Rampage
In this world, people experience the phenomenon called awakening once in their lifetime.
Upon awakening, one obtains a skill and may even transform into another race.
Some spew fire from their mouths, others swing steel with bare hands.
Some make it rain from the sky, and others can turn an entire city to ashes with a single gesture.
And my skill, possessed by Kang Seohyun, is [Observation].
It has no effect on combat power and is a useless skill with little use in daily life.
The rank stamped on the awakening certificate is F, the lowest rank.
Precisely, it's unmeasurable, so treated as the lowest F-rank.
When the awakening certificate was made, the employee said, "Your mana is so peculiar that it can't be properly detected by normal measuring devices."
"If you receive a precise measurement, you'll get an accurate rank."
"Ah, then precise measurement..."
"But it's a bit more expensive than normal measurement. The price is..."
Hearing the price, I quietly put my wallet back.
City lodging is several times more expensive than outskirts, so I'd have to sleep in the park, but where would I get money for precise measurement?
Anyway, precise measurement can be done later after saving money.
So I became F-rank.
By the way, because of that peculiar mana.
People couldn't remember me well.
Even when working various part-time jobs in the outskirts.
A few months ago, a boss who worked with me for a while asked, "But you, you're today's part-timer, but you're doing really well?" and I felt deflated several times.
"...Hah."
Just looking at the awakening certificate made me sigh.
"Some say that after awakening, clearing one gate lets you buy a house..."
I had clearly awakened... no, I had awakened, but my life became harder than before.
"Awakener... but you're F-rank? We only hire from D-rank."
When I entered the city, I couldn't get hired for awakening jobs because of low rank.
"Ah, we hire non-awakeners under a quota system.... Even if you're F-rank, since you're an awakener, we can't hire you."
"Outskirts native.... I'll understand. Interview's over, we'll contact you later. Thank you."
Because I was treated as non-awakener? No, as awakener but not, the note on the certificate saying outskirts native caught my ankle.
I couldn't get hired for serving or hospitality jobs that hire non-awakeners.
Outside the wall.
I saved the money I brought from the outskirts and saved it, but with no income, it was at its limit.
From tomorrow, I had to go back to the outskirts to earn money.
...No.
Think positively.
Kang Seohyun, you earned quite a bit in the outskirts?
By working hard, saving money, making an ID card, and entering the city, right?
Now that I have the ID card, I just need to save money again and live in the city.
With ID card, entering the city costs nothing special.
"Sigh..."
I sighed while looking at the triangular kimbap and cup ramen on the table under the convenience store parasol.
The last meal in the city.
For me who survived days with one triangular kimbap, it was an incredibly luxurious meal.
"At least in the city, I don't have to worry about dying..."
Muttering my feelings after living in the city for a month, while tearing the triangular kimbap.
"Kyaa—!"
"What, what! That person, suddenly!"
A scream came from the end of the alley.
Putting the triangular kimbap and uncooked cup ramen in the bag, I entered the alley and saw a scene of chaos.
People were running in panic.
In the center, there was some big guy.
...Is that a person?
"Krr..."
Wearing clothes but crouched, growling like a beast.
Clearly not normal.
A pair of thick, dark horns protruded from his head, and he was breathing heavily.
His muscular arms were too thick to be human, and the toes poking out of his shoes were split like an animal's.
'...Minotaur?'
A non-human race with bovine characteristics.
Minotaurs are a non-human race often confused with the bovine beastmen among the beastmen races.
Non-humans are generally said to have strong bodies and skills but accompanied by mental instability.
If they don't get mental stabilizers on time or their suppression reaches limit, they lose sanity and rampage like this.
"Hey, but this is the city."
The sight of a non-human rampaging is something I've only seen rarely in the outskirts.
The city is sensitive to safety.
Especially the metropolitan area where I am now is even more sensitive than the other two cities, Yeongnam and Honam.
They'll clamp down hard, not just on non-humans but even on beastmen.
"Kuaaaak—!"
The Minotaur roared and swung at a nearby streetlight.
With a "Kwajik" sound, the iron pole bent like taffy.
"Ouch."
If hit, a person would become minced meat.
"Everyone step back! Step back!"
Police had already deployed, forming a line.
But even they with guns and shields couldn't approach carelessly.
There are tons of awakeners who can easily deflect bullets.
Especially non-humans have much higher average combat power, so they couldn't touch them lightly.
"Hunter support! When is the hunter support coming?!"
"We've requested at least B-rank or higher! Minimum 15 minutes—"
"15 minutes?! Aigoo... How are we supposed to hold on until then! Are you telling us to die!?"
The police officer's urgent voice came from the walkie-talkie.
At this moment, the Minotaur was only destroying nearby objects, but who knows when he'd suddenly attack people.
I too had to escape.
An F-rank awakener without any skills getting involved here is literally suicide.
I was thinking that with my head, but...
"...Huh?"
Somehow, my eyes wouldn't leave the Minotaur.
As if my gaze was fixed.
Instinctively, I knew.
This was the result of my skill [Observation] reacting on its own.
There had never been such a target before.
My gaze being fixed by [Observation] reacting on its own.
Using [Observation] on a rampaging non-human.
All for the first time.
Moreover.
'Something's weird.'
It felt all mixed up.
'If I use [Observation] on a rampaging non-human, this happens?'
[Observation] vaguely reads what the opponent wants right now.
But what I felt from that Minotaur wasn't wind.
Pain, madness, screams, confusion.
Amid the clear but jumbled emotions, one thread.
A particularly intense desire.
Even in the middle of suffering filled with madness, despite losing sanity, it was desperately clinging to something.
Like a drowning person reaching for the surface, it was holding on desperately to one longing.
I unconsciously focused on that longing.
And I was dumbfounded.
'...Convenience store food?'
The non-human who was rampaging like he was going to destroy a city.
Under all that madness, what he was viciously craving was...
Convenience store food.
Even ordinary things like triangular kimbap or cup ramen.
'...Why specifically?'
I couldn't figure out why.
[Observation] wasn't a user-friendly skill to begin with.
It was unusual that it was telling so clearly and not vaguely.
It was an out-of-place, sudden craving that didn't suit the situation, but [Observation] was clearly saying that.
The person right now, at this moment, wants convenience store food the most.
Was it fate's prank? Luckily, I had triangular kimbap and cup ramen in my hand.
My entire fortune, the last meal in the city.
The total amount of food eaten in the last four days.
'...Whatever.'
It was too precious to me.
But if I left it there and someone got hurt or died, I'd regret it...
I went back to the convenience store, poured hot water into the cup ramen, and heated the triangular kimbap.
Then, lowering my body as much as possible, I stealthily entered the inner part through a hole in the police line.
I placed the unpacked triangular kimbap and fully cooked cup ramen near the entrance of the alley on the opposite side of the Minotaur.
Then, slowly backing away, I picked up a small pebble from the ground and threw it towards the food.
Tok.
A small sound of the pebble hitting the ground.
At that moment.
"Krr?"
The Minotaur's head turned sharply to that side.
Sniff, sniff—
His nose twitched.
His red eyes fixed on the food.
Then.
Thud, thud—
He stepped forward.
Plop, sat down.
Then lifted the cup ramen and triangular kimbap.
Noodles, broth, kimbap—all in one bite, gulped down...
"You crazy!"
He ate all that precious thing in one bite!?
How rich are you!?
"Krr?"
Reacting to my involuntary exclamation, the Minotaur turned his head.
To my involuntary shout, the Minotaur turned his head sharply.
"...Huh."
It was over.
"What did that Minotaur just do?"
"What, why is there a person over there!"
Only then did the belated police discover me.
"You! What are you doing there! Come out here right now!"
The police shouted with all their might, but my back was a dead end.
Moreover, the Minotaur was much closer than the police.
Thud.
Thud.
The big guy taking one step, one step.
Every step he took, the world shook.
And his stride was huge.
In just a few steps, he arrived in front of me.
And he raised the huge hand that was swinging lightly to smash the streetlight.
'...Ah, I'm done for.'
I tightly closed my eyes.
Ah, my life is ending like this.
I gave my all for nothing, and couldn't even pay for the meal.
'But really, eating it all in one bite was way too much...'
As all sorts of random thoughts flashed through my mind.
"...Thank you."
"......Huh?"
A polite and solemn voice, completely different from expected.
Slightly opening my eyes, I saw.
The Minotaur who had been rampaging like he was going to destroy the city.
Standing in front of me with a perfectly normal face, as if nothing happened.
With the hand he had raised, he was politely offering a handshake.
"You placed the cup ramen and triangular kimbap here, right?"
"Ah, yes. Well.... That's right."
"Thanks to you, I regained my senses. I almost committed a big mistake.... Really, thank you."
"That's.... Glad to hear..."
In a daze, I shook the big hand and did the handshake.
"What?"
"What's going on?"
The people who were shocked thinking I would be crushed as is, and the police, started whispering in confusion.
"But..."
The Minotaur looked at the hand he was holding and hardened his face.
"...Strange. I was taking my stabilizers on time as usual."
"...Huh?"
"There was no reason to rampage. No signs at all. It felt a bit tingly behind my back. Suddenly..."
"Y, yes..."
That...
Anyway, since I don't know what he's saying, I don't know anything.
Rather, can you let go of my hand a bit?
My hand's strength isn't a joke, it hurts...
Just before my hand was crushed, the Minotaur seemed to understand the situation, went in front of the police, and quietly knelt.
Then raised both hands behind his head and honestly expressed his surrender.
But the police only pointed guns and kept distance, not arresting him.
Eventually, when hunters arrived, he was taken away by the hunters somewhere.
Anyway.
After all the commotion ended, what remained for me was a business card given by the Minotaur and...
"Hey, what were you doing there dangerously! Are you going crazy wanting to die?!"
"...Sorry."
It was just that I heard the police's words.
"You idiot! Really...! Next time, just run away, run! Don't make people distance themselves. Got it?!"
Yes, yes.
I'll definitely do that next time.
Only after answering without soul and barely escaping that place.
Afterwards, while walking dully, thinking I forgot something...
"Ah. My cup ramen and triangular kimbap."
I forgot to pay the bill...