Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: After Ten Years
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I wondered what kind of nonsense you'd spout after showing up in ten years.
Back when I was still in high school.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The first Awakener—you! You're so lucky it's almost unfair! Just for you, the very first to Awaken! We're calculating the perfect class based on your personality and aptitudes, so please wait a moment! "?"
Suddenly, some weird transparent screen and message popped up right in front of my eyes.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Scan complete! You, who tames animals better than anyone! But on the surface, you act normal while hiding some seriously twisted tastes deep down... Based on that aptitude... Congratulations! You've Awakened as a Pig Farm Lord! "???"
A transparent screen had appeared right in front of me while I was dozing off at my desk during moral studies class, sneaking past the teacher's watchful eyes. Naturally, I was so sleepy back then that I figured I was just seeing things, so I face-planted right there and passed out.
But a few days later...
There was a huge commotion at school when some guy suddenly started spewing fire from his hand during class.
The panicked idiot swung his arms everywhere, shooting flames(?) all over the place, which brought out the local firefighters and even cops to control the scene. The whole neighborhood was in an uproar like never before.
According to the guy, a ridiculous message saying "You've Awakened as a Flame Wizard" had suddenly appeared in front of him. He swung his hand to dismiss it, and boom—fire shot out.
Of course, nobody believed him.
The kid had a shady reputation to begin with, sneaking smokes behind the teachers' backs. The firefighters found a lighter on him and chalked it up to some dumb prank during class. Case closed!
Or so I thought.
Turns out, this wasn't just some local mishap in our town.
All over the world, people were Awakening just like that school firebug—shooting flames or lightning from their bare hands without tools, or lifting massive H-beams on construction sites with puny arms like twigs.
These superhumans, who claimed they'd seen messages about Awakening into RPG-style classes like warriors or mages, started popping up everywhere—not just in Korea, but Japan, China, and beyond.
And it wasn't long before...
As if waiting for humanity's evolution, bizarre monsters appeared worldwide.
Goblins, orcs, and the like—straight out of RPGs. With their arrival, the world naturally shifted into a society of Awakeners hunting them down and harvesting resources.
The Hunter society was born.
In just ten short years, Awakeners calling themselves Hunters formed guilds or joined nations,
and humanity underwent the most rapid change since we first stood on two legs and built our civilizations.
...Or so they say.
At the time, I just saw these Hunters getting treated like celebrities and heroes on TV and figured it had nothing to do with me.
Of course, ten years ago, when the first Awakeners mentioned seeing transparent screens like mine, I was thrilled beyond words. Hell, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
But that excitement didn't last. Soon, disappointment set in.
Because my class? Pig Farm Lord.
What the hell kind of class is that?
Everyone else Awakened into one of the classic RPG big four—warriors, mages, and so on. Me? Something totally different. Not even combat-related.
And if I went around bragging about Awakening and someone asked what my class was?
"Excuse me, but what class did you get?"
"Oh, I'm a Pig Farm Lord!"
Yeah... better forget it.
Nothing special happened after that, so I naturally shoved it to the back of my mind. After getting discharged from the military, I decided to take over my dad's pig farm. I started learning the ropes from him.
A year? Two? I lost track of time.
Finally, yesterday, Dad announced his retirement and told me it was time to stand on my own two feet.
Today, I finally had the honor of planting my roots in the sacred ground where our family's hero—sustained by Dad's blood, sweat, and grace for forty years—had toiled.
The familiar stench of pig shit wafting from all directions. Far from repulsive, it was Dad's smell to me, a comforting reminder that I was truly following in his footsteps. That's when I grabbed the pigsty door handle—
Baam-pa-ba-bam!
Suddenly, fanfare blared from somewhere.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Welcome! If you're seeing this screen, first off, congratulations! "What the fuck?!"
The message screen bursting in front of me without warning startled me into yelling out loud.
Thanks to that, the farm dog Dungchi—who'd been napping peacefully—freaked out at my shout, flopping around like a fish tossed onto dry land.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ But you're fresh out of apprenticeship! You don't think learning from your veteran farmer dad makes you a full-fledged Farm Lord already, do you?! "Are you spying on me or something?"
After ten years, what the hell was it babbling about?
Other Awakeners only ever mentioned a simple "You've Awakened as [Class]" message. I'd never heard of ones with all this chit-chat. Either they were hiding details, or I was the only one getting these extras?
I glanced around, but no prying eyes anywhere. The only thing staring at me with those big bunny eyes was Dungchi, still wide awake.
Whatever was coming, I needed to know what this screen wanted. I reached out and touched it. The message vanished, replaced by the next one.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You—the first Awakener—have lazed away under your dad's care, wasting food like a pampered pig! "Pampered pig? What?!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ This farm, built by your grandfather, needs you to learn a lot to make it thrive. "Things to learn? I thought I'd picked up most of it from Dad."
Feeding schedules, injections, spotting illnesses—pretty much everything basic, right?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Sure, if you were an ordinary farm lord. "..."
This thing was listening to me.
I clamped my mouth shut, worried I'd blurt something out in excitement. Another message appeared.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Before we get into it, check out this visual aid first! The screen, which had just been showing text, stretched out wide. Then a photo appeared.
Looked like a wildfire pic from a textbook? Something similar. I tilted my head, and another message popped up.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ That's the future of this farm if you fail this tutorial! "This raging inferno... that's our farm?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Yes. Looking closer, the background hills matched ours perfectly. The charred pillars looked just like the ones here. Solid evidence.
I had no idea what was going on, but failing the tutorial meant the farm goes up in flames? What kind of choice-heavy trash game was this?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ It's based on the adult games you play, after all. ...It could read my mind too?
Wait, it knew about my h-games?!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Of course. Your sexual preferences and quirks are all factored in. I swallowed hard at the message's know-it-all tone. But if it wasn't bullshitting, this was a make-or-break moment for my life.
Popping up after ten years claiming I was in crisis didn't quite sink in, but better safe than sorry.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Quick on the uptake. Let's continue, then. A brief pause, like a fake cough, then the next message.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ As the first Awakener, you got a unique class perk! But a non-combat one? The odds of you surviving the storms ahead are 0%! For the first Awakener who can't even protect his own assets, we've prepared this tutorial! Fails the tutorial and everything blows up, yet it talks a big game.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Your class, Pig Farm Lord, makes you the absolute ruler of every pig on this farm! It was inevitable—you grew up idolizing your dad's back and footsteps. I'd be too embarrassed to admit that in front of Dad.
But this message had no qualms spilling my inner thoughts.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ But 'ruler' or not, with your pitiful combat power, you—the vaunted first Awakener—can't protect yourself or your assets from the coming storms. We don't want that. "Storms?"
I'd assumed failure meant some bomb-level explosion wiping out the farm. But there was more to it? Sounded like external factors. I stayed quiet to hear the rest.
The message continued.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ So we thought: A Pig Lord is a ruler of pigs! If you lack personal combat skills, just fight with your pigs! "What?!"
What kind of dogshit nonsense was this?!