Chapter 24 : The Strongest Poison of Modern Times (2)

A new body emerged from Lazelita’s body as if an insect were shedding its skin.

It had deep greenish-blue hair and two eyes adorned with radiation patterns.

Its entire body was covered in a repulsive liquid resembling toxic waste, and its sharp teeth made it look like a monstrous humanoid.

Sisters

“Kyaa~. No matter what, my own body is the best, after all!”

“A monster… came out of Mom’s body?”

“Yes, that’s right, Carmilla~. Since I’ve already finished resurrecting, there’s no need for your mom’s body anymore.”

The worst modern toxin.

The moment one is even slightly exposed to it, it destroys the very concept of living cells—such a radioactive monster had finally completed its emergence.

“Kya, but still, my original body really is the best~. Being stuck inside that weak human body was so suffocating, I felt like I was a mere extra!”

A radioactive monster, back in her original body for the first time in three years.

She smiled in delight as she looked down at Lazelita, who was sprawled beneath her.

Meanwhile, at first glance, Lazelita seemed like a lifeless corpse.

“…!”

But—

If you looked closely, you could see her body trembling ever so slightly.

‘Mom is still alive…!’

She was in critical condition, but her breathing was still faintly audible. More importantly, since a monster had been parasitizing her body—

Even monsters couldn’t inhabit a dead body, so in a way, it was only natural that she was still alive.

The problem was that her condition looked extremely dire.

So what should be done?

As Carmilla desperately struggled with her thoughts, clinging to even the slimmest hope—

“Carmilla, you just felt relieved, thinking your mom is still alive, didn’t you?”

As if reading through such naïve, childish thoughts—

“Kahahaha! But what a shame~! Your mother is doomed to die soon anyway!”

“…What?”

The radioactive monster gently walked up to stand over Carmilla’s face, looking down at her kindly as she explained.

“When a monster possesses a human body, that human doesn’t necessarily die. But in this world, there are always exceptions~!”

“Ex… ceptions?”

Could this situation really get any worse?

She had just reunited with her real mother.

She had miraculously survived when Carmilla thought she was dead.

And now—you’re telling me you’re going to kill her again?

“What’s my alias? The. Ra. Di. O. Ac. Ti. Ve. Mon. Ster!”

“!!”

“I’m a terrifying monster whose very existence destroys cells—did you really think a human I possessed wouldn’t suffer radiation exposure?”

Just as a sword-wielding monster wouldn’t break its own blade—

The radioactive monster had absolute immunity to her own radiation, befitting her title.

So while she had been possessing that human body, whether it was for three, five, or even ten years, the body had remained intact due to the immunity it had temporarily acquired.

But now that she had left—

The human body, which had been continuously exposed to radiation, could no longer stay intact.

In other words, it had already been irradiated.

At this very moment.

“Cough?!“

The moment the monster revealed her true form, Carmilla, unknowingly exposed to radiation, had already begun entering the stages of radiation sickness.

“A-Agh…!”

“Oh my, your blood’s already turning black? And you’re bruising all over even though you weren’t hit… Guess that means your platelets are completely failing?”

“M-Mom… Mom…”

“Pfft! Kuk, kukuku…! Hahahaha! Wow, Carmilla, you’re such an idiot! Even after three years with me, how can you still be this stupid?”

From her eyes, nose, and mouth—

Black blood began trickling out from every possible opening in her body.

Her body trembled violently, and through her blurring vision, she saw strands of her golden hair falling before her eyes.

‘My body… won’t move…’

Even speaking properly was impossible.

She felt like if she moved even a little, her body would crumble apart like a fragile cookie.

No, this can’t be happening…

She had just reunited with her real mother…

Even the monster’s laughter, which had destroyed her family, was starting to fade into the background.

“Even if you call for your mom, she and you are both destined to die by my hands.”

Yeah, no kidding.

Mom and Dad had both died because of you, so why was she just helplessly allowing herself to be killed as well?

The rage was unbearable.

She couldn’t even tell if what was flowing down her face was blood or tears.

She wanted to bite down on her lips until her flesh tore, but she didn’t even have the strength to do that.

Meanwhile—

Ring ring ring ring.

“Hm?”

The radioactive monster, who had been reveling in her power, suddenly noticed—

Her old cellphone from her human days.

Seeing the urgent call from the Hero Association, she picked up the phone with even greater excitement.

“Hello~.”

“Ah, you finally answered! Miss Lazelita.”

“Aha. Yes. It looks like I missed your call because I was a bit busy.”

“…? Um, Miss Lazelita, your voice sounds a little different. Are you in an area with bad reception?”

They didn’t even know who they were talking to.

The thought of the ever-polite Hero Association staff speaking so formally even to a monster almost made her burst into laughter, nearly revealing her true identity.

But she had to be careful.

This was probably the last time she would ever speak to the Hero Association—she had to enjoy it as much as possible.

“Yes, that’s right. Maybe it’s because of the ‘monster that just appeared’? That guy must be messing with the signal~.”

“Ah, I see! Well, that makes sense, since you’re in City C, where the monster is currently located. I completely understand.”

Pathetic fools.

“Pfft! Pfft-pfft… puhpuhpuh!“

They had no idea that the monster they were talking about was the very one holding the phone.

And here they were, freely spilling all their information.

“So, what’s the Hero Association’s plan? If even an A-rank hero like me is getting a call, that must mean this ‘guy’ is a really big deal, right?”

Mmmhmm!

A really big deal.

Of course.

Someone like me would definitely be classified as a First-Class… No, in human terms, a Special-Class monster.

The radioactive monster, who had been aiming for the first-ever Special-Class designation since the founding of Hero City, was—

“That’s correct, Miss Lazelita.”

“…!”

Even through the phone, she could vividly feel the emotions of the humans.

Fear.

Terror.

And the desperate cries of those clinging to hope.

“The monster… The one that appeared in City C this time is an extremely dangerous entity.”

Of course, it’s dangerous!

Do you even know who I am?!

Imagining the entire world trembling in fear of her, she smiled in pure bliss.

“Radiation. Don’t get too full of yourself. There are titles far stronger than yours in this world.”

Shut up, you nuclear-bomb b*tch.

She wanted to crush the head of that woman who always pretended to care back in the ‘Otherworld’ where monsters lived.

This was why she had come to this world—

A world known as the dream hunting ground for all monsters.

If she could spread the terror of radiation even further here in the human world, then one day, she would surpass the higher ranks and become the ultimate monster…!

“For now, we’ve assessed the monster’s threat level as First-Class!”

“…That’s it?”

The ultimate… monster?

“‘That’s it’?! Miss Lazelita, a First-Class threat level means an entire district of Hero City could be wiped out!”

…No, you idiot.

If I unleash radiation, forget districts—your entire human ecosystem is done for.

And yet, I’m only classified as a First-Class monster?

‘Seriously… First-Class? That means I’m on the same level as that Violence Monster that appeared in City Y before?’

Well, maybe that old man was stronger than me in terms of raw combat power.

But thinking that I was on the same level as that barely-intelligent, primitive beast made me feel inexplicably annoyed.

And then—

“Miss Lazelita, please be careful. The monster is currently advancing at an incredible speed.”

Wait, what the hell did I just hear?

“…What?”

“We’ve never seen anything like this before, so we’re in complete shock. It didn’t even break through the walls—it just jumped over them!”

Jumped… over the walls?

She couldn’t understand.

That made sense—after all, she was here.

So how the hell was something jumping over a 50-meter-tall wall at the far end of the district?

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean it literally. The district where the monster was spotted is believed to be City E, also known as the Education Special Zone…”

The CCTV footage captured its appearance and characteristics.

A black, cloak-like mass of flesh that fluttered in the wind.

A dark red horned mask.

And finally, dazzling golden hair and a height of around two meters.

And at that moment—

As soon as she heard the description, something clicked in the radioactive monster’s mind.

It was from the final period of the three years she had spent possessing a human body.

From earlier today, at lunchtime.

That half-breed brat—

The one who had humiliated her in a way she had never experienced, not even from her so-called ‘sister.’

An insult she could never forgive.

Crunch!

“You, you…! Pfft?!“

“Hello? Miss Lazelita? Miss Laze—”

The radioactive monster never finished pretending to be Lazelita over the phone.

Because the monster alert—

The emergency that had thrown the entire Hero Association into chaos—

The disaster that had sent the city into a state of panic—

It wasn’t because of her.

At that very moment, the real cause of this incident—

The one who had punched her square in the face and made her nose bleed—

“YOU…!!”

As they say, enemies are bound to cross paths.

And now, the monsterized Kang Jang-hoon stood there—

Right in front of a radiation-contaminated suburban house.

Looking completely unbothered by the presence of radiation itself.

Crack.

Crack-crack.

“Achoo! Achoo!”

Not a drop of blood—just a regular sneeze.

And then—

With that careless little sneeze, he let out a monstrous roar so powerful that it shook all of City C.

“Grroooooo…”

“Monster… Mister…!”

“KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!“