47. My Buff is a Drug
47. My Buff is a Drug
[ Choi Hye-yong : What exactly are you saying? ]
[ Mina : Hmm... to put it simply, you can act just like the Virus, Creator! ]
That caught me off guard.
'Me? Like the Virus?'
[ Mina : In this world, you're a truly special existence, Creator! ]
[ Mina : You're not just limited to planting Seeds of Recognition—you can also burrow into a character's psyche, collapse their mind, and destroy their very existence, just like the Virus, you know? ]
[ Mina : That's also a route to gathering Recognition Power! Finding the cracks in someone's heart, widening those cracks, and then you squeeze yourself right in! ]
[ Mina : Rather than simple affection, driving them into a state of 「Dependence」 where they slip between the broken pieces of your heart and delude themselves into thinking their heart would shatter if you disappeared would yield far more Recognition Power, wouldn't it!? ]
[ Mina : I trust it's obvious at a glance which seed grows larger: 「I like this person」 or 「I can't live without this person anymore」! ]
Hearing that left me dumbfounded.
Was something like that really possible?
[ Choi Hye-yong : Was I ever that amazing of an existence? I wasn't. I couldn't even cast a simple hypnosis. ]
[ Mina : Of course, given the current situation, there are many restrictions. Things like what a character thinks of you, Creator, how strong their feelings are, and what kind of experiences you've shared with them. All of those factors combined determine whether you can intrude into their Inner World and how much power you can draw out once inside. ]
Ah, I see.
So what they think and what they've been through matter, huh?
In Lanfang's case, she probably thought Hye-yong was horrible and frightening, but also that she couldn't resist him.
So did that mean he could invade her Inner World and draw out a lot of power?
[ Mina : If they're having nightmares, there's a high probability you can infiltrate their Inner World while they sleep. ]
[ Choi Hye-yong : High probability? Not guaranteed? ]
[ Mina : Nothing in this world is ever guaranteed! ]
[ Mina : Ah! Except for my love for you, Creator! ]
Mina : (emoticon of a blonde female character blowing a kiss)
'Lip service, huh.'
But what would I do after invading the Inner World?
Hmm, was it that after all? Was that really the only way?
Honestly, it was such blatantly scummy, garbage behavior that he did hesitate a bit.
But then again, for earning hatred, scummy behavior was also the most direct route.
'Yeah, definitely...'
He figured if it was in a dream, it'd be fine.
Wasn't it better than committing a crime in reality?
If it's a dream, he could just play dumb and make excuses.
'Now that I think about it, it doesn't seem so bad.'
Hye-yong was merely someone who wanted to appear kind and sincere to an unspecified majority of people; he was by no means a genuinely good-hearted person.
His nature leaned a bit more toward the crooked side than an ordinary person's.
If he'd had an ability for perfect crimes—like stopping time or erasing memories—he might very well have gone around doing all sorts of things.
Though he had chickened out and backed off from the hardcore play Mina had suggested.
Anyway, wasn't being hated the goal?
He'd already shown his rotten personality to Lanfang, so going into her dreams and doing... that sort of thing seemed like perfectly natural behavior for human trash.
[ Choi Hye-yong : So for this person who's had a Seed of Negativity planted, there's a high chance I can secretly infiltrate their Inner World tonight while they sleep, right? ]
[ Mina : Yes! That seems likely. ]
Okay, confirmed.
In that case, he'd test it out tonight.
For now, when she came, he'd have to see her face first.
Time passed. At five minutes until 12 o'clock.
Hye-yong finished his preparations to receive Lanfang.
The moment his terminal's clock struck exactly twelve.
Knock knock knock!
Someone knocked on the door precisely on time.
'Did she come early, watch the clock on her terminal, time it, and then knock? Cute.'
Hye-yong smirked and opened the door.
There stood Lanfang before him, neatly dressed in the student uniform.
'Oh, the uniform gives her a different vibe.'
First, a casual greeting.
"Hey."
"Ah... um... hello..."
Her expression was full of worry about what was going to happen to her from now on.
Seeing it made a sadistic impulse swell up in his chest, a desire to torment her relentlessly.
'My orientation isn't exactly S, so this is weird. Is there seriously some kind of magic on me?'
But don't worry.
He wasn't going to do anything yet.
"Did you eat?"
"Ah, no."
Figures.
He'd told her to come right at 12, the start of lunchtime.
"Let's go grab some food. On you, of course."
"..."
Even through her fear, he could see a look in her eyes that said she thought he was a low-life.
That one stung a little.
Was there any man who wouldn't get hurt when a girl like Lanfang looked at him like he was utterly pathetic?
But what could he do?
Hye-yong knew nothing about being kind while also being hated.
So he had no choice but to treat her like shit.
Frankly, this was a point Mina could come witness and certify with a stamp of approval on her way out.
And so he came to eat cafeteria food with Lanfang.
Deliberately trying to look obnoxious, he picked the most expensive sirloin steak meal from today's menu.
"I wonder if this isn't too expensive. Is your wallet okay?"
"I-it's fine... don't worry about me."
Lanfang chose an 8-point spicy chicken set.
Was that any good? Maybe he'd try it next time.
Thinking that, he took the seat across from her.
Even as he cut his steak, Hye-yong periodically glanced at Lanfang's face.
She looked incredibly uncomfortable eating with him.
"So, what happened with your party?"
"...!"
Lanfang stopped mid-bite, startled, and set down her chopsticks.
Her already gloomy expression darkened further.
"They said... I was completely useless... and I got kicked out altogether."
"Since they were kicking you out anyway, they just threw you away completely. They must've had it all planned from the start."
"Hngh..."
Lanfang almost cried but stopped herself, pulling her sleeve down to wipe at her eyes.
'Ah, I shouldn't have asked that.'
He'd resolved to be cold-hearted, but the moment he heard it, the urge to comfort her welled up.
But he couldn't end this wishy-washy.
'It feels like I'm doing exactly the same thing as the Virus that attacked Na Hee-yeon, but...'
Since I'd already asked, I might as well tear into it.
"What are you going to do now? You don't have a party, so you can't even go on raids."
"I... don't know."
"You're practically failing the exam too. You'll have to renew your rank soon. Won't you even be able to maintain your rank?"
The tears she'd barely wiped away threatened to well up again.
If only I could know the degree of her hatred.
The goal was to pile up resentment just short of the point where she'd want to stab him to death with a knife.
"Are there any parties you can join?"
Lanfang shook her head.
"Hmm... you're in trouble."
He pretended to cut his steak again and tossed out another remark.
"Well, not my problem."
"...!"
That might have crossed a line, because Lanfang bit her lip and glared at him, her eyes brimming with resentment.
'Whoa... I've never seen her look at someone like that before. Scary.'
Hye-yong nearly apologized despite himself, but he controlled himself and kept brazenly going.
"Why are your eyes so wide? You're a damn thief. You haven't forgotten what you did, have you?"
Her expression quickly returned to one that looked servile.
"I'm... sorry... (formally)."
Suddenly formal speech?
Hye-yong didn't let Lanfang's shift in attitude slide.
'If her speech changed, there's probably been a change of heart. It looks like she's being polite, but maybe she actually dislikes me more, or her submissiveness has deepened.'
After eating, he led Lanfang back to the front of the male dormitory.
He stopped in front of it and glanced at her face.
'She looks anxious about what might happen to her if she's dragged into my room.'
He wasn't actually going to do anything here, so he decided to just send her back.
Why call her out if he was just going to send her back like this?
No particular reason.
Just to make her pay for his meal, and to run her through some dog training.
If she kept getting treated like this, wouldn't she move past being scared or threatened, and just come to hate the person Hye-yong himself?
The action had come from that thought.
Before parting, Hye-yong applied an Inner World Intrusion Buff to her.
"Alright, now go."
"...Huh?"
"Go to your room. We're done here."
A look of utter disbelief crossed her face.
Lanfang blinked twice, let out a small sigh, and turned around.
"Oh, right. Accept my Messenger friend request. When I call, don't complain and come out anytime. You don't have a party anyway, right?"
"...Okay... (formally)."
Thud, thud, thud.
Listless footsteps.
Watching Lanfang's drooping shoulders and pitiful-looking back, Hye-yong felt a shiver run through his whole body.
It felt slightly similar to the sensation when Na Hee-yeon first lunged at him.
'Have I ever been this cruel to someone in my life?'
What he had done.
A stirring of remorse.
Remorse, yet simultaneously a desire to torment her a little more.
Lanfang definitely hated Hye-yong enough to kill him now.
But she had no choice but to obey.
Because she was in the wrong.
Because she had no one to ask for help.
Because she didn't know how to escape.
She complied, having mostly erased her own will.
The sense of moral perversion came from having a guilty conscience, yet refusing to change his thinking and continuing to shamelessly dominate the other person.
It was a sensation aptly described as twisted pleasure.
Using the fact that the other party had tried to commit a shameless act first as a flimsy shield, Hye-yong was diligently widening the hole that had formed in Lanfang's heart.
Widening it enough so that his own existence could wedge itself into that gap and become firmly fixed in place.
June 10th, 5:54 PM
Geum Na-rin's house
'Mmm...'
Wrapped up snugly in a cute, expensive, fluffy, and soft teddy bear blanket, Geum Na-rin was deep in thought.
Wondering whether or not to send this thought she was having via Messenger.
'Choi Hye-yong... seems like he's always busy, that guy.'
Ever since he turned down her dinner invitation three times in a row last time, Na-rin couldn't bring herself to message him so easily.
She worried she might be bothering him.
'At this hour, he's probably just finished his exams and is about to go eat dinner.'
That gave her an excuse: treating him to celebrate his exams being over.
But why was even sending a single message so hard?
'I don't want to be seen as a nuisance...'
Choi Hye-yong was different.
Different from ordinary students.
In Na-rin's eyes, Hye-yong didn't seem very interested in grades or a luxurious lifestyle; he seemed like he had come to the Academy on a mission of some sort.
He was probably chasing traces of other Aberrations.
'Even when I got taken to the hospital. He had no information about me whatsoever, but he found me as if he knew all along.'
Geum Na-rin firmly believed he had come in pursuit of the Aberration's traces.
ㅡ It's not about just eliminating the Aberration because it's an Aberration. It has to be eliminated because it's tormenting you!
ㅡ Because I don't want you to be devoured by that Aberration.
'Choi Hye-yong... would have done the same thing even if it wasn't me.'
It wasn't because it was her that he saved her.
He hadn't endured the pain of dying hundreds of times to save her specifically because she was special.
No matter who was being tormented by an entity like an Aberration, Choi Hye-yong would have done the same.
Because he was a member of the Secret Society, bound by a mission to eliminate Aberrations.
'That's what makes him even cooler... Just picturing his face gives me chills.'
Na-rin picked up her terminal and carefully sent a message to Hye-yong.
[ Geum Na-rin : You guys took your exams too, right? Did they go well? ]
She waited anxiously, and about twenty seconds later, a reply came.
[ Choi Hye-yong : They went okay, I think. How about you, senior? ]
[ I did well too! Then, to celebrate doing well on the exams, want to eat dinner together? My treat. ]
[Send]
"..."
After agonizing over it for a long moment, Geum Na-rin deleted the chat and typed something new.
She just felt it wasn't right, after all.
[ Geum Na-rin : Of course I did well. Who do you think I am? I was just curious, so I asked. Have a good night! ]
[ Choi Hye-yong : Alright. You too, Na-rin senior. ]
"Haaa..."
The moment she set her terminal down, all the strength drained from her body.
'Yeah. I did the right thing.'
Choi Hye-yong might be tracking down Aberration traces to investigate even now.
She didn't want to interfere out of a selfish desire to meet and talk to him.
She simply resolved that if he ever asked for her help, she would assist him wholeheartedly.
'I wish I could hold him tight, just once, even once, and stroke his back.'
Thinking of that moment brought it all back again.
The moment she had stolen a glance at Choi Hye-yong showering, and the moment just before she tried to relieve his sexual urges with her own hand.
'Ah... I should really stop this now... It shouldn't become a habit.'
Even as she thought that, Na-rin got up and opened her wardrobe.
Tucked unnaturally into a corner full of pretty, cute underwear—a pair of somber, drab male underwear.
So much time had passed that she inevitably had to wash them, but they still seemed to faintly carry his scent.
She took them and returned to her bed, burying her nose in them.
One hand naturally drifted toward her private area.
It had already become a habit.
"Mmm... ah..."
It seemed it would be best for her never to know that Hye-yong was currently planning to become a virus-like thing and commit such scummy acts.
-
June 11th, 12:31 AM
Choi Hye-yong's room
Hye-yong, who had been asleep, jolted awake and opened his eyes.
A strangely refreshed feeling.
The sensation of having slept very deeply.
At the same time, a shiver of wariness crept up his spine, and he hurriedly checked his terminal.
'Wow... 12:31.'
He'd fallen asleep by mistake without even setting his alarm, yet he woke up at exactly the right time.
He clearly remembered being dead tired and dozing off around 6 or 7.
It almost felt like a god had woken him up to carry out his task!
'So this time has come, huh...'
Lanfang would definitely be asleep by this hour.
'I should... do what I planned, right?'
He'd intended to, but he still hesitated.
Even if it was in a dream, wasn't this a plan to force himself on a woman?
Of course, he didn't intend to go all the way.
If he did, the psychological shock might be too severe and backfire.
He took a deep breath and steadied his mind.
Once again, Hye-yong wanted to pretend to be a good person, but he wasn't a purely good-natured one.
His true nature was closer to the despicable side; he was someone prepared to use others for his own gain if the benefits were clear.
Saving Na Hee-yeon, saving Geum Na-rin—it had all been because their interests aligned.
If he hadn't needed to, if doing so could have inflicted fatal harm on himself, he probably wouldn't have attempted it.
He wasn't treating Lanfang cruelly out of any particular personal feelings.
He just wanted to see how much benefit he could reap if he nurtured the Seed of Negativity and made it bloom.
'Alright. Let's go.'
Thinking lightly in that manner, he recalled his target.
Today's concrete goal!
Use a buff to make her climax three times!
Harboring the grand ambition of opening up the possibility of pleasure conditioning, Hye-yong used the Inner World Intrusion Buff on himself, preparing to commit forced molestation on Lanfang.