episode_0009

The first thing I did as soon as I got home was to close my eyes and blindly inhale a large amount of ramen.

Of course, with steamed kimchi!

“Whoop, whoop…!”

I feel like my stomach will explode after eating six bags of ramen in an instant.

“Wow, maybe I ate too much…”

My stomach was so swollen that it was painful to breathe, but I had no regrets.

The taste of excess sodium and MSG that I had tasted for the first time in a long time was enough to take me to heaven.

“……”

I looked blankly at the ceiling of my studio apartment and picked up my smart phone out of habit.

I spent a month on an unfamiliar fantasy desert island…no, almost two months if I count the return, but nothing changed.

That’s right, because the year, month, and day were specifically specified.

Although I fully understood it in my head, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of disconnect.

There should be some degree of parallax, but since the parallax occurs in each dimension, it doesn’t feel realistic at all.

“hmm…”

Moreover, the problem did not end there.

[Constellation Community]

[Chances remaining: 5]

[Points: 800]

“No, shouldn’t this still be visible?”

It’s very disturbing just to look at it.

Even in the constellation community, where there is only one post that can be viewed anyway, the ‘remaining opportunities’ and ‘points’ were full of problems even at first glance.

“Especially the regression part…is it still applicable? Really?”

So where does regression start?

Surely we can’t start over from a deserted island?

It’s good to have multiple lives, but it’s extremely unsettling.

Just in case, you should never die.

Well, there won’t be many deaths here.

There is no problem with points in and of themselves, but the problem is that the point store opens.

What happens if I buy something like a skill? Could it be possible for me to become a superpower?

“Uhm…”

I glanced at the back of my right hand.

There, a dark red tattoo depicting an eye within an eye was clearly engraved on it.

Maybe I already have psychic powers.

It can sense hostility or murderous intent, it can detect attacks in advance, and it can return damage several times over. If this isn’t a superpower, then what is it?

“Huh? Wait… Surely this can’t work?”

As I was thinking in a stream of consciousness, my thoughts extended to the summoning I used all the time on the deserted island.

“…heanna.”

When I call its name and remember its appearance, brown vines the size of my little finger fall down.

“No, this is really happening?”

It was so absurd that I burst out laughing as I drank the sweet water from the heanna.

So, is it possible to summon Pistol, Barut, Manish, Khanpal, and Bug Berry?

…Now that I think about it, I guess I can summon Sahagin too.

I’ve never tried it, and I have no intention of testing it.

“Huh…”

I can’t handle this? I don’t know what will happen if I get caught.

Aren’t you going to be taken to a lab or something and be dissected?

“…Uh, wait a minute. Come to think of it…”

I thought it was a half-joke, but when I suddenly remembered the comments from 666 and 088, I couldn’t help but laugh.

According to them, Earth 44, this world, has elements of urban fantasy and cosmic horror.

I’ve never met him before in my life, but… a man of his own stature could not have been mistaken.

Moreover, they said that there is a place called the Paranormal Phenomena Management Bureau that eliminates and manages it.

This isn’t a joke, isn’t this something you could really get dragged into?

“……”

I really need to take care of myself.

Let’s not leave the house for a while.

***

44 A few days have passed since we returned to Earth.

Life in the familiar city is so peaceful that the five deaths on the deserted island and the imminent battle with the Sahagin all feel like a dream.

No, I’m even more confused because I actually dreamed it a few times.

I was worried that I might be mentally ill, so I looked it up on the Internet, but there was nothing I could be sure about.

“…Well, it doesn’t seem like a dream or a mental illness. If that were the case, there would be no such realistic numbers written down. This is reality. A very cold and harsh reality.”

I looked at my account balance with blank eyes and sighed softly.

I didn’t realize it was true until I saw the text message, but the part-time job I was working on was naturally cut after I was lost in it for a few days.

When you realize that there is no way to make money, a belated sense of crisis suddenly arises.

No, honestly, you can make a living without money if you put your mind to it.

Because you can summon Khanpal, Bug Berry, and Heanna.

If anything, I might be able to summon Manish.

But I can’t eat chicken.

I won’t be able to eat ramen, I won’t be able to eat pig’s feet bossam, I won’t be able to eat cold noodles, hamburgers or pizza.

uh? Why should I live a life like that?

“Part-time job, should I do it…? Ugh…”

While consciously muttering that, I slowly opened a hologram window.

Actually, there was one phrase that really bothered me from before.

[Point exchange]

Okay, this is it.

Point exchange.

I can’t imagine what kind of mystical value ‘points’, which can be used to purchase skills and physical abilities that can be called superpowers, including dimensional tickets, are a measure of mystery, but just looking at the tone, it feels as if points can be exchanged for money.

Am I thinking too worldly?

Given the circumstances, it may be too optimistic and naive to imagine that the miracles that seem to be used by transcendental beings called the Constellations can be converted into earthly currency.

Kuuk.

“Huh!? Oh my! I didn’t even know…!”

When I came to my senses, my finger was already pressing on the hologram window.

After all, humans are beasts that prioritize their desires.

[44 District Calculating point exchange rate for South Korea. Please wait a moment]

[Calculation complete]

[44 District The currency exchange rate in South Korea is 100 million won per point. Would you like to exchange money?]

“…?”

I couldn’t believe my eyes for a moment.

what? how much?

“…and.”

Even if I rubbed my eyes and looked at them wide open, the letters did not change.

“Really? 100 million? That’s only 1 point?”

In an instant, adrenaline poured out like a waterfall and my heart rate exploded.

“Whew, let’s calm down for a moment. Yes, right… That means the constellations are that great, right? The value of the points is that great…”

If so, the items sold at point stores may be greater than you think.

If you’re going to buy something, you might have to be careful…

“Whoa, whoa…”

My hands are shaking.

“First of all, let’s exchange 100 million won. It might be a currency exchange scam, right?”

You won’t be punished for having blasphemous thoughts, right?

“Okay… exchange money!”

Kuuk!

[Points: 799]

At that moment, the account balance number displayed on the smartphone began to skyrocket.

“S-s-s-really…! One hundred million…!”

I forgot to breathe for a while and almost ran into the constellations, but I managed to come to my senses.

“Ugh, hahahahaha! Hahahahaha! You are indeed transcendental! You have turned the account balance upside down! Hahaha! Puhahahaha!”

Have you ever been this happy in your life?

It was the first time I was so happy that I jumped up and down, and it was the first time I danced around shaking my head.

“Ha, ha…! Huuu…!”

After running around frantically for a while, I fell into happy thoughts with a big smile on my face.

“Hehehe… Now I don’t have to worry about working for the rest of my life. Oh, I’m going crazy. What should I spend this money on? A house? A building? No, should I buy a car first? That’s crazy.”

If you exchange all the points, you would have gained a whopping 80 billion won.

If you have that much, you will be able to buy most things you want.

And that too in a lump sum!

Wow, just thinking about it makes me happy.

Is it okay to be this happy?

“Whoa, whoa…hehehe, uhuhuh…!”

I can’t calm down at all.

good. Let’s order chicken first.

Spicy seasoned chicken.

I hurriedly ordered chicken and lay down for a while to enjoy the happiness, but at some point, I started to feel anxious and worried.

Is this money really problem-free?

What if an irreversible problem arises in an unexpected place?

Could it be that the management bureau is visiting?

It may be a needless worry or an overly pessimistic thought, but I have not forgotten the lessons I learned on the desert island.

You must suspect anything and prepare for it.

You must always assume the worst and exclude optimism and hope in order to deal with crisis situations.

“Uhm…”

It may seem like a necessary lesson even in a safe and secure city, but the lesson learned through death was not that light.

Once you feel anxious, bad thoughts come flooding in like a tidal wave.

“Could this be trauma?”

I couldn’t sit still, so I opened a point shop.

[Exchange points][Purchase items][Purchase skills][Purchase physical abilities]

“hmm…”

I clicked [Purchase Skill].

[Fire Resistance: 5 points]

[Cry of despair, pain, and grief: 100 points]

[Ice resistance: 5 points]

[Electricity immunity: 50 points]

[Trowley’s Flower: 30 points]

[Auror Blade: 3 points]

[Mana amount increased by 100: 10 points]

[Sweet Dream: 50 points]

“As expected, it’s a central heating system…”

There were some abilities that you would only see in fantasy novels, but there were also many whose meanings were unknown.

“It seems like this will limit what you can buy with peace of mind. However, it’s hard to ignore things that you can’t understand because they are so suspiciously expensive…”

As I scrolled and looked for a while, many keywords became intricately intertwined.

Since the direction was mainly related to my safety, I couldn’t take it lightly.

“First of all, I think physical abilities should be a basic feature… Do I have to buy these separately in [Purchase Physical Abilities]? But I’m reluctant to do that because it’s so cost-effective… But the things I’m most worried about are urban fantasy and cosmic horror. I don’t know because I haven’t seen it in person, but considering that genre, mental abilities are probably essential, and if the management bureau comes, they might try to brainwash or manipulate me.”

As I was muttering and absentmindedly scanning the hologram window, there was one skill that caught my eye.

[Appraisal plan: 4 points]

“If I buy this, will I be able to read the skill description?”

I thought about it for a moment.

As I considered purchasing, my concerns gradually became deeper and more serious.

“Use it… it costs 400 million won each… is it right to buy it? Isn’t it right? What if I buy it and it’s no use?”

I thought about it for a while, but in the end, if you want to upgrade your specs, you need to know what it is.

In other words, an appraisal was practically essential.

[Would you like to purchase ‘Appraisal Plan’?]

“Whew, okay… let’s go.”

My hands were shaking, but I eventually clicked on the hologram window and proceeded with the purchase.

[Points: 795]

“Ugh!? Argh!?”

Immediately after seeing with my sad eyes that my points were decreasing, intense heat welled up in my eyes.

“What!? Ah, it hurts, wow…!”

How long had he been struggling and making noises?

Only after my face and clothes were covered in tears did the pain begin to subside.

“Whoa, whoa… Ugh, damn it. If it hurts this much, at least give me a warning…”

He grumbled and blinked his eyes.

“…oh?”

It was a very strange feeling.

Even when looking at a familiar room or a familiar object, unfamiliar knowledge comes to mind.

For example, if you look at a bed, you might think, ‘It’s a bed that’s been used for 5 years. The color was a little faded, the sheets were frayed, and the mattress was sagging in certain areas. There is a tick. ‘From a long-term perspective, there is a risk of harm to health.’

“……”

There was a tick in my bed.

How can I sleep since I feel uncomfortable starting today?

I’ll have to change it soon.

“Hmm, hmm…”

As I continued to use it, I was able to realize that the priority of this skill is to discern good and bad based on ‘me’, the user.

Phrases such as useful, good, or harmful were always included.

Gaining new knowledge about things I always looked at was a lot more fun than I thought, so as I was wasting time looking at things, the doorbell rang.

“Oh, has the chicken finally arrived?”

It took a bit of time, but on a good day, cold chicken is delicious.

“Let’s go~”

Since my clothes were covered in tears, I answered loudly, then quickly changed my clothes and headed to the entrance.

“It’s twenty-three thousand won.”

“Oh, yes. It’s a card, right?”

“Yes, that will work.”

“It’s here… huh?”

I was about to hand out my card to a delivery person wearing a full face helmet and windbreaker when he suddenly stopped.

“Why are you doing that?”

“……”

This bastard is planning to attack me if he has any chance.