Chapter 3 - Saving Lives

The next day, I heard screaming from deep within the forest.

I froze for a moment, straining my ears.

“Those sound like… human screams.”

Two distinct voices echoed through the trees—one belonging to a young girl, the other to a teenage boy.

Without hesitation, I dashed toward the sound. My footsteps pounded against the dirt, heart racing faster with every cry that reached my ears. Soon, I stumbled upon a narrow clearing.

And that’s when I saw them.

From the other end of the path, a young girl and a boy were sprinting straight toward me, terror on their faces.

Chasing them was a pack of goblins.

My stomach dropped.
Goblins again… just my luck.

The kids looked like peasants straight out of medieval times. The girl, maybe around ten years old, clutched a woven basket as if her life depended on it. The boy, perhaps fifteen, gripped a bow, with a quiver bouncing on his back as he ran.

For just a moment, relief washed over me.
Humans. Actual humans. I wasn’t alone in this world with just goblins after all.

But there was no time to celebrate.

I sprinted forward and shouted:

“Over here! Get behind me!”

The two immediately noticed me. With renewed energy, they pushed their legs harder, quickly outpacing the goblins and slipping behind me for safety.

“Help us, mister!” the girl cried.

I glanced at the approaching monsters. Five goblins in total—more than the last time. Their ugly green faces twisted into malicious grins, jagged clubs raised high.

“Five of them, huh? …Alright, I guess this time I can defeat them.”

I raised my barcode scanner, aiming at the goblins.

The moment the light beam lit up, I caught the kids staring at it with wide eyes, completely dumbfounded.

-BEEP!
-ZAP!

A ball of light burst forth, slamming into the front line of goblins. Two of them disintegrated instantly.

Unfortunately, that left three more.

“Not enough…” I muttered, clicking my tongue.

The remaining goblins charged in, too close for me to keep firing effectively.

Fine. Time for Plan B.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a crushed bag of spicy chips.

“POCKET FIRE!” I shouted dramatically, as if casting a spell. Totally unnecessary… but hey, it makes me sound cooler.

I throw the crumbs into their faces. The instant the flakes touched their skin, the goblins shrieked in agony and collapsed, writhing on the ground.

“Now!”

I fired the scanner again. One blast. Two. Three.

The goblins vanished into light, their bodies breaking apart into shimmering particles. Coins clinked and scattered across the dirt where they once stood.

“Watch out! There are still more of them behind you!” the boy shouted suddenly.

I spun around just in time to see another group of five goblins appear from the shadows.

“Are you kidding me?!”

Before I could even react, they swung their crude clubs down on me.

“Gahhh!”

The impact sent me flying backward several meters. I crashed hard into the dirt, gasping as some of my spicy chips spilled out across the ground.

“Crap!” I groaned, clutching my side.

The goblins roared, charging at me while I struggled to get back on my feet.

But then—

Thwip!

An arrow sliced through the air and struck one goblin dead center in the chest.

The arrowhead glowed red-hot, flames spreading across its body until the creature was engulfed entirely.

“What the—?!”

I glanced over.

It was the boy. He stood firmly with his bow drawn, determination in his eyes. And when I looked closely, I realized…

His arrows were coated in red powder.

My red powder.

He used my chips!

The kid had crushed the spicy chips I’d dropped and smeared them along his arrowheads, turning them into fiery arrows.

For a moment, I was stunned. I hadn’t even thought of that. But when I considered it… it actually made sense. My scanner converted into an elemental weapon when scanning an item from my store.

He’s… smart. Really smart. A natural survivor.

“Not bad, kid,” I muttered under my breath.

I forced myself upright and joined the fight again, blasting goblins with my scanner while the boy peppered them with his improvised fire arrows. Together, we quickly got them down until none were left standing.

More coins clinked onto the forest floor.

Barcode Scanner Level Up! Lvl 1 -> 2

“We did it, Tessa! We defeated the goblins!” the boy cheered, jumping with a fist pump.

The girl rushed to him and hugged him tightly.

“You did it, big brother!” Tessa squealed.

That confirmed it—they were siblings.

I let out a sigh of relief. Finally, no more goblins.

The boy turned toward me, smiling gratefully.

“Thank you so much for saving us, mister! It’s rare to defeat goblins so quickly unless you’re a seasoned hunter.”

Then his eyes narrowed, curious.

“Just what is that red powder you have that makes goblins disappear instantly?”

“…Uh, spicy chips. Potatoes sliced thin, fried, and sprinkled with hot spices.”

The boy blinked in disbelief.

“No way! How can a potato do that? Is it even edible??”

To prove my point, I casually pulled a chip from my pocket and crunched it in front of them. Their jaws dropped as if I’d just eaten a poisonous plant.

“See? Perfectly edible.”

The boy narrowed his eyes at my clothes next, tilting his head.

“Your clothes… They’re strange. You don’t look like you’re from around here. Are you… an Off-Lander?”

Off-Lander? From the way he said it, I guessed it meant someone from far away.

“Yes, very far off the lands,” I answered vaguely. No way I was going to tell them I was from another world. That would be a one-way ticket to a witch hunt. And I had no interest in being roasted at the stake like it was medieval Europe.

“And that thing in your hand! What is that?” he asked, pointing at the barcode scanner.

“This? It’s an invention from my land. It’s like your bow… but it shoots light,” I explained.

“A bow that shoots light… like magic?” the boy asked.

“Does magic not exist here?” I tilt my head.

“No. Those are just fairytales. People say magic comes from faraway lands where rare groups of Off-Landers live. I heard some even have pointy ears.”

Pointy ears… does he mean elves?

“Interesting. Well, I come from those faraway lands. The land of Con-v-Mart,” I replied.

It wouldn’t hurt to use the store’s brand as a made-up place.

“Convemart…? Never heard of that place in the fairytales…” the boy muttered.

“I can’t believe I get to meet a magical Off-Lander for real!” Tessa exclaimed with excitement.

“My apologies, sir!” the boy said quickly, bowing his head. “I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Blake, and this is my sister, Tessa.”

“Hi, Mister!” Tessa beamed at me with a bright smile.

“And what’s your name, sir?” Blake asked politely.

…Oh boy. Do I really have to tell them? My name doesn’t matter that much. I could just say anything…

Well, lately, people in my world have been calling me something. Might as well go with that.

“My name is… Clerk.”

Blake’s face lit up with a grin.

“Nice to meet you, Clerk!”

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
Clerk, huh? Never thought I’d get stuck with my part-time job title as my name.

But… I guess it kind of suits me.