Chapter 119

Episode 119. If you want to live, you have to work. (1)

Lee staunchly refused to answer our questions. As if she had forgotten how to speak, she remained silent no matter what we said.

"What happened in the other world?"

"......."

If someone saw us, they would say we were wasting our time asking questions. But the actual situation was a little different.

"Hyun-woo."

"Okay."

Because Sung Hyun-woo was taking the answers out of Lee's head, I was collecting information by having him read her memories and deliver those memories back to me. She wouldn't even guess what was happening.

-Terrible things happened. At first, they called us their comrades. But soon, they created a hierarchy of people based on strength and talent. They discriminated against each other, and the strong treated the weak like their slaves.

-Humans were animals that could become unfathomably cruel depending on their circumstances. In a world without law and morality, those with power were no different from animals.

-So were the Five Kings. I tried to stop them, but I lacked strength. The reason I was able to survive among them and return was that I was a woman.

-In the course of killing the weak to return, the Kings holding real power needed a woman, and I was the only one with a body that could survive the night with them.

A sad voice flows through my head. The memories that Hyun-woo read were devastating. Like watching a depressing movie, a woman's desperate life passed by. Her subdued emotions and voice were cold.

"How did you come back here? What happened to the other Returnees? After you were transferred to the other world, have other people been taken there?"

I asked more questions.

-I don't know the exact way we came back. Once the number of Returnees and residents of the other world decreased to a certain number, a powerful enemy appeared. And we instinctively knew that if we got rid of it, we would be able to return to Earth. Just as a character in a game completes fixed quests, we solved the task without knowing why and returned here as the reward.

-All the other Returnees are dead. Some sacrificed themselves, and we killed some.

-No one else came to the world after we were transferred. Not a single person.

Her mouth was tightly closed, but her answers came to me smoothly.

After that, I asked a lot of questions. Most were about common knowledge on Returnees and what objects they left behind in the other world and what they did.

I wasn't curious about the details because I considered the Returnees as -Disasters-, so I only asked about information that could make me stronger.

'So, objects like that are in that world....... It wouldn't be a bad idea to go there and scavenge them.'

The information Lee gave me was pretty useful. It looked like I now had a chance to not only strengthen Mirage but also gain new power.

If I absorbed them and also trained with the Akashic Records Class I earned this time... I thought I could perhaps be able to develop enough strength to face the Great Overlord.

That moment.

"Jeong Si-woo, are you finished asking questions?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll just say one last thing."

Lee Hyun-seung held out his hand toward Sung Hyun-woo. He seemed to have realized Hyun-woo's ability to read memories. Sung Hyun-woo willingly grabbed his hand, and Lee Hyun-seung bent down and looked at Lee, who was sitting still.

"Do you remember me?"

"......."

It wasn't the indifferent gaze I saw earlier. His eyes were full of mixed emotions. As soon as he uttered those words, Lee Hyun-seung became a man, not a ruthless hunter. A man who had been hiding in his armor for decades concealing his wounded heart.

"Maybe it's better if you don't remember. You'll blame me if you do."

Lee Hyun-seung's eyes turned wet. I had never seen him like this before. It didn't suit him. He was meant to be stronger and sturdier than anyone else. No one ever thought he would show his emotions and look so weak.

"I'm sorry I let go of your hand."

But at this moment, Lee Hyun-seung never seemed stronger.

His back looked so broad even without a proper hunting suit, and his trembling voice was clear and firm. Lee Hyun-seung was emotional, and he was different from the Iron Man we had seen. But that was why he looked like a hero.

It showed that the Shield that protected humanity wasn't a heartless metal object, but a human who could sometimes break down.

"......."

Lee's stubborn eyes started to shake. There was no need to receive her answer from Sung Hyun-woo. Her face gave away her reply.

She remembered Lee Hyun-seung. She remembered her husband she was separated from in the past, and she remembered her life on Earth. This was why she returned even after experiencing horrors and pretended not to know him for some reason.

"I remember."

Lee opened her mouth for the first time as she watched Lee Hyun-seung break down.

"I remember the first time we met, and I remember our wedding. I remember our short life together... And I remember that time."

"......."

"You didn't let go. I did. Half of your body was already sucked in, but you were still holding onto me. I let go because I thought I wouldn't be able to look you in the eye when I came back if you lost an arm."

Lee's cold voice started to overflow with emotion.

"Blame? Why would I blame you? I came back for you. Otherwise, I would have lived there as a Queen. I would have been covered in jewels until I died of old age, and I would have happily lived in my palace."

"......."

"But I came back because I liked it better here. I liked my small, cold, and damp single room better than the palace and missed you more than having dozens of servants."

Once she started to speak, the words spilled out uncontrollably.

"But I was ashamed of myself... Everything I went through over there was too embarrassing for me to tell you. They weren't things fit for a man's wife to do... so I pretended I didn't know you."

"......."

"I thought I'd be content if I came back and just saw you one more time. I thought it would be nice to live a simple life alone, remembering the good times. That's why I came back. But seeing your face, and hearing what you said......."

Her voice did not continue. Lee Hyun-seung embraced Lee. He completely enveloped her in his arms, and there was silence. The silence continued for a long time.

[The flow of the 'Fourth Disaster' changes.]

Only the status windows popped up noisily.

[Key Figure]

[→ 'Lee' has changed to a human-friendly disposition.]

[→ Four of the 'Five Kings' have been eliminated.]

[You made a big contribution to changing the storyline.]

['The Flow of Destiny' has been twisted.]

[Future events may differ from the user's memory. Be careful.]

.

.

.

['Spirit Level' has risen significantly.]

[You have reached the limit of 'Spirit Level' that a mortal can attain.]

[The 'Akashic Records' has reached the highest rank.]

.

.

[Key character, 'Lee Hyun-seung', survives.]

[Due to 'Lee's' survival, 'Lee Hyun-seung's' ability to fight is not compromised.]

[You have met the requirements.]

[Calculating Rewards.]

* * *

A few days passed. The Returnees were still pouring in, and some human-friendly individuals also showed up. They acknowledged that they were different and followed the Association's procedures by registering themselves as Awakeners. They then left to live among people.

Of course, there were some who didn't.

"Piss off! How dare you!? Who are you to tie me up?"

A Returnee who hadn't been able to fight back properly and was now restrained shouted in the middle of the street. People were filming him with their cell phones, and the Association staff were pushing people back, saying it was dangerous. It was a mess.

"Why is he making such a fuss?"

"Oh, Si-woo. You're here."

Han Yeon-soo, standing next to the Association staff, recognized me and approached me with a smile.

"We just caught him... You know, there's always these guys that play dirty."

"Is there any chance of rehabilitation? Otherwise, I have to kill him."

"W-wait! Kill me? I haven't done anything yet! What do you mean kill me!?"

The Returnee rambled at what I said. His face turned white. I gazed at him indifferently and spoke.

"You didn't do anything... But you've done too much damage to say so, haven't you?"

"What?"

"Falling from the sky, you destroyed two cars, caused damage to the outer walls of a building, and you need to compensate for the psychological damage you caused the people nearby. See? You've done a lot of harm."

"W-w-w-w-well, I couldn't help it! I didn't expect to fall from the sky like that. When I came to my senses, it was already too late! What do you want from me?"

"What do I want from you?"

Tap.

I poked the restrained man on his forehead.

"I want you to work."

"...What? Work? Do you know what I did to get back here? I was enslaved for decades and saved up loads of gold and jewels! But they're all gone. If I hadn't left them behind, I'd have compensated for everything. It's just pennies anyway! But you want poor me to work when my fortune has vanished?"

"Yeah."

"Ha! You wouldn't even be able to speak to me in the other world. There's no way I'm doing what you say. The moment these restraints are gone, you'll be the first to die. I'm not going to work anymore. I struggled so much so that I could live comfortably here......!"

"Oh, really?"

I snorted. Then I tilted my head sideways, swung my other hand, and slapped him in the face. I could feel his hard skin. But my Ki shook his insides, unaffected by his skin. His eyes rolled back for a moment, and red blood came out of his nose.

"...Ah?"

"Then die. I guess about three more slaps will kill you. We don't need any belligerent Returnees."

"W-w-w-wait!"

As I raised my hand, he stammered and shouted in panic.

"Why... why are you doing this to me? S-sir!"

Although he would have been called a ruler or a king in another world, he was quick to plead. I spoke, looking at him with disdain.

Why was I doing this?

"If you want to live, you have to work."

It was the universal rule that applied to a capitalist world.

"Whatever you were in another world, it doesn't matter. You're here now, so follow the rules. If you don't want to, you can go back and live as you please."

"...I shouldn't have come back."

"What?"

"It, it's nothing......."

I smirked, seeing how timid the Returnee had become, and turned around.

But then.

"Mr. Si-woo."

Han Yeon-soo, who was standing in the back, suddenly looked serious. What was it now?

"I just got a call from Mr. Zhang Wei...I think you'll have to go over there. It doesn't sound great."

"It sounds bad?"

"Yes, you had better hear for yourself rather than have me explain."

Han Yeon-soo handed me the cell phone she was holding to her ear. Zhang Wei's voice came out.

"Hello."

-Mr. Jeong Si-woo, I think you should get here quickly.

"What's going on?"

-Well... How should I explain it?

Zhang Wei paused for a minute, then continued.

-A Returnee has appeared, but there's something strange.

"Strange?"

-Yes.

What did he mean, strange? I was about to ask, but Zhang Wei soon addressed my doubt.

-The Returnee Response Association Team, two 1st-class hunters, Sung Hyun-woo and Yoo Ji-yeon, are all concentrating their firepower on him, but they couldn't even make a scratch.

"......."

As soon as I heard him, I thought of one person.

-But what's more strange is... He didn't move at all while he was being attacked. Since he fell from the sky and landed on the floor, he hasn't moved for five hours.

"... Don't attack him anymore."

A person who posed a great threat and was also a great help.

"I'll get over there now, so don't touch him anymore."

The world called him "The Strongest Returnee."

"One mistake and everyone there will die."

He was here at last.