Chapter 133

EP.133 Dr. Strategy Begins

A basement building in Nonhyeon-dong, secretly prepared.

From the outside, it looked like a logistics warehouse for a fashion company.

No, it actually was a logistics warehouse. Just an old one that wasn’t in use anymore.

I was waiting for someone in the office inside.

Not long after, the warehouse door opened, and a knock came from the office door.

“Come in.”

The door slowly opened, and a young woman awkwardly bowed her head.

“Hello…? I’m Lee Jihye. Nice to meet you.”

She was the actor trainee I had mentioned to Yunsu yesterday.

I smiled and gestured for her to sit.

“Please, have a seat.”

“Ah, yes…”

She sat down across from me with a reserved posture.

I spoke up.

“I’m Song Jihyuk. I’m collaborating with WW Entertainment. Have you heard about it?”

“Yes, I heard from Yunsu. Um…”

Jihye hesitated, looking at me.

She seemed unsure how to address me.

I gave her a generous smile.

“Call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Then… I’ll call you Chairman. The Chairman’s friend wanted to take a photo with me…”

“That’s right.”

“Where… are they?”

“They’ll be here soon. By the way, is Jihye your real name?”

“No. I have a different real name… The agency president…”

“He chose a refined name because you have an elegant image, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I thought so. Would you like some coffee?”

“I’d appreciate it if you could make some.”

I nodded, got up, and started making drip coffee.

It’s my first time injecting malice into an ordinary person, so my heart is racing.

Should I mix blood into the coffee? Or just force her to collapse?

Let’s try the former first.

I secretly pricked my finger, created malice, and mixed it with the blood into the coffee.

After finishing the coffee, I brought it over on a tray.

Jihye quickly stood up and took the coffee with both hands.

“Thank you.”

Her attitude was quite polite. Probably because my position at WW Entertainment is quite high.

It’s only natural. Thanks to our company’s connection, WW Entertainment was able to expand its business.

If anything, the agency president must have told her to treat me with utmost respect.

Yunsu probably hyped me up to Jihye as well.

Jihye sat down and took a sip of the coffee.

I stared intently at her face, checking for any changes.

Uncomfortable with my gaze, Jihye averted her eyes.

“How old are you?”

The informal tone suddenly slipped out of my mouth.

Jihye was startled and stammered.

“T-Twenty-four.”

She was trembling.

Not because of the injected malice, but because of my low voice and the intimidating situation.

No changes yet. Was it because she only took one sip? Or did she change but her original personality remained?

There was only one way to find out. Make her do something abnormal and humiliating.

“Why don’t you take off your clothes?”

“Huh…?”

Jihye looked at me with disbelief.

No change. I realized a single drop wasn’t enough.

Even if it was diluted in the coffee, it’s still disappointing.

I’m supposed to be a demon king… and I can’t corrupt an ordinary person with just one drop.

I’ll have to make her drink blood directly.

I have no intention of seducing her with talk of sponsorships or anything.

I smirked as I looked into Jihye’s fear-filled eyes.

“I’ll apologize with the last bit of my conscience. I’m sorry.”

“W-What are you talking about…?”

I silently approached her slowly.

She seemed to panic, frozen in disbelief, but as I got closer, she snapped out of it and ran to the corner.

Then she started screaming.

“Help! Someone help!!”

*Bang bang!*

She banged on the wall while trying to call for help with her phone.

“Hello!? Hello!! Help me!”

She screamed into the phone, not realizing it was dead.

I walked over, grabbed her arm, and pulled her toward me.

Jihye struggled to push me away.

“Eek…! Help!! Someone help!!”

My ears are ringing. She’s got quite the lungs.

I timed it perfectly and shoved my arm into her mouth as it opened.

“Guh!”

Her mouth was now tightly sealed, and she looked up at me.

Tears streamed down her terrified face.

Bite down. That’s your only way out.

I could feel her teeth starting to press down.

I pretended to wince in pain.

Then, as I intended, Jihye bit down hard.

*Crunch…*

Blood gushed out, staining her mouth red.

I smirked, watching the dark red blood drip down her chin.

I didn’t pull my arm away. I wanted her to swallow the blood.

“Guh! Guh!”

Jihye started thrashing wildly, tasting the blood.

A desperate struggle for survival. But my body didn’t budge.

After a while, it seemed hard for her to breathe through her nose, and she gulped.

At that moment,

“Ugh…”

Jihye’s eyes rolled back, and a faint dark energy rose from her body before disappearing instantly.

I finally pulled my arm out.

“Cough! Hack!”

Jihye coughed and collapsed to the floor.

Saliva mixed with blood dripped from her mouth, staining the floor.

I brought a chair and sat in front of her, waiting silently.

After a while, Jihye, who had been coughing like something was stuck in her throat,

“…..”

stopped coughing, brushed her disheveled hair, and looked at me.

Her facial features were the same. Her body was normal.

She hadn’t turned into a demon like Margaret.

Of course not. That demon transformation was just a virtual effect from Yuria’s lucid dream.

I grabbed a towel, pressed it to my arm, and spoke to Jihye.

“Get up and take off your clothes.”

“…. Yes…”

Jihye weakly nodded and stood up, then took off her T-shirt and pants.

Success. I watched her actions with a satisfied expression.

Without hesitation, she even took off her underwear and stood there naked.

She seemed to be waiting for the next command.

“Tell me everything, from your real name to your family.”

“I’m Lee Yuyeong, 24 years old, living with my parents in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu… I have one older sister and a cat…”

No need to hear more. I cut her off.

“Enough.”

“…..”

Jihye, startled, closed her mouth.

I crossed my legs in front of her.

It’s good that emotions are showing, but she’s too passive.

Let’s try this.

“From now on, you’ll wear a mask in front of others and live normally like before, even in front of me.”

“Yes, Chairman…”

“What did you do here today?”

“I took a photo with Chairman Jihyuk’s friend…”

“And then?”

“And then… um…”

Jihye hesitated for a moment, then continued.

“Then I’ll receive some clothes as gifts from the warehouse and go back.”

Good. She’s making up excuses on her own. She’s a sufficiently active puppet now.

I nodded.

“There’s a shower in the corner of the warehouse. Shower, put on any clothes here, and go back. Take my calls as top priority.”

“Yes…”

I smirked, left Jihye behind, and exited the warehouse.

The first experiment was satisfying.

I learned how much malice is needed to corrupt someone, and the malice Jihye emitted was minimal.

At this level, no one will notice unless they get too close.

Jihye will blend well into human society from now on.

I could corrupt her family too, but if I spread it like a zombie outbreak, Adeline might notice while walking by.

I shouldn’t spread it recklessly. I’ll only corrupt the necessary people and use them as safe houses when needed.

Creating my first shelter, unknown to Sehwa, Yuria, or Marcella, was a great success.

**

When I stopped by the lab, the doctor was rubbing her eyes as she came out, and I chuckled.

“Were you sleeping?”

“Yeah… I was sleepy.”

The lab desk was spotless.

Meaning the doctor hadn’t been working on equipment development.

It’s funny how she stays here even though she has a home.

Well, I get it. Going back would remind her of her husband.

The doctor went to the bathroom, washed her face, and put on her glasses.

“How are those friends?”

She meant Silvia and Adeline.

I shrugged.

“They’re still in Uijeongbu. Studying languages diligently.”

“We should start making the devices soon, right?”

Hmm… If Silvia and Adeline transform using the devices… It’s like giving wings to a tiger.

The best outcome for me is for both of their Aiter to be depleted.

The next best is for Sehwa and Yuria to get close enough to backstab them.

“Let’s hold off for now. We don’t know how things will turn out there.”

“But they’re trustworthy, right? And Adeline received an oracle about Tairat. Even if it’s quiet now, we don’t know when they’ll attack again… We should start making them soon.”

Stubborn. Well, it doesn’t matter.

I’ll bring you down before the production is even complete.

The device you’ll make as my subordinate will be something that seals Aiter’s power.

“Understood.”

“We’ll start tomorrow… You handle your work. Once you’re done, come help me make it.”

“Huh?”

I widened my eyes.

I never expected the doctor to make such an offer.

She had never taught me how to make the devices.

Of course, Marcella had successfully copied it, so I knew the basics, but I had never learned it from the doctor.

“We need to make three, so it’ll take a while… I’d like your help. Can you do that?”

Spending a lot of time with the doctor will naturally bring us closer.

Things are going well. I have a good feeling.

I’ll finish setting up the safe house and Sehwa’s weapon within a week and come back.

Yuria’s bow is being made by Marcella, so that should be fine.

“Of course. I should finish my work within a week.”

“A week? I thought it’d take a month.”

“Luckily, things are moving fast. I met some good people, and things worked out well.”

“Really…?”

The doctor crossed her arms and looked at me suspiciously.

Her arms are sinking into her chest because it’s so big.

Is she not wearing a bra today? The way it’s bouncing seems unusual.

I looked at her with innocent eyes, and she asked,

“You’re obsessed with future science, right? You’re not thinking of abandoning your work and coming back just to make the devices faster, are you?”

“Oh, come on… Would I do that? Things are really going well. I might even be able to support the lab more financially.”

“No. We have enough funds already.”

“But we need to make three suits, right? And weapons. That’ll take a lot of polymers…”

“…..”

The doctor sighed.

She couldn’t find a rebuttal.

I smiled, showing my white teeth.

“Don’t feel sorry. I’m really happy to help.”

“What can I do if I feel sorry…”

“Even so.”

“Alright… But I have to say this. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know how to run this lab.”

“I think I’ve heard that a few times before.”

“Really…? Anyway, that’s how I feel. If you’re not busy today, want to grab a meal? Let’s take a break before things get hectic.”

I’d love to.

“I’d like that.”

To be continued―――――――――――――――――――――

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