Character Making (EX) — Consumed After Use

I kicked aside the cans piled in the corner of my room and flicked the status window off, then on again.

The one and only rope that could haul my life out of the hole.

After I got my awakening ability, I agonized and then agonized some more. I added and subtracted from that endless trait list more times than I could count. I realized it far too late: I had no talent for Character Making.

But what's the upside of modern society? People smarter and more specialized than me are scattered all over the internet.

The reason Barbarian made the final cut was entirely because of Survival of the Fittest.

I was a benchwarmer in soccer, a human pylon in basketball, and I had never lifted anything heavier than a sack of rice. If I wanted to work as a Gate hunter, I either had to manufacture talent or create a situation I could win on raw stats alone.

"If the passive is EX-rank, that's the absolute peak. Pump it with Primordial Power on top and it's perfect."

I also picked up a party skill called Battle Cry, just in case I ran into a problem I couldn't solve alone. There might have been choices with a higher ceiling. There was no choice more appropriate.

"Hoo—"

My head was burning hot. Maybe I was making a choice I couldn't take back. This was a bet with my whole life on the table — were two months even enough?

But the living expenses were starting to look real tight. If you don't take the shot, you don't even get the chance to fail. Whether it worked or not, it was time to take off.

Let's make money. Date pretty girls. Buy a house. Get married! I can do this. If it's me!

"Please, LET'S GOOOOO!"

I pressed it.

"AAAAAGH! What is this, dayo?!"

This is so messed up, dayo!

Slap. Slap.

"Hoo— I can do this, dayo!"

Whirr.

The automatic doors of the Awakener Association slid open, and I strode toward the reception desk like I owned the place.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.

I looked around as I walked, and stares stuck to me in a long, sliding trail. Mister, mister, noona, noona. There were way too many pretty noonas in here. My eyes were spinning.

"Hey, look at that kid. So cute."

"Is that a child model? The outfit's actually really good."

"Those tiny little feet. Those chubby little cheeks. Should I ask for an Outsta pic together?"

"You? Don't make the kid cry for no reason. Sit still."

"You bitch."

Thwack.

Ignoring me. Ignore, ignore.

I creaked and toddled forward, and waiting up ahead was a noona so pretty it was almost unfair.

"Um, I came to register as a hunter, dayo."

"Oh my, is that so? You came to register as an Awakener? And where might Mommy be?"

She leaned her upper body out over the reception counter to meet my eyes. My gaze went straight to the blouse swollen tight and the button strained flat in the middle.

Whoa, boobies... I wanna suckle that mama dispenser, dayo.

What the hell am I thinking. Get a grip.

I dragged my eyes up by force, and found the receptionist looking down at me with worry written all over her face.

"Did you come alone, by any chance? We can't process you without a guardian."

"Yes, I am not a child, dayo. It's because of the awakening, dayo. I even brought my ID, dayo."

I held out the ID I had been clutching in my fist the whole time.

"Hmm..."

Her eyes traveled back and forth between the ID and me. A troubled look. I could tell exactly what she was thinking.

No. If I get turned down again I won't even have living expenses!

"It's real, dayo. Please believe me, dayo. I didn't used to be like this, I got weird, dayo! I grew up and then I got small, dayo! Even my talking is weird, dayo!"

"I... see? Then would you like to try the Awakener exam? No — shall we try the exam?"

Tears of gratitude welled up. How many times had I already tried to get this far?

I'd come in my old body's boxy tee and gotten turned away as a runaway boy. I'd put on shorts and a short-sleeve because of the skill and gotten turned away for looking like a toddler. I was out of money from buying clothes.

The pretty noona looked like an angel.

"Uh, uh... if you cry we can't do the Awakener exam?"

"Sniff... I stopped, dayo. A whole lot of stuff happened, dayo."

I told her this and that on the way to the testing hall, and she gave me a piece of candy. Something about the sugar seemed to get my brain turning again.

"You said physical enhancement, right? This is the enhancement-type testing room."

She opened the door on a white-walled space packed with machines.

"Awakener equipment can hurt you, so we'll start with the grip tester."

"Um, please wait just a second, dayo."

I hurriedly started undoing the buttons of the yellow cardigan, one by one.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

Why does this thing have so many buttons?! A downside I did not consider at the register.

"Uh, uh..."

The unfairly pretty noona hunted for somewhere else to put her eyes. Sorry, noona!

"It's because of a skill, dayo! It's not weird, so please wait, dayo!"

I stripped it off in a rush, and a sense of liberation hit me at once. Ah. Finally my head feels clean. Wind on my arms. I might actually live.

I snuck a look up. The receptionist's cheeks had gone bright red. The T-shirt glued to me with sweat felt weirdly grimy for no good reason.

"Th-the grip tester, please, dayo."

"Yes?! Yes."

A children's grip tester, sized for a small hand. I gave it a light squeeze, and the number shot to 90 kg in an instant.

Beep-beep.

"Ah, that's far enough. The maximum reading is 90 kg."

"Got it, dayo."

A pro, as expected. The moment I was confirmed as an Awakener, her whole attitude flipped.

"The measurements cover strength, mana, agility, stamina, and a comprehensive evaluation. Only the comprehensive evaluation is reflected in your rank. The rest of the information may be provided during party matching."

After listening to the explanation, I conquered the machines one by one.

"Based on the measurements so far, you'll probably be registered as a C-Rank Awakener. If you have any special abilities or unusual notes, could you tell me before the comprehensive evaluation?"

"..."

Posts from the Awakener Gallery flashed through my head.

Shame lasts a moment. Rank lasts forever.

I wanted fried chicken. I wanted to play AAA games. I wanted to move. Two ranks go up and I can't take my shirt off? If I were a soulless psychopath I'd have dropped the pants and underwear too. Who am I? Class: Barbarian. The symbol of a real man!

I steeled myself.

"Th-this, you can't tell anyone, dayo... can you turn your head a little, dayo?"

"Yes? Ah—! Yoo Ai-nim?!"

"P-please don't look!"

Ding-dong~

"Anyone home?"

"Coming out, dayo!"

I scrambled over, the door latch rattling, and opened it on a mailman holding a parcel.

"Oh, is Yoo Ai hyung not home?"

"I am Yoo Ai, dayo. Sign here, dayo?"

"Uh, uh, yeah."

I scribbled a signature and took the parcel in both hands. The door clicked shut. I tore into it.

"At last, dayooo!"

I ripped the box into two pieces, and an Awakener registration card and a guidebook sprang out from inside.

A blue rectangular card. The child in the photo was smiling like he was the happiest person alive.

"Oh my precious, dayo!"

I collapsed onto the sofa with the little rectangle clutched to my chest and rolled around. At last — the blank check for my rise in the world had arrived!

"It was a long, humiliating time, dayo. Now nobody can stop me, dayo!"

I had really been through hell. I'd gotten a new ID issued along with the Awakener registration, so nobody could treat me like a little kid anymore. I had been so wronged I'd even started craving alcohol I never used to drink.

"Ah! I forgot the gallery flex, dayo!"

I snatched up my smartphone. Joy shared is joy doubled — and if you make someone else's stomach hurt, it's tripled.

I stuck a sticky note over the registration photo and wrote a nickname on it.

1827516cm

Just enough to show the A-Rank and the Tanker/Supporter text. Click! I checked again to make sure the photo and date of birth weren't showing. Perfect.

I logged into the Awakener Gallery at once and hammered out a post with my chest puffed all the way out.

(refresh)

(refresh)

Behold the dignity of A-Rank. Views and comments were exploding.

Unghuhu. I put on an arrogant little smile and started reading.

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My DM inbox rocketed to 99+ in no time. I flicked down the list. Most of them were warriors preaching "book me a spot" and "Star of the Prairie." But one in five was an actual offer. My mouth watered, and a sweet little rush of dopamine climbed all the way up into my frontal lobe.

This. This is the taste you troll for.

"Unghuhu, dayo~"

Bzzzt — ping!

Onto a screen that had been on fire with scout offers from major guilds, a notification stamped with the Association mark dropped with a dull little thud.

"?"

Spam? No — it was an alert from the Association's official app. I tilted my head and tapped it like I was under a spell. The screen flipped, and a stiff official document unfurled.

"……."

I stared a hole through my smartphone screen.

A-Rank. A national-power-level talent (pending) that major guilds were lining up to court.

And my position was... Porter?

"No, what is this even supposed to mean, dayo! Me, a porter?!"

And the assigned mentors were C-Rank and D-Rank?

"The Association's eyes are broken, dayo! You can't see the A written in the rank box, dayo?!"

I huffed and stabbed at the screen, scrolling hard — and my gaze snagged once more on the tip of my own small, precious finger.

A very practical problem flickered through my brain.

A Gate-exploration porter's backpack. Roughly the size of my entire body.

...Even if we pretend the weight is fine, I'm not even 140 cm. They want me to wear that giant thing?

This was Awakener abuse!

"Grrrrr! This is so messed up, dayo! Association president, get out here, dayo!"

Noooooooo~

I clutched my head and howled, then snapped back to my senses in a flash. Come to think of it, I had no idea what I even needed before heading to the training. The notice said there was nothing to prepare, but you never know.

"I should contact Cheongyeon noona tomorrow, dayo."

Unghuhu. Good thing I'd gotten her number!