Chapter 23
The Nameless One’s Report
Beep—beep.
The alarm on the phone sitting on the desk went off.
Jang Chaewon, who had been busily writing something in her notebook, reached for her phone.
“……”
Resting her chin on one hand, she stared at the phone screen and murmured quietly,
“Suspicion begets ghosts… huh.”
Suspicion begets ghosts — Uishimamgwi (疑心暗鬼).
A phrase from Liezi’s chapter Shuofu (說符篇), meaning: When you doubt, even nonexistent ghosts appear.
In other words, it refers to how a person’s wrong preconceptions can make them misjudge others.
“Prejudice, huh?”
Displayed on her phone was a dense analysis report that the AI Nameless had written about Cheonma’s behavior and personality.
At the end of the report, alongside the phrase “Suspicion begets ghosts,” was the following note:
As the primary user, Ms. Jang Chaewon, deemed this an urgent matter concerning the territory, I have provided information regarding the co-user, Mr. Cheonma.
However, please note that from now on, no information will be shared without Mr. Cheonma’s consent.
That short note carried an unmistakable reproach toward her.
According to Nameless’s report, Cheonma wasn’t evil—
merely someone whose thoughts and ideology differed from others.
In fact, it was only the mechanical, emotionless Nameless who treated Cheonma without prejudice—
so much so that even Cheonma’s arrogance and self-importance seemed entirely natural to it.
“I just don’t get it,” Chaewon muttered.
Even the reason Cheonma had once given up his dungeon discovery reward to an old team of veterans was…
simply because they happened to catch his attention.
Because he couldn’t register a dungeon quickly under his unregistered awakener status—so he’d just let them have it.
Mr. Cheonma rarely takes interest in others.
Due to his unique worldview, where all his own actions are correct, he seldom empathizes with others’ emotions and rarely feels guilt.However, when someone catches his eye, he grows interested and observes them deeply.
Chaewon blinked while reading the report on her phone.
Moral principles or modern social norms do not apply to Mr. Cheonma.
He values strength and wealth highly, possesses an extremely self-centered mindset, and despises the weak.Every decision he makes is based solely on what maximizes his own benefit.
He never considers others’ circumstances or perspectives.Nevertheless, he does not abuse his power and tries to act rationally between purpose and means.
He neither steals from others nor exploits the weak.
“What the hell does that even mean?”
Putting the phone down, Chaewon looked baffled.
“So… is he supposed to be a good guy or a bad guy? None of this makes sense!”
Rubbing her throbbing forehead, she leaned back in her chair.
Nameless’s verbose report only made things more confusing.
“Hmm…”
After thinking for a while with her chin in her hand, she muttered,
“So that’s why it wrote ‘Suspicion begets ghosts’? Because it thought I’d be confused?”
Either way, it was clear that Nameless saw Cheonma in a mostly positive light.
“So, he might think strange things, but he doesn’t actually do bad deeds… is that it?”
I’d like to verify if he’s someone who can handle trust. May I accompany you with a nanobot?
Before visiting the Silver Wolf God, Chaewon had sought permission to bring Nameless along.
And when everything was done, the Silver Wolf God had even said to her,
“You’ve got yourself a good worker.”
“Yeah… maybe he’s been through a lot where he came from. But it’s peaceful here now.
If I just keep guiding him, he’ll adjust eventually.”
For some reason, Chaewon had a feeling Cheonma would slowly change over time.
“Alright. From tomorrow, I’ll treat him a little better.”
Feeling a sudden pang of guilt toward him, Chaewon shrugged her shoulders.
“I’ll have to buy him jajangmyeon again tomorrow.”
The Next Day, Around Noon – Inside “Bokbok Interiors”
Click. Clack.
The metal delivery box opened with a light sound, and several plastic-wrapped containers were placed on the table one by one.
When the deliveryman set down the last transparent bag, he bowed politely.
“Enjoy your meal!”
“Thanks.”
Cheonma dug into his bag and handed the deliveryman three ten-thousand-won bills.
“Huh? It’s already paid for.”
“It’s a tip.”
“Th-thank you so much!”
The beaming deliveryman bowed deeply, almost breaking his back, and left.
“You’re way too generous,” Chaewon said, astonished.
“The meal was thirty thousand won, and you tipped thirty thousand?”
Cheonma gave her a solemn look.
“Considering my status and dignity, such an act is nothing.”
He said it proudly.
“For one such as I, wealth enough to last a lifetime is but a drop in the ocean.”
“But you’re a salaried worker here.”
“Temporarily.”
Avoiding her exasperated look, Cheonma changed the subject.
“By the way, why jajangmyeon again today? You promised only ten days of that.”
Chaewon, peeling off the plastic wrap, rubbed her nose awkwardly.
“Just because.”
When Cheonma unwrapped his dish, the glossy yellow noodles gleamed.
As he tore open the sauce container, steam rose along with the smell of onions and pork.
“Hmph.”
Picking up his chopsticks, he poured the ganjajang sauce over the noodles, sprinkled a generous amount of chili powder, and began mixing with delicate precision.
Then, breaking the half-cooked fried egg, he scooped up a huge bite.
Slurp.
Watching him eat made Chaewon’s mouth water.
She picked up a spoon and took a big bite of her fried rice.
“Munch, munch.”
Cheonma’s way of eating was… unique.
He stuffed his mouth completely full of noodles and chewed endlessly until nothing could be broken down further.
Normally, she wouldn’t even care—but out of lingering guilt, she found herself watching him closely.
“Ahem.”
Clearing her throat, she asked gently,
“Wouldn’t it be better to eat slowly? Why do you shove it all in and chew so long?”
“Did that trouble you?”
“No, no. I’m just curious. I thought food might taste better if you take smaller bites.”
“It’s a long habit. Eating this way lets me feel full for longer.”
“You want to feel full longer? Why?”
After swallowing, Cheonma spoke in an even tone.
“Before I entered the Ten Thousand Demon Palace, I never had a proper meal.
I was so poor I couldn’t even beg—so I ate whatever I could find in the waterways, even rats and bugs.”
“What? Seriously?”
She hadn’t expected that at all.
That a man as imposing as him had once lived like a beggar…
His gaze deepened as he looked down at his glossy black noodles.
“Even then, the hunger never went away. Famine was constant; even the rats and bugs disappeared.
That’s when I learned—chewing longer makes you feel fuller.”
Chaewon took a deep breath, spoon halfway to her mouth.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s fine.”
His face showed no trace of emotion—no shame, no sorrow.
He spoke of his miserable past with complete indifference.
Only then did she understand how Nameless must have felt.
I was even more indifferent to him than that nanobot was.
Watching him chew his jajangmyeon again, her guilt grew heavier.
“Want to try some of my fried rice? It’s good.”
“I’m fine. This is enough.”
“Don’t you get tired of jajangmyeon? You eat it every day.”
“How could I tire of something so delicious?”
He answered seriously, eating again.
Chaewon couldn’t help but chuckle.
Normally she’d think, What a weird guy, but right now, even his bluntness seemed… cute.
I see now.
Suddenly, the phrase “Suspicion begets ghosts” resurfaced in her mind.
Prejudice.
It’s what can make the same person look like a monster… or like a saint.
After lunch, Chaewon drove Cheonma to a nearby apartment complex.
“Where are we?” Cheonma asked, blinking as he got out of the car.
“This is one of our contracted interior job sites.
Oh, not for the God of Trust—just an ordinary renovation.”
“Demolition work?”
“Nope. Mr. Kim the tile specialist will be here soon. You’ll be helping him and learning how to install tiles.”
“Tiles?”
“Yep. Remember, I promised you. I already asked him to be nice and teach you.”
Her gentle tone and kind expression were so unlike her usual self that Cheonma looked slightly taken aback.
“This is strange.”
“What is?”
He stared at her smiling face for a moment, then shook his head.
“Nothing.”
Powerful upper-class yokai rarely mingle with humans.
The closer one is to a god, the more arrogant and self-satisfied they tend to become.
In that sense, Kim Chanwon, the tile worker, was different.
A member of the Wind Spirit Clan, he possessed top-tier wind powers—
yet he mingled freely with humans and even chose to work as a tile installer,
a trade most yokai looked down upon.
“There are two types of tile work,” he explained, pointing to the kitchen wall.
“Overlay and demolition.”
He glanced back at Cheonma, who was standing silently behind him.
“Overlay means you place new tiles over old ones.
But you can’t do that everywhere—the existing tiles have to be firmly attached.”
He spoke slowly, like a teacher explaining to a child.
“The advantage is it’s cheaper and faster. Saves both time and money.”
“What’s the disadvantage?”
Hearing the much younger-looking Cheonma talk down to him, Kim’s eyebrow twitched.
Right, he’s supposed to be from another world, he reminded himself, recalling his conversation with Chaewon the night before.
“Well, the drawback’s that it reduces space a little—since you’re adding another layer.”
“I see.”
“So, should we overlay here or go for demolition?”
Cheonma carefully examined the kitchen tiles.
“Demolition.”
“Huh? But they’re stuck tight.”
“There’s a saying—new wine belongs in new wineskins.”
He crouched in front of the tiles.
“If we’re doing it, we might as well do it cleanly. Don’t you agree?”
“Well, it’s your choice, I guess.”
“Then I’ll make the choice.”
“What choice?”
Instead of answering, Cheonma lowered his stance.
“Fist of the Heavenly Demon—Soaring Dragon on the Wind!”
BOOM! BOOM!
Each punch shattered tiles into pieces, dust exploding everywhere.
No way… that guy—!?
Watching him smash tiles like crackers, Kim Chanwon suddenly remembered a recent conversation he’d had with another worker named Park.
“I went to a job site last time, and some lunatic tried to do demolition by throwing Hadoukens all over the place!”
“Huh? What’s a Hadouken?”
“You know, that special move from Gouki! Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of him?”
At the time, Kim hadn’t understood a word.
But seeing Cheonma now, pulverizing tiles while practically flying,
he finally realized—
“He meant that devil-looking guy from the old fighting game!”
