Chapter 14
Translator: IPPO
Chapter 14
The Beetle Nest basically had many people with illegal identities, but that did not mean it was an area openly filled with criminals.
People who could not openly operate in the light.
There were many who commonly worked in the entertainment industry, and also many practitioners who performed procedures related to Awakened Ones that could not be revealed to civilians. Above all, the most common were Succubi and Incubi.
In the case of Incubi and Succubi, some had commonly transferred from another world to Earth. There were also cases where perfectly normal humans mutated into the Succubus species. Basically, however, they had to officially register their identities with the government.
If they did so, they could periodically receive potions containing human essence each month. In exchange, they had to report all their activities to the government and live as though they were under surveillance.
They were often considered high-class personnel known as host attendants, and at times they would even use their power as Awakened Ones and as demon species.
In fact, it was said that every high official or wealthy household had at least one cherished Succubus or Incubus, and there were also Lust Demons who lived fairly good lives while attached to chaebol families.
However, unless they were among the top one percent of Lust Demons, the rest lived very ordinary lives.
And they had to report every detail of their daily lives to the government and related institutions.
No one welcomed such a life.
Even an ordinary human would feel suffocated, but for Lust Demons—whose nature itself was free and open—it was literally a prison without bars and an invisible leash.
So they often voluntarily headed toward lawless zones outside the boundaries of the law, such as the Beetle Nest.
Generally, they had the ability to protect themselves. And if they went to lawless zones, they could freely obtain human essence while simultaneously earning money.
From the perspective of Succubi and Incubi, they could satisfy their desires while still being treated relatively well, so why wouldn’t they welcome it?
“…Sorry, I don’t think I can today….”
“Eh? Why?”
But not today.
Since becoming a Succubus, she had never once been sick or even caught a simple cold. But today, for some reason, her body shivered and she kept flinching without realizing it.
And it wasn’t just one Succubus.
All the Lust Demons in the Nest were showing similar symptoms.
It wasn’t fatal pain or an actual illness, but their overall condition felt poor and their stomachs churned.
If one had to compare it, it felt like being stripped completely naked and placed in front of a starving predator such as a brown bear, shark, or tiger.
Of course, a Succubus could beat a brown bear to death with her bare hands.
Yet the sensation she felt now gave her a strange sense of helplessness that reminded her of her days as an ordinary human.
‘Ugh, this is strange… Did a Saint come underground or something? No, even if a Saint came it wouldn’t hurt this much….’
The last time she had felt this way was when a certain Saint who supposedly resided in the Vatican had visited Korea.
Even then it had only been dizziness like motion sickness. Her body had never trembled or felt this weak.
“Is our Miyeon sick? You’re always the one who jumps on us first asking to start.”
“…Sorry. My body is really shivering today and I don’t feel well… I don’t think I could give you and the others service good enough to satisfy you.”
“Yeah….”
The regular customers smacked their lips regretfully as they watched the trembling Succubus.
“Well, it can’t be helped. If Miyeon’s sick, what can we do?”
“Still, since we came all the way here, take this before you go. It’s fried mint-choco soboro bread from Seongsimdang. Hope you like it.”
“Oh my, oh my… you didn’t have to… thank you, oppa~”
“My sister said she wants to meet you sometime later. She said to come visit once you feel better.”
“Ah, Grey unni? Okay. As soon as I’m better I’ll go see her.”
Just because it was a lawless zone didn’t mean it was filled only with trashy thugs and gangsters.
In fact, those types were the minority.
In the early days of the Rifts, the government had enforced a policy of suppressing Awakened Ones, so many Awakened had moved to lawless zones out of necessity.
And above all, although Succubi were called prostitutes or entertainment workers, anyone who slept with a Succubus even once would develop enormous affection for her.
If someone committed violence against a Succubus?
Then everyone nearby who had ever slept with her would jump out shouting, “Did you touch our sister?” and try to kill the offender.
Simply put, a Succubus who had spent some time here essentially possessed a gang organized not by money or drugs, but by her own body.
After politely sending the customers away, Miyeon sighed and wrapped herself tightly in her clothes.
Normally she would wander around wearing revealing clothes to find customers, but today she felt too unwell and too irritated to walk around anymore.
“Ugh, I feel awful. Why the hell is this happening….”
-Beep
“Hm?”
At that moment, a signal sound rang from a different smartwatch, not Miyeon’s phone.
A hologram written in red letters—visible only to her—spread before her eyes, and she immediately realized that something serious had happened at her business.
She frowned.
“It’s me. What’s going on?”
[Um… I’m sorry. There was an incident at the auction house, Boss.]
“An incident? Did the Hyenas raid it or something? If they come, didn’t I tell you to tear them apart without even reporting it?”
[It’s not that, but…]
At that moment, the friendly Miyeon who warmly treated the older brothers and sisters disappeared.
In her place stood a cold and ruthless beauty, a woman who looked exactly like the boss of a mafia organization.
★
★
★
[Mr. Jaehee.]
“…Yes, please speak.”
Ah, she’s angry.
She called me Mr. Jaehee, not Jaehee-nim…
[Can I curse at you?]
“…….”
Cold sweat ran down.
Outwardly, thanks to the appearance of a Succubus, she showed no sign of panic. But when Officer Dan Ayeon spoke like this, it meant she was truly angry.
I’m sorry, Officer Dan.
Something this big should be handled by me, not by you…
“…Officer. I’ll handle it myself, so you don’t have to come.”
[…What?]
“If necessary, I’ll solve it with my body.”
[W-What? What!?!!?!?!]
I’m fairly strong too.
I could hunt monsters and sell them like a Hunter.
If it comes down to it, I could even do construction work and survive on gukbap.
Anyway, I have nothing to do and laze around at home every day, so maybe I can start a new life and live a bit more diligently.
‘Yeah, this is something I should solve myself.’
Compared to what Officer Dan usually does for me, this is nothing.
“Please don’t worry. I can solve everything.”
[W-Wait a moment! Wait a moment, Mr. Jaehee! Don’t hang up, absolutely don’t hang u—!]
-Click
“Oh, so the representative isn’t coming?”
“Yes, that’s how it turned out.”
“…I-I see. Then this way….”
And so, guided by the auctioneer, I went deeper inside.
To the place commonly called the VIP room.
“Still, this is troublesome. That violin is an Ego Weapon… no, an Ego Violin.”
What is an Ego Weapon?
Simply put, it’s a weapon that listens well.
Not a talking weapon—a weapon that listens well.
When civilians hear the term Ego Weapon, they usually imagine weapons from creative works: the weapon chooses the person instead of the other way around, never changes its master once chosen, possesses a consciousness, assists its owner, and so on.
But in this world, an Ego Weapon does not necessarily gain consciousness.
It isn’t impossible, but tools should remain tools. Weapons with consciousness were rare, yet they weren’t particularly prized.
After all, a Hunter’s battle determines life or death in seconds. If the weapon in your hand kept chattering loudly, your concentration would obviously drop.
However, it is possible to infuse the owner’s will itself.
When that happens, the object with that will becomes something like a familiar and is treated as part of the user’s body. You can even summon the Ego Weapon into the air.
When not in use, it can be kept safely in the owner’s house somewhere clean and protected from dust.
Anyway, the conclusion is this:
David’s violin, made using 187 children as materials, had become something like my Ego Weapon.
Ah, since it isn’t a weapon… an Ego Violin? An Ego Instrument?
Even now it floated in the air following my gestures, and the way it tried to cling to my hand and shoulder as if asking to be played more made it look like a puppy acting cute.
I never intended it, but the Ego Violin had bound itself to me in an instant.
Thanks to that, continuing the auction had become meaningless.
In other words, I somehow had to deal with the price of this violin as well.
‘Hmm… this is a big problem.’
“Please wait here for a moment.”
In the end, while continuing the auction itself, the auction house staff expressed difficulty dealing with me and the violin and guided me here.
A place reserved for the auction house’s most valued guests.
There were simple refreshments, coffee, and a table for receiving visitors.
“This is troublesome….”
What’s troublesome?
Of course it’s my Succubus instincts.
Why on earth did you do something like this?!
Do you even think before acting?!
If I could talk to it, I’d interrogate it.
Then the Succubus instinct answers.
—Just charm everyone.
Don’t be ridiculous.
People should pay the proper price when buying things.
—Then just kill everyone.
No, stop.
Do I realize I made a mistake?
Of course I do.
Even if it’s a cursed relic or whatever, enormous effort and someone’s sacrifice must have gone into obtaining this.
If I steal it without paying, that ignores all of that.
That isn’t beautiful.
It goes against Succubus aesthetics.
What are Succubus aesthetics?
I don’t know either.
And what if this violin was also stolen without effort or proper payment?
I’ll think about that when the time comes.
Anyway, right now I made quite a serious mistake.
It’s not exactly a split personality… but the instinct of the Succubus Empress that pursues immediate desire caused this trouble without thinking about the consequences.
So ultimately, isn’t it my fault?
The cleanest solution is to pay.
Of course, there might be some debate about the price…
“Good evening.”
At that moment, someone came to visit me in the VIP room.
I hadn’t even heard the door open, so she must have had the ability to teleport or turn her body intangible.
“I am Citra, the auction house’s chief director.”
A beautiful woman with flashy pink hair and a lively face.
But the atmosphere she gave off was different.
Beneath the liveliness was the coldness and dignity befitting the chief of an underground auction house.
“It’s fried mint-choco soboro bread from Seongsimdang that I got from an acquaintance. Would you like one?”
“Oh my, thank you. But I’ll accept just the thought. Right now isn’t really the time for me to act confidently.”
Still, she seemed very experienced.
Especially when it came to controlling the atmosphere.
It was the posture of a negotiator like a tiger hiding its claws—creating a friendly and approachable mood while ensuring the other party could never look down on her.
She was definitely a difficult person.
Oh, but the auction house’s chief director Citra…
She’s a Succubus?
‘Not just a Succubus… she’s a Succubus Queen?’
That’s unexpected.
The boss of the auction house being a Succubus Queen.