Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Figure Containing a God
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Pygmalion.
Greek and Roman mythology features a man by that name who, disgusted and disillusioned with real women, sculpted his ideal woman himself. He even married the statue and had children with it.
No matter how much help he got from a goddess, at its core, he had sex with a lump of stone.
He decided not to dwell on how that was even possible. Aphrodite probably transformed the statue into something identical to a human body.
There were tales that it became a living automaton rather than a human, but honestly, that wasn't important.
What mattered was that the mythological figure had reappeared in the world as an Anomaly.
"The first sighting was inside a public restroom in Gimpo."
Kim I-seo said as they walked.
"We got a report of strange hammering sounds, and when the police arrived, most of them were killed on the spot. The case was then handed over to the Management Bureau. It was discovered fairly recently, so I remember the details pretty well."
"......"
"The cause of death for the officers was petrification. In simple terms, the moment Pygmalion swung his hammer, they turned to stone and shattered. No blood or organs, of course."
"Seems like a pretty violent Anomaly."
"Not really. Pygmalion has a gentle personality."
She turned a corner to the left. Isolation team staff passing by greeted her, and Kim I-seo responded appropriately before continuing.
"But he's merciless toward women. The original Pygmalion despised real women, after all. Not surprising at all."
"So men are fine?"
"That's right. All the officers who died at the scene were women. Pygmalion appeared in the women's restroom to begin with."
"What was the reason for his appearance?"
"No idea. Like other Anomalies, he just showed up there out of nowhere."
Step.
Kim I-seo stopped in front of an isolation room. Ian checked the nameplate next to the door from behind her.
[Pygmalion]
The nameplate was written in stark gray. A bit of stone dust flaked off, suggesting it had been carved to match the Anomaly's nature. It was probably one of the measures to contain him.
A faint smell of water wafted through the window beside the door. Glancing inside, he saw a stream of water running along the edge of the room.
Not a huge amount, but enough to add a touch of ambiance. Kim I-seo pulled a mask from a stack next to the room and put it on, speaking cautiously.
"Pygmalion is one of the few Anomalies in the Management Bureau that's friendly toward humans. That said, as you know, all Anomalies end up harming humans in the end. He's no exception."
In the center of the room stood a solitary ivory statue of a man. The statue held a stone hammer and nails, meticulously assembling a new face onto someone displayed in a case. Stone dust rained down to the floor and was swept into the drain by the flowing water.
"The maximum safe conversation time with Pygmalion is 20 minutes. Go over that, and he gets inspired—he'll try to 'sculpt' you, regardless of gender. Since he's physically indestructible, you have to evacuate quickly to survive."
"......"
"Also, don't criticize or mock his sculptures. You don't have to praise them, but..."
"So it's safe for those 20 minutes of talking?"
"If you're male, yes. If you're lucky, he might even sculpt one just for you."
"......"
Sculpt one for him.
It sounded unsettling, but if the Management Bureau called it 'lucky,' it probably wasn't harmful. Taking one and dismantling it with magic or re-creating it could be interesting.
Ian put on the mask Kim I-seo handed him and glanced at Pygmalion, who was focused on his sculpting. He still seemed unaware of them, slowly swinging his hammer.
Each faint clang brought a subtle mix of blood scent blended with the watery aroma.
Some of the material he was sculpting had once been human, hence the smell. Parts from corpses or executed prisoners sourced through the Cartel were likely in there.
Not surprising at all. He already knew the Cartel's inventory included processed human flesh, organs, or whole bodies. There was no reason the Management Bureau, which had a working relationship with them, wouldn't use their services.
He wasn't particularly curious how they obtained the bodies. Instead, he felt intrigued by the prospect of a direct conversation with an Anomaly.
'Come to think of it, I've never had a long talk with an Anomaly before.'
Eight-Foot Ghost? He ripped its arm off right there.
Monkey? Unfortunately, Ian had evolved beyond monkey-level intelligence.
Vampire? Would monsters stronger than ghouls even have language?
He'd exchanged a few words with the theme park staff, but it was all scripted to fit the space. Same with the hospital.
The only real extended chat was with the Librarian in the library, but his state then was basically kindergarten-level. Not a sane Anomaly. The cruise ship's captain was more human fused with an Anomaly.
So technically, this was his first real chance to talk to a proper Anomaly. No reason to pass it up.
"If it's safe for 20 minutes, I'd like to chat with him. Possible?"
Ian asked, nudging his Grimoire. Kim I-seo nodded.
"Yes. But I can't go in. I'm a woman, after all."
"No problem. I can protect myself."
"Understood. I'll wait outside. If there's trouble, press this hard."
Swoosh.
She handed him what looked like a crime alarm bell—the kind kids often carried.
"......"
Ian took it with a dubious look. It might look silly, but it was a safety measure.
"Just press it?"
"Yes. It'll drastically slow all organic and inorganic matter approaching you."
"So, like a child protection Anomaly?"
"Exactly. Same principle."
He could only let out a dry laugh. Ian sighed deeply, pocketed the bell, and pressed the isolation room's entry button.
Whirr.
The door slid open without resistance. A rush of stone, blood, and water smells hit him. Ian paused briefly, gripped his Grimoire for easy access, and slowly approached Pygmalion. The door shut automatically after a few steps.
"......"
He glanced back at the window. Just a smooth wall. They must have made it one-way.
Reasonable precaution. Ian exhaled slowly, opened the inner double door, and fully entered Pygmalion's workshop.
Crunch. Stone dust rolled under his shoes. At the same moment, Pygmalion spoke.
"Sit in the chair and wait a bit. Just finishing this piece."
The moving statue's voice was thicker and clearer than expected. The only unnatural part was a slight staccato quality. Otherwise, it sounded perfectly human.
"......"
Ian didn't argue, leaning against the wall to wait. Pygmalion's head turned toward him briefly before returning to his work.
Soon after finishing, he set the hammer on the table and slowly stood. As he moved, his statue body crumbled and reformed.
"So."
Done tidying, Pygmalion stared at Ian and spoke.
"What brings a great mage here?"
Creak, creak.
He forced his stiff legs to shuffle slowly toward Ian. Ian tapped the Grimoire's cover with his fingers and replied.
"Just wanted to talk."
"Ah, conversation. Excellent. Any man who appreciates female beauty is welcome. What's your taste? Pretty faces? Or ugly ones? Body type? Big breasts and hips a must? No hair, obviously."
The topic was cruder than expected. Ian's face twitched, but he peered at a nearby sculpture and answered vaguely.
"Body doesn't matter. Pretty face is enough."
"True, true. The ultimate beauty is in the face. That's why sculptors like us chisel them so carefully."
He chuckled cheerfully and pointed to a statue in the corner.
"See that? Modeled after Lady Aphrodite. The most beautiful thing I've ever carved. I breathe life into it every night so she moves like the real Aphrodite."
Breathing life into statues. Not odd, recalling the original myth.
But while the myth relied on a goddess's power, this Anomaly's Pygmalion could do it himself.
Far more cheat-like than expected. No wonder the Management Bureau kept him locked up. Ian grunted and pushed off the wall.
"How long have you existed?"
"No clue. Not the type to dwell on that."
Pygmalion chuckled, twirling a nail between his fingers. Stone dust fell with each joint movement.
"But... hmm. Looking at you is sparking tons of inspiration. Haven't seen a great model like you in ages."
"......What?"
"As I said, I value faces above all. Not that other things don't matter—faces matter most."
"......"
"Yours is pretty good. But... no need to provoke a mage. I'll skip sculpting your face."
Pygmalion licked his lips regretfully and set the nail down.
"Still, you inspired me, so I'll repay you. Name a model, and I'll sculpt it exactly. Can add life if you want."
Unexpected offer. No reason to refuse.
He'd just heard Pygmalion might make one for him. Worth taking and experimenting with Recreation magic.
"Fine. One request."
Ian smiled faintly and tapped his Grimoire.
"A small girl with black hair and red eyes. Possible?"
[Bzzz!?]
The Deep Sea Chronicles vibrated briefly, realizing who he meant.