97
Ch.97 Yeo Woon-jae
The morning after spending a night at the hotel.
It was the first time I had a restless night since becoming a monster.
"Worst morning ever."
Despite having slept through all sorts of stimulant cocktails, drugs, and pain-inducing devices, it was hard to sleep through the attacks of two Despair-class monsters.
At dawn, after ordering and eating one of everything on the room service menu, Sagugu fell asleep satisfied, but then Gu Seo-ryong annoyingly clung to me.
I choked her unconscious and tried to sleep, but Sagugu sleep-talked and crawled over, pressing her ear against my body to sleep.
When I peeled her off, Gu Seo-ryong, now conscious again, slithered up like a snake and climbed on top of me.
I choked her unconscious again and threw her on the floor, but then Sagugu was back. When I put Sagugu on the bed and returned after tucking her in, Gu Seo-ryong was there again.
"Umyaa…"
"Huaaam…"
In the end, I barely slept all night and only managed to close my eyes by leaning against the window after the two monsters woke up.
But that didn’t last long—Gu Seo-ryong and Sagugu got up and started running around the room.
"If you're awake, go brush your teeth! How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Monsters don’t brush their teeth! We don’t get cavities!"
"Your breath stinks! Brush your teeth! Girls shouldn’t smell!"
After a chaotic, noisy chase around the room, Sagugu, caught by Gu Seo-ryong, reluctantly brushed her teeth with a sullen expression.
To be precise, Gu Seo-ryong wrapped her tail around Sagugu’s neck and brushed her teeth for her with one hand while brushing her own.
That brief moment was the only time I could sleep freely.
"Sweetie, looks like you didn’t sleep well? If you’d just had some fun while Sagugu was sleeping, you could’ve slept soundly."
"Don’t talk to me. I’m sleeping."
"We came all the way to this nice hotel, and the kid’s asleep—why aren’t you doing anything? You’ve got a great body."
"I have no intention of mating."
"Oh my, the kid’s listening. Can you watch your language when Sagugu is awake?"
"Mating! Mating again! What’s mating? Are you eating something tasty without Sagugu again?"
Gu Seo-ryong shamelessly covered Sagugu’s ears with both hands, causing her cat ears to disappear as human ears popped out in their place.
When she covered the human ears, the cat ears returned… Realizing that covering her ears was pointless, Gu Seo-ryong let go of Sagugu.
"I should’ve just killed you last night."
"Being choked felt good enough to die. Really, if just a taste was this good, I can’t even imagine how the main dish would be."
"Main dish? Breakfast?"
"Yeah, yeah, let’s wash up and eat."
"Breakfast…"
"Wash up and come out too."
No matter how sleepy I was, I couldn’t skip a meal.
While I quickly washed up, every possible breakfast menu item was laid out in the room.
The hotel staff, who had been glancing at Gu Seo-ryong and Sagugu while setting up the food and blinking sleepily, nodded in understanding when they saw my body emerging from the bathroom.
Gu Seo-ryong and I ate and discussed our plans.
"So, after we finish our tasks, we’ll each return here?"
"Calling through the core… Won’t be possible."
Due to the superpower humans’ warning-laden wavelengths resonating throughout the city, it was impossible to summon the monster core as we did in W-City.
"But if it’s really dangerous, we’ll have to resonate the core."
"Tell Sagugu to summon the cat. She should be able to do it."
"Oh, really? Like the hidden camera you secretly planted to spy on me? Sagugu, wanna try summoning it?"
"Nyyaa?"
Sagugu used her ability at Gu Seo-ryong’s request, but the cat didn’t appear.
The spatial manipulation ability paired up randomly, but shadow control couldn’t pair? Strange.
Thinking it odd, I summoned the cat myself and transferred a few abilities to it.
"If you need me, stomp on the shadow three times."
"How romantic. If I stomp three times, you’ll come save me?"
"Just die."
As I got up after finishing the meal, Gu Seo-ryong handed me clothes to wear while fiddling with her phone in the other hand.
"Yeo Woon-jae’s superpower human training facility is in District 2."
"Got it."
"If you leave now, you’ll probably arrive during class. Since A-City strictly protects hero candidates, try not to cause any disturbances…"
"I’ve never caused disturbances."
"Yeah, yeah… Anyway, look carefully. If he’s not in class, he’s often at the training facility in District 3 observing other superpower humans, so check there too."
After turning off her phone and tucking it into her chest, Gu Seo-ryong dressed herself and Sagugu.
Instead of leaving immediately, I looked at my reflection in the mirror.
Today, I wore a short-sleeved shirt and a large denim jacket—just an ordinary, tall human at first glance.
"Shouldn’t I cover my face?"
"Why?"
"If Yeo Woon-jae is connected to the lab, he’ll recognize me."
"Then you’ll know right away, won’t you? Just eat him then."
"Hmm."
Exposing my face on purpose to eat anyone who recognizes me—what a great idea.
"See you later. I’ll gather more intel before heading out. Unlike some people, I’m not lucky enough to know where to look first."
"Get off."
As I tried to leave first, Gu Seo-ryong naturally clung to me.
I peeled off her sticky arms, but her clingy wavelength faintly spread through my skin.
"Take your meds, Gu Seo-ryong."
"I already did before bed. This is just a pure kiss."
"It’s not pure."
"I think it’s about time we’re okay with kisses, don’t you?"
"No."
"Sagugu wants a goodbye kiss from Mommy and Brother, too!"
"No."
"Nyaa…"
I peeled off Sagugu and Gu Seo-ryong, who lunged at me in the hallway, and stepped outside.
Somehow, this feels more exhausting than being chased by Starlight for an hour.
***
After shaking off the annoyances, I got into a taxi.
The hotel staff, who recognized me as an A-rank superpower human, guided me to it.
The taxi driver tensed up the moment he heard I was an A-rank.
Regardless, I was sleep-deprived and dozed off in the taxi.
"Sir… Sir…"
"Hm?"
"We’ve… Arrived."
The driver woke me with a quiet voice.
I rummaged through my pocket and handed him my superpower human registration card.
"Huh? Are you… Paying?"
After processing the payment, the driver bowed deeply and returned the card.
First the hotdog stand, then the chicken place, and now the taxi—why do A-City citizens refuse money from superpower humans? Curious, I stopped the taxi before it could leave.
"W-why are you doing this?”
“I’m sorry!"
"Why don’t A-City citizens accept money from superhumans?"
"Eh…? Why…?"
"I’m from another city. I’m curious."
The driver, who had been about to hit the gas and flee, gave up and turned off the engine.
"It’s not that we don’t want to take money—we can’t. Many superpower humans get angry if we do, saying that protecting us, inferior citizen,s should be enough."
"But superpower humans receive allowances, so it’s practically free for them."
"Right. Yet they refuse to pay for meals, transportation, etc. They say, ‘We protect you, and you still ask for money?’ Most think superpower humans shouldn’t have to pay. Of course, some, like you, do pay."
So that’s why.
Now that I think about it, it makes sense.
Heroes risk their lives fighting monsters—skipping a few payments isn’t a big deal.
But why are humans so resentful?
The unanswered question gnawed at me.
Tired of thinking, I let the taxi go and entered the building.
A place ordinary people can’t enter, filled with surveillance cameras.
I tapped my card on the transparent door, and it opened.
[Welcome, A-rank superpower human Park Deun-deun.]
As the door opened, a small drone emerged from the card reader and began following me.
"What’s this?"
[I am—]
Smack! Instinctively, I swatted the fly-like drone away.
Another drone emerged and warned:
[Park Deun-deun, drones are public property. Do not destroy them.]
"Is there a person inside?"
[I am Anemone, an AI guide drone for A-City’s education facility. If you’re looking for a class or location, let me know. I’ll guide you.]
"Fascinating."
I poked the drone, amused as it kept returning to position.
Later, I asked the drone where Yeo Woon-jae was.
"I’m looking for Yeo Woon-jae."
[Professor Yeo Woon-jae’s class is currently in Lecture Hall 3. Shall I guide you?]
"Yeah."
Nodding, I followed the drone.
The superpower human training facility looked no different from an ordinary school, like the ones I’d occasionally seen in W-City.
The only differences were the superpower human students training with their abilities in the courtyard and the fact that everyone here was a superpower human.
"Ha! Chaaat!"
"Come out, come out…!"
Young students are straining to activate their abilities, adult heroes and superpower humans discussing techniques nearby.
"Emission types depend most on imagery. Meister said not to limit yourself by thinking about what’s possible…"
"But my computation isn’t improving. If that’s the case, I have no choice but to train until it becomes second nature."
"Wow…! My output just increased! Thank you—how can I ever repay you?"
"No, no need. Superpower humans should help each other."
Unlike the superpower humans on the streets, those inside the facility were remarkably kind to each other.
I even spotted some of the guys who had eyed Gu Seo-ryong and Sagugu yesterday.
Even they showed no arrogance—just warm, understanding smiles.
"Hmm."
Lost in thought, I followed the drone inside.
We arrived at a classroom labeled Superpower Human Combat Theory.
The drone stuck to the closed door, and it slid open silently.
"—Therefore, abilities belong to the mind category of mind-body-spirit, and strengthening them requires mental fortitude. To increase output and heart strength, physical training is essential. The last factor is technique."
Inside the tiered classroom, desks were packed, while heroes and superpower humans lined the walls, listening intently.
I quietly entered and leaned against the wall.
"What I can teach you is technique. Depending on your ability, it may not help at all. But one thing is certain—"
Sniff, sniff. The source of the scent was clear—the man speaking loudly at the center of the room.
"A superpower human’s enemy isn’t just monsters."
A body covered in scars, a prosthetic right hand, a misaligned leg, an unkempt beard, long gray curly hair covering his eyes—not an old man, but a middle-aged one.
"This class will help you greatly when fighting monsters."
The former strongest hero, Yeo Woon-jae.
The smell of lab chemicals lingered on him.
"Of course… It'll also help against humanoid monsters. Beyond that, mastering your body means freely manifesting your abilities. So for those struggling with control, this will—"
Just then, the tablet in front of Yeo Woon-jae lit up.
From a distance, I focused on his pupils to read the screen.
It displayed the names and ranks of every student, hero, and superpower human in the room.
My name and rank—A-rank superpower human—glowed brightly.
"A-rank superpower human…"
Yeo Woon-jae muttered quietly, scanning the room until he spotted me.
Our eyes met. He showed no surprise, just a slight nod.
That reaction—he didn’t recognize me as a test subject.
Yeo Woon-jae doesn’t know me.
The chemical scent on him is too faint.
The lab likely just supplied him with drugs. He probably knows nothing.
But for some reason, locking eyes with him made me tense.
That tension made me want to observe him more.
Even though I don’t think he’s connected to the lab, this feeling—
"Now, let’s wrap up introductions and head to the training hall."
—My monster instincts tell me to keep watching him.