Chapter 134
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134
Safety ★★☆☆☆
Would you like to check their history?
[Yes / No]
Name: An Ju-hyeon
Age: 36
Status: Panic
He wished to contribute to the world to prevent a repeat of the tragedy he once experienced. However, his blood, sweat, and tears were met with betrayal, leaving him utterly isolated. He knew his goal would not be easy to achieve, but misfortune beyond measure has befallen him. He is alone.
An Ju-hyeon is wary and suspicious of you, but he is by no means aggressive. He is a polite and clever man. If he harbors hostility, he will submit. If he harbors goodwill, he will revere you. As a civilian, he is weaker than even an F-Rank Hunter. He cannot disobey you.
You can allow him to fall into the clutches of Sankalut and awaken as an Evil God, or you can care for this pitiful man and watch him strive for his goals once more. The choice is yours, or you may choose not to choose at all. An Ju-hyeon may harbor impure thoughts, but he cannot cause you harm.
He is a safe human to you.
* * *
It was because he had checked this history that Gio had suddenly spoken to Ju-hyeon.
“He seems like a good person, right?”
“Kkurrrr.”
“It says he’s safe for me.”
It was perfect.
“The way the System words things is pretty obnoxious, but at least I know this An Ju-hyeon guy is nice. And nothing is more important than that.”
In this world, there were far fewer harmless people capable of holding a normal conversation with the ‘Black Cloak’ than one might expect. For Gio, whose primary talents seemed to be eating and sleeping, this was a massive problem.
“Finally, I might be able to make a pen pal.”
“Arrrrr…”
“Dana, even Dad needs a friend. Besides, I’m human, too.”
Gio scooped up Dana, who was scratching at the door of the room where Ju-hyeon slept as if she were about to tear it down. As she grew larger, Dana had begun to actively express her aversion to humans. Her body was flashing brightly.
“According to Mr. Yoo Seong-un, normal Anti-Cats are usually busy running away. Why on earth is our little girl’s confidence through the roof? It’s truly fascinating.”
She clearly took after her father.
“Father.”
“Kkoo?”
“I think we need to soothe Dana a bit.”
“Kkoo-kkoo-kkoo…”
“Could you let me know when our guest wakes up?”
“Kkoo.”
“Thank you.”
Gio carried the tray of food he had brought up—just in case the guest had awoken—back downstairs. Dana, who had grown quite a bit, tactfully shifted from her dad’s arm to his shoulder. His shoulder felt warm and heavy.
“A cool ball of jewel fur…”
She made for a rather cute cooling mat. He wondered if he should take Dana instead of Honey when summer came to Earth.
“Honey, let’s go.”
“Kkur.”
“You can eat this.”
“Kkurrrrrrrr.”
“I should eat, too.”
It was a porridge simmered until the rice grains completely broke down, mixed with various vegetables and a bit of minced meat. He had also set out some pickled Baibamunil and Mangdung Fruit he’d made a while ago as side dishes, sending up a delicious aroma.
And Honey devoured the entire thing by himself.
“……”
“Kkuk.”
“Glutton.”
“Kkoong-kkoong-kkoong-kkoong…!!”
“Cute.”
He hadn’t expected Honey to eat the whole thing alone, but it earned bonus points for ensuring the guest’s leftovers didn’t go to waste.
Gio pulled Dana down from where she lay draped over his shoulder and settled her on his lap.
“How is our Dana so full of confidence?”
“Ae?”
“Do you perhaps think the world revolves around you?”
“?”
“Ah, so you do. That’s the kind of confidence befitting my child.”
Still, it would be troublesome if she went around biting the head off everyone she met.
“Honey used to do that too, you know.”
“Muuung?”
“Did you learn that from your older brother?”
“?.”
“You’re saying no? Then it must be instinct.”
“Gyarrrr.”
“Adorable.”
Gio gently rubbed Dana’s belly as she rolled over onto her back, acting cute. Unlike typical cats who were sensitive about their bellies being touched, Dana just lay there, completely content. Since she was a long-haired breed, it felt like having a heavy carpet draped over him.
“Your brother used to bite people on a whim at first, too. It only happened once, but when I found out, my heart sank all the way to my toes.”
“Mew?”
“For your dad’s sake, I hope you won’t go around chewing on or hurting other people. Let me put this in terms you, as a monster, might understand: every time you cause an injury like that, I have to travel far away to clean up the mess or pay money.”
“……!”
“Your dad can paint jewels and gold, but bartering doesn’t seem to be very popular in South Korea yet. In short, I’m broke. I might get branded as a debtor and publicly humiliated, so I’d appreciate it if you could be a little considerate of me, Dana.”
“Aee?”
“Good girl, such a good girl.”
Having learned of her dad’s empty wallet, Dana offered an apology. Rebuilding trust with his reliable daughter, who promised not to cause trouble, Gio let Honey—who was poking at the innocent empty tray—perch on his hand.
“Honey, come here.”
“Kkurureuk.”
“You’re going to wear a hole in that tray soon.”
He didn’t know who Honey took after to grow into such a magnificent pig. Of course, he knew very well that Honey took after Gio himself.
“Our guest must have been quite exhausted, seeing as he’s been asleep for nearly five days.”
Gio really liked this guest.
He was a thirty-six-year-old adult male, older than Gio, and he didn’t get scared or attack when facing the Black Cloak. He was even a polite, harmless human certified by the System.
“And he’s skin and bones.”
He had to fatten him up immediately.
It had been a long time since he’d met someone who seemed so rewarding to fatten up. An Ju-hyeon was practically qualified to be Gio’s true friend.
“I even prepared lamb skewers so we could eat them together…”
“Kkurrrr.”
“Right. If he really doesn’t wake up, we’ll eat them together tonight.”
“Aee?”
“If he wakes up, we’ll all eat together.”
Once we eat together, we’ll be like Anne of Green Gables and her friend Diana.
And so, in this harsh world, Gio finished his preparations to hunt for a new friend.
* * *
It was early dawn when Ju-hyeon woke up.
“……”
He sat up from the plush bed, his mind still hazy.
The dawn air of a world deep in spring was cool. A gentle breeze drifted in, carrying the scent of flowers and the forest.
Ju-hyeon turned his head toward where the breeze brushed his cheek. Beyond the wide-open terrace, a world sparkling with dew came into view.
“…Wow…”
It was beautiful.
And peaceful.
“…Where am I right now…”
His mind was so groggy that he frowned.
As he sat up and fumbled around, his hands brushed against a blanket so fluffy it felt as if it were filled with nothing but down feathers. The soft, rustling texture of the sun-dried fabric brought back the feeling of touching moss in his childhood.
Ju-hyeon was momentarily lost for words at the sensation, then instinctively looked back out at the world beyond the terrace.
“…Was I inside the Black Cloak’s frame?”
It was a world that resembled a fairy tale even more than he had imagined.
The sun is just rising.
The dark dawn clouds were a deep navy, reminiscent of a late spring chill, but the light of the rising sun and the stars lingering near it painted the sky in gentle hues of forsythia and cherry blossom. If he were to take a bite of it, it felt as though it would taste as sweet as honey offered by a flower.
“……”
Step.
Ju-hyeon stepped out onto the terrace without realizing it.
“…Stars.”
In the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars all hung together.
The stars, undimmed by the bright, soft light, shone with a vividness that made them look as if they might fall at any moment. They were still twinkling.
“The Milky Way…”
At the dreamlike sight, his fingertips suddenly tingled, and his tightly constricted chest ached. Though it was a sight he had never seen before, Ju-hyeon felt a strange sense of nostalgia mingled with a heavy sense of awe.
“……”
Where the dawn shadows still lingered, an endless forest and a sparkling lake came into view. Ju-hyeon’s eyes were momentarily stolen by the lake. A profound sense of abundance radiated from its enchanting golden shimmer.
It was cold, yet warm.
“…What a strange feeling.”
Muttering to himself for no reason, Ju-hyeon took a hesitant step back.
“…This place is, well, yes. Right…”
He tried to pull himself together.
“Is it some kind of dungeon?”
It didn’t work very well.
He had been in this state for a while now. Even when he rationally thought about what he needed to do to make things right, he lacked the motivation to act. It was as if his brain had frozen solid, refusing to work.
But the cool breeze blowing from the terrace cooled the heat on his forehead.
“……”
Amused by his own thoughts in the face of that gentle breeze—which seemed to tell him not to rush—Ju-hyeon let out a slow sigh.
“…Haaah…”
Plop.
He sat down on the bed.
“…Let’s calm down.”
It was fine.
It wasn’t fine, but it could become fine. Just as he always had, he would overcome this time too.
Maybe because I just woke up, but I feel like my senses are returning a bit.
The terrible lethargy that had been tormenting him recently had eased considerably.
Yes, he had been lethargic. Impulses he had never felt in his life had shaken him violently, and his mind, which had always coolly delivered results for his own benefit and goals, had frozen solid.
But now… it’s not like that.
He felt like he could finally breathe.
“……”
“Kkurureuk?”
“…Uh?”
“Kkuk, kkurung.”
“A bird?”
When he came to his senses, a golden bird was sitting on the terrace railing.
“No, water?”
Ju-hyeon soon realized that it was living water in the shape of a bird.
It resembled a long-tailed tit—a species thought to be extinct—but its tail was much longer and more elaborate. A prominent jewel rested inside its body, as if it were a living treasure chest.
“Why is it here…”
As he froze, unsure of how to react, the bird fluttered over and perched on his thigh. It had almost no weight, and though it was made of water, it felt as warm as a living creature.
“Kkur.”
“…Hello?”
“Kkuk-kkurrrr.”
The water bird let out a long cry, as if responding to his greeting, then fluttered its wings and took flight again. It nipped the sleeve of Ju-hyeon’s white pajamas with its beak and tugged.
“…You want me to go out?”
“Kkurureuk.”
“…How strange. Is its vocal organ not in its mouth?”
Perhaps because he wasn’t fully awake yet, he found himself more curious about how a bird made entirely of water could cry so clearly even while holding his sleeve in its beak.
In a state of strange unreality, Ju-hyeon followed where the bird led him downstairs. There stood a pitch-black man.
“Honey.”
At his call, the honey-colored bird landed softly on the man’s hand.
The man gave a brief word of praise, telling the bird it had done well, before placing it on his shoulder. At his feet was a large cat sparkling with a chilly light. Ju-hyeon realized it looked quite similar to an Anti-Cat.
As Ju-hyeon hesitated, unsure of what to do, the man spoke to him.
“Good morning.”
“Ah, yes. Good morning.”
“I was worried. You didn’t wake up for a long time.”
“I didn’t wake up…?”
“You slept for eight days.”
“……”
As he processed those words, Ju-hyeon’s dark skin turned pale.
“…Eight days?”
“In reality, a total of three days have passed.”
“Ah, ah. Ah… I see. I understand.”
Ju-hyeon let out a sigh of relief. The shock had completely sharpened his mind. With a clearer head than before, Ju-hyeon looked at the pitch-black man in front of him and thought to himself.
…Is this the Black Cloak’s true appearance?
There had never been an eyewitness who had seen what was inside the Black Cloak, to the point where theories circulated that the cloak or suit itself was the actual body. But the true form of the Black Cloak that Ju-hyeon was seeing now was a man far more handsome than he could have imagined.
I think I saw him before I fell asleep, but his impression is completely different from back then… What exactly is different?
While he was pondering the differences in the Black Cloak’s appearance, the other party asked politely, his eyes calm and steady.
“Would you like to have a meal?”
“……”
“You must be hungry.”
Ah, that expression.
…A single expression completely changes a person.
When the Black Cloak asked, “You must be hungry?” just now, he looked incredibly gentle and warm, even though his color hadn’t changed. Ju-hyeon found his eyes drawn to the natural, soft curve of the man’s eyes and lips.
Only after a beat could Ju-hyeon answer.
“…Yes, I’m hungry.”
This overwhelming peace.
There’s no way tranquility like this could actually exist in the world.
It was this unrealistic peace that made him realize he was inside a painting.