Chapter 2: The Butcher with the Deer’s Head

While considering her next host, Ye Mi suddenly recalled the mark she had left on Zero Watanabe. The silver bodies she implanted within Zero Watanabe would not disappear, yet she could not control her. In truth, they functioned as undetectable monitors, impossible to remove, and utterly useless in the hands of the marked. Ye Mi had done this because she was determined to obtain Zero Watanabe's power. Zero possessed the ability to command monsters—far more potent than Ye Mi’s slow, incremental method of parasitism with the silver bodies.

With this in mind, Ye Mi sat cross-legged on her bed, shifting her consciousness into the silver bodies inside Zero Watanabe. In the pitch-black mental realm, she “saw” the shadow of Zero’s spiritual energy—a completely crimson humanoid figure, its outline far more substantial than her own silver form. If Ye Mi’s current spiritual power was at the second tier, then Zero’s was the third. Perhaps this was why her abilities could so easily suppress hordes of monsters.

“Tch—such a difference…” Ye Mi muttered with resignation. Not only was Zero’s spiritual power more vibrant in color, it was also wreathed in strands of radiant energy from the Ruins of Light and appeared noticeably larger. By contrast, Ye Mi’s own silver shadow looked like an undernourished child.

She cautiously tried to nudge her silver mark deeper, but immediately encountered a formidable repulsion—as if Zero’s spiritual force possessed its own consciousness, barring any intruder. Unlike her own, which moved freely, Zero’s spiritual energy remained motionless and seemed oblivious to her presence.

Ye Mi quickly realized the issue: perhaps their spiritual forces could not directly connect. “Forget it, I’ll leave it for now.” She rubbed her temples and opened her eyes.

Outside the window, neon lights from the human encampment shimmered in the night. In the distant central plaza, the trading district’s streets bustled with tiny ant-like silhouettes, people coming and going. With a click, Ye Mi cracked open a can of beer and took a deep, refreshing gulp.

The cold liquid sliding down her throat brought her a measure of comfort. Zero Watanabe was indeed a B-class psychic, her spiritual power surpassing Ye Mi’s—but for that very reason, she would inevitably be drawn deeper into the Ruins of Light. Sooner or later, they would meet again within its depths.

At this thought, a faint smile graced Ye Mi’s refined features. Silver threads suffused the gray-white patterns in her pupils, allowing her to see everything clearly even if she were blind. She tossed the empty beer can precisely into the trash, then lay back on her bed. For now, she had only one task: to become stronger.

Shifting her consciousness into Gina, Ye Mi left the Sanctuary and headed for the bounty hall, where adventurers of all stripes gathered—most in search of easy jobs to try their luck. Entering the bustling hall, Ye Mi wrinkled her nose at the thick stench of cheap tobacco and sweat. Electronic boards endlessly scrolled with bounty postings, beneath the pulsing red of warning lights.

She knew there were still untamed, monster-infested zones in the Second District, areas most adventurers avoided. The elite human fighters had already moved on to explore the Third District, leaving no one to clear these places for now.

Since she’d decided to leave the Rust Tide King behind to guard her true body, Ye Mi needed a powerful monster to continue her exploration of the Ruins of Light. The bounty hall surely held plenty of monster-related tasks—and equally, plenty of information.

Because new quests were posted constantly, the bounty district also offered a rest area for adventurers, with seating, food, drinks, and essentials for those who waited all day in hopes of a lucrative job.

Ye Mi approached the bar and ordered a synthetic whiskey. Just then, a conversation at a nearby table caught her attention.

“Did you hear? The ‘Stag-headed Butcher’ has appeared in the Second District,” a burly, scar-faced man murmured. “Yesterday another team was wiped out—nothing left but their final transmission.”

His companion, a wiry man with a mechanical eye, blinked. “Isn’t that thing from the First District?”

The scarred man sneered. “It’s grown stronger and moved in—it’s practically the boss of that region now.”

Ye Mi’s ears pricked up. Casually cradling her glass, she sidled over. “Excuse me, which part of the Second District did you say the ‘Stag-headed Butcher’ is in?”

The burly man eyed her warily. “Why ask, little lady? That’s a C+ class monster—practically a boss here. Even veterans like us stay away.”

He scrutinized Ye Mi. “What level is your psychic ability?”

“D-class,” Ye Mi replied, her harmless smile belying the glint in her eye. She saw the contempt flicker across his face—clearly mocking her. “I’m just curious. I have a friend who went to the Second District last week and hasn’t been heard from since…”

At that, the man’s mockery faded. “Ah, I see.”

“In the forest near the Cathedral of Saints, in the eastern quarter,” the mechanical-eyed man interjected. “That monster’s holed up there. Word is, it used to be human—corrupted by the Ruins’ energy, lost its mind, and became what it is now. Over two meters tall, draped in a tattered black cloak, with a rotting stag skull for a head…” He shuddered. “And a huge, deadly blade—no idea where it found that.”

Ye Mi’s eyes shone. This was exactly what she needed: a monster of sufficient strength.

“Thank you,” she said, draining her glass and ignoring the men’s suspicious looks as she turned to leave.

Meanwhile, out in the wilderness beyond the human camp, the Rust Tide King was already sprinting at astonishing speed. Upon hearing the news about the Stag-headed Butcher, Ye Mi had equipped it with the Mask of God and sent it out.

With her current spiritual power, operating two bodies at once was effortless.

Beneath the moonlight, the Rust Tide King’s black metal form gleamed coldly. Its head, though human-shaped, was rendered all the more inscrutable and ruthless by one red and one white mechanical eye—a design Ye Mi found most pleasing.

Thinking of the new power she was about to claim, Ye Mi could not suppress the upward curve of her lips. The night wind swept the wilds as the familiar silhouette of the Second District appeared on the horizon. There, a monster awaited her arrival—or rather, awaited its new master.