Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: The Saintess Awakens
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A perfect face that no flowery words could fully describe. A smile graced her features.
As if thanking me for my choice to save Jeong Sia.
Jeong Sia's voice came from her fallen body.
At the same time, the Pure White Saintess before my eyes vanished.
All that remained was my skeleton, standing there as if nothing had happened.
'The skeleton persists.'
"What? I'm not dead?"
Jeong Sia shot up and began patting herself all over.
'The wounds are completely healed. It revives her in peak condition.'
"Big Sis. How do you feel?"
I called out to her, and only then did she snap out of it and look my way.
"...Huh? Han-ah. What happened? Why am I perfectly fine?"
"This guy saved you."
I pointed to the skeleton beside me, and Jeong Sia quickly pieced it together.
"That skeleton is me?"
"Yeah. It was the only way to save you."
A skeleton made from her own body.
Honestly, I had no idea how it would feel to face it. It could be creepy or fascinating.
"It's fascinating."
She went with the latter.
"Kinda pretty in a weird way?"
Even cracking jokes.
I asked Jeong Sia, who was inspecting the skeleton from every angle.
"Name this skeleton, Sis."
"Me?"
"Yeah. Call her Sia. To protect you in my place."
Sia.
Without the family name, it sounded pretty nice.
"Got it. From now on, you're Sia."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Skeleton 'Sia' is happy to receive a name from its owner. With this, Sia became Jeong Sia's top priority, and I gained a skeleton with a legendary healer trait.
'...Of course, I'll need to grind some levels on her.'
Now, two issues remained.
The first was Lee Si-woo.
Jeong Sia, still fascinated and staring at Sia, turned to me.
"I'm going to kill Lee Si-woo."
His death was necessary for me, but it was essential for her too.
I planned to help her develop the eyes to face an enemy's death.
"Huh? That Resurrection Church cult leader?"
"Yeah. Otherwise, he'll keep trying to kill us like today. Or he might spread rumors about your [Resurrection] and cause trouble."
Jeong Sia nodded immediately at my words.
"How are you going to kill him?"
Huh? What?
The Jeong Sia I knew would have said, "Do you have to kill him?" not "How?"
"...You really okay, Sis?"
I sensed a strange dissonance from Jeong Sia.
"What's that suddenly?"
"Just... you seem different. I figured I'd have to convince you a few times to go along with killing Lee Si-woo."
Jeong Sia sighed as if realizing something.
"Probably because of that."
"What?"
"In the darkness, a light suddenly appeared and enveloped me. Then, someone's memories flooded in."
"Memories? Like what?"
"Just a woman's fierce life, I guess? After seeing countless deaths in that life, I got numb to it."
It sounded plausible...
'But does it matter?'
The key point was that the skeleton persisted independently of the revived Jeong Sia.
Confirming that alone was a massive gain.
"I see. You seemed a bit different. So, what's your take on it?"
"It was a bizarre experience. The more I lived that life, the more it felt like swimming in deep waters."
Jeong Sia gazed dreamily, as if recalling her death, her eyes hazy like she was half-asleep.
"Ooh, like seeing a past life?"
I chimed in casually and sank into thought.
From this, I gained the hidden card 'Jeong Sia,' and above all, realized the immense potential of the 'Skeleton Expert' trait.
I'd need to revise my plans based on this, but the immediate task was simple.
"Anyway, I'll handle the Resurrection Church. You stay somewhere safe in the meantime."
"Somewhere safe? Does that exist? Can we dodge the Resurrection Church's eyes?"
It did.
The second issue: a place protected by public authority, with power the Resurrection Church couldn't touch recklessly.
"Yeah. It does."
"Where?"
"Sun Guild."
Cha Jin-hyuk's Sun.
"Sun Guild? The one Sun Group just created?"
Jeong Sia widened her eyes.
"Yeah. That Sun Guild."
I answered her question and pulled out my phone.
"You know someone there? Can a regular guild member really ask them to protect me?"
I pressed the call button.
"It's someone who can definitely help you, Sis."
The dial tone rang through the phone until a familiar man's voice answered.
"Lee Han?"
Cha Jin-hyuk.
The master of Sun Guild.
"Yeah. Jin-hyuk-ah. What're you up to?"
Uncovering why Cha Jin-hyuk betrayed me and the puppet master behind him was one thing.
'No need to hold back on usable power.'
Until then, I planned to milk him for all he was worth.
"Heading to guild HQ now."
Current time: 10:30 AM.
Master material, huh.
Even his commute differed from regular employees.
"What's up?"
I answered Cha Jin-hyuk's question bluntly.
"I need your power."
"My power?"
"Yeah. Specifically, Sun Group's power."
Beating around the bush wasn't my style. Nor Jeong Ji-un's—aka Cha Jin-hyuk.
'That's why he took a liking to me.'
We shared quite a few similarities.
"What do you need help with?"
"I killed something, need you to clean it up."
Too direct?
"Killed what? A big monster?"
Cha Jin-hyuk asked again, confused.
"No. People."
"People? You mean... you committed murder?"
"Yeah. Three, including a werewolf."
"...Damn, impressive? Beating 1v3. My friend's badass!"
I am pretty cool.
"Can't you just go to Utopia?"
Cha Jin-hyuk mentioned Utopia as if it were obvious.
He clearly hadn't considered I'd kill three people on Earth.
"No. Earth."
"Wait, Earth? You killed three people on Earth just now?"
"Yeah."
"They were trying to kill me."
"Then it's self-defense anyway. No need for my help."
"Problem is, two of them were cops."
"You madman."
Shocked enough for curses to slip from Cha Jin-hyuk's mouth.
We weren't at that level of familiarity yet.
"So you killed cops?"
"Long story. Got a gift for you too, so bring reliable guys."
No loss for him. Cover this up, and he'd gain a legendary healer.
"Got it. Where?"
"Sending the address. Hurry."
"Hahaha! Damn. Anyone'd think I'm the one begging!"
"Bye."
I ignored his amused laugh and hung up.
"Jin-hyuk... you don't mean Sun Guild Master Cha Jin-hyuk, right? Same name?"
Jeong Sia asked incredulously the moment I hung up.
"That Cha Jin-hyuk. That's why he's heading to work now."
"Huh? Why's that Cha Jin-hyuk talking to you?"
Why? What do you mean, Sis?
A bit hurt by her innocent question, but...
"We're friends."
She'd just died and revived, and was my hidden card, so I'd let it slide.
"Friends? Not just acquaintances? With that Cha Jin-hyuk?"
"How?"
"It just happened?"
Explaining my meeting with Cha Jin-hyuk would expose his secrets.
Unless he told her himself, I'd keep quiet.
"A secret?"
"Yeah. Circumstances."
"Okay, can't be helped. But why not tell me sooner? You could've recommended me like you did Jeong-hwa Unni."
I couldn't.
You needed to get tangled with the Resurrection Church.
"Wanted you to decide for yourself. Didn't want you picking it just 'cause I said so, if you weren't into it."
Of course, not the truth.
But my lie moved her again.
"Seeing this, you're different from Jeong-hwa Unni from the start. You were genuine with me."
Jeong Sia's eyes misted over.
This was getting awkward.
Ring ring! Ring ring!
The phone rang, shattering the awkward silence in the quiet house.
"Not yours, Sis?"
"Huh? Not mine. Yours?"
"Not mine either."
I followed the sound.
"Over there."
It came from Park Jeong-hwa's cold corpse.
I walked over and fished the phone from her pocket.
'Lee Si-woo.'
His name on the screen. He’d know it failed if I didn't pick up.
I answered.
"Elder Park. Is it done?"
Lee Si-woo's voice.
I expected shock at my reply.
"Ah, Mr. Lee Han."
His voice was calm, as if he'd anticipated it.
"No fun. Not even surprised."
"I half-expected it. All dead, I assume?"
"Mr. Lee Han, I have much to discuss. Care to meet? Where's good?"
Meet in person?
Meant he had some confidence.
But I'd always crushed guys like him one by one.
"Sure. Where?"
Perfect. If he'd holed up, it'd take time to find him.
"Come to the church you visited last time. I'll wait in the pastor's office on the second floor."
After hanging up with Lee Si-woo, Jeong Sia looked at me worriedly.
"You okay? Ask Cha Jin-hyuk to come with."
"No. I have to go alone."
"Why? Could be a trap. Dangerous."
"True, but with Jin-hyuk, word about your [Resurrection] might leak. You know from this how huge that skill is. Only you and I can know."
Using Cha Jin-hyuk would mean I wouldn't need to step up.
With his legendary trait [Lord of Lightning], handling Lee Si-woo was nothing.
But Jeong Sia's [Resurrection] was mine alone. Better no one else even suspects.
Didn't think killing Lee Si-woo would be hard, and besides...
'I've got solid insurance.'
I glanced at my insurance, and Jeong Sia bowed her head apologetically.
"In the end, you're risking yourself for me again."
It was all for me, but she saw it differently.
"So never talk about [Resurrection] anywhere. For our sake."
"Got it. Never will. And if you die first, I won't use it either."
What, saying it like that.
As if it weren't obvious.
"Thanks. Guess I can die once then?"
"What? Don't even joke. Not a fun experience."
Anyway, three corpses scattered on the floor.
Annoying.
"Sis, I'll pile the bodies in one spot for now. They're in the way."
"Okay."
"Kkaebi. Move the bodies to the kitchen back there. Bring my dagger too."
Kkaebi swiftly moved the bodies and brought my charred dagger.
'Gotta make do.'
Couldn't go see Lee Si-woo empty-handed. I tucked the dagger away and dismissed Kkaebi and Sia.
Now, just wait for Cha Jin-hyuk.
Sitting on the sofa with Jeong Sia, waiting.
Ding-dong!
The bell rang.