“Kyaah…!”
A groan of pain escaped from Chon Se-hee’s mouth.
It was only natural. Her head had been grazed with a soju bottle. It must be incredibly painful.
“Hmph, potent. Still conscious after that?”
“Y-you… son of a bi-!”
Chon Se-hee’s eyes glinted like axes, filled with murderous intent.
But her body wouldn’t move, leaving her to squirm helplessly on the floor.
“Be obedient.”
“What? You break into someone’s house and expect me to be obedient?”
“That’s true too.”
Since it was reasonable, I let it slide.
In that case, I’ll have to personally make you obedient.
“…well, never mind. I didn’t intend to use the soju bottle anyway.”
I pulled out a black rectangular object from my pocket.
“You’re going to be unconscious for a while.”
“You… you bas-”
“If you wake up, you’ll be at the police station. Just so you know.”
Crack!
A spark flew as I brought the object close to Chon Se-hee’s body. She stiffened momentarily before stopping all movement.
She seemed to have completely passed out.
‘Glad I bought this taser for self-defense.’
Though in this case, it wasn’t defense but an attack.
“Hmm.”
After tying up Chon Se-hee’s hands and feet with rope, I looked around the house, which resembled a garbage dump. There were three rooms.
The first room was a bedroom.
Searching the drawers, I found photos of her with her victims, which I carefully set aside.
The police can handle those later.
The second room was a storage room.
“Should I take these just in case?”
I prepared some items for any unexpected situations. Hopefully, I won’t need them, but better safe than sorry.
There didn’t seem to be much else in the storage room. So, onto the last room.
I took a deep breath.
“Ugh…”
An unpleasant smell assaulted my nose, something between rotten flesh and fish.
Creak.
As I opened the door and entered, a sticky sound echoed.
‘There they are.’
Slimes confined behind iron bars, mindlessly crawling around and feeding on rotting fish. Occasionally, they would cannibalize each other to grow larger.
My breath caught in my throat, and I immediately threw open all the windows and doors.
I felt like I might suffocate at any moment.
Once the nauseating stench started to dissipate, I could finally move around the room.
‘Disgusting.’
If I chose just one of these creatures, I could become several times stronger. Perhaps strong enough to defeat Magical Girl Iris.
‘But that’s not enough.’
I desired even greater power, and whether these mindless creatures could achieve that was doubtful.
Which is why there was someone specific I was looking for.
While moving supplies in the living room, I felt a gaze directed at me.
I turned toward the source of the gaze.
A glass box surrounded on all sides. Inside was…
‘An octopus.’
There was an octopus inside.
Its dark skin, tentacles, and round, bright eyes made it look almost cute, like a cartoon character.
Compared to the other monstrous slimes, this one appeared adorable. While the others gave off a creepy vibe, this one seemed more like a wiggly little thing.
Who would have thought?
This seemingly cute octopus sitting there.
Was actually the worst tentacle monster created by replicating the genes of an ancient legendary creature.
Little did anyone know, this creature would play a significant role when Magical Girl Iris confronted Chon Se-hee in the future.
+++++
They say there once was a monster bigger than a ship.
This sea-dwelling creature would attack ships, devouring people and instilling fear.
With immense strength and massive tentacles, Chon Se-hee must have thought it would be the perfect tool to attack powerful individuals. If this research succeeded, even top-tier heroes wouldn’t be safe.
And now, the result of her insane obsession stands before me.
“…Hello.”
Fluent human speech emerged from the creature’s mouth, sounding like a young girl’s voice.
Se-hee truly was a genius if she managed to teach Korean to a mythological creature.
“Why are you doing such things?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Could you tell me what those reasons are?”
“Of course.”
I stared intently at the creature in the glass box. Naturally, it was difficult to gauge its thoughts.
How does one read the mind of an octopus?
Though my previous life’s profession as a counselor gave me confidence in conversing with people, talking seriously with an octopus – or non-human entity – was different.
Are there really any sane humans who would have a serious conversation with an octopus?
‘And now, that sane person is me.’
I never imagined I’d end up having a serious conversation with an octopus. Suppressing a hollow laugh, I began speaking.
“If I say I need your help, would you believe me?”
“Absolutely.”
The immediate response surprised me somewhat.
To agree so readily?
“Are you not curious about the reason?”
“I should hear it.”
“Right now?”
“Yes.”
What a strange creature. Though it was supposed to be a replica of a monstrous legend, its tone felt oddly gentle.
How should I describe it? Like a dignified young heiress perhaps.
Crossing my arms, I glared at the octopus, who responded with a peculiar chuckle as it waved its tentacles.
“You’ve been playing around a bit too much. I don’t know who you are exactly, but I can sense one thing.”
“What can you sense?”
“Though I’m merely a replica, an imitation of the legendary monster, and lack the full instincts of the original, still…”
The octopus paused briefly to choose its words carefully.
“I sense an unusually distinctive feeling from you.”
Even as a replica, it was created from a legendary monster.
Perhaps its innate instincts, senses, or abilities were extraordinarily advanced?
This was beyond my understanding and not something I particularly needed to know.
A brief silence fell. The octopus broke it with a question.
“Are you really from this world?”
“What if I’m not?”
“Huh?”
“What will you do if I’m not?”
The confident tone in my voice caused the octopus to pause briefly before slowly speaking.
“You’re quite an unusual person.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot.”
“Let me hear it then. What exactly is going on?”
After a short moment of consideration, I decided to be honest.
“There’s a girl I want to save.”
“…”
“Soon, she’ll be in great danger. She might… die, maybe.”
Perhaps dying would be better.
I couldn’t bring myself to say those words and instead stared intensely at the octopus.
The octopus seemed to ponder. The moment it heard “girl” and “save,” it suddenly crawled vigorously toward me.
Now within arm’s reach, it touched the glass gently with its tentacles and spoke excitedly.
“Do you like her?”
“Huh? Ah… maybe. Sort of.”
Liking someone doesn’t necessarily mean romantic love, right? Though I’m alone, we’ve developed some inner intimacy, so… could I say I like her?
I nodded slightly.
At that, the octopus began speaking excitedly.
“Let’s go immediately.”
“What?”
“Let’s go right now.”
Why is it reacting like this?
“When you said ‘the girl you like’ and ‘need to save,'”
“Yes…?”
“Then we must go.”
Its voice was like that of a child eager to grab a snack placed before them.
I couldn’t quite grasp why it was acting this way. After thinking for a while, I noticed the titles of books near it and understood.
[Returner and the Blind Saint]
[The Wife Waits in the Rice Field]
[Being Held Captive by Author Na Jaksu]
These were familiar books.
Aren’t they famous romance novels in this world? They’re also among Iris’s favorites.
Aren’t these the most popular books among teenage girls?
So, this creature probably…
“Excuse me.”
“Kkomkmu.”
“Kkomkmu?”
“It’s my name.”
Such creative naming.
No, that’s not important right now.
“How old are you in human years?”
“In human years… um… fourteen? Maybe fifteen?”
I see.
That makes sense.
It’s likely a teenager obsessed with romance novels.
“Like romance novels, huh?”
“There’s nothing else to do here.”
“Haven’t you ever thought of trying it yourself?”
“No, it’s impossible. There are only stupid slimes here.”
“True.”
“And Mom… she only wants to use me for bad things… sigh…”
Kkomkmu sighed deeply, revealing the kind of life it leads.
Having intelligence itself must feel like a curse. Surrounded by brainless creatures, its only companion, Chon Se-hee, views it merely as a tool.
Perhaps these novels are Kkomkmu’s sole hobby and escape.
After contemplating for a while, Kkomkmu spoke.
“I can’t take it anymore. Please take me outside.”
“But in exchange…”
“Yes. I’ll help you rescue that person.”
Scary.
A teenage girl obsessed with romance novels.
It’s likely seeing me as the protagonist willing to do anything for love in its mind.
If the story unfolds well for us, that’s good.
“But how do we get out?”
The glass was secured with a sturdy lock. Given this setup, it’s undoubtedly reinforced glass.
However, Kkomkmu reassured me not to worry.
“We can break it and go out.”
“Then why haven’t you left until now?”
“If I leave, I’ll be caught right away. And… no matter how much I dislike it, she’s still my mom. We might not see each other for a while.”
Kkomkmu’s voice carried a fleeting hint of bitterness but soon resumed tapping the glass.
Crack! Snap!
As cracks began forming on the glass, a voice sounded nearby.
“Just try to leave!”
It was Chon Se-hee. Having awakened from her unconscious state, she was crawling over and shouting.
“The moment you break that, they’ll all burst out! You’ll be finished, completely finished!”
Hearing Chon Se-hee’s words, I turned to Kkomkmu.
“Is that true?”
“Considering her dirty nature…”
“It’s obvious she’s prepared for that.”
Kkomkmu seemed flustered.
“You! After all I’ve done for you, you’re thinking of betraying me!?”
“But…”
“F*… If I had known, I would’ve just left you as a dumb creature!”
Chon Se-hee’s words made Kkomkmu hesitate.
Didn’t Kkomkmu say earlier that, despite everything, she’s still “mom”?
But I thought differently.
“Kkomkmu.”
“Yes?”
“Just break it.”
Why is this betrayal?
From the start…
“A parent who sees their child as a tool isn’t a parent.”
“…”
“They’re an enemy. An enemy.”
Kkomkmu’s eyes shifted from Chon Se-hee to me.
She hesitated briefly but soon resolved herself and…
WHOOSH!
Swung a tentacle, shattering the glass container.
The iron-barred door opened, and the slimes began crawling toward us.
Kkomkmu quickly climbed onto my shoulder.
“Do you have a plan? Even for me, there’s a limit with this many.”
Looking at the sturdy supplies I had prepared beforehand, I smiled satisfactorily.
“Of course.”
Indeed, one must always prepare for the future.
