Level 4 Human in a Ruined World

Chapter 216

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 216: Unexpectedness (1)

‘It’s finally here.’

The most feared entity in the universe at this moment, taxes.

There was no room for negotiation as the consequence of unpaid taxes was nothing but death.

‘Forgery of official documents might land you in jail at first, but at least there’s a chance of survival.’

But when it comes to taxes, it’s instant obliteration.

‘I had to work hard to come up with the money for acquisition tax… How much and how are those on the Chairman’s level paying?’

Yeongwoo imagined the Chairman, who must be sweating bullets trying to come up with the money to pay taxes.

However, instead of a clear image forming in his mind, something fist-sized was seen falling to the ground where the Doctor had been standing just a moment ago.

It was none other than…

「Jeong Yeongwoo07’s Heart」 – Epic Charm

【Fate Manipulation】

【Stubbornness】

【Phased Material Ingredient】

It was Yeongwoo’s own heart that he had before.

As promised, Doctor had processed his heart into a charm and brought it to him.

“Huh? My heart!”

Yeongwoo was surprised as he picked up his own heart, and tooltips appeared in his field of vision.

【Fate Manipulation】

|When reaching a fate branching point, the activation probability of the lowest outcome is tripled.

【Stubbornness】

|Increases the difficulty of all problems. Increases all unexpectedness.

【Phased Material Ingredient】

|When processed into a phased material, the effect greatly increases.

“What is this?”

He was already feeling dizzy again.

It was shocking enough that his own heart had been turned into an item, but the tooltips were incredibly confusing.

‘Tripled activation probability of the lowest outcome at fate branching points… What nonsense is this?’

As a human who had come into contact with the universe due to the reset, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

This was because one of the major changes caused by the reset was the reset of fate.

‘But were there fate branching points? Wasn’t it like that since the reset?’

Of course, judging by the lowest outcome thing, it seemed that it wasn’t a structure where everything ran towards a predetermined conclusion before the reset.

But nevertheless, it meant that there was equipment that influenced fate.

And that meant…

*Swoosh.*

Yeongwoo unconsciously looked up at the sky.

And strangely enough…

*Zap!*

Two streaks of bright white light suddenly shot down from the sky, each piercing Yeongwoo and Jeonggu’s heads.

*Thud!*

“Huh?”

“Ah!”

While Yeongwoo reflexively jerked his body, Jeonggu was already hiding behind the couch.

“…”

Truly amazing survival skills.

But what just happened to the two of them wasn’t some kind of attack.

“…Huh? Father, take a look.”

“What?”

As he raised his head in response to Yeongwoo’s words, Jeonggu couldn’t help but widen his eyes greatly.

“What’s that on your head?”

Because there was a symbol shining brightly above Yeongwoo’s head.

The circular symbols placed side by side in a partially overlapping shape not only adorned Yeongwoo’s head but also Jeonggu’s.

“It’s also on Father’s head.”

As Yeongwoo pointed to the top of Jeonggu’s head, a system message appeared in their field of vision.

―《General purpose certificate of lineal ascendancy》 authentication has been completed.

“Oh.”

“What?”

So, the symbol just now indicated that the two of them were related by blood.

“I told you, I’m your son.”

“Wait, does that make sense?”

Jeonggu unintentionally lost strength in his legs and sat down on the floor.

He had somewhat anticipated it, but now that it had been confirmed, the shock was great.

To think that there was a son he didn’t even know existed.

And to make matters worse, he appeared as a creepy guy in his 30s.

“Ugh… damn it.”

As Jeonggu made a face as if he was having a nightmare, his son’s shadow was cast over him.

“Now you have to admit it. I’m your biological son and heir.”

Strictly speaking, Kim Jeonggu’s bad offspring.

“Well, then, my last name was ‘Kim’ originally. I have no idea about my name.”

As Yeongwoo muttered like this, Jeonggu looked up at his son and said,

“Maybe your mother named you.”

It was quite a plausible inference.

Since Jeonggu had no idea about the existence of his son in the first place, he couldn’t have named him, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the birth mother who directly carried Yeongwoo had a different idea.

‘My original name…’

His mind seemed to drift away.

However, before Yeongwoo could immerse himself in his thoughts, the next event brought him back to consciousness.

-Taxes will be collected as of the current time.

It was already 10 PM, and the tax collection was starting.

‘Ah, that explains it. I wondered why the paternity confirmation happened suddenly.’

Tap, tap!

Gradually, sounds of tax collection could be heard from the bedroom on the other side, and it eventually reached Yeongwoo’s turn.

Swish.

The space in front of Yeongwoo opened up, revealing Kubu, his tax accountant and intermediary in transactions.

– It is an honor to see you again, the owner of the myth, the one who killed the dragon, Mr. Jeong Yeongwoo07!

“Ah, Mr. Kubu.”

As Yeongwoo greeted the tax accountant and showed his hand, Kubu blinked his large eyes and proceeded with the tax notification.

– The decided tax amount for today is 1.87 million, including acquisition tax, the total tax amount is 18.81 million karma.

Then he displayed detailed information in front of Yeongwoo.

| Calculated tax amount: 3.4 million

– Acquisition tax: 30.8 million

| Deduction items: Single-parent family, dependent family members

| Decided tax amount: 1.87 million

– Acquisition tax: 16.94 million

* Acquisition tax payment deadline: 23 hours 59 minutes

“Single-parent family deduction has been applied. Is the official document verified?”

– Yes. Verification of the Direct Bloodline Universal Certificate has been completed, applying a deduction rate of 30% due to confirmation of direct bloodline and an additional 15% deduction due to recognition of dependent family members, resulting in a total deduction rate of 45%.

45%.

Indeed, it was an immense deduction rate, but it also meant that the tax Yeongwoo had to pay was significant.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

If he had to pay the calculated tax amount in full, he would have had to cough up a whopping 34 million karma.

– Since the payment deadline for the “Bastard” acquisition tax is until tomorrow, no further actions will be taken if only the basic tax amount is paid today.

No further actions.

It meant the extinction of existence.

“Then, is it possible to pay in advance? Tomorrow, there will be another acquisition tax for the encyclopedia of arms, right?”

– That’s correct.

“Then it’s better to pay everything today just to be safe.”

– Understood. Shall I proceed with the full payment of 18.81 million karma, including the acquisition tax?

Kubu asked Yeongwoo again about his intention to pay in full.

To this, Yeongwoo nodded.

“Yes. Let’s pay it all this time.”

Immediately, Yeongwoo’s karma balance rapidly decreased.

Zap!

* Available karma: 18,538,500

A whopping 18.81 million was paid in a lump sum.

– Payment has been processed. Well then, I’ll…

Kubu blinked as if he were preparing to leave, so Yeongwoo hurriedly handed him his heart charm.

“Do you happen to know what this tooltip means? Since you have also been involved in transactions, you might know more than I do.”

Upon hearing this, Kubu stared intently at ‘Jeong Yeongwoo07’s Heart’.

And Yeongwoo received an unexpected reaction.

– What is this…?

“Yes…?”

– You’ve created a device that interferes with fate manipulation. This is the first time I’ve seen such a debt equipment directly.

Kubu’s eyelids trembled.

So Yeongwoo couldn’t help but ask.

“…What does ‘debt equipment’ mean?”

– It means unique equipment reflecting the value of existence. A prime example would be ‘Myth.’

“Ah.”

Myth.

A very good example.

Yeongwoo could understand it immediately.

‘So does my current existential value mean something like epic grade?’

Given that the heart-shaped talisman crafted from the heart was of epic quality, it wouldn’t be far off to think so.

Pop!

[Catalog]

〔28〕

Meanwhile, Yeongwoo’s catalog collection progress had increased.

Yeongwoo’s heart charm was also judged as jewelry and added to the catalog.

‘It’s a good sign in many ways. Anyway, I wonder if that charm effect will be helpful to me? Or maybe not…?’

Since the heart charm he pulled out was considered as equipment and included in the catalog of accessories, Yeongwoo couldn’t readily determine whether this tooltip was a good or bad thing due to its various interpretations.

【Fate Manipulation】

|When reaching a fate branching point, the activation probability of the lowest outcome is tripled.

【Stubbornness】

|Increases the difficulty of all problems. Increases all unexpectedness.

These two factors don’t necessarily guarantee good outcomes, do they?

For instance,

‘In a situation where the lowest outcome probability is tripled, it’s likely that a medical accident will occur instead of the expected heart surgery.’

On the other hand, thinking positively, there could be events like surviving with an 84% mortality rate in prison, or unexpectedly meeting a significant sponsor.

‘I should probably keep the charm effect on for a while.’

After Yeongwoo finished his own analysis, he bid farewell to Kubu, who was still waiting.

“Thank you for your hard work. Now, go home and rest.”

In response, Kubu closed his large eyes and returned the farewell.

– Thank you. I hope to bring you good news next time!

With Kubu gone, Yeongwoo’s heart surgery scars were also cleanly erased right on cue.

“Crossed a big mountain.”

“What mountain did you cross? I don’t recall you ever coming down from the mountain top.”

Jeonggu grumbled with a wrinkled expression, then suddenly looked out the window as if he remembered something.

“Is the next thing the dungeon?”

But as the lights came back on after the departure of the Doctor, the window showed not the outside scenery but the reflection of the two wealthy men.

“Yes. But Father, you’re not allowed to go out today.”

“…What? Why?”

“I don’t have the climate equipment to lend you this time.”

Today’s abnormal weather, metallic dust.

Yeongwoo intended to use the Bleeding immunity equipment, but he had nothing to give to Jeonggu.

“So are you going to the dungeon alone?”

“Tomorrow, the land will be attached. It’s better to go at least once before the atmosphere between nations becomes more hostile.”

As Yeongwoo said this, he gripped the hanging whistle around his neck.

It was to check the remaining summoning count left deliberately for this moment.

‘Remaining summoning count is one.’

The current time was 10:11 PM.

He had about 49 minutes left before he had to go out into the night.

“So now, let’s rest for about 40 minutes…”

Just as Yeongwoo was about to bury himself on the sofa,

“Mr. Yeongwoo?”

Seok’s voice came from the bedroom area.

And as soon as Yeongwoo heard it, he had a premonition that something must have happened in the room where the returnee had been seen so far.

Because,

—Kwaaaagh!

Before Sook’s call even ended, a noisy friction sound erupted from the television.

And soon after,

—Jeong Yeongwoo!

The excited voice of the general calling for Yeongwoo echoed.

In response, Yeongwoo quickly snapped to attention and got up.

“There’s a new weapon!”

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]