episode_0022

“I’ll take a break and then I’ll finish talking.”

As if her throat was sore from talking so much, Woojoo cleared her throat with a short “hmm.” Her throat moved cutely, making a “click” sound as she took the last sip of her drink.

Woo-joo threw the empty bottle into the trash can and absentmindedly fiddled with the back pocket of the trunks he was wearing, then quickly closed them with a squeaking sound.

Shihyuk realized what the universe wanted from that small movement.

It was something that Mr. Kim Woo-sik always did in places where indoor smoking was prohibited. Si-hyuk opened the window wide and handed her the ashtray that was on top of the television.

“You can smoke it.”

Woo-joo, who had his round shoulders hunched, scratched his cheek awkwardly, and as he had expected, took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket.

“You, no, Mr. Sihyuk, are so considerate of even the smallest details. I won’t refuse. Thank you.”

A white cigarette was caught between the thick lips that were protruding. Woo-joo, who was about to light it, suddenly let out a sly laugh at the thick, large palm that was held out in front of him.

She placed a cigarette in Shi-hyuk’s hand, lit her own cigarette, and then lit his. The menthol cigarette had a refreshing minty scent.

“After-”

Late at night, the wind was quite cold.

The still chilly spring breeze swept through the room where the two were alone and disappeared. The wind caused the cigarette smoke from Sihyuk and Woojoo’s mouths to become entangled and shatter into pieces.

The universe closed its eyes. The cigarette smoke touched its long eyelashes slightly, then melted into thin air and disappeared.

I didn’t know it at the time, but the orphanage was located near Daedunsan Mountain.

The young Universe and Galaxy did not know how to read geography, and simply walked aimlessly along the wide asphalt road that only maintained its shape.

The road was sometimes straight, and sometimes it had to wind around.

When they were thirsty, they drank rainwater, and when they were hungry, they took a pinch of their staple food, millet powder, which they had prepared by saving it little by little during meal times at the orphanage in preparation for their escape.

It was only on the third day, towards evening, that the two arrived at the ruined city of Daejeon.

“The outside world was extremely dangerous for Hansel, a fool who had just turned fourteen and only had the courage to live, and for Gretel, a princess who had barely turned nine. If luck hadn’t been on their side, there were many moments when their lives were in danger.”

Whoosh- The universe exhaled a puff of smoke. The smoke that escaped from the small, pursed lips spread out in a cone shape.

The only memory I can laugh about is when we both got stomachaches because we ran out of rice powder and the slightly poisonous weeds we ate from the mountain. The most shocking memory was when we were looking for a place to sleep in the ruins of Daejeon and encountered a pack of stray dogs.

If luck hadn’t been on my side, if I hadn’t been an Awakener, I wouldn’t have survived.

“Still, we survived.”

The sisters, who slept in an abandoned building and woke up looking for something to eat, were fortunately discovered by people just as their lives were in danger.

They were workers who had come to demolish buildings for on-site reconstruction and to come up with estimates for the structures to be constructed.

[Hey, Mr. Park. What the? Why didn’t you just push it away and just sit there blankly?]

[Hey, over there! Look at that right now. Isn’t that a person? A person?]

[Hey, what’s going on? Why are there supporters here?]

[Hey!! Look at that forklift! The kids are going to get hurt! Mr. Park, what are you doing! Call 119 quickly!]

The innocent laborers were very affectionate, pouring water bottles to the mouths of the exhausted spacemen and giving them chocolate bars they had brought as snacks.

The sister, who was eventually protected by the ambulance that arrived, was able to receive nutritional injections and physical examinations to prepare for any possible danger.

When they judged that the sisters had recovered somewhat, they investigated their identities and whereabouts. The presence of an adult who could speak kindly and easily even at a young age surprised the universe, which had expected all adults to be like witches.

After many twists and turns, the universe and galaxy were able to travel to Seoul, where a facility for Awakened children was set up.

Seoul was a whole new world.

It seemed as if all the people, facilities, and buildings of the world were gathered here. There, the universes could enjoy everything they had not been able to enjoy while living in a rural orphanage.

The sisters who were placed in the Awakened Youth Protection Center were immediately provided with proper, state-licensed childcare facilities, basic socialization education, and room and board.

For the first time in my life, I was able to practice using chopsticks and eat every meal without having to pick up paper or scrap metal.

Instead of the universe lacking knowledge, the galaxy was able to receive proper teaching from a proper teacher. It was even able to fall asleep at a set time!

Thanks to the warmth and consideration they experienced for the first time in their lives, Woo-joo and Eun-ha were fortunately able to grow up into upright adults without going too far astray.

“And then, we started working as awakened members of the strategy series.”

The universe sighed as it tossed its cigarette butt into the ashtray. The little bit of smoke that remained in its lungs was exhaled with a deep sigh.

How great would it have been if it could have ended like this, ‘And they lived happily ever after.’

But reality was not a fairy tale. The two barely managed to escape, but they could not defeat the witch like Hansel and Gretel, and the old woman still took root in their memories and became a deep fear. And-

Kim Jin-hyung.

The universe opened its closed eyes.

“Can we start again?”

Shihyuk took a deep breath of the last cigarette he was holding. The cigarette smoke that passed through his airway filled his lungs, leaving a faint feeling. When he exhaled the breath he had been holding, the strong aftertaste of the cigarette smoke that he had exhaled lingered in his nose.

As if the story was about to begin.

“I will listen.”

-.-.-

Compared to others, the universe has a short learning curve and is also an awakened being, so there are certain things it can do.

Awakened in the strategy series.

The age at which you can actually fight and obtain byproducts is from adulthood. However, the minimum age to become a raid-type awakened player is 18 years of age or older.

When he turned 18, Woo-joo participated in a party of nationally recognized awakened players as an intern.

– Infamous – Due to the Youth Protection Act, he was unable to gain combat experience, and instead was tasked with simple chores such as transporting combat supplies and organizing Gate collectibles.

While safely behind them, the universe meticulously observed the senior Awakened ones while taking care of only the general chores.

This study was very helpful because there was a lot of knowledge and know-how behind each movement.

The seniors of the Awakened were impressed by the hard-working Woojoo, and sometimes gave her pocket money in addition to the fixed income she received. Woojoo did not forget that either, and saved it without fail.

After saving money and gaining knowledge, as an adult, Woojoo obtained a license for strategy and registered a private business without joining a guild.

It’s not that she dislikes group life, but she wanted a home away from home with the galaxy.

The business she envisioned was one that would receive requests to collect and acquire specific byproducts or collectibles, and then deliver them. To put it simply, it was an agency business.

After opening a website for commissions, Woojoo began his solo activities as a full-fledged strategy series awakener.

Compared to the galaxy, it was certainly not great, but the universe was not deep, but it had wide talents. She was active in all areas, including scouting, vanguard, and support. With the flexibility that can be called multi-talented, she gained various practical experiences and increased her reputation.

“Sister!”

“Come on in.”

As the galaxies that followed joined her, the business of the universe soared like a soaring falcon.

As they began to operate as a full-fledged two-person party, more and more people began to recognize them. Eunha was immature and had little combat experience, but her talent made everything possible.

If the universe was a firefly, the galaxy was the sun.

Who would believe that the universe, which had been running as a conquest group for nearly 4 years, and the galaxy, which had just started its activities, took the B-class awakening qualification exam on the same day? Even the universe was a case of fairly rapid growth.

As they added their names to the list of successful candidates, all eyes and ears were focused on the galaxy more than anyone else, including the universe.

Even the large guilds that everyone would know just by mentioning their names were keeping an eye on the galaxy.

A talent that can be counted among the few Awakened people in history, who could soon aim for A-class or even S-class.

Despite the overwhelming difference in talent, the universe was not jealous, but rather happy.

She was the younger sister who was raised more preciously than anyone else. She wanted more people to know about Eunha. Her star was the one who would shine brighter than any other star.

For the sake of the galaxy, the universe was willing to hand over the spotlight.

As they were able to conquer increasingly higher-grade gates, their space business expanded. Most recently, the two sisters conquered a B-grade large gate.

If it weren’t for the galaxy, this would have been impossible, and it was reported in numerous media outlets. It was already confirmed that he was a quasi-A-class awakened person, and love calls poured in from many places.

Woojoo was a little more ambitious, and opened a small business, hiring a craftsman from the production department that the sisters had often used.

“Please take care of me.”

“Please take care of me!”

“Yeah, yeah. Leave it to me.”

The craftsman was a master who could repair [rare grade weapons], although he was a little lacking in confidence. He had entrusted him with space weapons for several years, and he had made arrangements to have meals together, valuing his credibility highly.

“Galaxy, how are you?”

“Yeah, he’s a good guy!”

The ‘wind’ of the galaxy could not be left out of the evaluation either. Everything was going smoothly. It seemed as if the happy future that had been anticipated was within the grasp of the universe.

“Are these the errand boys? Their faces are half and half. Can I ask you something?”

“How much do you guys give me to do it?”

Until that guy showed up.