The creature spoke in a halting, awkward tone.

It wasn’t easy to fully understand, but I could get the gist of it.

‘So, he was once a police officer.’

Looking at him now, that’s hard to imagine.

A profession responsible for maintaining law and order in the city.

Even as a rookie, he was strangely fixated on his duty.

But...

“A situation a mere police officer could never handle.”

Even the renowned South Korean military, known for its strength, had suffered near-complete annihilation, save for our unit.

The police.

Especially a rookie, couldn’t hope to manage such a situation.

Yet, even though it was beyond his control, he felt responsible for the collapse of order in the city.

That sense of duty led him to reject the rations the group provided.

Instead...

He chose to eat monsters.

I could only describe it as...

“A foolish thing to do.”

And the result was his current state.

Even if his actions stemmed from good intentions, this outcome left only one judgment.

It was foolish.

In time, realizing he was turning into a monster, he left Changsoo’s group.

He hid himself away from people and, for a while, survived by hunting and consuming monsters.

Then, much later, he reappeared...

“When the war against the raiders began, right?”

-...They were criminals. Subduing them was my duty.

In the submerged city, there was no surplus of food.

The few groups with a significant stockpile fared slightly better, but many had none.

In such extreme circumstances, some chose the path of raiding.

Those who wanted to take and those who wanted to protect.

A war erupted between them...

And this creature, who still had a faint shred of reason left, witnessed it.

The result?

“All of the raiders were taken down by you.”

-...

“Subdue them, you say? Isn’t it a police officer’s duty to bring criminals in alive and hand them over to the court?”

-That’s absurd. There was no functioning court. I admit I may have gone overboard in subduing them...

“You’re surprisingly flexible in your thinking.”

I crossed my arms and gave him a hard look.

“Those people only became raiders because they had no food.”

-...

He muttered something about excessive force, but he quieted down, apparently feeling a bit guilty.

To be fair, it wasn’t like I was in a position to talk.

‘After all, I also use captured raiders as soldiers.’

But the circumstances of the raiders outside the city and those inside are not quite the same.

Survivors outside the city also face challenges, but...

There are still ways to obtain food if they really need to.

‘Raiding was just the easiest method they chose.’

That was partly why I decided to use the raiders as military assets.

But the situation for the city survivors was different.

They had no other means of obtaining food.

-I... I didn’t want it to come to that, either.

A crime committed out of desperation.

In court, crimes like these might be considered with some leniency.

But the verdict for them was a swift execution.

-At first, I really intended only to subdue them. But midway through... I got so, so hungry...

“I think I understand.”

Though I spoke with a mocking tone, deep down, I found it remarkable.

‘Even after nearly losing all reason, he still retained the thought of subduing criminals?’

He hadn’t even been a police officer for long, nor had he been in service for years.

Had the world not fallen into chaos, he might have become an exceptional person.

But...

‘It’s hard to be moved when, in the process of subduing those criminals... he literally ate them.’

This was a near-fanatical conviction that had persisted, even as he transformed into that state.

It was a little frightening.

The creature, looking slightly dejected, continued to speak.

-As you said... If there had been enough food in the city, none of this would have happened. And... after some time, the mood in the city changed.

“Hm?”

-It seemed another similar conflict would break out.

The city dwellers had mentioned it too.

When we were entering the dungeon, they warned that another war might soon start among humans.

“Ah, so that’s why you sent us a call for help?”

The first war had been over food.

By the time even that food was depleted, the second war would have been over territories with access to fishing spots, one of the last sources of food.

Seeing that coming, the creature chose a different approach.

A kind of gamble.

I glanced at the creature sprawled on the ground.

Its monstrous form was covered in scales.

But...

“There are no scales on your right arm.”

-...

“Let me guess. You used that arm to block the waterfall and let the man out.”

-I didn’t know if there were still people alive outside... But it was better than doing nothing.

He had consumed people, which was monstrous.

But as a result, by sending us a call for help, he had saved the people in this city.

Otherwise, another human war would have broken out.

If not war, they might have all drowned as the dungeon’s water levels rose.

I scratched my head, feeling conflicted.

‘His crimes are considerable, but he also did a great service.’

He killed many people.

And saved many people.

Judging this creature’s actions was not easy.

...Actually, why am I trying to judge him?

‘I’m no judge. I didn’t come here to pass judgment.’

The reason I sought out this creature was to resolve questions about my profession.

“This conversation’s gotten way off track. Honestly, none of this matters to me.”

-...

“Anyway, the reason you ended up like this is because you consumed both humans and monsters, right?”

-The act of consuming doesn’t matter.

“Right. That part doesn’t matter... Huh?”

I was about to ask another question, but he spoke first.

-It’s the fact that I consumed them the wrong way...

“...You bastard!”

-So, you were hoping to hear this, weren’t you?

Hearing his words, my eyes widened.

Just as I’d suspected.

“You know something, don’t you?”

-When I could no longer suppress my hunger, my status window showed me a message.

“Your status window?”

This was precisely what I had wanted to know.

I was certain that the message on his status window would provide a clue to answer my questions.

-To consume another being is... to make it part of one’s own flesh and blood... to incorporate it.

The creature, drooling, continued.

-Incorporating another being isn’t easy. If you consume it improperly... everything becomes jumbled and chaotic.

“Like you?”

-...Yes. Like me. You said you’re a cook, didn’t you?

I nodded at the unexpected question.

-Cooking... I used to think it was just about making food taste good.

“And now?”

-My perspective changed. Looking back, cooking is... a kind of ritual. Removing toxins, eliminating harmful elements, refining, and purifying.

To make it whole.

In the proper way.

-To merge with another being... That’s what cooking is.

The words from the creature’s mouth aligned precisely with my suspicions.

-My form is the result of a failed attempt. This is what happens when you try to merge with another being improperly...

In the past, the consequences of an improper meal were relatively straightforward.

If you didn’t cook something properly and ingested viruses, you’d get food poisoning.

If you failed to remove toxins, you’d get poisoned.

But this case was different.

The ingredient’s essence wasn’t merely toxins or a virus...

It was magic.

“...Humans have no tolerance for magic.”

So, indiscriminately consuming monsters would eventually turn you into a monster.

Purifying the volatile magic to ensure it wouldn’t harm humans...

‘That’s the role of the chef.’

I had met many awakened beings.

Some even ran restaurants, but...

None of them were awakened with the class [Chef].

I finally understood why.

This profession...

‘It’s more influential... and powerful than I thought.’

It wasn’t just about making delicious food.

It was about processing a monster’s power and refining it into something humans could absorb.

The impact was vast.

The potential was boundless.

Sometimes, you’d find jobs like this in games.

And I knew what people called such professions.

‘Rare class.’

Their rarity made sense.

If this job were common, it wouldn’t hold much value.

“Thank you.”

Whether he had committed more crimes than good deeds, this creature had helped me resolve my question about my profession.

With this, my purpose for being here was fulfilled.

So...

“Now, about that request you mentioned. What is it?”

Having gained certainty about what had once puzzled me, I was in a good mood.

I felt confident enough to grant just about any request.

The creature’s eyes rolled around, as if deep in thought.

This time, its gaze was directed not at me but at empty space.

Almost like it was looking at where a status window would appear.

-My status window is deteriorating.

“Deteriorating?”

-It’s filled with static... Most of the screen is obscured. This must be the price of losing my humanity.

According to him, the last message he’d seen on his status window before becoming a monster had read:

[Warning!]

[Further reckless consumption may cause physical transformation.]

[You are on the brink of leaving the human realm.]

[If reckless consumption continues, returning will be impossible.]

And then...

“A status window doesn’t lie.”

-Exactly. I’ve already crossed the line.

 There’s no going back.

The creature coughed, making a harsh, gargling sound.

-The condition I mentioned... You could fulfill it easily.

“...?”

-Kill me.

Tch.

I’d had a feeling it might come to this.

-Sometimes... I regain my senses, like now. But I can’t find peace. If I try to drown myself, my monstrous nature takes over the moment I lose consciousness...

It would survive somehow.

Then it would go on a rampage, devouring everything around it.

‘I can see why it hid down here.’

Not because it feared being hunted by humans.

It was afraid of harming them.

The creature’s eyes swiveled strangely, meeting mine.

-My status window, though filled with static... It shows bits and pieces. You’re my natural predator. My hunter.

That must refer to what I saw on my own status window.

The [Nemesis] designation.

-I told you, didn’t I? It would be simple for you.

“...”

-End this... and let me rest...

With that final plea, the creature let out a deep, weary sigh.

‘If only his mental strength weren’t so absurdly strong, he might have just turned into a full monster by now.’

It would have been easier if he’d fully transformed like the creature that led the raider group.

But thanks to his unyielding mind, he couldn’t fully let go of his humanity.

‘What would happen if I left him alive and walked away?’

I wasn’t sure, but it wouldn’t be a peaceful existence.

He’d likely keep running, trying to avoid harming people, while struggling to survive in his monstrous form, forever hungry.

‘For the rest of his life.’

Wanting to find peace, even if only in death...

I understood.

Sure, I understood, but...

...what should I say?

“No, I don’t think so.”

-...What?

The creature’s eyes, which had been peacefully closing, shot open wide.

“Sorry, but that’s a bit much.”

When I’d agreed to the condition, I’d thought about this, too.

This world’s law was the law of the stronger.

-But... You promised. You agreed to my condition...!

Promises or not, the stronger one gets the final say.

Breaking it is no big deal.

“Yes, I did promise... but resting peacefully? That doesn’t sit right with me.”

-Wha... What are you even saying?

You said you were once a rookie police officer?

‘Who said you could rest before me?’

Even as a veteran sergeant, I was still working my butt off.

“Let me correct you on one thing.”

The creature thought it had lost its humanity.

But was it because its human mind lingered?

[Combat Power Gauge]

A trait that only activated against ‘different species.’

It hadn’t triggered with him.

[Ingredient Analysis (Enhanced)]

[Primate Human Species – Insatiable Glutton]

According to Ingredient Analysis, he was still classified as a human species.

And despite the static, he said he still had a status window.

“Technically, you’re still human.”

-...What?

If he were a full monster, that would be different.

But as a creature still classified as human, there was another option.

“So... are you picky about flavors?”