**Episode 4
For the Family (1)**
Standing in front of the second-floor door of his family’s house, Im Du-ho stopped.
The hand holding the bag of meat trembled slightly.
More than the joy of awakening—
the fear of having nearly died came rushing back.
- Mechromancer, your sympathetic nervous system seems unstable. Are you alright?
‘No… I’m fine.’
After steadying his breath, Du-ho spoke quietly:
“Thanks… for today.”
- Hmm… you don’t need to thank me… hehe…
“Still. Thank you.”
For a moment, the super intelligence hesitated.
It didn’t fully understand why he was being thanked—
but it didn’t dislike it.
- …Understood.
Just as Du-ho reached for the doorbell—
Click.
The door swung open.
“Ah! It’s Oppa!”
His younger sister, Du-na, beamed at him in her red tracksuit.
Her eyes immediately locked onto the bag in his hand.
“Oppa, what’s that?”
“Pork belly.”
“Waaah!”
She jumped excitedly and shouted inside:
“Du-bin! Oppa brought meat!”
- So that’s your sibling… quite simple-minded.
‘Says the one who doesn’t even know what a credit card is.’
- …Eh?!
From inside, their mother’s voice called out:
“What’s all the fuss about…?”
She stepped out from the kitchen, squinting behind thick glasses.
Her eyesight seemed worse than before.
Then she recognized him—
and smiled warmly.
“Our eldest came home early. Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m fine. Here.”
He handed her the meat.
She frowned slightly.
“You worked hard for this money… why buy something like this?”
“We work to eat, don’t we? Days like this should exist too.”
That—
was something his father always said.
Her expression softened.
At that moment, Du-bin came out of his room, sweating.
“Hyung, you’re back. Why meat?”
“So you can eat and gain weight.”
“Hey, I was trying to get in shape!”
“So you don’t want it?”
“…Guess I’ll start tomorrow.”
His stomach growled.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the stairs.
“Phew…”
Their father had returned.
Covered in dust and sweat.
“Why is everyone out here?”
“Dad, Oppa bought pork!”
“Oh? It’s not the twins’ birthday… is it mine?”
Laughter filled the house.
Du-ho spoke:
“Dad, want a drink?”
“Of course.”
- Alcohol impairs judgment. I advise against it.
‘You’re raising my blood pressure more than alcohol.’
- Oh! Then I’ll enter standby mode.
* * *
The house filled with the smell of grilling meat.
“Hey! Don’t put so much!”
“You put more!”
“Only two pieces!”
“You stacked them!”
The twins bickered endlessly.
Du-ho smiled.
Then Du-bin said:
“Did you see the news? A crack appeared on the Bundang highway today.”
Du-ho’s hand paused.
“…A crack?”
“Yeah. But it disappeared in just 20 minutes. Usually takes a whole day.”
Du-na added:
“I heard a taxi got sucked in!”
“Then how is that ‘nothing happened’?!”
“Hey, why are you picking a fight?!”
Their mother interrupted:
“Stop talking about scary things at the table. Just eat.”
Du-ho pressed his lips together.
‘If they knew that was me…’
- We could summon the humanoid and prove it.
‘Stay quiet.’
Their father raised his glass.
A silent gesture.
They clinked lightly.
“Good work, son.”
“You too.”
Du-ho looked at his father’s hands—
rough, worn.
Then his mother—
straining to see clearly.
For them…
and for himself…
‘I need to enter the Abyss.’
- Ah! The first step to world domination!
‘No—money.’
- Same thing.
Ring—
A spare phone rang.
Caller: Assistant Manager Park.
* * *
Outside, Du-ho answered.
“Hello.”
- “Why didn’t you answer your hologram calls?!”
“It broke.”
- “Where are you?!”
“At home.”
- “WHAT?! I told you to get the pelvis part!”
“….”
- “Don’t you dare ignore me! Prepare your resignation!”
Du-ho silently listened for five minutes.
Then—
Click.
The call ended.
- How dare he!!!! I’ll tear him apart!
‘No. I’ll get arrested.’
- …Ah.
Then suddenly—
Park’s voice echoed again in his head.
“Bring the pelvis part—!”
“You… what are you doing?”
- I recorded his voice.
“…Why?”
- Just because.
Du-ho sighed.
“This better not turn into something weird.”
- People can’t be fixed. Machines can.
“Enough.”
“I have a plan. Stay out of it.”
- …Okay.
* * *
Back inside—
“What was that call?” his father asked.
“Work.”
“Rough these days?”
Du-ho shook his head.
“Not anymore.”
Something about him felt different.
“…I trust you,” his father said.
Du-ho looked at his family.
His worried mother.
His exhausted father.
His siblings with uncertain futures.
He made a decision.
Tomorrow—
Register as an Awakened.
And keep it a secret.
“…I love you, son.”
“…Me too.”
The soju tasted—
sweet.
* * *
Later, in his small room—
His father entered quietly.
“Thanks to you, we ate well.”
Then—
Notification: 150,000 coins received
“Go have fun with your friends.”
That money…
was hard-earned.
Before Du-ho could respond—
his father left.
He stared at the screen.
- Why are you sad?
“….”
Then—
He looked up.
“Do you have a name?”
- No. Would you like to give me one?
Du-ho thought.
“…Isto. From Hephaestus.”
- …Not bad.
[Name registered: Isto]
“Isto.”
- Yes, Mechromancer.
“Call me Du-ho.”
- Impossible! You are destined to—
“Stop with world domination.”
- …Then… Du-ho-nim?
“…Fine.”
He opened his status window:
Name: Im Du-ho
Class: Mechromancer
Level: 9
Stats available: 36
“…I leveled up a lot.”
- Congratulations!
“You did all the work.”
- I serve you.
‘If not for the crazy ambition, you’d be perfect…’
- It’s our mission.
“…Anyway. Can I summon again?”
- At level 50.
“And unsummon?”
He hovered over the option.
- I’ll work harder!
“Then stop talking about world domination.”
- …That’s difficult…
“…I have an allergy to that word.”
- Understood.
“So what was that ‘Garage’ thing?”
- Would you like to enter?
“…Enter?”
The air rippled.
- Your personal space.
Slightly drunk—
Du-ho stepped in.
A small warehouse appeared.
Then—
[Toxins detected]
[Purification complete]
[Condition optimized]
His drunkenness vanished instantly.
He felt… refreshed.
“…This is insane.”
“Jackpot.”
