Hero Academy (4-25)
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Over the past while, I'd run several experiments on Subordination.
And only today did I finally grasp the conditions for it completely.
'Consent is essential, but if I can force that consent, it's allowed too.'
[Hand Skill... What an incredible ability.]
The reason I'd gone through all this hassle was precisely because of Subordination's conditions.
I'd created an escape route just in case Moon Ju-a might give up.
The bet I'd made with her was that very escape hatch.
But even with that option available, Moon Ju-a had ultimately fallen into Subordination.
'Her life was on the line, so she must've fought with everything she had.'
[That's right. And judging by her disposition, she's not the type to break easily either.]
With her life at stake, she'd have used every ounce of strength to resist surrendering to me.
Yet even that iron will had crumbled, and I'd made her submit with my Hand Skill.
Discovering this loophole in Subordination left me thrilled, but I couldn't hide the bitterness either.
'In the end, my hand was better than my dick?'
[....]
There was a level gap, and if it applied equally regardless, that would come with its own issues...
'Well... someday, you'll make women submit too.'
I patted my dejected dick consolingly and checked Moon Ju-a's Subordination window.
Moon Ju-a (Stage 1)
Wall: (—)
'Be grateful you fell into Subordination.'
No joke— from Moon Ju-a's perspective, she ought to thank her lucky stars for it.
If she hadn't, I'd have killed her on the spot.
[Still, it's concerning. Even with Subordination... she's still a dangerous individual.]
I understood Armonia's worry.
Truth be told, even at this very moment, I was debating whether to kill her—she was that dangerous.
If I let her live, she'd stop at nothing to hunt me down.
That's why I'd taken out some insurance.
'I've completely hidden my face and voice for now. She won't find me.'
Right now, Moon Ju-a's revenge target wouldn't be me or Seong Sua from the earlier fight, but the cloaked me and Lena.
Lena was on the ship, so she'd never track her down in a lifetime, and I'd concealed my identity perfectly too—impossible to find.
[One concern, though. You've confronted her before, Su-ho. She might shift her target back to you.]
Just as Armonia said, if she couldn't find cloaked me or Lena, there was a high chance she'd revert to me and Seong Sua as her revenge marks.
'True enough. But I've got a way.'
[...?]
I kneaded Moon Ju-a's ass to my heart's content while staring at the Subordination window.
'Wall... That'll solve it.'
***
Seong Sua stared endlessly at her smart watch, waiting.
Around her, Ebryka staff moved about tending to civilians' conditions and resting, but Seong Sua couldn't afford to rest during this break.
'Should I send a text? No... what if that causes some problem...'
Despite her urgency, Seong Sua hesitated to even activate her smart watch screen.
This instructor-grade smart watch lasted over a month on a single charge and could withstand being chewed by a monster.
Yet even with such reliability, anxiety that one touch might break it kept her from turning it on easily.
As she fixated on the smart watch awaiting Seong Su-ho's contact, someone approached and spoke up.
"Still no word from your brother?"
It was Chae Su-min.
Seong Sua gave a wry smile at the question.
"Yeah... he's probably busy."
Seeing Chae Su-min approach to ask made Seong Sua reflect.
'Earlier, I snapped at the kid without thinking...'
Seong Sua usually loved children.
More than liked—she practically adored them.
For the first time, she'd gotten angry at one.
'Why did I do that...'
Reflecting, Seong Sua began stroking Chae Su-min's head.
"Are your mom and dad okay?"
"No... they're hurting a lot..."
Few here had the leisure that Chae Su-min did.
The civilians present were barely holding on thanks to Ebryka staff care.
Without them, they'd likely have been killed by the thugs or poisoned by the toxic gas.
'At least get the civilians out fast... but I can't lead this many out.'
The rescued civilians far outnumbered the staff.
Moving dozens and running into thugs or monsters would only worsen casualties.
And most importantly...
'I need to find Instructor Seong Su-ho quick...'
Seong Sua closed her eyes, fervently praying for Seong Su-ho's safety.
That was the moment.
"Whoa!? A text came!"
"What?!"
Seong Sua jolted at Chae Su-min's voice, activating her smart watch to check the message.
I think I can pinpoint the core's location!
Seong Su-ho's flurry of texts brimmed with vital info.
Approximate number and positions of intruders, escape routes... and...
Seong Su-ho's messages detailed the thugs' escape route.
But Seong Sua cared more about something else.
Relieved at his reply, Seong Sua kept texting.
After a wait, her smart watch rang with a call tone.
Seong Sua snatched it up eagerly, awaiting his voice.
"Hello?"
"Haa... thank goodness."
Hearing Seong Su-ho's voice washed away her pent-up anxiety like a waterfall.
Just as relief surged...
"Hoo... haa..."
"...? Instructor Seong Su-ho? Are you hurt somewhere?"
"Ah, no. I'm fine. Hoo..."
Amid the call, disguised sighs—actually moans—kept slipping through.
Seong Sua caught on immediately.
"You're hurt, aren't you? Your voice..."
"No, really. I have to keep my voice down... ngh..."
"..."
Based on Seong Su-ho's usual behavior, Seong Sua intuited the situation.
'...He's definitely in some mess. If he was kidnapped and escaped, no way he's unscathed.'
She stood abruptly.
"Instructor Seong Su-ho. Where are you right now?"
"Following these guys to the core."
"It's dangerous. If something happens..."
"Haa... haa... But if I let them slip now, we might never find the core."
"..."
Seong Sua bit her lip hard and resolved.
"Tell me your location. I'll come."
Combining Seong Su-ho's info with staff queries, Seong Sua pinpointed it.
"Emergency waiting level... Perfect spot to hide, with all the medical gear."
"Where is it?"
"Three floors down from here."
An entire level dedicated as an emergency room for critical guests—not just one room.
And Seong Su-ho was there.
"Thanks for the info."
"We'll come with..."
"No. I'll go alone."
Seong Sua would gladly accept help if possible.
She wasn't one to let pride get in the way in a crisis.
But her eyes took in the civilians lingering with the staff—more numerous than the staff, suffering.
Reducing staff now, when she couldn't even guarantee their safety, was too risky.
"Prioritize these people's safety."
"Hoo... Understood."
"And the info I shared..."
Seong Sua relayed everything Seong Su-ho had uncovered to the staff.
Thug numbers, positions, escape routes...
"If you connect with Yeriel or outside contacts, pass it all on."
"Got it. Take this."
"What's this...?"
The staffer, grasping her judgment, handed her something.
"Emergency waiting level has potions and tools, but civilians can't access freely. This card key will let you use them easily."
"Thank you."
Seong Sua smiled gratefully, finished prepping, and turned to leave.
Then—
"Um..."
"Ah, Su-min."
Chae Su-min approached, bowing deeply.
"Please... save my brother. And..."
"...?"
"Don't get hurt."
Seong Sua beamed at her words, stroking her head.
"Yeah... thanks. Let's meet again soon."
"Okay."
With Chae Su-min's smiling send-off, Seong Sua set off for Seong Su-ho.
"...This place is even worse."
Seong Sua's assessment upon reaching the emergency waiting level.
Other floors had colorful walls and lights softening the horror, but here, stark white walls amplified the dread—flesh blobs clinging everywhere.
Like stepping into a horror flick, Seong Sua advanced cautiously, one step at a time.
'Still, good news. As Instructor Seong Su-ho said, most thugs are down.'
Zero enemies encountered descending three levels.
Rare to meet human foes over monsters in an expanding dungeon, but none the whole way toward the thug group let her infer the situation.
'They probably didn't account for variables like me, Instructor Seong Su-ho, and Yeriel.'
She and Seong Su-ho had even thinned their numbers with ambushes.
Yet despite the optimism, Seong Sua stayed tense.
'The ones who kidnapped Instructor Seong Su-ho... I won't let them off.'
Burning with vengeance, she pressed toward his described spot.
But navigating the level made finding it no easy task.
Even after arriving, it took wandering awhile to locate it.
'Sector H43... here.'
His last reported position.
Seong Sua scanned surroundings immediately.
'Can't contact recklessly. Scope the area first, figure where he went.'
Searching for traces he left.
But what caught her eye wasn't a trace—it was an emergency medical supply locker.
"Ah, this must be what you mentioned."
She used the card key on the reinforced glass to check contents.
"Potions too. Grab some. And... my god!?"
Shocked, Seong Sua picked up a potion.
Unlike uniform red ones, this shimmered silver.
"Status ailment cure potion? As expected of Ebryka. They even stock ones impossible to buy, let alone see."
Regular potions were pricey for civilians.
Status ailment cures made those look cheap.
"First time seeing one this close."
They said a healer's true worth lay not in recovery, but status cures.
In the hero world, lacking that marked you a half-healer, shunned by churches—turning to towers or big guilds.
"If these were as easy to make as regular potions... the Tower wouldn't be stuck as eternal runner-up."
Regretfully eyeing the silver glow, Seong Sua snapped to.
"Ah! Not the time. Hurry to Instructor Seong Su-ho..."
That instant—
"Gaaah!"
"Damn, enemies! Gaaah!"
Fwosh!
Without a plan, Seong Sua bolted toward the screams.
She knew.
'Instructor Seong Su-ho's there!'
Mid-sprint, space rippled like waves.
Boom!
"Ngh! W-what's this!?"
Even Seong Sua, veteran of countless dungeons, recognized the alien pulse—but only once before.
"Core destruction?"
What happened when a dungeon's core shattered.
She should cheer, but...
"No!"
Anxiety gripped her at the sudden resolution; she raced madly toward the screams—or the pulse's origin.
Arriving, she beheld...
"What the..."
A vast hall with a fountain stand, strewn with corpses.
Fresh blood stained the once-pristine white, evoking deeper horror than any dungeon.
Yet overriding that terror in Seong Sua's mind was another fear.
"Instructor Seong Su-ho!"
Dreading he'd be among the bodies, she shouted his name, checking corpses.
No one resembling him.
After rifling through all, she gazed around dazedly, murmuring.
"What... happened here? Instructor Seong Su-ho!"
Calling out again—
"Pfft!"
"Huh!?"
The sound from inside the reception room door drew her instantly.
"Instructor Seong Su-ho? That you? Answer quick!"
Urgently twisting the knob, but the locked door resisted normal hands.
A voice from within halted her frantic efforts.
"Instructor Seong Sua... you've arrived."
"You're alive! Thank god!"
"I tailed the thugs secretly and destroyed the core myself."
His explanation was simple.
He'd pursued, found a few guarding the core, and eliminated them.
But Seong Sua couldn't fathom it.
"How alone...?"
No matter the opening, taking down that many solo...
"I waited for you, but a gap opened suddenly—I struck first without thinking."
"A gap?"
"A gimmick triggered."
"!?"
Gimmick on the core guards? A golden opportunity.
'His situational judgment is spot-on! Wait... that means...'
Appraising him, Seong Sua realized.
"You got hit by it too!?"
"Yes. But don't worry. It's not that serious..."
"I'll heal you. Open up! Trapped!?"
Realizing the status ailment, she yanked the knob madly.
But the sturdy lock defied her slender mage fingers.
Releasing it, she surged mana through her body, shouting.
"Step back from the door! Forcing it!"
"W-wait! Instructor Seong Sua!"
Ignoring his flustered voice, she focused mana, ripping the door with sustained and wind magic.
Crack!
The sturdy door splintered like plywood, crashing onto a corpse behind.
"Instructor Seong Su-ho! Treatment now!"
As she rushed through the breach—
Whoosh!
Something lunged from the shadows beyond, startling Seong Sua into a rare scream as she flailed.
"Kyaa! W-who?!"
"Instructor Seong Sua."
"Instructor Seong Su-ho? A-are you okay? Let me heal...!"
As she urgently tried shoving him off to use the potion—
"Instructor Seong Sua... sorry."
"Huh? What sudde—mmph!?"
Seong Sua couldn't comprehend what was happening.
Her first kiss, guarded her whole life...
"Mmph... mmm... chuu..."
"Hah... churp..."
Not from the man she'd dreamed would perfectly fill her.
"Hah... chuu..."
But from the man leaning in beside her, filling the gap imperfectly.
* * *