The Worm of Solitude
The battle had ended not long ago, but my mana had already built up considerably. This should be enough to use an interrogation spell.
"Beast within the entrails, make it your slave."
⟨ Solitude ⟩
I created a small larva in my hand. The creature's name was Solitude. Lock hundreds of venomous insects in a single jar, let them devour and be devoured until only one remains. That survivor becomes a bug harboring a special poison. That's the Solitude from the tale.
"Here, say ahh."
"Guhhh..."
I fed Solitude to the three collapsed men and women. It would now burrow deep into their organs, preparing to control its host.
"Get up. Now."
"Wh-what?"
"Where... are we...?"
Preparation complete. I nudged the fallen ones with my foot. They slowly regained consciousness, jumping in fright at the sight of me and scrambling for their weapons.
"My sword's gone!"
"My dagger too!"
"Please, just spare our lives!"
One of them still had her wits about her. While the other two flailed like idiots, the shaman knelt before me. I kicked the pair away and sat down in front of her.
"You get the situation, right?"
"We've lost... and the boss is dead, isn't he...?"
"Spot on."
She pressed her forehead to the ground, gauging my mood. I asked her,
"Then you know what I want too?"
"Ask anything! I'll answer everything!"
That's why quick-witted ones are so convenient. They grasp exactly what I want and their own precarious position.
"My body won't move!"
"Boss, save us!"
For example, those two who'd been kicked flying. Sick of their clueless thrashing, I activated Solitude to spray paralyzing venom. They convulsed, eyes rolling back.
"They look just like bugs."
"Urghhh!"
I Se-ah poked them with a stick. I called out to her,
"I'm about to interrogate them, so come here. No whining later that you didn't hear."
"Got it~"
With the annoying third wheel gone, I summoned I Se-ah. Felt like she'd throw a fit if she missed out and demanded a replay. She scurried over.
Likes young things. Memo.
'That's not true, so delete it right now.'
Some weird noise had been buzzing in my ear for a while now. I wished it'd stop with the nonsense. Otherwise, I'd end up in hot water...
"Tell me everything you know."
"Name's Chaewol, 27 years old, three sizes 89-70-93!"
"Not that, you lunatic."
I'd said tell me everything, but not that. A mild headache hit as I rubbed my temple. Chaewol slammed her head down again in panic and finally got to the point.
"We belong to an organization called the Cheon-do Association."
"What do they do?"
"If I had to say... a religious group."
According to Chaewol, they were part of a cult named the Cheon-do Association. When I asked what they did, she said they worshiped anomalies and aimed to create a world for them—total lunatics.
"Which anomaly do you worship?"
"The Four Ferocious Beasts. We serve Him."
Four Ferocious Beasts... My mythology knowledge isn't great, so the name didn't ring an immediate bell. Felt familiar, though...
"Four Ferocious Beasts?! Why the hell are those bastards here?!"
"What's that about?"
"You don't know the Four Ferocious Beasts? The opposites of the Four Guardian Beasts!"
That jogged my memory. The super-famous Four Guardian Beasts have their counterparts, the Four Ferocious Beasts, who hate the good and plunge the world into chaos.
"Hundun, Qiongqi, Taowu, Taotie. They're living calamities. Destruction incarnate."
"That serious, huh?"
Beasts of apocalypse. Breathing disasters. Evil gods. All sorts of grandiose titles. They might sound childish at first glance, but seeing I Se-ah's slightly scared face made their terror feel a bit real.
"So you just worship them?"
"No way, we do plenty of activities."
The Cheon-do Association's ultimate goal was the descent of the Four Ferocious Beasts. It required massive mana and resources, which they were diligently gathering.
"We kidnap humans for live sacrifices and collect anomalies to amass mana."
"...."
She added,
"I'm just a low-rank shaman, so I don't know much, but I heard a ritual's coming up soon."
"Specific date?"
"I don't really..."
Of course a mere underling wouldn't know more than the boss. I nodded, and sensing the interrogation's end, she started gauging my mood again.
"Um... you're sparing us, right?"
"No."
"Why?! I told you everything!!"
She clutched my pant leg, wailing. I scratched my head with a troubled look.
'But there's no other way.'
Couldn't just let them go. A normal prison wouldn't hold them. Keep them under my watch? Regrettably, death was the only option.
"Sorry."
"No, sir! Please, just my life!"
"Be good in your next one."
"Kya aaah!!"
As I prepared to burst Solitude in her gut, I Se-ah, who'd been watching, suddenly stopped me. She boldly demanded,
"Hand these guys over to us?"
"...What?"
Her suggestion was a bit absurd.
"You were debating killing them, right?"
"...."
"We have a facility to hold them. We'll handle it no problem."
I'd considered it, but hearing it from her felt off-putting.
'She thinks I'm soft.'
We'd been enemies until moments ago. Sure, she was undercover and hadn't harmed me, but trust between us was paper-thin. Maybe it was all an act to save her comrades.
Just kill them.
'Hmm...'
The voice echoed in my ear again. Shin-nim, who hated loose ends and loved decisive action, must've found I Se-ah irritating. I was leaning her way too.
"What'll it be."
I stood there pondering. Stick to the plan and wipe them out? Leaving witnesses felt riskier. That might be the rational choice. Overthinking it could be irrational.
"Spare me, spare me, spare me."
"Urk...!"
Dark thoughts swirled in my head. The wound on my hand reopened, red blood trickling out. The deep-sea aura seeped from it, pressing down coldly and heavily like the ocean depths. Both I Se-ah and Chaewol shuddered.
"...."
"Eek..."
"Sigh."
I glanced at trembling I Se-ah, then sighed and dispersed the aura. No grand epiphany—just saw my little sister in her quivering form.
"Do what you want."
"Yes? Really?"
Exhausted from scraping every last drop of mana. Just wanted to crash in bed. Thinking it over, no need to agonize. Worry is for the weak. Shin-nim's worldview in my head left no room for weak thinking.
Hmph.
'Why the pout? I'll manage the stone slab at home, so cool off.'
...I'll let it slide this once.
Of course, Shin-nim sulked childishly at first but perked up at my offer. Ah, healing. This much from mere talk— no wonder folks obsess over romance.
'...Not parenting?'
The thought hit, but a terrifying gaze prickled, so I erased it fast. Obviously romance. Shin-nim's my wife. Never thought daughter or parenting.
"Sure thing."
Anyway, we left the factory, and sprinkling blood on the blocking barrier warped it away with eerie effect. No idea why—just figured my blood carried Shin-nim's power.
"Wait!"
"?"
As I exited, I Se-ah called from behind. After scaring her like that, she approaches again? She's got guts. Explains the undercover work.
"My business card! Call when you have time!"
"...."
She tossed me a black card. It was her business card.
"Hahaha."
Seen plenty of cards at work, but this was a first. Absurd enough to laugh.
"Call me! You have to!"
"Sure~"
No time to drag it out. I waved casually and slipped through the barrier gap. Blink—and I was back in reality.
"What a mess."
Even inside the barrier, powerful magic affects the real world. The factory was more wrecked than before, surroundings trashed.
'The apartment was chaos once too.'
The spells against the sorcerer were huge, shaking the real-world complex like an earthquake, causing unexplained outages.
I always apologize from the heart then. 'Sorry, residents.'
Property values dropped by hundreds of millions. Not my fault—blame the sorcerer.
"Let's go."
Shaking off the guilt, I headed home. The tumultuous day ended.