Multiple Souls and a Midnight Intrusion
Lisa's existence could even raise questions about religion and mysticism.
‘Does the human soul really exist?’
Of course, they called it a soul, but it might actually be something soul-like that had been extracted. Hunters fundamentally possessed mana, after all. Each person's mana had unique properties and couldn't be mixed. I was an exception who could hold multiple types of mana in one body, but even that was an exception among exceptions.
Shamans had mana just like hunters, so maybe they selected and contained only the portion corresponding to their abilities? Regardless, whether it was a soul or mana—or a fragment of either—extracting it and containing it in a single vessel was no simple task.
‘Hm?’
Suddenly, I recalled what Kang A-jin had said to me not long ago. When she'd extracted mana from Park Hyun-jun and sealed it into a talisman. She'd realized I couldn't absorb it all directly and had thought of her own master as an alternative. She'd suggested temporarily containing the mana in a vessel before transferring it to me.
‘No way...’
I looked at Lisa. For some reason, she was staring right back at me. She'd shown particular interest in me from the moment she appeared, but I couldn't figure out why. Was it because I was the only man here? That made sense if Valentina's usual environment was mostly women.
‘Even so...’
As our eyes met, Lisa flinched in surprise and slipped behind her master, timidly clutching the hem of her clothes.
“Hm?”
Valentina noticed Lisa's reaction and tilted her head curiously.
“What's wrong, sweetie?”
She called Lisa “sweetie” too, so it seemed she had a habit of using cute pet names for younger, adorable girls. Calling Kang A-jin “Puppy” probably fell into the same category.
“That man...”
A cute girl's voice came from Lisa. It perfectly matched her adorable appearance. Was this another of Valentina's designs? It made sense—she clearly had a thing for cute women.
Like Valentina, Lisa spoke Korean.
“Hm? What about that man?”
“He's... like me...”
“What?”
Everyone's eyes turned to me at Lisa's unexpected words.
“What do you mean he's like you? I don't get it.”
“That man has... multiple souls too. Several of them.”
“Souls?”
Valentina looked at me with an expression demanding an explanation. I'd been thinking that Lisa, supposedly made by combining souls, might actually be a fusion of mana extracted from multiple ability users. Hearing her words now, something clicked. Her body contained mana from multiple people—nineteen, no less—and while I had far fewer, we were in the same boat. That must be why she'd said, ‘He's like me.’
Kang A-jin spoke up.
“Yes, that's right. Sung-gi can absorb mana from multiple people into one body. In that sense, you could say he's similar to Lisa.”
“Oh?”
Valentina nodded thoughtfully, her face serious. Now I understood why Lisa had shown such intense interest in me from the moment she appeared. To her, someone like herself must have been a novelty. She'd probably never encountered another since her creation.
“Actually, that's why I contacted Master.”
“I heard the gist of it, but...”
Valentina, who had been distracted by other things until now, finally adopted a more professional expression and tone.
“I need your help, Master. My abilities aren't enough.”
“If even our Puppy says that much, it must be true. Hm, yeah, that makes sense. That man has something special about him. No wonder he stole our Puppy's heart completely. Fortunately, he hasn't taken her body yet. In that vein, my disciple—today's the day we tear down the wall between us and...”
“Enough!”
It was the first time I'd seen Kang A-jin retort with such pure emotion. Watching her like that was pretty cute too. Valentina's arrival seemed to have lightened the mood in this place, which could have easily turned grim. Even if we'd found a potential solution, Jo Dong-geun's presence still loomed like a heavy pressure.
Jo Dong-geun versus Valentina—who would win? I naturally found myself wondering.
“I've been thinking: for women, virginity isn't that important anyway. In that sense, you and I...”
“Don't touch him!”
Kang A-jin snapped again. Even amid the chaos, Lisa kept staring straight at me. Geez... Even from a cute girl, that intense gaze felt a bit unsettling. Especially now that I knew she was made from nineteen extracted manas.
# Night.
I felt something strange while sleeping. It was like something kept touching my body. A ticklish, oddly sensual sensation that wasn't unpleasant at all. The secretive skinship nearly slipped past unnoticed.
A bizarre smell creeping into my nostrils warned me. If I didn't wake up soon, I'd be in big trouble.
Blearily opening my eyes and looking down, I was met with a shocking sight.
“Va...”
It was definitely Valentina. Kang A-jin's master, the woman who had come to Korea through the warp zone in the basement. She stood at the foot of the bed in nothing but her underwear. And what sexy underwear it was. With her flawless figure, she looked like a professional lingerie model—a stunning foreign one, at that.
“Tch, you're awake.”
Valentina frowned as I opened my eyes.
“What the hell is this...?”
I glanced around. It was the same room I'd fallen asleep in, but the atmosphere felt off. Squinting at the dark ceiling, I noticed strange dolls floating at each corner. Their exotic designs gave off an eerie vibe in the shadows.
“Since you're already awake, might as well get on with it. Stay still. I won't hurt you.”
Valentina said something chilling. Instinct told me this was not okay, so I yelled.
“Help! Somebody!”
Seeing me shout, Valentina slowly clicked her tongue. “Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“Scream all you want—no one's gonna hear you. It's just you and me here.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Didn't Puppy teach you sorcery? Guess you haven't learned this yet. We're in a hidden space now. A rift between dimensions—an independent realm untouched by any interference. No one can help you, no matter how much you struggle. Hohoho.”
I realized I'd fallen into a trap. How had no one noticed her plotting this? It wasn't hard to guess. Kang A-jin was an S-rank shaman, sometimes even surpassing that. For her master, pulling this off without drawing attention would be child's play.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
“Why~? Personal curiosity. You're the man Puppy cherishes. I won't damage your body—she'd hate that. Feel better now?”
“Better? Hell no!”
“Personally, I prefer tenderloin over peace of mind.”
“No dad jokes!”
From a Brazilian woman, no less. Not just any tenderloin—prime tenderloin? Way too specific!
“Hohoho!”
Valentina burst into delighted laughter, oblivious to my turmoil, and gave me a lecherous look as she touched my foot.
“You know I have no interest in men, right?”
“That's exactly why it's scarier! What are you planning?”
“Beats me. Guess we'll find out.”
I wondered why a woman with no interest in men had snuck into my bed while I slept—and why she was down to her underwear. Please don't let her be a psychopath. After Jo Dong-geun and Park Hyun-jun, I had a bias that top-tier hunters were often psychos. I already knew she wasn't normal. I just hadn't thought her abnormality would be this threatening.
But now? I was deeply worried.
“Hohoho. Look at you squirm. You stole our Puppy's heart, and now I'll uncover your secrets so you can't take her purity!”
What? That was the reason? To stop me from sleeping with Kang A-jin? Uncovering my secrets meant figuring out my ability and neutralizing it so I couldn't use it on her anymore?
I already knew my power surpassed even S-rank hunters' skills. Normally, I wouldn't worry about it breaking. But was the woman in front of me normal? Revered as a saintess in Brazil, unknown to no one in the underground.
Valentina snapped her fingers with a crisp pop!
Riiip!
With a sharp sound, the clothes I was wearing tore to shreds in an instant.