Chapter 8
Right now, the best response I could give him was to remain as calm as possible.
“What’s with all the questions? I didn’t steal it, and it’s none of your business. So butt out.”
Sure, Seo Gowoon in the novel was a thug and absolute trash, but he was never the kind of person to steal.
If he couldn’t even muster the courage to step inside a dungeon because he was terrified of monsters, how could a coward like him dare to steal anything?
The worst he did was swagger around, throwing tantrums and leeching off people, all while clinging to Seo Taeju—vice guild master of the Sunset Guild and an S-rank hunter.
Stealing required a kind of reckless boldness he simply didn’t have.
No wonder those so-called legendary thieves kept their composure even when the cops caught them.
Meanwhile, Taeju stared me down, clearly aware even in his own mind that Gowoon wasn’t the type. That contemptuous glare from this morning had faded, but his suspicion lingered.
I raised my hands slightly.
“What, gonna keep glaring? Fine. I’ll make it simple. I got this fair and square from the Tower.”
“The Tower?”
“Yeah. The Tower.”
“You? You’re telling me you went into the Tower?”
He let out a mocking laugh.
“Sure, and dogs suddenly stop taking dumps too. If you want me to believe you, at least try to sound plausible.”
“Dogs and dumps… You’ve really got a way with words. Whatever. Think what you want. I’m getting tired of explaining myself.”
“Fine. But if this causes problems, screw your excuses—I’ll drop everything.”
“Yeah, yeah. Do whatever you want.”
He didn’t know it, but I had no time for accidents anyway.
I had to whip this weak, disposable body called Seo Gowoon into shape, rescue hunters doomed to die, coax and push them so that the Cradle could appear earlier than in the novel, and make sure they climbed the Tower as soon as possible.
Just thinking about it made me breathless.
Taeju frowned again, clearly unsatisfied with my answers.
“…Has that bird shown itself to anyone else?”
I arched an eyebrow at the unexpected question, which only made his frown deepen.
Man, this guy’s a pain. Didn’t he use to act like he couldn’t care less about anything?
If he wanted to keep up that aloof persona, he should’ve stuck with it.
“Hey, you gonna answer or not?” Taeju snapped, unable to even wait a moment.
“No. I didn’t even mean for you to see it.”
Technically, it wasn’t a lie. I had purified Shin Sooha with the Purification Egg, but the bird had only just transformed.
“Then from now on, don’t show it to anyone but me. It’s dangerous.”
As expected of him—sharp as ever. Even in the novel, Taeju was described as quick-witted. With a single purification, he had already sensed the danger tied to Sogeum’s value.
I agreed and nodded.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t. You have no idea what it feels like to be purified.”
…What the hell was he talking about?
Purification isn’t just purification? There’s some kind of feeling attached to it?
In the novel, it was described as “like sinking into warm water.” But maybe it was different for those who experienced it firsthand.
“What does it feel like then?”
“Like I want to kill you right now and make that bird mine.”
In that instant, I recognized the look in his eyes.
That disgusting gaze—entitlement, the certainty that taking from others was only natural. The eyes of a criminal.
His eyes gleamed as he said it, and I could tell he was dead serious.
This guy, who already has just about everything, really feels that way?
I looked down at Sogeum, who had dozed off, tucked beneath my palm.
“This bird—it’s registered as your pet, right?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah.”
“Then you’re in danger too. It’ll have homing instincts.”
Bound pets always returned to their rightful owner, no matter who tried to take them. If someone stole Sogeum, he’d come back to me regardless.
“Use your head. If someone wanted to use a bird with homing instincts, how do you think they’d do it?”
“They’d kidnap you. Even an idiot could figure that out.”
“Exactly. And then they’d force the bird to obey them.”
I knew all too well what “force” implied.
Kidnapping followed by violence—it was standard procedure.
In the worst case, they’d mutilate the victim, leaving them barely human. A lunatic desperate to prevent escape wouldn’t even hesitate to chop off a leg.
But I hadn’t obtained the Purification Egg just for Shin Sooha and Taeju. There were more hunters I needed to save.
“Listen, I’m not saving you. If you die or get used, that’s on you. Protect yourself.”
“Good. Please do that. Stop caring about me.”
“I’m not joking. Your parents’ last words—I’ve honored them enough.”
In the novel, before dying, Gowoon’s parents had entrusted Taeju with their final wish: to look after their reckless eldest son.
And because of that, Taeju couldn’t bring himself to ignore it. Even when Gowoon scammed people, threw tantrums, and bled him dry, Taeju endured it—for the sake of that promise.
“Well, forget it. You don’t have to honor that anymore. You’re still clinging to that crap like an idiot?”
Those words were from my heart.
If Gowoon hadn’t died in the story, Taeju would have spent his whole life chained to him.
Annoying as it was to be in Gowoon’s body, Taeju himself wasn’t a bad guy.
“What?”
“Why keep a stupid promise like that? Because of you, this bastard—no, I grew up spoiled rotten and turned into a thug.”
“What nonsense are you—”
“Forget it if you don’t get it.”
But I knew. I had read the story all the way to the end.
The number of hunters I needed to save with the bird was small.
I had already saved one. The rest, I could take care of later, quietly, like I had with Sooha.
No need to make him suffer more than he already has. And if it really comes down to it, I can always find someone else to replace him.
Taeju grimaced at my words, stared at me a while longer, then stood.
“Believe it or not, I’m not letting you drag me down anymore.”
He looked down at me with the same face he’d worn when mocking me earlier—“dogs don’t stop taking dumps”—then walked off to his room.
I sank back into the couch with a sigh.
Exhausting. If only I could fall asleep and wake up back in reality.
I forced myself into that positive thought loop.
But honestly, I didn’t even need to.
I knew already—I wasn’t going back.
“Purify me.”
Taeju dropped onto the sofa and held out his hand.
[Passive skill ‘Diagnosis’ has activated.]
[Seo Taeju – Corruption Level: 54%]
So what, he’d just assumed I’d keep purifying him?
I shot him a look, sighed, and called out.
“Sogeum.”
Flying over from my room, the little bird perched on Taeju’s hand like it had done it a hundred times before.
Taeju let out a weary sigh, sinking into the sofa as purification took hold.
It must’ve felt amazing, because now he came home every day at lunchtime just to be purified.
[Seo Taeju – Corruption Level: 0%]
“Ppi-pi!”
The moment it was done and Sogeum returned to me, Taeju would leave—without so much as a thank-you.
Busy man, huh. What, does he clear every dungeon in the country on his own?
I clicked my tongue and went back to folding laundry.
I’d told him I’d handle housework myself—it was my way of saying I’d grown up, didn’t need his protection, and wanted him to stop interfering.
He’d mocked me at first, betting I’d quit after a day or two.
Guess he thought I’d give up quickly. Wrong again.
After all, my first hobby had been shooting, and my second—cleaning.
Nothing calmed my mind quite like it. And seeing the house get sparkling clean as I worked was deeply satisfying.
This house was big too, which meant I had plenty of time to think while tidying up.
A wide, shining home—it was enough to make me smile just imagining it.
“All done.”
Once I finished sorting the towels, I returned to my room and opened the wardrobe.
“Really need to organize these clothes…”
Gowoon’s fashion sense was unbearable.
Those loud, primary colors made my skin crawl.
I’d been surviving by washing and re-wearing the outfit I’d worn to the Tower, but that could only last so long.
For now, it didn’t matter since I had nowhere to go, but soon I’d need to prepare if I wanted to save the others.
“Guess I’ll hit the mart tomorrow.”
I recalled the supermarket I’d spotted during my morning run, then sat down at my desk.
Opening my notebook, I checked the next name on the list.
“Next is… Mikael, right?”
I circled his name with my pen.
Guild master of Holy Spirit, one of the nation’s top three guilds—Mikael, the kindest man alive and a hunter who could summon holy shields.
“If I remember right, he died in the first monster wave.”
The problem was, I didn’t know the exact date.
The novel only said: “A monster wave broke out in the middle of Gangnam. Mikael protected civilians with his shield but, having exhausted all his mana, was killed by monsters.”
“That wave wasn’t detailed, so I can’t just close it as soon as it starts.”
I tapped the diary with my pen, deep in thought.
“How can I save this guy?”
The wave had lasted less than an hour but caused massive casualties.
The number of monsters was equivalent to what would normally pour out over several hours. And worse—monsters you’d only expect from an S-rank dungeon flooded the streets in droves.
He’s too good a person to let die.
Mikael, unaware of what was coming, cast his shield to protect civilians, planning only to hold out until other hunters arrived.
But in just forty minutes, too many monsters had poured in.
Even when reinforcements came, wiping out the S-rank monsters took time.
It’d be such a waste to let him die.
When Mikael’s mana ran dry, his shield collapsed.
And the monsters that had been circling, waiting, descended instantly, massacring everyone.
The novel had called the scene “hell.”
“…Maybe I should drop Taeju a hint.”
