Ch.50Tooth for Tooth

I stiffened as I realized that what I’d been facing wasn’t an ordinary monster but an experiment, and I raised my hackles with heightened vigilance.

The second experiment after Gu Seo-ryong, but this one was clearly different.

…This creature was much closer to a monster.

[Was that just now a ring of human tactics? Using multiple abilities simultaneously to make it impossible to counter is similar to us.]

[…You are.]

[I am Number 444.]

[A Numbers, huh.]

The creature who identified itself as 444 began to slowly circle around me in the grass.

From the conversations between researchers and experiments at the laboratory, I had learned a small bit of information.

Romania, Alphabet, and Numbers share the experiment sequence.

I, CXI, was the 38th experiment after G3—that is, Gu Seo-ryong, who was the 73rd.

The creature before me was the 333rd experiment after I was created.

[Did you escape from the laboratory?]

[Escape? Don’t tell me you’re under the delusion that you left the laboratory through your own power? You were disposed of as a failure. And… I came here to eat you.]

Suddenly, what Gu Seo-ryong said when she first saw me flashed through my mind.

She asked if I had been sent from the laboratory to kill her.

I was a bit surprised that such a thing could actually be true, and I denied 444’s words while drawing on my ability.

[You don’t seem capable of that.]

[Of course, eating you alone is unfortunately impossible for me.]

That’s why there were two of them. But now that one was fighting Starlight, it would be 444 who died, not me.

Despite this, 444 appeared relaxed, and another monster that looked exactly like 444 appeared beside it.

[With two of us, it’s possible.]

A hallucination strong enough to be visible to monsters? Or a doppelganger?

I was hoping for that, but unfortunately, the other one vibrated its monster core.

A doppelganger created by special abilities wouldn’t have a core.

A third one—this one was also a Despair-rank monster.

[So there was one more.]

[But… how did you set up this trap with the humans?]

[Is that why you spoke up? Out of curiosity?]

[You’re curious? You’re curious about this? I see, you’re curious.]

[Curious? Curious, curious?]

Crack, crack. The grass where they walked gradually froze, turning into blades of ice.

The two monsters with those blades embedded in their tails made the ice spikes grow larger with each step.

[Why was I detected? I was careful to avoid being caught on more than one surveillance camera.]

[You weren’t detected by surveillance cameras.]

[I was careful to make sure only one presence was detected.]

[You didn’t make any mistakes with concealment either. The alarm always rang just once.]

[It didn’t speak with humans. CXI, did you consume a telepathy ability?]

[CXI swallows abilities. Unlike us, it can eat whatever ability it wants.]

Boom! Boom! The Despair-rank monsters, now two again, surrounded me while releasing black smoke.

Two Despair-rank monsters—the disadvantage was on my side again.

Judging that moving carelessly wouldn’t be good, I quietly drew on my ability.

[Thanks to that, we threw 404 as bait, according to plan.]

[404 can die for all we care! Bait!]

[Now there are no more human nuisances.]

[The researchers are always right! CXI has joined hands with humans!]

As the sound of frozen grass being stepped on continued with them drawing circles around me faster and faster, the ice spikes grew larger.

The ability residue embedded between the ice made my senses numb.

The encirclement deployed by the two monsters seemed to be mimicking the ring the heroes had used against me earlier.

[But why? How are you not following monster instincts?]

[Why? How? Curious.]

[I’m curious.]

[Curious.]

The two monsters who said this showed a smile full of anticipation and resonated their monster wavelengths.

The coupling unique to monsters cooperating to kill prey created a figure-eight pattern of overlapping circular waves that cracked the frozen spikes.

[I’ll know when I eat you.]

[Eat CXI! Succeed!]

Cha-cha-cha-chang! The spikes, hardened by ability to be stronger than steel, spread through the air, becoming a blade mist that enveloped me.

Wrapped in flames, the opposing ability, I raised a curtain of hot wind to block the mist and used telekinesis to grab 444 as it lunged at me.

A very brief restraint—just as I was about to bite into it, another one appeared from the black smoke above my back and dropped down.

Zzzeojeak! I released 444 and jumped up at the sound of space being torn, and the creature that left claw marks rippling in the air licked its claws.

This one… is fast, much faster than 444.

[I’m late with introductions. This is 499, my younger sister.]

[Introduction? Not introducing yourself means failure! Monsters that don’t listen are failures! Hello, I’m 499!]

[…I’m CXI.]

[Thank you! CXI?]

The one called 499 sat with both legs together and politely bowed its head.

In this strange atmosphere, right after I acknowledged the greeting, 499, who had lowered its upper body, charged straight at me.

[Kill CXI!]

Zzzijijijik! 499 approached, tearing through space with a sound like bat screeches.

Repair of torn space—momentary acceleration using the space that fills the empty void.

I used the Thunder Tiger ability to avoid the creature that continued to chase after me as I retreated.

In an instant, I transformed into an energy being, exceeding the speed limit that creatures with physical bodies could reach.

I became a violently fluctuating lightning bolt, able to remain in that state for just a flash like lightning. Just before I could silently pass through 499, 444 opened a space.

Woong! After passing through the spatial passage, the ground and sky switched places before my eyes.

Kwarreung! With the belated sound of thunder, I fell to the ground, returned from lightning form, and glared at the two monsters watching me as I regenerated my numb body.

[The Thunder Tiger’s finishing move? You’re exhausted after using it once?]

[It’s useless, CXI. You are no longer the strongest experiment.]

[Space manipulation is the best ability! Best for both attack and defense!]

As they said, space manipulation seemed to be the core of their abilities.

It was an excellent ability that combined offense and defense, capable of opening wormholes to deflect all abilities and physical attacks, as well as tearing space itself to inflict damage.

Unlike me, who changes abilities depending on the opponent, it seemed like they could handle any situation with just this one ability if used well.

[I will become the strongest experiment by killing you! By devouring the cores of two Despair-rank monsters!]

[Brother will eat me? Protect…? Eat meee!]

Peoeng! With the space-jumping ability that left black smoke behind, the two monsters reached me in an instant and revealed their claws.

As I sank into the shadows to avoid their attack, the frozen ability blades slashed my entire body.

The ice fragment blades didn’t fall off easily and stuck to me, freezing my body.

I immediately surrounded myself with flames to remove them, and 499 spread an ability that manipulated sound waves.

[Fire! Put out the fire!]

[Kuhahaha! Go ahead, struggle more!]

Woooong! As a special wavelength of infrasound spread, it distorted the form of the flames.

So the sound ability was meant to block my communication and Phoenix ability.

All of their abilities seemed designed to counter mine.

[Tag game starts! Get caught, become meat!]

They chased after me as I swam through the darkness of the ground, continuously tearing the space around me.

While avoiding their attacks, I pondered how to escape this situation.

I could easily win against just one, but facing two was too much.

Making it 2 vs 2 again would be best. If I stalled for time until Starlight hunted one of them and came looking for me…

Would these creatures not have prepared for that?

They said that handing over one monster to Starlight was according to plan.

If I were in the same situation, wanting to avoid an unpleasant enemy and eat one target, I would run away again and look for an opening.

The way to create an opening would naturally be hunting humans.

If I couldn’t deal with these two now, the events of the past few days would repeat.

So, how?

Having thought that far, I changed direction as one method crossed my mind.

It might be useless if they had been watching me all along, but if that were the case, they wouldn’t have sent just three Despair-rank monsters.

A gamble—it might make the situation worse, but… it’s worth trying.

[If you’re trying to buy time, it’s useless, CXI. 404 has the highest regeneration among the 400 series. Even if it faces all the heroes in W City, it can hold out more than twice as long as it will take us to hunt you down.]

[Calculation! Accurate! Data! Data? Collect!]

Tukwang! I shot upward from the ground, releasing my incorporeal state, and used the Thunder Tiger ability to race across the sky.

I could use this ability consecutively, unlike the real Thunder Tiger, because I wasn’t actually a Thunder Tiger.

Flash, krrrrrung! With the sound of thunder, I fell and landed instantly at my target location.

[Grrrr….]

[Second time! How? Curious!]

On the blackened ground, 499 arrived first as I regenerated my numb body again.

As I noticed while fleeing, the range of the space manipulation ability wasn’t very far.

It was natural for 499 to arrive first, given the ability’s projection speed and the monster’s superior physical capabilities.

There was a very brief moment until 444 would follow. It might be good to target 499 during this gap, but… well.

Now that I’ve thought of another method, I’m not really inclined to do that.

[Ooooooh!]

[…Nya?]

I raised my head high and howled loudly while vibrating my monster core.

Woong, woong… a soft yet persistent wave spread out, and 499, exposed to the wavelength that rippled like water, tilted its head.

[What’s this? CXI, not an attack.]

[What a ridiculous creature, CXI.]

444, who arrived right after, growled fiercely and blocked 499’s path.

It makes sense, since it would have felt the monster wavelength I just spread.

[What confidence is this? Did you think this one would go wild and mate with you if you courted it?]

[Mate?]

What I spread was a courtship wavelength.

499 looked puzzled, and 444 frowned. It misunderstood that I was trying to seduce 499 to my side.

However, the place where I landed was Zone 4.

“Oh my? It doesn’t look like our kitty is flirting with that one.”

Click, click. The sound of approaching high heels gradually changed to thud, thud, heavy footsteps.

Snow-white scales, flowing hair, a flickering forked tongue, a sturdy tail.

Gu Seo-ryong licked the venom on her fingertips and said:

“Hello, darling? You seem to be in trouble?”

What I had called was W City’s other Despair-rank monster.

The two monsters couldn’t hide their surprise at the sight of the monsterized Gu Seo-ryong.

Seeing their reaction, I raised the corner of my mouth.

They didn’t know Gu Seo-ryong.

[What… are you?]

[What is this? Human? Monster?]

“Oh my? What’s this? Monsters that can talk?”

Gu Seo-ryong covered her mouth with exaggerated gestures as if startled.

Then, glancing at me, she narrowed her eyes.

“Hmm… I see. I get it now. You called me to help you deal with these monsters, right? And the fact that these monsters can talk means they’re experiments from this place called a laboratory?”

[Are you an experiment too?]

[You know the laboratory!]

“Huh? Do I look like a monster to you? Even though I’m this pretty?”

[Experiment…? Human, human? Pretty!]

“Oh my, this kitty has some taste.”

Gu Seo-ryong stopped in front of the two wary monsters and snapped her fingers while turning in place.

“But Black Cat? Isn’t this a bit too much? There are two of them and only one of you… clearly they outnumber you.”

After making this meaningful remark, Gu Seo-ryong turned toward the monsters again and slowly approached them.

“I’m more interested in that laboratory that combines monsters with humans than in Black Cat. So, what do you say, guests from the laboratory? If you help me catch Black Cat, would you introduce me to the laboratory?”

[Kuhehe! How amusing, CXI… were you abandoned?]

[Abandoned? Mother?]

As the two monsters laughed mockingly, Gu Seo-ryong turned away from them to face me, raising her nails as if ready to pounce on me at any moment.

“Hey, you two over there? You were sent from the laboratory to catch Black Cat, right? You didn’t escape like Black Cat or anything like that~?”

[Kuku… I am different from that stupid thing.]

[Order from laboratory! Catch Black Cat.]

“Oh my, really~?”

The moment they answered Gu Seo-ryong with laughter in their voices, she swung her snow-white tail sharply like a fishing rod.

Tak! Tak… tak… The sound echoed in the air, and Gu Seo-ryong approached the two monsters who were cautiously watching me with leisurely steps.

Pook. Gu Seo-ryong drove her fingertips into the necks of the two monsters and responded to them with a voice tinged with laughter.

“So, you prioritize human orders over monster instincts, you idiots♥”

[Kugh…?! You, you bitch!]

[Eh…? Ah!]

Chwak! Startled by Gu Seo-ryong, who had her hands buried in their necks, the two monsters used space manipulation to tear the void.

The torn space appeared not in front of Gu Seo-ryong standing between them, but in front of each other’s necks.

[Aaack! 499, what are you doing!]

[Huk…! Brother? Brother?!]

“Ahahahaha! Information gathering complete~!”

Whoop! With a laugh, Gu Seo-ryong jumped up from the ground, landed beside me, and licked her fingertips covered in blood and venom.

“As expected, I knew this would happen when monsters that obey the laboratory appeared. To make monsters follow orders, you have to weaken their mental resistance, right? This seems a bit… too much, though.”

As the two poisoned monsters lost focus in their eyes and breathed heavily, Gu Seo-ryong snapped her fingers and said:

“They have Despair-rank bodies, but their minds aren’t even at Disaster-rank level.”

[What, what is this…! Kuk, heok…!]

[Eh? This, what is this…? Curious, curious…?]

“That~? Hmm, well, whether it’s some kind of drug or ability doesn’t really matter, does it?”

Gu Seo-ryong continued to snap her fingers, showing them to me behind her back, and raised one finger.

“What matters is that it’s going to get harder and harder for them to deal with our darling.”

A gesture beckoning me to come over, and then her fingertip pointing at the two experiments.

“Deun-deun? Bite them.”