Chapter 137

At that time.

The research lab managing the evil god Sankalut, Seoul Branch 21.

"Lord Sankalut?"

""

"M-my god? Why have you taken on such a wilted color..."

""

"Lord Sankalut...!"

He had been planning to ask them to take him home if they made a wish.

Sankalut, who had been excited at the thought of going back to his homeland, grew dejected.

"Is that really enough?"

Ju-hyeon, who had handed over Sankalut's sigil, asked with a doubtful look.

"I have eaten and drunk quite a lot here."

"I treated you out of my own personal desire, so this is enough as repayment."

The black-haired Black Cloak smiled gently.

"It is a splendid jewel."

"... It is not a real jewel, though."

"You said it was the sigil of an evil god called Sankalut, correct?"

"Yes, it is a medium that allows one to communicate with him."

"There is a geometric pattern inside it. Did you engrave it yourself?"

"That is right. It was my first time making one, so it is very rough."

"Rough, you say?"

Black Cloak exclaimed as if greatly impressed.

"I can tell that your talent is remarkable, Mr. Ju-hyeon."

"It is embarrassing to hear you say that."

"It is an extremely small pattern, yet all the necessary language has been engraved into it."

"Haha..."

It felt strange.

'I never thought I would be praised for making an evil god's sigil.'

More than anything, Black Cloak did not seem impressed by the fact that he had "made an evil god's sigil," but simply by "having made such a splendid jewel." It felt truly bizarre.

'Is his standing so high that the sigil looks less like a medium and more like an ornament to him?'

It looked just like a wealthy tycoon with money to burn admiring a 500-won coin because it was beautiful.

He had been praised, but he was not particularly happy.

Because Ju-hyeon was not so out of his mind that he would be pleased to be praised by some unknown, enormous mystery for making an evil god's sigil.

"Does the fact that it is an evil god's sigil not bother you?"

"The only time I would call him is when I invite him to a meal, so there is nothing to be bothered about."

"Ah, is that so. You would even give an evil god a meal... a meal... hm."

Ju-hyeon fell silent for a moment.

"..."

And soon, cold sweat ran down his back.

Did he really want to turn everything in the dimension into pigs?

"Is there a reason you... keep trying to feed something to others...?"

"There is no grand reason."

At some point, the smile had vanished from Black Cloak's face, leaving only a calm, expressionless look.

Even so, Black Cloak continued speaking in the same quiet, gentle voice.

"It simply makes me happy when other people eat the food I make."

"I see. You are overflowing with consideration."

"More than anything, people these days are far too skinny..."

"..."

"They do not look healthy."

"Gra..."

Grandma?

'Why is he making such an old-lady-like comment?'

There was a trend everywhere in the world that elders of the generation who had experienced the Great Catastrophe were especially serious about fattening up children.

In particular, the phrase "people these days" made him seem like an aged old man.

'With the face of a young man like that?'

Did he even intend to imitate a twenty-nine-year-old Earthling?

Ju-hyeon wondered what tune he was supposed to dance to in order to please the enormous being before his eyes.

Should he correct him and say that was not something a twenty-nine-year-old young man would say?

Or should he simply agree and say he was right?

"... I see!"

Ju-hyeon decided to just let it pass.

"By the way, if it is not rude, may I ask you a few questions?"

"You may ask me as many questions as you like, Mr. Ju-hyeon."

"Thank you. Um, the public knows Black Cloak as a monster..."

"Aha."

Black Cloak's hair flared red like light, and a deep smile settled over his pale face.

"I am a monster?"

"... I apologize if I was rude. I am sorry."

"No, I am not angry. It was not rude either."

He blinked about twice.

"Hm..."

Then his hair returned to black.

"I think I became excited for a moment because your words were interesting, Mr. Ju-hyeon. How rude of me."

"No, not at all. It is fine."

He had no idea what part of it had been interesting, but if his question had not angered him, anything was fine.

Ju-hyeon smiled amiably and shook his head modestly.

"But if my question offended you, I am truly sorry."

"As I said before, I was neither offended nor angry. It was simply, how should I put it..."

Black Cloak's lips curved gently with interest.

"After beast and evil god, now monster."

"..."

"I thought that was rather interesting."

"... Oh..."

'It is not interesting, though.'

"... I see!"

Ju-hyeon decided to let it pass once more.

"I had thought you might be an evil god, Black Cloak, but you seem less like one than I expected."

"Are you saying I am not like an evil god?"

"A little."

"I do not particularly like that."

Black Cloak pretended to think for a moment, then continued.

"To say this in advance, I am an ordinary human."

"Ah, yes."

"A human who can sometimes become an evil god, sometimes become a priest, and sometimes become an animal."

"You are remarkable."

Ju-hyeon endured once again.

"Then should I think of you as an ordinary human...?"

"Of course."

Black Cloak nodded.

"The reason I am rumored to be a monster outside was merely a warning for my safety and the safety of others."

"A warning for your safety and other people's safety, Black Cloak?"

"It was not intentional, but perhaps because I live inside a painting, there are often times when I threaten others."

"It is a warning so we should be careful around each other in advance."

And though he did not bother to say it, there was another intention as well.

Although he had merged with the battle maniac Arjio, perhaps because the assimilation was not yet complete, Jio was still uncomfortable fighting with someone.

So it was closer to managing his image in advance so that they would not have to fight each other.

It was the result of thinking there would not be many people who would try to fight the protagonist of a terrifying urban legend.

Jio wanted to avoid conflict if possible.

'Though I do not know what will happen once I completely recover Arjio's memories...'

In any case, that was how it was.

"... In truth, even if I am called an evil god, I do not quite understand it."

Jio continued.

"What is a god, and what is an evil god? As a human, it is difficult for me to know."

"... That is certainly a difficult topic. I cannot give you a definite answer either."

"Is that not so?"

He nodded.

"It is difficult to define the existence that is me with certainty."

So even if Ju-hyeon asked, there was only one thing he could say clearly.

"The only thing I can say with certainty is that I am nothing more than one person."

"One person..."

"I may be a slightly unusual person. I sometimes do strange things as well. But that is all."

Jio had never once considered that he might not be human.

"Was that explanation sufficient?"

"... Yes. Thank you for helping me understand."

Ju-hyeon was simply dumbfounded.

'Fine, I will just memorize it that way too.'

Then that was what it would be.

"But I feel as though I have been staying only in your house for too long, Jio..."

"Have you fully recovered?"

"I have recovered thanks to your great consideration."

"Your heart too?"

"..."

To Ju-hyeon, who was at a loss for words, Black Cloak smiled gently as if admonishing a child and said,

"It is a peaceful place, is it not?"

"... You are right. It is peaceful enough that I do not want to leave."

"There will come a time when you want to leave someday."

Jio knew.

'People are creatures who do not think foolish thoughts when their bodies and minds are well provided for.'

So he had done just that.

'As expected, people become ten times kinder when their bellies are full.'

Since Ju-hyeon had tried to call an evil god, Jio had made his body one that would not entertain foolish thoughts.

Jio himself did not know it, but in truth, his influence had played a large part in this.

Anyone who ate food filled with his wish to enjoy his food together became a helpless gourmet, and because they assimilated with Jio, whose mind was thoughtlessly clear, their body and mind became peaceful.

'This is a good phenomenon.'

Jio hoped Ju-hyeon would become his friend.

"Whenever you want to go out, please tell me."

"... Yes."

"You do not need my permission to enjoy your own life."

"That is..."

Ju-hyeon answered hesitantly.

"... True."

He asked,

"Why did you introduce yourself as an evil god?"

"Because people called me that."

Strangely enough, there was no other reason.

"... Ah."

A new employee stopped short.

"Mr. Seo Jio?"

A tall, lanky figure was standing in the company hallway.

Even as she called out to him, the woman felt an inexplicable sense of wrongness.

Although it was a weekday afternoon and there were still several employees who had not left work, they did not look at Seo Jio, who stood in the hallway wearing a cloak.

It was as if they were avoiding him like he was not there.

By the time she realized that, the other party looked at her.

"You are someone I met before."

"That is right. You remembered me."

"Your name was probably..."

He said,

"Ms. Park Juhee?"

"..."

It felt a little strange.

"... Yes, I am Park Juhee."

For an instant, the fact that he had called her by name felt like an impossible miracle.

'What a strange thought.'

She was quickly able to shake it off as an absurd thought, but an inexplicable unpleasantness remained and tormented her.

Park Juhee approached him and asked,

"I thought you were on the dawn shift, but you come out at this late hour too?"

"It is a hobby. I was having a brief question-and-answer session."

"A question-and-answer session as a hobby?"

"If I had to be precise, would it be more accurate to call it a survey?"

The eyes that held the sea curved gently.

"Ms. Park Juhee."

"Uh... yes, go ahead."

"What kind of being do you think an evil god is?"

"... An evil god..."

Suddenly, she became aware of the silence.

Along with it, she felt detached from reality.

Even in this moment, the employees silently brushed past them.

Since it was a company full of employees with a strong individualistic streak, the situation was understandable, so without much suspicion, the woman answered Seo Jio's question.

"Wouldn't it be a god who does bad things?"

"Then if an evil god does not do bad things, would he become an ordinary god?"

"That is... if he has committed evil deeds in the past, I think he would remain an evil god."

"That was a good reference."

He smiled like a painting.

"It must have been a sudden question, so thank you for answering."

"No, I should be the one thanking you... for remembering an insignificant C-class Hunter like me."

"Regardless of such ranks, Ms. Park Juhee, you are a good person."

Seo Jio's eyes curved deeply.

"Are you not kind to me?"

"Uh... that is..."

Kind meant she was a good person?

The woman grew a little worried at that sudden, pushover-like remark.

The range of what this person called a "good person" was excessively broad.

'Is he perhaps being ostracized?'

Park Juhee, momentarily flustered, looked around.

A lanky man standing in the middle of the hallway should have been enough to draw attention, but no one was looking this way.

"... Um..."

Feeling a strange suspicion, she asked carefully,

"By any chance, um... are your colleagues, somehow, not on good terms with you...?"

COUGH!!

A vigorous coughing sound came from somewhere.

"...?"

"It seems someone choked."

"Ah, I see. That is too bad."

COUGH, COUGH...

Another coughing sound came from somewhere.

"That is too..."

COUGH!!

Another coughing sound.

"..."

At this point, Park Juhee could not help but grasp the situation.

'... What is this? It feels like they are trying to signal something to me.'

At that moment, something caught her eye.

Below the cloak.

The tail of some unknown beast was poking out.

"... Um, Mr. Seo Jio. This is..."

"Ah, how rude of me."

He laughed softly.

"I occasionally cannot control it."

"... Control it?"

"I will be careful next time."

Without any sound, the tail had vanished before she knew it.

"..."

As if telling her that she had seen it wrong.

"The employees here are not discriminating against me or ostracizing me as you are thinking, Ms. Park Juhee."

"... Ah, ah, yes. I am sorry."

"It is merely that the skill I possess is a little special, so everyone is paying attention."

"Special, so they are paying attention...?"

"It is nothing for you to worry about. It is quite late, so I hope you get home safely."

"..."

"Ah, that is right."

Seo Jio held something out.

"This is repayment for keeping me company."

"... It has a sweet scent."

"It is fruit jelly. It is not very sweet."

"... I see..."

"Then I hope to see you again next time with a smile."

He gave a light bow, then turned and walked somewhere.

That black cloak came into view again.

That pitch-black hem of cloth...

"..."

For some reason, the gift in her hand felt heavy.

"... Huh?"

Even when she let out an exclamation with cold sweat on her skin,

not a single employee turned to look.