20 — Chapter 20

“This can’t be…! The stars have all closed their eyes at once!”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden, Sir Esma?”

Blue Tower’s Astronomical Observation Wing.

Esma Miller suddenly cried out while staring up at the sky. His desk was buried in records—notes and reports on anomalous Gates and the recent Singularity that had erupted in Sector 4 of Ground Zero.

His assistant tilted her head in confusion, but Esma pointed skyward, voice tinged with fear.

“You mean you don’t see the movement of those celestial bodies?”

“Well… it’s the middle of the day right now.”

“You idiot! You claim to read the heavens, yet you sip tea while the world is turning upside down!”

“Ow! But I really don’t see anything…”

Her name was Theresia. Even as she covered the crown of her head from her master’s falling fists, she couldn’t help protesting the unfair treatment.

End of the world? Cosmic upheaval? Whatever he wanted to call it—her biggest crisis right now was the sudden storm during her peaceful afternoon teatime.

Normally she would’ve just muttered “Here he goes again…” and slipped out. But today was the day of an important symposium. And if Esma was in a bad mood, the entire atmosphere of the gathering would go up in smoke.

So, as the Tower’s chief researcher, Theresia cautiously asked:

“What’s so serious? Did an Archduke’s Incarnation appear? Or did the Outer God of Revelation speak again?”

Since the Gates first appeared, Earth’s night sky had never been the same. The movements of colossal beings—Outer Gods, Archdukes—had thrown celestial alignment into chaos.

But what terrified astronomers most was not the loss of contact with satellites beyond the atmosphere, nor that familiar stars had vanished or shifted positions.

It was the thirteen constellations, fixed above like foreign intrusions nailed into the heavens—unnatural, unchanging.

That quiet order amid chaos was the true horror.

Four of those thirteen were manifestations of Outer Gods that had crossed from other dimensions.

All across the world, the Magic Towers studied even the smallest tremor in those stars, interpreting them as warnings or revelations from the Outer Gods.

The Blue Tower’s Weekly Polar Lens was always trained on Revelation’s constellation, making it especially sensitive to changes.

But now, while every instrument reported calm, only Esma felt an anomaly.

“An Incarnation? An Outer God? No—this is beyond that!”

“Then what is it?”

“Something has declared its existence upon the earth. Something utterly alien, unlike even an Archduke or Outer God!”

“…You’ve been using weird words ever since you got back from Korea. But if that’s true, why is the Outer God of Revelation silent? Even during Ground Zero, they didn’t do much. Maybe they’re losing their touch?”

“You blasphemous brat!”

“Ow!”

Another blow landed. Theresia quickly donned her enchanted sunglasses, a magitech invention with shifting lenses, and looked up at the sky.

Still nothing. Just the usual faint starlight dimmed by the sun.

But Esma insisted the change in luminosity itself meant the Outer Gods were holding their breath. He collapsed into his chair, face etched not with scholarly curiosity, but with dread before an overwhelming presence.

“This is unprecedented… A catastrophe! A cataclysm!”

Maybe, Theresia thought, she’d get to go home early for once—professor clearly wasn’t in shape for the symposium.

But Esma kept muttering, tangling his unwashed hair as he spoke:

“Perhaps this is the prelude to a great tidal wave… Yes. It began that dawn, when Korea’s Division 3 of the Special Unit was urgently summoned.”

“So… we’re skipping the symposium today?”

“Effective immediately, the observatory goes on round-the-clock surveillance! Not a single researcher goes home for a week—no, a month!”

“Whaaat?!”

Theresia’s dream of heading home was crushed before it could even begin.

---

What kind of disaster was this supposed to be?

I stared at the girl before me with the same regret as a college kid who’d poured jajang ramen sauce into boiling water by mistake.

If I ran to the Supply Support Unit now and explained this, they’d probably diagnose me with severe brain damage. And according to Bureau compensation law, with pension reductions factored in, it was far too early for retirement.

That left me only one option: face this head-on.

I swallowed nervously and called her name.

“Uh… Mala-nim?”

The thought that the girl before me wasn’t Mala-nim didn’t even cross my mind.

Snow-white hair, just like her.

A sharp, unreadable gaze, just like her.

Graceful legs wrapped in old-fashioned clothing, just like her.

“Grkk.”

And most of all, the way she ground her teeth when angry. That was what convinced me this was Mala-nim.

“Grkk.”

“H-hey, please don’t do that! You’ll break your teeth!”

Perhaps unused to her newly gained vocal cords, she was grinding away. I hurriedly tried to calm her.

When I reached out, she instinctively clutched at my left sleeve—just like she always had in her tentacle form.

I carefully lifted her, as though she were a fragile piece of porcelain.

She was clearly agitated, but what mattered now was discerning her intent.

“To think you would descend directly in Incarnate form… I must have worried you again.”

I gently set the Outer God down on the bed and spoke softly.

We had been together for fifteen long years. Even without a voice, communication between us had never been a problem.

“I heard what you said at the end. You were clearly talking about stray cats, weren’t you?”

There had to be a reason why Mala-nim, whose heart was as deep and vast as the sea, had grown angry enough to take on a human form.

Yes… it must’ve started from when I made the Oath with Yoo Se-byeol and received the smartwatch.

“I can understand, even if only faintly. You must have been so anxious.”

“……”

“We only ever had eyes for each other, yet ever since I joined the Special Unit, I’ve been distracted—always looking at things that weren’t you, Mala-nim.”

“……”

Her expression, usually cold as ice, flushed just slightly. The way her hand tugged at my collar with extra strength confirmed my suspicion.

Rather than strengthening my ability or urging me to seek out more Star Scars, she had chosen instead to show me her tenderness directly.

The truth behind that gesture was clear…

“You wanted one too, didn’t you? A top-grade pet monster—like a cat.”

“Grrrr—!”

…Or not?

I, a mere mortal, had no way of truly grasping her intentions.

Before her anger grew too fierce, I decided to take her outside. If a Special Unit member was spotted walking around the Bureau with a mysterious companion, it would definitely draw attention.

If Kang Ha-neul complained later, I could just say we were out on patrol.

While I was racking my brain for a way to sneak her out unseen, my hand brushed something in my pocket—Patel’s bizarre mask.

“Hmm? A white-haired Awakened? And beside you—”

“I don’t know them!”

Wearing the mask, I managed to shake off Ha Yeri in the hallway and slip outside after swiping my pass at the lobby gate.

Only when I stepped onto a bus waiting at the stop did I finally exhale in relief.

All that remained was to ease Mala-nim’s anger.

“Mala-nim, since you’ve taken on flesh, why don’t we take a walk together today?”

“…?”

“Remember what I told you in that dungeon? That I’d show you what my world used to look like?”

It was a promise I had made after defeating Flauros and crossing over to Earth, one I had yet to keep.

Ground Zero had only ever been for missions—I still hadn’t properly shown her Seoul.

I could only hope that, by showing her a world so different from the barren Demon Realm, her anger would fade.

“I’ve been busy with missions until now, but I’m glad I can finally show you.”

“……”

Those violet eyes stared straight into me. Without words, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

But at least… she didn’t look angry.

Today, I would be the best tour guide she could have.

---

They say even rivers and mountains change in ten years, and Seoul had changed a lot since the last time I remembered it.

Luckily, someone had left behind a tourist pamphlet on the bus, and I picked it up to guide us. Mixing its words with my own hazy memories, I began introducing Seoul’s landmarks.

“That one over there is the 31.5 Building. It used to be twice as tall, but an Awakened called the ‘Mad Monk’ snapped it in half on his sixty-third birthday because he wanted to feel young again.”

“The river below is the Han River. Those floating shapes aren’t corpses, they’re restless spirits—almost like undead that drifted here from the Sea of Decay. These days, they say fishermen feed them choco pies to keep them docile.”

“And that giant doll over there was once the symbol of Korea’s death-game craze that became a global hit. Unfortunately, when Season 7 pushed contestants into an actual Gate, the release was postponed indefinitely.”

The more I looked around, the more it felt like Earth wasn’t so different from the Demon Realm. At least Seoul was better off, being the capital where the Bureau and the big guilds gathered.

The provinces were basically ruins, and Busan barely maintained the shape of a city under the Alliance’s control.

“Oh, look at that billboard—birth rate statistics! This month, 0.03 babies were born per 1,000 people. They recently updated the census to count Awakened as ten people each, so maybe that’s why the number jumped.”

I wanted to leave Mala-nim with a good impression of my home, but even I couldn’t help sounding deflated.

By the time the sun sank westward, we stepped off the bus at some nameless stop.
I sagged with guilt.

“I’m sorry, Mala-nim. I didn’t mean to disappoint you.”

“……”

“If there’s a next time, I’ll definitely take you somewhere better.”

Mala-nim quietly sat down on a bench, picked up the pamphlet I had set aside earlier, and flipped through the pages.

Then she tugged my sleeve and pointed to one.

Even a simpleton can survive! Seoul Survival Tour Guide, Chapter 3-1

The K-X Aquarium, filled with man-eating sharks

(photo)

Directions: Exit 12 at Bongeunsa Station, 10 km on foot

Note: Recommended for couples who want to prove their love is as deep as blood

Her lips shaped the words, “Next time, here.”

She tapped the letters with her finger.

And then I remembered the promise I’d made back in the dungeon:

When we get out, I’ll show you the world I lived in. We’ll eat delicious food, you’ll see all the sauces I sang about stacked in supermarkets. And if we go to the aquarium, there are creatures that look just like you—maybe you could make a friend.

She had remembered everything I said!

I couldn’t help but feel ashamed for wasting time playing games with my sleeve when I should have been more mindful.

“Yes. Next time, I’ll definitely take you there.”

I clasped her hand as I promised. Satisfied, Mala-nim quietly returned to her true form.

Her white tentacles wriggled back into the comfort of my sleeve.

---

After a short “vacation,” I stopped by the supermarket on the way back to the dorm.

The seafood corner was lined with fresh sashimi and sides, but my focus was on just one thing:

Which dipping sauce would best match my tentacles?

As I pondered, someone spoke beside me.

“I recommend this one.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a perfect blend of vinegar and gochujang. Always on sale, and it comes in heat-resistant containers so it won’t spoil even in extreme conditions.”

Tempting. Was he a store clerk?

But the man addressing me looked more like he belonged in a noble’s mansion than a supermarket—complete with a monocle and frock coat. Stroking his white beard thoughtfully, he added:

“And above all… it pairs perfectly with seafood you won’t find in these lands.”

“Who are you?”

“Ah, forgive me. I am Aldrick. You may call me ‘Al.’”

He handed me a black envelope. On its front was a crimson seal, shaped like the simplified symbol of the Virgin constellation.

As soon as I took it, Aldrick bowed.

“Congratulations, Patel. You’ve fulfilled the wish of the Magic Tower. You are now worthy.”

“…Wish?”

“We hope next time, you will grace us with your presence and bring honor to the council’s First Seat.”

Who was this guy?

And wasn’t he talking to the wrong person?

Before I could clear up the misunderstanding, Aldrick snatched one of the sauce jars from the shelf and vanished.

Left alone in the seafood corner, I finally heard Mala-nim’s voice again.

『Fear not.』

“Oh, right.”

I touched my face and realized something—the mask.

The last thing my Black Tower senior handed me before his death, entrusting me with his will.

I was still wearing it.