Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Are You Human?
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"Crunch."
The idol of the supporter world. A climber known as the 'Little Saintess,' boasting more popularity than actual celebrities thanks to her unique golden blonde hair and petite, adorable looks.
She had made a name for herself as one of the mere twenty-one Sorceresses in the world, a special class.
And right now, that very girl was squatting down in an utterly unglamorous pose, munching on an apple.
"Whish whish."
"Want some? Oh, but sadly, you don't have a mouth."
Her recent obsession was the 'Cosmic Grimoire.'
"Crunch."
Officially on vacation, yet bearing more responsibility than anyone as she worked. All while chewing on her apple.
'Am I striking out again today?'
The enigmatic being inside the Grimoire who had introduced himself as 'Byul'.
He had set up a meeting with her, but for some reason, he kept not showing up.
'It's not like he's ignoring me, though.'
Well, the Grimoire must have its own circumstances.
Tsutsutsu.
"He's here!"
The Grimoire began to tremble without any warning. Soon, the stars on its cover started shifting into boxy shapes, just like last time.
At the same moment, the air in the storage room grew noticeably heavier. Perhaps because it wasn't her first time? It felt less intense than before.
Starlight soon poured out from the Grimoire, gradually forming a human silhouette.
"It's the Saintess."
"Nice to meet you. B... Byul."
"Whish whish!"
It was a far cry from their first encounter. The oppressive pressure that had crushed her heart with just his voice had significantly weakened.
"This must be the first time you're seeing my form."
On top of that, Iru Ri was purely astonished by his appearance. Towering height, a robe permeated with starlight, dark flowing hair, and pale skin.
It was the kind of look straight out of a fantasy novel.
'As expected...'
Just as In-ah had described—a feeling like he was mimicking a human.
Yet his form, so similar to a human yet not quite, only heightened the uncanny sensation.
"Such a... cool appearance."
"Strictly speaking, this isn't me."
"Uh... sorry, I don't quite get that. What do you mean?"
"This body is a kind of dummy modeled after me. I'm borrowing it to speak to you and move around, Saintess."
'I see.'
Iru Ri could resolve her doubts from his words. Their previous conversation must have been through that being's true voice.
It explained why the pressure had lessened just by communicating through this dummy form.
'Even so, it's still tremendous pressure...'
For climbers who had entered the superhuman realm, it was manageable, but for non-awakened folks like the security guard, it would still be overwhelming.
No wonder the guard had fainted.
"Ah, I prepared a gift for you too."
She held out a high-purity magic stone she had brought.
"It's a high-purity magic stone. Straight from the Tower mines. Um... it's fresh."
"Ho... intriguing. This is my first time seeing one up close."
Moon Byul used his Insight to examine the magic stone. It contained a faint trace of Star Power.
'I get it. Magic stones are tools for storing Star Power.'
Did that mean the Tower produced Star Power?
Moon Byul had assumed Star Power and mana were distinct up until now.
But they were nearly identical energies. The Grimoire's Star Power was just a bit purer.
With that, he lost interest in the magic stone. Even a hundred million of those wouldn't match the energy in the Grimoire.
Instead, the fruit basket beside the Saintess caught his eye.
Earth fruits!
He hadn't eaten fruit in 118 years.
"...Th-this is Earth food. Would you like some?"
Sensing his gaze on the fruit basket, she astutely offered it.
"May I accept?"
"O-of course!"
She quickly removed the half-eaten apple from the basket and handed it to him. She wasn't sure, but he seemed pleased somehow.
'With that magic stone, he could buy a billion fruit baskets.'
Well, the Grimoire wouldn't know human economics.
'Gifts are fruit baskets!'
In-ah had given the guild master a rotten look at the claim, but the effect was tremendous in the end. The way he inspected the basket up and down was just like a kid receiving a long-awaited present.
'Whew, get it together. He's a transcendent being of a higher realm.'
Nothing too outlandish so far, but who knew how things might unfold? Their common sense had horror-story vibes.
"Thank you for the gift, Saintess. First, my apologies."
"Huh? Apologies?"
'Did taking the apple from the basket cause a problem?'
As Iru Ri had that foolish thought, he placed a hand over his chest, slightly bowed, and made a gesture of apology.
"The timeline on my side differs from Earth's, so there was a slight discrepancy with a day here. Sorry to keep you waiting. I've adjusted the timelines now."
"Eh... huh? Is that even possible?"
More than the reason for his no-shows, she was shocked by the mention of timeline adjustment, unwittingly gaping in surprise.
'Is that even possible?'
It was beyond common sense. Modifying timelines? Could such a proposition even hold?
Einstein would kick off the coffin lid and demand what that meant.
"Just a minor trick. Anyway, this place is a bit drab for conversation."
Snap.
He snapped his fingers, and an antique tea table with two steaming cups of tea appeared before them.
"Please, sit."
He naturally took a seat. Iru Ri was quite startled by the sudden tea table but sat down without showing it.
"How was the tea I gave you last time?"
"Sorry, it was too precious, so I haven't... yet."
Iru Ri spoke while gauging his reaction, wary he might see her not using the gift as rude.
But he didn't seem to mind. He was refined and calm, like a noble enjoying tea time.
"You've been busy. It's tea brewed from the same leaves. Please try it."
"Then I won't hold back. Thank you."
Slurp.
The tea was perfectly warm. The moment she drank, tension and fatigue melted away down her throat like a lie. It was sweet yet carried the natural flavors of the earth.
Wow... 100% recovery potion is no joke. No wonder they wouldn't let me use it.
Pure admiration. A wave of refreshment washed over her, like she'd just woken from a good sleep.
"It's delicious! So good I don't know how to describe it..."
"I'm glad you like it."
A very faint smile crossed his face. Awkward like an AI-generated one, but sitting across from him, she could tell it was genuine.
"Um, Byul, I have a question."
With her tension eased, Iru Ri spoke up first, feeling much more at ease.
"I have many questions too. How about we exchange them?"
"Like taking turns asking and answering?"
"Exactly. Answers are free-form, though. If you dodge, we move to the next. I'll let you go first."
An exchange... Fitting for a higher being. It established a transactional format for questions.
Iru Ri could tell he wouldn't dodge. And she had countless curiosities.
"Even weird questions are okay?"
"Yes. We each judge what to answer."
For some reason, it felt like he could answer every mystery in the world. Like being granted a moment to question a god.
"Then..."
She nearly asked something personal—like 'Where's my soulmate?' or 'When do I die?'—but stopped herself.
Instead, she went for what mattered.
"What are you? The Grimoire?"
"I am perfectly human."
'If you're human, you're human. What's with perfectly?'
What had sustained Moon Byul's mind for so long was his self-awareness and unceasing thought as a human.
The singular resolve to one day escape this damnable book and return to Earth as a human.
The 'perfectly' was his way of emphasizing his humanity. But sadly, she couldn't know that.
"My turn. Where and when is this place? Be precise."
"Ah, is my question done?"
"I gave a sufficient answer, so it's my turn."
'So that's how it works.'
She got a feel for how this Q&A relay would go.
"20xx year, x month, xx day. Earth, Republic of Korea, Seoul, Wolverine Guild building's artifact storage."
"Thank you. Much more helpful than those odd pronunciations last time."
'Ah, so embarrassing.'
He pointed out her tongue-twisting from before.
Still, she'd laid out the facts honestly this time. Moon Byul seemed quite satisfied.
"But why do you need that info?"
"Is that your question, Saintess?"
"Ah, no! Something else."
"Whish whiiing!"
Iru Ri caught her mistake and corrected it right away.
"Knowing who you are, and where and when you are, is quite important. You seem young, so it's worth pondering."
Moon Byul slowly lifted his teacup, savored it, and set it down.
"This question doesn't count."
"Thank you... Then, is there a way to cure people driven mad by contact with your Grimoire?"
Hearing the question, Moon Byul seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then he stood and walked toward the connected Grimoire, extending his hand.
"Ahssio."
"Kyaa!"
"Whish whish!"
As he murmured the incantation, a fierce wind blew through the storage room, soon enveloping the Grimoire.
'What? Did I mess up? It didn't seem like the wrong kind of question. What's going on?'
With his dark silhouette blocking the view, she couldn't tell exactly what he was doing. The wind soon died down, and he returned, picking up his teacup.
"In conclusion, I don't know how to cure them. It might be possible, but I'd need to see them. There won't be any more like that, though. As long as the Grimoire isn't opened."
"Then what you just did..."
"Yes, think of it as applying a kind of coating to the Grimoire. It's a bit hard to explain."
"Oh... thank you."
"Whish whish."
Now, no one would go mad from the Cosmic Grimoire unless they opened it directly.
Not that any lunatic would try... Wait... Huh? Doesn't touching it do the same?
Wouldn't someone greedy enough to touch it end up opening it anyway?
In truth, Iru Ri thought it hadn't changed much compared to his performance.
"My turn now. What is that thing flying behind you, Saintess?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Wolverine Guild's CCTV control room.
Guild Master So Seori and Seo In Ah were secretly eavesdropping on the Grimoire and Iru Ri's conversation.
They had initially planned real-time communication and instructions, but scrapped it over concerns it might get exposed and jeopardize Iru Ri's safety.
In the end, they left all judgment to her.
"What do you think, In-ah?"
"Not sure. What about you, Guild Master? Is it like a philosopher?"
"No, different."
The Grimoire side was, if anything, even more so.
At least a philosopher looked human when still.
But she didn't bother explaining.
"Come on, Iru Ri, you got this."
Their goal was to uncover the Grimoire's purpose while, if possible, pulling it to humanity's side.
Ideally, make Iru Ri its owner, get Tower-clearing help as a bonus.
'I had no idea it was something like that.'
But after witnessing his divine powers, she changed her mind. That thing was a bomb. Beyond human control.
Creating a table from nothing, wielding magic with a mere finger snap.
Even So Seori, guild master of a top Korean guild, had never heard of such magic.
Just its existence outside the Tower was a threat to humanity.
Humans could never wield that Grimoire. Never.