Chapter 9

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 9

Chapter Title: Your Name is Juju!!

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That notification rang out.

With it, the system window flickered and changed right before my eyes.

A reward? What reward?

I widened my eyes and focused.

It definitely wasn't going to be some ordinary reward. I hadn't even gotten the Tutorial Tower rewards to begin with. I'd cleared a quest, so of course it had to be something special.

Around that notification, a round ripple of light shimmered in the air before settling into my palm.

I stared at it, wondering what the heck it was. It looked like a piece of black glass. This had to be the Fragment of the Impure Dream.

I blinked for a moment. I had no clue what it was for.

So I placed the glass shard on both my palms and held it out toward Awakens Then Leaves Gallery.

"Do you know what this is by any chance?"

"Uh, yeah...?"

She stared at me with a slightly dazed expression.

She'd been looking at the puppy just a second ago, so maybe the shock hadn't worn off yet.

"Hmm, hmm."

Awakens Then Leaves Gallery slowly shifted her gaze down to my hand. Then she shook her head.

"Is that...?"

"It just came out as a quest reward."

"No description in the system window? It's my first time seeing it too, so I can't really say anything."

"Nope, nothing."

If even she didn't know what this pitch-black glass shard was, it was no surprise I didn't either.

'She knows less than I thought. Is Awakens Then Leaves Gallery around my level too?'

Anyway, since it was a quest reward, I pocketed it. It wasn't sharp or anything, and it sparkled nicely, so it was easy to carry.

Reward secured. Next up...

"Puu?"

"Jjuuuing."

The problem was the pitch-black puppy now rubbing its face against my leg.

Why had this thing come out of the Goblin King's head? I had no idea about anything.

The one sure thing was that the puppy was following me around like Blackie.

I alternated glances between Blackie and the puppy, then cautiously patted the puppy's head.

"Jjuuuing, my jjuuuing!"

"Ing...?"

The puppy seemed to like the petting, rubbing its head against my palm.

At the same time, the system window chimed again.

Why was the description so hard to understand! As I furrowed my brows at the text, Awakens Then Leaves Gallery spoke up from beside me.

"This dog... it seems weirdly attached to you, Eunha. Is it related to you somehow?"

"Probably. I think this is one of those 'M' whatever things we had to recover."

"I thought it was an item, but nope."

Just watching it, it seemed to know Blackie, and it was sticking to me too.

The system called it Mother's faithful servant, and it was on the same list as Blackie, so that had to be it.

Maybe it was my second summon? The trumpet thing was weird, but it might have insane powers like Blackie.

If so, it needed a name. Calling it "M'whatever" forever would be a pain.

"Jjuuuing!"

"Let's see... what should I name you?"

A great idea hit me. It kept going "jjuuing" every time it saw me, so Juju fit perfectly. Cute like Blackie.

"Alright, your name is Juju."

"Ung...?"

As I gave the trumpet puppy its new name, Awakens Then Leaves Gallery whipped her head toward us.

I naturally looked up at her too.

"Ing? What's up?"

"Why do you name them Blackie, Juju... Ah, never mind. It sounds cute if you don't know any better."

Was there something wrong with Juju? I tilted my head slightly, but she avoided my gaze like she wasn't going to explain.

"Let's just grab what we need and head out. I didn't do jack today, but I'm wiped."

She pulled a sharp dagger from her pocket and started carving up the headless Goblin King's corpse.

Its body gradually dissolved into particles of light, dropping a pink-glowing stone and a key from within.

I knew the key was for heading to the second floor, but what was that glowing stone?

"Oh, that's a low-grade mana storage stone. All kinds of uses, but for awakeners, it's just a source of income."

"Source of income?"

"Yeah. You know what income is, right? The Awakener Association buys them at a good price. On the first floor, this is the only thing worth any money."

Oh right. The biggest reason I'd wanted to become an awakener was to make money.

Our rent was months overdue, and we were on the verge of eviction. Cash was urgent.

As I eyed the mana storage stone eagerly, she gave a small smile and nodded.

"Don't worry. I really did nothing today, so it's all yours."

"R-Really...?"

"Yeah. But you don't have your awakener registration yet, right?"

"Uuu."

"You need one to sell mana stones to the Association... Want me to sell it for you?"

I nodded without hesitation. No point holding onto something I couldn't sell anyway.

Better yet, I just wanted to go home now.

Was it mana drain, or just exhaustion from a long outing after so long? My eyes were getting heavy.

"Got it. Hey, want me to drop you home? You look beat—better than taking the bus, right?"

"R-Really...?"

"Yeah. If you're okay with it, I am. It's probably night outside by now anyway, and that's worrying."

"Thank youuu!"

I came to in the morning.

I remembered riding home in Awakens Then Leaves Gallery's car last night, but nothing after that.

I burrowed deeper into the blanket, vaguely recalling the night before.

First off, she'd dropped me home by car, then said she was thirsty, so I'd invited her in.

She'd looked around the place, gotten a slightly dark expression, and said something.

I'd been so tired, I'd just agreed without thinking.

"Hmm, I don't remember well, so she probably didn't say much."

That was as far as my thoughts went.

I looked at Blackie and Juju sleeping soundly on either side of me, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠snoring away.

Blackie was curled up adorably, and Juju had its ears folded cutely.

Come to think of it, I'd always wanted a dog, but pets were banned in our studio, so I'd given up.

Heard food costs a ton too.

"Dog food...? Oh, I'm hungry."

I rolled around wrapped in the blanket like a burrito, reaching for the corner.

There was some old bulk hardtack there.

Why hardtack? Best value food out there.

Cheap, tons of it, and when short on grub, soak in water and it fills you right up.

"Too lazy to get to the sink..."

Lying on the floor, arm outstretched, but no way it reached the sink. Would've been nice if my arms stretched like Blackie's.

"Puu...? Pu!"

As I wriggled, the rustling blanket woke Blackie, who opened its tiny eyes.

Noticing my gaze, it stretched its legs in a flash and dragged a white bowl right to me.

"Good job, Blackie!"

I praised Blackie, grabbed the bottled water by the window, and poured it glug-glug into the bowl.

Then dunked the hardtack in and waited for it to puff up.

One minute, two, three...

"Just waiting makes me sleepy..."

I wanted to give Blackie and Juju something tasty, but with no money yet, I had to scrimp.

Hold on just a bit longer, guys. Once I make bank, I'll get premium hotel dog food.

Good thing their shrunken bodies meant less food too.

I scarfed down the puffed-up hardtack right away.

"My belly's so full. Here, Blackie, Juju—eat up. You'll be stuffed."

"Puuu."

"Jjuuing, it's buwning..."

They looked reluctant, but after I insisted it was eat-or-die, they reluctantly polished off the bowl.

Good. Belly full—time for the gallery.

I grabbed my phone and opened the Awakener Aspirant Gallery like always.

Ever since getting fired from the convenience store gig a month ago for breaking ten liquor bottles, this had been my routine.

"Hope the idiots posted some good threads."

First thing in the gallery: check the top-recommended posts.

Awakener Aspirant Gallery loved worldwide awakener news, so it was my window to the world.

"Wh-what's this? Woo Jin-seong is training a successor...?"

Classic gallery. Right at the top of recommended was an eye-catcher.

Whoa. Woo Jin-seong's successor? Wonder what they're like—super curious now.

I'd wanted to be his successor back in the day, but since it's a kid, age disqualified me anyway.

If only I'd been born a bit later.

"Ugh."

I scrolled other posts to soothe my regret.

Then one post with tons of comments caught my eye. And it mentioned my name again.

"Uwing? What's this now."

I tapped it immediately.

As I stared blankly at the post, my phone's top bar exploded with notifications.

"...U, uwiiiing?"