Chapter 3
Translator: IPO
Chapter 3
“Th-this, this is unbelievable! You, say something at least! What exactly is going on right n—!”
“Assemblyman.”
With the strong smell of beer wafting off the high-ranking Assemblyman who was shouting at her, Dan Ayeon had to exert the superhuman patience she had cultivated through years of civil service.
“This is currently a dangerous situation. So please… until the situation is brought under control, I ask that you do not take a single step outside the VIP Room.”
“No, am I not demanding an accurate explanation of the situation right now? Is that really so difficult!?”
“Yes, it is difficult. Everyone here could die.”
“…What.”
“If you understand, then please return to the VIP Room immediately. The defensive formations are in place, so it should be safe… for a while.”
She could not possibly say out loud, ‘You goddamn bastard. We’re on the brink of a catastrophe because of you, so please shut up.’
So Dan Ayeon had to phrase it as politely as humanly possible.
Sensing that something was seriously wrong from her expression and demeanor, the Assemblyman instinctively shrank back and hurried into the VIP Room once more.
If Dan Ayeon were even slightly more reckless by nature, the thought ‘Since it’s already ruined, should I just kill that Assemblyman too?’ might have crossed her mind.
But right now, there was no time to waste on such thoughts.
[MEEEEEE…!]
At the cry of the Old Lamb, which was drawing ever closer to the ground, every civil-service Hunter shared the same thought.
Who on earth—
Which bastard looked at the Old Lamb?
Hadn’t they heard Officer Dan Ayeon clearly say to never make eye contact?
Confusion, beyond anger.
Any Hunter with even half a functioning brain knew exactly what kind of disaster could occur if even one safety rule, warning, or special mechanic of a hostile entity was ignored.
And then came the realization.
Someone who was not a Hunter had looked.
The Night Sea observation event was held far from civilian areas, and the Old Lamb only entered a berserk state if it was seen at close enough range for its eyes to be clearly visible.
Only then did the Hunters understand.
Aside from the civil-service Hunters present, there was another civilian here—one who would scoff at a Hunter’s warning.
—So one of those high-ranking Assemblymen ignored Officer Dan Ayeon’s warning and looked at the Old Lamb.
—Oh dear. Such boundless curiosity. Perhaps you should become a science prodigy in your next life? No, given your age, are you planning to become the Minister of Science and Technology instead?
“Those fucking assholes.”
“….”
One hot-blooded Hunter finally snapped.
No one could bring themselves to refute him.
Everyone was thinking the same thing.
Someone might reprimand him later, but if he said it was directed at the Old Lamb, that would be the end of it.
Of course… that was only if they survived.
“Officer Dan, with just us…”
“I know. It’s tough.”
“What about other Hunters in the metropolitan area? I heard large Guilds are standing by….”
“The Old Lamb’s trait causes it to grow stronger and multiply the more people make eye contact with it. Other Guilds stepping in means… they’ll only move after everyone here is dead.”
“…Ha.”
Because the Old Lamb treated eye contact itself as a hostile trigger, additional support was impossible.
Even if the large Guilds had been informed, requesting assistance could result in not one Old Lamb, but two, three—perhaps even dozens.
“Whether we like it or not… we can’t leave this place.”
“…Understood.”
Eye contact had already been made.
Thanks to some damned Assemblyman, everyone here was already marked by the Old Lamb.
And once marked, the Old Lamb only had one course of action.
Descent.
Endless regeneration and division of flesh, invading the ground.
Yet the beginning was eerily calm.
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
Only the violent pulsation of its heartbeat could be heard, even by Hunters standing at a distance.
A four-legged beast with transparent skin, over four meters tall, descended.
It did not fully touch the ground.
Floating roughly one meter above it, countless eyes were embedded across its body, yet none of them held any vitality as they rolled aimlessly.
No one knew what those eyes were seeing.
But its mere presence alone triggered primal fear in every living being.
Hunters stiffened or swallowed hard.
A single creature capable of wiping out an entire metropolis.
If things went wrong here, the nearby capital region would be in danger.
After the brief silence passed, the Old Lamb slowly opened its grotesque mouth.
[MEEEEEEEEEEEE—!!!]
With its mournful cry, Lambs were scattered.
Countless offspring and chunks of flesh rained down toward the ground—toward the humans who had dared look at it.
They could not fly as high as the Old Lamb, but floated like dust in the air, writhing grotesquely before transforming into new life.
The Lambs advanced first toward the civil-service Hunters lined up in formation.
Slowly.
Drifting forward at a pace like jellyfish riding the wind.
Yet their numbers resembled a wave—no, a tidal surge—and some Hunters began trembling uncontrollably.
If caught by that mass, death would not be clean.
“Lambs! Don’t let even one through! We hunt them here!”
At Dan Ayeon’s shout, the pre-prepared magic arrays activated.
They blocked surrounding access and redirected all hostile attention toward this area.
With barely formed limbs, chattering teeth, and flesh flailing in all directions, the Lambs surged forward.
“Prepare wide-area formations!”
“Ready!”
The civil-service Hunters were not a rabble.
Though labeled low-rank, they had been newly organized under government authority, receiving ample equipment and elixirs—enough to wield wide-area destructive magic beyond their individual skill levels.
From afar, the sight of them activating formations in unison was almost majestic.
“[Collective Ignition Bombardment]”
Multiple Hunters activated a collective spell simultaneously.
A tidal wave of flames engulfed the Lambs and flesh masses.
But unfortunately, the output of lower-tier civil-service Hunters was not overwhelming.
Many Lambs burned, scorched, and evaporated—yet most survived the flames, immediately swelling as their regeneration kicked in, moving even more violently.
CRUNCH!
GRIND!
As the flames vanished, the flesh masses charged at the Hunters at terrifying speed, accompanied by sounds like rupturing veins.
“Activate defensive formations!”
“Do not let them pass!”
The countless formations and barriers carved into the air were firm and resilient.
Installed over a week in advance—and reinforced by Dan Ayeon, who stayed awake for two straight nights—this safety net would not break from a mere few thousand flesh masses.
“Begin bombardment!”
“Reduce their numbers as much as possible!”
A relentless barrage followed.
Magic rounds. Shelling.
Bullets of flame, ice, and lightning passed through the barrier, slaughtering Lambs indiscriminately.
While barriers normally block both sides completely, Dan Ayeon’s defensive formations allowed allied attacks to pass while restricting enemy movement.
Individually weak, but collectively powerful—the Lamb numbers began to fall.
SCREECH!
GURRRGH!
Thanks to decent equipment and sheer numbers, the swarm that once filled the sky steadily thinned.
Even with extreme regeneration, once their bodies were destroyed beyond recovery, Lambs could be killed.
The problem came next.
[MEEEEEEE—!!!]
The Old Lamb cried out again.
The falling Lambs began merging together.
We’re screwed.
Dan Ayeon clenched her teeth.
Floating Flesh Masses.
I thought Lambs only evolved by feeding… they can forcibly evolve by merging!?
She wanted to join the bombardment, but maintaining the vast defensive network alone was already pushing her limits.
The flesh masses fused.
Sticky, shifting blobs moved as one organism, transforming into something larger and more grotesque.
“That—that’s a Young Lamb!”
“…Ah.”
Young Lambs.
Skipping the flesh-mass stage entirely, they had evolved directly.
Aggressive, intentional evolution driven by the need to kill humans.
So… there’s no other way? I shouldn’t do this—but…!
Finally, Dan Ayeon reached for the last resort she never wanted to use.
“Cease all bombardment!”
“What!?”
“What do you mean!?”
“If Young Lambs appear, bombardment is meaningless! I’ll use another method!”
The Hunters nodded.
Right now, only Officer Dan Ayeon could be trusted.
“Abort attacks! Support barrier maintenance!”
As they poured energy into the defenses, Dan Ayeon grabbed her phone and ran.
She wasn’t fleeing.
If she were the type to run, she would have abandoned her family and emigrated long ago.
“Emergency… call….”
Her true duty was not Night Sea observation.
Her real job was [Special Returnee Management].
Managing people no one else could handle—people who must never be treated lightly.
And that duty always made her feel like she was walking a tightrope—terrifying, yet strangely reassuring.
BEEP
The call connected.
A short sigh came through the line.
She immediately sensed the other party was displeased.
“J-Jaehee! Jaehee! I’m terribly sorry for calling you so late!”
[Yes, yes. What a lovely night, Officer.]
A beautiful voice.
Like the first ray of sunlight breaking through morning mist, it filled Dan Ayeon’s ears.
Soft as rose fragrance—bewitching, almost demonic.
I’ll never get used to that voice…
“Lovely night is—KYAAH! D-don’t come closer!”
She fired a magic round at a flesh mass slipping through the barrier, then hurriedly apologized again.
“Haah… haah… I’m sorry, Jaehee! The situation is—”
[Because of the Night Sea?]
Gasp.
How did she know?
“No—yes! An unexpected anomaly and unidentified violent entity have appeared at the Gimpo site!”
[Urgent enough to call me directly at four in the morning?]
“…Uh—”
Of course she sighed.
What time was it?
Was this really worth calling her?
But the situation was dire.
And without her, there was no solution.
A soft chuckle came through the phone.
[Just kidding. I’ll be there right away.]
“Th-thank you!”
She bowed ninety degrees while still on the call.
Then silence.
Disconnected.
Relieved, Dan Ayeon ran back.
“AAAH!”
“GHHH…!”
“They’re using pain-sharing!”
“It’s not real damage—hold on!”
The Young Lambs used psychic interference and pain-sharing curses through the barrier.
Dan Ayeon reinforced the mental defense.
Just a little longer.
They held.
Barely.
Until—
“…A person?”
Someone stood beneath the Night Sea’s glow.
A woman, wrapped head to toe.
Elegant silhouette.
“Ah…!”
Dan Ayeon looked up—and sighed in relief.
Unreal.
Black suit, perfect fit.
Long legs, refined elegance beyond humanity.
Purple eyes shining with cold sharpness—and warmth.
Demonic wings unfurled.
A veil fluttered.
[MEE…?]
All eyes turned.
The Succubus Empress removed her veil.
“Growing children are always hungry.”
Humans could not see her face.
She faced the Lambs.
“But children are lively. Fickle. Just like you.”
She met the Old Lamb’s gaze.
“They eat and eat… like monsters.”
A gentle gesture.
And a song.
“Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb.”
Beautiful.
Cruel.
All eyes convulsed.
“Baby, baby, if he hears you
As I gallops past the house—”
Overfed.
Until organs burst.
“Limb from limb at once he’ll tear you,
Just as pussy tears a mouse~”
Below her—
Countless Lambs lay dead, ruptured from within.