Chapter 53

‘Hahaha, you call that chicken, which looks like a divine beast?’

The child burst into a hearty laugh.

‘Fortunately, the Gate can’t digest me yet. What would I do if I came without a plan?’

His head felt as if it were clouded by alcohol, not functioning properly.

So, this child is the 6th stage chicken mutant that attacked my Cosmos?

‘Most of the people who lived in Gazan had amazing abilities. We had to scatter to different dimensions. The black wall…’

The child stretched out his hand into the air, as if drawing something.

‘Of course, we called it by a different name, but the black wall gradually consumed Gazan’s territory.’

‘You mean the people who lived in Gazan crossed over to other dimensions?’

The child shook his head again.

‘No, I was the last survivor.’

<Got it! I’ve been looking for a while. It’s time to come out!>

A messenger’s cry pierced through Seo Woon’s mind. A heavy pressure pressed down on his body, and the child’s face twisted in anger. However, with his chubby cheeks and round nose, he looked rather insignificant.

‘It’s because this place is unfamiliar! Damn, damn!’

His level of frustration was so high that he seemed to need immediate treatment for anger management.

<You’re an animal, an animal.>

‘I’m not an animal!’

The child clenched his fists and let out a loud cry. Seo Woon was taken aback, as no one else had ever understood the messenger’s words before.

‘Did you… just hear that? Did you hear it?’

‘That’s not good! It’s not good at all!’

The child leaped up, expressing his sense of injustice.

<It’s only bad for you.>

Each time the messenger spoke, it felt as if his body was being pushed down further.

But whose voice is this?

Until now, the messenger had mimicked his voice, but this was completely different. He couldn’t even tell if it was a voice he knew or a stranger’s. There was no discernible pitch or specific tone.

‘Bro, come over here!’

It felt as if someone was pulling the clay floor apart from both sides. Despite standing still, the distance between the child and himself was growing.

‘Come over here!’

The child stretched out his chubby hands, flailing desperately. Seo Woon felt an overwhelming urge to reach out and grab him, but with each step forward, his feet sank into the ground. Each time the child tried to approach, his body was swallowed by the white clay. He couldn’t even call out, as he didn’t know the child’s name.

‘Don’t come…!’

Seo Woon shouted as the child continued to sink.

‘Name! What’s your name? What should I call you?!”

The thought that he had killed this child clung to his heart, refusing to let go. It was absurd, but if he really had taken the child’s life, how terrifying would that be? However, he had clearly killed a mutant, and he felt no guilt when he did it.

<Enough. ‘Seo Woon,’ come back.>

The floor beneath Seo Woon’s feet sank endlessly. The flat surface curved, plunging into an endless abyss, and his vision blurred.

***

“Ugh!”

As soon as Seo Woon regained consciousness, he rushed to the toilet. His stomach felt as if he had ridden a roller coaster dozens of times. Clutching the shiny toilet, he retched, but only bile came up.

As his stomach settled, the nausea also subsided. Fortunately, the aftereffects were not as long-lasting as he had feared, but he couldn’t leave the toilet area for a while.

Once the nausea completely subsided, he pressed his eyes with his knuckles and then released them. Seo Woon left the dry toilet, feeling uncomfortable as he brushed his teeth.

Was it just a dream?

He waited for the messenger to appear, but even after finishing brushing his teeth, he heard no response. As he headed to the bathroom to take a shower, he changed his course, noticing the backpack he had carelessly thrown on the sofa.

Opening the bag he had brought from Narakga, he saw a u-glowstone wrapped in aluminum foil. He considered taking it out and unwrapping it but stopped, feeling uneasy.

Seo Woon knew that DK guild members were tailing him, so he had deliberately left a 3rd stage u-glowstone in the toilet tank. They wouldn’t take it, but if they did, he planned to give them a taste of their own medicine. He intended to stay in Korea for a while, using the 6th stage u-glowstone.

But that dream…

No, if what he heard in that realm of consciousness was real, the Gate can’t digest this u-glowstone.

Seo Woon gently peeled back the aluminum foil, saw the red magma, and quickly covered it again. He couldn’t fully put it back in the backpack, so he placed it down slightly.

‘This stay will be about ten days.’

‘Go ahead. I’ll go home.’

Seo Woon recalled the words of the immigration officer and Chahaya. He took his discharged phone from the backpack and quickly plugged it into the charger.

What if Chahaya came to the apartment and couldn’t get in, then left?

Feeling anxious, he paced around the room, stopping abruptly. He felt ridiculous waiting for his phone to turn on.

If he couldn’t get in, he would have left. Chahaya isn’t a child, so it was a pointless worry.

Seo Woon took his eyes off the phone and went straight to the shower. He planned to wear his favorite clothes, visit a salon, and then see his mother. He thought about suggesting they go out to eat instead of meeting at home.

Seo Woon finished blow-drying his hair, pulling it down straight. He walked around the large house several times, savoring the fact that it was his. Perhaps it was a struggle to avoid getting used to Narakga.

In the dressing room, Seo Woon took out a shirt from a collaboration between two famous brands. To his surprise, the white short-sleeved shirt didn’t look much different from ‘Komine,’ except for the brand logo on the chest.

But the material must be better, right?

Since it was ten times more expensive than ‘Komine,’ he had to justify it somehow. Otherwise, this expensive brand wouldn’t live up to its name.

Seo Woon also put on the matching jeans and hat from the same collaboration. Wearing sneakers with air, he felt a renewed sense of being in Seoul, as such neat outfits were rare in Narakga.

After finishing his preparations, he tapped the phone screen.

[Chahaya, 5 missed calls]

He had called five times, making Seo Woon’s mouth twitch. If Chahaya had called once and stopped, he wouldn’t have been able to hide his disappointment.

Seo Woon called Chahaya and immediately started making excuses when he answered.

“Sorry, I fell asleep as soon as I got here.”

[I was homeless.]

“Why? You said you had a place at the guild headquarters.”

[You idiot, you donated it, remember?]

“I know the guild headquarters is in your uncle’s name.”

[Oh, you’re not fooled.]

“Are you at the guild headquarters now?”

[No.]

He deliberately drew out his words.

“Then where are you?”

[Don’t know. I woke up in a strange place. There was nothing to eat, so I went out to eat with the kid who let me sleep there. It’s near your apartment.]

Seo Woon wondered if Chahaya had picked up a woman for the night.

You scoundrel. You have no principles. You don’t even know the word premarital chastity.

Seo Woon mentally berated Chahaya.

“…Eat well, I’m hanging up.”

[You said you were going to the salon today.]

“Yeah.”

[I’ll go with you.]

…No way! I’m going with the vice-guild leader! Brother! Chahaya is bothering me! He’s saying my feet stink, but they don’t!

Seo Woon clamped his mouth shut at the sound of Yuchan’s cry from the speaker.

He felt a bit guilty for cursing him, but he couldn’t forget how Yuchan had grabbed Ji’s head. From now on, he needed to take a different approach. He planned to respond to Chahaya’s provocations with a blank expression and wouldn’t pretend to be annoyed.

“Just go with Yuchan. I’m meeting my mom today.”

He needed to keep some distance for now.

Since he planned to stay for at least ten days, it would be best not to see him during that time. Maybe he would go on a temple stay for a while…

Of course, there were things he needed to check out now that he was back, and it would be a waste of the u-glowstone to spend time frivolously.

[I want to see my mother too. We can meet together.]

“Are you free?”

[Very.]

“I have plans today and tomorrow, so let’s play separately, okay?”

[What plans?]

Seo Woon was momentarily speechless but responded smoothly.

“…Respect my privacy, will you?”

[You always do that.]

The laughter in Chahaya’s voice disappeared.

[Are you trying to get rid of me because I’m broke? Worried I’ll leech off you for food?]

Seo Woon sighed, not expecting Chahaya to question him like this.

“It’s not like that. Just call my account. I owe you money anyway.”

[Give it to me in person.]

“I don’t have time. I need to leave before my mom waits.”

[You’re just going to act like you don’t understand me. Sir, I’m here to collect the overdue payment. I’m on the phone with Seo Woon now. Can I switch to him?]

Seo Woon wondered what he was talking about when a call came from the apartment lobby. He pressed the call button on the wall pad.

[Hello, Mr. Seo Woon. Mr. Chahaya is here. Would you like to grant him access?]

Seo Woon looked back and forth between his phone and the wall pad.

“It’s fine. I’ll come down.”

After hanging up, Seo Woon spoke into his phone, which was still on the call.

“Are you a loan shark now? I’ll come down, so wait.”

He hung up before Chahaya could say anything.

Seo Woon, who had already finished getting ready, put on his sword, Matahari, on his back. He usually wore it on his side, but it was heavy, and his worn-out belt didn’t hold it securely. He added a new belt to his mental shopping list.

When he arrived at the lobby, he saw Chahaya signing for the staff. The staff member had taken off his suit jacket, showing his white shirt.

Seo Woon remembered signing the same way when he first moved in.

[Tacheon Cahaya! o͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡╮(｡❛ᴗ❛｡)╭o͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡ ]

Seo Woon shook his head at the signature he couldn’t get used to. Chahaya handed the pen back to the staff member and approached Seo Woon.

“Seo Woon, did you just sleep in? You look really pretty today?”

“Yeah, you look good in clothes.”

Chahaya put his arm around Seo Woon’s shoulder, adding his weight. Normally, Seo Woon would have struggled to get him off, but this time he let him do as he pleased, regardless of whether his heart was racing or not.