Blood Demon of the Past Life – Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Hero of Kitakyushu （2）

Kang San now knew Nakamura Genji’s story.

He was once a promising talent who was in charge of the Yain-dae, but he gave up everything and came down to Kitakyushu due to the disappearance of his family. Behind his business-like demeanor, there was a special story. In fact, there would be no one here who didn’t have a story, but his words were still welcome.

“I’m glad your family is safe.”

He meant it.

Whenever he met people who expressed their gratitude like Nakamura Genji, he felt that his sacrifice was not in vain.

However.

“…They are not alive. To be precise, it would be correct to say that I found traces of my parents.”

“Huh?”

It was a perplexing answer.

Kang San naturally thought that the story of finding his family meant that they were alive.

“Actually, I expected it to some extent. The reason why many people survived even after the large-scale Link incident was not because the disaster was weak, but because there were that many casualties. A thousand survivors may seem like a large number at first glance, but in reality, a thousand people out of hundreds of thousands cannot be considered a large number. My parents were ordinary people, and they were suffering from illnesses, so their mobility would have been limited. It would have been virtually impossible for them to survive under such conditions.”

“But are you okay? You’ve been trying to find your family all this time.”

“It would be a lie if I said I was okay. However, the reason I couldn’t let go of my lingering attachment until the end was because I couldn’t give up the possibility that my parents might still be alive. But a little while ago, I found something that could be considered a trace of my parents. Based on the testimonies of survivors and DNA testing, it was confirmed that my parents had virtually died the moment the large-scale Link incident broke out. Funnily enough, I feel a little relieved now. I had already accepted the death of my parents in my heart, but it was hard to live while denying it. If Kang San-nim hadn’t solved the fundamental problem, I would still be clinging to a thread of hope as a sensitive civil servant in Kitakyushu.”

It was a complex issue.

Kang San couldn’t readily empathize with Nakamura Genji’s feelings.

He looked sad.

Even though he said he felt relieved, the appearance before his eyes was definitely not the face of a happy person.

Nakamura Genji said,

“Thanks to Kang San-nim, the people of Kitakyushu have found freedom. Thank you. Really, thank you.”

He bowed his head.

His sincerity could be felt.

Nakamura Genji, who then raised his head, met Kang San’s gaze.

“There’s no reason for me to stay in Kitakyushu anymore. So, what I’m saying is, Kang San-nim, I want to help you with what you do in the future.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

For the past few days.

While searching the Red Zone after joining the extermination squad, Nakamura Genji discussed the future with Shuhei whenever he had time.

“What are you going to do in the future?”

“Well…”

“Now that the evil spirits and fog in the Red Zone are gone, finding your parents is only a matter of time. Then there will be no reason for you to stay in Kitakyushu anymore. If you say you want to come back to the Yain-dae, I’ll gladly make a place for you.”

Really.

He was a grateful friend.

Even though he took on everything with Nakamura Genji’s sudden choice, Shuhei said he would gladly give up his place. He knew that it meant the position of the Yain-dae leader. There was a time when he missed his past life, but Nakamura Genji had a change of heart after experiencing the recent events.

“No, I don’t intend to return to the Yain-dae. That’s your place. It’s not a place for me to take back as if it’s natural.”

“That’s not a problem. Everyone misses you.”

“Shuhei. Do you know what I thought while staying in Kitakyushu? This world quickly regained stability. Even at this moment, disasters are breaking out all over the world and people are dying, but we live our daily lives enjoying leisure and raising families. How much do you think people in the world know about the Kitakyushu incident? They don’t know as much as you think. It’s not even like ‘There was a disaster in Japan’, but there aren’t many people who even know that this happened. Especially in powerful countries like the United States.”

It was a bitter reality.

Disasters became commonplace, and people didn’t pay much attention to stories from across the sea.

Kitakyushu’s story only.

That’s how it stagnated and rotted for three years.

Because protecting themselves came first, no country readily focused on the Kitakyushu incident.

“I want to live as I please for a while. I don’t know why I became a Hunter anymore.”

“…Okay. Do as you please.”

He turned his head.

Shuhei, who was looking in the same direction as Nakamura Genji, suddenly blurted out a thought that came to mind.

“But you know that? The Hero of Kitakyushu. He’s famous in Korea too.”

“What do you mean?”

“This incident wasn’t accidental. Apparently, Kang San-nim is also famous for saving many people in Korea. The reason he chose to come to Japan must have been to help us with our difficulties from the beginning.”

“…”

Why?

Nakamura Genji had complicated thoughts.

What was Kang San thinking, crossing the sea to help the people of Kitakyushu?

No one forced him to dedicate himself.

No one asked for help.

It was his own will.

Kang San’s goodwill created the miracle of Kitakyushu.

“He’s an amazing person.”

The words he uttered unconsciously lingered in his mouth for a while.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Nakamura Genji said,

“I left the Yain-dae and lived with the sole determination to save my parents. And now that I’ve lost my purpose in life, I heard that Kang San-nim helped people even before he came to Kitakyushu. I want to help with that. Just as Kang San-nim showed goodwill without asking for anything in return, I want the power I have to be used meaningfully.”

It was sudden.

A new companion.

It was something he hadn’t expected.

When Kang San couldn’t readily answer, Nakamura Genji added,

“It might sound a little arrogant, but I don’t think my skills are inferior to others. I was rated A-rank by the Japanese government, and aside from the rank itself, I have experienced countless real battles while working with the Yain-dae. I will definitely be helpful. And if it’s something Kang San-nim is trying to do, I will stay with you until the end, even if it means entering a dangerous situation.”

Before coming to find Kang San.

He had already submitted his resignation.

He expressed his determination to persuade Kang San with his eyes.

Actually, it wasn’t a bad offer.

Kang San’s party was currently unbalanced.

The tanker line consisting of Kang San and Jeong Chan-woo was excellent, but the only people who existed as dealers were Yeon Woo-bin and Jo Han-byeol. Usually, a party would also have a melee dealer and support like a Priest, but the structure of leaving the dealing entirely to Yeon Woo-bin was certainly not ideal.

To the current strength.

What if A-rank Nakamura Genji joined?

It would be excellent.

Not only would he solve the lack of melee damage, but he also had a lot of practical experience, enough to be the leader of the Yain-dae.

But.

He couldn’t make the decision alone.

His younger siblings followed Kang San wholeheartedly, but a party doesn’t move by the will of one person.

“…I understand Mr. Genji’s opinion for now. I’ll talk to my companions and let you know what we’ll do.”

“I understand. I’ll be waiting.”

On hold.

Kang San postponed the decision for now.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Kang San immediately went to his younger siblings.

He was going to discuss the matter of Nakamura Genji, but before that, he encountered a familiar situation as if he had copied and pasted it.

“Please accept us.”

“I want to be with Kang San-nim.”

Jessica and Eileen sisters.

They came to him.

Jessica said,

“When I briefly worked with Kang San-nim in the Red Zone, I felt a sense of stability for the first time in my life. Ah, I thought I would be safe with this person. At least until he collapses, he’s not someone who would put his colleagues in danger. So, I thought it would be good to be together. Of course, I don’t mean to rely on you unilaterally. I heard that Kang San-nim’s party doesn’t have a position like me who can handle scouting and dealing support, and a Priest, what do you think? You can match the party ratio to the minimum.”

Party members joined one after another like vines.

Jessica’s rank was B-rank.

As she said, she was a necessary presence.

An assassin-type Awakened could fill the lack of damage with scouting and surprise attacks, and Eileen, the Priest, needed no explanation. The picture itself fit perfectly. Furthermore, if they were people who were grateful to him, there was no need to worry much about the harmony of the party.

Is that why?

Kang San rather expressed his concerns.

“…If you two join, it will definitely help us strengthen our power. But first, I must tell you that our party is different from ordinary parties. We don’t just choose safe raids, but often help people and put ourselves in difficult situations, depending on the circumstances. This means that things like what happened in Kitakyushu could happen on a daily basis. Are you still okay with that? With your abilities, you could have other options instead of this thorny path.”

Jessica, Eileen, and Nakamura Genji.

They were different.

If Nakamura Genji volunteered to emulate goodwill and sacrifice from the beginning, Jessica and Eileen decided that joining Kang San’s party was beneficial. Then there was bound to be a problem. Kang San was someone who could face trials anytime, anywhere, and Jo Han-byeol and the others chose to accompany him even though they knew that.

Then.

Jessica and Eileen also needed to know that.

When the moment came when they were forced to choose, their change of heart could put Kang San in danger.

Eileen said,

“…I like the thorny path if it’s with Kang San-nim.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. When the monsters were slaughtering the survivors, I saw Kang San-nim draw their attention, saying he would save those people. That was definitely goodwill. Even if he had to endure hardships himself, if that choice helped save people, he didn’t hesitate for a moment. Not only do we have faith in Kang San-nim, but we also thought that the person to whom we dedicate our talents is worth it. And there’s another reason why we have to be together.”

“Another reason?”

Their eyes met.

Eileen’s eyes showed no wall towards Kang San.

“I took a personal rank test a few days ago. Even though I’m over 20 years old and naturally Awakened later in life, I received a B-rank as a result of the test. But the examiner said this. He said the ability of the skill itself was A-rank, but he had no choice but to give me a B-rank because it was conditional.”

Heal.

Cure.

Similar healing skills.

Eileen not only met the conditions of a Priest, but she also possessed a very special skill.

“I have a skill called ‘Prayer’. It’s a skill that gathers people’s hearts to fulfill their wishes, and the moment Kang San-nim returned after defeating the evil spirits, I heard the message that ‘Growth-type Skill’ had Awakened. Check this out.”

She opened her skill window.

Kang San checked the effect in front of him.

『Growth-type Skill』

『Prayer』

1. Gathers hearts to grant a buff to a specific target. The more people participate in the prayer, the greater the effect of the buff.

2. Can set one person as the object of worship.

The second effect.

The word ‘worship’ caught his eye.

Eileen’s voice was heard.

“The object of worship cannot be changed, and it’s a skill that grants a special buff to the one person I serve with my heart. And that target is…”

『Object of Worship: Kang San』

“It’s Kang San-nim.”