Ch.139Unlike a Child

# Enhanced Translation

“Isn’t this too suspicious?”

After Ui assigned a cat as surveillance and headed toward the refugee camp in Park Zone 3, I told Gu Seo-ryong, who had come to the closed area as usual, about Ui.

“You and I didn’t know about each other’s existence until we happened to meet, but this kid Ui deliberately sought you out. Just taking her word for it doesn’t inspire confidence. And saying she ate so many researchers seems too convenient, doesn’t it? The researchers might have instructed her to say that to approach you.”

“She really did eat researchers.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“She regurgitated the memories she consumed and showed them to me.”

The researcher memories that Ui showed me when talking about the laboratory weren’t illusions. As she claimed, the memories she had recently devoured still carried the scent of humans.

“If that’s the case… it seems she really did eat the researchers from B City.”

Monsters can digest crystallized human memories like candy, but they can’t reshape them or alter their contents.

“She suddenly appears, claims to have eaten all the researchers we were targeting, and says she’ll tell us about Annihilation-rank monsters. How would researchers know about Annihilation-rank monsters? To know such things, they’d need to create or capture an obedient Annihilation-rank monster to study it. If the laboratory had that kind of power, why would they fall victim to someone like Ui?”

“Hmm.”

“And that story about researchers accidentally opening the door for her—that’s a rookie mistake, isn’t it? There are too many convenient stories that benefit her. It’s suspicious.”

Despite this, Gu Seo-ryong was even more wary of Ui than I was.

“We should find out more clearly whether she’s a successful experiment that obeys the laboratory’s orders or truly an escaped test subject. You said she’s with the refugees? Let me meet her after you finish your meal.”

“Understood.”

To my senses, Ui seemed weaker than Sa Gu-gu, but Gu Seo-ryong asked for my help just in case.

And shortly after…

I entered the park as Black Cat and was happily accepting food offered by citizens.

“Should we bake more pizza specially for Black Cat?”

“Is the lamb tasty?”

“Black Cat! Drink some water while you eat!”

Once again, citizens and numerous heroes were delighted by the fact that I was eating in W City.

Amidst the commotion, I released a cat and had it slip between people’s legs toward the refugee camp.

At the refugee camp, which had grown in numbers, new refugees were in conflict with the existing ones.

“Why has everyone become so quiet? Isn’t this the time when we should be carrying out the Black Cat liberation movement?”

“They’re arresting superhumans, so are they soldiers this time? How frightening.”

“We just want to live safely. W City is trying to understand the refugees’ difficulties and has even created jobs for us.”

“Don’t unnecessarily provoke Black Cat.”

“But that’s just doing what’s required by the Refugee Protection Act. Such basic actions shouldn’t compromise our greater purpose. Black Cat should be shared by everyone…”

“You really like ‘expected responses,’ huh? Is it normal for superhumans to follow the law in times like these? We should be grateful.”

“W-well, that’s true.”

“The whole way here, it was all about noble duties for all humanity, sacrifice this and that—honestly, I was sick of hearing it.”

As the refugees who had secured jobs through the cat tower construction project and completely sided with Starlight tried to persuade the newcomers, the new refugees gradually approached the temporary camp made of boxes.

The sight of the existing refugees, now almost settled residents wearing clean clothes, gave hope that they too could establish themselves here.

As more people gradually left, the muscular men who had been raising their voices among the new refugees muttered awkwardly:

“Selfish bastards, peace for humanity is right in front of us!”

“Why don’t they understand that sharing Black Cat is the only way for everyone to be happy?”

“…How rude.”

At that voice, Ui, who had been sitting leaning against a tree in the refugee camp, smiled meaningfully.

“Ignorant humans daring to talk about sharing or possessing Unus…”

Hissss—after partially melting the grass where she sat, Ui noticed my cat emerging from beside the tree and blinked.

“Oh, Unus. Have you come to see me?”

At that moment, Gu Seo-ryong silently walked across the grass and appeared before Ui.

When Gu Seo-ryong, dressed like other citizens with a hat and sunglasses, stood silently staring at her, Ui’s face frowned.

“What? Who are you?”

“Hmm~? You don’t know me? That’s an interesting answer in many ways.”

A subtle wave emanated from Ui’s core, spreading across the grass.

As the scanning wave, which would have examined even the internal body, swept over her, Gu Seo-ryong twitched around the eyes and crossed her arms as if hugging herself.

“What a lewd little brat, peeking at a woman’s insides without permission.”

“A hybrid? Why would something like that be here? No… you’re a bit different.”

As if returning the wave that had scanned her body, Gu Seo-ryong snapped her fingers, and Ui reflexively nullified Gu Seo-ryong’s ability.

“It seems you’re not an ordinary Despair-rank monster after all?”

“You…”

Feeling considerable displeasure, Ui glanced down at my cat and flipped her emotions like turning over a coin.

A wave typically seen in monsters that rarely exhibit group behavior.

Ui displayed friendliness and smiled at Gu Seo-ryong.

“If it’s not rude, would you mind telling me who you are?”

“My, my? If you want someone’s introduction, shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?”

“That’s true. Pleased to meet you. I am Dekel X. U. E.”

“U. E? Not Ui but U, E? So if written in letters, would it be U and I? If that’s the code, shouldn’t it be I, E rather than Ui? What does it mean to specifically call yourself Ui? You and me? Is there a connection with Black Cat, whom you call Unus? Or did you want to imitate even one letter of Unus?”

“That’s rude.”

“Hmm… or perhaps it’s the initials of specific words? Like Unity Identity?”

“Haha!”

The aggressive wariness emanating from Gu Seo-ryong deliberately seemed to be scratching at Ui’s mood.

However, Ui smiled broadly as if she had realized something from Gu Seo-ryong’s words.

“The fact that you mentioned ‘unified identity’ means you know I ate 111 researchers, right? In other words, you know what researchers are and are also close to Unus…”

“You’re quite sharp, aren’t you? Contrary to your appearance.”

“Hmm? Is the form of a human type so important to you? I see, you’re an experiment subject below the 200 series. I was informed that all those numberings were confirmed dead after disposal.”

Clap! Ui exaggeratedly clapped her hands and spoke as if teasing Gu Seo-ryong.

“You’re an escaped test subject. Was that ability just now mental confusion?”

Gu Seo-ryong, whose identity had been deduced from her questions, looked displeased and hooked her finger on her sunglasses to lower them.

“So you’re the variable, the reason Numbers couldn’t eliminate Unus. The fourth generation sent by Numbers had their egos severely diminished, so they would have been mere toys to someone with such abilities.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It was you who helped Unus in A City, wasn’t it, Gu Seo-ryong? Gu Seo-ryong, Gu Seo-yul, G3… Oh, I see, so that’s how you escaped. Hmm? This… is quite beautiful. This humanity.”

Ui, who had searched through the memories of the devoured researchers upon hearing the name Gu Seo-ryong, showed genuine interest as she learned more about her.

“Impressive. Different from Unus, but your past is also charming. This is why I can’t help but like you classics below number 200.”

“You’re an even more unpleasant kid than I imagined.”

“Oh dear, now I’m the one being rude. I didn’t realize what a beautiful person you are and peeked at you arbitrarily. Since we’ve both made the mistake of making each other uncomfortable, would you forgive me?”

“I don’t want to.”

“Even though you’re just a child?”

“Is that form originally your human appearance or a mimicry? Your behavior isn’t childlike at all.”

When Ui extended her hand for a handshake as a gesture of reconciliation, Gu Seo-ryong looked down at it coldly.

As if she had expected this, Ui withdrew her hand and pointed to her head.

“Please understand, eating 111 researchers while in a child’s body seems to have affected my mind.”

“Do you realize that deliberately mentioning what I’m suspicious about makes you even more suspicious?”

“Of course I know. But the fact that you appeared before me like this means you’re someone with many doubts, right? For such a person, showing the truth transparently like this is most effective.”

Making exaggerated gestures unsuitable for a child, Ui spoke as if reading Gu Seo-ryong’s thoughts.

“I didn’t receive information from the researchers. I’m not eating some of them and telling lies. I really devoured all the researchers from Alphabet and Romania.”

“Proof?”

“How does it feel? To kill the mother who gave birth to you?”

I looked up at Gu Seo-ryong after hearing Ui’s question.

Gu Seo-ryong’s eyes had grown colder than I’d ever seen them.

“This researcher who knows about your past, their memory is quite blurred. They must have been a high-ranking official? If I ate someone of this caliber, I must have eaten other researchers too. From the laboratory’s perspective, they wouldn’t want to discard such valuable talent.”

“Yes, it seems you really did eat the researchers.”

“Then you two, the old generation, have no reason to be hostile toward me, who destroyed two laboratories that you resent the most, right?”

“That’s right. If you destroyed the laboratories, there’s no need to be hostile.”

Gu Seo-ryong closed her eyes as if she didn’t want to make eye contact with Ui and picked up my cat.

“Fine. If you’re so insistent that you’re not an enemy, I’ll consider you not an enemy for now.”

“Hmm… you still seem wary, but that’s fine with me.”

“Then, if you’re not an enemy, can I ask you for a favor? As someone who follows this Unus thing too.”

“A favor? You’re asking me?”

Snap! Gu Seo-ryong snapped her fingers, momentarily disorienting the refugees’ gazes, and Sa Gu-gu suddenly popped out from the shadows.

“Can Sa Gu-gu come out now?”

“What’s that?”

“This is Sa Gu-gu. If you have the researchers’ memories, you should know. Numbers’ 499.”

“The one used to attack Unus? I’m surprised an experiment of this completion level isn’t a triple number. Ah, did it miss the triple number due to lack of ego? And with your mental manipulation… Haha! Partners complementing each other, how interesting.”

“Partners? This is just a tool. An annoying and troublesome tool.”

“Sa Gu-gu is not a tool?”

Gu Seo-ryong grabbed Sa Gu-gu’s shoulders with both hands and, with a careful sigh that conveyed reluctance, pushed her toward Ui.

“If you’re really on Unus’s side, would you watch Sa Gu-gu while I talk with Unus?”

“What does that have to do with Unus?”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with it particularly. You can refuse if you want.”

“Hmm… well, alright. I’ll watch her.”

“Gu-gu, go play with that kid.”

“That kid is her?”

“Yes, that’s her, that small child.”

“She’s smaller than Sa Gu-gu!”

Sa Gu-gu, who had been blinking with wide eyes at Gu Seo-ryong’s gesture, extended both hands to her.

“Sa Gu-gu was a good girl waiting quietly in the shadows! Give me Pipi-kung!”

“Pipi-kung?”

With Ui’s voice full of questions, Gu Seo-ryong briefly covered her chest area and, showing reluctance, took out a Pipi-kung.

“This is Pipi-kung No. 110!”

“That’s a popular toy for children in B City, isn’t it?”

“What’s your name? I’m Sa Gu-gu.”

“I’m U—”

“You are Baba-kung!”

“What?”

After leaving Sa Gu-gu with Ui, Gu Seo-ryong picked up my cat and walked to a corner of the park.

During Black Cat’s feeding time, citizens were gathered around me praying for good fortune, so no one was where Gu Seo-ryong stood.

“Jericho? Want to talk for a bit? Meow for yes, meow meow for no, and meow meow meow for I don’t know. Understand?”

[That’s not necessary.]

“Oh my.”

At this distance, I could speak by moving the air in front of Gu Seo-ryong.

When I responded by connecting my ability to the cat, Gu Seo-ryong said with slight disappointment:

“If she’s with Sa Gu-gu, she won’t have the mental capacity to eavesdrop on our conversation. Since I didn’t play with Sa Gu-gu today, she won’t let her go, and even if she tries to escape with that splitting-like ability, we’ll notice.”

[So that’s why you left Sa Gu-gu with her.]

“There are other reasons too.”

Gu Seo-ryong explained her actions with unprecedented irritation.

“I wanted to see if that kid has any childlike qualities left. Whether she can play well with Sa Gu-gu, another child, even when you and I aren’t watching.”

[Why do you want to confirm that?]

“She doesn’t seem like a child at all, no matter how I look at her.”

As she said, Ui is nothing like her appearance suggests.

Too adult-like to be a child, too human to be a monster, and too much like a researcher to be human.

“It seems true that she ate Alphabet and Romania, but when she talks about the laboratory, she doesn’t show disgust or discomfort like you or me. I don’t sense any hostility at all.”

[Still, she devoured Alphabet and Romania.]

For Ui to be an experiment subject following the laboratory’s orders, the number of researchers lost to create just one Ui seems too many.

To my doubt, Gu Seo-ryong snapped her fingers repeatedly and brought up a strange point.

“You once said you’re a monster because over 100 monsters were mixed together, right? Then, is a monster who has devoured over 100 researchers a human or a monster?”

[A monster.]

“What if it’s an experiment subject?”

A monster’s simple and strong ego can devour 100 humans without hesitation, but the ego of a child who became an experiment subject isn’t as simple as a pure monster.

If you pour the memories of 100 researchers into such a child’s ego…

[So that’s why you’re checking if she has any childlike qualities left.]

If the ego of the child who became an experiment subject remains, then coming to W City was Ui’s own will.

If not, she’s just a shell dragged around by the researchers’ will.

“Is that a living laboratory, or truly a strange experiment subject who’s fallen for you?”