Chapter 189. Daily Life (2)

Tuesday has come around again.

"Hello? Oh, Yoonseung-ah, it's me..."

I picked up my phone and continued the conversation with a familiar acquaintance.

The past few days had been nothing but peaceful. Although the visit from the mysterious researcher left me with an inexplicable sense of unease for a while, there had been no noticeable changes in my daily life since then.

'Even after searching for that person's father, there wasn't anything particularly useful.'

But in the midst of this monotony, even my only scheduled plans ended up falling apart. Originally, I had set up lessons on the weekend and once on a weekday, depending on which day Jung Haeseong wanted.

Hunter Kim Giryeo, I apologize, but would it be possible to postpone this week's weekday session to the weekend?Yes.It doesn't really matter, but why all of a sudden?Actually, a few days ago, my mother's caregiver suddenly quit due to personal reasons. So this week, I'll be busy hiring a new person and personally handling some handovers.

Well... as you can see, that's the reason.

So, I decided to take advantage of this rare long break. I finally tried out a cultural activity I'd been curious about for a while. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Yoonseung-ah, sorry for the sudden request, but if you have time, could you help me out with something for a bit?"

Of course, I had always been interested in alien cultures even before reincarnating. But with all the talk about regaining my strength and everything, to be honest, I've been too caught up in busy plans to properly enjoy myself.

So this time, I made up my mind to visit a place called an aquarium. But unfortunately, Kim Giryeo's brain had no information about such activities.

'Honestly, I don't even know how to buy the tickets... What if on-site ticketing isn't available?'

I sought the help of a local to make sure my rare attempt wouldn't fail.

You're going to the aquarium on a weekday?

***

...And so, I arrived at this aquarium.

"It's all so blue."

Small creatures move in groups within the cobalt-blue water. At the lower part of this artificial ecosystem, pale pink corals and seashells fill the space, exuding a faint scent of the sea. Perhaps due to the dim indoor lighting, the currents inside the tanks are distinctly visible.

The shimmering scales of the swimming tropical fish effortlessly capture the eye.

"Hyung-nim! Based on my research, this aquarium holds performances every 30 minutes starting from around 2 PM. Mainly, there's a penguin ecology presentation, a Little Mermaid-themed show, and—ah! I also found out that they recently renovated their VR experience zone—"

But I didn't mean to ask for this much help... I just wanted to learn how to book tickets properly so I wouldn't miss out on any discounts.

But as soon as Ahn Yoonseung heard me say that I was unfamiliar with outings like this, he was so startled that he immediately volunteered to be my guide. And not just that—he even prepared a three-page A4 document outlining the plans.

If I were to follow his plan and watch every performance, it would take a whopping 3 hours and 45 minutes. No matter what, I'd feel a bit guilty about wasting the precious time of an A-rank hunter like this.

"But Yoonseung... didn't you have any raid plans scheduled for today?"

I cautiously asked the local resident who had rushed out eagerly. Without even taking a breath, the certain Hunter answered.

"Ah, don't worry about that! As soon as I heard you were struggling, I took a day off right away!"

A day off? I never really took proper vacations in my past life, so I'm not too sure... but judging by how brightly he's saying it, I guess it's fine.

"Um, okay. Thank you."

Well then. From this point on, I might as well enjoy it without hesitation.

And so I began my enjoyable tour with Yoonseung's guidance. At first, we visited the tanks with tropical fish that are commonly found in media. Next, we explored the shark area through an underwater tunnel. Afterward, we passed by species like starfish that cling to the sea floor, and finally, we reached the glass walls of the grand exhibit.

"Wow~ Jellyfish!"

As you might have guessed from my previous comments, on my home planet, Alphauri, mammals weren't exactly a dominant species. There weren't many variations of them, either.

To put it simply, the relationship between mammals and me was about as distant as that between humans and those fish.

"So an aquarium really is a place where animals are kept alive and put on display for people to watch."

"Well, that's right!"

Then what species did the Alphaurians originate from? The answer could be found right in front of me, within the aquarium tank.

"My ancestors..."

Flutter. Flutter.

I watched the jellyfish swaying inside the massive tank and found myself lost in a strange sense of sentiment.

A marine creature with a gelatinous body.

That's right. In fact, if we trace our roots, we actually originated from the phylum Cnidaria...

'No matter how I look at it, they look way too much like our ancestors.'

There were many taxonomic differences between Earth and Alphauri, so technically, cephalopods like octopuses might be a more accurate origin. Moreover, with all the bodily modifications modern Alphaurians had undergone, many of their structures were no longer naturally occurring—meaning this comparison might be entirely meaningless.

'Anyway, as far as I can tell, our ancestors were probably either jellyfish or octopuses.'

I thought while looking at the tanks filled with primitive creatures.

But how could Earthlings be so cold-blooded? Keeping creatures in enclosures and observing them wasn't unheard of on my home planet. However, that was something done by scholars like me for research purposes. To openly display living beings as part of a public playground like this—such a thing was almost unheard of.

'If you keep marine life in such a small space, there is a high probability that they will develop mental illness.'

Whoosh.

'But the whole family is holding hands and watching it...?'

I turned my head and saw a cheerful child in front of the beluga whale tank. Her family was also smiling brightly, taking pictures of their child.

This heartwarming scene appeared somewhat frightening to a certain tentacled creature. Zoos and aquariums were cultures that felt bizarre to an Alphaurian.

"They're like scary aliens."

But anyway, this was all part of the sightseeing I had wanted.

Maple-colored fish. Convict blennies. Water horses. And reptiles with regular, bumpy shells. The creatures I encountered across the distant universe felt like nothing more than a fantasy to a stranger.

It was mystical.

Although I had fled for reasons I would rather not recall, the result of my reincarnation allowed me to witness such landscapes, and it filled me with a sense of new wonder.

'What a magnificent planet.'

Due to my innate scholarly nature, my feelings gradually began to change.

'Surely, it would be a shame to die without fully knowing a place like this.'

Unlike in the past, when I didn't mind dying at any time, I've developed a bit of attachment to life now. I'd like to at least explore the land of Earth a bit before I die. I wonder if I can fulfill all my wishes in this life.

"By the way, thanks for making time for me today."

After thinking about it, I said to Yoonseung.

"As I mentioned over the phone, I've never been to a place like this in my life."

"You said not even once."

"Yeah, even with the ticketing... I had no idea how to handle it on my own."

Ahn Yoonseung burst into laughter upon hearing that.

"For some reason, whenever you say that you can't do something, I'm always surprised."

"Why?"

"Well, that's because you're always so amazing! It just feels like you'd be good at everything."

"..."

"Anyway, personally, I'm really happy that I got the chance to help you like this. So don't worry about me!"

Then the kind alien gave directions with a lively smile on his face.

"Shall we continue the tour, then? The next exhibit seems to be prairie dogs!"

They moved to a new animal's habitat.

"But I've always wondered since I was a kid—why are there prairie dogs in an aquarium?"

"What do they have to do with water...?"

Click.

While Ahn Yoonseung took out his phone to snap a picture of the animal in front of him, I briefly turned my head to scan my surroundings.

Somehow, this place had far fewer visitors than I had expected.

'At this point, it's almost like having the place to ourselves.'

Thanks to that, both the famous figure Ahn Yoonseung and I were able to spend a peaceful day without any issues. Considering how tense we were the day before, it ended up being quite an anticlimactic result. The place was so empty that in the prairie dog habitat, it felt like there was no one else except for us.

"Hmm?"

But at that moment, I sensed someone's presence emerging from the distant underwater tunnel.

'The Awakened...'

To be precise, I had detected the mana within the bodies of awakened beings. However, it wasn't particularly strange. Today wasn't a public holiday or anything—just a regular weekday. That meant most of the visitors were likely hunters, who had the flexibility to adjust their working hours.

"Hmm."

However, if there was one thing that stood out, it was that the people approaching us were of a different race than us.

Moreover, upon closer inspection, their ranks were quite high as well.

'B-rank and A-rank.'

So many awakened individuals gather in a single aquarium—at this rate, even if a dungeon break were to occur, there'd be nothing to worry about.

"Yoonseung-ah, by the way, aren't you getting a bit hungry?"

"Oh, don't tell me you skipped lunch before coming?"

"I did eat, but I'm feeling a little hungry."

"Whoa! Yes! Then, I'll take you straight to the dining area! Fortunately, there's an ocean-themed café inside..."

"An ocean-themed café?"

"Seriously, why does this damn planet have so many cafés?"

I turned my head toward Yoonseung and continued the conversation. Then, following his lead, I began to walk. As the saying goes, 'Even sightseeing is better on a full stomach'—I figured I should replenish my energy first to fully enjoy the rest of the aquarium tour.

"Hmm."

But a few seconds later, I gradually slowed my strides.

"Ahn Yoonseung."

"Yes?"

"But I suddenly had a question."

"Yes, yes."

"In this place... I mean, in Korea, using mind control or brainwashing techniques on people is a serious crime."

What followed was a rather unexpected statement. After all, up until just now, Yoonseung had been talking about peaceful topics like how the drink stands provide dolphin-shaped straws and other things like that.

"I get that it's a serious crime, but then how do you catch someone who used a skill like that?"

"Y... yeah..."

"I mean, how do you prove who the perpetrator is?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I saw on the news before... Was it in England? They somehow managed with Justitia, or some thing like that."

"Justitia?"

"It's the name of a dungeon item."

Ahn Yoonseung folded the aquarium guide he was holding and came to a stop. Then, with a puzzled expression, he asked,

"But why are you suddenly asking that, Hyung-nim?"

"Why are you asking this? Well, that's."

"I didn't want to suddenly ask that either."

"Yes?"

"But since those using mental skills have been following us for a while now."

I said that and naturally grabbed the item box.

"I'm starting to feel like it."

In Kim Giryeo's mind, the two Awakened individuals, who somehow gave off a Hispanic vibe, had been trailing them persistently from the underwater tunnel where he first sensed their mana up until now. It would be nice if they were simply following out of curiosity over a famous Hunter, but unfortunately, their Awakening level placed them at the upper ranks of the pyramid.

'I don't think those guys would stalk someone just to get their autograph.'

I assessed the situation and quietly relayed the information to a defense-type Hunter in the softest voice possible.

"Ahn Yoonseung, listen closely from now on. If you have an item box with you, try holding your equipment at the tip of your fingers for now."

And.

"If things go south, use [Shield of Protection] on that tunnel over there..."

It happened in an instant. By the time we arrived at the central giant aquarium, standing eight meters tall, the very sound we had been worried about finally echoed from behind us.

Clank! Clank, clank!

Someone who had been following me noticed the change and took the initiative.

"Take back what I just said. Just hold your breath and run!"

And it was in a way that Yoonseung couldn't stop.