Ch.14Bloated

He wiped his sweat as he looked down at the parts the children had brought back.

Monster alarm devices, made with special alloys and technology—each component was quite valuable. Selling them on the black market would bring in a good amount of money, but no matter how many times he told them, the children never managed to bring back the most crucial component.

In truth, that component was located somewhere completely out of reach from outside the bars. Unaware of this fact, having never seen the device with his own eyes, the orphanage director opened a drawer and took out an expensive lighter and oddly shaped cigarettes.

It was a luxury lighter purchased by misusing tax exemption benefits meant for buying food ingredients and daily necessities for the children. With a satisfied expression, the orphanage director handled this luxury item that ordinary people in the monster era couldn’t even dream of seeing, put the strangely colored cigarette in his mouth, and lit it.

Then, he redialed the number he had briefly hung up and spoke to another orphanage director.

“Where were we? Once the blood rushes to my head, I can’t remember a thing.”

[Hehehe, the kids aren’t listening again, I suppose?]

“Sigh… These parentless brats are just too stupid. No matter how many times I tell them, they either don’t understand or pretend not to… Is it that difficult? Just bring me the orange glass bottle?”

[How much is that worth?]

“It varies, but I heard it easily fetches about two months’ salary of an office worker.”

[That’s quite a bit. No wonder you’re angry.]

On the other end of the line, the other orphanage director giggled in sympathy.

The orphanage director who made children steal, far from seeing it as a problem, actually got angry when the children didn’t bring back expensive items. In the monster era, these weren’t the only two—such people existed in other orphanages as well. Private orphanages, run by those who started the business not out of noble intentions to care for parentless children, but to pocket government subsidies.

For them, it was common sense to make money by exploiting the minor crime immunity clause meant to protect and re-educate children who had gone astray. Using children as stress relief was also simple—even if something went wrong, disposing of bodies was easy in an era where monster attacks never ceased. Instead, these directors would contact each other to discuss how to make more money.

“So… could you tell me more about how to make big money? Why are you buying so many cars lately?”

[Ah, hmm… this isn’t something I should tell just anyone.]

“Come on, tell me. I helped you dispose of that body before, remember?”

[Well… since you’ve done me favors, I can’t really keep it from you….]

And so, the other orphanage director explained his recent business venture with a sinister laugh.

[Among the rich, you know? There are people with refined tastes. It’s the monster era, right? People witness so much cruelty that this excitement, you know? It’s just…]

“Stop dragging it out and tell me the details.”

[Hehe… well, if you have any pretty kids, let me know. I can be your middleman.]

“Pretty kids? Oh… you mean that? Doesn’t that fall outside the immunity clause?”

“So what if it does? We can sell to the very people who made that immunity clause!”

The orphanage director, who had caught on to what was being discussed, genuinely marveled at this new possibility. His expression revealed his self-reproach for not having thought of it himself.

[Since you said you can handle the bodies yourself, we just need to collect the money. It’s incomparably more profitable than theft.]

“How much does it bring in?”

[Hehe… about one car per child? Rich people don’t skimp on their hobbies!]

“That much?!”

[They pay more depending on looks, so it’s best to choose pretty ones. The other kids can keep doing what they’ve been doing.]

“Hmm… you should have told me about this good business sooner.”

[That’s why I’m telling you now, right? Hehe… anyway, since I opened this opportunity for you, look into it and let me know. I’ll take a small cut as the middleman.]

“Ahem… sure.”

After hanging up, the orphanage director immediately sorted through the children with decent appearances in his mind, excited by the unexpectedly high price. The first one who came to mind was Na Hye-ri—despite her young age, she seemed like she would grow up to be quite attractive. How much could he get for selling her to a rich person?

Until now, he had never thought of the young girl that way, but once he started imagining it, he found himself getting excited. Why hadn’t he thought of this before? The orphanage director seemed to be berating himself for his stupidity once again.

“Na Hye-ri! Come to the director’s office immediately!”

The orphanage director pressed a button on the phone with a sinister expression, and his voice echoed throughout the orphanage. Apparently able to broadcast throughout the building at any time, the director called for Na Hye-ri while snickering. Perhaps it was the drug taking effect, or perhaps he was intoxicated by the excitement of inflicting violence on a young child.

“This is quite the spectacle.”

Deciding I’d seen enough, I descended from the ceiling. Had he beaten that child until blood pooled beneath her skin? Somehow, a delicious smell was coming from that girl. I had thought it strange that the starving children were stealing equipment from trucks rather than food.

“W-who are you?!”

As I dropped down in shadow form and took human shape, the orphanage director frantically searched his drawer and pulled out a gun. I wrapped my hand around the gun and crushed it. Realizing I wasn’t an ordinary person, the orphanage director backed away.

“W-what…?! Police…?! H-hero…?! D-do you know who I am? Do you know who I’m connected to…!”

If I were police or a hero, would I be unable to deal with him freely once he mentioned these connections? Well, such threats meant nothing to me, a monster. I grabbed the orphanage director’s mouth with one hand and crushed it.

“I’m neither.”

“Ugh, gaaack…! Kuaak…!”

I am a monster. Despite being a monster, I don’t want to attack humans. But this… this is not human.

“Nyu, nyugyue…! Keuk!”

Shedding my human form, I knocked the orphanage director down. The monster form I was becoming increasingly familiar with—a black panther. Outside the building, sirens wailed loudly, announcing a monster’s appearance. The orphanage director’s eyes widened as he realized I was a monster.

“Grrrrrr….”

“Gaak…! Gyaak…! Graak…!”

His fat body was pinned under the heavy monster paw, as tiger claws gradually dug into the orphanage director’s chest. With a crunch, I applied more weight, crushing him, and blood flowed from his eyes and mouth. Just then, the closed office door opened.

“H-hiiik?!”

While pressing down harder on the orphanage director, I turned my head to look behind me. There stood the girl who had eaten the least of my meat, startled and stumbling backward, falling over because she couldn’t even walk properly. Had she come to the director’s office despite the monster alarm? Was the director scarier than a monster to her?

“Sha, shavyeo…! Shavye…! Gaek! Gyaak…! Ugeuk…!”

Bruises covered both her legs. The smell of this fat lump was already too greasy, but thanks to that, my appetite was somewhat stimulated. However, such a scene wasn’t good for a child’s mental health. With a crunch, I crushed each of the orphanage director’s limbs with my front paws, then left him and approached the girl.

“Hek…! Hik…! Huik…! Uh…?”

Standing before the trembling girl who couldn’t even run away, I nudged her slightly with my head, then took the doorknob in my mouth. As I slowly closed the door, the girl blinked in surprise. What was about to happen was not suitable for minors.

“Sha, hyeo…! Geuruk…!”

The greasiness spread in my mouth as I bit off the orphanage director’s head in one bite. I began my meal, smelling the girl’s blood scent that still lingered beyond the door. I’ll specially make do with this instead of premium beef. Tonight’s dinner would have to be these non-human orphanage directors.

“Eudeuk… eudeuk… kkadeuk….”

Hmm… too greasy.

#

Despair-rank monster, Black Cat.

Now completely accustomed to concealing its traces, it moved with elusive agility, as if taunting Yu Anna. Black Cat’s attacks continued unabated, exceeding 12 incidents.

“So monsters will be monsters after all…”

“This one… it’s hunting like a real assassin.”

“It’s become too skilled at hiding… how on earth do we catch it?”

As the Despair-rank monster began hunting people, heroes who received the news before it was broadcast turned pale. Despair-rank monsters were already threatening enough to require the full attention of W City, but this one’s behavior was too different from ordinary monsters. Rather than hunting many humans, Black Cat repeatedly succeeded in safe hunts and escaped, seeming likely to continue increasing casualties while making fools of the heroes if left unchecked.

“But… why only orphanages?”

“All the children are alive, why is that?”

Peculiarly, the Black Cat that had appeared this time showed a consistent pattern. It hunted only orphanage directors… for reasons unknown, without touching the children who would have been easy prey. Did monsters have different tastes? From a monster’s perspective, were children too small for Black Cat to eat?

This hypothesis seemed to gain strength as information about the orphanage directors hunted by Black Cat was released. All victims were extremely overweight. The heroes thought Black Cat was a gourmet monster with a preference for fat humans. It wasn’t unheard of for monsters to develop food preferences, like hunting mainly women, or primarily children.

“These people are…”

Yu Anna, who was reviewing all this information, wore a somewhat serious expression. All of them were orphanage directors scheduled for investigation. Despite this, interference from government higher-ups had been causing difficulties.

Why was Black Cat targeting only these individuals? Finding it difficult to believe this was simply about attacking orphanages, Yu Anna was puzzled by the common thread. However, there was no time to solve the mystery. Black Cat’s hunting continued. The urgent matter was catching Black Cat, so Yu Anna set aside her questions and predicted Black Cat’s next hunting ground.

Among the orphanage directors scheduled for investigation who hadn’t been hunted yet, Black Cat would surely appear at one of them. Two locations remained…

Yu Anna concentrated heroes at one location and waited at the other herself. If it came to her location, she would face Black Cat alone; if it went to the other side, she would buy time for the heroes. Yu Anna did not evacuate the orphanage director or the children. Black Cat possessed Lee Han-yeong’s ability to phase through objects. Rather than unnecessarily evacuating everyone into a cramped space with both children and the director, she thought it better to limit casualties to just the orphanage director if someone had to die.

It was a cruel choice, but… Yu Anna, who roughly knew what these orphanage directors were doing behind the scenes, didn’t feel the slightest bit sorry.

“Keuik!”

“Eudeuk… keudeuk… udeuk….”

And Black Cat appeared at Yu Anna’s location. Yu Anna, who had been waiting near the children just in case, belatedly intercepted Black Cat that had somehow appeared. Using some unknown method, Black Cat revealed itself along with the alarm. By the time the sirens wailed, by the time Yu Anna detected Black Cat, the monster had already sprung from the ground and bitten the orphanage director.

For whatever reason, the orphanage director had approached the room right next to where the children were. If she fought Black Cat here, the children might be harmed… Yu Anna immediately tried to call the standby heroes to protect the children.

“This is Yu Anna, Black Cat has appeared, come here immediately… no.”

“Grrrr….”

“…I’ll handle it alone.”

However, upon facing Black Cat, something felt strange. Until now, Black Cat had been running away from her. Black Cat, which had completely hidden itself even when Yu Anna appeared to catch it, why now? Even now, it was warily keeping its distance without fleeing, gradually widening the gap. As if beckoning her to come closer, as if telling her to stay away from there.

Why wasn’t it escaping immediately? Like when she chased Black Cat before, was it because her superpower might spread around her and dissolve everything? Was it afraid of harming the children in the next room?

“…What are you thinking?”