By Zephyria 
A lone unmanned cafe stood nestled among the shops.
It looked like an ordinary unmanned cafe, but this store was a facade, its true purpose being a vault for the precious monthly salaries of Ability Users.
‘I know that if you solve the password hidden somewhere in the store, a door to the vault will immediately open.’
I thoroughly scanned the empty cafe, devoid of customers, but couldn’t find anything that looked like a place to enter a password.
I should have learned more about the vault system when I had the chance.
“There must be something to enter the password.”
[Maybe it’s not here?]
“No. The location is correct.”
As I slowly looked around the store again, I noticed six cups on a table.
‘These cups… why are they here?’
It was strange that transparent cups with markings from 1 to 10 were deliberately placed on the table.
Even if the cafe was so deserted that only flies frequented it, shouldn’t they keep it clean?
I felt something was off when I saw that the cups were filled with liquid up to the mark indicating 1.
‘Could it be?’
Next to the cups was a pitcher filled with an orange liquid.
Smelling it, I was certain it wasn’t orange juice.
‘This looks like the artifact preservation solution that comes from killing monsters?’
There was no way they would leave a solution used for refining artifacts or keeping them functioning properly lying around carelessly.
I carefully poured the liquid into each cup, according to the password numbers I knew.
‘The password I know is the date of my first enlistment as a Guide.’
As I filled the cups with the unforgettable numbers, I heard a rattling sound from behind.
At the same time, Potato shouted in a joyful voice.
[Master! A door leading to the basement has opened here!]
“Let’s go down immediately.”
The basement was designed quite deep, and as I climbed down the ladder, a large space appeared.
Inside, an elevator was installed. It could only go down one floor.
‘It’s a relief that it only recognizes the password.’
If they had set up something like iris recognition, it would have been quite troublesome.
Wiping my chest, I stepped out of the elevator to find countless vaults under bright lights.
[This is the vault where the life debts of early Espers and Guides are stored…….]
Potato looked around in amazement.
I paid no attention and only searched for the vault assigned to me.
The number assigned to each Ability User was their enlistment date and rank, which served as the identification number for their vault, so if I remembered that, I could find the vault where my life debt was saved.
“SSS1130…. Here it is!”
Found it!
I finally found the vault where all of An Ga-hyeon’s salary as an SSS-Class Guide, who died 20 years ago, was stored.
[So, do we open it with the same password as before?]
“No. It’s different this time.”
The password input field consisted only of numbers. I clicked them without hesitation.
“The password for the vault is usually set by the Ability User who owns it, but if the owner dies, they change it so that the bereaved family can find it.”
[To what?]
“The date of death of the Ability User who owned the vault.”
As I entered the four numbers that would never disappear from my memory, the thick vault door swung open.
As I struggled to open the door, the sight of a huge amount of Korean won neatly stored inside filled my vision.
[Wow…….]
“I expected it, but this is amazing.”
Was this how Heungbu felt when he sawed open the gourd after saving the swallow?
My heart was naturally pleased with the piles of banknotes filling the vault, but at the same time, I felt depressed.
‘This is the money I collected by risking my life in Dungeon raids…….’
My life debt. Blood money.
Witnessing it piled up like this brought a complex and indescribable mix of emotions.
Money I never dared to use when I was alive, money I thought I didn’t have, was now money I could use after possessing someone else’s body.
‘It’s so absurd, really.’
If Jae-ha were here with me now, he would have sympathized with my feelings and patted me on the shoulder.
He was a deep and warm-hearted friend.
‘…He must be alive and well somewhere, right?’
The basic principle is to kill rampaging Espers, but according to Potato, he survived and escaped the front lines, so maybe I’ll meet him someday.
Come to think of it, he said he had something to say to me right before I died. What did he want to say? Should I look for Jae-ha, who might be living somewhere, after I successfully complete my revenge?
‘He might not recognize me in the body of D-Class Guide Yeon Yu-jin.’
Thinking that, I took out a paper bag from the bag I had brought.
They were all large and bulky, so I planned to take as much money as my stamina would allow.
“Well then, shall I sweep up my money and take it with me?”
[Yeah!]
I was about to move the piles of paper money into the bag with Potato when it happened.
“Who are you?”
A cold blade touched the back of my neck.
‘There was no sign at all, how?’
Surprised, I tried to turn around, but the uninvited guest clicked his tongue and pushed me against the wall, preventing me from identifying him.
“If you turn around, you’ll die.”
The low, chilling, and cold voice contained no emotion.
‘If this bastard really wants to, I’m dead.’
My survival instinct whispered.
The fact that he came down to the vault meant that he was someone who belonged to the early Ability Users, like me.
If he was a Guide, it would be better, but if he was an Esper, he could kill me right away with his ability.
However, no energy was detected from the other person.
‘He can erase his presence so perfectly?’
I cursed inwardly. Of course, only in my mind, as it could provoke the enemy.
‘Damn it, how do I deal with this guy?’
[Oh, what do we do!]
Potato was anxious and stomping his feet. I gave him a look that said not to worry and slowly asked the crazy bastard who had tied me up.
“…What is this? I’m just a customer who came to open the vault through legitimate procedures.”
“…A customer?”
“Yes. A customer. The Ability User who owns this vault designated my mother as the person to inherit the vault when he died. Inheriting the wishes of my mother, who passed away early, I came here to inherit the assets in his vault.”
‘Actually, it’s me.’
If I told him the inside story of possessing the body of a stranger, I would be treated like a madman, so I made up a story. The voice of the guy who tied me up was filled with doubt.
“That can’t be.”
‘What do you mean it can’t be, you crazy bastard.’
How much would a stranger know about me……?
‘Huh? Wait.’
This voice, it was a voice I had heard somewhere.
“You…….”
Who are you?
I almost asked that.
If it was the person I knew, if it was really him, I would be so happy.
“You?”
But I had to stop because Potato screamed at me.
[That guy is hiding everything from his face to his toes! It might not be the person you think it is!]
‘Potato is right.’
Potato told me that someone who was after my ability killed me.
‘An Ga-hyeon’ was already dead, but if he was a henchman who came to find clues about the Resurrection ability that had not yet been taken, I shouldn’t reveal my identity.
When I remained silent, the guy who had been tying me up from behind asked again.
“You? What were you about to say?”
“I was going to ask what you came here for.”
“Why do you need to know?”
Crack. The force gripping my bound wrists increased.
“Argh!”
‘Damn it. I can’t withstand this pressure for long with Yeon Yu-jin’s weak body!’
I was overcome with the fear that my wrists might break.
The guy who grabbed me whispered in a chillingly gentle tone.
“I know the owner of this vault very well, and he’s not the kind of fool who would hand over his life debt to a complete stranger.”
“How do you know that?”
“I told you. I know him well. We were close.”
That made the hope that it might be him even stronger.
“We were friends who knew everything about each other. Both he and I lost all our relatives, including our parents, in the Dungeon Break, so there was no one to give the compensation we received.”
But there were government rats trying to take it away.
At that point, I realized why this silent intruder was hostile to me.
“…….”
“The law that the government will reclaim it after 20 years after the death of an Ability User. That’s all bullshit. In the case of early Espers or Guides who died while working hard to raid Dungeons as orphans, they start the reclamation process as soon as their death is confirmed.”
“…….”
“For the past 20 years, I’ve been dealing with all the guys who tried to access this vault and steal my friend’s money. That’s the only way to relieve even a little of my friend’s resentment for dying unjustly……. Until I find the culprit who killed him, all I can do is this.”
I felt like I was about to cry when I heard that.
‘Hyeon Jae-ha!’
It’s you.