Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: One of the Few Non-Combatants
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Sangjin woke up after the sweetest sleep.
Sangjin's skin was literally gleaming with luster.
It had been an incredibly sweet sleep.
"Damn, this is awesome...."
But he had to be careful.
Drugs built up tolerance and came with side effects.
Moreover, this one was dangerous.
To the point where addiction was a real concern.
Fortunately, Sangjin didn't ignore those risks.
'This needs to be sealed away. If it becomes a habit, it'll be big trouble.'
Seeing Sangjin wake up, Woojin started grumbling.
"You up? How was it, killer?"
"Yeah, I'm scared it'll become a habit."
"Still, don't overuse it. No telling what side effects it might have."
"Am I the big brother here?"
Sangjin's expression suggested Woojin didn't need to worry any further.
'Well, the kid's smarter than me anyway.'
"Anyway... Damn it! Hey, two days gone by and not a single order. This isn't a flop, is it?"
After his sweet sleep, Sangjin replied to Woojin's whining with a clear head.
"Wait a bit longer. People with nothing to do on weekends are the ones who buy stuff like this one by one."
The only notable activity on Woosang Shop over those two days had been two questions posted in the Q&A tab.
[Q]. What's the principle behind this? You scamming or what? Looks like total cheap crap at first glance.[A]. Yes, dear customer. Per the creator's request, we cannot disclose that. We ask for your understanding. But you'll be satisfied with the performance.
[Q]. Hope only one sucker falls for this. You selling with that mindset?[A]. No, sir. Woosang Shop offers the finest products at affordable prices.
Woojin wasn't thrilled with those Q&A questions either.
"Don't just waste time like that—sit down and study some computer stuff yourself. Once we get busy with lots of sales, you won't have time to study. That's why I'm doing it ahead of time."
"Bullshit? Busy? Based on what? Hell, isn't the whole concept of selling pens online the wrong idea from the start?"
A vein popped on Sangjin's forehead as he irritably shot back at Woojin's words.
"Then why don't you make something?"
That was when the brothers were bickering.
Woojin and Sangjin's phones rang at the same time.
Ding-
Ding-
Pababak-!
Woojin dashed to his smartphone at light speed and checked the notification.
Sangjin was dumbfounded by what had just happened.
'What the hell was that speed?'
Then Woojin thrust both hands triumphantly into the air.
"S-Sangjin! It s-sold! One sold!"
At Woojin's fussing, Sangjin hurriedly checked his own phone too.
"Whoa? For real? Someone bought it already?"
He tried to play it cool, but Sangjin was pleased too.
He'd planned to try other methods if it didn't sell after a few more days.
Woojin looked like he was in a panic, unsure what to do next.
"Wh-what do we do? Oh right, shipping! Post office is closed today, isn't it? What now?"
"Bro, calm down. It's the weekend anyway. Sending it Monday is fine."
"Hey, but wouldn't it be impressive to ship it right on the weekend? They do weekend delivery these days, right?"
"Okay, okay. First, let's check the order. We need the address to ship or not."
"R-right! Our first customer ever! Hahaha! We gotta cheer their name three times!"
Woojin opened his laptop and checked the buyer's info, then tilted his head.
"What? Something weird? What is it?"
Sangjin looked at the screen. The buyer's oddly suspicious ID caught his eye: 'SsaJjangnimNaPpoYo'.
But the real shocker was the buyer's full name.
"Hey... Sangjin, how do you even read this?"
Woojin and Sangjin stared blankly at the buyer's name: 'JAYASINGHE ARACHCHLAGE PIYATHILAKA'.
"Not cheering this customer's name three times, that's for sure..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Superhuman Phenomenon Management Agency.
It was a newly established national agency after awakeners and gates appeared a year ago.
Still new and a bit chaotic, but South Korea was among the quickest in the world to respond.
Under it were various organizations, including the Ability User Management Bureau, which handled oversight of those with superpowers.
Its director, Jeong Seonghwan, asked one of his subordinates.
"Player identities all confirmed?"
"Yes, all identified."
They'd requested info from SG Group but got denied.
However, families of comatose players had contacted hospitals, police, and fire stations for help, leaving records that made identifying them straightforward.
"Abilities all confirmed too?"
"Yes. One of the players provided info, so it wasn't hard."
"Yoo Jihyun?"
"No, not her. Choi Daeuk—the one who survived eight months—promised full cooperation. Yoo Jihyun refused, saying it wasn't right to disclose others' info."
"Hm... Fair enough."
Jeong Seonghwan flipped through the report.
"Good, mostly combat abilities."
Then a player with an unusual ability caught his eye.
"Kim Woojin... Ability... Enhancement?"
His aide answered without missing a beat.
"Yes. According to Choi Daeuk, he's one of the rare Production Class among Korea's players. Never seen his face, and it's not some amazing power, apparently."
"Not amazing? Item stats go up 10% per +1 enhancement?"
"Choi Daeuk said higher-grade items without enhancements outperform regular ones that are enhanced, so without materials, it's pretty useless."
"Hmm... Is that so?"
"Still, worth making contact. More ability users, the better."
"Yes, sir."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Woojin and Sangjin were dumbfounded by the bewildering English spelling.
Couldn't even read the name, but it was their first buyer.
Fortunately, the home address was properly written in Korean.
"Whoa, I said it might sell well to foreigners, but I never imagined our first order would be from one. But... way too foreign?"
"'Way too foreign'? What does that even mean? Like there's such a thing as moderately foreign?"
"Just saying."
"Yeah... Tamil? Looks Indian or Sri Lankan?"
Woojin was impressed that Sangjin could even identify the language.
"Whoa... College kid for ya. Anyway, first buyer and all—let's at least send a handwritten note. Hang on. I'll dictate a short one."
Sangjin freaked out at the idea of Woojin writing a handwritten letter.
He knew all too well how atrocious Woojin's handwriting was.
Leave it to him, and the recipient might curse, 'What kind of scribble is this?'—best case.
Fearing backlash, Sangjin hurriedly stopped him.
"B-bro! Let me write it. Just tell me what to say."
"Huh? Why? Easier for me that way. Here, use this."
Woojin handed Sangjin the ballpoint pen he'd enhanced earlier.
"What's this?"
"Enhanced this pen. Write with it, and your handwriting comes out perfect. Even mine turns into calligraphy."
Perfect handwriting. The simple, baffling function left Sangjin stunned.
"...? Anyway, what do I write?"
Woojin thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Was gonna start 'Dear [Name] Customer,' but the name's too weird. Just go with 'Dear Customer, thank you for purchasing our product.'"
Sangjin started writing as Woojin dictated.
And damn, the pen's feel was insane, just like Woojin said.
With this pen, handwriting all day would be a joy.
Plus, Sangjin's already decent handwriting came out breathtakingly beautiful, like master calligraphy.
"Whoa... This is insane... What the hell is this pen?"
"Right? I'll make you a few. Use 'em for school."
The note's content was simple.
Thanks for the first order, please spread the word if you like the product.
Now just package the Goblin Chopsticks and ship.
Time was 11:20 AM. Convenience store parcel pickup was at noon, so they needed to hurry.
As Woojin got ready to head out, he said,
"Hey, first order shipping—come with? Grab some beer and snacks at the store too? Gotta celebrate our first sale, right?"
"Jeez, one sale and your belly's bigger than your wallet already. Celebrate every little thing?"
Sangjin grumbled but got ready to go.
Out in the chilly weather, the brothers pulled up their hoods, shoved hands in pockets, and walked.
Tucked under Woojin's arm was the Goblin Chopsticks box for shipping.
And sure enough, Sangjin commented on it.
"Ah, bro. Hold the merchandise properly. What if you drop it? And it'll soak up your armpit stink. Customer's gonna love that."
Cowed by the 'customer' excuse, Woojin gripped the box properly instead of snapping back 'then you carry it.'
"You need to see a doctor. You're sick."
Sangjin played along, sensing another retort coming.
"Me? I'm fine. What doctor?"
"Nah, you got that disease where you nag your big bro or you die. For sure."
Trading lame jokes, the brothers arrived at the convenience store.
Truth was, Woojin had never shipped a parcel before and used coming together as an excuse.
He dreaded the lecture if Sangjin found out he couldn't even do shipping alone.
"Hey, you do it. Been ages since I did it—can't remember."
Sangjin instantly saw through Woojin's scheme.
'Knew it. That's why he wanted me to come. But hey, at least he's trying to learn—I'll let it slide.'
Sangjin didn't voice it, pretending to fumble a bit himself while carefully walking Woojin through every step, getting the parcel registered together.
With the parcel successfully shipped, Woojin and Sangjin started browsing the store.
Woojin was especially curious about the foreign liquors and wines he'd never afforded before.
Couldn't understand why people shelled out big bucks for that stuff.
Now with a little cash, he figured he could splurge a bit. Scanning the liquor aisle, he spotted one he liked.
Not used to spending on himself, Woojin checked with Sangjin first.
"Hey, Sangjin. Mind if we try one bottle of this foreign liquor? Got honey in it—supposed to be amazing. Checked reviews online; they're great."
Watching Woojin seek permission for a mere 30,000-won bottle—not even hundreds of thousands—Sangjin made a big show of interest.
If he said something like 'why bother,' bro would drop it in a heartbeat.
"Oh? They sell that here? Always wanted to try it. Let's get it."
Thrilled by Sangjin's positive response, Woojin added,
"Oh!? Cool! Then let's get the big one! Better value. Only 10,000 won more. Celebrations call for foreign liquor!"
Seeing his brother so happy made Sangjin grin too, though he couldn't resist one jab.
"Bro, celebrations are with champagne."
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Just like that, Woojin and Sangjin finished shipping, bought drinks, and were almost home.
But someone was loitering in front of their place.
Even from the back, she looked pretty.
Blood-pumping Sangjin spotted her and joked to Woojin,
"Bro, make bank and marry a girl like that."
"Who?"
"That girl over there. Looks super pretty. I'll help you get rich for it."
"Pass. Idiot."
Woojin had zero interest in girls to begin with.
Romance required leeway.
For Woojin, who'd lived fiercely his whole life, that was a luxury.
He didn't even glance at her as he headed into the villa entrance with his brother.
That was when.
"Kim Woojin-ssi!"
The startled brothers whipped around to look at the woman.