Chapter 223. Thornbush Forest
Kim Gi-ryeo’s offhand comment became a new seed of confusion.
But no opportunity arose to correct it.
Once again, Esther was a sociable enough person for a Curse Mage, thus possessing the ability to appropriately engage and disengage in conversations according to her partner’s intentions.
Esther quietly kept her mouth shut, reading the room.
After a while, she pushed aside her empty cup of green tea and spoke up.
“I need to head back now as I have plans this afternoon. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”
In response, Gi-ryeo nodded readily and saw off the guest with his purplish hair.
Alright then, with the visitor gone.
Now he could just enjoy his usual life again.
“Hmm.”
Click.
Gi-ryeo thought as he heard the sound of the door lock engaging.
Cadavers donated for dissection by scholars.
Or the bodies of Awakened ones preserved in preparation for burial as per family wishes.
As casually mentioned in their earlier conversation, this was about the only potential supply of bodies that sprang to his mind.
But how could an outsider like him obtain them?
Honestly, in this world, anything was possible with enough money.
‘It’s really not good to buy a body whose death is a well-known fact.’
Concerns piled up like mountains.
[① Attach flesh to amend the face and fingerprints of the body.]
He didn’t like the idea of disguising a decayed corpse as someone else.
Because, after all, it would be utterly shameless to be borrowing someone else’s body and then fussing about how it looks.
‘Not feeling it.’
Just as he struggled to understand various cultures on Earth.
The customs of the Alphauri were also often perplexing by this world’s standards.
A prime example being the alteration of appearances of the aforementioned corpse.
In that binary star system, physical form was seen as a significant part of one’s ego historically.
Due to the nature of aging changing over time, it’s also possible for the body’s wrinkles and growth to be respected as evidence of a life well-lived.
“Right. Well, anyway, there’s genetic identification technology here. It’s clear that altering appearances won’t be safe. I should save that trick for last.”
The one who occupied Kim Gi-ryeo’s physique was a rather old-fashioned scholar.
In modern Alphauri, with the advancement of magic technology, many young people altered a part of their organs or even their whole skin just for trends, so naturally, customs against significant changes to corpses without prior consent had gradually faded away…
However, the great mages here still followed the old unwritten rules.
Of course, it wasn’t for merely sentimental reasons.
Replacing parts of a body seized through body exchange magic with materials of different substances or foreign genetic information would ultimately decrease its magic power.
Moreover, although it resembled organ transplants back on Earth, there could be destructive rejection reactions occurring.
Old sayings never go wrong.
Perhaps the long-standing abstraction concerning death was the wisdom of ancestors wary of such efficiency losses.
“Mm.”
Thud.
For the same reasons, the alien mage who had maintained a somewhat similar appearance since his reincarnation stroked his chin in contemplation.
“Then.”
Now, the remaining methods were 2 and 3:
[② Find the body of an unclaimed deceased without relatives.]
[③ Take a freshly deceased body that hasn’t been discovered yet. Afterwards, pretend to be them once revived.]
“Um…”
What a scenario.
A disaster where Awakened ones would have to die en masse would barely make this even possible.
‘Should I, a great mage, really stoop this low?’
Gi-ryeo trudged along, engulfed in deep contemplation.
With Esther gone, he needed to return the [Divine Tree Sapling] he’d hidden in the bathroom back to its original place on the balcony.
Most importantly, he still needed to finish his bath.
The diluted blood he hastily discarded should the Earthling figure out how to use it meant all procedures had to be prepared from scratch.
‘Oh my God.’
Even if he’d left the bathtub as it was, the moment the water became lukewarm all effects of the item would surely be lost.
Things had become quite troublesome.
‘I do enjoy water but I never wanted to soak myself this often!’
Splash.
Gi-ryeo sat on the high threshold linking the bathroom and living room and began to cast water magic as casually as breathing.
And while observing the water rising in the collapsible bathtub, he reflected on what he would need to accomplish moving forward.
Fortunately enough.
Contrary to these headaches, his last wish was fulfilled sooner than expected.
Currently, it was the era of Dungeon Shock.
Gates were akin to wells that thirsted for humanity’s demise, continually sending unfortunate calamities forth.
*
You see scenes like this in films often.
Hoo.
A character lost in thought eventually walks into their library and pulls a book from the shelf.
But since that person is the protagonist of a spy film, they wouldn’t have the luxury of enjoying reading for the two-hour runtime.
So why did the protagonist pull a green hardcover?
Clunk!
Creek!
That thick philosophy book was actually a lever connecting to a hidden room behind the shelf.
Operatives often stored bulletproof umbrellas or pens with darts there.
A special space known only to them.
The notion of a secret hideout doesn’t just appeal to 7 or 8-year-olds, right?
But if that secret room truly were a place “nobody” knew about.
If an unnamed character, perhaps after forgetting to explain the bookshelf to a retired elderly couple, went ahead and sold the mansion.
Could that space still come to mind in a positive light?
Especially if it added that a thief began to hide out in that secret room, it would no longer be perceived positively.
For sentient beings like us, ignorance often brings fear.
.
.
.
“Hello?”
I spoke into the connected mobile phone.
“Oh, yes. Hello. I saw on the app that you’re only accepting phone orders right now. Yes. Yes.”
At this moment, the sound drifting from somewhere was the dry noise made by a corpse’s respiratory organ.
By the way, though I solved the lung issue, the mutations on the vocal cords due to smoking and genetics remained unaffected.
“I’d like one cheese cutlet set delivered. I’ll pay in cash. It’s a fifty thousand won bill.”
It didn’t matter as long as communication was possible.
“Seriously, it’s okay to be late, just get the delivery here safely. Yes. Ending the call now.”
Click.
I placed the phone back in my pocket and stretched.
What Monday was it now?
More accurately, it was about 48 hours since Esther visited.
But regardless of the time change, some scholars still had nothing going for them.
In this advanced society, secretly having to procure a corpse…
‘If I used Blueshell, I could manage invisibility magic, but would I end up blowing out a kidney while digging up graves……?’
Complicated.
Should probably fill my growling stomach first and think later.
‘Well, since I have time until the food arrives, I might as well clean up while resting.’
Kim Gi-ryeo’s studio.
Having spent so much time in this tiny space, I was slowly growing fond of it.
I raised my finger, replacing tentacles with a simple gesture to cast domestic magic.
A kinetic technique that gathers lightweight foreign substances into a single point in mid-air.
“Wait!”
But the cleaning magic I cast without much thought used more mana than expected, causing me to become momentarily dizzy.
“What the hell.”
Until last time, I had mindlessly cleaned with my two arms, now promising myself to use the magic when the time came to dust again!
‘This darn body……!’
Ugh.
With my hand resting on my forehead, I briefly halted in the living room.
And while grumbling, I turned toward the balcony where the cleaning supplies were.
It was ridiculous to feel this way after obtaining lungs, but was laughing at my own absurdity.
In the past, I would have ended up temporarily mana-burned from maneuvering my mana and have experienced choking again.
“Isn’t this enough to be grateful for?”
I dusted off various particles from the shelves using a feather duster the body owner had purchased in life.
It took about five minutes.
Next, I tidied up the floor with a vacuum and a mop.
That took about ten minutes.
Since there was still time left, I also spent 11 minutes fully cleaning the bathroom with a brush.
That morning.
I hung the contents of a clothing delivery under the name Seo Yo-han, which had again arrived today, neatly on a hanger.
“…”
Time passed, and before I knew it, an hour had flown by.
I belatedly realized this, and for some reason, the delivery seemed particularly late today.
Of course, I did say it was fine to take their time, but…
♪♩~ ♬
Just then.
I reached down to my pocket where a tune rang from. This was a notification that Kim Gi-ryeo’s mobile phone was receiving a call.
“Hello?”
But the news that came through the receiver was.
“What? An accident?”
Thud.
At the same time, a small noise similar to a gas canister exploding echoed from somewhere outside the window.
“And it’s a Dungeon Break?”
Then this meant I was unable to eat because of the Ki-simche’s feeding action.
*
[Emergency Disaster Text
[…Dungeon Break Alert in front of Sunhwa Bank, Sinsoo-dong △△ Apartment]
At the Dungeon Break site.
After a calm period, modern streets turned into a hellscape in an instant.
The sounds of mammals crying. Or shouting.
Looking around, it was hard to distinguish if the place was Seoul or inside a dungeon due to the bizarre scenery.
On a humid afternoon ahead of the monsoon season.
Dark silhouettes of trees emerged under the sunset.
It was as if they were forced into position, their roots spreading all over concrete and asphalt.
This was why danger had arisen.
Crash…
The two-story Franchise Cafe across the street had already suffered large cracks in its walls from being pierced by protruding tendrils.
With monsters wedged in such a manner, attempting to eliminate them posed risks of structural collapse.
Thus, all the hunters could do was evacuate the people via the back roads.
“Everyone please stick close behind me! Hold hands! Do not let go!”
Thrum.
Shouts of aid continued amidst the ensuing chaos.
An A-Class Hunter, wielding a mace and a metal shield, raised his voice to guide civilians.
Utilizing his innate abilities, he deployed various defensive techniques and broke through the mysterious wooden spikes obstructing the road.
Finally, he safely led the citizens to the regulated four-lane road where rescue personnel awaited.
However, he didn’t seem to be in good shape.
“Urgh.”
A young man, styled with piercings and hair scratches for flair, appeared to clutch his shoulder as if suffering from some issue.
At that moment.
Suddenly, the surrounding commotion doubled in intensity.
Even the injured receiving first aid turned their heads to see what was happening.
“Uh?”
As the A-Class scrutinized the turmoil, he dashed toward the source and shouted.
“Hyung!”
“Oh, it’s you, Yoon-seung.”
The unique pronunciation of the individual was often mentioned whenever the interview footage circulated in the community.
A relatively stable low tone slightly affected by smoking, his voice was hoarse.
“Were you cleaning up the Break?”
The one who appeared was Kim Gi-ryeo.
That Blond Hunter greeted him with his trademark impressive voice, but anyway, if a psychic had appeared at the scene, its purpose could only be one.
Meeting with Ahn Yoon-seung at the site of the Dungeon Break.
The young man’s face brightened immediately.
“Of course, Gi-ryeo hyung! I happened to be in the area, but you came here even before the association’s call showed up!”
“…”
However, for some reason, a reply did not come from across the street.
And Gi-ryeo, without a word, turned his eyes and struggled to speak.
“By the way, what in the world is going on?”
The long dark spikes protruding all around.
Additionally, off in the distance was a dense, dark cluster of trees, impossible to even approach.
As Gi-ryeo asked about the situation, Yoon-seung immediately responded.
“Oh! This? Well, I also just heard about it. It’s really unbelievable.”
He began to explain the outline of this chaos.
“Actually, about 10 minutes ago, there was a robbery at the Sunhwa Bank right in front.”
“What?!”
“A retirement-aged C-Class lost his entire investment to fraud and stormed in there wielding a weapon….”
Ahn Yoon-seung recounted the testimony of accomplices, as arrested by the police, following up with further details.
“And before the Awakened police officers even arrived, this incident occurred.”
“This incident…”
“Suddenly, monsters began appearing both inside the bank and on the outside road. But judging by their numbers and timing, this has to be that, right?”
Had it been before, Gi-ryeo would have been dazed, scarcely grasping half of what an Earthling would say.
Yet, after he learned to use a mobile phone, the most frequently searched topics concerning dungeons made it easy for him to interpret what Yoon-seung alluded to.
“There was an ‘Unstable Gate’ beneath the bank, I guess.”
Unstable Gate.
A passageway generated within potent magical energy that modern devices hardly detected.
In essence, a tragedy fueled directly from the hidden dungeon death erupting silently below the ground.
‘Coordinate errors have always been a lasting tradition in magic realms.’
However, Gi-ryeo reacted in no particular way to the chaos before him.
In fact, this alien had not set out to resolve the Dungeon Break.
‘Let’s see. By the way, I recall this area has an apartment where a Rider was trapped…’
Gi-ryeo learned from the call earlier that the delivery person (the owner of the cutlet shop) had been caught up in the Dungeon Break.
So, the food place operated with a family scheme had immediately shuttered over safety concerns.
…But.
‘No way! I really wanted to eat from that place today!’
Ever since I woke up in the morning, I had promised myself to treat myself to delicious food, mustering all my efforts to get through the day.
How could everything come crashing down due to such unexpected variables?
The sudden closure of a favorite eatery.
In despair, Gi-ryeo wriggled, ultimately coming to the obsessive conclusion to directly receive the food the delivery driver had with him.
Thus, he had come to this spot in person.
However, he thought it would have been better to just suppress his desires and waited quietly.
“Hmm.”
Contrary to expectations, the scene was significantly larger than expected with many eyes watching.
If an S-Class Hunter just dipped their feet in here, there was no doubt they wouldn’t hear anything good.
‘A, never mind. What does public opinion matter? I’m about to swap bodies soon anyway.’
Yet Gi-ryeo even contemplated a shabby plan to excuse his exit by pretending to have an upset stomach after saving the cutlet shop owner.
Once things got serious with the Break cleanup, the workload was bound to increase, making ambivalence the chosen path.
“Hyung. By the way, this is serious.”
But at that moment.
The hunter before him appeared to be worried, pacing back and forth anxiously.
“Honestly, the bank robbery is one thing, but see that big black monster dome over there? Analysis shows there’s even a boss monster in there.”
“Really?”
“What should we do about the bank employees? We must rescue them quickly; they’re still inside there.”
Gi-ryeo tilted his head.
“Why worry? We should just kill the monsters forming that dome and get inside.”
The street where Sunhwa Bank was located was currently encircled by treelike monsters forming a hemispherical structure.
Yet Yoon-seung was A-Class while they were B-Class.
It shouldn’t be a concern for Yoon-seung to be so worried about those tree monsters entangled with each other.
“Oh, you don’t know, do you? You’ve just arrived, so you might not realize it. The monsters that appeared this time….”
At that moment.
Swoosh, Gi-ryeo suddenly thrust his palm toward the left side of Yoon-seung’s face.
Then, long, thin spikes shot out toward his palm. Some creature’s weapon had just struck Yoon-seung’s right hand.
Thud!
While Yoon-seung was distracted by the conversation, an A-Class Hunter was ambushed.
‘There are mobile organisms too? Is that one labeled as a flying tree or something?’
A creature of a never-before-seen form that rotated its widely grown stem like a propeller while hovering in the air.
Gi-ryeo quickly relied on the Camouflage Coral’s coating effect and blocked the attack with his body.
However, when Yoon-seung saw this, he gasped and instinctively jumped back.
“Uaaah! Hyung! Don’t bare your skin to that!”
Moreover, it would be something that could fling a shield worth billions!
