Chapter 90: Black Unicorn (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90: Black Unicorn (4)
Daimonas.
It is an Ancient Greek word meaning spirit or divine power.
It is the etymological root of the word "demon," and for the record, Daimonas is the plural form, so it translates to "demons."
As a hero name, it is truly ominous.
She wasn't originally called Daimonas; I recall her nickname being something like "The One Who Punishes Evil."
It seems the name stuck because her skill involves transforming into a demon, but there is one more reason it became plural.
While it grants her immense power, she cannot control the skill, leading her to attack everyone—monsters and allies alike. Hence, "demons."
They say there are countless demons residing within her, or something like that.
It’s not always the case, but since she loses control depending on her condition, quite a few heroes have reportedly fallen victim to her.
To put it simply, it’s easiest to think of her as a Berserker.
Sometimes she goes mad the moment she transforms; other times, she loses her mind in the heat of battle and suddenly turns on her team. Naturally, her comrades can't help but feel uneasy.
Even if she’s sane now, how can anyone focus on the fight knowing she might snap and attack at any moment?
Furthermore, her abilities skyrocket when she undergoes Demonization, making her incredibly difficult to suppress.
It was manageable at first, but as her stats rose, control became harder to maintain. After reaching C-rank, she reportedly wiped out her own party several times.
Once a prospect who might have become Poland's first S-rank, she has now become a problem child that everyone just hopes won't turn into a Villain.
According to Han Ju-hee, when she contacted the clan, they were so eager to get rid of her that they tried to sign the contract before we even confirmed we were taking her.
However, the woman herself had remained silent until now, so we waited.
"Anna Rubik is waiting in the training ground."
As soon as I stepped out of the van, Han Ju-hee, who had been waiting, walked alongside me and spoke.
"Huh? Why the training ground? Is she warming up? I didn't plan on doing any tests today."
"No... it's because of her skill..."
Han Ju-hee trailed off, looking embarrassed.
Ah.
She means they couldn't leave a ticking time bomb in a place full of staff members.
But as long as she doesn't use her skill, it shouldn't matter.
Even if she is dangerous, isn't this a bit rude to a guest?
"She requested it herself."
As if reading my thoughts from my expression, Han Ju-hee quickly added.
As we headed toward the sparring arena, Han Ju-hee gave me a quick briefing on the key points from the files she had sent earlier.
Stepping inside the area partitioned by reinforced walls, I saw a blonde foreigner who appeared to be Anna, along with Han So-ye.
Han So-ye, who had been looking after me since the Break Line incident, possessed the Deflection skill.
Even if Anna were to go on a rampage, having her there was as reassuring as having an A-rank hero present.
Seeing Han So-ye for the first time in a while, I gave a slight nod in greeting. She waved back silently with her usual gentle smile before stepping aside.
The protagonists of this meeting were, after all, Anna and me.
"Whoa... I thought she was a doll."
Kwon Ye-jin, standing behind me, muttered under her breath.
Just as she said, the woman sitting alone in a chair in the center of the arena looked like a life-sized doll.
Shimmering platinum blonde hair, porcelain skin, and deep blue eyes set within delicate features.
She had the long, slender limbs typical of Westerners, yet she possessed an undeniable youthful air.
She felt like a mix of a character from a foreign teen drama and a historical period piece set in the Middle Ages.
With only two chairs placed in the middle of the vast arena, it almost felt like a criminal organization had kidnapped her.
"Hey, she's dangerous."
Ellie whispered to me.
"I feel a negative energy even stronger than Raim's. It's a miracle she's not dead yet."
She might look fine on the outside, but the heart beneath that beautiful mask was supposedly rotting away.
I kept her advice in mind as I approached.
"Hello, my name is Anna Rubik."
Anna introduced herself in English.
It was a relief, in a way.
Though she had her own native Polish, it was fortunate that we could communicate in English.
"Yes, it must have been a long and difficult journey. I'm Jeong Yeon-woo of Square Garden."
After a brief greeting, I sat down across from her.
With Han Ju-hee and the others standing behind me, I really did feel like a mob boss.
"Um... I..."
"I'm sorry, but may I speak first?"
I cut off Anna, who was trying to speak with eyes that were beautiful yet filled with hesitation.
Han Ju-hee, having gathered a mountain of data on her situation within her clan, Polish public opinion, and the people around her, had made several deductions about her state of mind.
In truth, even without such complex data, her psychology was easy to read just by the fact that she was here.
A former prospect everyone once adored, now fallen. The skill she once considered a blessing was slowly tightening a noose around her neck.
No one wanted to party with her, and even her clan had given up on her.
The faces that once smiled at her during her rise had all turned their backs, and she could hear the insults whispered behind her.
Then, she received a call from the currently famous Black Unicorn.
There was a Korean expression that summarized this perfectly: Clutching at straws.
The reason she ignored the messages and agonized for so long was likely the worry over whether she could actually succeed here.
Because she knew her own skill all too well.
But in the end, she knocked on the door of Square Garden.
I was going to give her exactly what she wanted.
"Anna Rubik, I will make you the first Polish S-rank hero."
"... ..."
Her eyes were vacant, but at the bottom of those clear, deep pupils, a flickering light—nearly extinguished—shimmered.
I pulled out my pistol, removed the live rounds, and swapped in a magazine filled with sponge rounds as I continued.
"What is it that you're afraid of?"
"... ..."
"Monsters? Pain? Death? No. You're afraid of yourself. You're afraid of being consumed by a power you can't control, of killing your comrades, and of your skill making daily life impossible."
Anna's blue eyes wavered.
Her white hands, resting quietly on her lap, tightened into fists.
"What would happen if you used your skill outside a dungeon? A lot of people's blood would be on your hands. The cries of a child who lost their parents, the wailing of someone who lost their lover, people screaming for help from a burning house... But those screams wouldn't last long, would they? Because their throats would be slit by your hand—the hand of a demon."
As I described it in detail, Anna's hands began to tremble violently.
Then, her blue eyes, now tinged with murderous intent, glared at me.
It was a strange gaze where anger—telling me not to look at her that way—and the fear that such things might actually happen coexisted.
She must have imagined it countless times.
Until now, it was fine because she only used the skill in dungeons. But what if she used it outside?
If she encountered a Villain and felt her life was threatened, she might use the skill instinctively.
Dungeons had the insurance of the Jewel of Life, but outside, she would truly be killing someone.
As she began to shake and look dangerous, Han So-ye, who had been standing back, approached.
Kwon Ye-jin stepped up behind me, and Yoon A-young moved to protect Han Ju-hee.
"Why... why are you saying such things...?"
Seeing everyone's reaction, Anna looked at me with tears welling in her eyes.
The murderous intent had long vanished, leaving only a small, fragile girl.
"Because I'm going to take that fear away."
"... ..."
"Transform. Right now, with those exact emotions."
"But if I do it now, I'll definitely..."
"Trust me. There is only one thing Black Unicorn can do for you. We will take away your fear."
"... ..."
"Since I'm going to do that one thing for you, I want you to bet everything on Black Unicorn."
My smiling face was reflected in Anna's blue eyes.
"I believe you."
"... ..."
Anna, who had bowed her head in silence, glanced at Han So-ye before looking up again.
She was looking at the person who would suppress her before she transformed.
Her psychological pressure was so severe that she couldn't even use her skill properly without a safety net.
Fwoosh—
It sounded like something was turning to ash, and then mana began to pour from her body.
It was an ominous mana that made one's skin crawl just by being near it.
Anna's platinum blonde hair gradually darkened until it turned pitch black.
Horns slowly grew and sprouted from the top of her head.
"She looks like you."
Ellie, failing to read the room, whispered to me, but I kept my eyes fixed on Anna.
She had been wearing modest clothes, but as she transformed into a demon, a decadent beauty that made her attire irrelevant began to radiate from her.
Her body filled out, and her small chest grew large.
Her thighs and hips also filled out with a sexy fullness.
When Anna finally raised her head, her eyes had turned red as she glared at me.
But it wasn't a gaze meant to seduce. It was the gaze of a murderer, itching to tear my throat out.
Bang—!
Just as Han So-ye moved to block her, predicting her movement, a gunshot rang out from the gun I had resting on my thigh.
Whoa—she reacted to that? Just how much did her stats increase?
It didn't feel like she moved after seeing the bullet, but she blocked it with a sharp hand covered in black chitin.
Hehe—
A cruel smirk, as if mocking her prey, etched itself onto her face. I smiled back.
As the magic took effect, she felt something strange. She looked at the hand that had blocked the bullet; the mana was dispersing like blue grains and being absorbed into her.
On the surface, nothing seemed wrong.
"... ..."
Anna looked back and forth between her hand and me, standing behind Han So-ye, with a dazed expression. Soon, an uncontrollable smile spread across her face.
"You... really...?"
"Yes. How does it feel to have the fear gone?"
"Whoa... Ahaha... This is amazing... You, you're really sexy. Argh! Wait! I'm sane! Let go! You old hag!"
Anna, who had been reaching out toward me, was suppressed by Han So-ye and slammed onto the floor.
Han So-ye, who had twisted Anna's arm and placed a knee on her back, released her when I asked.
Once free, Anna quickly climbed onto my lap and stroked my cheek.
"You look fucking delicious. Want to do something fun with big sister?"
"Hmm... does your personality change when you turn into a demon too?"
"Why? Do you prefer the innocent Anna? But don't you like this version of me too?"
Anna pulled at her collar, showing me her cleavage.
Two firm melons swayed, beckoning me.
"Once you get a taste, you won't be able to escape."
"What an arrogant bitch. Show her who's on top. Turn her into a bitch who can't live without your cock!"
Ignoring the Fairy of Joy chattering noisily beside me, I pressed the muzzle of my gun against Anna's temple.
"The submissive type? Oh, big sister likes that too—"
Bang!
I pulled the trigger before she could finish, and Anna's head snapped back slightly.
"Uh... huh? Uh, uh...?"
Her Demonization deactivated. Anna looked confused for a moment before realizing she was hugging me. Her face turned bright red, and she scrambled to her feet.
"I am sorry, I am sorry."
She must have only learned that one Korean phrase, as she bowed repeatedly with awkward pronunciation.
Looking at the top of Anna's head, which had returned to platinum blonde, I said with a smile.
"It's alright, so you can look up now."
"I am sorry."
Anna bowed and apologized to the others as well before looking at me.
The eyes of the pitiful girl from before were gone.
Her eyes, now filled with hope, shone clearly, and her flushed cheeks were brimming with excitement for the future.
"I'll give you a week. Settle your affairs and come to Square Garden."
"Yes, thank you."
I stood up, speaking to her as she had clearly made up her mind without needing to be asked.
"I'm glad to have you with us."
"Yes, I am so happy too."
As she said she was happy, Anna's body trembled slightly.
She was feeling immense joy at having resolved her blessing and curse.
With a moved expression, Anna looked at me and the party members one by one, greeting us.
"Thank you, thank you. I will work hard."
"And learn Korean. Communication is important. Actually, wait. Who among you can speak English?"
I turned to the others and asked.
Kwon Ye-jin quietly looked away, pretending to be busy.
Everyone else, except for her, raised their hands.
Even Ellie shot her hand up.
I suppose since this is a world led by the US, English is a necessity.
But why can't you do it?
When I stared at her, Kwon Ye-jin just kept whistling and feigning ignorance.
"Start learning English from now on. Anna, you learn Korean too."
"Huh? No, Master, wait a sec."
"I'll test you later. If you fail, there's a punishment."
Ignoring her pleas for mercy, I looked at Anna.
"Welcome to Black Unicorn."
Anna nodded with a bright expression.