I Became an Apocalyptic "Physical" Therapist (70)
The result of the commotion was a glowing orb floating in the air.
A Wisp.
A magical lifeform, also known as a will-o'-the-wisp.
"So what is it that this thing can actually do, that's the part I'm asking?"
"It makes light."
Mu Beob-sa's eyes turned sharp and dangerous. Everyone held their breath, half expecting him to lunge at Director Gong again.
But it never happened. Jo Mu-sa was attaching the mage's arm back on, as slowly and carefully as he possibly could.
"That's all? That's the whole part of it?"
"The official name of that torn-up spellbook is probably something like the 'Spellbook of Magical Lifeform Grafting.' Which means that thing is practically a part of your body now. Give it a little time. You'll see—it brightens and dims whenever you old man wants. You can switch it on and off at will."
"I-It's a motion-sensor light."
"Pfft!"
At Suwon's offhand remark, Jeon Hye-ji burst out laughing.
The rest of the crew was no different.
Only Mu Beob-sa stood there, working through the heat rising in his face.
"And what other functions does it have?"
"That's all of them."
"Truly nothing but a lantern function, that's the part of it?"
"It's not a lantern. It's a Will of the Wisp."
"This may be presumptuous of me…… but did you know that thing was a Will of the Wisp, Director Gong? That's the part I wonder about."
"No, I didn't. How would I know what would come out of it? Something else would've been nicer, but it's not bad. Better than nothing."
"Better than nothing, that's certainly the part of it…… but…… all this, just to make a lantern……."
"Don't go souring the mood for nothing. That thing is genuinely rare. And valuable."
"Do you truly believe that, the part of it?"
"Why are you thinking so narrowly? It syncs with its owner. The stronger the owner's mana, the more powerful the light it pours out. And your mana, old man—that's nothing to sneeze at, is it?"
"I wouldn't call it low, that's the part I believe."
"Then it might put out an even bigger light. That Wisp has no physical form. As long as its owner doesn't die, it regenerates forever. It has no attack power, but that single fact—that it emits light—lets it do a great deal."
"……?"
"What happens if it suddenly blazes with intense light right in front of someone's eyes?"
"It's a flashbang?"
Jo Mu-sa said.
"Exactly. And if it's a low-intelligence monster, you can lure it around with the thing. There are plenty of uses. Think a little more flexibly."
"Hmm……"
"And isn't it the perfect item for an old man who can't cast a single spell until his twisted mana circuits untangle themselves?"
"Does it really work like that, the part of it?"
"Think positive. That thing's expensive and rare."
The commotion with Mu Beob-sa's wrist settled down quickly.
Won-goo set about learning what he could about the ecosystem near Buri Island.
"Looks like the Siamese Frog has settled in. So there's no need for major concern. Where it nested doesn't even overlap with the entry routes to Buri Island."
Sapiens said.
"So a Large Species really did surface."
"That's what it amounts to, yeah. But you know there are species out there that aren't as threatening as the Siamese Frog."
"Still, you said the Fishers are coming."
"If the Fishers come, it'll be handled entirely."
"Hmm……"
Won-goo stroked his chin.
"Something bothering you, Hyeong-nim?"
"Yeah."
"What is it?"
"The Siamese Frog isn't all that threatening if you leave it alone."
"True."
"Not that it's completely harmless—but you just have to stay out of its habitat. Its territory isn't that deep, either. It lives almost entirely in the water."
"That's how I understand it too."
"And yet there are quite a few cases of people getting bloodied for messing with it. Though…… it's not like some amateur's going to poke at it—the Fishers are coming, so I suppose there's no real need to worry."
"Right, Hyeong-nim. The Fishers are the specialists with monsters that big."
The Siamese Frog was a giant frog with two heads. Being a monster, it naturally ate people, but beyond that it wasn't classified as especially threatening.
Unlike other Large Species, it didn't claim some monstrous territory or go out of its way to hunt humans down.
The Siamese Frog had both male and female fused into a single body. Its territory was less than a tenth the size of a typical Large Species', and it almost never strayed beyond it.
As with all monsters of Large Species grade and above, size varied wildly from individual to individual. Large Species generally grew the longer they lived, so the only way to know was to see one with your own eyes.
But a larger specimen didn't necessarily claim a larger territory.
And above all, the most important fact was that nearly all of their territories sat at the water's edge. The land the Siamese Frog claimed amounted to little more than a thin strip near the shore.
"Then I'll set aside the Buri Island worry and get going."
"You do that, Hyeong-nim."
"Heading in. Good business."
"Yes, sir."
When he returned to the shop, the woman from yesterday was waiting there.
Having heard her story, Won-goo's answer was NO.
"We don't get involved in love triangles and personal grudges like this. We're a service crew. Not hitmen."
The woman was wearing a dress that clung even tighter than yesterday. Slightly heeled slippers, and a necklace to go with them.
Despite wearing an outfit that had absolutely nothing to do with survival, she showed not a shred of unease about it.
He'd noticed it yesterday too, but the clothes alone told you her resources were considerable.
"Ten Gold. They said you were the best in this shelter, so that's why I came."
"Your rate's no joke."
"So you'll do it, then?"
"I already answered you. No. Killing a person isn't even a chore for us, but like I said—we're a service outfit, not contract killers. Step outside and you'll find plenty of people who'll do this kind of work. Look around, pick and choose. Gold, silver, there's no shortage of bastards who'll kill a man for pocket change—take your pick."
"You really won't take it?"
"You're determined to make me talk all day, aren't you. Do I have to say something you don't want to hear before you'll leave?"
"……"
The woman had no choice but to go.
Once she was out the door, Mu Beob-sa eased into the topic.
"That seemed like a good client to me, the part of it. Why didn't you take the job?"
"Does that look like a good job to you, Beob-sa?"
"An abused woman asking someone to kill her husband—what's strange about that part? Wasn't that common enough even before the world turned over?"
"I have no idea what kind of world you've been living in, but that was not a common thing before the world turned over. It isn't now, either. Do women show up at your door with money asking you to kill their husband all that often?"
"Still, it'd be simple work…… ten Gold is serious money."
"It is serious money. But we're not going to starve without it, are we?"
"Things have been going well lately, though……"
"Honestly…… you old man. I'm the head here. Do you really want to pick a fight with my decisions?"
"What are you getting so serious about, the part of it? I'm only saying it because it's a waste."
"Look me straight in the eye. Does that woman look like an abuse victim to you?"
"Doesn't she?"
"There wasn't a single shadow on her, was there? And do you honestly think a woman getting beaten at home walks around dressed like that?"
"There is such a thing as emotional abuse, the part of it. You never know the truth until you look inside."
"Fair point. But do we have any reason to go digging for that truth? If something smells off, staying clear of it is the smart play. The pay's too high, the story doesn't add up, and the job's too easy. No matter how you look at it, something's wrong."
"We used to take jobs like that all the time, didn't we, the part of it?"
"A lot's changed since then. And with the Black Shelter business on top of it, cutting loose anything that smells fishy is the right call. Hyun-sung!"
"Yes, Hyeong-nim!"
"Talking to that old man makes it smell even fishier. Go poke around quietly. In my view, there's an agenda there. An agenda."
"You're only hoping there's an agenda, the part of it."
"Honestly…… is this about losing last time? You want to bet again?"
"Fine by me. Double the stakes this time."
"Deal!"
Mu Beob-sa versus Gong Won-goo.
The result of the bet came quickly.
Mu Beob-sa's victory.
"You're sure there's really nothing else hidden? Ttugi. You didn't come back half-finished because I told you to look into it?"
"I apologize, Hyeong-nim."
"You've got nothing to apologize for."
"I'll dig deeper, Hyeong-nim."
"Forget it, you punk. What are you trying to do, drive me insane?"
"You ought to drop that stubbornness of yours, Director Gong. The part where you believe you're always right, that part."
"Tch…… no. I distinctly felt something was off about it."
"Off, he says. Your gut is the most off thing here, that's the part of it."
"Haah…… something's still snagging on me."
Even so, Won-goo's bookkeeping was impeccable. He pulled out the silver coins and paid Mu Beob-sa down to the last one.
Taking the silver, Mu Beob-sa rose from his seat.
"Where are you off to?"
"I intend to stop by the bookstore."
"Didn't you say you were done with that place?"
"It's about time for new stock to arrive. October's coming, isn't it?"
"October, is it…… autumn already. It's been that long already?"
"It has, that's the part of it."
It wasn't just the regions that had scrambled together—the weather had scrambled with them. The concept of four seasons had disappeared with it.
Winter passing into spring, spring into summer—none of that sequence survived. And so, naturally, people stopped putting much weight on the calendar.
"Well then, I'll be back."
"Have fun out there. Dan-shin."
"Yes, Director!"
"What do you want to eat today?"
"A menu choice?"
"Yeah. Tell me what you're craving. This is what we do. When things aren't busy, we lounge around and eat well—that's the job."
"Meat, for me……"
"Meat? Good. You've never eaten at Shanghai's Restaurant, have you?"
"No, sir."
"Then let's fix that—come eat with us. We'll go to Shanghai's and have them lay out a proper spread of meat dishes. Jo Mu-sa, Chul-soo, Suwon—who wants to come? Ah, not you, Suwon."
"I'll go get it chopped up, Director!"
Geum Chul-soo and Jo Mu-sa raised their hands at nearly the same instant, but Jo Mu-sa was just a hair faster.
"Go on, then. If Sanghae gives you grief, tell him you've brought news that'll keep me from giving any."
"Understood."
Once Jo Mu-sa left, Won-goo turned to the rest of the crew.
"Everyone knows this already, but we're resting for a while. It'll take time to finish liquidating everything we hauled out of the Black Shelter. As the installments come in, I plan to sink all of it into gear—buying it, upgrading it, all of it."
"All of it this time? Not burying any of it in the ground?"
"We can afford to put it all in this time. We've got some breathing room. Ttugi, what is it? Got something to say?"
Won-goo caught the look in Lee Hyun-sung's eyes.
"Should I go bring Beob-sa back from the bookstore?"
"Leave it. That old bastard likes going there more than being here anyway. He took a pile of silver with him, so he won't show his face for a while. He'll probably camp out there for three days at least."
"B-Beob-sa really l-loves his b-books, it s-seems."
"You can speak slowly, Suwon. You're going to choke to death."
"Y-yes, sir."
"That's just his hobby. And that's how people are, really—what we lack is what we end up craving. So don't worry. He won't sulk just because he missed a crew dinner. The old man's in a fine mood after winning that bet, anyway."
Won-goo snorted a quiet laugh.
"Could it be…… you lost the bet on purpose?"
At Jeon Hye-ji's words, Won-goo's grin only deepened.
"You owe me that good news now."
"What news?"
Won-goo's crew was inhaling meat at Shanghai's Restaurant.
On the menu: pork belly.
There were no vegetables like lettuce or perilla leaves, but there was ssamjang and sesame oil dip. And with the meat grilling directly on the hot plate, it tasted fantastic.
With nothing to wrap it in, each of the crew kept a bottle of soju at their side—one shot per slice of meat.
Even drinking soju out of plastic bottles, not a soul got drunk.
"You said you'd bring good news back."
"Ah. Right, I did."
"So what is it?"
"Sanghae. Have you been outside lately?"
"Outside?"
"You barely go, do you? You pretty much eat and sleep here, eat and sleep here. Even if you let yourself go, your body holds up fine, so why bother."
"Quit stalling and give me the good news. What is it."
"It's October. Which means it's autumn."
"……"
"That's plenty of good news, isn't it?"
"You're kidding, right?"
"Not kidding. Dead serious."
"What the—— Director Gong!"
Sanghae roared, and in that instant every motion at the table froze.
"Sanghae. I'm about to get hurt feelings here."
"I'm the one getting hurt feelings. Is it really okay to jerk people around like this on a regular basis?"
"Jerk you around? You're the one who's supposed to be keeping me posted. Buri Island, the Black Shelter—have I ever once failed to look out for you? And you can't even manage this much for me? The crew's eating well and you go and make them all wilt. Hey! Everybody up. Let's go. We're never coming back here after today, so erase it from your memory."
"Come on—— I raised my voice a little, that's all. Eat. Eat. Eat more."
"Gladly."
"Huh? Beob-sa?"
At Sanghae's words, Won-goo snickered.
"Mix up your repertoire a little. Make it fun."
"But Beob-sa really did come?"
They turned around—and Mu Beob-sa really was there.
With a book clamped tight under his arm.
"Take a look at this book. One look and you'll understand, that's the part of it."
The dinner at Sanghae's had gone off splendidly. Mu Beob-sa, arriving late, fitted right in and ate his fill.
The moment he returned to the shop, Mu Beob-sa thrust the book out at Won-goo. It was a baffling move, but Won-goo didn't take it lightly.
Their time together as crew hadn't actually been all that long.
Considering that Mu Beob-sa and Won-goo had met not long after the apocalypse opened, in sheer months it didn't amount to much.
But unlike ordinary relationships, crew in the apocalyptic world stuck together practically every single day—and they had walked the road of death side by side.
He knew far more about him than he didn't.
That was why Won-goo took Mu Beob-sa's behavior seriously this time.
When a new release caught his eye, Mu Beob-sa would disappear into the bookstore for days at minimum—there had been plenty of times he hadn't come back for over a week.
And that same Mu Beob-sa had turned around within a few hours.
There was undeniably a reason for it.
"Atelier of the End? It's a novel?"
"Not a novel. More of a setting book—a worldbuilding compendium."
"What's gotten into you? Is the content that serious?"
"I can't say I understand the content myself yet. But take a look inside."
"Reading's a chore."
"If it's you, Director Gong, you'll understand just by skimming it, that's the part of it."
"How would you know what I'd understand? And here I thought you'd dug up another spellbook."
Even as he grumbled, Won-goo opened the book and skimmed through it.
A fantasy worldbuilding book with thoroughly ordinary content. The material was beyond common—a pile of clichés stacked on clichés.
A cliché-saturated thing, and yet after flipping through it once, Won-goo turned the pages again.
Saying nothing at all.
On his second pass, he looked up at Mu Beob-sa.
"These illustrations in here. These are Seals, aren't they?"
"That's what I'm saying, the part of it. I kept wondering where I'd seen them before—and they turned out to be Seals. The Seals of Cosmic Species."