Chapter 11: The Gift of Absolute Preservation

Yuseong’s fist was by no means small.

Moreover, it had black beans inside it, making the fist even larger.

It was thrust entirely into Gwak Cheongrae’s mouth and then pulled out.

His teeth, of course, shattered into pieces.

When Yuseong withdrew his fist again, the black beans he had been holding were gone.

Gwak Cheongrae lost consciousness with his mouth wide open.

Frozen black beans were neatly packed inside his mouth.

Chief Choi hurriedly approached and checked Yuseong’s condition.

“Mr. Yuseong, are you okay?”

“Hoo, yes.”

Despite his words, Yuseong’s complexion was pale.

His body hadn’t been properly healed, yet he had pushed himself.

Blood was still flowing from the puncture wounds on his shoulder.

“The police and ambulance will arrive soon. Damn, you need to stop the bleeding quickly.”

Chief Choi was shocked to see the blood flowing from Yuseong’s shoulder.

But Yuseong weakly waved his hand to show he was fine.

“I’ll be fine. Soon.”

“Uh…”

Just as Yuseong said, the blood stopped flowing from the puncture wound on his shoulder at some point.

And it seemed the wound had even shrunk a little.

“I think I should get some sleep. Please take good care of things.”

Saying that, Yuseong immediately lay back.

Chief Choi, thinking Yuseong had fainted, hurriedly caught him to prevent him from falling.

“Kuah.”

“Are you really sleeping?”

It truly seemed like Yuseong wasn’t unconscious but had fallen asleep.

His mouth was open, and he began snoring.

Chief Choi finally burst out laughing.

“Seriously…”

He was a strange man.

During his time working in the special forces, he had met many people.

Among them were many much stronger and more amazing people than the current Yuseong.

But he had never seen anyone as unique as Yuseong. It was astonishing.

He healed himself by eating cookies.

On top of that, he fed Chief Choi a strange cookie and even bestowed a Blessing of Goodwill on him.

That was the effect of the Gift.

Though it was a newly seen ability, there were many people with incredible Gifts like grains of sand.

It wasn’t something that should astonish Chief Choi so much.

What truly amazed Chief Choi was Yuseong’s attitude.

He didn’t look like someone who had just crossed twenty years of age. He resembled a battle-hardened veteran who had seen many wars.

Remaining calm in a situation where bullets sliced through the air.

Such composure was impossible to expect from a beginner like Yuseong.

Usually, only a veteran who had crossed the line of death multiple times could avoid panic.

But Yuseong was calm.

He didn’t lose his grip on reason from overwhelming fear.

Moreover, when the opportunity arose, he didn’t let it slip, charging headlong at Gwak Cheongrae.

Even when he suffered a piercing injury to his shoulder, he didn’t hesitate and kept charging.

It was as if he was fighting while ignoring his breath.

“For someone like that, he’s thorough.”

Gwak Cheongrae’s henchmen were massacred due to their excessive reckless shooting.

Combined with the Blessing of Goodwill, a jam that prevented the bullet from firing occurred.

It could have been just luck, but Yuseong’s movements told otherwise.

He caught the misfired bullet slide that didn’t return and realized the gun wouldn’t fire.

If not, at least when the muzzle was pointed at him, he would have tried to dodge.

Yuseong was so meticulous that in the moment he charged, he even made sure to protect his abdomen.

It wasn’t a blind charge based on a vague hope of not getting hit by bullets.

“Anyway, a big rookie has arrived.”

Before even receiving an explorer license, Yuseong was sponsored by Cheonghwa.

On top of that, this time he had defeated a promising prospect expected to soon become an A-rank.

Many explorers made a flashy debut, but few were as outstanding as Yuseong.

At that moment, the sound of sirens echoed, as police cars rushed in.

Chief Choi took out his phone.

Since Yuseong had done the heavy lifting, it was now his job to handle the aftermath.

“Yes, Chief. This is Choi Jun Yeol from Cheonghwa. Thank you for your hard work.”

He called the police’s upper chain of command.

“No, not another matter. It’s about Gwak Cheongrae that you mentioned earlier. That guy suddenly got a gun and attacked the chairman’s car. Of course, the chairman is okay. He wasn’t in the car.”

As a member of Cheonghwa sponsoring Yuseong, he had an obligation to finish the job neatly.

“Fortunately, we subdued him. We had a few injuries on our side, but fortunately no fatalities. However, this guy seems to have taken a lot of drugs. He had trouble breathing alone and then died. Yes, yes, he’s dead.”

Chief Choi glanced at Gwak Cheongrae, trembling and fainted.

“Yes, that’s how it is. Please take care of it. Next time, let’s go play golf once.”

Daring to kill Chairman Lee Woo Do and using a gun on his brother’s grandson.

Though the aftermath became a bit complicated, Gwak Cheongrae would be dealt with as planned.

“Tch…”

Chief Choi clicked his tongue after hanging up.

The promising prospect Gwak Cheongrae was gone, and a new prospect Baek Yuseong would rise.

***

Se Yeondae Hospital VIP Suite.

“Recovery speed is not normal. We gave blood transfusions and disinfected and sutured the wounds, but there’s no need to summon a healer.”

“The gunshot wounds are almost healed.”

“Then, will he wake up soon?”

The doctor answered without hesitation.

“Of course. As I said before, he isn’t in a coma but sleeping. He keeps snoring.”

“This person, it’s like he’s worried about someone as if he were his own grandson. Don’t be so scared…”

When Lee Woo Do scolded, the doctor was taken aback.

“I-I didn’t mean that…”

“Well, no lasting aftereffects, right?”

“Yes. Actually, once he wakes up, he should be able to be discharged immediately.”

“That’s a relief. It must be thanks to you, brother.”

“Brother… What do you mean?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

Lee Woo Do and the doctor’s conversation drifted into Yuseong’s half-asleep ears.

He realized he had been asleep quite a long time.

Behind his survival through countless near-death moments was a special ability.

Amazing healing power.

He healed himself as if animals hibernated, sleeping to recover.

It wasn’t that he had a unique constitution unlike others.

It was related to his grandfather Baek Uncheon. More precisely, Baek Uncheon’s Gift.

“Gift.”

It appeared before the Great Cataclysm.

One day, people began to be born with Gifts.

Though the panic wasn’t as great as humanity’s food supply suddenly disappearing, it was historically huge.

Superpowers or extraordinary abilities were granted to hundreds of millions, nearly collapsing society.

In the beginning, their powers weren’t so great, and if governments hadn’t mercilessly cracked down on Awakened criminals, humanity might have been wiped out.

Or if the Great Cataclysm hadn’t wiped out humanity’s food supply.

If people hadn’t come together to unite their strength, the world might really have ended.

It was finally the moment when Gifts became blessings, not curses.

Absolute Preservation.

The name of the Gift Baek Uncheon had.

It was a unique Gift that preserved whatever object he designated in a completely intact state.

It was an incredible Gift that couldn’t even compare to Yuseong’s Evil Appetite.

It could heal people who were injured by monsters to a seemingly perfect state.

The story of how Baek Uncheon obtained the Gift was even more amusing.

He was pondering how to keep food from spoiling when the Gift settled in.

As soon as he received the Gift, he was happy that he could eat freshly caught sashimi anytime.

When Awakened were uncontrolled and the world became chaotic,

Yuseong’s parents were killed in the struggle between Awakened factions.

The only surviving grandson, Baek Uncheon took to his own island.

Having already liquidated his assets and retired, he turned the island into his own farm.

He stockpiled food in warehouses and grew various crops in fields.

He also created fish farms, raising various livestock and aquatic life.

All thanks to Absolute Preservation, he was able to manage it alone.

On the Day of Cataclysm, when humanity’s food supply vanished, only Baek Uncheon’s island remained untouched.

Though his power could only maintain the small island, Yuseong grew up without lacking anything.

Yuseong’s deep knowledge of food and cooking after the Cataclysm was all thanks to that.

Until his grandfather died and he returned to his hometown, he lived a richer life than anyone else worldwide.

Before passing, Baek Uncheon left Yuseong his final legacy.

“The Blessing of Absolute Preservation.”

Thanks to that, even if Yuseong was injured, he would quickly recover to his original condition.

Thinking of his grandfather, Yuseong suddenly recalled how much he loved sashimi.

“I wasn’t very good at eating sashimi though.”

During his time on the island, the fish farms gradually shrank.

Baek Uncheon’s power wasn’t enough to preserve even the seawater where fish lived.

So sashimi was only eaten on birthdays or special occasions.

Fresh, plump flatfish dipped in wasabi soy sauce.

Or thickly dipped in chojang.

Suddenly, Yuseong’s hunger surged wildly.

“I want sashimi.”

“Kaak!”

Yuseong shouted and jumped up.

Someone nearby was startled by Yuseong’s outburst and stepped back.

The woman beside Yuseong was a doctor wearing a mask.

“Who…”

“Ah, um, you’re awake. I’m the attending physician.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be alarmed. Please listen, patient.”

“Go ahead.”

“Unfortunately, the patient was in a coma for a very long time.”

She looked serious as she spoke.

“It’s already been 20 years since the patient collapsed… Ah! No!”

Without a word, Yuseong tugged on her mask.

Shin Jia’s face was revealed.

The elastic strap of the mask stretched long as Yuseong let go.

Slap!

The mask slapped Shin Jia’s face.

She covered her face as if in pain.

“You scared me. Back to square one… Anyway, where did you get that doctor’s gown?”

“Ugh, it’s not a doctor’s gown but my coat.”

Looking closely, Shin Jia was wearing a white coat.

Yuseong, half-asleep, had mistaken it.

“Hmm, how long has it been?”

“Three days. You slept really well.”

“Are you okay? Still, it was a traffic accident.”

“Seems expensive cars are really good. I got tested but not even a scratch. I’m stunned.”

“It’s not because the car’s good, I blocked the impact for you.”

“Is that so?”

Remembering how Yuseong had blocked the collision just before the crash, Shin Jia smiled shyly.

Yuseong stretched and checked his body.

Except for the stiffness from lying down too long, he felt quite refreshed.

Perhaps because he had returned from the past, the blessing left by his grandfather seemed to be acting more subtly.

Though Absolute Preservation’s blessing weakened as time passed, Yuseong couldn’t change how he fought.

So when he returned, his whole body was covered in scars.

Looking around, he realized he was in a hospital room.

A VIP single room often seen on TV.

More luxurious than a decent hotel room.

“Oh, flowers.”

Someone must have come to the hospital room because there were several flower baskets on the table.

“The chairman and I, and I think someone else came by? I thought the night shift would be fine, so I came again.”

Shin Jia carried a simple yellow bouquet.

Behind it was a luxurious flower pot that was obviously left by Chairman Lee Woo Do.

In front of it was a small box.

Opening the box, there was a note.

『 I’m glad you’re safe. You went through a lot because of me. When you’re discharged, come visit. It’s good to eat something like samgyetang after an injury.

p.s. As an apology, I left you a gift. I’ll properly make it up to you later. 』

One could feel the concern in the words, as well as the sincere thought about the samgyetang.

Yuseong smiled quietly and lifted a small object below the note.

“What’s this…?”

“A car key, isn’t it?”

“I know it’s a car key. But what kind of car is this? Did he gift me a car?”

Yuseong was baffled by Lee Woo Do’s generosity.

A horse was drawn on the key.

“Wow, this is a Ferrari!”

“What’s a Ferrari?”

“A supercar, extremely expensive!”

“Are you interested in cars now?”

“Yes. Anyway, this is amazing.”

Shin Jia seemed excited as she recognized the car model.

But Yuseong was shy.

“Well, it’s a great benefit.”

“You don’t look very happy.”

“I can’t drive.”

“…Ah.”

Shin Jia’s expression shifted complicatedly.

The gift was impressive, but Yuseong’s lack of excitement was almost pitiful.

“I wish there was a fruit basket instead.”

“Fruit? Fruit?”

“Yeah, if I could just eat a single apple, that would be great.”

Yuseong’s mouth watered.

Having been asleep so long, his hunger clung to his stomach like glue.

Before, the hospital would bring fruit baskets.

That was impossible in this world.

Good fruit was hard to find now.

Fruits, especially apples, were mostly water, so if frozen, their texture changed completely.

What should be crispy would become mushy like grains of sand.

So even if frozen fruit was thawed, it was only good for making juice.

Yuseong had only eaten fruit when living with his grandfather or found inside the Abyss.

“Fruit? There is some?”

“What?”

At that moment, Shin Jia unexpectedly spoke.

“Here, isn’t this fruit?”

She lifted a basket from beside the bed.

It hadn’t been visible from where Yuseong was sitting.

“Really, there is.”

And inside were fresh fruits.

Collected from within the Abyss.