n

n

nChapter 1 – Obtaining The Power

nBehemoths began to appear on earth about 40 years ago.

nAbout 22 years before I was born?

nAnyway, you can guess right?

nI’m eightee….

nNo, eighteen years old.

n(TLN: In Korean there are two ways of pronouncing numbers, and the first way he says “eighteen” is “ship-pal”, which sounds similar to “shibal”, which is an offensive word. )

nYour average, fearless, South Korean high school student.

nAs for my possessions, well, I don’t have **.

nI’m a student, so that’s only obvious.

nBut even if you don’t consider the fact that I’m a student, I’m still poor as a damn dog.

n… I’m a non-Awakened…

nWhat am I talking about?

nThe world has changed to become extremely unfair. Ah, not that it was fair before the change.

nBut it’s even more unfair now.

nIt’s **ed up.

nThe Awakened kill Behemoths, get praised as the era’s hero and become rich as **.

nIf the non-Awakened want to become rich, they have to suck their thumbs and wait for their weekly lottery ticket, hoping to win.

nSo I’m just studying hard.

nWho knows?

nIf I do well in my SATs and graduate from a good university, maybe I could join a guild or the Awakened Association as an office worker?

nIf it goes really well, maybe I could even become the manager of an Awakened.

n“… So, throughout South Korea’s history…”

nSnore~

nAnd my buddy Hwang Jae-Hyuk is sleeping.

nHe’s even snoring.

nEven so, the teacher doesn’t do anything about it.

nIt’s not because he’s given up.

nThis guy was told that he is an Awakened during his first year of high school.

nBasically, he’s going to live a successful future where everything is secure.

nAnd he’s even in the warrior line of the Awakened.

nJust thinking about it, it’s about as fair as a dog’s dick.

n(TLN: Think of it as “Just thinking about it, it’s unfair as **.” Yes, the author literally wrote “unfair as a dog’s dick”.)

nWhy does that guy get to be born with everything.

nAnd why do I have nothing.

nHe’s just fulfilling the necessary education that the nation has decreed.

nJust think of it as an education system which prevents the Awakened from turning on the nation, a disciplinary system.

nAt school he sleeps and after school he earns money! So unfair, this **ing world!

nAh, let’s just not even think about it.

nI’ll just keep studying.

nBecause this is all I can do.

nAnd the one reason that I work so earnestly! Family!

nThe only family member I have left, my mother.

nI think of my mother who would be working tirelessly at the restaurant, always saying that she would raise her useless son alone all her life.

nEuduek~

n(TLN: Sound of gritting teeth. )

nThen my molars grind hard against each other.

nShe only looks at me and dedicates her entire life to me.

nWhen I think of my mother, my heart always hurts.

nIt can only do that.

nA long time ago.

nIt was around when I was in my 2nd year of elementary school.

nThe human who called himself my father, addicted to both alcohol and gambling, used to beat my mother a lot.

nEven so, my mother never let out a sound.

nBecause I was in the room.

nShe didn’t want to show her son that side of her.

nEven so, I was fully aware.

nWe’re a family that lives together in a single house, how could I not know?

nThe next day, I would see the torn and bruised face of my mother.

nI even tried to just look at the knot patterns in the carpet on the floor, but still…..

nOne day, father died.

nFather? No, ‘A man who called himself my father died.’ That should be it.

nThat’s what it’s like in my mind.

nIt seemed that he had borrowed money from all sorts of loan sharks to fuel his gambling addiction.

nFive days after he was reported to be missing, I was able to meet the man known as my father.

nWith two hollow eyes, and with a Y-shaped cut which ran from his chest to his belly…

nHonestly, I was a bit sad.

nBut deep inside my heart, I was laughing.

nWe can be happy now.

nNow mother doesn’t have to be hurt anymore.

nI laughed because those thoughts were there.

nThe debt of 2 million Won kept on growing.

nLike that, the man known as my “Father” left a debt of 40 million Won and slowly faded away from my memories.

nDing-Dong-Dang-Dong~

nInterrupting my fleeting thought, the bell that signals lunchtime rings.

nThe teacher leaves the room immediately.

nAnd, my buddy Hwang-Jae-Hyuk opens his eyes instantly.

nWhat a scary guy.

nHow does he rise up, sharp as a knife’s edge, as soon as lunch starts?

nIt can’t not be some amazing ability.

nOf course! Although this probably isn’t an Awakened ability….

n“Hey.”

nJae-Hyuk faces me and hands over 500 Won.

nWow, this guy is really nice.

nIf you thought that, you’d be wrong.

nBecause this guy… is a delinquent.

n“Buy me two chocolate breads and a bottle of Coke with this.”

nDid he not receive primary school education? He must’ve cooked and eaten his math textbook.

n(TLN: This is a Korean phrase – If you cook something up and eat it, it’s like it goes through one ear and out the other. This phrase basically means that he’s a retard who never studied.)

nAnd with bread, you’re supposed to drink milk you idiot…

n“That’s not enough money…”

nI replied like that.

nAnd I know exactly what will happen afterwards.

n“Ahh. Min-Cheol, do you want to die?”

nThe bastard stares at me while calling my name.

nBut I’m trying my best in order to not give in.

nYeah… I’m Jae-Hyuk’s bread shuttle.

nAlthough sad, that’s the reality.

nAlthough the difference between an ordinary person and an Awakened differed with the Awakened’s rank, if you treated the ordinary person’s strength as ‘1’ then the Awakened’s strength would be ‘10’.

nAnyway, when it came to do with money I was really sensitive about it.

nSo, this idiotic order of telling me to go buy 2 chocolate breads and a cola with only 500 Won is something I can’t accept.

n(TLN: It’s like handing 50 cents to get bread and Coke.)

nIt’s the iron law of the National Association of Bread Shuttles… I’m joking.

nIf Jae-Hyuk handed over 3000 Won, then I would’ve gone.

nAlthough it’s a petty excuse, I can eat lunch and exercise at the same time while going back and forth.

nBut the disadvantageous demand of using my own money to buy the items, I can’t accept.

nI can’t use my own money to buy the items.

nI gave the 500 won back to Jae-Hyuk.

n“Haah~ Has this bastard gone crazy?”

nAs he said that, he raises his eyebrows and suddenly stands up from the chair.

nHonestly, probably because I’m human, I’m scared.

nBut I can’t surrender.

nBecause, the 2000 Won that my mother gave to me this morning, it can’t be used for this piece of ** bastard.

n“Do you want to get hit a few times first, or do you wanna just go?”

nI don’t reply.

nHe starts hitting me.

nSmack! Smack! Smack!

nHis punch lands in my pit of the stomach.

nI’m winded, and it hurts a lot.

n“Keu…Keuhuek….!”

nHurts.

nAnnoying.

nSo scary.

nIf only this **er disappeared from the world like the guy who called himself my father… That would be good.

nAnd…

nIn this unfair world.

nIf only I could become a millionaire.

nI could laugh at these pieces of trash in front of me, and live my own life.

nWell, screw the other things, first my mother…

nPow!

nMy consciousness cuts off.

nAnd before I black out.

nSomething seems to ring in my head.

n.

n.

n.

nYour body has awakened.

n‘You have obtained the Frost Orb spell’

nKim Min-Cheol

nLevel : 1

nExp : 0

/100

nClass: Magician

nSpecial Attribute: Mana doesn’t run out.

nStrength: 10

nMana: ∞

nAgility : 10

nVitality : 10

nUnspent Points：0

n