The Empress and the Test of Strength
The hover vehicle glided forward with a low, resonant zwoooong, arriving at the headquarters of the Epsilon Legion. Su-a stepped out alongside Hwa-ryun and Nabi, and they began to move. After mentioning that she had someone to introduce first, Hwa-ryun led Su-a to the Legion Commander’s office, where they came face to face with a stunning woman.
She had vivid purple hair and matching purple eyes, with elegantly upturned corners that gave her a sharp, commanding gaze. Her uniform was similar to Hwa-ryun’s but far more ornate and beautiful, adorned with three stars on the shoulder epaulets. This was none other than Ariel von Omega.
"Thank you. Sister, allow me to introduce Commander of the Epsilon Legion and Empress of the Omega Empire, Ariel von Omega."
"...Huh? The Empress?!"
Su-a couldn’t help but raise her voice at the sight of a beauty whose status was beyond anything she could have imagined. Realizing her mistake, she quickly bowed her head and offered a proper greeting.
…?!
For a fleeting moment, Ariel’s expression turned utterly lewd and seductive. She slowly extended her tongue and licked her lips. In that instant, Su-a instinctively understood. Ariel and Hwa-ryun were not in an ordinary relationship.
Su-a knew that expression all too well. It was the exact face she, Cindy, and Hwa-ryun made when they devoured one another with hungry eyes. The look a woman wore when she intended to consume another woman.
‘…Hwa-ryun, you little… Just what kind of play are you into?! They say even the quietest cat climbs the stove first…!!’
Su-a was inwardly horrified by her younger sister’s charm, which had managed to captivate not only Arpa but even the Empress of the Omega Empire. Yet when she thought about the lesbian play she enjoyed with Cindy, Yoo-ran, and Hwa-ryun, as well as everything she had experienced in Changcheon Murim, it wasn’t all that surprising. She decided to let it slide for now and kept her reaction hidden.
"Ah, thank you, Your Majesty."
After finishing her conversation with Ariel, Su-a followed Hwa-ryun toward the guest quarters. She looked around with open curiosity at the architecture of the Omega Empire, which felt completely different from anything on Pantera. While Pantera overflowed with natural life energy and felt organic, the buildings of the Omega Empire were thoroughly artificial, embodying a sleek, sci-fi vision of the future.
The designs, infrastructure, and transportation systems looked like something straight out of a 22nd-century movie, drama, or animation. Su-a felt her heart race with excitement as she took it all in.
"If you’d like to look around, I can give you a tour of the facilities, Sister."
"Mm… I’m fine for now. I can look while we walk. I’m more curious about the lodging. And I’m also wondering about this commission you’re supposed to give me. I’d like to hear about it once we reach the room."
"Understood. Then let’s continue."
After a short walk, they arrived at the lodging. Su-a felt a wave of satisfaction upon seeing the spacious room. Even though it was meant for one person, the interior was vast, almost like an entire house. The perfect blend of cybernetic futurism and comfortable modern living suited her tastes perfectly.
Once inside Su-a’s quarters, Hwa-ryun moved to the kitchen, brewed some tea, and served it before finally bringing up the commission.
"It’s nothing too complicated. The commission is to measure your combat capability, Sister."
"My combat power? How exactly?"
"Unmanned mechanical weapons of the Empire will be deployed in sequence to engage you in battle. All you need to do is fight the units as they appear. We will handle all the recording on our end. The purpose is to officially gauge the combat strength of an S-rank adventurer."
Listening to Hwa-ryun’s explanation, Su-a realized that Arpa’s invitation wasn’t solely for scouting purposes; there was an official reason as well. Since things had come to this, she decided she might as well learn how the Omega Empire operated and how Hwa-ryun had been playing the game.
"The commission is one thing, but… Sister, I will speak frankly. Do you intend to go all the way with Vice-Commander Arpa? He… will most likely try to claim you. If that is not what you want, I will take full responsibility and cancel the commission so you can leave safely."
At Hwa-ryun’s direct question, Su-a began to share the thoughts she had organized during the journey.
"…I thought about it a lot. But after hearing what you and Cindy said, I decided. I want to truly enjoy Endless Universe the way you two do."
At Su-a’s answer, a faint smile crossed Hwa-ryun’s lips. It was so subtle that even Su-a, her older sister, failed to notice it.
Su-a had ultimately decided to fully embrace the game. With the bet against Jung Dae-woon now over, there was no longer any rush. The pleasure Su-a had experienced had already planted seeds of self-justification within her without her realizing it. Her increasingly lewd body could no longer resist the temptation of ecstasy. Above all, seeing both Hwa-ryun and Cindy surrender their bodies to their respective NPCs had left Su-a’s own body burning with heat.
The pleasure Arpa had injected into her made it difficult to shake off the seduction. With the precedents set by Hwa-ryun and Cindy, Su-a had finally granted herself absolution and resolved to be honest with her desires.
Besides… ‘Since I’ve already done it with Cindy… it’s about time I try it with Hwa-ryun, isn’t it? Hehe…’
The memory of being taken together with Cindy by An Rok-san had unlocked Su-a’s sexual appetite. The frustration born from Kang-hyun’s absence became the decisive push that drove her forward.
But Su-a had no idea what Hwa-ryun was truly aiming for.
‘…I’m sorry, Sister. But please forgive me. This is… just a game, after all. My Lord’s goal was… you and Cindy from the very beginning. As his subordinate… I must carry out his will. Besides… it wouldn’t be fair if only I had to suffer.’
Su-a didn’t know just how deep Jung Hwa-ryun’s jealousy and inferiority complex ran. She didn’t know that it wasn’t only men who wanted to witness the corruption of the superior woman known as Jung Su-a.
The next day, after resting, Su-a arrived at the vast training ground located within the training complex, fully equipped and ready. She was warming up when a holographic projection of Hwa-ryun appeared from her Bio Device and spoke to her.
"Got it. I’ve already activated the attachable camera you gave me, Hwa-ryun. Are there any other precautions I should know about?"
"Good. Let’s start right away. I’m ready."
Beep.
Hwa-ryun’s hologram vanished. Moments later, the floor of the training ground split open, and unmanned weapons of the Omega Empire began to rise from below. A massive mechanical weapon shaped like a dog emerged, and a mechanical announcement rang in Su-a’s ears.
The announcement ended, and the eyes of the machine known as Blue Dog glowed as it activated. A mechanical whirring sound and bursts of steam erupted from its body. The moment it recognized Su-a, its stored firearms emerged, took aim, and unleashed a storm of bullets.
Tukwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!!!
Boom!!
A barrage of bullets and missiles flew toward Su-a. She watched the incoming projectiles, gripped her weapon, and began her battle against the Blue Dog.
"Omega, Gamma! Defensive mode!"
Thud!!!
At Su-a’s shout, the drones flying around her transformed and intercepted the missiles. She drew her energy sword and charged forward to destroy the Blue Dog. The real combat capability test had officially begun.