Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Meat Shield (1)
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A drizzly afternoon.
A young man strolled along the sidewalk without an umbrella.
Screeech.
A bus pulled up noisily to the curb beside him with a harsh brake sound.
Splash.
Water from a puddle shot up toward the young man.
“Whoa.”
He dodged quickly, but his ankles got soaked.
“Hmm.”
Looking down at his worn pants, the young man’s face fell. The damp seepiness seemed to make his already gloomy mood even more depressing.
He looked up, and cold raindrops pelted his head and face with a steady plop-plop.
“Whew.”
He rubbed his eyes, and the whole world seemed drenched in raindrops.
As he resumed walking, he spotted a building in the distance with a sign that read “Interior.”
“Finally found it. The interior shop.”
The young man’s name was Kim Minsoo. He was twenty-three years old.
He had lost his parents young in a car accident and was the young head of the household, caring for his two younger siblings. He was also a 9th Grade Awakener.
However, lacking any skills, he couldn’t join a guild or team, and his stamina was too poor even for porter work.
In the end, he took jobs from the Awakener Labor Office, and when there were none, he did part-time work there.
“The building’s unique.”
Looking up at the Korean-style traditional house-inspired interior shop, Kim Minsoo stepped inside.
Ding-a-ling.
As the shop door opened with a clear chime, a young woman with her long hair neatly tied back greeted him with a smile. It was Jang Chaewon.
“Welcome.”
For a moment, Kim Minsoo was startled.
Jang Chaewon’s cute appearance played a part, but her smile, looking like she was in her early twenties, somehow seemed as seasoned as a veteran salesperson.
‘It’s like the Awakener Labor Office manager’s smile.’
Shaking off the random thought, Kim Minsoo scratched his head.
“Uh, I came to buy some flooring.”
“Flooring? What for?”
“Oh, to lay in the office warehouse.”
Jang Chaewon smiled kindly as she looked at Kim Minsoo scratching his head and explained.
“The samples require ordering.”
She turned and pointed to the rolls of flooring stacked in one corner of the shop.
“If you need it right away, you can check the displayed products over here.”
Tilting his head, Kim Minsoo looked at the flooring rolls in the shop.
But they were stacked so thickly that the ones in the back were hidden.
“Can I see the ones in the back?”
“Oh, sure. Hold on. I’ll move them for you.”
“It’s fine. I’ll do it.”
Kim Minsoo casually lifted a roll, and Jang Chaewon looked surprised.
“Wow, you’re strong.”
“Huh?”
“Each roll weighs over 80kg.”
“Oh, yeah.”
‘She must not have realized I’m an Awakener.’
Kim Minsoo felt embarrassed by Jang Chaewon’s praise.
He only used the shield attached to his right arm regularly, so only his right forearm was a bit developed.
His build and looks appeared even scrawnier and more delicate than ordinary people.
“Which one’s the cheapest among these?”
“The wood-tone high-pet you’re holding right now is the most affordable.”
“Yeah. I’ll take this one.”
“How much do you need?”
“One roll, the whole thing.”
Looking at the flooring, Kim Minsoo handed over the card issued by the Awakener Labor Office.
“Here for payment.”
Ding-a-ling.
At that moment, the door chimed again, and a massive man in unique hanbok-style work clothes strode in. It was the Heavenly Demon.
“Demolition’s all done, shop owner.”
“Good work.”
“No sign of Gray Eyes or the Kim fellow.”
“Eunjin went home early. Mr. Kim the technician is out replacing a sink.”
“I see.”
His voice was deep but remarkably clear, ringing distinctly in the ears.
The Heavenly Demon, entering the shop, glanced down at Kim Minsoo, who was awkwardly standing near the entrance.
“Hmm.”
Nearly two meters tall, with a mountainous build and muscles. Red-tinged eyes.
A murderous pressure emanated from his body.
“Welcome. We appreciate your visit to our main shop.”
The Heavenly Demon patted Kim Minsoo’s shoulder with a pot-lid-sized hand and pointed to the water purifier in the distance.
“By the way, tea and drinks are free here. Of course, you have to make your own tea.”
“Are you nuts? Why hit the customer’s shoulder?”
Jang Chaewon scolded him, and the Heavenly Demon looked aggrieved.
“Didn’t you chew me out yesterday for being kinder to customers?”
“So that’s your idea of kind? It’s like a gangster collecting debt.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Then don’t.”
Jang Chaewon glared at the Heavenly Demon before smiling brightly at Kim Minsoo again.
“Do you know how to install the flooring?”
“Oh, they said just lay it out roughly. Here for payment.”
After paying with the Labor Office card, Kim Minsoo tried to hoist the roll onto his shoulder. At that moment,
“Ugh.”
A needle-like pain stabbed his shoulder. It was from the injury he’d sustained in a dungeon a few days ago.
“We’ll carry it for you. Where’s your car parked?”
At Jang Chaewon’s words, Kim Minsoo shook his head with an awkward expression.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll carry it.”
“You’re going to carry the whole roll?”
“Oh, it’s close. Just inside the alley at the intersection.”
“The shop in the alley at the intersection...”
Jang Chaewon’s expression turned peculiar as she looked at Kim Minsoo.
Wasn’t that where the Awakener Labor Office was?
‘He’s an Awakener.’
Staring at Kim Minsoo’s right arm, Jang Chaewon smiled again.
“We’ll deliver it.”
“No, really, it’s okay.”
For some reason, his pride stung, and Kim Minsoo shook his head firmly.
She must think he was a weak Awakener after seeing him fumble with the roll.
“It’s fine. It’s our service for buying a full roll.”
Her smile was disarmingly warm.
For a moment, Kim Minsoo felt his crushed self-esteem lift a bit.
“I see. Thank you.”
As Kim Minsoo bowed, Jang Chaewon said to the Heavenly Demon, who was now sitting at the reception table flipping through a book.
“Heavenly Demon. You deliver it to the site and come back. Give them a business card too.”
The downpour had turned to a misty drizzle.
Tiny raindrops like foam clung to the windows, and cars passing by made a whooshing sound through the water.
“......”
Sitting in the passenger seat of the small van, Kim Minsoo could barely breathe.
And who could blame him? Right next to him was the massive Heavenly Demon, pressed close with the eyes of a predator eyeing prey.
“T-The car’s pretty small...”
Kim Minsoo, practically glued to the passenger door, muttered lowly.
Crack.
With a sound like bones shifting, the Heavenly Demon’s face pressed right against Kim Minsoo’s cheek.
“What’s small?”
“N-No, I meant... it hugs the body so well, the ride’s top-notch.”
“You’ve got a good eye.”
The Heavenly Demon stroked the Ramas gearshift with a proud expression.
“A fine weapon that moves at my command.”
“I-I see.”
“Since you recognize its true value, I should show you.”
“Show what?”
Screeech!
The light changed, white smoke rose from the tires, and the Ramas shot forward like a bullet.
“Huh? Wha—?”
Kim Minsoo’s eyes widened in the cramped passenger seat.
On the drizzly highway shoulder, this little van began overtaking slower cars like mad.
“W-Wait! D-Dangerous!”
The speedometer, marked up to 140, was already pinned past 180.
Screeeeech.
The tires screamed like a ghost’s wail.
The small white Ramas rocketed like a missile, threading between cars on the road by a hair’s breadth.
“W-Wait a sec!”
Kim Minsoo felt the speed at over 300 km/h.
If they crashed at this speed, even an Awakener wouldn’t survive intact.
“Huh? Truck, truck!”
The Ramas, roaring and weaving through traffic, finally lost traction and was about to rear-end a dump truck when,
Screech, vroom!
With a roar, it slipped between the dump truck and the adjacent car.
The mad dash tearing up the roadside finally came to an end.
The Heavenly Demon pulled up calmly in front of the Awakener Labor Office building.
“We’re here.”
Kim Minsoo flung open the door and tumbled out.
“Urk.”
Grabbing a roadside tree, everything left in his stomach poured out like a waterfall.
“Indigestion?”
At the Heavenly Demon’s impassive remark, Kim Minsoo, tears and snot streaming, turned his head.
‘You crazy bastard...’
He wanted to smash a plate over his head.
But meeting those blazing red eyes, the urge to argue melted away.
“Where to deliver it.”
The Heavenly Demon asked, pulling the roll from the trunk. Kim Minsoo waved his hands.
“No, no. I’ll take it.”
From the driving, this guy seemed more likely to hurl the flooring and ride it than deliver it.
“Right there.”
Kim Minsoo pointed to the Labor Office shop.
“Up to the fifth floor. I’ll do it, so you can go.”
“The owner ordered delivery to the site.”
“N-No, you don’t have to go that far...”
Before he could stop him, the Heavenly Demon shouldered the roll and strode into the building.
Kim Minsoo had no choice but to follow.
Thud.
Climbing the stairs like flat ground, the Heavenly Demon delivered the roll right into the fifth-floor Awakener Labor Office.
“Delivery complete.”
‘At least he didn’t ride the flooring down.’
Wiping cold sweat from his brow, Kim Minsoo bowed with a pale face.
“Thank you.”
When he looked up, the Heavenly Demon who had come up was already gone.
Wiping sweat, Kim Minsoo sighed deeply.
“Weird uncle.”
Strange speech, cranky personality.
And what he did to that old van made it shoot like a sports car.
“The world is wide, and weird people are plentiful.”
Shaking his head, Kim Minsoo carried the roll into the Labor Office.
“Ugh. Such a hassle.”
The office was empty since Mondays were off.
He lugged the roll to the warehouse in the back and grumbled.
“Would it kill them to help? Why make a part-timer install flooring.”
Then, looking at the dusty warehouse, he shook his head.
“Guess that’s why they throw me meat shield gigs now and then.”
Meat shield.
A tactic hiring masses of tankers who can use shield skills to take on monsters.
Mainly used by Awakeners with money but no skill for high-risk monsters.
“When will I get used to this.”
Kim Minsoo lacked the stamina for porter work and had no skills.
He mainly took meat shield jobs, relying on grit and guts.
“My physical awakening’s not bad...”
Kim Minsoo’s awakening level was 28 percent. A bit higher, and he’d qualify for 8th Grade without skills.
“The shield does have impact absorption...”
Dungeon shields could withstand a car collision, fully equipped for shock absorption.
Enough for blocking small monster attacks, perfect for mass meat shield tactics.
Yet, due to his small, skinny frame, Kim Minsoo got bounced back even by light hits.
“Hmm.”
Dropping his head, Kim Minsoo tore open the flooring package.
But the rain-soaked roll tipped and slipped from his hands.
Thud.
The huge roll sprawled on the floor.
It overlapped with his image of himself always getting flung by monster attacks.
“Damn, damn it!”
Irritation surged suddenly.
Kim Minsoo flung the roll aside and stormed out of the warehouse. He threw open the door to the office across the hall.
It was the free gym for Awakeners using the Labor Office.
Entering the chilly training room, Kim Minsoo set the bench press to 300kg.
Clank.
Impressive for a normal person, but any 9th Grade Awakener could rep it ten times easily.
“Just need to bulk up. Then I won’t get flung.”
Lying on the bench, Kim Minsoo pushed the barbell with all his might.
Truthfully, even Awakeners training didn’t gain strength like normals or level up skills.
Awakeners had surpassed human limits with ‘physical awakening.’ Only re-awakening or extreme awakening could surpass it.
“Ugh, hup.”
Around the fifth set’s last rep, he lowered the bar to his chest, but his arms wouldn’t extend.
‘Pushed too hard?’
Trying to drop the bar, Kim Minsoo sensed something wrong.
‘Oh shit!’
Really fucked.
He’d jumped in angrily, forgetting to raise the safety bars.
“Dam-Damn it.”
Worse, the collars securing the plates were on, so shaking didn’t dislodge them.
Rainy weekend afternoon, post-business— no Awakeners around.
“No, no.”
Darkness crept into his vision.
Dying like this, those who mocked him would laugh their asses off.
Above all, who’d care for his two siblings at home?
“Gahhh!”
Screaming, Kim Minsoo pushed with everything.
But his arms wouldn’t budge.
Instead, his throat tightened, and the ceiling lights blurred.
‘Is this... how I go?’
As fear, absurdity, and pain blackened his sight,
“Hmm.”
A low voice, and the barbell lifted off easily. The world brightened suddenly.
“Cough. Hack.”
Sprawled under the bench, Kim Minsoo gasped for air.
A moment later, and darkness would’ve swallowed him. Surely death.
“Pant. Pant.”
Clutching his throat, Kim Minsoo trembled.
The world seemed too bright after cheating death.
After lying there rubbing his throat for a while, he opened his mouth.
“Huh?”
Shockingly, the uncle who delivered the flooring earlier held the 300kg barbell with one finger.
‘An Awakener?’
Lifting 300kg bench one-fingered? Pure strength put him at 5th—no, 4th Grade level.
“Th-Thank you for the help.”
Bowing deeply, Kim Minsoo said shakily.
“But how did you know...”
“Forgot to give you this.”
On the Heavenly Demon’s palm lay a gold business card with a stylish hanok illustration.
“Patronize our main shop again.”
He placed the card in the panting Kim Minsoo’s hand and turned.
“W-Wait!”
Jumping up, Kim Minsoo took a deep breath.
“I have a question.”