Chapter 162

Chapter 162

Chapter 162 – Restoration (3)

Overcome with grief, the woman slumped onto the dusty floor of the quiet, single-room flat.

She looked to be in her late seventies, her face worn with sorrow as she gripped a tangled blanket left on the floor, weeping uncontrollably.

“Ugh… huff…”

Remnants of a previous life still lingered in every corner of the small apartment.

There was a bed crowded with plush toys.

A sleek laptop with the familiar apple icon sat on a desk.

Heavy academic books were stacked nearby.

Bright, fashionable garments hung neatly on a clothing stand.

The vibrant, cheerful style of the clothes made it obvious that the person who once occupied this space had been a young female college student.

“Oh… Ji-yeon…”

Every item left behind spoke of her missing daughter.

A bedding set that hadn’t been washed in so long it emitted a stale odor.

A restroom left completely untended, thick with accumulated grime.

The neglected state of the tiny flat made it agonizingly clear how desperately difficult her final days must have been.

“Forgive me. I took too long to get here… I am so, so sorry.”

Resting on the mattress lay the severely decomposed remains of a young woman who had perished from starvation, having never managed to escape her room.

“You must have felt so isolated… and so terrified.”

Hwang Eun-byeol gently stroked the ruined cheek of her daughter’s remains, her voice barely a whisper.

“I am so sorry. Your mother is so deeply sorry.”

While she wept without end, a figure quietly stepped through the open door of the apartment.

“Hwang Eun-byeol?”

Beholding her sorrow before the lifeless form, the man paused, his words catching in his throat.

“I am so sorry.”

Hearing her repeat those words like a mantra of guilt made the tragic story immediately obvious.

She spoke as if she bore the entire blame, offering endless apologies to the quiet room.

Taking a step closer, the man spoke up.

“Let me assist you.”

“…What did you say?”

Meeting her startled, tearful gaze, the man spoke in a calm, steady tone.

“We must give your daughter a proper farewell so her soul can find peace. We can arrange the funeral service at Severance.”

“Oh…”

Fresh tears spilled down Hwang Eun-byeol’s pale face.

In a choked, emotional whisper, she managed to respond.

“I am so grateful, Ji-hoon.”

“Do not mention it.”

Yoon Ji-hoon smoothly went to work handling the remains.

He enveloped the form in the blanket and carefully lifted it into his arms.

Having processed numerous bodies in similar states of decay, his hands remained steady and professional, unaffected by the grim task.

“The streets in this neighborhood have not been cleared of debris yet, so we will have to carry her to the vehicle ourselves. I will assist you with that.”

“…Thank you.”

Ji-hoon inquired in a gentle voice,

“Are there any other personal belongings you wish to bring along?”

Scanning the small room, Hwang Eun-byeol gathered a stuffed animal, the laptop, her daughter’s phone, and a pristine, elegant dress.

These were the possessions her child had treasured above all else.

“Just these will do.”

Ji-hoon gave a quiet nod of understanding and turned to walk out.

Casting one final, lingering look at the apartment, Hwang Eun-byeol slowly followed his lead.

As they walked, Ji-hoon asked,

“The reason you were so adamant about reaching this sector… was it to search for your daughter?”

“…”

She offered no words, only nodding her head in grief-stricken silence.

Ji-hoon let out a soft sigh and spoke warmly.

“Had you informed me of this sooner, I would have helped you search from the very start.”

“…It is alright.”

Yoon Ji-hoon’s primary duty involved retrieving unidentified deceased individuals and clearing out abandoned structures.

Initially, his assignment focused on assisting survivors and securing vacant complexes, but as time went on, his tasks shifted more and more toward managing human remains.

‘Her child was actually among the fortunate ones,’ he thought to himself.

At the very least, her body had not been ripped apart by monstrous beasts.

The vast majority of the corpses he recovered were mutilated, showing clear signs of having been partially consumed by predators.

In comparison to those horrors, passing away quietly in her own room could almost be seen as peaceful.

Of course, he would never utter such thoughts.

He lacked the cruelty to tell an afflicted mother that her daughter’s tragic starvation was “fortunate.”

‘I am not quite sure how to handle this situation,’ he realized.

This marked his very first time recovering remains in the direct presence of a surviving relative.

Normally, unidentified bodies were gathered in a central location outside before the cleanup crews began their work.

There was a specific protocol to keep unclaimed corpses outdoors.

Emerging from the building, they found a man waiting patiently for them.

The man looked toward Ji-hoon and inquired,

“Is this the final one?”

“…Yes, Jae-hyun.”

This was Kim Jae-hyun.

In this line of work, their paths crossed on a regular basis.

Kim Jae-hyun was the one responsible for personally cremating the unclaimed dead they gathered.

“You did an excellent job.”

Suddenly, Ji-hoon felt the weight in his arms vanish as the blanket-wrapped corpse lifted into the air.

Slowly, the remains began to glide through the air toward Kim Jae-hyun.

Panicked, Ji-hoon quickly called out.

“Wait! This is her daughter’s body!”

Hearing the urgency in Ji-hoon’s voice, the levitating corpse came to a sudden halt mid-air.

Kim Jae-hyun directed his gaze toward Hwang Eun-byeol before responding quietly.

“…I see.”

With a solemn, sympathetic look, he observed the wrapped remains and asked,

“Did you intend to carry her remains to the mortuary yourself?”

“Yes, we did.”

“…Please wait a brief moment.”

Kim Jae-hyun turned his attention back to the piled remains of the unclaimed deceased, bowing his head in silent reverence.

Then—

Fwoosh—

Dark, shadowy flames erupted, instantly enveloping the corpses.

It was a mesmerizing spectacle, no matter how many times one witnessed it.

There was no smoke, no scent of charred flesh, and the entire process was remarkably swift.

As the dark fire consumed the bodies, it truly appeared as though their souls were ascending to a higher realm.

Even standing close to the blaze, the fire emitted no heat. Instead, it carried a sacred, almost divine aura.

Observing Jae-hyun pray so devoutly before the dark pyre, one might easily mistake him for a holy saint.

Once the fire had completely consumed the remains, Jae-hyun opened his eyes and whispered softly.

“Elquines.”

A sphere of water materialized in the air, shaping itself into a young girl.

“Hmm? What do you need?”

“Could you purify this body?”

“This one right here?”

“Yes.”

“Understood!”

With her agreement, the blanket surrounding the deceased girl unwound, exposing the severely decomposed body.

An intense, foul odor began to spread through the immediate area.

But then—

Gurgle—

A shimmering, deep blue fluid manifested, surrounding the corpse.

The moment the liquid touched the decayed flesh, the horrific odor vanished instantly.

The water vibrated and swirled gently around the remains, eventually soaking into the stained blanket.

The once-soiled fabric was instantly restored to pristine cleanliness, looking as though it had just been freshly laundered.

Then, the spotless blanket wrapped itself back around the purified body of the deceased girl.

“Ugh… huff…”

Hwang Eun-byeol, who had been watching the mystical display in a daze, began to sob once more.

“All finished!”

“Thank you. You may return now.”

“Alright!”

After sending the water spirit back, Kim Jae-hyun walked over to the two of them.

He extended his hand and said,

“Pardon me for a moment.”

Before Yoon Ji-hoon could even process why Kim Jae-hyun had grabbed his hand—

Swoosh—

Their surroundings warped instantly.

In the blink of an eye, they found themselves standing inside the funeral home.

“There is a queue for the funeral services, so you might experience a slight delay. Well then, Mr. Yoon Ji-hoon.”

“Ah, yes!”

“I will leave things in your hands.”

Suddenly—

Hwang Eun-byeol reached out and grasped Kim Jae-hyun’s hand.

“…Miss Hwang Eun-byeol?”

She spoke, her voice trembling.

“Where did those individuals go?”

“…Excuse me?”

“The ones who were gathered in the black fire.”

In a tone full of desperation—

“Did you guide them to heaven?”

“…”

Kim Jae-hyun remained silent for a moment.

With a mixture of sorrow and sympathy in his eyes, he met her gaze before answering in a solemn tone.

“I sent them onward with my deepest prayers for their eternal rest.”

With tears pouring down her cheeks, Hwang Eun-byeol pleaded—

“Could you offer your prayers for my daughter as well? Please, for my child too…”

“…Are you asking me to—”

“I want you to send my little girl to the afterlife with your sacred power.”

Kim Jae-hyun gave a slow, respectful nod.

“I understand.”

“Please, let these items go with her as well.”

“Are these…?”

“My daughter’s personal things. I want her to keep them close.”

As Kim Jae-hyun inspected the items she handed him, he selected the phone and returned it to her, asking—

“Do you happen to know your daughter’s passcode?”

“…I believe so.”

“Then you should hold onto this. There may be precious photos of her saved inside.”

“Ah… thank you so much.”

Then, once again, the dark flames flared into existence.

Whoosh—

“Ugh… huff…”

Covering her mouth to stifle her sobs, Hwang Eun-byeol watched as her daughter was laid to rest one last time.

The cherished possessions she had given to Kim Jae-hyun dissolved into the fire, and the blanket covering her daughter was consumed by the shadows.

At the final glimpse of her daughter’s face within the dark fire, she instinctively reached out her hand.

“Ah…!”

The dark flames felt warm.

They were not hot or painful in the slightest.

Even with her hand held directly in the fire, she suffered no burns.

‘What a relief.’

It was wonderfully warm.

It felt just like the warmth of her daughter’s embrace.

Sensing that, her restless heart finally found a measure of peace.

And in that very instant—

Wuuuuung—

A brilliant, sacred radiance burst forth from Hwang Eun-byeol’s body.

[Citizen Hwang Eun-byeol’s Trust has increased.]

[Citizen Hwang Eun-byeol’s Trust has reached 100.]

[A massive amount of experience has been acquired.]

[Citizen Hwang Eun-byeol has met the conditions to advance to ‘Priest.’]

[Would you like to proceed with the advancement?]

The timing was immaculate—the research on the Priest class at the Job Research Lab had just concluded.

The requirements to become a Priest were significantly more demanding than those of other classes.

‘Because Trust must reach 100.’

However, unlike a Marksman or a Warrior, there was no need for an extra trial or exam.

As long as the Trust value reached 100, he could grant the class directly.

‘Promote Hwang Eun-byeol to Priest.’

This was a critically needed class, especially given the current shortage of healers.

After establishing their base in Seoul, the primary focus had shifted entirely to the urban reconstruction project.

Even if power, gas, and water systems were brought back online, it would all be in vain without habitable structures for the people.

Consequently, the main task was to identify relatively stable buildings and refurbish them for living.

The ‘Clay Guardians,’ who excelled at construction and engineering, were working tirelessly, but the reconstruction demanded an enormous amount of labor.

However, the construction zones were highly hazardous, leading to a constant stream of casualties.

Even though 80% of the medical personnel from Busan had been deployed, it was still far from sufficient.

In such a critical situation, the appearance of a Priest capable of restoration magic was an immense blessing.

Wuuuuung!

A wave of dark energy rippled around Hwang Eun-byeol like a localized heatwave.

Then, the energy flowed completely into her form.

[Citizen Hwang Eun-byeol has advanced to Priest.]

She had been one of the very first citizens to join their community from Busan.

She lived in the same residential complex as Jang Seong-jun, who was currently serving as a loyal vassal.

Jang Seong-jun’s telekinetic powers had proven incredibly versatile, and by extension, his close acquaintances were also highly visible within the ranks.

From what had been gathered, Hwang Eun-byeol’s daughter had been studying in Seoul.

She had earned a full scholarship to one of Korea’s top three prestigious universities, an achievement her mother had proudly spoken of on numerous occasions.

When the call went out for volunteers to assist in the restoration of Seoul, Hwang Eun-byeol had been the very first to sign up.

She had undoubtedly volunteered solely to find her lost daughter.

Yet, this was the tragic reality she had to face.

Addressing her—

“Miss Hwang Eun-byeol. I have a favor to ask of you.”

He was well aware of how heartless it seemed to request this of her before she even had a chance to mourn her loss properly.

“Would you be willing to lend me your power?”

In this merciless world, pausing to grieve for too long would only lead to further tragedy.

One had to continue stepping forward.