Chapter 116
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 116
There were generally two ways new employees joined the Collector Guild.
“I saw some new faces today.”
“Really? Did the Guild Master scout someone again?”
The first was for the Guild Master, Bisabeol, to simply pluck someone off the street.
“No, there were several of them.”
“Then he must have raided somewhere again.”
“No wonder he looked so happy…”
“It’s the Guild Master’s favorite pastime, after all.”
The second was to raid an illegal guild and poach its talent.
New members were usually recruited into the Collector Guild through the Collector’s personal knack for acquiring people. In a way, it was only natural, considering the guild itself was practically Bisabeol’s private display cabinet for his collection.
When only one new face appeared, it was highly likely Bisabeol had scouted them. But when multiple faces appeared at once, it was almost certainly the latter case. This time, he had clearly hit a guild and brought back the spoils.
“They’re still interns, right? I hope they join our team.”
“They look sturdy. I bet they’ll be sent to the Gallery.”
“Hey, you think being sturdy is all it takes for that job?”
“They’ll probably start them as curators to give them a taste of it.”
“The company’s grown so much lately; things are pretty hectic…”
“But the Gallery is the heart of our company. What can you do?”
The Collector Guild’s operations revolved around three core pillars: managing the Gallery, handling its finances, and exploring dungeons. Although the guild had a strong corporate image of crunching numbers and managing vast sums of money, its grandest and most defining venture was, without a doubt, the Gallery.
It was an otherworldly realm filled with beautiful and bizarre works of art. Those who understood its true nature were captivated by its rare power, while those lost in romantic notions sang praises of its splendor. Bisabeol’s Gallery was the face of the Collector Guild.
“Looks like they have a high chance of becoming full-time employees.”
“But if that happens…”
The existing employees whispered amongst themselves at the sight of the new faces.
“Will the rookies get that official notice, too?”
By “that official notice,” they meant the “Black Cloak Safety Guidelines.”
“……”
“……”
“…No, but still, isn’t this a bit much?”
“…If the rookies don’t make it to full-time, this information could leak.”
“Honestly, it’s a document about the Black Cloak. Are we really going to show it to them?”
“But if they’re assigned to the Gallery, it feels like we should tell them, just out of basic human decency.”
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea. If things go wrong, it’ll be more than just one or two people dying.”
“Well, a few dead rookies is a cheaper price to pay than South Korea being thrown into chaos.”
“No, I mean if the rookies provoke ‘Mr. Seo Gio,’ we could get caught in the crossfire.”
Only those who knew nothing felt any sense of familiarity toward the “Black Cloak.” Anyone with a brain maintained a wary distance, knowing that “in the end, he’s still a monster.” In this day and age, humanoid monsters were undeniable objects of terror.
This was especially true for the employees of the Collector Guild, who knew slightly more about the Black Cloak than the average citizen. Only the curators would coddle and dote on those insane works of art, calling them “my babies.” The regular employees still feared and remained wary of the Black Cloak.
“I heard his status is incredibly high.”
“I heard even Evil Gods are classified as monsters. Could he be…?”
“He seems to be on the gentler side, but we can’t let our guard down.”
“You can never tell what a monster is really thinking, anyway.”
“Is there anything to tell? They probably just loathe humans.”
“There hasn’t been any major damage yet, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”
Because of this, recruiting more curators had become even more crucial.
“I bet raiding that guild for rookies this time was all because of the Black Cloak.”
“True. It must be impossible for a single person to handle such an overwhelming existence. Mr. Yoo Seong-un looked like he was about to die.”
“Well, our curators basically trade their lifespans for their salaries.”
In the Collector’s Gallery, incidents and accidents occurred multiple times a month—people died, were injured, or suffered permanent disabilities. Since it was a job that involved managing entities far beyond the coping capacity of ordinary humans, it was said to take an immense toll on one’s mental fortitude.
“I heard the Association’s research institute has much better control. Can’t we move in that direction, too?”
“But we have the Collector’s Gallery’s image to maintain. The Guild Master himself practically lives with the artworks—you think he’d just let that happen?”
“I can already see him throwing a fit, crying about how we could be so heartless. Honestly, I don’t think this atmosphere is bad, either.”
“True, our Gallery’s style is quite provocative. We benefit a lot from that… It gives us high brand recognition.”
“When spring comes, there’ll be a parade. That’s definitely something a boring place like the research institute could never pull off. It’s only possible because of our curators.”
“I think there are pros and cons. Since we rely on socializing and trust rather than control, it’s unstable, but it also makes the artworks much more versatile.”
Having reaffirmed the raison d’être of Bisabeol’s Gallery, the employees’ attention shifted back to the fresh labor that had just arrived.
“Looking at the state of the curators lately, it’s about time we got some fresh blood.”
“We need new people so the veterans can finally get a day off.”
“I’m telling you, it’s a job you can’t do unless you’re crazy about money or the art. Poor things, they’re working overtime every single day. They can’t even go home.”
“The artworks require more care than a newborn baby, so how could they have any time to rest?”
“At least newborns don’t kill people if you pay them slightly less attention. Every time new blood comes in, someone gets carried out of the Gallery injured. It’ll probably happen again this time.”
“We should keep a close eye on the Gallery for a while. People getting injured or dying is unavoidable, but we can’t let it affect the entire company.”
“They’re rookies, so it’s not like they’ll be sent to the 5th floor. Nothing major will happen. Ah, and here I was hoping our team would get some new members…”
“Give them a break. The curators need rest, too. Besides, any rookie who doesn’t fit in the Gallery will end up in an office job anyway.”
Just as the employees speculated, the rookies had indeed been brought in to manage the Gallery.
“……”
“……”
“……”
They stood together, wrapped in an awkward silence.
“Oh, new faces. Are you the curators?” a passing employee asked.
“…Ah, yes. We’re supposed to work in the Gallery…”
“Since you’re rookies, you’ll mostly be around the first floor, but stay safe.”
“Thank you.”
The rookies hesitated, feeling awkward as the guild members casually greeted them.
So this is the Collector Guild… The building is incredible.
Is it really okay for me to be here?
A curator? I’ve never done anything like that before.
I have to seize this opportunity, no matter what.
I don’t want to go back to that guild ever again…
This was a typical reaction from rookies whom Bisabeol had rescued from illegal guilds. They possessed enough of a conscience and ambition to work at a respectable guild, but they were dazed by the sudden opportunity that had fallen into their laps.
A man approached them.
“Nice to meet you, interns.”
It was Yoo Seong-un, who had been tasked by Bisabeol to conduct their first training session.
“My name is Yoo Seong-un. I will be providing you with some basic information about the Collector’s Gallery.”
“Ah, hello.”
“Hello…”
“You’ve already received the basic orientation, so let’s head down right away.”
Led by Yoo Seong-un, the rookie curators took the elevator. The curator-exclusive elevator was barely large enough to fit six people, and with exactly six of them, including Yoo Seong-un, it felt incredibly cramped.
Unbothered, Yoo Seong-un explained, “Since it’s your first day, we’re moving together, so it’s a bit tight. But starting tomorrow, you will each be assigned a supervising curator. Your shifts will be scheduled at different times, so you won’t have to worry about it being this crowded.”
At that, one of the rookies asked, “Excuse me, is there a reason this is narrower than the regular staff elevator? Shouldn’t it be larger to transport items from the Gallery?”
“Good question,” Yoo Seong-un answered readily. “The maximum capacity is kept low on the assumption that, in the event of an incident—such as escorting a dangerous artwork or being afflicted by a curse—everyone inside the elevator might die.”
“…Kept small on the assumption that everyone might die?”
“It’s not common, but it happens. Most of those incidents occur when people act rashly without following the Gallery’s instructions. As long as you listen to your supervising curator, the chances of that happening are low. Above all, artworks you’ve properly built a rapport with generally become safe.”
“Ah, yes, I’ll be careful. Thank you.”
“The Gallery is located deep underground, so the descent takes a while. We are heading to Basement Level 1, which houses the safest artworks in the Collector’s Gallery. Some artworks like to play pranks on the elevator, so it’s best to familiarize yourself with the descent time for each floor.”
The elevator arrived. Stepping out onto Basement Level 1, Yoo Seong-un turned to the rookies.
“Welcome to the Collector’s Gallery.”
His voice was as calm as ever, but none of the rookies could speak.
“……”
“……”
Their breath caught in their throats.
These were people Bisabeol had scouted because he believed they had the qualities of a curator, meaning they possessed a high tolerance for fear and pain. Yet, even they felt overwhelmed.
A suffocating sense of chaos, a crushing weight, and a feeling of sheer, incomprehensible scale hung over the Gallery.
As the rookies stared around the stark white space with pale faces, Yoo Seong-un spoke.
“I believe all of you are C-Rank or higher.”
At his words, the rookies snapped out of their daze and answered one by one.
“I’m C-Rank.”
“Me too…”
“I’m B-Rank.”
“B-Rank.”
“…A-Rank.”
Yoo Seong-un nodded. “There are exceptions, but generally, the higher your rank, the deeper you’ll be assigned. The B-Rank hunters might be fine, but the hunter who mentioned being A-Rank should keep that in mind.”
“…Yes, thank you for the advice. I’ll do my best.”
“The deeper you go, the higher the pay and benefits. If you don’t want to, you can consult with the HR team to adjust your assignment, so don’t worry about being forced into danger.”
Yoo Seong-un slowly led the rookies forward, explaining as they walked.
“You don’t need to memorize every artwork in the Gallery, but you must memorize the locations and characteristics of the works on the first floor and your assigned floor. You have to be able to perform basic troubleshooting if a problem arises.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Artworks that actively manifest are often kept in separate storage. Rookies usually aren’t assigned to manage them, but it might happen in the future. Please remember that some sections require identity verification… and you must also familiarize yourselves with the emergency distress devices installed throughout the Gallery.”
Yoo Seong-un continued with the most basic training, covering the layout of the Gallery, the locations of dangerous artworks, and the duties of rookie curators. Because the Gallery was so vast, even touring just one floor took a considerable amount of time.
Returning to the front of the elevator, Yoo Seong-un spoke again.
“You don’t need to memorize the details of artworks other than the ones I’ve explained. Of course, doing so would further guarantee your survival, but the most important thing is how you handle the artworks that exhibit active behavior.”
“Yes, Curator Yoo Seong-un.”
“Your supervising curator will tell you which artworks you need to study, understand, or build a rapport with. If your capabilities are recognized, you will be assigned one or more artworks. Keep in mind that it may be difficult to veto such an assignment.”
One rookie asked, “If we can request changes to our floor assignments, why is it hard to do so for specific artworks?”
“Because the Gallery is short-staffed.”
“Ah… Is it because everyone keeps dying?”
“That’s part of it,” he admitted, unable to deny it.
This Gallery lacked the perfect control of the Association’s research institute, but it maximized the utility and intimacy of the artworks to their absolute limits. In exchange for that splendor, curators typically traded away their lifespans and health. It was a gallery that truly ground human lives into dust, but it was a sustainable system because the value of the artworks far exceeded that of the personnel. It was a structure commonly seen in today’s world.
“A curator’s work causes significant mental and physical fatigue, so you need regular rest even if you’re only managing one artwork. We need frequent rotation, but if that doesn’t happen, the number of artworks under your charge will increase, just as I mentioned.”
Yoo Seong-un smiled mildly. “However, we won’t assign tasks that a curator absolutely cannot handle, nor will we demand anything that openly threatens your life, like human sacrifice.”
Though they lived in a world where their lives could never be called more valuable than the artworks here, Bisabeol did not completely neglect the curators’ safety. It was just that injury and death were always possibilities. Bisabeol cherished what was his. If his employees had to die, he simply wished for their ends to be sublime and artistic.
“You must remember that this place is the Collector’s kingdom.”
“……”
“You came here because you showed the potential to become part of the Guild Master’s collection. The Guild Master cherishes his collection deeply, so if you are promoted to full-time, your personal safety won’t be an issue.”
“Ah…”
“As long as you don’t slack off or do something stupid, that is. Our Guild Master likes diligent and competent people. You can keep that in mind for your personal growth.”
Saying so, Yoo Seong-un’s eyes crinkled deeply.
“Always remember that what you will be dealing with are the most dangerous and sensitive entities on Earth. In this Gallery, you need an attitude of agonizing over decisions dozens, even hundreds of times to make a cautious choice, yet also the ability to make bold, intuitive decisions when the time comes.”
It was contradictory advice, but that was the reality of the job. Curators, who had to care for their assigned artworks with affection and devotion, could not survive by simply following a manual.
Yoo Seong-un shrugged. “If both you and the company decide that curating isn’t your calling, you will be assigned to other duties. We are having everyone undergo this training first because the Gallery is short-staffed, but it’s not mandatory.”
“Ah, then what other duties are there?”
“Handling company paperwork or going on expeditions to find artworks for the auction house or the Gallery. If you want a stable life, office work is best. If you want to work to the best of your ability and be compensated accordingly, fieldwork is better.”
While curators were also compensated based on ability, their job was in a league of its own, far more dangerous than regular fieldwork. If they valued their lives, it was better to take on general company duties.
“With this, I have concluded the essential training for today. If you have a strong desire to work as a curator or have lingering questions, you may look around a bit more.”
“……”
“Well, it seems there are none. In that case, I will record in the log that everyone is leaving the Gallery with me. Your supervising curator will tell you this, but make it a habit to fill out the Gallery access log every time you use the elevator.”
Nodding, Yoo Seong-un asked, “I will now take any final questions.”
“…Is there a difference once we become full-time employees?”
“Whether you work as a curator or do something else, your benefits will increase.”
Perhaps sorting through what information was safe to share with interns, Yoo Seong-un paused for a moment before continuing.
“Aside from that, you will be given a login for a portal accessible only to full-time employees.”
The “login” he mentioned implied an upgrade in their citizen grade. If they were officially hired, they would be issued 2nd-Grade Citizen IDs, a significant jump from their current 4th or 5th-Grade status. With luck and more effort, a 1st-Grade Citizen ID would not be a mere dream. Anxiety and desperation filled the rookies’ eyes.
“What is this portal that only full-time employees can access?”
“Think of it as a private corporate portal. It contains information and communities that only our employees can view.”
“Could interns suffer disadvantages… because of that difference in information?”
“To be honest, I can’t say there are none. However, it’s not the massive disadvantage you might be imagining, though I can say there is a clear difference in treatment.”
Having said that much, Yoo Seong-un paused again.
“……”
“…Curator?”
“And if I may offer one piece of advice,” he continued, wearing the same mild smile as before. “There is a member of the Dawn Shift in our company named Seo Gio.”
“…Dawn Shift? What is that? Is it like a part-time job?”
“A similar concept. He is a special asset of sorts—an unofficial hunter who hasn’t debuted in the media. He shows his face around the company from time to time, so you might run into him.”
“What kind of person is this Mr. Seo Gio? Since you’re mentioning him separately, is there something we should be careful of?”
“He is a kind and polite person. As long as you aren’t rude first, he won’t get angry, so I hope you won’t be too startled if you meet him.”
“…Does he look a bit scary?”
“Well, yes, in a way,” Yoo Seong-un nodded. “He wears a black cloak.”
“…A black cloak?”
“He’s in a bit of a tight spot because his image overlaps with the famous Black Cloak these days. He’s someone who has always enjoyed wearing black cloaks, but unfortunately, people say he resembles that dangerous monster…”
“Ah, I see. A similar image…”
“……”
After a brief silence, Yoo Seong-un spoke.
“…He is the Collector Guild’s unofficial special asset. He wanders around checking on the overall atmosphere of the company, so you might run into him in the hallways or the Gallery. I’m telling you this in advance so you don’t mistake him for an intruder.”
At Yoo Seong-un’s words, the expressions of two rookies stiffened. They seemed to have guessed something, but Yoo Seong-un did not elaborate further, wrapping up his explanation there.
“It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Yes, Curator Yoo Seong-un.”
“I hope to see you all again as part of the family, without any incidents.”
He gave a small, final smile.
The Collector’s Gallery existed solely for management, sales, and exhibition. In this place, created purely to cherish Bisabeol’s collection, what was required wasn’t control over the artworks, but a kind of socialization.
The question was, would these new recruits be able to harbor an irrational affection for those insane works of art?
"I hope you adapt without any trouble."
With that, the rookies' first training session came to an end.
* * *
"……."
"Hello."
Dawn was still a long way off.
"Are you alright?"
"...Ah...?"
"I’m glad you don’t seem to be hurt."
One of the rookies had run into a certain blonde man.
He spoke.
"My name is Seo Gio."
"……."
"What is your name?"
"……."
"I’m curious to know your name."
His eyes, the color of the sea, crinkled into a smile.
"Would you like to talk with me?"
This happened at 5:13 AM.