Vicious Darling

Chapter 7. Trick or Treat

[35]

Peter was anxiously pacing at the edge of the forest.

He had opened the door as Chris had urgently demanded, but thinking about Yuri Sobolev’s reaction made him feel dizzy.

Thoughts like “Are they coming yet?” and “Did the people inside catch a glimpse of us?” spread like wildfire in his mind.

Of course, even if that happened, it wouldn’t be difficult to extract them. Peter was an exceptional teleporter, even among ability users.

However, the thought of increased surveillance at this and other ‘sites’ due to suspicious activity made him feel sick.

‘Maybe… I should have tried to stop him till the end.’

He didn’t think he could win against Chris Danil. But the thought that he could have at least stalled for time kept nagging at the corner of his mind.

As if sensing Peter’s inner turmoil, a silver wolf suddenly appeared.

“You scared me!”

Peter, who had jumped up in a very unhuman-like manner, looked at him.

“I told you I might get caught!”

Peter whimpered.

Chris took a step back, avoiding the man who was trying to cling to him.

The beast spat out the clothes it had been carrying in its mouth and slowly returned to human form.

Peter tightly closed his eyes and turned his head away as soon as Chris started transforming. Eventually, he turned back when he heard the belt buckle click into place.

Chris’s upper body was still bare, not having put on his shirt yet.

Though Peter thought he should look away, he found it hard to take his eyes off. At first glance, it looked like a perfectly chiseled sculpture. The kind of work where you’d expect stone dust to come off if you touched it with your finger.

But as if someone had breathed life into it, the well-defined muscles moved with vitality.

As he stared, entranced, the next moment he noticed the numerous traces of battle covering that beautiful exterior.

Some were knife wounds, others were gunshot wounds. Most were so faint that it was hard to recognize their origins. Without Peter’s level of discernment and observation skills, one might not have noticed them.

‘Having created Baekyah in the Winter Continent, which was almost lawless…’

It was truly a foundation built with blood.

Among the scars on Chris’s body, the most noticeable was the one across his chest.

Peter’s eyes widened at the scar that hadn’t disappeared even with an Esper’s healing ability.

As his gaze carefully examined the shape of that scar and gradually moved upward, it stopped on the red mark that had appeared on the side of Chris’s neck.

‘Is that…?’

Peter’s face flushed red.

He quickly turned his body away as soon as his eyes met Chris’s, who was looking at him with an expressionless face.

“Aren’t you cold? Why did you stop halfway through dressing?”

Chris briefly replied to Peter’s embarrassed grumbling.

“I was in the process of dressing. And the Spring Continent… often feels hot.”

After buttoning up his last button, Chris spoke.

“You can look back now.”

Peter turned his head hesitantly.

“Was Yuri… very angry?”

“I’m not sure.”

Feeling his answer was a bit vague, Chris added,

“I don’t think it will be a big problem. It seems he might have expected me to come from the beginning.”

Chris observed Peter, who was sighing in relief at his words, then spoke.

“Do you happen to know a pharmacist?”

A regular pharmacist wouldn’t do to examine what Yuri had brought.

Chris blurted out the thought that came to mind.

“It would be better if they have knowledge about illegal drugs.”

“Haha. How would an innocent keysmith like me know a pharmacist with knowledge of illegal drugs?”

Peter laughed slyly.

Checking if there was room for misunderstanding in his words, Chris rummaged through his pockets.

“My explanation might be poor, so it’s better if I show you directly.”

Even though he knew Chris wasn’t carrying anything like a gun, Peter unconsciously tensed up.

Chris pulled out an envelope he had tucked between his clothes.

Inside were white pills that Yuri had handed over.

“What is this?”

Chris answered Peter’s question.

“It’s a drug circulating among the workers at that ‘site’. I heard the foreman gave it out.”

Peter reached out to take it. Chris lightly pulled his hand back, retrieving the envelope.

“A pharmacist. Please.”

The word, pronounced with moderate emphasis, pricked Peter sharply.

Groaning, he vigorously scratched the back of his head.

“Ah, geez. I can’t even win with force.”

Sighing deeply, he picked up a tree branch and drew a square door on the ground.

As if looking down from the ceiling, a store was visible below.

Tall glass jars reaching almost to the ceiling were densely packed on shelves, filled with colorful candies.

The vibrant colors were like a rainbow spread out.

“I’ll go first, then count to 60 before jumping down. I need time to explain things on the other side.”

Peter said, roughly tidying his disheveled hair.

Chris nodded.

Peter threw himself into the door he had opened without hesitation.

Chris, who had been watching the water droplets falling like tears from the trees, counted while sending them back up.

‘One, two, three…’

At times like this, even the time surrounding him seemed to slow down.

The bright candy store beyond the square door emitted a sparkling light.

Peter was chattering to the store owner with his arms spread wide, like a comical cartoon character.

Perhaps because the rainy forest where Chris was standing was so gloomy, the world beyond seemed like a paradise of innocence.

‘Fifty-nine, sixty.’

Chris turned one last time towards the direction of the container where Yuri would be.

While it was bright and radiant over there, Chris wanted to remain in this darkness.

‘But I guess that’s not allowed.’

He had to carry out Yuri’s orders.

Taking a deep breath, Chris jumped into the door Peter had opened.

***

“Ah, I said let go.”

“I won’t. I can’t. Just help me once, consider it saving my life. Okay?”

“No, even a mole would have fewer burrows than you. Why don’t you just run away instead of asking a civilian like me to save you?”

“I’m telling you, I can bury you in a hundred holes if there are a hundred!”

From the moment he came over, he could hear the two people bickering.

Peter, who had been clinging to the store owner’s ankle, quickly stood up when Chris appeared. Chris pretended not to notice as Peter straightened his clothes.

The store owner was looking at Chris with curious eyes.

Wearing a pink apron, the store owner had her fiery red hair tied tightly.

She had a slightly chubby and cute impression, but her eyes were quite sharp.

Her face remained calm even when a sturdy man suddenly appeared before her, making Chris wonder if she might be an acquaintance of Peter’s.

“Hello,” Chris greeted, thinking Peter must have persuaded her well.

“Hello. I’m Hannah. And you are?”

Over Hannah’s shoulder, Chris could see Peter desperately shaking his head.

It seemed he was saying not to give his real name.

“…I’m Chris Danil.”

At those words, Peter tightly closed his eyes and repeatedly hit his forehead with his hand.

It wasn’t polite to hide one’s identity when coming with such a suspicious request. In his experience, such behavior always led to trouble.

‘And…’

He didn’t want to use a different name when Yuri wasn’t around.

He remembered introducing himself as Chris Northern Light when he had lost his memories.

It probably hadn’t hurt Yuri. But Chris felt guilty on his own.

It felt like betraying Yuri, even if it wasn’t intentional.

“Are you crazy, are you crazy!”

Hannah’s eyes had widened from the moment she heard the name Chris Danil.

Finally catching her breath, she whirled around and slapped Peter’s back repeatedly.

“What did I tell you? I said I was done with your business, didn’t I? And now you bring Chris Danil to my store?”

Whether she was from the Winter Continent or someone who diligently read the newspapers, she seemed to know who Chris was.

“Ouch! Ouch! You’re hitting the talented one of the Barrel Society!”

“Talented, my foot.”

Hannah gritted her teeth.

How many times had she let things slide, considering his circumstances?

‘And now he brings the calamity of the Winter Continent to my store? He’s really lost it.’

“…If my presence here is uncomfortable, I’ll leave immediately. However, before that, I’d like you to check this drug.”

Chris held out the envelope he had carefully put away.

Hannah, looking at him with wary eyes, asked,

“You’re not… asking me to figure out the composition or anything like that, right?”

If it was that kind of request, she seemed determined not to accept it.

“No,” Chris shook his head.

“I received this as a stimulant… I’d like to check if there are any harmful effects on the body.”

“Ah, I won’t do it. I told Peter too.”

She glared at Peter.

“I washed my hands of such things when I came to the Spring Continent. I only accepted a few requests from the Barrel Society at the beginning. I’ve even stopped that now.”

“But in this field, your skills are the best, Hannah.”

Peter praised Hannah’s skills. But Hannah was indifferent.

“How long has it been since I left that world? My skills have all rusted. Do you know how often the formulas for drugs, especially synthetic drugs, change? There are far more drugs I haven’t touched than ones I have!”

The woman’s face was very sincere as she added that she was now no different from an old lady past her prime.

But Chris didn’t believe those words.

If Hannah wasn’t skilled, Peter wouldn’t have thought of her first and brought Chris here.

“Please,” Chris spoke in an earnest voice.

“There are many people who think this is literally a stimulant and take it.”

Peter’s face darkened.

“…What does it matter to me if people I don’t even know are taking drugs they don’t understand?”

Hannah snorted and snatched the envelope Chris was holding.

“Follow me.”