, starting official Reset Day 5.
New mutants, new merchants, and……
‘A new laser cannon?’
Youngwoo chuckled wryly as he entered the side room.
Every day was like this, but today felt especially long.
Too much crammed into one day, maybe.
Clack.
He removed the ‘Mirage’ from his feet and sank into the bed. The soft white sheets enveloped his body gently.
“…Hah.”
Soft fabric touched skin used only to blades, claws, and rocks, and Youngwoo felt his consciousness melting away.
And indeed.
“…Ngh.”
The moment he closed his eyes, he let out a weird yelp and fell asleep.
***
Whoooosh……!
A sharp gust from somewhere whipped around his ankles.
‘Cold.’
Youngwoo huddled instinctively, mumbling about the chill.
Then he realized belatedly.
He was standing barefoot on something.
Whoooosh……!
Another fierce blast shoved his body, and only then did Youngwoo look down.
A massive black-scaled something filled his view.
‘Gasp.’
This was… a dragon’s scale.
Youngwoo stood on the wing-edge of a dragon in mid-high flight.
‘Wh-what the hell?’
Startled, Youngwoo stepped back instinctively. Lightning flashed near distant clouds, revealing another dragon’s silhouette.
Then.
―Greet with your sword. That one’s your uncle.
A voice—no, meanings—rose like heat from under his feet.
Sensing something, Youngwoo.
‘…Mother?’
As he tried to speak to the dragon beneath him, the distant dragon—his uncle—spewed lightning, turning his vision white.
‘M-Mother……!’
In the white void, Youngwoo cried out for his mother.
And in reality too.
“Mommmmmm!”
Youngwoo jolted awake with an unseemly shout.
“Gah!”
His upper body shot up like lightning.
There stood an old man with a pissed-off scowl, brow furrowed.
“Why the fuck you screaming first thing in the morning? Trying to start shit?”
“Wh-what? Right now?”
“What else? Morning.”
Jeong-gu pointed out the window.
Sure enough, sunlight poured through the side room window, blindingly white.
“Answer your damn phone. It’s loud as hell.”
“…Huh?”
Only then did Youngwoo notice the ringtone blaring from the bedroom.
Ring ring!
Riiiing!
8 AM, the morning call right as anomalous weather ended.
And then.
「Strength permanently increased by 100 due to Furious Goblin.」
「Pumpkin Whistle uses recharged.」
Daily gear activations or recharges fired off.
The system’s official ‘day’ had begun.
‘Ah… what bullshit awaits today.’
Youngwoo slipped his feet back into Mirage to take the call, when a system message—no, board of directors notice—appeared before everyone.
「Greetings. This is an announcement from the Board of Directors.」
First time since Reset Day 1 that ‘Board of Directors’ appeared in a notice.
“Huh? Board of Directors? Those bastards.”
Youngwoo muttered ‘those bastards’ about the Board without thinking.
They’d felt like enigmatic beings on Day 1, but now he sensed they were just another cog in the universe.
‘How many grades does the Board have? And whose Board exactly?’
Could be Earth’s, or some cosmic stellar management corp.
Youngwoo waited for the next line.
Then.
「Reset Phase 3 will begin soon.」
A sort of warning issued.
“What……? Phase 3?”
Maybe referring to Pangea.
But the Board’s real warning wasn’t Phase 3.
「Prior to that, high-risk mutants will visit. Regional representatives, please form 2-person teams as much as possible.」