Level 4 Human in a Ruined World - Chapter 180

————

Chapter 180: Master of Myths (6)

“What about foster children? But the family support deduction hasn’t been applied yet.”

Jeong Yeongwoo 07, chased by taxes.

Now he was even more thick-skinned than before.

“Madam, may I borrow the kids for a moment? Is that okay?”

“Yes? Oh, yes….”

Seok’s expression was bewildered.

To think that even though their mother, not parents, was living well, they had to make their children foster children….

Normally, she would have raised a fuss right away, but Seok had just heard the unreasonable tax details a moment ago.

Moreover, if that man were to be killed by taxes, wouldn’t the survival of her husband also become uncertain?

“Kids, it’s okay. Did you see just now? Just go and come back after putting your hands on it.”

When Seok said this to the kids, Yeongwoo instructed Kubu to prepare the foster child certification.

―Foster child certification, prepared.

As Kubu rolled his eyes one more time, he raised the signature box just like before, and then the two kids stood side by side in front of him.

Yeongwoo instinctively reached for Bastard to pick it up, but changed his course and tucked it into his waistband.

Click.

Then he spread out his hands and said.

“The signatures we’re doing now will ensure that this gentleman and your father will live long lives.”

“Our… our father too?”

“Of course…! Now, let’s sign.”

Yeongwoo pointed to the hologram signature box.

Upon that, the two kids, each placed their hands on their respective signature boxes.

Phah!

―Foster child signatures completed.

―Now, please have the guardian sign directly for the foster child.

With Kubu’s words, small signature boxes appeared on the foreheads of the two kids.

‘What… This is much more formal than I thought.’

Yeongwoo awkwardly approached the foster children and cautiously raised his hand.

“T-thank you. From now on, I’m your guardian.”

Although he whispered as best as he could as if he had something to say, it was sincere.

One reason Kim Taejoon, the chairman, was putting all his efforts into helping them was because of these kids, and above all, wouldn’t it be necessary to repay the value of the 15% deduction?

Of course, the children had no idea what it meant for the Strongest Sword of Joseon to become their guardian.

―Guardian signature completed.

―As of now, Mr. Jeong Yeongwoo 07 is the official guardian of Kim Moses 47 and Kim Leehyun.

Along with Kubu’s proclamation, a new system message appeared in Yeongwoo’s view.

「The family support deduction has been activated.」

‘Oh… It’s applied immediately.’

Then when can we confirm the status of single-parent families?

“When will proof of relationship with the father be available? It seems like the special deduction hasn’t been applied yet.”

At that, Kubu looked up into the air.

―You can check the eligibility for the special deduction at the time of tax collection today at 10 p.m.

“So if the deduction isn’t applied, that means that person isn’t my father?”

Swoosh.

When Yeongwoo pointed to Jeonggu with his finger, Kubu nodded with his eyeballs.

―That’s correct. Furthermore, if the special deduction is not applied today, there is a high probability that arrest proceedings will be initiated in the near future.

“That’s great. The arrest mortality rate is 84%?”

If you don’t pay taxes, it’s immediate execution, and even just forgery of official documents results in an 84% mortality rate.

But if taxes are paid on time and if Kim Jeonggu is the father, wouldn’t there be no arrests or prosecutions?

‘There won’t be any problem. If there’s a problem, I’ll just beg the chairman.’

Anyway, today’s tasks were all done now.

“Mr. Kubu, thank you for your hard work. You should go home now. From now on, we should think about how to reduce the acquisition tax.”

When Yeongwoo said this, Kubu blinked and replied.

―I’ll look for more solutions too. Then, goodbye.

Silently, Kubu left for home through the air.

After seeing off the tax accountant like that, Yeongwoo looked around at the people remaining in the room.

“Thank you all for your hard work. Now, let’s get some rest!”

* * *

―B-497, B-497, come here. It looks like a long rod. If you’re not sure, take the blueprint and find it.

―General, is this it? Huh? No, it’s not. This is D-77. It looks exactly the same though.

The three prisoners on the television screen were now assembling part of the lower laser rifle.

Judging by the size of the piles of parts around them, it seemed like it would be difficult to assemble even more than half of it overnight.

“… Should I keep it on?”

When Yeongwoo said this while holding the remote control, Seok, who had been sitting on the bed with the kids, watching her husband’s face, nodded.

“Yes. I want to watch it steadily today. We don’t know what will happen next.”

That’s right.

Will they be able to use a room with a television next time, who including Seok will die when, how, no one knows.

“Yes. I’ll be resting in a separate room, so please let me know if anything happens.”

“Thank you.”

Having heard Seok’s response, Yeongwoo briefly switched channels to see if there were any screens left unchecked.

However, on another channel, all he found was the eerie muttering of Kim Jong-un in the dark, and the adult channels of Lemu remained locked.

「This is a paid channel. To make a payment, please pick up the receiver and dial 992 0909#.」

‘I am a little curious about Lemu’s broadcast….’

Yeongwoo soon operated the remote control again and illuminated the returnee’s room.

Then, he noticed Kim Taejoon, the chairman, rummaging through piles of parts in his white pajamas.

‘…As expected.’

To have the chairman laboring and watching obscene foreign broadcasts in front of his family would not be appropriate.

Moreover, Chairman Dogo would probably prefer not to watch Lemu’s broadcasts either.

So, in the end,

“Rest.”

Leaving the remote control with Seok, Yeongwoo slipped out of the bedroom.

Then, he noticed Jeonggu, Jongsu, and Taeyoung sprawled near the sofa in the living room.

Everyone seemed quite tired given the time.

Meanwhile, the largest sofa was completely empty, and it seemed like it was reserved for Yeongwoo, the owner of this room.

“Did you leave it for me?”

As Yeongwoo entered the living room and asked, Jeonggu, who was half-closed his eyes, raised his upper body slightly to greet him.

“What about your bedroom?”

“I left it for Madam so that she could have a better look at the chairman’s face.”

“You finally gave it to her? Even so, shouldn’t you be the one using it?”

Jeonggu narrowed his eyes.

Upon this, Yeongwoo shrugged.

“It’s the first day of television. And as long as I can rest comfortably, I’m going to use the bed in the special room.”

“This child acts like a dog to his father and like Bodhisattva to others.”

Jeonggu climbed onto the empty sofa.

And as Yeongwoo watched his father, he murmured quietly.

“Father, please rest well too. We never know what will happen when you sleep and wake up again.”

Soon, when the day breaks, the official fifth day of the reset will begin.

New mutants, new merchants, and…

‘New laser cannon?’

Yeongwoo chuckled and entered the special room.

Every day felt long, but this time, it felt even longer.

Perhaps it was because he had encountered too much.

Thud.

As he kicked off his shoes and lay down on the bed, the soft white sheets enveloped his body gently.

“…Ha.”

When soft fibers touched his skin, which had only touched blades, claws, rocks, and the like, Yeongwoo felt a sensation as if his consciousness were melting away.

And indeed.

“…Kung.”

With a strange groan, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Whooosh…!

Somewhere, a gust of wind swept fiercely around his ankles.

‘Ah, it’s cold.’

Yeongwoo shivered without realizing it.

Then he realized belatedly.

He was standing barefoot on something.

Whooosh…!

Another powerful gust of wind blew, pushing his body recklessly, and only then did Yeongwoo look down at his feet.

There, he saw a giant figure with black scales, filling his view.

‘Wow.’

It was… a dragon’s scales.

Yeongwoo was standing on the dorsal fin of a flying dragon.

‘What, what’s all this?’

As a bewildered Yeongwoo took a step backward, lightning struck near the clouds, revealing the silhouette of another dragon.

Then.

―Greet with the sword. That person is your uncle.

Voices, no, meanings, rose up from under Yeongwoo’s feet like rising heat.

‘…Mother?’

Sensing something, Yeongwoo was about to speak to the dragon beneath his feet when suddenly, because of the lightning emitted by the dragon… no, his uncle, his vision turned white.

‘Mother…!’

In the white view, Yeongwoo cried out for his mother.

And in reality.

“Mom!”

Yeongwoo woke up with a shout.

“Huh!”

With a start, Yeongwoo’s upper body sprang up like lightning.

And there before him stood an old man with a nasty expression, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Why the fuss since morning? Are you trying to provoke something?”

“W-What is it? Now?”

“What do you mean, now? It’s morning.”

Jeonggu raised his finger and pointed outside the window.

Indeed, as he said, sunlight was pouring in through the window of the special room. It was dazzlingly bright.

“Answer the phone. It’s so noisy, it’s killing me.”

“…Yes?”

Only after hearing Jeonggu’s words did Yeongwoo realize the ringing that was spreading from the bedroom.

Ring ring!

Ring ring!

It was the morning call ringing right now, as it does every day at 8 a.m. with the end of the abnormal climate.

And then,

「Your strength has been permanently increased by 100 due to an Furious goblin.」

「The usage count of the pumpkin-colored Horn of Plenty has been recharged.」

All the devices that operate or recharge daily were activated simultaneously.

The officially designated ‘day’ by the system had now begun.

‘Ah… What kind of mess will happen today?’

As Yeongwoo began to put on his illusion again to answer the morning call, this time, a system message, or rather a notice from the Council, appeared before everyone’s eyes.

“Hello, this is an announcement from the Council.」

It was the first time the name ‘Council’ had appeared in the announcement since the first day of the reset.

“Huh? The Council? These bastards.”

Unconsciously, Yeongwoo referred to the Council as ‘these bastards.’

On the first day of the reset, they were merely felt as unknown entities, but now, Yeongwoo could sense that the Council members were just another part of the cosmic beings.

‘What grade is the Council? And exactly which Council are they?’

It could be the Earth Council, or maybe a stellar management company on a universal scale.

So, Yeongwoo waited for the next message from the Council.

And then,

「Reset Phase 3 will begin shortly.」

A kind of warning message was broadcasted.

“What…? Phase 3?”

Perhaps it might lead to Pangaea.

But what the Council was warning about was not the onset of Reset Phase 3.

「Prior to this, high-risk mutants are expected to visit, so representatives of each region are advised to form pairs of two if possible.」

————