"Can't Ai take over all jobs..."
The doorbell chimed with a chirpy ding-ding as another customer stepped into the convenience store.
"Welcome," he muttered without looking up, eyes glued to the flickering security monitor. His name tag read Jinwoo, because of course it did—his mom was a fan of that manhwa. You know the one. Gates. Hunters. Dungeon raids. That world. People even nicknamed awakeners after it now, like it was some kind of genre instead of, well, life.
He scanned the ramen, the triangle kimbap, and the high-caffeine soda the customer plopped down. The man was already giving him the look. The why-aren't-you-smiling-like-a-happy-K-drama-cashier look.
"I said no bag," the guy snapped.
"I didn't give you one."
"Oh. Well... I still don't want one."
He gave the man his change with the deadest eyes allowed by minimum wage law. The guy strutted off like he'd won some invisible battle.
Jinwoo slumped back against the counter. He rubbed his temples, thinking about his sister. She awakened last week. Flashy. Glowing. Got picked up by an agency within hours and now she's probably fighting monsters while he's fighting coupon fraud.
"Lucky brat," he muttered.
He stared at the ceiling. The cheap fluorescent lights buzzed.
And then—
Ding!
A translucent blue screen popped up in front of him.
> [You have been chosen by the system.]
[Welcome, Player.]
He blinked. Then blinked again.
"Nope," he said. "I'm hallucinating. Looks like eating expired shits makes me hallucinate.
The screen didn't go away.
He tried to swat the screen away like smoke wafting over from a chain-smoker who refused to believe in air rights. His hand passed right through it.
"Okay... cool," he said slowly, "holographic delusion. Fancy."
The screen, unfazed by his sarcasm, beeped again.
> [Initializing tutorial... Please do not resist.]
"Resist what—?"
A sudden jolt shot through his spine. Not painful, but still hurting.
He convulsed once. Then sneezed.
"Bless me," he muttered, wiping his nose. "Also what the hell."
Another window blinked into existence in front of him, this one fancier—like the UI designer got a promotion halfway through coding it.
> [Player Status Window]
Name: Park Jinwoo
Age: 19
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 63 kg
Title: Loser
Level: 1
EXP: 0/100
Class: [Pending]
Job: Cashier
HP: 100/100
MP: 30/30
Strength: 6
Agility: 8
Stamina: 8
Intelligence: 18
Luck: 1
Charisma: 2
> [Abilities+] — Touch to Expand
He looked at the title and almost lost it.
"This fu-
Soon, controlling himself. He stared at the "Abilities+" section.
"I swear if it just says 'scan barcodes faster', I'm uninstalling my entire brain."
He reached out and tapped it. Or more like poked it gently, like it might explode or charge him extra.
The screen rippled and expanded.
[Abilities]
[Martial Arts Genius]
Rank: ??
Proficiency: 0/100
Description: You possess an innate potential to master any martial art at a terrifying rate. You just… haven't started yet. Learn faster by getting your face kicked in.
"…How cool," he muttered flatly.
A second ability slowly faded in beneath the first, like the system was embarrassed about it.
[Shopkeeper's Instinct]
Rank: E
Proficiency : 0/100
Description: Instinctively identifies prices, discounts, customer intent, and objects of potential value. Gains bonus insight on items classified as 'Loot'.
Warning: May cause compulsive label-checking.
He blinked.
"I got the power to… become a human barcode scanner."
The system dinged again.
> [Quest Alert!] Tutorial Mission: Smack Something Description: Use your body. Use your fists. Use your forehead if needed. Land a single hit on a living creature.
Reward: +1 Martial Arts Proficiency, +5 EXP
Penalty for Failure: Eternal Shame (and nothing else… probably)
Just as he finished reading it, a loud crash came from aisle 3—where the instant noodles were.
He peered over the counter.
A raccoon stared back.
"The fuck is a raccon doing here?"
The raccoon was holding a pack of spicy ramen like it paid for it. Which it hadn't.
The system chimed again.
> [Target Identified: Living Creature.]
[Quest Conditions is Now Possible.]
Jinwoo sighed.
"Wallahi, you're cooked."
He stepped out from behind the counter, cracking his knuckles