episode_0005

“I’m back, kids.”

I went to the supermarket and butcher shop.

The volume-based bag I held in both hands was filled with packs of fresh meat. There was meat in my bag, and dozens of kitchen knives I bought from the mart.

I didn’t think chopsticks were suitable for weapons, so I bought them with determination.

“Kikik”

“Keruruk”

“Kitkikrik”

The goblins gathered in my room welcomed me warmly.

When I told them to sit quietly, surprisingly, they listened well.

Thanks to Irene, now there were eight soldiers.

I fed the newly born ones first, tearing open the plastic bags. I shared the meat with the rest of the goblins.

“I brought all this meat from the butcher shop to give to you. I’m poor now.”

Where would a struggling web novel writer who earns ten thousand won a day keep money? I used the tears I had saved for the soldiers.

As I put the meat in the fridge, a sigh escaped me involuntarily.

The cost of meat alone was close to one million won.

I bought sirloin, boiled pork, beef hind shank, braised short ribs, anything and everything that came my way.

The butcher looked puzzled when I demanded everything here, but when I handed him my card, he smiled broadly and became very friendly.

He even offered to treat me as a VIP and wrote down his contact information separately.

“It’s a big deal to feed you all. It’s just my luck that I’m poor… Let’s see. Number one, number two, number three…”

They were completed up to number eight in order of birth.

They certainly grow quickly when fed meat.

But I think there is a limit to their growth by spending money.

It would be best if they could be self-sufficient. I’ll have to think about the food issue gradually.

Sizzle.

“Ilho, come here and help me open this, like this.”

I opened the packaging of the kitchen knife I bought at the mart.

His eyes watched me closely as I did it, then he quickly tore open the remaining wrappers.

“You did well. Take one each. These are your weapons.”

“Kekik.”

Was it their instinct?

As they held the knives, they all looked pleased with their mouths upturned. It was eerie to see them all holding kitchen knives in the cramped room.

I wanted to leave a picture or something, but I had to resist for precaution’s sake.

I connected to YouTube for the soldiers and played a video. After contemplating what would be good, I clicked on a compilation of the Korean super hero Hyperion’s actions.

“He’s our ultimate goal. He’s the ability user you guys need to catch.”

It was a joke.

How could goblins like elementary school kids catch a Grade 4 super-powered individual flying at Mach speed like Sonic Boom? Catching aside, he was just a damn dangerous being.

Even my estranged mother, who has been active for over thirty years, remains at Grade 5.

She possesses a formidable power at that level, yet she was never satisfied.

She used to mutter to me as if complaining. She felt like she was blocked by a solid wall.

There seem to be various mechanisms to break down the wall, and if one can easily realize that, wouldn’t everyone be able to fly in the sky?

So my mother always envied higher-grade ability users. Such inferiority complex overflowed into twisted desires to fulfill her dreams through her child, and I, who had no abilities, suffered from that abuse.

Boom.

Crackle.

As Hyperion shot rays from his eyes, the villains melted away.

Watching that, the soldiers trembled, growling as they shook the hands holding the knives.

After observing their eerie behavior for a moment, I left my room and went to Irene’s room next door.

“Irene, wake up.”

I helped her up, exhausted from continuous childbirth, and fed her seaweed soup.

I bought some pre-cooked items from the mart and added sliced beef.

“…………”

She ate the seaweed soup with vacant eyes.

Milk continued to spurt from Irene’s nipple, weakly nestled against me. Seeing the darker areola and enlarged nipple, saliva involuntarily swallowed.

I momentarily set down the bowl.

“Suck. Suck. Chwurrup.”

After sucking milk a few times, I fed her seaweed soup again. However, milk spurted out even more vigorously, as if sucked in vain.

Eventually, I covered her breast with a towel.

“Sorry. Really… It couldn’t be helped. You’ll understand someday.”

I apologized to her silently staring at me with a guilty heart.

Who would believe that someone instructed by a godlike being would bring about the destruction of humanity?

All I can do now is just live like this.

I also cooked beef for her.

With a bit of energy, Irene voraciously ate her meal, finishing a bowl of seaweed soup in one go.

Feeling weak, she fell back into a deep sleep.

“Hmm. Seriously… a wound in the perineum…”

I spread her legs while she slept, checking her perineum and vaginal condition. I searched various things on my phone, all related to postpartum content.

“If only she had healing abilities…”

I imagined what it would be like if she were a woman with healing powers. Consecutive childbirths were undoubtedly a burdensome act for ordinary people.

This was because Irene’s vagina was torn in several places.

Especially a long tear from the vaginal opening towards the anus. I brought ointment for new skin growth when there was a wound and applied it.

Thud!

While applying ointment all over Irene’s genitals, I was startled by the abrupt sound of the neighbor closing their door without warning.

“Ah, damn it…”

The time has come.

I have already made up my mind.

It’s time to kill the neighbor next door.

***

In the backward area, a shabby one-room apartment had no CCTV. So, there were no hindrances to carry out the plan.

“Sigh…”

Standing in front of the door marked 201, I took a deep breath.

My heart was pounding like crazy.

My legs trembled with nervous tension.

Sweat dripped from my hands, wiping it on my pants.

“Krrk.”

Was he able to read my mind?

Soldier Ilho held a kitchen knife in his right hand, ready to attack. Looking into Ilho’s eyes filled with determination, the others also tensed up.

To the left of the 201 door was a staircase leading directly downstairs, so soldiers stood in a row against the stairs. Anticipating the door to open, four soldiers were placed on each side to cover both directions.

The message to attack someone was conveyed smoothly. It seemed like my thoughts were telepathically transmitted, but time would reveal the truth.

The plan was simple.

Knock on the door to make him come out and then rush in. However, since there was a possibility of other people in different rooms, we decided to push him into the room to finish the job.

Tap tap.

“…”

There was no response after knocking gently.

This time, I knocked hard with my fist.

Thud thud.

A sign of movement was heard, and finally, the door opened.

A man with a bare torso and flashy tattoos came out and looked me up and down. I didn’t notice it passing by, but seeing it up close, he looked quite menacing.

He scanned me from top to bottom, then frowned and spoke.

“What?”

“I live in 202.”

“So?”

“Could you please close the door quietly? It’s too loud. How many months has it been?”

The tattooed man glared at me displeased.

Then, he smirked and lightly tapped my forehead with his finger.

“Hah. This kid has no manners. Opening and closing our door is up to me, damn it.”

“It’s too noisy. From another person’s perspective…”

Slap!

Everything went blank, and my head turned to the side.

The tattooed man had raised his hand and hit my cheek without hesitation. The noise was so loud that it echoed through the one-room hallway.

A ringing sound was heard in my right ear.

And water was flowing from his nose, his nosebleed burst. Ilho, wiping the blood with the back of his hand, leaned his head to the left and met my gaze, waiting for my instructions.

“Oppa. What’s wrong… Oh my.”

“It’s nothing, just go inside. Some narrow-minded punk came looking for trouble.”

“Oppa… Did you hit him? I told you not to hit people like that!”

He had a girlfriend.

Stroking his cheek, I stared intently at the sharply dressed woman. She was wearing a tattoo enthusiast’s half-sleeve tee or a missing-bottom fashion box tee.

Her face shape suited her blonde hair very well.

It felt like watching a popular idol with short yellow hair.

“Why are you staring? Why are you looking at someone else’s woman, punk? Jeez.”

“Oppa, stop it. Just come in, okay?”

Still, that woman seemed to have a conscience as she restrained the tattoo enthusiast.

“Let it go. These guys need a beating. Hey punk, do I look funny to you?”

“Why, why are you hitting me…?”

“Why am I hitting you? Hahaha. Are you kidding me? Go bring your mother here.”

Encountering someone so boldly for the first time in my life.

My heart felt like it was going to explode. Even my breathing became rough.

As my legs grew weaker, I was too scared to even look up at him.

Crack!

“Hah, you narrow-minded punk. Try catching my eye one more time. You’ll really die. Got it?”

“Oppa! Don’t hit him! What if something goes wrong?”

“If something goes wrong, then it goes wrong.”

Thud.

“…Huh?”

“Oh, oppa? What’s wrong?”

I stabbed the center of the right rib cage that he had hidden under his waistband.

It went in smoothly than I thought.

“Shit, shit… You bastard… You bastard! Kill him!”

“Keeyaaah!”

Pulling out the knife stuck in his rib, he yelled and gave the attack command.

Soldiers who appeared screaming rushed in and stabbed him with their swords.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Thud. Thud. Thud.