Chapter 25

8 AM.

Looking at the Black Cape that had appeared in front of the frame, Yu Seong-un blinked his mint-colored eyes.

“…….”

Huh.

‘The feeling is a bit different.’

It wasn't just his imagination. The jet-black figure standing before the portrait didn't exude the same bizarre aura as before.

It was as if a monster had become a human.

“Jio.”

“Have you arrived?”

“Did I come too late?”

“No, I was out early.”

“Really?”

Yu Seong-un replied nonchalantly, thinking to himself.

‘…His voice is different from usual, too.’

Unlike before, when he spoke in a tone so composed it felt bizarre, the current Jio, while seeming a bit 'overly polite', didn't feel strange.

He had an air about him that suggested a person of innocent character might be like this.

‘It could be that his very class of existence changes depending on whether he's inside or outside the portrait….’

But that contradicted the witness testimonies he had received so far.

“…….”

Yu Seong-un's eyes darted around for a moment before he smiled and asked.

“Are you perhaps in a good mood?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Hmm… your mood seems lighter than usual.”

“I have always been light.”

“Then let's go with that.”

He was definitely different from usual.

‘I can't feel much of the intimidating pressure either.’

Although Yu Seong-un had only seen his back, he knew what a fearsome being the Jio outside the portrait usually was.

That feeling of being suffocated and dizzy, even without any hostility or killing intent, was not something one could easily experience.

‘Even in a world like this, full of humans, monsters, and various kinds of freaks.’

He had heard that the sensation was even worse when facing Jio from the front, but this was truly strange.

The Jio before him now just felt like an ordinary human.

“…….”

“…….”

As if sensing his question, Jio spoke first.

“I have taken measures.”

“Measures?”

“I tried adjusting the resolution so that others would not be startled by me. Seeing your reaction, Mr. Yu Seong-un, it seems my attempt was not too bad.”

“Ah, so that's what it was. No wonder.”

He seemed quite human.

While Yu Seong-un nodded as if it were nothing, his inner thoughts were not so calm.

‘Does that mean… he can control the class of his own soul?’

In the past, Jio's class was so twisted it couldn't be expressed within the human system, but now, his class could probably be rated as an A-Class Hunter.

The ability to freely control the class of one's soul sounded like a really bad joke.

“…Is there no strain on your body?”

If he had forcibly lowered his class, the fatigue would be immense.

‘It's the same as placing a curse on yourself.’

He had softened the question to ‘is there no strain,’ but controlling one's class like this would likely cause more pain than fatigue.

At Yu Seong-un's question, Jio looked down at his own hands, then shook his head.

“I am fine.”

“That's a relief, but….”

How could he be so nonchalant after doing something so insane?

Yu Seong-un was quietly horrified.

‘He's too calm for someone who has self-harmed. If you want to pretend to be normal, be more meticulous.’

Even a 10-year-old child would understand the gravity of the current situation.

In civilian terms, it was equivalent to cutting off all your limbs and gouging out both eyes.

‘It’s no different from putting a leash around the neck of a person crawling with only their torso and hanging a weight from it….’

Of course, Jio wasn't thinking about any of that.

‘I'm hungry.’

In the first place, he was someone who, from his own perspective, had lived as a normal human until recently.

A body that didn't get thirsty, sleepy, hungry, or full was certainly convenient… but that didn't mean he felt a sense of rejection toward his current state.

What rejection? This was how he had always lived.

If anything, it was familiar.

“…….”

“Where should we go now?”

“…Oh, right.”

Yu Seong-un forced a calm expression and replied.

It would be rude to show only a worried face to a guy who came out to have fun.

With a being of the Source, one had to be careful with every single reaction.

“Since it's morning, I was thinking we'd have a meal.”

“What kind of food will it be?”

“The place I recommend is a baekban restaurant.”

Jio had referred to himself in the Korean style as ‘Seo Jio’.

Though he didn't know if that was truly following the ways of the Republic of Korea, he chose a baekban restaurant for breakfast, as Jio seemed to know a lot about Korea in many respects.

Still, just in case, he added an explanation.

“It's a meal that comes as a set with side dishes, rice, and soup. You can also order fish or jeyuk.”

“…….”

“Overall, it won't be too stimulating, but since it's morning, I looked for a restaurant that would be easy on the stomach.”

“That sounds good.”

Jio was someone who ate anything well, but having been raised by his grandmother who always prepared baekban, he liked this kind of comforting food. It was easy on the body and mind.

Yu Seong-un nodded.

“That's a relief. Shall we get going, then?”

Jio followed behind him.

‘…I can hear his footsteps.’

He thought he was barefoot before, but the current Jio was wearing dress shoes.

But apart from that, Yu Seong-un was a little surprised to hear the sound of footsteps that carried the weight of a person.

‘Does that mean he really lowered his class to a human level? I still can't believe it.’

Starting with how it was even possible, he felt a strange mix of emotions wondering why on earth he would do such a terrible thing.

‘He probably did this intentionally to be considerate of other humans….’

Yu Seong-un, who had been contemplating how to make excuses if any damage occurred, felt a bizarre sense of guilt even before he could feel embarrassed.

This unbelievable act of goodwill, akin to cutting off one's own limbs and soul, was hard to bear.

The fact that he offered such an out-of-this-world kindness so casually made him feel even less human.

“Um….”

Coming to his senses, Yu Seong-un led Jio to the elevator.

“Let's get in.”

“I believe this is a first.”

“What is? This elevator?”

“I usually traveled through paintings.”

“So you did travel through paintings.”

He had already guessed as much, but this explained the unidentified portraits that the night guards would often discover in the hallways.

Even so, the ghost story of the ‘Black Cape’ had already taken root in this guild.

“I gave you an access card, so why didn't you ever take the elevator?”

“I thought it would be troublesome if I encountered other people in this small space.”

“…I see.”

True, just encountering him in that wide hallway was enough to make the guards take a vacation; in a narrow space like this, they might have foamed at the mouth and collapsed.

However, that wasn't what Jio meant.

‘How do I know what kind of people the employees here are? Why would I be in such a small space with them?’

Knowing when to be cautious, Jio was intimidated.

The 31 years, mixed with fantasy, were enough to make him feel an unknown fear even in his hometown.

‘I don't know how much the culture has changed, so it's dangerous for a haunted portrait to act rashly. It's also faster to travel through paintings.’

So it was a choice made considering his convenience in various aspects, but….

“…….”

It was bound to be interpreted a little differently by Yu Seong-un.

‘…Isn't this guy overly nice? Was I worrying about the wrong thing?’

He was starting to get worried.

‘He travels through paintings instead of the elevator because he's worried others will be crushed by his class, and he cuts off his own class because he's worried something unpleasant might happen during the trip….’

There was other suspicious evidence too.

‘Come to think of it, his particular fondness for giving gifts is also an unsettling trait now that I think about it.’

This was a sightseeing trip prepared while worrying that the portrait would cause an accident, but if Jio were to be harmed by humans instead, that would be an accident in a different sense.

‘I think I've targeted the wrong subject for caution. Instead of worrying about the gentlemanly Jio's sudden actions, should I have been worried about some human approaching who might provoke him….’

Yu Seong-un couldn't shake off his suspicion, even as he lamented whether this was the right direction for his worries.

“…Alright, let's get off.”

“It takes quite a long time.”

“That's because the gallery is deep underground.”

Yu Seong-un explained with a small smile.

“The works in the Guild Master's gallery are gathered from all over the world. There are items the Guild Master bought himself, items that guild members identified and purchased for him, and items that were entrusted to us for safekeeping because they were too dangerous….”

In other words, it was a den of demons.

“The entry restriction to the gallery is partly to prevent theft, but it's also because a dozen people could easily die if things go wrong. The Collectors' gallery, where all sorts of works with bizarre properties run rampant, is a famous story. Thanks to that, if a ghost story pops up, the gallery is usually the source.”

“I see.”

“That's why the gallery is located in a place so deep it seems excessive. It's a design meant to make it easier to clean up if some unknown bomb were to go off down there, or… to reduce the damage even a little.”

Having said that, Yu Seong-un turned to look at Jio.

“Hmm, right.”

“…Is there a problem?”

“Keep the hood on.”

Lowering his class might have made the intimidating pressure disappear, but he was by no means harmless, and above all, Jio's face was too assertive.

If he walked around with it exposed, he would get entangled in all sorts of troublesome matters.

‘If he just covers his face, I can pass him off as an unofficial Hunter. The Collectors have a lot of unofficial Hunters, so other people won't be suspicious.’

The employee at the 1st-floor lobby entrance greeted Yu Seong-un.

“Are you heading home already?”

“No way, it's a business trip. I just got here, there's no way I'm leaving already.”

“I was about to be jealous, what a relief. Let's suffer together.”

The guard, who joked good-naturedly, looked at Jio standing behind Yu Seong-un.

“And this person is….”

“A guest of the Guild Master.”

“Is he joining as a rookie soon?”

“Could be.”

As if he had a friendly personality, the guard, despite seeing Jio for the first time, spoke to him familiarly as if they were old acquaintances.

“Then it would be fine to change the color of that cape. A new ghost story has popped up in our guild recently, and as you well know… we're the type of people who get easily swayed by such ghost stories.”

At that, Yu Seong-un asked.

“Are there still people who are startled by the story of the Black Cape?”

“Well, with so many witnesses, what can you do? It seems to really exist, so everyone is maintaining a certain level of alertness.”

“Man, this is troublesome.”

Yu Seong-un, who muttered with a placid smile, gave a slight bow.

“Then I'll see you in a few days.”

“Looks like a long business trip?”

“Well, I suppose I'll have to go and see….”

“Then, take care.”

The guard, who had greeted them politely, quickly lost interest in Yu Seong-un and Jio.

The huge glass door of the lobby opened.

Stepping outside the Collectors' Guild, Yu Seong-un opened his mouth.

“As you can see, some rumors about you have spread. I've already spoken to the Guild Master about the inconvenience you're experiencing, but it seems it will take some time for it to be reflected….”

Yu Seong-un said, as if making an excuse.

“I'll tell people you're a guest of the Guild Master. How does that sound?”

“I understand.”

“Any other questions?”

“I am curious why the guard was so certain that I would become a colleague.”

“Ah, that.”

Yu Seong-un nodded his head.

“It's a habit of the Guild Master's to pick people up from here and there.”

“He picks them up? The Guild Master must be a man of rare conviction.”

“He even tries to scout a contract employee who came to assassinate him.”

“To recruit even someone who tried to kill him is quite daring. It seems he is very accepting.”

“His tastes are so unique that if there's an unfamiliar person in the guild, there's a high chance they're the Guild Master's guest. It's not just once or twice that he's invited people to the guild to woo them.”

“…….”

There's a limit to sugarcoating things.

Jio, unaware that such sugarcoating made him seem even more inhuman, quietly resigned himself to the endlessly continuing tales of Bisabeol's eccentricities.

‘His is a massive presence that I, with my limited stamina granted by the gods of heaven and earth, cannot handle.’

He didn't seem like a bad person, but in the sense that you couldn't predict where he'd jump next, he was the number one type of person he never wanted to talk to.

‘If we were to get close, he would surely drag me, a shut-in, out of my corner, place me in the middle of a gathering of insiders, and offer me as a sacrifice for the party….’

It was horrifying.

“Now we have to take the overground train, will that be alright?”

“…Overground train?”

Not a subway?

Thanks to Jio's lowered class, Yu Seong-un was able to notice his question more clearly and soon explained.

“Um, it's a railway that runs above the ground. The routes are fixed like a bus, but it's a bit faster and operates at a fairly high altitude.”

Saying so, Yu Seong-un raised his finger and pointed to the sky.

“See over there?”

A rail that penetrated through high-rise buildings or passed between them.

The entire rail wasn't visible, only parts of it.

It seemed that for the sake of the city view, special measures were taken to make parts of it transparent. That stimulated Jio's sci-fi sensibility.

“It is quite high.”

“In terms of building floors, it operates at about the 60th floor.”

Jio inwardly nodded his head.

‘They say even mountains and rivers change in ten years; the world has certainly changed in thirty.’

It was probably more pronounced because this was the metropolitan area, but even considering that, the buildings and facilities had developed a lot.

Jio now truly felt that he had become an ancestor.

The buildings were basically over 30 stories high and the overground train passing between them looked just like a roller coaster.

‘The rail route and speed probably aren't as intense as that, though….’

The futuristic design filled Jio with a sense of romance.

“Jio, this way.”

“…….”

People's fashion was also quite different from before.

There were people wearing armor or carrying huge greatswords on their backs, and even people with wings or tails.

They say trends come and go, but it was clear that an ecosystem-disrupting species had jumped in at some point.

Everyone was so full of individuality that Jio, wearing a cape, seemed plain.

He could even see people exchanging jewels or weapons here and there.

Jewels were one thing, but weapons with menacingly sharp blades….

“…….”

Oof.

Jio could find himself shriveling up endlessly like thinly sliced pork belly on a hot grill.

‘It’s a sight that makes a mockery of myself for worrying whether I, a haunted portrait, would seem harmful.’

Contrary to his thoughts, some quick-witted people were glancing at Jio.

‘His energy is heavy…. A Hunter? Judging by the discipline in his movements, he's a knight or… a priest?’

‘Is he at least A-Class? I've never felt this kind of presence before, so there's a high chance he's an unofficial Hunter.’

‘He's all in black. He might have a skill that values color, or that could all be a set item….’

Yu Seong-un was also aware of the gazes from some of these people.

‘Please just don't talk to him.’

It was as he had expected, but thanks to Jio's help, they were drawing less attention than he'd thought.

He was earnestly praying that no one would strike up a conversation with Jio, who had just come out into human society, and cause a disaster.

“This is the entrance to the overground train.”

Yu Seong-un drew Jio's attention so that his gaze wouldn't meet others'.

“See here? You can pay the fare by tapping a card here.”

“Do you pay the fee in front of the elevator?”

With his hands clasped behind his back out of habit, Jio looked at the entrance to the overground train with interest.

It looked like an elevator one might find at a subway station or on some pedestrian overpasses.

Instead of being hidden inside a building, the elevator protruded out and stretched high up, connecting to the overground train's route.

‘Is there no separate station?’

Looking at the bare rails without a building, it seemed there was no station, and at best, there were small spaces like bus stops here and there.

It seemed they were really using it like a bus.

“I'll give you my card. If there's anything you want to buy, you can use this, there's no limit.”

“…….”

Jio was intimidated.

‘I don't know how many times I've been intimidated today alone.’

The world outside the blanket was dangerous.

‘Why are you giving me a no-limit card.’

Since you're scary, I'll just call you hyung-nim for now.

Of course, Jio, a selective introvert, would never call Yu Seong-un, whom he'd known for less than a few months, hyung.

Jio still maintained his polite demeanor as he used the card to get on the overground train's elevator.

“…….”

“What's wrong?”

“I have a question.”

Jio asked.

“I do not understand why there is only one elevator when its speed is not very fast. In the case of a large crowd, would the operation not be delayed?”

“Ah….”

Yu Seong-un laughed awkwardly.

“Not many people ride it anyway, so it seems they only installed one.”

“It seems like a useful means of transportation, so why are there not many people who ride it?”

How could anyone just leave such an interesting piece of new civilization alone?

“It's not for any great reason.”

Yu Seong-un told him the reality.

“Because it's expensive.”

“…….”

Aha.

‘I see.’

If it was a capitalist society, Jio knew it very well.

‘But is that guy still alive?’

He's living a long life, huh?

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