I put a leash on Catastrophe

Zhi-wu wanted to brush it off, saying it was nothing special, as it seemed petty to say directly that it was because of money, but suddenly he heard the pharaoh quietly chuckle and looked at him, and he spoke with a sarcastic expression:

“Indeed, nothing special. After all, it’s because of money.”

“Money?”

Martin looked puzzled, as if not understanding these words. Unlike him, the pharaoh seemed more perceptive, and while Zhi-wu was feeling awkward, the pharaoh came closer.

“Why is that?”

“What…”

“Although I don’t know exactly the value of this world’s currency, judging by your expression, it was a significant amount for you.”

Then the pharaoh curiously leaned towards Zhi-wu and carefully studied his face.

“But why didn’t you run away?”

“Huh?”

“In your world, there are devices that can record people’s actions. However, I used my power to stop their operation, so no one knows you stayed there.”

This was true. Last night, not only the cameras in the museum where Zhi-wu had been, but also the cameras outside weren’t working, which allowed them to leave unnoticed.

As the pharaoh said, if he had secretly left, pretending he knew nothing, he wouldn’t have had to make unplanned expenses. But…

“If I had acted at my discretion, someone might have been hurt.”

Be it the staff member who helped with the registration or someone else. After the apocalypse, it would be a different matter, but now everyone was leading a normal everyday life.

He didn’t want anyone to face injustice because of him, who had returned in time. The pharaoh’s expression became twisted, as if he somehow understood this.

“Are you too kind?”

“…”

“So much that you consider others’ circumstances. How generous.”

Irritated by the sarcastic tone, Zhi-wu tried to kick the pharaoh in the shin, but he easily dodged with an impassive expression.

Looking at the pharaoh who was smirking as if offering to try again, Zhi-wu spoke:

“It’s not kindness.”

“Hm?”

“It’s what I want to protect.”

Zhi-wu had returned in time for a peaceful world where there would be no apocalypse. Moreover, perhaps because he had seen money turn into trash during the apocalypse, Zhi-wu had no attachment to wealth.

Money can be earned, so it was unacceptable to disturb others’ peace because of such a trifle.

Maybe this answer pleased the pharaoh? The pharaoh’s lips curved into a smile. Although it looked mocking, there was no negativity felt in it.

“Hm.”

Quietly chuckling, he held out his hand. Since he wasn’t trying to grab or touch anything, but just held his hand in the air at chest level, Zhi-wu was looking at him with bewilderment when the pharaoh slightly shook his hand.

When Zhi-wu reflexively cupped his hands and held them out, a rain of gold and precious stones poured from the pharaoh’s palm.

“Huh? Aaah?”

It wasn’t a trick, the jewels were appearing from his palm. It was very surprising, but no one was paying attention to them.

Probably this was the pharaoh’s power. When the jewels started to accumulate and threatened to overflow from his hands, Zhi-wu’s face gradually paled.

“Stop! Enough!”

When the pile became so big that it was about to fall from his hands, the pharaoh stopped the rain and nodded.

“I can’t allow the one who for a moment put me below himself to worry about petty money.”

“This…”

“Until now, people I met lost their goals, intoxicated by wealth and power.”

“…”

“Let’s see how long you remain unchanged.”

Saying this, the pharaoh stepped back with a smug expression, and Zhi-wu looked stunned, as if not knowing what to say.

‘Why is he giving me this now…’

If he took this to Korea, it would be considered smuggling, so Zhi-wu had to return it.

“How dare you…”

When the pharaoh started to protest that his sincerity was being ignored because of such trifles, they came to an agreement that he would keep it until returning to Korea, and headed to the motel that Zhi-wu had originally rented.

“Ha…”

Although the room was incomparably more modest than the suite where they spent the night, Zhi-wu felt more at ease. On the contrary, the pharaoh was horrified by the state of the room, and Martin seemed to think nothing and stood firmly at the entrance.

“You live in such a place?”

“…No, we’ll leave soon.”

They came back to pick up the few belongings. Although everything didn’t go as planned, since they got the pharaoh, there was no need to stay in America, and he planned to return on today’s flight.

The things weren’t even unpacked, so they could just be taken and left.

‘I’m tired…’

Going to rest a bit before leaving, Zhi-wu rolled around on the bed and looked at the pharaoh, who was still sitting with a displeased expression on the cheap motel sofa.

Although his face was still full of hatred, Zhi-wu decided to try to get along with him, since they were now in the same boat.

‘…He hasn’t directly harmed me.’

All his evil deeds were known only from stories, he hadn’t seen them personally. Maybe…

‘If my comrades heard this, they would call me a naive idiot.’

But the situation had changed, so why not try to get along? This thought gradually strengthened in his head.

“By the way… what should I call you?”

“Hm?”

“We’ll be living together, I can’t keep calling you pharaoh all the time.”

Unlike Martin, who immediately introduced himself to the awakened Zhi-wu, he still didn’t know the pharaoh’s name, partly due to previous events.

He asked this, putting into the question an offer to try to get along in the future, but the pharaoh just looked at him indifferently.

“Ha! I don’t have a name I would tell to someone like you.”

Soon his face became haughty, and he blurted out such words.

“Well, if you try to flatter me a little, I might tell you the most insignificant of my names.”

Zhi-wu wanted to hit himself for just thinking about trying to get along. He wasn’t going to humiliate himself to learn a name, so he ignored him.

* * *

Although for Zhi-wu, who had clear identification, returning home wasn’t a problem, he thought it would be difficult for Martin and the pharaoh, but unexpectedly it was resolved easily.

With the help of the pharaoh’s power, the two men hid and attached themselves to the plane.

[This is very interesting.]

Unlike Martin, who was crouched nearby, the pharaoh stood straight on the wing, enjoying the wind.

He seemed interested in how such a large piece of metal flies. Despite the more than 15-hour flight, they both, not being human, seemed not tired at all, but Zhi-wu nervously looked out the window at the two men visible only to him, feeling anxious.

Fortunately, they were able to reach Korea without serious problems, and upon arrival in Korea, Zhi-wu checked the news on the internet about the museum incident, about which there were still no clues, while they were making their way to his one-room apartment.

“This…!”

The pharaoh’s face contorted with shock. He had an expression as if he didn’t expect there could be something worse than bad.

“What is this? A barn?”

He was very shocked when they moved from a $5000 suite to a $50 motel, but at least there was a room spacious enough for three men.

However, this was a one-room apartment where only Zhi-wu lived, so it wasn’t very large, and with two large men standing there, it seemed that it was overflowing.

The pharaoh’s shock turned into anger. He thought that Zhi-wu had deliberately chosen such a room to humiliate him.

He decided that this building was Zhi-wu’s mansion, and judging by the several doors outside, he obviously used another room, but when he saw Zhi-wu naturally unpacking things and changing clothes, his face lost expression.

Because there were too many signs of life here for it to be taken as a barn, as he mistakenly thought.

“This… impossible.”

“…”

“I can’t live in such a place! Prepare normal housing!”

“…Isn’t this normal enough?”

The pharaoh was even more speechless when in response to his indignant words he heard not an apology, but a question.

“It’s bigger than the coffin you were in.”

“You… are you saying this seriously?”

A coffin is narrow because it’s for putting the dead in, but a house is a place for living, and he doesn’t care that it’s small?

“There’s no lobby here! No living room! No dressing room, no bathroom! How can this be normal housing!”

Despite the pharaoh’s gaze, who looked at him as if doubting his sanity, Zhi-wu remained unshaken.

Based on his experience of living here, he concluded that it was quite suitable for living.

Although cramped, the walls and floor were clean, and it was tidy since there was nothing to clean up. Although there was no bathtub, there was a sink with a shower, so one could easily wash.

And, most importantly, there was a reason why he lived in this house.

A deposit of 6 million won, plus 600,000 won per month for utilities and rent. This was the best option he could afford, considering it was on the outskirts of Seoul where rent was cheaper.

Although he didn’t say it out loud, the pharaoh seemed to understand this immediately from Zhi-wu’s face, and his expression contorted.

“Ha…!”

Then he started pouring jewels from his palm. Several times more than he had given in America fell to the floor, and soon a small mountain formed.

“You, madman!”

Zhi-wu threw a blanket over the jewels that were pouring with such noise that one could worry about neighbors’ complaints. Although those already fallen couldn’t be stopped, those that continued to fall from above were now wrapped in the blanket and made no sound.

The cramped apartment became even more cramped due to the jewels. When the pile of jewels grew higher than the ankle, the pharaoh finally stopped spewing them.

“Don’t dare to treat me like this, putting me below yourself.”

“…”

“Doesn’t my status fall because of you, mired in poverty and defeat?”

Although Zhi-wu was irritated by the pharaoh’s behavior, who said unnecessary things, hinting that such an amount of wealth was just a speck of dust for him, it wasn’t so bad that he was trying to help, albeit in this way, instead of just complaining.

Nevertheless, the gratitude was nullified by the last words, so he didn’t express it out loud.

‘Indeed, it’s not bad to live here alone, but for three it’s cramped.’

Thanks to the pharaoh’s help, there were means for moving. However, since these were not money but objects, their use immediately caused many problems.

Sweeping the scattered jewels on the floor into a cardboard box he had previously received with a package, Zhi-wu pondered how to use them.

‘It seems only there is possible.’

His reflections were not long, as one place immediately popped up in his head.