Chapter 136
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I'll Purchase Divine Power with Money Chapter 136 * * * A dark room where no light had been switched on. Ju Hyun-jin, who had been tapping away at her keyboard while gazing at the monitor—the only source of light in the cluttered room—suddenly turned her head as she sensed a presence. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but there was no way she could fail to recognize it. It was the aura of the Sun God, whom she had once resented so bitterly.
"So she's finally learned the truth."
Cha Si-won. The only friend she had ever made across both her past and present lives, and the only person who truly mattered to her. It seemed that friend, whom she had sent to a distant dimension in her stead, had finally uncovered the secrets of that place. She had even threatened the Sun God that she must be told the moment this day came.
"You must be shocked."
For the first time, a smile graced her beautiful, expressionless face. Knowing Cha Si-won's temperament, she might have been so stunned she collapsed. Who told her to die so quickly anyway?
"This is all your karma."
Ju Hyun-jin gazed at the surface of her desk. Five or six frames were arranged in neat order. They were all photographs taken together with Cha Si-won. From their days together in the orphanage through their school years and into adulthood—their entire growth was preserved within those images. She picked up the most recently taken photograph. It had been taken when Cha Si-won, who had graduated from the Police Academy with honors, finally became a detective. While Cha Si-won beamed with joy, the face standing beside her looked utterly miserable.
"I warned you so much."
Ju Hyun-jin still retained vivid memories of when she had died in her previous life. Because she knew all too well how terrifying death was, she had desperately tried to dissuade Cha Si-won from becoming a detective, but she wouldn't listen, and in the end, she died living as a righteous detective. The memory of that day remained crystal clear even now.
"Cha Si-won! Cha Si-won! Wake up! I told you not to become a detective!"
The hospital she rushed to upon receiving a call from Cha Si-won's colleague. Cha Si-won, who had been stabbed multiple times by a criminal, was already on death's door before even arriving at the hospital. Everyone sensed her impending death. The despair and terror she felt in that moment...
"Don't leave me alone. You said you wouldn't leave me alone! You said you'd always be with me! Why won't you keep your promise!"
No matter how much she screamed and cursed, Cha Si-won didn't smile as she usually did. She merely mustered every last ounce of strength she had left, opened her eyes as if this were the final moment, and looked at her. And what did she say then?
"...Don't cry. You said you look ugly when you cry."
"Don't die, Si-won."
"I'm sorry. Actually, that was a lie. I'm sorry for breaking our promise not to lie and doing it every time."
"Don't die! Keep your promise!"
"You're beautiful, Ju Hyun-jin."
With those words, Cha Si-won died. A smile so faint it was infuriating played across her lips.
"Damn it...."
Cha Si-won's death struck me harder than when, in my past life, I'd been exploited endlessly before meeting a miserable end. My only friend—the one person who'd helped me avoid living a worthless life in this existence, just as I had in my previous one. The agony of losing her forever still tormented me.
"...Still, I'm grateful there was a chance to save her."
The day I returned home after Cha Si-won's funeral. The Sun God came to me as I wept uncontrollably, unable to even organize the room where Cha Si-won and I had lived together. [My child, I have searched for you for so long. Now that you have been given another chance at life, come with me.] In my past life, I had resented and despised this god so deeply. Yet in that moment, I was desperately overjoyed to see him.
"Another chance at life...?" [Yes, because you were influenced by this dimension, unlike others, you can return with your memories of your past life intact...] "My soul is here now, so if another soul enters my body, they could live in my place, couldn't they?"
How joyful that moment was. Regardless of the Sun God's confusion, I coerced him into taking Cha Si-won's soul with him. Unlike me, who despised him, the Sun God was endlessly weak toward his child and ultimately departed with Cha Si-won's spirit. Ah, what a blessing. I would never meet Cha Si-won again, and I too could never return to my original world, but what did that matter. It was enough that Cha Si-won would live again. Besides, since she was a soul that had lived in this world, she would retain all her memories of this life as she lived on. Just as I remember my past life. She had read the novel I wrote, "Holy Idella," countless times, so she would adapt reasonably well in that world. Unlike the selfish, greedy Ordel Kiris who ultimately ruins everything, Cha Si-won would save everyone. Just as she had saved me when I was nothing but trash.
"I hope she's living well."
I don't regret my choice. She'll be shocked at first, but Cha Si-won will shake it off and live brilliantly. Just as she always has.
"...Still, it's annoying that I won't be by her side."
Dealing with those who torment Cha Si-won is my specialty. Ju Hyun-jin clicked her tongue sharply.
"Come to think of it, the novel and reality differ quite a bit."
Count Kiris being in league with Evil, or there being someone in the Imperial Capital controlling everything, or even Ordel's death itself. Everything differs slightly between the novel and reality. I never wrote about my past life as a novel out of any sense of mission. I just wanted people to curse out the worthless Ordel Kiris a little. Hoping it would lighten my guilt somehow.
"...Well, she'll figure it out on her own."
Anyway, there's no way to reveal the truth now, and Cha Si-won will quickly realize that the novel and reality are different. Ju Hyun-jin shrugged and resumed typing on the keyboard. * * * "...."
After hearing the entire story from the Sun God, I couldn't lift my head for a long time. My hand covering my face had become drenched with tears, but I didn't have the presence of mind to fetch a handkerchief. Insane, Ju Hyun-jin. The reason I started my second life was because of you. Are you seriously out of your mind? You threw away the only chance to return to your original world because of me? How could you do that?
"Why did you let that happen? You should have said you couldn't do it. You should have brought Ju Hyun-jin back again!"
I glared into the empty air. The Sun God's melancholic message returned. 【The Sun Crawling from Death says that child was happier living on Earth than living in this world, so they couldn't force her to stay.】 "...."
I couldn't deny that. After all, Ordel Kiris's life was far from happiness. Yes, perhaps it's better that I—someone more composed and adaptable than Ju Hyun-jin—live this life instead.
"No wonder I felt such a particular attachment to Ordel Kiris."
It wasn't simply because I had entered this body. It was because this was the body of my closest friend. ...Damn it, now that I think about it, I've been treating this body far too recklessly. Memories of coughing up blood, again and again, continuously—they flashed before me like a lantern show. I need to be more careful going forward. I exercise and eat well, but I need to treasure this body far, far more than that.
"I have a question. The diary of Ordel Kiris that I obtained from Count's Residence...." 【The Sun Crawling from Death tells you it was written directly by Ordel Kiris before the regression.】 "Before the regression? But why does it still exist instead of disappearing?" 【The Sun God explains that Ordel Kiris is the only soul in this world to have been reincarnated from another dimension.】 In other words, to summarize the Sun God's explanation, only this world had its time reversed; all other dimensional worlds remained unchanged. And the diary was the only object in which Ordel Kiris left a fragment of her soul. Since she died and was reincarnated in another world, it wasn't affected by the time regression and remained here as it was.
"A fragment of her soul...."
I pulled out Ordel Kiris's—no, Ju Hyun-jin's diary from my inventory. Somehow it felt even more poignant and heartbreaking. Just like this body.
"Since Ju Hyun-jin saved me, I need to live this second life with all my might."
Until now, I was only living because I didn't want to die again, but now my resolve has completely changed. I must live better than anyone else, with longevity and peace, until the day I close my eyes for the last time. So I won't be ashamed before Ju Hyun-jin.
"I'm sorry for resenting you for forcing a second life upon me."
I apologized to the Sun God with an awkward smile. I thought you were going to blame me. 【The Sun Crawling from Death smiles readily, saying it's fine. It reassures me that I shouldn't worry about such things at all.】 【The Soul Guide Traveler acknowledges that I truly bear no fault. After all, the blame lies with the Sun Crawling from Death, who is desperately thrashing about just to survive.】 Right, that's true. My guilt vanishes entirely. 【The Sun Crawling from Death clears its throat and deliberately changes the subject, asking what I plan to do next.】 What do you mean "what"? Isn't it obvious?
"Of course I need to awaken Idella. We'll need the true power of a genuine Saint to defeat Evil."
Since I've already made sure to rescue Idella before Evil can abduct her, there's no reason for the same tragedy to repeat itself like it did before my regression. If I hadn't saved her back then, I don't know what would have happened. Even now, thinking about it makes cold sweat run down my spine. 【The Sun Crawling from Death clarifies that it was asking what I intend to do.】 Ah, you mean what I'll do after awakening Idella?
"I'm going to leave the Temple of the Sun God."
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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