“Oh, what a mess. It looks like you’ve proven that the ventilation system can’t keep up with your cigarette smoke. I bet if you report this, the company might actually applaud and invite you to help improve their system.”
A friend with dyed blond hair burst into the room without a shred of hesitation. I’d upgraded the system so that no one could enter without my permission, but it seemed they’d resorted to brute force this time.
“By the way, your parents gave me permission.”
“Man, where else can you find such good friends?”
Pushing aside the door they’d removed, that guy and the others kept spouting nonsense like that.
“…Get out.”
“Since you’re not denying it, I guess you also think it’s impossible. So how about you finally cut down on smoking, huh? For the sake of us cheeky nonsmokers who drop by now and then?”
“Ah, Shoes, why’s that idiot acting up again?”
“Leave him be. He’s just trying to rile up Big Dipper to energize him somehow.”
They were annoying. I chewed on the cigarette I had been smoking and focused my eyes on the game I had been playing. Swish. The wide leg of someone’s pants blocked a part of my vision.“Yo—”
“A cute nonsmoker just asked you something, right? Don’t you think you should do it then?”
But before I could even get mad about not being able to see the screen properly, my cigarette was suddenly snatched out of my mouth.
Bam, bababababam.
On top of that, my character also died. It happened because I made a bad judgment due to my vision effectively being blocked.
With that, my no-death, no-glitch speedrun was ruined before I even got close to the ending. It was my very first speedrun ever, but I guess people just shouldn’t try things they’d never done before.
“Ooh, Big Dipper’s super pissed-off face. It’s so damn cute.”
“If you’re not mad after that, you’re practically a living Buddha. Seriously. Wow, I’m also getting pissed off now.”
Shit.
As soon as the death sound effect played, I threw the controller and covered my face with one of my hands. How could those guys do this to me? Anger and sadness bubbled up, smacking me over my head. And then my eyes started feeling hot for no reason.
“Are you crying? Crying?”
“What? Big Dipper’s crying?!”
“How could you ask someone if they’re crying while they’re clearly crying, guys? Just open a window already. This cigarette smell is so suffocating that I feel like I’m about to die.”
“Lee Jang-hwa, you’re the absolute worst piece of trash, so don’t act as if you’re being considerate and just keep your mouth shut. Kim Tae-kyun, Kang Jeong-hee, you also stop your teasing.”
“Wow, the Scholar has arrived!!”
“The boomer’s here! Run away!!”
“Wait, Seon-rim. I’m being treated unfairly here. What did I even do?”
At that moment, yet another person joined in. Shoes, Fried Chicken, Tea Leaf Fanatic, and Scholar. All the guys I usually hung out with had gathered here. ŘåꞐ∅ʙÊS
“Kang Jeong-hee, go open the curtains and windows. Kim Tae-kyun, go pick your clones off the ground. Lee Jang-hwa, stop messing around for one second and help Tae-kyun clean up the trash.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Wait a second, if that trash is supposed to be my clones, am I trash as well?”
“Messing… I was not messing around! Park Seon-rim, it turns out you’re a master at framing people, huh?”
“Jang-hwa, that’s exactly what messing around looks like. So just shut up and pick up the trash.”
Their noisy voices were so familiar, but they were also very irritating. No, I was grateful. I really was, but I still didn’t like it.
I was embarrassed that they were seeing this side of me, and I hated that they were trying to forcibly prop me back up. I just wanted them to leave me alone. I couldn’t understand why they were bothering me like this.
“Wow, this is so unfair. I picked up this cigarette pack waaay before you even told me to, so why are you saying I was messing around?”
“Nope, Shoes, even I think you’re messing around.”
“Fried Chicken, even you?”
“Stop fighting and look at this. Look at this trash. Looks like this guy hasn’t even bothered to empty his vacuum cleaner.”
“Where? Wow, for real. I’ve never seen so much dust piled up like that. So this is what happens when you don’t empty the vacuum on time.”
The dark room brightened after they opened the curtains and turned on the lights. The stale air, filled with cigarette smoke, also cleared away. The floor and furniture, covered in dust and trash, were also liberated.
“You didn’t even do your laundry. What have you been wearing all this time?”
“Scholar, there’s nothing decent in the fridge either, so cooking is probably off the table.”
“…Well, we were going to head out anyway, but we at least have to clean out the fridge. Throw out everything.”
“Okay.”
“Seon-rim, this guy’s almost out of toilet paper. Should we buy some more?”
“Yeah, good job. Find out what else is also missing. Might as well get everything while we’re at it.”
The laundry basket, overflowing with dirty clothes because I didn’t bother washing them.
The fridge, filled with instant noodles and no cooking ingredients.
The other necessities, mostly depleted because I paid no attention to them.
“Leave…”
“Friend, if you’re human, you should try speaking like one. Sure, you may have abandoned the whole concept of human dignity by this point, but that doesn’t mean you have to regress to a beast to the point of even communicating like one.”
“Damn it, you bastards, leave…”
“Yeah, nah, we’re people, so we can’t understand beast talk. So we’re not going. Not in a million years. If you really want us to leave you alone, Big Dipper, you’ll have to turn back into a human first.”
“Scholar, can I hit Jang-hwa just once?”
“Do it when we’re leaving.”
My body, which had been curled up and crying, was forcibly raised. “If you can’t ask us properly, then let’s go.” The hand gripping my arm was so strong that I couldn’t shake it off.
I felt even more frustrated and unendingly bitter due to my inability to put any strength into one of my legs since I wasn’t wearing a brace.
“You damn bastards…”
“Oh, what’s that? You’re so grateful to have such kind, cute, and lovely people as your friends? Don’t worry. All the things and food we’re buying today will be paid for with none other than your own money.”
“Isn’t Lee Jang-hwa just utter trash?”
“But, well… it’s not like we’re actually paying for all of it. We’re using the card his parents gave us.”
“Okay, okay. But before that, let’s get you changed first. I don’t care whether your reputation will end up in shambles, but what crime have I committed to walk around with you looking like that?”
“…On a separate note, Jang-hwa really is trash.”
“Haha. Tae-kyun, you should help too, you know?”
“Ah, why me?”
“Are you expecting me to change him by myself? Or should I ask Fried Chicken and Scholar for help? You’ve got such a great personality, really.”
“Damn it…”
Then, another one joined in. In the end, my hair was forcibly washed, my clothes were changed, and I was finally dragged outside.
“This bastard, trying to escape even after we’ve done so much for you? Punishment time. Eat more, eat it all. You need to gain some weight.”
“Hey, while we’re at the department store, let’s buy some blankets, too. The ones at his place looked so dirty, way beyond saving.”
“Agreed. If we’re going to do that, let’s buy something super nerdy, something with a character on it. It’ll be so embarrassing that he’ll have to go out to buy another one himself.”
“You think that’ll work? He’s already a complete nerd, right?”
This was my first outing in a year.
At the time, I was really angry, irritated, and frustrated.
But looking back later, it was probably one of my happiest outings.
“…Didn’t you have fun? Why are you suddenly crying?”
“Ah, Fried Chicken. You were supposed to stay close to him and make sure he wasn’t thinking about anything else, right?”
“He just started crying.”
“What’s wrong? Did we go too far?”
I shed tears as I looked at their hazy faces.
“Sorry. We just wanted you to keep going…”
“Why aren’t you coming now?”
My vision grew even hazier, and the faces I couldn’t see before became even blurrier.
“Is it because I was mad at you back then?”
I didn’t want this. I wiped away my tears.
“Sorry. I won’t ever get mad at you again.”
But the tears just kept coming.
“So, can’t you just come here and comfort me this time too?”
I shed tears because I was lonely.
“I don’t want to be alone…”
I was so very lonely.
* * *
“Great Master, I would like to request something…”
The Sleep System I’d been using so far always gave me the sensation of “I close my eyes, and when I open them, I’m all refreshed in the morning.”
But lately, sometimes, I’d wake up feeling kind of strange. Still refreshed, but strangely depressed and sad.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
The only good thing was that I had nothing to do today.
Even if the restless morning had left me dazed, there were no pressing matters to attend to. I sat in a corner of Meister’s workshop and rested my dazed head. Since the seat Meister had offered me was a type of couch, I also didn’t need to worry about looking uncool.
“I’m pretty sure the delivery quota has already been met.”
“Ah, that’s right, but… the Merfolk have been strangely quiet.”
“…Ah, well. It’s about time the Merfolk launch another attack.”
Meanwhile, Meister was attending to a client who’d come by as I lounged about.
Judging by the clicking sounds that occasionally interrupted the conversation, it seemed Meister was working even while speaking to that guy.
“So, like before?”
“Yes, yes. Just like before, every five days, that’s how much extra they seemed to need.”
“How annoying…”
On another note, the Merfolk’s behavior was strange, huh? I finally understood why the Archmage had delayed our departure in such a vague way instead of just giving a definitive schedule.
Clearly, she’d also been aware of this and hadn’t set an exact departure date for that reason. She was expecting something to happen while we were here.
“Got it. Now leave.”
“Yes.”
But I really didn’t want to deal with another Sea Boss anymore. Wouldn’t any Ground-Bound Bosses make an appearance any time soon? Really?
If this was another Sea Raid, that would just be crossing the line, honestly.
“Phew, will it work this time…?”
I was seriously praying. Meister, who’d promptly kicked out his guest, looked to be doing something similar. Seeing how earnestly he was praying to the sky, he must have finished engraving the modified enchantments onto that object.
“Do it.”
What followed was Meister tossing the completed item at me. It was also a signal for me to imbue it with Arcane Power.
The first time, it was “Could you do me a favor?” then the second time, “I’ll leave this to you,” and now it was just “Do it.” This was seriously absurd.
Thud.
Regardless, I caught it without even looking. I infused my black Arcane Power into it.
“Damn it. Still no reaction…”
Of course, there was no reaction this time either. No light and no vibration.
“Put it on the shelf.”
Still, just in case something happened like before, we placed it on the display rack.
No matter whether Meister cursed under his breath or not, I simply placed the item on a nearby side table. One arm rested over my eyes while the other carried out the task.
“Phew…”
Quite some time passed like this. Meister, either working on a new request, his own research, or something else entirely—I wasn’t quite sure—stretched.
Crack.
A satisfying sound echoed through the workshop.
Click, click.
Still stretching, he got up and moved to one side. It looked like he was going to recheck my equipment.
His presence shifted toward the reagent bottles containing my coat, gloves, and vest.
Zzrp, zzrp.
The sound of air flowing and something getting torn tickled my ears.
“This is driving me nuts. What kind of clothes are these? How were they even made…?”
But it seemed like he didn’t come to any sort of conclusion this time either. Meister let out a groan.
“What’s most frustrating about these things is that they restore themselves automatically without any cost. Do you really not know why they’re like this?”
As a bonus, he ended up shifting the blame to me. Not that I could answer him, even if he kept pressing like that.
“I could understand if this material had some inherent regenerative properties, but no matter how I look at their structure, they’re just ordinary materials…”
Well, then, they had to be materials with inherent regenerative abilities disguised as something else. Perhaps they could alter their molecular structure at will or something.
“…What did you just say?”
“…?”
Ah, wait. Did I just say that out loud…?
“Disguised? As something else?”
“…I just thought that might be possible.”
Unbelievable. Seriously. I knew I wasn’t in my right mind, but actually saying my thoughts out loud? I must have really been losing it.
“Shut up for a second. Altering the molecular structure at will…”
However, Meister immediately dismissed my efforts to somehow cover up my earlier clumsy character break.
Fortunately, he wasn’t well-acquainted enough with my character to even notice that I’d broken character just then.
“Molecular structure…!”
Instead, he just kept muttering the words I’d said as if trying to retrace them. He looked almost maniacal, to which I pressed my arms down on the couch’s armrest to sit up.
“For a musclehead, that’s a pretty good idea. Let me praise you!”
That was the exact moment when Meister shouted, “Eureka!” Although it was a bit unpleasant that he’d called me a musclehead, I couldn’t really criticize him while seeing him so delighted.
Unlike me, who’d just blurted something out without thinking, he seemed to have come up with a solid hypothesis.
“Here.”
At that moment, Meister threw something at me.
“You must be pretty smart if you understand what molecular structure is. Don’t waste that brainpower sleeping; read some books instead. Stuff that decent brain of yours with knowledge.”
It was a stack of books. From magic tomes to books on alchemy bordering on scientific texts, encyclopedias about various materials, manuals on tool usage, countless crafting guides, and so on.
Since I couldn’t sleep all day, it wasn’t too bad to have something to read, but… this was just ridiculous. Well, I had some time to kill anyway.
“Alright, if they’re actually made of different materials, then the experiment I should do now is… Oh, wait. This will lessen the time I have to handle these requests. Hmm.”
I was about to vent my frustration as befitting my character but gave up after seeing that Meister was lost in his own world again.
Of course, if Meister were in my party, I definitely would have complained if only out of necessity, but he was still just a temporary acquaintance, and our relationship would soon end. I didn’t want to waste more energy on him than I already had.
Thud, thud.
Instead, I looked at the books he’d given me. This massive stack really seemed to consist solely of books meant to impart knowledge.
“…?”
However, among them was one book, just one, that was different. The title, The Broken Horn, and the writing style I’d noticed while leafing through it made it seem like a novel. Considering how thin it was, it might have just been some sort of a fairy tale.
Judging by how it was obviously different from the other books, it seemed less like he’d given this to me intentionally and more like it had somehow gotten mixed into that pile of books…
Well, whether or not it was intentional, I was rather grateful. I was already busy enough as is. It would be simply too difficult to cram all that knowledge into my head on top of everything else.
Rustle.
So I opened the cover of The Broken Horn.
[On a night when the moon hung high above the roof of the highest tower and the only thing chasing away the darkness was the glow of the tavern’s lights, a boy stepped out onto the streets…]
The cover, whose condition made it clear this book wasn’t particularly old but nearly brand new, opened to reveal inky text, slightly different from modern-day writing, that unfolded into a story.
____
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter