NOVEL NEXT Chapter 143: New Objectives!
Shadow frowned underneath his mask.
His fingers curled into tight fists.
The way those two had just shown up—the way they carried themselves, like they owned the place—it pissed him off.
Especially Sniperess.
Her sharp, crimson eyes flicked to him, and just like that, her face twisted into nonchalant disgust.
To describe it──she looked annoyed at the man before her, but not enough to bother making a proper disgusted face.
It was like he wasn't even worth the effort.
"Hm?"
She tilted her head, then sneered.
"That him?"
She scoffed, shifting her rifle lazily over her shoulder.
"Can't see his freaky face, but I can already tell he's giving me that pissed, loser look."
Her voice dripped with condescension.
She clicked her tongue.
"Tch. Don't worry. I won't miss next time."
Shadow's body stiffened.
A deep, aggravated growl nearly slipped past his throat.
[Live Comments:]
[OH, SHE A BITCH FOR REAL.]
[Bro I know she didn't just say that.]
[Sniperess hate arc is crazy rn.]
└ [She always been kinda like this tho. No surprises here.]
└ [Yeah, she's cool and all, but her personality? Ehhh.]
Just as Shadow was about to snap—
THUMP!
Dog Girl galloped between them, landing on all fours.
She snarled at Sniperess, baring her sharp teeth as her fur bristled with rage.
"Grrr! How dare you interrupt my head pat from boss?!"
Sniperess blinked. "Huh?"
Dog Girl's growls deepened.
"DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A HEAD PAT PAYMENT?!"
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She stomped a paw-fist into the ground.
"I worked hard! I earned it! And you ruined it!"
[Live Comments:]
[OH SHIT SHE MAD LMAO.]
[Head pats are serious business, fr.]
[PRESS "X" TO RESUME HEAD PAT MISSION.]
[10K DONO IF SHADOW PATS HER ANYWAY.]
Meanwhile, someone else had another thought.
[Live Comments:]
[Sniperess is REALLY cool and all, but she kinda fucking sucks personality-wise.]
└ [So basically… she's a spitting image of Rope Girl?]
└ [Nah, not really. Rope Girl doesn't act like a bitch on purpose, you feel me? 🤧]
└ [Think of Sniperess like if Bella Trevors and Rope Girl had a child that was injected with a super nonchalant dreadhead diva serum.]
└ [So basically Rope Girl, but this time she means to be a bitch, just because?]
└ [Bingo.]
･･･
Sniperess simply lifted an eyebrow at Dog Girl.
Her irritated scowl didn't change.
"Can you be any less disgusting?"
Dog Girl froze.
Her ears stiffened. Her tail went rigid.
"… What'd you just call me──?!"
Sniperess clicked her rifle.
CHK!
The sound echoed sharply.
Her high-tech sniper was ready to fire.
She pointed it straight at Dog Girl.
Dog Girl immediately locked up.
Her body tensed. Her ears twitched violently, her tail shot up like a frozen flag.
"..."
[Live Comments:]
[Oh FUCK.]
[SHE PULLED THE STRAP ON DOG GIRL?!]
[Sniperess REALLY don't give a shit, huh?]
└ [She got that YN blood fr. 💀]
Before anything else could happen—
Witch finally spoke.
"Enough of that, Sniperess."
Her voice was smooth. Controlled.
Sniperess didn't move.
Witch smiled calmly.
"That's not what we came here to do."
An uncomfortable pause.
"… Besides, we secured the storage house."
Sniperess exhaled through her nose.
Then—she finally lowered her rifle.
"Hmph."
"If you say so…"
She flicked her eyes back to Dog Girl.
"One dead mutt wouldn't change much in the world."
The instant the sniper was out of her face, Dog Girl snapped back to life.
She stomped a paw-fist into the ground again.
"HEY──!"
Sniperess shot her a look.
Dog Girl immediately bolted.
She sprinted on all fours—then hid behind Shadow.
"SAVE ME, BOSS!"
Shadow sighed.
There was already a hand on his masked face.
"I'm not your boss."
Dog Girl didn't budge.
Meanwhile, Vixen eyed Witch warily.
"Storage house?" she repeated.
Her eyes narrowed.
"This looks more like a corporate building if anything──"
Then it clicked.
"No… the two guys inside──!"
Vixen rushed toward the building.
The first thing she saw—
Two men. Lying on the ground.
Long, sharp sniper rounds lodged in their skulls.
[Live Comments:]
[OOOOOF.]
[Painful as hell.]
[That was definitely Sniperess' doing. She got no chill.]
└ [Didn't she shoot her husband four times in the nuts after their divorce?]
└ [Yeah, got put in prison for a few months, but her connections got her out.]
└ [Shooting her ex-husband in the nuts is crazy.]
└ [She wanted to make sure he didn't get to enjoy that 20-year-old Instaflick model he was leaving her for. The lifestyle ain't just for bro. 🤷♂️]
└ [My guy probably punching the wall with them scrambled ahh testicles. 😭🙏]
[Personally, I wouldn't divorce a baddie like Sniperess. She's too hot to be on the rejection end. And I can just tell that that military-grade, rose-smelling asshole is tighter than a microscopic knot made of only 54 atoms.]
└ [For real, and she's like 32 or something…]
└ [54 atoms? Bro is a Theoretical Gooner. 💀]
･･･
Shadow phased into the building.
His eyes swept over the scene.
Two dead bodies.
He turned back to the two strange women.
"… How did th──"
Before he could finish, Witch cut him off.
"You're welcome."
Silence.
Shadow stared at her.
Witch stared back.
Her dark eyes were calm.
Her soft, empty smile never wavered.
She felt like a devil.
[Live Comments:]
[OOOOO SEXUAL TENSION???]
└ [Shut the FUCK up, not everything is sexual tension.]
└ [People like you ruin the chat.]
[Can we NOT turn every interaction into this?]
[This is why we can't have nice things smh.]
└ [Calm down, Paula Poundstone. 💀]
A heated argument immediately broke out in the comments.
Shadow ignored it.
His eyes were locked on Witch.
Her eerie smile stayed.
Witch clapped her hands together lightly.
"Alright then!"
She said, tilting her head as her soft smile beamed.
Now she looked like a radiant angel.
"Shall we all head inside and get to know each other better?"
Silence.
Vixen and Shadow turned pale in unison.
"EH──?!"
Even through his pitch-black, high-tech suit, it was painfully obvious that Shadow was stunned. His usually composed demeanor cracked as he stiffened.
Beside him, Vixen looked equally shell-shocked.
Witch lifted an eyebrow at them, genuinely curious.
"Huh? What's wrong, guys? Did I say something weird?"
[Live Comments:]
[... ????]
[NO, CAUSE WHAT THE FUCK?]
[This is the FIRST TIME I've actually seen Witch, and I was expecting some blood-soaked, psycho demon chick. Instead, she's just… chill?]
└ [Bro, SAME. All I ever saw of her was news footage where she was covered in blood or casually holding some unlucky dude's body parts. I remember that one guy whose penis she tore off with her hand.]
└ [What is with these women and dicks. 💀]
└ [Nah, FR tho. And I'm sure there's some mf that's gonna say he wants that treatment (I'm mf) 🙏]
[This is the equivalent of a nuke being launched at some starving third-world village only for it to land and be an intercontinental ballistic care package.]
└ [LMAOOO, you mean an ICBCP?? 💀]
└ [International Charity Ballistic Care Package is CRAZY.]
└ [Such words have never been uttered. 😭🙏]
･･･
Shadow rubbed the back of his neck, still processing.
"Uh… No, it's just… I didn't expect you to be so…"
He hesitated.
"Nice?"
Vixen nodded rapidly beside him.
Witch's smile never wavered.
She tilted her head a little more.
"Hm? Why wouldn't I be nice? I mean, I'm a superhero, just like you guys. I'm sure you're equally nice, right?"
Shadow and Vixen exchanged an uneasy glance.
Then, simultaneously, they nodded.
[Live Comments:]
[They're scared for their LIVES right now. 💀]
[That forced nod got me CRYING.]
└ [Shadow and Vixen's inner thoughts: "Don't trigger the beast. Don't trigger the beast."]
└ [Nah, Shadow ain't scared. More like shocked. I'm sure bro was hoping she was gonna be some crazy chick that'd grab his balls and telling him to sit.]
└ [Ong you're the only one who thought this. 💀]
Just then—
A loud, exhausted groan echoed from the side.
CRUNCH!
Three poor mailboxes were crushed under an immense weight as a massive, bloated figure finally managed to stand.
Marmot Man.
He took slow, tired steps forward as his overgrown gut wobbled slightly. His sweaty, strained breaths wheezed out from his lips.
The first thing his hazy, beady eyes landed on—
Witch.
She was still smiling, her soft, angelic expression focused on Shadow and Vixen.
Marmot Man groaned again.
"Oh… a cutie… and she looks single."
[Live Comments:]
[💀💀💀]
[NAAAH, DON'T LET THIS BEAST COOK.]
[Bro look like he smells like expired mayonnaise.]
He took another breath, then lifted the underside of his ship-sized belly with both hands. He struggled, then tucked it into his impossibly tight, torn super suit pants.
Then—
"Heh heh… time to test some of my roguish charm…"
With a small, utterly ridiculous bounce in his step—an attempt at swagger—he made his way toward Witch.
Shadow and Vixen immediately stiffened.
Their faces scrunched with visceral disgust.
And then, it happened.
With a single greasy, sweaty arm, Marmot Man threw it over Witch's comparatively small shoulders.
The sweat of his unwashed armpits pressed against her silky black hair.
His oily, suffocating body odor clouded the air.
And yet—
Witch still smiled.
But her smile… changed.
This time, it was no longer soft. No longer warm.
It was dangerous.
Fierce. Like a ticking time bomb.
Veins started sprouting on her forehead.
Her face slowly turned red from suppressed anger.
[Live Comments:]
[OH HE'S SO DEAD.]
[HE JUST UNLOCKED HARD MODE.]
└ [More like Asian mode. 💀]
[WE LOST HIM, BOYS.]
└ [Marmot Man's thought process: "She's so nice, I bet she won't mind if I act a little charming."]
└ [Reality: She is about to skin you alive.]
└ [Bro is not built for this.]
└ [Correction: Bro is not built for anything.]
└ [Marmot Man is that one thing in society you just wonder why it exists.]
└ [That's how I feel about products from Temu.]
Witch had endured enough.
Shadow saw it before anyone else.
Her right hand—slowly shifting.
Anatomy changing.
Her nails extended—long, razor-sharp claws.
Her fingers twitched.
Her smile was still there.
Empty. Beautiful. And utterly terrifying.
Shadow panicked.
He knew exactly who that smile was meant for.
"Wait—no, don't ki—"
"CeeCee, stop that!"
A firm, authoritative voice cut through the tension.
Instantly—Witch's hand snapped back to normal.
Everyone turned.
There—standing with arms crossed, eyes sharp—
Investigative journalist, Judy Cho.
[Live Comments:]
[OHO HO HO HO!!!]
[Look at all that movement back there 😳…]
[I know y'all are seeing the top-tier journalist that is on your damn screens 😭 she so fine she done pissed me off! Like how are you that fine, gurl!!]
[That ass wider than the Great Wall of China. 😭]
└ [I wanna get crushed under allat, dawg. 😩]
[Suddenly we all SleazyPen! 😭😭🙏]
└ [Guys, maybe SleazyPen was the friends we made along the way 👀…]
･･･
Witch slowly tucked both hands behind her back as her warm smile forced itself to look more genuine. She tilted her head slightly as her silky black hair shifted over her shoulders.
"Oh, junior sister…"
Her voice was honeyed, almost affectionate.
"I completely forgot you were here."
Judy's arms remained firmly crossed.
Her sharp eyes bore into Witch with unshaken authority.
The only response she got? That same sweet, innocent smile.
As if Witch hadn't been seconds away from tearing Marmot Man's heart straight out of his chest.
Judy's frown deepened.
The tension in the air was suffocating.
Then────SLAP!!
Marmot Man's greasy, sweat-drenched arm was smacked off Witch's shoulder with a sound so wet and disgusting that even the viewers could hear it through the stream.
She took two graceful steps forward to escape the hellish stench clinging to the air around him.
Judy's expression darkened.
"We agreed…"
She sounded so firm.
"You promised if I let you guys in on this, you wouldn't kill unnecessarily."
Her arms tightened across her shapely breasts.
"Imagine if you did kill Marmot Man."
Silence. A deep, endless silence.
Even the distant caws of birds in the midnight sky and the chirping of crickets became painfully loud.
Not a single person spoke.
Not one voice defended Marmot Man.
Not even a token protest.
[Live Comments:]
["IMAGINE if she killed Marmot Man" NAH THIS IS CRAZY LMAO]
[Not a damn soul is arguing. 💀💀💀]
└ [Bro they're all just standing there like… "Yeah fair enough."]
└ [No one wants to be the guy that says 'Wait, but Marmot Man's life has value…']
└ ['Cause it DOESN'T. 😭]
└ [Be honest. Would YOU defend him?]
[This is low-key the funniest shit I've ever seen. It's like when you throw trash at the bin and miss, but you're too lazy to pick it up.]
[The level of complete disregard is actually legendary. 😭]
･･･
Judy lowered her head.
A long, heavy sigh left her lips.
Her slender shoulders slumped, defeated.
"Hrmm… okay, fair enough…"
It sounded more like a mutter than anything else.
"No one would care."
Marmot Man's face twitched.
"HEY!"
He barked, offended.
"A lot of people would miss me! I have fans—"
He puffed up his bloated chest.
"—they just get so shy when they see me!"
Dog Girl lazily lifted her leg to scratch behind her ear as her tail swayed.
"Hrmm… they're probably just disgusted by your smell. No one sees a pile of garbage and wants to hug it."
Marmot Man turned a deep shade of red.
His arm shot out, a fat, greasy finger pointing right at her.
"SHUT IT, BITCH!"
Dog Girl kept scratching. Calm. Unbothered.
Her tail wagged.
Shadow blinked at her.
"… You're not mad?"
Dog Girl tilted her head, confused.
"Hm? Why would I be?" she said. "I am a bitch."
A pause.
Shadow's mask twitched slightly.
His dark, distorted voice quickly warped into concern.
Deep concern.
"I really don't think you should say things like that about yourself. It's a bit downgra—"
A slow realization dawned on him.
"Ohhh."
He nodded, looking away.
[Live Comments:]
[SHADOW YOU DUMBASS 😭😭😭]
[Not a single neuron fired in his brain. 💀]
[He really thought she had self-esteem issues. 💀]
└ [Bro forgot she's literally a Dog Girl.]
└ [I mean, he's just being a nice guy. Something people on the Internet need to start learning. 🤷♂️]
A few massive donations dropped in.
[Ding! $10,000 donation from @FhailBhais]
[Ding! $3,550 donation from @dfektz]
[Ding! $6,000 donation from @father229]
[Ding! $6,000 donation from @Xalubis]
･･･
Vixen folded her arms under her breasts as her golden, fox eyes narrowed.
"So…"
She purposely drawled.
"What's two members of Rope Girl's elite squad and the infamous investigative reporter, Judy Cho, doing here? I find that fucking sus, yunno…"
Her tone ached with suspicion.
Judy smirked.
She strode right up to Vixen and Shadow, stopping just short of their personal space.
One manicured finger lifted—
And pointed directly at Vixen's face.
"The right word," Judy corrected, "is award-winning."
She gave a confident nod.
"And there's nothing suspicious about this arrangement."
Shadow's head tilted slightly.
"… But Judy, you haven't won any awar—"
"SHHH──!"
Judy immediately slapped her palm over his masked face.
A clear of her throat. A dramatic pause.
Then—
"Well!"
She declared very proudly.
"I'll be winning one after tonight."
Shadow gently peeled her hand off his face.
His blank stare lingered. Then, flatly:
"… What are you up to?"
Judy's face lit up. A grin split her lips.
A grin so wild… so crazed…
It made her look like a hyena on crack.
"Weeeeeellll…"
She drawled as her voice practically sung.
"We're going to be protecting the alien technology found by Volkner Industries!"
[Live Comments:]
[WAIT WHAT.]
[ALIEN TECHNOLOGY??? HELLO???]
└ [The plot is PLOTTING.]
[Oh we are SO COOKED.]
└ [Aliens? With this squad? We're not surviving, guys.]
└ [The government watching this stream like 👀👀👀]
[The only thing that's gonna get protected is Witch's abominable kill count.]
･･･
Shadow fixed both hands on his hips and sighed──his voice came out as a distorted growl.
『I just wanted to patrol man, sigh…』