Chapter 656

Oxygen returned to Tionis once again. She was still in the recovery phase and needed treatments from Davey on a regular basis, even though her spirit had sufficiently recovered to allow her to return to reality.

"Um... Are you okay?" Oxygen asked.

"May I ask what you mean?"

"No... It's just that you seemed to be in a bad mood."

"I'm fine."

Though he spoke calmly, Davey was well aware of his own condition. Ever since he returned from Earth, he had found himself feeling regretful more than once. He wondered what would have happened had he simply told the truth then. But such action was not merely a matter of intervening at a manageable level; it would have been a move that could potentially overturn Hyun-Ah's fate.

Of course, Davey had meddled with many destinies up to this point. But this time, he could not readily act. Because, for those whose fates Davey had altered, it was within the boundaries of safety. On the other hand, the line of fate involving Shin Hyun-Ah seemed anything but simple.

The moment he revealed his existence there, not a single fate remaining for her could be seen. But what was it even about her that made his perception of her fate change so drastically? While the answer to that was unclear, one thing seemed certain. It was decidedly not good for him to examine her fate further. And so, Davey hadn't made a single trip to Earth since then.

For nearly two weeks, there was a suffocating silence. Milpieu, the half-vampire who periodically came to report the situation, asked if it was Davey's time for death, and the vampire lord, Josiah Frances, ran away with a grimace after tasting Davey's blood. And the bizarre atmosphere made it feel as if the entire population was unsettled.

Regarding that anecdote...

"As the captain of the guard, I am disappointed... No, never mind. It's inevitable that the atmosphere in the territory is so subdued. But remember, we represent the distinguishable power of our territory."

Even Monmider, who would normally have given a lengthy scolding, could not muster the enthusiasm in sight of his lord's dejected appearance.

"You are a lord. Don't forget that if you waver, the entire territory will be shaken," he reminded Davey.

"Uh... Do you feel pain somewhere? Should Myuu... help you out?" Yuria offered as she held Myuu in her arms, seemingly having sharply observed that something was amiss.

Was it his drooping demeanor over the past few days that stirred the concern of many?

Eventually, Perserque was unable to hold back. She went to hug Davey in the middle of the night and uttered his name softly, "Davey."

"Just don't say anything."

"Davey..." She stretched out her hand and stroked his cheek, asking, "How can the gods overlook such distress?"

"A choice... If Neltarid's revelation is correct, then his foresight is remarkable."

Should he endure for the safety of his sister? Or should he heal their pain by revealing his identity?

"Maybe it's better to see enough of her to be satisfied, Davey," Perserque said softly. She then added, "Kain doesn't want you to go to Earth anymore, but from what I see, you still have things left to do there."

Though he had already visited Earth several times, there was almost nothing he could do in that dimension. It was a complicated feeling.

"Go and see her to your heart's content. She might suffer, but as you said, over time, she will gradually heal."

Ignorance was bliss. Because of that, it could be possible. On the other hand, for a conscious being like Davey in this case, not being able to forget was almost a curse. It was heavenly in terms of talent, but to have the ability to never forget was indeed almost a curse.

"See plenty of her. Give your sister all the love you can," she said, but Davey did not respond.

* * *

It was about four days later when he returned to Earth, and the situation during his absence was relayed through Kain. It was how he knew that the incident involving Go Jin-Seok had not been revealed to the world. But the Go Sung Group was absolutely crushed by Han Yu-Na's father and the Sacred Group, which was indirectly affected by the incident.

Han Yu-Na's father actually lacked the capacity to do so, but the Sacred Group—a corporation powerful enough to trample on a group like Go Sung—did just that. This was especially true given that the incident involved the attempted abduction of two women, which damaged Go Sung Group's reputation beyond repair. Because of this, Go Sung Group was forced to make too many concessions to Sacred Group and Han Yu-Na's father in order to keep this particular incident out of the public eye.

This left the Go Sung company without an ounce of its former glory left, and so Go Jin-Seok's soul did not even get a proper farewell before being declared dead.

The Hanok was spacious, and it did not have any sign of life. Was it said that Shin Hyun-Ah only came here once a year? So, it was natural for it to be deserted. But what Davey saw when he arrived was the back of a woman, who was sitting alone in a dark room as she sobbed her heartache out. It wasn't just that, though. There was also something faintly visible looming near her.

[A ghost might attach itself to her. Didn't I tell you before? On Earth, any transcendental power beyond the permitted range is strictly forbidden. While the slightly superior physical abilities I used or the existence of a spirit per se is still permitted, any further interference, such as a spirit with intact reason excessively meddling with another spirit, is not allowed.]

Ghosts, which were spirits without any remnants of their former selves, existed, and for some reason, after she met Davey, Shin Hyun-Ah's eyes were opened, making her see their existence. It was said that her Ghost Eye had opened.

[My guess is that the opening of the Ghost Eye is because of you. If you aren't close to her, the Ghost Eye will gradually close again. But if the Ghost Eye remains open, she is at risk of being targeted by irrational ghosts.]

Seeing the ghost trying to pounce on her, Davey slowly moved.

[Remember, the reason you can do stuff there is... thanks to the additional protection from Lord Neltarid. So just do what a Grim Reaper would do under normal circumstances.]

At the moment, Davey was a spirit. And with the protection of Neltarid, he had become a Grim Reaper, a hypothetical guide of spirits. And this allowed him to touch a spirit.

Crunch!!!

-Kyah!!!!

Davey abruptly grabbed the ghost by the neck, lifting it off its feet. The ghost, which had been clinging to Hyun-Ah and suffocating her, screamed in panic at his sudden appearance, and its eyes rolled in sheer terror.

Davey silently stared at the struggling ghost that was looking at him with inconceivable fear.

While Hyun-Ah had been sobbing, she noticed Dave and turned her head to look at him. "You... Grim Reaper?"

"Don't you know that a ghost was clinging to you?"

"..."

Crunch!!!

-Kyahhh!!!

Leaving behind the ghost, which screamed as it disintegrated into dust, Davey gazed down at her.

"Why have you come here now? Even when I cried out for so long, you didn't come before..."

He did not say anything in response. However, Hyun-Ah paid it no mind and went up to him to hug him. This caused Davey to flinch. It didn't really matter, though. He was, after all, in a spiritual form. They couldn't hug.

"Help me... Sob... Sob..."

Confronted by her crying face and sobs that rang with pain, a deep frown appeared on Davey's face.

"My sister... My sister..."

Hearing this, Davey finally recalled it. He had realized that something was odd during a conversation he had with her in the past.

"Yeon-" Davey paused. The name Yeon-Hee almost slipped out of his mouth. Thankfully, he caught himself before he could fully say it. And so, he mindfully restrained himself as he cautiously spoke again, patiently saying, "No, take your time and tell me what happened."

"Sister... Because the illness that brother had... has manifested... Tell me she still has a long life to live! Don't say that my sister... that her life is also coming to an end!!"

At her outcry, Davey said nothing. No... He actually could not say anything. The sister who would go out at dawn to deliver milk and newspapers just so her two younger siblings could eat—she must be in her late twenties now. But despite this, she was too precious and pitiful to be dying because of the same disease he had. She never even had the chance to fully enjoy her life.

* * *

Shin Yeon-Hee was already twenty-seven years old. But at the time of his death, she had been the same age as Hyun-Ah's current age, which meant she had unknowingly contracted the incurable disease, which he had suffered with, for three or four years.

Science in medicine had progressed since then. So unlike him in the past, her disease would not worsen so helplessly that it would lead to death. But that was only temporary.

While he died without being able to alleviate the symptoms he had to endure, they could now somewhat alleviate her symptoms. Still, the future remained the same. He died like that. Death loomed nearby.

Davey felt as though his heart was being ripped apart by the mere thought of his beloved sister, who had gone through so much and was only now beginning to live a human life, dying in the same way as him.

While saying he had no regrets, the sight of Yeon-Hee, lying asleep in the hospital room, made him realize what he was misunderstanding.

"I showed you my sister just like you asked... So please, tell me."

Davey quietly closed his eyes. At that moment, he was not the Reaper who saw spirits. Right then and there, he was the disciple of Hypocria, looking at things from a perspective that relied on medical science.

Then, when he opened his eyes again, he said, "At best, three months."

Hearing this, Hyun-Ah broke down. Her feeling of emptiness must have been so overwhelming after hearing that her sister, who lived with her after her brother died, would also end up with the same fate in three months.

"I'm talking about if she doesn't receive any treatment. So the three-month estimation isn't set in stone. Treatment could change the lifespan."

Looking away from the grieving girl, Davey fixed his gaze on Yeon-Hee, who slept peacefully in the sterile room on the other side of the glass window.

Did Yeon-Hee and Hyun-Ah feel this way about Davey? Looking at it from their perspective, bitterness was at the forefront of all the emotions that swirled within him.

"In the medical field, they haven't even properly identified the disease. All they know is that by administering a special antibiotic and repeating the painful process, they can keep her life going."

Davey recalled with vividness the pain he had to go through back when he was receiving his treatment.

"Sister will probably receive that procedure soon. My uncle said he would do anything as long as there's a chance, but it will be a huge burden on him."

He didn't say anything in response to what she said. Still, she went on to further say, "Our brother said... It's too painful. It hurts so much that he wanted to just die. My sister would have to go through that too. So tell me. What did our sister do wrong?"

She grabbed Davey's arm, her tears streaming down her cheeks ceaselessly. Then, as if the volume of her voice was pulled up by her emotions that were surging high at that moment, she vented loudly at Davey, saying, "What did our kind sister do to deserve such suffering?! The chance of developing the disease is one in hundreds of millions! To think my sister caught such a rare disease!! After taking my brother away from me, now my sister too!!!"

"Calm down."

"How can I be calm?! Tell Yama! What did our family do wrong?! Is it about money?! We don't need money! I'd rather go back to worrying about a single meal a day in a cramped room if it means I can be with my brother and sister again!!"

Davey responded by raising his hand, intending to wipe the tears that stained her cheeks.

Whoosh!!!

But being a spiritual being, his hand just passed by her.

'Damn spiritual body.'

"..."

"Snap out of it. Right now, there are countless people dying because they don't have the money you have. So be grateful for the life you currently have."

"But... But we were supposed to be happy now... What does it matter if my sister dies?"

Davey's eyes fell shut upon hearing her words.

"Did the doctors say anything?"

She shook her head at the question. Even though she was a medical student, she still lacked the experience of treating someone.

"Even the professors said... treatment is impossible."

Hyun-Ah would never lie, and so what she said must be the truth.

Davey proceeded to enter the room by passing through the glass window. He then slowly approached Yeon-Hee.

It was cruel to be ill after all the hard work and just when it seemed like they could finally be happy.

Why? It seemed fate was ruthlessly ironic.

Davey hated himself for being unable to say anything in fear of the possibility that Hyun-Ah would end up in the same situation.

So all he did was silently reach over his hand to Yeon-Hee's. And while he could not really feel the touch, there seemed to be a coldness to it.

Then, as he looked at his sister, he quietly whispered,

[Oh Freyja, goddess overseeing all. Your servant has come here to report to you. You know that you're sending trials for your lambs to grow more. I hope you don't mind.]

A faint light began to emanate from his body, and the holy power that showed no reaction before was slowly awakening. His eyes then fell shut as he continued.

[If it's not too much trouble, please share a bit of your miracle. If that's not possible...]

[Please grant me the power to forge my destiny.]

'What's the use of learning medicine when there's no cure?' Davey thought to himself.

[The answer lies within the Saint.]

A quiet voice was heard. As if struck by lightning, his eyes opened wide all of a sudden, and they darted to the sleeping form of Yeon-Hee. Then, to hear the voice again, he tried to extract the holy power once more. But the miracle he felt before did not return. Still, the single phrase had already affirmed his resolution.

"Start the discharge process."

His resolve was clear, and his decision was made.

"What?" Hyun-Ah said confusedly. "What did you say?"

"Start the discharge process. We need to save her."

Hyun-Ah's eyes widened.

"Did you say Dr. Han was treating you? Just leave the last check-up record to that person. Surgery is needed."

Hearing this, Hyun-Ah couldn't contain her surprise as she exclaimed, "Surgery?! Who's going to perform it?! How?!"

Dr. Han and others had given up on this disease. So who would perform the treatment? Would it be either of the two people present? Davey, who was a mere spirit? Or Hyun-Ah, who's still learning? Both were impossible. But when two impossibilities came together, they became one.

"The surgery will be done by you. You'll conduct the surgery, but I'll guide the process."

As a disciple of medicine, he shall cut open and sew up the source of this cursed disease that killed him in the past, and he would ensure the success of this surgery, which only had less than a ten percent chance of success.

'Neltarid, if you orchestrated this situation to gain my favor, then you must do well here.'