Chapter 33
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33
Ever since he was young, Cha Eun-hyeok had seen strange things.
“What? A person?”
“Yeah, over there. Can’t you see them?”
“…What are you talking about? It’s just an empty lot.”
“……”
“Did you see a monster or something?”
“It’s not a monster…”
Sometimes, they took on a shape that resembled a human.
“…Sorry, I must have been mistaken.”
“Are you really okay, Oppa?”
“Maybe I’m just not fully awake yet.”
Sometimes, a long tail like a squirrel’s or a stray cat’s would trail through the bushes. Other times, one would stand stock-still like a tree, emitting a strange scent. And high up in the sky, another might drift leisurely by like a cloud.
He knew they were fundamentally different from any plant or animal he was familiar with. While some looked remarkably similar, others were grotesquely crude imitations.
“Maybe you’ve been overworking yourself lately. Why don’t you get some rest?”
“I’m still doing fine.”
Like most wild animals, they never acknowledged him.
“I have to work while I still can.”
So, Cha Eun-hyeok also pretended not to see them.
Can no one else see them but me?
He had pondered their identity at length.
Are they ghosts? No, if they were ghosts, they’d usually look like normal people. These things definitely look more like animals. Sometimes they only mimic parts, like ears or a tail. Then, are they hallucinations? But they leave physical traces behind. In that case, are they monsters? But normal monsters aren’t this indifferent to humans.
Sometimes they danced. They sang, admired flowers, or floated on the water. Eun-hyeok instinctively knew that as long as he didn’t disturb them, they would cause him no harm.
However, on very rare occasions, a dangerous one would appear.
“I heard their house caught fire.”
“No wonder. The lady of that house has been so forgetful lately…”
“They say the whole family burned to death inside.”
The villagers blamed the fire on the housewife’s dementia. That might have been part of it, but Eun-hyeok knew the real, underlying problem lay elsewhere.
“……”
A certain ‘thing’ carrying a bundle had been following that lady around.
Ah, I see.
That thing had undoubtedly killed her.
He didn’t know exactly what it had done, but since then, Eun-hyeok realized that some of them could be dangerous. He didn’t feel any malice from them, but their mere existence could be a threat to humans.
So they are a type of monster after all?
That was the conclusion Eun-hyeok had reached.
“Oppa, are you going to keep selling bungeoppang?”
“It sells pretty well.”
“Do people in the city give you a hard time? I hear the discrimination against lower Citizen Grades is especially bad there…”
“Everyone’s been kind. I haven’t seen anyone look down on me for being a 3rd-Grade Citizen yet.”
In truth, he had neither the time nor the energy to worry about monsters or whatever those mysterious things were.
“Of course, some people give me dirty looks, but our youngest needs his initiation ceremony soon.”
“……”
“We have to buy his priest robes, pay for his dormitory fees, and give him some allowance to live on.”
“…Of all things, he had to awaken as a Priest,” his sister muttered.
“Well, I feel incredibly reassured having two Hunters in the family,” he said, trying to sound cheerful.
Both of his younger siblings were Awakened.
His younger sister was an F-Rank, the lowest rank, so the only work she could do was as a porter. Her earnings weren’t great, and he also had to buy her equipment just to increase her chances of survival when she entered dungeons.
His youngest brother had awakened as a ‘Priest,’ a job that was useless unless one formed a contract with a god. However, serving a god on one’s own was next to impossible, so he had to receive help from a temple just to barely obtain their grace.
“Still, we were lucky. The Sun Cult in Seoul called for him.”
“……”
“Our youngest will become a 2nd-Grade Citizen soon. Besides, you’re working, so how can I just rest? I have my pride as the eldest brother.”
“That’s because I’m an Awakened… and I have better stamina than you, okay?”
“I get it, so don’t worry and just rest.”
“…Should I come work with you? If people in Seoul try to mess with you, I can protect you…”
“We need someone at home to look after the youngest.”
They were short on money.
“Don’t worry.”
So, he had no leisure to pay attention to those mysterious entities.
As long as I don’t let them get close, there’s no danger anyway.
Those things seemed to have lives of their own. Just as one wouldn’t get hurt by a poisonous toad on the roadside unless one disturbed it, those minding their own business were harmless as long as he didn’t pick a fight.
It’s not like I can’t see them to avoid them. Since I can see them clearly, there’s no way I’ll get into any trouble. It’s fine. There’s no problem.
However, if there was a problem…
“……”
“……”
…it was that moments come when avoiding them isn’t enough.
He just hadn’t expected that moment to arrive right when he was packing up after selling out of bungeoppang.
“……”
What should he do?
He’s been staring only at the bungeoppang for a while now.
The ‘thing’ that had approached at this odd hour was a man wearing a pitch-black cloak.
He was exceptionally tall, and his clothes were luxurious. But clad entirely in black, he looked like a guest at a funeral. The surrounding air grew heavy and dead, sending a chill down Eun-hyeok’s spine.
He didn’t feel like a grim reaper or a god of death—beings with a will who harvest souls. He felt more like a force of nature.
Eun-hyeok could tell with absolute certainty that he was one of ‘them.’
“……”
Should he speak to him, or shouldn’t he?
I’ve never seen anything good come from interfering with these things.
But if he ignored him when he was staring so blatantly, he feared the consequences of that as well.
I miss my little brother.
He tried his best to act casual so as not to provoke him, but cold sweat was pouring down his back.
Eun-hyeok had assumed these things were a type of monster. They were generally gentler than the ones visible to everyone else, but the way they occasionally ruined a person without a shred of malice was undeniably terrifying.
…He’s still just staring at the bungeoppang…
Would he go away if Eun-hyeok gave him some?
It was then.
“How much for one bag?”
“……”
It spoke?
A monster?
Though he didn’t show it, he was utterly shocked.
He had often seen things taking human form before. They frequently mimicked human life, but their actions were hollow. Not a single one of them had ever actually spoken.
And he asked how much it is?
Mimicking humans to this extent?
“Ah…”
Still, he couldn’t ignore a direct question.
“Five thousand won for ten.”
“Do you only take cash?”
“Cash is preferred, yes.”
“……”
The Black Cloak, who had been standing silently with his hands behind his back, reached into his hood. Wondering what he was doing, Eun-hyeok soon saw a gem sparkling with transparent light in his hand.
Even Eun-hyeok, a country bumpkin, knew that the beautifully cut gem was incomparably more valuable than ten pieces of bungeoppang.
“Will this not do?”
“……”
Just when he was thinking it was a pretty convincing human imitation, the entity pulled this bizarre stunt, making Eun-hyeok feel downright resentful.
Who pays for bungeoppang with a gemstone?
A chill ran down his spine.
Attempting to barter, not knowing the conventional value of the item he wanted—no matter how well the other party mimicked a human, it only bred a sense of uncanny dissonance.
And the fact that he feels so undeniably human makes it even more unsettling.
He barely managed to answer.
“…That’s far too much.”
“I have no other physical currency.”
“Do you happen to have a card…?”
“Do you accept cards?”
“Uh… yes.”
“I see.”
Eun-hyeok had his doubts, but the man actually held out a card.
“……”
“……”
“…I was just packing up, so I’ll have to bake a fresh batch. Is that alright?”
“That is fine.”
“It will take a little time.”
Resigning himself to his fate, Eun-hyeok began to make the bungeoppang.
What a disaster.
Because business had been unusually good today, he had missed the last bus to the terminal. He had already obtained permission, so he didn’t have to worry about getting arrested and had planned to sleep rough for the night—only for this new customer to show up.
And a mysterious monster of a customer at that.
“……”
Clack.
The hand closing the bungeoppang mold trembled slightly.
…He won’t suddenly kill me, right?
Just like monsters, most of these things seemed to have their own rules. Opening their eyes only when the sun is up, sticking by a visually impaired person’s side for life, stepping only on white stones. Many of these rules were like children’s games, but some could pose a threat to humans.
But this is the first time I’ve met one that can speak, so I can’t read him.
It was his first time seeing one mimic humans so perfectly. Although the uncanny details were a problem, his speech and actions were remarkably similar to a human’s, save for the strangely chilling atmosphere.
He even has a card.
Suddenly, Eun-hyeok realized something.
…Unless he stole it, someone must have lent it to him.
If so, did this thing have a guardian somewhere?
“…Are you not with anyone else?”
“I was, but not at the moment.”
“……”
“They are probably asleep by now.”
For a second, Eun-hyeok thought he meant he had killed them.
This is the first time I’ve felt so resentful toward someone I don’t even know.
In a world where you couldn’t even walk a dog without a leash, how could someone let a creature this dangerous roam free, no matter how human it looked?
“……”
No, wait.
Giving him a card means they thought he’d actually be able to use it.
There was no way a monster invisible to other people could use a card.
In that case, was the person in front of him not a monster, but a human?
“…Is this…” Eun-hyeok began carefully. “…your first time in Seoul?”
“It is not my first time. But it is true that I am sightseeing.”
“Ah, sightseeing. Have you been to Gyeongbokgung?”
“Yes. It was enjoyable, as there were various foods to try.”
The conversation was a bit disjointed, but he had gathered enough information.
Other people can see him too?
Did that mean he really was just an ordinary person with a creepy vibe? Or could he be a humanoid monster, the kind always featured in textbooks?
“……”
“Coorooh.”
Eun-hyeok flinched.
A bird?
A softly glowing bird had popped out from inside the Black Cloak’s hood.
“Honey, go back inside.”
“Coorooroong…”
“I’ll give you some later, so stay inside.”
“Coocoo.”
“Good.”
Ordering a petite monster around was a sight typical of a ‘Tamer,’ but somehow, Eun-hyeok didn’t get the feeling that the Black Cloak and the bird were a standard pair of human and monster.
That sense of incongruity became even clearer the moment he made eye contact with the bird.
“……”
“Cooroorook.”
“……”
Eun-hyeok couldn’t hold its gaze and lowered his head.
…Dangerous.
Cold sweat poured down his back, and his hands and feet felt ice-cold.
That thing is truly dangerous.
With its honey-sweet color and petite body, anyone would have called the bird pretty and cute. But to Eun-hyeok, who could faintly sense its true nature, it was nothing but a laughable deception.
Was it a name given by its master? The essence of the bird called ‘Honey’ was like a storm-tossed wave: impulsive, wild, and powerful. The only reason it took on such a fragile form was likely because its master desired it.
“……”
If so, what on earth was its master, the Black Cloak?
Damn it, I didn’t expect things to turn out like this.
Among the entities only Eun-hyeok could see, there were certainly those interested in human food. They would savor the rice villagers scattered for ghosts or steal side dishes from restaurants one by one. But none of them had ever ordered food so openly. Most of them merely took human form to mimic daily life; they never actually tried to interact with humans like this.
I let my guard down.
I should have been more careful.
And that bird doesn’t even seem to like me very much…
Hidden deep inside the Black Cloak’s hood, the bird’s gaze felt downright oppressive.
“…Here are your ten bungeoppang.”
“Thank you.”
Having received the bungeoppang, the Black Cloak paused for a moment.
“……”
“This is a gift.”
“Pardon?”
“Thank you for your hard work in the early hours.”
“No, wait…”
As Eun-hyeok tried to decline, the Black Cloak continued.
“I apologize if I frightened you. I only came because of the smell of bungeoppang, but since I made you stop packing up and mess up your stall again, I must offer my apologies and gratitude.”
“It’s really fine.”
“Thank you.”
He left behind the blue gemstone he had shown earlier and drifted away leisurely.
“……”
Eun-hyeok stared until the man’s back was no longer visible. Once even the hem of the cloak vanished from sight, he collapsed to the ground.
“…Ha, haha…”
Fuck.
I lived.
I thought I was going to die.
Ever since he realized he could see things others couldn’t, he had anticipated such an end. I’ll probably die in some bizarre way, so strange that others won’t even be able to guess the real cause of death. That was what he had always thought.
But still, dying while selling bungeoppang was just too much.
“Wow…”
Eun-hyeok rubbed his face hard with both hands.
“That scared the life out of me.”
He still didn’t know the Black Cloak’s true identity.
If others could see him, was he human? But for that to be true, his essence was too unfathomably sinister. Then was he the same kind of thing Eun-hyeok usually saw? But if so, their communication was far too seamless. A humanoid monster? There wasn’t even a dungeon nearby.
If he was none of those, was he a type of monster Eun-hyeok didn’t know about?
“……”
Either way, it was horrifying.
Is it even possible to survive an encounter with a humanoid monster?
Just as he thought that…
“Coorooh?”
“……”
It was the sound he had heard earlier.
“Coorooh…”
“……”
“Coorooh, coorooh, coorooh-coorooh-coorooh.”
“…Uh…”
“Cooroo.”
When he looked up, he saw a massive beak. He saw rows of teeth lining its throat. He saw a pitch-black tongue.
“Kkoong.”
The beak, hard as metal, clamped down over Eun-hyeok’s head.
“……”
Tap, tap.
It made a show of biting down a few times before spitting him out.
“Cooroong.”
“…W-What…”
“Kkook.”
When his vision cleared, ‘Honey’ had returned to the petite form he had seen earlier.
“……”
It was a sickeningly fake act of innocence.
“What on earth…”
The bird flew away.
“Seriously, what was that…”
He truly had no idea, but one thing was certain: he had just come within an inch of his life.
The honey-sweet bird seemed to be saying:
This much is fine.
…or so it felt.
“……”
It felt as if it were saying he had passed.
Goosebumps broke out all over his skin.
“…I’m moving my spot tomorrow…”
He hoped he would never cross paths with them again.
*
The next day at 2:00 PM.
“Are you selling bungeoppang?”
Like clockwork, Eun-hyeok met the Black Cloak again.
“…Yes…”
“Ten pieces, please.”
“Understood.”
What was he supposed to do when the world was this small?