Queen of the Magic Beasts
One of the defining characteristics of the Gate Incident that swept the globe is that no one knows what lies beyond until they cross over, or until something crosses into our world.
And, fundamentally, the creatures that emerge from the Gates are incredibly diverse.
Sometimes, it is a fragile slime straight out of a fantasy novel. Other times, it is a self-learning weapon that modern technology could not dream of replicating. On rare occasions, even yokai from Eastern mythology will come spilling out.
And in extremely rare cases, calamities that defy human comprehension and logic altogether will emerge.
Among all the unpredictable entities of the Gate Incident, the most infamous are the creatures classified as magic beasts.
Accounting for ninety percent of all Gate occurrences, these creatures are defined by one core trait: an absolute, innate hatred for humanity.
Despite providing humanity with invaluable mana stones and over-technology that far surpasses modern science, this relentless hostility is the decisive reason why the Gate Incident is deemed a global catastrophe.
Because of this unwavering hatred and their ability to learn and adapt to hunters over time, some have proposed a theory.
Could there be a supreme ruler commanding these magic beasts?
Of course, due to hunter morale and a lack of concrete evidence, it remains a fringe theory.
"Human child, how long do you intend to stand there in silence?"
Yet here I was, staring directly at the living proof of that fringe theory.
A woman with reverse eyes sat with her legs crossed on a massive throne crafted from black bones and flesh.
Even without the status window's description, it was blindingly obvious that she was the ruler and mother of the magic beasts—the ultimate calamity of mankind.
Grrrr...
Groooar...
Screeech...
As my eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, I could see countless magic beasts coiled in the shadows of the vast Sub-space, glaring down at me.
"No answer, I see."
"..."
"How disappointing. It makes summoning you here feel rather pointless."
I stood frozen, trembling in silence. The Queen of Magic Beasts tilted her head, studying me quietly, before her eyes suddenly flashed a menacing red.
"This is quickly becoming boring."
I shivered even harder, gripped by sheer terror. But right at that moment...
Boss-grade target detected.
Recommending action...
The system window popped up and presented me with an absolutely absurd suggestion.
Recommended Action: Run to the Queen of Magic Beasts and hug her.
...Me?
At first, I thought the system was malfunctioning. But the explanation that followed was surprisingly logical.
Due to the 1:1 Interview status, the Queen of Magic Beasts cannot harm the user.
...Is that how it is?
In the next instant, a sudden surge of courage welled up inside me.
Then she's just another target to win over, right?
I was slowly getting used to the absurd, rule-breaking nature of my abilities.
I had been passively dragged along by the system until now, but I could not keep doing that forever.
It was a power I had obtained purely by luck, but now was the time to prove that I was worthy of it.
Pitter-patter...
With that resolve, I dashed forward and threw myself right into the arms of the Queen of Magic Beasts sitting on her throne.
"..."
A heavy silence descended upon the space.
"What do you think you are doing, human child?"
"..."
"I asked you what you are doing."
Hearing her icy voice whisper in my ear in the midst of that silence sent a shiver down my spine, but I had already braced myself for this.
"He-hehe..."
Since I had finally summoned the courage, I was going to use my cheat-like charm to make this invading Queen pay a proper price.
How unpleasant.
Up until the moment she watched the human child trembling in terror before her, the Queen of Magic Beasts had been thinking:
He is unbearably repulsive.
It was only natural, as the innate malice toward humanity shared by all magic beasts flowed through her veins as well.
...Should I just kill him?
Thus, when the brat suddenly dashed forward and threw himself into her arms, it was only natural for the Queen, overcome with disgust, to contemplate ending his life.
Freeze...
But just as she tried to put that thought into action, her body suddenly stiffened.
What is this?
The tentacles of the Sub-space, which usually obeyed her every whim, refused to budge.
I cannot attack him.
She even tried to strangle him with her own hands, but her arms refused to move.
Activating the power of the Star of Heavenly Love.
Under the Interview Contract, neither party can attack the other!
Having bid in the auction solely to eliminate any potential interference beforehand, she had no way of knowing these intricate rules. She was utterly baffled by what was happening.
"Get off me, human brat."
"I said, get off."
"No."
"How dare a mere human..."
Unable to pry the tiny child from her chest, the Queen shuddered as his warmth seeped continuously into her body.
Shiver...
Glaring down at the boy in her arms with an even colder gaze, she began to mutter in a freezing tone.
"I despise humans."
"..."
"I loathe and hate them with every fiber of my being. So get away from me."
The boy, still clinging tightly to her, tilted his head up with a look of pure innocence.
"Then why are you just sitting there?"
"What?"
"If you hate me, you can just push me away."
Stung by his logical question, the Queen of Magic Beasts frowned and reached out to shove him off, only to be blocked by an invisible wall once again.
"I would if I could."
"But you're not doing anything."
At that moment, a cheeky grin spread across the boy's face. He leaned in and whispered confidently into the Queen's ear.
"I could stay like this forever, Noona."
"...Ha. Noona?"
"I'm not joking. You can't even make magic beasts like this, right?"
That was true. Creating magic beasts required a significant amount of concentration. In her current state, where her mental energy was being drained in real-time, it was impossible.
"I could simply wait for you to grow tired, or even die of old age."
"But Earth will be safe until then."
The Queen had been suppressing the visceral disgust wracking her entire body to respond, but the boy's retort finally snapped the last thread of her patience.
"You insolent brat."
"Hmph."
"I do not know what trick you have played on me, but you had best stop it."
She put on a terrifying expression and tried to push the boy away with all her might once more.
"I'm never letting go."
Yet, the harder she pushed, the deeper the boy seemed to burrow into her chest. Finally, the Queen let out a heavy sigh.
"...Fine. What is it you want?"
"Huh?"
"What must I do to make you release me?"
How much time had passed? The Queen of Magic Beasts, exhaling a weary breath, glared at the boy with eyes full of hatred.
The Queen of Magic Beasts proposes a deal.
"You are doing this because you want an artifact, no doubt."
"..."
"Or perhaps you seek my power."
Glaring at the boy who was temporarily distracted by reading the system message, the Queen added with a knowing look.
"Whichever it is, speak quickly and begone."
However, instead of the greedy demands she had anticipated, the boy's proposal was completely unexpected.
"Meet with me once a week."
"What?"
"I'll even bring you presents. That's not too hard, right?"
Once again, silence fell between them.
"Do you honestly think you can win my favor?"
Staring down at the boy in the quiet space, the Queen asked with a cold smirk.
"Do you think I would ever cherish a gift from a lowly human?"
"Then why are you still holding onto a human you hate so much?"
"Hmph, that is..."
Caught off guard by the boy's cheeky retort, her voice trailed off as she fell into deep thought.
"...I do not know."
A hint of confusion slipped into her voice.
"Noona, do you actually like humans?"
Seizing the opportunity, the boy made another cheeky remark, prompting the Queen of Magic Beasts to flash a chilling smile.
"Say one more word, and I will destroy Earth this very day."
But the boy didn't even blink. He simply smiled back with his eyes and whispered:
"You can't even kill one little kid."
"..."
"Nanny-nanny boo-boo."
Frowning at the childish teasing ringing in her ears, the Queen finally closed her eyes and spoke.
"I accept your terms."
She stared at the boy with profound distaste.
"Yes, child. I will remember this day."
"..."
"One day, I will chew you to pieces and—?"
But the moment the boy stepped back, a sudden sense of loss washed over her.
"...Ah."
A faint emptiness lingered where the boy had been hugging her. The Queen froze, her words trailing off as a dazed expression crossed her face.
No, that's impossible.
She quickly shook her head, denying the sensation.
There is no way I felt maternal love for a human child instead of my own beloved beasts, just because he hugged me for a brief moment.
Yet, the emptiness in her chest only seemed to grow.
"...?"
In truth, it was only natural. The power of the Star of Heavenly Love, which had been actively pushing her away from Yeonwoo due to her malice, had vanished, leaving behind a physical void.
How strange.
But as the Queen of Magic Beasts, ignorant of the truth, tilted her head in curiosity...
"Here, take this."
"What is this?"
"It's called chocolate!"
A small piece of chocolate was pressed into her hand.
"It's sweet and delicious!"
With those words, Yeonwoo waved and began walking toward the Gate in the distance.
"I'll be back in a week, just like I promised!"
"Yes. And I will kill you then."
"Hehe, see you next time!"
Despite the Queen's icy warning, Yeonwoo simply smiled and gave a polite bow before leaving.
"Sigh..."
Once he was finally gone, the Queen of Magic Beasts leaned back against her throne.
"...Humans truly are repulsive creatures."
Naturally, her mindset hadn't changed after her meeting with Yeonwoo.
If anything, her hatred and hostility toward humanity might have grown even stronger after being toyed with by the boy.
"And yet..."
The Queen narrowed her eyes, still feeling the lingering emptiness in her chest.
"You there. Come here."
"Grrr?"
"Get in my arms."
She summoned a small, low-tier magic beast passing by and gently pulled it into her embrace.
"...No, this isn't it."
Even though she was holding a magic beast she was supposed to love, she felt deeply unsatisfied.
This isn't how it felt...
The emptiness was slightly alleviated, but there was a fundamental difference.
"Hmm..."
Of course, it was because of the warmth of a human—Yeonwoo—which the magic beast lacked.
"What is the difference...?"
Unable to pinpoint the cause, the Queen tilted her head in confusion, left with the lingering mark of emptiness the cheeky human child had left in her arms.
Well, he is still repulsive nonetheless.
Knowing that this feeling stemmed from a human made her feel just as disgusted as before.
"Hmm..."
The problem was that the conflicting feeling of emptiness was also growing stronger by the second.
"..."
As this contradiction clashed with the core principles of the Queen of Magic Beasts...
A tiny emotion, completely at odds with her hatred for humanity, began to sprout in her heart.
"Perhaps... I will refrain from killing him the next time he visits."
Whether it was curiosity, or something else disguised as curiosity, was yet to be seen.
"Pant, pant..."
After scrambling out of the Gate, I collapsed onto my bed, gasping for air.
That was terrifying...
Even though I trusted my abilities, the Queen of Magic Beasts was still an incredibly frightening entity.
Especially since I had been walking a tightrope while hugging her the entire time.
Maybe I shouldn't have suggested meeting once a week, even if she was a boss-grade target.
System update complete.
As I wiped away my cold sweat, a message popped up in front of me.
Finally...!
My eyes lit up as I sat up. But then...
You have 99+ new messages.
A flood of missed message notifications suddenly began to fill my vision.
Would you like to check them?
Judging by the sheer volume, it seemed the Constellations watching over me had quite a lot to say.