105. Academy (18)
105. Academy (18)
Back when I worked at a company on Earth, I never understood why people liked fine dining restaurants.
I couldn't comprehend spending hundreds of thousands of won on a single meal—basically burning an entire month's grocery budget on one dish.
It looked tasty, sure, but the portions were small, and everything came in bite-sized pieces. Every time I saw such places on Ryutube or TV, I'd think, "Why would anyone pay that much for this?"
But now, it's different.
Ever since I started eating humans, I think I understand why people wanted to eat those kinds of dishes.
In truth, from the creatures' perspective, humans are food.
They simply rejoice at being able to eat humans, enjoy it, and devour them. They just have preferred parts, and they like humans who harbor mana even more. That's all there is to it.
But I'm a little different.
I don't know if this is my taste or the Queen's taste, but for some reason, I have a desire to eat humans who are more beautiful, more magnificent, whose souls are nobler, and who are undeniably impressive—rather than just eating any human.
Like wanting 1++ Hanwoo beef instead of frozen meat.
Plus, Charlotta—who, when she aimed her rapier at me, was more powerful and beautiful than anyone else.
The bliss I felt from that foolish, broken expression on Charlotta's face as her brain melted and she sucked me off, despite being so knight-like...
And on top of that, the human screams of despair echoing from behind.
'Hah... is this why humans get intoxicated with power?'
I didn't even do anything extraordinary—I just killed one human. Yet the reactions around me are huge, and they try all sorts of things, but none of it can harm me.
That sense of superiority?
It was the best.
An overwhelming superiority I had never experienced in the company or in society.
But I won't let myself be consumed by that superiority.
No, I can't.
Because I have many children to take care of.
I have to feed my ever-growing and multiplying children—I have no intention of neglecting them just to relieve my own stress.
'Soon the Worm will arrive too... I should take the necessary ones to the Human Zoo in advance.'
I carelessly devoured Charlotta's corpse, now nothing but an empty shell with all the delicious parts gone, and then looked at Lambert.
His despair had already turned into rage.
'Impressive. So impressive. I wonder what it feels like to live with a face like that?'
Even as my former male self, I thought it was a handsome appearance.
It's not that I have a complex about my looks. I've never been disadvantaged by my appearance in life.
I'm just curious. When I see incredibly handsome celebrities, I've sometimes wondered.
I swallowed Lambert's head whole as he glared at me as if he wanted to kill me.
I don't particularly want the unique ability called Visualization.
I've already figured out from the status window that Visualization is just a degraded version of the status window itself.
Of course, I was intrigued to confirm that Lambert, a human from Earth, was from a different Earth than mine, but he didn't seem useful, so I just ate him.
'It's about time I start gathering the humans I've marked.'
==
Prodisia was moving to send Tom William, the chairman of this academy who had betrayed her, to hell.
But Tom William was more respected in human society than she had anticipated.
Of course, there might be hidden evil deeds, but right now, there was no justification to do anything to William immediately.
Just as she thought it would take more time—
Prodisia sensed from Leah's emotions nearby that there was no time.
'Her Majesty has lost interest in the Academy. And summoning the Worm here means...'
It also means attacking the Academy.
Even Prodisia hadn't seen it closely, but the Worm in the Legion was a creature that could justifiably be called a natural disaster.
'Is she planning to destroy the Padix Kingdom?'
Ever since she was kidnapped by the dark mage, the power felt through the Hive Mind was terrifying just from being conscious in the same space.
Originally, she had said she would observe the Padix Kingdom too.
But now, the Worm is coming to the Padix Kingdom.
And not alone—it carries countless creatures within it.
'I don't have much time. I'll just kill William.'
Originally, she wanted to destroy William's reputation, which was respected in Padix, and make him feel the pain of being exiled from the elf village just as she had been. But there was no time for that.
Soon, not only the Padix Academy but the entire Padix Kingdom will be destroyed.
[ Prodisia. ]
Leah's voice came through the Hive Mind.
"Did you call, Your Majesty?"
[ I won't give you any separate orders this time. Do whatever you want and return. ]
"Thank you."
Prodisia began awakening the creature cells within her body one by one.
She released the powers she had been suppressing to hide the fact that she was no longer an elf but an infected one.
The pure, abundant mana that symbolized an elf gradually turned black.
"Huh...? Huh?"
The students next to Prodisia stepped back in fear as her atmosphere suddenly changed in an instant.
Her uniform disappeared in a flash, replaced by clothes that a whore might wear, and just being near her made their bodies tremble from the mana, terrifying the students.
Prodisia first allowed her own creatures to feed on the humans she hadn't eaten once since coming here.
The students, whose legs had already given out, couldn't escape the creatures parasitizing Prodisia's clothes.
In less than a minute, five students vanished in an instant.
All that remained in their places was the blood the creatures hadn't finished eating.
'Why doesn't the chest area grow...?'
Despite her creature eating humans, the parts that grew were the limbs—which didn't need covering—rather than the chest, which needed the most coverage.
The area was so small that even a slight sideways slip would reveal her areola, and nothing had changed. Prodisia sighed.
'I want to feed on all the students in my path, but if Her Majesty has taken a liking to any of them, that would be a problem. So for now, I'll just go kill that bastard.'
==
When a female student entered the clubroom where Charlotta and Lambert had been, another female student inside scowled.
"Huh? Did you get called by Seonbae Charlotta too?"
"Tch. I thought Seonbae Charlotta would be waiting. Why are you here? Annoying."
"Hah? I was called by Seonbae Charlotta too!? And I'm also quite upset that it's you who came in instead of Seonbae Charlotta, so can you not make that face!?"
The female student who entered turned her head sharply, walked inside, and sat on a chair.
Then, after a few minutes, more female students began entering the clubroom.
Each of them claimed that Charlotta had called them and entered the clubroom.
But even after the appointed time passed, Charlotta did not appear.
While none of them knew what was happening, one female student spotted a bracelet-type magic tool lying on the floor.
"This is..."
It was Charlotta's magic tool.
A communication magic tool used by most students.
Although it could only be used within the Academy, it was an innovative magic tool that allowed sending letters even over long distances.
It was created by a mage who had been transported from another world in the past.
An extremely innovative magic tool, but due to its complicated operation, it was still only usable within the Academy.
The problem was why it was here.
If Charlotta had sent the messages, why was the magic tool that should have been worn by Charlotta lying here?
While everyone was suspicious, someone entered the clubroom.
It was Charlotta.
"Seonbae Charlotta!"
"Seonbae Charlotta!"
The female students in the clubroom erased all the bad thoughts they had momentarily and started moving toward Charlotta who had entered—then stopped.
"Who are you?"
The female student who had been loudly irritated earlier raised her sword toward the Charlotta who had entered.
"Hey, hey! Are you crazy!?"
The student next to her shouted, but she didn't lower her sword.
"Huh? What's wrong? 'Who are you'? I'm Charlotta."
"Sorry, but Seonbae Charlotta always tilts her head slightly to the left and raises her left hand when greeting. But you did nothing."
"Ahaha... You... impressive."
At that, Charlotta—no, Leah—admired her and returned to her original form.
"Leah...?"
"The Saint?"
"How did you take the form of Seonbae Charlotta?"
"What did you do to Seonbae Charlotta!?"
"Is that form also transformed from the Saint's appearance?"
Leah licked her lips at the most delicious-looking students in the Academy—that is, the beautiful and strong ones who were right before her eyes.
==
The peaceful land of the Padix Kingdom trembled slightly.
The vibration was too small for people to notice, but animals felt it.
Dogs began barking loudly, and birds flew away to other places.
People wondered why the animals were reacting this way. But that curiosity didn't last long.
The previously imperceptible vibrations grew stronger, and buildings visibly shook.
The buildings of the Padix Kingdom, where no earthquake had ever occurred, were not built to withstand one.
As the intensifying vibrations caused buildings to give way and collapse, people fell into even greater terror.
The vibrations grew stronger and stronger.
"KUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A massive creature erupted from the ground of the Padix Kingdom.
The [ Worm ] creature, so enormous that it darkened half the Padix Kingdom, obliterated 20% of the kingdom simply by bursting out of the earth.