Is It Strange For A Succubus To Be Wearing Clothes?

Chapter 34

—–CROW—– 

“Hahaha, you’ve worked hard today, Miss Jae-hee.”

“Thank you for brightening up the atmosphere at our old men’s gathering.”

“Ah, we’ll circulate a CD of the pieces you played today amongst ourselves.”

A CD.  It was a bit surprising that CDs still existed in this day and age, but Jae-hee just smiled and nodded. 

 She didn’t reply. Because she was tired.  Not physically tired.  Considering the “strings” connected to her life force, she couldn’t possibly be physically tired.  

But playing the violin in front of elderly gentlemen meant suppressing her own desires and impulses and performing for their sake. 

 It wasn’t like she had clashed with the higher-ups politically or physically like before, but a subtle lingering frustration kept bothering her.  

They were certainly friendly towards her and not bad people, but their presence brought a subtle discomfort.  It was natural for a succubus, whose mood and condition were determined by desire, to feel mentally fatigued.

‘I don’t dislike them. They support me a lot, and they look at me fondly, like a granddaughter… and they were understanding even after I messed up my first broadcast, so playing the violin for them isn’t difficult, but it’s a bit tiring to be in the same space with them~’

Even if a young man had a good relationship with his grandmother, wouldn’t it be a bit awkward to spend a long time together?  

It wasn’t dislike, but a subtle, strange relationship where one didn’t particularly want to be together.

And so, after the two-hour dinner, Jae-hee slipped away like a ghost.  Unfortunately, Officer Dan had to see the higher-ups off individually, handle the restaurant bill, and take care of the aftermath, so she couldn’t leave with Jae-hee again today.

“Crowds aren’t really my thing.”

The air was a little chilly.  Mana-infused smog settled over Seoul, carrying a faint scent of catnip.  The way back after a party was always so quiet.  

Ah, it was especially so on smoggy days.  The fog, mixed with various pollutants, smoke, and mana leaking from dungeons, made the city gloomy and suffocating.  

That’s why the streets were empty on days like this.  Even the usually bustling downtown area… Companies recommended working from home, and even those who went to work were sent home before 3 PM by administrative order. 

 But it wasn’t a day for people to go out and have fun.  On days like this, with such thick fog, grotesque beings could appear, and even a normal city could become like a dungeon filled with anomalies.

Those higher-ups I dined with?  They probably wouldn’t have any problems on a day like this, considering the protective techniques installed in their cars and the escort troops lurking nearby.

Anyway, I walked along the deserted streets, click-clack.  The air was thick and smoky, but walking alone in the dark, foggy city had its own charm. 

 Ah, me, walking alone in a foggy city.  So beautiful.  Lovely.  Click-clack, with a model walk.  Ah, that doesn’t feel right.  

Let’s walk lightly.  Lightly, step by step… into the fog, into the streets, empty, where no one could be seen, into the damp and gloomy streets.

“So, come out now.  It’s just us.”

The streetlight flickered.  The light that barely illuminated the foggy street from the end of the dark alley suddenly went out completely, and beneath it, a small shadow appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Heh, when did you notice? I’m pretty confident in hiding myself.”

Not far away, something resembling animal ears twitched.

“Even on a day with mana smog… it doesn’t make sense for this street to be completely deserted.”

Jae-hee wasn’t as perceptive or spatially aware as other S-rank Hunters.  But the Succubus Empress was naturally sensitive to the presence of pure life force.  

If she was hungry, if she needed to feed, she had to drain someone’s essence, so she had to be constantly aware of the source of life force.

“Really? I didn’t know that.  Thanks for the lesson.”

The overall silhouette was that of a petite woman with a slender figure, but she exuded an animalistic sharpness in her subtle movements and gestures, unlike an ordinary person.

“Anyway, it’s time for the lost puppy to go home.  Shall I guide you?”

“…Do you know who I am?”

“A puppy, aren’t you?”

With that, the shadow removed its hood and walked towards Jae-hee.  Fluffy wolf ears emerged from her hair.

Oh my, a werewolf?  I thought you were a cute puppy-like beast-kin.

Werewolves were quite renowned… and there were few Awakened with related abilities.  Those who did awaken such abilities were all registered with the Hunter Association and were well-known.  But this girl’s face was unfamiliar.

“I’m a wolf, you bitch.”

Ash-gray hair fluttered in the wind, and her skin had a subtle sheen.  Her eyes, sharp like a wolf’s, were fixed on Jae-hee.  A low growl escaped the woman’s lips, and Jae-hee chuckled.

“Hmm, I’ve never seen your face before.  Oh, are you perhaps dissatisfied with my broadcast?  Oh dear… I apologize for being too beautiful.”

“What the fuck are you talking about… Ah, right.  I did come because of your broadcast.”

Saying that, the wolf-eared woman lightly jumped onto the wall and slowly walked towards Jae-hee.  Jae-hee easily recognized the predatory gaze in her eyes as she silently approached.

“I’ll get straight to the point.  My oppa and our comrades want to recruit you.”

“Who are you?”

“Well, we have many strange names… but you might know us as the [Defectors].”

Defectors.

At those words, Jae-hee’s face became thoughtful for a moment.  It wasn’t an unfamiliar name.  No, any Awakened would know it very well.

“Ah, those criminals?”

“Criminals?  The world treats us like shit, so we’re just giving them a reason to be shitty.”

“Uhuhu, you’re not a child.  Why don’t you play more maturely?”

“Is spreading your legs for old men your idea of mature play?”

Jae-hee tilted her head at those words.  The wolf-eared woman stopped, a triumphant look on her face, and grinned, revealing sharp teeth.

“I saw everything.  From when you were in that building.”

That building?

Ah, was she talking about the building where I had dinner with the higher-ups and Officer Dan?

“Aha, at first, I thought you calling yourself a succubus was just a cover, but seeing you entertain those higher-ups so diligently, you must be a real succubus, huh?”

“Oh dear, that’s a misunderstanding.  I just had a wholesome and enjoyable time with them~”

“Bullshit.  I couldn’t see clearly because of some protective technique or perception-blocking barrier, but you seemed to be enjoying yourself, surrounded by those old, high-ranking men.  I could tell even from the silhouette.”

Really?

Ah, well, I did entertain them.

“Ah~ That’s right. I entertained them~”

Why did I say it like that?

There was no need to lie, right~?

It wasn’t a succubus-like sexual entertainment, but a Sung entertainment.  Sung, as in the past participle of sing.  It wouldn’t be strange to call it a Song entertainment.

“Typical of a whore race.  You’re spreading your legs for those old bastards because you have nothing else to offer?  You don’t even resent those bastards? Or do you have something to gain from them?”

“I wonder?”

Let’s see…  They provided not one, but six of the latest drone cameras, speakers and recording equipment used in orchestra performances, a computer and camera that probably cost hundreds of millions of won…  Besides that, Officer Dan was working as my manager, and I heard they were assigning experienced mental protection Awakened to prevent indiscriminate charm contamination from the viewers…

‘They said they would help me release an album if things go well? Huhu, my album… it will be beautiful.  Just listening to it will be enchanting.’

As Jae-hee smiled dreamily, the wolf woman scowled in disgust.

‘Is she reminiscing about how delicious the old men’s essence was?  

Seriously, even if you ignore everything else, did you enjoy selling your body to those old government dogs?  You’re a truly unbelievable whore.’

That… that crazy succubus bitch…

I was just testing the waters, but was it really true?

Well, that’s how succubi were.

Bitches who would do anything for essence.

Even if they were originally human, they would succumb to their succubus instincts and hunger for essence, committing any shameful and disgusting act without hesitation.

That was the general perception of succubi.

“Sigh, honestly, I don’t care who you or your kind spread your legs for.  I don’t care what you get in return.  The sickeningly sweet scent you exude even from afar gives me a headache, but it’s not enough to make me hate you.”

“I see. Then how about we go our separate ways?  Unnecessary quarrels are not good.  Why don’t you show some mature behavior, unlike your immature body?”

“You bitch.”

The wolf-eared woman grinned ferociously and jumped down from the wall.  Then, she disappeared from sight like fog.

“But seeing an Awakened, a Returnee, wagging their tail like a dog for the government is utterly disgusting to us.”

The wolf girl growled, her teeth suddenly scraping against Jae-hee’s ear.  She was moving faster than the sound, meaning she was moving faster than sound just by stepping.

“Your kind aren’t powerless, yet you voluntarily become slaves to the government and corporations.  Aren’t you ashamed?  You must know what they did to you and us.”

Indeed, succubi, rather than being pro-Awakened, pursued peace, which was favored by the general public.  

To put it bluntly, unlike other Awakened or Defectors, they, as a race, supported maintaining the current government-led society.  Succubi needed peace to freely interact with people and absorb essence as they pleased.  

A chaotic world wasn’t bad, but the current state, neither too chaotic nor too peaceful, was just right.  In fact, there were even some succubus Defectors who had readily switched sides after being promised suitable partners and a regular supply of essence by the government.

“That’s why I feel disgusted just looking at you.”

Jae-hee continued to smile as the wolf girl whispered close to her ear.  Actually, Jae-hee wasn’t thinking about anything in particular.

‘Ah, her ears must be fluffy.  She’s feisty, but she’ll be delicious once tamed.  Girls like this always end up calling me Master, Master~  Is her tail her weak point?  It must be, right?’

She was just grinning cheerfully.  However, the wolf-eared woman found Jae-hee’s smile even more irritating and growled with a low howl like a wolf.

“Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

With that, the wolf-eared woman moved back under the flickering streetlight.  She seemed quite confident in her speed.

“To relay my oppa’s words… We, the Defectors, formally invite you.  It won’t be a bad offer, and we’ll secure a place for you in the new world for the new humanity.  We await your positive response.”

“Ah, I see.  Do I have to answer right now?”

“Well, it would be convenient if you did.”

“I refuse.  I don’t want to live a life where I can’t even order chicken because I’m part of a group of criminals.”

These days, you needed to register your ID to order delivery, so criminals couldn’t order food.

The wolf-eared woman nodded as if she had expected this.  Then, she made a hand gesture resembling a wolf salute, with her thumb, ring finger, and middle finger touching, and the other two fingers extended.

“Well, I figured as much.”

Then, the wolf hand opened and closed.

“Then die.”

-Crunch!

At that moment, Jae-hee felt a strange floating sensation.

I’m falling?

Where am I falling…?

She looked up slightly and saw the alley she was standing in folding in half.  The entire alley.  The entire street, shrouded in shadows, was swallowing Jae-hee like a wolf’s maw.

‘Ah, I see.  A wolf with a rather large mouth~’

Teeth.

Teeth were coming.

Fangs.

Sharp jaws.

Piercing, tearing, ripping through her arms, legs, neck, waist, chest, swallowing her.

Swallowing her whole.

Ah.  Heut…

The woman sighed and put her hands in her pockets as she watched Jae-hee being swallowed by the shadow shaped like a wolf’s mouth.

“Ha, why does oppa like a woman like that?”

She had known from the start that Jae-hee would refuse the Defectors’ offer.  Why would a woman who was living comfortably, charming the higher-ups, want to join the Defectors?  But what annoyed the wolf-eared woman the most was her “oppa” making a fuss about having to recruit that pretentious succubus bitch.

“Sigh, oppa.  Wolves mate for life, but they’re also incredibly jealous.”

“Oh my, that’s a nice saying.”

Right?

I find it quite romantic…

Wait a minute.

“…You crazy bitch! How…?!”

Startled by Jae-hee’s voice right next to her, the wolf-eared woman flipped backward and leaped away.

‘She was clearly swallowed by the wolf’s maw?! No, I definitely chewed her up.  I felt it, the sensation, the texture.’

Jae-hee chuckled again, looking at the wolf-eared woman, whose ears were now perked up.  She wasn’t injured.  Her suit, which had covered her entire body, wasn’t torn at all.

‘What the fuck! I clearly chewed her up with the wolf’s maw, shouldn’t her clothes be torn?  I would understand if she regenerated her injured body, but… no, I wouldn’t even know if she had dodged my wolf’s maw, but why did she appear unharmed?!’

The wolf’s maw.  The ability to distort shadows and the surrounding terrain, devouring the target along with the space itself with claws and teeth.  She would understand if the attack had been dodged or physically blocked, but she had clearly felt the sensation of chewing, so how could she reappear unharmed?

As the wolf-eared woman stared at her with suspicion and caution, Jae-hee touched her lips with her index finger and said, “Well… isn’t it unbeautiful?”

“…What?”

“To be killed by some nameless mongrel.”

Being demoted from a puppy to a mongrel, the wolf-eared girl’s expression became even fiercer.

“Me, dying?  Dying pathetically from a surprise attack?  Would it be beautiful for a beautiful protagonist in a novel to be killed by a random meteor?  Would it be beautiful for a lovely heroine to be suddenly raped, forced into marriage with a third-rate thug, and sold to an evil laboratory, becoming an enemy?”

“What the hell are you talking about?!”

“Isn’t that unbeautiful?  An unbeautiful death? An unbeautiful ending?  Unbeautiful?”

The wolf-eared girl had a realization.

This wasn’t regeneration.

She hadn’t dodged the attack.

The maw had definitely bitten and swallowed her.

But how was the succubus unharmed?

How could a succubus, who manipulated life force as energy, cause such an anomaly?

She would understand if she had regenerated her injuries with immense life force…!

‘Ah, could it be?’

The wolf-eared woman recalled her oppa’s words about having to recruit Jae-hee.

Ah, right.

There was no way oppa would make such a fuss just based on her appearance.

“You… you’re a reality warper!”

“Oh my, that’s an unbeautiful name.  It’s just…”

It’s just that I didn’t allow an unbeautiful process and ending.

—–CROW—–