Past Life Returner

The mercenary was called Moose because of his large physique. It had been over three months since he entered outer space, and everything he had seen and heard in the land of Whirlpool went beyond what he could have imagined.

“Apparently, there was a hearing for the King of Hell on the 25th of last month.”

Despite being accustomed to surprising events, Moose was shocked by the news his subordinate delivered. It was as appalling as witnessing a vampire.

While assisting his subordinate in unloading supplies, Moose’s face contorted in disgust, as if he had just taken a bite of rotten food.

“I understand your concern, but Earth is fine. The King of Hell seemed to have dealt with it.”

“He kept his temper in check?” asked Moose.

“I checked multiple times because it was different from what I had heard.”

The subordinate calmly recounted the events leading up to the hearing. By the time his explanation ended, all the boxes of supplies and materials that had been loaded on the truck were on the ground. Moose sat on one of the boxes, unbuttoning his uniform shirt.

He unconsciously shifted his gaze toward the east where the city of vampires was. It was a dangerous area. To be precise, it was a region ruled by ‘Osiris,’ who was recognized as the Lord of Fear even among the Awakened, and spine-chilling rumors were always about the city. Some villagers even claimed to have seen walking corpses.

“I caught a vampire the day before yesterday.”

As Moose spoke, his subordinate, who had been away for a few days, frowned. His expression was similar to that of Moose’s when he heard the news of the hearing.

Indeed, the rumor was true. The testimonies of those who lost their wives or husbands to vampires were quite specific, and all of their eyewitness accounts were the same. There was no evidence, but the villagers were accepting the fact that vampires existed.

“Ah, I was wondering what that was. That must be the vampire you caught, then.”

The subordinate pointed at a skeleton that was hanging on the wall, and he continued speaking, “We might have to ask for more allowance, or they should at least supply us with some damn crosses or bullets. It is so creepy.”

“Crosses… You are joking, right? If so, that was the funniest thing I have ever heard recently. Just make sure your badge is properly attached to your uniform.”

Moose was convinced that the only reason why the vampires from Osiris’s city didn’t target his people was because of the badge with the emblem of the World Awakened Association. He believed the logo was the most powerful cross in outer space.

“Also, please take this. They said only one pill per person. Next time, we will have to buy it ourselves with our own money. You should have heard how rude they were, ugh.”

“What is this?” Moose asked.

The subordinate answered, “It is called Spider Web. I haven’t tried it myself yet, but I heard that it can make us like the Awakened.”

“...What the heck. Well, I am not even surprised anymore.”

“I agree.”

“Anyway, good job. It will be a great help when dealing with vampires.”

Vampires… Moose couldn’t help but shake his head at the surreal word he had just mentioned. He had killed one last night and watched its body turn to bones under the sunlight, but it still felt like a movie.

Moose patted his subordinate on the shoulder, then got up.

Only five stationed mercenaries were in this remote village. The Awakened and mercenaries who had previously arrived together had departed for different battlefields, leaving behind only the necessary number of people to manage the village.

The subordinate was repairing a truck that had arrived on an unpaved road, while another was supervising the village soldiers at the podium. Another was overseeing the construction of a sewer system, and the last one was comparing the supply and inventory lists.

Meanwhile, Moose had a pen in his mouth and was lost in thought.

We are still in the worst sanitary conditions. It is strange that there is no epidemic spreading between us. There is a limit to building sewer systems by just looking at books, but I can’t ask for more support. Hmm…

He glanced at the people bustling in front of him.

We need more soap, but it will be difficult to receive more supplies. I should build a system to produce it on our own. Yes, this guy would be perfect for the person in charge.

Did we get antibiotics this time? Ah, I should confirm that, too. That guy…shouldn’t die. I hope he can hold on a bit longer.

I should promote Norman to the position of a commander. The guy in charge right now is likely to cause problems in the future.

Shit… if we had a mine, things would have turned out better. I don’t care even if it doesn’t have gold.

Vampires… But I shouldn’t even think about questioning Osiris. All we can do is strengthen the night guard. To do that, I need to improve their nutritional status first. There are so many things to fix.

From the group’s perspective, this was nothing more than a small, insignificant village. It was practically abandoned, and just maintaining the occupation was enough for Moose and his subordinates to fulfill their duties.

The purpose of this remote village was like the Korean Demilitarized Zone, separating Osiris’s occupied area from the other territories. Other remote regions bordering Osiris’s area would not be much different as they would also be terrified every night by attackers looking for blood. Support from affiliated groups would be minimal as well.

It would be awesome if we could establish a cooperative system with others in the same situation, but they all belong to different agencies… But it is still worth trying.

Moose originally planned to return to Earth after his one-year contract period. He wanted to pay off his mortgage and use the remaining money to buy a small bar and settle in a land where he would no longer see corpses.

However, his mind changed when he realized that the fate of hundreds of villagers depended on his decisions.

He had heard many stories. The incidents that took place in outer space were strictly kept confidential, and even if they were exposed, they wouldn’t be legally punished. Thus, the dominating group became the law in remote areas like this village!

Some villages were said to be thriving rapidly not only because of the civilization brought from Earth, but also because of the modern thinking and rational system of the ruling class.

On the other hand, some villages had deteriorated to the extent that their inhabitants dreaded the repercussions if the horrific incidents within their communities were exposed on Earth. They were certain that if their stories were revealed, the public opinion on the Awakened and mercenaries in outer space would turn hostile.

Moose had seen firsthand how his subordinates had changed since entering this remote village. Weeding out the treacherous ones, raping pretty girls, and whipping those who didn’t follow their orders were no longer tasks to hide.

However, the villagers often said their lives were better than before. That was why Moose wanted to do better. Although he was not a law-abiding judge, he wanted to become a judge who could improve the lives of the people here.

Also, he believed that would be quite easy. After all, the longer he stayed in outer space, the more his retirement fund would grow.

***

At night, Moose was waiting for his subordinate to return from the neighboring village. He not only armed himself with a loaded glock, but also took an M4.

Tap, rack, bang.

By recalling his training as a naval instructor from years ago, he reminded himself how to remove a used cartridge from the M4 rifle’s muzzle when it was obstructed. This preparation allowed him to be ready for even the most challenging combat situations.

In addition to the foreboding sense that his subordinate had not yet returned, he grew increasingly uneasy due to the village’s heightened alert for nocturnal vampire activity. The village became deathly silent, as though every resident had drifted off to sleep. Screams were heard only when vampires appeared.

The occasional sound of a horn had long since stopped. There was no response from the walkie-talkies connected to his subordinates.

Moose took Spider Web without hesitation. When he understood why it was called that way, he smelled blood. He also heard footsteps approaching him. He had to be on full alert, so he couldn’t afford to be impressed by the effect of the pill.

He hid behind a wall, aiming his gun at the entrance of the village. The feeling of his heart pounding against his chest was clearer than ever, and his mouth dried up quickly, probably because of the pill.

The door creaked open just after that, and Moose’s thoughts were quick.

This guy smells of fresh blood and it’s from the villagers and my subordinates!

Intruder! I will start shooting!

Nonetheless, Moose’s finger on the trigger did not move. It didn’t take long for him to realize that his finger wasn’t the only thing that had stopped moving. His pupils were dilated uncontrollably. All he could do was stare at the intruder standing in the darkness. He was being restrained by a supernatural phenomenon!

Moose remembered that the Awakened called this ability ‘Restraint.’ Convinced that the intruder was an Awakened, Moose gritted his teeth.

“Why are you doing this? If you think this won’t be discovered, then you have made a big mistake. The World Awakened Association will figure out what has happened here today.”

The person responded, “I don’t see a single Awakened around here. All I see are walking corpses that have recently died. They are all drawn by the power of Osiris.”

The intruder’s figure was still hidden in the darkness, even though the light was turned on. Then, long nails emerged from the darkness, and blood slowly dripped from the tips of the red nails. Moose couldn’t take his eyes off as if he was hypnotized.

However, it was not actually hypnosis, so Moose’s gaze moved again to chase the intruder. At that moment, a voice came out again from where the intruder was standing. It was a beautiful voice of a woman.

“Is it really Osiris? I find that doubtful,” she said.

“What the hell do you mean..?” he asked.

“Does Doom Man actually cherish Osiris? No, I should rephrase the question better. Do you think Odin cherishes Osiris?”

Moose thought about the answer without realizing it. Based on what he had heard, Osiris was Odin’s precious Awakened. The high-ranked Awakened, who had sided with Mary in the Final Stage, were now the board members of the association, Odin’s closest associates.

“You are saying the same thing as everyone else.”

“...?”

“But you also know nothing about Odin.”

Moose couldn’t understand the intruder’s intentions at all. The same went for her identity. One clear thing was that no one could casually mention Osiris and Odin like that. All Moose could see were the red nails flickering before his eyes.

He thought this was the worst-case scenario. If she was an Awakened, then there was room for conversation. However, if she was a species of Dragorin…

But how can she speak our language that fluently?

The beautiful voice coming from the darkness was definitely not from a translator.

“Don’t be scared. I will ask you two more questions. If I kill Osiris, will Odin really be sad?”

“...”

“Mary is next in line. I came this far, so I can’t waste my time anymore.”

“W…what the hell are you talking about!”

“Last question.”

“...”

“Have you heard of Odin’s bloodline? I mean, the real blood relatives of Odin. The ones who have the same blood as him.”

“...”

“Okay, fine. You are mentioning Odin’s priests again.”

“Keuk.”

Of course, Moose was afraid of the imminent death, but there was one story he had heard consistently while staying in outer space. The mysterious intruder was bringing death upon herself. She seemed to have a purpose beyond casually mentioning Odin’s name - to challenge him.

Moose was confident that he would die today, but the intruder would follow him to the underworld tomorrow.

“I really do not like you human corps. You are all passionate about your leader, but you know nothing about who you are following. I will send Osiris after you to the underworld, so just wait.”

She sounded like she was reading a fairy tale with a happy ending. It was such a benevolent voice, but soon it came to press down on Moose’s breath.

Moose didn’t die of suffocation. As he teetered on the edge of consciousness, a memory suddenly resurfaced. It was the story of the Guide who had burst people’s heads during the Stage of Advent. He knew that could be his fate, leaving him with a jumble of emotions ranging from anger to bitterness, as he believed he had finally begun something worthwhile…!

***

Moose died. When his body that had been lying down started to tremble again, he could no longer be called Moose.

“Ughhhh…”

“That is enough. You should be called a zombie now. Well, no. You are a ghoul now.”