Iron Gangmin Coin Is Always a Buy on the Dip (1)

The day of my younger sister's discharge.

While Serin was eating her last hospital meal, I decided to eat outside too.

But just as I was about to take a spoonful of gukbap.

'A raid boss? Level 1,071?'

Apparently, Japan had been turned upside down while I was sleeping with my sister.

I frowned the moment I saw the news.

Other countries had already shown me how serious this was.

'China, wasn't it.'

In the early 2000s, a similar Gate had appeared in China.

It was the Gate where China's strongest Awakeners of the time had tried to conquer it in a group, only to be wiped out.

As a result, a Gate Break erupted.

Unlike the monsters of the Seven Great Gates, the boss monster roamed China freely.

Needless to say, several cities were reduced to rubble.

How had China dealt with it?

'A nuclear strike within its own borders.'

…Apparently, they dropped a nuclear bomb.

Even that didn't kill it right away, so Awakeners charged in and killed it despite being irradiated.

China ceded its status as the strongest nation of Awakeners to the US in the aftermath, but anyway.

After this incident, nuclear bombs became the final means of resolving Breaks.

Even monsters that could withstand artillery shells could still be dealt meaningful damage by a nuke.

So the news was bound to be in an uproar…

[The Japan Awakened Guild Alliance has announced that it will urgently dispatch an elite subjugation team.]

"Pffft?!"

I almost choked.

They were sending a subjugation team in there?

The Awakeners who went in first had been wiped out, and they were going in anyway?

'Do they not have an information-type trait Awakener… No, the level difference made detection fail!'

My confusion lasted only a moment.

I realized what was going on.

The fact that this was a nuclear-level catastrophe was something only I knew at present.

The Japanese Awakeners must have been convinced they could handle it if they joined forces.

…The problem was, in reality, they didn't stand a chance.

'Japan does have one Fourth-tier Awakener, but even if they twisted themselves into knots for a hundred days, this would be too much!'

Swish.

I immediately took out my phone.

The onion-shaped VPN icon flashed.

A community login notification went ding.

My thumb flew across the screen.

[Awakened Minor Gallery]

Poster: Iron Gangmin's Awakener Analysis 2

Title: Don't Send More People to the Japan Gate

Boss is Level 1,071

ㄴ ??? Iron hyung, why now?

ㄴ At level 1,071, isn't this seriously screwed???

ㄴㄴ Looks like they'll need a third nuke

ㄴㄴ Three nukes lolㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴㄴ Even hearing those words sounds violent, damn lol

'That ought to do it, right?'

Only then did I feel a little reassured.

Given Iron Gangmin's fame, it was only a matter of time before this reached Japanese media too.

At least I'd bought time until the Break happened.

'I should apply for a passport….'

I might have pretended not to know if I were in danger too, but the boss was lower-level than Dohwa, after all.

With my title, gear, and traits maxed out, it'd be a piece of cake.

I should take Serin on a trip to Japan to celebrate her recovery.

I made that resolution as I shoveled down my gukbap.

* * *

After finishing my meal, I returned and was waiting with a number ticket for my younger sister's discharge procedures.

[Japan's No. 1 S-rank, Sugiyama Renya, dismisses it as 'nonsense'… declares he will conquer a gigantic Gate!]

'Is he crazy?'

Sugiyama Renya.

A Fourth-tier Awakener and Japan's strongest.

I already told you the level.

What on earth is wrong with this guy?

'Let's hear what he has to say.'

I immediately searched the internet and found a translated version of his interview.

After skimming through it,

a sigh escaped me.

"Good grief…."

'So he thought I was lying?'

To summarize his words: he didn't believe Iron Gangmin.

For starters, the level was suspect.

It was a remarkably precise figure—one that made him think he himself couldn't win, but Iron Gangmin could somehow handle it.

A Gate like this reappearing after nearly 30 years, in Japan of all places?

It was too convenient.

There was a high probability Iron Gangmin had lied about the boss's level.

[—If that was a lie, what was the purpose?]

[—Something like Takeshima….]

To top it off, Iron Gangmin was Korean.

Clearly, Iron Gangmin was trying to use this opportunity to threaten Japan and drag it into a political issue over Dokdo and the like.

So Sugiyama would enter the Gate himself.

The Awakeners who went in before had been wiped out, but things would be different for Japan's strongest.

He would conquer it with his head held high and return.

…I almost cursed without meaning to.

'Is he an idiot?'

I might not have been lying.

Why wasn't he considering that possibility even a tiny bit?

I didn't know whether he was anti-Korean or simply arrogant, as befitted a Fourth-tier Awakener.

What a young man with no sense of self-preservation.

'At least the other Japanese people are sane.'

Fortunately, few people agreed with him.

It might sound plausible from Japan's perspective, but if he was wrong, they'd all be wiped out.

Most people seemed to be backing away, saying the Gate should be investigated first.

But, in contrast.

Korean public opinion was boiling over.

[Awakened Minor Gallery]

Title: Kangmin, seriously, this isn't right

Those bastards are grand-fucking-asses who need to take another nuke

to come to their senses.

If you go help them after hearing that crap,

you're not a genuinely good person, you're a fucking doormat.

At the very least, the prime minister should say Dokdo belongs to Korea…

"Oh, for fuck's sake."

Everyone had gotten awfully vicious.

It wasn't even Japan's official position; why were they acting like this over one Awakener going off the rails?

'But Dokdo? Have I lost my mind?'

Of course, I had no intention of acting according to public opinion.

I too believed Dokdo belonged to Korea, but…

Rescue them in exchange for bringing that up?

That would turn Iron Gangmin into a political tool.

From then on, they'd force all kinds of chores on me, saying, 'If you're Korean, you should…'

I hated that sort of thing.

I wanted to live as I pleased.

'In the first place, the government should handle matters like that. Why make a fuss to an individual about it?'

"Good grief."

Tap, tap.

My thumb danced over the phone.

I had lowered the brightness as much as possible and confirmed no one was nearby, so there was no need to hold back.

[Minor Gallery]

Poster: Iron Gangmin's Awakener Analysis 2

Title: I can clear the Japan Gate for them instead

But give me the Legendary item held by Japan's No. 1

and I'll go.

Oh, and quit telling me what to do all the time.

Seeing the hot post just made me want to emigrate.

ㄴ Gasp

ㄴ You traitor, you're Korean…

ㄴㄴ If you're an Awakener, that's the right attitude, dumbass.

ㄴㄴ He said he's emigrating, you asshole. Read the room.

ㄴ If you contact the EVERWORLD Guild in the US, you qualify for EB-1A…

'That ought to do it, right?'

Iron Gangmin doesn't move for free.

Maybe if it were something that cost me nothing, like the Seven Great Gates strategy—but if you want to make me move personally, pay the price.

And I'd even threatened to emigrate…

Hmm, pretty neat, if I do say so.

I shouldn't get dragged into any pointless commotion from now on.

'I was originally going to clear it for free, but honestly.'

As for Japan's No. 1, who ended up losing a Legendary-grade item after needlessly running his mouth, well…

I send my condolences to the idiot—action beam.

"He really won't go in now, will he?"

After muttering quietly,

I put my phone in my pocket.

My number was coming up soon.

"Number 139~ Ah, Mr. Ryu Hwi-min. Would you like to pay in installments?"

"Please make it a lump-sum payment."

"All right, congratulations on your discharge!"

"Thank you~."

After that, we finished the discharge procedures.

My younger sister's long hospitalization.

It had just come to an end.

Grin.

The corners of my mouth rose on their own.

'Serin, let's go home!!'

At last.

Finally.

* * *

-Creeeak.

"Ta-da-ran~."

"Whoa…!!!"

My younger sister looked around delightedly, her eyes shining.

I smiled too, holding the front door open behind her.

I hoped she hadn't noticed me secretly wiping away the tears that had slightly welled up.

"What do you think?"

"It's huge…!! Is this the house you bought, Oppa!?"

"I showed it to you in photos, didn't I?"

"But it's so big…!! Even the TV is this huge…!!"

"Amazing, huh? Ah, this is the living room. This is the bathroom, and this is the master bedroom…."

After that, I showed her around the house.

It was worlds apart from the old house where we used to sleep huddled together.

My younger sister was busy looking around too, fascinated.

Her reaction reached its peak when she entered her room.

-Tremble tremble.

"O-O-Oppa… This…."

"You said you wanted a Teenieping card, right? It's a discharge present."

"It's not just any Teenieping card!! It's a Platinum Teenieping card!!!"

Serin hopped up and down while clutching the card.

I didn't know much about them, but was it really that good?

It was worth getting it for her.

Of course, Cheonghwa had gotten it for me instead, but anyway.

'Then what should I do about Dohwa….?'

I gauged her reaction for a moment.

I had one more present for her, but should I really take it out?

I had absolutely no idea.

Hmm, maybe I should ask her first.

"Right. Serin, what would you think if you got a little sister?"

"…A little sister? Are we making a little sister?!"

"What kind of absurd thing are you saying? I mean Dohwa, Dohwa."

"Why Dohwa~?"

"What if Dohwa turned into a girl and lived with you?"

I asked her directly.

The answer came straight back.

"She'd be super cute!!"

"You wouldn't mind?"

"No!!"

Serin nodded over and over.

Her eyes sparkled too.

…I was a little nervous, but should I bring her out?

"Dohwa, come out."

"Kyaeung~?"

"Serin's being discharged today, you know? Say hello."

After summoning Dohwa,

I gestured toward Serin with my chin.

Dohwa understood what I meant immediately.

"Kyaeung… Keng!!"

Hop, spin.

Dohwa did a somersault in midair.

Her tail puffed up, and pink light swirled around her.

When she landed on the floor again, she was no longer a pink ball of fur.

"Me, Doha!! Masta, Doha!!"

"……."

"……."

A suffocating silence followed.

Serin froze with a smile on her face, and I clammed up too when I saw her.

"Kiiing…?"

Dohwa also shrank back, watching for a reaction, but…

Fortunately for Dohwa,

it wasn't because Serin disliked her.

"Kyaaaah!! It's really Dohwa!!? She's so tiny and cute!!!"

"…Mmph?"

"Want to call me 'big sis'? Big sis~."

"Wungni?"

"Kyaaaah!!! She's way cuter than Heart Teenieping!!!"

Serin hugged Dohwa tightly.

Dohwa watched her cautiously for a moment, then perked up her ears as if pleased.

I let out a sigh of relief too.

"Phew…."

'I'm glad she likes her.'

I wondered if Serin might find Humanized Dohwa strange because her chest was large for her height.

But apparently that meant nothing to Serin.

Serin probably thought of herself as having been that size only a few weeks ago, and compared with her, Dohwa's chest really was small and cute, after all.

Good, good.

"You're scared to bathe by yourself, right? Dohwa will bathe with you from now on."

"Then the three of us can bathe together!? That sounds fun!!"

"No, Oppa will be separate."

"Why~ Let's bathe together~."

"……."

Although the biggest reason Dohwa had become human—so she could bathe without me—would probably take a little more explaining.

We could talk about that slowly.

"Anyway, let's live happily in our new home from now on, Serin."

"Mmm… I want to bathe with Oppa…."

"Wungni…?"

"Huh? Ah, no! Of course bathing with Dohwa is great too~!!"

"Kyaeung~."

"Yeah, yeah. Looks good."

I smiled contentedly.

I hoped this peace we'd only just reclaimed would last.

I sincerely prayed for it.

* * *

[Breaking news! Japan's No. 1 S-rank, Sugiyama Renya, has entered the Gate alone….]

"……."

Can't you read the room a little?