He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked down at the parts the children had torn off.
Monster warning device, this thing made with special alloys and technology has considerable value for each of its components.
Even if sold on the black market, he could make quite a bit of money with these parts, but no matter how many times he told the children, they could never manage to bring him the most important core components.
In truth, those parts were in a place that couldn’t be reached by simply extending a hand through the bars of the cage.
The Orphanage Director, unaware of this fact because he’d never seen the device with his own eyes, opened a drawer and pulled out an expensive lighter and a uniquely shaped cigarette.
It was a high-end lighter purchased by abusing tax breaks meant for buying food and sundries for the children’s meals.
The Orphanage Director lit the strangely colored cigarette with a look of satisfaction, touching what could be considered a luxury item in the Monster Era, one that the average person could only dream of.
Then he made another call to the director of another orphanage and asked,
“Where were we? I don’t remember at all now that I’m angry.”
[Hehehe, looks like the kids aren’t listening again, huh?]
“Hmph… They’re really stupid because they don’t have parents. No matter how much I tell them, they just don’t get it. Is it so hard? All I asked for was the orange glass bottle.”
[How much does it cost, anyway?]
“It varies, but I’ve heard it’s more than two months’ salary for the average worker.”
[That’s quite a lot, huh? You had every right to get mad.]
On the other end of the phone, the other Orphanage Director chuckled in understanding.
Rather than objecting to using children for theft, this Orphanage Director instead got angry when the children didn’t bring back something valuable enough.
In the Monster Era, such individuals weren’t only limited to these two; similar directors existed in other orphanages too.
Private orphanages, where the owners started their businesses not out of noble intentions to care for parentless children, but to profit off government subsidies.
For them, using the minor offenses forgiveness clause, originally intended to protect and re-educate children who might stray, to make money made complete sense.
Using the children as stress relief was also a non-issue, since in the Monster Era, where monster attacks were ongoing, disposing of a body was a simple matter.
In fact, these directors often communicated with each other, discussing ways to make more money.
“So… could you explain a bit more about that big money-making opportunity? Why have you been buying so many cars lately?”
[Ah, hmm… this isn’t something I can tell just anyone.]
“Come on, tell me. Remember the last time I helped dispose of some bodies?”
[Hey… since you did me that favor, I guess I can’t not teach you…]
Thus, the other Orphanage Director smiled slyly and began explaining his latest business venture.
[You know, some of the rich folks out there have quite… refined hobbies. In the Monster Era, seeing violence so frequently can bring on a certain excitement.]
“Get to the point already.”
[Hehe… If you have any pretty children, let me know. I can act as a middleman.]
“Cute children? Wait… are you talking about…? Doesn’t that violate exemption clause?”
“And even if it does, we can sell to the very people who made that exemption clause!”
Realizing roughly what the other was talking about, the Orphanage Director admired this method as if it were purely ingenious.
His expression revealed that he regretted not thinking of it himself.
[We leave the disposal of bodies to them, and all we have to do is collect the money. It’s far more profitable than petty theft.]
“How much is it worth?”
[Hehe… about as much as a car per child. The rich don’t skimp on their hobbies.]
“Seriously?!”
[The more attractive they are, the more they’ll pay, so aim for the prettier ones. The less attractive ones can still be used for our usual business.]
“Tch… if it’s that good a business, you should’ve told me earlier.”
[I am telling you now. Hehe… Since I’ve opened the channel for you, let me know once you’ve found someone. I’ll take my cut as the intermediary.]
“Hmph… all right.”
After ending the call, the Orphanage Director quickly began searching his mind for children with decent appearances upon hearing the astronomical price.
The first to come to mind was Nahyeri. She was young, but if she grew up with a nice face, how much could they sell her for?
Though he had never thought of her this way before, imagining it now made him excited for some reason.
Why hadn’t he thought of this sooner? The Orphanage Director once again berated himself for his lack of foresight.
“Nahyeri! Come to the director’s office immediately!”
With a devilish smile, the Orphanage Director lifted the phone and pressed a button, broadcasting his voice throughout the orphanage.
As if ready to make an announcement at any time, the Orphanage Director chuckled as he called for Nahyeri.
Whether it was because the drug’s effects had kicked in, or because of his excitement to use violence on a child, his behavior was disturbing.
“Unbelievable.”
By the time the thought crossed his mind, he had descended from the ceiling.
Did he beat her so hard that her skin bruised?
For some reason, the girl smelled delicious to him.
It seemed strange that hungry children would steal equipment off trucks instead of food.
“Who, who is there?!”
As I took on a human form, falling like a shadow, the Orphanage Director desperately searched through the drawer for a handgun.
I crushed the handgun with one hand.
Realizing I was no ordinary person, the Orphanage Director took a step back.
“What, what are you…?! Police…?! H, Hero…?! D, do you know who I am? Who I’m connected to…!”
If it were the police or a hero, saying those connections might stop them from acting recklessly.
But to me, a monster, such intimidation mattered little.
I grabbed the Orphanage Director’s mouth with one hand, clamping down tightly.
“Neither.”
“Ugh, gggaaaaahk…! Cough…!”
I am a monster.
I am a monster, yet I do not wish to attack humans.
However, this is not human.
“Neu, neuquu…! Extreme!”
Transforming into a shape beyond human form, I knocked the Orphanage Director down.
Familiarizing myself with the ever-changing forms of a monster, I now resemble a black panther.
The loud sound of sirens outside announced my presence as a monster.
The Orphanage Director’s eyes widened as he finally realized the truth.
“Grrrrrr…”
“J, jaaaahk…! Gyaah…!”
Under the heavy paw of the monster, the overweight body was pressed. Tiger’s claws sank into the Orphanage Director’s chest slowly.
With a heavy push, the director’s eyes and mouth started bleeding.
At that moment, the door to the office opened.
“…, h-hiik?!”
As I pressed harder into the Orphanage Director, I turned to look behind me.
There stood the girl who ate the least meat, who stumbled backward in shock, falling because she couldn’t walk properly.
Had she come into the office despite the monster alert?
Was the director more terrifying than me?
“Shaa, shahyeer…! Shah…! Gaak! Gyaah…! Urg…!”
With the extensive bruises on her legs, the smell from this fatty body was nauseating, but it did stimulate my appetite slightly.
However, it would not be healthy for the girl to see this scene.
With a growl, I smashed each limb of the Orphanage Director with my front paw and then approached the girl.
“Hek…! Hik…! Hoooh…! Uh…?”
The girl, unable to run, trembled in front of me. I nudged her gently with my head and then bit the doorknob with my mouth.
Then I slowly closed the door, causing the girl to blink in surprise.
What comes next is not suitable for minors.
“Shaa, haeerr…! Gurrrk…!”
The greasy taste filling my mouth, I tore the Orphanage Director’s head off and began my meal, still sensing the girl’s scent of blood from beyond the door.
Let’s settle for this instead of the prime grade beef.
It seems I must resolve tonight’s dinner with orphanage directors, as they are not human.
“Yurk…yurk…kurrrk….”
Hmm…
Too greasy.
#
Despair-class monster, Black Cat.
It had now become second nature for it to completely vanish without a trace, moving unpredictably and manipulating events as though mocking Yuanna.
Black Cat’s continued attacks showed no signs of stopping after over twelve rounds.
“So monsters really are monsters after all…”
“This is like a real assassin hunting its prey.”
“Hiding is too proficient…how do we even capture it?”
The faces of the heroes, who had gotten the news before it even hit the news, paled when the Despair-class monster began hunting humans.
Already, a Despair-class monster required the full attention of the entire W City, but this creature’s behavior was very different from ordinary monsters.
Black Cat, by ensuring successful hunts and escapes safely without targeting too many humans, seemed likely to continue causing havoc as if mocking the heroes if left unchecked.
“Still…why orphanages only?”
“The children are all alive. Why?”
Interestingly, Black Cat followed a set pattern.
It only hunted orphanage directors—why this was the case remained a mystery—but the young children, who were much easier prey, were left entirely untouched.
Did monster preferences for prey differ?
Looking at it from a monster’s perspective, were the 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 disclosed.
The victims were all notably overweight.
Heroes began to think of Black Cat as a gourmet monster that preferred fat humans.
There were monsters that targeted females, or children, or occasionally developed such feeding preferences.
“These people…”
And Yuanna, who had received all this information, wore a serious expression.
All were orphanage directors whose investigations had been planned.
These individuals were frequently obstructed by interference from higher-ups in the government, causing much difficulty.
Why was Black Cat targeting only these people?
It was hard to see this as simply a pattern of attacks against orphanages.
Yuanna was perplexed by this commonality.
However, she had no time to solve this mystery.
Black Cat’s hunts were still underway.
What was urgent was stopping Black Cat, so Yuanna temporarily set aside her questions and predicted Black Cat’s next hunt location.
The remaining directors who had been planned for investigation.
There were only two places left. One of the two, surely…
Yuanna concentrated the heroes in one direction and prepared to wait in the other.
If Black Cat appeared where she was, she would face it alone; if it went the opposite way, she would buy the heroes some time.
She did not evacuate the orphanage directors and the children.
Considering Black Cat possessed Lee Han-yeong’s ability to penetrate objects,
Instead of pointlessly evacuating to a confined space where the children and the orphanage director might be together, Yuanna intended to minimize harm by letting the orphanage director bear all the damage, even if it meant death.
It was a cruel decision, but knowing roughly what the orphanage directors were doing behind the scenes, Yuanna felt no remorse.
“Gurk!”
“Urrk…kurrr…ood….”
Then, Black Cat appeared where Yuanna was.
Though she was waiting near the children just in case, Black Cat emerged.
Somehow, Black Cat was appearing alongside alarms.
When the siren sounded, when Yuanna detected Black Cat, the monstrous mouth had already erupted from the ground and was chewing on an orphanage director who had approached too close to where the children were.
If she fought Black Cat here, it might hurt the children.
Immediately, Yuanna signaled the awaiting heroes to protect the children.
“Here is Yuanna, Black Cat has appeared, come here immediately…no.”
“Garrrrrl…”
“I…I’ll handle it alone.”
However, something felt off when she faced Black Cat directly.
Until now, Black Cat had always run away from her.
Even though whenever she tried to catch Black Cat, it hid from her, why wasn’t it doing so now?
Even now, it does not flee, instead carefully retreating.
As if beckoning her closer or trying to push her away.
Why was it not fleeing immediately?
Was it because it had run in a similar way before, fearing her abilities would melt everything around her?
Was it worried about harming the children in the next room?
“…What are you thinking?”
