[While you consume the harvested lifespan, your death is postponed.]
[Remaining Grace Period: 49 days]
“So, I’m not about to drop dead right now.”
At least for 49 days, he was safe. Relieved, Yeonwoo sighed, letting go of his tension, and collapsed onto the bed.
Ding!
A familiar notification rang again.
“Huh? What’s that?”
[Additional harvested stat points: None]
“…‘Additional harvested stat points’? What does that even mean?”
Could it be he could gain something besides the 49 days of lifespan? Remembering how he’d been too busy conning Han Su-han to look closely, Yeonwoo recalled a phrase that had snagged his attention:
**[Some items cannot be viewed at this time.]
**[Detailed information about this individual is hidden.]
He hadn’t had the bandwidth to care during his life-or-death scramble.
What is that? I have a hunch…
It was an instinct—a “sixth sense.” His mother, a famous mansin shaman, had openly acknowledged Yeonwoo’s extraordinary intuition. Right now, that intuition was telling him this was a big deal.
Negative lifespan… a status window… guess I have no choice but to walk the path I never wanted.
That “shaman’s fate” he’d hated so much was what saved his life.
Now I’ve got 78 years left to fill.
A dauntingly long time.
If he was stuck living with negative lifespan, it’s better to have opportunities than not.
“I mean, seeing ghosts was already weird. One more weird thing won’t make it any worse.”
A status window? Just another supernatural quirk. No point stewing over it. Yeonwoo stretched out on the bed, arms wide.
Life really is the best—always new, always thrilling.
A visitor arrived the following day. It was Han Su-han, the one who’d given him that 49-day extension.
“Kang Yeonwoo! I really can’t thank you enough. It’s all because of you—truly, thank you!”
He strode right up to Yeonwoo, grabbing his hands. It was like a prize fish waddling straight into the net. Being seized by a middle-aged man wasn’t exactly enjoyable, but—
Moments like this call for a poker face.
Kang Yeonwoo prided himself on being a pro.
“Yes, it’s all thanks to you. Really, thank you!”
“So, you met your son?”
“Right. As soon as I fell asleep, my boy came to me—exactly as you said.”
The wrinkles around Han Su-han’s eyes glistened with tears.
“I can’t remember the last time we just… talked. Not sure how many years it’s been…”
He gazed into the distance, eyes full of wistful memories. Cue the sob story, Yeonwoo thought.
Sigh. I guess I should hear him out.
Han Su-han was renowned as the “cash king” of Myeongdong—ask who had the most raw capital in Seoul, and his name always popped up. Han Yunbeom, his son, couldn’t stomach how his father skirted the edge of legality to make money. Their relationship deteriorated further when Han Yunbeom chose a bride his father didn’t approve of. Already rebellious, Yunbeom used that conflict as a final push to leave home forever.
“If I’d known he’d go like that, I’d never have pushed him so hard… I’d have let him do whatever he wanted…”
Real life isn’t a fairy tale. Han Yunbeom met a tragic end, brutally murdered by people who hated his father.
“I’ve been weighed down by this heavy guilt for so long. I couldn’t even hold a proper funeral for him. I was too busy hiding my daughter-in-law and grandchild… But yesterday, I finally got to talk everything out with Yunbeom, and I finally heard what was in his heart.”
Though his eyes were red, Han Su-han looked relieved.
“It’s all thanks to you. You helped me resolve a lifelong regret, and I’m truly grateful.”
Forty-nine days—it had been the weight of unfinished business for Han Su-han and the shackle that kept Han Yunbeom from moving on.
So does harvestable lifespan tie into someone’s wish or regret?
After Han Su-han left, Yeonwoo sighed deeply.
“So I guess there’s no choice but to go that route, huh?”
He’d be forced down the path he wanted least.
I never believed in ‘fate.’ And of these two nightmares, being a celebrity is a thousand times better than a shaman… but still.
He only had two options anyway. People generally try to avoid the worst one, right?
“This is crazy.”
[It’s not that bad, right? You’re alive, aren’t you? If only you’d picked one from the start—tsk, tsk.]
“Why are you dumping fuel on the fire?”
[Didn’t you say if you had to choose, you’d rather be an entertainer than a shaman?]
“That’s what I said, yeah.”
But now, that seemed impossible. Sigh. Yeonwoo let out a big breath.
“I ran away because I didn’t want to carry on the family trade, and here I am anyway. Is this for real?”
Regardless, he’d have to keep playing the role of a pseudo-shaman for the foreseeable future.
[Remaining Grace Period: 49 days]
Yeonwoo glared at the blinking system window in the corner of his vision. His sole objective now was to survive.
Recovery went swiftly. It was partly because the protective talismans had shielded him from serious harm when the truck hit, and partly because Han Su-han had flung money everywhere.
“At this rate, I might live to be a hundred.”
Yeonwoo slurped the decoction of 100-year-old wild ginseng. Before that, he’d consumed something called a “Shaolin Elixir,” allegedly made from ground-up rare ingredients, then a soup made by boiling a seven-inch crucian carp, then snake wine, then grilled eel prepared right in the hospital. All courtesy of Han Su-han’s money and connections.
Thanks to that VIP treatment, Yeonwoo passed every exam and was discharged. He was then ushered into a high-end officetel, courtesy of Han Su-han, where he could kick back and relax.
“So good. At this rate, I’ll be fit till I’m a hundred.”
[Actually, you only have 47 days left, you know.]
“…You just can’t let me enjoy myself, can you?”
[I’m worried! It’s been two days, after all. How can I not worry? Come on, let’s go gather more lifespan!]
“Stop talking about dying already.”
It wasn’t helping that the little status window in his peripheral vision kept nagging at him. Yeonwoo, now like a hyena scouring for “food” (i.e., lifespan), mumbled under his breath. No matter how much medicinal cuisine he ate, without more lifespan, it was meaningless.
While Yeonwoo was fretting—
Bzzz… Bzzz…
A brand-new phone—part of Han Su-han’s “tribute” to replace Yeonwoo’s destroyed one—began to vibrate.
[A settlement?]
“Yeah. They want to settle.”
He had gotten a call from one of the parties responsible for the multi-car collision—someone leaning more toward “culprit” than “victim.” Because they were afraid of the public backlash, they wanted to handle it quietly.
[You going?]
“They said if I don’t come, they might die for real, so… I sort of sympathize.”
Death.
Lately, it was Yeonwoo’s number one preoccupation. Everything he did these days was, essentially, a matter of staying alive. Also, no one had actually died or been gravely injured, which made him a bit more open to hearing them out. If they’d shamelessly tried to avoid punishment, he would’ve hung up on them immediately.
“I’m basically the biggest victim here.”
If events had gone normally, there would’ve been exactly one fatality—Yeonwoo himself.
[Perfect. While you’re out, look for some spirits! Something robust, with lots of lifespan or special abilities!]
The child spirit sounded like it was suggesting a casual grocery trip. But it wasn’t wrong.
Might as well see if I can find a spirit.
Ideally, one loaded with lifespan and abilities, just as it suggested.
Long story short, Yeonwoo did spot a spirit.
“Hello there. Um… well, maybe not ‘hello’ but…”
“Uh, yes.”
Yeonwoo barely glanced at the man who greeted him because he was fixated on the spirit clinging to the man’s back. It had a glaring label: “+1 day.”
[Harvestable Lifespan: +1 day]
One day. Seriously? No matter how many times he blinked, the number remained 1.
I came all this way hoping for a big catch, and all I get is a tiny minnow. What a letdown.
To top it off, the slick man in front of him exuded a vaguely off-putting vibe.
[Huuu… hooo…]
Yeonwoo watched the spirit behind the man shedding bloody tears, its form drooping in grief.
[That one’s on the verge of turning evil.]
Dark, cloud-like energy swirled faintly around it, suggesting it hadn’t fully transformed yet. Still, its raw malice hinted at a deep grudge against the man.
“Haha, this is so embarrassing. I was up all night working, so I must’ve…”
His oily excuses gave Yeonwoo the entire picture.
[Looks like he was dozing off behind the wheel.]
The child spirit clucked its tongue.
So that’s why he wants a hush-hush settlement. Drowsy driving—can’t dodge that. He should’ve stayed home.
Just for a one-day spirit and some dozy driver? The guy was even smirking creepily at Yeonwoo, as if to say “Everything’s okay.”
While Yeonwoo was thinking, Is there something wrong with his head?—
“By the way… you’ve been eyeing me for a while. Yes, you’re correct.”
The man spoke suddenly.
“Uh, excuse me?”
“Haha, I wasn’t intentionally hiding it, but I’m impressed you figured it out so quickly. No need to feel shy—I’m the one who’s mortified, meeting a fan in a situation like this. Still… maybe this is fate?”
“…?”
What is this lunatic on about?
“Yes, given all this, it’s only right to introduce myself, don’t you think?”
No, thanks, you psycho.
“Haha, right. I’m Jeong Chulwoo.”
He extended his hand. He was so smooth that Yeonwoo shook it reflexively. As they shook hands, a window popped up in Yeonwoo’s vision:
-Name: Jeong Chulwoo (25 / Male)
-Occupation: Unknown Actor
-Disposition: Chaotic Evil
-Specialty: Bluffing [C-]
-Affection Level: Lowest
-Current Physical Condition: Healthy
-Current Emotional State: Annoyed
***Some items cannot be viewed at this time.
***Detailed information is hidden.
***You can harvest 1 day of lifespan from this individual.
From the moment they met, Jeong Chulwoo had been all smiles, acting thrilled to see Yeonwoo. Even when Yeonwoo’s face froze at the sight of that one-day lifespan, Jeong remained insufferably cheerful.
But—
So his Affection is at rock-bottom, and he’s annoyed? Talk about two-faced.
Apparently he thought a little friendly grin would solve everything. Life’s not that easy, buddy.
At that moment, Yeonwoo’s attitude took a nosedive.
“People tell me I look like Kwon Sunghyun all the time—guess you recognized me.”
[What? This guy thinks he looks like Kwon Sunghyun?]
The child spirit burst out,
[Does that pufferfish look anything like Kwon Sunghyun?!]
It snorted in outrage. Who is that again?
[He’s a super famous top star—Kwon Sunghyun! Wait, Yeonwoo, you really don’t know him? For real?!]
Nope, nor did he care. Realizing Yeonwoo looked indifferent, the spirit got even more animated.
[Seriously?! You truly don’t know who Kwon Sunghyun is? Hard to believe there’s a Korean who hasn’t heard of him. I’m dead and even I know! Yeonwoo, you need to watch more movies. Kwon Sunghyun’s starred in seven different ten-million-ticket films! He’s in that coffee commercial you’re always drinking!]
Ah. Finally, Yeonwoo began to connect the dots.
I tuned it all out because Mom kept pestering me to become either a shaman or a celebrity. Figures. Maybe I should’ve at least paid some attention.
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