Ch.121Woongoooh?

Though he was silently opening his mouth and drooling, the citizens quickly caught on to what this meant and moved rapidly.

No human in A City would stubbornly refuse to provide food when an Annihilation-rank monster was politely requesting a meal instead of devouring humans.

They were simply grateful that the monster was willing to be patient.

And so, canned goods, packaged foods, and various other edibles salvaged from the ruins of the broken city went into Black Cat’s mouth.

The amount was roughly estimated at 3,000 portions.

This was Black Cat’s single meal.

[One creature eating 3,000 portions a day—is this right?]

At first, some A City citizens expressed dissatisfaction about this.

Understandably so.

Currently, the food production factory in A City faced problems beyond just the lost master code.

The monster that devoured Yeo Un-jae, Code Owlbear’s earthquake had collapsed parts of the city.

The government officials responsible for the city restoration system had disappeared, and the master code for managing the city was lost.

Calculating the injured, food production, and various resources, it was certain that A City’s food supply would be depleted within a month.

[This is A City. We’re only getting one meal per day as rations in case of emergency. We’re hungry.]

[Meister needs to come fix this… when is he coming?]

Because of this, A City citizens were desperately hoping for Meister to return quickly and repair the facilities.

Nevertheless, Meister couldn’t leave W City.

[Starlight needs to recover first before going.]

[As a W City citizen, honestly, we might laugh and chat within our community, but we’re fucking anxious.]

[That bitch Electris is rumbling day and night, hunting monsters in the city.]

[Starlight was quiet, but now I sleep with earplugs because of Electris.]

[Electris has been working so hard lately that I’m actually starting to like her.]

[A City’s situation is sad, but if we send Meister and Electris there now, W City would be doomed if even one or two Despair-rank monsters showed up.]

For Meister, who had virtually no combat ability, to move, an S-rank escort was essential.

But that S-rank hero was hunting monsters non-stop without rest.

W City, with Black Cat and Starlight absent, was in a precarious state.

Sending Electris and Meister to A City in this situation would be suicidal for the entire city.

One S-rank hero would need to be sent to W City first to allow for rotation.

However, Cage was in critical condition, and Starlight was recovering.

Baskerville was the only S-rank hero in A City who could move properly.

[Why not send Baskerville first?]

[Why send that mutt?]

[Baskerville might be S-rank in cities with many villains, but against monsters, he barely deserves the S-rank title… ah… just a human slaughterer!]

With no other choice, citizens quietly waited for Starlight to recover.

During that time, Black Cat continued to devour food.

Some days 4,000 portions, other days 5,000 portions.

However, even as the food consumption increased, the citizens’ complaints diminished with each passing day.

[But why aren’t monsters appearing?]

[It’s good, but what’s going on? Why aren’t they coming?]

A ruined city, injured heroes, and the absence of S-rank heroes who could properly fight.

Naturally, this situation was like a feast laid out for the monsters surrounding the city.

The reason why not a single monster was approaching A City, which had lost all its defenses, was revealed to them by the Black Cat bulletin board in W City.

[Monsters don’t appear when Black Cat is around.]

[He looks like he’s always sleeping? He’s actually lying there taking out monsters from a distance.]

[If you get close, you can sometimes feel a humming sensation—that’s him using his ability to catch monsters. I heard W City heroes whispering about it.]

[So he wasn’t just sleeping?]

Black Cat, sprawled out and yawning in the center of A City, was keeping all monsters at bay.

Just by offering 3,000 portions daily, or at most twice that amount, they were guaranteed safety for the day.

[Holy shit, is this for real? Are we really living in the monster era?]

[It makes sense though. Why would monsters commit suicide by approaching an Annihilation-rank monster?]

[Ah… this is what we call Black Cat’s territory…]

[Since becoming Annihilation-rank, he now covers an entire city; before it was just one district.]

[To be precise, it’s about the central part of A City. All the survivors are gathered there now.]

[A City’s center is the size of all of W City… that’s huge…]

[Worth offering 3,000 portions, right?]

[Is this really Black Cat…?]

[Should we just starve a little?]

[If this is the case, why did people hate superhumans getting free meals?]

[How is that the same as this?]

[The scale is clearly different.]

A City citizens’ perspective gradually shifted from “he eats 3,000 portions” to “he only eats 3,000 portions.”

Currently, more than half of the survivors voluntarily brought portions of their rations to offer to Black Cat.

Hearing this news, other cities were surprised and canceled the dispatch of S-rank heroes, instead focusing on investigating the situation.

[Are A City’s alarms really all broken, or are monsters truly not appearing?]

[This is… insane.]

[Now I understand why there’s a Black Cat cult in W City.]

[He really is a guardian deity.]

[Almighty cat~Protects us all~The awakening has come~All humanity is safe~]

A City had become a safe zone in the monster era under Black Cat’s protection.

Now, there wasn’t a single person in any city who didn’t know Black Cat’s name.

And gradually, unsettling movements began within A City.

[But do we have to give him back?]

With Cage, A City’s representative hero, in critical condition,

A City citizens felt a serious threat to their safety.

Something—no, something even greater—had settled in A City to replace that protection.

[Hey, hey, we’ll give you Electris. Give us Black Cat. You’ll have two S-ranks like you wanted with Starlight and Electris.]

[What nonsense? How can Electris and Black Cat be put on the same scale?]

[Black Cat is just waiting for Starlight to recover, you know?]

[Did Black Cat ever say that?]

[I heard cats like sand—maybe he likes the destroyed A City?]

[That makes sense?]

Those most despised by W City citizens:

People trying to take Black Cat away from W City were gradually gaining influence among A City citizens.

[Is W City even suitable for Black Cat’s current size?]

[Black Cat will feel extremely cramped if he returns to W City.]

[Should we just give half our district to Black Cat as his territory?]

[If we held a citizen vote now, it would be unanimous, right?]

[These rich land bastards are trying to pull some shady shit.]

[What was A City again?]

[What’s that supposed to mean?]

W City citizens who adored Black Cat and laughed at his unchanged behavior even after becoming Annihilation-rank were quick to draw their knives against those targeting W City’s Black Cat, all humor gone from their faces.

[What have you ever done for Black Cat?]

[We’ve been patting his head, giving him meat, and cheering him on since he was a Despair-rank loser being chased and beaten by Starlight.]

[Since when was a Despair-rank ever a loser?]

[Are you proud of feeding a monster?]

[Hell yes! Making Black Cat prefer beef over humans is the collective achievement of all W City citizens!]

[So thanks for raising him well, but A City will take better care of him from now on, okay?]

[If you love Black Cat so much, shouldn’t you know when to send him somewhere bigger with better food?]

What started as jokes seemed to become increasingly serious, and gradually one side of the bulletin board transformed into a battleground of insults between W City and A City citizens.

Eventually, a new Black Cat Dispute bulletin board was created.

[W City hicks are so damn greedy.]

[Does your city’s food factory produce seafood? Ours does because we have a river. Cats love fish.]

[Got chicken? Once all our facilities are fixed, we’ll have everything again.]

[Isn’t our food production factory three times the size of W City’s?]

[Why didn’t A City people all die from the monsters? Should’ve all died.]

[Whoa? Crossing the line?]

[You fuckers crossed the line first.]

[A City bastards are officially changing their city name to M City. A City didn’t collapse—it was missing the M all along ^^]

[By that logic, isn’t W City missing something too? It’s upside down?]

[I’m an M City citizen who was minding my own business, but what are you guys doing? This is pissing me off.]

[Look at that A City bastard who was just talking—I’m 60 years old, an age that deserves respect just for surviving in these times, yet I’ve never seen someone make such motherless comments…]

Yu Anna felt a headache watching the bulletin board filling up with non-stop insults.

An entire city had suffered catastrophic damage, yet what were they doing?

She wanted to delete it all and tell them to stop fighting, but… even the community managers of each city couldn’t handle the citizens’ fights spreading across various boards, so they created this separate board for them to argue.

Fighting like this wouldn’t allow citizens to exchange heroes and Black Cat as they wished; Black Cat would simply do as he pleased.

However, the citizens didn’t see it that way.

Yu Anna’s intuition was filled with anxiety.

A battle over Black Cat was beginning, though Black Cat himself was oblivious to it.

[If that’s the case, why don’t A City refugees just come to W City?]

[Isn’t it the opposite? How can all A City citizens fit into that small city?]

[You come to A City. Bring Meister, bring Black Cat, and help rebuild the city.]

[Are you insane? Does relocating an entire city’s population make sense in this era?]

[Are you telling everyone to leave the city and die?]

[You know that and still say it? Are you telling us to all die?]

[I was just teasing W City because it was fun, but these bastards are really something. Let’s build a Cat Tower New City while rebuilding A City.]

[W City, you guys can’t handle his meal portions. We’ll take good care of Black Cat, okay?]

[Wow, these kids have no conscience.]

The suspicious simultaneous appearance of Despair-rank monsters, Black Cat becoming Annihilation-rank, Yeo Un-jae’s monsterization.

Monsters alone were giving her a headache.

Already, citizens’ attention had shifted to the ownership of Black Cat—which city he belonged to.

[Starlight, are you reading the bulletin board? Are you going to let Black Cat be taken away?]

[Give them a taste of your “Eraser.” Please!]

[I thought there was some conspiracy behind the Despair-rank monsters appearing, but was it just divine punishment?]

[Look at how these W City bastards talk—they’re not even human.]

Why, after an unprecedented monster incident had ended, did she need to prepare for an even more unprecedented emotional battle between citizens?

“This is driving me crazy…”

#

On the seventh day after Cage lost consciousness, when Black Cat’s meal consumption surpassed approximately 33,200 portions.

Yu Anna, who had finally recovered enough to use her ability without strain, got up from her hospital bed.

For various reasons, she couldn’t delay any longer.

And when A City citizens heard about Yu Anna’s recovery, they came out to the hospital and raised their voices.

“Thank you, Starlight!”

“But can’t you leave Black Cat here?”

“Starlight! We’re grateful, but Black Cat for A City!”

“Thank you for your hard work, Starlight! And a new city for Black Cat!”

The citizens expressed gratitude to Starlight, who had rushed to A City first, while loudly voicing their true desires.

Yu Anna, who had come out of the hospital room, looked at Baskerville following her, then raised her fist toward the sky after hearing the citizens’ cries.

“Ugh, aaaagh!”

“What’s that all of a sudden!”

With a loud boom, all the citizens fell silent in surprise, and Baskerville levitated speakers he had materialized above the citizens’ heads.

Yu Anna had endlessly contemplated what to do with A City while lying in her hospital bed, and had reached a conclusion.

“Citizens of A City, this is Yu Anna.”

Taking the microphone from Baskerville, Yu Anna began to explain to all citizens what needed to be done next.

“I understand everyone is anxious. After discussing with Baskerville, we’ve concluded that even if Electris comes, A City currently lacks the ability to defend itself. I know that if Black Cat and I return to W City in this situation, it would be like a death sentence for most of you citizens of A City.”

“That’s right! We don’t want to die!”

“Don’t leave like this!”

Monsters appear more frequently and more powerfully in areas with high population density.

If Black Cat and Starlight leave A City now, casualties will continue to occur in A City.

Meister might even die if things go wrong.

Obviously, they couldn’t leave A City in such danger.

“However, with either Baskerville or Electris alone, it’s possible to hold out for three minutes without any casualties.”

“Three minutes…?”

“What do you mean by three minutes?”

“I apologize for the lack of presentation equipment. Those with phones, please check A City’s general announcements.”

On A City’s official website, there were documents and explanations about the railgun catapult that Meister had uploaded at Yu Anna’s request.

Three minutes.

That’s the maximum time it would take for Yu Anna to be launched from W City and arrive at A City.

“…Huh?”

“Is this possible…?”

“But she did arrive incredibly fast.”

“Didn’t it take a bit longer than three minutes?”

“This time, time was consumed by setting up the cannon and Electris charging it to compensate for insufficient energy. But once installation is complete, I can arrive within three minutes no matter what happens.”

All A City citizens had witnessed Yu Anna arriving at an impossible speed.

“If a Despair-rank monster appears in A City, I will come to A City within three minutes. Without fail.”

“Three minutes… that is fast.”

“No need for that, just leave Black Cat here!”

While A City citizens nodded at Yu Anna’s measures, they raised their voices asking why she wouldn’t leave Black Cat behind.

However, even they had to accept her next words.

“Black Cat won’t stay in A City just because I order him to.”

“What are you saying! Why would Black Cat…!”

“You tamed him!”

“I didn’t tame him. He’s an Annihilation-rank monster, simply an unusual specimen that doesn’t attack humans, protects them, and is somewhat friendly toward me.”

“Oh…”

“I can’t stop Black Cat from following me. And if I stay here, Meister can’t return to A City. If Black Cat continues to eat food in this state…”

All A City citizens would starve to death.

Just then, Black Cat, receiving the citizens’ gazes, licked his lips as if hungry.

“Well, I guess there’s no choice then…”

“If Starlight doesn’t leave, they won’t send Meister from A City either.”

“Since Starlight said she’ll come within three minutes…”

“For now…”

Yu Anna waited for the citizens to share their opinions sufficiently, then slowly rose into the air.

The citizens, thinking this was the best possible solution, no longer raised their voices asking Yu Anna to leave Black Cat behind.

Instead, they conveyed their unfinished gratitude.

“Thank you for coming right away!”

“Thank you, Starlight! Three minutes! Make sure to come within three minutes!”

“When a monster appears, I’ll put water in cup noodles! If you don’t arrive before it boils, you’ll be in trouble!”

“Then, Black Cat will leave A City after Electris arrives… probably.”

And after Starlight flew toward W City amid the citizens’ cheers,

Another murmur began among the citizens who remained without leaving.

“Wait a minute, if Starlight didn’t tame Black Cat…”

“If we play our cards right, couldn’t we really take him to A City?”

“Starlight said Black Cat would leave soon, but he might not leave…”

The citizens looked at each other, then moved in unison as if by agreement.

“Starlight is gone! Don’t hesitate, feed him as much delicious food as possible before he leaves!”

“Everyone bring food! Now!”

“Feed Black Cat until he’s full even if we starve tomorrow! Make him want to come back even if he goes to W City!”

“Ahhh! Don’t push!”

A City citizens rushed in a mass toward the food distribution center.

At the commotion, Black Cat, who had been yawning, opened his eyes wide.

“Woong-ooo?”