Together with Go Ye-jin, we arrived at the Baekbanjip restaurant. She quickly became friendly with the owner and his wife, as if she had been a regular for ten years. And then she explained the reason why she suddenly approached me.
“Transcendent Choi Jun-ho is so elusive that I thought it would be difficult to meet you. So I followed Team Leader Jung Da-hyun, who is your former supervisor. I heard that the two of you often have meals together.”
She had followed Jung Da-hyun for almost a month and finally succeeded in meeting me.
I thought she was a master at title creation, but she was also a pro at persistence.
When I asked if she was an Awakened, Go Ye-jin nodded.
“Yes! I’m an Awakened. I didn’t have the talent, so I gave up. Hehe, Auntie, please add another bottle of water here! The soybean paste stew is so delicious.”
Jung Da-hyun’s expression next to me wasn’t particularly bright. Was it not tasty? It tasted the same as usual.
I continued the conversation with Go Ye-jin.
“What would be your article about?”
“Oh! Recently, Transcendent Choi Jun-ho has become extremely popular because you hunted Nuri. Can you feel that?”
“Not really.”
Even villains didn’t recognize me.
Jung Da-hyun was more famous.
“Oh? First of all, Transcendent Choi Jun-ho’s popularity on the internet is remarkable. Before, there were some comments that doubted you, but now it’s all praise! You may not have personally experienced it, but if you were to attend events where you can be recognized, you will certainly feel how your popularity increased several times over. Naturally, if you were to be covered by the media, you would receive high viewership numbers.”
“Even without media coverage, it seems like there are a lot of views?”
At first glance, Go Ye-jin’s articles had a much higher number of views than others.
Go Ye-jin smiled shyly.
“I’m a bit confident in that area...”
“You’ve come up with a lot of interesting titles.”
“I’m sorry! I was wrong! Please spare me!”
She immediately contemplated her actions and begged.
“I won’t kill you.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
“I’ll have to think about it a bit more before I give you an answer. I’m going to take advice from those around me before I make a decision.”
“Yes! Please contact me anytime when you’re comfortable, and I’ll come running!”
Go Ye-jin handed me her business card. Accepting that, the conversation paused, and we took a moment to focus on our meal.
“Have any organizations been bothering you lately?”
“What kind of organizations?”
“Well, you know, a Transcendent made a lot of money. So, I thought charity organizations or something like that might try to contact you...”
“I’ve never encountered that.”
“Oh, really? That’s strange. Charitable organizations are practically scrambling to get in touch with you.”
“Oh.”
I remembered that I had told Oh Jong-su to unplug the phone line. That’s why I hadn’t received any calls. They must have reached out elsewhere.
By the way, charity. It’s embarrassing, but it’s a word I haven’t thought about at all.
“Charity is a good thing.”
“Yes? Really?”
Both Go Ye-jin and Jung Da-hyun looked surprised by my response.
I wondered if I had said something wrong.
“Isn’t charity a good thing?”
“Uh, yes! Of course!”
“Why do you ask?”
“No, it’s nothing at all.”
When Jung Da-hyun interjected as she watched Go Ye-jin sparkle with curiosity, she said, “Wait a moment, Miss Reporter. Please don’t use this for an article.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Disappointment briefly crossed Go Ye-jin’s face.
“Is there a problem?”
“Not really...”
“It could become bothersome.”
“It’s alright. I’ve disconnected the phone line.”
“Oh, that’s why I couldn’t reach you.”
“Thank goodness. That’s great.”
I thought she might contact me from somewhere else.
We finished our meal and had a drink at a café. Go Ye-jin explained the situation surrounding me from the perspective of a journalist, saying things like the economic impact being 100 trillion won or South Korea’s security ranking rising five levels.
Even Jung Da-hyun, who had been listening absentmindedly, became genuinely interested.
The part about overseas assignments was especially fascinating to me.
Transcendent had more influence than I had thought, and most cases involved intricate political relationships.
I realized that I was quite free.
“Please be sure to contact me! Until we meet again, I’ll diligently write articles about Transcendent Choi Jun-ho.”
“I expect more sensational headlines.”
“Got it! I’ll do my best to write more stimulating ones!”
Could it get more stimulating than the titles I had seen today?
“She’s quite an energetic person.”
“That’s true.”
But what was Go Ye-jin’s Gift?
***
Mentioning the charity organization made me realize that I had never really thought about donating before.
Using my hard-earned money to help someone else. In my previous life, I lived a mediocre life and only awakened to my potential later, so I never had the chance to consider it. In this new life, I had been too busy adapting while working as a government hunter to think about it.
Maybe I should look into donating?
“Thanks to you, the place where I should be dealing with security for awakened individuals is now being plagued by charitable organizations.”
I was summoned by Cheon Myung-guk to the Blue House and had to listen to his prickly words.
“Oh, I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. Even though it’s been a struggle, it’s actually more convenient for me to be able to control the situation from this side.”
“Then please continue to do so.”
“......”
Was it okay, or was it not okay?
What a confusing guy.
“I’ll reconnect the phone line.”
Under some unspoken pressure, I changed my words.
“Soon, a diplomatic delegation sent from allied countries, starting with the United States, will arrive.”
“Do I have to participate in that?”
“Of course.”
Strange, this didn’t sound like what Lee Se-hee said.
“I’ve heard from people around me that there could be troublesome incidents. There are things like exchange battles, too.”
“Surely you’re not saying that because it’s troublesome, are you?”
What a ghost. Why were there so many people around me who could read minds?
“It’s not like that. But I heard there could be confrontations with other Transcendent, and I don’t have the confidence not to kill them.”
“Not killing them means...”
“I might accidentally kill them.”
How could one engage in a confrontation without killing?
The most challenging thing for me was controlling my strength. I didn’t have the confidence not to kill. I would willingly accept a challenge if I was free to kill them, but it didn’t seem possible.
I thought it might be better to provoke them into a fight, shouting that I would kill them.
“I can’t stop my hand most of the time.”
“You’re not doing it on purpose?”
“No.”
“...”
It’s kind of embarrassing to say this. I was a government hunter who became a state-certified Transcendent to serve the country, and I was saying it’s hard to spare a person’s life.
Once I became sane, I was experiencing things I hadn’t experienced when I was a villain.
But how could one engage in confrontations and still spare the life of the other party?
“I’ll try my best to minimize conflicts. However, the President may have other orders.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
If Cheon Myeong-guk was doing his best, this should be enough.
“And the Nuri settlement funds will be deposited soon.”
“That’s fast.”
“Is it okay for the person receiving the money to be so indifferent? Anyway, once you receive the money, various organizations, including charitable ones, will pester you.”
Cheon Myeong-guk said that even if one tried to conceal information, details about the money would definitely become public.
“Even existing Transcendent have had a hard time dealing with the leeches who are after money. I know that Transcendent Choi Jun-ho isn’t too greedy in that regard, but it wouldn’t hurt to manage things in advance.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Cheon Myeong-guk mumbled, “I’m worried you might kill those leeches, too.”
I couldn’t hear what he said, but he was talking to himself, so I ignored it. He must be under a lot of stress.
“Oh! And you’re giving a special lecture soon.”
“A special lecture?”
“Headmaster Go Myung-hak requested it. He wants you to teach the students a thing or two before the battle exchange.”
“Go Myung-hak-nim. He’s truly an exceptional person. I think the phrase ‘extraordinary’ might have been made for him.”
“He’s a great person.”
Despite that, it seemed like there was quite a bit of frustration building up inside him.
“Please, I beg you, be gentle with the students.”
“I won’t kill them, don’t worry.”
Of course, it’s a lie. There were some Academy problem children who would become villains in the future, so if they crossed the line, I planned to take them down.
But what could I teach the students? I hadn’t really thought of it.
What I was good at ultimately involved killing something.
That’s too much, so I should teach them how to use Force, or how to open Gifts, or something.
***
Two days after my conversation with Cheon Myeong-guk, over 2 trillion won was deposited.
Honestly, it didn’t feel real. It was such a huge sum of money. With this, I could eat whatever I wanted and buy whatever I desired.
But that was it.
Money doesn’t mean much to me. I just needed money to eat what I wanted to eat and buy what I wanted to buy. I didn’t think I had ever felt short of money since becoming a government hunter.
The moments when I needed money were when I had to cover Oh Jong-su’s medical expenses and buy a house in Seoul for my parents.
Even those were easily resolved by going hunting on the same day.
“I really don’t know what to do with it.”
Maybe I should consider charity.
I had never seriously thought about it, but charity didn’t seem like a bad choice. If I could bring hope to someone’s life with the money I earned, wouldn’t that be a valuable thing, too?
Upon reflection, I realized that my actions in my past life involved a recurring pattern of causing harm or negative consequences. I thought it would be nice to be recognized as someone who donated a lot. I could also create scholarships in my name, and contribute research funds to the Sacred Guild Research Institute.
But how much should I give? Honestly, even if I gave some allowance to Yoon-hee and contribute to the Sacred Guild Research Institute, there would still be quite a lot left.
When I mentioned this to Yoon-hee, she didn’t respond with praise but with a scream.
“Are you crazy? Why did you suddenly become interested in that?”
“What, charity?”
“Yeah. Why are you suddenly trying to do something you’ve never done before?”
“Isn’t it okay?”
“No, it’s not!”
“Why?”
I couldn’t understand Yoon-hee’s screaming.
“Do you know what they do with the money they get from donations? They’ll change cars, go out to dinner, and go to workshops because someone like Oppa donated!”
“Yoon-hee.”
“Yeah?”
I felt sorry for Yoon-hee. She should see the world with more beauty, but she seemed too jaded.
“Those are just isolated cases. There are also many people who volunteer with good intentions. So, don’t look at it with such a biased perspective...”
“Oh, seriously! Ah! Frustrating!”
Leaving Yoon-hee, who was pounding her chest, behind, I went into the room to change my clothes and then came out. It seemed like Yoon-hee still hadn’t calmed down, as she drank cold water vigorously and then looked at me with a stern expression before rushing towards me.
“So, are you really going to do it?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
“I told you not to.”
“Do you really want me not to do it?”
“Yes...”
“But I want to.”
“......”
Yoon-hee’s fiery spirit had weakened. Then she withdrew her anger and took a deep breath, stepping back.
“Ah! I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it. It’s not even my money, so I can’t push it too far. Just donate a little instead. Don’t just give away a huge amount for no reason, saying you don’t care about money. Got it?”
Was I really that bad with money? I didn’t mind having a caring younger sister like her, so I agreed without resistance.
“I got it.”
“How much are you going to donate?”
“About half a trillion?”
“One trillion? Hey, are you crazy?!”
I made one joke and had to endure a waterfall of scolding.
***
The next day, when I arrived at the National Security Agency, the surroundings were filled with noisy phone calls.
The way everyone looked at me was not very nice, but I understood the situation when Jung Ju-ho, who had taken me to the director’s office, said.
“People are making a fuss everywhere because of the money you received. Why are all these inquiries pouring in here?”
I remembered something I had forgotten.
“I forgot to connect the phone line.”
“Don’t lie! Did you do it on purpose? Do you know how many people are dying here because of these never-ending phone calls?”
“I’ll apologize later.”
“Will the people here just accept a few words of apology? Huh?”
“You’ll find out when I do it later.”
True apologies required a certain amount of sincerity.
By the way, I didn’t know there were so many organizations wanting donations.
It seemed that Jung Ju-ho was curious about my willingness to donate as well.
“Are you really going to donate?”
“I have to.”
“How much?”
“A reasonable amount?”
“I don’t know what your ‘reasonable’ is. Anyway, just end this situation quickly.”
“Okay.”
Jung Ju-ho sent me out of the director’s office, telling me to clean up the mess.
I went around the National Security Agency and apologized. The incident that happened because of me led to cheers as I promised to treat them to an expensive meal soon.
Seeing that even such a mistake could be easily compensated for, money seemed to be a very useful tool.
I informed the National Security Agency members of the conditions I wanted.
While Yoon-hee’s nagging was relentless, I had a firm belief that if I were to make a donation, I would set some basic conditions. If the conditions are met, I am willing to offer a substantial amount.
After circling around like that, he encountered Jung Da-hyun, who had just finished patrolling.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“I heard you’re also going to donate, which is great.”
“But Yoon-hee kept nagging me.”
“There are organizations out there that are a cause for worry. But I know you’ll choose well, Oppa.”
“To be honest, I’m not sure which ones are good.”
“It would be better to investigate and then decide.”
The world was vast, and there were many people in need.
There were so many charitable organizations out there, it’s hard to know where to start.
The fortunate thing was that I had a lot of money now and the ability to help others.
“If there are too many conditions for the donation, it’s not good.”
“Yes, but...”
“I only set one condition.”
“What condition is it?”
“They will give me the authority to check how the donated money is being used.”
It’s only natural to see where and how the money I donated was being used.
Jung Da-hyun, who was full of concerns about my words, looked contemplative.
“If they misuse the money you donated...”
“Well, charitable organizations wouldn’t do that. They wouldn’t take donations and use them for themselves, right? That’s what villains do.”
And if they’re villains, they should be eliminated.
“I didn’t know there were so many places with good intentions in the world. Many of them will contact me tomorrow.”
“......”
And the next day.
I didn’t hear from a single organization that had received my intentions.
