Became a Failed Experimental Subject-Chapter 78: Weongpa and Miongpa

“Myaaong.”

After swallowing that parasite, a very peculiar ability manifested within me.

A clone... No, perhaps it’s more like a division.

I can create a monster about the size of a regular cat.

This monster, formed by cutting off a portion of my core, is at a Kill-Class level.

It has no special abilities, only physical capabilities — a black cat.

Since it shares thoughts with me, it doesn’t attack humans.

Honestly, it’s a completely useless ability.

Even if I create a Kill-Class monster by splitting off a part of my power, there’s nothing it can do.

However, that doesn’t mean there’s no way to utilize it.

Just like Number 3 shared the consciousness of the parasites, I can share the vision of the divided cat.

If I sever a portion of my power and hand it over, I can couple space manipulation abilities to allow for long-distance movement.

If I reabsorb the divided cat, the power returns to me as it was...

If I scatter cats throughout the city, I could arrive at monster sites faster than any alarm system.

Fascinated by the division ability, I started creating small cats every day and then taking them back.

Separating a part of my core to make a cat is quite troublesome, so making one a day is my limit.

If I get used to it and can quickly divide a large number of cats at once, it might not be such a bad ability.

“Geh, ge-ge-ge-geh... What is that? A... a baby? Are you giving birth?”

While I was practicing the ability,

Starlight, who had been licking a tube of Churu crammed into a large container, reacted excessively to the sight of the cat monster.

The scent of excitement, eyes wide open, heavy breathing.

“Wh-what the hell is this? It’s seriously cute! Isn’t this too much? How is it any different from a regular cat?”

“Nyaa.”

Starlight grabbed the back of the cat monster’s neck and lifted it up.

Annoyed that she was handling a part of me without permission, I reabsorbed the cat monster back into my body.

“A-ah...! I-I was just going to touch it for a bit!”

“Woong.”

The scent of a lie.

No matter how I looked at it, those eyes just now were planning to take it home.

The divided monster is weak... If Starlight picks it up, it can’t even resist, and it could end up being taken down by a lesser monster.

If that happens, that portion of my power would be completely lost.

All in all, it’s a defective ability.

“...So, I’m planning to treat the remaining infected people. Because of that, they said Electrice would be coming back to W-City... This time, she’ll come and go quietly. It’s an unofficial visit, after all.”

“Waongongong.”

Starlight was grilling me some expensive meat and talking about what she’d been up to lately.

It didn’t seem like she particularly wanted me to listen — more like she just wanted to vent to someone.

I absentmindedly listened to her ramblings as I chewed on the melting beef.

“And they said that if you want, A-City would help construct a giant cat tower in W-City. Would you like that?”

“Kyaaak!”

Why do these people keep treating me like a cat?

I’m not a cat, so I refused angrily, and Starlight, looking confused, said,

“If you hate cat towers so much, then why do you keep jamming steel pipes into buildings and playing around like you’re making one...?”

“Oongwoongwaaang.”

“Just say it.” freewebnøvel.com

[That’s not a cat tower.]

“Then what is it?”

[Hmm.]

What could it be...? A construction material impaling game on tall buildings?

Merging with buildings through phasing and embedding things where only a hero could dismantle them, just to watch them get annoyed?

Should I call it an important ritual that satisfies my monstrous instincts to some extent?

Come to think of it, I don’t really know why I do it either.

“No matter how you look at it, you’re definitely a cat. I don’t get why you hate being treated like one....”

“Waaaang.”

“Wait! Hey! Don’t scratch your claws there!”

Starlight’s palm smacked the back of my head as I dug my claws into the concrete floor.

Ignoring the harmless blow, I continued to grind my claws, causing the concrete surface to scrape and flake off.

“Damn it, now I have to file another repair request! Go grind your claws over at the riverbed where the ground’s softer!”

“Waong.”

She doesn’t get it — the ground over there is too soft to be satisfying.

Truthfully, as a monster, I don’t need to sharpen my claws.

I just do it because it feels good.

When I finished eating the meat and stretched out, yawning, Starlight took the chance to pet my back.

“That cat from earlier — don’t just bring it out in random places, okay?”

“Oong?”

“There are a lot of weird people around lately. If you pull that thing out, they might really try to take it.”

“Waong.”

Indeed, there had been a surge in strange people around W-City lately.

If word got out about my division ability, people might start abducting every cat monster I create.

Since this ability is fatally flawed in that my power can be drained directly, it’s best not to use it in front of others.

“And next time, if you’re going for a walk in another city, let me know first... Ah! Wait! I wasn’t done petting you yet!”

I broke free from Starlight’s hand and leaped off the rooftop.

My stomach was full; it was about time to go look for some work.

Lately, there had been plenty of jobs cleaning up the remains of insect monsters still lurking throughout the city.

****

[Shit, I wanna line up all those Weongpa bastards in the park and slap them all at once.]

[Every time I hear those Weong bastards spewing bullshit, I get the urge to grab a bat.]

Researchers from other cities who came to study Black Cat,

Citizens who came out of sheer curiosity to gawk,

Government officials who offered to build cat towers or designate areas where he could destroy things freely, all in a bid to lure him to their city.

The citizens of W-City started referring to such people as “Weongpa,” a derogatory term for annoying outsiders trying to bother Black Cat.

“Capture Black Cat! Dissect Black Cat!”

“W-City citizens, wake up!”

“Monsters must die!”

“It’s selfish for only W-City to reap the benefits!”

The Weongpa gathered from various cities were clumsily chasing after Black Cat, agitating the W-City citizens who just wanted to watch Black Cat in peace.

After taking down some insect monsters and returning to the park, Black Cat retreated to the rooftop to avoid the commotion, while the Weongpa paraded through the park, busy protesting.

“Kill Black Cat!”

“Lease Black Cat!”

“Wake up, W-City citizens!”

The slogans differed, but their objective was the same.

Take Black Cat away from W-City.

Naturally, the W-City citizens fiercely opposed them.

[Because of these bastards, we can only watch Black Cat from a distance again. Does that make any sense?]

[The only reason the heroes have been controlling these outsiders is because they’ve been doing it for a while now. Otherwise, they’d have already thrown drugged or poisoned meat at Black Cat again.]

[Seriously, why the hell are other cities making such a fuss? What have they ever done for us?]

[Before, they provoked Black Cat under the guise of investigation, and now that it seems safe, they’re outright barging in.]

[I get so pissed off every time those Weong bastards say they want to dissect Black Cat.]

[What do they even think they’ll find by dissecting him?]

[What are they going to do if they piss off Black Cat and he rampages through their city? LOL.]

[Wanna taste Tactical Black Cat?]

[Tactical Black Cat (even we can’t control him)]

[Come to think of it, this is infuriating. If Black Cat really loses it, W-City will be the one paying the price, right?]

The more the Weongpa clamored to take Black Cat away, the more intense the backlash from W-City citizens grew.

They were already anxious when Black Cat left to hunt insect monsters, fearing he had been taken away by another city.

Now, with actual outsiders swarming in, trying to snatch him away, W-City’s citizens grew even more united — ironically, a sense of solidarity they hadn’t had before.

[Citizens of W-City — Woongpa and Waongpa alike — this is not the time for us to fight each other. Let’s join forces and drive out the Weongpa!]

[Let’s protect our cat!]

W-City citizens banded together and began discriminating against the outsiders.

Anyone without a W-City citizen ID was prevented from getting close to Black Cat.

If they were identified as outsiders in restaurants, the food was sprinkled with weird spices, and in lodging facilities, they were told their reservations were canceled and were kicked out.

Despite this, the outsiders, who were practically operatives on a mission to take Black Cat away, remained in W-City with a sense of duty, forming a group called the Black Cat Liberation Movement and living like semi-homeless wanderers.

“Free Black Cat!”

“Black Cat is a public asset!”

“Release him for all citizens!”

“Wake up, W-City!”

“Hey! Shut the fuck up! Because of you idiots, we can’t get close to Black Cat either!”

“Get out of W-City!”

On one side, the Weongpa were protesting to take Black Cat away.

On the other side, the W-City citizens were protesting for the outsiders to shut up and leave.

Overlooking it all, Black Cat yawned, looking completely disinterested.

As the tense standoff between the two sides continued, a new faction appeared.

“All decisions rest with the Apostle!”

“Do not doubt, do not fear, do not even think of laying a blade upon the body of a god!”

“How dare you call the Apostle a public asset! You blasphemers!”

The survivors from D-City, who had relocated to W-City as refugees, displayed a level of unity that far surpassed the other citizens, condemning any attempt to meddle with Black Cat.

Everything is in the hands of God. If humans try to touch Black Cat, it will only bring disaster.

“When we thought all was lost, the black cat saved us. To think that his dark fur means he’s tainted by evil is nothing but the arrogant perspective of man. Only faith will save us.”

“Our all-knowing, almighty cat~ Our savior, our only way to live~”

Having survived thanks to Black Cat in what seemed like a hopeless situation, these refugees had become more devoted to Black Cat than the average W-City citizen.

And as the Weongpa faltered against the onslaught of fanatical chants, the W-City citizens and heroes watching from the sidelines murmured in astonishment.

“Wow... They’re really nuts.”

“They’re calling Black Cat a god... Are they serious?”

“That Black Cat hymn sounds batshit insane.”

“But it makes sense. To them, Black Cat is literally their savior.”

“I gotta say, it’s pretty satisfying to see those Weongpa ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) bastards running away from those lunatics.”

The refugees from D-City stood like a wall before the Weongpa, singing at the top of their lungs until their throats tore, shouting them down.

Impressed by their efforts, the W-City citizens started discussing accepting the D-City refugees as full citizens.

However, that moment of unity didn’t last long.

“W-City citizens! It is a sin to give offerings to the Apostle with one hand while committing blasphemy with the other!”

“Such impious behavior will only anger the Apostle!”

“To lift your gaze and look upon the divine body is a sin in itself! If the Apostle is not seated in a high place, do not dare to look upon him! Do not look down upon the Apostle!”

“Our almighty cat~ rains down fire and brimstone~ Even amidst the world’s destruction, my faith shall not falter~”

With a doctrine entirely different from the Weongpa, the D-City refugees began clashing with W-City citizens in a whole new way.

And so, the W-City citizens gave them a new nickname — Miongpa.

A term that meant “crazy bastards,” the Miongpa quickly became notorious as W-City’s most deranged faction, serving as a cautionary tale for the more sensible members of the Black Cat Mom Café.

[Our Black Cat Mom Café does not condone missionary activities by the Miongpa members.]

[We are a group that loves and cherishes Black Cat, not a group that worships him.]