Chapter 137
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 137
At that very moment.
At the Seoul 21st Branch, the research institute managing the Evil God Sankalut…
“Lord Sankalut?”
“…”
“M-My Lord? Why has your color faded so much…?”
“…”
“Lord Sankalut…!”
I was hoping they’d use their wish to send me home, Sankalut thought, his excitement at the prospect of returning to his realm deflating as he slumped in dejection.
*
“Are you sure this is enough?” Ju-hyeon asked with a doubtful expression as he handed over Sankalut’s mark. “I’ve imposed on you for so long, eating and drinking my fill.”
“I invited you here for my own selfish reasons, so this is more than enough of a reward,” the black-haired Black Cloak replied, smiling gently. “It’s a magnificent gem.”
“…It’s not a real gem, though.”
“You said it is the mark of the Evil God named Sankalut, correct?”
“Yes, it’s a medium that allows one to communicate with him.”
“There is a geometric pattern inside. Did you carve it yourself?”
“Yes. It’s my first time making one, so it’s quite crude.”
“Crude? Not at all.” The Black Cloak marveled, seeming genuinely impressed. “I can see that your talent is extraordinary, Mr. Ju-hyeon.”
“It’s embarrassing to hear you say that.”
“The pattern is incredibly small, yet it contains all the necessary script.”
“Haha…”
Ju-hyeon felt a strange sense of unease.
I never expected to be praised for making an Evil God’s mark.
More than that, the Black Cloak didn’t seem to be admiring the fact that he had ‘made an Evil God’s mark.’ Instead, he was simply marveling, ‘To think you could make such a wonderful gem.’ The entire situation felt bizarre.
Is his standing so far above it all that this mark seems like a mere trinket instead of a medium to an Evil God?
It was like an unfathomably wealthy person admiring a common coin and calling it beautiful. Though praised, Ju-hyeon wasn’t particularly happy. He wasn’t foolish enough to be genuinely pleased by praise for creating an Evil God’s mark, especially not from some unknown, colossal entity.
“Doesn’t it bother you that it’s the mark of an Evil God?”
“The only time I would call upon him is to offer him a meal, so there is nothing to be bothered about.”
“Ah, I see. Offering a meal to an Evil God… a meal… hm.”
Ju-hyeon fell silent for a moment.
“…”
A cold sweat soon broke out on his skin.
Does he really want to turn everything in this dimension into pigs?
“Is there… a reason why you’re so intent on feeding others like this…?”
“There is no grand reason.” The smile had vanished from the Black Cloak’s face, leaving only a calm, expressionless look. Yet, he continued in his usual quiet, gentle voice. “I simply enjoy seeing other people eat the food I make.”
“I see. You are very considerate.”
“Above all, people these days are so terribly thin…”
“…”
“They don’t look healthy.”
“A grand…?”
A grandmother? Why is he making such a grandmotherly remark?
The tendency of the elderly who survived the Great Catastrophe to be exceptionally dedicated to fattening up the younger generation was universal. The phrase “people these days,” in particular, sounded like something an old, withered elder would say.
With a young man’s face like that?
Did he have any intention of even pretending to be a 29-year-old Earthling? Ju-hyeon wondered how he should play along to appease the colossal entity before him. Should he point out that it wasn’t a remark fitting for a 29-year-old? Or should he just agree?
“…I see!” Ju-hyeon decided to let it slide. “By the way, if you don’t mind, may I ask a few questions?”
“You may ask me anything, Mr. Ju-hyeon.”
“Thank you. Um, the rumor going around is that the Black Cloak is a monster…”
“Ah.” The Black Cloak’s hair flared a brilliant, light-like red, and a look of deep amusement settled on his pale face. “Me, a monster?”
“…If I was rude, I apologize. I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m not angry. And you weren’t rude.” He blinked twice. “Hmm…” Then, his hair returned to black. “I think I got a bit excited because what you said was so amusing. Excuse me.”
“No, no. It’s fine.”
Ju-hyeon had no idea what part of that was amusing, but as long as the entity wasn’t angry, he was fine with anything. He shook his head humbly, wearing an amiable smile. “But if my question displeased you, I am truly sorry.”
“As I said, I’m not displeased or angry. It’s just, how should I put it…” The Black Cloak’s lips curved with gentle interest. “First a beast, then an Evil God, and now a monster.”
“…”
“I find it quite amusing.”
“…Oh…”
It’s not funny.
“…I see!” Ju-hyeon decided to let it slide once again. “I thought you might be an Evil God, Lord Black Cloak, but you don’t seem like one as much as I expected.”
“Are you saying I don’t act like an Evil God?”
“A little.”
“I don’t particularly like the sound of that.” The Black Cloak feigned contemplation for a moment before continuing. “To be clear, I am an ordinary human.”
“Ah, yes.”
“A human who can sometimes become an Evil God, sometimes a priest, and sometimes an animal.”
“That’s amazing.”
Ju-hyeon exercised his patience once more. “Then, should I just think of you as an ordinary human…?”
“Of course.” The Black Cloak nodded. “The rumors of me being a monster were merely a warning for my safety and the safety of others.”
“A warning for your safety and the safety of others?”
“It wasn’t intentional, but perhaps because I live inside paintings, I sometimes end up threatening others. It’s a warning for both sides to be careful in advance.”
And though he didn’t say it aloud, there was another reason. Even though he had merged with the battle-crazed Arjio, the synchronization wasn’t yet complete, so Gio still found fighting uncomfortable. Thus, it was more about managing his reputation so he wouldn’t have to fight in the first place. It was the result of thinking that few would want to fight the protagonist of a terrifying ghost story. Gio wanted to avoid conflict if possible.
Though I don’t know what will happen once I fully regain Arjio’s memories…
In any case, that was his reasoning.
“…To be honest, even when it comes to ‘Evil Gods,’ I don’t really understand it well,” Gio continued. “What is a god, and what is an Evil God? As a human, it’s hard for me to know.”
“…That is certainly a difficult topic. I can’t give you a definitive answer either.”
“Right?” He nodded. “It’s hard to clearly define my own existence.”
So, even if Ju-hyeon asked, there was only one thing he could say for sure. “There is nothing I can say with certainty other than the fact that I am merely a single human being.”
“A single human being…”
“I might be a slightly unusual person, and I might do strange things sometimes. But that’s all.”
Gio had never once considered the possibility that he might not be human.
“Was that a sufficient explanation?”
“…Yes, thank you for helping me understand.”
Ju-hyeon was simply dumbfounded.
Right. Let’s just memorize it that way. If he believes it, then it must be so.
“But I feel like I’ve been staying at your house for too long, Mr. Gio…”
“Are you fully recovered?”
“I’ve recovered, thanks to your great consideration.”
“Your heart as well?”
“…”
To the speechless Ju-hyeon, the Black Cloak smiled gently, as if soothing a child. “It’s a peaceful place, isn’t it?”
“…That’s true. It’s so peaceful that I don’t want to leave.”
“There will come a time when you’ll want to leave.”
Gio knew.
People only stop entertaining foolish ideas when they are well-fed and at peace.
So he had made it that way.
As expected, people become ten times nicer when they’re full.
Since Ju-hyeon had tried to summon an Evil God, Gio had made his mind and body incapable of harboring such foolish thoughts. Though Ju-hyeon didn’t know it, Gio’s influence played a huge part in this. Anyone who ate food filled with Gio’s earnest desire to enjoy it with them would helplessly become a gourmet. By assimilating with Gio—who possessed a serenely clear mind—their own mind and body would become completely at ease.
It’s a good phenomenon.
Gio hoped Ju-hyeon would become his friend.
“Whenever you want to go out, just let me know.”
“…Yes.”
“You do not need my permission to enjoy your own life.”
“That is…” Ju-hyeon mumbled in response. “…True.”
He asked, “Why did you introduce yourself as an Evil God?”
“Because that is what people called me.”
Puzzlingly, there was no other reason.
*
“…Ah.”
A new recruit paused in the hallway.
“Mr. Seo Gio?”
A tall silhouette stood in the company corridor. As she called out to him, the woman felt an inexplicable sense of incongruity. Even though it was a weekday afternoon and several employees were still around, none of them spared a glance at Seo Gio, who stood there wearing a cloak. It was as if they were avoiding him, treating him as if he didn’t exist. Just as she realized this, he looked at her.
“You’re someone I’ve met before.”
“That’s right. You remembered me.”
“Your name is probably… Ms. Park Ju-hee?”
“…”
She felt a bit strange. For a split second, hearing him call her name felt like an impossible miracle.
What a strange thought.
She was able to shake it off quickly as an absurd notion, but an unknown, lingering discomfort remained.
Approaching him, Park Ju-hee asked, “I thought you were on the dawn shift. Why are you out at this time of day?”
“It’s a hobby. I was having a brief Q&A session.”
“A Q&A session as a hobby?”
“If I had to be precise, I suppose you could call it a survey.” His eyes, which held the sea, curved gently. “Ms. Park Ju-hee.”
“Uh… yes, go ahead.”
“What kind of existence do you think an Evil God is?”
“…An Evil God…”
Suddenly, a sense of desolation washed over her, and with it, a feeling of being detached from reality. Even at that moment, employees passed them by in silence. Since the company was filled with highly individualistic people, she found the situation plausible enough and answered Seo Gio’s question without much suspicion.
“Wouldn’t it be a god that does bad things?”
“Then, if an Evil God doesn’t do bad things, does he become an ordinary god?”
“Well… if he has committed evil deeds in the past, I think he would still be an Evil God.”
“That is a helpful reference.” He wore a picture-perfect smile. “Thank you for answering what must have been a sudden question.”
“No, not at all… I’m the one who should be grateful that you remembered a humble C-Rank Hunter like me.”
“Regardless of rank, you are a good person, Ms. Park Ju-hee.” Seo Gio’s eyes crinkled deeply. “You’re being kind to me, aren’t you?”
“Uh… well…”
Being kind makes someone a good person?
The woman was slightly worried by his sudden, almost naive remark. This man’s definition of a “good person” was excessively broad.
Is he perhaps being ostracized?
Slightly flustered, Park Ju-hee looked around. A lanky man standing right in the middle of the hallway should have drawn attention, yet no one was looking their way.
“…Excuse me…” Feeling a strange suspicion, she asked cautiously, “By any chance, um… do you not get along with your colleagues…?”
Cough!!
A loud cough echoed from somewhere.
“…?”
“It seems someone choked on something,” Gio said.
“Ah, I see. That’s too bad.”
Cough, cough…
Another cough sounded from somewhere else.
“Too bad…”
Cough—!!
Yet another cough.
“…”
By this point, even Park Ju-hee couldn’t help but grasp the situation.
…What is this? It feels like someone is trying to give me a hint.
At that moment, something caught her eye.
“Uh…”
From beneath his cloak, the tail of some unidentified beast had suddenly popped out.
“…Um, Mr. Seo Gio. This is…”
“Ah, my apologies.” He chuckled softly. “Sometimes I lose control of it.”
“…Control?”
“I will be more careful next time.”
Without a sound, the tail vanished.
“…”
It was as if she had merely imagined it.
“It’s not that the employees here are discriminating against me or ostracizing me, as you might think, Ms. Park Ju-hee.”
“…Ah, right. I’m sorry.”
“It’s just that the skill I possess is a bit unique, so everyone is simply exercising caution.”
“Exercising caution because it’s unique…?”
“There is nothing to worry about. It is quite late, so I hope you get home safely.”
“…”
“Ah, that’s right.” Seo Gio held something out. “This is a reward for keeping me company.”
“…It has a sweet scent.”
“They are fruit jellies. They aren’t too sweet.”
“…I see…”
“Well then, I hope to see you again with a smile next time.”
He gave a light bow, turned, and walked away. That black cloak caught her eye once more. That pitch-black fabric…
“…”
For some reason, the gift in her hand felt heavy.
“…Huh?”
Even as a gasp escaped her lips and a cold sweat broke out on her skin, not a single employee turned to look.