Chapter 32
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 32
Gio practically inhaled the food from the night market.
“…”
“Do you have a question?”
“No, it’s just… you eat really well.”
“Yes, I do.”
Gio was a big eater.
“Aren’t you full?”
“I usually eat a lot, so I’m fine.”
“It’s almost impressive.”
“If it didn’t taste good, I would have stopped,” Gio replied. “But everything is so delicious, I can’t help myself.”
“Well, of course. It has to be good for people to keep coming.”
It was a fair point, but if every restaurant and food stall were delicious, no business would ever go under.
Anyway, after thirty-one years, this tourist spot has gotten quite lively. When I visited with my class back then, it was basically a boring march through history. It took so much effort just to keep those kids from dying of boredom.
Gio, lightly tossing back his neoul, chewed on a rice cake grilled over charcoal and coated in grain syrup. This, he thought, was the true Korean tanghulu.
Gyeongbokgung used to feel like a typical cultural heritage site… a bit old-fashioned and stuffy.
Although he had memories here, they were shaped less by Gyeongbokgung itself and more by his students, who had wandered around in hanbok, searching for their identities.
I wonder what happened to that aspiring idol who claimed he must have been a Joseon king in a past life because he kept tearing up for no reason. I wonder if they’re all doing well.
If it hadn’t been for those students, who were fully committed to their high-schooler nonsense, Gio wouldn’t have enjoyed Gyeongbokgung nearly as much. Sure, the hanok houses were beautiful and elegant, but countless students had protested whenever they had to visit in the sweltering summer heat.
But today’s Gyeongbokgung has some substance. There’s definitely a lot more to enjoy.
People dressed in hanbok were enjoying themselves, occasionally trading the lanterns they’d bought with others. Everyone looked happy.
“…”
If there was one thing he was curious about…
What is that?
He saw a sort of transparent shadow wearing a hanbok and drifting through the area.
I saw them at the fan shop and in the alleys of the Hanok Village, too… similar things have been wandering around.
There might be exceptions, but all the ones Gio had seen were wearing masks. A group of shadows resembling a troupe of traditional performers (sadangpae) strolled gracefully along the lines of hanging lanterns; a group of children with braided hair (daenggi) hopped and skipped through the crowds; and a group of civil officials bustled back and forth inside the restricted areas of the palace.
“…Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
“Yeah?”
“What do you call those?”
“What do you… Ah.” Yoo Seong-un spoke as if he assumed Gio would naturally know. “Those are Fairy Tales—living stories. Is this your first time seeing them in a place like this?”
“…”
“They usually prefer places without people, so it’s rare to see them in such a bustling tourist spot. But they’re still proper Children of the Origin.”
He had heard of this before.
“You mentioned something similar last time.”
“About what? The Children of the Origin?”
“Yes. Could you explain it in a bit more detail?”
“…Ah, right.” Scratching the back of his neck, Yoo Seong-un continued. “I think I glossed over it when I was explaining Gardeners… We kind of rushed through it. It’s hard to summarize, but I’ll explain.”
“…”
“There is a transcendent entity that we humans define as the ‘Origin.’ You could call it the God of Gods. It’s a kind of System that manages balance and creates various rules across the entire universe and all dimensions.”
“A system.”
“And this Origin creates offspring. We call them the ‘Children of the Origin.’ They are entities that can be categorized as part of nature, like waves, wind, beasts, or humans.”
“…”
“These Children of the Origin are divided into a few categories…” Yoo Seong-un pointed to the figure of a civil official moving inside the palace. Its face was hidden by a large official hat and a neoul, and its sleeves were strangely long, making it impossible to see any part of its body.
Moving in perfect unison, their synchronized steps had a captivating charm, almost like a group dance, but that very precision made them seem less like living creatures. It was as if shadows had put on clothes and were mimicking humans.
“Those things are called ‘Fairy Tales.’”
“What kind of existence are they?”
“Like most Children of the Origin, they have no interest in humans and cause no harm. ‘Fairy Tales’ are living stories, but at the same time, they are entities close to human form.”
“Then isn’t their mind close to a human’s?”
“They don’t actually think like humans; they merely mimic the traces of them. Children of the Origin are highly skilled at fabricating their outward appearances. It’s not something they learn; it seems to be an inherent trait.”
Yoo Seong-un took a sip of his ripe persimmon juice and continued.
“No matter what kind they are, all Fairy Tales wear masks, and there is no face behind them. They don’t have human bodies or the capacity for human thought; they are merely copying the exterior.”
“…”
“Just because you draw a picture of someone doesn’t mean the drawing becomes a real human. Ah, of course, I don’t know how it works in your case… but normally, there are dimensional limits.”
“I understand.”
Portraits like him certainly weren’t common. When Gio agreed, Yoo Seong-un continued.
“They have their own stories, and once those stories end, they vanish. Gyeongbokgung is crowded, but strangely enough, it’s a place where quite a few of these Fairy Tales reside.”
Gio, who had been observing the people, asked, “Can’t ordinary people see those Children of the Origin?”
“Few people can.” Yoo Seong-un nodded. “An ordinary person can’t detect the frequencies that dolphins or bats use, right? It’s similar. The Children of the Origin exist in the world, but very few people can perceive them. And it’s not like they’re even trying to hide.”
“Like ghosts?”
“Uh… you could look at it that way, but the fact that they don’t understand humans at all makes them different. No matter how closely they mimic human form, they are completely empty inside. Their roots are entirely different.” He spoke again as if he had just remembered something. “Oh, right. They say that in the past, no one could see these Children of the Origin. But because Earth was heavily influenced by the Origin, dungeons appeared… Awakened were born… and the ecosystem itself changed, allowing us to see them.”
It was a story as mysterious as a fairy tale.
“As you can see, I’m also one of the few talents who can perceive the Origin.”
“I suppose I am too.”
“Mhm, probably.”
Though he tried to hide it, Yoo Seong-un looked a bit awkward. He probably thought of Gio as something other than human.
Anyway, as long as Mr. Yoo Seong-un knows I’m a harmless existence who couldn’t hurt a fly, it doesn’t matter whether he thinks I’m human or not.
Fearing he might be dragged back inside the portrait, Gio didn’t bother to correct him and simply took in the view of Gyeongbokgung once more.
Earth and humanity have grown strong.
He was undoubtedly being left behind. Gio, who only knew how to eat, sleep, and paint, lost all confidence in his ability to survive in this harsh world.
“How many people can see the existence of the Origin?”
“Are you asking for a percentage of the total human population? Well, not many.”
“I see.”
Being special only invited trouble. Gio resolved once again to dedicate his entire life to portraits.
“…”
Sitting blankly on the bench, Gio soon noticed a small commotion.
“I hear fighting.”
“That’s rare for a tourist spot like this.” Yoo Seong-un, who had been leaning back, sat forward. “The guards will drag them away soon, but…”
Sure enough, guards dressed in thick hanbok grabbed a shouting man. It was a middle-aged man who was making a scene, trying to lunge at a rather handsome man dressed in scholar’s clothing. The scholar, who was adjusting his top as if his collar had been grabbed, wore a troubled expression.
“…”
He certainly looked like a gentle young man, but…
Let’s make a frame and check his safety level (0/1)
Reward: Seal
Gio got a feeling.
“Gio?”
“…”
A frame.
Gio raised both hands, shaping them like a camera lens, and brought them to his eyes.
Danger ★★★★★
Five stars.
He’s extremely dangerous.
It seemed the guards had grabbed the wrong person.
Would you like to check his history?
[Yes/No]
Do I really need to?
“…”
The young man in scholar’s clothing locked eyes with Gio.
Was I staring too hard?
Yoo Seong-un seemed to find Gio’s sudden action strange, but he didn’t say anything.
The scholar scanned Gio up and down as if sizing him up, then gave a brief nod and walked past. His expression, however, suggested he thought Gio was trying to pick a fight.
“Koorook.”
“Whoa, that startled me.” Yoo Seong-un flinched at Honey’s sudden appearance. “…Huh? A waterbird? Wait, Gio, is this the guy you showed me last time…?”
“This is Honey.”
“You can bring him out with you?”
“I haven’t tried with the other birds, so I’m not sure.”
“Well, right, uh… I see.” Yoo Seong-un had a look of complete resignation. “I guess it’s about time for the world to end anyway.”
“It seems to be holding up just fine. I don’t know why you’re suddenly talking nonsense.”
“Because it feels like a sandcastle that would crumble with a single tap…” Smiling with a resigned face, Yoo Seong-un soon returned to his usual expression and asked, “So, why that guy? Did he bother you?”
“He looked dangerous.”
“…Really?”
“I don’t think he liked me.”
A scary person.
“I didn’t mean to pick a fight.”
He had briefly forgotten that if you lock eyes with someone for more than three seconds, it’s a binary choice between ‘Does this person like me?’ or ‘Is this bastard trying to fight me?’
I should have spoken to him politely and gently before the three seconds were up, but his history was so extravagant that I missed the timing. My instincts from when I was called the Pokémon Trainer of the 21st century must be completely dead.
It was the so-called “eye contact means battle” rule. Whether in a good way or a bad way.
That man just now definitely took it the wrong way.
In this tough era where businessmen in suits beat up monsters, what was he thinking, picking a fight with a five-star danger-level guy?
No, wait, shouldn’t it be illegal for a random passerby to have such a high danger level?
Gio cursed this crazy Hell Korea and spoke with absolute sincerity.
“I’m scared.”
“It’s hard to take you seriously when you say that… Are you being sarcastic?”
“I think we should head back to the hotel.”
“If that’s what you want.”
Gio gently tucked Honey, who was trying to peek out from his scarf, back inside, and they left Gyeongbokgung. The bird seemed to like the glowing goldfish lantern, as it had already stuffed the souvenir inside its translucent belly.
And at 3:32 AM, after passing out on the hotel bed and waking up…
“…”
Gio confirmed that Honey was gone.
“Please.”
Can’t you just leave me in peace?
I might actually cry.
*
“…”
A dark, deserted alleyway in the slums.
“…So, that bastard earlier. What the hell was he?”
The man, now stripped of his scholar’s clothing, ran a hand roughly through his hair.
Something felt off.
It was a man dressed in a pitch-black hanbok. He had been so heavily bundled up that his face wasn’t visible. He seemed to be around 190 centimeters tall, but it was hard to identify someone based on gender and height alone.
“It’s leaving a bad taste in my mouth.”
Normally, he would have just brushed it off as some weirdo trying to pick a fight.
But.
“That hand gesture…”
A hand gesture that looked like he was mimicking a frame. For just a split second, he felt as if his entire identity was being laid bare.
“…”
The man scratched his head vigorously.
“…No, fuck, it’s definitely weird. That bastard must have been an Awakened, right?”
The person sitting next to him was Hunter Yoo Seong-un. Since Bisabeol’s curator was personally escorting him, he was probably some rich young master who had only recently Awakened.
He had that annoying, polite etiquette practically bred into him.
But this was troublesome.
If what I’m planning gets out…
He wouldn’t just end up demoted to a 5th-Grade Citizen.
There were more Awakened than one would think who possessed skills to freely check someone’s thoughts, memories, or past. It wasn’t that rare of a skill; people just didn’t talk about it for fear of getting stabbed in the back. So, the man in black he saw at the Gyeongbokgung night market might have peeked at his thoughts using that kind of skill. Considering that abrupt hand gesture, it was a highly plausible conclusion.
“…”
Sigh…
He let out a heavy sigh.
“The event is starting in a few days, and now this. What a mess.”
If he considered the future consequences, he couldn’t just let this slide. What he was doing right now was an incredibly dangerous undertaking—an act of betraying humanity. He had never felt a shred of guilt, but getting caught would certainly ruin him.
No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one answer.
“I have to kill him.”
How much time and effort had he poured into securing a position at the Temple of the Sun? He couldn’t leave a risk factor unchecked now just because of a lingering bad feeling.
Just as he made up his mind and was about to track the traces of the man he saw at Gyeongbokgung…
“…”
“…”
“…What the?”
A squishy-looking bird was sitting on a pipe. A goldfish lantern—the tourist souvenir—was swimming inside its body, making it quite bright. It was a wonder he hadn’t noticed it in this dark alley until now.
“…”
It was strange.
…It’s a shape I’ve never seen before for a city monster.
Furthermore, bird-type monsters, especially small ones like this, usually traveled in flocks. Solitary beasts only wandered alone because they had the strength to protect themselves. In that case, what were the chances that this pathetic-looking bird was just an ordinary monster?
“…No way. Fuck, is this…”
A surveillance monster sent by that bastard from Gyeongbokgung?
Was he a Tamer?
He hadn’t expected him to be a Hunter with a proper class. No wonder that sly bastard Yoo Seong-un treated him so well; it meant he was an Awakened worth that much.
The man gripped his staff tightly.
“…Well, maybe this is for the best.”
It seemed the bird’s owner was a novice. The owner’s scent was clearly radiating from the bird. He probably hadn’t realized that sending a spy would lead to his own location being exposed.
The man forced a smile.
“If you noticed something was off, you should have told Yoo Seong-un right away.”
He felt no threat from this bird, which was just staring blankly at him. It really did seem to be a surveillance camera, which meant tracking it back would be even easier.
Did he lack the confidence to report it to Yoo Seong-un?
Failing to report suspicions to a superior beforehand was a mistake novice Hunters often made.
Fool.
Whatever this bird’s true identity was, he had to deal with it now. With that thought, the man reached out to grab the tiny bird, which looked like it wouldn’t even make a single bite—
Crunch.
“…”
“…”
“Huh?”
His hand.
Was gone.
“…”
Inside the bird’s transparent body, his severed hand was visible. The drifting goldfish lantern wrapped around it. Soon, the two slowly melted away.
“…Ah.”
“Kkook.”
“Fuck.”
It wasn’t that the man was incompetent.
“Koorook?”
“You… you piece of shit…”
“Koorooroorook?”
“…This makes no sense.”
“Kkook-koorook.”
As a Priest of the Sun with a formidable rank, he was in a position where he had every right to be arrogant. However, this entire situation was a series of events so logically impossible that they piled up like a disaster rather than a miracle. It was not an obstacle a single individual could overcome.
The bird’s tiny body began to swell bizarrely.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“Koorook?”
Feathers shimmering with a light that could be either the moon or the sun. Hard, hook-like talons and elongated legs. And a massive beak.
“No…!”
Gurgle—
The sound of flowing water echoed.
“Ugh, mgh…!”
Followed by the sound of churning.
“…! …!!!”
“…”
“……!!”
“…”
“…”
Soon, silence fell.
“…”
The man was nowhere to be seen.
“Koorook.”
Only a single, tiny bird flew away, leisurely drifting through the air.
*
“Honey.”
Gio liked small, harmless things.
However, the Children of the Origin were highly skilled at fabricating their appearances.
“Where did you go?”
“Kooroo.”
“You’re cute, so it’s fine.”
In that case… what was their true nature really like?
“There’s bungeoppang over there.”
“Kkook!!”
“You really are my son.”
“Kooroorung?”
“You certainly love delicious food.”
That was something even the Children of the Origin themselves probably didn’t know.