Chapter 77
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: The Second B-Rank Gate (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After checking on the orcs' status in the lab, Kang Sa-hu returned home to find a cozy warmth mingled with hearty, spicy aromas wafting through the air.
“Oh, my boy's home!”
Kang Seung-hwan greeted him, apron tied snugly around his belly, outlining a prominent D-shaped curve.
“Yeah, I'm home. Has Mom not gotten back yet?”
“She said she'd be here right before dinner. Your summons are so incredible—they wrapped up her work in a flash. Mom's thrilled for the first time in ages.”
Kang Sa-hu was a bit surprised to hear that his usually stoic mother, as calm and unchanging as a still lake, was actually excited.
“No way... even with all the summons helping out, she still needed more hands? That's why she pitched in too?”
“No, quite the opposite! She's figuring out how to tackle even more backlog now.”
The Necromancer Society, vast as Seoul itself and home to necromancers from around the world, was piled high with big and small tasks everywhere.
In that chaos, encountering summons that flexed massive, log-like muscles and knocked out jobs in seconds was like rain in a drought.
Hauling materials, woodworking, connecting steel pipes—tasks too grueling for humans without machines had always loomed, piling up lately.
And Ella, renowned among necromancers for her meticulous, precise commands, had a firm grasp on every pending issue.
To clear them faster, she was dashing between the summons, directing operations hands-on.
“......”
Kang Sa-hu knew all too well how fiercely his mother dove into work once fired up. He felt a pang of sympathy for his summons.
'When I get back this time, I'll let them rest proper.'
For the first time, he realized he'd treated them solely as combat weapons, transport, and labor—and started pondering their welfare.
By the time dinner prep was nearly done, Ella finally returned—and she was a sight.
Soot streaked her clothes and face from who-knows-where, her hair tied back in a single ponytail but frayed at the ends. Even Kang Sa-hu, her son, had never seen her like this.
But overshadowing it all was her exhilarated glow, face faintly flushed with deep satisfaction.
“Sa-hu.”
“Yes, Mom.”
“Your summons are insane.”
“......”
It was a famous internet meme, sure—but hearing it from his mom's mouth? Kang Sa-hu froze in shock, speechless.
Kang Seung-hwan, seeing his wife's rare excitement after so long, beamed ear-to-ear, eyes even misting up.
“Ella, honey, it's been forever since I saw you this pumped! Feels like the last time was when Sa-hu and Ji-ye were born!”
“Quiet.”
She shot him a sharp glare, but no backhand followed—clear sign she was truly in high spirits.
One radiated fulfillment, another teared up in awe.
And what snapped Kang Sa-hu from his stunned daze was a lone ape shuffling in through the door.
-Kkiu...
The ape that pried open the door trembled in all four limbs.
It swung pickaxes and smashed monsters in gates with ease, but now it looked like a couch potato fresh off their first gym PT session. Kang Sa-hu's heart twisted.
“Uh... good work.”
-Kiik...
Its cheeks seemed gaunter as it nodded and sidestepped, revealing what lay beyond the door.
There, utterly spent, limbs quivering, stood his summons.
“......”
He fumbled for a soul core to give them, then stopped—damn. Every core from gate hunts had been devoured on the spot; nothing left to offer.
“...You all did amazing. Return to soul core form and rest, or crash as-is—whatever you need.”
At his word, every monster voluntarily reverted and staggered back to him like the weary dead. Kang Sa-hu pocketed them all, shut the door, and headed inside.
“Mom, what the hell did you have them doing?”
“A ton.”
Then poured out today's 'to-do list':
At first—log hammering, ground compaction—Kang Sa-hu shrugged, 'Makes sense.'
But then: cliff carving, ripping out and replacing entire sewer lines, building seven houses...
Sweat beaded down his composed face.
“...All that was today's list?”
“Yep. Pretty rewarding, right?”
Seeing her relieved smile, Kang Sa-hu vowed again to prioritize his summons' welfare.
While Ella showered, Kang Sa-hu helped his dad set the table.
The spread was fit for medieval nobility—'enough to break the table.'
“Dad, you prepped all this solo? Must've been tight on time.”
“Hahaha. No way I'd pull this off in a day—ingredients alone...”
Kang Sa-hu whipped around, stunned. Seung-hwan grinned wide.
“With my boy home for dinner after so long? Started days ago! This turkey roast? Marinated for days. Kimchi stew? Simmered all day. And this...”
Beaming at his son's awe, he proudly showcased each dish.
His sheer joy and happiness as he explained tugged at Kang Sa-hu—a twinge of regret for not coming sooner.
“Enough. The food'll get cold. Let's eat.”
Fresh from her shower, Ella chided Seung-hwan gently.
But as they dug in, she praised his skills with her usual detachment softened: “Perfectly juicy inside. Delicious.”
“R-really?”
“Yes, seasoning's spot-on. Makes me want seconds.”
“Sh-should I whip up more?!”
“No need.”
Watching his parents banter at the table warmed Kang Sa-hu's heart.
Even after tea time post-arrival, tea and dinner vibes were worlds apart.
With time to spare and fresh guilt over neglecting them, the family chatted freely, blooming stories.
A world starved of sunlight—you gauged time by clocks, popped vitamin D pills, modern goods near impossible.
Yet in that cold, barren realm, one home glowed long into the night with endless laughter.
Even with newfound insight, people don't change overnight.
Kang Sa-hu was no exception. Waking, yesterday's 'spend time with family' vow faded fast.
In its place: crystal-clear tasks ahead.
Amid his dad's low snores from the next room, he slipped quietly to the door.
“Heading out?”
Ella's voice from behind.
He'd sensed her presence but aimed to sneak past—Dad would sulk otherwise. He paused.
“Yeah... backlog's huge.”
She nodded deeply, empathizing.
“I get it. Piles up, sleep evades, rest feels fake, heart weighs heavy.”
“......”
Recalling her relieved bliss after blitzing the day's work via his summons, he chuckled dryly.
“You too, Mom?”
“Yep. Ji-ye's like her dad, but you? Took after me—figured you'd feel it same.”
She padded softly over, careful not to wake Seung-hwan, arms wide for a tight hug.
“Son. Stay safe, handle it well.”
Just her usual 'don't get hurt'—but hearing it after so long melted him. He hugged back.
“I'll be back. And Dad...”
“I'll say you left after I woke.”
Spotting his worry like always, she replied flatly.
Amid the snores, they held on a while.
Back at Necro Castle, Kang Sa-hu hit Myeongwang: “Hunt the rest now.”
She gawked, shaking her head. “Rest up, I said! Back in a day for more hunting? Those three gates are fine untouched. Only three left—C and B-rank. Why bother?!”
“But leaving them bugs you too, right?”
“Nah! Three's nothing—we got this. Geez, you finish one thing and chase the next... scary kid...”
Her words scolded his perfectionism, but he caught the worry laced throughout.
Prior gates were F-to-D rank.
He'd returned unscratched, so she'd trusted him—up to D.
Even info-blind Myeongwang heard big news via other necromancers: gates past C were 'must-have casualties.'
Even America, with elite hunters galore, sacrificed nearly half to barely seal theirs.
Stopping him solo a B? Utterly reasonable.
But uncharacteristically, he shook his head.
“I've soloed a C-gate already. And you saw how strong my summons are?”
“Still no!”
She glared, eyes brimming concern.
He fell silent.
How to convince her?
Justify soloing C—and B?
No answers...
Then—one idea sparked.
“Myeongwang. Could you summon Lord Verdact?”
Bracing for another stubborn 'no!', she paused, tilting her head.
“...Verdact?”
“Yes.”
For effect, he let fierce glint ignite his eyes.
“I'll prove my words.”
