Snake Venom Ch 4

Chapter 4

Licking his damp lips, Shin Junseong rummaged through the front pocket of his shirt and pulled something out, tossing it straight to the man. It was a capsule-packed pill. The man examined it closely as Shin Junseong spoke, chewing on some dried snacks.

“That’s the snake you were looking for. I have the other two types as well, same purpose. I secured as much as I could, so I’ll give you however much you want.”

The pill Shin Junseong gave was an aphrodisiac for humans, modified from the estrus hormone of demi-humans. It was gaining immense popularity for its strong effects and fewer side effects compared to synthetic drugs, but due to its unethical origin and unverified safety, it was distributed only through underground channels. When the man stayed silent for too long, Shin Junseong chuckled and added playfully,

“Would I ever give you something subpar? The effects are solid, and it’s got amazing market potential. Just look at the names—Snake, Horse, Elephant. Don’t they practically scream virility? They’re like confidence boosters for shrunken dicks, especially a direct hit for aging males.”

The man let out a dry laugh at the vulgar persuasion. Then, after a brief phone call, he finally opened his mouth.

“They agreed to a contract for five, to start.”

“Okay! The Chairman is as generous as ever.”

Shin Junseong clapped his palms together loudly. As he fiddled with the tablet with a visibly more relaxed expression, the man asked,

“What about production?”

“Oh, I don’t know yet. The middle distributor is so cautious that I almost lost the deal trying to dig into it. Whoa! It’s starting!”

Suddenly excited, Shin Junseong turned the tablet toward the man.

“Do you know what this is?”

A flurry of alert notifications flashed across the screen, where dozens of night vision camera feeds were displayed. A chat window beside it rapidly scrolled with messages. The man glanced at the red logo in the upper right and lifted the corner of his lips faintly.

“I know of it.”

“I figured.”

Shin Junseong beamed as if he expected the response.

Utopia Sodom. True to its paradoxical name, it was an illegal streaming site gaining a surge in users by releasing provocative and explicit content. Hosted on overseas servers, transacted with encrypted currency, and constantly changing its URL, it was nearly impossible to monitor, let alone access.

Among its many segments, the “Hunting Ground,” accessible only to a limited group of members, was a gambling channel where demi-humans and humans were released together in a single location, and viewers bet on life and death outcomes. Among wealthy thrill-seekers who had grown numb to stimulation, it was considered a fresh form of entertainment. Shin Junseong was currently connected to this very channel.

“Then do you know who this is?”

He pointed at a young man creeping silently along a dim corridor wall. His smooth skin and large eyes stood out even through the night vision lens. However, the man only shrugged. Mistaking the gesture as a sign of unfamiliarity, Shin Junseong looked genuinely surprised.

“You don’t know RatPuppy?”

He was the longest-surviving harmless participant in Sodom’s Hunting Ground, nicknamed ‘RatPuppy’ by viewers. A demi-human of the canine family, he neither killed nor assaulted anyone but instead avoided danger like a rat scurrying through the shadows.

He wouldn’t have gained such notoriety had he only hidden. RatPuppy bought time by outwitting opponents in creative ways never seen before. Although it ultimately failed, he even attempted a cooperative play that seemed impossible under the game’s rules.

When he once helped a weaker player, the viewers split into two camps—those who demanded his removal for not fitting the theme of the Hunting Ground, and those who found him fascinating and wanted to see more. But RatPuppy, with his frail, prey-like appearance, was the only one who effectively provoked viewers’ sadism through sheer unexpectedness.

Both sides agreed on one thing: he had the rare ability to elevate the thrill of a deadly game. For that reason, it was no surprise that he monopolized donations.

Even considering the demi-human’s superior physical and sensory abilities, his survival rate was extraordinary. When rumors spread that the matches were rigged, Utopia Sodom silenced the accusations with a bold move: a guerrilla broadcast with ten times the usual prize pool. This was the channel Shin Junseong had eagerly awaited for a month.

Nine demi-humans with their suppressants restricted were released into the same building as RatPuppy. Time limit: 30 minutes. Bets among viewers were varied, but most put money on RatPuppy losing this time—how many would rape him, how long he’d last, and so on.

Shin Junseong, one of the rare viewers who bet on RatPuppy’s survival, was both an avid fan and a major donor. How would it unfold? How would he surprise me this time? With this thought, a faint glimmer of madness flickered in Shin Junseong’s eyes.

“You’re lucky, you know. This costs 2,000 for just 30 minutes.”

From various angles throughout the building, dozens of cameras captured RatPuppy’s fleeting appearances. Though he seemed to be dodging them well, one of the demi-humans began to undergo partial transformation. Baring elongated fangs, the man raised his head and flared his nostrils.

Once a demi-human entered transformation, their aggression and primal instincts intensified. As their senses sharpened, the odds grew worse for RatPuppy, igniting the viewers’ sadism. Sure enough, when Shin Junseong spotted the prominent bulge between one pursuer’s legs, he whooped with glee. At least one of them had entered heat, he shouted, stomping his foot in excitement.

Five floors of a building—vast or cramped, depending on how you saw it. The nine beasts began their hunt. RatPuppy, weaving through floors and hallways, was already drenched in sweat. The poor video resolution only amplified the desperation of his movements.

After barely escaping two charging demi-humans, RatPuppy paused in the center of a room with two exits, wiping sweat from his brow with his forearm. He stared down at his soaked sleeve and stood frozen, as if realizing anew that bodily fluids carried scent.

He lifted his shirt and pulled it off, revealing a pale upper body. Though slightly thin, perhaps from insufficient nutrition, his shoulders and waistline were surprisingly well-proportioned.

Wiping his upper body and hair with the shirt, RatPuppy then began tearing it apart with swift, confident hands. The sound of fabric ripping caught the attention of a nearby demi-human. But by the time the beast reached the room, only scraps of clothing remained.

The demi-human sniffed around the tattered remnants and cursed loudly. Shin Junseong, practically burying his face in the tablet screen, giggled.

“I once asked if I could have a taste, but they said no.”

The man’s eyes widened slightly at the muttered remark. That Shin Junseong was in contact with the operators of this illegal site, which even the National Security Bureau struggled to track, was unexpected. But he rolled his eyes slowly without much outward reaction.

“Why not?”

“He’s picky, apparently. Damn, even that picky attitude’s my kink.”

The man’s dry gaze settled on RatPuppy, still desperately fleeing through the building.

As much as he spoke that way, Shin Junseong likely knew it was all part of Sodom’s strategy to raise the product’s value. And perhaps he also understood why they wouldn’t let him get closer—once stripped, RatPuppy would be no different from any other thing crawling toward him. So he kept him locked inside a fantasy, indulging in imagined ownership rather than the real thing.

Having found thrill in the tease rather than complete possession, Shin Junseong was consuming RatPuppy in his own perverted way.

As the game progressed, RatPuppy was pushed into a corner. With 15 minutes still remaining and only a few shirt scraps left for decoys, he was running out of options.

“Maybe it really was too much,” Shin Junseong murmured.

The man scoffed quietly. Nine beasts in heat, all after one fragile kid. It had been a losing battle from the start.

Then it happened. RatPuppy, looking around with anxious eyes, began to fidget with his waistband. He clenched and unclenched his fists, then ran a hand through his hair in frustration. It was clear he was struggling with a decision.

As he hesitated like a dog needing to pee, even the usually indifferent man showed a flicker of curiosity in his gaze.

Finally, RatPuppy took a deep breath and unzipped his pants. Shin Junseong, in disbelief, muttered,

“No way…”

Leaning against the wall, RatPuppy bit down on his lower lip. His pale cheeks and tense shoulders stood out starkly.

His unexpected action caused the chat window to explode. Everyone was furiously hammering their keyboards in shock. As he grabbed himself and began to stroke, Shin Junseong let out a soundless scream. The man, too, tilted his head as he fixed his gaze on the screen.

“Shit, shit, shit! Isn’t he just adorably wild?”

Overcome with excitement, Shin Junseong paid Utopia Sodom. It was a request to zoom in. The moment he completed a transaction worth hundreds, a new, close-up feed of RatPuppy appeared. The two of them locked eyes on the new screen, consumed and electrified by the closer view.