REAPER SCANS
Legendary Returner’s Survival Guide
[Translator – TinTin ]
[Proofreader – Harley ]
Chapter 30
As his pen moved relentlessly, Bin filled page after page.
Various thoughts ran through his head as he wrote.
‘Big bro said he had this thought at that moment, but it doesn't feel right putting it here. It’ll bore the readers to death.’
‘Keep the character descriptions brief. Hardly anyone cares about clothing descriptions in novels. They’re more interested in how they speak and act. Better to delete this part. Keep it simple. This isn’t a moment for a joke.’
‘This is supposed to be a “novel”, but it is based on my brother’s experiences, so there’s no need to change people’s names. Let’s use their real names. The corporate guys, the serial killers… everyone, just as they were.’
He was working old-school, using pen and paper instead of a keyboard, but his speed was impressive.
Bin kept going, pushing himself.
Things like using real names… if they became a problem, he could always edit them later. Right now, he just wanted to get the story down.
He had to tell their story—a story originally destined to be forgotten, a story unknown to anyone but them. Bin had to share it with the world.
This was more than just a novel. It was the autobiography of a man and a remnant of 200 forgotten souls.
Scribble scribble.
And so the sound of pen on paper continued to fill the room.
* * *
There’s something that needs to be clarified here.
The watch Shi-hu wore was indeed the same one used by the 200th Apostle.
However, most celebrities use at least two watches. One personal, the other for public matters. The 200th Apostle was no different.
Shi-hu never received his doppelganger’s public-use watch. He had it destroyed, and the number itself was deactivated.
The watch Shi-hu currently wore only was meant to contact a select few, including his sister, Song-yi. At most, four people had access to this number, and the same went for his messenger app.
Bzzzt
The watch vibrated. The name read, “Editor Kwon Hyeok-jae.”
As a pop fiction novelist who mainly published online, the 200th Apostle naturally belonged to a management agency.
Kwon Hyeok-jae was a general section chief at JH Media and had been the 200th Apostle’s dedicated editor and producer.
[Editor Hyeok-jae: Are you working on a new novel?]
[Editor Hyeok-jae: The title’s a bit bland, though. “Titan,” are you sure about that?]
[Editor Hyeok-jae: You said you wanted to try a zombie novel for your next one, but you’re going with fantasy?]
[Editor Hyeok-jae: Mr. Shi-hu, are you available for a call?]
[Editor Hyeok-jae: Are you there?]
[Editor Hyeok-jae: Mr. Shi-hu…]
The messages kept coming.
It hadn’t even been five minutes since I had left the hotel suite.
It seemed Bin had already registered the new novel, and the editor had seen it.
Shi-hu hadn’t said much to Bin about the title. He simply told him to choose whatever he wanted.
Titan was a good title. Simple and straightforward.
The novel Titan was out of his hands now. He wouldn’t concern himself with it anymore. Since his watch and computer were synced, Bin would probably see the messages soon enough.
He shifted his gaze upward. There was one unread message.
[010-2222-7777: Hello, dear customer. You need to pay up. Call me back when you see this.]
“What’s this now?” Shi-hu frowned, irritated
He hadn't lied when he told Bin he was going somewhere nice. He really was.
This was a hotel. He wanted a drag, but smoking inside would be rude. There was a designated smoking area he could use.
Fiddling with the pack in his pocket, he headed toward the smoking area. As he approached the nearby elevator, the doors slid open.
The moment he saw the man inside, Shi-hu burst out laughing.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“You weren’t answering your calls.”
It was Chief Secretary Youngsu. It seemed he had business to discuss.
“Do you smoke?” Shi-hu asked him.
“Occasionally.”
“Then have one with me. I’ll let you bum one off of me.”
“…If you insist.”
“Let’s talk on the way. Is a single cigarette enough time?”
“Yes, that will be plenty.”
“So, what’s up?” Shi-hu asked as they walked.
“An SSS Rank Gate has appeared in the Uyuni Salt Flat.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. All Unique Awakeners in the country are on their way to Switzerland.”
“Wait, since when is the Uyuni Salt Flat in Switzerland?”
“No. The Salt Flat is in Bolivia. However, the World Awakener Association is in Switzerland, and all Unique Awakeners are being summoned there.”
“My sister too?”
“Yes. She’s on her way there now. Her flight to Korea changed course mid-air.”
“She sure is busy.”
“Indeed.”
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – TinTin ]
[Proofreader – Harley ]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
Shi-hu put a cigarette in his mouth and offered one to Youngsu before lighting both. He took a drag and looked at Youngsu.
Seeing that as his cue, Youngsu continued explaining, “There’s a possibility of an emergency. That’s what I came to tell you.”
“Like what happened last time?”
“Yes. It seems the Apostles aren’t just approaching you, but Master as well. Whether it was a one-time thing or not remains to be seen. By the way, I heard you got yourself a ghostwriter.”
“I did. A reliable one at that.”
“Ghostwriter Jeong Bin. I’m sure you saw in him something I, an ordinary person, can’t. I personally have high hopes for him.”
“No need to think of it so loftily.”
“Oh, and about Jin Tae-seob, the case has been closed as a suicide. Do you remember Lieutenant Kang Hyun-soo, the officer from Gimcheon City who brought you in for questioning in the Kim Minjae murder case?”
“I do.”
“We took care of him yesterday. And we’ve also taken care of your ‘hospital discharge’.”
Shi-hu chuckled, exhaling a plume of smoke. “Wow. You work fast. But by ‘took care of,’ you mean this, right?” He made a slicing motion across his neck.
Youngsu answered nonchalantly, as if answering the obvious, “Yes, we killed him.”
“Wow, murdering someone in the city. You’re a bad man.”
“Look who’s talking. At least I haven’t thrown someone off an apartment building.”
Shi-hu clammed up. The cat had gotten his tongue.
Then, a sudden question piqued his interest.
“Does my sister know?”
“She does not.”
“She doesn’t?”
“No. Master Jin may be a moderately grey individual, but she leans more towards the lighter side of things. I, on the other hand, am closer to the dark.”
Shi-hu had judged him correctly. He found Youngsu more and more reassuring. However…
“Will you be okay?” Shi-hu asked.
Youngsu’s lips tightened at the question. He sensed a strange nuance in those words.
“You look okay. It’s fine,” Shi-hu decided to let it slide.
Youngsu changed the topic of conversation, “Anytime. Please let me know if you need anything.”
Shi-hu smiled. “You’re already taking care of everything so well. I doubt I’ll need to ask for anything. Oh, and I’m planning on staying in the suite here for a while. Come by if you’re bored. It’s quite nice here.”
“Yes, please make yourself at home. This hotel belongs to the Salvation Guild.”
“Didn’t know that. Any chance of a discount?”
“I can arrange that if you’d like. There are some tax complications, but I can handle it.”
“I was just kidding. Why would I need a discount? Might as well use that Apostle’s dirty money while I can.” Shi-hu stubbed out his cigarette. “Anyway, call me if anything comes up. I’ll call sis myself.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work. And… I want to mention this again, but I have high hopes for this novel.”
“Don’t get your hopes up. They say the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.”
Youngsu laughed. “It’s an unfair game, but if the novel is even remotely decent, we’ll start working on a drama, a webtoon, a movie, anything we can.”
He was serious. Some of the 200th Apostle’s previous works had been adapted into webtoons and dramas, but that was solely due to Song-yi’s influence.
Neither the Salvation Guild nor Song-yi had ever pressured publishers, asked for favors, or promoted the 200th Apostle’s work.
But this time was different.
They planned on being proactive. The quality of the novel? It was fine if it was subpar. Written by a ghostwriter? Irrelevant. If necessary, they would even reveal the truth about the ghostwriter to the world. They wanted to make sure everyone knew what had happened on the planet called Titan.
Youngsu was curious to see how the world would change once Shi-hu’s novel was published.
The secretary asked, “And what about Jin Tae-seob’s funeral? How do you want to proceed?”
“I was going to hold it as soon as my sister got back. Why?”
“We’re not sure when the gate in Bolivia will be cleared. The funeral could be delayed indefinitely. Perhaps…”
“Perhaps?”
“What if you were to skip it?”
Shi-hu looked at Youngsu curiously.
Youngsu continued, “What you really want is information on those who gambled with him, isn’t it?”
“More or less. I heard he even borrowed from loan sharks, and I find that loose end bothersome.”
Youngsu pulled out a folder from his Inventory and handed it to him. “I’ve done some investigating.”
Shi-hu took the folder and opened it. He was a little surprised.
“Is this accurate?”
“It is.”
“There’s so many. And I see quite a few military personnel on the list.”
“Colonels, Brigadier Generals, Major Generals, even an Army General. It’s quite varied.”
Tae-seob was a trained soldier, a graduate from the Korea Military Academy, no less.
Youngsu pointed to a name on the list. “That one, he used to be known as the ‘Card Demon of Majang Town.’”
“Colonel Jang Maksu?”
“Yes.”
“What is this world coming to? A Colonel who’s a card shark. How can someone even be both?”
“If they never get caught and their identity remains hidden, it’s entirely possible. He was already frequenting various gambling dens while he was a bottom-rank soldier. He’s the one who lured Tae-seob into this mess.”
Shi-hu nodded in understanding and continued scanning the list.
A name caught his eye. Or rather, it wasn’t a name, but the name of an organization.
“Mr. National Capital?”
“It’s a private loan company with a handful of Awakeners mixed in. The capital is in name only. They’re actually a guild that clears gates.”
What a funny world.
As Shi-hu pondered this, Youngsu continued, “At first, it was Maksu who dragged Tae-seob into the gambling dens, but after that, Mr. National Capital took the lead in cleaning him out. The dozens of names on that list? They all got a cut.”
“A cut?”
“They all bought at least one house each in Gangnam—all thanks to Tae-seob.”
“I’m guessing a good chunk of that was my and my sister’s money.”
“Yes. The estimated amount is over $98 million. If you include the yacht, foreign cars, and outstanding debts… it’s closer to $110 million.”
Shi-hu was speechless. He was no ordinary sucker. Tae-seob should be called the king of all suckers.
The amount was just unreal. Not one or two million, but over a hundred million dollars?
He suddenly wondered how much his sister made in a year, but he decided he’d ask her later.
Speaking of which, he showed Youngsu the strange text he had received earlier, the one demanding he pay up.
Youngsu’s eyes narrowed as he read it, “010-2222-7777…”
“You recognize it?”
“One moment.” Youngsu tapped on his watch. It didn’t take long, about a minute. “It’s the Vice President of Mr. National Capital.”
“What’s his name?”
“Jeong Gil-tae. As an A Rank Awakener, he used to be with the New World Guild before switching sides. Back when he was a C-Runner, he was known as the ‘Blondie Hater’ because of how much he hated blonde hair.”
That was an interesting nickname.
Shi-hu nodded slowly.
“What will you do?” Youngsu asked.
“What else can I do? I’m going to take it all back.”
“Are you going to kill them all?”
Shi-hu smiled.
“Who knows?”
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