Chapter 23
Chapter 23
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: There's Something in That Room
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It's been a full day since the baby monster escaped from the research building.
The first one or two hours might have been understandable.
But even after a whole night had passed, Yeongdeungpo—still under a monster alert—was essentially paralyzed citywide.
<Hunters and Government Fail Initial Response>
As dawn broke and the day brightened, TV and social media would no doubt be flooded with headlines like that.
With rainy season starting tomorrow and the weather already gloomy, things weren't looking good from any angle.
Even so, at the top floor of the Korean Hunters Association branch.
In the branch chief's office—windowless yet offering a full view of the outside through its special walls—Lee Jin-ah followed the old saying that haste makes waste.
Slurp.
She downed a shot of soju alone, no chaser.
Sitting at the desk by the window, she gazed blankly at the overcast sky.
"If it were dead, that'd be one thing, but the living ones are hard to control on a whim."
It was expected, but the current mess was worse than anticipated. As a living being herself, she couldn't help but sigh.
It was eight years ago, when she'd finally set foot on Korean soil again.
Right after being recommended from the U.S. headquarters for the Korean branch chief position, she'd secretly salvaged the national disaster-grade monster Angel from the deep sea off Busan Port.
Coming from a leading hunter nation, she had high hopes for this national disaster-grade specimen.
But its entire upper body was gone without a trace—impossible to revive, she'd judged.
Regrettably, all she could do was preserve it as a research sample...
"It has reproductive organs? Interesting."
That was until she discovered Angel was female.
Plan B would take far longer and cost a fortune compared to the original Plan A, but success might yield something superior to the original.
Conveniently, she'd collected disaster-grade genes from various countries during her world travels.
After salvaging Angel, Lee Jin-ah devoted eight years to this new research.
And this year, she'd finally succeeded in impregnating the surviving lower body's womb with a fetus.
Once the creation was complete, the first step was to test its performance.
'The mother was a national disaster-grade from Korea, in the global top twenty hunter nations. It should have been capable of at least that much...'
A newborn crushing a D-rank hunter and seriously injuring three B-ranks was impressive, despite the hiccups.
But since it hadn't attacked the non-combative researchers, Lee Jin-ah evaluated her handiwork thus:
"A failure as a monster. But performance-wise? Passable, I suppose..."
The most crucial issue: the whereabouts of that child weren't in her "father's" hands.
With A-rank hunters deployed, she'd assumed they'd capture it by now.
If not for that man's interference.
"The Jamsil Monster..."
Another national disaster-grade that appeared in Korea, just like Angel.
Who the hell was he?
What were his goals? His true nature?
A mutant with zero interest in humans, almost eerily so.
Nearly confirmed: he seemed to possess knowledge on par with humanity.
'A monster with no hostility toward humans... Not even excessively loyal to its instincts.'
In that way, he resembled the baby monster she'd created. Was that shared trait sparking some kinship, prompting him to flee with it?
According to A-rank hunter Joo Sang-ho, who had clashed with the Jamsil Monster back then, the guy had carried the baby on his back while escaping.
"Acts just like a human..."
Unlikely, but still.
She had no intention of handing over her property just because a national disaster-grade snatched it.
"Come out, Snake."
Lee Jin-ah leaned her chair back almost horizontal and commanded her "hair."
At her words, the green strands she'd passed off as dyed hair began draining away like watercolor.
"Sssss..."
Revealing itself as a long, liquid serpent.
"Snake, track the baby monster's trail. I'll follow soon."
"Ssss..."
Obeying, the snake dissolved and splattered to the floor.
Then it surged up, reshaping into a sturdy man's form.
Perfect disguise—indistinguishable from a human, save for speechlessness.
"Excellent."
Lee Jin-ah gave a curt praise, then waved to the B+-rank monster—Nasha Snake—as it elevator-downed in human guise.
She poured herself another shot of soju into the empty glass.
Hunter Meister work was freelance-like; daily tasks depended on hunter requests.
No fixed hours, like hunters. Clients usually brought gear post-subjugation.
Barring early-morning monster outbreaks, it was a nap-all-day job...
"S-Sophia?!"
"......"
Did one appear at dawn?
I'd slept with the baby monster in the spacious bed and woke first around 9 a.m.—before the sleepy kid.
Stepping out naturally, I ran into Sophia emerging at the exact same moment. Coincidence?
Dark circles under her eyes screamed post-hunt fatigue.
"Didn't... sleep well, huh."
"No... Slept great...?"
Liar.
Like the saying "beauties love sleep," Sophia was the sleepiest person I knew.
Any sleep deprivation showed immediately.
Something bothering her lately?
Tilting my head in concern—
She strode past me toward my room.
"Sophia?!"
The baby monster was still snoozing inside.
Entry now meant irreversible disaster, so I dashed to block the door, arms spread.
"What's the sudden rush?"
"Left something in your room."
"...? You haven't entered my room once since returning from the U.S."
"I have."
Lie.
I'd know.
But her unyielding eyes met mine—she was shoving past regardless.
"N-No entry right now!"
"Why? Something in there I shouldn't see?"
I stalled desperately.
Had she figured it out?
Seeing my anxious face, she grinned like a horror flick monster, blue eyes gleaming.
A B-rank hunter could yeet a tough civilian like me one-handed.
If she touched me, game over.
So.
"Uncle! Aunt! Come here a sec!"
"Forget it. Mom and Dad left early for an important meeting."
First, summon allies against the overwhelming foe.
But they were swamped with Jamsil Monster business—fail.
Meanwhile, Sophia placed a hand on my chest to shove me aside.
Licking her lips, she looked predatory. Survival instincts kicked in, and though I hated it—
"D-Don't come in!"
"So why? ...Something you can't show me, right?"
"Yeah... You got me!"
"?!"
Last resort.
Never thought I'd pull this little-sister line.
But nothing else pierced her manic stubbornness.
I said it dead serious.
"I was watching porn."
"...Wha... What...?"
Self-made black history stung, but I stood firm.
"P-Porn vid?"
"No, sex tape."
"...!!"
She recoiled in shock, face flushing tomato-red.
"So, don't come in..."
"......"
She fidgeted awkwardly, eyes darting.
Her aggression vanished.
Understandable.
I'm the awkward one now.
How do I face her at home or work?
Hope she doesn't avoid me like the plague.
'Well, I won, at least...'
Equivalent exchange.
My shame sealed her actions.
Having outed myself, I turned to retreat indoors for self-consolation.
But she didn't back down.
"S-So?"
Lips quivering, face burning, she pressed on defiantly.
"P-P-Porn's no big deal!"
"Huh?"
"Y-You think you're the only one who masturbates? I do too!"
"Sophia?"
"Wh-What do you use to j-j-jerk off, Shin-woo? W-Wanna share? I'm premium on some sites!"
"Sophia?!"
Steam practically rose from her head in embarrassment.
Incredible madness.
Even more incredible obsession.
As she pulled out her phone to actually log into an adult site, I desperately blocked to spare her more black history.
"Sophia, enough! That's plenty!"
"Sh-Shut up! If you don't let me in, we're sharing kinks! I'll be your fap buddy...!"
Ding-dong.
Right then.
She was about to drop a bombshell when the doorbell rang.
We snapped back to normal. Curious, I headed for the stairs—
Crash!
Glass shattering from my room.
Gulping, I peeked through the open door.
There.
"Don't come in! Han Shin-woo."
"Uhmm...?"
Second floor here.
No—did he smash through the window face-first?
A man with glass shards embedded in his face crouched by the window, locked in a stare-down with Sophia inside.
Dangling from her arm: the baby monster, freshly woken, yawning in my white shirt.
"You said you were watching porn, Han Shin-woo..."
"N-No, that was..."
"Don't tell me... this is your kink...?"
"As if!"