How a legendary returner lives

Iced Americano.

I chuckled and took a sip.

“I have a question for you. Answer me first. Do you know ‘Happiness Welfare Center’?”

“…I know.”

“Seongil said that he’s been donating to the welfare center regularly because he himself is from there. He wanted the kids who came out of that place to do well. So he hired a few of the kids from the center as part-timers, paying them more than minimum wage. But the size of the cafe seems to be a bit off compared to what I heard.”

I took another sip. I turned to the silent Sado and asked,

“Don’t you have anything to say?”

“…No.”

“I see. From what I gathered, he went bankrupt. Did he invest in stocks? He put up collateral too. Electric bus Prothema?”

“…”

“You threw 50,000 shares into the stock market at $25 each, like tossing coins? This guy has no talent for stocks.”

Sado frowned, clearly irritated by my remarks.

“But you guys can make money easily, right? So what’s with selling the building over such a small amount? And you were hiring six or so kids from the welfare center, where are they now?”

“You’re asking a lot of questions.”

“Yeah, I’m a talker. Answer these two questions. When did the donations to the welfare center stop, and what happened to the kids working as part-timers?”

“I’ll answer right away. But first…”

“Before what?”

“You dumbass. You shouldn’t believe everything the enemy gives you.”

I smiled and raised my coffee.

“This?”

“Yeah. I poisoned it. The poison is strong enough to knock out a dragon.”

With a smile still on my face, I downed the coffee in one go.

“Ahh, refreshing.”

“…What?”

“Didn’t you get it? You should’ve known better than to play with poison, you idiot.”

“…How?”

I asked again, watching the confused Sado.

“I want you to answer those two questions right away. Where are the kids, and what happened to the donations to the welfare center?”

“…The donations stopped after the building was moved, and the kids…”

“The kids?”

He smiled a sly grin.

“They all got eaten.”

I scratched my chin for a moment. Oh dear.

“You ate them, huh? How was it?”

“It was fantastic.”

So that’s what happened.

“I noticed the underground smells more like blood than coffee. Did you catch someone else and eat them? How many did you eat?”

“I don’t know. I never counted.”

That was enough.

“How about a more serious conversation, just between us?”

“…You crazy bastard. This is a downtown area. There are too many people…”

Before he could finish his sentence, I reached out and grabbed his hair. Then, I stepped forward. The space folded. In an instant, Sado and I were transported to the ‘subway.’ A gate was right in front of us.

Without hesitation, I dragged him into the gate by his hair.

The surrounding scenery changed.

My feet hit the ground. A sharp, sandy crunch echoed.

What kind of gate this was, what type it was, and what information it held?

Sorry to say, but I had no interest at all.

“You can use all your power.”

I wouldn’t, though.

Sado’s face showed confusion.

I looked at him and then…

*BOOM!!!*

I slammed my fist down.

* * *

Team Leader Cha Juyeon stood there with a serious expression.

I suddenly recalled something.

The process of establishing the Salvation Guild.

Originally, Jin Songyi had intended to stay with the Gate Rescue Team.

That was a fact.

Using the power he had to save people caught in gates, to help them.

That was Jin Songyi’s goal. During that process, the world began to change.

The government’s power weakened, and the powers of awakened individuals grew.

The World Awakener’s Association is now the most dominant force among global organizations. Jin Songyi had captured the starting point of all these changes.

If he had stayed with the Gate Rescue Team, he would have been caught up in the foolish political discussions of the politicians, mobilized for all kinds of political tasks. It was certain.

So, he left.

And the people Jin Songyi had saved over time numbered in the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, regardless of nationality.

Naturally, among them, there were awakened individuals.

Those who followed Jin Songyi, who saw him as their benefactor, became the pillars of the Salvation Guild.

As I mentioned earlier, the people Jin Songyi saved were tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands. Among them were lawyers, accountants, tax specialists, billionaires, and even politicians.

Jin Songyi received help from all of them.

This was the reason the Salvation Guild grew so rapidly.

Team Leader Cha Juyeon was one of the founding members of the Salvation Guild.

She also led one of the four elite strike teams, which made her unable to understand the current situation.

It wasn’t just her.

Im Wonseok, the deputy team leader of Team 4, was just as confused.

“…I’m really asking because I don’t know. Wasn’t the Master’s younger sibling an awakened individual?”

At Im Wonseok’s question, Cha Juyeon shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

“How can you not know? If you don’t know, who would?”

“I’m telling you, I don’t know.”

That was the truth. She really didn’t know.

In fact, she had initially thought of him as a non-awakened individual. That’s why he was a genre novel writer.

Not only that, but since he was a non-awakened individual, his awakening test must have resulted in a zero grade.

But now… what was going on?

“Just now, those footsteps… weren’t they Jin Sihoo’s? I think I saw him enter the gate.”

She had seen it.

It was true.

At this moment, Cha Juyeon recalled what Yoon Youngsoo, the secretary, had said.

“Since you’re Team Leader Cha, I’m asking you this. Forget everything you’ve seen or heard. Don’t interfere with whatever Jin Sihoo is doing. Just watch. Today, Team 4’s mission is not to clear the B-grade gate, but to stop anyone else from coming near it. Whoever it is, stop them. Even if it’s the president, stop them. That’s all.”

She couldn’t understand.

Just like what happened in Pangyo, and now Jin Sihoo was entering the gate with “someone.”

Wait, but it didn’t stop there.

Jin Sihoo was reportedly hospitalized at Seoul Samjeong Hospital.

But now he had just walked into that gate.

Why was he doing this?

“…The Master will explain it, right?”

“He will. After all, he’s the Master.”

Cha Juyeon still had doubts, but that was as far as she would go.

She trusted Jin Songyi. He was the greatest benefactor, and if he asked her to die, she would.

A brief moment of doubt? It didn’t matter. She would be told everything eventually.

“Control the surroundings. Make sure no one gets in. Oh, and did you turn off your watches?”

“Yes, we did.”

“Check again. Turn off all the watches.”

At her words, everyone checked their watches and confirmed they were turned off. Naturally, the nearby CCTV cameras were also redirected.

“Everything that happened here today stays buried with you. Okay?”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

That was enough.

Cha Joo-yeon quietly stared at the gate.

What on earth was happening inside?

***

I reached out my hand.

Boom-!!

Something flying towards me was blocked by my hand. A burst of light flew backward from behind my hand. Suddenly, I became curious.

“How many times is this for you?”

“…197th.”

“Just a small fry.”

The 197th Apostle furrowed his brow. The muscles on his forehead were definitely twitching.

He made a move. Laughing, he tilted his head back.

Hoo-!

His punch brushed right past my face.

“Are your Apostles always like this, with horns sticking out?”

“…You’re asking a lot of questions for someone who’s about to die.”

“I don’t think that’s the case. What’s your answer?”

He swung his foot. I took a step back. Again, it narrowly missed my face. He shouted.

“Figure it out yourself!”

His foot, which had passed by, changed direction in mid-air. Like a Brazilian kick, it aimed straight for my temple. I reached out my left hand.

Thud.

I grabbed his leg. It was ridiculously easy.

“…You… monster.”

“Who are you calling a monster with that face?”

I tightened my grip with my left hand.

Crack.

His leg shattered. He didn’t scream at all. I immediately threw him to the ground.

Boom-!

A massive crater formed. I squatted down.

“I’m not going to kill you easily. I have two questions. First, what is the goal of your Apostles? Second, why did you send people like me and others to the Titans? Tell me.”

“…”

***

“Answer just one, and I’ll kill you quickly. I’m serious.”

He grinned wickedly.

“You’re really that curious?”

“I wasn’t particularly interested, but we’ve come this far, so I can’t just leave without doing something. I’m just curious, that’s all. So, what’s your answer?”

“If you don’t answer, you plan to torture me, right?”

“You’re quick to catch on. With that kind of insight, you should have run away.”

“Torture means nothing.”

“Why?”

“Because of the golden seal. Just kill me. And someone like you, if the highest-ranking Apostles step forward, you’ll become dust right there.”

I listened to him laugh.

“You will scream in pain and regret being alive. No, you’ll regret breathing at all. You’ll die covered in regret. You will beg for your life, and your corpse will rise to the top of humanity’s tower, built on blood.”

Again, I listened silently. This was exactly why I could learn something. Humanity’s tower? The highest Apostles?

“You idiots who don’t even understand the great will of ‘that person’ should just die… No, no… If the world learns of ‘that person’s’ great will, they’ll turn you into an enemy. Humanity will become your enemy. Irregular! Right now, you’re doing something foolish. You should be cooperating with us, not pointing your sword at us. You’re on the wrong path.”

“Keep talking.”

“No, there’s nothing more to say. I’ve said everything I needed to.”

Suddenly, a fun thought came to mind.

“I’ve taken a great interest in your ‘great will.’ My admiration for it is growing. So, I’d love to meet this ‘person’ you keep mentioning. Can you arrange that for me?”

“‘That person’ is currently… Are you mocking me right now?”

“Why? I might be serious. We could meet face to face, talk, maybe even fight a little, and who knows, we could become friends. I haven’t been here for long, so I don’t have many friends.”

“…What on earth are you talking about?”

“Listen, do you know the pain of having to drag yourself out to get some bread when you really want it? If only ‘that person’ were around, how convenient would it be? I could just tell him to go buy me some pizza bread or soft bread. I’m thinking of using that ‘person’ for things like that, don’t you think it’s a good idea?”

Before I finished speaking, a burst of light erupted from his body.

I just sat there, watching quietly.

I looked up. The guy who had been lying under me was now far, far away.

The light gathered around his body.

I sighed.

“Guess you weren’t as blind as I thought.”

I stood up.

The information I gained was minimal.

There was someone called “that person,” and the Apostles believed what they were doing was for a noble cause.

The talk of humanity’s tower was nonsense, but it piqued my curiosity a little. I didn’t expect much from this small fry, but it was surprising. I raised my white lotus flag.