Chapter 9: Crime City (4)

“The [miracle] you demonstrated—I believe it to be an extremely dangerous power.”

“Th-That can’t be right… Did you experience any side effects or anything?”

Dangerous? What was she talking about?

The effect of [Radiance of Healing] was incredibly simple.

It removed abnormalities and restored the target.

A power that existed solely to heal others—what about that could be considered dangerous?

‘It does make me a little tired if I overdo it, but…’

That was all. It had no particular restrictions or major costs.

Could there really be a hidden problem I wasn’t aware of?

Just as I was about to ask, she answered first.

“The effect itself is undoubtedly beneficial. But that’s exactly the problem—it’s too effective.”

Still not understanding what she meant, I frowned.

She continued in a more serious tone.

“Do you remember what I looked like when we first met?”

“Yes. You were badly injured.”

“It was worse than it appeared. My internal organs had exceeded necrosis thresholds, and the reverse current from my damaged cybernetic body had critically damaged my central nervous system. I was effectively dead. Even if an emergency response team had found me, they would have deemed me unsalvageable and refused transport. But you…”

“You restored a body that should have been dead, instantly. That exceeds all existing medical limits. Even if we invested unimaginable amounts of capital, labor, and advanced research, such a result would be impossible. If the public were to learn that such a power exists…”

Her golden eyes suddenly cooled as she looked at me.

“The consequences would be dangerous. Everyone in this city would come after you.”

I didn’t get it at first.

It sounded like such an exaggeration that I almost wanted to laugh.

But the more I thought about it, the more I felt the weight of her words.

Even in this world of advanced science, there were still diseases and disabilities humanity hadn’t conquered.

And people continued to suffer.

No—there were more of them than ever.

Even for curable conditions, countless people still died in the back alleys simply because they couldn’t afford medicine or access proper care.

If rumors of a ‘miracle cure for any illness’ started spreading—what would happen?

Some might dismiss it as a hoax.

But desperation in the face of death goes beyond imagination.

People would come, grasping at straws.

Countless sick individuals might flood in like a tidal wave.

Could I possibly handle them all on my own?

Refusal wouldn’t be tolerated.

Patients, or their loved ones, would do anything to save a fading life. Anything at all…

Just imagining it made my spine go cold. And it didn’t even stop there.

“Profit-driven groups will come for you, too. Pharmaceutical corporations, insurance companies—any entity that profits from health. To them, a [miracle of healing] would be like the Holy Grail made real.”

If they could analyze and commodify the source of that miracle, it would generate profits of astronomical scale.

From their perspective, they’d do whatever it took to obtain that power.

Even bypassing standard hiring processes—resorting to kidnapping, blackmail, or imprisonment.

In this city, corporations trample human rights if there’s money to be made.

Dragged into a lab somewhere, I might end up subjected to inhumane experiments to reveal the secrets of my power.

The horrifying image made my vision blur.

“………”

I’d once heard a saying: a treasure granted to the powerless is no different from a curse.

What I possessed now felt exactly like that.

From someone else’s point of view, it was the kind of thing they’d want to steal or monopolize at all costs.

But I had no way to resist.

It felt like I was a child tossed into a slum with a bar of gold in hand.

‘What should I do…?’

As I fell into despair over that terrifying possibility, she spoke again.

“If you’re concerned for your safety, I have a suggestion.”

“…Yes?”

“I currently have no affiliation.

Why not hire me as your bodyguard for the time being?”

I lifted my head instinctively.

It was a tempting offer.

She was the one who had just singlehandedly wiped out a private strike team.

If someone like that were protecting me, it would be hard for any ordinary threat to endanger me. But—

“…I don’t have the money to pay you.”

I really didn’t have the financial means to hire someone.

And while I owed her my life, she’d saved me as well.

We could feel grateful toward each other, but we both knew that one favor didn’t justify eternal payback.

As I hesitated, she spoke again.

“I don’t want money. I’ll accept your ability as payment.”

“My… ability?”

“Yes. My body is still impaired in many ways. While your help has brought me back to a stable state, several internal components—like memory modules—are still damaged. If you could take the time to restore those parts completely, that would be more than sufficient.”

As soon as I heard that, a question popped up.

“…Is that even possible?”

Even if my power was miraculous, that sounded more like maintenance than healing. But she seemed confident.

“It is. As long as you provide the ability, you need not worry about the results.”

If the recipient themselves was saying this, it must be true.

“…….”

So I took a moment to consider her offer.

A bodyguard… The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a great idea.

Even if no one found out about my [miracle], disasters like today could happen again at any time.

A single accident could ruin my life, and one was more than enough.

I needed a way to protect myself—that fact had hit me hard today.

Refusing wasn’t even an option.

I nodded and answered.

“I’d like to accept your offer.”

“Very well. Then the contract duration…”

She paused in thought, then continued.

“Shall we say seven years, starting now?”

I quickly did the math in my head.

Seven years… I couldn’t really tell if that was long or short.

It’s not like I’d ever hired a bodyguard before, unlike a celebrity or someone like that.

But in the original game Neo Front Cyber City, hiring someone who could take down a Juggernaut alone required at least six figures in credits.

Considering 1 credit dollar here equated to about 1,000 Korean won in real-world value, that would make her salary something in the hundreds of millions of won.

And that was per month, not per year.

“…….”

In a lawless city like this, powerful individuals were in constant demand.

So the price made sense.

But seven years of that… the numbers were staggering.

‘Good thing I’m not paying in cash.’

Seven years was more than enough from my perspective, so I didn’t feel the need to negotiate.

‘It’s not like I plan to live here forever anyway.’

From the beginning, my only goal was to return to my original world.

Seven years would be plenty of time to gather the clues I needed.

This world was deeply digitized—if I put in the effort, I could uncover any knowledge I sought.

And if more than seven years passed… that would probably mean it was hopeless.

‘At that point, I’d have no choice but to live the rest of my life here.’

But that… I didn’t even want to imagine it.

Every morning in this strange world, I still prayed.

Prayed that today, I’d finally wake up from this long nightmare.

That I’d open my eyes not in this narrow, unfamiliar single-room apartment, but in my own bed, safe and warm.

But every time, I’d open my eyes only to be disappointed by the same alien ceiling.

I just wanted to walk a quiet street where no gunshots rang out.

To eat warm rice, not processed food wrapped in plastic.

But more than anything, I wanted to see people again.

Friends who’d known me since childhood.

People who stood by me when I was struggling.

And most of all, the family who loved me unconditionally, asking nothing in return… I wanted to see their faces again.

I didn’t want to say goodbye forever to all the bonds I’d spent my life building—not even getting to say a final farewell.

That’s why I had to return home. No matter what it took. I would go back.

I made that vow.

And this contract was the first piece of that puzzle.

“Alright. Seven years. I look forward to working with you, ST.”

I held out my hand, like sealing the deal with a handshake.

She took it and replied,

“Thank you for accepting the contract. From this moment on, I’ll protect you with everything I have, my lady.”

“Ugh?! Cough—!”

“Are you alright?”

The unexpected word hit me like a brick. ‘My lady’?

“Ah, please… don’t call me that…”

But she replied calmly,

“It is the standard honorific used to address unmarried female clients, according to the manual. Shall I make a correction?”

I didn’t even know where to start.

Flustered, I blurted out something.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t told you my name yet. It’s, um… Evinia. Just call me Eve for short.”

“Understood, Miss Eve.”

It still felt weird, but it was better than ‘my lady.’ I was still coughing from embarrassment.

Her completely straight face made me feel oddly annoyed, so I gave her a brief glare, then extended my hand again for a handshake.

“Let’s do our best together.”

“I will give it my all.”

And so began our partnership.