33

Chapter 33

Cha Eunhyuk had seen strange things since childhood.

“What? A person?”

“Yes, over there. Can’t you see?”

“…What are you talking about? That’s just an empty lot.”

“……”

“Did you see a Monster, perhaps?”

“It isn’t a Monster…”

Sometimes, it assumed a shape resembling a human.

“…Sorry. I must have imagined it.”

“Oppa, are you really all right?”

“Perhaps I’m not fully awake.”

At other times, it resembled a squirrel or stray cat, with a long tail trailing through the undergrowth. It might stand motionless like a tree and release a peculiar scent, or drift leisurely high in the sky as though it were a cloud…

He knew it was fundamentally different from the plants and animals he recognized. Sometimes it resembled them closely; at others, the imitation was grotesquely crude.

“You may have been pushing yourself too hard lately. Why don’t you rest?”

“I can still manage.”

Like most wild animals, they did not acknowledge him.

“I need to work while I’m able.”

That was why Cha Eunhyuk deliberately pretended not to see them.

‘Can no one else see them?’

He thought hard about what they might be.

‘…Ghosts? But ghosts should ordinarily look like people. Those things definitely have animal forms. Sometimes they imitate only parts like ears or tails. Then are they hallucinations? But they leave physical traces, so calling them mere hallucinations does not fit. Are they Monsters? Ordinary Monsters are not that indifferent toward humans.’

Sometimes, they danced. They sang, admired flowers, or floated over the water. Cha Eunhyuk sensed intuitively that they would cause him no harm as long as he did not touch them.

Only on very rare occasions did dangerous ones appear.

“I heard the house caught fire.”

“No wonder. The lady who lived there had been forgetting things lately…”

“They say the entire family burned to death inside.”

The villagers blamed the fire on a housewife with dementia. Perhaps that was correct, but Cha Eunhyuk knew there had been another, more fundamental problem.

“……”

One of “those things,” carrying a bundle, had been following the woman.

‘Ah, I understand.’

That thing must have killed her.

He did not know precisely what it had done. But from that moment onward, Cha Eunhyuk understood that some of them could be dangerous.

He sensed no malice from them. Merely existing, however, could still make them threatening to humans.

‘Are they a type of Monster after all?’

That was the conclusion Cha Eunhyuk reached.

“Oppa, are you going to keep selling bungeoppang?”

“They sell reasonably well.”

“The city people don’t say anything? Places like that discriminate especially harshly according to citizen class…”

“Everyone has been kind. So far, no one has criticized me for being a third-class citizen.”

In truth, he lacked both the time and energy to concern himself with unidentified things, whether they were Monsters or not.

“Naturally, some people still give me disapproving looks. But our youngest needs to undergo his initiation soon.”

“……”

“We need to buy his Priest Robes, pay the dormitory fees, and give him money for living expenses there.”

“…Of all things, he had to Awaken as a Priest.”

“I feel secure and fortunate to have two Hunters in the family.”

Both of his younger siblings were Awakeners.

His younger sister was only F-rank, the lowest rank, so the only work available to her was as a Porter. Her earnings were not especially high, and they also needed to purchase equipment that would increase her chances of surviving whenever she entered a dungeon.

His youngest brother had Awakened as a “Priest,” a profession that was useless unless one contracted with a god. But serving a god through one’s own power was nearly impossible, so he could barely receive grace without the assistance of a temple.

“Even so, we were lucky. The Sun Church in Seoul invited our youngest.”

“……”

“Our youngest will soon become a second-class citizen. More importantly, how could I rest while you’re working too? I have my dignity as the eldest son.”

“But I’m an Awakener… I have better stamina than you, Oppa.”

“I understand, so stop worrying and rest.”

“…Should I come work with you? If the people in Seoul try to hurt you, I can protect you…”

“Someone needs to stay home and look after our youngest.”

They did not have enough money.

“Don’t worry.”

Therefore, he had no leisure to care about unidentified creatures.

‘There is no danger as long as I do not keep them close.’

Those creatures seemed to have lives of their own. Just as one would not be harmed by a poisonous toad on the roadside without touching it, creatures minding their own business were harmless as long as no one provoked them.

‘It isn’t as though I cannot see them and fail to avoid them. Since they’re plainly visible to me, there is no reason I would suffer an accident. There’s no problem, so everything is fine.’

The trouble was…

“……”

“……”

A moment would come when avoiding them was no longer enough.

He had not expected that moment to arrive just as he sold his final bungeoppang and prepared to close.

“……”

What should he do?

‘It has been staring at the bungeoppang for a while.’

The “thing” that approached at that unexpected hour was a man in a pitch-black cloak.

He was exceptionally tall, and his clothing was luxurious. Yet perhaps because he wore nothing but black, he also resembled a guest at a funeral. The surrounding air suddenly died and became heavy, sending a chill down Eunhyuk’s spine.

It did not feel like a grim reaper or a god of death. It seemed like something far closer to nature than those self-aware entities that gathered souls…

So Eunhyuk knew with certainty that it was one of “those things.”

“……”

Should he speak to it or not?

‘I’ve never seen anything good come from interfering with these creatures.’

But it was staring so openly that ignoring it also made him fear the repercussions.

‘I miss our youngest.’

He worked to appear calm because he did not want to provoke it, but cold sweat streamed down his back.

Cha Eunhyuk had concluded that these creatures were some type of Monster. They were docile compared with the ones ordinarily visible.

Yet watching them occasionally destroy a person without even harboring malice could not help but inspire horror.

‘…It keeps looking only at the bungeoppang…’

Would it disappear if he gave it one?

That was when it happened.

“How much is one bag?”

“……”

It spoke?

‘A Monster?’

Though he did not show it, Eunhyuk was startled.

He had often seen creatures assume human form. They sometimes imitated human lives, but their actions lacked substance, and not one had ever actually spoken.

‘It even asked how much they cost?’

Could it imitate a human this thoroughly?

“Ah…”

Still, he could not ignore it after it asked a question.

“Five thousand won for ten.”

“Do you accept only cash?”

“Cash would be preferable.”

“……”

The Black Cloak, standing silently with his hands behind his back, reached inside his hood. Eunhyuk wondered what he was doing until a jewel gleaming with transparent light appeared in his hand.

Even Cha Eunhyuk, a provincial resident, knew the beautifully cut jewel was incomparably more valuable than ten bungeoppang.

“Will this not suffice?”

“……”

The instant Eunhyuk thought its imitation of a human seemed quite convincing, it committed such an eccentric act. It was almost enough to make him resentful.

‘Who pays for bungeoppang with a jewel?’

A chill ran down Cha Eunhyuk’s spine.

Both the attempt at barter and the creature’s ignorance of the conventional value of the object it sought felt incongruous, no matter how thoroughly it imitated a human.

‘The fact that it still unmistakably feels human only makes it more disturbing.’

He barely managed to answer.

“…That is far too much.”

“I have no other currency in physical form.”

“Do you have a card…?”

“Do you accept cards?”

“Uh… yes.”

“I see.”

Against all expectation, the creature truly held out a card.

“……”

“……”

“…I was just closing, so I will need to cook a fresh batch. Is that all right?”

“It is.”

“It will take a little time.”

Quickly resigning himself, Cha Eunhyuk began making bungeoppang.

‘What terrible luck.’

Business had been unusually good, preventing him from reaching the terminal even by the time the last bus departed.

He had obtained permission in advance, so there was no need to fear being arrested. He had planned to sleep on the street for the night when this new customer arrived.

And an unidentified monstrous customer at that.

“……”

Clatter.

His hands trembled slightly as he closed the bungeoppang mold.

‘…It will not suddenly kill me, will it?’

Like Monsters, most of these creatures seemed to possess individual rules.

Opening their eyes only while the sun was in the sky. Remaining beside a blind person for that individual’s entire life. Stepping only on white stones.

Many rules resembled children’s games, but some threatened humans.

‘But this is my first time meeting one that can speak, so I cannot judge it.’

He had never seen a creature imitate humans this well.

There were traces of incongruity everywhere, but aside from its strangely chilling atmosphere, its speech and behavior resembled those of a human to a remarkable degree.

‘It even has a card.’

Cha Eunhyuk suddenly realized something.

‘…Unless it stole the card, someone else must have lent it to him.’

Then did this creature have a guardian somewhere?

“…Is no one else accompanying you?”

“Someone was, but not now.”

“……”

“He is likely asleep by now.”

For a moment, Eunhyuk thought it meant it had killed the person.

‘This is my first time feeling such resentment toward someone I don’t even know.’

In a world where even a dog could not be taken for a walk without a leash, what was this person thinking, releasing such a dangerous creature merely because it resembled a human?

“……”

No, wait.

‘Giving it a card means they believed it could use one.’

A Monster invisible to other people could not use a card.

Then was the being before him a human rather than a creature?

“…Is this…”

Cha Eunhyuk cautiously began,

“Your first time in Seoul?”

“It is not my first time. But I am indeed sightseeing.”

“Ah, sightseeing. Have you visited Gyeongbokgung?”

“Yes. I enjoyed the many different foods.”

The conversation was strangely halting, but it provided enough information.

‘Other people can see him?’

Then was he truly an ordinary person who merely possessed a chilling atmosphere?

Or perhaps he was a Humanoid Monster, the sort textbooks were supposedly required to introduce…

“……”

“Kkureuk.”

Cha Eunhyuk flinched.

‘A bird?’

A softly glowing bird had poked its head out from between the Black Cloak’s hood.

“Honey, go back inside.”

“Kkurureung…”

“I’ll give you some later, so stay inside for now.”

“Kkukkung.”

“Good.”

Commanding a small Monster resembled the commonly known image of a Tamer. Still, for some reason, Cha Eunhyuk did not think the Black Cloak and the bird before him were an ordinary pair of human and Monster.

That incongruity became even clearer the moment he met the bird’s eyes.

“……”

“Kkurureuk.”

“……”

Unable to maintain eye contact, Cha Eunhyuk lowered his head.

‘…Dangerous.’

Cold sweat flowed until even his hands and feet seemed to chill.

‘That creature is truly dangerous.’

With its sweet honeyed colors and tiny body, the bird was beautiful and adorable by anyone’s standards. But to Cha Eunhyuk, who could faintly sense its essence, that appearance was nothing more than a ludicrous deception.

Perhaps its owner had named it. The essence of the bird called Honey resembled waves beneath a raging typhoon: impulsive, violent, and powerful. The bird had likely assumed such a delicate form only because its owner desired it.

“……”

Then what sort of being was the Black Cloak, its owner?

‘Damn it. I never expected this.’

Among the creatures only Cha Eunhyuk could see, some certainly took a strong interest in human food. They savored rice villagers scattered as offerings to ghosts or stole side dishes one at a time from restaurants.

But none had ever openly ordered food like this. Most merely assumed human forms and imitated daily life; they did not attempt genuine interaction with humans.

‘I let down my guard.’

He should have been more careful.

‘That bird does not seem to like me either…’

The bird hiding deep within the Black Cloak’s hood and watching him was downright oppressive.

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“…Here are your ten bungeoppang.”

“Thank you.”

After accepting them, the Black Cloak paused.

“……”

“This is a gift.”

“Pardon?”

“You have worked hard at such an early hour.”

“No, wait…”

As Cha Eunhyuk tried to refuse, the Black Cloak continued.

“I apologize if I frightened you. I came because I smelled bungeoppang, but you had to stop cleaning and make a mess again. Therefore, I should offer an apology and my gratitude.”

“It is all right.”

“Thank you.”

He set down the blue jewel he had shown earlier and leisurely disappeared.

“……”

Cha Eunhyuk watched the Black Cloak’s back until it vanished. The instant even the cloak’s hem disappeared from view, he slowly collapsed.

“…Ha, haha…”

Fuck.

He had survived.

‘I thought I was going to die.’

From the moment he realized he could see beings invisible to others, he had anticipated such an end. I will die so strangely that no one else will even be able to guess the proper cause. That was what he had always thought.

Even so, dying while selling bungeoppang was unacceptable.

“Wow…”

Cha Eunhyuk rubbed his face vigorously with both hands.

“That scared the life out of me.”

He still did not know what the Black Cloak was.

If other people could see him, was he a human? But his essence was far too unfathomable and vicious for that. Then was he the same kind as the creatures Eunhyuk usually saw? But communication with him had been far too smooth. A Humanoid Monster? There was no dungeon nearby.

If he was none of those things, perhaps he was a type of Monster unknown to Eunhyuk.

“……”

Every possibility was horrifying.

‘Can anyone encounter a Humanoid Monster and remain alive?’

That was when it happened.

“Kkureuk?”

“……”

He had heard that sound earlier.

“Kkureuk…”

“……”

“Kkureuk, kkureuk, kkureukkureukkureuk.”

“…Uh…”

“Kkuru.”

When he raised his head, he saw an enormous beak. Beyond its throat, countless teeth filled its mouth. He saw a pitch-black tongue.

“Kkung.”

The beak, hard as metal, swallowed half of Cha Eunhyuk’s head.

“……”

Tap, tap.

It mimed biting him several times, then spat him back out.

“Kkurung.”

“…What? What…”

“Kkuk.”

When his vision returned, Honey had resumed the tiny form Eunhyuk had seen before.

“……”

It now looked like coy pretense so foul that it made him want to vomit.

“What in the world are you?”

The bird flew away.

“What were you, really…?”

He truly understood nothing, but one fact was certain: he had nearly died just now.

The bird with colors as sweet as honey seemed to be saying,

‘This much is acceptable.’

So it seemed.

“……”

It seemed to be telling him he had passed.

Goosebumps rose over his skin.

“…I should move my stall tomorrow…”

He hoped he would never encounter them again.

Then, at two in the afternoon the next day…

“Are you selling bungeoppang?”

As though haunted, Cha Eunhyuk met the Black Cloak again.

“…Yes…”

“Ten, please.”

“Understood.”

What was he supposed to do when the world was this small?

(To be continued)