Chapter 5

Since some time ago, 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.

"... Excuse me?"

"You know the gallery on the 5th basement floor, right?"

"Ah, yes. I know it."

It was impossible not to know.

"Because the new piece I'm in charge of is also on the 5th basement floor."

The Collector gallery only allowed entry to its owner, Guild Master Bi Sabeol, its roughly 300 Curators, and guests who came to buy pieces.

The gallery had a total of five floors. The type and form of the pieces collected varied by floor, and the final 5th floor in particular housed only Bi Sabeol's most beloved pieces.

For reference, Bi Sabeol's affection for a piece was directly proportional to its danger level. The fact that the piece the Curator was assigned this time was on the 5th floor meant exactly that.

"Did something happen on the 5th floor? It's a strictly managed floor given how high the danger level is."

His colleague answered the question.

"I just told you. A ghost is appearing."

"... It's not like I haven't heard the rumor at all either. What I mean is, I'm asking what incident or accident gave rise to it."

Smiling awkwardly, the Curator naturally rubbed the back of his neck, perhaps out of habit.

"There have already been quite a few ghost commotions in this gallery, haven't there?"

Bi Sabeol's gallery, which housed all sorts of bizarre and beautiful pieces from around the world, had always been prone to accidents.

Because Bi Sabeol collected everything considered 'art', he didn't care even if a piece's true identity was actually a monster.

And up until now, the ghost commotions that had occurred in this gallery were mostly caused by monsters.

"Which piece's monster is it? Seeing as they call it a ghost, it must be close to humanoid."

"They said it was a human."

"That makes even less sense. Are you saying a humanoid monster was brought into our gallery?"

In a situation like this, if something was evaluated as 'human', it could naturally only mean a humanoid monster.

"Why would such a dangerous monster be in this gallery instead of a dungeon? Especially if it's humanoid, its intelligence would be high and its pride strong."

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

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

"If that were really true, why would the guild building be so quiet? It would have broken out and gone around killing everyone a long time ago..."

"That's why it's strange. Everything we can grasp about the situation is contradictory."

His colleague continued.

"There have already been 17 complaints filed."

"17 times?"

The Curator, Yu Seongun, first heard the rumor about the 'ghost' two weeks ago.

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

"That's quite frequent. At that point, it shouldn't have stopped as just a rumor."

"HR is controlling the information. As you know, no good can come from rumors spreading outside that a problem occurred in the Guild Master's gallery."

"That's true. If a problem occurred in the Collector guild, the financial lifeline of South Korea, the president himself would come running immediately."

"I can't laugh at that because it doesn't sound like a joke. Fortunately, the scale of the incident itself is on the smaller side, so controlling the information hasn't been difficult."

The HR employee let out a sigh after saying that.

"But if they're officially filing complaints with me, it means this isn't something we can just brush off."

"The Curators shouldn't be such pushover Hunters, yet complaints still came in, which means..."

"It means they judged it was something they couldn't handle on their own."

"This is a bit troublesome."

Unlike regular Curators, Curators with Hunter licenses were highly knowledgeable individuals. Even if their combat prowess wasn't exceptional, their ability to appraise and deal with monsters and items was far superior to ordinary Hunters.

Bi Sabeol only hired the top talents in the world among them. The fact that such talents couldn't resolve the issue themselves and filed complaints with the employee standing in front of him, an HR assistant manager, meant this incident was no small matter.

"... Well, this is..."

At this point, Curator Yu Seongun also figured out why HR had stopped him.

"What do you need me to do?"

"I'm sorry to ask when you must already be busy."

"No, if an incident occurs, I have a duty to respond as well."

Even among the Curators directly hired by Bi Sabeol, he was an employee whose abilities were highly recognized. As a Hunter, he was already A-class, and he held countless certifications related to alchemy and barriers.

Because of this, Yu Seongun was frequently called upon whenever additional tasks like this arose. He was used to taking on work in this manner.

"You're very reliable."

His HR colleague continued with his characteristic impassive face.

"I would appreciate it if you could take charge as the general manager for this."

"I appreciate you thinking highly of me, but that's a bit..."

Yu Seongun shook his head.

"Doesn't it look weird for someone who used to be a researcher for the Association to take on a general manager role?"

"I recall you were a research team leader, not just a regular researcher."

"Right, exactly. Do you know how many dirty looks I got when I left the Association? I have no intention of standing out."

"If you insist, I won't press the matter any further."

"Yes, thank you very much."

Scratching his neck, Yu Seongun asked.

"Anyway, if it's happened 17 times, doesn't that mean the monster has no intention of hiding its presence?"

"..."

"If it was a monster with concealment abilities excellent enough to bypass our guild's inspections and get safely displayed in the gallery, it could have hidden itself as much as it wanted."

As if waiting for that, the HR employee nodded.

"I was just about to give you the information regarding this ghost."

"That's welcome news."

"It's a bizarre phenomenon that has been witnessed 17 times, after all. We couldn't neglect gathering information on it."

The employee continued.

"Since the other Curators are also highly competent, even if not quite as much as you, Mr. Seongun, we were fortunately able to hear various accounts about the ghost."

The HR employee handed a file over to Yu Seongun.

"As you'll see once you read it..."

"Is there a drawing too?"

"We included an illustration based on the eyewitness testimonies."

"Hmm."

As Yu Seongun studied the illustration, the HR employee explained.

"In all 17 sightings, the ghost's outfit never changed. It wore a large black cloak big enough to cover its face and body entirely, and its inner attire was said to be a black shirt and suit. Its height was around 188cm, quite tall for a humanoid."

"Is its physique on the sturdier side, then?"

"Detailed confirmation was impossible due to the loose cloak, but the majority concluded that it was at least not a skinny physique. However, no one ever described it as being burly either."

"If its inside couldn't be verified to that extent, then no one should really know if it's truly humanoid underneath. It could be an undead type. What was the reason for determining it was 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. And this was from a Curator with exceptionally high standards."

"..."

"... I know it sounds absurd, but if someone who scrutinizes the opposite sex's appearance that meticulously says he's handsome, it's certain his features must be distinct and well-proportioned. And we defined that as human."

"No... handsome or whatever, what about his features?"

Yu Seongun asked with a sour expression.

"Like his hair color, the shape of his eyes, the condition of his skin, or if he has a mole anywhere... I mean features like that. I don't see a facial illustration included; were there no testimonies regarding that part?"

"Unfortunately, they saw him so briefly that the Curator couldn't verify any specific features. They only mentioned that the thought 'he's handsome' crossed their mind in that split second. Since even that detail was only recalled after they had run away and regained their senses, I have nothing more to tell you regarding his physical characteristics."

The assistant manager added.

"For some reason, everyone said it was hard to make eye contact with him. That's a big part of why it's so difficult to describe his facial appearance. Since they couldn't look him in the eye, they naturally wouldn't know what his face looked like."

"He might have an eye-related skill, or that could even be his main body. What about his hands or feet, then, instead of his face?"

"Fortunately, I can shed some light on that."

The HR employee nodded.

"His skin was reportedly incredibly pale. Because his skin was as white as someone who had never been exposed to sunlight, testimonies noted that it stood out distinctly against his all-black outfit."

"Is that so? Then maybe it's a monster with a backstory... It might have wandered in from some dungeon."

"Moreover, they said he was barefoot."

"Was it to avoid making noise?"

The HR employee firmly rejected Yu Seongun's mutterings.

"That isn't it."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because all 17 Curators unanimously testified that 'there was no sound at all when the ghost walked around.' Even if he were barefoot, footsteps would normally make a sound, so there would be no need for him to purposely take off his shoes."

"Then walking without making a sound must just be the monster's individual trait."

In these cases, it was usually one of two things.

'It's either a monster with a skill that conceals sound, or a monster so light it makes no sound at all...'

Since they had deemed it a humanoid, the probability leaned heavily toward the former.

"..."

Yu Seongun furrowed his brow.

"Did you report this to the Guild Master? If it really is a humanoid monster, it's not just headline material, it's research material."

"We have already reported the matter to him, but his only instructions were to keep it from getting out and verify it internally as much as possible. He said he didn't want the Hunter Association stealing it as research material."

"... I understand what you mean. That does sound like something the Guild Master would do."

Yu Seongun nodded. The words, 'And what happens if someone dies because of that?' didn't leave his mouth.

In this day and age, the life of someone dying on the job was treated with about as much regard as a pebble on the side of the road.

'At least Bi Sabeol cherishes his employees, so I can trust that he's taken measures regarding that. He's not the type of boss to blindly order people into dangerous work...'

At that moment, the HR employee spoke.

"Starting next week, safety reinforcement training for the Curators will commence. Artifacts will be gifted to all the trainees, so please make sure to grab yours, Mr. Seongun."

"Aha."

Indeed. That made sense.

"Our guild really does work hard. They even know how to value human lives."

"Thank you for saying so. Though, these were all instructions passed down by the Guild Master."

The HR employee continued with the explanation.

"The ghost was first sighted 15 days ago, at 4:32 AM."

"4 AM is a time when foot traffic is quite rare. It's the one time when even our 24-hour gallery is empty and slow."

"That's right. It's also one of this ghost's quirks. I don't know if it's conscious of people's eyes or if it's bound by some condition, but it typically insists on appearing at dawn when not many employees are around."

"It sounds like it's either timid or cunning, but..."

Yu Seongun flipped through the file and tilted his head. Information that should have been there wasn't documented. It didn't seem like it had been left out by mistake.

"... And there are zero human casualties."

It wasn't acting like a humanoid monster.

"..."

No, it just wasn't acting like a monster at all.

'... No matter how adept humanoid monsters might be at scheming, just people-watching for two whole weeks is definitely an unusual case. Even if it's using some mind-type skill for a delayed attack that acts like a time bomb... there's no way a guild with security as strict as ours wouldn't notice.'

If so, it meant this 'ghost' truly had just been people-watching for two solid weeks.

"Monsters without hostility shouldn't exist, right?"

As a former researcher for the Association, Yu Seongun knew just how vast a monster's hostility toward Earth's lifeforms was. It was to a degree that even highly intelligent humanoid monsters found unbearable.

Even if overcoming it was possible, monsters possessed absolutely zero knowledge and understanding of humans. Even if they were to harbor goodwill and approach a human, there was no way it would result in a positive outcome.

'Is this why it was labeled a ghost?'

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

As Yu Seongun thought this to himself, the employee's explanation reached his ears.

"The locations where it has been sighted have been getting closer and closer to the surface lately."

"... Hmm..."

"Starting from the first sighting, it lingered around the 5th basement floor for a total of 7 sightings. The next 4 times were on the 4th floor, the next 2 on the 3rd floor, another 2 on the 2nd floor, and 1 time on the 1st floor. It's been coming up one floor at a time."

"... Isn't that a little dangerous?"

"But the last and 17th sighting took place back down on the 5th basement floor."

"Ah, it went back down?"

"And for five days since then, there haven't been any sightings reported."

"In that case..."

"It appears to have finished its exploration."

"What a headache."

Finding a monster that had already retreated back into its den was going to be an even harder task.

"Are there any other peculiarities? Like its behavior patterns. Usually, monsters like this establish their own set of rules and try to force humans into that mold. Plus, if it's humanoid, it's even more likely to have personal rules."

The employee nodded.

"Just as you said, there is a peculiarity."

"What is it?"

"They said it gives out gifts."

"..."

I hadn't even lived all that long, yet here I was, hearing about a monster giving out gifts.

'... The gallery's pieces often exhibit that kind of behavior, but in that sense, it makes it a bit difficult to just define this guy as a simple monster...'

Gathering his thoughts, Yu Seongun asked for clarification.

"... Gifts, you said?"

"..."

As if empathizing with Yu Seongun's sheer disbelief, the employee made a subtle expression before clearing his throat and returning to his impassive face.

The employee continued the explanation.

"When you first encounter the ghost, he supposedly pretends to be human and approaches you."

"Who would even fall for that..."

"Perhaps he genuinely believes he's a human. Regardless, he then initiates a conversation with the employee he runs into. Asking what their name is. How old they are. What they do. Where this place is. Why they are here."

"..."

"The topics are mostly mundane with nothing special to them. He doesn't ask for deeply personal information, and if someone is reluctant to share their details, he reportedly doesn't pry any further. Once a conversation is successfully concluded like that, the ghost hands over a gift."

The HR employee gestured for him to turn the page. When Yu Seongun flipped the page with a sour expression, photos of the 'gifts' the employees had supposedly received came into view.

"... This is..."

"Yes, as you can see, it is food."

"What kind of domestic monster is this?"

The photos displayed an array of bite-sized snacks, such as cookies, chocolates, and candies.

Looking at the neat and modest packaging, there was no doubt these were handmade. Handmade snacks prepared by a monster—if this were published in an article, people would curse at them to stop spewing such bullshit.

"Have you run a chemical analysis on them?"

"We carried one out under the Guild Master's orders, and the test results came back a week ago."

"Was there poison or something...?"

"No, on the contrary, it was medicine. Things like anemia medication, digestives, painkillers, fever reducers, and antidiarrheals."

"..."

"Even the research team couldn't figure out how ordinary cookies or chocolates could take on such medicinal properties. The taste and ingredients were all identical to ordinary snacks."

Yu Seongun flipped through the file and asked.

"Then how did you detect the medicinal effects?"

"As you know, with the Guild Master's full backing..."

"Did he drag test subjects out of the prison again? I suppose that is the cleanest method, one way or another."

"It is a place lined with excellent test subjects, after all."

"That is true. But even with the prison's help, wasn't the research completed rather quickly?"

"I don't know why, but it just so happened that the Guild Master already had prisoners prepared on standby."

In an era where the lives of perfectly innocent employees were treated as pebbles, the human rights of criminals were absolutely non-existent.

The Collector guild's Guild Master was someone who capitalized on that very well, so one could easily guess that he had utilized such criminals for this experiment as well.

The HR employee continued.

"What's even more surprising is that the gifts were the exact remedies the employees needed."

"... Are you saying he gave a snack containing digestives to an employee with an upset stomach, and a snack containing fever reducers to an employee running a fever?"

"Exactly."

"..."

Yu Seongun dragged a hand down his face.

"That means he also has an appraisal skill that works on living creatures. If so, his rank must be quite high."

"It's a headache to deal with. Especially since he's showing goodwill toward our side."

"A rampaging monster would actually be easier to handle; we can neither subdue nor placate this one."

Letting out a long sigh, Yu Seongun nodded, seemingly accepting his fate of taking on this extra assignment.

"I will take the case. This is my area of expertise, after all."

"Thank you. Oh, and there is one more thing I need to tell you..."

"What is it?"

"I mean the date these incidents first started."

"That sounds ominous."

"They began right after the Guild Master exhibited the 'Portrait of Jio' in the gallery."

"... Ah..."

At Yu Seongun's exclamation, the HR employee shot him a look of pity.

"..."

"..."

And with good reason—the 'Portrait of Jio' was the exact piece Yu Seongun had just been assigned to oversee.

"... Overtime again, huh."

A hollow chuckle escaped his lips unbidden.

"Stay strong."

"I'll have to."

He was already exhausted.