Chapter 2

Grandma chuckled like a child, but she wiped the wrinkles around her eyes with her sleeve.

"Still, it was fortunate that your father-in-law agreed to put your father's name on the family register..."

As I listened to her story, I found myself unconsciously gripping Grandma's hand tightly.

"Grandma..."

Grandma patted my hand and asked kindly.

"What's your dream?"

"My dream?"

What is my dream?

"I don't really know."

"Why don't you know? How do you want to live?"

"Well, I want to live a great life. I want to have a brilliant thirties."

"What's a brilliant thirties? Baldness?"

"Um..."

Doesn't everyone have similar dreams?

But it seems pretentious and unrealistic, so everyone just talks about the glamorous parts.

"Just be rich. Have so much money that you can do whatever you want, and you don't have to work."

"Money is the best, then."

"But Grandma, even if you don't have to work, it's cool to work."

"Cool is important."

"Have a solid expertise and be great in your field, but not a workaholic. Go to work like it's a picnic, but still be a genius."

"Work-life balance is important, too."

How does Grandma know words like 'cool' and 'work-life balance'? Anyway.

"And take good care of my family and friends. Give them nice gifts often."

"Oh, you're a good son. But you're not going to date women?"

Women?

Sigh...

"If I have a brilliant thirties, I won't be the one dating women. They'll be the ones coming to me."

"Really?"

"But I'm a man who carries the pain of a broken engagement deep in my heart, so I won't open up easily."

"Oh, well, it's still brilliant! I'm for it!"

Grandma laughed and raised her arm, scolding me lightly.

"But haven't you been living poorly all this time? Haven't you been playing around all the time?"

I was speechless.

If I had just played around, I wouldn't feel so wronged.

I worked overtime like eating, and often visited franchise stores on weekends.

I also attended barista, baking, interior design, and marketing lectures, dividing my time for self-improvement.

But.

"Hard work doesn't always pay off."

"Huh?"

"If you put in the time, something should change qualitatively, right? But I feel like I'm always in the same place."

I saved money, but my living conditions remained the same.

I gained expertise, but I had to leave the company.

The relationships I invested in returned to square one...

If my life quality improved only as much as I worked, I wouldn't have anything to complain about.

Grandma, who was observing my expression, nodded in agreement.

"The world is like that. If you live honestly, you get honest returns. I know that, too."

Then she seemed to be lost in her own memories, looking into the distance.

Grandma, who saw her son set up a family and have two children, passed away from cancer not long after.

What is she thinking about?

Is she reflecting on whether she received honest returns for her hard work in life?

I crawled to Grandma and hugged her frail body.

If she didn't receive enough in life, I wanted to repay her at least at this moment.

"Grandma."

"...Oh, Yoo-won."

At that moment, Grandma sniffled and said.

"Now, don't worry about such things."

"Okay. I'll stop worrying and try to live harder."

"Really. I'll make sure you never worry about such things. This grandma will."

Grandma patted my back and suddenly started telling a strange story.

"...From now on, don't forget what Grandma says and remember it well."

Is she going to tell me the lottery numbers?

I perked up my ears.

*

Waking up with a hangover, struggling to get up in the morning.

──────────

The tutorial for "Brilliant Thirties" has started.

◇ Quest: Gather 20 of the same items.

◇ Time Limit: 1 minute

──────────

A strange message appeared in front of me.

"Hey, do you eat machines too?"

The message floating in the air.

──────────

The tutorial for "Brilliant Thirties" has started.

◇ Quest: Gather 20 of the same items.

◇ Time Limit: 1 minute

──────────

"Hmm?"

When I turned my head to the left, the message followed to the left. The same happened when I turned to the right.

The unrealistic sensation cleared my hangover-ridden mind instantly.

'This is what Grandma was talking about!'

In the corner of my vision, the remaining time was displayed.

「00:00:55」

「00:00:54」

「00:00:53」

Only 50 seconds left?

Then, action was more important than understanding.

'Twenty of the same items...'

There are many types of daily necessities in a house, but it's rare to have dozens of the same item.

But I had something in mind.

"..."

I staggered over and opened the box on the floor.

Hundreds of wedding invitations neatly stacked.

The purple envelopes were sealed with silver seals, and the long seals read, "To our cosmos, we invite you."

...It was a phrase I found after days of searching online to look impressive.

I even chose the envelope color to match the cosmos flower petals.

"Sigh, why is paper so stiff?"

I can't even wipe my ass.

"Five... ten... fifteen... twenty."

I gathered 20 and checked the count again.

Exactly 20, correct.

What should I do now?

「00:00:15」

「00:00:14」

「00:00:13」

I have 20, right?

「00:00:12」

「00:00:11」

「00:00:10」

The time kept ticking, so I calmly checked the invitations in my hand again.

The count was 20, and there were no defective ones.

「00:00:05」

「00:00:04」

「00:00:03」

Hmm.

「00:00:02」

「00:00:01」

「00:00:00」

The time ran out.

The message disappeared like smoke.

"..."

What am I doing?

Did I see something wrong?

...Let's just sober up.

Should I eat pizza?

No, hangover soup is better.

There's a great bone soup place just a 5-minute walk away.

The kimchi and pickled radish there are especially good.

The last time I asked, they said they would soon sell the kimchi and pickled radish separately, which I'm looking forward to.

"..."

But my feet wouldn't move.

I still held the 20 invitations in one hand.

It was because of the story Grandma told me in my dream.

She told me not to forget, right?

So, I stood there and thought.

Whether I had a delusion, the world had turned into a game, or something supernatural had happened to me, I didn't know.

But since I followed the instructions, I should try something.

If the "Brilliant Thirties" sounded convincing, it should show me something in return.

A 30-year-old man who broke off his engagement two weeks ago and lost his job yesterday, standing there with 20 pieces of paper, isn't pitiful?

The world seems so unreal.

Everyone is laughing at me.

Make something good happen.

Then.

– Congratulations!

– You have completed the trigger quest, "The First Belief," in "Brilliant Thirties."

The message reappeared.

– You have obtained the qualification of a "Quality Converter."

– As a reward, you have received a "Basic A-Space Workbench, Level 1."

Quality Converter?

Ah! The word Grandma told me was this! I thought.

A flash of light hit my eyes.

"Ouch!"

When I opened my eyes, a cluster of light was floating in the air.

It looked like a small sun or a matcha brand logo.

Bright red and yellow rays rotated in a circle, and in the translucent center, a greedy aura swirled.

It seemed to be speaking to me.

Give me anything, and I'll devour it all.

I reached out to it as if hypnotized.

The 20 invitations I held were sucked in like a vacuum cleaner.

At the same time, a message appeared.

– The power of "Quality Conversion" is activated.

– Item: Custom-made wedding invitations

– Quantity: 20

– The estimated processing time is 1 minute.

– Do you want to start the conversion process?

I nodded, and the cluster of light spun even faster.

– "Quality Conversion" has started.

And after 1 minute.

The cluster of light spat out something.

"Ouch!"

...Why did it spit it right at my face?

– Grrrr.

It even burped? We'll see.

I rubbed my forehead and picked up the item that fell on the floor.

"Hmm?"

It was also a wedding invitation.

However, it was completely different from the one I had custom-made.

It wasn't 20.

Only 1.

– "Quantity to Quality Conversion" is complete.

*

I lay on the bed and examined the new invitation.

It looked top-notch.

The silver seal felt so cool and smooth, it might have been made of real silver.

[To our cosmos, we invite you─]

The text on the seal was the same.

But the font was different.

It wasn't a common graphic font but an elegant and modern one, as if written by a professional calligrapher.

The material and font were so high-quality that I hesitated to break the seal.

But I was curious about the inside, so I opened it.

The paper had completely changed.

"Wow... Is this paper? Isn't it leather?"

I know paper well, having handled all kinds of paper while choosing invitations and sealing envelopes.

This wasn't paper for invitations.

If I were to touch it with my eyes closed, I would mistake it for a leather bag.

And why was it so heavy for paper?

The recipient of the invitation would feel the weight of the wedding just by holding it.

The inner design had also changed dramatically.

The composition, balance, contrast, and color were fresh yet harmonious.

It was a design you'd see in an exhibition.

The original invitation had a sophisticated design.

But compared to this, it felt like a supermarket flyer.

'How much would this cost?'

I had never received or seen such an invitation in my life.

Of course, the original invitation was top-notch in Korea.

I commissioned a professional artist, and the price per piece was three times that of a regular invitation.

'But it's still just a 2,500 won card.'

But this invitation was a work of art.

'How much would this cost?'

Thinking about it, I could calculate it.

The original 20 invitations became 1 of this.

20 times 2,500 won.

50,000 won.

Wow, a 50,000 won invitation.

With that money, I could treat a guest to six bowls of rice soup.

"..."

But what's the point of invitations and guests now?

I threw the invitation to the floor.

Then, the message reappeared.

– "Quality Conversion" is completed by "Consumption."

– Please "consume" the converted item.

– If you do not "consume" it at all, the power given to you will be "consumed" instead.

– Time Limit: 1 minute

"What?"

Consume the invitation?

What does it mean to consume the power?

If I don't consume it, the power will disappear?

The countdown had already started.

「00:00:57」

「00:00:56」

「00:00:55」

I quickly got up and picked up the invitation from the floor.

To consume the invitation means to give it to someone, right?

'How?'

I have to take it back from someone, and I have to give this to someone in 1 minute.

"..."

But.

My stomach started to hurt.

I immediately thought of a suitable use and went to the bathroom.

*

It was fortunate.

Because I drank a lot yesterday, I could solve the "consumption" within the 1-minute limit.

Also, it was fortunate.

There was a wedding photo inside the invitation, so I didn't feel any guilt.

Of course, the invitation was just a part; I used toilet paper to finish the job.

"Phew."

When I came out of the bathroom, a window appeared.

– Congratulations.

– You have completed the tutorial quest 1, "The Basics of Quantity to Quality."

'Is it over? It was easier than I thought?'

After converting 20 high-quality invitations into 1 top-notch invitation and consuming it, everything went smoothly!

'There are many ways to use it.'

If I gather useless things and convert them, they will turn into something good, right?

– The experience of the "Basic A-Space Workbench" has increased.

– The efficiency of "Quality Conversion" has slightly improved.

– The processing time of "Quality Conversion" has slightly decreased.

– The "consumption" time limit has slightly increased.

The cluster of light that followed me to the bathroom and made me uncomfortable was spinning happily in the air.

If the workbench grows, the conversion efficiency will improve, and the time constraints will ease, right?