Ordinary Art Factor [EN]: Chapter 192

“Don’t call me. Shut up! Shut up and just die!”

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], should I beat him too?”

“Yeah, beat him!”

“Oppa [term used by females to address older brother or male friend], what about me?”

“You too! Beat him all of you!”

“Okay!”

“Understood!”

“By the grace of the Goddess Idea, Personal Heal!”

Huh?

Heal?

These guys are supposed to be my friends, and they’re going easy on me….

“Hyung, we should heal him while we beat him. That’s where the fun is, right?”

“… Good job!”

‘Thwack!’

‘Thwack! Thwack!’

“Agh! Why, why are you? Ji, Jihye! Aaaagh! N, not there!”

First, it was Han Deuk, then Jihye, and then Mi-hye, Jung-hwan, Kim Eun-hee, and Choi Eun-ji joined in, and as they began to pummel Gil-soo, his desperate screams echoed loudly throughout the neighborhood.

“My lord, I will also research Silence magic circles in the future.”

“You too, good job.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

The next day, morning.

I had a refreshing workout yesterday.

I feel like I’ve shaken off all the lingering thoughts from what happened the day before.

Maybe Gil-soo said that thinking of me?

Nah, no way. There’s no way.

Even though the team leaders, including me, all ganged up and beat Gil-soo, as expected, a warrior is a warrior.

Even after getting beaten so badly, he was still chowing down when we had samgyeopsal [Korean grilled pork belly] and soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] later. Of course, that was because they didn’t use the magic power they actually use in dungeons. Same with me.

I got out of bed, took out a cigarette, and was about to go to the bathroom when I heard my wife and son chatting in the living room.

Huh? What day is it today? Why isn’t my kid at school at this hour….

As I left the room, my son found me and kept calling me Dad.

“What day is it today?”

“… Saturday.”

“I see… What’s for breakfast?”

“Doenjang jjigae [Korean soybean paste stew].”

“Good.”

I had breakfast with my wife, who was chattering about how she had cut the tofu and vegetables, and my son, who kept repeating the word Dad.

Breakfast with my precious family, not the team leaders.

I can’t remember when we all ate breakfast together like this.

It feels like it’s been a long time since I played with my real son, just like in that crazy son’s letter.

If so,

“Um… Do you have anything special planned for today?”

“We’re going to the aquarium with Ho-sook’s family and Je-hwan’s family in a bit.”

“Your sister-in-law and brother-in-law’s families?”

“Yeah.”

“All the kids too?”

“Yeah.”

“The aquarium in Seogwipo?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I come too?”

“… Huh?”

Why?

Why can’t you just say yes!

What’s with the ‘huh’?

No, I’m just saying that the husband wants to take his wife and son out to play, so why isn’t the answer coming out clearly?

“A, are you really going to come?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you go? Aren’t you busy?”

“I’ll go even if I’m busy. Who dares to tell me what to do?”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re really going?”

“I told you I am.”

“… Wow~. Sung-joon, we’re going to play with Dad today! You must be so happy!”

“Wowww. Dad’s the best!”

“Of course. I’m the best in this area. Hehehe.”

“Hehe. I’m going to tell Ji-hoon’s family. That Dad’s coming too.”

“Okay. Tell them to get ready to leave when they’re all set.”

“Okay.”

My son runs excitedly to my brother-in-law’s and sister-in-law’s houses next door.

And my wife hums softly as she clears the breakfast table.

I turned my head and saw the bright sunlight filling the living room.

Should I have a smoke after the meal?

A cigarette after a meal is good for longevity.

I roughly finished preparing for the outing and came out of the house to the lawn in the garden to take out a cigarette… Huh? What, what is it?

“W, why are you guys here!”

“Hmph! We didn’t come to see you, Oppa. Unnie [term used by younger females to address older sister or female friend]~.”

“Hehe. We didn’t come to see you, Hyung. Hyung-soo-nim [term used to address the wife of an older brother or male friend]~.”

“We should always be together.”

“That’s right. The weather is so nice, but the Guild Leader is going out to play alone.”

Uh… I mean, it hasn’t even been an hour since I told my wife I was going with her, but how….

“Uncle~.”

“Uncle~.”

“Uncle~.”

“Son!”

“Brother-in-law.”

My nieces and nephews’ families, my parents, my father-in-law, and my mother-in-law come out from the left and right buildings. Uh… I mean, I never said I’d go with them… Hmmm.

It’s not good to live nearby, or rather, to live within the same fence.

Even if you just grill meat with the windows open, they come to your house… No, there’s no way you’d grill meat in the house. There’s a barbecue area, so why would you grill meat in the house and make it smell?

Um, I mean, my son must have been so excited that he went around telling everyone. Looking at the nephews and nieces running around the garden now, probably… Ha… Never mind.

Now that it’s come to this, it’s good to go together.

But,

“Ah, come on! You guys can go with your own families! Why are you sticking around here….”

“We’re going on an outing with our families too. Over here.”

“Huh?”

Before I knew it, their families started gathering at our house one by one, greeting my parents, father-in-law, and mother-in-law at the fishing pond pavilion, the raised platform, the garden table, and around the area, asking how they were doing, and it started to get noisy with all sorts of stories.

Uh… Again, I mean,

“Is our garden your meeting place? Why are you coming in here as you please!”

“Hmph! Stingy. We got permission from Unnie.”

“… Ha, never mind. Call the bus.”

Han Deuk, who had been watching me, suddenly chimed in.

Uh… Again, for the last time, I mean,

It still hasn’t been an hour since I said I was going to Seogwipo with my wife, and two large limousine buses are coming in from the entrance of that village.

Okay.

Let’s go. Let’s go.

It’s just a trip, what does it matter if we go together or separately.

Now that it’s come to this, I’ll just think of it as clearing a dungeon today and close my eyes. Yeah, that’s right.

Anyway, about 30 people started moving to Seogwipo in two large limousine buses.

A little later.

Has an hour ever felt this long?

Why is the traffic so bad!

Since when do you have to wait twice for a traffic light at an intersection in Jeju!

It’s all because foreign capital came in and bought up Jeju land indiscriminately. That’s why I moved to Oedo, and I don’t even have a house… Huh? What? Something doesn’t add up?

I mean….

My son and nephews and nieces are excitedly chattering away, and my parents and elders are laughing so hard that the bus is about to burst, but I don’t know what they’re talking about.

It’s so noisy that I can’t think.

So, the reason I built a house in Oedo was….

‘Buzz… Buzz.’

My newly changed phone vibrates again.

Looking at the screen, it’s Hong-chan hyung after a long time.

I heard he was going to disappear, but he’s calling me first. I touched the phone screen and put it to my ear, and the first thing he said was unique.

“It’s me.”

“Yeah.”

“… Are you okay?”

“About what?”

“What happened in Japan.”

“… What’s okay or not okay? We’re Awakened.”

“… Yeah. You’re right. We’re Awakened.”

I don’t know how he knew about what happened in Japan, but Hong-chan hyung is worried about me.

But I pretended to be chic and cool and brushed it off.

“…….”

“…….”

“Is that all you have to say? Were you bored? If you have nothing to do, why don’t you come back to managing the guild?”

“Are you really okay?”

“… Are you making fun of me right now?”

“There’s no way you’re okay, but I’m saying it because you said you were. Considering your petty personality and your vindictive nature, it’s more unsettling that you’re so quiet right now.”

“Do you want me to show you what’s really petty and vindictive?”

“…….”

“Don’t say weird things, and get ready for me to go to England and Italy within this month.”

“Why there?”

“Ah, come on!”

When the Guild Leader gives an order to the Vice Guild Leader, you should carry it out immediately without complaining, where are you!

Hong-chan hyung answers more irritably to my irritable tone.

“How am I supposed to prepare if I don’t know what’s going on!”

“… Why would I go there? The Clear Team is all going, so you take care of the rest. Fight with the Processing Bureau or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whatever….”

“What about me?”

“Huh? What?”

“You little punk! Do you know how angry I was when I got a call from Gil-soo yesterday? I was originally a 4th grade Awakened, but my magic power hasn’t changed even after a year and a half. Now, the team leaders are all leveled up by you driving them around in a bus, and what am I doing here, just managing the guild every day! What did you say at first? You said you’d take care of me after a year when things settled down! So I’ve been doing this like crazy, but it’s already been a year and a half. I was going to try not to say anything if possible, but Han Deuk and Gil-soo are already bragging about surpassing me! What am I supposed to do if the Vice Guild Leader is 4th grade, but the team leaders have higher magic power than me! Let’s talk about it while we’re at it. What about me? Me? When am I ever going to ride the bus!”

Hong-chan hyung’s phone-bursting skill is unleashed.

Ah, so this was the purpose.

I thought it was strange that he was asking me if I was okay, he’s not the type to ask that. Moreover, Gil-soo must have called Hong-chan hyung and snitched on him, bragging and making him angry.

I don’t have to watch to know it’s true, and I don’t have to taste it to know it’s poop.

Anyway, it’s already been a year and a half since Hong-chan hyung started managing the support guild. I’ve just been going around clearing dungeons, so I haven’t paid any attention to it. As expected, Hong-chan hyung.

“… You can come with me when I go to England and Italy this time. Is that okay?”

“R, really? If you say something different later, you’re dead?”

“Instead, make sure to hand over the guild management properly so that there are no disruptions, no, take this opportunity to pick out several smart people and pass on your work. In the future, try to join the Clear Team as much as possible, and if you do that, you’ll level up quickly because of your grade….”

“Instead of that, can’t I just go down to Jeju?”

“Why are you asking me for permission? What does your wife say? The kids?”

“My wife has been in favor of it for a long time.”

“Then that’s fine.”

“Great! Then I’ll go near where you live. Are there any houses for sale nearby?”

For sale!

To the left of the house site is Gil-soo, to the right is Han Deuk, behind is Ji-hye, and across the street are Kim Eun-hee and Choi Eun-jin. And behind them… Ha, never mind.

Come to think of it, this is also a problem.

“Why are you silent? Should I just build a building? But that would take a long time….”

“Whether you buy a house or build one, that’s up to you!”

“Okay! I’ll go down as soon as possible. You said England and Italy.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m going within this month.”

“Okay.”

“Then I’m hanging up. I’m suddenly getting busy.”

“…….”

Click.

After receiving a one-sided call, a call where the communication seemed to be wrong, a call where the original purpose was ambiguous, I was seriously contemplating what I had just done when my wife, who was sitting next to my son in the hallway, asked.

“Was that your oldest brother?”

“…….”

Just who is the oldest brother to my wife?

“Are you moving down to Jeju [Island, a popular vacation destination in South Korea]?”

“Maybe.”

“Are you looking for a house?”

“Yeah.”

“Our house is often empty.”

“…No way. Absolutely not. Don’t even dream about it.”

“A family of three living in a house with a basement and three floors, what use do we have for all that space? The electricity bill and everything else add up to quite a bit in maintenance fees. Instead of that, if you gave us the second or third floor….”

“Denied! I didn’t build it to give to anyone!”

“I know. But when you’re not around, the house is too big and scary. Just thinking about Sung-joon and me being alone in a whole building sometimes gives me the creeps. When you go abroad, you usually can’t come home for about a month, and every time that happens, I sleep in the building next door. With Mom.”

“…….”

Hmm… So, hmm….

Ugh, I don’t know. Let’s drop it for now. My head hurts.

I never even imagined that a house could be too big to be a problem.

But why does my head hurt so much these days when I think about something?

Do I have worms in my brain?

Should I take some deworming medicine?

Late afternoon.

I’ve been barely able to come to my senses since Hyung [older brother or close male friend] Hong-chan’s phone call.

Following the advice of that crazy bastard who imitates my son, I came out for an outing to spend time with my son, but I can’t grasp whether this is a family outing or a group trip. My head is throbbing too.

After roughly skimming through the aquarium that we arrived at before lunch, watching the dolphin show, roughly scarfing down food at a nearby restaurant, moving again for about 30 minutes to the water park at the World Cup Stadium, and roughly splashing around, we’re now on the bus heading home.

Still, I tried to play with my son as diligently as possible, so I asked him how he felt.

“Son~ Did you have fun today?”

“Yeah, Dad. But I want to go to an amusement park.”

“An amusement park? Tapdong [likely a local amusement park]?”

“No. The amusement park that’s on TV. I want to ride the roller coaster.”

“You mean the amusement park in Seoul. You’re saying you want to go there.”

My wife translates my son’s words from the side.

“Seoul? Ah, that place….”

Hmm… It’s not hard to go.

Whether we take a private plane or a domestic flight, we can probably arrive at the amusement park my son is talking about in about 2 hours from Jeju.

But, but you know. There will be even more people there than at the aquarium we went to today, right?

You saw it today too. Why did I roughly skim through, roughly scarf down, and roughly splash around?

It’s not like I’m deliberately hiding my identity in mysterious mode or secret mode, but this dad is quite famous in Korea.

If you ask how popular a 40-year-old married man with a son could be, I have nothing to say, but the tentative sales amount of a certain site that ranks dungeon clear rewards according to the number of guild members for domestic guilds alone is enough for this dad to be the undisputed number one guild leader of the Support Guild, and a great person who is absolutely number one in the domestic remarried man popularity ranking. Of course, I don’t know if Mom knows this. So, in public places, wherever I go, people are bound to flock to me, so going to crowded places like amusement parks is preferably… Huh? Wait a minute.

Amusement park?

Water park?

Aquarium?

That’s right!

Why couldn’t I think of this?

I’m a genius after all!

Why go to places that are crowded, complicated, and far away?

I can just build them near my house!

The next day.

I was about to call the head of the construction department at City Hall, who had given me a lot of administrative help when building the new house, but I stopped. It’s too beneath me to call a mere City Hall section chief, not the governor or mayor, and ask about this and that. Ahem.

No, this untrue fact is just an excuse, it’s because I’m too lazy.

Explaining the situation, looking around the nearby site, administrative procedures and selecting construction companies, various reports and recruiting the manpower needed for operation, etc.

It’s not about the money, I’m just too lazy to do anything.

It’s better to consider other methods… Oho.

I can get Hyung Hong-chan to do it.

Originally, that person is knowledgeable in this area, and he said he’s coming down to Jeju, so since things have turned out this way, since I’m really lazy, I can get Hyung Hong-chan to do it.

Originally, the highest person just sits still and orders this and that, and shows management, supervision, and trust in it. If I directly step in and tell them what to do, the people involved get tired.

So, I just roughly explain the situation and tell them to take care of it, and that’s it.

Headaches, physical exhaustion, or things that require a lot of attention are Hyung Hong-chan’s responsibility, not something I have to deal with.

Anyway, I hope Hyung Hong-chan moves to Jeju soon.

That way, I can use him without worry. Ahem.

After finishing lunch and savoring the aroma of high-end coffee on the 3rd-floor terrace, I was seriously contemplating the supply of dark elixir, Sarah’s Wings [items or resources likely related to the dungeon clearing game], and plans for clearing the dungeon when the helper lady finds me.

“You have a guest, Chairman. The madam says it’s your eldest brother-in-law. Should I take him to the study on the 2nd floor?”

“… Yes. Please do.”

“Understood. And what kind of tea should I prepare?”

“Give him black tea.”

“Yes, then.”

Eldest brother-in-law?

Then is it Hyung Hong-chan?

Eh, no way. Who comes down the very day after talking on the phone yesterday?

He has things to do on the mainland too… Just kidding. That person was in hiding.

Still, he already came down?

Is it a preliminary survey?

Good for him. I had something to order him to do anyway… I chugged the remaining coffee and got up from my seat and headed to the study on the 2nd floor.

“What wind blew you down so early?”

When I opened the study door and went inside, Hyung Hong-chan was sipping hot black tea delicately, blowing on it.

Uncharacteristically.

“I stayed up all night last night. I couldn’t fall asleep at all. Anyway, why is the land price so expensive around here? How is it that the Jeju countryside is more expensive than the neighborhood I live in?”

“Jeju countryside? Well, well, a person living in the mainland countryside is saying that? And this place with a view of Hallasan [a dormant volcano and the highest mountain in South Korea] in the back and the sea in the front, 15 minutes from the airport, with elementary, middle, and high schools, and plenty of convenience facilities including large supermarkets….”

“I was wrong. Can you shut up a bit?”

“Ahem. Don’t look down on Jeju. How many people are coming down from the mainland to live in Jeju these days? Land prices have risen a lot as foreign capital, including China, has been pouring in, but it’s still okay. Furthermore, if you live in a place like this with mountains and the sea, good water, and good air, your mind and body will be stable….”

“Ah, come on! I said shut up!”

“Ahem. So don’t look down on it. Ahem.”

“Jerk. Anyway, whenever I say something, you always just nag. Forget it. Forget it, is there really no house or building for sale around here? Now that I’m actually trying to build a building, it seems like it will take time….”

Did he stop by a nearby real estate agency before arriving home?

The way he’s talking about land prices, houses, and buildings, it seems like he looked into it in advance.

“Instead of that, look at the 2nd and 3rd floors here.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Anyway, take a look around.”

“You have to tell me the reason before I look.”

Hmm, should I tell him?

Well, since he’s someone who will figure it out soon anyway, it’s better to tell him in advance.

“In the future, if you go on dungeon buses [group dungeon raids] too, you’ll be almost never home like me, right?”

“That’s right. If I’m going around clearing dungeons, that’s how it will be. But why is that?”

“Then, doesn’t your sister-in-law feel uneasy when she’s only with the kids?”

“She hasn’t said anything like that?”

“That’s because you’re not going into dungeons now! For example, if you’re not home for a week or two, or even a month?”

“Th, that’s….”

“Isn’t she uneasy?”

“… Probably.”

“What do you think is the reason why I spent money to build this building and live together? Vanity, something like that?”

“… Hmm….”

“Go up to the 2nd and 3rd floors and come back.”

“So, why exactly… Huh? You, maybe. Wait a minute!”

At my words, Hyung Hong-chan seemed to remember something, and he roughly stomped out and started looking around here and there.

Hmm, if I choose the 2nd floor, will there be noise between floors?

Should I give him the 3rd floor?

After a while.

“Hmm… I felt it last time too, but you really built it well. How many square meters is it?”

“Is the square footage important?”

“No.”

“What about the number of rooms and the structure?”

“A family of four living there, if there are only 7 rooms on one floor, it’s more than enough.”

“Did you see the bathroom, the shower room, and the sauna?”

“Yeah. The outdoor terrace on the 3rd floor is amazing.”

“Choose one of the two. The 2nd floor or the 3rd floor.”

“Hmm… Both?”

“… Just build a building. This year will pass by.”

“Just kidding. Just kidding. By the way, the 3rd floor is tempting, but what about you then? Won’t you use the terrace?”

“I’ll just build a few more buildings next door. It’s okay.”

“…….”

“… Why?”

What?

What is it?

Why is your face puffed up with so much air in your mouth like that?

Are you a pufferfish?

“And I’m going to build an amusement park, a water park, and an aquarium nearby. You take care of the process with the city or provincial officials. You can use my name, so you only need to pay attention at the beginning. Let’s finish all the paperwork within this month.”

“Amusement park? Water park? Why are you building those?”

“The amusement parks in Jeju only have a few rides like the Viking and a few others. The scale is all similar. I’m going to build it on a large scale like on the mainland. Just enough for Sung-joon to play. Ah, I’m going to let the residents of the neighborhood use it too. So, just take care of it roughly. Don’t worry about the money.”

“…….”

Hyung Hong-chan stares blankly at me for a long time.

Why?

I am a bit successful, aren’t I? Kuhehehe.

3 weeks later.

Hyung Hong-chan’s family of four moved to Jeju.

We were having a friendly time with dinner and drinks with Hong-chan’s son Hong Dong-soo, who is the same age as Sung-joon, his cute two-year-old daughter Hong Jin-ah, and my sister-in-law, who is the same age as me, and my wife, when suddenly those guys barged in.

“Hyungnim [term of respect for an older brother or senior]~.”

“Hyeongsunim [term of respect for an older brother’s wife]~.”

“How could you leave us out….”

“Vice Guild Leader, congratulations on your entry into Jeju!”

“Hyung! Why am I….”

I didn’t call them.

Hyung Hong-chan clearly said he didn’t call them either.

Then, how did you guys know and barge in like this!

As expected, it’s not good to live together in one place. Tsk.

Two days later.

I departed from Jeju International Airport to England on a private plane with Hyung Hong-chan, who newly took a spot on the existing dungeon clearing team, members of the Awakened Association, and a few officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Less than 30 minutes after departure, Gil-soo was continuously brainwashing Hyung Hong-chan on the points to be aware of when clearing the dungeon, and instead of explaining the formation and orders for the team’s movement, attack, defense, and emergency situations, he was loudly shouting to just follow behind him, so I coolly smacked him on the back of the head.

If you’re going to do it, do it right!

Anyway, Hyung Hong-chan is a warrior with stats in the late 4th grade.

He’s someone who has been developing that level of sense and skill since before you awakened, Gil-soo.

Worry about yourself, Gil-soo. All you know how to do is mine minerals. C-bomb-ssack [likely an exclamation or insult]!

After having a pretty decent meal that wasn’t like in-flight food twice more, we arrived at London Heathrow Airport.

We moved by large bus for about 2 hours with the British Awakened Association members and government officials who came to pick us up, along with hundreds of soldiers.

After arriving at the new dungeon near the Brighton coast and checking the personnel, potions, food, drinking water, and emergency supplies for the last time, we entered the dungeon.

5 minutes after entering the new dungeon on the Brighton coast in England.

“A2 large. Form up!”

“Warriors, come forward from 12 o’clock to 2 o’clock!”

As soon as I entered the dungeon, the shouts of the guild members, which have now become familiar, rang out.

While the warriors were preparing for any possible emergencies, I did what I had to do first.

“Summon 1 Probe!”

[Ding! Summons 1 Probe.]

“Create a crystalline body, create a gateway, build an upgraded core, a Dracon core, and a Land Core!”

‘Pa…ch…chijik!’

“Produce a shuttle! Create a Land Core, produce a shuttle! Create a Land Core, produce a shuttle….”

After summoning the Probe and raising the tech tree [game terminology for upgrading abilities], I was busy producing shuttles from the Land Core when Hyung Hong-chan, who was looking around, came up and said a word.

“Like before?”

“Of course.”

“Shuttle? I don’t see any dungeon units either?”

“It’s not for attacking. It’s for moving.”

“Wh, what do you mean?”

“Ask Psy. Is the magic circuit ready?”

“…….”

How frustrating, this uncle.

Well, it’s been about a year and a half since he entered the dungeon, so the standardized Great Support Guild dungeon clearing method may feel strange to him.

Moreover, this is a new dungeon. Maybe this is Hyung Hong-chan’s first new dungeon?

“Psy!”

“… Yes. My lord!”

The guy who was waiting in the back quickly runs up at my call.

“Is the magic tracking circuit ready?”

“Of course, my lord.”

“When the shuttle production is finished, board by team and move immediately. Anyway, this is an empty dungeon.”