Chapter 3
‘D*mn it……’
This is incredibly awkward.
Why did I have to possess the body of a destitute hunter?
Right now, I don’t have a single penny to my name.
Moreover, the hunter Jin So-cheon had sold off his humble hut and small plot of land, which were all his possessions, to pay for his deceased wife’s medicine and medical expenses, leaving him a penniless wanderer.
“Old Man……”
“For your information, I don’t do credit.”
“Well…… It’s shameless of me to ask, but I don’t have any money right now. However, if you could just treat my daughter…… I’ll repay you somehow in the future.”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
“Huh?”
“Do you know how much my medical fees are? To receive a day’s treatment from me, you need to pay at least one gold ingot. But when do you plan to repay me while living as a hunter? This is absurd.”
I was the one who found it absurd.
One gold ingot was enough to buy a tiled house with a yard in the city and still have money left over.
But one gold ingot for a single day’s treatment!
“That’s a bit……”
“Of course, I’m not saying you have to pay with a gold ingot. However, the cost of medicine for you and your child is substantial, so I’m asking you to pay for that.”
“If you give me some time, I’ll work and pay you back, even if it means selling my labor.”
“Forget about the money.”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you say you were a penniless beggar?”
“That’s true, but……”
“Then how do you plan to pay for the Guzisinyeopcho?”
“……”
“Work as a farmhand at my mountain villa for the time being. I’ll consider your wages as three meals a day and the rest of your treatment.”
◈ ◈ ◈
‘He’s a strange fellow. If he’s weak enough to be injured by a mere wolf, he must not have trained in martial arts…… How can he recover so quickly from such severe injuries in just one day!’
The Old Man couldn’t comprehend Jin So-cheon’s incredible recovery ability.
Not to be arrogant, but he had been certain for the past ten years that his medical skills were among the best of his time.
However, seeing Jin So-cheon, an ordinary hunter, recovering from serious bites in just one day made him feel like the medical beliefs he had built up over fifty years were crumbling.
Moreover, the perseverance the Old Man saw in Jin So-cheon was not human.
Since his body hadn’t fully recovered from his injuries, he hadn’t expected much and had simply instructed him to chop some firewood.
Thump…… Thump!
Crack━!
Jin So-cheon completely overturned his expectations.
Thump…… Thump!
Crack━!
Dragging his heavy body, he continued to chop firewood, sweating profusely in the middle of winter.
Thump…… Thump!
Crack━!
‘That guy is different from ordinary humans…… There’s something about him. I think I should observe him and study his strange body.’
The Old Man clicked his tongue as he watched Jin So-cheon relentlessly swinging the axe with an indifferent look.
He had dealt with many human bodies in his life.
Ordinary people, those who practiced martial arts, and even those whose bodies were made like zombies through the sorcery of the Demonic Cult.
The Old Man, who had become a renowned divine doctor through countless clinical experiences, had never seen or heard of a constitution like Jin So-cheon’s.
Above all,
‘That guy must be in excruciating pain right now. But to chop firewood without even a single groan…… Not only his body but his mental strength is truly astounding.’
The Old Man was moved by Jin So-cheon’s strong determination.
‘I was confident that I had attained a considerable understanding of the truths of the world……’
“Hehe.”
Seeing Jin So-cheon, a wry smile naturally escaped his lips.
“Old Man, I’ve chopped all the firewood. What should I do now?”
“Do you know something?”
“Huh?”
“You’re bleeding from your side right now.”
“Ah…… I thought it was sweat…… It felt damp.”
“Chuckle.”
“……?”
“We need to disinfect the wound and suture it again, so come inside.”
◈ ◈ ◈
The next day.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I went out to check on So-yun’s condition.
So-yun was still unconscious.
However, hearing So-yun’s breathing, which had become more stable than yesterday, I felt relieved and asked the Old Man for permission before heading alone to a secluded bamboo forest.
Whiiiiish━!
The blizzard on Mount Zhongnan was truly fierce.
Perhaps it felt that way because my body hadn’t fully recovered, but I suddenly thought that Jin So-cheon’s life, having to go hunting with his daughter on his back in this freezing cold, was no different from my miserable life as an assassin in my previous life.
‘Your fate and mine…… are equally unfortunate.’
But I quickly cleared my mind of such thoughts.
Now was not the time to indulge in sentimentality.
Slap━.
I sat in the lotus position in the middle of the bamboo forest, where only the sound of the biting wind echoed desolately, and closed my eyes.
“Hooop……”
As I regulated my breathing according to the principles of the Nature Meridian, a force of an unspecified attribute slowly emerged from my lower dantian.
“Heup……”
I persistently tried to grasp, follow, and cling to the tail of that faint force.
Humans are inherently born with one of the five attributes of nature.
The Nature Meridian is a kind of ‘internal energy alternative’ that refines and processes human nature and transforms it into ‘internal strength.’ This body possessed the attribute of Force among Wind, Thunder, Water, Fire, and Force.
‘Force……’
It was somewhat unexpected.
Generally, the Force attribute manifests in individuals with a warrior-like physique, but this body didn’t exhibit any such characteristics.
‘This is a good thing. At least for me right now.’
Indeed.
The Force attribute is significantly faster to acquire compared to other attributes.
Therefore, even though this body wasn’t suitable for learning martial arts, I could drastically enhance its physical abilities according to the training method.
‘I……’
The current me.
Needed to accumulate strength as quickly as possible.
Honestly, I couldn’t be sure whether I could take revenge on the Demonic Cult in the future.
No.
Seeking revenge on the Demonic Cult, which housed a hundred thousand followers, with a body devoid of even a sliver of internal energy would be a ludicrous delusion.
But I had no intention of giving up.
Of course, if I could regain the strength of my previous life in a short period and if fortune favored me with various opportunities to absorb.
Furthermore, if I could build a massive force with numerous allies at the helm.
Revenge might not be just a dream.
However, such a thing could never be achieved overnight.
Nevertheless.
I would throw myself into this seemingly endless fight.
Someday, I would definitely return to the h*ll that is the Demonic Cult…… and personally end the life of the man who was once my master.
“Hoooooop……!”
The vital energy of the Force attribute gradually moved from the lower dantian to the lower dantian.
Then, from the lower dantian, it penetrated the upper dantian and finally surged throughout my entire body.
As a result, the excruciating muscle pain and the throbbing pain from the fractures gradually subsided.
‘As expected, the Force attribute is excellent for recovery. If I maintain this focused breathing state…… I’ll be able to shake off my injuries quickly.’
Whiiiiish━!
The cold wind brushed past my hair once again.
However, as the energy of the Force attribute swept through the meridians of my body, even the biting cold felt as warm as a spring breeze.
‘……’
Once again, I contemplated the fact that I had become a reincarnator.
Many thoughts fluttered through the empty space of my consciousness.
However, I didn’t get entangled in distracting thoughts or anxieties.
After all, I was a man who had been abducted by the Demonic Cult against my will, survived a 3000:1 competition, become a top-class assassin, and ultimately earned the title of the Greatest Assassin of All Time.
My existence itself was a miracle, and the footsteps of my life were a legend.
Therefore, there was nothing truly surprising to me anymore.
◈ ◈ ◈
“……!”
“The fellow who said he was going out for some fresh air at the crack of dawn has returned at sunset. Are you out of your mind? Didn’t I tell you? You’re a farmhand now. But……”
“Shh.”
I immediately cut the Old Man’s words short by placing my index finger on my lips.
The reason was,
“Hee…… Daddy!”
So-yun, who hadn’t been able to open her eyes until this morning, had regained consciousness and was smiling brightly.
“……”
Surprisingly, at this moment.
I was engulfed in agony.
My instincts were constantly urging me to pick up the child, but my mind strongly resisted.
‘Ha……’
It was truly unbearable.
To put it simply, it felt like my instincts and reason were clashing thousands of times in an instant.
Yes.
The child was cute to me too.
I found this little girl named Jin So-yun adorable.
Anyone would feel that way upon seeing Jin So-yun.
However, that was merely a realm of universal sentiment.
Just because you see something beautiful and cute doesn’t mean you’ll automatically love it, right?
For instance, just because you see a vibrant flower doesn’t mean everyone wants to pluck it.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
I could count on one hand the number of times I had felt this awkward since becoming an assassin.
Unable to do anything, I stood there for a moment, awkwardly staring blankly at Jin So-yun.
Then,
“Hee? Daddy!”
Jin So-yun toddled towards me.
Seeing that, my mind became increasingly complicated.
But that was only for a moment.
Thud━.
As Jin So-yun wrapped her arms around my legs and tightly clutched my pants with her tiny hands,
‘……’
My body’s instincts pushed a wave of emotions like a typhoon into my heart.
“Anna! Anna! Daddy, Anna!”
“So-yun…… Ah.”
“Anna! Ppali, Ppali. Daddy, Anna!”
Her pronunciation wasn’t perfect, but my body remembered Jin So-yun’s mumbled words.
Jin So-yun was telling me to pick her up quickly.
“What are you doing?”
At that moment, the Old Man spoke again in a gruff tone.
“Looking closely, you seem like a fool. Why are you standing there like an idiot when that cute thing is asking you to hold her?”
“Ah……”
“Aah! Can’t you stop with that Ah! sound?”
“……Yes.”
“Hold her right now. She’s a grateful child who regained consciousness two days earlier than expected.”
I had no choice but to stare at Jin So-yun and then swiftly lift her into my arms.
“Hehehe! Daddy, are you okay?”
“Huh?”
“Daddy! Are you okay?”
“Ah…… I’m okay.”
According to my body’s memories, Jin So-yun had just turned three years old.
Usually, three-year-olds can’t speak this well.
It seemed this child was quite bright…… a genius, perhaps.
“Daddy okay! Yuni okay too!”
Jin So-yun giggled and snuggled into my arms.
Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by an unfamiliar emotion I had never felt before.
“……”
Yes.
I was once this small too.
Before I lost my parents, I too would snuggle into my mom and dad’s arms and act cute.
Only then could I understand the true nature of this unfamiliar emotion.
‘I saw myself in this child……’
Indeed.
For a moment, I must have projected the previous Jin So-cheon onto Jin So-yun.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Daddy? Hehe.”
Jin So-yun kept smiling as she looked at my face.
Although she was still young and innocent, she seemed to remember my dying moments and her own near-death experience. It was clear that she knew her daddy and she had come back to life, that they had moved far away from the harsh cold and the shadow of death.
“So-yun……”
In any case.
“From now on……”
I had become a……
“I won’t let you be in danger ever again.”
‘Daddy’ against all odds.