Chapter 5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 5
At some point, a bizarre rumor began to circulate.
“They say there’s a ghost.”
At his colleague’s words, a curator who was about to head down to the basement frowned.
“…Excuse me?”
“You know, the Basement Level 5 Gallery.”
“Ah, yes. I know it.”
He couldn’t possibly not know.
‘The new piece I’ve been assigned to manage is on Basement Level 5, after all.’
The Collector’s Gallery only permitted entry to its owner, Guild Master Bisabeol, its three hundred or so curators, and clients visiting to purchase works.
The gallery had five floors in total. Each floor housed different types and forms of art, and the final fifth floor—the deepest basement level—contained only the pieces Bisabeol cherished most.
As a rule, Bisabeol’s affection for a piece was directly proportional to its danger level. The fact that the curator’s newly assigned artwork was on the fifth floor meant exactly that.
“Did something happen on the fifth floor? It’s a highly secure area precisely because the danger level is so high.”
To his question, the colleague replied, “Like I said, a ghost is haunting it.”
“…It’s not that I haven’t heard the rumor. What I mean is, what kind of incident or accident triggered it?”
With an awkward laugh, the curator reflexively rubbed his neck.
“We’ve already had several ghost scares in this gallery before, haven’t we?”
Bisabeol’s gallery, which gathered all kinds of bizarre and beautiful works from around the world, had always been prone to incidents. Because Bisabeol collected anything he deemed ‘art,’ he didn’t care if its true identity was a monster.
And up until now, most of the ‘ghost scares’ in this gallery had been caused by monsters.
“Which piece is it this time? Since they’re calling it a ghost, it must be something humanoid.”
“They say it looks human.”
“That makes even less sense. Are you saying a humanoid monster has gotten into our gallery?”
In a situation like this, if something was described as ‘human,’ it could only be a humanoid monster.
“Why would such a dangerous monster be in a gallery instead of a dungeon? Especially a humanoid one—they’re highly intelligent and incredibly proud.”
Humanoid monsters were not just rare; on average, they possessed intelligence superior to humans, and their hatred for the world outside the dungeons was intense. Equipped with both intellect and raw power, they usually reigned over their own dungeons, toying with any hunters who dared to enter.
“If that were true, why is the guild building so quiet? It would have broken out and slaughtered everyone by now…”
“Exactly. That’s why it’s so strange. Everything we know about the situation is contradictory.”
The colleague continued, “There have already been seventeen complaints filed.”
“Seventeen?”
It was two weeks ago that the curator, Yoo Seong-un, first heard the rumors about the ‘ghost.’ If seventeen complaints had been filed in just two weeks, it was hard to dismiss it as a mere rumor.
“That’s quite frequent. If it’s that bad, I’m surprised it hasn’t spread beyond rumors.”
“HR is controlling the information. As you know, nothing good comes from word getting out that there’s a problem in the Guild Master’s gallery.”
“True. If word got out that something was wrong with the Collector, who practically holds South Korea’s purse strings, the President would probably come running.”
“I’d laugh if that didn’t sound so plausible. Fortunately, the incidents themselves have been relatively small, so containing the gossip wasn’t difficult.”
The HR representative sighed. “But if they’re filing formal complaints with me, it means it’s not something we can just brush aside.”
“Our curators are capable hunters in their own right. For them to file complaints…”
“It means they’ve judged that they can’t handle it on their own.”
“That’s a bit troublesome.”
Unlike ordinary art curators, those with Hunter licenses were highly knowledgeable. Even if their combat power wasn’t exceptionally high, their ability to appraise and deal with monsters and items was far superior to that of average hunters. Bisabeol hired only the best in the world. The fact that such elites couldn’t resolve the issue themselves and had to file complaints with the HR manager standing before him meant this incident was no joke.
“…Well, this is a mess.”
By this point, Curator Yoo Seong-un had a good idea of why HR had stopped him.
“What do you need me to do?”
“I’m sorry to ask when I know you’re already busy.”
“No, it’s fine. If an incident occurs, it’s my duty to respond.”
He was one of the most highly regarded employees among the curators personally hired by Bisabeol. He was already an A-Rank hunter and held countless certifications related to alchemy and barriers. As such, Seong-un was frequently called upon whenever extra work like this arose. He was well-accustomed to having tasks dumped on him.
“Reliable as always,” the HR colleague said, their expression as cool as ever. “We would be very grateful if you could take on the role of general manager for this matter, Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
“I appreciate the high regard, but that’s a bit…” Yoo Seong-un shook his head. “Wouldn’t it look odd for a former Association researcher to take on a general manager position?”
“If I recall correctly, you weren’t just a researcher, but a research team leader.”
“Exactly. You have no idea how much heat I took when I left the Association. I have no intention of drawing that kind of attention to myself again.”
“If you feel that way, I won’t push it.”
“Yes, thank you.” Scratching his neck, Yoo Seong-un asked, “Anyway, if it’s been spotted seventeen times, doesn’t that mean the monster has no intention of hiding?”
“……”
“A monster with stealth capabilities good enough to pass our guild’s inspection and be exhibited in the gallery could have easily kept itself hidden indefinitely.”
As if waiting for this, the HR representative nodded. “I was actually just about to share the information we have on this ghost.”
“That’s welcome news.”
“Well, with a bizarre phenomenon witnessed seventeen times, we couldn’t afford to neglect information gathering.” The employee continued, “Thanks to the other curators, who are also highly competent—though perhaps not quite as much as you, Seong-un—we were fortunately able to gather several accounts regarding the ghost.”
The HR representative handed a file to Yoo Seong-un.
“As you’ll see when you read it…”
“Are there drawings, too?”
“We added illustrations based on eyewitness testimonies.”
“Hmm.”
As Yoo Seong-un peered at the illustration, the HR representative explained, “In all seventeen sightings, the ghost’s attire never changed. It wore a large black cloak, big enough to completely conceal its face and body, and underneath, a black shirt and suit. It stood at about 188 centimeters, which is quite tall for a humanoid.”
“Was the build sturdy?”
“Because of the voluminous cloak, a detailed confirmation was impossible, but most agreed that it was at least not slender. That said, no one described it as overly muscular, either.”
“If they couldn’t see that much, how can anyone be sure it’s a humanoid? It could be an undead. What made you conclude it’s a humanoid monster?”
“There was one curator who saw its face.”
“Oh.”
“To describe it…” the HR representative continued, “they said it was handsome. And that particular curator has very high standards.”
“……”
“…It might sound absurd, but for someone who is extremely picky about looks to call it handsome, its features must be incredibly distinct and well-defined. We’re classifying that as human-like.”
“Never mind handsome or not, what about its features?” Yoo Seong-un asked with a dubious expression. “Like hair color, eye shape, skin condition, moles… those kinds of things. I don’t see any facial illustrations here. Was there no testimony on that?”
“Unfortunately, it was only a fleeting glance, so the curator couldn’t make out any specific features. They just said the thought ‘handsome’ flashed through their mind in that split second, but even that was only recalled after they fled and regained their composure. So, there’s nothing more I can tell you about its physical characteristics.”
The manager added, “For some reason, everyone said it was difficult to make eye contact with it. That’s a major reason why it’s hard to describe its face. If you can’t look at its eyes, you can’t really know what its face looks like.”
“It might have an eye-related skill, or perhaps the eyes themselves are the main body. What about other parts, like the hands or feet?”
“Fortunately, I can tell you about that.” The HR representative nodded. “They said its skin was extremely pale. We received testimony that it was so white, like someone who had never seen a single ray of sunlight, that it stood out starkly against its pitch-black attire.”
“Is that so? Then it might be a monster with a backstory… It could have drifted in from some dungeon.”
“Furthermore, they said it was barefoot.”
“To avoid making noise?”
At Yoo Seong-un’s murmur, the HR representative firmly denied it. “No, that’s not it.”
“Why are you so sure?”
“Because all seventeen curators unanimously testified that ‘not a single sound was made when the ghost walked.’ Even barefoot, there should be some sound, so there would have been no need to take off its shoes.”
“Then the silence must be an inherent trait of the monster.”
In cases like this, it was usually one of two things.
‘Either it’s a monster with a skill that conceals sound, or it’s a monster so light that it doesn’t make any sound at all…'
Since they judged it to be humanoid, the former was highly likely.
“……”
Yoo Seong-un soon furrowed his brow. “Have you reported this to the Guild Master? If it’s truly a humanoid monster, it’s not just front-page news—it’s prime research material.”
“We have reported it, but his only instruction was to investigate internally and keep it strictly confidential. He said he didn’t want it snatched away by the Hunter Association for research.”
“…I understand. That’s exactly what the Guild Master would do.”
Yoo Seong-un nodded. The words, ‘What if someone dies?’ never left his lips. In this day and age, the life of an employee who died on the job was treated as little more than a pebble on the side of the road.
‘At least Bisabeol cherishes his employees, so I can trust that he’s taken some measures. He’s not the type of boss to blindly order people into danger…’
Just then, the HR representative spoke. “We plan to begin safety reinforcement training for the curators starting next week. All trainees will be given artifacts, so make sure to get yours, Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
“Ah.”
Indeed. That made sense.
“Our guild really does work hard. They actually know how to value human lives.”
“Thank you for the kind words. Though it was all ordered by the Guild Master.” The HR representative continued their explanation. “The ghost was first sighted fifteen days ago, at 4:32 AM.”
“Four in the morning is a quiet time. Even our gallery, which operates day and night, is empty then.”
“Exactly. That’s one of this ghost’s characteristics. Whether it’s conscious of being watched or there’s some other condition, it seems to prefer the early morning hours when few employees are around.”
“Sounds like it’s either timid or cunning…”
Flipping through the documents, Yoo Seong-un tilted his head. Data that should have been there was missing. It didn’t seem like an accidental omission.
“…And zero casualties.”
It was highly uncharacteristic of a humanoid monster.
“……”
No, it was uncharacteristic of a monster, period.
‘…No matter how cunning humanoid monsters are, spending two whole weeks just observing people is definitely unusual. Even if it’s using some kind of mental skill for a delayed attack, there’s no way this highly secure guild wouldn’t have noticed.’
If so, it meant this ‘ghost’ had truly done nothing but watch people for two straight weeks.
“But a monster without hostility shouldn’t exist.”
As a former Association researcher, Yoo Seong-un knew just how immense a monster’s hostility toward Earth’s inhabitants was. It was a level of malice that even the most intelligent humanoid monster could not suppress. Even if that were possible, monsters had zero knowledge or understanding of humans. An approach made with goodwill could never lead to a good outcome.
‘Is that why they called it a ghost?’
At least a ghost would have a deep understanding of humans.
As Yoo Seong-un thought this to himself, the employee’s explanation continued. “The sighting locations have been getting closer to the surface recently.”
“…Hmm…”
“Starting from the first sighting, it lingered on Basement Level 5 for seven sightings, then four on the 4th floor, two on the 3rd, two on the 2nd, and one on the 1st floor. It was climbing up, floor by floor.”
“…Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”
“But the last sighting, the seventeenth report, took place back on Basement Level 5.”
“Ah, it went back down?”
“And there haven’t been any sightings for five days since.”
“Which means…”
“It seems to have finished its exploration.”
“How troublesome.” Finding a monster that had already retreated to its den was much harder. “Are there any other unusual details? Behavioral patterns? Monsters like this usually set up their own rules and try to force humans into that framework. A humanoid is bound to have personal rules.”
The employee nodded. “As you said, there was an unusual detail.”
“What is it?”
“They say it gives gifts.”
“……”
I haven’t been alive that long, he thought, but I never expected to hear about a monster that gives gifts.
‘…The gallery’s pieces often exhibit that kind of behavior, but if we look at it that way, it becomes difficult to define this thing as a simple monster…’
Organizing his thoughts, Yoo Seong-un asked again, “…Gifts, you say?”
“……”
As if empathizing with Yoo Seong-un’s deep skepticism, the employee’s expression flickered for a moment before they cleared their throat and returned to their usual blank face.
The employee continued, “When you first encounter the ghost, it approaches while pretending to be human.”
“As if anyone would fall for that…”
“Or maybe it truly believes it’s human. Anyway, after that, it asks the employee for a conversation. What is your name? How old are you? What do you do? Where is this place? Why are you here?”
“……”
“The topics are mostly mundane. It doesn’t ask for deep personal information, and if someone is reluctant to answer, it doesn’t pry. Once the conversation is successfully completed, the ghost gives a gift.”
The HR representative gestured for him to flip the page. When Yoo Seong-un did so, he saw photos of the ‘gifts’ the employees had reportedly received.
“…This is…”
“Yes, as you can see, it’s food.”
“What a domestic monster.”
The photos showed bite-sized snacks like cookies, chocolates, and candies. Judging by the neat and simple packaging, they were handmade. Handmade snacks made by a monster—if you published this in an article, you’d be laughed out of the room for making up bullshit.
“Have you done a chemical analysis?”
“We did, by order of the Guild Master. The results came back a week ago.”
“Was there poison or…?”
“No. On the contrary, they were medicine. Things like anemia medication, digestives, painkillers, fever reducers, and antidiarrheals.”
“……”
“The research team couldn’t figure out how ordinary cookies or chocolates could possess such medicinal properties. The taste and ingredients were all just normal snacks.”
Yoo Seong-un asked, flipping through the papers, “Then how did you detect the medicinal effects?”
“As you know, with the Guild Master’s full support…”
“Did he drag people from the prison again? I suppose that’s the cleanest way to handle it.”
“It’s a place teeming with useful test subjects, after all.”
“True. But even with the prison’s help, the research was incredibly fast.”
“For some reason, the Guild Master just happened to have some prisoners on hand.”
In an era where even the lives of ordinary employees were treated like pebbles, the human rights of criminals were nonexistent. The Master of the Collector Guild was someone who utilized such aspects exceptionally well, so Seong-un could easily guess that this experiment had also made use of those criminals.
The HR representative continued, “What’s even more surprising is that the gift was the exact medicine that the employee needed.”
“…You mean it gave digestive snacks to an employee with indigestion, and fever-reducing snacks to an employee with a fever?”
“Exactly.”
“……”
Yoo Seong-un rubbed his face. “That means it possesses an Appraisal Skill that works on living beings. If so, its rank must be quite high.”
“It’s a headache of an opponent. Especially since it’s showing goodwill toward us.”
“A rampaging monster would actually be easier. We can’t just subdue it, and we can’t win it over, either.”
Letting out a long sigh, Yoo Seong-un nodded, as if accepting his fate. “I’ll take the case. This is my specialty, after all.”
“Thank you. And there’s one more thing I should tell you…”
“What is it?”
“The date the incidents started.”
“This sounds ominous.”
“It started right after the Guild Master exhibited ‘Gio’s Portrait’ in the gallery.”
“…Ah…”
At Yoo Seong-un’s groan, the HR representative cast him a sympathetic look.
“……”
“……”
And for good reason—‘Gio’s Portrait’ was the very piece Yoo Seong-un had just been assigned to manage.
“…Overtime again, huh.”
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
“Hang in there.”
“I’ll have to.”
He was already tired.