Chapter 35

I Am Not a Reincarnator Chapter 35

Paradise (2)

“Ah.”

The cold wind seeping through the window.

Song Haeun, lying under the blanket on the bed, shivered.

‘It’s freezing.’

Fortunately, she had the body of a superhuman; otherwise, this temperature could have been life-threatening.

‘The boiler… don’t turn it on.’

Although Oh Jin had said it was okay to turn it on if it got too cold, she hesitated, remembering his groans when he received the maintenance bill.

“Sigh. I’ll just have to endure with the electric blanket for now.”

Living like this for a few years had made her somewhat accustomed to it.

Click.

She fumbled for the electric blanket’s switch and turned it on.

“Hah.”

She sighed, then reached for her smartphone.

Though she couldn’t see the screen, she was familiar enough with handling it in this state to easily turn on a video summarizing the latest news.

[The incident at Seoul Station yesterday afternoon has drawn attention to Awakened Oh Jin, a member of the Association.]

[Netizens who saw the article have bestowed the title ‘Raiwolf’ on Awakened Oh Jin, praising him as a new hero.]

The news was all about Oh Jin.

“Wow… I thought it might happen, but it really did.”

She had expected this ever since he told her he became a Disciple of the North Star, but hearing his name in the news still felt strange.

‘Now that he’s this famous… he’ll probably gather money quickly.’

A bitter smile formed on Song Haeun’s lips.

She instinctively knew that the time to part ways with him was drawing near.

“…Well then.”

This time, she searched for and played a different video.

[The list of holy relics to be auctioned at the December Yongsan auction in two days has been finalized.]

[Notable items include the 7-star holy relics ‘Dawn’s Sword’ and ‘Twilight’s Knot,’ and the 6-star holy relic ‘Dragon’s Eye,’ which will make its appearance after 1 year and 3 months. Among others…]

Beep.

She turned off the video.

“Dragon’s Eye….”

She whispered the name, her voice trembling.

Grip.

The veins on her clenched fist stood out.

At that moment.

[Are you awake now?]

“AAAAH!!”

A voice right next to her made Haeun scream and jump up.

“What, what is it?”

[Why are you so surprised?]

“Didn’t Oh Jin go out with Vega?”

About an hour ago, Oh Jin had left, saying he had business at the Association.

She naturally assumed he went with Vega.

[You left the pendant behind.]

It seemed the business didn’t require Vega’s presence.

“…R-right?”

An awkward atmosphere filled the room.

This was the first time she and Vega were talking alone.

“But if a Constellation appears on Earth, don’t they face some kind of restriction from the Law?”

[It’s fine for a few hours a day.]

“Hmm.”

[There’s something I want to ask you.]

“Ask me?”

Haeun tilted her head.

[My child seems quite obsessed with money.]

“Ah… yeah, that’s true.”

[Do you know why?]

“…”

Haeun’s mouth tightened.

A bitter smile formed on her lips.

The reason Oh Jin desperately gathered money.

Of course, she knew.

She couldn’t not know, since she heard it directly from his mouth.

“To go to Paradise.”

She said it as if swallowing a bitter drink.

[Paradise?]

Vega blinked, confused by the abstract term.

“Ah, Paradise is just what people call it. The official name is the Ganghwa Special Autonomous Zone.”

[Hmm. I still don’t understand.]

“Well… let me explain.”

Haeun began her explanation.

The Ganghwa Special Autonomous Zone.

Commonly known as ‘Paradise.’

One of the few ‘safe zones’ in this crazy world overrun by monsters.

No gates, no monsters.

Even vicious criminals and illegal organizations can’t enter.

And.

“I’ve heard that once you move in, you get three meals a day.”

A place where you don’t have to worry about food, shelter, or clothing.

The only place that maintains the peaceful and comfortable pre-gate Korea.

“—Oh Jin is gathering money to buy a residency permit there.”

The price of a ‘Paradise’ residency permit is 100 billion won.

If you can pay 100 billion won to move in, you won’t have to worry about anything afterward.

You can just live a peaceful, everyday life.

[…Is there such a place?]

Vega’s eyes widened in disbelief.

[I don’t understand. How can they call it a ‘safe zone’…]

“There’s the Celestial Wolf, Cheon Sanggil, and his guild members living there.”

Celestial Wolf, Cheon Sanggil.

The only Korean member of the Seven Stars.

Ganghwa is directly managed by Cheon Sanggil and his guild, ‘Heaven’s Favor.’

If it’s not called a safe zone, what else would you call it?

“It’s a place that rich businesspeople, celebrities, and Awakened people are all vying to get into.”

[So my child is earning money to move there?]

“Yeah.”

[Hmm.]

Still not understanding.

Vega sighed.

Song Haeun smiled faintly and said,

“…Do you know what his dream was when he was a kid?”

Her voice was low.

Her hollow gaze wandered through the foggy forest of memories.

She saw a child.

Black hair, slightly upturned eyes.

A boy huddled, stroking his bruised cheek.

[What was it?]

“To live in a place where there’s no pain, no cold, and no hunger.”

[…?]

“Kyahaha! Isn’t it quite simple?”

She laughed, her shoulders shaking.

“But….”

She continued, as if spitting out the words.

“That simple happiness feels so far away for us.”

[…]

Vega was silent.

Emotions.

A deep, turbulent current of emotions was felt.

[Did someone oppress my child?]

“Yeah. Our orphanage director.”

Song Haeun bit her lip, recalling her childhood memories.

“I was really beaten every day. Other kids were sometimes hit, but… Oh Jin was hit the most.”

[Was there a reason?]

“…Yeah.”

Her voice trembled.

“Originally… it was me. Not Oh Jin, but I was the director’s main target.”

[…]

“Haha! I had a bit of a temper even when I was young.”

A self-deprecating laugh.

“But… being hit all the time was really hard. I even thought about strangling the director to get back at him.”

[Could you not ask for help from other kids?]

“Ten-year-old kids, what help? And the director had good connections, so even if I asked for help, it was all ignored.”

[…It must have been hard.]

“Yeah. It was really, really hard.”

Recalling the nightmare, Haeun bit her lip hard.

“One day, I bit the director’s arm really hard. I was getting beaten all day… Puh! Do you know what that crazy guy Oh Jin did?”

Vega shook her head.

Though she couldn’t see, Haeun continued.

“He suddenly said there was a fire in the kitchen and we had to run. The director screamed and ran outside.”

[So what happened?]

“What happened? The director was the only one who got embarrassed.”

[…?]

“Hahaha! It was a lie. There was no fire.”

Haeun burst into laughter, finding it funny even now.

“Oh Jin that guy really tricked the director like it was nothing. No matter how much he was beaten, the next day he would come up with some outrageous way to get back at the director.”

[So… the target changed from you to Oh Jin?]

“…Yeah.”

Song Haeun pulled her knees up and rested her head on them.

“To be honest, I… felt relieved. I thought I wouldn’t be hit anymore… I was really, really happy.”

Drip.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Her arms, hugging her knees, trembled.

“I knew he was doing it for me… but… but I still felt…!”

[It’s not your fault.]

“…”

A short silence.

“Yeah. Oh Jin said the same thing.”

[…]

“Anyway. What he’s been hoping for… has been the same since he was a kid.”

No pain, no cold, no hunger.

“A life where you don’t have to lie to survive.”

That was his wish.

His desire, his longing.

“Oh Jin will go to Paradise.”

And.

She would have to part ways with him.

[Will you not go with him?]

“…I can’t.”

Song Haeun shook her head.

[Is it because of money?]

“That’s part of it… but even if I had the money, I wouldn’t pass the tests.”

[Tests?]

“Yeah. To enter ‘Paradise,’ you have to pass various tests and inspections.”

She gazed into the empty air with her sightless, gray eyes.

“A blind person can’t enter Paradise.”

A self-deprecating laugh.

Vega looked at her with a deeply sunken gaze.

[Then what will you do?]

“Well, I’ll have to figure it out on my own.”

[But.]

“Kyahaha! Oh, did you worry, my lady?”

[…]

“I was still a 7-star Awakened person until five years ago. I can survive on my own.”

Though she had lost everything now.

In the past, she was an Awakened person who ranked among the ‘strong.’

[…How did it come to this?]

“This?”

Song Haeun pointed to her empty right leg below her knee and her blind eyes.

She chuckled and continued.

“About five or six years ago. I fought a really strong monster and ended up like this.”

Barbathos, the Thousand-Cursed Dragon.

A monster of 9-star level.

She lost to him and was cursed.

A curse that took her sight and sealed her magic power.

“Anyway.”

Thud.

Song Haeun lay down on the bed.

The warm electric blanket chased away the cold.

“I made a promise with Oh Jin. Five years ago.”

[What kind of promise?]

“It wasn’t really a promise… more like a one-sided demand.”

Haeun smiled bitterly.

Naturally.

The memory of that time surfaced in her mind.

Narrow and dark.

A room full of mold where a short transaction took place.

-You’re going to buy a residency permit in Paradise?

-Yeah.

-…Then stay with me until then.

-Stay with you?

-You owe me for the past three years, right? I saved you and took care of you.

-…

-When you gather 100 billion won. Then you can go wherever you want.

-…Okay.

Oh Jin’s low voice echoed in her mind.

Yeah.

She had cursed him that day.

A curse that took away his life, just like hers.

The curse of ‘Song Haeun.’

“Hahaha! Wow, thinking about it now, I was quite a bitch!”

What was so amusing?

She clapped her hands and laughed.

“How could a non-Awakened person gather 100 billion won? What a ridiculous request.”

The promise was just an excuse.

To not be alone.

To keep him locked in this pitch-black darkness with her.

“…It’s karma.”

She never thought Oh Jin would become an Awakened person.

Let alone a Disciple of the North Star.

At least.

She thought she could stay with him for a few more years.

But he became an Awakened person of the Lyra constellation and became famous enough to be talked about in all the news.

It wouldn’t take long to gather 100 billion won.

—Divine punishment.

Yeah.

It was divine punishment for using him for her own stubbornness.

“Haha. So—”

Song Haeun leaned on her crutch and awkwardly stood up.

Bow.

She bowed deeply and said,

“Our Oh Jin… please take care of him.”

In a heavy, sunken voice.

Begging, pleading.

She said it.

[…]

Vega looked down at Song Haeun, who was deeply bowed, her arms crossed.

‘My child’s wish is to leave this boy and go to a place called Paradise?’

Still not understanding.

‘Then—why did he have that expression when he first met her?’

When she first met Song Haeun.

The expression Oh Jin had after she asked about her eyes.

An expression filled with desperation and urgency, as if searching for water in an endless desert.