Chapter 273: After Destruction (2)
Lemming established a hypothesis after various considerations.
To be precise, after slowly analyzing the previous story, he roughly guessed what doubts Kang Chang-ho held.
However, in the current situation where he had aroused resentment, clarifying his identity seemed meaningless.
Moreover, there was even the possibility of that assailant revealing the existence of aliens to NASA as the price for his breach of contract.
“Hmm.”
Contact with dangerous factors was postponed.
Lemming soon returned to the current conversation and said to the guest in front of him.
“Anyway, I understand that Ms. Seonwoo-yeon came with good intentions. Now, let’s get to the main point. I’m currently in a bit of trouble because of an S-Class Hunter. If it’s okay, could you, as a public authority figure, help me out a little?”
“Uh.”
“You can see from this situation that I’m being attacked unilaterally by that Hunter. At this rate, a person could die without anyone knowing.”
At this point, it sounds like he’s the perfectly innocent victim.
“What kind of help do you need, exactly?”
“It’s simple. Kang Chang-ho will probably come to retrieve Justitia and will ask about the conversation that took place in this studio. All you need to do is say one thing to him.”
“….”
“I verified it, but Kim Gi-ryeo was just as I knew him.”
“….”
“And after that, if possible, it would be great if you could collect a strand of Kang Chang-ho’s hair for me as I’ll need it to make a magic tool for that guy.”
Easy peasy, right?
With an alien clad in human skin saying such things, the Earthling’s skin grew damp.
It was the sheen of cold sweat.
Forget the crazy request about bringing hair. Upon reflection, a small problem was discovered.
“Um, excuse me… but if during the conversation, Hunter Kang Chang-ho threatens me?”
The reason for this meeting was the S-Class Hunter with a history of assault.
But is it really wise to keep quiet when someone like that is boldly making demands?
“I mean, even if he said he wanted to know more details and I stayed silent… he might, you know… do something physically. Anyway, it seems like he would threaten to cause a big incident. What should I do then?”
Seonwoo-yeon’s tone sounded somewhat anxious.
However, the blond man in the corner of the room showed no concern for such topics and said.
“That’s something I don’t know either.”
“What?”
He had this thought.
“Uh, unfortunately, you’ll have to handle most of the aftermath of this situation, Ms. Seonwoo-yeon. Because, when you think about it, it was an uninvited guest who came to this house without an appointment that led to the revealing of my secret.”
So, in a way, all the responsibility lies with the one who came here holding Justitia.
At this point, he could be treated as kin with the modern inhabitants of Alphauri. The ancient mage naturally shifted the arrows of blame.
“If you’re really having a hard time, saying that you’re being pressured by me and finding it difficult to relay the details might be okay.”
“Ugh.”
“The fact that I’m different from the billions of other aliens on this planet being revealed is rather awkward, right? Please remain silent.”
“Yes.”
“By the way, does Ms. Seonwoo-yeon have any obligation to report everything she hears to them? You just came here to see me because you were worried, treating it as a deception.”
“Yeah…”
“Right now, the proof that the fourth S-Class Hunter has maintained his personality for a whole year has just finished. Then, Ms. Seonwoo-yeon, you’ve achieved your objective, haven’t you?”
“I guess so.”
“Honestly, if you haven’t been receiving money, it seems there’s no justification or reason to comply with Kang Chang-ho’s demands.”
His eloquent speech.
The way the blond man explained it was hard to believe he was an alien, and the guests nodded as if enchanted.
“I can’t help you right now, Ms. Seonwoo-yeon.”
The man’s words continued.
“Now that I’ve clarified, well, as you can see, it’s embarrassing, but I’m not in a great situation right now.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“It means I also have no effective means to restrain Kang Chang-ho. You should have realized that by the time I’ve come this far with just a scale.”
Lemming lightly crossed his arms, moving his new body.
He had often assumed this posture in his previous life to prevent his tentacles from getting caught in the current.
Even though he lived as a mammal now, curling up his bodily extremities gave him a strange sense of stability.
“The reason I reluctantly revealed this secret is because I lack the common sense of this place as an outsider.”
After a year on Earth, if he could convincingly pretend to be a native, it was honestly a considerable achievement.
However, the great mage set aside his pride and continued explaining.
“Ms. Seonwoo-yeon, how do people usually navigate crises on Earth? These cops say they can only help when real damage occurs after a report. Actually, I’ve faced a lot of frustrating situations here due to legal constraints.”
“Well, uh…”
“But you are a native of this planet! Don’t you have some useful trump card?”
Since they viewed things from different perspectives, the alien insisted that they might find solutions from unexpected places.
In response, the black-haired woman moved her gaze restlessly but engaged sincerely in the conversation.
“I’m sorry to say this to someone with expectations, but I really don’t know what preemptive measures I could take against an S-Class Hunter…”
“Oh dear.”
That moment, the Earthling guest reached a fundamental question.
“Wait a minute, from what I gather, um… Mr. Alien.”
“Just call me Gi-ryeo like you usually do.”
“Uh, uh, right. So, Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter, your claim has a significantly strange aspect.”
The expression ‘mage’ used in Alphauri was quite similar to ‘hunter’ on Earth.
At the same time, ‘magic’ and ‘skill’ could be regarded as nearly complete synonyms. Therefore…
“It seems that previously, in terms of using magic power, you were a complete authority. So why do you say you can’t handle Kang Chang-ho?”
…A question surfaced that pierced through all the events from last summer until now.
How could such a powerful great mage like you not stop some primitive sorcerer?
“That’s true.”
At this point, one characteristic of the Alphauri people emerged.
In fact, Alphaurians, whose visual organs were buried in their bodies, naturally had no tears.
There was no culture of crying in their society; emotional changes were communicated through pigments in their blood vessels.
This meant that the brightness or dullness of their body colors represented their expressions.
Therefore, when the reincarnated alien saw the Earthlings crying, there was an immediate sense of wildness or unfamiliarity.
Just as Seonwoo-yeon pointed out, this blond Hunter found it difficult to express genuine feelings on Earth.
Typically, he had no choice but to appear expressionless.
However.
“That’s a fair point. How on earth did I come to be unable to defeat such a primitive being…?”
“Wha- What? Primitive being?”
It’s strange.
He’s clearly a beast that doesn’t know how to enjoy tears, yet somehow today, his eyes seemed unusually moist.
“My state has a lot to do with the defects of the body used for the reincarnation process.”
“Eh?”
“Kim Gi-ryeo was a patient…”
“Oh….”
“I didn’t intend for it to turn out this way. Really. I didn’t wish for much, just that in this new life, I could read books in a modest little house of around 200 square meters and relax.”
The being from the twin star system, now reduced to dry skin, continued with eyes filled with pity.
“Anyway, having come into this body has half ruined everything! My range of magic that I can use is now very limited.”
Magic, huh. Could he possibly be referring to skills?
Seonwoo-yeon suddenly felt like she was in a fairy tale based on his choice of words.
“At this point, the most I can do is remotely kill a B-Class Hunter. Ugh… So please, don’t provoke me thoughtlessly. After being reborn, my emotional days have increased, and I might impulsively take off a person’s head.”
Then Seonwoo-yeon quickly canceled that thought. Fairy tales, my foot.
“I’m serious.”
The Association employee, who seemed to have regained some composure, returned her gaze nervously.
“But I should tell you in advance that the desire to protect you is also genuine. I’m a very benign alien, and I don’t want Kang Chang-ho to harm you, who is innocent.”
To the left, to the right, and then to the right again swaying Justitia.
But since this judgment was something the mage had intentionally not manipulated, Lemming’s soul was entirely focused on the conversation without paying any attention to the scales.
“What should we do to prevent Kang Chang-ho from harming us?”
“Well.”
“Uhh…”
“….”
“Ah, right. Ms. Seonwoo-yeon, how about spending some time confined in my room for about 30 days? If you stay here, Kang Chang-ho might come looking for you out of curiosity.”
“In person?”
“If we get close enough to see each other’s faces, I have magic I can use, so there’s a chance of victory.”
“….”
“By the way, be careful not to speak of this to anyone, or you’ll die.”
“I’m sorry, but may I share my thoughts about the confinement for a moment?”
“Of course.”
“If I don’t go to work for 30 days, I won’t be an Association employee anymore.”
Oh dear.
This is why working people…
Seonwoo-yeon could not explicitly refuse, only showing signs of discomfort, which led the alien side to make a choice.
Fine.
Then, I will abandon the bait operation to hold you back.
Upon further contemplation, it also posed the risk of the target—Kang Chang-ho—catching on to something.
Raising the alertness toward the studio wouldn’t yield any benefits.
A moderate amount of intellect.
Moreover, with an F-Class physique, he had no hopes of dealing with magic.
Kang Chang-ho was a troublesome obstacle.
From the perspective of an outsider, it might have been easier to handle the Ki-simche in the ascended state that he had met in his previous life.
“Then….”
But now, there was no time to worry about past grievances.
The blond hunter reached a conclusion after a brief period of contemplation.
“Let’s discuss what to do next to keep everyone safe. Ah, but don’t worry too much about not having a clear solution yet.”
“Yes.”
“The magic placed on Ms. Seonwoo-yeon is fundamentally very similar to curses. If you die, I will be notified.”
“Yes?”
“If you unfortunately suffer damage from Kang Chang-ho, I will surely avenge you. Isn’t that reassuring?”
“Haha….”
“….”
“….”
“….”
“Your expression seems to have soured.”
Seonwoo-yeon found her frequency of smiles decreasing as the conversation progressed.
At the same time, her speech dwindled.
In effect, she was falling into despair. How could a delicate sorceress born in Hadong remain calm after being hit with an overwhelming shock over and over?
Later.
She spent approximately another 45 minutes in the studio before finally escaping the barrier.
Magic.
Aliens.
The fight between S-Class Hunters.
Suddenly being bombarded with knowledge that seemed more likely to become a major concern in her life rather than help.
Thus, Seonwoo-yeon carried a secret she couldn’t share with anyone in her heart.
The landlord, perhaps sensing the inner turmoil of the anxious guest, added a statement as she was about to step out of the front door, saying that it was okay for her not to believe the story about her hometown just yet. Additionally, she wouldn’t feel the immediate threat of the curse placed upon her, so if she wanted to break her promise, she should give it a try.
…This sounded more like a threat than a consideration.
After getting into her newly bought used car, Seonwoo-yeon started the engine instinctively.
However, even as the car smoothly set off, the phrase “Are aliens really a thing?” lingered in the Association employee’s mind.
This marked the ordeal experienced by a B-Class Awakened being in South Korea.
Yet surprisingly, the words of this bewildered Earth woman were far gentler.
Soon, a wave of confusion washed over the blond alien…
*
Some time later, after the guest left the studio.
Afternoon.
This month stood at the center of summer, so although the sun was longer than in other seasons, as time passed, the sky darkened due to weather changes.
It was raining.
“Hmm~ Hmm hmm.”
Yet there were few people who would be staring intently at the sky’s transformation in modern society.
In a multi-unit residence far from a subway station.
A humming sound resonated from inside the door labeled 102.
Since it was summer, rain fell whenever it could.
Inside the room, the resident was once again comfortably enjoying their hobbies while wearing high-quality noise-canceling headphones.
What the resident had been eagerly tending to was none other than a small magic stone measuring 1.3 cm.
Collecting the tiny flakes of non-valuable magic stones by color instead of raw stones as a hobby.
Although the small size of the living space naturally shrank the scale of the collection, it was still neatly gathered within the budget.
“How pretty~ So pretty.”
The resident found satisfaction gazing at the collection laid out on their table.
The stones infused with magic exuded a mysterious light that humanity’s technology struggled to replicate.
Thud!
But then.
An unknown noise slipped through the famous band’s new song flowing from the headphones.
Thud thud thud! Thud thud thud!
Objectively, it was quite a loud sound, yet the occupant of room 102 remained unaware.
With 619,000 won worth of noise-canceling headphones covering his ears, the resident didn’t grasp the mysterious noise for several seconds.
After splurging to buy such headphones on a payment plan, he certainly could appreciate their performance.
