Ch.2Outside of the Blanket Is Dangerous (2)

The Earth I returned to had changed greatly from the Earth I once knew.

First, unlike my time on the other side where I spent over a hundred years, only 10 years had passed here.

And during those 10 years, Earth had suffered from attacks by monsters and dungeons.

‘……’

Dungeons appeared randomly without distinction of time or place, and if they weren’t stopped, monsters would emerge and ravage cities.

And those chosen by the system, the awakened ones. Commonly called ‘Hunters’ would stop them.

‘It’s ridiculous.’

I mean, if that was going to happen, was there any need to take away my power like this?

“…This place is a mess anyway.”

In that case, Earth’s environment isn’t much different from that other world, Thebe.

I’ve even heard that some “returnees” like me reign as top rankers, still possessing the power they accumulated in the other world.

Naturally, I couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied with this unfair treatment.

‘Is this some kind of discrimination?’

When I first realized this fact, I desperately tried to regain my power for a while.

My power was special, and I had devised numerous methods. I was confident I could return to my original state before long.

But I was wrong.

‘……’

Nothing worked.

As if it had been predetermined to be impossible from the start, none of my attempts succeeded.

Because of this, I had no choice but to give up on recovering my power after just one month of returning to Earth.

“Sigh.”

Of course, I have some idea why.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

If I underwent that “awakening,” perhaps I could regain my power.

But what could I do? It wasn’t something I could control.

Among modern humans, awakened ones made up less than 0.1% of the population.

‘It’s quite ironic that my sister is one of those chosen people…’

My younger sister, Baek Seoha, is an awakened one. An A-rank at that. A rank held by fewer than 100 people in Korea.

And they say the limits of her potential are unknown, so she might someday reach S-rank.

‘They called her an exceptional prospect, didn’t they?’

Because of that, she’s constantly in the news, filming commercials, and causing all sorts of commotion.

While I was gone, my little sister had completely become a celebrity.

And the story was that I was a freeloader being raised in her home, living off my sister’s wealth.

[Glory be with you!]

“Why would you use your ultimate there?”

Now, I’m a weak being who can’t even control the battle of mere data fragments in a game.

Bang!

[You have been defeated.]

Looking at that message that evoked emptiness, I listlessly closed the game.

“Cola…”

I craved cola.

I needed carbonation to clear my blocked mind. I sluggishly left my room and opened the refrigerator door.

Click.

“…None left.”

Today was truly a depressing day.

#

“It’s so boring.”

Song Chanseop is what you’d call a convenience store part-timer.

Ten years have passed since the ‘Day of Change,’ and we’ve entered an era where awakened ones and monsters run rampant, but convenience stores were still beloved by everyone, and working there wasn’t particularly special.

However, the place where Song Chanseop worked was a bit different.

‘Since it’s a high-end complex, customers are rare.’

Moreover, the appearance of those customers was also unusual.

When he first started working, he was quite surprised to serve a well-known actor who usually only appeared on TV.

Anyway, most customers here were people with some power in society.

Ding.

As he was resting his chin on the counter out of boredom, the door suddenly opened.

Song Chanseop startled and hurriedly delivered his business greeting.

“Welcome.”

“……”

Glancing over, he saw a small-framed customer wearing a hoodie pulled down as far as possible.

It was definitely a familiar outfit.

‘…Ah, it’s been a while.’

A resident of Building 4, one of the most expensive in this high-end apartment complex.

He didn’t know her exact identity, but her appearance during her first visit was so striking that he could never forget this customer.

‘Well, it would be impossible to forget even if I wanted to.’

Back then, the girl had bought items with a blanket over her head, completely hiding her face.

At one point, he even considered reporting her as a suspicious person.

‘Though I’m used to it now.’

From what Chanseop could tell, the girl was extremely introverted.

Not just shy, but seemingly having difficulty communicating with people.

She seemed to have improved a bit recently, but for a while, they couldn’t even have a conversation.

“…Here.”

While he was lost in memories, the girl who had selected her items murmured in a barely audible voice.

It was so quiet that he would have missed it if he hadn’t been concentrating, but it had a very pleasant tone.

Beep.

Beep.

“Yes. That’ll be 11,000 won total. Would you like a bag?”

With the girl’s nod, Chanseop moved his hands busily.

A whole 20 cans of cola.

The girl quickly completed her payment, grabbed the bag, and turned around.

Normally, she would have left the store immediately.

But today, she added one more action.

“…Th-thank you.”

It was even quieter than before, but Chanseop, who was focused on her, didn’t miss those words.

And he felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.

‘She’s really improved a lot over the past year…’

Though he didn’t know her story, he silently cheered for her as she left through the exit door, hoping that someday she would be able to communicate comfortably with others.

#

“Ugh.”

This is the worst.

I really can’t get used to this feeling no matter how much time passes.

Of course, there’s been a lot of progress over the past year.

Fortunately, the side effects weren’t permanent, and with continuous effort, I gradually showed signs of improvement.

Because of that, I can now do simple things like going to the convenience store in front of my house.

‘Though crowded places are still absolutely impossible…’

I didn’t particularly want to go outside.

Thanks to my sister, most things could be taken care of inside the house, and I didn’t want to experience this forced emotional turbulence if possible.

But seeing me becoming something less than human, my sister took drastic measures, and I had no choice but to comply reluctantly.

The content was to go out and buy simple items myself.

“…I deserve a reward, so chicken today.”

Feeling proud of completing a difficult task, I put the cola in the refrigerator and browsed through the delivery app.

Disappointment in myself?

Self-esteem as a human being?

I lost those long ago.

For someone like me who has discovered the comfort of being taken care of, such emotions are no longer necessary.

Isn’t that right?

For a little over 100 years, I painfully built up my power, but it all disappeared in just a few seconds.

Similarly, it only took a year for the mighty spirit I had trained over those long years to become dull.

Rest without doing anything was sweeter than I thought and incredibly comfortable. That’s all there was to it.

‘……’

To be clear, I’ve already lost my purpose to move forward.

I’m sure I could live a satisfied life just continuing this lifestyle.

Click.

Tsssss.

Gulp.

The cola I just bought was refreshing, and the carbonation going down my throat continuously brought small pleasures.

Gulp.

Gulp.

May these days continue forever.

Once again, I gave myself such a suggestion.

And then.

“Brother. I told you to drink cola in moderation. How many cans is this? You didn’t even eat the salad I prepared. Really. And what’s with your hair? You didn’t wash it again, did you!”

“S-sorry.”

I got thoroughly scolded by Seoha when she returned home.

#

The so-called awakened ones.

They all receive a title indicating their aptitude upon awakening.

No one knows who determines it.

It might simply be decided by the system, or it could be the will of some being beyond that.

Either way, awakened ones establish their position and train their specialties based on these ‘titles.’

“Status window.”

【Baek Seoha】

▶ Title: Spear Bearer Bestowed by God

▶ Level: 54

After completing another dungeon raid today, Baek Seoha looked at the content written in her title section and asked her companion.

“Do you think gods really exist?”

“That’s a sudden question.”

The team’s magic damage dealer, Cha Hwaryeon, answered with a short laugh.

“What difference does it make whether they exist or not? Nothing would change anyway.”

“…That’s true.”

It was just simple curiosity.

Do gods really exist, and if so, what influence are they having on the current situation? Such idle thoughts.

Since obtaining the title of Spear Bearer Bestowed by God, Baek Seoha had been able to handle spears as freely as if they were her own body.

It was certainly a great fortune, but it was also frightening.

If power could be gained in an instant like this, it wouldn’t be strange if it disappeared just as suddenly.

“You’re really in your own world. Let’s go clock out. Didn’t you say you’re having dinner with family today?”

“Yes. I’ll go after I finish organizing this.”

Well, what does it matter?

Eleven years ago on the Day of Change, she lost her parents, and now she and her brother are the only family they have left.

It’s only because of her current position that she can protect her returnee brother, Baek Eunha, without any issues, with government cooperation.

For that purpose, Baek Seoha wouldn’t mind even if she became someone’s chess piece in the heavens above.