As the Doppelganger disappeared, I gave orders to my clones.
Conserve your strength in the intermediate zone.
Once you have enough strength, advance into the advanced zone.
If you catch an advanced monster, report to me.
However, do not cause friction with humans yet.
Leaving only some monsters to guard the lower zone, the clones scattered.
"I should drop by often."
I had a firm goal.
Advance to the advanced zone.
Get advanced monsters.
And go further to see the end of the restricted area.
This was instinct.
An instinct to rise to a higher existence.
It was an innate instinct that I, a monster, possessed.
"Keueung..."
Seo-ah woke up.
"You're awake? Let's go to the Myohengseong Guild now."
I stuck to Seo-ah's body.
I told her the next destination.
It was late because the sun was setting, but that's why we had to hurry.
If it got any later, I might not be able to meet Seolhwa.
"Myohengseong Guild? That's unni's guild. Why would I go there?"
Seo-ah was disgusted.
She seemed to hate it even more than giving birth outdoors.
"If I tell you to go, you should go without complaint. Why are you talking back?"
"No way. I'm never going."
She grabbed a nearby tree and held on.
It was like a child throwing a tantrum.
"Really? Even though an opportunity to make a name for yourself has come?"
At my words, Seo-ah raised her head sharply.
"What does making a name for myself have to do with going to unni's guild?"
She was hooked.
It was very easy to persuade her.
"Have you heard of the Doppelganger rumors?"
I explained about the Doppelgangers.
Worms that eat human brains.
And even the things that Seolhwa had experienced.
"And I have a way to know which humans are Doppelgangers. How about it, does it pique your interest?"
Keolkeok.
Seo-ah swallowed.
She was drooling.
"But... why do we have to go to unni's guild?"
Easy. Easy.
Her voice softened.
I realized she was completely hooked.
"I don't have it right now. It's for Seolhwa. We have to go and get it."
"Okay... then I'll go."
Seo-ah got up.
I arrived at the lower zone.
I spread the monsters throughout the lower zone.
These guys will hunt the monsters I will eat in the lower zone.
"Let's go quickly."
The work was done.
We left the restricted area.
I got into a taxi waiting in front of the management zone.
"I'll be right back. Please wait."
"Yes, sir!"
The taxi driver answered in a loud voice.
I could feel that he thought he had hit the jackpot today.
"Faster! Imagine monsters are following you!"
The outskirts of the city, where there were few people.
The guild was large and wide, as if trying to make the most of the cheap land prices.
Lee Sia's loud voice could be heard from what appeared to be a training ground.
I could faintly hear shouts like screams.
Even though it was almost dusk, training was not over.
"Welcome. How can I help you?"
As I entered the building, a counter employee greeted me happily.
To not recognize Seo-ah's face, who is family, she must really hate coming to the guild.
"I came to see Yoo Seolhwa-ssi..."
"Ah, she's in training right now, so I think you'll have to come back tomorrow..."
The employee looked at the clock and frowned.
She must not want to work because it's almost time to leave.
"Wait a moment."
I told Seo-ah to wait and went over to Seolhwa's body.
"Heueuk."
Seolhwa, who was lying on the bed, groaned.
It was break time.
As expected, the employee just answered vaguely because she was annoyed.
"Juin-nim...?"
Seolhwa's face lit up.
"Seolhwa-ya. I have something to do. Come outside quickly."
"Yes!"
Seolhwa got up without saying a word.
She was completely different from Seo-ah.
"Excuse me? I think you should come back tomorrow instead of today..."
The employee was giving me a hard time.
Whether she was clueless or openly ignoring me, Seo-ah was just ignoring the nagging.
"Go into the bathroom."
After letting Seolhwa into the nearby bathroom,
I called Seo-ah to the bathroom.
"Heut..."
Seo-ah was startled to see Seolhwa.
But she came into the stall and locked the door.
It's cramped.
It became stuffy as two people entered a stall meant for one.
"Take it off."
Seolhwa quickly took off her clothes.
"Just take off your top."
I stopped her when she tried to take off everything, even her panties.
There was no time for sex.
"Yes..."
Seolhwa, who looked dejected, took off only her top.
I could see my other half clinging to her body.
It looked like dark red underwear on the outside.
I pulled out a tentacle.
I put the tentacle on the other half of the body.
And absorbed the Doppelganger traits.
I did not equip the Doppelganger traits on the other half of the body.
I judged that there was no need to use it.
"Heumm. Good. I'm done here. You can go back now."
"Yes? Already?"
Seolhwa looked disappointed.
I felt sorry for only taking care of business and sending her back, but there was no other way.
Seo-ah had to go to school tomorrow, and Seolhwa had training tomorrow as well.
"Let's have a 3P at home when you're done with work."
I promised next time and went outside.
The counter employee was guarding the spot with a grumpy expression.
It was a natural reaction since her quitting time was pushed back because of me.
Ttalang.
I came out of the guild.
"Hoo... I'm glad I didn't meet her."
Seo-ah sighed in relief.
There must be someone she doesn't want to meet at the guild.
I don't know who it is, though.
"So, you're saying that if I go to university tomorrow, I'll be able to find out who the Doppelganger monster is?"
Seo-ah, who had finished showering, came over and asked.
Her voice was strangely excited.
"That's right, all you have to do is go to university tomorrow."
I answered her question with certainty.
It was certain according to the system's contents.
"Really? Okay."
She immediately lay down on the bed.
The corners of her lips were raised.
The next day. Early morning.
Seo-ah woke up around the time the sun was rising.
"I woke up early? I skipped school yesterday, so should I go out early today?"
She was excited.
She couldn't hide her excitement and was being fussy.
It was still a long way to go before she had to go to university.
Seo-ah hurriedly prepared to go to school.
"No one's here?"
She arrived at school.
Seo-ah sighed at the chilly atmosphere on campus.
It was the time when other students were lying in bed in dreamland.
"It's better this way. I can properly figure out how many Doppelgangers there are, right?"
"That's right. You're right. You're surprisingly useful, aren't you?"
Seo-ah, who was delighted, sat on a bench in front of the main gate.
She took out her cell phone and downloaded a counting app.
She looked at the sky and idled away her time.
The surroundings became completely bright.
The first shuttle bus arrived.
Chi-ik.
The bus door opened.
Students got off one by one.
The total number was about 20.
An alien energy was felt among the many people.
Dalkak.
Seo-ah pressed a button.
"One person."
I carefully examined the Doppelganger.
It wasn't the guy I met in the restricted area.
That guy was an ability user, but that guy now looked like a faculty member.
"Did you memorize his face well?"
"Yeah."
I remembered the Doppelganger's face.
I continued to count.
And around 9 a.m.
We were shocked.
"What is this number?"
I pointed at the screen.
A number close to 300 was on the screen.
That's a lot.
This was the number even after only searching one university.
I had no idea how many Doppelgangers were spread throughout the country and the world.
"We can't judge based on this number alone. This is the only ability user school in Korea. There are many times when we encounter monsters, so the ratio may be particularly high."
Seo-ah was right.
It was possible that there were so many Doppelgangers because this was an ability user school.
But even considering that, it was a large number.
I thought there would only be about 10 people.
"Eueumm... I have no choice but to change the plan if this is the case."
I revised the plan to catch a few and hand them over to the National Intelligence Service.
We have to wipe out the rats.
That way, they won't run away to other places and have babies.
"Seo-ah, have you ever acted before?"
"No, I haven't?"
"Really? Then let's practice a little. It's okay. Even if you don't have talent, I do."
Seo-ah entered the faculty building.
I was planning to watch the Doppelgangers for the time being.
* * * * *
"Haaam, I'm bored."
Lee Cheol-soo, who was guarding the reception desk alone, yawned.
It was lunchtime. Other humans went to the cafeteria to eat.
"Why does it have to be such an ordinary human? I want to catch and eat an ability user too."
His appearance looked like an ordinary human, but in reality, he was a monster.
A worm monster that ate a human's brain and took over the body.
There was only one desire in the monster.
To become stronger.
There was only one.
But Cheol-soo could not satisfy his desires.
It was because he had eaten the brain of an ordinary person.
"This is fucking bullshit."
He was annoyed.
He wasn't really annoyed.
He was acting based on the host's memories.
Ttalang.
The door opened.
A human wearing a hat and mask came in.
"Yes, welcome."
He immediately changed his expression.
Even an actor who had reached the ranks of a master would give up on such an expression change.
"I want to meet other members of my race."
The human suddenly said.
Cheol-soo felt a familiar feeling.
It was the feeling of a member of the same race.
"Yes, who are you looking for?"
Cheol-soo asked back, pretending not to know.
You can't just accept anyone into the group.
You had to have a useful ability or a job.
"Why are you acting? Aren't we the same race?"
"I don't know who you are."
The human took off his hat and mask, as if realizing the meaning implied in the words.
"Heo, Lee Seo-ah?"
The freshman was Lee Seo-ah.
I wondered if I had seen it wrong, so I looked again.
A stiff face.
Emotionless eyes.
The characteristics of a newbie who has just eaten a human.
It's certain.
The Sword Queen's daughter has become a monster.
"Is it okay now?"
Lee Seo-ah, who was wearing her mask and hat again, asked back.
"No. There's still one left."
"What is it? I think it's enough?"
"You brat, if you're a freshman, you have to use polite language."
Cheol-soo, who smirked, picked up the phone.
He called the Chieftain.
An opportunity to hunt the top-ranked ranker, the long-cherished desire of the race, had come.