Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Lord of Lightning
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At Jeong Sia's words, I nodded.
"Thanks for seeing me in a good light."
I had no intention of clearing up any misunderstandings. The better she thought of me, the easier it would be to stay by her side.
And with that, the conversation wrapped up.
"Shall we eat, then?"
I picked up a piece of galbi and popped it into my mouth. The meat melted tenderly the moment it hit my tongue.
"This is seriously delicious."
Jeong Sia's cooking skills were genuinely top-notch.
"Good. Eat up. And if you ever miss home-cooked meals, just say the word anytime."
When was the last time I'd had a meal this good?
During the war with the Demon Realm, I'd eaten anything I could to survive, and after regressing, I'd survived on emergency rations in Utopia.
"Did you learn cooking separately?"
I asked as I kept shoving galbi into my mouth without pause.
"Not really. I graduated high school abroad, came back to Korea, and started living alone, so it just got good naturally."
"I see."
"Anyway, after we eat, you're coming hunting with me, right?"
Hunting?
I appreciated the food, but heading out to hunt right away didn't sit right.
Because Jeong Sia still had to appear on that broadcast, just like in my previous life.
"I've got an appointment this afternoon. Can we go in a few days instead?"
"Important appointment?"
"Yeah. I've got some money coming in. Might be tough today."
"...Money? Well, if it's money, you have to go. Got it. No rush."
Jeong Sia looked a bit disappointed but understood my situation.
"By the way, do you know anyone connected to a broadcasting station around here?"
No matter how legendary her healing trait was, it wasn't easy for a regular person to get on TV.
Especially given Jeong Sia's personality and range of activities, there had to be some connection.
"Broadcasting station? Of course."
"Really? Didn't you say you had no friends?"
That's why I was here right now, wasn't it?
"No friends doesn't mean no colleagues. Colleagues."
"Colleagues? Someone from your broadcasting station?"
"Yeah. Not anymore, but she used to be a writer."
That explained how she'd end up on the broadcast naturally.
"Why'd she quit writing and enter Utopia? No traits means it's dangerous."
"Utopia's free. Writing piled up a ton of stress."
Workplace stress.
Trading that for risking your life in Utopia? Wasn't that stress too?
In some ways, she seemed even crazier than I'd thought. Beyond just having strange convictions.
"Fair enough. Same for me."
"What did you do before?"
"Me? Oh, this and that."
I didn't have one specific job to mention.
"This and that what?"
"Hmm... Manual labor, some subcontracting, worked at a detective agency. Too many to list."
From a young age, I'd mostly done physical jobs. I hadn't expected it to carry me through the Great Cataclysm and into the war with the Demon Realm.
Jeong Sia gave me a slightly pitying look upon hearing my jobs.
"...Why that look?"
"Nothing. Not looking down on those jobs, but they're all physical work. Must've been tough."
Jeong Sia placed a piece of galbi on my rice bowl.
"Eat up, Han."
Anyone would think she was my real sister.
We kept chatting like that until the meal was done before we knew it.
"Thanks for the meal, sis. I'll do the dishes."
I stood from my chair and grabbed the plates.
"No. It's my birthday—you came all this way. It's fine."
Jeong Sia reached out as if to snatch the plates from me.
Even so, I had some conscience.
"You cooked, so the least I can do is dishes."
I couldn't let her do everything.
"Really, it's okay?"
But she stubbornly refused.
"Guests should just relax."
"I'd feel bad."
As we bickered pointlessly,
Buuuz! Buuuz!
My phone vibrated.
"Phone's ringing. Answer it quick."
"Got it. You do the dishes—I'll be right back."
I emphasized again, but Jeong Sia ignored me and finally snatched the plates from my hands.
She's got a stubborn streak.
'Cha Jin-hyuk.'
His name was on the screen.
"Hello."
"Lee Han. The money's ready. Want to meet now?"
Ten billion in under a day. Impressive.
"Sure. Where?"
"Name a spot convenient for you. I'll come."
No reason to refuse that.
"Konak entrance."
I picked a spot near her place.
"Got it. About 30 minutes from here. In 30?"
"No. Make it an hour. Take your time."
"Busy?"
Busy, yeah.
"Gotta do dishes first."
Right then—dishes.
"Pardon?"
"Problem?"
"No problem. Just surprising. Don't you want to touch that ten billion ASAP?"
Dishes came before the ten billion right now.
"Dishes won't wait, but money I can get from you anytime."
"Hahaha! True enough. I'm the one hurting."
"Yeah. See you soon."
"Got it. Happy dishwashing. Catch you later."
I turned after hanging up to see Jeong Sia shaking her head.
"You're so stubborn. Delayed the meetup to do dishes?"
"Not delayed. Appointment's in an hour."
"Fine. If you want dishes that bad, do them. You win."
Jeong Sia set the plates back on the table.
"Cool. It'll be quick—wait up."
I cleared the table fast and started washing.
Feeling bad, I called out to Jeong Sia, who stuck around helping here and there.
'This won't affect things much.'
I was just curious.
"About that resurrection skill. Who would you want to use it on?"
"Resurrection? Hmm..."
Jeong Sia pondered my sudden question.
"Someone who could help the world, I guess?"
Someone to help the world.
Classic Jeong Sia answer.
"How about this?"
I rephrased to confirm my choice about her.
"Someone who helps the world, or the person who risked their life to save you from death. Who do you save?"
"The one who saved me, obviously."
That was unexpected.
"No hesitation? The latter?"
From what I'd seen before the Goblin King, she'd prioritized countless lives over her own—I'd figured the former.
"Because of how I acted in front of the Goblin King?"
"Yeah. You struck me as someone who moves for the greater good."
"Greater good? Come on."
Jeong Sia chuckled at my words and continued.
"You're misunderstanding big time. Why do you think I went there in the first place?"
"Because of me?"
"Right. And you were included among the people I was trying to save then."
I didn't know her as well as I thought.
"If you'd stayed by my side from the start, I might've just fled without knowing what happened. With you."
True. We'd been through it together in my previous life.
"Put simply, I have my own priorities."
"Priorities..."
"Yeah. If you'd been badly hurt when I arrived, I'd have grabbed you and run instead of saving others. Short time together, but you weren't a stranger."
I recalled our conversation before the Goblin King.
Sure enough, her words included me.
This was awkward...
"Still, prioritize your own safety, sis."
"Nag. Dishes done? Come here. Cake time. Least sing me happy birthday."
"Song too?"
"Gotta pay for the meal."
I thought as I watched her playful eye smile.
'Skeleton slots are limited anyway.'
If she could help in the war with the Demon Realm without becoming a skeleton, that was best.
I needed to think hard about her 'priorities.'
After leaving Jeong Sia's place, I arrived at the Konkuk University entrance.
'First, check what dangers lurk around her.'
From now on, Jeong Sia wasn't someone who could die—she was someone to protect.
Until I was certain her murder was due to the [Resurrection] skill.
I had to stick around and investigate properly. To identify her killer.
'That place?'
We'd agreed to meet at a nearby cafe.
I pushed open the cafe door.
The place buzzed with people.
'There he is. Huh, but...'
Sharp suit, luxury watch. Polished aura screaming 'I'm a chaebol.'
He stood alone.
'Face rings a bell... Not Cha Mu-hyuk. Doesn't look like him at all.'
Cha Mu-hyuk had a rugged face; Cha Jin-hyuk was a sleek, handsome type.
Slim jaw, sharp features.
"Lee Han?"
Noticing my gaze, Cha Jin-hyuk greeted first.
"Yes. You got here quick."
"Habit to arrive 10 minutes early. Ordered drinks ahead."
Arrive 10 minutes before—that phrase...
A vague familiarity hit as I sat across from him.
"Here."
I placed Cha Mu-hyuk's phone on the table right away.
Cha Jin-hyuk eyed me in surprise.
"Felt it on the call, but you're bold. What if I just took the phone and ran?"
"Phone's meaningless anyway."
"You mean Cha Jin-hyuk himself is the evidence. One word, and we'd do a DNA test?"
Exactly why I didn't care about the phone.
"Hahaha! Spot on."
Cha Jin-hyuk laughed heartily, nodding in agreement.
For a moment, I doubted my eyes.
His wink while smiling—one eye closed.
A habit I knew well from a certain man.
'Come to think of it, the voice...'
Over the phone it was different, but hearing it in person felt familiar.
I cut straight to it with Cha Jin-hyuk.
"Cha Jin-hyuk. Do you know a Jeong Ji-un by any chance?"
I watched his expression closely.
Jeong Ji-un.
Discoverer of the trial dungeon where I got [Burning Vitality]. Once a comrade. Later, the bastard who stabbed me in the back.
"Jeong Ji-un?"
Cha Jin-hyuk tilted his head at my question.
"Jeong Ji-un... Hmm..."
He muttered the name repeatedly, as if trying to recall.
"I meet so many people. Don't stand out unless... Do I need to know him?"
His eyes, tone, expression—no signs of lying, at least.
'Chaebols are pros at hiding emotions anyway.'
This was Cha Jin-hyuk.
Master of the Sun Guild, created with care by the global Sun conglomerate.
Couldn't shake the suspicion he was Jeong Ji-un.
'Keep the conversation going.'
Pushing too hard would just create resistance.
"Someone I know bragged he knew you."
I steered naturally.
"Didn't tell him about us, of course."
Cha Jin-hyuk flashed a friendly smile.
"Hahaha! Is that so? If I don't remember, don't hold it against him."
He reached for Cha Mu-hyuk's phone as he spoke.
"Now, shall we verify and wrap this deal?"
"Let's."
Cha Jin-hyuk looked at the phone in his hand.
"Password protected."
"1234."
He smirked.
"Fits you perfectly, Lee Han."
Calling me simple?
He stopped chit-chatting and focused on the phone.
I sipped the drink he'd ordered in the meantime.
Finally done checking.
"Can't just do ten billion. There's a ton of valuable info here for me."
I knew.
From Cha Jin-su to all the Sun family dirt.
Cha Mu-hyuk had dirt on Cha Jin-hyuk and them too.
Guy was talented at this stuff.
"Think of it as a gift."
"Gift?"
"Yeah. A friend's gift."
His eyes widened slightly at my answer.
"Did I pass your standards, Lee Han?"
'Like hell real friends, asshole. Metaphor. Let's cooperate going forward.'
His innocent question threw me, but if it was his vibe, I'd play along.
"Pass? Just figured you'd make a fine friend."
"Wow. Feels like a confession success."
He blushed faintly, like he was embarrassed.
Is he nuts?
"You don't like guys, do you?"
"What nonsense? I've got a woman I love."
"Got it."
Why befriend Cha Jin-hyuk at this timing?
To confirm. He wouldn't spill right away, but...
'Relationships take time.'
"One thing I'm curious about."
"Me? Ask away!"
"Wonder what trait a Sun Guild Master has. Must've achieved something huge."
Trait—straight to it.
Face and name can change, but not traits. Especially one from before my regression, untouched by me.
"Trait? That's it? Not official, but anyone in the know gets it. No big secret."
"Gotta know my friend's trait, right?"
"Keep calling me friend... Sounds good coming from you."
Guy kept showing fondness—creepy, but I kept cool.
He was answering what I wanted.
"My trait is..."
"[Lord of Lightning]. Legendary grade."
Cha Jin-hyuk.
He was Jeong Ji-un—the one who'd rained lightning on surging demonic beasts by my side.