NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
Episode 28
After finishing his meal, Yoo Seong-un led Geo to Cheonggyecheon.
“… … .”
But, as expected, it was quite different from the Cheonggyecheon in Seoul that Geo remembered.
“Okay, this is Cheonggyecheon.”
“It’s a very natural sight.”
“yes?”
“It’s winter, but flowers are blooming.”
Are you crazy?
‘Is the Earth finally starting to break down because it can no longer withstand humans?’
Fortunately, Yoo Seong-un added an explanation.
“I don’t know what they were thinking, but they just took special measures to make it like a greenhouse.”
“What action is being taken?”
“There is a separate department in charge of urban landscaping in the city. They make sure that a certain amount of vegetation remains when the city is being built.”
“Are you going to keep it as a greenhouse even in the winter?”
“That’s right, look. Isn’t the air very mild?”
The meteor cloud waved in the air and pointed to Cheonggyecheon.
“It’s magically treated, so anyone except for level 5 citizens, criminals, or threatening monsters can enter. It’s a real greenhouse-like system that blocks out the cold winter air and lets in only sunlight.”
“… … .”
“Wasn’t it pretty warm in front of our company? In the case of companies that handle a lot of money or public places where people often gather, this kind of magical treatment is done. In the former case, the company owner installs it privately, and in the latter case, the government pays for it and installs it… .”
Geo, who was chewing on Yoo Seong-un’s words, asked.
“If you say a threatening monster… can a non-threatening monster enter?”
“ah….”
Yoo Seong-un nodded after thinking for a moment.
“I guess that’s the way it can be. Even if they’re monsters, they’re already part of the Earth’s ecosystem and play a part in the natural cycle, so we can’t just reject them.”
From those words, Geo could tell that even monsters were treated like half-stray cats or half-pigeons.
“I guess monsters can only be seen when the dungeon is destroyed.”
“Huh? Ah, no matter what, humans aren’t that capable.”
Yoo Seong-un continued his explanation.
“When I was young, there were many who argued that all monsters had to be dealt with. However, no matter how many Hunters there are, they are not enough to protect all of humanity, and even if there were a very strong Hunter, it would be inhumane for that one person to chase down and deal with all the monsters.”
He shrugged.
“More than anything, how can you handle it if such a strong hunter causes terrorism due to stress? It’s the same even if you’re not a strong hunter. Hunters are people too, so how can they just work?”
“okay.”
“They say that most of the native monsters that have settled on Earth now are the result of not being dealt with in the early stages of the catastrophe.”
“At the beginning?”
“Back then, the hunters were much weaker than they are now, the system was weaker, and there weren’t many people with pursuit skills, so that’s only natural.”
“Then the monsters that were left behind and couldn’t be killed… .”
“You have become a part of the Earth.”
As he said that, Yoo Seong-un winked at the stream with clear water flowing.
“Like that guy.”
Purrururuk―.
In the middle of the river, a round bird was preening its feathers.
“That guy is a monster too.”
“… … .”
It was definitely a bird that Geo didn’t know about.
But the system knew.
Cotton bud
It was named by Koreans because it resembles cotton. It is a spherical shape with no distinction between wings, torso, head, and neck, but its actual body structure is similar to that of a normal bird, except that its feathers are puffed up. If you boil cotton-boiled eggs and pull out the thread, you can make a bandage.
“… … .”
Silkworm cocoon?
‘It looks almost like a ball.’
Anyway, Geo was convinced.
“The cotton bollworm is not a threat.”
“… Do you know that guy?”
“I just found out.”
The system explained that it was almost like a silkworm cocoon in the shape of a bird, but it was calming to see the slightly larger cotton balls preening their feathers in the river.
Yoo Seong-un, who had been staring at Geo, soon continued speaking.
“… Well, yeah, those guys. They are numerous and small, but most of them are judged not to have a major negative impact on humans or the ecosystem, so they have settled in as native monsters on Earth.”
“It’s cute.”
“It doesn’t look like that at all, but you like that kind of stuff?”
“Isn’t it great that they’re small and round and look surprisingly harmless?”
“Somehow your water bird is also round… .”
Yoo Seong-un laughed hollowly.
“Even so, the current native monsters are already part of the cycle, so we’re leaving them alone, but we’re dealing with all the recently introduced alien species. To begin with, monsters really hate Earthlings.”
“Is that so?”
“Usually, yes. Even if they are not hostile, they can still pose a sufficient threat to humans. The remaining native monsters are ones that have already passed safety inspections by the association and are managed at the government level.”
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Yoo Seong-un pointed at the cotton ball once more.
“Those guys have adapted after living on Earth for a long time, so their hostility towards humans has softened to the level of normal wild animals. They were said to be dangerous monsters that would eat human flesh at the beginning of the Great Calamity, but now they are as harmless as pigeons.”
“aha.”
“Since they are monsters, it is illegal to touch them or raise them personally, but… it means that they can coexist. Dungeons and Earth are inseparable, so I think they decided that this would be better than unconditional rejection.”
Coexistence with monsters? It seems that Earthlings have become considerably tougher in the meantime.
“That’s all for the explanation. Would you like to take a quick look around? The water quality is thoroughly managed, so there shouldn’t be any harm. The monsters and animals here are all relatively harmless.”
“… … .”
Geo, who was looking at the clear, flowing river, soon moved his feet.
‘Clear as liquid glass.’
The river seen up close was even more beautiful when the sunlight broke through.
In the mild weather like spring, large trees, vines, and flowers filled the place like a large greenhouse. Pastel-colored butterflies sat on the flower petals, and creatures that resembled squirrels ate the fruit from the trees.
Why do sparrow-like birds peck at the flowers on trees? They may do it for fun, or they may want to eat the nectar inside the flowers.
“… If people change the seasons like this, isn’t there any problem with the ecosystem?”
“There was a time when there was a lot of talk about it, but now they say they’ve adjusted everything somehow. In particular, there are many cases where seasons are intentionally created to prevent the Earth’s native animals from becoming extinct due to monsters.”
“okay.”
In many ways, it is different from when Geo lived.
“If you don’t mind, try dipping your feet in.”
“Is that okay?”
“There are rules about not picking fruit or pulling flowers, but there are no specific regulations in that regard. In the summer, when there are a lot of people, many people come here to play in the water.”
“Despite that, there’s no one here today.”
“Who would want to play in the water during the peak work hours, when it’s not a vacation or holiday? In the first place, there are many people who don’t want to get their bodies wet in the winter.”
“What Mr. Yoo Seong-un said is correct.”
Geo takes off his shoes and socks and leaves them there.
I soaked my feet in running water.
“… … .”
It was cool.
‘Soft.’
It smells sweet.
It is unknown whether it is the scent of flowers, trees, or the scent of a monster living in this water. Perhaps the water of the river has evolved from the colorless and odorless water of the past.
But, like a valley in summer, the pebbles roll down the water… .
“… … .”
Tiny creatures moving around little by little.
It made Giovanni happy.
“… It’s pretty water.”
His black eyes were watery.
“It’s clear and deep.”
“… … .”
“It’s deeper than I thought.”
“… … .”
“Why does it smell like the sea here?”
Yoo Seong-un sensed something had changed.
“… Geo?”
“It smells like the sea. A little bitter like the surface of iron, cool like pine needles, and like the strong wind that blows the sand away… .”
“Geo.”
“It looks like that place.”
A soft, yet indifferent voice.
“The color of the sea.”
That moment.
“… … .”
“The color of a mermaid.”
At Giovanni’s feet, all kinds of aquatic creatures gathered silently.
“The deep sea takes care of….”
Before he knew it, his feet had turned a transparent water color… .
“―Geo.”
“… … .”
The voice of ‘friend’.
I blinked twice.
“…yes.”
“…you….”
“Did you call?”
Geo looked back at the meteor cloud.
“… … .”
“… … .”
“… Sergio, right?”
“you’re right.”
He nodded.
“My name is Geo.”
Yoo Seong-un’s face was strangely distorted.
* * *
After some time, in front of the hotel room.
Yoo Seong-un handed Geo a card key with ‘4501’ written on it.
“Okay, this is yours.”
“thank you.”
“I’ll be in the room next door, so call me if you need me.”
“yes.”
“Since our dinner reservation is at 6:30… we can meet at 6.”
Geo asked him.
“What’s for dinner?”
“French. It’s a restaurant with a set menu, so you just have to go and eat.”
“I understand.”
“Then get some rest.”
Yoo Seong-un went into the room alone.
“… … .”
I was sweating coldly.
“… Clearly, earlier… .”
When I was at Cheonggyecheon.
“… That wasn’t ‘Geo.’”
Something has changed.
Whether he was aware of himself in Korea or not, Geo usually introduced himself as ‘Sergio’. Even though Yoo Seong-woon pointed that out, he defined himself as ‘Geo’ at Cheonggyecheon.
‘So what exactly changed?’
Yoo Seong-un still remembers the black cloak at Cheonggyecheon.
It started the moment Geo’s bare feet touched the river water. An indescribable sense of discomfort came over him, then something rippled strangely, and Geo’s eyes, which had been plain black the whole time, changed to the color of the sea.
When Yoo Seong-un spoke to him, Geo, who had been smiling slowly, seemed as if his personality had changed.
‘What color was her hair…? Was it silver? Or maybe platinum blonde? I couldn’t tell because it was hidden by the hood.’
It slowly began to turn red here and there, and soon his body was transformed to the point where it was impossible to distinguish between water and feet. The shape was the same, but it was clear that it was not a human foot, but water.
Even when he saw the pyramid naturally climbing up the transparent ankle, Yoo Seong-un couldn’t help but call Geo.
that.
“… … .”
It wasn’t human.
It didn’t seem alive, but I could tell it wasn’t dead either. It just wasn’t breathing, but it had life in it.
The sight of something that had been a tangible, conversational human being just a few minutes ago, turning into something more… natural, was not something I could bear with my sanity.
“…ha….”
How stupid.
‘Did you let your guard down because the level had been lowered?’
The being of origin could never be human, especially not a monster like Geo.
‘No matter how much you make it look like a human, it can never be the same as us.’
However, Geo was too human and kind to be wary.
“I need to come to my senses.”
This will result in the loss of your gardener’s license.
“… Well, still, it went much smoother than I expected.”
I exhale for no reason.
Yoo Seong-un threw his bag containing basic necessities on the bed and sat down next to it. Then he reviewed the day from the beginning to just now.
“… … .”
There was no problem.
‘… There were a few awkward points, but perhaps it’s because he has human memories, Geo is also adept at the rules of human society. He’s on a level that can’t be compared to other monsters.’
Even if a normal monster has high intelligence, it would not be able to understand why it has to pay a set price to get something.
‘Actually, that’s normal. When a human visits an anthill, he digs it up while being considerate of the ants.’
It was the same logic. From the monster’s perspective, all they had to do was take the food or necessities that were out in the open.
Even if it doesn’t exist, you wouldn’t know, but it exists, so there’s no need to go back and take it. That’s their natural routine and rule.
So, from Geo’s perspective, Yoo Seong-un’s behavior of paying for a meal would have been incomprehensible.
“But seeing as it went through without a hitch, I guess he’s trying to imitate a human in his own way… .”
In fact, if we are to be exact, there were many immature aspects to it.
“You can tell right away that you’re curious.”
Things that humans would already know or would just roughly understand and move on. Geo asked Yoo Seong-un about each of those things.
What is this, what is that, can I have this, how was that made… .
“It would be difficult to call Geo a monster, but in this respect, he is certainly similar to humanoid monsters.”
They have always been curious about human things and rules.
“… Well, maybe being too light for a human is one of those things.”
Although he had been lowered to almost human level, it did not seem like his body itself had become completely human. On the way to the hotel, Geo was almost blown away by the wind.
‘Even if it was just a brief moment of shock, it’s unbelievable for someone of that height and build.’
Geo was already so light that you couldn’t hear him walking. Today, he seemed to have become a bit heavier than a human, but his shoes and clothes only added to his weight, and he still seemed excessively light for a human.
“… … .”
The wind was blowing a bit hard, but I remember Geo almost flying away for a moment… .
Honestly, it was a bit creepy.
“… You really are not human.”
Geo wasn’t human.
‘It’s the same with the usual light weight, and also in Cheonggyecheon.’
Humans could not be that light.
There is the weight of the clothes you are wearing, the weight of your internal organs and bones, and the weight of the blood flowing inside. If you are a human, you cannot help but make a sound like a leaf that has been left lying down like Geo.
And the tiny pyramid couldn’t climb inside that body.
“… … .”
The sight of pale skin slowly changing into clear water as soon as the feet touched the water.
The sight of fish and air bubbles burrowing inside was a mysterious and bizarre moment that was difficult for the brain to perceive.
“But that’s not even a monster….”
Nature imitating humans.
“… … .”
That would be more correct.
“… It’s scary.”
The existence of the source is classified as nature with a self, but for some reason, Geo seems to be different from that, so I felt an unfounded fear.
I felt like I was receiving favor from someone who shouldn’t exist.
* * *
Geo at that time.
“It’s the 45th floor.”
“Gulp!”
He was enjoying the top floor of a five-star hotel with honey he had smuggled in secretly.
Yes, I have no thoughts at all.