Chapter 42
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 042
Chapter Title: Just a Vacation (2)
I walked down the hotel corridor, checking articles about the campsite on my phone.
‘Campsite toxic gas leak causing mass casualties and hallucinations among survivors...’
A faint, ridiculous smile tugged at my lips.
Well, you couldn't exactly say zombies showed up and bit everyone to death.
Toxic gas leak. Perfect for keeping reporters out and burying the incident cleanly.
A mage had unleashed toxic gas and zombie mist, after all. Not entirely wrong.
And...
Sua glanced sideways at Yohan's calm profile.
She'd followed him on impulse when he suggested hitting the evening buffet.
But now, she half-expected screams to erupt any second, a zombie lunging from the corridor's corner.
Honestly, she didn't feel like even a simple snack, let alone the buffet.
‘...Like food's going down easy.’
She'd only come out because staying alone in the room felt unbearable. No headspace to enjoy a buffet.
She could talk, breathe.
But her throat felt clogged, her body leaden.
“·········.”
Sua trailed Yohan into the buffet hall like that.
A mix of food scents wafted over, but her appetite stayed flat.
At least—no zombies. Confirmed.
They grabbed a decent table. Yohan headed straight for food.
Left alone again, Sua propped her chin on her hand, watching his back.
“Haah...”
She'd escaped the lonely room.
The hall bustled with people besides her. Yet she felt utterly alone.
But soon Yohan returned.
He sat across, slid a plate her way.
“Eat.”
Chocolate pieces and simple cookies.
Sua blinked. Stared at the chocolate.
“...What's this?”
“Chocolate. Empty calories, no real nutrition—I don't love it. But it'll lift your mood.”
I met Sua's eyes as I spoke.
“Better than nothing. Eat it, wrap up in a warm blanket, crash.”
“Moping and skipping meals? Vicious cycle trashing your mind and body.”
Sua stared blankly at Yohan's utterly unforeseen words.
...He'd noticed her funk.
Strange feeling.
Sua reached out, snagged a small chocolate chunk.
“Uh... you're eating some too, right, Uncle?”
“Nah. Proper meat and veggies for me. No sugar bombs.”
“......For real.”
Weird. She'd been so down moments ago. Now disbelief made her chuckle.
Sua smirked.
“You really baby that body of yours.”
“I love myself triple—making up for MIA parents.”
I shot back casually, stood.
My turn for food.
Sua watched Yohan's retreating back as he fetched more. Popped the chocolate in her mouth.
“·········.”
It melted, sweetness blooming.
Comfort, maybe...
Yeah. Mood lifted noticeably, oddly enough.
Leaving Sua behind, I scanned the buffet spread, pondering.
Buffets scream "expensive eats," but best way? Eat what you crave.
Here, though—veggies first, meat later.
Stomach's bread-padded but empty; greasy bomb now would shock my veins and blood sugar into ‘Aaah! Boss! Ouch! It hurts!’
So plate salads, greens first.
‘Hmm... Speaking of.’
Grimoires beyond people-eaters. Proper ones.
‘Any that boost health?’
Magic or no, body's still human.
Eyes narrowed faintly.
...Want one if it exists.
And at that moment, Anomalous Phenomena Countermeasures Bureau Medical Department.
Minhwa's office.
Minhwa was mid-laptop work.
“Eh?”
Thud—desk books tumbled down.
Where they fell, the Grimoire asserted its presence.
Minhwa paused, considering.
‘...Warning?’
Books warning? Odd phrasing maybe.
But the Grimoire sometimes signaled her this way.
Had dodged real danger thanks to it before.
“Haah... Shame, but no helping it.”
Minhwa sighed.
The Grimoire crept toward her coffee mug. Minhwa panicked.
“Ah, okay! I'll do it! Doing it!”
She prepped a fortune divination ritual.
Lit the brazier.
Pulled a fun romance novel from before.
“Ugh... Hmph!”
Tossed it in.
Whoosh—!
Owner-held long? Stronger effect. No choice.
Crackle—crackle-crackle!
Flames devoured it; unburnt scraps sparked up.
Crackle—.
“...Don't wander outside?”
Leaned back in a high-end leather chair.
Wrinkled-faced elder, eyes shut.
Grimoire's owner, Chairman Kim, dozed briefly.
Looked dead to anyone else—but no. Dreaming instead.
Reliving past memories as dreams, precisely.
Before Korea existed.
Joseon fallen, colonial era.
Chairman Kim: kid from some dirt-poor farm.
Family names, faces? Forgotten. Irrelevant.
Dad, mom, Chairman Kim, little sib.
No need rehashing: family treks to capital for survival, crashes, scatters, dies.
Forgotten anyway.
Dream always same.
That day: brutal winter cold. Yeah, freezing.
Dark back alley, zero interest.
Main path? Might snag scraps.
But post-beggar beatdown eviction, stuck to spots like this.
Breathing hurt. No more pain wanted.
Huddled on snow pile amid flurries, teeth chattering.
Clack-clackity-clack—.
Tattered sackcloth draped, hugging last family—sib—from behind for warmth.
“...?”
But no heat. No twitch.
Stiff, bony, ice-cold. Sib dead ages ago.
Set corpse on snowfield.
Chairman Kim stared vacantly at ‘it’ awhile.
Beyond family grief.
“·········.”
First thought: no reason left not to eat.
Guts roiled, teeth itched.
Cold breath out, mouth agape.
“Haa...!”
Face-plunged into corpse, ripping meat.
“Ah... lil'... aaak.”
Weak jaws straining leather, gnawing wild-dog style, head buried.
Foul blood, chunks splattered pristine white snow.
Moon-shrouding clouds parted. Revealed: Chairman Kim devouring corpse.
“―!?”
A man peering close emerges.
Pale skin, blond, blue-eyed foreigner.
Odd: black coat, armband with swastika.
Didn't know then—Hakenkreuz, obviously.
Chairman Kim gawked up shocked, eyed man's path.
Clear bootprints in snow.
No approach sound. No presence felt.
“·········!”
Eyes locked. Foreigner grinned, fluent Joseon-tongue.
“Ah~ No intent to interrupt. Sorry. Just spotted a meal in progress.”
“Figured ghoul or young kin. Young kin? Manners lesson time...”
Blue eyes curved, amused.
“...Neither. Sibling?”
Mangled corpse. Bloodied mouth, hands.
Moonlit exposure. Chairman Kim recoiled wary.
Foreigner waved easy.
“Nah-nah, relax. No ‘inhuman outrage’ rant planned.”
“No tragedy pity either. Curiosity only.”
Blue eyes gleamed, lips curved query.
“First thought right now?”
Chairman Kim eyed corpse.
‘...What'm I thinking?’
That—that—
Face twisted at skeletal remains.
—Hunger. Rage.
Not enough food.
Blood-smeared teeth clacked.
“Hungry... not... enough...”
Answer drew foreigner's.
“Ha—.”
Vampire roared laughing.
“Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!”
Maw wide, fangs bared sharp.
Darkness: beast-blue eyes flashing, teeth goblin-like from tales.
“Haa... Snagged it occupying Paris. Yours.”
Vampire beamed, drew crimson-bound book from coat.
Chairman Kim took the Grimoire in shaky hands. Flipped it. Eyes rolled.
“D-don't... get it.”
“Hm? Translation enabled?”
Vampire cocked head, nodded.
“Ah, illiterate case.”
Offered hand.
“Come. Teach reading, writing, human mimicry. And...”
Inhuman blue glare flashed.
“Magic.”
First encounter: vampire Yoannis.
“·········.”
Chairman Kim eyed subordinate's report.
Obviously no real gas mishap. Mage screw-up.
In Korea now, scale like that? Only Necromancer Edward Coffin.
‘...What's the play?’
Current fugitive, but Grimoire-less skill elite.
No incidents? UK Mage Council exec material.
...Irksome. Fought once briefly—draw.
Knew Edward's prowess best. Frankly dangerous.
“·········.”
Thus Chairman Kim schemed, commanded subordinate.
“Contact Yoannis. Tell him Korea now—fun awaits.”
This time, kill for sure, Edward Coffin.
Chairman Kim gnashed teeth, fear and fury churning.