What’s gotten into him? Is he reacting to the skill’s dialogue again, like last time?
Cha Eui-sung’s eyes lit up with cautious hope.
But health-related questions weren’t something he could answer freely—they were tied to his preset conditions. Pretending to be annoyed, he shot a glare at Moon Tae-young, then quickly relaxed and flashed a casual smile, as if nothing had happened.
“What do you mean, my body?”
Scrape. As he ground his foot into the dirt, the bloodstains vanished into the dusty soil.
“If you’re done, I’ll be going now.”
If he had no plans to see the guy again, he might’ve even faked a collapse just to stick close. But he’d be seeing him again soon—with Seo-ryong. He couldn’t stay outside forever with the Gigas Armor strapped to his back.
“That’s not what I meant… but yeah, looks like you’d be better off getting some rest.”
Finally, Moon Tae-young stepped back. Cha Eui-sung turned around and began walking, quietly counting the seconds, waiting for the system to respond.
One, two, three, four… twelve, thirteen, fourteen…
Pop!
After several slow, heavy steps, the system sound finally echoed in his ears.
There it is.
For the first time in days, the gauge had gone up again.
But just as a smile started to form on his face, Cha Eui-sung’s expression turned ice-cold.
[SAVIOR GAUGE]
■■■□□□□□□□
□□□□□□□□□□
16%
What the hell…
This time, the gauge didn’t go up 5%. It only rose by 3%.
Is this thing broken? Come on, show yourself, you bastard system.
He almost turned around to glare at Moon Tae-young, completely forgetting he was supposed to keep up the act.
Did something mess it up?
His excitement deflated like a balloon with a hole punched through it.
The whole way home, Cha Eui-sung squinted at the system window, his mind racing.
What the hell is your problem? You’d think 5% at a time wouldn’t be too much to ask.
He tried speaking to it again, but got nothing. Damn it.
No wonder saving the world felt a little too easy. And after I literally coughed up blood out there…
Maybe the stimulation wasn’t strong enough? Was that why the gauge barely moved?
Cha Eui-sung ran through the possibilities in his head.
Sure, bleeding in the middle of the street before sunrise wasn’t normal by any stretch, but this wasn’t the first time he’d looked half-dead.
It’s just like grinding in games. At low levels, a few trash mobs can get you easy EXP. But later on, even endless farming barely moves the needle.
Still… the skill triggered this time.
That had to mean something. He’d counted on at least a 5% boost.
He thought he could rush the gauge and end this whole thing early. Guess that was wishful thinking.
Clack.
As he stepped through the gate, his face had gone from mildly annoyed to dead serious.
If even hacking up blood at the crack of dawn didn’t make a dent, the road ahead was going to be brutal.
It was already slowing down—what would he have to pull off later to get people to care?
This life…
It was his third go-around, but it still wasn’t any easier. Just plain exhausting. His body was fine, but mentally? He felt like he was falling apart.
And he could’ve sworn he’d felt fine right after clearing that dungeon…
Pressing both hands to his face, Cha Eui-sung groaned and let out a long sigh before ripping off his clothes.
He’d scrubbed himself with wet wipes earlier, but dried monster blood still clung stubbornly to patches of bare skin.
Still, better that he coughed up blood. If he’d just stood there with a spotless face and reeking of gore, who knows what kind of psycho people would think he was?
Shhhhh—
Under the blast of hot water, Cha Eui-sung closed his eyes and mentally reviewed everything.
The passive skill that kept activating with no clear explanation.
That cryptic conversation between two strangers, half-remembered.
Moon Tae-young reacting to that dialogue.
The Gigas Armor, stashed quietly in his bag.
And… that strange look on Moon Tae-young’s face under the early morning sky.
“Bllgh!”
Water filled his mouth as he stood there with his mouth open. Cha Eui-sung scowled and scrubbed his scalp like he was about to rip his hair out.
Damn it. At this rate, who knows when he’ll stop the apocalypse—or finally retire and live the one-time-only, burn-it-all-down kind of life he was after.
Pfffft—
Instead of sighing, he spit out water like a blowfish.
***
“Looks like you slept well last night. Your face is glowing—haha!”
Thursday morning. As soon as the sun rose, Cha Eui-sung made his way to Kim Jeong-baek’s new house. Dressed like it was moving day, Kim Jeong-baek greeted him with a grin and nonsense.
Cha Eui-sung clicked his tongue and turned away. He had no intention of mentioning he hadn’t properly slept in two days.
To be fair, he did look unusually sharp. His hair was neatly styled, not a single blemish on his skin, eyes the color of pale amber glowing faintly in the morning light, and lips with a healthy flush—he looked like an actor who’d just walked off a film set.
“The neighborhood elders were in a frenzy. Thought a TV star had moved in. Did you tell them you were a celebrity?”
“As if I would.”
“They kept going on about how tall and handsome you are. When Seo-ryong said you were her uncle, they asked me if we were even related. I told them you were just a close friend, and they totally bought it.”
How long had he even been here, already buddy-buddy with the locals? And it’s not like he even planned to settle here.
Still, it wasn’t exactly unpleasant to hear. Cha Eui-sung had always put effort into grooming.
What else leaves a stronger first impression than a good-looking face? Back when he was an F-rank debtor, his looks only added to his threat factor. But after he’d become S-rank, that same face turned into a major asset.
People accepted overtime requests without a fuss when he handed them over with a gentle smile and soft gaze. His reputation practically managed itself without him needing to do a thing.
No doubt about it—his face, along with his S-rank abilities, had played a major role in helping him take over the Hunter Association.
“Doesn’t matter how much attention I get here. It’s not worth anything.”
That said, he had made sure to fix up his hair before coming to meet Moon Tae-young. If there was even a chance of provoking a reaction, he’d try everything he could.
Honestly, it was ridiculous. By all measures, that guy was taller and probably just as good-looking. And yet he walked through life without a care in the world.
“I assume you’ve got the paperwork ready. Let’s get moving.”
It was about a 30-minute walk from here to the branch school. They’d picked this house in a hurry, so it was a bit of a stretch.
When Kim Jeong-baek started the engine, Cha Eui-sung unfolded his arms and slid into the passenger seat. A glance at the rearview mirror showed Seo-ryong in the backseat, rummaging through her bag.
“Just act like it’s a normal school transfer. No special instructions today. Watch what you say, no matter where you are. Got that, Seo-ryong?”
His tone had softened naturally, and Seo-ryong nodded without hesitation.
“You too, hyung. Keep it together.”
“Huh? Oh… yeah, right.”
Besides the info Kim Jeong-baek had rattled off, Cha Eui-sung had also received documents detailing Seo-ryong’s situation—friendship issues caused by her parents, legal routes for separating from them, her favorite foods, and other useful trivia.
Not that he really needed to know all that. Jeong-baek could handle explaining the sensitive stuff. Still, true to form, Cha Eui-sung had memorized every detail.
Moon Tae-young didn’t seem like the type to pry into someone else’s personal life anyway.
Which, honestly, made it even more bizarre.
By all accounts, Moon Tae-young had grown up with a rough childhood, filled with resentment and a long-brewing plan that had brought him here. But could someone plotting revenge really be this calm? This considerate?
Even Cha Eui-sung, just remembering his past was enough to make him bristle.
He still remembered spotting those bastards who had blackmailed him in his first life. He’d wanted nothing more than to corner them in some alley and cave their skulls in.
The only thing that had stopped him wasn’t morality or conscience—it was ambition.
The hunger to succeed. The determination to stand above the bastards the world admired.
He’d calmed himself with the mantra: Everything that happened was because I was weak and stupid. I’m not that guy anymore.
Only that belief had kept him from becoming a murderer.
And even now, the past clung to him. Anything that reminded him of his former, miserable life instantly made his skin crawl. The constant irritation he felt since coming to Cheongseri? It all stemmed from that.
But Moon Tae-young… didn’t seem fazed at all. Not by the nosy neighbors who dropped by uninvited. Not by the crumbling old walls or the beat-up furniture that reeked of struggle.
When a mysterious high-level Awakened appeared, when secrets teetered on the edge of exposure—didn’t he ever think of quietly erasing the threat the moment they showed weakness?
“Boss—uh, I mean, Eui-sung. We’re here.”
The awkward shift in how he was addressed pulled Cha Eui-sung out of his thoughts. He adjusted the rearview mirror, fixed every stray hair in place, and stepped out with a smooth, precise motion.
His neatly fitted slacks and short-sleeve shirt created a clean, polished silhouette. A far cry from the bloodstained mess he’d been at dawn.
“I’ll wait outside, as discussed.”
He smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt and looked calmly down the hallway beyond the window.
***
Inside the principal’s office, a long, quiet conversation played out. They covered everything from Seo-ryong’s transfer documents to her social habits, academic progress, allergies, and more.
It was surprising how much Kim Jeong-baek knew despite not being her parent. The man was undeniably thorough when it came to his responsibilities.
Finally, there was the sound of chairs scraping, and the door opened. Kim Jeong-baek stepped out first, and Cha Eui-sung’s eyes met Moon Tae-young’s.
Maybe it was the dress shirt and polished look, but Moon Tae-young’s brows twitched slightly.
“Well, I’ll leave Seo-ryong in your care, then. I’ll head out first, Eui-sung.”
Sensing the mood, Kim Jeong-baek made himself scarce, leaving the two of them alone at the door. Maybe because of the conversation earlier, Moon Tae-young’s expression was gentler than usual.
He stared at Cha Eui-sung for a beat, then turned and disappeared into the room, returning with a shopping bag.
Click.
He quietly closed the door behind him, making sure Seo-ryong couldn’t hear. Then he held the bag out.
Inside, something small shifted with a soft thud. A box—looked like a handkerchief set.
“I figured… you might need this more than I do.”
