Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Monkey Dream
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He opened the door connecting the subway cars and pressed forward. Druruk—the monkeys in the midst of dismantling humans whipped their heads around at the sound of the opening door.
[Ook?!]
[Ook! Ukik!]
The sudden appearance of an unharmed human threw the monkeys into chaos as they shrieked. But soon their faces hardened ferociously, and they charged at Ian, brandishing their blades.
Ian showed no reaction, simply walking forward slowly.
Whoosh!
In that instant, a thick perfume scent wafted from his entire body.
Cheap perfume, closer to artificial than natural. Even for monkeys with sensitive noses, it was just strong enough to make them scrunch their eyes.
Yet every single monkey that caught the scent collapsed limply in place. Ian nodded in satisfaction, then stabbed a knife into the backs of the sleeping monkeys.
The magic was working perfectly. With this, taking down the anomaly without issue seemed entirely feasible.
“I’ll re-create the corpses and take them all.”
An anomaly that killed humans was nothing more than prime material to a mage. Better to collect them while he could.
Crunch!!
Ian compressed the dead monkeys’ corpses into small cubes and packed them into his bag. He repeated the process in the other cars until the bag was full. Fortunately, no blood pooled, so there was no worry of the bag getting soiled.
The problem was… all the corpses filling the subway.
“They killed them in such a gruesome way.”
Disassembly.
As if to illustrate the word, the monkeys had slaughtered the passengers with excessive brutality. The cars nearer the driver’s cab had even more bodies, some areas completely drenched in blood.
With every step, his feet squelched through pools of blood. Chunks of someone’s organs were plastered to the windows, and corpses that couldn’t even close their eyes sat in bizarre poses, dripping blood.
‘No slipping away quietly, that’s for sure.’
This was no ordinary incident.
Ian knew this anomalous phenomenon wasn’t unfolding in a dream like the original urban legend.
This was reality. Which meant those who died here were truly dead. Over several dozen people had been butchered in the same subway train.
The Management Bureau would definitely get involved. He was curious how they’d cover it up, but their reaction mattered more.
The car where Ian had been sitting was the very last one in the subway—the tail car. Unlike the others, where more than half had died, it had only two casualties. The Bureau would surely investigate why.
He’d disguised himself as a priest to avoid suspicion, but he wasn’t sure if that would be enough.
Whether any witnesses would even mention his disguise was questionable. There were still living survivors, but they all looked soulless, leaving doubt as to whether they retained any awareness.
A few had snapped out of it after he dealt with the monkeys mid-dismantling… but the moment the monkeys vanished, they slumped like robots with their power cut off. They were alive, but barely.
He couldn’t very well approach and say anything to them. No response would come anyway.
He kept muttering about God and the Lord as he passed through the cars. Whether it actually helped was anyone’s guess.
Still, it was better than doing nothing.
Schwick.
Ian wiped the blood from his face as he pulled the knife from a monkey’s back.
The foremost car, connected to the driver’s cab.
Lost in thought as he walked, he’d already reached the end.
Naturally, the driver’s cab door was locked tight. It wouldn’t budge with brute force. Kicking it or hurling a monkey corpse did nothing.
But re-creation magic worked. The moment Ian touched the door, he confirmed he could reshape it freely—then immediately crumpled it into a giant nail.
Repeated use of re-creation magic made his head throb, but not enough to bring him down.
[Ukik?]
Entering the cab nail-in-hand, he saw the monkey at the controls turn its head. Before it could react, Ian nailed its legs and the chair in place.
Puk—the sensation came with a spurt of blood from its legs.
[Ukiieeeek?!?!]
Pain twisted the monkey’s face. It thrashed to pull out the nail, but that only intensified the agony. Pinned in place, it couldn’t even lunge at Ian.
The tables had turned. The anomaly that hunted humans now had its life held hostage by the mage. Realizing this, the monkey began trembling all over. Ian stared at it impassively, lit a cigarette, and took a drag.
“Fuu….”
The acrid smoke filling his lungs seemed to ease the throbbing in his head. Once the cigarette was finished, he extinguished it on the now-dozing monkey’s head.
[Ukik!]
The monkey flailed its arms in agony.
The death throes of creatures that had filleted humans alive. Ian felt no guilt.
He pressed the dulled blade to the monkey’s nape and pointed at the subway route map with his finger.
“Drive to there first. Don’t stop.”
[O, ook?]
The monkey tilted its head, not understanding.
Instead of repeating himself, Ian pressed the knife harder and summoned his grimoire, shifting his gaze. Alarmed by the chilling stare, the monkey gripped the controls.
Kreeeeek!!
Moments later, the subway passed through the red mist.
The anomalous phenomenon that had eroded reality vanished. Only the monkey at the controls remained.
“Haa….”
Ian sat casually beside the monkey and gazed out the window of the speeding train.
Soon, the subway neared its destination. The monkey grinned obsequiously as it gradually slowed.
Fortunately, it didn’t collide with another train. A radio command came to stop at the station immediately, but the monkey ignored it, faithfully obeying the mage beside it.
As reward, Ian plunged the knife into its chest.
Crunch.
As he tried to pull it out, the damaged kitchen knife snapped in half.
Pity—it wouldn’t hold up any longer. With a sigh of regret, he re-created the driver monkey too, then picked up the broken blade.
[The doors on the left for exiting.]
A few seconds before arrival.
Ian checked that the automatic brakes functioned properly, then moved to the rear of the train and donned a suitable hat and mask he found.
“It is the will of God.”
He didn’t forget to maintain his disguise. Crossing himself in front of the hat’s original owner, he compressed the padding jacket and stuffed it into his bag.
This was to alter his appearance from when he’d boarded. It might not prevent identification entirely, but it would help.
Ian gave his look a quick once-over, then stood by the doors, waiting for the train to stop.
Less than ten seconds later, it pulled into the station. The door sensors detected Ian and the people on the opposite platform, then slowly opened. Without hesitation, Ian stepped out and descended the stairs.
“Wha—what the hell? Hey, fuck!”
“Kya啊啊啊啊! Wh-what the hell is all this!”
Screams erupted from the citizens boarding behind him.
Ian vaulted the turnstile with practiced ease, noting CCTV ranges and positions as he stuck to blind spots. Thanks to the commotion above, no one spotted him.
A massacre from an anomalous phenomenon would make the news, but the truth wouldn’t come out. They’d fabricate it as an ordinary incident with all sorts of excuses.
They wouldn’t forget to tamper with witnesses’ and victims’ memories either.
Naturally, getting tangled in it was the last thing he wanted.
His exit might have been caught on camera, but that alone wouldn’t identify him. He’d already changed clothes and covered his face.
Of course, the Management Bureau might use special means to track him. But with his current power, he couldn’t resist that. All he could do was hope for their incompetence.
‘Still, better safe—gotta change clothes completely.’
With that thought, Ian bought some suitable outfits at a department store near the station.
An unexpected expense, but not one he regretted. It was about time to buy new clothes anyway.
‘Time to go.’
He’d cleared the anomaly and completely changed his look.
He’d done everything he could. Now it was just a matter of adapting to whatever followed.
Ian nodded in satisfaction, checked the workshop’s address, and set off.
Fortunately, the workshop wasn’t far from the station. No need for public transport.
Ian put on his earphones from his pocket and walked steadily, following the phone map.
Before long, he arrived at a small villa building.
He passed through the unlocked front gate and knocked on the door marked 305.
“Yes.”
A clear, feminine voice came from inside.
‘Wait, a woman?’
He’d assumed an elderly mage steeped in experience, so the unexpected voice caught him off guard.
Bang.
The door flew open, revealing a bob-haired girl in school uniform.
She scanned Ian with sharp eyes, then cautiously spoke.
“Newbie?”
“Ah, yes. Are you… Serious Magic Addict…?”
At Ian’s question, she smiled faintly.
“You made it. Come in.”