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Chapter 49

Being a profession reliant on social networks, journalists frequently share information among themselves. It’s not safe to assume that only one person is investigating me. People who know me or have connections will multiply in no time.

‘So, controlling them like parasites is difficult.’

It’s not that they have a strong journalist’s spirit or resistance. The reason it’s difficult to control them is the same as why journalists can be a challenge to handle – it’s all about social connections. As a profession that involves meeting various people, some completely unknown or through networking, any deviation from their usual behavior would quickly raise suspicions.

In other words, it’s more advantageous for me to use her as bait rather than turning her into a slave.

I picked up the communication device again and asked William, “What’s her mode of transportation?”

[She came on foot. She’ll probably use the subway to cross the city.]

If she’s from a newspaper, she’s likely located in the commercial district. However, there are no newspapers around the manhole.

If the distance is too far, it’s not easy for me to go and get her. However, calling William to bring her poses its own set of problems.

‘If she disappears, William will become the prime suspect.’

He’s still a useful pawn. I kept him alive for a reason, and it would be a waste to lose him so soon.

‘Wait, the subway?’

Some parts of the secret passage where my nest is located are very close to the subway tracks. There are cameras at the platforms, but no separate cameras on the tracks.

‘Was there a part connected between the subway tracks and the secret passage?’

I don’t remember such a place in the game, but this is reality. If there’s a part close to the tracks and the secret passage, I can break through the wall to connect them.

I hadn’t considered the subway station before because there were too many cameras, but if I can access the tracks, my field of operation will expand significantly.

‘The nest is complete. Let’s check it out.’

I lay down on the floor and connected the auxiliary system under my chin to the nest. My senses were pulled and expanded by something. The link was established, and I began receiving information about the events happening in the city.

‘It’s noisy.’

The lives and movements of the inhabitants, in contrast to the static research vessel, felt incredibly chaotic due to the vast amount of information.

The movements of trains heating the metal tracks, the sounds of people’s footsteps, the breaths and coughs of those in the subway, the unpleasant scent of sweat and odors. The elements emerging from the city’s veins stimulated my five senses.

‘The subway is covered. Now, where’s the point closest to the tracks?’

After expanding my senses and surveying my surroundings, I found several places where I could easily access the tracks with a little corrosion of the metal walls.

‘Among these, there are three places I could attempt.’

Two in the entertainment district and one in the commercial district. There were a few more points near the tracks, but I excluded them due to various issues. Some were too narrow for me to maneuver through, while others were too close to the platforms, increasing the risk of detection despite my efforts to create a passage.

‘It seems to be related to the number of stations.’

In this city that I know, the entertainment district had the most stations, followed by the commercial district.

‘I’ll check the commercial district later after I break through the entertainment district.’

I disconnected the link and stood up.

As I was heading towards the secret passage closely connected to the tracks, Number 26 spoke to me.

｢Where are you going?｣

[ZZZZ ZZZ Z (Just for a walk).]

｢Alright, come quickly.｣

With that said, the little guy cuddled up to Adhai and fell asleep again. Both of them were wild animals, so they got along well, perhaps sharing some kind of unspoken bond.

‘It’s a sight you don’t often see in the game.’

Amorph was naturally a race that forced solo play, and most other races I had tried were not very compatible with party play.

‘Thinking about it, I’ve played more of a playstyle that destroys parties than participates in them.’

I’ve had my fair share of clashes that led to clan disbandment.

‘When I used to fight on the forest planet, I was really at my best.’

Once, when I was just a lower-tiered entity, four major clans joined forces to surround me on a forest planet. Since there were many rankers involved, it was difficult for me to win.

At that time, I used every possible method and trick that Amorph could use.

Many of the strategies I use in battles now were first used or developed during that battle.

‘That fight helped me a lot. Of course, I’d never want to do it again.’

However, the clans that came to capture me fell for my trickery, fought among themselves, and ended up annihilating each other.

Three of the four clans disbanded afterward, and even the relatively intact clan suffered significant losses as its members mass-quit, reducing their numbers from 100 to 60.

‘It’s ironic that I used to break up parties, and now I have companions with me.’

And all of this in a world where the in-game background became reality.

As I reminisced about old memories while walking, I quickly reached my destination. I hadn’t expanded my nest to this area in the residential district yet.

‘Should I set up another one here too?’

Each time I evolve, the number of nests I can create increases by 2, so as a current Pre-saint, I can create a total of 5 nests. I’ve already created one, leaving me with 4 more.

‘I should create one after devouring the journalist.’

I resolved to use the energy provided by this prey for a new nest and touched the wall. Compared to the other walls, the wall I touched transmitted the vibrations caused by the moving train more distinctly.

‘Let’s get started, then.’

I used my fingernail to create a cut on my palm. Acidic blood, which could easily melt even tough alloys, oozed from the wound. The blood flowed from my palm to the metal wall, which began to emit smoke as it melted.

Once the wound healed, I repeated the same process. After about 10 minutes, a hole appeared in the wall.

‘That should do it.’

I stopped inflicting wounds and kicked the wall around the hole with my foot. Thanks to the enhanced properties of my strength, my kick was enough to warp even the thick alloy wall. After enlarging the hole with my hands, I peeled away the melted metal.

As a result, I had created a hole of sufficient size for me to crawl through. When I crossed over to the tracks, I was greeted by the distinctive fine dust of the subway. The strong scent of iron emanating from the steel rails, and the faint flow of electricity through the rails, caressed my auxiliary organ.

As I examined the old tracks, I noticed a light in the distance. A train was approaching.

‘The path is open.’

Now, all that’s left is information about the prey I’m going to hunt. I’ll have to ask William when I meet him.

***

It was 10:30 PM. By the time the light in the commercial district had almost disappeared, Kevin was able to leave the DailyMass office.

‘Ah, it’s so late.’

Despite the late working hours, she didn’t feel bad at all. The office manager was very satisfied with the coverage she had brought, and she mentioned considering her promotion after the board meeting.

‘Does a promotion mean I’ll get into the Administrative District?’

Or perhaps it could lead to her being transferred to a better planet, away from this wretched city.

With such happy thoughts in mind, Kevin waited for the subway at the station.

There was no one on the platform except her, but she didn’t feel scared. The subway station was equipped with numerous cameras, and security personnel were watching for any issues beyond the camera’s view.

However, something unexpected happened that went against her common sense. The lights inside the platform suddenly went out.

“Ahh!”

Kevin was startled and sat in place in the dark. While she remained frozen, a message came over the station’s speakers.

[We apologize. We are currently conducting power checks on the interior lighting of the subway station as part of the preparations for the board meeting. We will activate emergency power for those inside the platform. Please wait for a moment.]

The message played, and soon, red emergency lights illuminated the platform’s interior.

“Damn, why are they checking the power at this hour?” Kevin muttered while brushing her knees.

Lately, the entire subway station had been conducting power checks during the last train hours as part of the preparations for the board meeting. However, Kevin had no way of knowing this, as it wasn’t something typically known to the subway security staff.

The red lighting created a somewhat eerie atmosphere inside the platform. Kevin clenched her bag tightly, waiting for the train. She was frustrated, wondering when the train would arrive.

‘Anyway, when’s the train coming… Huh?’

In her anxious gaze, Kevin spotted a man who had not been there a moment ago. He was standing on the same line as her.

While it was unnerving to be alone in the red light, it was somewhat reassuring to have someone else there with her.

As she pondered the mysterious man, she suddenly noticed a strange smell.

‘Where is this smell coming from…?’

The peculiar, damp smell of the underground subway station was different in quality from the norm, and it reached Kevin’s nostrils for the first time in her life.

‘Is it because of the smell?’ She couldn’t help but feel an unknown unease.

‘Come to think of it, when did that guy get in?’

The man was standing close to the staircase leading down to the platform. Even if he had arrived while the lights were off, shouldn’t she have heard his footsteps if that was the case? It couldn’t have been that he crossed over from the pitch-black railway tracks on the other side.

“….”

It’s strange how people’s thoughts work. Trying not to think about something eerie only makes more unsettling thoughts surge.

‘Maybe it’s better not to travel alone at night.’ William’s words suddenly came to mind. She swallowed hard and glanced sidelong at the suspicious person.

And then, she was startled. Unbeknownst to her, the suspicious man had turned his body to keep an eye on her. The man who had been observing the side where she stood began to move. He slowly approached her.

‘Oh, please don’t!’ She wanted to run away, but her body had frozen, leaving her unable to move.

Her colleagues at DailyMass referred to her as ‘Lunatic Kevin.’ It was a nickname she earned because she fearlessly pursued special news stories, regardless of who the subject was.

In reality, she wasn’t that brave. The reason she could act this way was due to her belonging to the DailyMass organization, and even more so, the aura of the Zhao family.

Daily Mass, without the protection of the Zhao family, was nothing more than a minor tabloid publication. Kevin was only something significant because of the Zhao family’s influence. Without it, she was nothing.

As the man got closer and Kevin was feeling desperate, a rescue sound reached her ears. Behind the man, on the other side of the tracks, a train was approaching with its lights on.

As the train pulled in, the man stood in place. As soon as the train reached the platform, its doors opened, and Kevin hurriedly got inside.

The man hesitated and tried to get on the train belatedly, but the doors had already closed.

“■■ ■■■!”

The man’s mouth moved, and he shouted something, but it didn’t reach her.

“You crazy son of a ****.”

While Kevin cursed him in her mind, the train started moving.

“What a ****ing weirdo.”

The suspicious man had moved away, and the train was now running towards the next station. Relieved, she took her seat.

As her tension eased, a sudden drowsiness overcame her. She considered closing her eyes briefly until they arrived.

‘Is that smell again?’

The unpleasant odor grew stronger, and she opened her eyes. She looked around, but her train car was empty.

‘If that unpleasant smell from earlier hadn’t come back to my nose, I might have actually fallen asleep.’

As she glanced around, her gaze fell on the adjacent car, where someone was seated.

The person in the next car wore a suit that resembled a wetsuit, with black alloy plates added as armor.

‘Is that a cop?’ She was familiar with the attire due to her being a journalist. The suit resembled the reinforced gear worn by heavily armed police officers.

‘Why would they wear a helmet and a mask in the middle of the night? Where could they be going like this?’

Not only the attire but also the behavior was peculiar. Despite no one in the adjacent car, the police officer stood, not sitting.

The outfit was strange, and their behavior was peculiar. In an empty car, the police officer stood rather than sitting down, maintaining the same posture throughout.

‘What a strange fellow.’

But she didn’t suspect that a fully armored police officer could be anything out of the ordinary, so she lost interest and closed her eyes.

While she had her eyes closed, the police officer who had been standing still moved closer to her. When he opened the door to her car and stepped inside, the car shook slightly.

“Miss, what… huh?” Due to the car shaking, she was roused from her half-sleep.

The shaking of the car had disrupted her nap. Opening her eyes, she could finally see the interior of the car reflected on the reinforced glass.

Inside the car she had boarded, the only ‘human’ was herself.

***

“Where are you going?”

I lowered my tail and tripped Kevin, who was trying to escape. Thanks to the pheromone effect of my exoskeleton, she tripped over it.

“Hieek, please, spare me!”

Of course, I couldn’t spare her. To silence her noisy pleas, I decided to use my poisonous stinger.

‘Sigh, I almost messed up earlier.’

Originally, I had planned to ambush and sting her while she was lured during the light inspection. However, a random man had interfered, almost blowing my cover. Unfortunately, he had spotted me climbing up from the other side of the tracks.

But it wasn’t easy to deal with the man. He was located near the stairs, close to the lights, and was fully exposed to the cameras. Trying to eliminate him along with the journalist was too risky.

Killing her was easy; one sting of my poisonous barb would do it. However, dealing with the aftermath would be the issue.

Thanks to the man, I had to rethink my plans. Fortunately, the train arrived just in time. As Kevin boarded the train, I followed her inside.

The man belatedly shouted for her to run, but Kevin didn’t hear him.Thanks to the man, I had to rethink my plans. Fortunately, the train arrived just in time. As Kevin boarded the train, I followed her inside.

The man belatedly shouted for her to run, but Kevin didn’t hear him.

‘A journalist who doesn’t listen to others, even when her life is at stake.’

Life was inherently ironic. Her face was a mess, with mascara smudged from her tears, her mouth wide open from screaming, and drool dripping down her chin.

“… .”

What could she be thinking right now? Did she not want to die, or was it just fear of facing a monster?

It didn’t matter much. What mattered was that she would soon become the nourishment for my nest.

I reached out and grabbed her head, twisting it with a sound of rubber tearing. Her head was pulled off.

A journalist who had tormented others with words all her life, had her last moments in silence. I opened my mouth wide and swallowed her head in one gulp.

‘Mmm, not bad.’

For a journalist, her taste wasn’t too terrible. Among the humans she had eaten since coming to the space city, this one had a decent flavor.

‘It’s strange. Wolves, being closer to animals, didn’t taste like this when I ate them. It’s fascinating how humans have this flavor.’

Wolves didn’t taste bad, but their fur made it a bit inconvenient to eat. Hairs kept getting stuck in my teeth while I ate them.

‘On top of that, there’s a human smell.’

And I have to eat 18 more of those Wolf-like creatures.

‘Come to think of it, she does have the tooth strengthening trait. I hope the predation effect activates.’

‘…Well, let’s finish the meal.’

Shaking off my unnecessary thoughts, I finished my meal.

And then…

[‘Pre-saint > Quasi-saint’ evolution conditions partly have been met]

[Conditions: Transformable species 2/20 (Incomplete), Humanoid species 13/20 (Incomplete), Psychic Power-Using species 0/20 (Incomplete)]

[Predation effect activated! Successfully obtained ‘Carnivorous Power’ genetic essence.]

[Extracted the ‘Carnivorous Power’ from the biological characteristics of ‘human’.]

[Do you want to apply ‘Carnivorous Power’?]

‘Huh?’

An unexpected stroke of luck had occurred.