Chapter 71
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71
Let’s rewind the clock a bit, to the moment Gio returned to his cabin after leaving the Deep Sea Temple.
"I knew today’s Earth was a far more dangerous place than the one I remembered from thirty years ago, but..."
"Kkooroo..."
"...I never imagined a terrorist attack—or something of the sort—would erupt during such a massive religious event. It was the first time I’d ever experienced anything like it."
Gio was trying to collect himself.
"It’s a terrifying world we live in. At the ripe old age of twenty-nine, I nearly joined my family in the afterlife."
Of course, having performed the miracle of miracles by merging with the Origin as a mere mortal, he wasn’t about to die so easily. But since Gio himself was completely oblivious to this fact, we’ll leave it at that.
It had been shocking enough to learn that Eun-ha, the student he met at the Initiation Ceremony, was the same person as Iser from Giovanni’s memories. To make matters worse, that very same kid was apparently the mastermind behind the attack.
"..."
Giovanni grew deeply troubled.
"He was never that kind of person. Why had he turned out this way?"
"..."
"...If I had to pinpoint a reason, I suppose it’s my fault, isn’t it?"
"Kkooroo."
"Oh, Sun."
Yes, he had to admit, dying like that had been a bit much. Even Giovanni had to acknowledge his part in this.
"Iser, especially, looked up to me like a father. He was such a kind and diligent boy, so that incident must have been an even greater shock to him. It’s always the good ones who become the most terrifying when they finally break..."
He let out a low groan.
"I should at least make sure he gets a proper meal."
But Gio wasn’t the type to dwell on things. He was, after all, a fusion of two individuals whose fundamental philosophy was, "So what?"
He was a good person, if one had to put a label on him, but more importantly, he was capable of making cold, objective judgments. He didn’t waste time on self-blame or regret over matters that weren’t his responsibility. This terrorist incident was no exception.
The attack seemed to be the work of a disciple who had gone astray after the shock of his master’s death, but that didn’t make it the deceased master’s fault. Giovanni saw no reason to feel guilty or shrink away just because someone else was acting out.
"This master knows exactly what’s going on. He’s just cranky because he’s hungry."
"Kkook...?"
"People can only afford to consider others' circumstances when their own stomachs are full."
Completely detached from any sense of guilt, Gio summarized the state of his disciple, the mermaid Iser.
"Most crimes and incidents committed by humans happen because the perpetrators' minds aren’t healthy. Most people wouldn’t do such things if they were living stable lives."
Would this have happened if Iser, who originally couldn’t even clean a fish, let alone harm a person, had maintained a happy and healthy state of mind?
Gio, now back in his black-haired form, offered some advice.
"Honey, you must remember this. Hardly anyone gets angry when their body is healthy and their stomach is full. As long as you keep people fed, they generally become quite gentle."
"Kkook-kkoong?"
"And if they’re still angry after that, they’re just plain crazy, so you should avoid them. If you feed someone and they repay your kindness with hostility, it’s either because you killed their parents or they’re just a psycho."
"Kkook."
"Now, the most important question is how I should handle this. How should this pathetic master react to the disciple who ate him alive? It’s a real headache that he grew up to be a terrorist. I could just live the rest of my life without ever seeing him again, but..."
Of course, Gio couldn’t do that.
"After all the meals I cooked for those kids, I can’t just turn a blind eye after seeing him again."
He didn’t concern himself with things that weren’t his responsibility. The terrorist attack at the Sun Cult Initiation Ceremony was certainly not his fault, but Giovanni was undoubtedly responsible for letting his former disciple, Iser, turn out this way.
"It might have been the best option at the time, but if I hadn’t been eaten alive, Iser probably wouldn’t have strayed so far."
"Kkooroorook."
Honey nodded. Faced with a look that seemed to say, 'You’ve got a point,' Gio had nothing more to say.
"...Anyway..."
Hoping to clean up the mess—as a human, an adult, and a master—he began devising a way to meet the mermaid siblings again.
"In my memory, the Breathing Sea and Iser’s dungeon had a similar atmosphere."
Even so, finding the Deep Sea Temple through the Breathing Sea seemed like a monumental task. How could he attempt something so reckless when he had no idea where anything was in that vast world? Besides, there was no guarantee the two were even connected.
Gio nodded.
"Fortunately, I have the ability to visit other people’s dungeons as I please."
"Kkooroorook?"
"Yes. I’ll paint a picture."
He had already done it once with the Vein of Jewels. Although he had failed in his original goal of having a decent social life, he had managed to save a young student named Cha Ah-ra in the process.
"It’s a pretty useful ability, all things considered."
If Yoo Seong-un had heard him, he would have jumped in to say, "It’s way more than just 'pretty useful,'" but Gio was a shut-in.
"I can even make roasted sweet potatoes with it... Roasted sweet potatoes with a bit of butter, salt, and a drizzle of honey are absolutely delicious."
"Kkooroorooroorook!!"
"It’s similar to Honey Sweet Potato Stir-fry, but a bit more moist and soft. Ah, and if you add a dollop of whipped cream on top, it’s truly heavenly..."
There was no way a lonely young man cooped up in a cabin without internet would know such things. To him, his painting ability was little more than a personal food truck that kept his stomach full.
Gio went to find his father.
"Father."
"Kkoowoo."
It was the teddy bear version of the Sun God, who had taken up residence in the cabin at some point.
"You’re playing with Dana."
"Kkookkoo..."
"I’m glad you two seem to be getting along."
The Jewel Cat, Anti-Cat Dana, whom he had brought back from the Vein of Jewels, had a naturally cold body. He had wondered if she would get along with the teddy bear that held the sun’s warmth, but their chemistry seemed to be excellent.
"The thing is, I’m planning to go meet Iser again."
"Kkoowoowoo."
"Thank you for your support. I’m going to paint a picture to create a pathway, but I think the process will take quite some time..."
"Kkookkoo."
"Thank you for understanding. I’ve put some snacks in the storage, so please help yourself."
His recent trip to Seoul was a good example. He had thought, 'Hehe, I’ll just watch the event and come straight home,' only to end up spending a great deal of time in the temple.
To prepare for a similar situation, Gio meticulously made all the necessary arrangements to ensure the cabin would remain peaceful in his absence.
"..."
Sitting in his studio, Gio blinked twice. He muttered to himself.
"...Come to think of it, that temple... perhaps..."
The Deep Sea Temple he had seen felt strangely familiar.
"Is that where I died?"
"Kkoorook."
"I don’t remember that part clearly."
Synchronization Rate: 94.5%
"..."
Still, he remembered exactly what the dungeon looked like.
"Let’s get to painting."
Gio began to paint the Deep Sea Temple.
The pure white pillars that exuded a sense of divinity, the soaring ceilings, and the laboratory that somehow didn’t feel out of place.
The countless monsters roaming its halls, and the very air shimmering with watery scales...
"..."
Gio lost himself in the painting.
* * *
In the storage room, a finished work was covered by a black cloth.
"..."
The Sun God, sitting in the middle of the room with Anti-Cat Dana cradled in his arms, lifted his head. He looked toward a certain direction from which a cold light was emanating.
"...Kkoowoo."
"Mew?"
"Kkookkoo..."
The Breathing Sea, which could be called the Sun God’s homeland, was resonating.
"Kkoo."
May that story reach its end.
The sun submerged in the sea offered a fervent prayer.
* * *
"..."
Gio, his Black Cloak pulled low, stood in the Deep Sea Temple.
"Oh."
It actually worked.
"I felt this when I went to the Vein of Jewels, too, but this is a truly convenient method of travel."
"Kkooroorook."
"Shall we look around a bit?"
Perhaps because the place was so vast, he didn’t feel an immediate urge to find Iser. Technically, this was trespassing, so Gio decided to be a bit more cautious as he surveyed his surroundings.
He was still barefoot, having come straight from painting in his studio, but the ground wasn’t particularly cold. The shallow seawater covering the floor made a pleasant splashing sound with every step.
"..."
For a brief moment, Giovanni felt a pang of shame at having become the kind of ruffian who would enter his disciple’s beautifully decorated home without permission.
"Should I buy a phone again?"
"Kkoong..."
"Right, there probably wouldn’t be any reception anyway."
It was an unavoidable consequence of his portrait ability, but considering what he had done at the Collector Guild’s gallery, Gio seemed destined to get used to trespassing.
No one would bring a portrait into their home expecting a living person to pop out of it.
Gio humbly accepted his fate, which would undoubtedly startle countless people in the future. It was actually a little funny, so he didn’t mind.
"It hasn’t changed much since I last saw it."
"Kkooroorook."
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, finding his way wasn’t difficult.
"It feels... somewhat familiar, too."
This was largely thanks to Giovanni’s memories.
"This was where I used to work."
"Kkook?"
"Ah, right. This was my old workplace. I remember now."
Giovanni nodded.
"I didn’t settle here permanently, but I did receive my training here. Only after being properly recognized as a priest could one go to other regions and operate independently. Until then, you had to train in a temple like this."
"Kkooroo."
"Don’t worry. My memories aren’t perfectly clear, but I haven’t forgotten the way. Being here with others before brought a few things back..."
As he walked, Gio looked around.
"But it still feels unfamiliar."
There had been no such research facilities in the temple he remembered.
"..."
Sensing the vast gulf of time, Giovanni’s presence faded slightly.
"Let’s head for the exit."
"Kkooroorook."
Gio found the temple stairs and began to climb.
And then, he ran into someone.
"..."
"..."
"...?"
Why are you coming out of there?
* * *
"..."
Returning to the present, Hunter Jeong Da-un of the Association continued her account.
"...Does that sound strange?"
"Frankly, yes. It’s difficult to comprehend."
The researcher nodded.
"But I understand what you’re trying to say, Hunter Jeong Da-un. You’re saying that while your rational mind knew the subject wasn’t human, your instincts perceived them as such. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that’s right."
"Then is there any possibility it was some form of brainwashing?"
Many monsters, especially humanoid ones, possessed mental-type skills.
"Even if it wasn’t a humanoid monster, many monsters attempt to mimic humans. It would be more logical if it had hidden its true form under a cloak and used a mental-type skill to create the perception of a human."
"...I don’t believe that was the case."
Recalling the event, the hunter shook her head.
"This was a dungeon that appeared in the sea right after the Deep Sea Temple, which had been deemed highly dangerous. Although we didn’t know they were connected at the time, we attempted entry assuming there was at least some connection."
"Which means you entered with thorough preparations."
"Yes. Among our preparations was an item to counter brainwashing. As you’ve likely been briefed, it’s an A-Rank item that nullifies mental-type skills for up to ten people. Of course, one could argue that the Black Cloak used an S-Rank skill or higher, but..."
After a brief hesitation, the hunter continued.
"I’m certain. The item didn’t react to the Black Cloak at all."
"Not even slightly?"
"It wasn’t a matter of the defense failing; the item simply didn’t apply. The Black Cloak never used a mental-type skill on us in the first place."
"And yet, you felt the subject was human, Hunter Jeong Da-un. Even when there was such a massive discrepancy that you yourself felt a sense of incongruity."
"It was a feeling bordering on absolute certainty. To the point where I felt it was impossible to deny."
It was truly absurd.
"For some reason, I felt as safe as if I were tucked into a warm bed, yet at the same time, I had goosebumps, horrified by my own reaction. I felt like I could lean on him... I’m sorry, I can’t describe it in any more detail."
"I understand."
Offering a brief word of comfort, the researcher posed another question.
"Then let’s return to the previous topic. Instead of focusing on the Black Cloak’s identity, please describe its actions. How did you and your team first encounter it?"
"...It was after we entered Phase 3, the Deep Sea Temple. Perhaps because it was a place that had once swallowed people as a virtual dungeon, we could definitely see traces of others. Though, in the end, we found no one who could be called human..."
The hunter spoke, still looking dizzy from the memory.
"As we were exploring the temple, we ran into a humanoid monster."
"The report lists him as 'the mermaid Iser.' Do you believe he is the same entity as 'Eun-ha,' whom Priest Kang Seo-dam of the Sun Cult reported?"
"It seems highly likely, doesn’t it? Ah, of course, the entity we encountered was an adult, not a child. It was our first time facing a humanoid monster, so we were all extremely tense."
"Indeed. It has been a very long time since a humanoid monster was officially sighted."
Nodding in appreciation of the researcher’s understanding, the hunter continued.
"He introduced himself as a mermaid named Iser. Just as Priest Kang Seo-dam described, he had pearl-colored eyes and bright blue hair. Based on the photo of 'Eun-ha' that the priest provided, he was definitely the same person."
The weary hunter crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.
"As for the dungeon’s story, you probably already know..."
"The report describes him as 'a monster born from the tragedy of horribly losing a beloved human.'"
"Like all monsters, his hatred for humans was immense. However, his ability to mimic humans was so superb that at first, we wondered if he was a priest who had failed to escape."
The way he approached us with the benevolent smile characteristic of a priest was definitely more human than monster.
"But he didn’t keep up the mimicry for long. We were only confused for a moment before quickly realizing he was a monster, and it seemed the mermaid Iser had no intention of acting for long either... because a battle broke out."
"And you said you managed to escape safely, correct?"
"For some reason, the entity showed a strange reaction. At the time, our team judged that some sort of problem had occurred within the dungeon. He abandoned the fight, leaving us with the other monsters, and rushed off somewhere."
"But the cause of that..."
"Yes."
The hunter nodded, as if confirming the researcher’s suspicion.
"Iser fled, most likely because of the Black Cloak... I realized that the moment I saw it."
"To ask once more, how did you encounter him?"
"...He asked for our identities."
She still remembered it vividly.
"He asked... for our names."
The hunter added that the chill she felt in that moment was indescribable.
Naturally, this was a reaction that would have made Gio complain in frustration, Can’t a guy even ask for a name around here?