Chapter 174: The Secret of Birth (1)
Chapter 174: The Secret of Birth (1)
“Ah, you’re awake.”
“Ugh…”
The moment I regained consciousness on the hard wooden floor, the first thing I saw was the Magic Tool Maker. My entire body was aching, and to make matters worse, he was the first person I had to see upon waking up. A deep sigh escaped my lips.
“You don’t look very happy.”
“Well, obviously… You could have at least laid out a blanket for me.”
“Just how luxurious is the home you usually wake up in that you’re this dissatisfied with my cabin? Man, the quality of the new recruits in the Villain Association has really gone downhill.”
“Ahem.”
Usually, my mornings begin in a plush, soft bed. Instead of getting up right away, I’d roll around under the covers until Rang-i would hop up and lick me all over as if trying to wake me up.
At first, as Rang-i’s 'mother,' I’d find the mischief cute and play along, but Rang-i is a magic beast through and through. His intelligence is on par with a human’s. His tongue would gradually start targeting more… suggestive areas.
If I ended up getting turned on during that process, my status in the house would temporarily be demoted from Rang-i’s mother to Rang-i’s female.
It would be fine if it stopped there, but sometimes I couldn’t help myself and would end up masturbating, or on very rare occasions, I’d even find myself on all fours, craving Rang-i’s thing.
‘I always feel a wave of regret after doing that, but now that he’s not here, I actually feel a bit lonely.’
Of course, I was fully aware of my current situation. This wasn't my house, and I hadn't just woken up from a normal nap. To be precise, I had been kidnapped by an enemy, knocked unconscious, and had only just managed to come to.
Seeing as the Magic Tool Maker still referred to me as a new recruit of the Villain Association, it seemed he hadn't seen through my identity yet. However, he was still clearly annoyed that I had wandered around his territory and gotten caught in a sensory deprivation trap, causing him trouble.
“For the record, I kept my word. I’ve restored your body to its original state after those tentacles messed with it.”
“Oh, th-thank you…”
“A promise is a promise.”
The Magic Tool Maker sipped from a glass containing an unidentified liquid and smirked. Taking that as a sign that our business was concluded and I was free to go, I cautiously stood up.
“Well, then… I’ll see you again next time…”
I still had a lot to do. Now that I’d confirmed the Operator wasn't here, my top priority was to save as much time as possible and get out of here quickly.
However, the Magic Tool Maker didn't seem inclined to let me go so easily.
“I don’t believe I told you that you could leave yet.”
“Ugh…!”
“While you were fast asleep, I did a little investigating.”
As I stopped in front of the door, the Magic Tool Maker slowly walked toward me.
“At first, I thought I just didn't know who you were. I’ve been holed up in this forest lately, focusing on developing new works and not caring who the other executives picked as new recruits for the Villain Association.”
“Haha, hahahaha…”
“The Villain Association will take anyone who says they want to join, as long as they have a superpower. But very few are permitted to enter this base. Even within the association, that privilege is only given to those who are deemed trustworthy.”
The Magic Tool Maker stepped closer and pressed his finger firmly into my soft breast, letting it sink in.
“……Let me ask you one thing. What exactly is your ability?”
“I, well… um…”
“To earn the right to enter this place, you must have contributed greatly to the Villain Association. But there are exceptions. If your superpower is so outstanding that it shocks even the executives, you can skip all those tedious processes. Kang Young-hoon, that fellow with the broken ‘Time Stop’ ability, was one such case.”
Cold sweat began to bead on my forehead. Honestly, at this point, I didn't have many options left.
It would be insane to make up a superpower I didn't have. He’d just ask me to demonstrate it immediately, so lying wouldn't work.
In reality, my superpower is the ability to transform into an overwhelming superhuman that transcends the human realm. It’s just called a ‘Magical Girl’ for the sake of the name, but that’s the gist of it. Since I couldn't exactly tell him I was a Magical Girl, the only thing I could say was physical enhancement, but…
“My ability is, well… my physical capabilities are much higher than a normal person’s. Yes.”
“Is that so? To be honest, hm. That’s not a very impressive ability. I suppose you must have contributed a lot to the Villain Association then?”
“Ahaha, well, I did help out a bit from the shadows, like a ghost… Mmph?!”
The Magic Tool Maker, who had been responding calmly with a smile, suddenly grabbed me by the throat and began to squeeze.
“I’ve listened long enough, but it’s almost funny how much you’re trying to deceive me. I might not have been involved in the association’s management lately, but you’re saying that to my face? One of the four undisputed executives?”
“Gack, cough…!”
“If you had performed well enough to be allowed in here, I would have heard about it. Don’t try to tell me otherwise. The system makes it impossible for me not to know.”
His chilling, melodic voice pierced my ears.
“So, who exactly are you? Because it’s certain that you’re not someone who belongs here.”
By this point, I was starting to get tired of this. I have overwhelming power, yet I’m always busy trying to sneak around. Getting caught while hiding and being subjected to defeat humiliation is fine and all, but my libido was currently at a low point because I’d already come so much from that sensory deprivation trap.
A rather aggressive idea suddenly popped into my head. Isn't there a saying that the perfect infiltration is one where there are no witnesses left?
‘……Should I just transform for a second, beat the crap out of this Magic Tool Maker bastard, and run?’
I was inside the cabin anyway, so even if I transformed, I wouldn't be seen by anyone else. Besides, hadn't the Magic Tool Maker said it himself? He’d already warned everyone not to come near this place.
It seemed much easier to just crush the Magic Tool Maker here and stroll out.
“Sigh, you brought this on yourself, so just deal with it.”
“……?”
The moment I clenched my fist, various thoughts raced through my mind.
The thing I had to consider was that my opponent was a villain skilled in making magic tools. Whether it was the Beast Tamer or Kang Young-hoon, the most annoying thing was how they’d use those pocket portals to escape whenever they felt like it—and the one who made those was the pointy-eared bastard right in front of me.
He might have some escape method I didn't know about. But regardless, there was nothing I could do about what I didn't know. Since he was looking down on me, I just had to trust that he’d be off-guard and charge in.
First, let’s get rid of the escape methods I do know about.
Flash!
The moment I took a step, a pink dress draped over my lewd, naked body. My black bob cut instantly transformed into pink twin-tails tied tightly with red ribbons, fluttering in the air.
The moment I transform, my physical abilities far surpass anything human. I had merely kicked off the ground to accelerate, but the impact was enough to shred the wooden door into splinters.
It was a house the Magic Tool Maker had probably put a lot of effort into building, but what can you do? Sure enough, for a split second, the Magic Tool Maker stared blankly at where the door used to be with hollow eyes.
Actually, it might just be that his eyes couldn't keep up with my movements.
After all, this was a speed no human could achieve. It was a velocity comparable to the thrust of a jet engine.
“Wh-wha…?! Magical Girl Floss?! Why, why is she here?!”
I was so fast that I even created a sonic boom. The massive sound caused the Magic Tool Maker to collapse on the spot, clutching his ears, and in that interval, I finished everything I needed to do.
I destroyed the pocket portal sitting on the Magic Tool Maker’s desk and smashed everything nearby that looked like it might be useful to him. Being the house of a magic tool maker, there were more than a few tools that looked valuable.
Deciding that this was enough, I slammed his head into the ground.
“Go ahead, try to run.”
“Ugh, ah… damn it, I suspected as much, but you really were a hero…!”
“Still using polite speech? How well-mannered. Then why don't you be a good boy and answer my questions?”
Rip!
I grabbed the Magic Tool Maker’s thick clothes with one hand and tore them off, then ripped away the black cloth covering his face. The true appearance of the Magic Tool Maker that was revealed was quite shocking.
“Oh, huh.”
I’d already seen his long ears earlier, so I knew, but as expected, the Magic Tool Maker was an elf. Specifically, an elf with dark brown skin like chocolate. In fantasy, they usually call these Dark Elves.
The problem was his body and face. He had a much smaller frame and a more youthful face than I had expected. Now I understood why he wore such thick clothes and kept his face hidden with a black cloth.
“You were just a brat……?”
Then again, an executive is someone who has to stand above vicious adult villains. If he looked like a kid, no one would truly respect or follow him.
“A brat?! What are you talking about!! I am over 400 years old! Magical Girl Floss, I am older than you even if you multiply your age by twenty!”
“Phew, well, that’s a relief. I was starting to feel guilty, like I was hitting a child.”
Anyway, what kind of guy was he? While I had the upper hand, the rational decision would be to just grill him for the Operator’s whereabouts and leave immediately, but I had a strong hunch.
……A hunch that I absolutely needed to find out the true identity of this Dark Elf we called the Magic Tool Maker.
Hadn't he said himself that he’d given strict orders for no one to visit? Unless someone was as clueless as I had been, there was no way anyone would be wandering around here.
Crucially, the Magic Tool Maker currently had no way to escape and no way to call for backup. That meant I had plenty of time to sit down and listen to his story.
“Don’t be so scared. As long as you answer my questions properly, I won't kill you.”
“Wh-what is this… Are you even really a hero?!”
Is this guy actually an idiot?
Would a normal hero walk into a sensory deprivation trap of their own volition just to enjoy some defeat play?
“Well… I am a hero. And you’re a villain. Besides, I’ve had a hard time acting all this time, too. I went through all sorts of humiliation after falling into that trap you made, so can’t I pay you back at least this much?”
“Urgh….”
“And that’s not all. You made me take a dick in my mouth and even made me lick that filthy smegma, and now you’re questioning my qualifications as a hero? The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Maybe I should hit you a few more times to feel better.”
……To be honest, I enjoyed it a little, but there was no need to tell him that.
“Ugh… I-I understand. What is it you want from me?”
“Right, now we’re talking. Just answer my questions.”
There were many things I wanted to ask. But the first question was already decided.
“I can tell just by looking at you. You’re not from Earth, are you?”
“……Ugh.”
“You’re likely a different race that existed inside the Gates, something close to what we call a ‘monster’…… How on earth did you end up helping the Villain Association?”
The Magic Tool Maker—no, the Dark Elf—didn't answer immediately.
His appearance still pricked my conscience, but I reminded myself that he was an old hag at least several hundred years older than me and threw a punch.
“I told you to answer.”
“Gah! Cough… I-I understand. If it’s this much, I can… answer….”
The Dark Elf hesitated for a moment longer, but when my fist went up again, he finally opened his mouth.
“To use your terms… ugh, I was the… ‘Boss Monster’ of this Gate.”
“Boss Monster?”
“Yes. I was the worst kind of boss… one who abandoned my subordinates and joined hands with the villains.”
From the mouth of the Dark Elf pinned beneath me, the secret history of the Villain Association’s birth began to flow.