Became a Failed Experimental Subject-Chapter 31: I Was Tricked

“Weren’t you throwing that for me to drink?”

“That’s not it—ugh, whatever. Actually, I like that even more. Means you’re a guy who adapts fast... ow.”

Gu Seoryong tapped my foot under the table.

I figured she was up to something stupid, so I stomped on her foot to make her quit.

Instead, she smoothly twisted her leg out of the way and wrapped one of her legs around mine.

“Why do you keep wrapping yourself around me?”

“Don’t you get what it means? So innocent.”

She didn’t seem hostile. I decided to just ignore her leg and downed the new plate of barbecue in five bites.

Then Gu Seoryong placed another piece of meat in front of me and asked:

“So, how did you escape, CXI?”

“I woke up in W-City.”

“Huh? Wait, what? You just woke up there?”

“Yes.”

“So you were discarded?”

“They did say I was a failed experiment.”

“CXI, a failure...? Did they actually succeed in making something stronger than you?”

“I don’t know.”

Even right before I killed the researchers, they kept shoving other monsters into my cell—amped up on stimulants—but not one of them felt threatening to me.

“Then why toss you out?”

“Probably because I didn’t follow their orders.”

“Hm... yeah. No matter how sharp the blade, if it doesn’t have a handle, you can’t use it. Still, I’m kinda disappointed. I thought you escaped like me.”

“You got out on your own?”

“Yep. Wanna hear how?”

I nodded, and Gu Seoryong gave a sly smile, then stood up and sat on my thigh.

“It wasn’t that hard~ In the end, researchers are just humans, right? Guys who’ve done nothing but study until their faces wrinkle—they're weak to women. So I seduced them. Broke them in. ‘I’ll do anything you say... please get me out of here... I love you~’ Then boom, they started listening to me. Bit by bit, I got into their heads. One of the higher-ups, then another, and another... and before they even realized it—ta-da! Gu Seoryong, already gone from the lab.”

“Lucky you.”

“Hey now, call it skill, not luck, will you? Seduction is a woman’s weapo—ack...”

“Don’t touch me.”

“S-Sis!”

I grabbed Gu Seoryong by the neck as she reached to stroke my hair.

Immediately, the suited men around us flared up their abilities, but Gu Seoryong raised one finger to her lips, and they froze in place.

“Huh, so you’re not a fan of touch, CXI?”

“No, I don’t care.”

“Then what’s this? My dear Dundeun, wanna tell me what ticked you off?”

“Your hand stinks.”

“Ooh, sharp.”

Gu Seoryong pulled her hand back and flicked off a droplet of poison clinging to her fingernail.

I watched her fingertips carefully.

“I just got reminded of something while we were talking, so I played around a bit. Sorry. It wasn’t even a lethal dose. Just a tiny one that... makes you want to do what I say.”

“I’m letting it slide—once.”

That was the price of the meal.

While I crushed a bone between my teeth, Gu Seoryong let out an excited little growl.

“Oooh... what do I do? Now I really want you...”

“Ma’am... sorry to interrupt the meal.”

“Oh? They found him? Bring him here.”

From the far end of the rooftop, a man in a suit approached the table and bowed.

Behind him followed the loan shark.

One eye swollen shut like he’d been punched, he froze in shock as soon as he saw Gu Seoryong and me.

The men in suits forced him to kneel in front of me, pressing his head to the ground.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were someone important! I—I was out of line...!”

“The necklace?”

“I—uh—I was just handed it! I didn’t steal it myself! I swear...!”

“Sweetie? Did you not understand the question? We’re asking where the necklace is.”

“Answer properly!”

The moment the loan shark tried to explain his innocence instead of answering where the necklace was, Gu Seoryong gave a look to one of the men.

The man grabbed the loan shark’s head and slammed it back into the ground. Blood dripped from his broken front teeth.

“Ghh! Guhhh... It—it wasn’t me... I swear it wasn’t me...!”

“The necklace.”

Still no clear answer.

I stood up and crouched in front of him.

He met my eyes and trembled, radiating fear.

With blood and spit foaming from his mouth, he finally gave a real answer.

“Th-th-that... I-I’m sorry... I already gave it to Min Jihee...”

“Who’s Min Jihee?”

“Min Jihee... She’s the manager of Building 108.”

“Gave it to some whore as a gift, huh? How many times do I have to tell you, don’t accept payment unless it’s cash.”

“Sorry. I’ll remind them again...”

“Go fetch Min Jihee too. Make sure she still has the necklace.”

Gu Seoryong let poison gather at her fingertip as she stepped toward the loan shark.

From the slight curl of her lips, I sensed a quiet °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° murderous intent—and stopped her.

“You going to kill him?”

“Huh? Of course. He stole something from a valuable guest.”

“A bit much for theft.”

“Huh? Aaah—AAAAAAGH!!”

Before she could act, I grabbed the loan shark’s hands and crushed them.

Crunch, crack—it sounded like chewing cartilage-packed pork belly.

His hands dangled limp, bones shattered.

The loan shark screamed, then passed out, eyes rolling back.

I stood and looked at Gu Seoryong.

“I heard once... that thieves get their fingers cut off.”

It was something the laborers told each other when someone got caught trying to swipe a coworker’s wallet.

This punishment is enough.

As I stood over the unconscious loan shark, Gu Seoryong gave me a strange look.

“Why not just kill him? He stole something precious from you.”

“This is enough.”

“Punishments are for people who might change if they learn their lesson. The trash in Guryong Fortress aren’t that kind.”

“I don’t like repeating myself.”

"I’m the one involved. I said this punishment is enough."

I stared her down, putting just enough heat in my gaze to say if you try to kill him anyway, I’ll get pretty fucking annoyed.

Gu Seoryong stuck out her long tongue and licked her fingertip.

“Hmmm... Got it. Jeez, how can one guy reek of 'alpha male' this hard?”

“Impossible. I took a bath today.”

“Ahaaang...? What’s that supposed to mean? Are you flirting with me now?”

“What are you talking about.”

I went back to the table and grabbed some meat with my blood-soaked hands.

Watching me eat with both hands like that made the men in suits even more nervous.

Their eyes stayed glued to my hands.

I didn’t care. I ate what I wanted.

To a monster, human blood is like chicken stock—it brings out the flavor.

“I’ve eaten well.”

“Already done? But there’s still drinks and dessert~”

“The necklace comes first.”

“Oooh, I should’ve guessed. When something important ends up in another bitch’s hands, even the best meal won’t sit right, huh?”

“...So what kind of dessert?”

“Ooh~ You want some?”

In my mind, I put dessert and the necklace on an imaginary scale.

Necklaces could be retrieved later.

But free dessert? That’s like when your foreman says he’ll buy you ice cream after a job. If you don’t take it then, it vanishes like smoke.

“Ice cream, cake, and... hehe, maybe some sticky, chewy rice cakes filled with warm honey?”

“Rice cake.”

I swallowed a mouthful of spit as the memory of honey-filled rice cakes from my childhood hit me.

Seeing that, Gu Seoryong gave me a sly grin and said something weird.

“Aha... See? After seeing blood, you get all riled up, don’t you? So? Want to go have dessert together? I’ll have someone else fetch the necklace from that Min Jihee woman.”

“...Fine.”

Maybe it was the blood still on my tongue, but the appetite was real.

I figured it wasn’t a bad idea and accepted her offer.

“Oooh~ Good boy. Then come on. You guys? When you get the necklace, wash it clean and bring it up.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Hey you? Don’t you wanna wipe your hands first? Or are you the type who enjoys leaving fingerprints everywhere?”

Gu Seoryong immediately stuck to my side and offered to lead the way.

As we stepped into the elevator, she pulled out a napkin or something and handed it to me.

I wiped off the blood and grease from my hands and tossed it aside like used tissue.

“Oh my... That was my favorite one... But whatever.”

“Can’t believe he just used ma’am’s personal handkerchief like that...”

“Ugh... Why’s it always the tall, handsome, built, psychic guys...? Fuck this unfair world.”

The men in suits grumbled behind us as they followed.

Gu Seoryong led me toward the apartment building.

Inside, I could feel dozens—maybe hundreds—of people.

And from all around came the sounds of animals in heat.

“...Is this entire apartment in the middle of mating season?”

“Fufu, that’s the idea. This is the red-light district of Guryong Fortress. As long as you’ve got money, you can fuck whoever you want.

Well—except me, of course.”

“So humans even pay money to mate.”

“Oh my, don’t tell me... you’ve never—Aha, now I’m really curious.”

Gu Seoryong clung to me with a grind that felt genuinely disgusting.

But she wasn’t using claws or poison this time, so I let her be.

I followed her to the front of one apartment unit.

Even the entrance looked different from the others—flanked by statues of dragons and snakes.

“We’re heading up. Don’t let anyone bother us.

And if the necklace shows up, just send it up—nothing else.”

“Understood.”

“Then... shall we?”

We stepped into the elevator, which felt strangely humid and sticky.

Gu Seoryong wrapped herself around my arm.

I pulled her off again, annoyed.

“You’ve been clinging too much.”

“Ahaha! Aww, are you getting shy now?”

Ding.

The elevator arrived.

What greeted us was a massive room—easily the entire top floor of the building, completely remodeled.

The color scheme: black, gold, and blood-red.

Carpets covered in tangled snakes. Sculptures of intertwined dragons wrapped around a bed.

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A wall of glass revealed the entire apartment complex below.

Dragon-shaped humidifiers puffed out steam from all corners.

No wonder the elevator felt so sticky. This place was a sauna.

I shook off Gu Seoryong again and looked around.

“...Where’s the rice cake?”

“Right here~”

Just then, I heard the sound of fabric sliding to the floor behind me.

When I turned, I saw Gu Seoryong—completely naked, her pale body on full display.

I scowled.

She ran her hands down her curves, showing off like it was a sales pitch.

Her monster core vibrated in sync with the bass thumping from the club outside.

I let out a sigh, unable to hide my disappointment.

“...You tricked me.”