Chapter 165
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Past (11), The Season the Roses Wilt (4)
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The tyrant's hunting dog found this prey intriguing.
Even from a distance, he'd thought she was no ordinary woman. And it wasn't just because of her beauty.
‘There's something strangely captivating about her.’
She felt like someone who didn't belong in this reality. Why was that? Because of her wistful gaze? No, that wasn't it. He'd encountered plenty of beauties scarred by sorrow. As a man who'd lived a rough life himself, he'd been the cause of many women's pain. But Han Ga-eul was different from them all. She seemed detached from the world. Like the only one in ashen gray who retained her natural colors.
That was the sense he got.
As a seasoned intelligence operative, Kang Young-il could discern people with senses beyond the ordinary. He called it an aura. Sixth sense worked too, but even that fell short of capturing it.
What would her tears taste like?
The dog suppressed the impulse. This prey belonged to his master. The tyrant Kang Young-il served was overwhelming in every sense. He'd never seen such a twisted aura. He'd always scorned his superiors, the agency, even the nation itself, but the chairman of Comet Group was the real deal—a true master.
He turned the wheel onto the familiar route. The road to the group headquarters.
“You were told to wear your best clothes, and this is what you show up in?”
Their eyes met in the rearview mirror.
Han Ga-eul blinked a few times, then replied in a calm voice.
“If you don't like it, just send me back.”
“Huh.”
A violent impulse surged again. Savage curiosity. This woman wasn't suppressing fear. She genuinely wasn't afraid. Her voice just now was proof. Precocious prey might act composed on the surface, but they could never hide the tremor in their tone.
‘Hiding it that well is something only a veteran agent can pull off.’
No way she'd undergone that kind of training.
While Kang Young-il grew intrigued, Han Ga-eul was surprised by her own composure.
I'm acting strange.
Her situation felt oddly objective, almost surreal.
Summoned by the tyrant who'd stolen Winter's body. No choice in the matter, and the man before her was threatening. Her heart had raced for a moment. But once she heard the purpose, even that faint agitation vanished.
In this unnatural clarity, Autumn reflected on herself.
And realized.
Ah, I've been terrified for so long already.
She hadn't visited Winter in ages. Afraid of seeing resentment and anger directed at her in that child's eyes. That was Autumn's greatest fear, the one that truly held her captive. It choked her at random times. She'd wake up gasping in her sleep. Her vision would black out even in broad daylight. She tried to stay healthy for her little brother who only had her, but her weight kept dropping.
She thought this life was worse than death.
Sincerely.
So there was no room for any other fears to creep in.
Autumn gazed down at her knees.
The hem of a green skirt peeked out from under her worn parka.
Every piece of clothing she wore today was a gift from Winter. They weren't new from the start. She'd gotten them at the church bazaar. But the saying that it's the thought that counts—Autumn had felt it deeply then.
‘Why did I choose to wear this?’
These were clothes she treasured greatly. Especially the green dress. It didn't suit a day when falling leaves vied with snowfall. And certainly not for meeting a tyrant. Yet some inexplicable pull had made her choose them.
Perhaps to steel her resolve.
Kang Young-il checked his watch. If there'd been more time, he'd have stopped somewhere to change her into something better, but the chairman's appointed time was tighter than usual.
‘He seemed reluctant back then.’
The dog figured it was the old master's whim. A young body didn't mean a young mind. That thought brought a bitter smile to Kang Young-il's face. It was astonishing that such a iron-willed, destructive tyrant was losing his mind over a single woman.
The pitch-black sedan, like the dog's heart, pulled up before Korea's most intimidating building.
Waiting employees opened the door. They wore uniform-like suits and stood ready for the chairman's guest in the cold, dry wind. It felt like passing in review before wax figures.
Autumn exhaled a white breath as she stepped out.
“Follow me.”
The shepherd led the way.
Guiding the lamb to the altar, the dog wondered. Would the tyrant take an interest in this woman?
It'd be nice if it were my turn.
Tears. I want to taste her tears.
The private elevator shot up to the chairman's office in seconds. Kang Young-il announced their arrival with professional detachment. Moments later, the female secretary nodded. You may enter.
Kang Young-il paused just before stepping in and turned. Autumn, nearly bumping into him, stared blankly as if to ask what was wrong.
“Your coat. Better take it off before going in.”
No need to irk the tyrant over something trivial.
Autumn complied readily. She handed it to the secretary stationed outside the office. Please take good care of it—it's precious to me. The female secretary looked flustered. She'd heard it was a VIP, but seemed confused by the shabby clothes and the plea to treasure them.
At last, Autumn faced the monster inhabiting Winter's body.
As if her prior calm had been a lie, tears came flooding out.
The face was different, the eyes different, the soul different—she could feel it clearly—yet traces of Winter's past remained. She couldn't contain the dam-breaking longing.
Chairman Go Geoncheol's eyes widened.
What......is this......
Respiratory distress hit the tyrant. It felt like his entire body was being pummeled by some invisible force. Every fiber screamed in agony. It rampaged wildly, but its direction was unwavering.
When his steel-like reason slammed the brakes on instinct and emotion, the chairman recoiled unconsciously at how close he'd allowed himself to get. An arm's reach away, a green fragrance swayed.
He'd almost reached out.
The chairman raged at himself. Touching merchandise before purchase? Without even a deal?
This feeling—he'd experienced something similar before.
The fever that once consumed his soul entirely.
Not the same. Different, and that made it all the more horrific.
Because he couldn't identify it.
Suspicion swelled. Could memories or emotions linger in the body? No, absurd. Occult nonsense had been debunked long ago. Impossible. But then how to explain this agitation?
Fear surged that he might lose control over himself.
Deeper in his subconscious, as Chairman Go Geoncheol tried to retreat, he clenched his teeth and forced himself to halt. I am my own master. I am my master. Body, emotions—all of it. What right does this puny feeling have to sway me? This too is mine.
Autumn watched the venom drain from the monster's face, only to return.
It was Winter's old self, drawing near then pulling away, over and over.
#Intermission, Enter Through the Narrow Gate
Do you know the name Pablo de Sarasate?
Who's that? My, your general knowledge is lacking. Not knowing the master hailed as the greatest violinist after Paganini.
Haha, just kidding. Don't get mad. It's understandable. In this era, no performer can surpass AI technique anymore. The Trinity Engine has reached the level of learning listeners' emotions and providing personalized variations.
Of course, it doesn't truly understand emotion itself, so it goes through trial and error until positive feedback kicks in. But let's be generous with our tech limitations. After all, we're the world's top AI, right?
So why bring up Sarasate? Because he's the epitome of effort's reward. In an age where lifetime toil is compensated with afterlife bliss, let's revisit what effort means.
Sarasate replied to someone calling him a genius:
“Genius? Me? I practiced 14 hours a day, every day, for 37 years.”
In other words, anyone can become a genius with effort like mine.
Successful people often emphasize effort. Effort is the universal key. Passion alone conquers all worldly hardships.
But we know that's not true. Some problems can't be solved by effort alone. Like your love life, for instance...
Let me wipe these tears a moment.
Jokes aside, effort is certainly a common condition for success. Pure talent shining without it is rare. Not nonexistent, but rare.
Yet seven-falls-eight-rises only becomes a heartwarming tale in success stories. How commonplace is it to rise eight times just to fall again?
Probably the same for you customers. Everyone dreams of top-tier glamorous afterlives, but reality? Over half get the bare-minimum basic coverage.
Ah, theoretically, you can climb ranks with endless effort post-mortem. Basic coverage is semi-permanent, after all! But actual upgrades are exceedingly rare. Downgrades, though...
Well, Sarasate-level effort is tough for average folks. That's not just effort—it's EFFOOOOORT. Or maybe EFFOOOOOOOORT?
Meaning most subscribers just slack off, zone out, and stagnate. Raging at moronic virtual personalities, bored of repeating worldviews, yet doing nothing.
Not ideal for us either. Basic coverage doesn't make money.
So, we've prepared something!
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Custom luck for you who rationalize away even doable effort!
Introducing: “Life Reversal! Pandora's Box!”
Those sick of me have already guessed what this paid product is. Yes. “Life Reversal! Pandora's Box!” is a random box containing everything in the afterlife. A lottery where you bet your life to scratch for a new one.
It stands out from past random boxes in content quality and quantity. Includes celebrity virtual personality packs, all released DLCs, access to every compatible worldview—could be 1 million stars, or even a grade-up regardless of deposit!
If luck favors you, F to S rank straight shot! Top prize odds: 0.00001%! But hey, fight on, our dear suckers! You got this!
Don't dismiss no deposit change. VR quality improves, and S-rank basics include clone implantation! Cultivation facilities exist at every Afterlife Insurance hub—surprisingly many don't know.
But only if you haven't exclusively ceded physical body rights pre-enrollment. I.e., didn't trade your pre-death body for full transplant.
Eh, it'll be fine. Rare cases. Most ossuary subscribers are elderly. Who buys old bodies? Everyone wants youth back. Young or child deaths aren't common these days.
No one with top VR would step outside anyway.
Ah, why name it Pandora's Box? Too ominous?
Think cigarette warning labels. You know: “Smoking causes lung cancer and diseases, harmful especially to pregnant women and teens.”
To me, it's like:
“This is so bad for you, but you'll smoke anyway, right?”
Haha. Ominous name or not, buyers gonna buy.
Plenty think “I'm different.” Like bombing a test blind and nailing it. Baseless confidence. Blind optimism. Get-rich-quick dreams.
So, basic coverage customers get 1-month special discount! Half price! Buy two for the price of one—doubles your odds, basically.
No money? No worry. Like policy loans, convert remaining coverage to cash!
From the Zhuangzi:
“With finite life, how to fulfill infinite desires?”
With afterlife insurance, we know the answer now. Quite different from death-as-end eras.
So if you're gonna go all-in, go all the way. Even if plagues and despair pour out, hope might lurk in that last unopened box.
For a better Korean afterlife future—and better profitability—Paradise Group Virtual Reality Division, with the Afterlife Insurance Corporation, pledges our best efforts. Thank you.
============================ Author's Notes ============================
#Health
Ugh... Suffering from insomnia and body aches. Body's wrecked and can't sleep. Feels like I'm dying...
#Happy Ending
As I've said many times, this novel ends happily. I swear on my innocence. Why won't anyone believe me?
#Q&A
Q. qoewh: @No way... That's too much. Why is your innocence so abnormally developed?
A. Because I studied textbooks. Especially influenced by Wise Living...
Q. Hakuryu: @Author! Is your innocence-packed world like those brushing past on the tracks in '5 Centimeters per Second'? ㅠㅜ
A. No. It's the fish inside the fish-shaped bun.
Q. Noblesse Buffer: @No, author, you demon ㅠㅠ Bad ends are sad. Dirt over laugh
A. Any Makoto Shinkai films end in bad endings? Nope... Just watch—the backgrounds are always beautiful.