Chapter 234: The Taciturn One
Rumble… Crash! Clatter.
Dinnerware tumbled helplessly to one side as the broken table tilted precariously.
I stared down at the bubbling stew that was starting to spill onto the floor, my mouth agape.
Of course, Jeong Ha-seong didn’t mean to destroy anything; he widened his eyes in surprise as if he couldn’t believe what had happened.
But the silence didn’t last long.
The top-ranking Hunter jumped halfway out of his seat and bombarded me with questions.
“Health issues?! Did you get hurt while raiding a dungeon?! Or is it an illness?”
“W-what?”
“Where does it hurt that an S-Class Hunter can’t even work? And why are you only telling us this now? Is it serious? Do you need an elixir or something?”
Um…
This seems like it’s going to be a big deal…
Was it the word “retirement” that was the problem? Or was it mentioning health issues?
The moment I let a certain keyword slip, Jeong Ha-seong raised his voice as if he had transformed into a different person.
Well, until now, this Earth had very few food boxes tailored for the top-ranking Awakened, and S-Class Hunters only sustained injuries that could be cured with medicine.
Since there hadn’t been any beings that could cause viruses or bacteria, the awakened ones on Earth gained temporary immunity to diseases.
‘It really is rare for an S-Class Hunter to be in poor health.’
Soon, the main reason for his shock became apparent.
At this point, even the most oblivious of people couldn’t help but realize.
There was no way a top-tier Hunter could just come up with an excuse about health.
No matter what the term “elixir” referred to, it felt like the nation’s hero was on the verge of something outrageous. So…
“Plus, how can the one who’s sick even think about classes?! Let’s start with my lecture before we even consider Esther Hunter’s!”
By the time the restaurant staff rushed in due to the disturbance, I quickly opened my mouth to calm him down.
“Relax! It’s not that serious.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve just been feeling tired lately, so I mentioned that… It’s like when office workers say they want to quit every day.”
The weather outside was sweltering in the summer, making everything feel heavy and lethargic.
“The weather’s hot, and my body is tired, so I impulsively wondered if I should quit this hunting gig. But why the response…”
“Really?”
“Retirement was a joke. A joke! I realized that I chose my words poorly. I’m sorry.”
The other party took a step back, looking bewildered.
Shortly after, the restaurant staff arrived to the room we were in. Thanks to the two S-Class Hunters being present, compensating for the broken items proceeded smoothly.
“…”
A few seconds later, Jeong Ha-seong, who was picking up the broken pieces, started to look seriously stiffened.
He probably started to think about things alone and realized that something was off, which soured his expression.
‘He realized I brought that up to distance myself from him.’
He wasn’t an idiot.
‘Hmm.’
Now, what should I do?
It was impossible to criticize his skills to prevent him from descending or to quietly withdraw under the pretense of illness.
But even in this miserable situation, I calmly wondered what I should have for dinner.
‘I don’t know… now…’
If things go south, I could just reveal that everything I promised up until now was a lie and face the consequences.
After all, nothing ever seems to go right in this dirty world. What’s the point of setting up elaborate plans with such rationality?
*
It had been about eight hours since the attempt to break our team promise spectacularly failed, and we returned to our daily lives.
Today, like always, rain was gently falling outside the window.
However, despite my preferred weather arriving, my mood didn’t reflect any positive change.
As I said a few days ago, I really didn’t have the energy left to devise a scheme internally.
So perhaps this means one shouldn’t carelessly meddle with cocoons or cracked eggshells.
Who would’ve thought Jeong Ha-seong would persistently cling to collaborating with a former enemy like this.
‘Maybe my remaining expected lifespan isn’t nine years but rather three months…’
Just when I arrived at that hollow conclusion.
Ding.
An alarm suddenly rang on my mobile phone.
[Hello, Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo. I am the newly appointed president of the Hunter Association, Shin ○○…]
A lengthy text message filled the screen from top to bottom.
The moment I read the first sentence, I instinctively thought it might be a phishing scam. I had just seen news about such fraud online not long ago.
But calming down and examining the screen, it seemed like it was genuinely sent by the president of the Hunter Association.
It even had the official contact details of the Korean Hunter Association at the end.
‘What’s going on with the association?’
President Shin mentioned that the association was currently facing difficulties due to a phenomenon stemming from a newly occurring Gate.
Thus, they were in urgent need of analytical Awakened individuals.
The enemies lurking in the new dungeon used a very special attack, and the association wanted to identify the monsters’ abilities before hunters suffered casualties.
“Hm.”
[Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo, you possess the [Emotion] skill and as an S-Class Hunter, your basic physical abilities are quite good, thus having high resistance to various attacks. If it’s alright, we would appreciate it if you could visit the site to observe the new Gate for a bit. Of course, if you comply, there will be financial compensation…]
The message was written in a considerably polite tone.
The problem was that the most crucial information in this lengthy text was wrong.
I only possessed the unique intuition and knowledge of the Alphauri, which was entirely different from how the appraisers on Earth perceive substances, and I wasn’t even a genuine S-Class Hunter.
‘Not particularly inclined to help.’
I originally considered ignoring the association president’s request.
Ding.
However, after I read the next message, my mind changed.
[The following are the basic characteristics of the said new dungeon. Please be cautious if you come across such phenomena during activities in other Gates.]
Well.
If that’s the content, as an Alphauri, it couldn’t be ignored.
*
Is there anyone here who frequently has nightmares?
Or perhaps someone who enjoys horror films?
This might be limited to Kim Gi-ryeo as a person.
But as I decipher it, inhabitants of Earth mostly derive their fear from deviations of familiarity.
Like a nursery caregiver who’s slicing kimbap suddenly twisting her neck 270 degrees to look behind her.
To express it more classically, the main nightmares of Earthlings would be like a ghost dressed in white crawling out from a dark well.
Egg ghosts, red-masked creatures, ghouls.
The protagonists in horror stories created by Earthlings statistically derive from humanity’s very essence.
Of course, there are plenty of other creepy elements like insects or the deep sea to discover.
But all in all, people are quite easy.
You don’t even need to achieve something grand to completely ruin daily life with just minor differences.
Imagine if the family, friends, loved ones, or colleagues who consistently showed affection suddenly lost the ability to communicate and exhibited bizarre behavior overnight.
The emotion that the denizens of Earth would finally emit upon witnessing such a scene would be precisely the fuel that some intelligent parasitic entity relishes.
…
A few minutes later, I responded to the institution’s summons and arrived at the scene of the issue.
“Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo!”
“I’ve been waiting!”
According to the message from the unknown president, the foes in that greenish new Gate reportedly exhibited what could be called ‘possession.’
Possession.
Honestly, anyone could catch on to this setup, but the odd phenomena in this dungeon were caused by the outsiders known as Ki-simche.
The Gate phenomena were disasters they had unleashed in the first place, so it felt wrong to frame them as the root of all evil. Still…
‘A being that can converse with Earthlings and an EX-Class dungeon that demands corpses from sorcerers.’
Now, I shall explain the characteristics of the Ki-simche.
The changes seen in the Extra-class food boxes were precursors to a disaster.
When the Ki-simche, the masters of the Gates, land on a new planet, their behavior fluctuates in total three stages according to their own standards of occupation.
To summarize and strip away all unnecessary parts:
Earth may have just entered a state of conquering stage two.
Initially, when the Ki-simche land on a planet, they prioritize acquiring information about what their hosts value.
Once they believe they’ve learned a bit about the planet’s unique culture, they instinctively feel a certain craving.
“I want to witness these diverse ingredients of souls even more closely.”
Like a drunkard tumbling headfirst into a bottle of makgeolli.
The more the Ki-simche learn about the planet, the stronger the desire to devour the locals’ bodies becomes.
However, the earlier mentioned EX-Class scenario Gate was proof that they had successfully absorbed Earth’s language system.
The demand for corpses discovered by Brooklyn was a signal that they had started to develop an interest in Earthling forms.
Thus, the information they craved was complete.
‘It’s time.’
Unlike the Alphauri, they couldn’t easily utilize others’ corpses.
Because these entities are more of a conceptual existence than mere physical forms, they struggle inherently to handle actual fleshy beings.
The method they finally opted for was mental infection.
In short, it literally causes possession, similar to what shamans experience here.
This way, they can vividly relive the emotions stored in the body from the perspective of the individual, making the act of possession feel extremely addictive to the Ki-simche.
‘Throwing aside safety in pursuit of gluttony. Typical of their entire species being so dim-witted.’
However, possessing a living host is akin to breaking into a house with an owner—how could that go without trouble?
Possession by the Ki-simche inevitably provokes severe backlash. For example:
“Let me tidy up before entering. The association planned to send personnel for investigation and clearing in this new Gate, but suddenly, an investigator Awakened showed abnormal symptoms halfway through the dungeon?”
“Yes. The notable premonition was that the person ‘utterly stopped speaking.’”
“Didn’t their movements feel somewhat awkward too?”
“Oh, yes! They walked like a ghost from an exorcism movie.”
“But what’s even creepier is that before the team properly interrogated them, they carried on with their quest looking fine. However, looking back, that chatterbox employee was eerily silent for too long.”
Such side effects emerge.
I calmly observed as the people from the Hunter Association testified one after another.
And I thought.
‘They tried pouring an anomaly removal potion onto the problem investigator, but there were no reactions, and when they hastily escaped with their colleague out of the food box, that person returned to normal in no time.’
‘Hmmm.’
Given the circumstances, the likelihood of possession by the Ki-simche appeared high.
“Could it be the named monster we encountered earlier that caused this? It did use some flashy technique, but no one got hurt from it.”
“It’s possible. But either way, we have to see for ourselves.”
I maintained a calm face, folding my arms leisurely.
Wait, why was I remaining so laid-back in the face of a situation involving cosmic travelers like the Ki-simche?
Because there was nothing overly concerning about it.
Even if they reached conquering stage two, it would inevitably slow their growth.
That ‘possession’… it was actually a rather unfavorable phenomenon for the Ki-simche.
Just like an armadillo stripped of its shell and exposed.
Ki-simche in a possessed state are incredibly unstable and weak.
They could die in an instant just by slightly disturbing its mind, without even needing to harm its physical vessel.
‘Phew.’
This is why I don’t address them as sorcerers, even when I see them using magic.
Frankly, their abilities concerning creation almost provoke awe, but because of their gluttony, they tend to ruin everything in the end.
The Ki-simche are not sorcerers but simply pest-like creatures that follow their cravings.
They are a race I could never acknowledge, unlike Earthlings. That much hasn’t changed, no matter how much time passes.
‘Hmmm.’
But the problem is…
‘Stage two. We’re at stage two…’
Regarding the upcoming events.
Once Ki-simche enjoy enough energy from the hosts through dungeons and possession, they prepare for something known as [Descent].
Yes. Ultimately, that stage three is a headache.
The Alphauri thought it was nothing to worry about right until that Descent, only to have things go chaotic in the southern hemisphere. That’s when I had to step in.
‘Recalling how I barely rested for days during that incident still brings tears to my eyes.’
Damn it.
Why did I think it was thrilling to observe aliens in untested territory? Those incompetent upper-class idiots should’ve been submerged in lava long ago…
‘Fine, fine.’
I took a moment to steady my breath, which had become ragged due to past memories, and returned to the present.
Though it was a long explanation.
In summary, the possession phenomenon by the Ki-simche isn’t an immediate threat; however, it leads to a potential massive disaster later on, so it needed analysis ahead of time.
Precisely, I wanted to confirm if their Achilles’ heel was still potent on this planet.
There was no need to get too close. I just had to recognize the form of mana surrounding them.
The Ki-simche awaiting possession are surprisingly dull and instinctual; there couldn’t be a better opportunity to observe them than this.
‘Hmmm.’
But when I think about it, the probability of this not being the Ki-simche seems hefty.
For creatures that have become cautious enough to use straws for meals, their casual appearance seemed off. Comparatively, given the dungeon shock period on Earth, it felt almost too recent to have reached stage two.
‘If it’s not the Ki-simche, then it’s likely that white bug is the cause. But the symptoms overlap so closely that it’s confusing.’
While the association staff dealt with the admission permits over the phone,
I placed a hand over my mouth and fell into deep thought. But despite all my pondering, the conclusion remained unchanged.
‘I need to check it firsthand.’
It’s a hassle, but this new Gate requires the Great Mage to step in, albeit for his own safety.
If I observe the Ki-simche that have come down to perform possession, I can glean far more information than initially anticipated.
Discovering their hunger allows me to astonishingly predict the dungeon levels that may arise in Korea soon.
‘If I sense something’s off after estimating, I’m hopping abroad immediately.’
What exactly awaits in that dungeon?
Ki-simche? The white bug? Or simply a new monster wielding somewhat peculiar magic?
Thud.
I took a step forward, engaging in a flurry of thoughts.
“Oh.”
But just before entering the dungeon, a promise flashed momentarily in my mind.
‘Speaking of which…’
Knight’s Pact!
I almost forgot entirely. Well, since my body doesn’t suffer any penalties, it’s somewhat understandable that I wouldn’t feel anxious.
Beep beep beep.
I grabbed my mobile phone and dialed familiarly.
Originally, I would have sent a sneaky notification via text during busy times, but since I told the contractor last time that if he does this again while returning from China, I would smash his head like some reporter, I had to do it differently.
“Hello? Hunter Kang Chang-ho?”
Once connected, I reported to the microphone, as always, the classification name of the dungeon I was about to enter and its precise location.
Immediately, the unmistakable cheerful voice burst forth from the other end of the receiver.
“No way.”
