Past Life Returner
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Past Life Returner - Chapter 53: Past Life Returner
Chapter 53: Past Life Returner Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Yeonhee Woo did not return the next day or the day after that. She had initially resisted going back home, but after the second day, I thought she changed her mind after going home, and declined my offer. The contents of the contract would make anyone think twice, from the death compensation and the penalties for contractual violations. The contracts I had given her were the same as those that guilds had given to new hunters before.
However, I saw her car coming up to the wall.
鈥淚 thought you would welcome me.鈥?/p>
She was smiling.
鈥淐ome in.鈥?/p>
鈥淚t鈥檚 better at daylight. This place seems to be haunted at night.鈥?/p>
鈥淚f you came here because of meaningless words like destiny and fate...鈥?/p>
鈥淣o, I came here because of this.鈥?/p>
Yeonhee Woo took out the contract envelope.
鈥?..I cannot be responsible for your life. Coming with me into a dungeon could mean death. What we would be doing is incredibly dangerous.鈥?I read out loud the sections she had highlighted.
鈥淚 brought fried chicken since I didn鈥檛 know what you like. Do you like fried chicken?鈥?/p>
鈥淪top trying to change the subject.鈥?/p>
鈥淚鈥檓 grateful since you were right. I had been only thinking about how I could end my life with less pain before you called me.鈥?/p>
However, her face was not that of a suicidal person, and her expression was actually bright.
鈥淲on鈥檛 you let me in?鈥?/p>
She hadn鈥檛 just brought only food and the envelope. Her trunk was filled with her supplies and other items.
鈥淚 thought you would not need medicine, so I brought you clothes.鈥?/p>
She had brought me clothes, lotions, and innerwear. Since she brought everything for adult males, it seemed that she decided to treat me as one. She spoke quickly as I stared at her.
鈥淚鈥檓 sorry, I鈥檒l be back. Call me when you鈥檙e done.鈥?/p>
She went out and came back.
鈥淚 thought they would suit you.鈥?/p>
鈥淕etting these didn鈥檛 take two days, right?鈥?/p>
鈥淚 read the contracts you gave me on the way back that day. I thought about returning immediately, but this was about my life.鈥?/p>
鈥淵ou understood the contract?鈥?/p>
鈥淚 read it countless times, and saw that I was betting my life on insignias and items.鈥?/p>
鈥淵our decision?鈥?/p>
鈥淚 chose this.鈥?/p>
Yeonhee Woo had signed the contract and specified money instead of items and insignias, and it was a realistic choice. She would get two hundred million won as a contract signing fee, an annual payroll of a billion won, and an incentive of five hundred million per dungeon entry, and another five hundred million for survival. Her death compensation would be three billion won. (EN: 200,000,000 won = $321,599. 1,000,000,000 won = $1,607,997. 500,000,000 won = $803,998. All conversions are in 1997 won, and 2021 dollars. ^_^ )
I calculated what new hunters earned to this era鈥檚 currency, and while this contact would have been given only for E class awakened, who could legitimately be called hunters, I gave her more for her rarity.
鈥淲ho鈥檚 your beneficiary?鈥?/p>
鈥淢y father.鈥?/p>
鈥淟et鈥檚 go.鈥?/p>
鈥淲here?鈥?/p>
鈥淲hat do you mean? Don鈥檛 you want your contract signing fee?鈥?/p>
I was surprised at Yeonhee Woo not showing the reaction I expected, and she seemed to be more conscious of the cash I got out of the bank. She seemed to be on the lookout, and I put the bags of money in the trunk and got in the car.
Her expression was rigid, and I stopped her from hitting the accel the moment I got in the car.
鈥淩elax. Why, do you think this is black money?鈥?/p>
Two hundred million won in 1998 was a lot of money and could buy an apartment in Gangnam easily. Yeonhee looked like she was thinking of something.
鈥淭his money is not illicit, but don鈥檛 put it into your bank at once. Tax reports can be difficult, open a safe deposit box. Let鈥檚 go to Gangnam and not a hospital.鈥?/p>
She seemed small and timid, but she drove fast and fiercely. It seemed to be out of desperation rather than skill. I thought I may die on the road and not in a dungeon.
鈥淕o slower.鈥?/p>
鈥淲here are we going?鈥?/p>
鈥淢y office.鈥?/p>
鈥?.....鈥?/p>
Yeonhee Woo slowed down as I asked.
鈥淵ou should be full of questions, but you鈥檙e quieter than you had been at school.鈥?/p>
鈥淭hink what you wish.鈥?/p>
鈥淵ou鈥檙e waiting for me to speak? That鈥檚 nice.鈥?/p>
鈥淚 did not sign that contract lightly. I received...money.鈥?/p>
鈥淵es, well. You win. I鈥檒l tell you who I am. Hey, watch the speed.鈥?As silly as it sounds, in this situation, the source of my funding was what weighed heaviest in her mind.
鈥淪orry.鈥?/p>
鈥淲hen did you first get your powers?鈥?/p>
鈥淒uring middle school.鈥?/p>
Yeonhee Woo added on after a beat.
鈥淎fter my first period.鈥?/p>
鈥淚t was like this for me since birth, and I have been doing this for a long time.鈥?/p>
It was then Yeonhee Woo looked at me with wide eyes. I pointed upfront rather than saying anything until we were safe again.
鈥淲hy did you choose money? What are you thinking? I don鈥檛 think you would want to leave money for your family if you die.鈥?/p>
Her family relations were likely beyond repair.
鈥淎n Escape Insignia does not come easily. You won鈥檛 have one, according to your contract if you become my employee.鈥?/p>
鈥淵ou won鈥檛 throw me away, right?鈥?/p>
鈥淥f course.鈥?/p>
鈥淭hen, it鈥檚 all right. You鈥檙e my teacher now.鈥?/p>
***
鈥淵ou hadn鈥檛 had any trouble, right?鈥?As usual, I asked the guard if everything was ok.
鈥淲hat happened to your shoulder?鈥?/p>
鈥淚鈥檓 on a trip since business is not good. Thank you for asking.鈥?Obviously I ignored his question , and implied I got injured while playing, like skiing.
We waited for the elevator after I greeted the young guard, and I saw Yeonhee Woo watch me through the elevator mirror. Her face had been rigid until now, and our eyes met through the mirror. She spoke like she could not help it.
鈥淲hat do you mean by since birth? I don鈥檛 understand.鈥?/p>
鈥淚 was born a baby with an adult鈥檚 mind.鈥?/p>
Yeonhee Woo did not ask if it was possible, as she already could feel others鈥?feelings. She was probably trying to understand.
鈥淚 was different from you and tried to hide my abilities from my family as much as possible. I鈥檓 doing so even now.鈥?/p>
鈥淏ut...鈥?/p>
鈥淵es, my parents know that I鈥檓 different from other children in physical and mental capacity, but they know only that. What can I say? I have the strength to fight monsters?鈥?/p>
We arrived on the office floor, and the inside brightened after I passed the fingerprint security system. She seemed to be not surprised with what she saw, and she walked up to the target with the daggers stuck on it. She tried to take one out but did not have the strength and turned her head in embarrassment.
鈥淚 do not want to be a burden to you. Dungeons are dangerous places, aren鈥檛 they?鈥?/p>
Yeonhee Woo seemed determined.
鈥淚 hope you鈥檙e not just talking.鈥?/p>
鈥淚鈥檓 sincere.鈥?/p>
鈥淵ou will have to maintain that mindset. Once you become useless...鈥?/p>
Yeonhee spoke the words I had been about to say.
鈥淚 will be thrown away, probably.鈥?/p>
Yeonhee Woo was calmly accepting that tragedy.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to prove yourself now. Come and sit.鈥?/p>
While Yeonhee Woo sat down at the table, I found the notebook with the Canine Pawn drawing. I showed that page to Yeonhee Woo.
鈥淵ou said you wanted to see a monster.鈥?/p>
鈥淵ou...drew this?鈥?/p>
鈥淒on鈥檛 be surprised. They鈥檙e about my size and will come in packs of tens.鈥?/p>
鈥淒o they walk?鈥?/p>
鈥淭hey walk, run, and fly.鈥?/p>
鈥淭hey fly?鈥?/p>
鈥淭hey jump like they fly. Can you fight against them? While that is a drawing, if you saw them in the flesh, you probably won鈥檛 be able to move.鈥?/p>
鈥淚 won鈥檛 like this, but you will have to prepare me.鈥?/p>
Yeonhee Woo replied. If her physical strength was strong, it would have been all right. However, she looked too frail, and her determined face was a bit cute.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to fight them, and you shouldn鈥檛.鈥?/p>
鈥淥h?鈥?/p>
鈥淓verything鈥檚 over if it comes to that, as either I鈥檓 dead or you have to face the monsters yourself. However, I need to prepare you enough that you can shoot arrows, even if I did not scout you to do so.鈥?/p>
鈥淚...鈥?/p>
鈥淲hat did you expect? I鈥檓 not going to train you as a warrior.鈥?/p>
Yeonhee Woo鈥檚 expression suddenly loosened.
鈥淢y ability is empathic healing, right?鈥?/p>
She was right for once.
鈥淪o, let鈥檚 see if you鈥檙e going to be just a healer or can become MORE.鈥?/p>
I had been waiting for this. I had gotten a challenger box when I was first awakened and when I first discovered a dungeon. What if I created a party for the first time?
[You invited Yeonhee Woo to the party.]
I accessed the System and sent the invite, and Yeonhee Woo also looked at the air. She would have received the message.
鈥淩epeat after me. Accept.鈥?/p>
She did so carefully.
[Yeonhee Woo has joined your party.]
[Congratulations. You have formed a party for the first time.]
First! I loved that word and almost screamed. I stared at the air.
[You have received a 鈥榖ronze box鈥?as your first-time reward.]
I received just a bronze box, but I could accept that. I was grateful for getting one since forming a party was not that much of a risk. However, maybe having Yeonhee Woo join my party was considered a risk.
Edited by Userunfriendly
