[What's life, anyway? You just live as you live]
[What's life, anyway? You just live as you live]
When Baek-ri returns home, Ruri is the first to greet him.
"Chicken!"
"Hey, you'll get fat eating like that!"
"I study as much as I eat, so it's fine!"
"Do I look like a chicken delivery guy to you?"
"Mister, how much is it? Do you take card? Did you bring coupons?"
"I'm not selling!"
That's how the story went; they giggled, Baek-ri handed over the chicken, and Ruri received it.
There are many households where siblings fight tooth and nail, but there are also households where they get along well. In Baek-ri's case, he tends to be generous, so they belong to the category of siblings who get along reasonably well.
Though, these days, it's mostly because the chicken Baek-ri brings home is the goal.
"You guys will get fat. You should eat a little at night."
"One chicken is 'a little' for a high school girl in her prime, Mom."
"Too much greasy food is bad for you."
"Chicken is the perfect dish with carbs, fat, and protein all balanced out, so it's fine."
Ruri's mother scolded Ruri for eating chicken late at night, but it was useless. Adolescence is when desires are strongest; for men, it often manifests as sexual desire, and for women, as appetite.
"Hey, Ruri. It's deep-fried so that's fat, and chicken breast is protein, but where are the carbs?"
"In the batter."
"Does that count as carbs?"
"In the US, they say pizza is a vegetable because it has tomato sauce. If the US does it, why can't we?"
"How do you never lose an argument?"
Certainly, if you look at the ingredients of the frying powder used to make the batter, the carbohydrate content is high. That's because it contains grain-based ingredients like flour. However, if you look at the proportion in the chicken, it's the lowest.
Baek-ri ate at most one or two pieces. If you fry chicken all day, you lose your appetite just from the smell of oil. Even then, he ate the breast meat and gave both of the only two legs to Ruri.
"Oh, right. Come to think of it, someone from a broadcasting station came by today and asked if they could film."
"Really? Which show?"
"VJ Special Forces."
"Isn't that show past its prime?"
"You watched it a lot when you were little, didn't you?"
"That was when I was little. Looking at it now, the ratings don't seem that high."
That's how long-running programs are. The older the program, the more the material runs out, and then ratings inevitably drop.
Of course, if it's been on air for a long time, it has a loyal viewership, but compared to the variety shows of this era, it's not exactly popular.
After eating the whole chicken and cleaning up, it was nearing midnight. Both Ruri and Baek-ri should be sleeping if they want to wake up in the morning, but neither of them went to their rooms.
"Aren't you sleeping?"
"What's it to you? I'll study a bit more and then sleep."
"Not sleepy?"
"Same for you, isn't it?"
If there's one good thing about awakening as a Force User, it's that your body doesn't get tired easily.
Your metabolism is several times better than a normal person's, and your stamina and strength have increased. So, even Baek-ri can wake up feeling refreshed after sleeping for only three or four hours.
Baek-ri, who hasn't been a Force User for long, is like that, so Ruri, who awakened much earlier, was even more so.
"I sleep two hours a day and study, so my grades are skyrocketing. It's a cheat code."
"That's dirty. Isn't that cheating?"
"Just awaken as a Force User."
"I can't, that's why you're the cheater."
If you have better memory, stamina, and recovery than a normal person, studying becomes the easiest thing in the world. It's not like you can master the entire curriculum in a day, but you are definitely a few steps ahead of others.
"The Chicken Shop Owner-nim says you're stronger than me. Is that true?"
"Well, I've been a Force User longer than you, so why wouldn't I be stronger than Oppa?"
"We both only got the basic training, right?"
When you become a Force User, the government basically makes you take a fundamental curriculum for Force control. Because walking around the streets with power you can't control is no different from being a walking bomb.
Even if you don't officially join the government, you have to receive at least the basic training. They don't teach you much, just enough to acquire basic physical Enhancement abilities. Anything beyond that requires entering a proper training camp.
"If I fail the CSAT, I'll just give up on college and do manual labor. Construction welcomes Force Users."
"I thought about that too, but... they say there's no future because you can't get promoted to management."
A Force User with strength greater than others can carry heavy materials to places where equipment can't enter when they go to a construction site. Thanks to this, Force Users have high wages in the construction industry, but that's it; there's no stability. Even if you're a Force User, you just get injured less on a construction site; it doesn't mean you don't get injured at all.
Moreover, because you have to use your body directly, you can't take on management positions. There's no fool who would pay several times the wage just to put someone in a position where they can't use that power.
It's an industry where that's the only thing you get if you're looking for high wages.
"But what's this about? If it's a typical 'I want to get stronger!' reason, I want to tell you to go wash your feet and sleep."
"Sheesh, are you reading my mind? Do you have a mental-type Trait?"
"I've lived with you for 20 years, I know you like the back of my hand."
"......Hey, that metaphor sounds a bit dirty."
"High school girls like dirty stuff too. More than guys think. Where did you get the idea that high school girls are pure?"
"No, the moment I realized someone like you could be a high school girl, I threw away all hope on your entrance ceremony day."
"You should've thrown away your virginity the day before enlistment too. I wouldn't say go to weird places, but at least have a girlfriend."
"HEY!!"
He gave a little and got a lot back. When Baek-ri fights with Ruri, it mostly turns into a verbal argument; Baek-ri lets her win sometimes, but Ruri's sharp tongue makes it impossible to win. No, it was mostly the latter.
"So what are you asking? Do you really want to know how to get stronger?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Uh... it's just good, right? Since I've awakened as a Force User, it'd be nice to be strong enough not to get beaten up."
"There's a 10-year gap, so I don't know how it was back then, but you heard it during basic training, right? You need intense emotional change to awaken."
"I think I heard it..."
"Shit, even I remember it from the first class, and you don't remember it from a few months ago?"
".........I dozed off a bit."
"Honestly, the first class is theory, so it's sleepy. Anyway, when you awakened, what were you thinking?"
Baek-ri recalled that moment, which he still remembers even now.
A dozen or so years ago, Enemy Species popped out of a Dimensional Rift that appeared out of nowhere due to a poorly prepared Dimensional Rift Detector. He barely survived because Ruri awakened as a Force User while they were running away from them.
He was young, but the memory is vivid. The sight of the kid from the apartment next door, whom he had just been playing with, having his intestines spilled onto the floor by the teeth of an Enemy Species—it wasn't a metaphor; he literally pissed his pants.
In the midst of fear, all Baek-ri could do was take Ruri, who was nearby, and run away. He knew they would be caught and killed soon, but it was something he had to do.
The moment before death. Ruri actually awakened as a Force User and ended up saving Baek-ri, but he had never felt as desperate as he did during that moment of helplessness.
It was the same when he awakened.
He stood up, shaking off the helplessness and despair in his heart, to save his father who was left in a fire. That moment of emotional change awakened him as a Force User.
"I was similar. I can't forget it even if I want to. I was so scared, but I remember you running away with me. You didn't even have time to think about yourself, you just grabbed my hand and ran... so I thought we shouldn't die together, and I awakened."
"This is the first time I'm hearing this from you..."
"Well, it's not exactly a fun story."
As much as it was a memory both wanted to forget, it wasn't a story they brought up easily.
However, both of them were Force Users now. A common ground where they could understand each other had been formed.
"Looking at you, I think you'd do well even if you joined the government. You're kind, so you'd do well even if you get taken for a ride. Even if not the Enemy Species Response Team, you could join the Force User Crime Response Team or the Original Species Disposal Team."
"Crime Response Team has a high hurdle. Dealing with people is hard. Original Species has high competition."
Even if you are a government-affiliated Force User, not everyone deals with Enemy Species.
First, the Crime Response Team. This is an agency for arresting people who are Force Users themselves but commit crimes. Since being a Force User allows even someone who looks like they'll die tomorrow to have strength greater than a professional fighter, only other Force Users can arrest Force User criminals. Usually, there is one team at each local Police Station.
Unlike Enemy Species, Force Users are susceptible to modern firearms, so it might seem like normal people could arrest them, but even with a gun, it's hard for a normal person to deal with a Force User. Unless it's the military.
It's the same reason as handing someone a gun and telling them to go catch a tiger. They are fundamentally different. No, humans have knowledge, so they are actually scarier than tigers.
At least a tiger wouldn't investigate the family of the person trying to catch it and try to kill them in retaliation.
"Original Species Disposal Team is the best."
"Right?"
It has been 20 years since Enemy Species appeared and Gaia Force was revealed to the world.
It wasn't just humans who awakened as Force Users.
From dogs and cats commonly seen around, to wild animals like bears and boars living in the mountains, many often awaken as Force Users and have a negative impact on society.
Sometimes pets do that, but that's a rare reason; most cases involve wild animals awakening, coming down to urban areas, and causing casualties.
Creatures born from non-human Earth lifeforms that awakened as Force Users are called 'Original Species', and a separate disposal team was set up for them.
Although the species is different, Original Species are also Force Users. They are susceptible to firearms, and since they were originally wild animals, it's easy to figure out their habits, so the Original Species Disposal Team is the best job among those a Force User can choose.
Moreover, if you talk about wild beasts in South Korea, a boar is the limit. Native tigers have been extinct for a long time, so there are few animals that can be called beasts, making the hurdle lower than for Enemy Species.
However, because there are so many applicants, it is also a job with fierce competition. For Baek-ri, who awakened this year, it's a hard job to get into. Unless he builds up his career elsewhere first.
"I think I know why you want to get stronger. I'm the same. But I'm living as a normal person because I think it's better to do what my family wants than for me to fight. If I fight, before I even die fighting an Enemy Species, Mom, Dad, and Oppa would be buried under a mountain of worry."
"You made the right choice."
"If you want to get stronger, just remember your beginner's mind. At least you won't die easily."
"Not 'won't die' but 'won't die easily'?"
"Don't take the world so lightly. People stronger than you die in a flash... but why are you suddenly caring about that? You were obsessed with chicken batter recipes recently."
Suddenly, Ruri seemed to remember something and took out her phone.
"Ah, is it because of this?"
Ruri went to a video site and played the most popular video at the top.
【Thousand Swords】 Lee Gyeong-jin VS Raccoon Man.
It was a concise title, but it described everything. It was also a video that was shaking the world right now.
"That's not without influence..."
"Men are all idiots. Watching stuff like this and fueling your competitive spirit? For you to reach this level, you'd need to be locked in the mountains, learning from an awesome master for 20 years."
"That example is oddly realistic, so it's annoying."
"I can fight well too, but compared to this, I'm a total noob. I wouldn't last 5 minutes against either."
"Saying you wouldn't last 5 minutes means you could last under 5 minutes. It's amazing you could last at all."
If Baek-ri fought either Lee Gyeong-jin or Choi Ak, it would end in one blow. With one sword strike, one blow, his neck would be cut or his body would be smashed to pieces, and it would end simply.
From basic physical ability to the use of Traits, the difference is as vast as heaven and earth.
"It's good to dream big like 'I'll be as rich as Bill Gates!', but shouldn't you find someone to teach you first?"
"You mean find a Force User senior or teacher? About that..."
"I know, the Chicken Shop Owner-nim gives you advice often, right?"
".........I don't know what you're talking about."
Baek-ri tried to deny it, but Ruri spoke as if she already knew.
"Fire accident. You awakened. Raccoon Man appeared and saved you. Shortly after, the Chicken Shop Owner-nim came and talked to Dad. If you can't notice that, you're an idiot."
".........."
Ruri wasn't stupid. She was a kid whose brain worked diligently. Baek-ri couldn't fool her with clumsy lies.
"I probed him before. He's pretending to be a normal person, but there are a few sloppy spots."
"He's a Master-class user, can you even detect that?"
"Even with the Mona Lisa, if someone tells you 'this is a fake', you can see the fake parts. Since I'm already suspicious, I can see it. My Trait helps too."
"What's your Trait?"
"It's best not to reveal your ability. Jojo said so."
"Wait, Jojo?!"
"It's the origin of ability battles, so what's wrong with that? Anyway, ask the Chicken Shop Owner-nim to teach you. It's better than asking me."
"He told me to learn from you first."
"I thought passing the buck was a specialty of high-ranking people!"
Ruri thought for a moment and said.
"Then I'll just teach you roughly and pass the buck too."
".........What are you going to do?"
"You're that bad at fighting? Come out to the park!"
"..........?"
The time is 1:34 AM. Unless it's a place that works night shifts, it's a time when most people are at home resting or sleeping.
"It's 1:34 AM... the perfect time for a younger sister to beat up her brother without guilt."
".......Mom, I'm going to go exercise with Ruri for a bit."
Since it was summer, they didn't need to pack extra clothes, and the two headed to a park near their house. Near their house, there was a small park that the neighborhood men sometimes used for early morning soccer.
It was less than a 5-minute walk, and when they arrived at the park breathing in the night air, there wasn't a single person there, and only a desolate atmosphere lingered.
While loosening her wrists and ankles, Ruri said.
"I'm telling you, I'm quite strong!"
"That's because I always let you win when we fight."
"I've heard stories from friends who have older brothers, and it's like a pro-wrestling match, but compared to that, my Oppa is an angel."
"How come you're praising me all of a sudden?"
"I'm going to beat the shit out of you now, so I'm sorry."
Ruri clenched her fists. Baek-ri could see the Force imbued in Ruri's fist.
"Strike first, win first!"
Pang!
With the sound of clothes flapping rapidly, a fist with power similar to a full-force attack from a professional fighter aimed at Baek-ri's philtrum. Startled, Baek-ri used his Trait to enhance his body.
"Are you trying to kill me?! What kind of crazy person punches someone in the philtrum right off the bat?!"
"Maybe not a crazy guy, but a crazy girl? Try saying 'Excuse me, Miss Crazy Girl!'"
"Hey!"
All Baek-ri could do was block. Although his body was enhanced twice by adding his Trait, 'Reinforcement', to the general physical Enhancement, he could only manage to deflect Ruri's fist.
It wasn't a simple punch; every punch she threw, using her shoulders properly like a boxer, was fierce.
Every time she threw a punch, the threatening sound of Pang! as her clothes flapped was like a sonic boom to Baek-ri.
"You can't do anything by just dodging or blocking?"
"I know that!"
The fortunate thing was that he could react to Ruri's fists. His doubly enhanced body could barely see her fists, avoid vital points, or deflect them with his hands to create a stalemate.
Conversely, it meant that even using his Trait, Baek-ri could only manage to react.
General physical Enhancement using Gaia Force. Plus, double Enhancement using the Force Trait 'Reinforcement'. Yet, he was struggling because he couldn't beat Ruri, who had simply enhanced her body with Force.
"You don't know who you'll fight, but they won't just throw honest jabs like this. You can do this too."
Ruri pretended to throw a jab again, then grabbed Baek-ri's wrist as he tried to deflect it. And while pulling, she simultaneously delivered a knee kick to his abdomen.
The heavy impact of a direct hit was transmitted to Baek-ri's brain.
Puh-uh-uk!!
And Ruri delivered an uppercut to Baek-ri, lifting his body about 1 meter off the ground, just like in a cartoon.
Baek-ri, who saw stars for a moment, rolled on the ground with a stinging sensation. It wasn't pain he couldn't endure, but it hurt his pride that he had been beaten without any way to counter.
"I thought I'd knock you out, but you've got good durability. Is it because of your Trait?"
"Ugh........."
"Now you know you're a total noob among newbies, right? Just leave it and run the chicken shop with the Owner-nim."
Ruri dusted off her hands and reached out to help the fallen Baek-ri up. Baek-ri took her hand and stood up.
After dusting off the dirt from his body, Baek-ri thought for a moment and made a suggestion to her.
"Hey, you were looking into computers before, right?"
"Why? It's amazing we're both using a 10-year-old laptop. It barely runs LoL."
Baek-ri sighed for a moment and said.
"I'll buy you a computer, so tutor me for a couple of hours at night."
"A month is enough to build the basics. I'll serve you with a crash course, customer!"
In a capitalist society, the person paying is king. Absolutely!