Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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The Earth I returned to was vastly different from the one I once knew.

Firstly, while I spent over a hundred years on that side, only ten years had passed here.

During those ten years, Earth had suffered hardships from the attacks of monsters and dungeons.

‘…….’

Dungeons appeared randomly without regard for time or place, and if they weren’t stopped, monsters would leap out and ravage cities.

And then there were the chosen Awakened Ones, commonly known as ‘Hunters,’ who prevented that from happening.

‘How ridiculous.’

If that’s the case, was it really necessary to strip me of my powers like this?

“…It’s a total mess here too, isn’t it?”

With that, the environment of Earth was practically no different from that world, Thebes.

I even heard that some ‘Returners’ like me were reigning as top-ranked experts while retaining the powers they accumulated from another realm.

Naturally, I couldn’t help but be dissatisfied with this unfair treatment.

‘Isn’t this discrimination?’

When I first realized that fact, I exerted every effort to regain my powers for a while.

My abilities were special, and I had devised countless methods. It didn’t take long before I was confident I would return to my original self.

However, that was a miscalculation.

‘…….’

None of those methods worked.

As if it had been predetermined as impossible from the start, every possibility was futile.

Because of that, I had no choice but to give up on regaining my powers just a month after returning to Earth.

“Sigh.”

Of course, I could guess why.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

If I carried out that ‘awakening’ process, perhaps I could regain my powers.

But how could I? That wasn’t something I could just decide on.

Among modern humanity, Awakened Ones only accounted for less than 0.1%.

‘It’s quite ironic that my sister is one of those chosen…’

My younger sister, Seo Ha, is an Awakened One—A Rank, no less. In Korea, there aren’t even a hundred people of that rank.

Moreover, with her potential still unknown, there’s a possibility she might reach S Rank someday.

‘They did say she was a top-class prospect, right?’

Because of that, she’s constantly appearing in the news and even shooting commercials—what a frenzy!

While I was gone, my sister had turned into a full-fledged celebrity.

And taking advantage of her wealth, I’ve been living like a parasite in her home.

[Glory shall be with you!]

“No, why on earth do they use that?”

Now, I was a weakly existence who couldn’t even influence a battle among fragments of game data.

Boom!

[You have lost.]

Seeing that message, filled with disillusionment, I helplessly exited the game.

“I crave cola…”

I needed that carbonation to clear my frayed nerves. Slowly, I waddled out of the room and opened the fridge.

Clang.

“…None left.”

Today was just one of those gloomy days.

#

“Goodness, how boring.”

Song Chan Seop is what you’d call a convenience store part-timer.

Ten years have passed since the ‘Day of Change,’ and now the era of Awakened Ones and monsters has settled in, yet the convenience store remains a beloved place for everyone, and working there is nothing special.

However, the place where Song Chan Seop worked was a little different.

‘Maybe because it’s a luxury complex, customers are rare.’

Moreover, the customers who did come were quite unusual.

When he first started the job, he was met by a middle-aged actor that looked like he’d stepped out of a TV, and even the usually unflappable him was quite flustered.

Anyway, most of the customers here were people who had a significant influence in society.

Ding.

Unable to bear the boredom, he rested his chin on the counter, and suddenly the door opened.

Startled, Song Chan Seop hurriedly delivered his standard greeting.

“Welcome.”

“…….”

A glance revealed a small-framed customer with a hood pulled down low.

That’s a familiar outfit.

‘…Ah, it’s been a while.’

A resident of Building 4, one of the priciest in this luxury apartment complex.

He didn’t know her exact identity, but he couldn’t forget her since she had such a shocking appearance during her first visit.

‘Of course, I couldn’t forget even if I wanted to.’

The girl had come in with her head wholly covered by a blanket to buy something.

At one point, he even considered reporting her as a suspicious person.

‘Though I’m used to it now.’

Chan Seop felt that the girl was incredibly introverted.

It was more than just being shy; she seemed to struggle with communication.

Recently, she seemed to be improving, but for a while, she hadn’t even been able to hold a conversation.

“…Here.”

Lost in memories, he noticed the girl had picked out her items and was whispering in a voice barely above a murmur.

The words were so soft they could easily be missed, yet her tone was incredibly pleasant to hear.

Beep.

Beep.

“Yes, that’s a total of eleven thousand won. Would you like a bag?”

With a nod from the girl, Chan Seop busily moved his hands.

Twenty cans of cola, no less.

The girl quickly finished her payment and turned to leave, bag in hand.

Normally, she would have darted out the door in an instant.

However, today came with an additional action.

“Th-thank you.”

Even smaller than before, but Chan Seop didn’t miss those words as he was focused on her.

And he felt an inexplicable sense of joy.

‘She’s really improved so much over this past year…’

Whatever her circumstances, he hoped she would one day communicate easily with others, and he silently cheered her on as she exited the store.

#

“Ugh.”

This is the worst.

No matter when, I can never adapt to this sensation.

Of course, there’s been a lot of progress in the past year.

Fortunately, it seems that the side effects are not permanent; with continuous effort, things are gradually getting better.

Now, I could handle simple tasks like going to the convenience store near my home.

‘Still, crowded places are definitely out of the question…’

In reality, I didn’t particularly want to venture outside.

Thanks to my sister, I could manage most things at home, and I didn’t want to feel that forced emotional turmoil.

But seeing myself becoming something less than human, my sister took special measures, and I had no choice but to comply with her urgent decision.

The simple task at hand was to go outside and buy some essentials.

“…You’ve worked hard, so let’s have chicken today.”

Having finished that arduous task, I felt proud, put the cola in the fridge, and scrolled through the delivery app.

Disappointment in myself?

Self-worth as a human being?

I had long lost those feelings.

Having learned the comfort of being taken care of, those emotions became entirely unnecessary for me.

Isn’t it like this?

After accumulating power for just over a hundred years, it all vanished in mere seconds.

Similarly, the immense mental fortitude I had developed over that long time deteriorated in just a year.

Resting without doing anything was far sweeter than I had anticipated, and it was incredibly comfortable. That was it.

‘……’

I can firmly say that I have already lost the purpose to move.

I would certainly live, satisfied enough just with this lifestyle continuing.

Click.

Gulp.

The cola I just bought was refreshing, and the carbonation that slid down my throat brought constant small delights.

Gulp.

Gulp.

May these days last forever.

I once again suggested this to myself.

And then.

“Oppa, you said to drink cola in moderation. How many cans is this? You didn’t even touch the salad I prepared. Seriously! Ugh, what’s that hair? You didn’t wash it again, did you?!”

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

I got scolded mercilessly by Seo Ha when she returned home.

#

The so-called Awakened Ones.

They are all assigned a title representing their aptitude the moment they awaken.

Who assigns that, no one knows.

It could simply be the system deciding it, or perhaps it’s the intent of some transcendent entity.

In any case, the Awakened Ones use those ‘titles’ to position themselves and hone their specialties.

“Status window.”

【Baek Seo Ha】

▶ Title: Divine Spear of God

▶ Level: 54

Today, after finishing a dungeon raid, Baek Seo Ha looked at what was written in her title and asked her teammate beside her.

“Do you think gods actually exist?”

“What a sudden question.”

The team’s damage dealer, Mage Chae Hwa Ryeon, smiled briefly as she replied.

“What if they do exist? What if they don’t? It won’t change anything anyway.”

“…That’s true.”

It was merely a simple curiosity.

Did gods truly exist? If so, what impact were they having on the current situation? Such frivolous thoughts.

Since obtaining the title of Divine Spear of God, Seo Ha had been able to manipulate her spear as if it were part of her own body.

It could be said to be a great fortune, but at the same time, it was also frightening.

If the power she gained so suddenly could vanish in an instant, that wouldn’t be surprising at all.

“You’re oddly three-dimensional. Let’s hurry up and get off work. You said you’d have dinner with family today, right?”

“Yeah. I just need to organize this.”

After all, what does it matter?

Having lost her parents on the Day of Change eleven years ago, she and her brother had now become the last remaining family for each other.

Thanks to her current position, they could safely protect Baek Eun Ha, a Returner, with the government’s cooperation.

To ensure that, Baek Seo Ha didn’t mind if she became a mere pawn of some unknown being in the sky.