Black-Haired Foreigner In The Martial Arts World – Chapter 2

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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I asked my way around, using the same method as before, until I found the Dahwebang.

It was a reasonably large building.

I observed the people milling about and listened in on their conversations.

It seemed like a proper employment agency.

People live the same way everywhere, huh?

I thought.

Martial world or whatever, you had to work to eat.

Thinking like that, this martial world started to feel a bit homey.

My aunt never gave anything for free; I did all the housework back then.

It remained a warm memory.

Anyway, it still seemed to be morning, close to lunchtime.

Work was usually easier to find in the early morning, so this was a little late.

But if I couldn’t find a job here, I might actually have to sleep on the streets.

No.

Without money, I would have to sleep rough.

Sleeping rough was dangerous…!

“This is insane,” I muttered.

Even in modern-day Korea, being homeless without preparation was incredibly dangerous.

Freezing your mouth off was the least of your worries.

Most likely, the local homeless would try to crack your skull open, claiming it was their territory.

Worst case scenario, some teenage punks, on the pretense of a “night patrol,” might swing wooden clubs around and haul you off to a shelter.

If I was unlucky, I could get mugged by some murderous middle schoolers and end up crossing the River Styx.

The chance of being attacked by bandits or mountain robbers was high, too.

If it was that bad in Korea, if I ended up sleeping rough in a martial world, I’d vanish without a trace, just like the unfortunate European nation of Vasconia, which disappeared sometime in the 19th century.

My chances of survival were exactly zero.

I had to find a job, no matter what.

“…”

The Dahwebang’s main gate was open.

I watched people enter for a bit, then,

“Hello,”

I said, slipping inside.

I saw a line of people, so I joined it.

They all looked like they were here for work, which I found rather fortunate.

Seeing so many others who’d arrived late like me was reassuring.

At this rate, I might be able to blend in.

‘Don’t worry, Kim Geun-hyeop. You’ll survive somehow.’

Positive mindset!

Even those Zerg living in Futaba Park in Japan lived each day to the fullest.

I was no worse than them.

“…”

While waiting, I focused on the person in front of me.

“Any job will do,”

He said.

“If there’s anything available right now, please let me know.”

“Construction work, then,”

The clerk replied.

“Take this token and go to Dageumjeonjang. They’re expanding, so they need a lot of laborers. Return the token when you’re finished.”

“Understood,” the man said.

Construction work, huh?

“Whew…!”

My heart pounded.

Damn, construction was my specialty!

I might actually make it!

Thump-thump!

A path to survival appeared, and my heart raced.

Survival! What a beautiful word.

If I could get a job here, I could live. Hope began to blossom into confidence.

“Next!”

My turn.

“Hello,” I said.

“Hmm? You look strong,” the clerk observed.

“Hahaha, I hear that a lot,”

I replied, offering a winning smile to make a good impression.

Positive responses and smiles were the basics of social interaction.

Oh, but…

Come to think of it, I was pretty tall compared to the people around here.

Well, living as a modern person certainly had its nutritional advantages over being a commoner in a martial world.

Anyway, this was a positive. Strong-looking guys were always welcome on construction sites.

“I’m very confident in my strength,”

I said.

“So, if there’s any construction work… would there happen to be any?”

“Of course. Take this token and go to Dageumjeonjang. They are undergoing expansion and need many laborers. A strong fellow like you would be very popular there.”

“Dageumjeonjang!”

I exclaimed, like a martial artist.

“Where is this Dageumjeonjang?”

I hadn’t read that many martial arts novels, but I knew you had to shout out any proper nouns you heard for the first time.

Especially the nicknames of martial artists or the names of their techniques.

“You don’t know?”

The clerk asked.

“I’m not familiar with the area,”

I admitted.

“Go out and head left. You’ll see a sign.”

He handed me a token.

“And this is…?”

I asked.

A signpost meant I should be able to find it easily enough.

“It’s a token to show that we sent you from Dahwebang. Show it to them and you can start working.”

“Oh, I see. Well then…”

Were there a lot of jobs like this?

It seemed like they had a well-established system for hiring day laborers without any complicated procedures.

I was curious about the details, but that wasn’t important right now.

Social structures and workplaces were different everywhere.

I headed straight for Dageumjeonjang.

“Let’s see… Oh!”

I found the sign.

Following its directions, I arrived at a large construction site.

Shirtless laborers were swarming around, working hard.

This was… familiar.

“Whoa.”

The building was huge.

Was this kind of building called a ‘jeongak’ (palace/hall)?

Just how much money did these guys make to be expanding on this scale?

Dageumjeonjang… the name suggested a bank or a large pawnshop.

It seemed unlikely a pawnshop would be this prosperous, so it was probably a bank or some kind of loan shark operation.

With those thoughts, I called out,

“Greetings! I’ve come from Dahwebang to work! Do you need any laborers? I’m an expert digger!”

“Hmm?”

Honestly, it was a little embarrassing to shout and draw attention to myself in front of so many people, but I didn’t have time to worry about that.

If I didn’t get this job, I would be dead.

For the sake of my survival, Kim Geun-hyeop could endure a little embarrassment. Now was the time to advertise myself and my skills.

“You’ve got a strong voice! And you’re tall! Come over here!”

“Yes!”

Was this guy the foreman?

He certainly looked the part. I bowed deeply again.

“Greetings! Can I start working now?”

“Of course! You said you’re good with a shovel? Over there! Go to the digging area and do as you’re told!”

“Understood. Oh, here’s the token from the Dahwebang.”

“Hmm. Right. Well, it’s almost noon, so you’ll probably get about 50 mun if you start now.”

Fifty mun! From what I’d learned, that was enough to get by for a day!

Alright!

I saw a path to survival!

“Is that so? How much would I get if I came early in the morning?”

“One hundred mun, if you’re not lazy!”

“Understood!”

I bowed and headed towards the digging area.

“Hey, you. Take this shovel.”

“Yes,”

I replied.

Some rat-faced guy with a sour expression handed me a shovel.

“Go down there and keep digging. If you slack off, I’ll kick you out. I’ll be watching.”

“Understood.”

This jerk talking down to me with that ugly mug made my inner dark energy surge, but this wasn’t Earth.

I had to pick my battles.

In a place like this, keeping my head down was the best strategy.

Let’s get started, then.

If I showed them how well I could work, they might ask me back tomorrow.

With a steady job, I’d have nothing to fear.

I would use my honed survival skills to conquer this world.

Whoosh!

I immediately jumped down into the pit.

“Can I start digging here?”

I asked.

“Dig.”

“Yes!”

I observed how the other laborers were working.

“Hmm.”

I’d assessed their level.

They were so pathetic, it made me want to die.

How dare they call themselves laborers with those digging skills?

They were all below my level.

This wasn’t how you dug.

I’d show them. I’d show them the secret digging techniques Kim Geun-hyeop had honed over two years in the military.

Thud!

Unleashing the true power born of my frustration, I confidently took my first swing.

“An irresistible impulse! Déjà vu!”

I muttered.

I lightly planted the shovel, put my weight into it to drive it deeper, and then, using the principle of leverage, effortlessly scooped out a load of dirt.

One scoop down, and like flowing water, I seamlessly transitioned to the next move.

Maintaining the momentum, I used my legs and core strength to fling the dirt out of the pit.

Thwack!

I repeated the motion at a steady pace.

This was the art of digging.

This was Kim Geun-hyeop’s pride.

“Oh, oh…! That guy’s pretty good!”

“How is he so good?”

“Does he have some kind of trick?”

The other laborers watched my digging prowess with admiration, nodding their heads.

This was the skill of a professional.

“…”

Even the foreman was watching me.

So, he finally recognized my true worth, huh?

Showing off my skills like this would surely leave an impression.

In Korean construction, withholding wages meant facing a world of hurt, so you never had to worry about getting ripped off.

But this was the martial world. I had to make my presence known to prevent any potential wage theft.

That was all I needed to focus on right now.

“Whew!”

Sweat dripped down my face as I dug.

I was hungry, but I could eat once I got paid.

The thought of food, combined with the exertion, made me feel truly alive.

Yeah, martial world or not, life was all about making your own way.

No matter where you ended up, you could do anything if you didn’t panic and found a way to survive…

Wait, but what was I doing, digging in a martial world?

Shouldn’t I be learning martial arts and swinging swords?

If you went to another world, you should be doing something cool, not digging holes on your first day. It was utterly demoralizing.

Thud!

And so, my first day in the martial world passed.