Chapter 13
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Symbiotic Bonding
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Haa... ugh...!"
Rough breathing sliced through the forest's silence.
Next to the van parked on the shoulder of the road, I clung to Empress Ap-hos from behind as she gripped a massive tree trunk, shaking my hips like a beast in heat.
There was no telling who had started it.
The blood-drenched slaughter site, reeking of carnage, had ironically become the ultimate aphrodisiac, igniting our primal instincts.
"Yes... deeper, deeper inside..."
Empress Ap-hos clawed at the tree bark, letting out a lewd moan.
Her sleek back muscles glistened under the sunset glow. I bit into her sweat-slicked nape and thrust forward as instinct demanded.
Squelch- squelch-
The wet sounds echoed through the woods.
Hotter than any human's—far tighter.
Her depths gripped me like a living thing, refusing to let go.
No, it sucked me in. Not just my cock, but my very soul felt drawn into its clutches.
Drip, drip.
That was when it happened. Freshly sprouted black tentacles wriggled wildly from my backside.
Tender, dark-red appendages still flecked with my own flesh and blood.
Like a beast with a mind of its own, it began ravaging Empress Ap-hos, heedless of my will.
Slither.
The tentacle snaked around her waist, then obsessively probed the smooth insides of her thighs.
The small mouth at its tip licked and suckled at her skin.
"Heh, how cute."
Empress Ap-hos turned her head to gaze at my tentacle.
Her golden eyes curved with affection.
"Already mimicking mating. Such a good boy."
No sooner had she spoken than her back bulged, and a thick, mature black tentacle burst forth.
The massive appendage gently—but firmly—coiled around my fragile one.
"Let me teach you. True communion is done like this."
Schlup-
Her tentacle's tip parted, swallowing the head of mine in a single gulp.
"Hauuugh!!!"
A scream-like moan tore from my throat.
It was on another level entirely from mere genital coupling. A spine-shattering jolt raced straight to my brain.
It felt like a direct neural link from my tailbone to hers.
"Ha, hauk! A-Ap-hos! T-the tail! My tail!"
"Be still. Just accept it."
Her tentacle delved deep inside mine.
From below, I was pounding into her—but from behind, she was utterly dominating me.
Waves of pleasure crashed from both ends, flashing my vision white.
"Ap-hos! Ah, ahk!! I-I'm gonna cum!"
"Release it. All inside me."
With her permission, I unleashed everything deep within her.
At the same instant, her tentacle flooded mine with thick, viscous essence.
...
...
A good while later, in the dimming forest as dusk settled.
We straightened our clothes and caught our breath.
The woodland air was chilly, but our bodies burned hot.
"Haa... so refreshing."
Empress Ap-hos swept back her long hair, her face bright and invigorated.
It was hard to believe this was the same woman who'd just committed murder and fucked outdoors.
My legs trembled so badly I could barely stand, leaning against the tree...
"So... how do we get back?"
I awkwardly covered the torn section of my pants with my outer jacket.
This was a remote stretch of highway—no taxis would come out here, and the city was a long hike away.
"Just take the van, no?"
She nodded toward the vehicle with her chin.
The parting gift from those idiot kidnappers.
"Uh... I don't have a license."
"What? A man your age without a license? Every guy should have at least that much."
She stared at me like I was an idiot.
Her unexpectedly practical jab made my face burn as I mumbled excuses.
"N-no... lots of people don't bother these days... With monsters and dungeons blowing up cars left and right... Insurance barely covers it for us regular folks. Owning one's a nightmare with maintenance, premiums, and barely any savings left..."
As I rambled on, she smirked and stepped closer.
"Fine, fine. Don't worry—I can drive."
"Huh?"
She ruffled my hair.
"Driving. Get in already."
"Eh? You know how to drive? Did you get a license before we met?"
She rarely spoke of her life before me, but a driver's license? Who'd have thought.
I shrank a bit, wondering if even aberrations got licenses in this day and age.
"Ugh."
Empress Ap-hos pinched my cheek with a chuckle. It stung.
"Ow!"
"You ask the dumbest questions sometimes. You seriously picturing me at a driving school yelling 'Passed the written test!'?"
"W-well, it doesn't quite suit you..."
"I just learned."
"Huh?"
I rubbed my cheek, eyes widening.
Just learned? Did she watch a YouTube tutorial or something?
"All those guys knew how to drive."
She pointed at the empty van interior. Obviously referring to them.
"Uh... what do you mean...?"
"Nothing special. Information assimilation... What humans call 'memory-transfer predation'?"
She shrugged it off casually.
"Eat the brain, and you pick up short-term memories and habits. Even lowly mimics do it on instinct—of course I can."
"Ah..."
Now it clicked.
Mimics. Horrific monsters that devour people, impersonate them, and infiltrate families.
They didn't just mimic appearances—they stole fragments of their victims' memories too.
I'd heard the stories. There was even a movie where a whole apartment got eaten by mimics, leaving me as the only "human" (spoiler: I was the mimic. Epic twist).
Of course, hearing it in a story and witnessing it firsthand were worlds apart.
'Devouring people to absorb their memories...'
Any normal person would be horrified.
But me...
"Whoa... that's amazing!"
I clapped, eyes sparkling.
"As expected of Ap-hos! So the English websites too—from eating some foreigner...?"
"Something like that."
I marveled at her greatness once more.
Morals? Ethics?
They were fading fast from my dictionary. All I felt was pure bliss knowing this omnipotent goddess was on my side.
"Alright, hop in. I'll show you best-driver skills. Their memories say they drove pretty rough..."
As she reached for the driver's door, I urgently grabbed her arm.
"Wait! Ap-hos!"
"What?"
"That... in there..."
I pointed inside the van.
Moonlight revealed a scene straight out of a horror flick.
The driver and passenger seats were soaked red with blood, chunks of guts plastered to the ceiling.
The windshield was splattered like it'd been painted with crimson.
Hell, one rear door was dangling loose after Ap-hos had ripped it off earlier.
"Drive that into the city... we'd get nabbed by cops 100%. Even ditch it, it'll hit the news as the 'bloody ghost taxi'."
"Ah..."
She finally noticed, making an "oops" face.
With everything going on, she'd forgotten cleanup.
"True... it's a mess."
She crossed her arms under her chest, looking troubled.
"So what now? Walk?"
We stood there awkwardly in front of the bloodstained hunk of junk.
For an A-rank aberration empress and her faithful devotee... it was pretty embarrassing.
Same time, in an officetel in Seoul's nightlife district.
It looked like a plain office from outside, but this was the headquarters of the ruthless loan shark firm Cash Finance.
"These motherfucking bastards... if I catch 'em, I'll rip off their limbs and ferment 'em into fish sauce!"
The heavyset man sprawled on the sofa, belly jiggling, was Cash Finance's boss, Choi Boss.
He was livid over Kim Manager and Park Deputy vanishing for days.
"Calm down, boss. Your blood pressure."
Across from him, a sharp-featured middle-aged man flipped through files.
Jang Manager, the fixer from Son Boss Faction—known in the biz as a ghost at hunting runaways.
He adjusted his glasses and spoke evenly.
"But boss, something's off."
"What's off? They took the money and bolted!"
"Guys who plan to rabbit don't leave shit behind. Checked their places—passports, bankbooks, even Kim's precious designer threads, all untouched. Doesn't scream midnight flight... more like they stepped out for drinks and poof."
"Dumbasses did it 'cause they're idiots!"
Choi Boss huffed.
Jang Manager sighed inwardly. This is why talking to meathead types never works.
'Smart guys don't bolt like that. Dumb ones can't pull off the brainy disguise in the first place. Accident or murder.'
Bang.
The office door flew open as two burly men barged in.
The same pair who'd visited Kang Min-woo's office earlier, grilling him about Kim Manager.
"Boss! We found it!"
"Eh? Found 'em? Where's that fuck Kim Manager!"
Choi Boss shot up.
But his men's faces were weirdly bright yet sheepish.
"Not Kim... but the car."
"Car?"
"Yeah. In that shithole slum near some debtors' turf, shoved in a corner of the public lot. But get this—the jackpot."
One sub thudded a black bag on the desk.
Zipped it open—stacks of 50,000-won bills spilled out.
"Money's all there. 30 million collected, not a penny missing."
Silence blanketed the room.
Choi Boss's eyes bulged.
"Wh-what? They ditched the cash?"
"Yup. Car too—just sitting pretty."
Jang Manager's eyes gleamed.
He pushed up his glasses, a smile curling his lips.
"See, boss? Told you."
"Eh?"
"Runners grab cash first. Leaving it? Means they didn't leave willingly."
Coldly: "Not an escape. Someone 'took' them."
"Took? Our boys? Who the fuck gave permission!"
Choi Boss's face twisted purple.
His mouth, cursing "traitor shits" moments ago, now spat "our boys."
The subs piled on.
"Kim ain't the type. Loyalty's his thing."
"Right. Park got greedy, sure, but he's a coward—no balls to bolt."
Spineless lot.
Jang Manager tsked inwardly.
But the picture was clear now: not betrayal—outside hit.
"So whose work? Rival firm? Psycho heroes playing vigilante?"
"Gotta dig for more leads..."
"Manager."
The cyber team kid in the corner raised a hand from his laptop.
Skinny young guy.
"What'd you find?"
"Park's watch. The one in that pic you showed. R-brand limited edition, right?"
"Yeah. Hated his bragging ass."
A nearby loan shark sub griped.
"Found an Insta flexing the exact same watch. Posted... yesterday."
"Hoo."
Jang Manager leaned in, intrigued.
Screen showed a salaryman posing with a shiny gold watch.
Hashtags like #DMWelcome #Businessman #TasteOfSuccess.
"Park's for sure. Scratch on the band matches."
Sub confirmed.
Jang Manager eyed Choi Boss over his glasses, gaze sharpening slyly.
"Boss. Got the perp's tail."
"Who? Which fucker!"
"Squeeze this guy, it'll spill. Who he bought the watch from."
He nodded at the cyber kid.
"Grab his address, book a spot. Tell the rookie to prep approach."
"Got it."
Jang Manager lit a cigarette.
Smoke curled up. What started as a missing persons case was morphing into murder—then a blood-soaked revenge drama.
'Fun. Just like a mystery novel.'
His gaze fixed on the screen: the watch-flaunting man.
This hustler chasing tail held the key to it all.