The Cook of a Perished World - Chapter 277
Episode 278: Determining the truth.
A woman with the job of ‘shaman’.
There were many amazing skills she had, though.
Personally, the most shocking thing was this.
[Reading the soul – Determining the truth]
[Creates a special environment in which the soul is revealed.]
[A shaman can discern the truth and lies contained in words by reading the soul of the other person revealed in this way.]
Distinguish between the other person’s lies and sincerity . can do it.
okay.
To put it simply:
‘Again Destruction Skill….’
It may be useless against monsters.
When it comes to forming relationships between fellow humans.
It was a power that might be stronger than any other ability.
In fact, even with just this skill.
It would be sufficient to conduct interrogations to obtain information from the other party.
‘You probably had to consider the case where the other person doesn’t open their mouth at all.’
Why did you bother to throw a curse called ‘confession’?
Perhaps that was the reason.
If the other person exercises their right to remain silent, it is impossible to find out whether it is true or false.
‘by the way.’
Understanding the truth and lies contained in words.
Although there is a condition that it is only possible after creating a specific environment.
A skill that allows you to gain an unconditional advantage in conversations or psychological warfare with your opponent.
It’s definitely a great morale skill.
That’s as far as it goes…
‘Only if you don’t know… that you have that kind of ability.’
The point was simple.
If only she could figure out truth and lies.
‘I’m fine.’
I am.
Just use it in reverse and that’s it.
* * *
“Then let’s start with me.”
I started by asking questions first.
It was that shaman.
“The three people who were captured with you. As I said, they committed serious crimes.”
“Yeah whatever. “It seemed like that.”
“I heard you were with them. On the contrary, he even protected them to some extent when they were attacked…”
With sharp eyes.
A woman staring at me.
“What exactly is your relationship with them?”
Criminals from their own group.
He was a person who was with them.
It is not strange to suspect that they may have conspired together to commit the crime.
Although it is natural to ask that question first.
“We were attacked by these guys.”
“…yes?”
“As I was walking down the street, I felt a presence, so I approached him, but he suddenly pointed a gun at me and told me to give up everything I had.”
About this part.
It was really just a misunderstanding on their part.
“I couldn’t just say yes, so I tried to fight back and I won.”
“Ah…”
“I wondered what they were doing, so I thought they might attack someone, so I tried to find out who they were after subduing them… but then you attacked them. “It’s an added bonus that even I, who saw him for the first time today, treated me like an accomplice with the perpetrators.”
From my perspective, I was arbitrarily misunderstood.
To be honest, I felt a little unfair.
Emotions come out even in words.
“Uncle Jung-gu said that he definitely protected them when they were attacked…”
“Is it so strange that you suddenly stopped them from trying to kill you when you didn’t even know what they were doing?”
“ah.”
Let me say so.
A hint of regret appeared on her face.
I was convinced when I saw that expression.
‘I’m using that truth discrimination skill right now.’
The reason why he suddenly looks sorry is also simple.
Because with that skill, you would have known it wasn’t a lie.
Anyone with a normal mindset would probably feel sorry.
‘Does he think I can’t see his face because he’s in the dark?’
She didn’t even try to hide her expression.
This wasn’t a bad signal to me.
I feel sorry for that.
It also means that they are a group with normal sensibilities.
“All right.”
Meanwhile, it seems like he is trying to hide the fact that he recognizes the lie.
It was just funny to me.
“Now it’s your turn. “Ask a question.”
“hmm!”
Before the question.
I thought for a moment.
‘This place… was prepared for them to get information from me.’
but.
It is not desirable to just give away my information and call it a day.
I should be able to benefit too.
To do that, I needed to clearly set my goal and go for it.
The reason I crossed the barrier.
Looking for information about the family.
The goal was to save as many people as possible in this area.
To do that.
Something that will allow me to utilize my ‘cooking’ skills to the fullest.
Contacting friendly organizations was essential.
After I moved to Gyeonggi-do.
These were the people I wanted to contact first.
It was nice to have that kind of contact.
The problem was that the process was a little strange.
They don’t trust me right now.
‘Originally, I was planning to reveal that I was from the military unit that fired that radio.’
Now that method has become impossible due to the penalty for crossing that barrier.
My job was simple.
In a different way.
Take away that doubt.
‘It makes you trust me.’
I made a decision.
Soon he opened his mouth and spoke.
“You said I came from that devil’s land.”
“…You talk about yourself as if you were talking about someone else.”
“I don’t know what that demonic spirit means. I honestly don’t know why I have to be treated like a criminal just because I came from there. “I would like you to tell me a little bit about that.”
On my word.
The shaman tilted his head with a puzzled look.
“There are people living in Gyeonggi-do who don’t know that…?”
“…I just lived. “I haven’t had a conversation with the people of Gyeonggi-do since the monsters appeared.”
“yes?”
It’s not a lie.
‘Because I was in Gangwon-do.’
I have been in Gangwon-do ever since the day of destruction.
I have never had a conversation with people in Gyeonggi-do.
To me, it’s a natural thing.
“I’ve never had a conversation with people…”
They probably think I’ve never had any contact with humans.
From now on, there will be no need to think it strange that there are many things I don’t know.
“So you’re not answering?”
“Ah yes. Huh.”
After calming down her surprised expression.
He soon answered my question.
“In the world now… there are places called Monster Land and Demon World.”
“hmm?”
“On the outskirts of Gangwon-do. So, the area near that burning black wall is called Monster Land. “Do you know about that barrier?”
“Oh, I know that.”
What I fell for.
Because it was that barrier.
“If you look at the scenery here now, you can see… winter came particularly quickly this year. To be precise, we should say that abnormal weather occurred quickly.”
It’s like reminiscing about the past.
She says with a frown.
“When I think about it… it seems like this was an anomaly that existed from the first day of the destruction. But at first, everyone thought there was no big problem. It was actually cool in spring and summer, so it wasn’t that bad. “The rate at which corpses decompose slowed down, so there was less concern about infectious diseases and food could be stored for a relatively long time.”
“Hmm…”
“The problem started in earnest around fall.”
A phenomenon where the temperature is lower than usual, which has existed from the beginning.
That phenomenon became a serious problem.
It was from fall, the season when the cold begins.
“A huge cold wave that was incomparable to anything before that came, and people had to struggle to survive the cold. It was only then that we were able to properly notice this anomaly. but.”
Her gaze.
I looked outside the window towards the forest in the distance.
“I didn’t think they were monsters.”
“What does that mean?”
“Ever since the beginning of Doomsday, monsters have been flocking to that wall of heat.”
“ah.”
The reason is that.
I felt like I knew it without having to say it.
“As you know, there is a huge wall near the wall that radiates tremendous heat.”
“The area nearby is relatively warm even in the cold due to the heat…”
According to my experience.
Those monsters are surprisingly greatly influenced by their environment.
To the extent that monsters whose environment is not sufficient must create an environment in which they can live in the form of a [dungeon].
“Monsters that are resistant to cold are still around here, but monsters that are not immune to cold have been flocking there since the early days of Doomsday.”
Those monsters predicted the cold wave that would hit this place.
They moved to a place where they could overcome the cold wave in advance.
“Because there are so many monsters in that area, it has become a place that people never go to, along with the area near the military base.”
“…I guess it would still be worth a visit now that winter has come? “It must have been a good place to beat the cold.”
“As you said, after winter came, some humans tried to settle down nearby… but all of them failed. “The only thing that was limited was the guild leader of our association who confirmed the cause of that monster land… the wall of fire and came back.”
Humans cannot survive.
Because there are only monsters.
Monster Land.
“…But aside from that, what about the Demon Lord?”
“You’ll know that when you look at this map.”
She is from far away.
He pushed the map with something like a cane and handed it to me.
“Look at the checked part.”
Let’s unfold the map.
Southwest of Gyeonggi-do.
A large area near the end boundary was colored with red pen.
“What is this place?”
“What we found was that the colder it got, the stronger it got. “The cause of the cold was also there.”
“…Hmm.”
“Monsters also know where the cold gets stronger… so they flocked to the places furthest from the cold.”
Cause of cold in the southwest.
The monsters flocked to the warmest place to avoid him.
The place with the most monsters is the exact opposite of the southwest.
It would have been in the northeastern part of Gyeonggi-do.
That place….
“The very place you came from.”
I came across the wall.
It was in the direction of Gangwon-do.
“Among monsterlands… the place where the most powerful monsters are concentrated.”
“….”
“In that overwhelming density… it is said that humans can never survive. Or, it is a place called the Demonic Scenery.”
Shit.
I thought there were too many monsters in that forest.
‘If the entire Gyeonggi-do was occupied by monsters of that density, I thought there would be no answer even if the army came.’
It was the opposite.
The entire Gyeonggi-do was not occupied by monsters of that density.
Monsters from all over Gyeonggi-do were gathered there.
‘I don’t have much luck…!’
Of course.
Right where I arrived after crossing the barrier!
“That’s why I doubted you. Everyone in Gyeonggi-do knows that there are many monsters in Monster Land. So I try to avoid approaching them as much as possible. Nevertheless, the people who bother to stay nearby are usually….”
“They are people who have committed a crime or have some reason and cannot stay where other people are?”
“Of course.”
Only then.
I understood why they were surprised.
‘Does the fact of staying in such a place itself constitute a cause for caution?’
There is a high possibility that he is a hidden criminal.
From the beginning, it was something to be wary of.
Such a criminal even.
“I might add. “If there are people ‘alive’ nearby, there is a high probability that they are extremely dangerous people.”
Criminals who went there to avoid humans.
It means staying alive and not dying in a place overflowing with monsters.
‘He has considerable ability, but at the same time, there is a high probability that he is a dangerous person.’
An extremely powerful person who may be a criminal.
I’m even deeper than Monster Land.
It came from a place they call ‘the devil’.
For them, it was worth being cautious.
“It’s my turn next.”
I heard that story.
I was a little worried.
“You were in that magic zone. “A place where ordinary people will never be.”
“yes.”
It is clear that the place I came from is beyond that devil’s land.
then.
“For us, we are still unable to resolve our doubts. Why were you there? “Maybe…”
How should I use this information?
“Did you commit some kind of crime to go there?”
What she’s saying is that I’m a predator or a criminal.
but.
I puffed out my chest and spoke confidently.
“I am innocent.”
“…!”
Although I did some awkward things to survive.
At least so far nothing I’ve done has been clearly evil.
‘Because I wasn’t confident that I could keep my sanity while committing such evil deeds.’
I have tried my best to preserve my humanity.
I was able to speak confidently to myself.
“Then why in such a place….”
To those words.
I thought ahead.
We decided to implement ‘How to use this information’.
“As I said, I haven’t met anyone from Gyeonggi-do since the monsters appeared.”
“yes. “You just said that.”
“In other words, this means that no crime was committed against the people of Gyeonggi-do.”
I’ve never met you.
It goes without saying that there is no need to commit a crime.
“And… one more thing.”
“…?”
“Not once since the monsters started showing up.”
I am a corner of the map she handed me.
They call it the devil.
He pointed to the area I came from.
“I’ve never been down from here before.”
“…yes?”
I have never come down from the demonic realm.
Let me explain it simply.
As follows.
“Ever since Doomsday.”
That’s what I’m trying to say.
Did you notice what it was like?
“The place you call Monster Land or the Demon World… it was beyond that.”
“…Nonsense!”
she is.
I let out a scream of astonishment.