Chapter 102
Kang Jin looked at the sign reading ‘JS Convenience Store’.
“It looks similar to convenience stores from our world.”
He had expected something eerie or frightening for an afterlife convenience store, but it appeared ordinary.
As they observed the store from outside, Kang Doochi explained:
“The afterlife operates similarly to your world, making it easier for deceased people to adapt.”
“That’s thoughtful.”
“Rather than thoughtful, it seems like they do it because explaining everything individually would be bothersome.”
“Really?”
“With so many people dying each day, who has time to explain things one by one? Thus, the afterlife gradually evolves for convenience. Oh!” Kang Doochi held up his phone.
“Especially with the invention of smartphones and computers, we were quite pleased in the afterlife.”
“Really?”
“Otherwise, we would have had to send individual letters or summon people.”
“Summoning?”
“You could say it’s a form of science from the afterlife. Well then, let’s go inside.”
“Yes.”
Kang Doochi led the way, and Kang Jin followed closely behind.
Inside the convenience store, several individuals were purchasing items.
“I heard we need underclothes here…”
“It’s said to be extremely cold in the afterlife.”
“Houshindin mentioned this is essential too… but it’s quite expensive.”
Although they appeared as regular people, these ghost customers were selecting goods at one section of the store.
Curious, Kang Jin looked towards that area.
[CUSTOMIZED CORNER FOR UNDERWORLD GHOSTS]
Customized corner for underworld ghosts?
Kang Jin noticed the sign above their heads and glanced at the items displayed there.
[Essential Item for Frozen Hell: Thermal Underwear]
[Essential Item for Black Water Hell: Houshindin Pain Reliever]
Thermal underwear?
As Kang Jin examined the products, Kang Doochi explained:
“These are necessary items for those going to the afterlife.”
“Underwear and pain relievers?”
Among other things, these two seemed quite essential. In response to Kang Jin’s question, Kang Doochi picked up a thermal underwear set from the display.
“The essentials for Frozen Hell… As the name suggests, without this underwear in Frozen Hell, you’d quickly perish due to extreme cold. It’s incredibly frigid there.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely essential! For example… Frozen Hell is colder than standing naked in Antarctica’s wind. But with these on, you’ll feel quite warm.”
As Kang Doochi spoke, nearby ghosts browsing the store began discreetly picking up thermal underwear.
“It’s better to be alive.”
“Warmth is preferable over coldness.”
Witnessing this, Kang Jin also started selecting some thermal wear.
Considering they’re predicting another harsh winter this year.
Kang Doochi shook his head with a smile as he watched Kang Jin choose the items.
“These are necessities for Frozen Hell, not for our world.”
“But South Korean winters can still be brutal.”
“In comparison to Frozen Hell, earthly winters are like summer. Wearing these in our world would make you overheat instantly.”
“Oh…” Kang Jin put down the item as Kang Doochi continued.
“As I mentioned earlier, these goods are essential for this realm but not suitable for you, Kang Jin.”
“Then is there anything here that I can purchase?”
Kang Doochi looked at him and chuckled. “With enough money, there’s nothing you can’t buy.”
“So, can I afford it?”
“Yes, absolutely. However…the issue is whether any of these items would be useful to you, Kang Jin.”
“Would they really do me no good?”
“They truly wouldn’t serve much purpose,” Kang Doochi replied with a smile while tapping on some innerwear. In response, Kang Jin picked up Houshindin.
“It seems useful for when you get injured.”
“Correct! Apply it on a cut from a blade, and the wound instantly heals as if nothing happened.”
“That’s amazing.”
“But…the price might not be worth it.”
Kang Jin looked at Houshindin with confusion after Kang Doochi’s comment. His expression quickly turned to surprise.
<270,000 won>
“270,000 won?”
Seeing Kang Jin’s astonishment, Kang Doochi smiled.
“The cost of living between this world and the afterlife is similar, but items preparing one for hell tend to be extremely expensive.”
Kang Jin checked the price tag of the inner garment based on Kang Doochi’s words.
300,000 won?
The inner garment was also quite pricey.
“With prices this high, people still buy them…”
As Kang Doochi spoke, he recalled the ghosts who had just taken his clothes moments ago.
“Indeed, it’s quite expensive.”
“It’s better to spend money than face certain death.”
“But isn’t it excessively costly?”
“For those who lived virtuous lives, it’s not too much of a burden.” Kang Doochi then glanced at the item again and added, “But its effectiveness is truly remarkable.”
“Is that so?”
“In Sword Forest Hell, every leaf is a blade, and the trees grow as densely as a jungle.”
“Fascinating!”
Kang Jin’s response brought a smile to Kang Doochi’s face.
“To receive your judgment in Sword Forest Hell, you must traverse this thorny path filled with sword-like foliage.”
Kang Jin’s eyes widened at Kang Doochi’s words.
“A forest filled with sword blades?”
“Yes.”
“And we have to walk through there?”
“We must traverse it to reach the courtroom.”
“Judgment?”
“When you enter the afterlife, your sins from this life will be judged. It’s too detailed to explain fully, but think of the journey itself as hell, leading up to the final judgment.”
“But isn’t that called ‘hell’ even though it’s not technically hell?”
“Well, metaphorically speaking… True hell lies beyond these realms. The Sword Forest or Frozen Hell, mentioned earlier, can be considered waiting rooms.”
“So being half-naked in Antarctica and navigating a forest of swords… those are just ‘waiting rooms’?”
Kang Doochi smiled at Kang Jin’s question.
“Live kindly.”
With that cryptic response, Kang Jin nodded understandingly.
“The waiting room is already terrifying; I can’t even imagine what the main area would be like… It seems best to lead a virtuous life indeed.”
Laughing at Kang Jin’s remark, Kang Doochi returned the Houshindin to its original spot.
“Additionally, there may be side effects for living beings when consuming items from the afterlife.”
“Side effects?”
“As these products originate from the afterlife, it’s inevitable they’ll have some adverse effects on those still alive.”
“I see.”
“Please choose something else.”
“What do you recommend then?”
“Pick whatever appeals to you. Convenience stores, whether here or in the afterlife, serve similar purposes, don’t they?”
Kang Jin glanced around the convenience store after Kang Doochi’s response.
Just by looking here, it seems quite different from Lee Seung’s convenience store.
Muttering to himself, Kang Jin surveyed various items. Although there were differences in performance and brand names, this afterlife convenience store offered a wide range of products similar to those found in Lee Seung’s shop. It stocked rice, emergency medications, snacks, beverages, and even boxed lunches.
Intrigued by these peculiar product names, Kang Jin browsed the store and selected some apples along with other fruits. His choice was simple; they looked incredibly appetizing. As he held the fruits, his attention shifted towards miscellaneous goods. He noticed items ranging from nail clippers to knives and various other tools. Among them, he picked up a kitchen knife.
[Demonic Kitchen Knife]
As Kang Jin examined the Demonic Kitchen Knife, Kang Doochi spoke up.
“People working at Underworld Restaurants often buy this when they visit here.”
“It must be good then?”
“Not easy to maintain, but indeed effective.”
Following Kang Doochi’s comment, Kang Jin inspected the blade closely. Feeling a chilling energy from it, he flipped the knife over. On the backside, instructions for maintenance were written:
Care Instructions for Demonic Kitchen Knife
-
Ensure it receives sunlight for more than two hours daily. (Without sunlight, the blade will wither and warp.)
-
Do not expose it to excessive water. (The blade may rust.)
-
If the edge becomes dull, feed it human blood.
Kang Jin looked at Kang Doochi with surprise after reading the care instructions.
“Is this…?”
Seeing Kang Jin’s skeptical expression, Kang Doochi explained, “These knives are made from leaves fallen from the Sword Trees of Hell. Despite being kitchen utensils, they require similar care as plants.”
“Putting that aside… It says to feed them human blood if the blade becomes dull?”
“That’s because these plants grow by consuming human blood.”
The thought of something growing on human blood gave Kang Jin chills, and he cautiously placed the knife down.
“But it seems like a good item. Why not buy one?”
“Well, considering it grew feeding on human blood… I’m not really comfortable with it.”
“I understand your concern,” Kang Doochi replied, sounding slightly disappointed.
“It’s of good quality and reasonably priced.”
Kang Jin glanced at the price tag following Kang Doochi’s comment.
“10,000 won? That’s quite cheap.” Surprised, Kang Jin looked up, and Kang Doochi nodded in agreement.
“A convenience store can’t sell items too expensively.”
“But Houshindin costs 270,000 won?”
“That’s because it’s essential for returnees from the afterlife. Other products have prices similar to this world.”
With Kang Doochi’s explanation, Kang Jin examined the items again before picking up the kitchen knife once more.
“It doesn’t taste like blood or anything, does it?”
“If it did, the Underworld Restaurant wouldn’t buy and use them.”
Kang Jin scrutinized the knife while considering Kang Doochi’s words.
“They sound impressive, right?”
“There’s nothing that the blade of a sword tree can’t cut,” Kang Doochi replied confidently.
Kang Jin nodded while examining the kitchen knife again.
“It would be nice to have one.”
Although it felt slightly unsettling knowing the blade was nourished by blood… considering he interacted with ghosts regularly, he shrugged it off as insignificant. Additionally, the price appealed to him greatly.
After selecting all his items, Kang Jin placed them on the checkout counter. The cashier glanced at him and asked:
“Are you from the Underworld Restaurant?”
“Yes.”
The cashier nodded, then began scanning the barcodes of the items.
Bip! Bip!
As Kang Jin watched the prices being checked out with each beep, he couldn’t help but click his tongue.
‘The afterlife isn’t much different from this life.’
Kang Jin glanced at the total bill, relieved to see it wasn’t too expensive.
<18,350>
Unlike essential items for returnees, prices here seemed comparable to those in his previous life.
As the employee began bagging Kang Jin’s purchases, he took out his card. However, Kang Doochi chuckled and interrupted him.
“Please use your Underworld card.”
“Oh!”
Inhabitual, Kang Jin had instinctively reached for his regular credit card but quickly switched to his JS card instead.
“This is my first time using this card.”
“You don’t have to buy anything if you’re not comfortable,” suggested Kang Doochi.
Kang Jin shook his head firmly.
“You can’t fully appreciate money just by earning it. You need to spend some to realize its value. And I don’t think my life is so bad that I can’t afford these small luxuries.”
“That’s true. Money is meant to be spent.”
After paying with his card, Kang Jin handed two apples to Kang Doochi.
“I don’t have much else to offer, but please take these.”
Kang Doochi smiled and eagerly accepted the apples.
Crunch! Crunch!
He took two big bites and grinned.
“Apples from Balser’s Hell really are sweet as honey!”
At Kang Doochi’s words, Kang Jin looked at him curiously while retrieving another apple.
“Balser’s Hell?”
“Have you heard of King Yama?”
“Yes, I have.”
Yama’s fame was well-known to all.
“Since Yama oversees Balser’s Hell, its produce is exceptionally delicious.”
“Does King Yama farm?”
“He’s considered the best farmer in the afterlife,” Kang Doochi replied.
Kang Jin then asked, “So, is farming a form of punishment there?”
Kang Doochi chuckled and shook his head at Kang Jin’s question.
“For those who lived lazily, labor can indeed be a suitable punishment… However, Balser’s Hell specifically punishes sins committed with one’s tongue.”
“Tongue?”
“A knife isn’t the only thing that can kill a person. One’s words can inflict deep wounds and sometimes even lead to death. In Balser’s Hell, judgments are made for tongues that have harmed others. And if unable to pass through judgment… they must farm on their elongated tongues.”
“Growing crops with tongues?”
Kang Jin looked at the apples in surprise.
“Aren’t tongues smaller than these apples?”
“Apples grow on trees.”
“So…trees sprout from tongues?”
“That’s correct.”
“How is that even possible?”
“On average, about a hundred apple trees were planted per person.”
“Hundred…”
“Ah! The rice over there also comes from Balser’s Hell. It tastes heavenly when cooked as rice.” Kang Doochi pointed to some rice nearby, making Kang Jin lick his lips.
I really need to live virtuously.
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