Chapter 169: Don’t Die
Kazumi didn’t know how to describe her feelings now, she even felt like she had done something that didn’t quite align with her original plans due to some internal preference. Because just at that moment, Kazumi discovered that this monster, who might be her boss in the future, was simply… too cool! It was like a physical Gundam appearing in front of a veteran plastic model enthusiast, or a real Iron Man suddenly landing in front of an old Marvel fan. Anyway, the past Kazumi had always been unable to empathize with the extreme reactions of these niche hobby circles, but now, she truly understood the feeling of seeing something she loved.
With unique, aesthetically pleasing three-dimensional facial features, its body tentacles, which quivered eerily, were covered in various strange mucus, along with a chaotic entanglement of broken limb fragments. This guy, who called himself [Shell], was perfectly aligned with the girl’s preferences in every aspect, even constantly extending beyond the limits of her original cognitive understanding. Appearance value can indeed influence your perception of a person. Haven’t you seen so many young heartthrobs in her past life who, no matter how outrageous their actions, had many brainless fans who loved them just for their faces? Although Kazumi wouldn’t go to that extent due to her personal preferences, it did slightly reduce the hostility she initially felt due to his attack and calculations against her. After all, in a sense, their goals were the same. Even without their calculations, she would probably have found a way through Uncle Fukada to enter [Shadow].
… “Ah…”
The grayish white faceless head stopped eerily in place. It had no eyes, yet it still looked straight down at the girl holding its tentacles before it. Seemingly afraid of accidentally hurting the frail girl with its terrifying limb movements, its tentacles and severed limbs, which had been twitching subconsciously, stopped moving. They tried their best to retract towards the mass of flesh in the center, but because the girl was holding its tentacles, they couldn’t be fully withdrawn into its body. Kurokawa Iori never imagined in his life that someone would say such words to his true form.
“Can… can I take a photo with you later?”
The girl’s short words kept echoing in Kurokawa Iori’s mind, the cold yet expectant words constantly swirling. His brain, never having dealt with such a situation before, even felt like it was crashing for a moment. Besides staring blankly at the girl before him, he couldn’t react in any other way.
I am a monster.
Kurokawa Iori had grown accustomed to this cognition, he didn’t know from when. He was a monster, an undeniable monster. No matter what skin he wore, no matter how deep his past feelings were, all of it would turn to dust the moment he revealed his identity. Friendship, love, family. In Kurokawa Iori’s eyes, they were like hypocritical and ridiculous jokes, merely lies constructed by fragile beings to maintain their false social relationships. Faced with the terrifying truth hidden beneath the surface that was revealed, these things were like bridges made of grass burned by flames, destined to turn into ashes.
Those people who looked at Kurokawa Iori’s body with horror and screamed eventually became a part of his body. But even if you crushed the people you hated into powder and swallowed them, the brand of “monster” inflicted upon Kurokawa Iori’s heart could never be erased. Kurokawa Iori was unwilling to admit he was a monster, but when he acted against those people, perhaps he had already accepted it in his heart long ago.
The girl’s words were like a rope extended into a bottomless, murky mud pond. Although it was so fragile it would break with a single grasp, it made one unable to resist wanting to grasp the hope in the darkness.
“I… after I finish talking… I can.”
Thick tentacles with disgusting barbs and mucus slowly withdrew from the girl’s fingertips. They were so gentle, as if afraid of hurting her hands with his movements. The face, which only had a mouth, kept changing its expression. Its mouth was tightly shut, and its sharp teeth were forcefully retracted into its oral cavity. Kurokawa Iori himself didn’t even know why he was doing this, but subconsciously, he didn’t want to show his ugly appearance to the girl before him.
He clearly remembered that in the past, for missions, as long as there was a suitable [Skin], any woman could be used to achieve his goals in just a few days. But now, Kurokawa Iori was like an awkward young boy who didn’t know how to express his emotions, stammering and unsure of what to say, only able to act cool in a foolish way.
Feeling his last tentacle retract into his body and looking at the mass of dark flesh enveloped in mist, Kurokawa Iori finally breathed a sigh of relief. He reached out, summoned a mass of flesh and blood, and took out a black robe from it to put on. The fleshy wall, which had been undulating as if breathing, began to move under his command. The flesh on the ground continuously squirmed and rearranged, finally gathering everyone scattered around him.
Looking at the group of newcomers on the ground who were making ugly poses due to the unfolding of his body, the warmth in Kurokawa Iori’s eyes was once again replaced by annoyance. Several tentacles spontaneously appeared from the ground and roughly inserted into the mouths of several students who had fainted from fear. Although the disgusting squirming sounds and the injection of some unknown liquid into their stomachs caused the few who were unconscious to wake up with vomiting sounds as if they were about to throw up their intestines, forcing them to direct their gaze forward. But at this moment, everyone present could only look at the monster before them with fear and terror in their eyes. Except for Kazumi.
Digging a deep, bottomless bloody gash on one arm, Kurokawa Iori couldn’t help but glance at the black-robed girl standing at the very back and said, “First, all your requests will be fulfilled, but correspondingly, you must also pay an equivalent price. You should be familiar with the name [Shadow], but your resources as newcomers have a fixed quota.”
“Next, you have thirty minutes. Everyone report your capabilities, and select a leader to come and report to me.”
A dry, hoarse voice came from his terrifying, cracked lips. He habitually stuck out his tongue to lick his lips as if he had finished speaking his lines. But that horrifying head paused for a moment, turned slightly, and bared a strange smile.
“The last point… Don’t die.”
