Past Life Returner

Mary noona didn’t appear to be severely injured, but she looked lethargic as she lay in bed and she didn’t even look at Seong-Il. Seong-Il turned his attention to the Guides, and they didn’t seem to pose a threat to Mary noona, at least for now.

In fact, it was actually the opposite. The swarms of radiant light emitted by the Guides as they fluttered around Mary noona appeared to seep into her body, bestowing a positive influence.

“Do not interrupt,” Seong-Il said to Osiris.

Whether it was because Osiris understood Korean or whether it was because arrived at the same conclusion, he turned around and brushed past Seong-Il.

“I will stay here and watch the situation, so hurry and take care of your business, bro.”

After saying this to Tae-Han, Seong-Il began to stand guard at the door like a gatekeeper.

Guides…those bastards… If they even slightly touch her…

A decent amount of time passed before Mary looked at Seong-Il. She gestured at him to come closer by flicking her fingers. The Guides responded to her action as well by flying away. They also reacted to Seong-Il’s movement. The speed at which they scattered was swift, perhaps because Seong-Il threw himself at Mary quickly.

It was a sight as if a blue sphere shattered and its fragments scattered everywhere.

Seong-Il wanted to ask Mary a lot, but he held back while keeping in mind to stay alert of the Guides.

“These children will not attack you, Seong-Il,” said Mary, but Seong-Il couldn’t shake off his uncomfortable feeling.

“Are you serious? No, they are not scary, but…you know… I don’t like the way they pranked us in the past.”

She smiled. “That is an old story.”

While it could have been a while to Mary noona as she could transcend the mental world, but the Stage of Advent was not a long time ago for him. It had been only a few months since he returned from there. Although many events did happen simultaneously after that, it didn’t change that fact.

The incidents that occurred since his return flashed through Seong-Il’s mind.

“Anyway, are you okay, noona?” he asked.

“As you can tell.”

He shook his head. “No, I mean, is your mind okay? The way you were daydreaming seemed like you were going through a hard time.”

Mary shrugged. “I am glad that I was only injured to this extent. Fighting against a Demon King is not easy.”

His eyes widened. “Are you sure you won?”

She bared her teeth. “I tore it apart, that piece of shit.”

Seong-Il didn’t miss the anger that momentarily appeared on Mary’s face. Her rage didn’t merely end there because there was a sudden flash in her weak smile. The murderous intent even fluttered between her furrowed brows and exposed teeth. The grudge was so deep that she was still pissed even though she had already killed it.

Seong-Il got goosebumps as it was more dreadful than what he felt from Osiris. He suddenly realized something and questioned, “Then… Did you also become the Demon King, noona?”

“Yes, I am at the bottom of their hierarchy, but I am now the worshiped deity of the Lunea clan.” Mary smiled.

He blinked. “Lunea clan. Is that the real name of the Guides?”

Then, Seong-Il heard her telepathy.

- Seong-Il. Don’t tell this to anyone else, and please don’t get upset. Osiris’s turn is next, when Odin pulls down Doom Entegasto.

Seong-Il held his breath.

- I am planning to promote Osiris to that position. So, you know what to do now, right? You need to make a lot of money because you will definitely have to dedicate more money than you did this time. Expand the attack team.

Mary noona’s story didn’t end there. She continued explaining why Odin had been supporting Osiris lately.

The old Undead Emperor?

***

Seong-Il came out, scratching his nose, which was his habit whenever he felt embarrassed. His misunderstanding towards Osiris was resolved, but that was it. Nothing had changed about the fact that a lot of power was being concentrated in Osiris.

Seong-Il held no doubts about Osiris’s loyalty to Odin. The individuals surrounding him, both presently and in the past, were handpicked by Odin himself. However, Seong-Il had witnessed numerous instances where people with power changed somehow.

This applied to Lee Tae-Han as well. The message that Lee Tae-Han had sent to Osiris was not like how he was before. It had unveiled Tae-Han’s genuine thoughts, but for Tae-Han himself, it was merely an act driven by the greater cause.

This is why people should always maintain their composure. We should think twice or even three times to doubt the situation. If we become complacent, this is the outcome. Tsk tsk. So foolish. How is he going to face Osiris from now on? If I were him, I would avoid him forever since this is too embarrassing.

The sun was setting outside, and Seong-Il fed the Kciphos in response to Yeon-Hee’s request. Then, he decided that Seoul would be his next destination. On the way to Seoul in his private helicopter, he addressed the matters he couldn’t deal with for a while.

He checked on Ki-Cheol’s well-being and ensured that his parents didn’t have any problems. Only after confirming the welfare of his family did he make a call to the CEO of Iljoo CA.

<Did you arrive, Mr. Seong-Il?>

Oh, you are not calling me Caliber? Oh, well. I must still be a superstar in the mainland.

It seemed that his popularity extended beyond the mainland. Even in this realm, his popularity remained strong.

He didn’t make any effort to hide the smile that naturally appeared on his face. Since it was not a video call, he had to be only conscious of his laughter which sounded like an old man.

He used his large palm to cover the microphone of his phone and cleared his throat.

Ahem.

Then, he continued.

<Seong-Il: It’s me. I am on my way to Seoul, and I will be there in one hour. Are you available to meet up?>

<Is there something going on?>

<Seong-Il: Thanks for asking, hahaha. But, if something bad happens to me, that would directly link to the danger of hoo… no, no. Ahem. Humanity.>

Ah, fuck me. Why did I slur at the end?

<Seong-Il: Ahahahha- I will… I will call you when I get there.>

<Could you please tell me in advance what you would like to talk about? I will prepare the documents.>

<Seong-Il: Umm… You know… Ahem.>

<Pardon me?>

<Seong-Il: The . I would like to shoot some commercials. The offers I got earlier…>

<Oh, I thought you rejected that a while ago. Or was there a miscommunication during the process?>

<Seong-Il: So, I can’t shoot them now? Hahaha.>

<Of course you can. But, Mr. Seong-Il. This is not my area to be involved in, but may I ask you the reason behind your desire to shoot them now?>

<Seong-Il: Doing this can also help Iljoo CA earn money, right?>

<Yes, you are right.>

<Seong-Il: So, let’s do the big ones instead of multiple small ones.>

<But, I don’t consider you someone who fusses about commercials.>

<Seong-Il: I don’t want to rest forever. I should be more diligent and work harder…>

Fuck, stumbling over words like this only ruins my impression. The Caliber is charming because I am dependable and warm. This girl must have been attracted to that, so I should keep this concept. Yes, that’s right.

<Seong-Il: Then, let’s narrow it down to the big ones. With that, we can raise some money and proceed with the proposal you suggested last time.>

<You mean… the ‘corporate loan,’ right?>

<Seong-Il: I don’t know much about borrowing and investing, whatever. But I want to put some money into the company and expand the size of the attack team. I also want to bring in those weaklings who played minor roles in the Stage of Advent under me, prepare some items for them, and buy plenty of Awakened elixirs…>

<Wait a moment. How much do you think you want to borrow? To handle all the things you just mentioned, it requires lots of money. Umm… Mr. Seong-Il. This is not about this, but umm…>

<Seong-Il: Go ahead.>

<Are you short on money? I know that you don’t spend much money for personal matters.>

Seong-Il hesitated for a second before responding.

<Seong-Il: Money comes and goes, right? What is important for a person is their abilities. That’s right. I am broke now, but I will recover soon. So, please just trust me and don’t worry about it.>

***

Just a few weeks ago, such large gatherings of people were seen only during the protests against the Jeonil Group. However, those protests coincided with Jonathan Hunter’s voluntary court appearance and the targeted attack on him. As a result, only a small number of protestors remained.

“You are so handsome!”

“Marry me!”

The crowd that gathered around Seong-Il at the time reminded him of the protests back then.

“Is that the real Caliber?”

“Oh my gosh, it’s Caliber.”

“I never imagined to see him in person!”

“Hey, hey…”

Whispers filled the air, and there were just as many smartphones recording him as there were those whispering.

Seong-Il didn’t feel bad about it. He never paid attention to his age at the Stage of Advent as there was no aging there.

Nonetheless, subtle changes had begun in his biological rhythm recently. Looking back, time had flown by quickly as Ki-Cheol had already become a middle school student. He would get old without realizing it if he continued being stuck on the battlefields.

Although it had been several months since his return from the stage, it felt like mere days. Time flew by during wars. He didn’t know when Odin’s ongoing war would end, but there was one thing he was certain of. If that day came, then he wouldn’t be able to experience such moments again.

The enthusiasm the young people showed towards him was only because he hadn’t grown old yet. If he became old, then he would only receive gazes of awe. Most Awakened would prefer such a glance, but Seong-Il didn’t.

Moreover, Ki-Cheol was still a teenager, so he needed to live in this country. Until Ki-Cheol became an adult, it was right for him to maintain a friendly image.

Seong-Il smiled and looked around. Then, his eyes met the eyes of a young girl.

“Why are you sneakily filming?” he asked.

She was about Ki-Cheol’s age.

He then grinned. “Do you want to take a selfie with me, girl?”

The giggling sound actually came from the crowd.

“What is your name?”

“Si-Ha… Jeong Si-Ha…”

Seong-Il took the smartphone of the girl, who didn’t know what to do. Then, he posed with her.

Snap!

“You can post it on your social media.”

The girl couldn’t take her eyes off the picture. Before then, the crowd had kept a certain distance from Seong-Il, but after he looked around again with a friendly smile, hands with smartphones stretched out from all directions.

“Me too! Me too!”

“Please take a picture with me, Mr. Caliber! Please!”

Although there were many people, most of them were civilians. They were all slow and had no ability to attack him or defend themselves.

Nonetheless, there were multiple images overlaid there. In particular, the image of Act Two Stage Five, when he was surrounded by ghouls, was vivid. Seong-Il stared at the slow-moving hand of a ghoul flying toward him. The ghoul’s rotten nails were right in front of him.

He faced it and said with a smile, “Oh my, I am not even that great, y’all. Don’t make too much noise. Selfie?”

Then, the ghouls answered with their lips dripping with pus.

“Yes, yes! Can I post it on Facenote?”

By the time Seong-Il’s eyes naturally blinked, the overlaid image had disappeared. A young male student was looking up at Seong-Il.

“It’s up to you. That’s why I took it.”

Seong-Il thought while looking down at the boy.

What a peaceful world.

These students’ expressions had not changed at all even after experiencing the Day of Advent.

If a problem arises on our side, I am here. I, Caliber, will definitely uphold the order that Odin has created. Even if I don’t have the power like Mary noona and Osiris…

Then, a high-pitched voice popped out from the crowd.

“Mr. Seong-Il, I told you. You are going to be late for shooting! At this speed, we will have trouble making it on time. Should I cancel it?”

“Nah, it’s an for the King of Hell’s investment group. I should do my best. Let’s go. I will just take one more selfie and go.”