The Birth of Hunter Seo Ji-oh
It is no easy thing for the air of an entire dungeon to change.
That would only be possible if the dungeon master’s condition had shifted, and a master capable of assimilating a dungeon as if it were part of his own body would almost certainly be a monster of above-average strength…
Thinking this, Kang Seo-dam looked at the “Seo Ji-oh” standing before him.
“May I ask you a question?”
“Yes, of course. What is it you wish to know?”
“…Are you currently acting as a hunter?”
It was a question that asked, in essence, whether the man was presently wearing a human guise and therefore open to cooperation.
…I hope that didn’t sound too insolent.
Kang Seo-dam still could not meet Ji-oh’s eyes; he kept his gaze fixed only on the man’s lips. Those lips, tracing a perfectly gentle curve, parted with a calmness that held a tenderness almost alien in its warmth.
“Now that you mention it, I have been remiss in introducing myself. I am Seo Ji-oh, a hunter of the Collector Guild.”
“…Is that so?”
Thinking back, the white-haired hunter who had stayed glued to his side throughout the initiation ceremony had definitely been from the Collector Guild. The man had left a deep impression precisely because he was of the underground rather than the public ranks.
So this person is currently receiving aid from the Collector Guild. It is rare for a god to go to such lengths to blend among humans.
Even for a being who had risen from humanity to divinity, obtaining godhood meant abandoning one’s humanity. In many ways, relying on the help of a competent organization like this was simply one variety of divine amusement when adapting to human society.
Above all, if it is the Collector Guild… that is the guild that houses Bi Sa-beol the Collector’s gallery. A group that showers mysteries and anomalies with affection rather than control—perfectly suited to assisting a god’s play.
Inwardly, Kang Seo-dam felt a measure of relief.
That makes conversation easier. If he has gone so far as to accept human help and properly establish an identity, he will not cast humans aside lightly. It means he keeps an open heart toward them…
Still avoiding the other’s eyes, Kang Seo-dam asked,
“Might you be a priest?”
“Yes, I am… well.”
The black-cloaked figure, who had seemed about to affirm it, paused for a moment. Then he smiled gently and continued.
“If you are asking about my hunter profession, I am not a priest but a tamer.”
“And how am I to understand the holy power I sense from you?”
“It is merely a power I gratefully received as a child of the sun. Nothing so grand.”
“Then you are a believer rather than a priest. Thank you for helping me understand.”
Seo Ji-oh, hunter of the Collector Guild. Platinum-blond hair, blue eyes. Profession: tamer.
The pressure he gave off was not so alien as to suggest otherwise, so he had likely adjusted his rank to somewhere between A and B. The reason he could wield holy power was that he was a devout follower of the sun…
“…….”
Kang Seo-dam committed it to memory.
…Judging by the grade I sense, it feels less like something hidden and more like something cut away. His way of enjoying the game is remarkably extreme. The possibility that he is under a curse cannot be ruled out either.
Of course, a mere human like Kang Seo-dam had no need to analyze or agonize over the affairs of a god. He simply asked, carefully, so that he might do his own duty.
“Would you be able to help us search for other survivors?”
“I came here intending to do exactly that.”
“Ah… thank you.”
Was this not truly a god well-disposed toward humans? An aura close to death clung to him, so the possibility that he was an evil god could not be entirely dismissed—yet one could not refuse the aid of a deity who presented himself so courteously.
I do not know precisely which god he is, but he clearly cherishes humans a great deal. He is using a Korean name, so “Seo Ji-oh” is probably not his true name… I ought to offer a prayer for him later.
He decided to inquire about that later. From a god’s perspective it might be merely interesting, but the humans’ situation was far more urgent.
“Did you see any other survivors on your way here?”
“There were quite a few people where I was. My contracted beast, whom I regard as a son, is guarding the place, so you need not worry about that side. I came to check whether there were survivors in any of the other chambers besides the one I was in.”
“My situation happens to be similar. I fell alone into a chamber teeming with monsters, and there were no survivors there besides myself. The chamber I just left held more people, but…”
“There were casualties?”
“…….”
“I see.”
The tone, surprisingly, carried genuine sorrow. Kang Seo-dam quietly hid his own agitation.
A god who grieves over the death of a mere human? An exceedingly rare case.
Gods were, after all, such beings—those who had become part of nature and fate. Even if they felt emotion at a human’s death, it was usually no more than the mild interest of watching a toy break.
Yet the “Seo Ji-oh” before him truly seemed to mourn the dead. On equal footing, as though facing the death of a friend.
“…….”
“Have you bestowed a blessing?”
“…I have managed to put things in order, however inadequately.”
“Would it be an imposition if I looked over them once more?”
“Then the departed souls will be able to return to the sun’s side with lighter hearts.”
A god personally blessing the dead. It might sound a little strange when applied to those who had been killed by monsters, yet it could only be called a miracle of good fortune.
“Please guide me.”
“This way, then…”
Leading “Seo Ji-oh,” Kang Seo-dam felt a little more at ease. Not every god could be trusted, but a god who put this much care into even imitating mourning was worth trusting.
The Goddess herself has cast a favorable eye upon him, so it is not for a servant like me to doubt. Empty the mind and follow the god’s will. That is the bearing a priest ought to show.
Kang Seo-dam decided to play along with the name “Seo Ji-oh.”
And so began the historic moment in which the urban legend “Black Cloak” acquired his secret human identity: Seo Ji-oh.
“You know…”
Yu Seong-un stared blankly into the campfire.
“…….”
“I never thought I’d get dragged into a virtual dungeon while I was at the Temple of the Sun, of all places, and end up filming a desperate survival story with blood flying and tears flowing.”
Listening, Kang Seo-dam nodded in agreement.
“Until the moment I first fell into that chamber, I was thinking something similar.”
“Right?”
“It looked like a chilly dungeon the sun’s light could scarcely reach, so I even prepared myself to take responsibility for this disaster with the resolve to die if necessary.”
“Wow, impressive. Not every priest who awakens turns out as cool as you, Priest Kang Seo-dam.”
“I am merely doing my best at the work I must do.”
“Doing your best, huh…”
Yu Seong-un nodded.
“So that’s why you’re gutting fish right now?”
“…….”
Indeed—Kang Seo-dam was currently cleaning fish.
“…I could hardly leave him to do the gutting himself.”
“Ji-oh likes that kind of thing.”
“That is blasphemous.”
“No, it’s true…”
A campsite had appeared out of nowhere. Simple tents, a campfire, and even cleaned fish—the atmosphere among the people gathered so cosily was remarkably peaceful.
Ji-oh, please.
Yu Seong-un had expected that Ji-oh, who was quite gentlemanly toward humans, would offer help even in this virtual dungeon. He had not expected the help to be this thoroughly comfortable.
To you this might feel like a fun picnic or a game, but ordinary humans don’t see it that way… What are we supposed to do when you enjoy yourself this earnestly?
The only silver lining was that almost no one found the situation strange; they were simply swept up in the warm, peaceful mood Ji-oh ladled out like honey.
Only Yu Seong-un remained on edge, terrified that Ji-oh’s non-human nature would be exposed.
The fact that most of them are civilians with only hazy experience of dungeons and monsters is definitely playing a part.
Yu Seong-un muttered,
“This is supposed to be a dungeon. Is it really okay for it to be like this?”
“If you don’t like it, why not go out and hunt some monsters?”
“You’re pretty cold, Eunha.”
You’re the dungeon master in the first place.
“Are you okay with this?”
“…….”
“…You think it’s weird how things are going too, don’t you.”
Even while wearing a painted-on smile, Eunha’s gaze was oddly evasive, as though something were pricking his conscience. From a monster’s point of view, this must have been utterly absurd.
He looks terrified of being branded a bad kid by Ji-oh. No matter how many times I think about it, the situation is ridiculous. Is it really all right for everything to become this slapdash peaceful?
Fortunately for the boy, the only ones who currently knew Eunha’s true identity were Yu Seong-un and, most likely, Kang Seo-dam, a high-ranking priest. The other survivors treated Eunha simply as a prospective priest.
Ji-oh approached.
“Is the fish all cleaned?”
“Almost finished.”
“If it’s difficult, I really should help—”
“Please do not worry. I am perfectly capable of cleaning fish.”
“That wasn’t what I meant, but all right.”
Wearing Giovanni’s face, he spoke with refreshing cheer.
“When someone’s offering free labor, there’s no reason to refuse!”
“…….”
He sure knows how to say something as worldly as “free labor” with that pure, purifying face that looks like it could cleanse you just by looking at it.
Eunha, for some reason, is staring at him with a nostalgic expression.
Had Giovanni originally been that sort of person?
Even saying things like that he still looks like a devout, elegant priest, but there’s something… shameless about it? Or a strangely headstrong streak…
And yet the unique dignity never left him. It was truly marvelous.
“Ji-oh.”
“Yes, Seong-un?”
“Should I just sit here doing nothing?”
“I believe confirming whether any monsters are approaching is also essential work.”
“Well, yes, but…”
Again: this place had become a campsite. With the dungeon master himself keeping his mouth shut because he did not want to be a bad kid, what monster would be bold enough to show up?
“And we’re sure we don’t need to check whether any other survivors are still out there?”
“We all searched together, but no one else was to be found, were they?”
Eunha answered Yu Seong-un’s question as naturally as breathing. The unspoken message—There are no other survivors besides the people gathered here, so stop digging—came through loud and clear. Yu Seong-un’s blood ran cold.
The way he keeps casually threatening like this, he must be worried his own story will come out. Dungeons are constructed according to their master’s past and inner world… He’s probably afraid that if I investigate the dungeon I’ll learn about him and Giovanni.
And yet he looked as though he were savoring at 120 percent the situation of Ji-oh acting like Giovanni.
As expected of a humanoid monster—his emotions are rich. He thinks a lot, too.
Ji-oh stroked Eunha’s head.
“You’re truly bold, Eunha.”
“Ah, um…”
“I was worried, but I’m glad you seem all right.”
“…….”
Watching them, Yu Seong-un thought to himself,
Minefield.
He did not know the exact circumstances, but the reaction was plain as day. Ji-oh was casually tap-dancing on top of Eunha’s landmine, completely unaware of what he was doing.
Well… for the sake of the humans’ safety, keeping him distracted this way is probably better.
Yu Seong-un looked around.
“…….”
The people were fairly settled.
I can’t claim the number of deaths from the dungeon’s opening was small, but the fact that this many people survived a dungeon that deliberately erupted inside a temple is close to a miracle. And the expressions of the survivors don’t look that bad either.
There were still people who were anxious, of course, but once Ji-oh went over and spoke a few words they calmed quickly. In a dungeon this chilly, Ji-oh’s mere presence—warming just to look at—was a great comfort.
“Even so…”
Yu Seong-un spoke to Ji-oh, who was still moving about without a moment’s rest.
“Aren’t you overdoing it? Aren’t you getting tired?”
“Thank you for worrying about me.”
“What about the headache you mentioned earlier? Is that all right now?”
He knew Ji-oh was not simply a soft target waiting to be bitten, but no matter how formidable he felt, acting this kindly still made one uneasy.
What kind of disaster would follow if he exhausted himself and ended up disappointed in humanity?
Fortunately Ji-oh’s expression was not bad at all. Giovanni, wearing a smile as gentle as a painting, answered,
“It feels as though things are gradually being sorted out, so I’m fine.”
“Oh… sorted out…”
That’s not good.
…If his personality as Giovanni really solidifies here, won’t that become a bit of a problem? I don’t know exactly how close Eunha and Giovanni were, but it doesn’t seem like they were ordinary acquaintances. Once he recovers all his memories, he might take Eunha’s side…
For now there was no choice but to rely on Ji-oh’s goodwill.
“Still, take it easy. I understand you want to treat people well, but sometimes there are folks who take kindness as a right. Actually, not ‘sometimes’—it happens pretty often.”
To his surprise, Ji-oh readily nodded.
“I know.”
“Oh, you do?”
“But does the sun not shine upon everything?”
“Uh…”
“If the sun does so, then I must do the same.”
“…….”
If one listened only to the words, he truly sounded like a devout priest.
…Or am I imagining the undertone of “I’m just doing my job”?
Yu Seong-un had been worried that Ji-oh would place too much trust or affection in humans, then cause a catastrophe after being betrayed.
Judging by the way he was speaking now, that particular worry seemed unnecessary.
How should I put this?
Ah.
He sounds like a service-industry employee.
A textbook example of the capitalist smile.
It’s not as though Ji-oh can gain any real capitalistic benefit in this situation, yet somehow it feels like watching a skilled civil servant at a center handling the response…
He roughly got the picture.
So Giovanni wasn’t just some purely kind-hearted priest either.
The fact that his expectations of humanity seemed quite low was oddly reassuring. If he was offering this much kindness even without trusting humans much, then even if clueless idiots made a fuss he would not explode on the spot.
Though Yu Seong-un would have to cut them off first before that happened, of course.
“By the way, how did you even catch the fish? It happened while I wasn’t looking, so I have no idea. Where did you get fish in a place this barren? Was there a pond or something?”
“Near the edge of the third chamber we found, there was a deep water hole. The water quality was actually better than Earth’s, and the fish living there didn’t seem to carry any toxins…”
“So your first thought was to catch and eat them?”
“Isn’t everyone hungry?”
“Hunger aside, normally no one calmly decides to grill fish in a dungeon like this.”
“I suppose they simply aren’t hungry enough.”
“You’re really decisive. Not that you’re wrong.”
He had been a little worried, but the personality called Giovanni seemed like a fairly decent guy.
Ji-oh said it wasn’t a separate personality but a change in temperament, but still.
It was simply so peaceful that he was left speechless.
If even Yu Seong-un felt this way, how much more flabbergasted must the dungeon’s master be…
“…….”
In the deep sea, scarlet lips curved into a hollow laugh.
“…Ha.”
So there really are people who never change, even after dying and coming back.
And that person is you, Giovanni.
(To be continued)