Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Return
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Oh Kwang-sik of the Kwang-sik faction had felt his abilities stagnate for four years, so he quickly gave up and stepped into the underworld.
His personality suited that world, anyway.
As an Awakener, building a power base in the small-time criminal scene wasn't hard.
But when he heard that his brother Kwang-woo had recently messed with someone predicted to be at least C-rank, a chill ran down his spine.
That lunatic had nearly crushed the entire organization.
He wouldn't have minded if his brother had died for it, but fortunately? The idiot came back in one piece.
And then they had to live on edge for a while.
Naturally, the thought of retrieving the woman that Awakener had taken never even crossed his mind.
'Fuck. I knew he was clueless, but this much? If he weren't my brother...'
That's when one of his underlings burst in, yelling.
"Boss, th-they're attacking!"
"Attack? The Taesang faction?"
"N-no, sir. Some crazy woman..."
"A woman?"
Kwang-sik pulled up the CCTV feed on the monitor in front of him.
A ghost of a woman was wielding a massive axe, literally butchering his men.
"Fuck. She's an Awakener."
He watched his brother—face and arms in casts—fleeing before an axe severed his leg.
Blood rushed to his head anyway. Blood is blood.
"Fucking bitch. You're dead."
Kwang-sik was an Awakener too.
He grabbed the ornate Japanese sword hanging on the office wall.
-Boom!
The door exploded inward. A blood-drenched woman dragged his brother in by the hair—leg stump trailing a long smear of blood down the hall.
"Ugh... huh... B-bro..."
His brother groaned weakly but seemed to still be alive.
'Where do I know her from...'
Kwang-sik racked his brain at the familiar face.
"Fuck! Yu Jae-eun!! You awaken and barge in here?!"
"Yeah... something like that."
"If you're awakened, stay quiet! We fed you, housed you, and this is how you repay us?!"
"Bullshit."
Pretending to talk, Kwang-sik lunged at Jae-eun with a sudden sword strike.
Even with the surprise, she calmly dropped his brother, dodged to the side, and swung her axe upward from below.
He barely avoided it.
His arm had nearly flown off.
'Fast!'
-Gulp.
Jae-eun smiled, seeing Kwang-sik tense up.
Her blood-smeared grin was downright chilling.
"Fuck! What's so funny?!"
Sensing danger, Kwang-sik swung with all his might.
But she dodged his full-power attack with ease, swinging her axe playfully in return. He felt a massive threat.
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
'Fuck! I'm screwed! She's toying with me. She's stronger!'
He'd kept her around because she never tired of resisting—that had backfired spectacularly.
He should've broken her or tamed her ages ago.
Who could've predicted an Awakening and this sudden revenge?
What a clusterfuck.
"Jae-eun... ca-can't we talk this out?"
Seeing no way out, Kwang-sik quickly shifted tactics.
"Talk?"
"Y-yeah."
He was inwardly calculating how much cash it'd take to buy her off.
-Crunch!
"Huh?"
Somehow, an axe was buried halfway into his left thigh.
He'd been on guard the whole time.
But she was so fast, he hadn't even noticed.
"Gaaah! Fucking bitch! You goddamn cunt!"
Kwang-sik clutched his leg, rolling on the floor.
"Awakener, huh... you take a hit nice."
"Wh-what?!"
Suddenly, a thick-headed iron sledgehammer appeared in her hand.
-Smirk.
Jae-eun flashed a savage smile.
"F-fuck!"
-Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
She smashed his knees and elbows to pieces with rapid hammer blows.
"Guhhhh."
"P-ple-please, Jae-eun... m-money, I'll give you any amount..."
Kwang-sik writhed like a worm, joints pulverized.
As if she hadn't heard, she calmly pulled an iron stake from her bag.
Seeing it, Kwang-sik recalled the pig director of that orphanage they'd partnered with.
Back then, he'd figured a new director would be easy to rope in.
He'd laughed it off when he heard the guy was killed.
But now Kwang-sik couldn't laugh.
"You're an Awakener, so you'll last longer than that pig."
Terror washed over his face at Jae-eun's beaming smile.
...
I was sprawled on the sofa, blankly watching TV.
Sounded like a serial killer. Cutting off dicks? Must've crossed some real villain.
'Yeah, they had it coming.'
No sympathy wasted there.
Nothing else worth watching.
"Change the channel."
-Ding.
Suni flipped the channel at my word.
Mana interference.
I could conveniently manipulate electronics without a remote through her.
Besides getting women hot and bothered, I'd discovered all sorts of uses.
I could even store items in my Inventory without direct contact now. More research promised versatility.
"Keep changing."
-Ding. Ding. Ding.
The rapidly flipping channels held nothing interesting.
Zombie world tomorrow—needed sleep to manage my condition.
'Was it before lunch there? Sleep deep, head over slow, grab a meal with the kids.'
...
Suni's voice pulled me from deep sleep.
I hadn't ordered her to track Jae-eun.
And she never wakes me unless it's important.
So this must be...
"Where?"
Opened the door to find Jae-eun—filthy from whatever ordeal—standing there, awkwardly bowing her head.
Never thought she'd actually come back...
"Come in if you're here. Don't stand there like a ghost."
She knew the passcode.
She flinched at my words, then slowly approached.
-Thud thud.
Blood reeked off her.
'What the hell has she been up to...'
"Uncle..."
Head down, she hugged me tight.
Seemed like she didn't want me seeing her face.
"........."
Held her a while. Felt dampness on my chest.
Slowly stroked her back.
Felt like the right thing.
"........."
"Can I... be housekeeper again?"
"Sure."
"Yeah."
"Dock your pay for slacking."
Didn't know why she'd returned, but decided not to ask.
"Okay."
"And... you stink. Go shower."
"Pfft... together?"
...
Jae-eun's return was unexpected, but my plans stayed the same.
Returned to the zombie world, restored groundwater per Suni's instructions.
Easier than expected.
Brought spare gear in case—just in case, but no need.
Still, spares for later—no wasted effort.
Power from a small mana generator.
Plenty for two kids, two women, and me—five people total.
Maybe even overkill.
Solar was an option, but installation's a hassle and unreliable.
Once we had breathing room, could scavenge appliances from nearby malls.
"Yay!!"
Gia jumped for joy as water flowed.
Handed them the Combat Suits from Jin-ah.
"Oh my. What's this? Spacesuit?"
"Spacesuits aren't this slim... but like ones from sci-fi flicks."
Chae-won and Gia poked at the suits, fascinated.
"Remember when I got zombie-bit and was fine?"
"Ah! Was it this suit? Come to think, looks like the one you wore..."
"How's that possible..."
This zombie world was at pre-Gate tech levels.
Doubts made sense.
Might explain someday. Not now.
"Try them on."
Showed basics.
They changed elsewhere and returned.
Great figures—suits looked good.
"Comfier than expected..."
"Whoa, bro. Don't I look like a futuristic warrior?"
They admired themselves.
Tossed each a thick manual.
"Wh-what's this?"
"Manual."
"This thick thing?"
"Yep. Memorize the functions."
Gia looked daunted by the tome. Chae-won sparkled, flipping through.
"I'll clear Corrupted Beings around the school during the day. You'll hold without me."
"Then..."
Anxiety crossed the kids' faces. No helping it.
Couldn't babysit 24/7—didn't plan to.
"Right. Those suits are basic protection—not freebies. Zombies can't touch you in them."
"Handle zombies ourselves, got it."
"Gulp. R-really, bro?"
Nodded to Gia.
"Not wrong."
"If we can't manage zombies with this gear, that's on us."
Chae-won kept stroking her suit—loved it.
"O-okay, if bro says so, I'll toughen up!!"
Chae-won brimmed with confidence. Gia looked terrified.
An Awakener scared of zombies... time would fix it.
"Mutants are different. Radio if you sense one. I'll come back."
"M-mutants..."
Gia paled.
"C-can I tag along, bro?"
She'd already softened.
"No."
"Boo..."
Pouted at my blunt refusal.
"No need to worry that much. I'll clear nearby mutants first. Stick here—no fights for you."
Convinced or not, I came to this world to hunt Corrupted Beings.
No giving that up.