Chapter 98

I continued to check the situation on Earth through the picture frame, searching for a human who could become a ‘new friend’.

Eventually, Iseur asked.

“What is the reason you don’t just pass by the humans you happen to check on, but instead talk to them or give them gifts?”

I answered with a gentle yet confident voice.

“If they hadn't seen me, it would be another matter, but they saw me too. Originally, if eyes meet, it's a battle. I can't help but strike up a conversation.”

“To think you must have a showdown when your eyes meet. The people of Earth have more aggressive tendencies than I thought. Are there specific rules?”

“The longer the eye contact, the more likely it is to be taken as a temptation or a duel.”

“Truly amazing. When I previously disguised myself as a child of Earth, I was in too much of a hurry to study properly, but to think such a culture existed.”

“Perhaps that's why this teacher, too, cannot simply let go of someone whose eyes he has met.”

It wasn't that I didn't think the people I met like that would be surprised, but couldn't there exist a perfect match for me as well?

And that was something I wouldn't know unless I tried talking to them.

I had no idea how long it would take to happen upon someone who wouldn't be frightened by the name ‘Black Cape’ and would greet me with a cheerful hello, but this young man from the mountains of Gangwon-do, who had never even dated because he pursued a natural encounter until that age, had a strange sense of romanticism.

“If I waste time recklessly like this, I will eventually be able to find a new connection.”

“Ah, yes.”

“And as I go around talking to people, don't you think I'd also want to give them gifts?”

“Aha….”

“It's not like I have nothing, not like I have no time, and it's not like parents will complain if I give out some presents.”

With the three elements perfectly aligned, there was truly no reason not to give.

No one could stop Jio, who was going wild with the desire to share joy, love, peace, affection, and happiness.

“Above all, aren't they admirable?”

“Do you give gifts to everyone who is admirable?”

“This is what it means to have the heart of a teacher.”

“The child from just now was not your disciple, Teacher… but I see. I understand.”

“Don't jump to conclusions as if you're about to kill someone. Being hasty at your age is grotesque.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

“Must they be my disciple for me to give them a gift?”

People who did cute things always needed a sweet reward.

It was a thought typical of Seo Jio, who, even during his days as a high school teacher, always carried snacks in his pocket to give to students.

“Besides, what I have in abundance right now is time.”

I was not in a hurry.

“I have Honey here, and Dana, and Father, and even Iseur and Aria, don't I.”

“…….”

“That look of yours, pretending not to be but being very satisfied, is suspicious. Do you really not like that I am searching for a human to be my friend?”

“Yes, I do not.”

“I see. But no matter how admirable a disciple you are, Iseur, you cannot stop me from making a pen pal.”

Yu Seong-un, suffocating from the overwork of a modern man, was too busy to be the only one I held onto for exchanging letters. I needed a new friend.

“No matter how much I live inside a picture frame, I feel like I'm not communicating with the world enough.”

In my opinion, my current position was that of a grandfather living alone in some remote countryside.

I had come to be treated like an ancestor in just 31 years, and this was a household where I couldn't communicate with the young people at all, even if I tried to learn about the world these days.

“So I have no choice but to take the initiative to make friends myself.”

“Would it not be better to have the vulgar humans who don't know their place crawl to you on their own?”

“Stop trying to confine your teacher to this small cabin, Iseur.”

“It is not particularly small.”

“It is infinitely small to contain a being like me.”

“…….”

Iseur, still with a benevolent smile, nodded his head.

“Then until when do you plan to enjoy this search for a friend?”

“I think I'll do it whenever I'm bored.”

“…And after you have obtained this ‘friend’…?”

“I'll continue. What good is just one friend?”

“Ah, you plan to stick them to your nose?”

“I meant that it is far from enough.”

The more friends, the better.

“How boring would this long time be if not spent with friends?”

“We, your faithful disciples, will be by your side.”

“Iseur, you need to develop your independence. How long will you protect this worthless teacher?”

He's cooped up at home for thousands of years, so the kid becomes strange like this.

If he made some friends and went to a karaoke or something, I couldn't ask for more.

‘Though I don't think a timid child like Iseur would enjoy such an active hobby.’

I nodded my head.

“Still, I will continue to look for friends.”

“Speaking from an objective standpoint, not my personal feelings, if you continue to show yourself like this, the recognition of the ‘Black Cape’ on Earth will rise considerably.”

“Iseur is right. The ‘Black Cape’ is known to the public as a monster, so there will be confusion one way or another. I am aware that I am doing something I should be sorry for.”

“…I do not care what becomes of the humans' confusion, but I am afraid that you, Teacher, will receive attention in a negative way. Their nature is selfish and fickle. They cannot be trusted.”

“There can be people like that. How many humans are there on Earth? Of course, that can happen. But I already have many good friends to imagine such an unfortunate future. I believe you all will protect me.”

Above all, I intended to create an image for the ‘Black Cape’ that would not be easily targeted.

‘That's why I continue to wander around and show myself openly, and why I don't bother to explain even if they misunderstand me as a scary person.’

There might be minor incidents related to me from time to time because of that, but….

“I am not a person who thinks deeply.”

Anyway, as long as it was fun, that was enough.

***

Hunter Association Meeting Room.

“With this, we will conclude this discussion.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“And next….”

The Association President with a neat smile continued.

“Is the agenda item regarding the ‘Black Cape’.”

The Association President's lips opened smoothly.

“This is the first time it has been formally put on the agenda, so I am looking forward to what kind of discussion will come out.”

“…….”

“The reason this agenda was proposed is for the stability of the city, so we should hear about the overall atmosphere of the city related to the topic. Team Leader Seo.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

The team leader of the Information Processing Team, which collects and organizes city information, opened his mouth.

“According to our current findings, a large number of citizens have witnessed the Black Cape. The number of people from whom we have secured witness testimonies so far is 26, with 9 1st-class citizens, 11 2nd-class citizens, 2 3rd-class citizens, and 4 4th-class citizens confirmed.”

The 5th-class citizens, who were not even considered human, were excluded.

Even if they had contacted the Black Cape, the Association had no means to confirm it.

They were all criminals living in hiding somewhere.

“The common testimony is that it shows goodwill when treated politely, or when one performs a good deed even if it's not related to it.”

“By goodwill, do you mean the snacks that were reported previously?”

“What has been confirmed so far are baked goods like cookies, and snacks like candy and chocolate. Although they appear to be handmade, the ingredients themselves are almost identical to Earth's food, but….”

“It was said that even if the taste is the same as regular snacks, their effects are different.”

“Yes, that is correct. They produced effects like medicine, such as nutritional supplements, anemia medicine, and painkillers, tailored to the recipient.”

“Side effects?”

“We have confirmed that if someone other than the recipient consumes it, the effect is reduced by more than half. No other side effects have been detected.”

At the Information Processing Team Leader's words, another employee received permission to speak and asked a question.

“Where was it mainly sighted?”

“The only identical sighting location is the slums in the border zone, and even then, it has never been found in the exact same place.”

“It sounds like there are no restrictions on its spatial movement. It seems its very standard is different from a typical being of the Source. In that case, has it ever been discovered overseas?”

“Since the opening of the ‘Kingdom of the Deep Sea’, the first place the ‘Black Cape’ was sighted, we have been requesting cooperation and receiving information from the associations of various countries, but so far, nothing has been reported.”

“Is there a possibility that the overseas associations did not share the information?”

“According to the Korean Association branch's findings, they have reported that the Black Cape has not been sighted overseas. However, considering the characteristics of the ‘Black Cape’, we cannot rule out the possibility that it has shown itself overseas but simply has not been witnessed.”

At that, another employee asked.

“The most important thing would be whether it harms the safety of the citizens. You said you obtained testimonies from 26 witnesses; were there any cases among them of being attacked by the ‘Black Cape’?”

“There was a case among the testimonies, not from the witness themself.”

The Information Processing Team Leader displayed the organized information on the monitor in front of each team leader.

“For 25 of the citizens, the contact ended with them receiving a gift from the ‘Black Cape’ and parting ways, but as you can see, for just one person, the situation was markedly different. This was the case of a 3rd-class citizen who encountered the ‘Black Cape’ in the ‘Jewel Water Vein’.”

The dungeon called ‘Jewel Water Vein’ was not very famous in public, but it had a high preference among Black Hunters who tried to sell monsters through illegal routes.

This was because it was the habitat of the ‘Anticat’, which was popular for its beautiful and cute appearance, and the ‘Black Cape’ was sighted in that ‘Jewel Water Vein’.

“The witness who cooperated with the Association's Q&A is Hunter Lee Seon-hu, with a rank of F-Class, and team position identified as a porter. He is not the one who was attacked by the ‘Black Cape’.”

“Then what are the personal details of the person who was attacked by the ‘Black Cape’?”

“The victim attacked by the ‘Black Cape’ is Hunter Park Eun-gyeom, with a rank of B-Class and team position as leader. The witness stated that the victim, Hunter Park Eun-gyeom, tried to abandon him in the dungeon and leave.”

“These kinds of incidents never get old, they just keep happening….”

Conquering a dungeon consumes a significant amount of resources in itself.

Especially in the case of porters, they are not helpful in combat, and when they reach a state where they cannot even carry luggage, they are often easily abandoned.

Because they're not helpful, but they add another mouth to feed.

“This rarely happened in the past.”

“A lot is different from our time, it seems.”

“They don't see their comrades as comrades….”

Seeing the somewhat weary expressions of the elders, the Information Processing Team Leader continued.

“…The ‘Jewel Water Vein’ is a dungeon not frequently visited by other hunters, so the witness, judging that he would starve to death if abandoned, clung to Hunter Park. In the process of shaking off the witness, Hunter Park Eun-gyeom used violence.”

And.

“It is judged that the ‘Black Cape’ witnessed that scene.”

The witness practically worshipped the Black Cape.

“In the testimony, the ‘Black Cape’ was said to exist in the form of a picture frame. Due to the nature of the dungeon ‘Jewel Water Vein’, visibility was not well secured, so neither of them noticed the frame at first, but when the now-missing Hunter Park Eun-gyeom used violence, it intervened and exerted its influence.”

“Wait a moment.”

An elder, who was close to being an old man, asked.

“A missing person? Not injured or found as a corpse, but completely not found?”

“Yes, the witness testified that Hunter Park Eun-gyeom was dragged into the picture frame.”

“This is the first I'm hearing that a person can enter a picture frame…. How was he dragged in? Did the ‘Black Cape’ personally grab him by the collar and pull him in?”

“He said he could not directly observe the form of the ‘Black Cape’. Just that from inside the frame….”

The Information Processing Team Leader unconsciously frowned slightly.

It was because he had to report ambiguous information, which was unbecoming of his position.

“The testimony is that a number of transparent hands crawled out and abducted the missing person.”

“…A number of transparent hands?”

It was a voice laced with doubt.

“If they're transparent, how did he know there were many, and how did he know they were hands? If he was F-Class and a porter, it would have been difficult to identify such a form.”

“The witness was only explaining what he felt, and it seemed he himself had difficulty with a logical expression. However, he said he clearly saw that it was wearing a suit.”

“A suit… So it was wearing clothes, but the hands were transparent. Is he going to say he saw an invisible man or something.”

At that, the Association President opened his mouth.

“It is not impossible. It has only been 32 years since the era of Hunters began, so we should not be arrogant in thinking we know everything. We will acknowledge the possibility and classify it as a monster.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

As immediate words of acceptance came out, the Association President looked at the Information Processing Team Leader again.

“Was the ‘Black Cape’ not witnessed in that process?”

“That is correct. However, based on the characteristics of the frame and the witness's strong insistence, we judged that this incident is related to the ‘Black Cape’.”

“Is there anything more to report?”

“The report on the phenomena exhibited by the ‘Black Cape’ is now complete. No exceptional situations other than the Hunter Park Eun-gyeom case have been identified. Please check the report for detailed information.”

“I see, you've worked hard.”

The Association President nodded his head.

“You may offer your opinions freely without restriction.”

At that, one of the employees gathered in the meeting room gained the right to speak.

“So, I think it would be good to discuss what to define the ‘Black Cape’ as.”

“It is showing out-of-spec characteristics in various aspects.”

An elder took that opinion and continued.

“Regarding this, I would like to hear the thoughts of Kang Woo-ri, a Gardener and the Research Team Leader of the Seoul 1st Branch.”

“…Before attending this meeting, I investigated and researched in many ways because I wanted to reach a conclusion, but unfortunately, I have not yet been able to define it.”

“…That must mean it is not an easy being to deal with….”

“That is correct. It is a contradictory existence that cannot be judged.”

The Research Team Leader displayed information on the monitor in front of each participant.

“This is a table summarizing typical gods, monsters, and children of the Source. As you can see, the ‘Black Cape’ can belong to any of these categories, and conversely, it may not belong to any.”

To be a god, it has too many impurities other than divinity.

To be a monster, it has a complete lack of hatred towards humans, and to be a child of the Source, it is too interested in humans.

Yet, it embodied all those characteristics in one body.

“If there is one thing we can be sure of, it is that the ‘Black Cape’ is a being that belongs to the Source. It also has its own rules.”

“Its own rules… is it that again?”

“Yes, it is that it affirms the good and negates the evil.”

“The standard for that good and evil is probably set by itself.”

“It certainly seems that way, but there is still nothing certain. However, based on the circumstances so far, it seems that its standards are not so different from ours, the humans'.”

However, its radical nature could be evaluated as being typical of a being of the Source.

It had abducted a perpetrator somewhere just for witnessing an act of violence.

This proved that even if the ‘Black Cape’ were favorable to humans, it ultimately had no interest in the rules made by humans.

It was a high-risk course of action, as the current state of the missing person was unknown.

“What is worth noting here is that these actions of the ‘Black Cape’ do not seem to symbolize punishment.”

“If rewarding the virtuous and negating the wicked is not punishment, then what is it?”

“It seemed closer to a personal preference. It means it's not authoritarian or elitist like other humanoid monsters, but simply a creature that is built that way.”

At that, the Association President added his words.

“It is certainly a characteristic close to a child of the Source.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

If the ‘Black Cape’ had dealt with the wicked with the meaning of ‘punishment’, it would have shown itself.

But in the Hunter Park Eun-gyeom case, the ‘Black Cape’ remained as a picture frame and did not reveal its form until the end.

As if it were simply getting rid of something unsightly from its sight.

“Among the actions of the ‘Black Cape’ so far, there has been no part where a clear intention was revealed. We can only surmise that it has a rule of affirming the good and negating the evil, based on the direction of its actions.”

In fact, the actual situation was a little different.

Jio, in the first place, didn't even know that a picture frame like the ‘City of the Void’ was roaming around on its own, nor the fact that someone had been dragged into his picture frame.

It was closer to the ‘City of the Void’, which had a sense of self in its own way, getting rid of ‘something’ that its parents would dislike.

It was the same principle as when Honey, who had first come out to modern society, had swallowed the man of evil nature he saw at Gyeongbokgung.

Jio's children wanted their parents to see only good things and always be happy.

“…….”

“…….”

Of course, to those who didn't know such circumstances, everything just felt like the ‘Black Cape's’ intention.

The fact that the ‘Black Cape’ had no malice even though it had made a person go missing made some of the Association's employees feel a chill and a sense of caution.

“…There are no restrictions on its movement either.”

Moreover, given that it was also sighted in dungeons, the ‘Black Cape’ could truly go anywhere.

“It is very interesting in the lives of humans.”

“…….”

“It gives blessings to the virtuous and despair to the wicked.”

An employee with a smiling face continued in a light tone.

“It's just like an Easter egg in a game, isn't it?”

If you were to compare life or dungeon conquests to a game, that is.

An Easter egg refers to content that the creator hides in various media for fun.

Since it is something the ‘creator’ ‘hides’ for ‘fun’, it may or may not be related to the content of the game, and if you find it, you're lucky, and if you don't, it doesn't affect the game's progress.

“Doesn't it seem like a rare and interesting event that appears from time to time?”

“It will be difficult to call it an ‘interesting event’ as long as a clear missing person has appeared.”

“From the looks of it, he seemed to be quite a piece of trash… so if everyone just lives nicely, there won't be a problem.”

“Creating good people and punishing the wicked is the job of the Association and the government, so we should not rely on an unidentified being of the Source.”

“Yes, I will be more prudent. I admit it was a careless remark.”

“And at this point, the question that comes up again is….”

One of the elders continued.

“What happened to the hunter who was dragged into the picture frame?”

The dangerousness of the ‘Black Cape’ could be determined accordingly.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.