Chapter 85

He’d eaten a meal.

He’d lived so long in a body that didn’t need to eat that he’d forgotten—humans needed to eat to survive.

Quilbion dunked dry bread into the soup and pulled it out. He put the bread soaked with pumpkin soup into his mouth and chewed.

As he cleared the dishes and brewed coffee, someone knocked on the door.

“Yes.”

When he opened the door and went out, the building manager was smiling. Her name was Fel. A woman past sixty.

“Quil, did you sleep well?”

“Of course. I slept very deeply.”

“That’s a relief. When I saw you recently, your eyes looked so sunken I felt sorry for you.”

“I had a few minor problems, but they’re all resolved now. Have you eaten breakfast?”

“That’s actually why I came.”

Fel lifted up a basket.

“It’s from the management office. Here, take it.”

It was filled with appetizing fruit.

“Something so precious.”

“Are fruits more precious than people? They say it’s good to eat them in the morning, so make sure you do. And don’t forget about the regular meeting.”

“Yes.”

“And could you tell Uls next door about the regular meeting too? I’d tell him myself, but he seems to be avoiding me, maybe because of the rent issue.”

“Understood. I’ll tell him when I see him.”

Fel, who’d been smiling warmly, narrowed her wrinkled eyes. Her pupils were scanning the inside of the house.

“Didn’t you hear any sounds?”

“Sounds?”

“Yes, I thought I heard something.”

“I wonder. Maybe there are mice?”

When Quilbion scratched his head while speaking, Fel shuddered and stepped back.

“I hate mice. If you see any, catch them as much as possible. It’s an aging building, so there are too many mice.”

She clicked her tongue, then smiled brightly while offering a farewell greeting.

After seeing Fel off with a nod, he closed the door. He passed through the narrow living room and entered the bedroom.

He could see the mustache and bulk tied up firmly in front of the wardrobe. The two made muffled sounds while twisting their bodies, but fell silent the moment Quilbion opened the door.

“You know what? Before slaughtering pigs, we drive a stake in right here.”

Quilbion touched the mustache’s crown while speaking. The mustache shook his head violently.

“Let’s cooperate. I’ll let you go after checking today. Wouldn’t it be nice to finish this without any bad blood between us? Or should I make you sleep forever?”

He bent his knees and looked at the mustache and bulk alternately. Both shook their heads before lowering their gazes.

“You see, I’ve experienced this kind of thing dozens of times. I’ve really experienced it to the point of nausea. So after a few words of conversation, I can estimate the situation. Kim and you two.”

Quilbion removed the gag stuffed in the mustache’s mouth.

“I know I’m easy prey to fleece. This body’s owner was really…… such a fucking idiot.”

A human born into an ordinary household, who received a decent education, found a decent job, and lived a decent life.

A life where the only stimulation was alcohol—gambling had entered it half a year ago.

And half a year was enough time for a human living decently to become not so decent.

Squandering all the money he’d saved diligently, falling into the delusion that one time would be enough, he’d finally reached out to loan sharks.

It was such a typical story.

“I know. That it’s all done to make a living. If I hadn’t entered this body, you guys would have taken my assets without any problems, and furthermore sold my body as experimental material. Yes, I know full well it’s a sound business. I know it well from being on the receiving end, and I know it well from doing it.”

“E-e-excuse me.”

The mustache spoke while trembling.

“I think there’s some misunderstanding, we just……”

“Even those words are too predictable. After living through various worlds, I’ve come to understand. Misunderstandings aren’t common. Most are deliberate acts disguised as misunderstandings. You guys knew. What would happen to me.”

“That’s not true, really not true.”

“Like hell it isn’t. Wait and see. We’ll go with Kim tonight and you’ll find out. Just stay put until then.”

Quilbion stuffed the gag he’d removed back into the mustache’s mouth.

“When people fall into a tense state, they can’t shit well. If you need to piss, just do it. I’ll clean it all up, so don’t worry.”

Before closing the door, he added one more thing.

“It’d be best to stay put. You absolutely can’t undo those with your strength. But if you try to get free, it’ll leave traces. If I come back and see signs that you tried to escape, I’ll take the easy route too. A route that’s comfortable for me and peaceful for you guys.”

The mustache and bulk became docile.

Quilbion smiled slightly and closed the door.

*

“How’s your body?”

Kim approached with a cigarette between his fingers.

“Much better. Sorry about yesterday. You asked me to come along, but my condition was really bad.”

“I saw you breaking out in cold sweat—how could I take you? And the spot’s still good for today, so don’t worry.”

“That’s a relief. This time I’ll really win big and settle my debts.”

Quilbion spoke while looking into Kim’s eyes. Kim’s lips twitched before letting out a hearty laugh.

“Yeah! That’s the spirit. For a man, you see, this mindset is everything. The determination to win, the conviction! If you have that, it’s not gambling but opportunity.”

Eyes darting sideways, a hint of guilt, and excitement he couldn’t hide.

This fucking bastard.

There was no need to even estimate. Quilbion shook his head.

Scams aren’t perpetrated by strangers. They’re perpetrated by people you know.

It was knowledge close to truth he’d gained while wandering through cracks.

He’d drink water offered by a stranger, but he’d be suspicious first of water offered by someone he knew with a big smile.

Quilbion had become that kind of human after living his life.

He didn’t trust people, but he trusted people’s malice with certainty.

Of course, he knew there were exceptions too.

That foolish humans like stupid Twella who sacrificed their own to save others occasionally appeared.

But it was a matter of ratios.

Rather than relying on noble goodwill to live, it was easier to trust malice and defend against it.

“Friend! We’re going to ride a golden carriage today.”

Even now, he was trying to stab him in the back with a knife while talking about friendship. This Drich-like bastard.

“Yeah, we have to ride that golden carriage.”

Quilbion responded with a smile.

He was confident he was the best in the entire world at hiding his true feelings and smiling obsequiously, naturally.

Deceiving someone whose mind was consumed with thoughts of handling money was nothing.

He followed Kim into the building. When they went down to the basement, the gambling den was in full swing.

“Come on, we’re going inside.”

He followed Kim inside.

It was a quiet room. A lightly dressed woman came in, set down two glasses, and left.

“Drink. I’m buying.”

Kim drank in good spirits. Quilbion pulled the glass forward and placed it in front of him.

“Not drinking?”

“I’m going to drink it as a celebration after winning.”

“That’s good too.”

Was the dealer not here yet? If they were going to pull tricks, they needed to prepare, so it would take time.

“Kim.”

“Yeah?”

“Did you happen to hear rumors about black rain?”

“Black rain?”

Kim chuckled.

“I haven’t heard of it.”

“Really? Then what about people drying up and dying, or indiscriminate murders where the culprit wasn’t caught……”

Kim, who’d been laughing idly, made a sour face.

“What’s with that talk all of a sudden?”

“No, I’m just curious. You’re well-connected. You hear a lot of rumors.”

“I hear stories here and there, but I’ve never heard news of such terrible things happening. If something like that had happened, it would’ve been all over the newspapers in huge print.”

“I suppose so?”

Quilbion looked at the dark brown liquor in the glass.

Sheryl was definitely in this place too. His sixth sense was whispering it.

But he didn’t feel that monster approaching like before.

It was strange. She was the crazy bitch who always approached first in the cracks.

She’d declared she didn’t want anyone else to take him, so if she’d come to her senses, it would be normal for her to find where he was.

But it was quiet.

What was she doing and where?

His inability to return to reality was definitely related to Sheryl too.

If he found and killed her, something might change.

“This is such a headache, really.”

“Why? Is your body bad again?”

“No. I’m just thinking that even if life gets twisted, can it get this twisted? Damn fate. I can’t even die as I please when I want to.”

“My friend, why die? Good days are about to unfold.”

The door opened and the dealer entered.

It was a woman in tight clothing. After placing several card decks on the table, she said.

“Would you like to inspect them? Or should we proceed right away?”

“Checking at least once would build trust between us and be good, wouldn’t it?”

Kim brought over the card decks and laid them out in a row. As if trying to make him recognize these were problem-free cards.

While pretending to examine the cards, he checked the eye contact between Kim and the dealer.

They were clumsy actors. It would be less ridiculous if they just advertised they were colluding.

Quilbion picked up one card. It was a common marked card. He could tell what hand it was by the small pattern in the corner.

To lose all his assets falling for such a basic technique—Quilbion sighed while thinking of the other Quilbion who must have been this body’s owner.

“Sighing before we even start. Don’t worry, I’m telling you. Quil, you’re definitely going to win big today.”

“Right. I’m going to win big. So big it won’t fit in my pockets.”

“Exactly!”

Quilbion stood up holding his glass while pretending to be tense. He cracked his neck left and right while walking toward the entrance.

He let the faint nark surrounding his body flow outside the door. He couldn’t use sorcery, but checking the surroundings was possible at least.

Since he had a reputation as a sucker, there were no guards waiting outside the door.

It meant he just needed to deal well with the dealer here and Kim.

An ordinary body.

Not the monstrous physique that had bitten goblins to death, but hands and feet that moved as he willed.

This much was enough.

He stood beside the dealer while swirling his glass. He set the glass down on the table and placed his hand on the dealer’s shoulder.

“Please don’t touch.”

“There’s a superstition that touching the dealer’s body brings luck, right? Pray I don’t lose today.”

“Yes, well. I’ll wish you luck.”

With the hand on her shoulder, he quickly wrapped it around the dealer’s neck and applied force in one motion.

The dealer’s body went limp in an instant.

After knocking her out immediately, he looked at Kim.

Kim stared at Quilbion with a face that said he couldn’t understand the situation, then soon cursed “Fuck” and stood up.

He climbed onto the table and kicked Kim’s temple as he headed for the entrance.

Thwack!

Kim crashed into the wall and collapsed.

He ran over, stepped on Kim’s hand, and pulled out the dagger hidden at his ankle. Kim, who’d been about to scream, clamped his mouth shut.

“How much of a sucker am I that you don’t even inspect properly, huh?”

“Qu-Quil.”

“Kim. When someone treats you well, you should repay them with goodwill. Why do you treat kindness like I’m an idiot and try to pull this shit? You can’t do that. People shouldn’t be like that.”

“There’s some misunderstand……”

“That damn misunderstanding again.”

He applied slight force to the hand holding the knife. The knife touching his nape pressed into the skin.

Kim convulsed and shook his head.

“Hey, don’t move. Human skin doesn’t cut easily. I know because I’ve done it a lot. But if you move on your own, it might sink in deep. Understand?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Wolf and Jack. Familiar names, right? Don’t say you don’t know.”

“I know them. Loan sharks.”

“They approached me through you, right? Pretending it was coincidence.”

“Th-that’s right.”

“Good. Now I can settle this.”

He placed his hand on Kim’s shoulder.

“We’re going outside to head home. If you stick with me, we can slip out quietly.”

He spoke while pointing the knife tip at Kim’s brow.

“You can scream as soon as we go out. There’ll be guards, so they’ll come to help. But what’s certain is that the moment you do, there’ll be a hole in your neck. If you don’t believe me, try it.”

“I believe you, I really believe you!”

Kim said urgently.

“Good. Friend, then shall we head back now? I have a few things to do, and you’ll need to help me.”