Is It Strange For A Succubus To Be Wearing Clothes?

Chapter 19

—–CROW—– 

Humans fear the dark. Darkness stirs primal fear in all living creatures, and fear fundamentally stems from the unknown.  

While all humans should rightfully fear the dark, the survivors of the world transformed by the Great Rift feared it more than any previous generation.  

First-generation Awakened and Hunters shed countless drops of blood to protect this land from the unknown, and the world they barely managed to safeguard was still under threat from unseen forces.  

And the humans of this era still didn’t know the true nature of the entities that crawled out from the cracked sky, the shattered space resembling a broken windowpane.

Goblins, at least, were familiar due to their frequent appearances in fiction and popular subculture, and methods to deal with them were known. 

But even C-rank monsters, considered trivial by Hunters, were feared as monsters by ordinary people.

“Mommy, it’s so dark outside…”

“Y-Yul-ah! Don’t go out!”

That’s why on nights like this, when the Night Sea opened and darkness deepened, people trembled and refused to leave their homes.  

It was 1 AM on a Saturday, a time when people would normally be unwinding after a week of work, meeting friends and catching up. 

 Though a bit late, it was a time to enjoy drinks with friends or lovers, to chat and laugh the night away in restaurants and pojangmachas, clinking soju bottles.

But tonight, no one ventured out.  Even within the safe zones, perfectly protected by the barrier techniques established by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, people remained indoors.

ㅡYesterday was the day the Night Sea opened.

ㅡAnd today is the day unknown monsters, demons, urban legends, creepypastas, and all sorts of terrifying things pour out.

“Hyeong-sik-ah, you know what day it is, right?”

“I know.  Yesterday was the Night Sea, and today is the ‘Day the Fog Rolls In,’ right?”

“It’s okay to hang out with your friends after academy, but you have to be home before midnight.  Okay?  Keep in mind that taxis stop running before midnight.”

“Don’t worry.  The academies are all within the safe zones, anyway.”

Parents sent their children off with fearful warnings, and the children responded accordingly.

But even so, no one could be truly at ease on the “Day the Fog Rolls In.”

Weren’t the barrier techniques established by the Seoul Metropolitan Government safe?

Objectively, the barrier techniques were safe. They wouldn’t be physically breached unless a horde of S-rank entities appeared.  

Theoretically, people within the safe zones could live their daily lives and even have parties without any problems.

Indeed, for a while after the barrier system was completed, there were no issues.  People still partied at night, wandered the streets drunk, and public order was maintained.  

Some even held reckless courage tests, taunting the monsters and creatures drooling outside the safe zones, asking, “Wanna bet who can get closer to the monsters?”

After all, the grotesque beings, monsters, and creepypasta entities couldn’t harm humans as long as they were within the transparent barrier techniques.

But the problem was the disaster that occurred six years ago.  Back then, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the National Assembly thought, “Huh? Even after the Night Sea and its aftermath, there are no problems within the safe zones?

 Hey, cut all the barrier technique budget.  That’s a lot of money!”  And so, they slashed the budget for barrier techniques and related support.

The fact was, the budget had become “healthier.” The higher-ups claimed they were securing a healthy national budget and downsized related departments, promising to use the saved budget for more worthwhile causes.  

Later, it was revealed that the slashed budget had neatly lined the pockets and bank accounts of the very assemblymen who had proposed the cuts.

As a result, the number of Awakened assigned to maintain Seoul’s barrier techniques was reduced from 100 to 27.  

27 people had to establish and continuously manage the barrier techniques for all the safe zones across Seoul.  Just how absurd this was couldn’t be understood without experiencing it firsthand.

Even 100 people weren’t enough.  The Awakened were physically and mentally superior to ordinary humans, but how could they possibly cover the entire 605.21 sq km area of Seoul?  

And even those barrier techniques were created by exploiting low-ranking government Hunters.  Now, that number had been drastically reduced to less than half.

Of course, there were Awakened who could cover the entire city with a barrier with a single gesture.  But why would such a person maintain barrier techniques for a pittance?

“Fuck, you want me to set up barrier techniques for the entire city with this measly pay?  No way!”

“Ah, yes.  Los Daggers Guild in LA, right?  You said you’d guarantee citizenship? I’ll go.  Why the sudden change of heart?  The country is practically pushing me to leave.”

“I’d rather not, fuck it. I’m becoming a villain starting today.”

Even among the remaining 27, many quit, unable to cope with the drastically reduced compensation and incentives.

As a result, Seoul suffered immense disasters and calamities every time the Night Sea opened that year.  The existing barrier techniques were still functional, but they required a continuous supply of mana and regular maintenance.  

Without it, weak points would appear, and the grotesque beings and creepypastas would exploit these vulnerabilities.

In a single night, the number of casualties within the safe zones reached a staggering 120,142.  Public sentiment towards the then-president and the ruling party turned so hostile that they faced not only impeachment but also threats of street lynching and assassination.

Well, this disaster ironically became an opportunity for the Awakened and Hunters, leading to the current social landscape, but that’s another story.

Anyway, the point was, the people of Seoul were still living in fear, even within the safe zones.  Even though the barrier techniques were now properly established and there was no reason to be afraid.

And the grotesque beings and creepypastas, feasting on people’s fear and dread, emerged from the darkness with even greater boldness.  

When the unusually thick fog rolled in at night, people would rush home in fear.  

Businesses and restaurants closed earlier than usual, and even companies that normally forced their employees to work overtime closed their doors, telling their employees to go home early.

Of course, some black companies, thinking, “If it’s dangerous outside, they can just stay at the company,” closed their doors but ordered their employees to stay until morning, implying they should work through the night.

“Ugh, uh…”

“Hiek!”

“Wh-what is that… a caterpillar with a human face is crawling around…”

“Ugh…”

So, as the fog rolled in, people hurried home, trembling in fear.  They drew their curtains, huddled under their blankets, and prayed for the night to pass quickly.

However, the nature of the grotesque beings and the fog stirred primal human fears, preventing people from sleeping peacefully.  Families huddled together, hoping the terrifying things outside wouldn’t come for them.

But the grotesque beings were hungry for human fear.  Even with the barrier techniques in place, they clung to buildings, searching for the humans hiding inside. 

A being with long, spindly limbs like branches clung to apartment buildings like a spider, banging its head against the impenetrable barrier techniques.

“Kyaaa!”

If someone accidentally looked out the window and made eye contact, screaming, they could forget about sleeping.  The being would fixate on its target, repeatedly banging its head against the window of the house where the scream originated.

The barrier techniques held.

But what if they weakened? What if a crack appeared and it shattered? What if the grotesque being was stronger than expected and broke through the barrier, entering the house?

Fueled by that fear of the unknown, the grotesque beings rampaged with greater fervor, banging their heads against the windows with increasing force and frequency.

The woman living alone in that apartment wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. All she could do was huddle under her blankets and tremble at the sound of something hitting her window.

Elsewhere, a cute mascot from a children’s cartoon, its mouth grotesquely stretched into a sinister grin, searched for people.  

Passersby, hurrying along the street, were horrified by the sight of sharp nails and thorns lining the mascot’s mouth and fled in terror.

“H-help me!”

“Heeek!”

Though blocked by the barrier techniques, unable to pursue its prey, the mascot savored the fear of the fleeing pedestrians and, satisfied, sought out new targets.  Wondering if there were any more foolish humans wandering around on the night the fog rolled in.

And so, today was the day the grotesque beings, banging on the impenetrable barrier techniques, transformed people’s peaceful nights into nightmares.

Didn’t Hunters deal with grotesque beings?

Unfortunately, the grotesque beings, monsters, and strange entities that appeared on the “Day the Fog Rolls In” didn’t drop magic stones.  

In other words, they rarely left behind any usable byproducts, and their appearance was so grotesque and horrifying that they drained human mental strength.  There was no profit in hunting them voluntarily.

Hunters would only act if the local government, the government, or private citizens paid them.  But with the barrier techniques intact, the government was reluctant to spend money.  

In the past, they could demand sacrifice from Awakened and Hunters, but now, the situation was reversed, making such demands impossible.

What? You want me to shoulder the responsibility and risk without pay?

Is that America?  Yes, yes, I’m emigrating.

In the end, it was the ordinary citizens who had to tremble in fear, relying on the thin, transparent barrier techniques.

But suddenly, the grotesque beings, savoring the fear of the citizens, sensed a thick, sweet scent wafting from somewhere.

ㅡDelicious.

ㅡSweet.

ㅡWhere is it?  Where… is it…?

ㅡHungry… aaah…

ㅡEhehehe…!

The sweet scent permeated the alleys, streets, and unprotected pathways.  Overwhelmed by the intoxicating sensation that seemed to melt their brains, the grotesque beings were drawn to the source of the scent.

The scent is so good.

The scent is so sweet.

I want to eat it.

How delicious would it be to put that sweet-smelling thing in my mouth and chew on it?

Ah, I’m hungry.  Hungry. Hungry.

While content with human fear, the grotesque beings, monsters, and creepypastas were still hungry.  

Blocked by the barrier techniques, they couldn’t directly consume humans.  There might be some unlucky or foolish humans outside the barriers, but unfortunately, those were usually Hunters or Awakened hired to hunt grotesque beings.

Of course, even Hunters and Awakened could be caught off guard and devoured by grotesque beings, but most of the grotesque beings were still starving.

And then came the sweet scent.

It was only natural for them to lose their minds.

ㅡEhehehe!!!

ㅡCackle, cackle, cackle!

ㅡAhaha!

ㅡOoh-ho-ho-ha-ha-ha!

Driven mad by the scent, the grotesque beings began to convulse.  The sweet fragrance numbed their already limited intelligence and self-awareness, forcing an unconditional charm upon them.

At the center of it all stood a woman.

A neatly tailored suit.

Long, black hair reaching her ankles.

A delicate, beautiful, and alluring figure.

An intoxicatingly sweet fragrance that paralyzed reason.

And…

She had removed the veil from her face.

ㅡEhihihihi!?!?!!

ㅡ!!!

The grotesque beings, monsters, and creepypasta entities convulsed even more violently as they gazed upon her unveiled face.

What was that sweet thing?

Why am I here?

Some grotesque beings had fleeting moments of doubt and confusion, but it didn’t matter.  Their reason and self-awareness were already captivated, losing the ability to think.

“Eat, eat everything.  Eat the blades.  This is my gift to you.”

-Thud!

With those words, blades erupted from the mouths, eyes, and every orifice of the grotesque beings.  Many died instantly.  Those who didn’t writhed on the ground, trembling.

Jae-hee, carefully avoiding the grotesque beings’ filthy blood and gore, put her veil back on.  Just in case someone saw her.

“Fortunately, everyone has their curtains drawn tonight.”

That was a relief.  If anyone had seen her face, they might have rushed out of their buildings and been swept away by the wave of grotesque beings.

Huhuhu, but this wasn’t a pleasant sight.

“The blade-eaters aren’t pretty.  The thorn-covered ones aren’t beautiful.”

Thorns erupted from the body of a giant caterpillar with a human face.

It wasn’t pretty.

There was a human centipede crawling on the ground.

It, too, was convulsing from the blades I had fed it.

And a flesh jellyfish floating in the sky?

Ah, that wasn’t pretty either.

Slice, slice with the blades.

Ah, you ask what I’m doing?

It’s simple.

Even though it looks like I’m using magic, my power stems from manipulating massive amounts of life force and essence.  Life force includes blood, flesh, bones, bone marrow, and everything else.  So, when I condense essence to a high density… I can create a substance that is neither bone nor flesh, but is as hard and sharp as bone, yet as soft as flesh.

I use this to feed blades to the grotesque beings, to stab them, to proliferate it within their bodies and make them explode, or to turn them into skewers.

“After all, what they crave is human life and essence.”

That’s why the grotesque beings devoured the life force and essence I controlled so readily.  They were entranced by it, greedily consuming it even when it was simply dispersed in the air.

And when I gestured… boom~

Simple, right?

And the closer they got to me…

Or the more charmed they were by me, the more efficient my control over life force and essence became.  If I wanted, I could even create spires of flesh erupting from their bodies.

I tried it once, and it was quite beautiful.  But I had no intention of doing it again, since it caused the citizens to panic and have seizures from mental contamination.

Anyway, the conclusion was…

“…It’s not beautiful.”

A caterpillar with blades sticking out of it wasn’t interesting.

And over there, a magical girl mascot with thorny teeth?

I didn’t like it.

Evil beasts that forced underage girls into exploitative labor contracts deserved to die.

Blades, thorns, spines.

Things sticking out weren’t pretty.

Was there anything more beautiful and lovely?

“Ah.”

It came to me.

Beautiful things.

A scene where these grotesque, filthy, vulgar, dirty, and devastatingly ugly things could die beautifully.

I gestured to the violin floating beside me, complaining of boredom.

How cute.

It bobbed towards me like a little child.

“Only one performance a day.”

ㅡ!!!

I heard a whine.

It wanted to be played more.  It wanted to be touched by me more, to make more beautiful sounds through my hands.

“But if beauty is performed too often, it becomes familiar.  Familiarity leads to the downfall and loss of beauty.”

ㅡ?

“Ah, you’re asking what I mean?  If the perfectly beautiful me frequently played the violin in a perfectly beautiful manner, its brilliance would fade.”

ㅡ!!!

“Hey, don’t say it’s nonsense.  That’s not allowed.”

Children will be children.

Thinking that, I grasped the violin in my hand.

A melody of pleasant dreams for humans.

And for the grotesque beings…

“ㅡMarche Funèbre.”

Frédéric Chopin, Piano Sonata No. 2.

It wouldn’t be easy to play on the violin, but I trusted in the beauty of the Succubus Empress.

Anything that seemed beautiful…

Make it beautiful.

Sound into notes.

Notes into lines.

Lines into my life force and essence.

Let the sound become a blade.

Let the notes become my flesh.

Let the lines become my blood.

The performance begins.

ㅡThe price: the blood and flesh of the grotesque beings.

—–CROW—–