131
Ch.131 The Investigation is not Over
"Enough with the love talk. I'm not interested in that kind of thing, and it's exhausting."
With a clink, Starlight set down her earthenware bowl and glared at me.
"Park Deun-deun, I think you have a lot of problems in many ways, but this time, I’m grateful. Thanks to you, we were able to arrest the agents without any casualties."
"It was a difficult situation for everyone. We got lucky—neither you nor I have abilities suited for subduing people."
Iron Might’s body transformation turns his strikes into literal iron blows, and Starlight’s attacks, even to someone like me who’s reached Annihilation-class, are threateningly powerful.
While effective against monsters, they’re not ideal for subduing humans.
"What happens to the arrested superpower humans?"
"We’ll educate them."
"We’ll show them the reality of W-City and strip away the delusions other cities have planted in them. But if they keep at it… From then on, they’re villains."
"That’s a lenient punishment. I thought you’d at least cut off an arm or something."
"You seriously need some socialization training ASAP…"
Frustration radiated from Starlight like noodles in a steaming bowl of soup, spreading in multiple directions.
"They’re radicals, but when you think about it, the superpower humans who came as agents and the refugees aren’t inherently bad people. They just want safety for the people in their own cities. Their method—demanding W-City’s safety be taken away—naturally makes W-City’s citizens resentful, but they’re all just desperate."
"The Black Cat is actually creating safe zones in W-City, which only makes them more desperate."
From the perspective of W-City’s citizens and heroes, since they don’t know why the Black Cat is helping humans, they want to approach cautiously to avoid any mistakes.
Give it everything it likes, don’t give orders, don’t hurt its feelings.
Make sure it doesn’t leave W-City.
On the other hand, those from other cities want it to come to their cities by any means necessary.
They might return, but regardless, the future is uncertain—their only goal is to get the Black Cat to move.
"And most refugees aren’t even like that, making them even harder to punish."
"They’re people who want to settle in W-City but are starving because the Whyong faction won’t hire them."
"Even if we crack down on them, the same thing will just repeat when new refugees arrive. As long as the Black Cat protects W-City, the number of refugees will keep growing. If we don’t solve the root problem…"
"Hence the education."
The operatives incite refugees to riot because they misunderstand that W-City knows how to control the Black Cat. Clearing up that misunderstanding is the goal.
If nothing works, arrest is the only option.
Using this opportunity to clear up misunderstandings among the refugees is W-City’s heroes’ objective.
"To think W-City knows how to tame an Annihilation-class monster… If I knew how, I’d fly to A-City right now and bring back a monster… Tame them all…"
"That sounds tough."
"Ugh… Seriously, this is giving me a headache. If we leave the unemployment issue alone, crime rates will just rise, but thanks to the Whyong faction’s actions, even recovery projects—the most viable solution—are stalled. We can’t ask the Black Cat to let monsters in just to create jobs, and destroying buildings is a waste of resources."
Clink, clink. Starlight scraped her spoon against the earthenware bowl and sighed.
"Maybe we really should push for a the Black Cat Special District…"
"What’s that?"
"It’s a recent urban expansion plan. Since the Black Cat is here, we’re considering reclaiming closed-off Districts to expand W-City’s territory. We’d build facilities and create jobs there for the Black Cat."
"That would solve the refugee problem and provide jobs for those who lost work due to the lack of monsters."
"Sounds good."
If that happens, I could work at construction sites again, and laborers and refugees would get jobs too.
"Yeah, it sounds good… But it’s too big of an undertaking."
"Is there a problem?"
"It’s a solution that relies too much on the Black Cat. If the Black Cat disappears, we won’t be able to handle it."
A-City’s size is proportional to what its heroes can manage.
Expanding the city for the Black Cat means those Districts only exist as long as the Black Cat is here.
"The Black Cat has already left W-City twice to hunt monsters in other cities."
"If we recklessly expand the city and the Black Cat leaves for another city, the number of victims in W-City could increase."
"If we don’t know why an Annihilation-class monster is protecting humans, we might just be wasting precious resources. What if we expand the city and the Black Cat leaves because it doesn’t like it?"
"It won’t leave."
"How can you guarantee that? You’re not the Black Cat."
I am the Black Cat.
I answered in my head but didn’t voice it. I didn’t want to reveal my identity and ruin a quiet meal.
"If we make a mistake, the consequences will be unmanageable. That’s why I want to be careful… But I don’t even know what the Black Cat wants."
"Why not just ask the Black Cat directly?"
"I’d like to, but… Honestly, I’m scared."
"Scared?"
"I’ve tried to kill the Black Cat multiple times. It forgave me, and I’m grateful, but what if it’s still resentful? What if it gets annoyed if I keep asking questions?"
Huuu… Starlight let out a long sigh, revealing the anxiety she’d kept buried.
"I briefly fought it before and backed off, but the Black Cat is overwhelmingly stronger than me now. If it gets even slightly annoyed, there’s nothing I can do to stop it… What if it leaves for another city, gets angry, or starts eating humans? What if I ruin the current Black Cat…?"
As Starlight slowly opened up, she suddenly widened her eyes.
Rapid blinking, confusion, surprise.
"Why am I telling Park Deun-deun all this?"
"Maybe you wanted to hear an outsider’s opinion, since I’m not a W-City hero?"
"No, I just… Somehow, it just came out."
Covering her mouth with her hand, Starlight frowned, puzzled by her own behavior.
"I said things I didn’t need to. Park Deun-deun, you don’t happen to have a mind-control ability like Gu Seo-ryong, do you? Or a double-awakened?"
"I don’t."
"Right… I didn’t sense any ability… What’s going on? You’re just… Oddly easy to talk to. Is it because you’re wearing firefighter pants?"
"Why would old firefighter pants make you feel that way?"
"Ah."
At Iron Might’s question, Yoo Hyena hesitated, and from Yoo Anna, an unfamiliar emotion spread—a sweetness so cloying it made her teeth rot, a scent that grew sweeter the more negative the emotion.
"Come to think of it, Park Deun-deun, what’s your real name?"
"Real name?"
"Park Deun-deun, Han Mu-ryo—both are aliases you made up, right? Do you have an original name?"
"Original name."
I sifted through my memories, already gnawed apart in places.
My name and the memories tied to it had long been devoured.
"I ate it."
"Uh, you don’t eat things like that—you forget them."
"Is that so."
"Were you locked up so long you forgot even your name…?"
"So that’s why you’ve been using aliases?"
"Mhm."
No need to explain the sensation of being eroded by a monster—of having memories eaten.
I brushed off the question and finished my soup.
"I don’t have anything else to ask, so the investigation is over. One warning, though… Using multiple aliases isn’t a good idea. You already do enough strange things as it is. If you keep switching names, you’ll draw suspicion. At least stick to one."
"Speaking of which, Mu-ryo, did you actually introduce yourself properly at the butcher shop? Someone said a Baepo Man came by—was that you?"
"Glug glug glug!"
Avoiding Yoo Hyena’s gaze, I lifted the soup pot and drank it all.
Is using multiple names really that bad?
Park Deun-deun, Han Mu-ryo, Go Bongbap, Gopbaegi—each one is a great name. Having to choose just one…
Then, Starlight, who had finished her soup, stood up first.
"Sorry for keeping you so long. I’ll head out first."
"Sister, are you going to… Brother again?"
"…Haven’t been able to visit lately because I’ve been busy."
Yoo Hyena’s worried gaze, Starlight’s bright smile—like she was looking forward to meeting a close friend—and then her hair slowly ignited.
"Park Deun-deun, let’s meet under better circumstances next time. Don’t cause trouble, and if you’re really hungry, come to the hero headquarters’ cafeteria before doing anything weird. You can enter with the superpower human registration card you have."
"Oh."
"Ah, just so you know, the free meals at the cafeteria are limited to three servings."
"Mhm."
My excitement at the news of more free food was shattered in seconds.
Shortly after, Starlight left the restaurant, and the sound of flames roaring outside signaled her departure.
Yoo Hyena, listening to Starlight fly away, muttered with her spoon in her mouth,
"It’s not that she’s not interested in love… It's just that, she still only sees brother."
Some of it didn’t reach me.
And the questions it raised were swallowed too.
Because this isn’t my story anymore.
**”
After parting with Yoo Hyena, I headed to the closed District and immediately reverted to my monster form.
Is it because I’ve become an Annihilation-class monster? My human form feels suffocating.
It’s like cramming myself into a much smaller room than before, limited in movement—only natural.
Curling up to sleep, I reflected on recent events.
To eat in peace, I need to do something.
Starlight’s anxiety about not being able to control me anymore—the fear that I might leave W-City.
Crime stemming from unemployment, misunderstandings and delusions because people don’t truly know me.
If I solve those problems, maybe I can eat in peace.
"Black Cat! Please, I beg you! Restore this closed District next to us! It’s my hometown!"
"Black Cat! Take a photo with me, just once!"
As soon as I appeared in the closed District, humans who’d heard the news swarmed the outer walls, calling out to me.
Each shouting their own wishes, pestering me to grant them.
I have no intention of indulging them.
Just enough to eat in peace—that’s all.
And so, the next day.
Breakfast-slash-lunch at the Black Cat Park in District 3.
"Grrrr…"
"Huh?"
"I-It’s rubbing!"
"The Black Cat is rubbing itself against W-City’s park!"
After finishing my meal, I made it clear that I recognized W-City as my territory, and the citizens cheered in delight.
"The Black Cat thinks of W-City as its home!"
"Did you like today’s meal?"
"What food was made today? Note down the recipes!"
"Is it this? The pineapple pizza I made!"
"Hyyaaak!"
"I’ll never do it again!"
"The Black Cat hates pineapple pizza, huh."
Unlike before, when I ate whatever was given, now I reject what I dislike and eagerly lick up what I like—which oddly put people at ease.
"I think I know what kind of food the Black Cat likes."
"It likes this…!"
Their anxiety and clinginess stem from not knowing enough about me.
After thinking it over, I decided to show everyone what kind of monster the Black Cat is—in an easy-to-understand way.
And what I want.
"Waaaah."
"What’s this? What’s the Black Cat doing?"
"Where’s it going?"
Leading the crowd trailing behind me, I headed to a corner of the park.
In the refugee District, the usually noisy refugees, incited by superpower humans, hid quietly in their box houses with mixed emotions.
Approaching one, I rubbed my head against it, crushing the box.
"Waaah?! Wh-What?!"
"Woooh."
"Eh?! B-Black Cat?! Waaah!"
One by one, I picked up the startled refugees by the scruff of their necks and placed them among the citizens.
There. Stop fighting and get along.
I figured they’d understand.
"Why is the Black Cat doing this?"
"Does it want us to beat up the Whyong faction?"
"It must hate the Whyong faction for being noisy during mealtimes!"
"The Black Cat demands the eradication of the Whyong faction!"
"Eeek?!"
They didn’t understand at all.
I growled at the humans gathering potential weapons from nearby trash cans.
"Kyaaaak!"
"That’s not it."
"Guess not!"
"Drop your weapons!"
After my outburst, the citizens huddled together, pondering the meaning of my actions.
"Then what?"
"Maybe it’s telling us not to discriminate against the Whyong faction and get along?"
"My cat at home did something similar—carried a kitten over to introduce it."
Finally, the interpretation I wanted emerged.
I nodded in agreement.
"Woooh~"
"That’s it!"
Crushing more boxes, I placed the refugees among the citizens, who stared at me in confusion.
Some burst into tears.
"Ugh…"
"The Black Cat doesn’t discriminate against us as the Whyong faction…"
"If the Black Cat is doing this, our hatred must’ve been obvious."
"Maybe we were too sensitive… They just want to live in W-City and help their families back home."
"Were we too harsh?"
"No, they’ve crossed the line too many times!"
"But to the Black Cat, the Whyong faction is just like any other human!"
"Oooh! The savior cat! Love thy neighbor, love thy enemy, treat all humans equally!"
The Black Cat is a monster that protects humans.
With that understanding, W-City’s citizens approached the refugees.
Satisfied they’d understood, I yawned and left the park.
"Ah, the Black Cat’s leaving!"
"Black Cat! Come back tomorrow!"
"Black Cat! Don’t go too far! Just the closed District!"
"Sleep well!"
Flying back to the closed zone, I listened, hopeful the citizens and refugees would reconcile.
"If you’d just stop talking about sending the Black Cat to other cities, we wouldn’t hate you."
"It’s not like we can send it anyway—it’s an Annihilation-class monster. We’re scared it’ll leave W-City too."
"If we could control the Black Cat, would we even care about you?"
"Do you know how anxious we get every time you do this? What if the Black Cat starts hating humans because of you?"
The citizens vented their frustrations and explained why they disliked the Whyong faction.
Without the agents, the refugees spoke honestly too.
Heroes arriving late to the scene let the citizens talk, watching from afar.
"I came alone, no family. I just want to be a W-City citizen. I don’t care about liberating the Black Cat."
"I’d still prefer it if the Black Cat could go to our city… If it protected us too."
"Are there really no drugs? I heard W-City secretly continued monster weaponization experiments and made a breakthrough."
"What nonsense is that? If that were true, they’d only tame Annihilation-class monsters?"
"I didn’t think W-City citizens would admit to being scared."
"Even when it was Despair-class, the Black Cat suddenly went to A-City and back. We can’t control it."
"I heard Starlight took the Black Cat there."
"Really?"
Arguing, raising voices, conceding points—change wouldn’t happen overnight, but it was a start.
Eventually, my mealtimes would be peaceful again.
"Hey, refugee sir, are you selling that box?"
"Huh?"
And once misunderstandings cleared…
"You selling the box the Black Cat rubbed its head on?"
"Huh? You… Want to buy this?"
"Excuse me, selling that shirt? The one with the Black Cat’s drool."
W-City’s citizens revealed their greed, reaching for their wallets.
Refugees, desperate for money to survive, lifted the crushed boxes.
"Selling the box the Black Cat rolled on!"
"I’ll buy it for 200,000 won!"
"I-I’m selling the shirt with the Black Cat’s drool!"
"500,000 won!"
Hmm.
At least the refugees will eat tonight. I guess that’s good.
"My box has fur stuck to it!"
"What?! 1 million won!"
"Sell it to me! Please!"
Not wanting to hear more, I covered my ears.