Chapter 10: Judgment

Born into a wealthy family, I was always adored by everyone.

My striking beauty made being envied a daily occurrence.

I loved the recognition.

I wanted to emphasize that I was special, different from others.

So, I worked hard.

To succeed as a hunter—the most admired profession today—and be acknowledged for my skills and beauty.

But why am I in this state now?

“Ugh…!”

“What are you staring at?”

Block, working beside me, glared with resentment.

Pathetic man.

“Mmph! Mmph!!”

“Hmph.”

Ignoring him, I continued the task Minhoo Seol ordered.

The middle-aged man with bandages over his face snapped his fingers, and over a hundred bodies poured from the air.

Drained of blood, they looked like horrific mummies.

Our task was to dismember these bodies and feed them to a mimic shaped like a square box.

Why am I doing this? I wanted to resist, but my body moved on its own.

Minhoo’s orders were impossible to defy.

‘Normally, I’d puke seeing something this gruesome, but I feel nothing. Something’s wrong.’

Did Minhoo do something to my body?

Dropping the chopped bodies into the mimic’s mouth, I stole a glance at him.

‘He’s really handsome. Is that really Minhoo Seol?’

Because of the ugly mask, I assumed an ugly face hid beneath.

An ugly guy with a handsome face? Unimaginable.

‘Handsome, gorgeous… even those words fall short…’

Despite him doing awful things to me and kidnapping me, I felt no hatred, only a desire to keep looking at him.

Did he notice my glances? Minhoo scowled, but even that looked charming.

“Stop staring and work properly.”

“…Okay.”

“Don’t talk casually, you blonde b*tch.”

“Yes…”

Even his harsh words felt good.

It felt like an honor to speak with him.

I’m going crazy.

*

The Predatory Mimic.

A dangerous E-rank beast resembling a treasure chest.

Its trait is devouring anything without discrimination. Endlessly.

That single trait makes it worth 300 million Ter.

Most hunters would bow to the ground upon finding one in a gate—it’s that rare.

Minhoo Seol licked his lips at the mimic.

“Could fetch a nice price.”

“Its value will keep rising. Better to hold onto it than sell now. Also, it’s mine, Father.”

“Can’t you give it to me?”

“If you let me serve by your side, I’ll hand it over.”

“Nah, keep it.”

Tch, Minhoo clicked his tongue and glanced at Block.

‘Did this guy dye his hair black to screw with me? What a lunatic.’

His rare black hair was yellow at the roots, clearly dyed.

Minhoo looked away, brushed dust off a suitably tall box, and sat.

“Phew. Work’s done, so time to deal with these two.”

“Mmph!!”

“What’s that? Got something to say?”

“Mmph!!”

“What, are you mute?”

Seeing Block thrashing silently, Minhoo remembered he’d ordered him not to speak.

“Oh… forgot. You can talk now. Order lifted.”

[Submission Spell (A) dispelled.]

“Gasp, ha…! You f*cking bastard! I did everything you asked, and you’re getting rid of me? Are you even human?”

Block shouted, his face red with rage.

Minhoo scratched his head, dumbfounded.

“Bel, did I ever say I’d let him live if he did what I asked?”

“You never said that, Father.”

“Right?”

“You bastards…!”

Block was furious.

He swore to tear them apart, but the Submission Spell bound him, leaving him only able to curse.

Minhoo sighed at his pathetic display.

“Why’d you do it then? I don’t usually go this far. But you tried to kill me, didn’t you? So you get what’s coming.”

“What f*cking nonsense! I just followed that woman’s request! Kill you? When!? I only used a spell to distort the truth!”

“We’re not getting anywhere. Don’t you get that what you did could socially destroy someone? Lucky it was me. If it was an ordinary guy, what do you think would’ve happened? Some might’ve even killed themselves.”

“Crazy bastard! What kind of bullshit logic is that!?”

“Sigh, too many don’t realize killing isn’t just physical. That’s why they do it without guilt. But you wouldn’t understand even if I explained…”

Minhoo knew cultural differences shaped their views.

Though they lived in the same world now, they came from different ones.

As a first-generation otherworlder, Minhoo couldn’t accept this world’s rotten laws, where framing someone cost a mere 100,000 Ter fine.

“Doesn’t matter if you don’t get it. Just think of this as the end for the murders, kidnappings, and rapes your guild’s been doing for ten years.”

“You lunatic… What you’re doing is kidnapping and murder! How’s that different from us!?”

“I don’t rape. And even if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t complain. My comrades all met ends like yours.”

That’s the life of an assassin.

To kill, you risk your life. If you’re killed or face revenge, you’ve got no right to complain.

Minhoo was just an assassin who survived due to overwhelming skill.

“…Tch. What’s the point of talking? Bel, take care of it.”

“Understood.”

Bel’s right hand grotesquely widened, morphing into a beastly maw.

“Eek! Wait—!”

It stretched, piercing Block’s neck.

Slurp—Slurp!

It pulsed, relentlessly draining blood.

“Guh…! Gaaah…!”

A brief scream cut off.

Unable to resist, Block died helplessly.

“…”

Fairin, witnessing the horrific scene and knowing she’d face the same fate, felt no fear.

Just I’m going to die, thanks to the Suppression Spell.

“I’ll handle the other one.”

Bel slowly approached her.

Then, as if struck by a thought, he hesitated and turned to Minhoo.

“…Father, may I use this woman?”

“Huh? Use? …I don’t go as far as raping women.”

“I know. I wouldn’t do something so low, Father.”

“Then what for?”

Minhoo asked, genuinely puzzled.

If not for lust, what use was she?

Bel answered promptly.

“For my daughter’s vessel.”

“Daughter? Bel, you had a… No, your weird honorifics make it hard to tell, so not your real daughter. A subordinate, right?”

“Yes. A child I took in a month ago. She’s a parasite with no body yet. I couldn’t take an innocent citizen’s body, so I was at a loss. This beautiful woman’s body is perfect, so I dared to suggest it. I apologize if I offended you.”

Minhoo pondered.

He was going to kill Fairin anyway. Aside from rape, he didn’t care what Bel did with her body.

‘He said parasite.’

Parasites infiltrate a living body, consume its mind, and take full ownership.

‘I thought they were extinct, but some must remain.’

Minhoo weighed the pros and cons.

The pro: a perfect crime.

If Fairin went missing, the military would investigate.

He left no evidence, and his behavior during the Director meeting would clear him, but he’d likely be a suspect.

After all, he had motive—retaliation for being framed.

But if a parasite took Fairin’s body?

If it lived her life as her, there’d be no issue.

Parasites inherit the host’s memories, so detection was unlikely.

‘Ironically, that’s also the con.’

Minhoo worried a parasite inheriting Fairin’s memories might turn hostile.

No point overthinking alone, so he asked Bel.

“How do her memories affect the parasite?”

“None at all. It’s like watching a video.”

Unaware of such details, Minhoo made his decision.

“Fine, do what you want.”

“Thank you, Father. I’ll bring my daughter quickly.”

*

A black cotton ball bounced around me excitedly.

“Wow! Daddy’s daddy! Nice to meet you, Daddy’s daddy! Oh! Should I call you Grandpa? Hi, Grandpa!?”

“…”

The golf-ball-sized cotton ball chattered noisily.

Its big, twinkling eyes, taking up half its surface, scanned me.

“Daughter, you’re being rude to Father. Mind your manners.”

“Okay! Sorry, Grandpa! Heehee.”

I expected a creepy parasite like a liver fluke, but it’s kinda cute.

Like cotton candy acting coy.

“Ahem. Let’s dispel the spells on her body.”

The cotton ball calling me Grandpa made me feel like I should speak formally.

I dispelled the curses on Fairin. She can’t be possessed with the Suppression Spell active.

[Return Spell (B) dispelled.]

[Suppression Spell (B) dispelled.]

[Tracking Spell (C) dispelled.]

[Submission Spell (A) dispelled.]

No need for a separate dispel spell.

I could undo my own spells anytime.

The moment all spells were lifted.

“…Ahh.”

Fairin’s body began trembling.

She screamed and convulsed.

“Aaaaah!!! I’ll kill you, kill you!!! Ugly bastard!!! No, handsome…? Ugh, ughhh!? Aaaaaaah!”

Wow. The Suppression Spell wasn’t on long, but it’s this bad?

Her suppressed emotions must’ve been intense.

Seeing this, I vowed to regularly renew my own Suppression Spell.

“Wow! So pretty!”

The cotton candy bounced toward Fairin, exclaiming in awe.

Fairin recoiled, shouting louder.

“You, what are you!? Get away, disgusting bug!!!”

The cotton candy ignored the insult.

“Heehee. Time to eat!”

With that, it dove into Fairin’s mouth.

“Guh, gah…!”

Her arms and legs twisted grotesquely, and her eyes rolled.

She resisted losing control of her body for a while, then slumped, head down.

“Bel, what happens to the original Fairin? No chance she’ll take her body back?”

“No worries. She’s essentially dead, leaving only memories.”

“Good. That’s a relief.”

Bel and I chatted idly while waiting for the cotton candy to settle in Fairin’s body.

Soon after,

Sniff.

A woman’s sob broke the silence.

The culprit was Fairin.

What? Did the cotton candy fail to take over?

“Waaah!!! Daddy!!!”

Calling him Daddy, so that’s not it.

But why’s she crying?

“What’s wrong, Daughter!?”

Bel rushed to her, flustered.

Sniff, sob. “I… I got all her memories… But, but…!”

After sobbing for a while, she lifted her head with a venomous glare and shouted,

Sniff, sob. “This body’s a filthy slut!! Waaaaaah!!!!”

Yup. Crazy b*tch.