Chapter 9

This is a translation of the provided Korean text:

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**Chapter 8: The Part-Time Worker Receiving Defective Goods (2)**

If a part-time worker discovers a defective item during their shift, what should they do?

The answer is simple: buy some popcorn and open it.

No, I'm serious. Whether a hole is punctured in the item during the manufacturing process or the box is crushed during transportation, our innocent part-time workers are not to blame. They should just report the defect to the store manager and store it out of sight where customers can't see or touch it. Later, it will either be refunded or discarded.

However, if a defect occurs within the store, it can be a bit more problematic. For example, if a kid drops a cola bottle and it breaks, the kid should be held responsible for the cost. The same goes if a drunk middle-aged man breaks a soju bottle while carrying it.

Of course, the kid might start crying, saying they can't drink their cola, or the drunk man might grab the soju bottle upside down, saying it doesn't matter if it breaks. In such cases, the most harmonious solution is... to grow a backbone. It takes time, but it's the most effective.

But I don't think I can do that now. The expression on the person reporting the defect wasn't good. I reported it to the manager first.

"Manager, it seems we need to return this shipment."

"They said it wasn't properly refined."

"I'll put it on speakerphone."

I switched to speakerphone and placed it on the counter. Yuna, who was leaning on the counter, started explaining.

From what I heard, the content was roughly this:

The dragon scales were sourced from a high mountain in the north. They weren't peeled from live dragons or dais, but rather collected from the scales of dragons that had settled in the area and were left to clump together.

At first, it didn't seem much different from picking mushrooms...

"Ugh, don't even mention it, Yuna. There were dozens of creatures lurking around the scales. It seems to be getting worse lately."

Ordinary people can't do this. Dragon scales are a perfect food source for monsters, so the area is inevitably swarming with them.

If the scales are eaten by the monsters, they become defective. Although the monsters were dealt with before that happened, the problem was elsewhere.

"The scales started to develop pus. Can you hear it?"

As she spoke, Yuna took out a clump of mud that looked like it was covered in oil. The surface had an unpleasant iridescent sheen, and the clump was... squirming.

"Sorry, Yuna. The permit was issued in the afternoon, so we had to get it quickly and only entrusted it to a somewhat suitable refining place... I didn't expect the handling to be like this."

"It's not that bad. If you take it and purify it, removing the pus, the remaining part should still be usable..."

The problem was that it was 1 AM, and there were no processing facilities open. It must be a headache for both of them, considering the potential loss of millions of won.

By the way, that clump of mud was squirming around. If a customer saw it, they wouldn't say anything nice.

"Sorry, can I clean this up? It might make the counter dirty."

"Huh? Oh, right. I was so busy I just put it there. I'll clean it up, Chan."

"No, I'll clean it up."

I didn't think much of it. If I could clean up a succubus, I can handle this.

However, I didn't want to touch it with my bare hands, so I grabbed a broom and tried to sweep it under the counter. But the clump of mud started to slowly move away from me.

It was moving aimlessly but specifically avoiding me, making it hard to sweep. Yuna, who had been watching me, picked up the clump and said:

"Does it seem like it's only avoiding you, Chan?"

"That's what I was thinking. But can you touch it with your bare hands?"

"If you have magic resistance, yes. I'll just wash my hands later."

The manager, who had been quiet, called my name.

"Yes, Manager."

"Um... that thing?"

Why is someone who knows everything acting like this? You need magic resistance, right.

What if... Oh, you mean that? My body is resistant to magic?

"Can I touch it without any issues?"

"Sure, if you can."

I don't know. If my boss tells me to, I have to do it.

Yuna, who had been listening, showed me the pus. When I reached out, the clump of mud started to contort, clearly not wanting to be touched. I don't like it either.

But I picked it up. The clump of mud, once touched by my hand, started to tremble and turned gray before hardening into a stone.

Yuna, who had been watching, exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh?"

"Manager, it turned into a stone when I touched it."

I tried the inspection device as instructed, but it showed no reaction. It seems my guess was correct.

"It doesn't show any reaction. Is this related to what you mentioned earlier?"

"Yes."

The atmosphere then became a bit strange.

The manager, speaking through the speakerphone, seemed to be giving me another task, and Yuna started looking at me with sparkling eyes. I decided to take the initiative.

"Do you have something to say?"

"It just happened. Chan, can you come down and check something with me?"

"I don't know. If the manager allows it."

The manager spoke with the same tone.

"I just touched it."

I didn't feel like it.

No matter how I think about it, this isn't part of a part-time worker's job. It's good to be versatile, but being able to scan barcodes, avoid making mistakes, and stack ramen boxes like Tetris is enough.

"Manager, I'm sorry, but I don't think this purification task is part of a part-time worker's job..."

"Right."

Then I have to do it. I need to earn money.

I took a piece of A4 paper from the corner of the counter, wrote "Going to the bathroom" on it, and stuck it on the door before locking it. Here's another tip: if you see this on a convenience store door, go to another store.

Most of the time, it's just someone going to the bathroom, but sometimes it's a bad part-time worker who has called a friend to hang out outside. They often leave their phone number but don't answer, so just ignore it.

As we descended the stairs to the office storage, Yuna kept talking to me, showing a clear interest. Not just in my condition, but in me as a person.

"Chan, what did you do before this part-time job?"

"I worked at a company. It went bankrupt."

"Oh. What kind of company was it?"

"I did whatever I was told. If I was asked to meet people, I did. If I was asked to dig holes at construction sites, I did. If I was asked about machinery, I explained it..."

"But it went bankrupt, so it wasn't a solid company, I guess."

It was solid. Until a nuclear bomb called COVID-19 destroyed it.

I didn't say that part. If I did, I'd have to reveal that I'm from another world, and I think it's enough that only the manager knows.

"Maybe."

"Is it too much to ask?"

"Not really. I don't work there anymore. But I have a question: why are you asking about my previous job?"

"Nothing much. Just that you seem like someone who's too good to be working at a company."

I thought she was referring to the purification task I did.

I was about to ask, but when we reached the bottom of the storage, I couldn't speak. The inside of the storage looked like a straight corridor in an underground dungeon.

It was somewhat bright due to the lighting, but I felt like I needed a steel sword, a shield, and potions to navigate it. I expected to see a slime at any moment.

"What is this...?"

"You'll get used to it. I was also confused when I first saw it."

I don't know if I can get used to it. If I had come alone, I would have wet my pants.

Yuna, who seemed familiar with the place, led the way, counting the rooms as we passed them. I glanced into each room, but the only one I could recognize was a room full of weapons.

When we entered the fourth room, a pile of unpacked goods was visible in the corner. It looked more like a log than dragon scales.

"What do you think? We went through a lot to get this."

"I don't know. It doesn't look like scales."

"It's a clump of dozens. If you just scratch the surface, you'll find the good parts."

The task of scratching it seems to be the buyer's job. What do I need to do?

When I asked, Yuna approached the scales and pointed to a hole in the center. The hole was about the size of my fist, and the edges were greasy and shiny.

"The pus we removed earlier came from inside this hole."

"Um... yes..."

"So, I think you should just stick your arm in. What do you think?"

What do I think? I don't want to do it at all.

But it's a matter of my daily wage. If I have to do it, I'll just grit my teeth and...

I clenched my fist and shoved it into the hole. The sensation from the clump I had touched earlier started to vibrate through my arm. It would look like sharpening a pencil with a pencil sharpener from the outside.

Fortunately, my arm wasn't sharpened. If it had been, I would have filed a work injury claim.

Instead, my arm got stuck inside. I had to use both feet to push against the log to pull it out. After a while, I managed to pull it out, and it looked like I had dipped my arm in a cement bag.

"Um... did it work?"

"What do you think, Chan? Did it work?"

I shook my head, not knowing. Yuna thought for a moment, then quickly went upstairs to get the inspection device and started beeping it over my arm and the inside of the hole.

She gave me a thumbs up. I took out my smartphone and called the manager. The signal was working underground.

"I don't know if it worked, but the inspection device shows no reaction, Manager."

"But now my arm is covered in something and needs to be washed. I didn't see any soap at the sink."

"Right."

I did it! Tonight's dinner is chicken!