Chapter 5

One day, a strange rumor began to circulate.

“They say there’s a ghost.”

At his colleague's words, a curator who was just about to head to the basement frowned.

“…Pardon?”

“You know the gallery on the 5th basement floor.”

“Ah, yes. I know it.”

There was no way he wouldn't.

“The new piece I’m in charge of is also on the 5th basement floor.”

Entry to The Collectors' gallery was permitted only to the owner, Guild Master Bisabeol, about 300 curators, and clients visiting to purchase artworks.

The gallery had a total of 5 floors.

The type and form of the collected works were different for each floor, and among them, the final 5th floor housed only the works that Bisabeol loved the most.

For reference, the degree of Bisabeol’s affection for a work was proportional to its danger level.

The fact that the work the curator was now in charge of was on the 5th floor meant just that.

“Did something happen on the 5th floor? It’s a floor that’s managed thoroughly, as befits its high danger level.”

To that question, the colleague answered.

“I told you just now. They say a ghost appears.”

“…It’s not the first time I’ve heard that rumor. What I meant was, I was asking if that rumor arose from some kind of incident or accident.”

The curator, smiling awkwardly, habitually stroked his neck.

“There have been several ghost uproars in this gallery so far, haven't there.”

Bisabeol’s gallery, which collected all sorts of bizarre and beautiful works from around the world, had long been prone to accidents.

Because Bisabeol collected everything that was treated as ‘art’, he didn't care even if its true identity was actually a monster.

And most of the ghost uproars that had occurred in this gallery until now had been caused by monsters.

“What kind of work monster is it? Seeing as they call it a ghost, it seems to be close to a humanoid type.”

“They said it was a human.”

“That makes even less sense. Are you telling me a humanoid monster has entered our gallery?”

In this situation, for something to be assessed as a ‘human’, it could naturally only be a humanoid monster.

“Why would such a dangerous monster be in a gallery like this and not in a dungeon. Especially a humanoid type, which would have high intelligence and strong pride.”

Humanoid monsters were not only rare, but on average possessed intelligence greater than that of humans, and their hatred for the world outside the dungeon was also intense.

Humanoid monsters, equipped with both intelligence and military might, usually reigned over their own dungeons and toyed with the visiting hunters.

“If that’s really true, why would the guild building be so quiet? It would have broken out and killed everyone by now….”

“That’s why it’s strange. Because every situation we can grasp is contradictory.”

The colleague continued.

“There have already been 17 complaints.”

“17?”

It had been two weeks since the curator, Yu Seong-un, first heard the rumor about the ‘ghost’.

If 17 complaints had been filed in just two weeks, it was hard to dismiss it as a simple rumor.

“That’s quite frequent. At that rate, I’d think it wouldn’t have just ended as a rumor.”

“The HR department is controlling the information. As you know, there's nothing to be gained from a rumor spreading outside that a problem has occurred in the Guild Master’s gallery.”

“That’s also true. For there to be a problem with The Collectors, who hold the purse strings of the Republic of Korea, it’s a matter for the President to come running for.”

“I can’t laugh because that doesn't sound like a joke. Fortunately, the scale of the incident itself is small, so control wasn’t difficult.”

The HR department employee who said that soon let out a sigh.

“But for them to file a formal complaint with me means it’s not something to be overlooked.”

“For complaints to come in even though the curators aren’t such easygoing hunters….”

“It means they judged that they couldn't handle it on their own.”

“This is a bit troublesome.”

Unlike general curators, curators with hunter licenses were knowledgeable beings.

Even if their military might wasn't very strong, their ability to appraise and respond to monsters and items was far superior to that of ordinary hunters.

Bisabeol had hired, among them, talents that were counted among the best in the world.

For such talents to be unable to resolve it themselves and to file a complaint with the employee before him, the HR department's assistant manager, meant that this incident was not to be taken lightly.

“…Well now….”

At this point, Curator Yu Seong-un seemed to understand why the HR department had stopped him.

“What do you need me to do?”

“I’m sorry, I know you must be busy.”

“No, if an incident occurs, I also have a duty to respond.”

He was an employee whose abilities were recognized even among the curators personally hired by Bisabeol.

He was already A-class as a hunter and he had countless licenses related to alchemy and barriers.

Yu Seong-un was often called upon when additional tasks like this arose.

He was used to taking on work in this manner.

“You’re reliable.”

The HR colleague continued with his characteristic cool face.

“We would be grateful if you would take charge of general management, Mr. Yu Seong-un.”

“I appreciate the high praise, but that’s a bit….”

Yu Seong-un shook his head.

“Doesn’t it look strange for someone who was a researcher at the Association to also take on general management.”

“I recall that you were not just a researcher, but a research team leader.”

“Right, that's what I mean. I received so many glares when I left the Association. I have no intention of standing out.”

“If you insist, I won’t press any further.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

Yu Seong-un, scratching his neck, asked.

“Anyway, if it’s happened 17 times, doesn’t that mean the monster has no intention of hiding itself?”

“…….”

“If it was a monster with concealment abilities so outstanding that it passed our guild’s inspection and was safely displayed in the gallery, it would have been able to hide itself as much as it wanted.”

At that, the HR employee nodded his head as if he had been waiting.

“I was just about to give you the information on this ghost.”

“That’s welcome news.”

“Well, it’s a paranormal phenomenon that has been witnessed 17 times. We can’t be negligent in gathering information.”

The employee continued.

“Thanks to the fact that the other curators, while not as skilled as you, Mr. Seong-un, are also competent, we were fortunately able to hear various stories about the ghost.”

The HR employee handed a document to Yu Seong-un.

“As you’ll see if you read it….”

“Is there a picture too?”

“We’ve added an illustration based on the witnesses’ testimonies.”

“Hmm.”

As Yu Seong-un looked at the illustration, the HR employee explained.

“In all 17 sightings, the ghost’s attire did not change. It wore a large black cloak that covered its entire face and body and the clothing inside was said to be a black shirt and a suit. Its height was about 188cm, which is quite tall for a humanoid.”

“In that case, is its built on the sturdy side?”

“Detailed confirmation was impossible due to the large cloak, but most assessed that it was at least not a thin build. However, it was never assessed as being brawny.”

“If the inside couldn’t be confirmed to that extent, it seems no one would know if it’s really a humanoid type. It could be an undead type. What’s the reason for judging it to be a humanoid monster?”

“There was exactly one curator who saw its face.”

“Oh.”

“To describe it….”

The HR employee continued.

“They said he was handsome. It was a curator with high standards.”

“…….”

“…It may sound absurd, but for someone who scrutinizes the appearance of the opposite sex so meticulously to say he was handsome, it’s clear his features were very distinct and well-defined. And we have defined that as human.”

“No… handsome or not, what about the characteristics?”

Yu Seong-un asked with a reluctant expression.

“Like hair color, the shape of the eyes, the condition of the skin, or if there was a mole somewhere… those kinds of characteristics. It doesn't seem like you've included a facial illustration, so was there no testimony about this part?”

“Unfortunately, they only saw him for a very brief moment, so the curator was unable to confirm any proper characteristics. However, they said that in that fleeting moment, the thought ‘he’s handsome’ came to mind, but even this was recalled only after they had escaped and regained their proper senses, so there is nothing I can tell you regarding external characteristics.”

The assistant manager added.

“For some reason, they all said it was hard to make eye contact. So it’s difficult to describe facial features. If you can’t look at the eyes, you naturally wouldn’t know what the face looks like.”

“It might have a skill related to its eyes, or that might be its main body. Then what about parts like its hands or feet, not the face?”

“Fortunately, I believe I can tell you about that.”

The HR employee nodded.

“They said his skin was very pale. It was skin as white as someone who had never been exposed to sunlight, so we received testimony that it stood out particularly well against the all-black attire.”

“Is that so? Then it might be a monster with a story…. It could have drifted in from some dungeon.”

“Furthermore, they said he was barefoot.”

“Was it to avoid making noise?”

At Yu Seong-un’s muttering, the HR employee firmly denied it.

“That’s not it.”

“Why are you so sure?”

“‘When the ghost walked, there was no sound at all.’ All 17 curators testified to this consistently. There would be sound even if he were barefoot, so there would have been no need to take off his shoes.”

“Then the lack of sound when walking must just be a characteristic of the monster.”

In this case, it was usually one of two things.

‘Either it’s a monster with a skill that can conceal sound, or it’s a monster so light that it doesn’t make a sound at all….’

Since they said it was judged to be a humanoid, the probability of it being the former was high.

“…….”

Yu Seong-un soon frowned.

“Have you reported to the Guild Master? If it’s really a humanoid monster, it’s not just newsworthy, it’s research material.”

“We have already reported this matter, but he only said to investigate it internally and not to let it be known outside as much as possible. Saying he doesn’t want it to be taken by the Hunter Association as research material.”

“…I understand what you mean. The Guild Master would do that.”

Yu Seong-un nodded.

The words ‘what if someone dies because of that’ did not come out.

Because in a world like today, the life of a person who dies while working was treated like a pebble on the street.

‘At least Bisabeol is a person who cares a lot for his employees, so I can trust that he has taken measures in that regard. He’s not a boss who recklessly orders dangerous work….’

At that moment, the HR employee spoke.

“Starting next week, we will begin safety enhancement training for the curators. An artifact is scheduled to be presented to all trainees, so please make sure to receive one, Mr. Yu Seong-un.”

“Aha.”

Indeed.

That made sense.

“Our guild really does work hard. It knows how to value human life.”

“Thank you for the kind words. Though all of it was under the Guild Master's orders.”

The HR employee continued his explanation.

“The first time the ghost was sighted was 15 days ago, at 4:32 AM.”

“If it was 4 in the morning, it must have been a time with very few people. A quiet time when even our 24/7 gallery is empty.”

“That’s right. This is also one of the ghost’s characteristics. I don’t know if it’s because of people's gazes or if there's a condition like that, but it usually insists on the early morning hours when not many employees visit.”

“It sounds like it’s either timid or cunning….”

Yu Seong-un, who had passed over the document, tilted his head.

The data that should have been there was not organized. It didn’t seem to have been omitted by mistake.

“…There have been no casualties at all.”

It was uncharacteristic of a humanoid monster.

“…….”

No, it was simply uncharacteristic of a monster.

‘…No matter how skilled humanoid monsters are at scheming, just watching people for two weeks is certainly a peculiar case. Even if it’s a time-lag attack where a bomb goes off later using some other mental-type skill… there’s no way this high-security guild wouldn’t know about it.’

In that case, it really meant this ‘ghost’ had been doing nothing but watching people for two whole weeks.

“There’s no such thing as a monster without hostility, is there?”

Yu Seong-un, who was once a researcher at the Association, knew how great the hostility monsters had towards the life forms of Earth was.

It was a level that was unbearable even for a highly intelligent humanoid monster.

Even if that were possible, monsters had absolutely no knowledge or understanding of humans.

Even if they approached humans with goodwill, it would never have a positive effect.

‘Is this why it was assessed as a ghost.’

Since at least a ghost would have a high understanding of humans.

As Yu Seong-un thought that to himself, the employee's explanation reached his ears.

“The locations where it is sighted are getting closer to the surface as of late.”

“…Hmm….”

“Starting from the first sighting, it wandered the 5th basement floor for a total of 7 times, then the 4th floor for the next 4 times, then the 3rd floor for the next 2 times. Then the 2nd floor for 2 times. And then it was sighted on the 1st floor for 1 time. It came up one floor at a time.”

“…Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”

“But the last sighting, the 17th testimony, was set on the 5th basement floor.”

“Ah, it went back again?”

“And there have been no more sighting reports for 5 days since.”

“In that case….”

“It seems to have finished its exploration.”

“What a headache.”

Finding a monster that had already hidden in its own home was an even more difficult task.

“Are there any other unusual points? Like its behavior. Usually, monsters of this type set their own rules and try to force other humans into that framework. And if it's a humanoid, it seems even more likely to have personal rules.”

The employee nodded his head.

“As you said, there was something unusual.”

“What is it?”

“They say it gives gifts.”

“…….”

I don’t think I’ve lived that long, but in all my life, I’ve never heard of a monster giving a gift.

‘…The works in the gallery do sometimes behave in such a way, but if you look at it like that, it becomes a bit difficult to define this thing as a simple monster….’

Yu Seong-un, having organized his thoughts, asked again.

“…A gift, you say?”

“…….”

As if sympathizing with Yu Seong-un’s disbelieving tone, the employee made a subtle expression, then cleared his throat once and returned to his poker face.

The employee continued his explanation.

“When you first encounter the ghost, he approaches you pretending to be human.”

“As if anyone would believe that….”

“It’s possible that he really believes he is human. Anyway, next he requests a conversation with the employee he met. What’s your name? How old are you? What do you do? Where is this place? Why are you here?”

“…….”

“The content is mostly mundane and nothing special. He doesn't ask for deep personal information, and even then, if you’re reluctant to reveal your identity, he doesn’t press further. After successfully completing the conversation like that, they say the ghost gives a gift.”

The HR employee gestured for him to turn over the document.

When Yu Seong-un turned over the document with a reluctant face, a picture of the ‘gift’ that the employees had supposedly received was visible.

“…This is….”

“Yes, as you can see, it’s food.”

“What kind of domestic monster is this?”

In the picture, bite-sized snacks like cookies, chocolates, and candies were listed.

Looking at the neat and simple packaging, no matter how he thought about it, this was handmade.

A handmade snack made by a monster, if this came out as a news article, it would be criticized for being an outrageous lie.

“Have you done a component analysis?”

“It was conducted under the Guild Master’s orders, and the test results came out a week ago.”

“Poison, or….”

“No, on the contrary, it was medicine. The types were for anemia, digestion, pain relief, fever reduction, and diarrhea.”

“…….”

“The research team couldn’t figure out how on earth ordinary cookies or chocolates could have such medicinal properties. Because both the taste and the composition were all ordinary snacks.”

Yu Seong-un, flipping through the documents, asked.

“Then how did you detect the effects of the components?”

“As you know, under the full support of the Guild Master….”

“Did they drag them from prison again? In one way or another, that’s the cleanest way.”

“Because it’s a place teeming with useful test subjects.”

“That’s true. But the research was swift even after having received help from the prison?”

“I don’t know why, but the Guild Master happened to have some prisoners prepared.”

In an era where the lives of decent employees were treated as pebbles, the human rights of criminals were nonexistent.

The Guild Master of The Collectors was a person who utilized such points very well, so it was roughly guessable that this experiment had probably also used such criminals.

The HR employee continued.

“What’s more surprising is that the gift was the perfect medicine for the employee.”

“…You mean he gave a snack with digestive properties to an employee with indigestion, and a snack with fever-reducing properties to an employee with a fever?”

“Exactly.”

“…….”

Yu Seong-un wiped his face.

“It means he also has an appraisal skill that can be used on living things, in which case its rank must be quite high.”

“A troublesome opponent. Since he’s showing goodwill towards us.”

“A rampaging monster would be easier, this one can neither be suppressed nor appeased.”

Yu Seong-un, who had let out a long sigh, nodded his head as if he had accepted his fate of soon taking on additional duties.

“I’ll take it. This is my specialty, after all.”

“Thank you. And there is one more thing I need to tell you….”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the date the incident began to occur.”

“This sounds ominous.”

“It happened after the Guild Master displayed ‘Jio’s Portrait’ in the gallery.”

“…Ah….”

At Yu Seong-un’s gasp, the HR employee gave him a look of pity.

“…….”

“…….”

And for good reason, ‘Jio’s Portrait’ was the piece that Yu Seong-un had been newly assigned to manage.

“…Overtime again.”

A hollow laugh escaped him.

“Good luck.”

“I’ll have to.”

He was already tired.

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