28

Chapter 28

After finishing their meal, Yoo Seongwoon led Gio to Cheonggyecheon Stream.

“……”

But sure enough, it was rather different from the Cheonggyecheon Gio remembered in Seoul.

“Here we are. This is Cheonggyecheon.”

“It is a remarkably natural sight.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Flowers are blooming despite it being winter.”

Had the world gone mad?

‘Has the Earth finally broken down after being unable to endure humanity any longer?’

Fortunately, Yoo Seongwoon added an explanation.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but they simply took separate measures to turn this place into something like a greenhouse.”

“What sort of measures?”

“The city has a separate department responsible for urban landscaping. When they construct a city, they ensure that at least a certain quantity of plant life remains.”

“They maintain it as a greenhouse even in winter?”

“That’s right. Look. The air is remarkably mild, isn’t it?”

Yoo Seongwoon waved a hand through the air and indicated Cheonggyecheon.

“It is treated with magic, so anyone can enter except fifth-class citizens classified as criminals and threatening Monsters. It blocks the cold winter air while allowing only sunlight to pass through—a truly greenhouse-like system.”

“……”

“Wasn’t it fairly warm in front of our company too? Public places where people often gather, and the areas around companies with money to spare, are treated with magic in this manner. In the former case, the company’s owner pays to install it privately. In the latter, the government funds the installation…”

After considering Yoo Seongwoon’s words, Gio asked,

“When you say ‘threatening Monsters’… can nonthreatening Monsters enter?”

“Ah…”

After thinking briefly, Yoo Seongwoon nodded.

“It can’t really be helped. Even though they are Monsters, they have already become part of Earth’s ecosystem and play a role in the natural cycle. We cannot simply reject them all.”

That told Gio that Monsters were treated halfway like stray cats or fat city pigeons.

“Apparently, Monsters are not seen only when a dungeon erupts.”

“Hm? Ah, well, humans aren’t quite that capable, even now.”

Yoo Seongwoon continued his explanation.

“I’m told that when I was young, many people argued that every Monster had to be eliminated. But no matter how many Hunters exist, there are not enough to protect all humanity. And even if an extraordinarily powerful Hunter exists, making one person track down and eliminate every Monster would be inhumane.”

He shrugged.

“More importantly, what would we do if such a powerful Hunter became stressed and committed an act of terrorism? The same applies even if the Hunters aren’t especially strong. Hunters are human too. They cannot do nothing but work.”

“I see.”

“They say most of the native Monsters established on Earth today survived because they could not be eliminated during the early days of the Great Cataclysm.”

“The early days?”

“Hunters were far weaker then, the system was poorly organized, and few people possessed tracking skills. Naturally, some would have escaped.”

“Then the Monsters they failed to kill at the time…”

“Became part of the Earth.”

As he said so, Yoo Seongwoon glanced toward the stream of clear water.

“Like that creature.”

Frrr—

In the center of the stream, a round bird was preening its feathers.

“That creature is a Monster too.”

“……”

It was certainly a bird Gio did not recognize.

But the System did.

Cotton-Puff Bird

Named by Koreans for its resemblance to a puff of cotton. Its wings, torso, head, and neck are indistinguishable, giving it the shape of a sphere. However, only its feathers are inflated; its actual physique resembles that of an ordinary bird. Bandages can be made by boiling a Cotton-Puff Bird’s egg and drawing thread from it.

“……”

A silkworm cocoon?

‘It looks almost exactly like a ball.’

In any case, Gio understood.

“Cotton-Puff Birds are not threatening.”

“…You know what that is?”

“I learned just now.”

According to the System’s explanation, it was almost like a silkworm cocoon in the form of a bird. Watching the slightly oversized puffs of cotton preen themselves in the stream soothed his heart.

After staring at Gio, Yoo Seongwoon soon continued.

“…Hmm, yes, creatures like those. Species that are numerous and small, and have been judged not to cause significant harm to humans or the ecosystem, have mostly established themselves as Earth’s native Monsters.”

“They are cute.”

“They don’t look cute at all, but you like creatures like that?”

“Doesn’t anything small and round look astonishingly harmless?”

“No wonder your waterfowl was so round…”

Yoo Seongwoon laughed in disbelief.

“Even so, we leave the present native Monsters alone because they have already entered the ecosystem’s cycle. All recently introduced foreign species are eliminated. To begin with, Monsters possess an intense hatred of Earthlings.”

“Is that so?”

“Usually. Even without hostility, they may pose a considerable threat to humans. The native Monsters that remain today have already undergone safety testing by the Association and are managed at the governmental level.”

Yoo Seongwoon pointed to the Cotton-Puff Birds again.

“Perhaps those creatures adapted after living on Earth for so long, but their hostility toward humans has weakened to the level of an ordinary wild animal. During the early Great Cataclysm, they were apparently dangerous enough to peck flesh from people. Now they are about as harmless as pigeons.”

“Aha.”

“Because they are Monsters, touching or privately raising them is illegal… but coexistence itself is possible. Dungeons and the Earth are inseparable, so it seems the authorities decided this was preferable to rejecting them unconditionally.”

Coexistence with Monsters. Earthlings seemed to have grown remarkably tough while Gio was away.

“That’s enough explanation. Would you like to walk around for a while? The water quality is strictly managed, so nothing here should harm you. The Monsters and animals in this area are all relatively harmless too.”

“……”

After looking at the clear, rippling stream, Gio began to walk.

‘It is as clear as liquid glass.’

Seen up close, the stream was even more beautiful as sunlight shattered across it.

The weather was as mild as spring. Large trees, vines, and flowers filled the area like an enormous greenhouse. Pastel-colored butterflies settled on flower petals, and a creature resembling a squirrel gnawed fruit from a tree.

Why were sparrow-like birds plucking flowers from the branches? Perhaps they did it for amusement, or perhaps they wanted the nectar inside.

“…Does changing the season according to human wishes cause no problems for the ecosystem?”

“There was a great deal of controversy about that at one point, but I hear everything has been adjusted somehow. More importantly, artificial seasons are often created deliberately to keep Earth’s original animals from going extinct because of Monsters.”

“I see.”

It differed from Gio’s time in many ways.

“If you don’t mind, try dipping your feet in the water.”

“Am I permitted?”

“There are rules against picking fruit or pulling up flowers, but nothing specifically regulates that. In summer, when there are more people, many come here to play in the water.”

“And yet no one is here today.”

“Who would play in the water during working hours when there is neither a school holiday nor a public holiday? To begin with, many people probably don’t want to get wet in winter.”

“You are correct, Yoo Seongwoon.”

Gio removed his dress shoes and socks, then simply…

Lowered his feet into the flowing water.

“……”

It was cool.

‘And soft.’

It smelled sweet.

Gio could not tell whether it was the scent of flowers, trees, or a Monster dwelling in the water. Perhaps, unlike the colorless and odorless water of the past, the stream itself had evolved.

But the sight of pebbles rolling through the water like those in a mountain stream in summer…

“……”

The tiny creatures moving in countless small motions…

Made Giovanni happy.

“…This is beautiful water.”

His black eyes took on the color of water.

“It is clear and deep.”

“……”

“Deeper than I expected.”

“……”

“Why do I smell the sea here?”

Yoo Seongwoon sensed a change.

“…Gio?”

“I smell the ocean. Slightly briny, like the surface of iron; refreshing, like pine needles; reminiscent of a fierce wind that scatters the sand…”

“Gio.”

“It resembles that place.”

His voice was gentle, yet detached.

“The color of the sea.”

At that moment,

“……”

“The color of the merfolk.”

All manner of aquatic creatures silently gathered at Giovanni’s feet.

“Watched over by the deep sea…”

Before anyone realized it, his feet had turned the transparent color of water…

“—Gio.”

“……”

The voice of a “friend.”

His eyes blinked twice.

“…Yes.”

“…You…”

“Did you call me?”

Gio turned to Yoo Seongwoon.

“……”

“……”

“…You are Seo Gio, correct?”

“Correct.”

He nodded.

“My name is Gio.”

Yoo Seongwoon’s face twisted strangely.

Read only on MUGEX

Some time later, in front of their hotel rooms.

Yoo Seongwoon handed Gio a keycard marked “4501.”

“Here. This one is yours.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll be in the room directly beside yours, so call me if you need anything.”

“Yes.”

“Our dinner reservation is at six thirty… so we can meet at six.”

Gio asked,

“What is the dinner menu?”

“French. The restaurant serves a set course, so all we need to do is go and eat.”

“Understood.”

“Then rest well.”

After entering his room alone, Yoo Seongwoon…

“……”

Was sweating coldly.

“…I’m certain that earlier…”

At Cheonggyecheon…

“…That was not ‘Gio.’”

Something had changed.

Perhaps conscious of being in Korea, Gio ordinarily introduced himself as “Seo Gio.” Yet despite Yoo Seongwoon pointing that fact out, the figure at Cheonggyecheon had defined himself as “Gio.”

‘Then what exactly was the change that occurred?’

Yoo Seongwoon still remembered the Black Cloak at Cheonggyecheon.

It had begun the moment Gio’s bare feet touched the stream. An indescribable incongruity arose, and something rippled strangely. Gio’s eyes, which had been an ordinary black the entire time, transformed into the color of the sea.

When Yoo Seongwoon fully registered the change and spoke to him, Gio smiled slowly, as though his entire personality had altered.

‘What color was his hair…? Silver? Or platinum blond? I couldn’t see it properly beneath the hood.’

Color slowly spread through it in patches. Then his body transformed until Yoo Seongwoon could no longer distinguish his feet from the water. Their form remained the same, but they were unmistakably no longer human feet. They were made of water.

When Yoo Seongwoon even saw minnows naturally swimming up through those transparent ankles, he could no longer restrain himself from calling Gio’s name.

That was…

“……”

Not human.

It did not appear to be alive, yet neither was it dead. It did not breathe, but it contained life.

Only a few minutes before, it had been a human he could touch and converse with. Watching it become not that, but something more akin to nature, was not a sight anyone could endure with a sound mind.

“…Haa…”

What a fool.

‘Did I let down my guard because his stature had fallen?’

A being of the Source could never become human, particularly an entity like Gio that could not even be defined as a Monster.

‘No matter how closely he fashions himself after humans, he can never be the same kind of being as us.’

Gio was simply so human and kind that Yoo Seongwoon had failed to remain vigilant.

“I need to pull myself together.”

At this rate, his qualifications as a Gardener would be revoked.

“…Well, even so, everything went far more smoothly than I expected.”

He deliberately released another breath.

Yoo Seongwoon tossed the bag containing their basic supplies onto the bed, then sat beside it. He reviewed everything from the beginning of the day until a few moments ago.

“……”

Nothing had been problematic.

‘…There were several awkward moments, but perhaps because he possesses human memories, Gio is proficient with the rules of human society. He is on a completely different level from other Monsters.’

An ordinary Monster, no matter how intelligent, would not understand why it had to pay an established price to obtain something.

‘In truth, that is the ordinary way of things. When humans peer into an anthill, do they take the ants’ circumstances into account before digging it apart?’

It followed the same principle. From a Monster’s perspective, there was no need to do anything but take the food or luxury item lying openly before it.

If it did not exist, that was one thing. But if it was there, why leave without picking it up? That was simply their ordinary life and their rule.

From Gio’s perspective, Yoo Seongwoon paying money to receive a meal should therefore have been incomprehensible.

“Considering how smoothly he followed along, is he trying to imitate humans in his own way…?”

Though, if one were exacting, he still seemed inexperienced in many respects even for that.

“His curiosity was obvious at a glance.”

Things a human would already know or roughly infer and accept. Gio asked Yoo Seongwoon about every single one.

What was this? What was that? Could he have this? How had that been made…?

“It would be difficult to call Gio a Monster, but in this respect, he certainly resembles a Humanoid Monster.”

They had always been curious about human objects and rules.

“…Hmm. Perhaps being far too light for a human is another such trait.”

Although Gio had lowered his stature to nearly the human level, his body itself did not seem to have become completely human. On the way to the hotel, the wind had nearly blown him away.

‘Even if he only floated for a moment, that is impossible for someone of his height and build.’

Gio had always been so light that his footsteps could not be heard. Yoo Seongwoon had thought he had finally become as heavy as a human today, but his shoes and clothes merely added a sense of weight. He still seemed excessively light for a human.

“……”

The wind had been rather strong, but recalling how Gio had nearly been carried away…

Honestly, it was a little chilling.

“…He truly isn’t human.”

Gio was not human.

‘Both his usual lack of weight and what happened at Cheonggyecheon prove it.’

A human could not be that light.

There was the weight of the clothes one wore, the weight of organs and bones, and the weight of the blood circulating within them. A human could not be as silent as a fallen leaf, as Gio was.

Nor could tiny minnows swim upward through the inside of a human body.

“……”

The sight of pale skin gradually transforming into transparent water merely because his feet had touched it…

The sight of fish and air bubbles passing through him had been so mysterious and grotesque that the mind could hardly comprehend it.

“But that wasn’t even a Monster…”

Nature imitating a human.

“……”

That was probably more accurate.

“…Frightening.”

Beings of the Source were, of course, classified as self-aware manifestations of nature. Yet Gio seemed somehow different even from them, inspiring an unfounded terror.

It felt as though he had received the goodwill of a being that should not exist.

Meanwhile, Gio…

“It’s the forty-fifth floor.”

“Kkurururuk!”

Together with Honey, whom he had secretly smuggled inside, Gio was enjoying the top floor of a five-star hotel to the fullest.

Indeed, he had no thoughts in his head whatsoever.

(To be continued)