Chapter 2
Chapter 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Awakening as a Summoner (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2002.
The year when all of South Korea was swept up in a red wave.
I'd often heard jokes growing up like, "You probably didn't even get to see the 2002 World Cup," but there was something I heard even more frequently.
"Jin-hyun, you've never experienced [Dungeon Emergence Day], have you?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
It was a conversation that came up a lot during company dinners.
It would be great if I could just head home after work, but some companies treat these dinners as part of the job.
"Man, you're lucky. What month were you born, Jin-hyun?"
"October."
"Ah...! So you were right in the thick of it. I still remember it clear as day. October 10th, 2002. I was in elementary school, messing around on the computer at home, when suddenly the whole world went dark."
The team leader, nearing forty, lit up with excitement as he launched into his story.
He always brought it up whenever he got drunk, but that was how massive the changes [The Fateful Day] had brought to human history.
"After dungeons started popping up all over the world, someone said it felt like something straight out of a game or fantasy novel!"
"And now we have tons of games inspired by it, right? Ours included."
"Exactly! The boss was so inspired he started a game company, and that's how we make our living. Heh. While others bitch about scraping by in people-killing dungeons..."
"Have a drink. It's Friday night—gotta let loose, right?"
A team member stuck to the team leader's side handed him an empty glass.
At the same time, he shot me a glance and nodded toward the young woman sitting next to me and the street outside.
"Urp..."
"You okay, Yeo-eun?"
"Yeah, I think so..."
"Want to step out for some air to sober up?"
"Yes. Urp..."
I got up with my junior, who looked like she was about to hurl any second, and headed outside.
The street outside the bar was already packed with drunk revelers. I took deep breaths of fresh air with her.
"They begged me to come to the dinner, and now she's totally wasted?"
"Well... No, it's nothing."
"Feeling better with the booze?"
"Yeah. Still manageable. For now."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [KRAAAAAH!!] A monster's roar erupted out of nowhere.
My junior startled and clung to me. I gently patted her shoulder and pointed to the electronic billboard hanging above the building across the street.
"It's an ad. Just an ad."
"Oh."
Her already flushed face turned an even deeper crimson as she stared at the video on the billboard.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [KRAAAAAH!!] A massive demon straight out of a fantasy movie or game.
A bipedal devil spewing fire from its maw should've been rampaging through some pitch-black ruins or a medieval castle, but no—the demon was tearing through a historic site.
"Gwanghwamun, huh. That's the raid footage from the [Gwanghwamun Dungeon] a month ago, right?"
"Yeah. The assault on the S-Rank Dungeon [Gwanghwamun Bahamut]..."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ramju Thunder!!] "... footage of the S-Rank Hunter, [Blue Lightning]."
A young man hurling blue lightning at a monster over ten meters tall.
"He's a '02 baby, right."
Born the same year as me, in what people call the [Year of Disaster].
His birthday was even October 10th—the very day the dungeons appeared.
Same birthday as me, but our fates had diverged completely.
With the dungeons came humanity's .
Regardless of age or gender, those who awakened conquered dungeons, eliminating all sorts of threats.
And in the process, they amassed enormous wealth.
Some called it hazard pay, but the vast resources and materials they pulled from dungeons turned into instant millionaires.
"His salary was around 200 billion won, right?"
"Yeah. There are only four S-Ranks in Korea. Some say it's actually too low."
Being a hunter pays big.
Even a dirt-poor laborer could rake in lottery-level cash with just awakening.
That's the world we lived in now.
Non-awakeners slaved away ten hours a day for a measly 2.5 million won a month, while those guys could farm a dungeon for three or four days straight and pocket over ten million in one go.
"Sunbae, jealous?"
"Jealous? Of course. Dangerous as hell, sure, but the money..."
Jealous, yeah. But sadly, that world was out of my reach.
"If I'd awakened, I'd be a hunter by now."
"Um, you know..."
My junior edged closer, lowering her voice cautiously.
"What if we tried it together? Like, porter duty on a blind raid or something?"
"What?"
"There's that rumor, right? Dungeon air's full of 'mana,' so the more time you spend inside, the more likely you are to attune to it and awaken..."
"Yeo-eun, still got some booze in you, huh?"
I flicked her forehead lightly and pushed her away.
"I'd love for that to be true, but I'm not the type to bet my life and future on maybes."
"......"
"Dreaming of a rosy future? Buying lottery tickets is enough for that. Hey, since we're out, want me to grab you one?"
"Throw in some chocolate milk, and sure."
"Alright, alright. Deputy Team Leader's probably dying in there by now. Let's head back."
I felt eyes on us from behind, but I turned toward the convenience store, pausing to glance at the billboard.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Your peace, guaranteed by the 'Heroes'!] ", huh."
Anyone would dream of becoming one of those.
But dreams are just dreams, in the end.
"Yeo-eun. About that lottery. What if we buy four with the same numbers and split 'em?"
"Huh?"
"You never know. Could hit the jackpot. Good things are for sharing, right?"
Yeah.
That was way more realistic.
More chance of 2 billion won hitting my account than some miracle awakening one day.
Awakening was someone else's story.
In 2030, out of 7 billion people worldwide, awakeners had just topped 100,000 this year.
Had nothing to do with me.
"Um, daeri-nim."
"Yeah."
"But if you did awaken, what would you do?"
"If I awakened... Even if it was just F-Rank, I'd quit on the spot."
Lottery or awakening—it'd be a miracle either way.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After burning through Friday night, I finally dragged myself home and collapsed onto the bed.
I'd carried my dead-drunk junior to her officetel and walked an hour back to my place.
"......"
My body screamed for sleep, but I had to do.
Click.
I booted up the PC and turned on the large tablet below the monitor.
If anyone asked why I wasn't sleeping—
'Gotta melt that stamina.'
I had to use up the stamina in all my mobile games.
Multiple emulators on PC, some PC clients, and the tablet split-screened for two more.
Eight mobile games total.
None from my company, if you're wondering.
That was work, and even though I did it, there were reasons I didn't feel like playing it.
"Ugh, damn it."
Three of them had full stamina.
If I'd crashed now and woken up tomorrow, all eight would've been topped off.
"Fucking dinners."
The curse slipped out.
It wasn't even mandatory—just the team leader venting.
Click, click.
I powered through the homework fast.
Gamers call it [Daily Quests]: knock out the full-stamina ones first.
Digging relics in a fantasy world, issuing combat orders to gun-wielding dolls in a sci-fi near-future, bonding with schoolgirls in uniforms, or delivering chicken as a winged traveler across a dreamy continent.
"......"
In ten minutes flat, I'd cleared dailies across eight games under various titles. I pulled the lottery ticket from my wallet.
"Hit first prize, and it's full breakthroughs all around... Nah, new PC first."
Full breakthroughs.
Pulling a character multiple times to unlock special skills, maxing limits, stacking and refining exclusive weapons five times for peak power.
It'd eat a whole month's salary easy.
About two million won, give or take.
"Hah."
Chump change for an awakener—just swing a sword a few times in an E-Rank dungeon for a day.
Every time reality hit like that, I sighed at its harshness, but I couldn't do much about it.
All I could do was one thing.
"...Upload the videos tomorrow, and director level's within reach."
Growing my capital through minor earnings from these eight games.
Less than my salary, but enough to cover rice. So I prepped to avoid comments like [Why didn't you melt stamina, nim?]—
Snap.
"......Huh?"
Sudden blackout.
All lights out.
Midnight glitch? My heart sank anyway.
Even the tablet died.
Not just a blackout.
Power outage might kill the building's juice, but not a charged tablet.
This was—
Crackle-crackle!!
A massive bolt of lightning from somewhere.
I turned toward it—and
BOOM!!
A thunderous explosion rocked me into unconsciousness.
In my fading vision, something floated before my eyes.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [System: In accordance with humanity's awakening stage [Level: Low], the 3rd mass awakening will proceed via random selection.] [Your ability is 'the power of the protagonist from your most recently played game.' This ability is—] [ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.]
[Error. Duplication. Discussion. Combination. Reorganization.]
[Subject's ability defined as 'Summoning.'] [Summon them. Those who journeyed the world with you.] ?
Indescribable colossal beings.
Seemed like they were debating something about me. The central one extended what looked like a hand toward me.
My consciousness fully faded.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ And then, morning.
"Have you awakened, Master?"
"Who are you?"
A stunning black-haired, golden-eyed maid greeted me.
Right beside my bed.
?