Chapter 49
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 49
“…”
“…”
Oh, what do I do?
I blurted it out, but…
Cha Ah-ra’s legs trembled like a newborn fawn’s.
Damn it.
Her knees, which had never hesitated to grovel before the strong, were already prepared to buckle. In a life-or-death situation, however, a human’s knees rarely held enough value to guarantee their owner’s survival.
Especially when the opponent isn’t human.
She could tell, at the very least, that the being before her was not human. No, it was impossible not to realize it.
Even though his face was merely hidden by the darkness, it felt as if it didn’t exist at all. How could she not notice such a profound sense of wrongness?
…Fuck, fuck, what do I do? Still, the fact that we’re talking means he’s willing to communicate, right? Of course, if he doesn’t like what I say, he could kill me in an instant… but still, for now…
Cha Ah-ra was not what one would call an “educated hunter.” She had only received the basic training provided by the Association and knew nothing about the specific ecology of monsters or the proper countermeasures for them.
Yet, even she knew just how dangerous humanoid monsters were.
They said if anyone C-Rank or below encounters a humanoid monster, they should just pray for a painless death…
At home, her pig of an older brother and her rabbit-like youngest sibling were waiting for her. Unable to simply lie down and die, Cha Ah-ra decided to try begging.
We speak the same language, and he seems… he seems to have the will to communicate. Right? He does, right?
Trembling violently, Cha Ah-ra opened her mouth.
“I-I’m… I’m a porter. By any chance, do you… do you need a slave?”
“…A porter?”
“Ah.”
Not all humanoid monsters were well-versed in human culture. Cha Ah-ra realized this a moment too late, but the fact that he was showing interest in her words was a good sign.
Her face brightened as she replied. A faint path to survival was beginning to appear.
“A person who carries luggage. A-And I can do lots of other things, too. I’m good at cleaning, I’m good at cooking, and I’m incredibly good at running errands. If you just spare my life this once, I’ll do my absolute best to…”
“I am also good at those.”
“…Pardon?”
“I am good at cooking and cleaning.”
“…”
What kind of monster replies to a human begging for her life by saying, “I’m useful too”? Cha Ah-ra felt like she could vomit blood.
What kind of conversational style is this? What does he want from me? Is he saying he won’t spare me? That I’m useless? Or, or…
Throughout her relatively long career as a porter, Cha Ah-ra had prided herself on her knack for catering to others’ whims. But in front of a monster, even her max-level social skills were useless.
…N-No, it’s too early to give up. Since we speak the same language and he’s showing a willingness to communicate, I can definitely decipher what this monster wants and why he said that. I can do this… Humanity will prevail…
An idea suddenly struck her.
…Is he trying to find common ground with me right now?
First, the introduction earlier, and now this—it was obvious he was trying to make her feel some sort of goodwill or intimacy toward him.
“…”
It was just that his attempt was so incredibly awkward that it only heightened her sense of unease.
“Uh, well…”
Suppressing the urge to point out the absurdity of it all, Cha Ah-ra meekly submitted to his overwhelming power.
“…I see! That’s amazing!”
“Thank you.”
“Cooking and cleaning aren’t things just anyone can do! Your skills must be truly incredible! That’s so cool!”
“The same goes for you, Ms. Cha Ah-ra.”
“…”
She was speechless.
I just ended up praising myself in front of a humanoid monster, a species that’s supposed to be incredibly prideful.
She desperately, truly wanted a Return Stone right now.
Dear brother, dear youngest, I’m heading out first.
As Cha Ah-ra shrank back, bracing for a painful death, a rustling sound came from the other side. Judging by the movement of the black cloak, he had probably tilted his head.
So he does have a head.
Just as a strange mix of relief and terror washed over her, the monster spoke.
“I am sorry, but I do not need a slave.”
“…”
I’m sorry, youngest. I love you, you bastard of an older brother. Cha Ah-ra braced herself for a fucking horrible death once again.
Ah-ra is going to die here.
She prayed that the bastards who abandoned her would end up on the nine o’clock news, get publicly shamed by the entire nation, and never be able to show their faces in this industry again.
I hope you bastards become so notoriously famous that you can’t even go to the convenience store for snacks without getting pelted with eggs.
As she poured out love and curses in her heart, cold sweat dripping like tears, her captor continued.
“Is your profession a slave?”
“…No…?”
She had only said it in a ‘Please, you can work me to the bone like a dog, just spare my life, hehe’ sort of way. What kind of slaves existed in a modern, law-abiding country?
“Ah, of course, secretly… on the down-low… I’ve heard rumors that wealthy people… um, illegally buy and sell slaves, but…”
“How terrible.”
“Y-Yes, exactly. It’s terrible. They’re just awful people, really.”
“It is frightening.”
“…”
Cha Ah-ra was utterly speechless at his polite, elegant declaration of being “frightened,” which carried not a single shred of actual fear.
But she was starting to get a feel for it.
…Is he trying to imitate a human right now? Is he pretending to be scared?
The realization was so unexpected that it had only just occurred to her, but thinking back, it made sense.
The greeting earlier, the introduction, and now trying to empathize with me…
It was all so formulaic that she couldn’t even tell what he was aiming for; it just felt bizarre.
But maybe he’s trying his best to act like a human in his own way?
No, wait.
This is so unfair, isn’t it?!
Even if it’s a fucking imitation, it has to be somewhat human-like for me to play along and go, “Oh, fuck, I see!”
This isn’t even a curveball. Fucking imitate it well enough so I can at least guess the examiner’s intent! Who would fall for this?
Even the leader who abandoned her made jokes that were easier to read than this.
If he’s sitting there feeling proud of himself, thinking, ‘Wow, I’m doing an amazing job imitating a human,’ that would be incredibly absurd.
Feeling a bizarre sense of injustice she had rarely experienced in her life, Cha Ah-ra stammered out a response.
“Yes, y-yeah. That’s right, it’s scary.”
Once she realized he was trying to imitate a human, she could grasp the situation to some extent.
The way he didn’t answer and just kept repeating himself until I accepted his greeting… was that a similar thing? Like learning how to operate a machine…
He probably learned that when humans greet each other, they return the greeting, but she hadn’t reacted that way.
Is it like hitting a broken TV to make it work…? Or repeating the same question to an unresponsive AI…?
Analyzing it step-by-step like this made her feel a bit sorry for him, as if he had studied humans diligently just to imitate them. But honestly, she couldn’t understand it at all.
Whether he knew how much she was struggling to respond or not, the monster, who was cradling and stroking the Anti-Cat against his chest, spoke again.
“I will not kill you, Ms. Cha Ah-ra.”
“…”
“I will not hurt you, nor will I make you sad.”
“Uh…”
“I did not wish to frighten you, either.”
The monster wrapped in the black cloak continued.
“I wanted to make a friend.”
“…A friend?”
What was that supposed to mean?
Does he mean he’s searching for a sacrificial lamb to drag with him to the afterlife?
The word itself was gentle, but the monster’s aura was anything but, naturally raising her suspicions.
If this entity of overwhelming power—whose presence alone made her suffocate and felt like it could stop her heart—wanted a “friend,” it certainly didn’t seem to mean a normal friendship.
He even looks like a chief mourner or a Grim Reaper. Could it be…? Is he really looking for a companion for the afterlife…? Something like that…?
Before her suspicions could even reach a conclusion, the monster spoke again.
“To be my friend, you are too young, Ms. Cha Ah-ra.”
“…”
Too young? That really sounded like he was looking for a companion for the afterlife.
…No, wait.
Cha Ah-ra frowned slightly at the monster’s attitude, which seemed to treat “young” and “weak” as synonyms.
I’m not exactly young, but I guess since he’s not human, he wouldn’t know.
At eighteen, Cha Ah-ra was old enough to be married. She was treated as a full adult, so she felt another sense of incongruity at how he viewed her as merely young.
…Still, since he said he won’t hurt me…
Believing a monster’s words was foolish, but she couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of relief.
“Are you here alone?”
“…Ah, y-yes. I’m alone.”
Surely he wouldn’t kill her just because she was alone, right? Cha Ah-ra suddenly grew tense again.
It was basic knowledge that all hunters knew: monsters had their own rules. From a human perspective, many of these rules felt bizarre and cruel.
Especially humanoid monsters, who are said to have even stricter patterns…
Could this be a monster that only killed hunters who were alone?
“Dear me.”
Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“I understand that, in normal circumstances, people in dungeons move in packs. Was I mistaken?”
“Uh…”
He described humans as if they were a pack of dogs.
His way of speaking was terribly monster-like, but Cha Ah-ra was incredibly quick-witted. She noticed a faint trace of goodwill hidden within his voice—a voice that felt alien precisely because it was so excessively polite.
It didn’t seem to be directed at her personally, but rather a broad, impartial goodwill toward the entire human race.
He’s not completely devoid of emotion.
She felt a bit more at ease. Dealing with a monster that had emotions was far less terrifying than dealing with one that had none.
“…No, you’re correct. Actually, I wasn’t alone at first… but my party abandoned me. I didn’t have the strength to leave the dungeon on my own, so I was wandering around…”
“…”
“…and then I saw the Anti-Cat…”
Ah, fuck, that was it.
That… that black-cloaked thing wanted a friend or a sacrifice, so the Anti-Cat brought me, a human, to him.
In that case, was this humanoid monster the unknown boss of this dungeon?
While cooperation between monsters isn’t unheard of…
Obeying one-sided commands was not that common.
Since I’m uneducated, I can’t fucking define what this is. I never thought I’d see a humanoid monster in my life. Ah, fuck. I really want to go home.
Just as she was starting to feel depressed…
Growl—!
“…”
It was a terribly loud stomach alarm.
“…I’m sorry.”
“You seem to be hungry.”
“I’m sorry…!!”
Cha Ah-ra learned for the first time that embarrassment and terror could strike at the exact same time. Because her captor was trying so hard to accommodate human standards, she was terrified, yes, but she also had the luxury of feeling embarrassed.
“I haven’t eaten in three days…”
“Three days?”
“Yes. It’s been a little over thirteen hours since I was abandoned, but I hadn’t eaten since before then…”
“Three days?”
“…”
W-What was that?
Did I trigger something bad?
Humanoid monsters weren’t predictable creatures that appeared in Association textbooks. Each one had different rules, so no one knew what kind of bizarre triggers the invisible monster in front of her might have.
Fortunately, he didn’t seem angry.
“They are bad people.”
Coos.
Cha Ah-ra was startled by the new sound.
“Heck, w-what…”
“He is my son.”
“Pardon?”
“…”
The monster was silent for a moment, then held the Anti-Cat with one hand and reached behind his head with the other. Although she couldn’t see well in the darkness…
Cha Ah-ra soon realized where the sound had come from.
“Honey.”
Pardon? What?
“You should say hello.”
Peep.
“She is a good student.”
“…”
Before the absurd words “good” and “student” could register, something else caught Cha Ah-ra’s eye.
Resting on the monster’s pale hand was a tiny, sweet, honey-colored bird, covered in all kinds of jewels.
“…”
…It-It’s cute.
“…Is his name… Honey?”
“Yes. He bites.”
“He bites?!”
He didn’t look like he would bite at all, but he did?
“But since I do not wish it, he will not bite.”
“Uh… I see…”
“Honey, let’s go home now.”
It was at that moment.
Flash—!
“…!”
The small bird’s body glowed with an intense light, illuminating the entire cave.
“…W-Wow…”
The jewel cave was revealed in stark detail.
Beautiful.
It was fantastic.
Faced with a beautiful sight she might never see again, Cha Ah-ra momentarily forgot her terror and marveled at it.
So this is what the Vein of Jewels actually looks like.
Large and small jewels of every kind were clumped together as if they were a single living body, the cave paths tunneled through them like an anthill. It was a space of dreamlike, fantastical chaos—beautiful yet messy.
This was the first time Cha Ah-ra had seen the true form of the Vein of Jewels.
“…”
Thanks to this, she also realized just how much of a monster “Honey” was.
…He drove away all the Darkness-Eating Bugs inhabiting the Vein of Jewels.
The Darkness-Eating Bugs didn’t physically attack, but they were impossible to eradicate unless one was an A-Rank priest or higher. They absorbed all light except for the faint glow of a few luminescent jewels, yet that tiny bird had illuminated the entire place in an instant.
It felt as if a massive ray of sunshine had descended into the cave.
“…”
“Ms. Cha Ah-ra.”
“…Uh.”
Only then did she see the monster’s face.
“We have met before, haven’t we?”
“…O-Oh…!”
Just as he said, Cha Ah-ra had seen him before.
“Back then, the jewel…! The portrait…!”
“I am glad you remember.”
“…You were a monster?!”
“I am human.”
“T-That’s, I mean, of course you are, but…!”
Not wanting to upset the monster, Cha Ah-ra quickly agreed. He seemed desperate to be seen as human, and she didn’t want to die by stubbornly insisting, Stop lying, how are you human?
“…”
Hesitating, Cha Ah-ra asked.
“…Am I… going to die now…?”
“You will not die.”
“…”
“Good people must be rewarded.”
“Um…”
Cha Ah-ra suddenly realized.
That monster… he wants to treat good humans well.
Between his mention of a “good student” earlier and his calling the party members who abandoned her “bad people,” even an uneducated porter like her could tell that he was highly sensitive to the concepts of good and evil.
“I am sorry for frightening you last time.”
“Uh…”
“It had been a very long time since I last saw a good student like you, Ms. Cha Ah-ra, so I ended up following you without realizing it. It must have been unpleasant, and I would like to take this opportunity to apologize.”
“N-No, there’s no need for that…”
“I did not intend to frighten you this time, either. However, people seem strangely afraid of me. In truth, I have never seen anyone as terrified as you are, Ms. Cha Ah-ra, so I did not know how to respond. I apologize for any discomfort my confusion may have caused.”
“…”
He was a terribly polite monster.
Doesn’t he know that being this excessively courteous actually makes me feel apologetic?
It was a strange feeling.
The monster, who introduced himself as “Seo Gio,” looked like an ordinary human.
No.
He looked like an extremely handsome human.
However, the overwhelming pressure and sheer vastness radiating from his black cloak were so immense that his looks didn’t even register.
How could a mouse standing before a giant praise the giant’s appearance? No matter how fragrant he smelled, a mere insect didn’t have the mental capacity to evaluate such things.
“…”
He was a perfect gentleman.
At the same time, because he was so vast, he was an alien existence.
…It’s like the universe itself is pretending to be human…
She had absolutely no idea how to treat him.
Just then, Seo Gio adjusted the small creatures in his arms and spoke to her.
“I intend to return home.”
“…Ah, yes, I-I see. Home…”
Huh?
He has a home?
Wasn’t this place his home?
The gift he gave me last time was a jewel… and since the Anti-Cat follows him like that, I thought this monster might be the true master of this dungeon.
Or did he mean he had another habitat deep within this anthill?
“…”
“If you do not mind, Ms. Cha Ah-ra.”
“Yes?”
“Would you accept my invitation?”
An invitation?
“An invitation? What kind of…?”
“You are young, Ms. Cha Ah-ra. It is dark here, and there is nothing to eat. You look exhausted and hungry, and I do not wish to simply pass you by. I would be grateful if you would allow me to treat you to a meal.”
“…I, I…”
“I swear I will not harm you, and I promise to send you back to Seoul after a single meal. I say this on the life of my child, Honey, so please do not doubt me.”
“Ah.”
“Would that put your mind at ease a little?”
It wasn’t that she trusted the monster.
“…”
But to reject such blatant kindness, just as Seo Gio had said, Cha Ah-ra was still too young and weak.
“…Please do.”
She was simply tired of being left alone.