The Sweet Taste of Power

I headed straight to the Security Division and began receiving my briefing on the job.

The six-year veteran walking me through the details kept shooting me looks that were anything but friendly.

Armonia explained why.

Ahh… So they couldn't make the cut as assistant instructors and ended up stuck doing this instead?

Heroes treated working at the Hero Academy like a tedious military obligation — but for the unranked people stuck here, the Academy was the equivalent of a major corporation. And the absolute top of that hierarchy? Assistant instructor.

An assistant instructor's primary duties were ensuring cadet safety and preventing incidents before they could happen. There was work involved, sure, but given the nature of the classes, cadets rarely got seriously hurt — and when accidents did occur, a quick response from the instructors usually buried them without a trace. You occasionally had to put up with the instructors' hysterics, but beyond that, there was supposedly no cushier job around.

On top of that, the starting salary was two to three times higher than a normal position… Yeah, I could see why they'd look at me sideways.

We were both unranked nobodies, yet one of us was grinding it out on security duty while the other got to babysit kids for a fat paycheck. And now they had to treat me as their superior on top of it all.

The resentment was understandable.

Well, not my problem!

I hummed to myself and kept listening. The employee wore a sour expression the whole time, but he still explained everything thoroughly. Even a six-year veteran knew better than to pick a fight with me — it wouldn't make Academy life any easier for him.

He finished the briefing by escorting me to the manager's office.

"That should cover the essentials. If there's anything you're unclear on, just let me know right away."

"Thanks. Get back to work."

The moment he left, I sat down at the desk and surveyed the room.

Security Manager's Office, interior view.

…This place is a dump.

The office itself was clean enough, but the furniture still bore the scars of years of heavy use.

I can't even get any action in here.

I wasn't entirely sure what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠part of that she was objecting to, but it sure sounded like a blanket ban on any and all activities in the COO's office. Come to think of it, I didn't even have any memories of sleeping there…

Anyway, the manager's office was a dump and that was that. Time to look at the security staff roster.

I scanned down the list, then stopped at a particular name and checked it carefully.

Of course he would…

Checking Go Chungshin's profile confirmed it — the name listed was different. He was registered as Go Minhyuk.

False name, false abilities, murky affiliation. The unholy trinity.

The problem was that even Zodiac hadn't identified him yet, which meant I couldn't make the first move myself.

Well, I can dig into it slowly…

I spent the remaining time browsing the other employees' profiles. Being a manager sounded impressive, but there wasn't much to it. Assistant instructor duties came first; whatever time was left went to assigning patrol schedules and zones for the security staff and receiving their reports. Since I wasn't personally walking patrols or standing guard, it wasn't exactly exhausting work.

I gathered the night-shift guards and introduced myself.

"I'm Assistant Instructor Sung Suho. As of today, I'll be serving as manager of the Security Division. Nice to meet you all."

After receiving a round of applause, I launched into the usual spiel every newly assigned superior trots out — work hard today, report any problems, stay focused during your shifts…

I rattled off the kind of lines that could put a security guard to sleep before their shift even started. And the drowsier they looked, the more energized I felt.

This is why people become managers.

"And I'm sure you're all well aware of the recent intrusion incident. Please remain vigilant while on duty."

With that final remark, I wrapped up the introductions. And the entire time I was speaking, I made sure to note Go Chungshin staring daggers at me.

This bastard snuck in under a fake identity and still picks the most suspicious behavior possible…

If you're going to glare, at least be subtle about it. This guy was broadcasting his hostility with zero restraint.

That so?

The last time I'd seen him on the rooftop was when he fled the moment Rena showed up. Had his dead comrades left him with a grudge against me? But even before that — the second he arrived on the roof — he'd already looked like he hated my guts…

Thinking back on how twitchy he'd been, the hostility had been there from the start.

And for a guy like Go Chungshin who already had it out for me, there was only one thing I could do.

Heh heh heh… I'll keep rotating his shifts between morning, afternoon, and night until he learns what real suffering feels like.

Welcome to three-shift hell, invader.

I finished drafting this week's duty roster, then headed for the dorms with a big, stupid grin on my face.

Armonia, having watched me smile the whole way, asked a question laced with genuine confusion.

No need to do it right away.

I'd set Go Chungshin's schedule for night patrol through Wednesday, then switched him to afternoon shifts starting Thursday. Even so, throwing the entire roster into chaos overnight would only make the other guards dislike me. The key was to tweak things a day or two at a time later on — just enough to needle him.

From the way he was glaring at me earlier, he doesn't seem like the patient type.

Heh heh… Perfect.

If he snapped at me later, that would give me a legitimate reason to hit him with penalties. Stack them one by one, carefully, methodically — that was the whole game.

Alright, time to go see Seong Sua… Hm?

I was heading toward the dorms with a light step when, off in the distance, I spotted someone with a trait window floating over their head cutting behind the women's dormitory.

Honestly, I registered them as a person more from the tiny trait window than from actually seeing a body. Not a cadet, though — the cadet dorms were far enough from the instructors' quarters that no student would be wandering through here this late.

Seong Sua? Cho Seohyun?

Armonia answered immediately.

What? What's he doing here?

His assigned post was way out on the Academy's outer perimeter…

Good grief. Was he already goofing off on his very first day?

Awakening my sense of managerial responsibility, I activated Stealth and tailed him to document his dereliction of duty. But once I was actually following him, a different worry crept in.

This is a little nerve-wracking… What if he's meeting with some shady types and they detect my Stealth?

I'll be careful not to get spotted.

If Rena showed up, everything would be resolved. The problem was that it would involve bloodshed. Staying undetected was the priority.

Still stealthed, I followed him behind the female instructors' dormitory. Creeping around the back of the women's dorm was a little unsettling, but I figured that if I got caught, I could just pin it on him and walk away clean.

By the time I reached the rear of the building, voices began to filter through.

"Haa… Why did you even come here…"

"I just… I was worried about you, oppa…"

Listening carefully, it wasn't a crowd — just a man and a woman talking. The man was definitely Go Chungshin.

But the woman…

What is it? I've heard that voice somewhere before…

Her voice carried a distinct sense of familiarity, yet no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't place it. A cadet, maybe?

Under normal circumstances I would have stayed hidden and just eavesdropped, mindful of the risk of Stealth being broken — but the curiosity welling up inside me was too strong. I leaned out for a look.

Being behind the building, there was no lighting, so I couldn't make out her face clearly.

Armonia, pull up that woman's traits.

A trait window materialized above the head of the figure I assumed was female.

Someone I didn't know.

Judging by the personality traits listed, she was clearly a very compliant, soft-natured woman.

His girlfriend?

From what I could overhear, Go Chungshin was scolding her for following him. The funny part was that her abilities alone put her in a completely different league from him.

Not some pathetic fly-possession ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gimmick — these were the kind of stats you'd expect from a recovery instructor in the medical department.

I strained to catch even a glimpse of her face, but in the end I never managed it.

"Haa… Jia, I'm sorry. I just… got angry because I didn't want to drag you into this mess too."

"It's okay. I understand."

Before long the two of them had made up and were preparing to part ways.

"I'll call or text you tomorrow morning. Go get some sleep."

"Okay… Don't push yourself too hard either, oppa."

The woman turned and started walking in the opposite direction. I watched her dark silhouette recede into the distance with a look of pure disappointment.

Damn… I really wanted to see what she looked like.

Running around to the other side of the dorm now was out of the question — the building was too large, and getting caught would only invite misunderstandings. I'd have to settle for having identified her traits.

Good… Then I'll deal with her later. Right now, I've got a job to do.

I confirmed that Go Chungshin was heading my way, then dropped Stealth and appeared directly in front of him the moment he rounded the corner of the building.

The second he saw me, he jumped and spat out a curse.

"Gah! Shit!"

"What's this? Who are you, and why are you behind the female instructors' dorm… A guard?"

"Hhk…"

Recognizing me, Go Chungshin locked up and started stammering.

"Th-that's… I w-was on patrol… J-just in case…"

He reeked of someone who'd never held a real job in his life. He couldn't even finish a sentence properly, trailing off mid-thought in a way that almost sounded like he was talking down to me.

I twisted one eyebrow and quietly dressed him down like the pathetic specimen he was.

"Speak properly."

"Th…"

Go Chungshin looked ready to explode at the reprimand, fell silent for a beat, then got his head on straight and opened his mouth again.

"I was patrolling the area and decided to check behind the dormitory."

"There. That's how you talk."

"…"

Oh wow — his eyebrow was twitching like a zombie mid-transformation in a horror movie.

Alright, wrap it up here.

I was planning to leave it at this.

No, no… That would ruin the fun. I think of workplace abuse the same way I think of NTL.

NTL and workplace abuse share a common principle. The greater the hope and passion the other person holds, the greater the pleasure I get from crushing them. Building up their hope and passion to the absolute maximum, then sealing them in an aquarium they can never escape — and simply watching — that, to me, is the shared essence of NTL and abuse of power.

And cultivating that hope and passion requires delicate work. Like playing with a cat using a feather toy. Hold it too high and they give up. Hold it too low and they lose interest.

The reason I was going through all this tedious effort to inflate ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Go Chungshin's hope and passion was simple.

I'm not letting the guy who tried to kill me walk away clean.

I let out a wicked little laugh in my head and addressed Go Chungshin.

"By the way… I recognize your face from earlier. Your assigned post is somewhere else, isn't it?"

"Th-that's…"

"Hmm…"

Without waiting for his answer, I raised my smartwatch and opened the memo app. I typed a brief note.

I made a point of letting him see what I was typing. Go Chungshin watched the memo form with a furrowed brow, fidgeting restlessly. I saved it, then fixed him with a stern expression.

"Return to your post immediately."

"…Yes, sir."

Go Chungshin ground his teeth and brushed past me, leaving the area. I watched the back of his head and called out in a voice thick with pure, unfiltered satisfaction.

Aaaah… Power really is the best!

Despite the late hour, I made my way back to the dorms in the most refreshing mood imaginable.