Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Greeting
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"By the way, hasn't it been bustling around here lately?"
It was a chaotic time with otherworldly races seeping in from another realm and evil cultists worshiping abyssal entities running rampant.
Crime syndicates colluding with these dangerous beings were even waging war-level turf battles over control of Paju.
Hospitals, funeral homes, weapons dealers, and crime brokers were all enjoying a boom.
Yet despite the prosperity, Vasilisa felt strangely quiet.
There were people around, but it was just the usual regulars hunkered down in their spots.
"Kim, Myth, hey."
The barista, Orb, greeted me from behind the cafe counter.
"What's up, you?"
Standing next to Orb was a short woman in a red leather jacket—Curtain Call—who also shot me a greeting.
"You're Kim Shin-hwa, right?"
No, wait. That wasn't a greeting.
"Yeah, it's me. And don't people usually say 'hey' or something when reuniting with someone after a while?"
"You wear that mask all the time, so how am I supposed to know if the guy under it is the same one I met before?"
Curtain Call spoke curtly, still skipping any pleasantries.
'Hang on, this doesn't feel like just teasing or picking a fight.'
She was seriously on guard against me.
Mana was even starting to concentrate around her legs, as if she was ready to attack at any moment.
Rather than waste time bickering, I went for an easier approach.
"Tudor, tell her it's me."
"Oh my, Collie, it's Kim Shin-hwa for sure."
A witch in a flowing dress and stylish pointed hat—Tudor—approached with a giggle.
"You're saying it's really Kim Shin-hwa? His scent's completely different."
"Yeah, way more appealing now, right?"
"Guess he ate something weird while I wasn't looking."
"Hmm, yeah. Hey, if you've got something good going, share a little with me sometime."
Unlike Curtain Call, who was still scowling, Tudor flashed a sly smile, her cheeks faintly flushed. It was the greedy grin of someone appraising a fine dessert.
"So, is my appraisal done now?"
"Eh, if you're Kim Shin-hwa, whatever."
Curtain Call lost interest and turned away.
"Hey, what the hell have you been up to? Your vibe's totally different. Compared to when you first showed up here, you're like a whole new person."
Hmm, what had changed?
Well, something had. When I first visited Vasilisa, my Charm was 16.
Now it was 20.
And Curtain Call's wariness was probably because abyssal entities' mana clung to my body.
"But why's it so empty in here?"
At my question, Tudor's eyes narrowed.
"Hmm—because of you, obviously."
"Because of me?"
She'd credited me when business was booming, so fair enough.
"Hahaha, the Foreigner Management Agency's come and gone three more times since then."
Fourteen, who was always glued to Vasilisa, jumped in without so much as a hello.
"Thanks to that, the shady types scattered for now. It'll take a few days to settle down. Collie's a loose cannon too, but she sticks around because of Orb."
"Now that you mention it, Kim Shin-hwa. You're putting Orb in danger, huh?"
Curtain Call popped up again, hissing like a viper.
"Why me? Blame the Foreigner Management Agency."
When a group gets reamed over one person's screw-up, it's usually that person's fault.
But was it really?
Shouldn't the ones dishing out collective punishment over a single mistake take the blame?
Once I explained it that way, Curtain Call pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah, true. Next time that multi-eyed freak shows up, we gotta bash 'em."
"Hey, what are you doing? Don't feed Collie dangerous ideas!"
Tudor hurriedly yanked my arm.
"Collie! If you pull any stunts like that and make the already noisy mess even worse, you'll never see Orb again!"
"Ah, I won't."
"Good, Collie. See you later anyway. You, quit chit-chatting and come on. Time to talk business."
The brief commotion settled, and I ended up in Tudor's office, listening to a long lecture.
"Anyway, we're dying for manpower, so don't drag Collie into it."
"Apart from hitting Helistic, she does other jobs too, huh?"
"What're you talking about? Collie's got a team she works with. She's not some lone drifter like you."
"Hah, still gets it all done, though."
And yeah, she was undeniably a top-tier swordswoman.
"Lately, cases have gotten brutal. We barely get small stuff anymore. Fights are between corps or syndicates, and monsters or cultists have formed full-on armies—anyone short of your level can't handle it solo."
"Ah, got it."
It wasn't like there were no high-level fixers who could take on groups alone. Plenty stronger than me were still out there.
"But those types are usually wanted criminals. Once the Agency started poking around, they bailed elsewhere."
So Vasilisa was short-staffed on two fronts.
Tudor didn't seem too upset about it, though.
"Heehee, downtime means playtime. Anyway, here's that data you requested."
A thick binder.
Titled [Paju Central Hospital Closed Ward Admission/Discharge Records].
"Hmm, thanks."
"Hehe, sure. Now that that's done—"
Tudor beamed as she pulled out another sheet.
"Since you're here, handle this too. It's something you can knock out today."
"Ugh, what is it? You're giving me work after all."
"Oh? Didn't you come to work?"
It wasn't anything major.
A monster nest had popped up en masse at a redevelopment site.
A massive spider-like monster, presumed to be the queen, had appeared.
"The owner's in a bind and can't report it to the Agency."
"In a bind? Hardly."
They couldn't report because they hadn't acquired the building legally.
"Others might struggle, but you can just go in and boom—done, right? Help out. If we can't find someone by today, it'll go elsewhere."
Like Tudor said, it wasn't a tough quest.
The issue was I'd been awake for over 26 hours already....
I recalled the note's message: 'Get some sleep.'
"Eh, fine. I'll handle it."
"Yay! You're the best! Oh, and take this on your way out."
Another binder joined the pile in front of me.
"What's this?"
"What else? Other pending requests. Pick one you like and let me know."
A quick flip revealed some due tomorrow.
"Can't do tomorrow—got other stuff. This one's simple, so I'll take it, but next one's in three days or so."
I opened the binder, kept the ones with plenty of leeway, and returned the rest.
"Aww! You're so annoying! You used to be such a pure, sweet, cute Kim Shin-hwa! Now you're all slick and sly!"
Tudor flopped dramatically against the backrest, flailing her long limbs with exaggerated groans. It was hilariously comical, and I burst out laughing.
"Hahaha—"
"Huh? Did you just laugh?"
"Huh? What?"
"I've never heard you laugh that loud before."
"Hmm, really?"
Unconsciously, I raised my hand to my mouth—jab.
Of course, the mask was there. I'd been wearing it for nearly a year now. It was nothing new, but it felt oddly strange.
"Your vibe has changed. Like Collie said, even if the person under the mask swapped out, we wouldn't know."
Tudor spoke with a meaningful smile. It sent a chill down my spine.
"Be careful. No need to quote that famous line about staring into the abyss, right?"
Friedrich Nietzsche.
'He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.'
Back in my old world, I wasn't well-read enough for that.
My Intelligence stat had just pulled it from some dimly remembered internet meme.
I mulled over various thoughts before replying.
"I'll be careful."
* * *
The moment Kim Shin-hwa set off to handle Tudor's request.
"Ugh...."
Jang Hyun-deok set his smartphone face-down with an uneasy frown.
"Damn it. Shouldn't have watched that video...."
He clutched his head, lying on the bed.
He'd started searching online for possession or spiritual stuff, and ended up at some clichéd ghost story video.
The streamer's line echoed in his mind.
'Ghosts can't enter a room unless you allow them.'
Come to think of it, the wizard had said something similar?
'Unless you permit it, no lowly spirit can even approach you.'
It was meant to reassure, but flipped around, didn't that mean non-lowly spirits could?
"Uwooooh!"
He made weird noises to shake off the anxiety, but even he found it pathetic.
"I-it's fine. Probably."
Creak—creak—creak—
"Hik!?"
Sudden footsteps in the hallway.
Had someone stepped on the stairs?
No. The footsteps started somewhere in the hall.
Kim Shin-hwa was still out.
That left only Heo Sang-hyeon.
Jang Hyun-deok pictured him stealthily ascending the stairs, footsteps muffled.
'Why, though?'
Thud thud thud—
Knocking.
"Hyun-deok. Hyun-deok. Hyun-deok."
"Y-yes? Yeeeees? Yes?"
"Hyun-deok. Hyun-deok. Hyun-deok."
W-what? Why's he acting like that? Wait, is that really Heo Sang-hyeon's voice?
No, something's off. It's emotionless, faint. Was something mimicking him?
Or was a spirit-possessed Heo Sang-hyeon knocking?
Click click click—
The doorknob rattled. He'd locked it earlier.
"W-why are you being so creepy?"
"Hyun-deok. Hyun-deok. Hyun-deok."
No, not Heo Sang-hyeon's voice. The one outside was shifting into a woman's.
"Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok, Hyun-deok."
"U, uwaaaah!?"
At that moment, "Auntie!" came from beyond the door.
Boom!
An explosion followed.
Brief silence.
"Jang Hyun-deok!"
Now that was a familiar voice.
"Wizard! Wizard!"
It was the wizard!
Perfect timing to save him!
Then a voice that sounded like Kim Shin-hwa's came from outside.
"What the hell, idiot? Why'd you lock the door? You okay? Open up!"
It felt vaguely familiar, like something from before.
He could've thought more rationally, but the surging fear, confusion, and sudden hope overwhelmed him.
For Jang Hyun-deok, with only average mental fortitude, cooler judgment was impossible.
"Hey! Let me in already!"
"O-okay! Come in!"
Jang Hyun-deok gave permission.
He hadn't unlocked the door yet, but....
Creeeeeak—
The door opened on its own.
And beyond it wasn't Kim Shin-hwa.
A bizarre woman Jang Hyun-deok had never seen grinned ear-to-ear at him.
"Thanks. I'm coming in."
"Pardon?"
Behind her lay Heo Sang-hyeon, collapsed on the floor.
Heo Sang-hyeon's warning flashed in his mind.
'There are no living women in this house. Ignore any woman's voice calling you.'
Auntie, was it?
That was Jang Hyun-deok's last thought as his vision went black.