Chapter 2

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 2

Chapter Title: What an Amazing Little One!

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Clothes far too large for her body draped down and billowed in the wind.

The fluttering garments vanished into the darkness in an instant, leaving me no choice but to gaze up at the sky in my most natural state.

That very moment...

Wheeeeeeeeeng!

Sirens blared across the city.

"This has to be..."

The sudden sirens were straightforward enough.

A dispatch order to Awakeners whenever monsters spawned due to the Tower's influence—or any equivalent emergency—struck.

Which meant the thing I'd possibly summoned up there in the sky might've been pegged as an emergency by everyone else.

"Thank goodness I wasn't just being reckless."

I shivered in the cold and parted my lips ever so slightly.

The colossal face hovering in the heavens had begun peering down at me through its eerie, iridescent eyes.

Our gazes locked soon after.

The massive face narrowed its eyes in apparent satisfaction before curling into a sinister grin.

Startled, I recoiled backward, blurting out in sheer terror without thinking.

"I-I'm sorry! Go back! No, please go back!"

The moment the words left my mouth, something unbelievable happened.

The gigantic face in the sky scowled irritably, then dispersed like black mist, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Once I'd confirmed it was gone, I clutched my left chest—where my heart thumped wildly—and scrambled back inside the room as fast as I could.

Not satisfied, I flopped flat onto the floor.

"Th-that was really something I summoned."

It didn't take long for my pounding heart to settle.

I'd started out bewildered and terrified of that enormous face, but by the end, I was buzzing with excitement at the thought that I'd awakened some incredible power.

With a snort, I silently called up my status window.

The skill I'd just used was definitely Call of the Origin. Rank E—one step above the lowest F.

To summon that with a mere E-rank skill...

...Maybe I really had become a national powerhouse Awakener like Woo Jin-seong?

I tried checking the other abilities just in case, but unlike what other Awakeners described, silently chanting their names did nothing.

Even Call of the Origin wouldn't activate again, which only added to the mystery.

"Come to think of it, skills require mana to use. Maybe mine's all tapped out right now."

That made sense—my body felt utterly drained.

So, with that settled, all that was left was to bask in the joy... and share it with others.

I might not have friends or family, but there were people I could share this glee with.

The Awakener Aspirant Gallery, to be exact.

Reading the comments, I couldn't help but tilt my head.

I didn't care about the envious, jealous loser vibes, but the bit about chaos outside caught my eye.

"No way... is this because of what I summoned earlier?"

I dove straight into scanning the Awakener Aspirant Gallery posts one by one.

True intellectuals like me always got their world news from communities over TV or whatever.

[Gyeonggi Province is total chaos right now???? (23)]

[Wtf was that thing outside???? Not just me who saw it right????? (33)]

[Yo, Woo Jin-seong's in Gyeonggi right now? (127)]

[Thought the world was ending for a sec fml (17)]

[Anyone get a good look at that thing in the sky? Swear I thought apocalypse ;;; (19)]

....

My palms were sweating.

Bottom line: My little stunt today triggered an Awakener dispatch, and even Woo Jin-seong showed up?

If this got out...?

I hopped onto ViewTube to check the news—our place didn't have a TV anyway.

[This evening at 8 PM in Gyeonggi, an unidentified colossal lifeform appeared in the sky...]

[Sudden giant face signals the end of the world...]

[Mysterious monster in Gyeonggi today—what's its link to Awakener Woo Jin-seong...?]

"Wh-what the hell is all this?"

No need to dig deeper. ViewTube's front page was plastered with thumbnails screaming every wild take imaginable.

Wh-what if I get misunderstood? Gotta clear this up first.

In a panic, I swallowed hard and hammered out a quick post.

"Huh?"

Why wasn't anyone buying it? I'd just been straight-up honest. I arched one eyebrow, then let out a sigh.

Whatever—once I registered as an Awakener and joined a raid party, they'd all believe me. No point wasting energy now.

Besides, my body was so drained I could barely keep my eyes open...

"Guh..."

"Mmm... Call... of the Origin... Uh, huh?"

No clue when I'd dozed off. When I opened my eyes, harsh sunlight streamed through the window, baking my cheek.

My face itched, so I squirmed... and heard a strange rustling nearby.

Rustle, rustle.

"Huh?"

I turned toward the sound and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠froze at the sight of an octopus I'd never seen before.

An... octopus?

"What the heck is this?"

I blinked repeatedly at it. This wasn't like any octopus I knew—more like a plush toy, kinda.

Not huge either. Roughly belly-to-solar-plexus sized. Eight legs, pitch black.

Then it noticed me watching and squirmed its legs with a...

"Ppu?"
"Ppu...?"
"Ppuuu!"

Was it trying to say something? It smacked the floor with a long tentacle, thwap thwap.

Unfortunately, I had no idea what it wanted, so I grabbed it with both hands and hoisted it overhead instead.

Hmm. Figured being black it might squirt ink or something—nope.

"But seriously, why are you here?"

Ask all I wanted, the black ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠octopus just kept going "ppu ppu."

So I set it down, rubbed my chin with a finger, and pondered.

Last night? Summoned that huge face and messed with the gallery. That's it.

No memory of bringing home an octopus.

Wait. Awakening?

What if I summoned this thing? That'd explain why it was here.

Dunno why an octopus of all things, but I felt a faint mana link to it. Plus, it was clinging to my leg with those "ppu ppu"s—seemed loyal enough.

So my awakening was legit a summoning power.

But what to do with this tiny thing?

From other Awakeners' stories, summons were usually combat beasts, buffers, or scouts.

This black octopus? Super small, no visible muscle—didn't look like a fighter.

Didn't scream "scout" or "buffer" either.

"Octo?"
"Ppuu?"
"What can you even do?"

At my question, it paused, then curled and uncurled a tentacle tip repeatedly.

Then...

Thwap.

It lightly stuck a sucker to the wardrobe. And that's when the weirdness hit.

The wooden frame blackened instantly, melting into a puddle of black goo.

"Uh, wha...?"

Soon enough, the wardrobe was gone entirely. Just shabby clothes mixed in the black sludge remained.

"Ppu ppu."
"You... you're an amazing little one."
"Ppuu...!"

Amazed by the black octopus's power, I eyed the soiled clothes with a bittersweet smack of my lips.

They didn't fit anyway, but we were dirt poor—hate to waste 'em.

"Could've sold 'em used."

And now cleaning up? Headache. Trash bags cost money too.

"Hey, since you're an octopus... think you can handle that mess? Like suck it up or eat it?"

I muttered ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠uncertainly, and it stretched out its tentacles like it understood.

Then it slurped up only the black goo through its long mouth.

Seconds later, the floor was spotless. Just the collapsed clothes pile remained.

"Uh..."

Speechless. I just gawked with my mouth hanging open.

Thought it was weak 'cause it was tiny and plushy—turns out it's a powerhouse.

"So... can you fight monsters too?"
"Ppuuuu—!"

I asked again, and it confidently stretched all eight tentacles long.

Its bravado boosted my confidence too.

"If I just register at the Association like this, I might never have to worry about money again."

I gave its head a gentle pat, then flopped down and grabbed my phone.

Hadn't tested the other skills yet, but confirming summoning meant I could register now.

Get my license, join a raid party or whatever—money beyond dreams incoming.

"Heh... hehehe... Heh?!"

As I grinned, the octopus happily splatted onto my belly.

Squishy.

"Ppuuuu!"
"H-hey, th-that tickles...!"

It wriggled on my stomach, tickling like mad—my pinky toes curled wildly till I scooped it up.

"Gotta head to the Association right now."

I eyed the octopus.

Since I'd summoned it with my power, should I bring it along?

But I barely knew anything about it. Other than "pretty badass abilities."

Didn't wanna risk taking it out—misunderstandings or accidents?

No choice but to leave it home.

Association could verify awakening other ways anyway.

"Octo. I'm stepping out quick—be good, okay? Just to the Association and back."

It nodded like it got me. With that, I geared up to leave.

No fitting clothes at home, but I'd patched together a few with string to save cash.

Couldn't shrink 'em, but tied tight enough not to slip.

Looked a bit ragged, but who cares about non-Awakener losers' stares.

"Be back soon."

....

....

....

Two hours later.

World Awakener Association, Gyeonggi Branch.

"Um... I'd like to register as an Awakener."

The counter receptionist stared blankly before flashing a faint smile.

"Did your guardian not come with you?"

"Huh...?"