Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 2
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 2
I learned that humans are animals that walk forward.
Then what is the moment of death like?
Wouldn’t it be walking backward?
Like now.
I didn’t resist and accepted it naturally.
But.
Why…
Are my eyes opening?
My mouth fell wide open.
An unbelievable sight was unfolding before my eyes.
A familiar wind chime hanging from the eaves swayed in the wind.
And beyond it was the Ten Thousand Year Snow Mountain, completely intact.
I definitely split it in half with all my strength, so why is it so perfectly fine?
I immediately sat up. And was greatly shocked.
I had sat up with my own body.
I immediately raised both arms to look at them. I had undergone Bone Transformation three times in my life, yet scars kept appearing despite that.
But not a single one of those scars was visible.
They were so clean. No, this isn’t clean.
These are just the hands of someone around sixteen or seventeen years old.
I turned my head.
The door burst open and a man stepped inside.
His face was all too familiar.
“Hehe… Division Leader, you need to approve some documents today as well.”
That face grinning and chuckling.
My eyes narrowed.
Before I fled from the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace, my position was Division Leader of the Seol-ap Division.
There was someone who had been serving as Deputy Division Leader since I first took office, and that’s this bastard before me.
His name is Ya Woon-sang.
He bowed obsequiously while holding out a bundle of documents. The sinister smile spread across his face was only now visible. No, it was visible in my previous life too. I was just too busy avoiding it even after seeing it.
I looked around.
The structure of the walls, the table and desk, the sleeping quarters.
Considering all of these things, this moment was definitely when I was seventeen years old.
Whether this is a dream or not.
Right now, at this moment, there’s something I absolutely must do.
I reached out and took the documents Ya Woon-sang handed me.
“You just need to stamp your seal there.”
I quietly skimmed through the documents.
“Northern Ice Wall supply route development plan?”
“Yes, that’s right. There were many opinions that a new transport route was needed. It would save time compared to the existing route…”
“Time savings…”
A bitter smile spread across my lips as I flipped through the documents.
“You made an insurance contract with Blue Cloud Trading Company.”
“Yes, Division Leader. Blue Cloud Trading Company is the most trustworthy company in Seol-ap…”
“But do you know this transport route passes through an avalanche danger zone?”
Ya Woon-sang’s expression hardened greatly, as if this was the first time his words had been cut off. Thinking about it, this would probably be the first time at this point.
Ya Woon-sang forced a smile and spoke.
“Ah, you don’t need to worry too much about that…”
“I am worried. The existing route is safe but takes more time, and the new route is dangerous but fast. And there are many other strange points besides that.”
“Wh… what do you mean?”
“First, the safety measure costs in the transport cost calculation are too low. Even if martial artists can fly through the sky and destroy mountains, there are no such strong warriors in Seol-ap. Especially since most of the merchant groups consist of ordinary people and martial artists of weak levels… Hmm. There’s a bigger problem, so let’s skip this for now.”
In this strange situation, Ya Woon-sang gulped. I ignored it.
“Second, the contract holder is listed as me, but the insurance beneficiary is listed as you.”
“Well… since you are the transport supervisor…”
“If I’m the supervisor, shouldn’t I naturally be the beneficiary too?”
“Come on… Division Leader, I’m usually the one who takes charge of leading merchant groups, aren’t I? If an avalanche happens, I could quickly clean up the aftermath with the insurance money…”
It’s an excuse.
I cut off his words again. There’s no reason to listen to such things.
“Third, this Han-reung Jade Crystal is priced at 20 silver coins…”
Ya Woon-sang’s face turned white.
“As far as I know, the market price for Han-reung Jade Crystal is about 10 silver coins. But if you inflate it like this, the insurance money received when an accident happens would double.”
“Th, that’s…”
The situation was simple.
Making insurance contracts with trading companies is common.
But why would a trading company be a trading company?
Blue Cloud Trading Company isn’t stupid either, and they couldn’t not know that 10 silver coins would be sufficient for the Han-reung Jade Crystal price, so why did they contract for 20?
It’s obvious.
“Have you heard that story?”
“…What… story…?”
“The one about how a servant who dares to stand above his master’s head should be torn limb from limb as proper conduct.”
“…What…?”
“Did you like Blue Cloud Trading Company’s second daughter that much?”
“…Th… that’s…”
“Acting as the real power behind Seol-ap Division seems to have made your head quite big, and now that your head’s gotten big, you’ve developed greed for women too?”
Whether this current situation was too unrealistic, Ya Woon-sang seemed unable to collect himself.
“Why… why are you saying such things…”
His dumbfounded expression wasn’t too bad to look at.
I quietly continued speaking.
“I don’t know if you knew and still did it, but about ten days after I approve this document, an avalanche will occur.”
“…What? What are you saying right now…”
“Due to heavy snow the night before weakening the ground, an avalanche will occur there, and about four people including you will survive, and through that incident you’ll take everything from Blue Cloud Trading Company.”
“…”
“You’ll have the second daughter, and the eldest daughter too. If I remember correctly, you’re the one who kills the head of Blue Cloud Trading Company… Right. That’s what happened.”
Ya Woon-sang began looking at me with strange eyes. However, I could feel the subtle fear contained in those eyes.
“You take the money, and I take the blame… I still remember it clearly.”
I slammed the documents shut with a thud.
“Ya Woon-sang, couldn’t I see through things like this before?”
“What…?”
“Or maybe I saw it but didn’t want to see it.”
“Div… Division Leader…”
“Even if an accident like this happens, the responsibility I’d bear is minimal. Why? Because even though I’m an illegitimate son, I’m still of Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace bloodline. You must have thought it was perfect for intimidation since I’m a bundle of inferiority complex who thinks running away is natural. If such an idiot is above you, it’s naturally right to act like you did. This world is ultimately one where the victim becomes the fool. It’s a world where stepping on others and climbing up proves yourself.”
“That’s… not… not at all true.”
“For saying it’s not at all true, incidents similar to this haven’t happened just once, have they?”
I slowly stood up from my seat.
This place is the martial world. In the martial world, if you have no strength, it’s right to be devoured.
I couldn’t deny that.
Because that’s the world martial artists live in.
“But here’s the thing. If you’ve given everything to obtain something, you should naturally be prepared to lose everything when you fail to obtain it, so are you sufficiently prepared for that?”
“…That’s…”
“Enough. My mouth hurts from trying to talk any more.”
He swung the bundle of documents as it was.
Crack-!
Ya Woon-sang’s head jerked back.
He utilized the Snow Mountain Heart Method that still remained in his memory.
Though faint, a definite internal energy rose from his blood vessels.
It soon flowed toward the bundle of documents, and before long, something like a very weak level of sword energy emerged from its tip.
He gripped it in reverse and struck down.
Thud-!
Ya Woon-sang’s hand blocked it.
“Ma… Master!! What are you doing right now…!”
He swung his foot as it was.
Crack-!
Ya Woon-sang, struck in the jaw, fell backward and rolled on the ground before springing up from his position.
Anger also settled on his face, and killing intent took hold.
As he slowly walked forward, Ya Woon-sang shouted.
“Stop! Please stop…!”
Ignoring him, he thrust his foot and it struck Ya Woon-sang’s abdomen.
Thump!
He slid backward smoothly.
In the midst of this, a chuckle escaped at the bastard’s technique of channeling internal energy to his abdomen to cushion the impact.
“…Master… can’t you hear me telling you to stop this?”
Ya Woon-sang’s tone had changed, but it didn’t matter.
No matter how much he exploded with anger and scattered killing intent, the ‘hesitation’ remaining in him was still there.
“Hesitation dulls the sword, and determination sharpens the sword.”
“…”
“I’m already thinking of killing you, yet you’re still hesitating. Whether you’re a ghost or real doesn’t matter.”
He let the bundle of documents hang down.
“At least in your final moment, come as a person, not a frightened dog.”
“…Fine. No matter if you’re the Master, attacking me, a Deputy Division Leader, ‘without reason’ like this is wrong. So I’ll subdue you first.”
Saying this, Ya Woon-sang drew his sword and kicked off from his position.
His sword embroidered the air.
Above, to the side, below.
Excessively flashy.
Illusory swords are dazzling, while true swords are quiet.
He lightly took one step forward.
Ya Woon-sang’s sword grazed the air, and he penetrated into Ya Woon-sang’s embrace.
Shock settled on his face.
“How… how…!”
He silently extended the bundle of documents infused with internal energy forward.
Thunk-!
“Ugh… urgh…”
It struck his abdomen, but he wasn’t satisfied. After roughly throwing it aside, he drew the hidden dagger from his waist.
He looked at Ya Woon-sang, who was clutching his abdomen and staggering backward.
“…Please… spare me…”
A smile formed on his lips at that pitiful voice.
He was only worth that much.
Only this level of bastard had exploited him in the past.
Being pointed at as a scarecrow, being used and taken advantage of.
All of it happened because he lacked power.
It was the biggest mistake and greatest regret of his foolish childhood when he thought avoiding situations was the best option.
Everything started from here.
It was time to shake it off now.
Walking slowly, he continued speaking.
“If there’s a next life, make sure to live within your means. Don’t crawl up beyond your station.”
He struck down as it was.
Thunk-!
It pierced his heart. After pulling it out, he stabbed it into Ya Woon-sang’s neck.
Thunk.
“Cough… cough…”
He quietly watched his dying eyes.
Before long, those eyes lost their strength.
At this moment, he felt it with certainty.
That all of this right now was reality, not a dream.
It was just as he was slowly getting up from his position.
The door burst open and three men rushed inside.
“What’s the matter… gasp…”
Wiping the blood from his face, he spoke briefly.
“Clean this up.”
“…Yes…?”
It wasn’t the answer he wanted.
He turned his head.
“The discipline of the Seol-ap Division is a mess.”
“…That…”
“Don’t make me say it twice. Clean this up and gather all the division members of the Seol-ap Division.”
“Y… Yes sir…!”
Truly.
It was a refreshing morning.
* * *
Even though he was convinced inside, he inevitably had to keep doubting.
Going back in time was far too unrealistic.
But no matter how vague a dream might be and how real it could feel, it couldn’t be this realistic.
This was clearly reality.
He had now traveled back in time.
A full 40 years at that.
He touched his face.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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