Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Sisyphus
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After finally shaking off Ga-eun, who kept apologizing profusely and not knowing what to do, I stopped by the convenience store on the way home.
I always stock up on as much food as possible when I head out. It's a habit for holing up for long stretches.
It's cheaper to go to a big supermarket, but it's too far away, and the place is so huge it's a hassle.
Plus, lugging shopping bags on public transport on the way back is a pain.
A convenience store is the best, even if it's a bit pricier.
If you think of it as paying for convenience, it's a total steal.
Besides, I'm exhausted right now.
Weeeeng
The door slid open slowly as I approached.
Bonus points for it being an automatic door instead of a swinging one.
As I stepped inside, I spotted the part-time worker at the counter—a guy with a protruding belly, wearing earphones and glued to his phone.
He didn't even notice me come in and was intently staring at something on his screen.
...Minus points for employee attitude.
I wondered if he couldn't see me because I'm short, so I straightened up tall on purpose as I walked past the counter, but he still didn't notice me.
'...What am I even doing.'
"Sigh."
I let out a small sigh and headed to the food aisle.
Maybe I should grab a bunch of canned tuna this time.
Ever since I ended up eating dirt instead of tuna and transforming like this, canned tuna was the first thing on my mind when I walked in.
Hmm, not much on the shelf.
Glance
I peeked at the counter, but the clerk was still lost in his phone.
'Just fill up with ramen instead.'
I simulated in my head trying to get the clerk's attention and asking if there was more tuna in the back, then quickly gave up. Too tricky.
'More importantly...'
Why does everything look so delicious today?
The dessert display, which I usually ignore, kept catching my eye.
Eh, it'll be fine. I only got a little tuna anyway, so I have room in the budget.
I can't eat ramen and tuna every single day.
Hmm... Sweet potato milk cake. Looks soft and sweet. The name even sounds healthier.
Grab one.
Chocolate whipped cream cake. The name sounds so fancy, like it'd make the eater look sophisticated too.
Grab one.
Coco honey jar, one.
Custard cream puff, one.
Strawberry marron? This too...
Mochi rolls, one of each kind...
Su-hyeon finished shopping.
Both baskets were stuffed full of ramen and all sorts of snacks.
I slowly pushed the baskets toward the counter, but this tubby guy still hadn't noticed me.
Zzt
I grabbed the counter at my eye level and glared at the clerk, but it was useless.
My hair color happened to match the counter pretty well, making me even less noticeable.
I irritably tapped the counter edge with smacking sounds, then came up with a great way to both vent my frustration and get his attention.
If I slam the baskets down noisily, he'll have to look.
Imagining this delinquent clerk jumping in surprise made a grin creep onto my face.
For that satisfying moment of justice, I lifted the basket.
"Huh?"
It was heavy, but not too heavy to lift.
The problem was the height.
Even grunting as I hoisted it, my short reach meant I couldn't get it past chest level.
I tried bracing my waist against it and lifting, but it didn't seem much higher.
'What do I do.'
An unexpected obstacle.
As my strength gave out and I tried to set the basket down, it suddenly felt lighter and shot up into the air.
"!?"
Startled, I followed the basket with my eyes as I looked up.
A massive man, tall enough to touch the ceiling, was standing behind me.
"Could you ring this kid up?"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Only then did the clerk turn pale and rush to the register to do his job.
'An Awakener.'
His build was extraordinary.
Not all of them are like that, but it's said that Awakeners find it easier to train their bodies.
Something about mana boosting cell metabolism and recovery rates...
Skipping the complicated stuff, the common point among Awakeners, regardless of age or gender, was that they all had great physiques to varying degrees.
Even light training yielded explosive results.
Truly roiders with zero side effect worries.
Unable to keep up with the situation, I just rolled my eyes around when the man picked up the other basket and placed it on the counter too.
His huge hand came down to my eye level to grab the handle.
'Crazy, that hand is...'
It was too thick and large to call a hand.
The lid of a pot would feel sorry by comparison.
'He could probably wrap my whole head in it.'
Imagining that massive hand clamping over my head, I shuddered.
"Th-That's 34,250 won."
"Not me. It's this kid."
The clerk had somehow finished ringing everything up already.
Was he entering some barcode scanning speed contest?
When the man pointed at the floor with his finger, the clerk finally noticed me.
Guess he scans barcodes fine but his eyesight's bad. Hmph.
Annoyed, my lower lip jutted out.
I pulled a card from my wallet and slapped it down as rudely as possible.
Then, waiting until the beep of the transaction finished, I yelled.
"Bag it please!"
E-rank Awakener Kang Chan-seong watched the kid struggling out of the convenience store with a bag nearly as big as himself.
He wanted to help, but...
He recalled how the child had stared at his hand when he lifted the basket.
And how she'd flinched when he brushed past her face.
'Guess I'm too scary for kids after all.'
In truth, despite his intimidating appearance, he quite liked children.
But knowing full well what he looked like, he held himself back.
"Here you go, all set."
"...Mm."
Lost in thought for a moment, he took the bag from the now-finished clerk.
It was stuffed full of coffee and cigarettes—enough to make anyone think he was a chain smoker, but he'd never even touched a smoke.
"Have a good one!"
"I'm back, Big Brother."
As he entered the container, the acrid stench of cigarettes and the metallic tang of blood assaulted his nose.
"Hey, you bastard, it took you all day to hit the convenience store?"
"Sorry."
A barrage of abuse the moment he stepped in.
"Ugh, Iron Lad, so slow—when are you gonna pay off that debt?"
Guild members snickered and mocked him.
He silently did as told, earning the nickname Iron Lad.
Among the ways they referred to him, it was one of the cuter ones.
This bastard, that bastard, this punk, that punk, and so on.
Ones without profanity were rarer.
"Sorry, Big Brother."
"Always apologizing, you damn punk."
The Pitbull Guild he belonged to—he was stuck doing all the grunt work because of the massive debt his late father had left behind.
"Hey, Iron Lad. I only drink Starbucks—where is it?"
"Quit your bullshit, vending machine coffee suits you fine."
Hecklers chimed in from afar, but the mantis-faced man ignored them.
"Sorry. The only thing around was the convenience store..."
Smack!
A plastic coffee cup slammed roughly into Chan-seong's chest.
The impact sent coffee splashing high, soaking his clothes and face.
"Don't just yap—"
"......"
"I'm tired of hearing excuses every damn time."
The man sneered and prodded Chan-seong's cheek.
He was much shorter than average, but Chan-seong didn't resist.
"At least show some effort, some sincerity. Right?"
"Sorry."
"Shape up, you frustrating bastard. Who'd you get this from, huh?"
Even the jab reminiscent of his late father didn't faze the stoic Chan-seong.
The man, satisfied with the obedience, wiped the coffee from his hand onto Chan-seong's clothes and stepped back.
"Thank you."
"Chan-seong."
Now the Guild Master, sitting on the half-dismantled monster corpse, called out to him.
"Yes, Big Brother."
C-rank Awakener Ha Chang-hoon.
Whenever he used Chan-seong's name, it was never for anything good.
"You can handle the rest of the corpse cleanup, right? You went to the store while we were working."
Aw, so tiring~!
Exaggerated whining and laughter echoed.
"Yes."
Sending him on an errand, then framing it like he'd slacked off.
Totally inconsistent.
"Yeah, yeah. If you can't fight, at least be useful like this."
"You're right."
Chang-hoon stood and approached.
"Seriously, what would you do without us? E-rank, no combat skills—what good are you?"
"I'm always grateful, Big Brother."
His groveling obedience drew a sleazy grin from Chang-hoon.
"Hah. Your dad really... leaving us with debt and begging for favors."
He patted Chan-seong's shoulder and left with the group.
"Finish up and clean by tonight~."
"Yes, Big Brother."
As the mocking laughs and footsteps faded from the container.
Chan-seong picked up the bloodied saw and approached the pile of corpses filling the space.
Exactly as it had been before he left—no change at all.
Meanwhile, Su-hyeon was coming to understand the plight of the dung beetle climbing the hill.
"Huff... huff..."
I'd forgotten there were stairs to climb.
Well, less forgotten the stairs and more forgotten that I had to climb them in this new body.
They'd been a chore before the change,
but now it felt like scaling a sheer cliff.
"Hah, just a bit more..."
My breath was catching in my throat.
Planning a quick break, I set the bag down midway up the stairs and plopped beside it.
My thighs below felt cold against the stone, but I ignored it.
Red marks stood out on my palms.
Traces from the handles digging in under the weight.
As I clenched and unclenched my hands to get the blood flowing, a rustling came from beside me.
Something at the bottom of the bag. Not fully on the step, dangling into the air... probably a snack.
Guess it was heavy.
I rubbed my hands dismissively, but that's when I noticed something off—too late.
Sliiiide
"Wha— ack!"
I jumped up, my outstretched hand pitifully grazing the handle.
The unbalanced plastic bag tumbled down with a crunching crinkle.
"......"
The bag came to rest on the landing between the first and second floors—what you'd call 1.5 stories.
Su-hyeon stood frozen midway, staring helplessly below.
Thud thud thud
Shuffling back down, Su-hyeon began rolling the bag up the stairs like Sisyphus with his boulder.
It was already smashed inside from the fall, so rough handling was fine.
As long as it tastes good. Whatever.
It felt like tears might spill any second.