2 – I’m Pretty!

The Beetle’s Egg Cluster basically had many people with illegal identities, but it wasn’t an area openly full of criminals.

People who couldn’t openly operate in the sunlight.

There were many people involved in the entertainment industry, as well as Awakened-related surgeons that couldn’t be revealed to civilians. But most of all, there were Succubus and Incubus.

In the case of Incubus and Succubus, there were those who were transferred from the Otherworld to Earth. There were also cases where normal humans mutated into Succubus species. Basically, they had to officially register their identity with the government.

Then, they could receive potions containing human Vitality regularly every month. Instead, they had to report all their activities to the government, living as if they were being monitored.

They were often high-class personnel called escorts, and sometimes they used their powers as Awakened and demon species.

In fact, it was said that high-ranking officials and wealthy families had at least one Succubus or Incubus they cherished, and there were even Succubus who lived a decent life with a chaebol by their side.

However, unless they were in the top 1 percent of Succubus, the rest lived ordinary lives.

And that was while reporting all their daily lives to the government and institutions.

No one welcomed such a life.

Even ordinary humans would feel suffocated, but for Succubus, whose nature was free and open, it was literally a prison without bars and an invisible leash.

So, they often voluntarily headed to lawless zones outside the boundaries of the law, like the Beetle’s Egg Cluster.

They were generally capable of protecting themselves. If they went to a lawless zone, they could freely obtain human Vitality and earn money at the same time.

From the perspective of Succubus and Incubus, they could satisfy their desires and be treated well, so how could they not welcome it?

“…Sorry, I don’t think I can today….”

“Huh? Why?”

But today was different.

Since becoming a Succubus, she had never been sick or even caught a common cold, but for some reason, her body was shivering today, and she flinched without realizing it.

And it wasn’t just one Succubus who was like that. All the Succubus in the Beetle’s Egg Cluster were showing similar symptoms.

It wasn’t critically painful or at the level of a disease, but their condition itself was low, and they felt nauseous.

To put it bluntly, it felt like being naked in front of a hungry beast like a brown bear, shark, or tiger.

Of course, a Succubus could beat a brown bear with her bare hands, but the feeling she had now made her feel a strange sense of powerlessness that reminded her of her days as an ordinary human.

‘Ugh, this is weird… Did a saint come to the basement? No, even if a saint came, it wouldn’t hurt this much…’

The last time she felt this way was when a saint who resided in the Vatican visited Korea.

Even then, she only felt a slight dizziness like motion sickness, but her body didn’t hurt or tremble to the point where her condition was low.

“Is our Miyeon sick? She always used to cling to us, wanting to do it first?”

“…Sorry. I’m really shivering today, and my condition isn’t good, so I don’t think I can provide the service that Unni and Oppa deserve.”

“Okay…”

The regular customers clicked their tongues, looking at the trembling Succubus with regret.

“It can’t be helped. What can we do if Miyeon is sick?”

“Still, I came all the way here, so take this. It’s a fried mint chocolate soboro from Seongsimdang. I hope you like it.”

“Oh, oh… You shouldn’t have… Thank you, Oppa~”

“Later, my Unni said she wanted to meet you. She asked you to come when you feel better.”

“Ah, Gray Unni? Okay. I’ll go as soon as I feel better.”

It wasn’t like the lawless zone was only full of trashy gangster bastards.

In fact, that kind of group was a minority.

In the early days of the Rift, there were many Awakened who had moved to the lawless zone for unavoidable reasons due to the government’s policy of suppressing Awakened. Above all, even if Succubus were called prostitutes or entertainment workers, anyone who slept with a Succubus even once would have tremendous affection for her.

Someone was acting violently towards a Succubus?

Then, everyone who had slept with her even once in the vicinity would come out and try to kill the person who was acting violently, saying, ‘Did you touch our Noona?’

In short, a Succubus who had spent quite some time here was like having a gang organized by her own body, not an organization run by money and drugs.

Miyeon, who had politely sent the customers away, sighed and wrapped herself in clothes.

She usually wore revealing clothes and looked for customers without any problems, but today, she didn’t feel well and didn’t feel like walking around anymore.

“Ugh, this feels bad. Why is this happening…”

-Beep

“Hmm?”

Then, a signal sounded on a different smartwatch, not Miyeon’s phone.

A hologram written in red letters that only Miyeon could see unfolded in front of her eyes. She immediately sensed that something unusual had happened at her business and frowned.

“It’s me. What’s going on?”

[That’s… I’m sorry. There was an accident at the auction house, Boss.]

“Accident? Did the hyenas attack? Didn’t I tell you to tear them apart without reporting if they come?”

[That’s not it, but…]

Then, the Miyeon who treated Unni and Oppa kindly disappeared without a trace, and a cold and beautiful woman with the impression of a mafia boss took her place.

★

★

★

[Jaehee.]

“…Yes, please speak.”

Ah, she’s angry.

She’s calling me Jaehee-ssi, not Jaehee-nim…

Cold sweat broke out.

Outwardly, thanks to the Succubus’s appearance, she didn’t show any signs of panic, but when Dan Ayeon, the civil servant said this, it meant she was really angry.

I’m sorry, Officer Dan.

I should have handled such a big deal myself instead of you, Officer…

“…Officer Dan. I’ll take care of it myself, so you don’t have to come.”

[…Huh?]

“If necessary, I’ll solve it with my body.”

[Y-yes? Yesss!?!?!?!?!]

I’m strong in my own way.

I could work as a Hunter, hunting and selling monsters, right?

If worst comes to worst, I can work as a laborer and eat Gukbap to survive.

Anyway, I have nothing to do and laze around at home every day, so I can live a little harder, saying I’m going to live a new life.

‘Yeah, I have to solve this.’

It’s nothing compared to what Officer Dan usually does for me.

“Officer Dan, don’t worry. I can solve everything.”

[W-wait a minute! Just a minute, Jaehee-nim! Don’t hang up, never hang up…!]

-Click

“Oh, so the agent isn’t coming?”

“Yes, that’s how it is.”

“…I, I see. Then this way…”

So, I followed the auctioneer’s guidance deeper inside.

To a place commonly called the VIP room.

“By the way, this is troublesome. That Violin is an Ego Weapon… no, an Ego Violin.”

What is an Ego Weapon?

Simply put, it’s a weapon that listens well.

Not a talking weapon, but a weapon that listens well.

When civilians hear the word Ego Weapon, they often think of Ego Weapons that appear in creative works, where the weapon chooses the person instead of the person choosing the weapon, and once it chooses a master, it never changes, citing rules and contracts. The weapon has a self and assists and helps the master.

But in this world, Ego Weapons don’t necessarily mean that objects have a self.

It’s not impossible, but tools must be faithful to their purpose, so weapons with a self are rare and not so popular.

Hunters’ battles are decided by whether they live or die in seconds, so if the weapon in their hand is chattering noisily, their concentration will automatically drop.

However, it is possible to instill the master’s ‘will’ itself. In this case, the will that is imbued is treated as a kind of familiar and part of the user’s body, so they can summon the Ego Weapon in the air.

When there is no work, they carefully store it in the safest and dust-free place in the master’s house.

Anyway, to conclude, David’s Violin, made from the materials of 187 children, became something similar to my Ego Weapon.

Ah, it’s not a weapon, so… Ego Violin? Ego Instrument?

Even now, it’s floating in the air following my gestures, and it seems to be trying to stick to my hands and shoulders as if asking me to play it more, looking like an affectionate puppy.

It wasn’t my intention at all, but this Ego Violin was instantly bound to me. Thanks to that, it became meaningless to continue the auction.

In other words, I have to somehow pay for this Violin.

‘Hmm, this is a big deal.’

“Please wait here for a moment.”

In the end, the auction house was conducting the auction itself, but they expressed their difficulty in handling me and this Violin and guided me to this place.

A place where they treat the most valuable customers of the auction house.

There were simple refreshments, coffee, and a table to welcome guests.

“This is troublesome…”

What’s troublesome?

Of course, my Succubus instinct is troublesome.

Why did you do this?!

Do you even think before you act?!

If I could talk to it, I would ask.

Then the Succubus instinct answers.

-Why don’t you just charm them all?

Don’t be ridiculous.

People have to buy things for their value.

-Then why don’t you just kill them all?

No, stop it.

Do I have a sense of wrongdoing?

Of course, I do.

Even if this is a cursed artifact, there must have been a lot of effort and someone’s sacrifice and hard work to obtain it. If I steal it without paying, it ignores all of that.

That’s not beautiful.

It goes against the aesthetics of the Succubus.

What is the aesthetics of the Succubus?

I don’t know either.

And what if this Violin didn’t require much effort and was stolen goods that weren’t paid for fairly?

Let’s think about that then.

Anyway, I have committed a serious mistake and error.

I don’t have multiple personalities, but the Succubus Empress’s instinct, which is faithful to the desires in front of me, didn’t think deeply about the aftermath and made a mess, so isn’t it my fault in the end?

The cleanest thing to do is to pay.

Of course, there is some room for debate about the amount…

“Hello.”

Then, someone came to me while I was waiting in the VIP room.

I didn’t even hear the sound of the door opening, so they must have the ability to teleport or make their body ethereal.

“I’m Citra, the general manager of the auction house.”

A beauty with gorgeous pink hair and a cheerful face.

However, the atmosphere she gave off was that of the general manager of an underground auction house, with a coldness and solemnity hidden in her cheerfulness.

“Would you like a mint chocolate fried soboro from Seongsimdang that I got from an acquaintance?”

“Oh, thank you. But I’ll just take your heart. This isn’t a time when I’m so confident.”

However, she seemed quite skilled.

Especially in controlling the atmosphere.

That was the attitude of a negotiator like a tiger hiding its claws, creating a friendly and approachable atmosphere while preventing the other party from looking down on her.

She was definitely a difficult person.

Oh, but Citra, the general manager of the auction house…

Is a Succubus?

‘Not just a Succubus, but a Succubus Queen?’

This is unexpected.

The boss of the auction house is a Succubus Queen.