Side Story 39. IF: Parasite’s Fourth Army Commander (1/2)
Parasite’s camp.
The heart of the Empire was filled with an inexplicable air of tension.
In the grand hall, six Army Commanders were gathered together, waiting. Even the Parasite Queen, sitting on the Corrupted Throne, was excitedly looking back and forth between the ceiling and the wall behind her.
Guoooooooo!
Powerful, boundless energy was swirling and pulsating beyond the wall. The Parasite Queen’s pupils surged with hope as she gazed in that direction.
She still could not forget what happened a few days ago.
[Gula and humanity have betrayed me!]
An injured star came to the Parasites’ territory out of the blue and expressed his desire to defect. The incident, which would forever overturn the tide of Paradise, came all too suddenly.
The Parasite Queen accepted him with all sorts of preferential treatment, but she still had trouble believing such a thing happened.
The Army Commanders voiced their opinions, suggesting they needed to capture or kill him using this opportunity.
After much deliberation, the Parasite Queen set a few conditions. The star accepted them all without the slightest hesitation.
That convinced the Parasite Queen. The star’s wrath was real!
On the other hand, she looked down upon the opposite camp. Such a powerful star choosing to defect was not a simple matter. It could not be explained by merely calling the Parasites lucky.
Although the Queen pulled some strings in the shadows, never in her wildest imaginations did she think her schemes would be so effective.
In any case, the important thing was that the Parasites now had the ultimate trump card that could mold the future to their liking. In fact, the trump card had fallen into their lap of its own accord!
With this, the Parasites’ victory was all but guaranteed.
The grand hall was dead silent. The Parasite Queen tilted her head up again. Dark clouds were swirling above the Empire’s sky at a frightening rate. Soon, as their speed was reaching the apex...
[It is time.]
The Parasite Queen spoke quietly. Her voice trembled. It couldn’t be helped. The Parasite Queen had bestowed the defector with the divinity of Temperance. Not only that, but she also made considerable effort to turn him into a parasite personally.
The result was now in her grasp. The missing seat of the Fourth Army Commander would be filled.
It was then. The swirling clouds, which seemed ready to ravage the sky, abruptly stopped. At the same time, they dissipated in all directions as if to alert the birth of a new being.
The grand hall was already silent, but now an even heavier silence descended. As the silence continued for a frighteningly long time...
KWANG!
With an explosive sound, one wall of the grand hall crumbled down. The six Army Commanders all furrowed their brows and raised their guards. The energy emanating from the other side of the wall was enough to make their bodies tremble.
“No… no way…!”
Vulgar Chastity exclaimed in a fright.
“This is… surprising.”
Twisted Kindness raised her eyebrow and stared straight.
“I knew he’d digest it all.”
Sung Shihyun laughed and nodded approvingly. He continued.
“He’s the same as me, after all.”
Soon, the commotion died down. One man staggered out from the smoke created by the explosion. The man, slowly raising his head, was none other than Seol Jihu.
Right, it was the war hero who exterminated Undying Diligence, led the Tigol Fortress war to victory, and stopped the Parasites’ winning move multiple times.
That was the man who defected to the Parasites’ camp.
[Truly incredible.]
Sensing the surrounding energy slowly subside, the Parasite Queen exclaimed in surprise.
[Not only did you fully absorb Temperance’s divinity, but you can already control it to this extent…. Not even Twisted Kindness and Sung Shihyun managed to achieve this!]
[I’m truly proud, O’ Fourth Army Commander, who inherited the will of Temperance!]
Just like that, Seol Jihu crossed the Rubicon. Knowing this fully well, the Parasite Queen could not be happier.
[So, how do you feel? Anything is fine. Just give your honest opinion.]
The Parasite Queen urged Seol Jihu to speak. However, Seol Jihu did not say anything. He had a dazed expression as if he himself could not believe things turned out this way. The way he stared at the six Army Commanders with his eyes half-closed, he seemed to be half-asleep as well.
[Speak.]
Did something go wrong in the process of absorbing the divinity? Worried, the Parasite Queen urged again.
“Impertinent!”
Exploding Patience pointed at him.
“Her Majesty has personally commanded you to speak, yet you dare to disobey her!? Speak right this instant!”
As Exploding Patience normally detested humans and came to hate them even more due to Sung Shihyun, she did not see the quiet Seol Jihu favorably.
“....”
Seol Jihu stared at Exploding Patience before turning to the side. He flashed his eyes after seeing an existence looking at him curiously.
“...Hmm?”
Feeling his gaze, Twisted Kindness tilted her head. It was then. Whish! Seol Jihu suddenly shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
‘Shoot!’
By the time she processed what was happening, it was already too late. Perhaps because he had absorbed a divinity, his speed was incomparable to before. Twisted Kindness’ momentary carelessness would cost her.
‘Was this what he was aiming for…!?’
Just as she thought so… Puk! She felt something crushing down on her chest. It wasn’t a blade stabbing into her or digging into her divinity.
Twisted Kindness, who instinctively raised her arm, lowered her gaze. She saw Seol Jihu’s arms and legs coiling around her body, and his face buried deep between her breasts. She wondered if he was planning to self-destruct, but he only rubbed his face without caring for anything else.
Flustered, Twisted Kindness slowly lowered her hand.
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
“Comfy.”
“What are you doing? What is it that you want?”
“Squishy.”
When she asked, all she got back were incomprehensible replies.
“Jealous.”
Only Sung Shihyun nodded his head in understanding, looking at Seol Jihu jealously.
“You startled me. I don’t know why you are doing this, but I’d like you to get off me. It’s ticklish.”
“Warm.”
Seol Jihu remained unmoving even at Twisted Kindness’ reasonable request.
“Brat, didn’t I tell you I was ticklish?”
In the end, Twisted Kindness resorted to force. She grabbed Seol Jihu by the collar and threw him aside. Seol Jihu rolled on the floor before shooting back up and then faltering back down.
[Did something go wrong in the process of absorbing the divinity?]