Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: New Moon Witch 4
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The atmosphere grew subtly solemn, mismatched with the urgent situation unfolding. There wasn't really anything to blame, but Kang Areum seemed inwardly apologetic, her eyes rolling around as she stared at the floor.
At that moment, it was unclear if Mina was deliberately changing the subject, but she stepped forward with a question.
"So, what was that No-Face thing clinging to Yurie? It wasn't a new moon witch."
She was talking about the monster wearing the hockey mask.
It was true that its body—a writhing mass of shadows—matched the description in several ways.
But if that thing had been a new moon witch, it didn't make sense that no one had recognized it until now. Sure, Ibi, the novice here, might not have known, but the others' complete lack of suspicion was odd.
"I'll have to start from a bit in the past. Not that long ago, really—just around five or six years back."
To Ibi, that still felt like ancient history. She kept quiet and listened without interrupting.
"Something similar happened back then. Not an endlessly repeating night like this, but a single night that dragged on forever without end. It looks like they used that failure as a lesson to pull off this mess."
Something about it felt familiar. Ibi racked her brain and vaguely recalled it. There had been something like that in Nati's journal she'd read underground.
"Then what's there to debate? We just solve it the same way we did back then, right?"
"If it were that easy, I wouldn't be worried. That incident happened on the winter solstice—the longest night of the year. That's when new moon witches are at their strongest, which is probably why they tried it... but I was the same. I had more than enough power to handle it alone, even if it gave me a bit of trouble."
"Then what's different today?"
"A lot. It's Halloween today... and I've been weaker than ever lately. I overexerted myself recently and haven't fully recovered yet."
Ibi swallowed hard without anyone noticing. He was surely talking about the Taebaek incident.
She'd thrown a tantrum, forcing Nati to bring young Haewon back, and he'd clearly exhausted a ton of energy in the process.
Until now, she'd thought it was just physical fatigue, but it seemed far worse. The folding fan he'd used was still under repair, and he was calling this unprecedented weakness...
If she'd known it would lead to this, would she have made such a fuss?
Nati didn't look at Ibi. He just continued calmly.
"Since they got burned badly by me last time, they must have timed this to exploit my current state. And Halloween... Halloween, huh. I don't particularly like those gloomy shut-ins, but this time, they played it smart."
At that, the others seemed to catch on. Someone spoke up.
"So those monsters' true natures... they're ordinary people?"
"That's what I think. Unless some other clue turns up, we can take that as certain."
By then, Ibi cleared her throat and chimed in.
"Sorry, but... am I the only one not getting this?"
Nati glanced her way. Given his usual personality, he might have teased her once or twice, but surprisingly, he answered straightforwardly.
"Halloween. The night when the boundary between the living world and the afterlife blurs. You know that much, right?"
"...Yes."
"Ghosts, yokai, monsters like the ones I mentioned earlier—they exist without shadows. On top of that, the new moon witches have taken over the city, deliberately thinning the veil to the afterlife even more. In this situation, if a new moon witch devours a human's shadow and uses it as sustenance... normally, they'd just turn into a new moon witch right away. But tonight's different."
Not just Ibi—the others leaned in, focusing on Nati's words.
"The line between living and dead gets hazy, so instead of transforming instantly, there'll be a grace period. And during that grace period, what defines each being right away—their appearance—will determine their fundamental nature."
Ibi's head throbbed; she pressed her temples with both hands. Nati finished gently.
"Human appearances are all pretty similar anyway, so the most distinguishing feature tonight would be costumes. New moon witches aren't blind—they'll target people with standout outfits first. That way, it's easier for them to use as 'troops.' That's the true identity of the monsters we've been fighting."
Ibi felt utterly confused.
"I... don't quite get it. So these new moon witches infect people?"
"Ah, that's a good word for it. Yeah, infection."
This wasn't some zombie movie...
"So your explanation is... if someone infected is dressed as Dracula, they become a real vampire, and if they're wrapped in bandages, they turn into a mummy? Is that it?"
"Half right. They don't truly become those monsters in essence. It's more like... they turn into new moon witches that mimic those creatures' habits. That's why the hockey mask that killed you acted like a slasher from a horror flick."
"...There was a Thanos cosplayer earlier. Does the universe end?"
Nati ducked his head and chuckled. This guy. Laughing at a time like this?
"Nothing like that happens. They're not actually transforming to match their costumes—think of it as becoming a variant new moon witch. No matter how much they snap their fingers, nothing happens. But..."
Nati's expression grew a shade more serious than before.
"If we let this go on, this city will definitely fall."
A heavy silence settled in.
By now, most questions had been answered. The cause of the bizarre phenomenon engulfing Woncheon City, the true nature of the monsters they'd fought, and the motives of those behind it.
But one puzzle remained. They knew the new moon witches were looping this night endlessly—but why was Ibi the only one who remembered everything? Why did everyone else need special measures just to retain even limited memories?
When she asked, Nati just shook his head. Did he not know either? Without further explanation, he stood up.
"For now, I have a sense of how to solve the main problem. We can dig deeper into the rest later."
"You can solve it? How?"
"You told us yourself, Ibi. Before you died, the two of you climbed the tower and noticed something suspicious around Lake Park."
"Yeah... that's right."
"That's definitely the new moon witches' hive's weak point. No reason to gather that many troops there otherwise."
With that, Nati said he'd leave Ibi and Kang Areum at the Flower Mugwort Tea House and take only Mina. Areum looked doubtful, asking if he was sure without her, but Nati adamantly refused.
Even if he succeeded storming the enemy heart, he explained, there was no guarantee Ibi could revive if she died again this time.
It was convincing enough, so Areum obediently followed orders.
Before leaving the tea house, Nati poked his head back and asked Ibi one last question.
"Oh, right, Kang Ibi. What time exactly did you wake up earlier?"
It was sudden, but Ibi recovered quickly. She'd checked right away, so it was burned into her memory.
"9:36."
"Got it."
Without his usual extra kindness, Nati left with Mina.
The meeting had taken longer than expected. Glancing at the clock, it was 10:23—about an hour since Ibi had woken.
Everyone looked drained from the discussion, falling into a brief silence. Haewon still showed no sign of coming up from the basement.
Soon, Aerin emerged from the kitchen with rattling trays of tea. Areum, not much of a tea drinker, took a polite sip with her usual stoic expression. Ibi, desperate for something to calm her nerves, gladly drank hers.
Aerin, the one who'd brought it, smoked a bit before heading downstairs to reinforce the wards with Haewon.
Better not disturb them. The two women of similar age sat facing each other, sipping tea.
It felt awkwardly quiet. Ibi sneaked a glance at Areum over her teacup.
From her talks with Nati, she seemed pretty normal personality-wise, but her perpetually blank face made it hard to start a conversation.
The fox ears twitching atop her head only added to the psychological distance. And recalling how she'd brutally dismantled that hockey mask monster like a raw chicken... yeah.
Then Ibi's gaze paused. Areum had taken off her hoodie, wearing a thin knit top that clung tightly—almost like leggings at a glance.
And, well... it was prominent. Ibi had noticed before, but now that things had settled, it stood out even more.
"...What?"
Areum noticed and asked. Ibi flustered briefly but composed herself. They were both girls; no big deal.
"Um... Areum's fine, right? You always wear hoodies like that?"
"No way. I wear zip-ups and windbreakers too."
Still the same idea.
"Why only stuff like that?"
"......"
Areum silently tapped her triangular fox ears with an index finger. Ah. Ibi nodded. To hide those.
"Still a shame. Hiding a great figure like that."
Areum stared at Ibi wordlessly. The piercing gaze made Ibi wonder if she should look away, but unexpectedly, a soft "pfft" laugh escaped.
"...Did I say something funny?"
"No, no. Someone I know said something similar. And thinking about it, your personalities seem kinda alike too."
Areum giggled for a moment, then looked up with a faint smile. She shook her head side to side.
"Hmm... no, not quite. You're a thousand times more proper than her."
What kind of wild acquaintance gets that kind of talk?