51
Ch.51 Three
Growl!
[Nyaaah!]
[Guh?!]
As I lunged at Gu Seo-ryong, the two monsters crashed into each other. The taste of the ability flickering in my mouth—the ability to distort senses—had reversed their sense of direction.
Immediately, as I tried to bite into 444’s neck, poof! Smoke erupted, and 444 was caught beneath my feet—another effect of their scrambled spatial awareness. Seizing the opportunity, I stomped on its shoulder, and 499, who had rushed to help 444, dashed past me.
[Let go of brother! Huh? You missed!]
[You stupid bitch! Can’t you aim straight?!]
Schwip! The moment 499 skidded to a stop, tap, tap, tap… Gu Seo-ryong flicked her fingers repeatedly, spreading her abilities.
Flickering vision, dulled senses, scrambled hearing.
[Huh, ah…? I can’t see! Brother? Brother! Where are you?!]
[Ugh, aaaaah!]
[I—I smell blood! Brother, brother! Agh…!]
I bit into 444’s neck, and Gu Seo-ryong approached 499, who was standing dumbfounded, and drove her fingers into its head.
Even without spatial awareness, they could still lash out blindly when attacked. The two fatally wounded monsters swung their front claws wildly, likely aiming for Gu Seo-ryong and my necks with spatial severing—but their abilities struck each other instead.
The two monsters, now even more wounded, tried to flee with bursts of smoke, but still disoriented, they kept crashing headfirst into the ground, stumbling.
"Ahah, ahahahaha! How adorable, look at what they’re doing!"
[...Pathetic.]
I had only intended to buy time by having Gu Seo-ryong handle one of them, but I hadn’t expected her abilities to work this well.
While they were nothing more than a mild nuisance to me, they were devastating to these creatures. It almost made me feel foolish for struggling against them until now.
"Falling for me~? Wanna finish these brats off and go make babies?"
[But you’re still weak.]
Gu Seo-ryong’s abilities could confuse the two monsters, but they couldn’t deal fatal blows. As if to prove that, she only used supportive abilities rather than attacking directly.
"Not weak—just a perfect match for you, don’t you think?"
[There’s no monster that doesn’t synergize poorly with your ability.]
"So you’re saying I’m the best woman anyone could ask for?"
Tap! Flicking her fingers to release another wave of distortion, Gu Seo-ryong leisurely walked over and stabbed 444’s neck before driving her tail into 499’s stomach.
Then, raising one hand high—tap! The two monsters, snarling from the earlier ability, staggered as their vision blurred.
Just as I prepared to lunge for the killing blow, Gu Seo-ryong reached out and stopped me.
"Is this bitch insane?"
[She’s redirecting all her abilities into regeneration.]
Sensory distortion was a mental poison that worked through a monster’s wavelength. There were two ways for monsters to resist it: either evolve to fortify their mental barriers or rapidly regenerate their brains to counteract the manipulation.
These two test subjects had exceptional regeneration, especially 499. Confident in her speed, 499 shattered her own brain with spatial manipulation.
The newly regenerated brain was free of distortion. She could be affected again, but she’d bought herself a brief moment.
[Nyaaaaaah!]
With a scream, 499’s eyes flashed as she unleashed a storm of blades and spatial rending simultaneously.
Whoosh! Gu Seo-ryong leaped soundlessly into the air, blocking with her torso before landing in front of me, her arms falling.
Flick! Regrowing her arms instantly, she prepared another distortion. As 499 crouched to charge—
[Brother! Run…!]
—444 severed 499’s neck in that instant.
A single strike in a moment of carelessness—not a misfire from distortion. Frowning at the precision, I watched as 444, fatally wounded, pounced on 499 and screamed.
[Stay still, you idiot!]
[Brother? Aaaaah! Brother!]
[I’m the successful one…! Not you! Give me your core! Now!]
"Oh my? This one’s even crazier?"
444’s tail blades and spatial manipulation tore into 499’s chest. Sudden cannibalism. 499, barely regenerating her nearly severed neck, flailed in resistance.
It was obvious what 444 wanted. If he devoured 499, even a little, he might gain enough strength to escape.
[499! Just… Let me… EAT YOUUU!]
[No… Noooooo!!]
"Hmm, disgusting. Modern test subjects have no dignity."
To lose focus mid-battle—such a choice only guaranteed death.
At 499’s screams, Gu Seo-ryong smirked, aimed her finger, and flicked it like a gunshot.
Tap! As I lunged to finish 444, Gu Seo-ryong followed close behind.
[Stay… Stay awaaay! Aaaaah!]
444, mid-bite on 499, unleashed a blade storm at me—but it curved wildly, slashing only empty air.
Crunch! The moment I bit into 444’s neck again, part of its existence was devoured. Beside me, Gu Seo-ryong stomped on 499’s thrashing head, her tail coiling around her neck before stabbing into her skull.
[Brother…Mm, ma…]
"Ahh… Did you miss your mommy~?"
Gulp, gulp… Likely pumping venom through her tail, she watched as 499’s limbs twitched weakly, her gaze distant and unfocused.
Confirming 499 was subdued, I continued tearing into 444’s vitals. Crack, crush—ribs shattered, skull caved in.
[Mom… Mom… Don’t leave me…]
[Aaaaah! 499! What are you doing, you useless bitch!]
499, unaware of 444 being torn apart right before her, flailed as space around me warped—but none of it struck me. The ice spikes spreading erratically, unable to extend straight, showed just how thoroughly 444’s senses were scrambled.
The taste was like cotton candy sprinkled with bitter coffee grounds. 444, now entirely mauled, bled profusely. Regeneration had reached its limit.
All that remained was to be devoured.
[Guh, aaaaah!!]
Crunch, crunch. I chewed through 444, now barely even an enemy alive as I searched for its core.
A monster’s core existed separate from vital organs like the heart or brain. Its location varied, but for 444—likely here.
I tore into the spot he’d been targeting on 499, revealing blood-soaked innards. Digging my claws into the core, 444 screamed in terror.
[Sa… save me! I’m—I’m a test subject! Just like you! We were both…! You… You were a monster who didn’t eat others…!]
[You’re different.]
444 couldn’t control its instincts. It didn’t understand communication—if it couldn’t comprehend something, it ate it to understand. It killed children, killed those it called sisters, killed everything, seeking only its own strength.
A true monster.
[Monsters must die.]
[A… AAAAAAAAAH!]
I bit down—crunch—shattering 444’s core.
The thick, savory taste of its essence filled my mouth as my body absorbed its abilities.
Memories exploded—444’s, the human it once was.
‘Mom…? You’ll really come back if I sleep for a hundred days…?’
Holding his sleeping sister, 444 stood before an unfamiliar building, saying goodbye to an older woman.
‘Because of you, I was abandoned too! Because of you!’
‘Waaah! Waaaaah!’
Everything was his sister’s fault. Before her, he’d been loved. If only she’d never existed.
‘You’re an obedient child.’
‘Hey… You promised… You wouldn’t touch my sister…’
‘Good. But you know what happens if you don’t comply, right?’
The lab, injections, monster cells, adaptation, synthesis—words jumbled in his mind.
Exhausted from transformation, the researchers’ voices tickled his ears.
‘Both siblings endured CXI’s cells? Impressive.’
‘There really are bloodlines that adapt and those that don’t.’
‘No, Siblings 404 and 472—one died.’
‘The difference must be determination. The success rate skyrockets when we promise not to harm their families.’
Thump, thump. Hearing they’d experimented on his sister too, his heart raced—then stilled. The cold serum in his veins suppressed even anger.
‘Now, time for the final leash.’
A new injection flooded his skull, and the monster’s core began devouring his human memories and emotions.
Only instinct remained.
‘He can’t take any more. This is his limit.’
‘So this is it…’
‘444 is especially inferior. Compared to 499’s compatibility…’
‘Tch. If only 499’s obedience imprint had worked, we’d have disposed of him already.’
‘They broke her mind trying to force it. Those Alphabet bastards—do they even try to make proper mind-control drugs?’
He hated his sister.
If not for her, he wouldn’t have been abandoned.
If not for 499, he wouldn’t have been compared so harshly.
‘Why is CXI still alive? Starlight could’ve killed it.’
‘CXI is getting closer to humans.’
‘CXI must die.’
‘If you devour its core, you’ll no longer be failures.’
If I eat CXI, I’ll become the strongest.
I’ll be praised. A successful subject. Strong.
Never abandoned again.
‘Black Cat, stop, stooop!’
‘Don’t! Black Cat, don’t!’
Why won’t this woman abandon her child?
Why do humans dare fight monsters?
Why doesn’t this human child want to kill its parents?
‘Don’t eat!’
‘I’m hungry!’
‘499, I told you not to eat!’
‘Hungry…’
If 499 ate humans, she’d grow stronger.
After finally catching up by eating one myself, I couldn’t fall behind again.
So, my sister…
I never did anything to her.
Please…
[Sigh…]
Crunch. Swallowing the last of the core, I exhaled slowly, the discomfort lingering as I activated my new ability.
Vwoom. Space rippled as I tore through it. Gu Seo-ryong, perched on 499’s head with her tail coiled around her neck, clapped.
"Congrats, Deun-deun~! Feeling sturdier now?"
[Mhm.]
Licking my lips, I recalled the curse 444 had left me.
In death, its greatest fear was 499 dying.
As a result, my core evolved to specialize in killing 499.
[Grrrr…]
[Brother?]
My growl’s wavelength had grown slightly similar to 444’s.
Earlier, 499 hadn’t resisted at all when 444 attacked.
Frowning at this unpleasant evolution, Gu Seo-ryong aimed her fingers at 499’s trapped head.
"My turn now? Hehe, bon appétit~?"
[Gu Seo-ryong.]
I grabbed her wrist with telekinesis.
"What?"
[I killed 444, the monster.]
"So?"
[499 doesn’t have to die.]
"Hmm…"
Pouting, she drove her tail deeper into 499’s neck. I stared, radiating warning.
[Guh… Ah…]
"So what, you call me here, make me work hard, and I get nothing?"
[Correct.]
"That’s so mean~! You ate the core all by yourself!"
[It was Kim Su-young’s last request.]
Kim Su-young—444’s human name. 499 twitched, staring at me dazedly.
Gu Seo-ryong shrugged, feigning exhaustion.
"Fine. I don’t like eating test subjects anyway—kinda gross."
[…I see.]
It was more unpleasant than expected.
Unlike devouring regular monsters, eating a test subject forced their human memories onto me, a reminder of what they’d once been.
The discomfort of knowing I could end up just like them.
"First time eating a test subject? You seem rattled."
[Their memories were readable.]
"And? Shocked?"
[Disgusted.]
"Disgusted, huh~?"
What even was this feeling?
As I licked my lips, Gu Seo-ryong flicked her fingers sharply.
"Snap out of it, CXI. We’re monsters. Not human. You know this. Our cores have already consumed us. The memories? Just like when a monster accidentally swallows a human corpse—sometimes you get flashes."
[I suppose.]
"...If you weren’t this kind of monster, I’d have been devoured in the lab long ago."
[Did I ever fight you?]
"Wow, rude. You don’t remember?"
[My apologies. Weak monsters don’t leave an impression.]
"So mean~! Anyway, fine. You want to honor this Kim Su-young’s request? Then I won’t kill her."
Talking to Gu Seo-ryong eased my mind a little.
As fellow test subjects, we understood each other.
Gulp, gulp. Her tail pulsed, injecting venom into 499’s neck.
"But… This much is fine, right?"
[What are you doing?]
"Mental conditioning. Whatever the lab did, her mind’s already a mess."
[Guh… Ugh…]
Schlick. Pulling her tail free, she stroked 499’s chin before kissing her forehead.
"Having a cute bodyguard wouldn’t hurt, yeah?"
[Do as you please.]
"Yay~♥"
Kim Su-young’s last request was simple: don’t kill 499.
Leaving Gu Seo-ryong and 499 behind, I stepped through the torn space and departed.
Now, only two Despair-class monsters remained in W-City.
No—three.