Read Absolute Shopping Addict :: World of Nohas (Part 2)

Pandemonium erupted.

“Send us back!”

“What the hell are you saying?”

“I didn’t ask to be sent here!”

In the midst of all the chaos with everyone yelling and running around, Jay stood there like an idiot, trying to process what had just happened.

Tutorial? Monster? What is it talking about?

The voice was explaining the situation as if it was some sort of a video game.

Calm down, Jay. Panicking isn’t going to solve the situation, he thought, pulling himself together to figure out what was going on.

So, going back to what the voice said, I’ve been summoned to a world where I have to fight monsters. And I’m what? An Awakener?

Despite his efforts to remain calm, he couldn’t stop his legs from quaking. He had even broken out in cold sweat.

WAKE UP! he slapped himself in the face. This isn’t a dream or anything. You served in the army as well. What are you so freaking scared of? Man up, Jay!

After ceaseless self-scolding, he was finally able to find composure and looked at the situation clearly.

He took a deep breath. First things first. It said this is a one-way ticket. Which means what I can do at the moment is to adjust myself to this new environment. There’s no way back.

As soon as he gave up on going back home, he felt calmer.

If he already knew the only answer to the question, there’s no need to strive to find another one.

However, as soon as he set his mind, he instantly encountered a new problem.

“90 rolls,” he whispered in a panic. “Ninety rolls of high-quality, embossed, toilet paper.”

It wasn’t the absurdity of the situation that unraveled Jay; it was that he couldn’t shop anymore.

Crap, he thought as his hands began shivering once more.

It felt ridiculous that the biggest concern he had now was that he couldn’t shop anymore: he was summoned to an unknown place, and now he had to fight monsters.

For him, however, this was a problem above all of that.

Because Jay Kim was a complete shopping addict, and there was a reason why it’s called an addiction.

Just like the addictions to gambling, alcohol, drugs, or any subject, his addiction towards shopping bordered on dependency.

In any sorts of situation, shopping had been and always would be his number one priority.

What do I do without shopping? Where will I find my joy? My happiness? he murmured, as he, in all seriousness, was considering what he could do to survive in a no-shopping situation.

Good game, and well played. It’s over. Who cares about monsters and Awakeners when there’s no shopping? I’m done. Completely done. Not being able to shop is a hundred times more unacceptable than this absurd situation.

And there he concluded: No shopping, no life.

It’s just impossible for him to imagine himself living without shopping.

Even during the time when he was broke, he could still find hope and joy in his life when he unboxed the packages he ordered.

No shopping meant complete despair to him.

But the great mankind had always found their way during hard times.

One faint memory crossed his mind while he was striving to find his way out.

“I was shopping for toilet paper. Then something showed up and... yeah, I remember now. The dialog box said I was awakened as some sort of ‘Shopping Addict’.”

He nodded, as a shopping addict himself, he would never miss his favorite word, “shopping”.

But what does it mean I was awakened as something? What about the shopping addict? he was lost in his thoughts again.

“Wait a sec, what did that thing say to do? Was it window? Status Window? All right, let’s try that.”

But before he did anything further, a square lit up on the corner of his eyes as soon as he said the phrase “Status Window” to himself.

[Name: Jay Kim

Level: 1

Class: Shopping Addict

Basic Stats

Strength: 10

Agility: 10

Intelligence: 10

Skills

Shopping (Awakening Store currently in beta)]

***

As soon as the screen popped up, Jay looked around – most of the people around him also found out the status window and were looking at their own classes with surprise.

Nearly everyone did – it’s part and parcel of what happened when you woke up in a different world that also happened to be working on role playing game logic.

However, Jay’s reaction was completely different from everyone else’s.

No distress, no surprise, no anger – all emotions had been swept away by a single word he happened to fixate on in his own status window.

That word was “shopping”, and it happened to be his skill.

The blank expression on his face slowly transitioned into that of someone who had struck gold.

“Excellent,” Jay said out loud as a deep chuckle escaped his throat.

One thing was clear. His mind was set.

As he laughed hysterically, he couldn’t help but think that maybe being stranded in role-playing game land wasn’t such a bad deal after all.

Because, after all, he only lived to shop.

He brazenly disregarded the onlookers that were edging away from him, whispering to their fellows about the creepy man laughing in the town square as soon as he had opened his status window.

It was these very eyes and whispers that drove Jay to a nearly reclusive lifestyle, but at this moment, he didn’t not care at all – not a single whit – about the stares and gossip.

While he laughed outside, inside, he was pleading.

Please let me shop.

Please.

If you want me to defend this city, I’ll defend this city.

If you want me to fight monsters, I’ll fight monsters.

Monsters, demons, witches, warlocks, whatever.

For the need to shop... I’ll gladly kill anyone you point me at.

His laughter broke as he realized. “Okay, if the store is available... how do I access it?”

He knelt, putting his hands together and praying like he never prayed before.

“If there is God, if there is any justice in this world… connect me to the Awakening Store!”

[Connect to Awakening Store (currently in beta)?]

“YES!”

He spread his arms wide and welcomed his personal heaven, as he could almost hear a choir of angels singing as they ushered in his home away from home – the online marketplace.

[Awakening Shop (Beta)