MTLNOVEL Chapter 37
Chapter 37
—–CROW—–
The Defectors. The world’s worst criminals. The only ones capable of committing acts of terror against not just nations, but the entire world. Strong enough that it was said a single Defector could destroy the United States, even at its peak. A group comprised of those driven by noble causes and hatred, and those who pursued base pleasures. The hideout of these heinous criminals, the Defectors, was surprisingly conspicuous and out in the open.
“Here’s your order of seven medium-rare filet mignon steaks and two Norwegian salmon steaks.”
“Thank you. Hey, food’s here!”
“Room service is available until 9 PM.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The [Myeongwha Hotel], the most expensive and renowned hotel built in Seoul after the Great Rift. This Myeongwha Hotel was filled with the worst criminals and terrorists, each capable of shaking a nation. One might wonder how the Defectors could so brazenly stay in such a place.
Before the Great Rift, only those with proper identification could board planes, and hotels in safe cities meticulously checked guests’ IDs. But those days were long gone. Long-distance travel was now possible not just by plane or ship, but also through scrolls, Awakened with teleportation abilities, and teleportation centers. Even Seoul, considered safe, harbored countless illegal immigrants and those with erased identities hidden throughout the city. As long as one had the money, even with a dubious identity, staying in a decent hotel was no problem. In this day and age, money often replaced identity.
And all Defectors were high-ranking Awakened. It would be stranger if they *didn’t* have money.
“Wow, the Seoul nightscape is beautiful. Kuala Lumpur’s view was ruined by a Laplacia bigger than the hotel itself…”
“It’s one of the few major cities that preserved its pre-Great Rift nightscape.”
“That view was built on the blood of our brethren.”
“It’s a nice view. Just eat your food.”
“Haaam, where’s that Bella bitch? She usually comes running as soon as the food arrives.”
Seoul’s current safety was thanks to the forced revisions of laws in the early days of the Great Rift, which conscripted inexperienced Awakened into public service as Hunters. Since it was a nation that already disregarded international human rights treaties and operated a conscription-based military, applying similar measures to the Awakened wasn’t difficult.
Of course, even safe Seoul had lawless, no-man’s lands like the [Beetle Nest] in Mapo District. But compared to Tokyo, where monsters openly nested in the middle of the city and hell unfolded in the sewers, Seoul was indeed a paradise.
Of course, the government at that time paid a heavy price. And the current government, quietly established, was desperately trying to maintain the status quo.
“So, how long are we staying in Seoul?”
“Think of it as a week-long vacation.”
“Damn it, can’t we just meet for that deal, exchange what needs to be exchanged, and be done with it?”
“The essence of a deal is to take what you can from the other party while minimizing your own losses. It’s the same for them, so it can’t be helped if it takes time.”
In any case, the Defectors, who would normally be causing large-scale massacres in Middle Eastern conflict zones or the swamps of the Rocky Mountains, or orchestrating major terrorist attacks, were spending their time quietly in Seoul.
Naturally, some Defectors had their own causes and beliefs, but many were high-ranking Awakened with destructive tendencies. Some were insane enough to be unable to sleep without seeing blood, and some had abilities that required them to commit constant murder and atrocities.
-Slam!
Suddenly, someone burst through the window of the penthouse on the top floor of the Myeongwha Hotel. It was Bella, the wolf girl with silver-gray hair, short stature, and a remarkably glamorous figure.
“I’m back.”
“Oh, you’re back? Did you meet her?”
The tone wasn’t particularly expectant.
“Where’s oppa?”
“The boss is in the bedroom. Working.”
“….”
“So, how did it go? Is that succubus, or demon, or whatever she is, joining us…?”
But Bella didn’t answer and strode towards the bedroom where her oppa was.
“What a bitch. What does the boss see in her…?”
“She has a nice face.”
“Just a pretty face.”
Ignoring them completely, Bella chewed on her lip nervously and entered the room where her oppa was.
“Ah, Bella. You’re back.”
“…Nail oppa.”
Oppa. His name was Nail. She didn’t know his last name. He had blond hair, blue eyes, and a tall, handsome appearance. He had the face of a pretty boy, like a movie or anime protagonist, but his body was toned and graceful. He was the only man Bella could open her heart to after becoming a Defector.
‘Sigh, seeing Nail oppa puts my mind at ease.’
After Nail rescued Bella from a secret Japanese government laboratory, she swore to dedicate her body and soul to him. Not to that damn bitch…!
‘That crazy bitch. The rumors about succubi sleeping with anyone regardless of gender were true. If I had been a little unlucky, or if that damn suit-wearing bitch hadn’t been satisfied with entertaining those old men, I would have lost my virginity, which I haven’t even given to Nail oppa…!’
That damn bitch. She was clearly toying with me from the start. With that pretty face, that beautiful, noble, radiant face, shining brighter than a star in the dark, she… Kyaak! Fuck, what am I thinking?!
‘That damn bitch. What kind of mental contamination did she inflict on me…!’
“Judging by your expression, it didn’t go well. It’s alright. I expected as much.”
Nail’s expression was as if he had anticipated this.
“Did you know this would happen from the start, oppa?”
“I dug around a bit, and she’s a woman with many secrets. I don’t know if it’s the Korean government’s protection or surveillance, but many eyes are on her. It would have been more suspicious if she had accepted our offer.”
“…She refused the offer to join the Defectors.”
“Even if she truly intended to join us, she wouldn’t be able to unless she severed her ties with the current Korean government. I don’t know if it’s a simple contract, loyalty, or her own beliefs.”
“She refused the offer to join the Defectors.”
“Yes, I heard you, Bella.”
“That woman…”
Bella trailed off mid-sentence.
That woman.
Lee Jae-hee.
That demon told me.
Whispered to me.
With those beautiful lips.
With that red tongue.
To me.
To me.
To me…!
[Go back and tell them that I’ve refused the offer to join the Defectors.]
That sentence had another meaning.
[I will not allow you to divulge anything else.]
But Bella was undeterred.
‘Fuck that shit!’ I’ll talk! I’ll tell Oppa, and I’ll tell all our comrades what a fucking bitch you are, and that you need to be killed!
Just then, Bella’s shadow spoke.
-Are you going to talk?
“…?!”
A slimy, sticky voice that seemed to crawl up from the depths of the abyss. A seductive, beautiful voice that threatened to drag her down into those depths if she listened too closely. Her ordinary shadow contorted into a shape she’d never seen before.
No, she *had* seen it before. She couldn’t forget it, having just witnessed it. That shadow belonged to the succubus, the beautiful Lee Jae-hee-nim. The beautiful Jae-hee-nim was telling her, *don’t talk*. The lovely Jae-hee-nim, the beautiful Jae-hee-nim, the pretty Jae-hee-nim, the Jae-hee-nim who deserved all praise…
“Bella, are you alright?”
“Ah…”
At Nail’s question, Bella realized she was drenched in cold sweat. Her shadow was normal. There were no whispers. But Bella realized it was still there. With her.
Her tongue. Her tongue hurt. No, her tongue was sensitive. It hurt. The pain felt good. It was sensitively, pleasantly painful. Her tongue. Her tongue danced on its own.
Her tongue spoke.
-I’m fine.
“Ah, I-I’m s-sorry, Oppa. I’m fine.”
“Really? Did something happen? Bella, I’m on your side, so you can tell me anything. Did you experience anything strange today, or feel anything unusual?”
Nail stroked Bella’s hair with genuine concern. Though not blood-related, they were lovers, as close as siblings, and Nail truly cared for Bella.
But instead of Bella, her “tongue” answered.
“I’m fine, Oppa.”
“Yeah, you’ll be fine, Bella. You can shrug off any curse or spell, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’m fine, Oppa.”
-No, I’m not fine! I’m not okay! That bitch did something to me! I have to tell Oppa! I’m not okay!
-Really?
The shadow smiled.
-Really?
-Are you really going to say that?
Time stopped again. The abyss crawled up. The corners of the shadow’s mouth curved into a deep crescent moon. The beautiful Jae-hee-nim smiled. Ah, her smile was beautiful. Her smile. So pretty. Praise her. Revere her. Goddess. Demon. God…
-Are you really going to say that?
A chillingly beautiful voice. The voice felt like a knife, piercing through her eardrums and into each of her brain cells.
I have to talk. I have to tell him, no matter what! Maybe not the others, but at least Oppa…!
-Oh, really? Then tell me.
The shadow suddenly granted permission. It had been saying no, no, but now it was allowing her?
But at the shadow’s next words, Bella screamed, a scream no one could hear in this frozen world.
-I’m curious to see what happens.
“…!”
Now, what would happen? What kind of disaster would unfold? How many people here would survive? What kind of gruesome fate awaited everyone here? A pure, yet cruel curiosity. Feeling it, Bella understood. And she prayed.
‘I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. I won’t say anything. Please don’t let me say anything. I beg you. Please. Please. Please…!!!’
The shadow laughed.
-You’re empty.
Time resumed. Bella returned to reality. Not even a second had passed… only a strange sensitivity, a tingling pleasure, and a slight warmth lingered on her tongue.
“Bella? Are you okay? Your face…”
“Ah, I’m just tired today!”
“Tired? You?”
Bella was among the most boisterous and reckless of the Defectors. She had a pretty face, but her actions were those of a barbarian or a hyper-masculine marine. Bella knew how she was usually perceived, so she just bit her lip awkwardly, clutched her lower abdomen, and remained silent.
“Ah… sorry. I wasn’t being considerate. I should have told you not to go if it was that time of the month…”
But Nail misunderstood Bella’s behavior. He probably thought it was her period. Even Awakened individuals often experienced normal bodily functions.
“Ah, ah! Th-that’s right! I need to go pee!”
“Ahem, Bella. You’re a woman, so try to be a little…”
“Ah, uh, yeah…”
Fortunately, Nail’s misunderstanding provided Bella with an escape.
-Oppa~ Our Bella won’t have her time of the month anymore~ because I’m in control now~
‘Shut up!!!! Hik?! Haa…?!’
But before she could finish her harsh words, Bella flinched at the tingling sensation on her tongue. A feeling of needing to urinate, her legs closing together, a warmth gathering in her lower abdomen. This unfamiliar sensation she couldn’t get used to. Seeing this, Nail thought Bella seemed twice as feminine as usual today.
“Ahem, I’ve set the filet mignon in the living room… eat it if you’re hungry.”
“…Okay.”
In the end, Bella couldn’t tell her oppa anything.
And she trudged, listlessly, into the penthouse living room. Her face was the same as usual, yet simultaneously pale, drained of blood. She slumped down.
On the terrace, her fellow Defectors were chatting.
“It’s peaceful, but boring~”
“Haaam, should I just infect everyone?”
A Defector with a wicked smile spoke. Her ability was [Infection]. What she infected and how it spread was random, but the target of the infection always followed her will. She could spread a virus that eradicated only monsters, leaving humans unharmed. She could erase mana in an area or spread a plague that acted as a wide-range buff, amplifying the mana of her allies. Of course, she could also spread a virus that specifically targeted humans. In other words… she could have a widespread impact on the entire city and its civilians. And such a widespread impact would attract the attention of that monstrous woman disguised as a succubus.
“No, don’t!!!!”
Bella screamed involuntarily at her comrade’s words. Don’t provoke her! That crazy bitch! Don’t ever provoke that succubus!
“What’s wrong, Miss Bella? Are you on your period or something? Why so sensitive?”
“…?”
“What’s with you?”
“Bella, is something wrong?”
The other Defectors, including the women, looked at Bella curiously. The plague comment was obviously a joke, but normally, Bella wouldn’t even react to such jokes…
“…Ah, o-oppa said we shouldn’t cause any trouble before the deal is done! It’ll be troublesome if we attract attention and raise the government’s alert level!”
“I know, I know. I was just joking. Why so edgy all of a sudden?”
“What a dramatic reaction. Like lovebirds.”
The Defectors didn’t pay much attention. So, they didn’t notice how pale Bella’s face had become. And they didn’t notice the shadow behind her, smiling and gently caressing her cheek.
“Ah, ah… aaah…”
Bella, who always considered her shadow her ability, a part of her body and a companion, had never been so afraid of her own shadow.
At that moment, Bella realized. The body and heart she intended to dedicate to Nail oppa had already been taken by someone else, and she couldn’t even warn her Defector comrades about that crazy bitch.
—–CROW—–