Eleven (3)
Lize's face twisted.
No matter what, the burly bald man approached with the thugs who looked like his lackeys.
His broad shoulders and the bulging muscles made him look like a powerful vampire who knew how to use his fists.
"These crazy bastards are circling like vultures."
Lize was about to charge forward with the intent to tear them apart right then and there.
Seowoo blocked her path.
"... Don't cause trouble here. I'll handle it. Calm down."
"Hey, you're hurt. Come with me."
"I understand how you feel, but you'll experience this kind of thing many times in the future. Are you going to cause an incident every time?"
In Lize's eyes as she stared at him, small ripples appeared.
"... Tch. Fine, I'll handle it myself."
"Thanks."
Perhaps because their hearts had gotten a bit closer?
Since the truth had been conveyed, Lize clicked her tongue and took a step back.
It was better to avoid what could be avoided.
Since they were the kind of people who could communicate, she wouldn't have started an argument in the first place. But still, she had no choice but to try resolving it through dialogue.
"Bald Bald!"
"B-Bald?!"
The moment Seowoo stepped in to take Lize's place, the vampires who had come to watch scattered upon seeing the man's face.
Given his appearance with the thugs and the reaction of the people, he seemed to be a fist that could be eaten in this area.
"Oh~ It's the human assistant from the research institute, isn't he?"
"What business do you have with us?"
Bold acted as if he had seen a great person, raising his chin mockingly at Seowoo.
"This is our territory. You have to pay toll."
"... Good."
Bold, showing greed, rubbed his fingers.
Internally, he was displeased, but he thought it was fortunate that it could be resolved with money.
At least until he handed over the gold coin from his emergency fund.
"Oh! As expected, the research institute people have a lot of money!"
"This should be enough. Then, I'll take my leave."
"Hey, wait."
Seowoo, who was trying to leave as quickly as possible, was stopped by a rough hand.
His eyes narrowed at the obvious scheme.
"A gold coin is a week's salary. This isn't silver or copper; the price should be sufficient, right?"
In the human realm, it's close to 10 million won.
In Nectar, it's valued similarly, so the toll was unreasonably high.
"No, no. One gold coin is only for one person."
"What nonsense...!"
Bold flicked his finger as if scolding a child, then clicked his tongue and laughed again, consumed by desire.
"If you don't have enough gold coins, pay with your body over there. Today, I'll even forgive that dirty body. If I beat you in a fight, the toll is covered, and you're a complete angel, aren't you? Hey, guys! Khehehe."
"Agreed, boss!"
"If the boss uses it and then we do, can we enjoy it too? Kk."
"Oh, then, miss, you have to jump three times today?"
Bold and his group surrounded Seowoo, poking his crotch with fingers or making lewd sounds with palms.
"Research institute hyung, get out quickly. We'll let you go slowly after tasting you."
"These crazy bastards. If the nobles from the research institute find out, they won't stay quiet."
I never thought I'd be saying this for the rest of my life.
It was like reciting lines from a third-rate villain.
Of course, the threat didn't work at all, and instead, Bold pushed forward a body that was twice as thick as his head.
"Hey, hey, research institute girl. What do we bottom-feeders have to fear from such words? Say that to those who have something to lose."
Bold, overwhelming with words and atmosphere, glanced at his thug, nodded as if agreeing, and the subordinate, with a thick wound on his arm, swung hard at Seowoo.
"Here, a gift."
Thud.
At the same time as Lize was startled, the blood flowing down her arm splashed towards Seowoo's face.
"...!"
The white coat, which had been white like raindrops on dry land, was stained with blood.
Fortunately, by quickly covering his mouth with his sleeve, he avoided disaster.
It was a situation equivalent to attempted murder.
There was no room for mercy in the evil that had crossed the line.
He didn't want to use Acid's power if possible, but the situation didn't allow it.
"Lize, go through the portal first... "
"Hey! Teacher! In front!"
The words he was about to pass to Lize ended the moment he turned his head.
Crack!
A strong shock rose from his jaw, shaking his brain.
Bold's fist was fierce enough to easily snap Seowoo's neck.
When Seowoo was cautiously opening his mouth to check the situation, the thug with the cue had swung his hand without hesitation.
"Hah, the brat's head is spinning. Art."
"Shit... "
With curses, Seowoo lost consciousness and hung limply in Bold's grasp.
Afterwards, Lize, with her nails out, rushed in.
"What? Can't you see? Can't you understand the situation?"
"Tsk."
Lize hesitated at the nails Bold was thrusting at Seowoo.
Originally, it wouldn't matter what happened to a human from the research institute.
But a half-day was enough to change her mind.
Even though she still felt disgust towards them.
At least, it could be said that Yoon Seowoo's efforts hadn't been in vain.
"Many eyes are watching. Follow me."
"Shut up and guide me."
Today, the day seemed to be unusually long.
* * *
His jaw ached.
His head throbbed.
How long had it been since he lost consciousness?
A refreshing moisture and the familiar smell of blood pricked his nostrils.
He lifted his eyelids at the vaguely noisy sound.
The space, unusually dark and gloomy compared to the outside, he immediately recognized as Bold's hideout.
"Hey! Push harder!"
"Guys, try a little harder! How much shit have I taken just to eat that girl!"
"Kyaa! These bastards!"
"Oh, it's working!"
"Oh!"
Lize was covered in various wounds and blood, like a girl from a lurid novel.
Even in the midst of it, the disposal unit's prestige wasn't empty, as many corpses lay at her feet.
Despite being quite tired, she avoided attacks with flexible movements and pierced through their bodies.
But that was it.
Their shouts quickly began to be heard, and the bottom-feeders cheered every time Lize's clothes were torn.
Some of the more extreme ones were shaking their butts behind even if their comrades were being beaten.
"... Tch."
He had to get up.
Ignoring the pain, Lize was in danger.
Seeing her panting with her body trembling, she looked like she would collapse at any moment.
... It was all his fault.
His response had been too weak.
He had thought this level of caution was enough.
He had underestimated the vampires outside the research institute.
Lize was just a kid like the orphanage siblings.
A kid like that was risking her life to protect him.
She was becoming the target of sexual desire.
He was angry at himself for trying to end the matter without escalating it.
Because of today's events, perhaps it would make it hard to go out.
Perhaps that would become poison for escaping Nectar.
He had been too calculating and selfish.
"Tch... Tch..."
Some might say he wasn't rational.
But no one would say that while seeing Lize's current appearance.
His clenched fists split the dirt ground into five cracks.
He would kill every single one of the bastards here.
His mind was filled with killing intent to the point where he couldn't control his rationality.
With that heavy body, he crawled towards the place where the vampires' corpses were scattered.
Now, filled with the scent of fresh blood and the sound of tearing flesh and blood.
No one here cared about Seowoo.
He picked up the scattered flesh randomly.
He picked up the roughly torn intestines.
And then.
Gulp.
Gulp.
He stuffed them into his mouth until he choked.
He chewed with his blunt, dull fangs compared to theirs.
He bit and bit the vampire's flesh, which was no different from human.
"... Uck..."
Blood flowed from between his lips.
Even if it tasted like vomit, it didn't matter.
He ignored the disgust rising from his stomach and forced it down like a machine.
"---!"
The sudden backlash.
He covered his mouth with both hands, killing even the sound of leaking.
Because he had consumed too much blood, more than usual, blood spurted from between his fingers.
Pain was familiar.
After pushing through the sensation of his intestines rupturing and the coming agony, it was finally completed.
"... "
His fangs had noticeably lengthened, and his senses had expanded hundreds of times.
The disgusting smell of blood became endlessly sweet.
In a corner of the hideout.
Red light flashed in the pitch-black darkness.
* * *
"Ugh... No more strength..."
Finally, Lize's body, which had been stubbornly holding on, collapsed.
No matter how many thugs there were, about a hundred, it was too much.
If it was fortunate, it was fortunate.
The original purpose was to protect the fallen Seowoo.
But the thugs, who had no interest in him, had somehow turned into playthings and rushed at her.
As a result, it became poison.
But at least, it was good that one person could be saved.
"... Ah..."
Scary.
The ending point of a life spent as an experimental subject was to be a sex tool.
How.
Was her life so miserable.
The time to truly accept defeat was approaching with the tightening siege.
Tears were falling drop by drop in her field of vision.
"Hey! Guys! This girl is crying!"
"Are you happy already and crying? Kahaha!"
"Kukuk, if I give birth, I'll use that kid well, so don't worry!"
All kinds of ridicule and mockery stirred his heart.
It was better to burst his heart than to let his body be abused by such bastards.
It was fortunate that he still had that much strength.
The hand slowly rising towards his chest.
On the last road, he wanted to see Seowoo's face.
A person who wasn't hateful despite being a human from the research institute.
Not reliable, but a person who kept his word.
And a person who treated him with sincerity.
"... Eh? Where is he..."
He wasn't there where he should be lying.
At that moment.
"What, what!"
"Kyaak!"
"Some bastard behind me! Uwaak!"
"Ru-run! Kueek!"
The ones who came to relieve their lewd sexual desire on the exhausted him fell one by one.
"What the... "
The situation changed as if flipping a palm, too suddenly.
But the question of how things were going didn't last long.
Because the person who broke through the thick siege appeared with a body drenched in blood.
"Teacher... ?"
The face sharper than usual and the red eyes were unfamiliar.
But the shape of the face was still there.
"... Sorry. And thank you."
Seowoo hugged the battered Lize.
There were many things he wanted to say.
There were doubts and things he wanted to convey.
But since the truth had been conveyed, Lize could trust Seowoo with just a moment of empathy.
"... Actually, I was very scared."
"It's okay now. Rest a little."
"... Yeah."
Lize, relieved by the calm voice, lost consciousness.
If she had the belief that life was the most important thing above all else.
She would abandon it now.