Chapter 1: Obtaining the Power

Behemoths began to appear on earth about 40 years ago.

About 22 years before I was born?

Anyway, you can guess right?

I’m eightee..

No, eighteen years old.

Note: In Korean there are two ways of pronouncing numbers, and the first way he says “eighteen” is “ship-pal”, which sounds similar to “shibal”, which is an offensive word.

Your average, fearless, South Korean high school student.

As for my possessions, well, I don’t have sheet.

I’m a student, so that’s only obvious.

But even if you don’t consider the fact that I’m a student, I’m still poor as a damn dog.

.. I’m a non-Awakened..

What am I talking about?

The world has changed to become extremely unfair. Ah, not that it was fair before the change.

But it’s even more unfair now.

It’s fucked up.

The Awakened kill Behemoths, get praised as the era’s hero and become rich as fuck.

If the non-Awakened want to become rich, they have to suck their thumbs and wait for their weekly lottery ticket, hoping to win.

So I’m just studying hard.

Who knows?

If I do well in my SATs and graduate from a good university, maybe I could join a guild or the Awakened Association as an office worker?

If it goes really well, maybe I could even become the manager of an Awakened.

“.. So, throughout South Korea’s history..”

historical

Snore~

And my buddy Hwang Jae-Hyuk is sleeping.

He’s even snoring.

Even so, the teacher doesn’t do anything about it.

It’s not because he’s given up.

This guy was told that he is an Awakened during his first year of high school.

Basically, he’s going to live a successful future where everything is secure.

And he’s even in the warrior line of the Awakened.

Just thinking about it, it’s about as fair as a dog’s dick.

Note: Think of it as “Just thinking about it, it’s unfair as fuck.” Yes, the author literally wrote “unfair as a dog’s dick”.

Why does that guy get to be born with everything.

And why do I have nothing.

He’s just fulfilling the necessary education that the nation has decreed.

Just think of it as an education system which prevents the Awakened from turning on the nation, a disciplinary system.

At school he sleeps and after school he earns money! So unfair, this fucking world!

Ah, let’s just not even think about it.

I’ll just keep studying.

Because this is all I can do.

And the one reason that I work so earnestly! Family!

The only family member I have left, my mother.

I think of my mother who would be working tirelessly at the restaurant, always saying that she would raise her useless son alone all her life.

Euduek~

Note: Sound of gritting teeth.

Then my molars grind hard against each other.

She only looks at me and dedicates her entire life to me.

When I think of my mother, my heart always hurts.

It can only do that.

A long time ago.

It was around when I was in my 2nd year of elementary school.

The human who called himself my father, addicted to both alcohol and gambling, used to beat my mother a lot.

Even so, my mother never let out a sound.

Because I was in the room.

She didn’t want to show her son that side of her.

Even so, I was fully aware.

We’re a family that lives together in a single house, how could I not know?

The next day, I would see the torn and bruised face of my mother.

I even tried to just look at the knot patterns in the carpet on the floor, but still....

One day, father died.

Father? No, ‘A man who called himself my father died.’ That should be it.

That’s what it’s like in my mind.

It seemed that he had borrowed money from all sorts of loan sharks to fuel his gambling addiction.

Five days after he was reported to be missing, I was able to meet the man known as my father.

With two hollow eyes, and with a Y-shaped cut which ran from his chest to his belly..

Honestly, I was a bit sad.

But deep inside my heart, I was laughing.

We can be happy now.

Now mother doesn’t have to be hurt anymore.

I laughed because those thoughts were there.

The debt of 2 million Won kept on growing.

Like that, the man known as my “Father” left a debt of 40 million Won and slowly faded away from my memories.

Ding-Dong-Dang-Dong~

Interrupting my fleeting thought, the bell that signals lunchtime rings.

The teacher leaves the room immediately.

And, my buddy Hwang-Jae-Hyuk opens his eyes instantly.

What a scary guy.

How does he rise up, sharp as a knife’s edge, as soon as lunch starts?

It can’t not be some amazing ability.

Of course! Although this probably isn’t an Awakened ability..

“Hey.”

Jae-Hyuk faces me and hands over 500 Won.

Wow, this guy is really nice.

If you thought that, you’d be wrong.

Because this guy.. is a delinquent.

“Buy me two chocolate breads and a bottle of Coke with this.”

Did he not receive primary school education? He must’ve cooked and eaten his math textbook.

Note: This is a Korean phrase - If you cook something up and eat it, it's like it goes through one ear and out the other. This phrase basically means that he’s a retard who never studied.

And with bread, you’re supposed to drink milk you idiot..

"That’s not enough money.."

I replied like that.

And I know exactly what will happen afterwards.

“Ahh. Min-Cheol, do you want to die?”

The bastard stares at me while calling my name.

But I’m trying my best in order to not give in.

Yeah.. I’m Jae-Hyuk’s bread shuttle.

Although sad, that's the reality.

Although the difference between an ordinary person and an Awakened differed with the Awakened’s rank, if you treated the ordinary person’s strength as ‘1’ then the Awakened’s strength would be ‘10’.

Anyway, when it came to do with money I was really sensitive about it.

So, this idiotic order of telling me to go buy 2 chocolate breads and a cola with only 500 Won is something I can’t accept.

Note: It’s like handing 50 cents to get bread and Coke.

It’s the iron law of the National Association of Bread Shuttles.. I’m joking.

If Jae-Hyuk handed over 3000 Won, then I would’ve gone.

Although it’s a petty excuse, I can eat lunch and exercise at the same time while going back and forth.

But the disadvantageous demand of using my own money to buy the items, I can't accept.

I can’t use my own money to buy the items.

I gave the 500 won back to Jae-Hyuk.

“Haah~ Has this bastard gone crazy?”

As he said that, he raises his eyebrows and suddenly stands up from the chair.

Honestly, probably because I'm human, I'm scared.

But I can't surrender.

Because, the 2000 Won that my mother gave to me this morning, it can’t be used for this piece of sheet bastard.

“Do you want to get hit a few times first, or do you wanna just go?”

I don't reply.

He starts hitting me.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

His punch lands in my pit of the stomach.

I’m winded, and it hurts a lot.

"Keu..Keuhuek..!"

Hurts.

Annoying.

So scary.

If only this fucker disappeared from the world like the guy who called himself my father.. That would be good.

And..

In this unfair world.

If only I could become a millionaire.

I could laugh at these pieces of trash in front of me, and live my own life.

Well, screw the other things, first my mother..

Pow!

My consciousness cuts off.

And before I black out.

Something seems to ring in my head

[Your body has awakened.]

[‘You have obtained the Arcane Orb spell’]

Kim Min-Cheol

Level: 1

Exp: [0/100]

Class: Magician

Special Attribute: Mana doesn’t run out.

Strength: 10

Mana: ∞

Agility: 10

Vitality: 10

Unspent Points: ０