Chapter 32 …
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Bang!
“Ugh!”
As Ascelia reached the moment when the person in front of her entered, she heard a voice. Standing at the door, the dull roar and muffled groans inside made her body tense.
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Crash! Bang!
“Ah!”
“Next group, step in.”
Ascelia could see inside the moment the XX-grade door opened.
Three people came in as a group. Standing next to Ascelia were one B-grade and one C-grade, making three in total.
“Hahaha.”
Inside, there was only one person visible. He bore the XX grade, number 321.
It was impossible to know his original grade, but having an X grade indicated he was either someone sent on a mission or a killer of researchers. But researchers are hard to kill with mere 300-level magic. That meant he was an Awakener. Lower-grade individuals could not even earn an X grade and were often immediately discarded.
“I’m really hungry.”
XX-321’s eyes glowed bright red as he used his ability, scanning his surroundings. Seeing the three holding food trays, he looked at them with amusement.
Ascelia shivered as she saw the bodies strewn around—those already dead.
“Scared?”
XX-321 walked toward her. Ascelia glanced at the B- and C-grades behind her, then back at XX-321.
“If you’re hungry, you can eat.”
Her voice trembled, but there was nothing else she could do.
“Hahaha. You can talk? I thought A-grades couldn’t speak.”
XX-321 came closer, and with each step, the blood on his soles stained the white floor, leaving bloody footprints.
Ascelia could faintly realize that none of the bodies he stepped over were alive, and that his ability was not natural.
Moreover, the blood was concentrated on his hands and feet.
That meant he had personally killed those who brought the food trays.
“Hey.”
“…Yes?”
XX-321 stood across from Ascelia and the food tray. As he approached closely, her tray was pushed against her chest, making it hard to breathe.
“You smell really good.”
Ascelia shrank instinctively as he leaned toward her neck to smell her.
“The food tray…”
“I’ll only give one of you three a chance.”
“Excuse me?”
“Only one of you can give me the food tray.”
XX-321 smiled, glancing at Ascelia and the B- and C-grades behind her.
“And that one person has to answer my question correctly. Then I’ll let them live… for the next two weeks.”
He said this, stepping back from Ascelia, like a spectator enjoying a show.
“Oh, and the time limit is three minutes. If only one person isn’t left in three minutes, I’ll kill everyone.”
The B- and C-grades, pale-faced, gripped their trays tightly. Ascelia was about to explain that she had the researcher’s card and could get them out.
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Smash!
“Ah!”
“Die!”
The C-grade slammed the B-grade’s head with the tray, who was standing right behind Ascelia. Staggering, B-grade grimaced and swung her tray wildly.
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Thud!
“Ah!”
Food scattered all over the floor, and Ascelia stepped back without realizing it.
“Die! Die, you X bastard!”
The B-grade attacked the C-grade frantically. The clanging of trays filled the air with loud cracks.
Ascelia tried to stay calm but failed, shouting,
“St-stop! I have the researcher’s card!”
“Die!”
“You die too!”
But they ignored her, fighting each other. They thought an A-grade like Ascelia couldn’t possibly have a researcher’s card. C-grade attacked B-grade because he seemed more threatening than her. B-grade felt the same—weak A-grades are easy prey. Eliminating C-grade made it easier to kill the A-grade.
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Smash!
“Ugh!”
C-grade pressed the tray against B-grade’s neck, pushing him toward the wall. B-grade’s face turned red as he struggled in pain.
“Stop! I really have the card!”
“Hahaha.”
XX-321 laughed as if mocking her.
“If that card really exists, I’ll let you live and kill the rest.”
Ascelia realized he had enhanced physical abilities—the wall was dented from when he leaned on it.
“Give it to me.”
She hesitated as he approached.
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Smash! Thud! Smash!
“Die! Die!”
C-grade struck B-grade more violently with the tray.
“W-what if all three of us survive?”
“Why would I? And one of you is already almost dead.”
XX-321 laughed at B-grade as if he were worthless.
“Don’t you need the card?”
Ascelia set down her tray and stared XX-321 down as he walked toward her.
“Ugh…!”
“Die.”
C-grade kicked B-grade’s tray, pressed his neck with her own tray, and pushed him toward the wall.
“Alright then.”
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Smash!
“Ah!”
“Ugh…!”
XX-321 kicked the tray Ascelia had set down, sending it flying toward B- and C-grades, then turned his attention back to her.
“Now that only one is left, there’s no choice. Right?”
“Ah…”
Ascelia couldn’t look back as B- and C-grade collapsed from the blows, the air heavy with the aura of death.
“Hey, but what’s that smell? How can you smell so good?”
He inhaled her scent deeply as he approached again.
“The card…”
“You think I can’t take it from you?”
“Ah…”
Ascelia retreated slowly toward the door. She regretted not escaping when he focused on B- and C-grades, though she knew she couldn’t manage it if the situation repeated.
“Wait, hold on!”
XX-321 grabbed her by the collar. Her feet left the ground, and her clothes ripped with a torn sound.
“Ah…!”
“That’s right. It’s your scent.”
He laughed as if intoxicated by her scent.
“Do you even have a lover?”
He looked at the petal marks on her chest, left by Callisten, making her blush in shame.
“Even if it’s a guy, someone like this would be decent, huh.”
“L-let go, please.”
“I told you, I’m hungry.”
XX-321 watched Ascelia struggle, realizing the source of his hunger was her scent.
“Tell me which guy you’re with. If it’s interesting, I’ll let you live.”
“…It’s a wound.”
“What kind of wound looks like it’s been sucked on?”
“….”
“Bite marks, huh.”
He pressed firmly above her flat chest. Despite being male, Ascelia felt feminine to him, and it made him uneasy.
Most women in the lab had been commanding or higher-ranking researchers.
“N-no…”
“Want me to tell you why I got the XX grade?”
Ascelia tried to turn away and move toward the door, feeling the card in her pocket brush against her thigh.
“Ugh…!”
At that moment, he closed the distance at incredible speed and pinned her against the wall.
“Who made it? Tell me, and I’ll let you live.”
XX-321’s red eyes glimmered with power as he smiled at her. Ascelia’s body trembled at the look of pure madness. She froze as he opened his mouth, seemingly trying to smell her again.
“Or I could make it myself.”
“Ah… n-no… ugh…”
Her voice faltered with fear. She tried to push his head away.
“I became X-grade by killing researchers.”
“D-don’t!”
“Just for fun, I killed them and got X-grade.”
She tried pushing his head away, but he bit her thumb while speaking.
“Behave, and I’ll let you live. You could enjoy the next two weeks, right?”
That threat felt even more terrifying to her.
“I-I’m male…!”
“I know. Some of the researchers I killed were men too.”
He said this and bit her neck.
“Ugh…!”
He bit so hard that blood rushed to her head, causing intense pain.
Then—
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Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Ahh!”
Ascelia saw the man biting her suddenly engulfed in flames, writhing in agony.
“S-save me!”
XX-321 screamed as smoke filled the air.
“Ascelia.”
She knew that voice. Even through the black smoke, his red eyes shone.
“Come here.”
He reached out, beckoning her.
