Swish, swish.
The sound of a blade being sharpened against a whetstone echoed through the air.
Perhaps it was one of the downsides of the basement.
Because the sound carried so well, even the smallest noises became amplified.
"It really is a bit loud, isn’t it? Don’t you think?"
No answer came, but he didn’t mind.
He hadn’t asked the question expecting a reply in the first place.
Besides, the man wasn’t in any state to answer.
"Using the basement to make this room was a good idea, but it’s more inconvenient than I thought. The sound carries, mold grows easily, the smell lingers, and it’s just so gloomy."
…Was it about time to stop?
He halted the sharpening and picked up the knife.
He didn’t bother checking if the edge was sharp.
He didn’t know much about knives. Even if he looked, he wouldn’t be able to tell if it was properly honed.
Some might question why he was doing something so pointless.
But it wasn’t pointless.
It helped pass the time, and this time served an important purpose.
"Still, even if this basement is nothing but inconvenient, I’m glad I asked Arte-nim to get it for me. Don’t you think?"
Again, no answer.
He could push a little harder here…
But for today, he’d stop at just scaring him.
If the fear got too intense, the man might pass out.
That was a lesson he’d learned through repeated experience.
"This is the perfect place to dispose of trash like you."
Clank, clank.
Driven by terror, the man bound to the chair thrashed about, desperate to escape.
But escape was impossible. Even if the man was a Hunter, the material was what it was.
The chair was made of the same high-grade metal used in prisons for Hunter criminals. A little strength like his wouldn’t even make it budge.
He’d tried countless times and knew it was futile, yet instinct drove him to attempt it again. When he realized once more that he couldn’t move, his eyes filled with sheer terror.
"You’ve got plenty of energy left. Still got some strength in you?"
That was the point of all this. The sound of the whetstone, the echoing noise—it was all to stoke the man’s fear.
Everything else was just a bonus.
It seemed to be working better than expected. He felt a surge of satisfaction.
Maybe he’d use this method on the next one too.
But his good mood didn’t last long.
Drip, drip. The sound of water falling shattered his mood in an instant.
"…Damn it. Who the hell allowed that?"
He was sure he’d only given the man enough water to avoid dehydration.
Annoyance flared, and he roughly gripped the kitchen knife.
He pressed it lightly against the back of the man’s neck, and droplets of blood fell.
The man’s eyes widened in horror.
…There was no need to be that scared.
He didn’t plan on killing him right now.
At least for the time being, what the man feared wouldn’t happen.
He *wanted* to plunge the knife into the back of his neck—his urge was as tall as a chimney—but compared to the crimes this man had committed, dying instantly would be far too lenient.
It was better for him to live in constant fear of the death that would come someday, to suffer every moment until then.
"I was going to let you off with one today… Fine. I’ll assume you can handle two."
"Mmph! Mmm—! Mmph!"
So noisy.
As if it wasn’t already hard enough to clean this place, now he was making a mess.
Part of him wanted to kill the man right then and there, but if he did, this bastard wouldn’t be able to atone for the rest of his sins.
And so, he couldn’t kill him yet.
…But in return, this guy’s going to have a brutal day.
"Reflect on your sins until evening. If I see any sign of remorse, I might reduce it by one. Stay quiet. Understood?"
I adjusted the position of the pliers on the desk so the bound man could see them clearly.
Instantly, he fell silent.
Yeah, he already knows the pain. He remembers exactly how it feels.
He knows what happens if he pisses me off right now.
Not that I actually plan to reduce it.
"So you *were* here."
"Ah, Laira. What brings you here? You said you hated coming to places like this."
"Like anyone *wants* to be in a place like this."
I didn’t argue with her exhausted expression. I knew full well that no one in their right mind would willingly step into a space this unsettling.
"…Are those *teeth*?"
"Yep. Collected quite a few."
"You usually throw away byproducts like that."
"I did. But… this time, I’m trying something different."
"…Different?"
"Mhm."
It’s nothing special.
These white things are that guy’s lifeline.
Like the last leaf on a tree.
If they all disappear… well, you can figure out the rest.
"…Isn’t your hobby a little *too* messed up?"
"…"
"I know, I know. I wasn’t going to say anything."
"So, why’d you call me?"
"Oh, right."
If we kept chatting, time would slip away, so I got straight to the reason she’d come.
"I got a weird note. Thought you might know who it’s from."
"…A note?"
"The sender and recipient names are bizarre. Just a bunch of numbers."
…A bunch of numbers, huh?
I’d assumed it was something light, like asking what I wanted for dinner.
I straightened up from my casual posture—tinkering with equipment while we talked—and asked Laira for the letter.
"Let me see it."
"Ah, yeah. Here."
"…As I thought."
"Who’s it from?"
The sender’s name was a string of numbers. Exactly what I’d expected.
To an outsider, it’d just look like a random sequence.
But official correspondence from the Association usually looked like this.
Always fighting villains, never knowing which Ability user might turn—this was the established method.
So to the untrained eye, it’d seem like a misprint.
Laira must’ve already opened it.
The seal was slightly lifted, after all.
But she couldn’t read the contents either, which was why she’d brought it to me.
I was the only one here who’d receive something like this.
"It’s from the Association. Let me see the contents…"
"…? What’s got you so serious all of a sudden?"
"Where’s Arte-nim?"
"Huh? Probably at Siwoo’s place. She’s been staying there a lot lately."
"Bring Spira and get over there fast. I’ll go ahead and talk to her first."
"What? W-Wait! What’s going on?! And why do *I* have to bring her?!"
"No time to explain. I’m leaving now."
I urgently began shifting between mist and my original form, moving at maximum speed.
A extermination request from the Association was no small matter.
Especially when it involved an Arachne, who played a critical role in maintaining the city’s order.
"…But is this even true?"
I was rushing toward Arte-nim’s location, heeding the call for immediate aid… but I couldn’t shake the doubt.
I paused in disbelief and read the official notice again.
But nothing had changed.
Even when I read it again, doubting my own eyes, the document remained still, as if insisting it was the truth.
"A human who can communicate with Demonic Beasts?"
There had been performances where captured Demonic Beasts were executed in front of citizens, but there had never been a confirmed case of successful communication with one.
I was skeptical, but that was precisely why I decided to pick up my pace toward Arte-nim.
If such a person truly existed, they would be even more dangerous.
If that person were a villain, it was unimaginable how much the situation could escalate.
"Get up, Spira! Hurry up and wake up!"
"...I’m sleepy."
"This is an emergency! Move faster!"
Lai stamped her feet in frustration.
There had been times before when Spira would lie there, acting lazy as if she didn’t want to move, but it had never been this bad.
She only started rolling around like a slug after Arte settled down elsewhere.
Ever since Arte disappeared, she’d been sprawling out shamelessly, and now she was like this.
"Why? I finished all my work."
"Not that! We need to go outside right now!"
"It’s a hassle..."
What was even more infuriating was that she had actually finished her tasks and was just relaxing.
It wasn’t the first time she’d been the only one taking it easy while everyone else worked, but since she’d completed her share, Lai couldn’t exactly scold her. So she’d been leaving her alone until now.
But even her patience had limits.
This was a time when they needed to move immediately.
She didn’t know why, but Haeul had been in such a hurry to bring Spira along—there had to be a reason.
Wasting time like this was starting to make her anxious.
Her frustration boiling over, she scratched her head and shouted,
"...Fine. I’ll buy you that gaming console you’ve been wanting, so get up! It’s urgent!"
"Really?! I’m ready!"
"This bitch..."
Was she just waiting for this?
Spira had gotten ready to leave with shocking speed, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Lai. It was so infuriating that Lai couldn’t help but suspect her.
Had she been sulking because Lai kept ignoring her requests to buy things, using the excuse that she couldn’t go outside because of her lower body?
And now, the moment the gaming console with the singing feature was mentioned, she was all packed up?
"Ugh... Fine, fine. I’ll buy it, so let’s just go. I’m the one who has it hard, not you."
"I have it hard too! Do you know how tough it is being stuck in a box?!"
"Think about *me*—I’m the one carrying you, you pig bitch!"
"Pig?! I’m a snake! And I’m not even that heavy! It’s only... around 200 kg! Plus, you’re a superhuman!"
"It’s 230 kg, you bitch! That’s like carrying six skinny women at once!"
"Kya, kyyaaak?! How do you—! D-Don’t tell anyone that, okay?! You promise?!"
"Just get in the damn box already."
"Y-You won’t tell anyone, right? For real?"
"I won’t, so get in!"
Lai sighed, her head throbbing.
How was this woman a former executive of the Weaver Menace and a current member of Arachne?
She thought of the citizens’ comments, full of admiration for Arachne’s members, and let out a hollow laugh.
If they saw her like this, what would they think?
Unbelievable.