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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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I opened my eyes, and it was still the martial world, dammit! I’m screwed!!!
“Help me, please!”
Honestly, I thought everything was a dream and that I’d wake up in my studio apartment, but that hopeful thought was completely shattered and turned into a lump of ground meat!
My studio apartment…!
Even though there’s nothing much there, compared to this martial world, it’s practically paradise.
I thought I’d wake up there, but I’m still here.
“…”
Right.
Let’s admit it.
I’ve completely come to a different world.
Something like a dimensional distortion? A rift?
I probably came to the martial world by chance through something like that, and the way back is blocked.
So I have no choice but to live here.
This is what I thought yesterday too… sigh.
Since nothing changed even after sleeping, I ended up thinking about it again needlessly.
“Pull yourself together!”
It’s still early morning.
To survive today, I have to go to the Dahwebang and find work.
They remembered my face at the Dageumjeonjang, so I’ll just mention that.
Slap!
I slapped my face once and then started getting ready to go to work.
A worker’s morning is always busy. I have to divide up my limited time and finish everything before heading out.
I shouldn’t skip breakfast, but due to lack of money, I’ll have to pass.
I’m the type who absolutely has to eat breakfast, but there’s really nothing I can do.
Growl.
I was incredibly hungry, but I’d endure it for today and work.
They said it’s 100 mun coins for a full day’s work, so I won’t have to starve starting tonight. That’s all I need to think about today.
“—Hup!”
I let out a shout and went outside the inn.
“The morning air is cold.”
But it’s familiar.
My mornings always felt like this.
I knew the way, so I went straight to the Dahwebang.
The door was open. It looked like they started work quite early. I went in and greeted them.
“Greetings. I’ve come to work today as well.”
“Hmm? You’ve come too early.”
“Too early?”
“Come back in about half a sijin.”
Sijin?
I think they’re talking about time in the martial world style.
Half a sijin should be thirty minutes, probably.
“Ah.”
Oh, crap. I wasted sleep. From now on, I’ll wake up 30 minutes later. I’m pretty good at regulating my sleep even without an alarm.
It can’t be helped. I went out of the Dahwebang, killed about 30 minutes, and came back.
“Haven’t you started yet?”
“There’s still a hansikgyeong left. Come back in a hansikgyeong.”
What? They said half a sijin, so I killed about 30 minutes, but there’s a hansikgyeong left? Wasn’t half a sijin 30 minutes?
I pondered that for a moment and then realized that a hansikgyeong is 30 minutes and half a sijin is 1 hour.
A sijin must be 2 hours.
Martial world time was so complicated.
“I’ve come to get work!”
“You’re enthusiastic… Let’s see.”
“Ah, actually, they told me to come back to the Dageumjeonjang yesterday.”
“Then take this and go there.”
Free pass.
I took the token and headed to Dageumjeonjang.
When I got there, I seemed to be the first, as there weren’t many laborers yet.
No matter the world, you can’t survive if you’re lazy in the morning.
Are those people who arrived before me from somewhere other than the Dahwebang?
If they’re that diligent, I’ll probably see them often. Should I try to get to know them?
No. Even though I’m pretty adaptable, it’s only my second day in the martial world.
If I have long conversations with people, they might find me strange because of my lack of common sense, so I should stay solo for now. I shouldn’t make friends.
…Is this the fate of a time traveler? It’s awfully lonely.
“Good morning! I heard I was good at shoveling yesterday!”
“Come over here.”
I waited for the laborers to gather, and then that rat from yesterday called me over.
“Dig.”
“Yes!”
I took the shovel and started working.
“It’s 100 mun coins if you work until this evening.”
“Understood!”
I can’t resist 100 mun coins!
kwuh!
I didn’t feel any muscle pain. It’s because I’ve done a lot of manual labor. So, my ability is no different from yesterday, and I was literally pushing forward, digging up the dirt like a bulldozer.
“Oh… As expected, he’s amazing.”
“You’re so good at shoveling.”
The laborers digging next to me tried to make conversation.
“Hahaha, anyone can do it if they get the hang of it.”
“Is that so?”
I continued working while making small talk.
I continued to keep my ears open.
I needed to learn the mindset, language, and culture of the commoners in the martial world by eavesdropping on the laborers’ conversations.
Even if it’s meaningless chatter, it’s a great help to me now. I need to build up my common sense.
“Hehehe.”
I continued working.
Of course, I’m not a fool who gets overly enthusiastic and uses up all my energy.
This is also a trick of the trade – when the supervisor is watching, I show off my skills, but when no one’s looking, I take it easy.
That’s how you can keep working until the end. Pacing yourself is important.
“—Gulp!”
I took breaks, scooping water from a large jar with a ladle and drinking it.
This has to be done tactfully, along with the other laborers.
Even so, they give us time to drink water, but if I move alone, I might leave a bad impression.
As I was working like that, lunchtime finally arrived.
“I’m dying.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I need to eat meat tonight.”
The laborers, who had packed things like dried rations and dumplings, started eating in small groups.
Growl.
You bastards, I want to eat too… My stomach is rumbling. I’m starving to death.
“…”
But what can I do if I don’t have food? In times like these, lying down and resting is the best strategy. I immediately found a suitable shady spot and laid down.
And as I closed my eyes for a moment…
“Afternoon work starts!”
I ended up taking a quick nap.
“—Ugh.”
Is it this late already?
I lightly stretched and headed to the work site, and then continued shoveling all afternoon. It’s not particularly hard, but it’s boring.
Then it got dark.
“Work’s over!”
“—Whoo hoo!”
It’s finally time to go home!
Time to get paid!
Standing in line, my heart started pounding.
I’m finally going to receive 100 mun coins.
What should I do with it? Just imagining it made me happy.
“Here, 100 mun coins.”
“Thank you!”
The moment I received the string of coins, an overwhelming sense of emotion washed over me.
What is this?
Was this all money?
Was money originally this heavy?
“My, my feet…!”
Because of the weight of the money, my feet wouldn’t move. It felt like the ghosts of money were grabbing my ankles. But they can’t stop me.
I barely managed to put the coins in my pocket and then, holding my trembling legs, I returned to the Dahwebang.
Returning the token there marked the end of the day’s work.
Free time!
“—Yessss!”
Even so, there wasn’t much to do besides eat and sleep, but the feeling of this moment seemed to blow away my gloomy thoughts.
Growl.
I was incredibly hungry.
“Let’s go eat.”
Today, I’ll be able to eat a delicious meal.
That sparrow roast I heard about yesterday? Was it called Hawhajak? I’ll eat that and some noodles, and even buy dried rations for tomorrow’s lunch.
“Waiter!”
I called out to the waiter as soon as I entered the inn.
“Yes!”
It was a different waiter than yesterday.
“One person! One order of noodles and one Hawhajak! And lodging, and also some dried rations for lunch, please!”
“That’ll be 90 mun coins, sir!”
“—Gasp!”
What?!
Taking 90% of my hard-earned money in one go?
I immediately did the calculations. Noodles are 10 mun. Hawhajak is 30 mun. Lodging is 30 mun… That’s 70 mun. Could the dried rations really be 20 mun?
I’m getting dizzy.
“…”
I felt like my soul was leaving my body. I sat down at the table they showed me, but I couldn’t muster any strength.
I busted my ass all day to earn 100 mun, and I blew 90 mun in a single second.
At this rate, I can only save 10 mun a day.
“10 mun.”
I’d have to save for ten days to get 100 mun.
And if I rest even for a day, my savings are gone.
If I buy supplies, even that disappears.
“…”
Thinking about money and the future, negative emotions suddenly surged…
Don’t I have no future? At this rate, won’t I just work myself to death?
To prevent that, I need rest days, but can I rest even a day a week? I can only save 10 mun a day, how can I rest? At best, I can rest one day every ten days, and even then, I’ll be broke.
It’s no joke, to rest, I have to make money to rest.
“This is crazy.”
I have no future.
Am I really going to die working as a laborer in the martial world?
No… That can’t happen.
I have to find another way.
“Here’s your food, sir!”
“Huh? Oh?!”
Thud!
The moment the waiter put the food on my table, all my negative thoughts were washed away.
Delicious-looking noodles. But today, I didn’t just order this. I also ordered Hawhajak, the sparrow roast.
That Hawhajak was spread out before my eyes.
“How can such delicious-looking food exist!”
“It’s a very popular dish. Enjoy your meal.”
“—Ahh…!”
Three perfectly browned sparrows were on the plate… They were smaller than my fist… Three adorable roasted sparrow bastards!
“You’re all dead, you bastards!”
The smell!
This savory smell intensely stimulated my sense of smell! Meat! Flesh! Bones! And glistening fat! Screw rotisserie chicken! I have Hawhajak now!
How delicious will this be?
With trembling hands, I carefully picked up a whole Hawhajak and put it in my mouth.
And the moment I licked the flesh with my tongue and chewed, crunch.
“—Ohho…!”
Rich juices burst forth, spreading throughout my mouth and giving me extreme pleasure.
It was an insane, heavenly taste. Were sparrows always this delicious?
But the pleasure didn’t last long.
It was a small bird after all.
Crunch, crunch.
What was once a sparrow was instantly crushed in my mouth.
My teeth crushed the bones along with the flesh, and my tongue savored the fat.
A satisfying texture. I can’t resist.
I devoured it with almost obscene fervor.
“—Ohhhhh…!”
Slurp!
I slurped up the hot noodles and even sucked down the broth, then, just like that, I stuffed another Hawhajak into my mouth and crunched it up, bones and all.
The meat broke down with the noodles.
Protein. Carbohydrates. And even the fat were all singing and dancing in my mouth.
Can there be a more nutritious meal?
Not only have I secured all three macronutrients, I’m even absorbing calcium from the bones.
“—Ugh…!”
But happy times were always short.
Having devoured the noodles and Hawhajak in an instant, I licked the bowl like a dog, absorbing the last drop of broth and grease.
If Oldboy’s Oh Dae-su became Lee Woo-jin’s dog, he would have licked shoes like this.
Tears welled up.
Wiping my tears, I took the 20 mun coin package of dried rations and went up to my room.
“Ah. That was a good meal.”
Maybe it’s because I had meat after so long.
My stomach feels somewhat full, and I feel satisfied.
“I want to eat more.”
I really liked this Hawhajak.
Later, when I earn more money, I’ll order two at once.
It’s insanely delicious.
“—Sigh.”
Now then.
Should I wash up and sleep?
I fiddled with the coins and checked the condition of the dried rations.
I went down to the first floor, washed up at the well, came back up, and laid down.
Dried rations… If I eat half tomorrow morning and eat the rest for lunch, I should be able to hold out until dinner. And then I can eat again.
Should I try gyewisochae tomorrow? Chicken gizzards and intestines stir-fry…sounds disgusting, but you have to eat a variety of foods to get various nutrients.
Health is wealth in this world.
“—Sigh.”
Thus passed my second night in the martial world.
Thanks, I’m now very hungry.