Humans... Are Delicious!
Humans... are delicious!
…………… Wow, a naked muscular guy on live broadcast. The dude's whole body is swollen with muscles ready to burst. His biceps are thicker than an adult man's thighs, and his back muscles spread out like wings. Veins bulge across his bronze skin like a net.
Threat Entity Designated: 「Tera Chad」
Estimated Threat Grade: 5 Tera or higher――
The anchor's voice cut off abruptly. Because the Tera Chad on screen was doing something.
Climbing to the top of a building, Tera Chad clasped his hands behind his head and thrust out his chest wide. His lats flared out to the sides. Like a fan. No exaggeration—it really looked like that. Posing for the helicopter cameraman or something.
Hmm. Somehow, his body looks better than the guys on that workout channel Han Min-seo watches. Of course, even if Han Min-seo trained for a hundred years, he couldn't get muscles like that. Their skeletons are different to begin with.
"...This is bad, sunbae."
Han Min-seo muttered from beside me, swallowing dryly.
"Yeah. No S-rank Awakeners around Guro right now."
"The 5-minute standby team will deploy."
"Opponent's Tera-grade, and we're just A-rank Awakener Yeom Hana and agents. ...We'll be cleaning up bodies today."
Yi Gyu-rin muttered in a voice that sounded emotionally worn out. The room's atmosphere sank into gloom and heaviness in an instant. The shoulders of my two snack providers visibly slumped. The anchor kept blabbing on TV, but it wasn't registering for them.
Cleaning up bodies, huh. Meaning someone from the Threat Management Agency deploying now might die. Maybe even Yeom Hana.
Tera Chad's threat grade is 5 Tera. Even a typical S-rank Awakener would struggle to neutralize it solo. How long could barely A-rank Yeom Hana last?
"They'll issue evacuation orders, right? Like half a year ago with the Form of Madness. Er, anyway, like back then."
"Even if they do, no one'll listen. If people evacuate, the government might fire strategic weapons. They did last time too."
"Lose your building and become homeless, or die. Same difference...?"
"Home's more precious than life. Common sense."
"Ugh."
Han Min-seo groaned and hung his head. Face like he wants to argue but can't.
Huh. Wait. Something came to mind from the sub-space where thoughts were weaving away: the red armor reinforcing with neutronium. My lips curled up involuntarily.
This is the perfect surprise timing.
I closed the comic and stood. Totter totter. Squeezing between the two snack providers toward the hallway, I felt Han Min-seo panic.
"Wh-where are you――"
I've got somewhere to be. Shame I can't reply.
……………
30 seconds is plenty.
From isolation facility level to 5-minute standby lounge: elevator wait is 5 minutes. Stairs, over 15. But I'm not human, so neither.
Moving through vents faster than air: 30 seconds. I slipped out a ceiling vent and perched in the corner.
First thing I sensed wasn't sound, but air. Heavy. The air filling this room is the same oxygen and nitrogen, yet stickier, more stifling than elsewhere.
Agents bustle in the wide lounge. Like soldiers I saw near the crater before, donning thick plated power suits with blue power cores.
But silent. All of them. Just steady clicks of joint bolts locking, helmet system boot-ups, leather creaks of gloved fists clenching and opening.
And amid the agents, in one corner, a redhead stretching: Yeom Hana. Arms raised overhead, twisting her torso. Mid-stretch. Tank top and pants again today.
Everyone in the room silently does their task. One male agent at a power suit rack stares at his phone without helmet on. Screen shows a woman and child photo.
A bit away, a female agent taps her phone. Recipient:
[Mom]
She leaves a few words to eat properly and schedules send for tomorrow morning.
Hmm. They kinda look like people about to die.
> [Isn't this a suicide mission?]
> That muscle monster from the news, estimated 5 Tera. Their firepower might at best scratch it.
True.
> Even scratches are optimistic.
Yeah. 5 Tera threat is a walking natural disaster to them.
Totter. I approached Yeom Hana finishing her stretches. Louder footsteps than usual, making presence known.
"...Ah, it's you. Outer God."
Yeom Hana turned with oddly calm reaction. Expected her to jump like before with a 'Eek!' or 'Whoa!'. Up close, I sense things. Heart rate: 156 bpm. Up 12 from stretch start. Not from me—already rising before. Surface temp 0.5°C lower than usual. Peripheral vasoconstriction. Tension redirects blood to core. Stress hormones in blood already way over limits.
Biologically, this Homo sapiens is in perfect 'flight' mode. Every cell screaming to ditch everything and run for life.
Yet her brain waves issue the opposite command. Pure will crushing survival instinct, pushing forward. Body fears death, but mind grabs it by the collar toward limbs. Where does that contradictory strength come from?
"Um, Outer God."
Yeom Hana called suddenly. I tilted my head. What?
"You know――"
Her lips moved. Eyes shaking, like desperate words about to spill.
I can guess. Help me, or save me.
But Yeom Hana swallowed them. Gave a bitter smile, shook head firmly.
"No, what was I thinking... haha, nothing."
Doesn't seem like nothing. Brief silence. Eyes closed, she inhaled deep.
Whoo―― Long, deep breath. Diaphragm down max for 4 seconds in, slow up for 4 out. Box breathing. What soldiers use to tame fear.
She unclenched her fist. Four nail marks inside palm. Gripped that hard.
That hand touched my crown. Pat pat. Huh? Suddenly? Patting here?
"A favor: even without me, hold back to just breaking stuff and stealing snacks."
Breaking stuff and stealing? Door was locked so I broke in a bit, and snacks I'll repay later with interest-free eternal loan. How can she frame me as a shameless criminal?
But are snacks and doors the issue now? Especially 'even without me'. Glasses thought muttered.
> What else? Talking about after she dies.
Ah. Got it. Yeom Hana hopes my days munching snacks obediently continue forever even after she's gone. Thinks I might attack humans without her?
"Attention."
Senior-most looking man in lounge center spoke. All agents froze simultaneously.
"You know without me saying. Briefing skipped."
His voice emotionless. More like residue after wringing out all feeling.
"Our job: buy time. Till other S-rank arrives."
Brief silence.
"Don't die too quick. One life for 3 minutes. Dismissed."
Yeom Hana's jaw twitched faintly. Teeth gritted.
Senior scanned room. Eyes on each face.
"Questions."
No one spoke. He nodded. Briefing over.
Agents moved as one. Helmets down, visors shut, blue glows on joint power cores. Power suit footsteps clanged toward exit in line.
Yeom Hana at the front. Tank top, pants, sneakers. Usual outfit.
People file out, footsteps fade, lounge empties. Just me left.
Hmm. Watching the whole thing, there's a weird flavor. Probably from human emotions filling the room.
Fear's bitter. Astringent.
But their fear had something extra. Under the bitterness, sediment at bottom. Buried in fear at first, but rose as they moved to deploy.
Moment they head to death knowing it, humans' brains secrete something. Don't know the name.
But I tasted it. Hot. Sweet. Thick, clinging to throat. More than Emperor Choco Pie, Durian Chewy Cookies, three bags of Three Run Balls compressed.
Way better. Incomparable.
Standing before weaker beings behind you. Willfully approaching certain death, swallowing fear—what rises then.
That's the taste. Delicious.
Right now, I awakened taste. Can savor flavors from intelligent beings' emotions.
And what I just tasted was gourmet peak.
Homo sapiens――wise humans are the best.
Choosing to live with them is the most perfect decision since universe's birth.
Instinct-driven mom who devoured her universe will never taste this. Pitiful enough for pity.
In mind world, kid thoughts circle-dancing happily over new flavor.
> [Hey.]
Glasses thought dumped cold water on festivities.
> [Too lost in flavor review?]
Can't help it. It was delicious.
> [Not giving the armor? They've been gone 20 minutes already.]
……Huh?
Checked wall clock. Really 20 minutes passed.
Oh no, got drunk on flavor and lost track of time.
Big trouble.