Chapter: 13
Spirit Lord Park Hayan.
Click.
The door lock clicked open.
The moment the door opened, a large-framed man barged in.
“Jeongseok!”
*Whoosh.*
Park Gwangcheol grabbed me and pulled me into a crushing embrace.
The stench of sweat and cheap cologne hit me.
He pounded my back and wailed.
“Oh, Jeongseok! You’re safe! Do you know how worried I was when you wouldn’t answer your phone?”
Exaggerated gestures.
I could hear his feigned sobbing over my shoulder, but my shirt remained dry.
It was all an act.
I stood there expressionless.
I didn’t push him away, nor did I hug him back.
Sensing my lack of reaction, Park Gwangcheol awkwardly pulled back.
His bloodshot eyes scanned me.
“Any injuries? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Thank goodness, truly. Your aunt and uncle in heaven must be watching over you.”
He clicked his tongue and looked around my cramped studio.
Moldy wallpaper.
Damp, warped flooring.
A space so small it was barely enough for one person.
Park Gwangcheol’s brow furrowed.
“Why on earth are you living like this? With all that money, why live in such squalor? Don’t tell me you’ve spent it all?”
Money.
That damned money was the problem.
The past me couldn’t spend the inheritance my parents left behind.
No, I *couldn’t* bring myself to.
*’It was their wedding anniversary.’*
My parents had gone on their first overseas trip in a long time.
I could still vividly picture how happy they were.
The plane was passing over the Pacific Ocean.
Unexpected turbulence that wasn’t in the forecast.
And a massive typhoon.
The passenger plane broke apart mid-air and crashed.
Everyone on board died, except one.
At the funeral hall, only empty coffins remained.
A massive life insurance payout and inheritance fell into my hands.
Enough to live idly for the rest of my life without ever working.
But as a child, I couldn’t touch that money.
Every time I spent it, I felt like I was chipping away at the price of my parents’ lives.
Guilt. Longing.
Those emotions trapped me in this cramped semi-basement room.
*’I was foolish.’*
Now I regret it.
After all, if I didn’t spend it, it would only end up fattening someone else’s pockets.
Just like the bastard right in front of me.
Park Gwangcheol took advantage of my guilt.
While I turned my back on the money, he waited for his chance.
And on the day the world turned upside down, he finally took everything from me.
“I haven’t spent a single won. It never felt like my money.”
For a split second.
Park Gwangcheol’s eyes flashed.
Greed. A look I knew all too well.
I stared at him intently.
“So, what brings you here?”
“What do you mean, what brings me here!”
Park Gwangcheol jumped.
“I came because I was worried about my only nephew! Haven’t you seen the news? The world is going crazy!”
He ranted, spitting as he spoke.
“Monsters are appearing, the ground is collapsing, people are dying. How do you plan to survive alone in a time like this?”
He grabbed both my hands.
His palms were damp and clammy.
“Your uncle will protect you. Don’t stay here—come to my place. Okay?”
Protect me.
Smooth words.
But I knew.
What he truly wanted wasn’t my safety.
It was the seal, the bankbooks, and the property deeds stashed somewhere in this room.
He was trying to act as my legal guardian by taking advantage of the chaos.
The same repertoire as my previous life.
“Let’s go together.”
Park Gwangcheol urged.
“I’ll protect you. Family should stick together, don’t you agree?”
I let out a scoff.
Protect.
I *do* need protection, certainly.
Of course, the one who needs protecting isn’t me—it’s you.
“No thanks.”
My brief answer cut through the cramped room.
Park Gwangcheol’s expression hardened.
The forced smile froze like a plaster statue.
“…What?”
“I said no.”
“You, what did you just say…?”
Park Gwangcheol’s eyebrows twitched.
Shock, followed by displeasure.
How dare a mere nephew reject an elder’s offer?
His old-fashioned mindset was written all over his face.
But my heart grew cold.
When you think about it, it made sense.
Uncle.
Sure, he’s called an uncle, but he’s not a drop of blood relation.
And this man dares to talk about family and approach me?
It was utterly revolting.
I tilted my head.
“And.”
“…”
“Speak properly. You didn’t come because you were worried—you came because you smelled money.”
“Wh-what nonsense! Your uncle cares about you so much!”
“Then how did you get my address?”
I cut him off.
“I even changed my phone number. Did you hire a private investigator?”
Park Gwangcheol’s pupils wavered.
I had hit the nail on the head.
He must have spent money to dig up information on me.
That’s how desperate he was for my inheritance.
“I don’t have any money for you, so leave.”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“And have some shame. Coming to steal from your nephew’s inheritance at your age—aren’t you embarrassed?”
“…You little brat?”
Park Gwangcheol’s face flushed red.
The mask had slipped.
His true colors as a thug came through.
“I was too soft on you, and now you’re blind with arrogance! Is that any way to talk to an elder!”
Elder, huh.
How laughable.
I’ve lived just as long as he has.
Yet he dares to lecture me just because he’s a few years older.
“Kim Jeongseok. Are you going to apologize or not?”
Park Gwangcheol snarled.
I just chuckled.
“Me? You should be the one apologizing.”
“Th-this… you ungrateful brat!”
Finally, Park Gwangcheol exploded.
He raised his fist high.
“You need a beating to come to your senses!”
*Whoom.*
His crude fist flew toward my face.
It was slow.
So slow it made me yawn.
I didn’t dodge.
I just lightly extended my hand.
*Tap.*
“…Huh?”
Park Gwangcheol’s eyes widened.
My palm had caught his fist.
It didn’t budge.
“Let go! Are you going to let go or not?”
Park Gwangcheol struggled to pull his arm free.
But his trapped fist was like a rock wedged in a crevice—immovable.
I stared at him and squeezed.
Firmly.
“Urgh…”
Park Gwangcheol’s face began to contort.
“It hurts! Let go!”
“You said you’d protect me.”
I smiled bitterly.
“With this little strength, who are you going to protect?”
*Crack.*
A bone-twisting sound.
Even if it’s only 20%, I am an Awakener.
My grip strength had already surpassed human limits.
An ordinary person’s bones were like cookie crumbs to me.
“Ahh! Aaaah!”
Park Gwangcheol screamed.
His knees buckled.
Overwhelmed by pain, he collapsed in front of me.
“S-save me! My hand’s breaking! Aaaargh!”
His agonizing screams echoed through the room.
I bent my knees to meet his gaze.
Park Gwangcheol’s pupils were trembling uncontrollably.
Fear.
Primitive terror was unmistakably reflected in his eyes.
The greed that had been so arrogant moments ago had vanished without a trace.
*’Should I kill him?’*
A brief thought crossed my mind.
This was the bastard who tried to stab me in the back and drain me dry.
Guilt? There was none.
He deserved to die, if anything.
*’If it weren’t for this bastard.’*
Memories from my previous life flashed through my mind.
The mastermind who stole my parents’ inheritance and cast me out onto the streets.
Because of him, even as an Awakener, I couldn’t escape being homeless.
I had to scavenge through trash for a single meal, and wander subway stations to escape the cold.
That stunted my growth.
While others hunted monsters and leveled up, I was struggling just to survive.
*’Six months.’*
A full six months.
Those first six months were golden time that nothing could replace.
And this bastard had thrown that precious opportunity into the gutter.
My grip tightened instinctively.
*Crack.*
“Khhh…!”
Park Gwangcheol groaned, foaming at the mouth.
I wanted to snap his neck right then and there.
But.
I slowly released the pressure.
Killing him now would be too merciful.
More than that, I knew his *true ending*.
*’Zombie bait.’*
Not long after the Great Cataclysm began, this bastard would meet a gruesome end.
He’d be torn apart alive by zombies.
In agony, with his innards ripped out and limbs torn off, he’d turn into a zombie himself.
Then he’d roam the streets as a soulless monster.
*’Killing him myself is far too kind.’*
He’ll suffer every hardship imaginable in this hellish world, only to become zombie food.
I had no desire to change that ending for him.
For now, he’s just trash not worth dirtying my hands over.
I tossed his fist away like discarding something.
“I’ll let you live.”
Park Gwangcheol trembled, glancing between my hand and my face.
His expression was one of disbelief.
I added in a cold, low voice.
“But.”
I raised my index finger and pointed it at his brow.
“If you appear before me again, it won’t end with just one broken wrist.”
“…”
“You know what will happen, don’t you?”
Park Gwangcheol swallowed dryly.
His face turned pale at the thought—clearly terrifying enough.
“Staying out of my sight is the best way for you to live long.”
It was a final warning.
Park Gwangcheol nodded frantically.
“O-okay! I’m leaving! I-I was wrong!”
Without even looking back, he crawled across the floor and fled out the door.
He didn’t even bother putting on his shoes, scrambling away in a pathetic sight.
*Bang.*
The front door slammed shut.
Silence returned to the room.
I stared at the door where he had disappeared for a moment, then calmly turned away.
The rat had been chased out.
Now, what remained to be done.
*’I need to spend the money.’*
Those rotting pieces of paper.
The inheritance I couldn’t bear to spend, thinking of it as the price of my parents’ lives.
But now I know.
Holding onto this money was meaningless.
I had to use it first.
In the most valuable place.
I picked up my smartphone.
I opened the search bar.
‘Hope Welfare Foundation.’
Without hesitation, I dialed the number.
– *Yes, Hope Welfare Foundation. How can I help you?*
A kind female staff member’s voice.
I calmly stated my business.
“I’d like to make a donation.”
– *Oh, yes! You’re inquiring about sponsorship. Is this a recurring donation or a one-time donation?*
“One-time. About 1 billion won.”
– *Excuse me? 1 billion? What do you…*
Silence came from the other end.
Clearly flustered.
She probably thought it was a prank call.
“Give me the account number. I’ll transfer it right now.”
– *Ah, just a moment! Sir, may I ask for your name…*
“Kim Jeongseok.”
I continued.
“I’ll make it a designated donation.”
– *A designated donation? Do you have a specific recipient in mind?*
“Yes.”
I took a short breath.
A face came to mind.
My comrade who stayed by my side until the very end before my regression.
Spirit Lord Park Hayan.
Right now, she was in the hospital.
A cold room, in a corner of a six-bed ward.
It was a plane crash.
That accident had crushed her spine and paralyzed her lower body.
There was a chance she could walk if she had surgery immediately, but she had no money.
Poverty was the crime.
Later, she would make a contract with a spirit and use its power to float through the air.
But that was years away, after she awakened through tears and blood.
And more than anything.
*’…The sole survivor.’*
She was the only survivor of that passenger plane my parents were on.
I’d need to confirm it, but I didn’t think Park Hayan was God’s avatar.
Her past was too distinct.
If God’s avatar was created from scratch, Park Hayan couldn’t be one.
Of course, ‘possession’ was also a possibility.
However.
*’If God possessed Park Hayan, He wouldn’t have left her legs as they were.’*
He would have fixed her crippled feet first.
The gods’ game.
Those who came to enjoy themselves wouldn’t tolerate discomfort.
After organizing my thoughts, I spoke.
“Park Hayan, currently admitted to the orthopedic ward at Korea University Hospital.”
– *Ah, just a moment. Let me confirm.*
I heard typing from the other end.
– *Yes, confirmed. May I ask what your relationship is with the patient…*
“We’re not really related. I just want Park Hayan to live.”
I exhaled once.
“Surgery costs, hospitalization fees, and rehabilitation expenses.”
I said calmly.
“Please provide enough support so she can walk without any issues for the rest of her life.”
—
* * *
Room 602 at Korea University Hospital.
In the corner spot hidden by the curtain.
Park Hayan stared blankly out the window.
Her eyes were unfocused.
There was no life in them—they were dead eyes.
The outside world was in chaos, they said.
Monsters appeared and the ground split open.
But to her, it was someone else’s story.
Her world had already collapsed.
She looked down beneath the blanket.
She felt nothing.
Below her waist, there was no sensation.
It was as if rotten wooden logs were attached to her.
The doctor said she could walk if she had surgery.
But it was a cruel hope.
Money.
She didn’t have that damned money.
For an orphan like her, the tens of millions of won for surgery was like a star she could never reach.
*’Maybe I should just die.’*
If only she had died when the plane crashed.
Surviving alone felt like a curse.
*Rustle.*
The curtain was roughly pulled aside.
A nurse and an administrative staff member rushed in.
Their expressions were far from their usual dry demeanor.
Their faces were flushed.
Panting, they exclaimed.
“Patient! Congratulations!”
Park Hayan didn’t react.
Congratulations?
Was that something to say to someone who was half-paralyzed?
But the staff member’s next words made her doubt her ears.
“The surgery is going ahead right away. The professor cleared his schedule.”
“…Excuse me?”
Park Hayan’s lips trembled.
“What… do you mean? I don’t have the money.”
“It’s been taken care of.”
The staff member waved a stack of papers.
“A donor just came forward. Your surgery, hospitalization, and rehabilitation costs—all of it. The full amount has been deposited.”
“…”
“A whole 1 billion won! Enough to cover a lifetime of treatment and still have plenty left!”
Her mind went blank.
She couldn’t understand it.
Who on earth, when she had no family?
“Wh-who is it? And why…?”
