The elevated train station they reached was considerably high.

"......"

"What's up, anything the matter?"

"It's been a while since I've been this high up."

"I suppose so."

Yoo Seong-Woon nodded.

'The portrait wouldn't have had a reason to come up this high.'

However, the fact that Gio said "it's been a while" suggests he has been up high before as a portrait or perhaps in his memories as a human, maybe climbing mountains or cliffs.

Being capable of moving on his own, he might have encountered various situations. Perhaps he even traveled while still a portrait.

Oblivious to Yoo Seong-Woon's thoughts, Gio was inspecting the elevated train station.

'...I didn't realize from below, but it's covered with a transparent film, probably to prevent falls or ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) block strong winds from such heights. What's it made of? It looks much clearer and sturdier than glass or plastic.'

Gio felt a keen interest in creation and growth. Such a new material straight out of a sci-fi movie was too intriguing not to question.

"What is this wall made of?"

"Huh? The wall?"

"Yes, it's blocked by a wall so transparent you wouldn't know it's there without touching."

"I'm not really knowledgeable about this kind of thing, but it might be a form of amorphous crystal."

"Amorphous crystal?"

"It's derived from a substance extracted from a type of monster that frequently appears."

Yoo Seong-Woon didn't know the specific name of the monster. If it wasn't particularly threatening or unique, it wasn't worth remembering.

"I've heard that most transparent windows installed in the city use this."

"I see."

"......"

"......"

"......"

Yoo Seong-Woon suddenly became serious.

"You can't take it with you. It's public property."

"I know that."

"You don't seem like you do."

"Yes, you're right."

"...If you really want some, I can get it for you later."

Amorphous crystal was a material used across various industries, relatively inexpensive due to its abundance and the large amount extractable from each monster.

"What would you use it for?"

"I was curious to observe and utilize such an interesting item."

"You really have a great curiosity..."

Yoo Seong-Woon chuckled with a mixed feeling. Being interested in human-made rules and objects was a typical trait of beings from the source.

As they chatted, the elevated train arrived.

"There's no one else in this car."

As Yoo Seong-Woon said, only the two of them were in car number 6.

Gio thought quietly.

'Really, no one uses it.'

It seemed like a waste.

'Such a wonderful piece of modernity, too expensive to use.'

At the elevator on the first floor, swiping the card had shown a green light for entry, but it didn’t reveal how much was charged. He wasn't sure about the exact fare, but it felt oddly bitter.

'In the 31 years I've been away, the gap between the rich and the poor seems to have widened, or is it just me?'

Gio asked.

"Is it usually this empty?"

"Ah, no."

Yoo Seong-Woon shook his head.

"It's usually busier. There's at least ten people per car, but today is unusually empty. Maybe because it’s a busy work time? It’s been a while since I’ve ridden at this hour myself."

"......"

Wait a minute.

"It's a busy work time?"

"Yeah, it's 8:38 AM now."

After checking his watch, Yoo Seong-Woon continued.

"The average starting time for work is 7 AM."

"......"

"Gio?"

"Is 7 AM the start time for work?"

"For most, yes."

Are human rights not a thing?

'As far as I remember, the usual start time for office workers was definitely 9 AM.'

Gio felt instantly discouraged about living in such a harsh reality. Any faint sense of nostalgia for humanity seemed to vanish, suggesting that perhaps the life of a portrait was more suitable.

"......"

Why has this country turned out this way? He soon derived a plausible reason, given his 31-year absence.

"Is it because of genetic or cultural reasons that most people wake up early?"

"Uh… it's not that. If we didn't set times, many would sleep till lunch. It’s just a rule we’ve all agreed on."

"I see."

While the answer was clear, it felt unsettling. Gio closely observed Yoo Seong-Woon.

'Does he sometimes not see me as human?'

It was like explaining human society to a talking cat.

"......"

"Huh? Why?"

"I am a regular human."

"Uh… sure."

Yoo Seong-Woon's response was as scrutinizing as analyzing a college entrance exam passage.

'...Well, if I were in Yoo Seong-Woon’s shoes, I probably wouldn't feel like a haunted portrait is just another person. I should be thankful I’m not outright treated as a monster in this world.'

And because of being treated like a monster, he enjoyed certain benefits. Despite having no money and lacking common sense, people seemed to overlook his actions because 'he's not human, so it’s understandable.'

While his human dignity was somewhat crumpled, the thought of returning to the life of a portrait seemed better for his mental and physical health than being a slave to a capitalist society.

Gio hesitantly asked.

"Do I come across as uncultured or impolite?"

"Why would you say that suddenly?"

"I don’t want to inconvenience you, so I will be mindful."

"I don’t know what to say to that, but thanks…."

"Thank you."

Indeed, Yoo Seong-Woon was a reliable and considerate person.

Gio sat next to Yoo Seong-Woon, noting the still-open doors of the elevated train.

"It's been open for quite a while."

"Subways or buses would have closed much faster."

Yoo Seong-Woon casually shared some common knowledge and continued about the elevated train.

"The elevated train leaves the doors open longer because it takes time to get up here by elevator, and since there aren't many platforms, they keep it open longer for those running late."

"Even in winter?"

"Well, fortunately, it blocks the cold."

Indeed, it was the middle of winter.

"Ah, by the way... If we're lucky, we might find some street food while walking around."

Gio's heart raced at Yoo Seong-Woon’s words. He was always guided by his instincts.

"Like street food including fish-shaped buns?"

"Yeah, or maybe octopus-shaped buns, egg buns, or something like fish cakes."

"I would like to try them."

"I’ll look for them, but don’t get your hopes up too high. There aren’t many places that sell that kind of thing."

"Why not? Warm street food would be popular on a cold day."

"It's because of complaints about the aesthetics. Once a complaint is filed, it creates issues for those trying to enter the city or run their business again."

Yoo Seong-Woon shrugged his shoulders.

"And generally, city dwellers don’t like to engage in street food vending. It’s inconvenient for people living in the countryside to come all the way here to sell food."

"......"

Oh.

Gio was puzzled.

"It seems like there's a strict distinction between city dwellers and country folk."

"Huh? Oh… yeah, sort of."

"Why is that?"

"…Uhm…."

Yoo Seong-Woon sighed deeply.

"I don't know how to explain this, but it’s just the climate of the people. It’s embarrassing to admit, but we sort each other into categories based on ratings."

"What kind of ratings?"

"For example, someone like me who lives in the city and works both as a hunter and a curator is a first-class citizen. As far as I know, any hunter above B-grade who isn’t a criminal, a Red Hunter, is almost always a first-class citizen."

He showed his ID card, which had '1st Class' written next to his name, then pointed out the window at the open expanse beyond the transparent wall of the elevated train.

"People who have mediocre jobs and incomes but live within the city are second-class."

"......"

"Those from the countryside typically fall into the third class. And some poor people living between the city and the countryside, those who don’t even have ID cards, are implicitly ranked as fourth class."

"Is there a fifth class?"

"From there down are criminals. Unlike fourth-class citizens, who may not even be registered, these are officially recorded but virtually not treated as human. If you encounter them, you're legally allowed to kill them."

Could living like this be any worse?

For the sensitive Gio, it felt like tears might come, considering the unbelievable progress of his homeland.

'...I thought that if anything outlived humans, the class system might one day be revived, but I never thought I’d see it in my lifetime.'

As he looked at the still-open doors, Gio asked again.

"Is there a reason for such strict separation?"

"Probably because of the significant difference in infrastructure between the city and the countryside."

Yoo Seong-Woon dutifully continued his explanation as if committed to his role as a guide.

"I’m talking about various facilities and benefits available within the region. Obviously, there's a huge cultural and administrative gap between the city and the countryside. In the countryside, people live off what they farm and eat day-to-day, while city dwellers tend to buy their groceries delivered from those areas."

"......"

"It's almost like a century's difference. If you go to the countryside, not only will you not see an elevated train, but even finding a two-story building might be

 hard. It's rare for someone to own a car there. At best, a village might have one railway line, but that’s why few people bother buying cars."

"Having a means of transportation means there’s no need to spend money on a car." Yoo Seong-Woon murmured as he continued.

"The biggest difference, though, is definitely the defensive lines."

"What does 'defensive line' mean?"

"There are large walls around the outskirts of the city, like fortifications for defense, and there are specialized public safety officers in the city managing security. And, most importantly, since there are many hunters in the city, any incidents that occur are quickly dealt with."

Yoo Seong-Woon scratched the back of his neck.

"In other words, it's about the benefits of survival. Most fourth-class citizens, despite being poor, wouldn’t dare live outside the city, and in the same vein, many people want to come into the city… But not everyone can live here. Resources and land are limited, right?"

"So that’s why they’re divided into classes?"

"Only citizens of second class and above can reside in the city. Third-class citizens can visit or find work, but those who reside without permission are treated quite harshly."

"In what ways do they worsen?"

"How should I put it? Well, for starters, their IDs are destroyed so they can’t find work... While it’s not as bad as being fifth-class, they’re treated as less than human. Those who fled to the city to avoid being killed by monsters in the countryside end up as fourth-class citizens, the poor."

In summary, was this a dystopia?

'Hearing something that seems straight out of a movie makes it feel even less realistic.'
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

For Gio, who loved friendship, love, and peace, this was a difficult world to accept. It seemed that humanity had taken quite a twisted turn from what he remembered just 31 years ago.

Gio stiffened his poker face as a defense, beginning to shrink dramatically, but Yoo Seong-Woon, hoping Gio would fully understand human society, continued his explanation.

"Dungeons can pop up anywhere, and not just those emerging from dungeons but also monsters that have settled on Earth are plentiful. The city manages these native monsters well, but the countryside, lacking both manpower and equipment, often sees fatal overlooks."

"That sounds frightening."

"That’s why in countryside villages, people are advised not to go outside after 5 PM. Or, the village is often run around C-grade hunters or lower. Even if they are weak, awakened beings are far more reliable than ordinary people."

At that moment, the doors of the elevated train finally closed.

"......"

"We're moving now."

"No one else got on."

"Well, it's not lunchtime..."

"It is morning, though."

"What office worker has time for breakfast?"

His tone implied that eating breakfast was not an ordinary thing. In today's world, the phrase 'three meals a day' seemed to have long disappeared.

'Even we are moving to have our meals.'

Gio, listening to the harsh realities of modern society with one ear and letting it go with the other, slowly admired the structure of the elevated train similar to the subway he knew. The most impressive feature was the transparent walls and ceiling.

"Are the walls and ceiling also made of amorphous crystal?"

"Probably. Its durability and transparency are incomparable to traditional materials on Earth, so it provides some defense against monster attacks."

"I see."

"That used to be made of glass or plastic... It’s surprising they used such fragile materials."

"......"

Thus, Gio quickly became an ancestor. From a fresh force in the educational field to an elder. The exponential descent was dizzying.

"Is glass or plastic not used anymore?"

"They still use glass... mostly for decorative purposes, right? You can mold it easily and mix in colors compared to amorphous crystal, though it's a bit expensive since it’s considered a type of gem."

"What about plastic?"

"Plastic? They hardly use it anymore. It doesn’t recycle well and doesn’t decompose."

It seemed that Earthlings had made some progress in preserving the planet's health in the 31 years he was away. He had thought they were too busy evolving into a dystopia, but that was impressive.

'The lifespan of Earth must have increased a bit.'

Gio turned his gaze back to the elevated train.

The backrests of the seats were covered in soft fabric and leather like sofas, but the windows above the shoulder line and the ceiling were as clear as if they were nonexistent.

The gleaming walls of buildings and the clear sky beyond provided a strange thrill.

'A genteel rollercoaster...'

Although there was no sense of speed or jolting, the absurd height of the rails stimulated Gio’s sense of romance, like a scene from a sci-fi movie.

"Ah, Gio. We're about to get off."

"Is that so?"

"We have a reservation near this stop for a Korean-style meal and a hotel."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"You can look forward to it; I picked all good places."

With that, Yoo Seong-Woon’s words piqued Gio’s interest, yet he sensed distantly.

'Earth is no longer a place where a being as harmless as I can live.'

For the frail Gio, who lacked even a white belt in Taekwondo, the fearsome world offered no chance of overcoming. He would have to remain tucked away in a portrait for life for his safety.

If Yoo Seong-Woon had heard these thoughts, he might have been flabbergasted.