Past Life Returner

“We are in a situation where we even have to clear up our group’s holdings! We must cancel now and focus on securing the spot! Jonathan!”

Jonathan didn’t respond to the board’s protest and passed by them. In the past, hundreds of elite managers were needed to do the work that a computer could do now after its program had developed. However, people were the ultimate ones who ran that program.

“Everyone, stay in place. If the financial system collapses, we have to live in a primitive civilization! You must understand better than anyone else that the foundation of our civilization is here.”

Jonathan had sent security guards to his employees’ homes and their children’s schools in advance.

“Now that the new civilization has arisen, let’s do what we can!”

The employees were puzzled as they felt as if they had been thrown into a world where common sense had vanished. The entire situation was a continuation of nonsense. Soldiers were engaging against the monsters outside the window, ten trillion dollars were pouring into the group’s account in cash, and Jonathan was screaming that using that money to purchase stocks of collapsing companies around the world was the only way to protect human civilization.

Jonathan calmed things down and returned to his office, and Kim Cheong-Soo, who was looking at Seon-Hu in the monitor, gave him the seat. Jonathan’s eyes met Kim Cheong-Soo’s before he sat down.

<Jonathan: Shit. I’m out of my mind. Did you see that the circuit breaker had been activated? These crazy bastards are sitting in front of the computer in this situation. Silverman and AP Morgan must have scheduled their program to sell their entire stocks. Bunch of assholes.>

<Seon-Hu: Hand over the program authority of numbers three and four. Japan is on the verge of collapse. You should keep an eye on London City. The futures market of London was closed but has just reopened. Get ready because they will start selling soon.>

<Jonathan: Isaac Rothschild…>

Jonathan gritted his teeth, and what Seon-Hu said was correct. The Jeon-il Club had come to a resolution that maintained the financial market in the event of an unprecedented situation. They had even revised the financial laws and regulations in many countries. Nevertheless, there had been a temporary closure as the Rothschilds had pressured the City. It was obvious why they had opened the market again as they were testing us.

These motherfuckers!

Jonathan understood the fear of the general public. It was natural for them to throw in their stuff, but at least those who had benefited under the club shouldn’t have done it. They were thinking that Odin’s days were over.

Jonathan handed over the authority of several programs to Seon-Hu. Then, he called the staff in charge of London City and warned them about the situation that Seon-Hu had mentioned.

Bang! Bang! Bang, bang, bang!

There was a series of gunfire. Jonathan noticed that his employees were currently crowded by the opposite window and sprinted toward it. When he looked down, soldiers were scouting around the road, and two dead bodies of monsters were in the middle.

“You guys will be sick and tired of watching this soon! As you can see, the soldiers are handling them well, so we should focus on our job.”

Jonathan gave Kim Cheong-Soo a look and returned to his office.

<Jonathan: There were two aliens dead on the road.>

<Seon-Hu: They must have been lucky to escape that far.>

Jonathan could see that Seon-Hu’s hands were constantly moving as he talked.

<Jonathan: That’s considered lucky?>

<Seon-Hu: Trust the soldiers. Right now, the monsters are still vulnerable to firearms. Therefore, the center of major cities won’t be impacted at all. The problem is that fear is destroying the market. Turn on program thirteen.>

Seon-Hu’s voice trembled slightly. Jonathan’s nervousness grew out of control as it was his first time seeing Seon-Hu being anxious.

***

The man’s code name was Odin. His influence in the global stock market had decreased since he had begun to withdraw the stakes he had scraped during the dotcom bubble and subprime crisis. Nevertheless, the liquidated assets made them hold their breath, making them always want to look behind them. Therefore, the Jeon-il Club members couldn’t even dream of establishing a new club outside of Asia. All they did was conclude a small secret treaty between themselves.

The members’ greatest interest was obvious. They only paid attention to where and what Odin’s disposed assets were doing, and how big it was.

Isaac was astonished as Odin’s capital power looked seemingly endless. He couldn’t think of a word that described his capital strength that was embracing the global market’s plunge as it was not limited to the North American market. Odin had been great during the subprime crisis, but even during the historic turning point of human civilization where aliens attacked, he was…

He deserves the name of Odin.

Odin was the name of the human civilization god in Norse mythology, and he was up against a civilization outside of humanity.

Isaac sipped on his cup of tea as he alternately looked between the charts on his laptop and the monsters running wild on television. Then, he received a video chat request, and it was from Na Seon-Hu, Odin. Isaac sent his bodyguard, who acted as if he would protect Isaac until the world ended, outside.

<Seon-Hu: Isaac.>

Odin’s cold eyes seemed to break through the screen.

<Isaac: Long time no see, Odin.>

<Seon-Hu: I’ll keep it simple since I don’t have much time. Do you think I’ll let this world go down? You’ll have to make a wise decision. Don’t forget that I’m giving you a chance now.>

The video call ended abruptly there, but Isaac somehow felt like Odin’s afterimage was still on the screen. Odin’s presence had always been like that. His eyes were full of malicious energy during every single club conference, and Isaac couldn’t stop thinking about those eyes until the next meeting was held the year after.

He is still the same even after the monsters appeared. He has never laid himself open to attack.

Slaaaaaam- Wheewaaaaang-

Isaac turned his head to look out of the window. He couldn’t see anything in the night sky, but it was clear that there were fighter jets flying in formation.

Then, Dresner Rothschild came in. He was holding a pistol in one hand and a laptop in the other, which proved that he was ready for any battle. Isaac thought that any true Rothschild had to be brave like Dresner even when facing the end of the world.

He remarked, “A little while ago, Odin warned me not to do anything stupid.”

“So, what did you say?” Dresner asked.

“I couldn’t answer as I thought I wasn’t supposed to be the one replying to him. This room will be all yours from today. It has been a long time. Did it take you a decade?”

Isaac looked at his electric wheelchair, and Dresner lifted Isaac up and put him in it.

“Can you tell me what your decision is before I leave?” Issac asked.

Dresner responded calmly, “The monsters are ferocious and violent, but that’s all they have going for them. There is news from all over the world that they are being wiped out.”

“You are saying that the fear will calm down anytime in the future. I don’t know whether to be happy or sad. Whose side are you on?” Isaac asked with a bitter smile.

“I now understand your decision during subprime.”

“We learned so much from there. I have been living like a clown for ten years. Do you want to do that too?” Isaac remarked.

Dresner shrugged. “We will have to bet on our family’s luck.”

Issac commented, “Odin’s pockets will be filled with stocks and bonds from companies around the world by the time the panic stops. If the fear prolongs, Odin and our family will be in the same boat. Either way, it’s bad for us.”

Dresner nodded. “I’ll bet that the fear will stop at some point. After it stops, there will be no more opportunities for us to scrape up stocks.”

“Nobody knows when this panic will cease. Odin is the only one who can take the risk even though he knows it’s a blade that can slice off his fortune. However, that blade will turn around and cut off our limbs too.”

“That’s why I told you we need to risk our family fortune. Would you like to do it together or leave?”

Isaac shrugged. “I’ll just watch that and leave. As I said, this room is now yours.”

Dresner followed Isaac’s gaze and looked at the television. There were cracks in the dimension that were disgorging monsters, and armored vehicles were lined up in front of it, confronting the hellish creatures. Despite the surreal scenes, Isaac and Dresner stayed calm. To them, the emergence of monsters was more realistic than their family’s collapse in the past.

***

More powers were purchasing the released stocks.

Are they the Rothschilds?

Whether they took my warning seriously or not, it was a green light that the Rothschilds, who had absorbed the shares our group had liquidated, had stopped withdrawing from the market and were now cooperating with me. In the past, they had destroyed their own capital market with their own hands. Many families and financial conglomerates were still turning their backs on me, but as soon as they changed their minds and became hospitable to me, the fear would calm down.

However, how many people would be on my side this early in the game? The majority were busy disposing of all of their assets at a bargain price, and when they doubled back, they would realize that their situation had become more frightful than being surrounded by the monsters themselves.

Ironically, the capital market had become the most intense when mankind faced their biggest crisis. While everyone was selling their capital at the cheapest price, I bought them at a never-ending pace. When people saw monsters being broadcasted by the media and ran to the bank in dread, I made sure to open the bank doors before they even arrived. Blocking access to their accounts would only aggravate this situation, so I had to show them that both their accounts and themselves were safe.

<Jonathan: We have received express bonds, and changed the term that we would pay for their loss.>

Jonathan said this in an outraged voice as he had once again realized that the global financial system would have tanked in just a few hours if it weren’t for us. In addition, it would have never recovered either. Also, he had noticed that financial conglomerates were only interested in calculating their money even in such a desperate crisis. The Day of Advent had begun like that in the past. People had become startled by the F-class monsters and didn’t think of what to do after getting rid of them. Well, the situation became more problematic after that…

<Jonathan: I heard the monsters’ attacks have stopped. We have come to a lull. Did you know that?>

<Seon-Hu: But it will get worse and more intense.>

Jonathan nodded. The markets would soon become even more aggressively bombarded by the decisions made by people in terror. Those who had run away with their families in fear of the monsters would soon return home and begin liquidating their assets. The Wall Street managers would return to work and suffer from their bosses ranting and raving, urging them to sell everything.

However, we would shout the exact opposite, “Buy them! Buy everything as if we’re about to purchase the whole world!”