Of course, there was little chance of such a thing happening, but fear was the biggest factor that caused great concern.
‘If that’s why they’re wary of Kwon Jae-hyuk…’
Well… power that cannot be controlled within one’s own hands is indeed frightening, that’s why the U.S. is trying to regulate other countries’ nuclear weapons.
However, Kwon Jae-hyuk was not controlled by the will of others like nuclear weapons. He could think for himself and had common sense, so it would be unreasonable for him to declare war on a country just because I died.
‘…I suppose so, right? I think so. Maybe.’
I felt a little flushed. It was a bit embarrassing to think that Kwon Jae-hyuk would act like that after my death. I felt kind of proud.
Anyway, I shook my head, dismissing the American’s thoughts as excessive.
“I admit there’s a lot of doubts about Jae-hyuk hyung, but he’s not the type of person to vent his anger for such absurd reasons.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I am!”
Rachel’s expression turned strange at my confident answer. There was a faint hint of resignation on her face, as if she thought, ‘What can I say, if that’s what you think…’
“Well, if Mr. Ki says it so confidently… All right, I’ll believe it. But others won’t.”
“I understand.”
“So we’re going to raise your caution level. And of course, Mr. Kwon’s will be raised as well.”
“Caution level?”
Rachel chuckled in response to my question. She drew a vertical line on the table with her finger, and pointed to where she expected the bottom of the line to be.
“In the past, those who had excellent abilities or had some kind of special power but were cooperative and could bring benefits to the United States were classified as level two. And nowadays, this much?”
Rachel pointed out half of the line a little higher than what she had pointed out earlier.
“At about level six, people have great power and the United States is cautious towards them. We Americans are cooperative people, and encourage them to be part of the U.S. as much as possible, and if we can’t, we protect, monitor, and keep them on their guard so that their power is not directed towards us.”
“…”
‘Of course I am not the one who decides this, so the level can be lower or higher than this. Your expression is not good. You don’t like it, do you?”
“Yes.”
Rachel giggled at my blunt answer. She seemed amused that I was expressing my feelings so openly.
“Of course you don’t like it. Being under unwanted protection and surveillance… I hope you think we’re doing that for Mr. Ki.”
“…”
“We could hide things like this from Mr. Ki, but what I said all without hiding it is that we value you.”
Having said that much, Rachel seemed to be choosing her words while fiddling with her fingers for a moment.
“I hid it for a reason, because if it comes back as a big misunderstanding, it won’t end well. Do you know that the biggest coward is the one who has a lot to lose? America has so much to lose. So far, we’ve been able to keep it because we’re the strongest, and that’s why we haven’t been seen as cowards. That’s why we want to get our hands on Mister Ki and Mister Kwon. If you became Americans, your caution level would be lowered again, but you don’t want that, do you?”
“That’s right.”
Rachel chuckled at my immediate answer.
“Mr. Ki, accept the protection of the United States. It may attract unwanted attention, but it can be useful in many ways. It could be helpful for your work, and even if it’s not, Mr. Ki could be safer in Korea. At least knowing that there is the U.S. government behind you would deter anyone from attempting an assassination or acting recklessly like they do now.”
“…”
“While the intention to protect you may not be entirely pure and noble, at least it won’t hinder you.
“How about it?” Rachel’s questioning brought me back to my thoughts. Indeed… Although it would be bothersome to have constant scrutiny… If I continue to cooperate with the United States, I have a strong ally. They say the best defence is not to let them even attempt it in the first place, but if they knew that the US government was behind me, they might give up trying to attack me.
‘Not only might the killer hired by Ki Young-woo think twice before harming me, but also any other gifted person.’
Of course, these gifted people would be criminals with powers, and more than likely, members of the future villain alliance.
Even if I have the backing of the United States, it would be difficult for them to intervene in what is happening in Korea. However, the villain alliance is not limited to just Koreans; it is a multinational coalition. What if the person who attacks me, or is planning to raid me, is an American or someone wanted by the United States? That would give them a reason to get involved.
They would want to go and catch the criminal themselves. If that is not possible, then hand over the wanted person in Korea to the United States. There’s no reason for the Korean government to refuse such a request.
‘It would naturally ensure my protection as well.’
Even if they are a powerful villain alliance, it would be difficult for them to operate if the United States gets involved. Well, even the petty criminals who are below the level of being wanted wouldn’t want to draw attention from the United States, no matter how much Ki Young-woo pays them. Before America took action, they were the laziest but after that, they were the scariest.
‘Of course, on the flip side, there will be people who will try to mess with me to upset America…’
But such lunatics were really very few and it should have been difficult for them to target me in South Korea, which is a very safe country. When I think about it, aside from the inconvenience, the benefits of the United States protecting me were greater. If there were any secret operations to be carried out, I could rely on Kwon Jae-hyuk to handle it somehow.
“Okay, deal.”
“Thank you.”
“No thank you, America is going to protect me. I am more grateful.”
I chuckled and reached out my hand to Rachel, who took it and shook it lightly.
“Alright then, let’s leave the contract for our joint research for next time. I’ll prepare a document outlining the protection details as well.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, and there’s something else I wanted to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Mr. Kwon’s martial arts. According to the members of the Glory Guild it is said to be a mysterious oriental martial art. Can’t we learn that by any chance?”
As I pondered how to respond to that… Rachel hastily added her words.
“Of course, I’m not asking for it to be taught for free. I’ll gladly cover the tuition fees. However… while it may not be to the level of Mr. Kwon, I feel that at least being able to deliver an effective blow to that man would be necessary.”
The memory of that day seemed to have left a deep impact, not only in Korea but also in the United States. Aside from Cookie, who turned into a divine beast, Kwon Jae-hyuk easily defeated Dietrich, while other gifted people were at a loss and couldn’t do anything.
‘Perhaps Chuck, who felt a little bit of Kwon Jae-hyuk’s power, said he couldn’t bring down Dietrich?’
It wasn’t a question worth asking, and I couldn’t really know for sure if it was true or not, but I had a hunch that perhaps the reason the United States was so concerned about Kwon Jae-hyuk was because Chuck had said something to them.
I couldn’t say anything hastily about this matter. The Sungwoon Guild didn’t have a mysterious oriental martial arts master, and if anyone had to do it, it had to be Kwon Jae-hyuk.
Of course, if I asked him to, he would do it without complaint, but if he had other things planned, that would be a problem. I didn’t want things to get complicated because of my request.
‘Even if he doesn’t show it, he’s still a regressor…’
I nodded for now, contemplating whether there might be any plans after his regression.
“Sure, but it’s difficult for me to talk about it here. I need to hear his answer as well.”
“Understood. By all means, please.”
I went back to my room after hearing Rachel’s words, saying, “I’m counting on you until the end.” However, what greeted me were the perplexed expressions of guild members, which left me wondering what was going on. Moreover, Kwon Jae-hyuk also looked a little surprised.
“Wh—what’s going on?”
“Yoon Jae-ya…”
Ki Hyun-joo approached me and handed me a letter, as I was nervous, wondering what had happened and why she had that expression on her face.
What is this? A letter to me in America? I was surprised when I turned over the envelope and checked the name.
Ki Seon-woo, there was the name of Ki Yoon-jae’s father, whose body I had occupied, written on it.
* * *
After receiving the letter, I got into a car heading to the designated meeting place a few hours later.
‘It’s strange…’
As Ki Hyun-joo handed me the letter, she seemed hesitant and told me that I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to. I was misled by her words, but when I said I would go because refusing to go was not an option for me, Kwon Jae-hyuk suddenly said he would accompany me.
‘Exactly… What could have happened between this man and his father?’
Everyone seemed to know something. Of course, Jang Eui-yeol and Cookie, who recently joined, didn’t seem to know much about it, but they seemed to have noticed the concerns of others.
I didn’t know it would be so uncomfortable to have no memory.
‘But I can’t ask about it either…’
Of course, there was little chance of such a thing happening, but fear was the biggest factor that caused great concern.
‘If that’s why they’re wary of Kwon Jae-hyuk…’
Well… power that cannot be controlled within one’s own hands is indeed frightening, that’s why the U.S. is trying to regulate other countries’ nuclear weapons.
However, Kwon Jae-hyuk was not controlled by the will of others like nuclear weapons. He could think for himself and had common sense, so it would be unreasonable for him to declare war on a country just because I died.
‘…I suppose so, right? I think so. Maybe.’
I felt a little flushed. It was a bit embarrassing to think that Kwon Jae-hyuk would act like that after my death. I felt kind of proud.
Anyway, I shook my head, dismissing the American’s thoughts as excessive.
“I admit there’s a lot of doubts about Jae-hyuk hyung, but he’s not the type of person to vent his anger for such absurd reasons.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I am!”
Rachel’s expression turned strange at my confident answer. There was a faint hint of resignation on her face, as if she thought, ‘What can I say, if that’s what you think…’
“Well, if Mr. Ki says it so confidently… All right, I’ll believe it. But others won’t.”
“I understand.”
“So we’re going to raise your caution level. And of course, Mr. Kwon’s will be raised as well.”
“Caution level?”
Rachel chuckled in response to my question. She drew a vertical line on the table with her finger, and pointed to where she expected the bottom of the line to be.
“In the past, those who had excellent abilities or had some kind of special power but were cooperative and could bring benefits to the United States were classified as level two. And nowadays, this much?”
Rachel pointed out half of the line a little higher than what she had pointed out earlier.
“At about level six, people have great power and the United States is cautious towards them. We Americans are cooperative people, and encourage them to be part of the U.S. as much as possible, and if we can’t, we protect, monitor, and keep them on their guard so that their power is not directed towards us.”
“…”
‘Of course I am not the one who decides this, so the level can be lower or higher than this. Your expression is not good. You don’t like it, do you?”
“Yes.”
Rachel giggled at my blunt answer. She seemed amused that I was expressing my feelings so openly.
“Of course you don’t like it. Being under unwanted protection and surveillance… I hope you think we’re doing that for Mr. Ki.”
“…”
“We could hide things like this from Mr. Ki, but what I said all without hiding it is that we value you.”
Having said that much, Rachel seemed to be choosing her words while fiddling with her fingers for a moment.
“I hid it for a reason, because if it comes back as a big misunderstanding, it won’t end well. Do you know that the biggest coward is the one who has a lot to lose? America has so much to lose. So far, we’ve been able to keep it because we’re the strongest, and that’s why we haven’t been seen as cowards. That’s why we want to get our hands on Mister Ki and Mister Kwon. If you became Americans, your caution level would be lowered again, but you don’t want that, do you?”
“That’s right.”
Rachel chuckled at my immediate answer.
“Mr. Ki, accept the protection of the United States. It may attract unwanted attention, but it can be useful in many ways. It could be helpful for your work, and even if it’s not, Mr. Ki could be safer in Korea. At least knowing that there is the U.S. government behind you would deter anyone from attempting an assassination or acting recklessly like they do now.”
“…”
“While the intention to protect you may not be entirely pure and noble, at least it won’t hinder you.
“How about it?” Rachel’s questioning brought me back to my thoughts. Indeed… Although it would be bothersome to have constant scrutiny… If I continue to cooperate with the United States, I have a strong ally. They say the best defence is not to let them even attempt it in the first place, but if they knew that the US government was behind me, they might give up trying to attack me.
‘Not only might the killer hired by Ki Young-woo think twice before harming me, but also any other gifted person.’
Of course, these gifted people would be criminals with powers, and more than likely, members of the future villain alliance.
Even if I have the backing of the United States, it would be difficult for them to intervene in what is happening in Korea. However, the villain alliance is not limited to just Koreans; it is a multinational coalition. What if the person who attacks me, or is planning to raid me, is an American or someone wanted by the United States? That would give them a reason to get involved.
They would want to go and catch the criminal themselves. If that is not possible, then hand over the wanted person in Korea to the United States. There’s no reason for the Korean government to refuse such a request.
‘It would naturally ensure my protection as well.’
Even if they are a powerful villain alliance, it would be difficult for them to operate if the United States gets involved. Well, even the petty criminals who are below the level of being wanted wouldn’t want to draw attention from the United States, no matter how much Ki Young-woo pays them. Before America took action, they were the laziest but after that, they were the scariest.
‘Of course, on the flip side, there will be people who will try to mess with me to upset America…’
But such lunatics were really very few and it should have been difficult for them to target me in South Korea, which is a very safe country. When I think about it, aside from the inconvenience, the benefits of the United States protecting me were greater. If there were any secret operations to be carried out, I could rely on Kwon Jae-hyuk to handle it somehow.
“Okay, deal.”
“Thank you.”
“No thank you, America is going to protect me. I am more grateful.”
I chuckled and reached out my hand to Rachel, who took it and shook it lightly.
“Alright then, let’s leave the contract for our joint research for next time. I’ll prepare a document outlining the protection details as well.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, and there’s something else I wanted to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Mr. Kwon’s martial arts. According to the members of the Glory Guild it is said to be a mysterious oriental martial art. Can’t we learn that by any chance?”
As I pondered how to respond to that… Rachel hastily added her words.
“Of course, I’m not asking for it to be taught for free. I’ll gladly cover the tuition fees. However… while it may not be to the level of Mr. Kwon, I feel that at least being able to deliver an effective blow to that man would be necessary.”
The memory of that day seemed to have left a deep impact, not only in Korea but also in the United States. Aside from Cookie, who turned into a divine beast, Kwon Jae-hyuk easily defeated Dietrich, while other gifted people were at a loss and couldn’t do anything.
‘Perhaps Chuck, who felt a little bit of Kwon Jae-hyuk’s power, said he couldn’t bring down Dietrich?’
It wasn’t a question worth asking, and I couldn’t really know for sure if it was true or not, but I had a hunch that perhaps the reason the United States was so concerned about Kwon Jae-hyuk was because Chuck had said something to them.
I couldn’t say anything hastily about this matter. The Sungwoon Guild didn’t have a mysterious oriental martial arts master, and if anyone had to do it, it had to be Kwon Jae-hyuk.
Of course, if I asked him to, he would do it without complaint, but if he had other things planned, that would be a problem. I didn’t want things to get complicated because of my request.
‘Even if he doesn’t show it, he’s still a regressor…’
I nodded for now, contemplating whether there might be any plans after his regression.
“Sure, but it’s difficult for me to talk about it here. I need to hear his answer as well.”
“Understood. By all means, please.”
I went back to my room after hearing Rachel’s words, saying, “I’m counting on you until the end.” However, what greeted me were the perplexed expressions of guild members, which left me wondering what was going on. Moreover, Kwon Jae-hyuk also looked a little surprised.
“Wh—what’s going on?”
“Yoon Jae-ya…”
Ki Hyun-joo approached me and handed me a letter, as I was nervous, wondering what had happened and why she had that expression on her face.
What is this? A letter to me in America? I was surprised when I turned over the envelope and checked the name.
Ki Seon-woo, there was the name of Ki Yoon-jae’s father, whose body I had occupied, written on it.
* * *
After receiving the letter, I got into a car heading to the designated meeting place a few hours later.
‘It’s strange…’
As Ki Hyun-joo handed me the letter, she seemed hesitant and told me that I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to. I was misled by her words, but when I said I would go because refusing to go was not an option for me, Kwon Jae-hyuk suddenly said he would accompany me.
‘Exactly… What could have happened between this man and his father?’
Everyone seemed to know something. Of course, Jang Eui-yeol and Cookie, who recently joined, didn’t seem to know much about it, but they seemed to have noticed the concerns of others.
I didn’t know it would be so uncomfortable to have no memory.
‘But I can’t ask about it either…’
