Is It Strange For A Succubus To Be Wearing Clothes?

Chapter 61

—–CROW—– 

A meme, in internet parlance, was a term encompassing trends, derivatives, imitations, and creative works originating from online communities and social media.

Some defined it as “cultural elements from creative works that spread through parody and modification.”

But with the advent of the Great Rift, the meaning of “meme” had taken on a far more sinister connotation.

Simply put, it was an intangible disaster.

A virus.

A mental virus triggered by mere awareness.

Ordinary viruses merely sickened or killed animals and humans.

Memes, however, could distort reality and physical laws, causing drastic changes with no known cure, simply by being perceived.

A string of seemingly innocuous characters could warp a person beyond recognition.

There were cases of people answering an unknown number only to have their father transform into a little girl.

Snacks turning into plastic.

City layouts shifting, geological strata inverting, cows quadrupling in size, leading to a surge in beef production.

Words, text, images, sounds, videos.

Over half of the pre-Rift internet data and videos were now memetically contaminated.

And no one could predict what kind of disaster a meme might trigger.

A controllable meme could bring immense benefits to society, but such memes were practically nonexistent.

While certain belief systems or ideologies could influence human behavior and have societal impacts, the truly dangerous memes were those that defied physical laws and warped reality.

The [Witch Meme] was one such notorious and dangerous meme.

Its function was simple: to turn people into witches.

But these weren’t the spell-casting women of fiction.

These were hags, devil worshippers, wielders of dark magic and poisonous herbs, purveyors of curses.

Beings who boiled babies alive, infected rats with plague spores, and flayed young women out of jealousy.

The [Witch Meme] was a manifestation of every negative stereotype of witches from folklore, fairy tales, and ancient legends.

In the early days of the Rift, those infected with the Witch Meme were deemed extremely dangerous and subject to immediate termination.

A witch’s malice and hatred inevitably brought destruction and ruin.

They flew on broomsticks, raining down poison and curses, consumed by hatred for the living.

Regardless of their prior personality, the witch consumed their rationality, leaving only a primal instinct to inflict harm.

But decades after the Great Rift, the form of the witch began to… change.

“Oh my~ Is that you, Assistant Manager Kim Jun-su? Really?”

“Wow, is this for real?”

“…”

He had felt no change, believing his day to be perfectly normal.

He had gone to work, reviewed a client’s meeting proposal… and then, his colleagues started asking, “Who are you?” and “Are you Assistant Manager Kim’s relative?”

That’s when he felt a sense of unease.

He looked in the mirror.

And then, he realized.

*Ah, I’ve been infected by the [Witch Meme].*

“Wow! Assistant Manager Kim! You’ve become incredibly beautiful!”

“…”

He looked like a character from a fantasy illustration, ethereal and decadent.

But not the typical image of a wicked, grotesque witch.

Memes were, after all, distortions and contaminations of reality caused by information, perception, and concepts.

Conversely, they could also be *modified* by information, perception, concepts, and the subconscious.

Early witches, influenced by ancient texts, fairy tales, and classical literature, were depicted as terrifying, decrepit old hags, filled with hatred, anger, and jealousy, inflicting harm through curses and hexes.

But those were the witches of the past.

Modern witches were different.

Character tropes.

Otaku culture.

Moe anthropomorphism.

Alluring witches.

Voluptuous women with revealing outfits, rivaling succubi in beauty.

Femme fatales who charmed their victims with their beauty while wielding powerful magic.

These subcultural depictions of witches had merged with the [Witch Meme].

The terrifying hags of old had been vanquished or faded away.

The current [Witch Meme] now manifested in a form closer to these modern interpretations.

In short…

“Why… did I become a witch?” he wondered, touching his flowing, wavy red hair as he continued his work.

He would have to visit the Rift Management Agency or the Hunter Association for questioning and evaluation.

It was a standard procedure.

An ability assessment, a mental evaluation… and if they found no abnormalities, he would be free to return to his normal life.

If he possessed any significant power, becoming a Hunter was also an option.

“…This is ridiculous.”

“But you look much better than before, Assistant Manager Kim. You used to be so gloomy.”

“So I was unattractive before?”

“Yes!”

“…”

“Well, honestly, you’re much better now than when you were a sullen, quiet, 40-year-old bachelor who always ate lunch alone.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

The company culture had always been casual and friendly.

It was Jun-su who had always been the odd one out.

Becoming a witch hadn’t changed his daily routine.

He went to work, came home, browsed the internet, grilled meat, and drank beer.  Now, as a witch, he could access and enjoy a wider range of old internet videos, previously inaccessible due to memetic contamination.

A typical, uneventful life of an ordinary citizen.

There was one perk, though.

“Oh yeah, I can drink beer while lying down!”

He had gained some sort of telekinetic ability, allowing him to do chores, grill meat, and enjoy snacks and beer while browsing the internet, all without lifting a finger.

He could even clean up crumbs and tidy his apartment effortlessly!

“They said the Witch Meme was dangerous, but this is great!”

Kim Jun-su, the ordinary human, had become Kim Jun-su, the witch, and his life was better than ever.

Even the National Crisis Management Center was puzzled.

“Why isn’t anything happening?”

“Are you sure the Witch Meme alarm was triggered?”

“This is strange…”

“We activated the intensive monitoring grid for Seoul, but there’s nothing.”

The Witch Meme turned ordinary people into witches.

And witches were terrifying beings.  While they might look like ordinary women, their power was immense.

Humans, lacking power, lived lives of quiet desperation.

But when granted overwhelming power, they often succumbed to their desires, causing disasters and calamities.

Witches, inherently malevolent, amplified these desires, especially negative emotions like hatred and rage.

“Usually, when the Witch Meme appears, crime rates skyrocket…”

“Or they directly attack the police and military…”

“Or the newly empowered become Hunters…”

The civil servant Hunters at the Crisis Management Center were baffled.  The Witch Meme alarm had been triggered, but nothing was happening.  They needed an incident, a justification for action.  But nothing was happening.  They couldn’t just arrest citizens indiscriminately.

“Maybe they’re just… living normal lives despite being infected?”

“Really?”

“Three years ago, a 7-year-old infected with the Witch Meme turned Everland into a wasteland.”

“Well, kids have vivid imaginations.”

“But the Witch Meme *is* dangerous.”

Regardless, people were relieved that nothing was happening.  The Crisis Management Center.  Assistant Manager Kim.  His colleagues.  Everyone went about their daily lives.

But there was one entity that was *not* pleased with this peace: the [Witch Meme] itself.

—*Why aren’t you doing anything?!*

—*I gave you this power! Use it!*

—*Curse them! Curse them! Curse them! Curse them! Curse them! Curse them! Curse them! Curse them! Curse them! Curse them! Curse them! Curse them!*

—*Kyaaaaa!*

—*I want to drink blood!*

—*Let’s boil some babies!*

The Witch Meme, a mental entity, needed a host to exert its influence on the physical world.

It didn’t choose its host.  It drifted through the internet, books, text messages, phone calls, a combination of information forming a kind of magical formula.  When someone unwittingly fulfilled the criteria, the meme manifested.

Assistant Manager Kim Jun-su had become the host, the vessel, the witch.

Now, he was supposed to rampage.  Indulge in his desires, commit murder, anything to satisfy the primal urges of the ancient, malevolent hag at the core of the Witch Meme.

But Kim Jun-su…

“Wow, this is cooked perfectly. Looks delicious.”

—*Cook babies! Not steak!*

—*Kyaaaaa!*

The Witch Meme, a collective of countless wicked hags, screamed in frustration.  How could a human be so… ordinary?  How was this possible?  Since the Great Rift, humanity had faced chaos, apocalyptic despair.  But here, in Seoul, people were… peaceful?

This peace was largely due to the Succubus Empress, residing in Seoul under government protection, subtly manipulating reality and spreading a sense of calm over the populace.  If the Witch Meme had manifested in war-torn America or the chaotic remnants of China, it would have triggered an immediate disaster, a national crisis.

But Korea?  Despite the objective circumstances, people were mentally stable.  The current government was cleaning up the mess left by the previous administration, striving for peace and stability.  Ordinary citizens were content with their peaceful lives.  The Witch Meme had manifested in the worst possible place.

It couldn’t kill its host.  Assistant Manager Kim was in control.  The Witch Meme, a mere mental entity, a meme, could only act through him.  Its only recourse was to try and amplify his desires.

“Wow, is this me? I’m so pretty…”

—*This idiot is obsessed with himself!*

—*Kyaaaaa!*

—*I chose the wrong host!*

—*Idiot!*

“Can I create a clone of myself with magic…? Oh, it worked! There’s something I want to try…”

—*Kyaaaaa!*

—*Graaaaa!*

—*Kyuuu!*

—*Kyaaaaaaaaa!*  The Witch Meme was utterly disgusted by Kim Jun-su’s mundane life.  So, it turned its attention elsewhere, seeking a way to bring about the chaos, destruction, and disaster it craved.  The internet.  Kim Jun-su’s primary means of interaction with the world, a device capable of disseminating memetic information through text, images, sounds, and documents.  The Witch Meme searched for a potent, infectious seed of disaster.

—*Found it!*  It didn’t take long.  Kim Jun-su happened to be watching a live broadcast of the Succubus Empress, Lee Jae-hee.

“Wow, she’s beautiful…”  Jun-su, now a witch, found himself captivated by Jae-hee’s beauty, even though he himself was now quite beautiful.  And the Witch Meme, noticing the countless viewers enthralled by the Succubus Empress, seized the opportunity.

—*I want to meet her.*  It was simple.  The viewers were already captivated, their mental defenses weakened.  They were susceptible to the Witch Meme’s influence.  Normally, they would have brushed it off – *“Ugh, what the hell?” “I’m tired. Time for bed.”* – but their mental barriers were down, momentarily disabled by Jae-hee’s charm.  And so, new witches were born.  Not just one or two.  Many.  Driven by an amplified desire to meet Jae-hee, to possess her, to hear her play again.  They sprung up all over the city.  The rule of one host per meme had been broken, but such violations were common in the age of the Rift.

—*I have to meet her.*

—*I want to meet her.*

—*I want to meet her.*

—*I want to have her.*

—*If I can’t have her, I’ll destroy her!*

—*Destroy her!*

—*She’ll be mine.*

—*I’ll kill for her!*  Consumed by this violent obsession, they began to act, driven by primal instincts.

“Kyahahahaha!”  Some flew through the night sky on broomsticks.  Some unleashed curses and poisons.  Some murdered their families with magic.  As these new witches emerged, chaos erupted throughout the city.

And at that very moment…

“Haa… another successful broadcast~”  Jae-hee, pleased with her performance with the Ego Violin, showered and changed into her pajamas.

“No visitors scheduled today… I think I’ll treat myself to some mint chocolate soda and fried chicken~”  Her new house was cozy and beautifully decorated.  Dan Unnie had personally overseen the interior design.  She would definitely have to ask Dan Unnie for help again in the future.  Jae-hee settled comfortably on her bed, turning on the holographic television.  Mint chocolate soda at the ready, fried chicken arriving in under five minutes.  The government had even set up restaurants on the first floor of her building, ensuring her favorite foods were always available within minutes.  The entire building was designed for her comfort and convenience.

“Haa… you enjoyed it too, didn’t you, Violin-ssi?”

—*Yes! Yes!*

—*I loved it!*

—*Polar bears!!!*

—*Gentoo penguins!*

—*Why are they fighting?*

—*Let’s crossbreed a polar bear and a gentoo penguin!*

—*Is that even possible?*

—*Well, we’re talking, aren’t we?*

—*Aha!*

“So, anything you want to watch?”

—*The final chapter of Hunter x Hunter!*

“It hasn’t ended yet.”

—*What…?*

—*Really?*

—*Still going?*

—*Huh…*  Filled with the souls of children, they seemed to enjoy cartoons and anime.  Jae-hee didn’t mind.  She started browsing for something to watch.

“Oh, right! Mikkelsen’s liquor!”  The precious liquor that had survived Yoo-jin’s attack!  Thankfully, Dan Ah-yeon had carefully packaged it and stored it in the refrigerator.  Mikkelsen’s liquor was a potent supplement, a life force elixir.  She couldn’t afford to lose it.  Considering her immense consumption of life force, turning those who deserved to die into liquor was, in a way, her contribution to world peace.  Jae-hee poured herself a glass, pairing it with crispy fried chicken.

“Heehee, cheers…”

—*Kyahahahaha!*

*Huh? What was that shrill laughter?*  Jae-hee tilted her head, looking at her violin.  The sound had echoed directly in her mind, like a telepathic message from the children within the Ego Violin.  But the violin tilted in the air, confused.  *That wasn’t us.*

*Really? Not you?*

*Then who…?*

—*BOOOOOM!!!*  Her house was split in two.

“…”  Forty-seven hours after moving in.  Her new house was destroyed.  Again.  This time by some unknown projectile, a mixture of curse, magic, and hex.

“…Ah.”

*I’m angry.*

*Very angry.*

—–CROW—– 

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