[What's life, anyway? Just live as it comes]
[What's life, anyway? Just live as it comes]
The next day, Sion prepared to go out with me.
Considering I usually wake up earlier, it was quite unexpected for Sion.
"I have some things to take care of outside."
"Is it because of that thing yesterday? Did I make things troublesome for you for no reason?"
"My work is remote anyway, so all I do is laze around at home. It's good to go out and move around once in a while."
"You move around a lot on the bed, though."
"That's different."
Sion picked up her phone and called someone.
"Ah, Lawyer Kim-nim. It's me. Do you have time today? Ah, yes. Then please come to my house."
"The lawyer you mentioned before?"
"I personally hired someone who used to be at a law firm. Since I look like this, my credibility is low, so there are many times I need to be accompanied by a lawyer."
"I guess that makes sense if you need to sign contracts and such. Must be a pain in that body."
Breakfast this morning was sandwiches. I put lettuce soaked in sauce, bacon, ham, and cheese inside as fillings. I packed them tightly into bread toasted in a buttered frying pan and added a little mustard or ketchup according to taste.
"A sandwich with mustard dripping off it! Thick bacon that's hard to find in Korea! Ham! Cheese! Tomato and lettuce! Kk, it's a combination that can't taste bad."
As Sion ate, she gave a thumbs up as if agreeing with my opinion.
It was uncomfortable to hold and eat because of the dripping mustard, but that had its own kind of fun.
By the time we finished eating, washed up, and got ready to go out, a car was parked outside. I was about to go out and confront them, thinking they were parking in front of my house, but Sion stopped me.
"Perfect timing. I wanted to introduce you to Lawyer Kim-nim, but we didn't have time before, did we?"
"Ah, is that Lawyer Kim-nim's car parked there?"
Wait, but was being a lawyer the kind of job where you just come when called like a chauffeur?
"If you pay them 100 million won a month separately from the retainer fee, they'll do that."
"Fair enough."
100 million won isn't exactly chump change; if you're getting 100 million a month even while doing nothing, it's understandable.
"I even bought the car for him."
"Then shouldn't he have to come even if you call him at dawn?"
If you buy someone a car and pay them 100 million won a month, there are plenty of people who would be a driver even if you called them at all hours. Since the retainer fee is separate, that says it all.
I got ready to head to the shop, and Sion got ready for her own work, and we came out of the house.
"Good morning, Samonim."
"I'm sorry for calling you so early in the morning, Lawyer Kim-nim."
"Not at all. It's the standard commuting time for office workers, isn't it? I usually wake up around this time too."
He was a tall, handsome man who looked to be in his mid-30s. He wore square-rimmed glasses, the kind of person who would have given off a model student vibe in his younger days. His impression wasn't bad, and seeing as Sion hired him, he seemed like a trustworthy person.
I reached out my hand to shake his.
"This is my husband."
"I'm Choi Ak. Please take care of us."
"Ah, I'm Kim Jae-hwan."
We shook hands, and I received his business card. I wanted to hand him something too, but there's no way a chicken shop owner would have business cards, so I just gave him my contact info.
"I've heard a lot about you from Samonim. I look forward to working with you."
"Wait, what kind of stories did you hear..."
Even I didn't think there would be any good stories. If anything, I've caused trouble, so I didn't think there would be any good stories.
Ah, if it's what Sion said, it might be a little different. They say when you're wearing rose-colored glasses, you see things that aren't even there.
As a similar example, to others, it's an elementary schooler's body that no one but a pervert would be interested in, but to me, it looks sexy. Of course, that's because it's Sion. I have no interest in elementary schoolers.
"It's on the way anyway, so please ride with us."
"Ah, is that okay?"
"Does Choi Sajang-nim not have a car?"
"I'm not really fond of personal cars."
It's because even if I buy an expensive car, I don't maintain it.
In the first place, what's the need to ride a means of transportation slower than me? Except when going on trips, there isn't one.
"Please get in. I'll take you there."
"I'm not sure if it's okay to use a lawyer like a driver like this..."
"If it weren't for Samonim, I would have been completely unemployed. I've actually worked in manual labor, so being a driver is something I can do with a smile."
"Wait, weren't you a lawyer? What happened?"
"Shall we talk about that on the way? If we wait a little longer, traffic will get jammed."
Since I was getting ready with Sion, I felt like we left later than usual. It seemed like it would be cutting it close even if we left now, so I got in the car first.
I sat in the passenger seat, and I put Sion in the back seat. Perhaps because she woke up early in the morning, Sion started dozing off while sitting.
"Do you remember Assemblyman Jeong's slush fund case from two years ago?"
"Ah, that one where there was a huge commotion? Because of that, I saw the faces of chairmen in wheelchairs quite often."
It was about two years ago. Before I enlisted in the military, there was a huge incident involving a slush fund. I think it was the biggest incident since the impeachment case; I remember a few famous conglomerate chairmen showing their faces, and well-known assemblymen appearing too.
I remember it clearly because when I was in the military, that was all that was on the news whenever I turned on the TV.
"I became a lawyer because I wanted to defend people who were wrongly accused. I learned that if someone committed a crime, there's a prosecutor, and if someone is wrongly accused, there's a lawyer."
"You said you were part of a law firm, so what does that have to do with it? Even if you got criticized for defending an assemblyman, you wouldn't have been kicked out of the law firm. It's not like lawyers can only take the cases they like."
If you could live life only doing what you like, you'd be truly blessed. The world isn't easy, so there are many things you have to endure, breaking your will.
Unless it's related to the slush fund side, I don't think there's much that could go wrong for a lawyer. Did the law firm take the money?
"Actually, they tried to bury this case quietly. They just tried to frame one of Assemblyman Jeong's vice-ministers."
"That's definitely a Korean assemblyman for you. Cutting off the tail, making excuses, and playing dumb is their specialty."
"That vice-minister was my senior."
Sometimes there are people who struggle between their life and their beliefs. I've lived a long time, but the ratio of people who choose the former is definitely higher.
Especially in this Republic of Korea, whistleblowers gain nothing even if they do it. The country cannot protect whistleblowers, and society cannot accept such people. While they teach you to be honest morally, the reality is the exact opposite.
"After much deliberation... I became a lawyer to help people suffering from unfair situations, so I thought I couldn't just look away. And then, well..."
"You're an honest person. My wife really has a good eye for people."
"Haha, thanks to Samonim, I've opened an office again and am working hard."
If you're a lawyer at a large law firm, there were plenty of opportunities to make money. But if they chose a wrongly accused person over such a position and their own life, that person is trustworthy.
Since ancient times, there have been almost no cases of such people betraying others. If there were, it was only in cases where they were threatened with their families.
Before I knew it, we arrived at the streets of Myeong-dong. It's an area where cars can't enter, so we have to walk from here.
"Please take good care of my wife."
"Yes, don't worry, Sajang-nim."
I said goodbye nicely and watched the departing vehicle until the end. I was a little worried, but it seems my wife won't get scammed or anything anywhere she goes.
It's a relief to know a trustworthy lawyer. Let's contact him later if I hit someone and have to pay for damages.
"Hyung! Hyung! I got another Trait!"
"Finally?"
"Ah, it hasn't even been a few days since you told me to try making a Unique Trait, right? Isn't this fast?"
"Well, the person I'm comparing you to has some insane talent..."
There are monster bastards who come and master the same thing in a day whenever I learn something... Seeing that, I feel a sense of self-loathing because I can feel the difference in talent.
Still, fighting and winning is separate from having talent.
"So, what's your Trait?"
"Look at this."
Wung!
Gaia Force began to dwell in Baek-ri's entire body. He wasn't just using what he held inside; he was even drawing in the Force from his surroundings and wrapping it over his skin.
It was like an invisible armor protecting his body, just like the Force Field I wrap myself in using my Interference ability.
"A defensive barrier?"
"That's not all."
Baek-ri lifted the beer boxes stacked inside the shop with one hand. Even though five boxes were stacked, he did it without using physical Enhancement, while using only that one Trait.
"So, it seems like it has a physical Enhancement ability as a bonus, despite being a defensive barrier. That's a common technique you'd see in superpower stories."
"Ah, geez! I worked hard to create it, does it hurt to give me a little praise?"
"What's the name of the Trait?"
"Reinforcement."
"Since it means making things stronger, that's correct... Enhancing the body and enhancing defensive power are separate things. Using them combined is somewhat efficient. But why are you drawing in external Gaia Force to use it?"
"Huh?"
Baek-ri looked at me with eyes asking what I was talking about. Ah, it seems he hasn't even noticed it himself.
Since the sight of external Gaia Force being drawn in and absorbed into his body is hard to see unless you focus more, Baek-ri, who didn't have the concentration to look elsewhere, hadn't noticed.
"Right now, you're accepting not only the Gaia Force in your body but also the Gaia Force flowing outside to use that power. It doesn't look like that's the only effect, does it?"
"You think there's another effect?"
"Yeah, I'm not sure what it is, though."
It could simply be to save power. Since Baek-ri's internal Force capacity wasn't high, his ability might have evolved in a way that saves energy. I only have hypotheses to offer, but it's better than not thinking about it.
"I can only use this for about 20 minutes at most. Because my Force capacity is low."
"If you train hard, your Force capacity will increase. If nothing special happens, it'll take a few years before you have enough to fight in earnest."
"It takes years?!"
"Don't hope for cheats from the beginning, just take it step by step. Don't try to get a free ride. You went to the military for 2 years quickly, didn't you?"
"That goes by fucking slowly at the time. It's only fast after it's passed."
Suddenly, Baek-ri asked me.
"Hyung, you also handle Force, right? How much is your Force capacity?"
"I don't know the units for that?"
"I heard it was about 7200 GP when I measured it last time. I think there might be a difference from now, but it should be similar, right?"
"Is it GP because it's Gaia Force? Sounds like some kind of superpower ability."
"Do you have a God to call upon?"
"Yeah, Susanoo."
"Why a Japanese god? Or did you watch a ninja anime?"
"Anyway, there's no point in me talking about Force capacity."
"Why?"
"Because the power itself is infinite."
"Did you use a cheat code?"
Honestly, it's no different from a cheat code, so I have nothing to say. But I didn't make it, I learned it from a relative, so go complain to the original creator, not me.
"Is there some kind of secret method?"
"You know martial arts, right? The stuff that appears in Wuxia novels."
"Yes... Ah! By any chance?"
"I'm learning one martial art. I learned this one internal cultivation technique to absorb energy, and I use it everywhere."
I've learned various martial arts, like fist techniques for punching and leg techniques for kicking, but I only learn one internal cultivation technique for storing energy in the Dantian.
To deal with a monster with infinite hunger and stomach, one must also become infinite. It's a martial art created for that purpose.
"Greedless Infinite Qi Technique. That's the name of the cultivation method I learned."
"I thought something like Great Shift of Heaven and Earth or Nine Yang Divine Skill would come out. Or maybe Great Absorption Technique."
"You actually know traditional Wuxia martial arts? Actually, the base martial art is the Great Absorption Technique."
"Please teach me too."
"No."
"...Can't you even say you'll think about it?"
"This is a martial art that anyone can learn, but not just anyone can master."
That's the motif of the guy who created this martial art. 'Something anyone can learn, but not just anyone can master.'
It means opportunities are given equally, but it's up to yourself to produce results. That's why that guy didn't teach it to anyone except for a few people, including me.
"It's not a demonic art, but it's more dangerous than one. If a good person learns it, there's no problem, but if a bad person learns it, they become a monster."
"Then I won't learn it."
"Quick decision, excellent, Baek-ri."
The Greedless Infinite Qi Technique is largely divided into 5 stages.
Absorption of Qi - The most basic stage of just absorbing energy.
Absorption of Essence - The stage where you become skilled at absorbing energy and suck up the life force embedded in objects.
Absorption of Matter - The stage where you absorb not just life force, but matter itself. By this point, you inhale but don't exhale. Only absorption.
Absorption of Body - The stage where you breathe with your body itself, not your mouth. Humans become able to fully perform skin respiration, so you can survive even if your nose and mouth are blocked.
Finally, Infinity.
"Even without passing through the energy meridians, the Dantian itself connects to the outside, causing the Dantian to change. If a little bit of enlightenment is added, the Dantian itself crystallizes, and the Infinite Force Core, which radiates energy on its own, is completed."
"Why is the completed form of the martial art suddenly in English? Can't you just call it something cool like Infinite Heart Pellet?"
"I didn't make it, so I don't know. Anyway, if you use it, you can think of your supernatural energy as infinite. Even if there might be differences in output depending on the level."
"Then can't you share some Force? I saw that there are Users who supply Force separately. You should be able to do it too, right?"
"I have the ignition turned off right now."
"Is it like an engine?"
The difference between a normal Dantian and the Infinite Force Core is that while a Dantian is a type of supernatural ability bound to the body, the Infinite Force Core is a Spirit Particle engine. Because it's bound to the soul, you can use it regardless of when or what body you use, even after repeated reincarnations.
"But when I die, I put the core to sleep. It's like not leaving the engine running on a car you're not going to use."
"Since I haven't had any use for it after reincarnating, the core is still sleeping, but I can turn the ignition on at any time. Of course, even with the ignition off, just the energy it releases little by little, like a heart in a suspended state, is enough to crush and kill Force Users or Enemy Species."
"I don't want to turn the ignition on if I can help it. Turning it on is easy, but turning it off is difficult, so it's a hassle. Besides, my personality might come out."
"What do you mean your personality comes out?"
"Think about it. If a fucking asshole senior is throwing a fit in front of you and you have a gun in your hand, even the kindest person would have some bad thoughts, right?"
Power is something you want to wield because you have it. That's the logic of those who abuse their power. Because the formula 'I have this much power, so I can do this' is established, absurd things are rampant in society.
The infinite power that can cover all the energy resources of this Earth with just a fist-sized marble gives you a feeling of fulfillment and confidence just by having it. Since the Greedless Infinite Qi Technique is a product of desire in the first place, it's understandable.
I endure it as much as I can, too. It's just that if someone insults my parents or brings up Sion, a magic show where everything turns into a shitshow unfolds at that moment.
"Fortunately, I can handle most things without the Infinite Force Core, so I'm just getting by. Honestly, I wonder if there will be anything worth turning the ignition on for in this life."
"Hyung, you're a total cheat character... Wait a minute. You said you beat up a Master User from Japan last time. Did you beat them up in that state then?"
"Yeah."
"If that's the case even without using full power, then what the hell..."
"It's best not to see my full power."
If there's a day you see it, that's the day the Earth is doomed. The saying that great power comes with great responsibility is a famous line from Spider-Man's Uncle Ben, but conversely, what you can do with that power isn't limited to just heroic deeds.
In the first place, Raccoon Man is a hobby, and my main job is..."
"Hyung, you got a call."
"Ah, yeah."
The phone in my pocket vibrated, so I took it out and looked at the name of the person on the screen.
It was Team Leader Jo In-hyung. He said to call if there was anything I needed to step in for, but surely...
"[Choi Ak-ssi?]"
"The 'surely' feels like a serial killer who has killed more people than me, is that right?"
"[Yes, there is something I would like to ask of you.]"
A sinister premonition started to hit me hard.