Chapter 96
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 96
At some point, the “Black Cloak” vanished.
“Th-they said it was here…! They said the Black Cloak was here!”
“Fuck, look for the frame! Isn’t there a frame somewhere around here?!”
“They say it’s usually hard to see…! S-so if we just keep looking, surely…!”
“Aaaaaaargh!!!”
Hunters who had entered the Deep Sea Kingdom relying solely on the rumor that the Black Cloak helped humans were slaughtered helplessly.
As resentment poured in, directed at both the suddenly vanished Black Cloak and the Association that had shared the initial information, an official statement was released.
“The Association has never, in any of its public disclosures, advised relying on the ‘Black Cloak.’”
Rather, they emphasized a different point entirely.
“Even if it displays unexpected behavior, it is ultimately a monster. The Association has consistently maintained a stance of caution, and we have never once stated that the ‘Black Cloak’ is a safe or helpful entity.”
To begin with, the issue stemmed from how wildly the rumors had been distorted and exaggerated.
“What monster in the world would ever help humans?”
“But there are multiple documented cases of the ‘Black Cloak’ helping humans escape dungeons.”
“However, the ‘Black Cloak’ was selective about which humans it chose to help. This means it cannot be classified as a monster that is unconditionally beneficial to humanity.”
The Association official delivered the statement with a straight, emotionless face, as if the entire situation was utterly absurd.
“It seems many hunters have forgotten the simple fact that the ‘Black Cloak’ is a monster.”
The remark was a pointed jab at the hunters’ absurdly poor judgment.
With the Association taking such a firm stance, the hunters could no longer protest. Setting aside the Association’s immense authority, their words were undeniably true.
“No, but still…”
“Didn’t they say the Black Cloak helps people?”
Although many still harbored lingering complaints, the tide of public opinion was turning.
“Did you guys even read the official notice? The Association is absolutely right.”
“The Association kept warning us to keep a close eye on the Black Cloak.”
“Aren’t the idiots who charged into an S-Rank Dungeon based on groundless rumors just brainless?”
Soon, public sentiment began to settle.
“If it weren’t for that rumor…”
“What are you talking about? It’s the fault of those dumbasses who tried to clear it without even reading the official notice.”
“Ugh…”
Public opinion had coalesced around a single conclusion: the hunters who tried to exploit a monster for their own convenience were the foolish ones from the very beginning.
“Don’t they teach you to be wary of monsters when you get your hunter license?”
“Monsters aren’t drinks from a vending machine… What on earth were they thinking, entering a dungeon and relying on a single monster?”
“Hunters in the past weren’t like this. You can really tell the standards of the current generation have plummeted.”
“How can someone call themselves a hunter when they don’t even know to fear monsters?”
“Even these dumbasses are running around calling themselves hunters. It’s the end of the world.”
If they had merely hoped for some incidental help based on the monster’s observed traits, the criticism wouldn’t have been this harsh. But the problem was that the majority of these hunters had jumped into a dungeon rated as high as S-Rank, relying solely on the mercy of the “Black Cloak.”
Even the veteran hunters who had been seriously analyzing the “Deep Sea Kingdom” from the beginning expressed their disapproval.
“Relying on a monster to clear a dungeon makes no sense.”
“Aren’t they taking the raid too lightly? It doesn’t matter how long the exploration phase has been.”
“Although attention was focused on this because the Collector bought the entry rights, this is still a bit much…”
Just as the public discourse seemed to be winding down, Yoo Seong-un was watching it all unfold.
…Is it finally settling down?
It was a favorable turn of events.
The situation was starting to head in a strange direction. I should consider myself fortunate that it ended like this.
Watching the hunters and citizens gossip about the incident, Yoo Seong-un pulled a piece of candy from his breast pocket. Running around to monitor the aftermath of the “Black Cloak” situation had left him with severely low blood sugar.
“Sigh…”
“……”
“So, what do you want?” Yoo Seong-un asked, sensing a presence on the bench directly behind him. “It seems you have business with me.”
“You look exhausted.”
“If you’re not tired after working overtime for over a week, you’re not human.”
“I agree.”
The Association official, disguised as an ordinary citizen in a black padded jacket, nodded in agreement. Sitting back-to-back with Yoo Seong-un, he looked out at the park—which, thanks to government measures, bloomed with spring warmth despite it being winter—and spoke.
“I don’t intend to take up too much of your time, Hunter Yoo Seong-un. I would like to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind.”
“Hmm… I’d appreciate it if we could wrap this up within fifteen minutes. I have to catch a train to check on the state of the sea afterward.”
“Thank you for your cooperation.” The official’s questions followed naturally. “It seems the Collector was already aware of this ‘Black Cloak’ situation.”
“There are a lot of things that bother me about that statement, but what is your basis for saying so?”
“Because the source of that interesting rumor—‘the Black Cloak gives gifts to good people’—appears to be the Collector.”
“That is correct,” Yoo Seong-un calmly admitted. “Quite a few of our employees have run into the Black Cloak.”
“Then we might need to update the information in our database. Could you put us in touch with the first witness?”
“I’ll ask them if I have time. You’re not going to drag them away by force, are you?”
“Of course not. We simply feel the need to update our data on the Black Cloak.”
“Anyway, our employees have run into the Black Cloak a few times, so we know its rules. It really dislikes rude and malicious people.”
Although he spoke lightly, Yoo Seong-un had no intention of revealing the truth behind the “Black Cloak.” If he openly revealed that it was “Gio’s Portrait”—a piece even the Association President had coveted—he would undoubtedly face endless bureaucratic hassle from the Association trying to secure it for research.
Gio wouldn’t want that, either.
A man who lived in a peaceful cabin was not the type to enjoy such tedious complications.
“And I’m not even sure if we should call it a ‘gift,’” Yoo Seong-un continued. “Although they say the Black Cloak gives gifts to good people, it’s not a physical object. It’s closer to a form of goodwill…”
“So we can assume it operates on a rule of showing goodwill to polite and good-natured humans?”
“Yes, something like that. I’m sorry for not reporting it sooner, but I don’t have the authority to order my employees to immediately report every monster they happen to run into.”
At that, the official asked a pointed question.
“Is it really a monster?”
“……”
“I am asking you as a Gardener, Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
“…If you put it that way, I’ll have to say no.”
“I see. Do you have any intention of returning to the Association Research Institute?”
“I suspect this is on the Association President’s orders, but please tell him I have no interest.”
“Understood.” The official steered the conversation back to the original topic. “Can I assume that you did not intentionally spread the rumors about the Black Cloak?”
“It was half-intentional, but…” Yoo Seong-un replied, mixing in a moderate amount of truth. “Regardless, I had absolutely no intention of causing chaos like this.”
“Then for what purpose did you fuel the rumor?”
“Since the Black Cloak dislikes rude and malicious people, I wanted to prevent hunters from doing stupid things in front of it and causing unnecessary trouble.”
“So the Collector wanted to emphasize the ‘good person’ aspect, but the hunters were blinded by the ‘gift’ aspect.”
“Even the Collector didn’t realize the hunters would be that foolish.”
“I understand.”
“……”
Even so, Yoo Seong-un hadn’t expected that the Collector would be able to hide “Gio’s Portrait” so completely.
…The fact that they didn’t summon me directly and only sent someone to check in like this means they’ve already figured it out to some extent but have no intention of digging deeper.
The Association President was a prominent hunter rumored to be hiding a power of A-Rank above S-Rank. Since such a powerful figure had seen “Gio’s Portrait” and coveted it himself, he might have already guessed that this “Black Cloak” was closely related to it.
In the first place, they shared the glaring commonality of being a portrait.
It was a known fact that the Black Cloak had been witnessed in the form of a portrait. At this point, it was obvious they knew everything and were just asking as a formality. Therefore, the purpose of this transparent charade was twofold.
First, to see whether the Collector intends to exploit the Black Cloak in the wake of this rumor and chaos. Second, if not, to see whether we intend to hand over Gio’s Portrait to the Association for research…
Well, he had denied both.
“……”
Yoo Seong-un spoke. “Is there anything else you wish to ask?”
“Have you, Gardener Yoo Seong-un, figured out the identity of the Black Cloak?”
“…No.” If only he had. “I don’t know.”
“…I see.”
“So please, the Association should also exercise extreme caution.”
“Are you saying we need to raise the threat response level?”
“That might be for the best.”
It was an Existence of the Origin that even Yoo Seong-un couldn’t fully grasp. Even if the Black Cloak harbored no malice, it could easily become a disaster for humanity. For fragile humans, staying as vigilant as possible was their best chance at survival.
“If we discover anything on our end, we’ll send over a report.”
“…We would appreciate that.”
The official stood up and walked away naturally, as if they had never spoken.
“……”
Sensing the presence fade away, Yoo Seong-un closed his eyes.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve drawn the Association’s attention like this.
Fortunately, his handling of the situation seemed natural enough; the park remained as peaceful as before. No one was secretly watching him while pretending to look elsewhere.
I guess I didn’t give anything away.
As he sat quietly with his eyes closed, the chatter of people gathered in the warm park drifted over to him.
“In the end, what was the Black Cloak, anyway…?”
They, too, were deeply confused.
“They said it was a monster that didn’t fit the Deep Sea Kingdom from the very beginning.”
“I heard that sometimes monsters from other dungeons cross over. Could that be what happened?”
“Maybe the Black Cloak has its own dungeon.”
“But they said it’s a humanoid monster. Do boss monsters ever cross over to other dungeons?”
“I heard a rumor that you can sometimes see it outside of dungeons…”
“No way. That would mean it’s a monster that roams freely without any designated territory.”
“That’s going too far. It’s definitely just a wild rumor.”
At the voices fluttering around him like the wings of small birds, Yoo Seong-un opened his eyes. Every conversation was about the Black Cloak.
“…So it comes to this.”
The confusion was inevitable.
Still, we managed to contain it pretty well.
Gio was an existence who could go anywhere. Because he was a painting, he could become anything; because he was a painter, he could create anything. Since there was no way to stop “Gio’s Portrait,” the Collector had ultimately chosen information control to maintain national stability.
If this allows people to slowly grow accustomed to the existence of the Black Cloak…
It would certainly cause far less chaos than revealing “Gio’s Portrait” to the public. The rumors—disguised as ghost stories—spread by the Collector, and the act of handing Gio a hunter license as if he were human, were all part of that strategy. It was an attempt to classify and regulate the “stories” of the Origin.
“……”
Nevertheless, Gio’s true identity remained a mystery.
What kind of existence is he to make all of this possible?
Even a god could not perform such bold acts in succession.
“He’s not a god, not a human, and definitely not a monster…”
Yet, he was an existence who could become all of those things.
“How should I even define him?”
It was far too contradictory.
Even Yoo Seong-un, who had set foot in the Garden as a young child, could not find the words to properly describe him. He was on an entirely different scale from any Existence of the Origin Yoo Seong-un had ever seen or studied.
“……”
With a heavy sigh, Yoo Seong-un stood up.
“Back to work.”
It felt like losing his sight and groping in the dark to find his way. Despite all he had seen and heard, an eerie chill crept up his neck—a response to an existence that remained an absolute mystery.