Realizing that what I had been dealing with until now wasn’t just an ordinary monster but an experintal subject, I stiffened and fluffed up my fur, heightening my guard.
The second experintal subject after Gu Seoryong.
But this one was distinctly different from her.
...This bastard was closer to being a monster.
[Was that thing you just used sothing humans call a tactic? Using multiple abilities at once to make it impossible to respond... it's the sa as what we do.]
[...You.]
[Number 444.]
[One of the Numbers, huh.]
The one who introduced himself as 444 began circling slowly across the grass.
It was ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) a tiny scrap of information I had picked up from overhearing conversations between the researchers and the experintal subjects back at the lab.
Roman nurals, the alphabet, the Numbers — they all shared the experintal subject sequence.
I, CXI, was G3 — aning I was the thirty-eighth subject created after Gu Seoryong, who had been the seventy-third.
The one standing before was the three-hundred-and-thirty-third subject created after .
[You escaped the lab?]
[Escaped? Are you seriously under the delusion that you broke out of the lab by your own power? You were discarded as a failure. And... I’m here to eat you.]
Suddenly, sothing Gu Seoryong had said to floated through my mind.
Hadn’t she asked if the lab had sent to kill her?
I hadn’t truly believed sothing like that...
Feeling a flicker of surprise, I summoned my abilities and denied 444’s claim.
[Doesn’t seem like sothing you’re capable of.]
[Of course not. Unfortunately, I can’t devour you alone.]
Which was why there were two of them.
However, with one currently fighting Starlight, the one destined to die here wasn’t — it was 444.
But then, right beside him, another monster appeared — identical to 444.
[With two of us, it’s possible.]
An illusion powerful enough that even a monster could sense it?
Or maybe a clone?
I had hoped it was just an illusion, but unfortunately, the new arrival vibrated with a monster core.
A clone created through ability wouldn't have a core.
The third — another despair-class monster.
[There was another one.]
[But how did you set up a trap with the humans?]
[You really opened your mouth just to ask that?]
[Curious? Are you saying you're curious? I see. Curious.]
[Curious? Curious, curious?]
CRUNCH, CRUNCH.
As they walked, the grass under their feet slowly froze, transforming into blades of ice.
The two monsters coated their tails in the frozen spikes, growing them bigger with every step.
[How did we get caught? I made sure we never showed up on more than one surveillance cara.]
[The caras didn’t catch you.]
[I even paid attention so only one presence would be detected.]
[No mistakes with stealth either. The alarms only ever triggered once.]
[You never even spoke to the humans, CXI. Did you consu a telepathic ability or sothing?]
[CXI can swallow abilities. Unlike us, he can pick and choose what he eats.]
BOOM! BOOM!
The two despair-class monsters exploded with black smoke, surrounding .
Two despair-classes.
Once again, the odds tilted against .
Judging that any reckless move would be unwise, I quietly gathered my power.
[Thanks to that, we threw 404 out as bait, just like the plan.]
[404 can die for all we care! Bait!]
[No more humans getting in the way.]
[The researchers are always right! CXI made a pact with the humans!]
The faster they circled , crunching over the frozen grass, the more the ice blades grew.
The residue of abilities stuck between the shards stiffened my senses.
They were mimicking the "rings" the heroes had used earlier, a siege unfolding by two monsters.
[But why? Why don’t you follow a monster’s instincts?]
[Why? How? I’m curious.]
[Curious.]
[Curious.]
The two monsters, their voices filled with giddy excitent, resonated their monster cores together.
The overlapping circular waveforms cracked the icy spikes around us.
[If we eat you, we’ll know.]
[Eat CXI! Succeed!]
SHING!
The hardened ice spikes shot into the air, turning into a blizzard of razor blades that descended upon .
Wrapping myself in flas, I summoned a whirlwind of heat to shield against the mist and used telekinesis to seize 444 mid-charge.
For a fleeting instant, I held him in place, ready to tear into him with my teeth—
But before I could, another one exploded from smoke onto my back and knocked aside.
CRACK!
The sound of space itself tearing filled the air.
Abandoning 444, I leapt away, just as the newcor scraped the sky with its claws.
It licked its claws with a wet slurp.
This one... was faster. Much faster than 444.
[I forgot to introduce her. This is 499. My little sister.]
[Introduction? If you don’t introduce yourself, you’re a failure! Monsters that don’t obey are failures! Nice to et you! I’m 499!]
[...CXI.]
[Thank you! CXI?]
The one called 499 plopped down politely, folding her legs under her, and gave a neat bow.
That strange mood lingered only for a second.
The mont she bowed, she launched straight at .
[Kill CXI!]
ZZZZZZZT!
A bat-like shriek echoed as 499 tore through space itself.
Using the gap left by the torn space to accelerate, she closed the distance in an instant.
As I retreated, she pursued relentlessly.
I activated Thunderfang.
In that mont, my body transford into pure energy, surpassing the limits of physical speed.
Flashing like a lightning bolt, I was about to pierce through 499—
But 444 opened a portal.
WHUM!
Passing through the spatial tunnel, the ground and sky flipped upside down before my eyes.
BOOM!
Thunder rolled late as I crashed back to the ground.
Regenerating my numb body, I glared at the two monsters.
[Thunderfang’s finisher? You burn out after one use, right?]
[It’s useless, CXI. You’re no longer the strongest experintal subject.]
[Space manipulation is the ultimate ability! Best in offense and defense!]
It was true.
The core of their abilities was clearly space manipulation.
Opening wormholes to redirect attacks, tearing space itself to strike—
An all-in-one offensive and defensive system.
Unlike , who changed powers depending on the opponent, they could adapt to any situation with just one ability.
[I’ll beco the strongest experintal subject, by killing you! By devouring the cores of two despair-class monsters!]
[Brother’s going to eat ? Protect ... then eat!]
BOOM!
With a burst of black smoke, the two monsters crossed the distance instantly and bared their claws at .
I slipped into the shadow below to evade, but the ice-blade mist slashed at my body.
The blades made of frozen shards clung tightly, chilling and binding .
I wreathed myself in flas to burn them off—
But 499 unleashed a sonic ability.
[Fire! Put out the fire!]
[Kahahaha! Co on, struggle more!]
WOOOOOOM!
A low-frequency wave distorted the shape of the flas.
Sound manipulation—
They were trying to jam my communications and disrupt my regenerative fla abilities.
Their powers had all been designed to counter .
[Tag, you're it! Get caught, and you’re at!]
They chased relentlessly as I swam through the darkness of the ground, slashing at the space around .
As I dodged and fled, I racked my brain for a way out.
If it was just one of them, I could handle it easily.
But two?
It was overwhelming.
The best strategy would be to restore it to a 2v2.
If I could just stall for ti until Starlight killed one and ca for ...
Would these bastards be prepared for that?
They said it was part of the plan to let one of their own fight Starlight.
If I were in their place—
If I hated an enemy so much I wanted them dead—
I’d sacrifice one target and wait for a chance to ambush again.
And the best way to create that chance was obvious:
Human hunting.
If I didn’t finish these two now, the hell of these past few days would repeat itself.
In that case...
How?
Having thought that far, I shifted my focus to a thod that flickered through my mind.
If they had been watching nonstop from the beginning, maybe it wouldn't work—but if that were the case, they wouldn’t have sent just three despair-class monsters after .
It was a gamble.
Maybe it would make things even worse—
But it was worth a shot.
[If you’re trying to buy ti, it’s pointless, CXI. 404’s regeneration is the highest among the 400-series. Even if all of W-City’s heroes fought him, he could hold out more than twice as long as it would take us to hunt you down.]
[Calculation! Perfect! Data! Data? Collection!]
THOOM!
Canceling my phasing, I burst up through the ground, using Thunderfang to dash across the sky.
The only reason I could push Thunderfang like this—despite it not being an ability ant for continuous use—was because I wasn’t Thunderfang itself.
FLASH—BOOM!
Lightning and thunder roared as I crashed down onto my targeted spot.
[Grrrr...]
[Second move! How? Curious!]
Standing on the scorched ground, regenerating my numbed body, I found 499 had reached first.
I had felt it during the chase—
The effective range of their space manipulation wasn’t very long.
Given the speed of their ability projection and the superior physical prowess of 499, it was only natural she’d get here first.
There was a tiny window before 444 arrived.
I could try targeting 499 during that gap, but—
Now that I had a better plan, that option didn’t appeal to .
[Ooooooh!]
[...Huh?]
I lifted my head high and let out a deep, rumbling howl, vibrating my monster core.
WUUUUNG, WUUUUNG...
A soft yet sticky wave spread through the air, rippling out like liquid sound.
499 tilted her head, confused as she was exposed to the wave.
[What? CXI, that’s not an attack.]
[What the hell are you doing, CXI?]
444, who arrived monts later, growled and stepped protectively in front of her.
He must have sensed the pulse I had released earlier.
[What’s the big idea? Did you think if you courted her, she’d go into heat and mate with you or sothing?]
[Mate?]
What I had released was a courtship pulse.
499 looked puzzled, while 444 scowled, misunderstanding that I was trying to seduce her to my side.
But the place where I had landed—
This was Zone 4.
"Oh my, I don’t think our little kitty was wagging his tail for her."
Click, click—
The sound of high heels echoed closer, gradually heavying into a thud, thud, thud.
White scales. Flowing hair. A split tongue flicking between fangs.
A thick, powerful tail.
Gu Seoryong licked venom from her fingertips as she spoke.
"Hi, honey. You look like you’re in trouble?"
I had called in another despair-class monster of W-City.
Seeing Gu Seoryong in her fully monstrous form, the two monsters failed to hide their confusion.
I grinned.
They didn’t know her.
[Who... are you?]
[What? Human? Monster?]
"Oh my, a monster that talks?"
Gu Seoryong gasped theatrically, covering her mouth with her hand.
Then she cast a sly glance my way, narrowing her eyes.
"Huh... I see. I get it. You summoned to help you fight these monsters, right? And these talking monsters... they’re lab experints, aren’t they?"
[Are you an experintal subject too?]
[She knows the lab!]
"Hmm? Do I look like a monster? When I’m this pretty?"
[Experint...? Human, human? Pretty!]
"Aw, this little kitty knows how to appreciate beauty."
Gu Seoryong spun on her heel, snapping her fingers, drawing the monsters’ cautious gazes.
"But Black Cat, isn’t this a little unfair? It’s two against one... they clearly have the numbers on their side."
After throwing that out with feigned innocence, she turned back toward the monsters and slowly approached.
"You know, I’m more interested in the lab that fuses monsters with humans than I am in Black Cat himself. So... what do you say, esteed guests from the lab? If I help you capture him, will you introduce to your little research center?"
[Keh-heh... pathetic, CXI. You've been abandoned?]
[Abandoned? Mommy?]
The two monsters chuckled mockingly.
Gu Seoryong, turning her back to them and facing , sharpened her claws as if ready to attack.
"But hey, you two over there? You’re not escapees like Black Cat, right? You were sent here to capture him?"
[Keh-heh... I’m nothing like that failure.]
[Received orders from the lab! Capture Black Cat!]
"Oh reaaally~?"
The mont they answered, their voices tinged with laughter, Gu Seoryong lashed her white tail in a sharp flick.
SLAP—SLAP—SLAP—
The sound echoed through the air.
Then, with unhurried steps, she closed the distance to the monsters.
Plunging her fingers deep into their necks, she smiled sweetly and said:
"So basically, you’re idiots who obey human orders over your own monster instincts♥."
[Guh...?! Y-You bitch!]
[Eh...? A-Ah!]
CRACK!
Panicking, the two monsters instinctively tore open space itself.
But the wounds they created weren’t in front of Gu Seoryong, who stood between them—
They were at each other’s throats.
[AAAAARGH! 499, what are you doing?!]
[Ugh...! Brother? Brother?!]
"Ahahahahaha! Information gathering complete~!"
Kicking off the ground with a gust, Gu Seoryong landed next to , licking the blood and venom from her fingertips.
"I figured it’d be sothing like this. If you want monsters to obey commands, you have to break their ntal resistance. Honestly, though, this is just... pitiful."
As the poisoned monsters stumbled, gasping for breath, their pupils losing focus, Gu Seoryong casually snapped her fingers.
"Their bodies are despair-class... but their brains aren’t even disaster-class."
[Wh-What... is this...! Guh... haah...!]
[Eh? T-This... What is it? Curious, curious...?]
"Oh, that? Hmm, well, the exact type of drug or ability probably doesn’t matter much, does it?"
Still snapping her fingers rhythmically, Gu Seoryong flashed one finger behind her where I could see it.
Then she raised it to point at the two experintal subjects.
"The important thing is... it’s only going to get harder and harder for you two to deal with us."
A beckoning gesture.
And then—
She pointed straight at them.
"Dundeun? Bite."
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