Ch.93Retry

Seoul as a city has undergone many changes over time.

The debris of collapsed buildings was cleared away, and new buildings were erected in their place.

It was a natural progression that the tall, magnificent buildings were occupied by first-generation users who had accumulated wealth over a long period.

I moved my wings and broke through a building’s window to enter.

The vampires came running, startled by the loud crashing sound of breaking glass.

“Ch-Charlotte…?”

The vampires’ eyes widened in surprise at my sudden appearance.

I flapped my wings, scattering the glass shards that had stuck to my body.

“What are you all doing here?”

“W-Well…”

The vampires avoided my gaze when I questioned them.

I tilted my head in confusion at their behavior. My orders should have spread throughout Seoul.

Every single one of them must have received the summons.

Had they forgotten what happened 20 years ago?

They couldn’t have forgotten what happened to Firin, Prix, and Mulbitbaram who opposed the Manticore subjugation.

Right now, those three girls were drawing pictures or playing with dolls inside my shadow.

“Didn’t you hear my orders?”

This was the last chance I could give to the first-generation vampires.

If they claimed they hadn’t heard and joined the Manticore subjugation team, I was willing to forgive them.

But the first-generation vampires betrayed my expectations.

“N-Now!”

The moment one vampire’s scream-like shout erupted, the closed door opened and a barrage of bullets poured out.

Ratatatatat-!

The attack was so sudden that my reaction was delayed.

The moment two bullets pierced my body, the shadow at my feet quickly spread out to block the attack.

Hissss-!

White smoke rose from my wounds.

The effect of silver bullets.

I tilted my head in confusion. Why were there humans here?

The slaves were being thoroughly managed by Aurel.

As far as I knew, there had been no leakage of human slaves to the outside.

“Kill her!”

The moment the vampires began to charge at me,

I realized who these humans were.

They were humans who had fled from Busan, abandoning their own kind.

They were definitely wild human survivors.

I sighed and spread both hands.

Shadows extended widely, and hundreds of girls poured out from within.

The cute battle cries of the girls mixed with the screams of first-generation vampires and humans.

I already knew that first-generation vampires who experienced the Manticore subjugation were not favorable toward me.

But I never expected them to join forces with wild humans to capture me.

How did they manage to bring humans into Seoul?

I can ask about that after they become my children.

I didn’t think much of this situation as I released my children.

Twenty years was more than enough time to arm all my children with powerful items.

-Humans!

-Human blood!

-Kill them all!

Firin, Prix, Mulbitbaram.

The three girls who had lost all their past memories wielded their knives as my children.

The only trace of their past that remained was their names.

The situation was resolved in an instant.

About 200 first-generation vampires were either killed or became my children, and the humans who cooperated with them had their arms and legs cut off and were all captured alive.

“Aaaaargh!”

A human user looked up at me and wailed.

He was thrashing about so violently that my child who was sitting on top of him to hold him down laughed, finding it amusing.

I crouched down and patted the human user’s head.

“From now on, you’ll work in the breeding facility.”

“B-Breeding facility…?”

“Yes. A place where human children are born.”

I briefly explained to him about the human slave facilities.

I explained about the slaughterhouse where blood and meat are provided, and the breeding facility where children are endlessly produced.

After hearing my explanation, the human thrashed even more violently.

“Y-You’re insane! You’re a monster!”

Actually, I had hoped they would be happy. Is it something to get angry about when I’m offering to reunite them with the comrades they separated from 20 years ago?

Life in the breeding facility wouldn’t be bad. It’s a place where all you have to do is eat, sleep, and make babies.

There’s not even a need to risk your life hunting.

It was a happy place where they could just live like that until they meet their end.

Everyone hated it 20 years ago, but now it’s a place full of happy moans.

“Yeppi.”

“Yes!”

“Take these to the slave detention center.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

My most reliable first child.

Yeppi nodded at my command and led her siblings to transport the human slaves.

Annoyed by the humans’ violent thrashing, she gave each of them a knock on the head.

With her powerful blows, the humans’ heads caved in and they went limp.

Having dealt with the rebellious first-generation vampires, it was now the werewolves’ turn.

I spread my wings and jumped from the building.

It was only natural that first-generation werewolves had also accumulated a lot of wealth.

I went to their luxurious building and asked why they didn’t participate in the Manticore subjugation team.

Unlike the vampires, they gave realistic answers.

“If we die, there will be great confusion in this society. Children who lose their parents will surely resent you, Charlotte.”

Unlike vampires, werewolves could reproduce.

So it was natural that society formed around first-generation werewolves.

But I couldn’t hide my puzzlement at the werewolves’ answer.

“What if your children die?”

“Well… wouldn’t that be an inevitable sacrifice?”

“So you’re saying they wouldn’t resent me?”

“That’s right.”

The werewolf who answered my question raised his wine glass with a relaxed expression.

I stood up as I watched him.

Every answer was disappointing. I had intended to forgive the werewolves too if they had said they would join the subjugation team even now.

“Do you want to go underground too?”

“U-Underground…?”

The only facilities built underground were the power plant with turbines and the slave detention center where slaves were imprisoned.

The werewolf’s face turned pale as if he understood the meaning behind my words.

Of course, it was just an empty threat. The detention center was already full of efficient human slaves.

I had no intention of expanding the detention center to extract the blood of distasteful werewolves.

“You’re going too far…!”

The werewolf bared his teeth at me.

It was only natural that my shadow reacted to such strong hostility.

Hundreds of small hands extended from my shadow to protect me and instantly tore apart the werewolf who had been so insolent to me.

“Ah…”

Blood flowed from the torn body.

Werewolves, sensitive to smell, would have noticed this scent.

It was truly regrettable for me, who wanted to handle this as quietly and quickly as possible.

At that moment, the entire building began to stir.

Werewolves who smelled the blood of their kind were rushing here.

Just like before, I released hundreds of my children.

As I waited, the closed door fell with a bang!

“Father!”

The werewolf at the front shouted as he looked around the room.

Apparently, he was the grandson of the werewolf I had killed.

I clicked my tongue. I had wanted to deal with only the first-generation werewolves, but that didn’t seem possible now.

“Y-You…!”

As if he had just noticed me, the male werewolf began to glare at me, baring his teeth.

That became the signal for the fight to begin.

Hundreds of pale white girls poured out, swinging knives and fists.

That day, the werewolf population decreased by about 500.

***

After dealing with all the rebellious elements, I led the Manticore subjugation team out of Seoul.

Naturally, I rode on Hwang-gu, with Aurel sitting in front of me and Yuri behind me.

The werewolves, sensitive to smell, questioned the scent of their kind’s blood emanating from my body, but I maintained silence.

“Let’s go!”

The subjugation team that left Seoul quickly advanced toward Goseong.

The team’s journey was not very smooth, as attacks from fusion bodies began the moment we left Seoul.

When werewolves used to inhabit Gangwon-do, they hunted all the fusion bodies in the area, so this didn’t happen…

Of course, the attacks from fusion bodies weren’t all bad.

It was an opportunity to warm up properly before fighting the Manticore.

I took the initiative to lead the subjugation team through areas where many fusion bodies gathered.

Three hours after leaving Seoul.

We finally arrived at Goseong.

This is the area where traces of the battle with the Manticore from about 20 years ago remain intact.

I frowned as I examined the traces of devastated roads and buildings.

“Is that the Manticore…?”

Second-generation users began to be surprised at the enormous figure of the Manticore.

It was a natural reaction since it would be their first time facing an episode boss with special strength.

“Everyone check your equipment!”

The second-generation users who grew up under Aurel’s brainwashing education followed my orders diligently.

Users who confirmed that their equipment was in order began to take their positions to engage in battle immediately.

I and the werewolves would fight at the very front, with vampires filling in behind us.

Finally, second-generation human users would pour overwhelming long-range firepower from a very distant location, characteristic of the human race.

It’s definitely a perfect plan.

I drew a white sword from within my shadow and rushed forward.

“Hiyaaaah!”

I had invested an enormous amount of credits in random boxes over the years.

As a result, I had assembled equipment with specs incomparable to 20 years ago, and with these specs, I felt I could withstand the Manticore’s attacks several times.

[Grrrr!]

The moment I entered its range of perception, the Manticore’s gaze turned toward me.

The moment I met that gaze, memories from 20 years ago surfaced and my body froze.

Of course, it was only for a very brief moment. I spread shadow wings on my back and leaped toward the Manticore.

“Haaah!”

With a battle cry that sounded like a scream, I swung my sword.

Twenty years ago, I only managed to inflict a thin wound on its hide, but now the result was different.

Slash!

The widely swung sword dug into the Manticore’s hide and damaged the bone beneath.