The sound of clattering dishes echoed in the back room of the tavern. Jae-hyun stood hunched over a wooden basin filled with murky water, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hands raw from scrubbing. He had thought fighting a wolf was bad, but this? This was a new level of suffering.
"Seriously," he muttered, running a rag over a greasy plate. "I was supposed to be the main character. The chosen hero. I'm supposed to be slaying dragons, not… not scrubbing wolf-grease plates in medieval Gordon Ramsay's kitchen."
He glanced down at his reflection in the water. His black hair hung messily over his forehead, his pale face glistening with sweat, and his dark eyes looked… tired. Really tired.
A fly buzzed past. He swatted it away and sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing manual labor in another world. At this point, I should've stayed in Korea. At least there I had instant ramen."
From the doorway, the tavern owner leaned against the frame, arms crossed. Her massive shoulders cast a shadow over him. "Less whining, more scrubbing."
"Yes, ma'am," Jae-hyun muttered, gritting his teeth. He wasn't stupid—arguing with a woman who looked like she could suplex him through the wall was a death wish.
An hour passed. Maybe two. His hands felt like they were about to fall off. But eventually, he set the last wooden plate onto the shelf with a sigh of triumph. "Done. Finally. My quest is complete."
The tavern owner walked in, inspecting the stack. She gave a firm nod. "Not bad. You didn't break anything. That's a start."
"Start?" Jae-hyun's eyes widened. "Lady, I just unlocked Dishwashing Mastery Level 10."
She smirked and jerked her thumb toward the door. "Come on. You earned yourself a meal."
When he sat down at one of the tavern's rough tables, the smell alone nearly made him cry. A steaming bowl of stew, thick with chunks of meat, carrots, and potatoes, was placed in front of him along with a crusty loaf of bread. His stomach growled like a dying dragon.
He didn't even hesitate. He tore into the bread, dunked it into the stew, and shoved it into his mouth. Flavor exploded across his tongue. Rich broth, tender meat, spices he couldn't place—it was heaven.
Tears pricked the corner of his eyes. "This… this is the best thing I've ever eaten."
The tavern owner sat across from him, arms folded, watching with a faint grin as he inhaled the meal. "So. Stranger. You wandered into my tavern out of nowhere. What are you doing in a backwater village like this?"
Jae-hyun froze mid-bite. His mind scrambled. He couldn't just say, 'Oh hey, yeah, I'm actually from another dimension.Sneezed on a goddess, given a trash skill, and dumped here with zero money.' That was an instant ticket to getting labeled as crazy—or worse, an enemy.
He forced a casual laugh. "Me? Oh, I'm just… exploring the world. You know, sightseeing. Broadening my horizons, ahaha."
Her brow rose. "Exploring? Out here? In those clothes? Without a weapon?"
Jae-hyun coughed into his stew. "What can I say? I like living dangerously."
She studied him for a moment, then snorted. "You're a terrible liar. But fine. Not my problem. You eat, you work, that's fair enough for me."
Relief washed through him. He quickly shoved another spoonful of stew into his mouth before she could press further.
After a moment, he leaned back, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "So, uh… hypothetically speaking… what's there to do around here if someone wanted to, you know, actually make money? Not just dishwashing money. Real money."
The tavern owner's grin widened. "Now we're talking. You're not the first broke kid to wander in here asking that question." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "There's a city about two days east of here. Ironspire City. Big walls, trade hub, mercenaries, guilds, adventurers—you name it. If you're serious about earning coin, that's where you go."
"Ironspire City…" Jae-hyun repeated, the name rolling off his tongue. His eyes lit up. "That sounds… like an actual plot point. Perfect."
She chuckled. "There's only one real path for someone like you. Adventuring. Dangerous, but the rewards are worth it if you've got guts and a bit of skill. Monsters always need killing. Dungeons always need clearing. Caravans always need guarding. You risk your life, you get paid. Simple as that."
Adventuring. The word echoed in his mind, like a neon sign flashing above his head. He pictured himself, cloak billowing dramatically, sword glowing with power, saving kingdoms and getting cheered by crowds of adoring fans. Then he pictured himself face-planting into the mud after tripping on his own shoelaces.
"…Yeah. Adventurer. Totally my vibe," he muttered.
The tavern owner grinned. "Careful, boy. Adventuring isn't just swinging a sword and playing hero. It's blood, sweat, and death more often than not. The weak die fast. If you're serious, prove you've got what it takes."
Jae-hyun gave her a thumbs-up, still chewing bread. "Don't worry. I've got… eh… let's call it hidden potential."
She eyed him up and down. "Hidden is the key word."
He tried not to choke on his stew.
Later that night, after the tavern had quieted down and the last of the drunkards had stumbled out into the street, Jae-hyun sat by himself at the corner table. His stomach was finally full, his hands were finally clean, and his head was buzzing with thoughts.
Ironspire City. Adventurers. Money. Monsters. This was it—the classic isekai path. His classmates were probably living it up right now in some fancy palace with the goddess fawning over them, but he had something better. He had freedom. Independence. And… a trash skill that maybe wasn't as trash as it looked.
He glanced at his glowing stat panel once more, his eyes narrowing at the words.
Level: 1
EXP: 3/15
Skill: Minor Copy (F Rank)
He clenched his fist. "Alright. Fine. I'll play your game, world. I'll start small, I'll grind, I'll get strong… and one day, I'll shove this 'trash skill' right in that goddess's smug face."
The tavern owner's voice broke him from his thoughts. "Hey, boy. Don't oversleep. If you're heading to Ironspire, you'd best be out at dawn. Roads aren't safe after dark."
He glanced up to see her wiping down the counter, muscles flexing even in the simple act. He swallowed nervously. "Duly noted. Dawn departure. Got it."
She gave a final nod, then disappeared into the back.
Jae-hyun leaned back in his chair, staring up at the wooden ceiling. His lips tugged into a grin despite himself.
"…Adventure, huh? Guess this is really happening."
He closed his eyes, listening to the faint crackle of the tavern's hearth. Tomorrow, his real journey would begin.