Otherworld Constellation Gallery Chapter 23

Otherworld Constellation Gallery

Chapter 23

“You don’t seem to understand, so I guess it hasn’t come yet.”

This is unexpected. I thought they would’ve sent contracts right away after seeing me raise Tulip.

‘Maybe they want to observe my actions first, just in case they decide not to take me as a companion?’

I turned my head.

“Tulip.” 

“Yes?” 

“Take as much food as you want. We won’t be coming back here.” 

“Yes! Just a moment! Let me finish this!”

Tulip started moving quickly. I watched to see what she was doing – she was distributing antidotes to people.

“Drink it all at once.” 

“C-can I really drink this?” 

“The arrows were poisoned. This is the antidote, so please take it.”

As I watched the scene, I suddenly felt something odd.

“What? You could just drink it? Then why did I?”

Tulip turned to look at me, blinking her eyes.

“You didn’t need to detoxify, mister.” 

“Right? I almost felt slighted for no reason.”

Besides, showing compassion is good, but aren’t you giving away too much when our supplies are limited? I don’t approve of such things, but there was no need to voice that opinion at this moment.

Tulip is still a child who hasn’t even reached adulthood. So it’s not strange for her to be swayed by meaningless emotions, but I should talk to her about it quietly later.

I looked away. Just as I was about to look around the mart for something that could be used as a bag.

“W-wait a moment.”

A hand wrapped around my leg. I looked down at the hand gripping my leg.

It was the woman I had sent to find food. Her trembling fingers, desperately holding on, were pathetic.

“……”

When I didn’t say anything, her expression became increasingly distorted with anxiety.

“I, I was looking for food as you told me and waiting…”

She looked for food and waited? Was that really the case?

“I clearly told you to prove your usefulness, but what did you prove? You were just waiting in line with the other women, weren’t you?” 

“N-no… I was…” 

“I would have told you to run away if the situation became threatening, right? But what did you do?”

There’s plenty of food here. There are many strong men too. If you put aside your pride and obey, you could live much more safely than outside.

“Isn’t that what you were thinking?”

She couldn’t continue speaking.

“I don’t think badly of that.”

Acting calculatingly to survive is human instinct. I would have done the same, and I will continue to do so.

“If you can survive that way, you should.”

I removed her hand.

“But that’s not the kind of usefulness I want.”

She flinched and looked up at me.

“And I’m not looking for the kind of usefulness that sleeping old man over there had.” 

“I-I’ll prove it! I don’t know where you’re planning to go, but I’m really good at finding paths! I can be your guide! Just one week! No, just try traveling with me for one day and then decide, please?”

A guide, huh.

“…Find a bag to pack food in first.”

The woman stared blankly for a moment, then quickly nodded, her face showing renewed determination. While she began moving to prove her usefulness, a man with a sparse beard quietly approached and spoke to me.

“You fought with a sword even though you had a gun.”

A low voice. He glanced at my hand and then met my eyes again.

“Don’t guns work on those creatures?”

The questions didn’t end there.

“And it’s strange how you charged in without any hesitation. Do you know their weakness? Or for some reason I don’t understand…”

The man’s gaze quietly examined my body. Then he added in a low voice.

“Maybe you don’t have any weaknesses.” 

“……” 

“Your strange abilities too. What exactly are you people?”

I stared at him. He had come to this conclusion in such a short time?

The look in his eyes was unwavering. Quick thinking. Clear analysis. Confident questions.

“You know, you’re quite threatening.”

I smiled.

“Are you showing off your quick analysis to gain my trust? If that’s the case, I’m afraid your approach is wrong.” 

“What?”

PLUNGE!

A knife stabbed into his side. From beside the man with the suddenly embedded knife came trembling laughter.

“Ha, haha…”

The hand holding the knife belonged to a weasel-like man.

“You… son of a…”

The bearded man’s face flushed red and blue. The weasel guy was trembling, but he twisted the wrist holding the knife tightly.

“I wasn’t just fighting during the chaos earlier.”

I spoke calmly.

“I hinted that if he killed you, I’d spare him, and it seems he finally made up his mind.” 

“S-so you’ll spare me now, right?”

The weasel guy looked at me with a forced smile, still shaking. His eyes were unsteady. The instinct to survive was plainly visible on his face.

“I’ve seen your humanity clearly.”

I replied briefly.

“It means you’ll kill anyone if necessary, right?” 

“N-no way!” 

“Ah, don’t worry too much.”

I waved my hand and said.

“I have no intention of doing anything to you.”

Relief flashed across his face.

“But you know…”

I gestured with my chin toward the bearded man. 

With gritted teeth, he grabbed the weasel guy’s wrist with trembling hands. 

Then he pulled the knife out of his body.

“Now you have to face him.”

The weasel’s face turned pale.

“B-boss…! L-let’s talk about this…”

PLUNGE-!!

The sharp blade pierced deep into the weasel’s nape.

“KEU…UP…!”

When the knife was pulled out again, blood spurted out. The weasel’s eyes shook greatly. And soon, his limp body collapsed to the floor. I silently watched the scene.

“……”

The bearded man was standing with difficulty. Blood was still dripping from his hand, and he didn’t seem to have enough strength left to swing at me.

He looked up at me. And whispered quietly.

“…Is that, enough?”

I laughed briefly.

“Yeah.”

The bearded man looked down at the fallen corpse once, then dropped the knife from his bloodied hand. Then he slowly rummaged through his pocket.

“Shit… doesn’t even have a cigarette.”

At those words, I quietly summoned a cigarette. I opened a carton, took out one pack, and pulled out a single cigarette.

‘I’ll store the rest in my inventory.’

I handed the remaining cigarette to him.

“Want a smoke?” 

“…Demonic bastard.”

He quietly cursed and took the cigarette. He pulled out a lighter from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag.

TAP! TAP!

He quietly exhaled smoke as he tapped the ash off with his finger. After watching him silently for a moment, I spoke.

“Want me to heal you?”

He chuckled. His expression said it all.

‘You just want to toy with me till the end.’

“So, do you want me to heal you or not?” 

“Fuck off.”

He spat out harshly. I nodded as if I had expected that response. He’s bleeding with a cigarette in his mouth. The blood on his lips looked like smeared lipstick.

“I raised that kid.”

He muttered lowly.

“He might be stupid, but he knew exactly how to stab someone. He got my liver. It’s a fatal spot that doesn’t even let you take a deep breath. Healing is bullshit.”

I smiled and said.

“You were the one who asked. About my strange abilities.”

His gaze turned to me again. With a calm expression, I continued.

“If you want, healing might be possible.”

I turned my head to look at Tulip.

“That kid is a doctor.”

He stared at me without saying anything. And finally opened his mouth.

“Forget it.”

His voice was low and firm.

“I have no intention of reaching out to you people.” 

“Right, that’s why I tried to deal with you.”

I slowly continued.

“Your face that showed genuine anger even after the old man died. If I could just win over someone as loyal as you, you would have been the most reliable asset.”

At my words, he narrowed his eyes.

“But I’ve become your enemy now.”

His bearded face contorted.

“You’d bow in front of me, but as soon as i let my guard down, you’d try to avenge the old man you served by going for my neck.” 

“……” 

“I should eliminate any threat that might return before I leave, shouldn’t I?”

That’s what I said, but it wasn’t the whole truth. 

When I pulled out my gun, he finished assessing the situation without unnecessary words and guided me inside. 

He was so calm despite seeing ghouls that it was hard to believe this was his first encounter, and he even proposed an alliance.

A man who can quickly distinguish between gain and loss, and prioritize what’s more important. 

A man who doesn’t lose his reason to anger and rush in, yet isn’t submissive either. If I leave him here, he’ll definitely return as a major threat.

‘He might grow faster than me and quickly build a strong group.’

He let out a laugh like he was coughing up blood.

“You’re right.” 

“Really?” 

“Rather than swearing loyalty because you spared me, I’d stand by your side waiting for the moment to cut you down, you bastard.”

He took another deep drag of the cigarette. His hand was trembling slightly. But the look in his eyes remained unwavering.

“At least I get to smoke one before I go, thanks to you.” 

“Even when you’re leaving, one cigarette is fine, right?” 

“What the hell kind of shit is that?”

I smiled.

“Are you done with your cigarette?”

He answered by slightly raising the finger with the cigarette.

“Then I’ll send you off painlessly for your loyalty.”

I slowly pulled out my gun. 

He stared at me quietly.

“I can’t let you live, you understand, right?” 

“…Then please.”

He closed his eyes. I raised the gun and aimed at his forehead.

BANG!!

A single gunshot rang out. His body fell backward. Blood spread across the floor.

For a moment, silence fell over the mart. I lowered the gun and silently looked down at the corpse.

‘…I should be thankful that a guy like this is only encountering ghouls for the first time now.’