"Look here, young man. That's not where the supplies go!" The boss yelled as Min-beom bowed his head quickly and humbly, wearing a uniform and a red and white visor hat.
"Y-yes, sir!" He replied politely.
-
"Oh my… Didn't I tell you to turn up the heat?" The woman chided as she folded her arms over her chest and gave him a disapproving look. Min-beom bowed his head lowly and apologized.
"I-I'm sorry! I won't make the same mistake again, madam!" He said in a respectful tone.
-
"Young man… Did you switch it on?" The old man asked, raising his eyebrows. Min-beom shook his head slowly and smiled at the old man kindly.
"N-Not yet, Ahjussi…" Min-beom bowed his head deeply in reverence as the old man shrugged and smiled, reaching out to pat his messy hair.
"It's okay, young man." The old man said as he coughed slightly and chuckled weakly.
The old man took something out of his pocket and handed it to Min-beom. His eyes widened in shock as he raised both of his hands, shaking his head.
"A-Ahjussi! It's not payday yet, is it…?" Min-beom said, refusing the money from the old man.
"Take it, young man. You worked hard today." The old man said, offering the envelope filled with cash.
Min-beom nodded slowly and accepted the envelope, feeling a wave of gratitude. The old man coughed weakly and looked up at him.
"Be careful, young man. I'm going home now."
The old man said as he turned around and walked away slowly. Min-beom sighed and opened the envelope, taking out the money. He counted it and it was a total of 3,510 won.
'This will help me buy some medicine for my mother.' He smiled softly to himself as he put the money back into the envelope and slipped it into his pocket.
'But I still have to pay the electric bills…'
He sighed again as he turned around and started walking on the side of the street. The sun was slowly setting, casting a warm glow over the city. He took out his phone and checked it.
'No message from the author yet.' Min-beom thought to himself as he closed his phone and put it back in his pocket.
Min-beom strolled along the sidewalk, gazing at the orange sky. He put both of his hands in his pockets, feeling a slight pressure on his back from the backpack. He let out a tired sigh, feeling lost and hopeless in his life.
Suddenly, he felt a buzz in his pocket. He took out his phone and saw a notification from the author. He stopped walking and opened the notification.
[rey_sire59: 7:00pm] It read.
He typed quickly as he bit his lip, feeling a mix of excitement and confusion. He couldn't believe that his favorite author had contacted him, but he didn't understand what the author meant by the time.
[MB_Gamer109: What does that mean?]
No answer.
He stood there like an idiot on the sidewalk as the sun disappeared, hoping for a response. Min-beom put his phone back in his pocket and continued his walk, heading to the building to pay the electric bills. Last time he checked the time was 6:30pm.
***
He walked out of the building with a weary expression, feeling like his life had no purpose or direction. He was stuck in a rut, repeating the same routine every day.
Working at three different jobs, getting paid on payday, paying taxes, buying medicines and food. And beer, of course, for his stepfather. Then he would go home and play some games, trying to forget his troubles for a while.
It was hard for him.
He looked up at the sky, seeing the stars twinkle brightly, calming his nerves.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket, a phone call from his stepfather. He rolled his eyes as he answered it.
"Hell-"
"Buy me some beer."
His stepfather cut him off, sounding drunk and slurring his words. He could hear the TV blaring in the background as he hung up. Min-beom sighed, knowing that his stepfather only ever called him for alcohol.
Min-beom put his phone back in his pocket, heading to the hospital building. He wanted to visit his mother, who was in a critical condition. But before he could reach the entrance, he saw some nurses rushing inside, as if there was an emergency that needed their attention.
He entered the building, and his blood ran cold. The nurses were sprinting to the room… The room where his mother was staying. His eyes widened in horror, feeling his heart race and his forehead break into a cold sweat.
He ran down the hallway, following the nurses. He saw his mother lying on the bed, motionless, as the nurses shouted and panicked.
'No…'
He thought to himself as he tried to get into the room.
"I'm sorry sir, you can't be in here." The nurse said, pushing him back.
"N-No! She's my mother! What's happening!?"
He screamed as he saw the heart monitor flatline, his heart pounding hard. He had never felt such fear before.
"I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to wait until we're done. Please accept our apologies."
The nurse said sympathetically as he moved him away from the room. The nurse shut the door in front of him, and he heard words like "She's gone". His face turned white, his hand shaking.
He felt a surge of nausea and despair. His mother was gone, just like that. He had no time to say goodbye, no time to tell her he loved her.
He collapsed on a chair, his eyes glazed and empty. He heard the flatline from the room where his mother had been. He felt a hole in his chest, where his heart used to be. Min-beom had no tears left, but the grief and anguish were tearing him apart.
His pulse pounding in his ears, he gasped for air as he got up and ran to the staircase. His footsteps sounded like gunshots in the silent hallway as he sprinted to the rooftop, his hands clenched into fists.
Min-beom reached the rooftop and felt the icy wind on his skin. It was pitch black, and the stars were hidden. He looked at the edge of the building and saw the abyss below.
He felt no fear of dying. He bit his lip and sobbed, hitting his forehead, trying to wake up from this nightmare and stop himself from doing it.
But it was hopeless.
He jumped over the edge, and felt himself flying. His heart stopped as he saw the lights and cars getting closer. He closed his eyes, feeling nothing but regret. Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket, making him open his eyes in horror.
Then a deafening crash. He felt nothing, he saw nothing, he heard nothing.
Everything was black.
Then, he opened his eyes again, wide and confused. He smelled smoke and sulfur. Was he in hell?
He looked around and saw ruins and debris, like the aftermath of a war.
Min-beom felt a headache and a pain in his back. He got up and realized he was wearing a black cloak. He saw holograms and barriers, and smoke everywhere. He was stunned by what he was seeing.
There was a floating creature that grinned at him.
"YOU'RE AWAKE!"
His eyes widened in shock as he moved back, the creature looked so familiar, just like in the novel. It had the same appearance as in the novel, matching it perfectly as it smiled at him.
"Are you alright? Do you need any help, Merchant?"
The creature tilted its head curiously, Min-beom didn't know how to react to the situation as he looked down at himself, wearing a black cloak like a mysterious person. He had no idea what to say at all. There was a snake slithering up his arm as he got up from the ground in panic.
"S-SNAKE! -" He shouted as he tried to shake it off.
"Did… Did you lose your memory, Master?" The snake said as it hissed softly.
'W-what?'
He thought to himself as he tried to make sense of what was happening. He stood up from the ground and looked around. It was Seoul. He was in Seoul. Right?
'Is… Is this really Seoul?'
He added to his thoughts, feeling another headache. He also noticed that he had a mask over his mouth.
'No way… This… This is too familiar.' He said to himself as he saw smoke, rubble, and a few shattered buildings everywhere.
It was the beginning of a new adventure.