Chapter 13 : They said they’d give it back (2)

“T- Tell me?”

“Yes.”

Next to me, peacefully sipping tea, Hunter Hanseong fidgeted nervously and started asking questions.

“Uh, exactly what do you mean by that?”

“You mean… the reason I have to stay here for three whole days…?”

“…You’re not just doing this to torment me, are you?”

Oh dear, this guy.

He’s clearly terrified and watching my every move, yet he still says whatever he wants?

What if I really did decide to torment him?

I could tie him up to a pillar right now and make him watch the Sword Demon perform a sword dance.

“Should I torment you?”

“…No.”

Hanseong immediately shook his head in response.

Seeing that, I let out a small chuckle.

“…Pfft, I won’t. I don’t have that kind of hobby.”

“…!!”

Hanseong flinched when he saw me smile, suddenly shifting his gaze toward the distant mountains.

“…? What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing.”

Truthfully, my goal of triggering the boss room break had already been achieved.

After all, the moment a hunter steps into a boss room, the timer starts ticking.

So then, why was I keeping Hanseong here instead of letting him leave?

“Hunter Hanseong, for the next three days, I’d like you to observe me and share your honest impressions with people.”

“…What?”

Simply put, I wanted to let people hear from a human mouth what kind of being I was—not as a person, but as a monster.

I couldn’t leave the tower myself.

And even if I did, what would be the point?

No one would believe my words.

The moment I set foot outside, S-rank hunters from all over the world would gather to try and exterminate me.

Absolutely not.

That’s why I needed someone who could leave the tower.

And that person was none other than Choi Hanseong.

“Please.”

I bowed my head toward him.

I just want to live in peace.

I don’t want to be hated by humans.

In my past life, I had built my fortune by stirring up controversy and making sensationalist content, but that wasn’t an honorable way to live.

I had thrown that life away and received a new one.

So I should enjoy it, shouldn’t I?

At least within the tower, I had power, authority, and wealth—everything I needed.

A peaceful life was my goal, and coexisting with humans was part of that plan.

Killing people could never be considered a just way to live.

And besides, I have the ability to stream online.

Even if people don’t enter the tower, I can still make money.

“Everything I said on my broadcasts was sincere.”

“…….”

“I don’t want to harm humans. I just want to live peacefully.”

I lowered my head, waiting for Hanseong’s response.

It must have been shocking for him to hear a monster say such things.

He was probably confused.

“…I don’t think I can believe it right away.”

“I… lost my younger sister to a monster.”

I already knew that.

I had worked as a hunter-focused content creator before, so I had covered Hanseong’s story to some extent.

I had stopped, though, since positive news about hunters never really got many views.

From my past research, I knew how his younger sister had died.

She had been trying to save a fellow hunter while raiding a boss but failed to escape in time.

I had considered making a video about it, but in the end, I decided against it.

It didn’t sit right with me to profit off the suffering of someone who had done nothing wrong.

That incident had shaken all of South Korea.

With a past like that, it was no wonder he couldn’t believe me.

His hatred for monsters must run deep.

“…I’m sorry.”

I bowed my head deeply.

How could I ask something like this from someone who had lost family to a monster?

I couldn’t help but feel my body grow weak.

The only reason he hadn’t reacted more strongly was probably because we were face-to-face in the tower.

I had held on to a bit of hope, but reality was just as expected.

Hanseong waved his hand awkwardly, giving me a sheepish smile.

“No, no, it’s fine. It’s not like you were the one who killed her.”

“…Huh?”

“I can’t say I trust you yet.”

Looking at me, Hanseong gave a small smile.

“But… I want to try believing in you.”

“…!!”

He seemed embarrassed, scratching his cheek and letting out a small, awkward laugh.

I couldn’t help but stare at him with wide eyes.

‘He wants to believe me? Me, a monster?’

Why?

Why would he—?

“Why are you looking at me like that? You’re the one who asked me to believe you.”

“…W-Why, though?”

“Why?”

“…I-I’m just a monster. A creature that humans fear…”

Hearing my words, Hanseong let out a soft chuckle.

“A hunter who’s afraid of monsters wouldn’t last long in this business.”

“Besides, you haven’t done anything to harm me.”

“Thinking about it now, you kept warning us, didn’t you? Telling us not to come in.”

Relaxing a little, Hanseong let out a sigh and continued speaking.

“…I do hate monsters. But the one who took my sister is already dead—by my own hands.”

“Not long ago, I even had a short conversation with the boss of Hwarang Tower.”

“It’s classified, so people don’t know, but… right before it died, it muttered that it wanted to live.”

“It was as if it didn’t even understand why it had to die.”

“Of course, before that, it had treated humans like insects and acted all high and mighty, but still.”

Hanseong then reached out his hand toward me as if asking for a handshake.

“But at least you aren’t like that.”

“…Are you really okay with this? A hunter and a monster…”

“If we can communicate and you don’t attack people, how are you any different from beastkin?”

This guy was playing with fire.

Beastkin and monsters were completely different.

Killing them wouldn’t yield useful materials or equipment.

They didn’t show aggression toward humans.

Most importantly, even without a Break occurring, they were free to enter and leave open towers.

They weren’t bound by the tower’s restrictions like me.

That was the fundamental difference between them and monsters.

I shot Hanseong a sharp look for saying something so reckless.

“…If any beastkin heard you say that, it would cause an uproar.”

“…That was a slip of the tongue.”

Hanseong immediately admitted his mistake.

Seeing that, I let out a small, amused smile.

“Then, I’ll be counting on you.”

I gave Hanseong a warm smile.

***

Meanwhile, various online communities were in heated debates over a controversial topic:The kind-hearted Gumiho and master of the tower, Yubin.

[Title: But honestly, let’s be real here.]

[“What can we even do about this?

Seriously, lol.

What are those people who keep provoking them thinking?

Choi Hanseong literally can’t do anything.

We have no power here, so I’m just going to trust them.

They literally begged twice for us to believe them—while crying, okay?

Monsters usually call humans ‘bugs,’ ‘morons,’ or ‘idiots’ on instinct.

People keep saying SSS-ranks aren’t any different, but what if they are?

What if an SSS-rank can be friendly toward humans?”]

[#232]

(Comments)

“Uhh, we can just ask for international support and wipe them out~”

└ “Yeah, right.”

“Screw that fox b****.”

└ “I don’t get why people are mad for no reason;;”

└ “For real, are you going into the tower?”

“…I’m honestly conflicted.”

“I think this makes sense. If we trust them now, maybe they’ll spare us later.”

“Even if you don’t trust them, can you all just shut up? lol”

└ “What, you want us to stay silent while our country falls apart?”

└ “What exactly do you plan to do about it?”

“There’s no need to provoke them. What if they get pissed and come out?”

└ “Exactly. Hanseong already triggered the boss room timer, right?”

└ “Yeah, if he had stayed unconscious, it wouldn’t have started, but now the countdown is running.”

“Let’s just believe in them.”

[Title: Cut the Crap.]

[“You want to trust a monster?

My older brother was killed by one of those freaks during a Break, and now you’re telling me to trust them?

Just thinking about the disasters those monsters caused back then makes my blood boil.

Have you all lost your memories?

Do you not remember?

There are still areas undergoing restoration even now, for god’s sake.

All monsters are the same.”]

(Comments)

This is the right take, 100%.

Yeah, trust them? What a joke.

Everyone must’ve lost their minds.

Were they brainwashed or something?

But isn’t it at least worth considering?

What can you even do if you don’t trust them?

└ Get lost~.

If you wanna die, go ahead and die alone.

Stop provoking it and making things worse.

└ LOL.

└ So, if we trust the Gumiho, it’ll spare us?

└ Here come the monster worshippers.

The debate was sharply divided—some believed a monster could be trusted, while others were adamant that it was impossible.

The two sides hurled accusations at each other.

And the very beings who had orchestrated this chaos watched on with amusement.

***

A Dark Alley.

A woman chuckled in the dimly lit street.

“Pfft. How stupid~”

“…Enough. Let’s head back before we get caught.”

“Why? If I use my ‘Word Enchantment’ just a little longer, we could flip the whole thing completely.”

A woman in a hoodie sucked on a lollipop, looking disappointed.

A man in a cloak-like hood responded with an irritated tone.

“Do you even realize how many times you’ve said that in the past few hours?”

“Whoa, whoa~ Chill out, old man.”

The woman smirked awkwardly and put her phone away.

“Fine, let’s go.”

“Haa… Let’s.”

The man pulled a sword from his coat and slashed through the air.

A sinister, blood-red portal appeared before them.

“Such a shame.”

The woman muttered as the man, already stepping into the portal, turned back to glare at her.

“…If you try anything stupid, I’ll cut you down first.”

“Eek~ So scary. I’m going, I’m going~”

She hurriedly dashed into the portal.

As soon as the two figures disappeared, the eerie red portal that had been illuminating the alley vanished without a trace.