The Newbie's Real Weapon Was Dad's Card
The monitor screen whirred by in a blur. He flicked the wrist gripping the mouse.
Click. Click.
Red kill markers exploded one after another dead center on the screen. Already 40 kills. With his dynamic vision and reflexes pushed to the limit by mana, normal people's movements were no different from still images. The game battlefield was a slaughterhouse.
The all-chat window in the corner of the monitor exploded.
Mindless text scraps without any impact. He indifferently moved the mouse to line up the next target's head. A yawn slipped out. Boring.
Bang.
The door behind him burst open roughly. A familiar, weary voice pierced through his headset.
"Oppa! How long are you gonna play games?!"
It was Kang Hae-eun. Keeping his eyes glued to the monitor, he replied offhandedly.
"Close the door. AC's leaking."
"AC's the problem right now? Get up already!"
"Why."
"Seol-ah's treating us to lunch today! She said she's super grateful for you helping with that gate last time!"
Whatever. He hammered the keyboard. Shoved his character right into the heart of enemy territory.
"So."
"So what! Let's go right now!"
Kang Hae-eun grabbed his right arm and shook it hard. His mousing hand veered wildly off course. On screen, his character sprayed bullets into empty air before eating a hail of enemy fire and collapsing.
Death. The chat exploded again.
Insane. He let out a deep sigh and released the mouse.
"Ah. You're really annoying."
"Annoying my ass! Oppa hasn't seen sunlight in forever—you're gonna die. Get up!"
Pulled from his chair by Hae-eun's relentless grip, he gave up. Better for his mental health to just go along than fight her stubbornness.
"Fine. Fine, let go of my arm. You're stretching my clothes."
"Yesss! I'll coordinate your outfit perfectly today!"
The closet door flew open. What Hae-eun excitedly pulled out was a frilly white blouse, navy overall skirt, and a wide-brim beret.
In front of the mirror. Pure elementary school picnic getup. No dignity for a 32-year-old man in this house.
He flung open the veranda window. Grabbed Hae-eun's nape familiarly. Wrapped himself thick in a mana barrier and stepped on empty air. Shot up and flew straight into the heart of Gangnam.
Destination: top-tier omakase. He landed silently at the quiet alley entrance behind the bustling street. Yoo Seol-ah, who'd been waiting and pacing, met his eyes.
"H-Hero! You've arrived!"
She bounced over like a spring and bowed 90 degrees. Pedestrians' gazes snapped toward them.
"You're early. Straighten up. Embarrassing."
"Seol-ah~!"
Hae-eun rushed over, hugging her and making a fuss. They exchanged casual greetings and entered the restaurant.
A private room scented with luxurious hinoki wood. The head chef in his uniform greeted them. The moment his eyes hit the silver hair and overall skirt, his pupils dilated slightly. As expected of a top restaurant chef—he hid his fluster in an instant and bowed deeply.
"Hunter Kang Tae-ho. It's an honor to serve you. We've prepared the finest ingredients today."
"Yeah. Whatever."
He hopped onto the chair. It was tall—his toes didn't touch the floor. Legs dangled in midair. Familiar, but irritating sensation.
He wiped his hands with the warm towel. Glanced idly at Seol-ah beside him. Designer bag, perfectly styled hair. She looked every bit the chaebol heiress, not a hunter gutting monsters.
"Yoo Seol-ah. Your first dungeon payout."
"Yes! That's right!"
"E-grade gate scraps sold for what? Why come to a place this pricey. Overdoing it?"
At his dry remark, Seol-ah beamed and pulled a black card from her wallet, waving it.
"Ah, the dungeon payout was peanuts—went straight to gear repairs. This is my dad's corporate card!"
"What?"
"I told the family I came back unscathed thanks to the nation's hero on my first real fight! So Dad gave me this card and said to treat the hero to nothing but the best. Our family's in business—we're pretty well off!"
Chaebol youngest daughter, huh. Should've guessed from the head-to-toe luxury brands. Seol-ah pumped her fists, firing off fanatic eyes.
"Can't serve the hero cheap crap! Today, I'll max out Dad's card for the ultimate meal!"
Overwhelming pressure. He whipped his gaze to the chef.
"Got it. Yeah. Looking forward to it."
First course: abalone steamed in sake, thick and topped with organ sauce. He shoved it in his mouth. Silky texture, rich umami. His irritation melted away. Capitalism tastes good.
Tuna belly, sea urchin, barley shrimp. Top-grade ingredients hit the plates in waves. Hae-eun and Seol-ah were busy snapping photos. He silently chewed sushi, savoring the fullness.
Midway through the meal. Noise erupted from the hall. The sliding door slammed open. Three red-faced men staggered in.
Wrong room on the way to the bathroom, apparently. Designer suits, gold watches. Mid-tier guild exec badges on their chests. Classic types strutting after making some cash.
"Hey, where's the chef! Huh?!"
One slammed the table edge. The room froze. The chef bowed awkwardly.
"Sir, this is a private room—you need to—"
"You know who I am?! Don't you know our guild snagged B-grade gate rights?!"
Stale booze stench. The man turned, eyes locking on him. Elementary-school build in overalls. The guy's lip curled sleazily.
"What the. Isn't this a no-kids zone? Some brat's sitting here."
The man staggered closer. Hae-eun and Seol-ah paled. Seol-ah shot up desperately.
"Ex-Excuse me! Do you know who this is...!"
"Who? Huh? Whose kid is eating omakase here..."
The man reached for his shoulder.
Annoying. Suffocatingly annoying. Having to watch a dog bark mid-meal. He set down his chopsticks.
Lightly tapped his right index finger on the table.
Thrum.
A heavy, horrifying mana pulse. Gravity in a 2-meter radius spiked dozens of times over. Like massive iron maces crushing their shoulders.
"Guhk...!"
"Urk...!"
The reaching hand plummeted to the floor. They couldn't even scream—flattened face-down on the marble, gasping. Eerie creaks of bones straining across their bodies.
"Quietly eat."
He spat dryly. The booze haze cleared; their pupils quaked. Silver hair. Red eyes. 140cm kid. Overwhelming mana pinning them without a twitch. Realization hit—their faces drained to ashen.
"Hiiik...! K-Kang Tae-ho Hunter...!"
The man trembled, begging.
"S-Spare us...! We've committed a mortal sin...!"
Grotesque, sniveling on the floor. He released the mana. As the pressure vanished, they scrambled up.
"Get out. Ruined my appetite."
"Y-Yes! S-Sorry! We're gone!"
The men bolted without looking back. The room fell pin-drop silent. He raised his chopsticks to the chef.
"One more eel sushi. Extra sauce."
"Ah... Y-Yes! Right away!"
The chef wiped cold sweat and molded sushi. Seol-ah gaped beside him. Hae-eun shrugged like it was routine and sipped tea.
Meal ended. He patted his belly and stepped out. Cool night air.
"Hero! Truly an honor today! Safe travels!"
Seol-ah bowed deeply, seeing them off. He waved lazily, grabbed Hae-eun's nape. Mana barrier up, soared into the sky.
Seoul's nightscape sprawled below. He sliced through the wind. Inside the barrier, sightseeing the view, Hae-eun spoke up abruptly.
"Oppa."
"What."
"What about Seol-ah? She's so sweet, loaded, and pretty, right?"
Out-of-nowhere question. Eyes on the streets below, he shrugged it off.
"Eh, not bad."
"Right?! So, any thoughts? Want me to hook you up? Seol-ah's your biggest fan. Meet up or..."
He slowed the flight. Absurd—a hollow chuckle escaped. Turned to stare at his sister.
"What? Dating?"
"Yeah. Why not. You're 32—time to settle down."
Short sigh. Glanced at his body. Cute navy overall skirt flapping in the wind. 140cm kid frame not even reaching his chest. This the look for a 32-year-old dude discussing romance?
Sigh.
Harsh reality check.
"Look at this body. What romance. Cut the bullshit."
Dry, self-mocking tone. Hae-eun clamped her mouth shut. Glanced at him, then averted her eyes guiltily. No more teasing. Bitterness flickered across her face.
Silence filled the mana barrier. Night wind felt cold. He ramped up speed again. Sliced through the night sky in quiet toward the penthouse.