The Girl Who Only Wanted to Be a Hero
The Hero Alliance's method for selecting heroes was simple. Those with the will to become heroes would challenge the Alliance's regular recruitment, and among them, those whose strength and mindset were deemed worthy would be chosen. Occasionally, heroes were also created through special experiments and surgeries, and it was not uncommon for the Alliance to directly contact and scout powerful ability users or technicians.
And there was one other method of selecting heroes that had existed until a few years ago but had since disappeared. It involved nurturing students who entered the 'Hero Training Academy' into full-fledged heroes. Former and current heroes from the Alliance were assigned as instructors, providing customized education and training based on each student's abilities or skills. On paper, it sounded like an innovative elite course. But the reality was far from that. The place was not a gathering of righteous sprouts aspiring to become heroes—it was more like a factory producing 'villain-slaying weapons.'
The Academy, which had barely operated for a single year before vanishing, was gone. After the Academy system was abolished, the girl named Seo Ah-rin who had disappeared somewhere had been one of its students.
A girl with sky-blue hair who had admired the cool heroes she saw on TV as a child. Unlike her peers, she had dreamed of becoming a hero. But the power she possessed was far too weak to become one. All she could do was shoot water streams that only tickled slightly even when sprayed directly on skin, or create water droplets that burst the moment they touched her fingertips.
"Hah… haaah…!"
Even when she trained alone with all her might, Ah-rin's ability showed no signs of growing stronger. She was merely growing up as a child with slightly better stamina than others and a peculiar personality. As time passed and the moment came to consider high school, Ah-rin, searching for a school to attend, came across an advertisement on the internet that would change her life in many ways.
"Hero… Academy…?"
At the time, the Hero Academy was heavily promoting itself to recruit students after its establishment. The resonance of the words 'Hero Academy' displayed on the ad screen moved Ah-rin.
"Sweetheart… are you sure about this…?"
Ah-rin's mother had left home for unknown reasons before Ah-rin could even speak properly, so her father had raised her alone with all his devotion. Now that the daughter he had cherished so much was saying she wanted to do such a dangerous job where she might lose her life, even though Ah-rin was an obedient child, he couldn't help but worry.
"It's fine, Dad! I've wanted to be a hero since I was little. I won't make you worry, so at least cheer me on with all your heart!"
"Yeah… I'll cheer for my daughter! If not her dad, who else would cheer for our girl?"
It was a parent's belief that this child could overcome such hardships. The heart of a parent who wanted their child to spread their wings with the dreams and hopes they desired, unlike themselves. With her father's support, Ah-rin barely passed the Hero Academy entrance exam and began her life there with an excited heart. But the life Ah-rin would experience at the Academy was not a bright and hopeful future.
"You're going to cry and complain over just this much? Do you think you can become a hero who protects the city and its citizens with that kind of attitude?"
Every day began with waking up at 5 a.m., followed by six hours of morning physical training, a short lunch and rest, then another five hours of combat training, and after dinner, about four hours of theoretical education. The curriculum was so intense that even a sturdy adult would struggle to endure it—three years with no days off, and countless sparring matches against active heroes just to advance to the next grade. But the curriculum wasn't the only problem.
"Snacks or drinks outside of meal times are prohibited. As a hero, you don't need such things to cultivate a strong body and mind."
"Phone calls, watching television, and using the internet are all prohibited. You may only view educational books and videos available in the Academy library."
Besides the short meal times, snacks or other foods were banned. Under the pretext of mental discipline, all contact with the outside world and entertainment were completely forbidden. For young students who weren't even twenty yet, the Academy's training and lifestyle rules were far too harsh and burdensome.
'I didn't think it would be this hard…'
And this was true even for Ah-rin, who had yearned to become a hero more than anyone. Within just a few months, she was pushed to her physical limits, spending each day thinking she wanted to quit right away. But if she left the Academy like this, wouldn't she never become a hero? If she returned home in such a ragged state, wouldn't her dad be sad? Ah-rin simply couldn't bring herself to leave the Academy.
As the days passed, the number of students unable to keep up with the curriculum increased exponentially, and incidents of students leaving on their own or getting seriously injured became frequent. The Alliance running the Academy was not unaware of this.
"At this rate, there won't be a single student left in the Academy."
"Aren't we ruining future heroes with this flawed training method?"
Whenever reporters swarmed in with testimonies from students and parents who had escaped the Academy, the response was always that they simply lacked talent or that the stories were exaggerated. They never acknowledged that the curriculum or teaching methods were wrong. Instead, they blamed the students' weak stamina and abilities, recommending experiments at the research institute or specially manufactured enhancers.
'If I take that… maybe my body will hold up.'
Since Ah-rin had been driven to the brink both physically and mentally, she couldn't resist the temptation of the experiments and drugs. After making the first wrong choice of entering the Hero Academy, Ah-rin made a second wrong choice by participating in the experiments and taking the drugs. However, those experiments and drugs were part of a plan to turn weak students into powerful human weapons.
"Vital check… there seems to be an issue with protein levels."
"Abnormal symptoms detected in the cardiovascular system. We'll stop the drug administration for now."
She no longer had to endure training that felt like it would break her body, but instead, the experiments and drug administrations with even stronger side effects continued.
"Ooh… with this level of destructive power, it could even destroy a tank…!"
"It's a power comparable to the A-rank heroes currently active."
As severe as the side effects were, the effects of the experiments and drugs were certainly remarkable, showing tremendous improvement in physical capabilities and ability output.
"No… no… I want to stop now… Please let me go…!"
"That's not possible. Didn't you say you wanted to participate in the experiment yourself?"
Because Ah-rin's experimental results were exceptional—comparable to an A-rank hero—the Alliance research institute had no intention of ever letting her go.
"Erase all her memories and thoroughly modify her so she can't resist."
Just like Sena, who had become an experimental subject around the same time, Ah-rin eventually lost all her memories and her name, becoming experimental subject H4302.
A quiet and comfortable unknown space where no noise could be heard. It felt as if she were floating on a shallow lake. Though she shook her head to fight off the drowsiness, for some reason her heavy eyelids showed no sign of opening.
"Open your eyes. Seo Ah-rin."
A voice spoke as if addressing her, who couldn't open her eyes.
"Seo Ah-rin…? Is it talking to me…?"
It was a name that sounded familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before, but it was clearly different from her name, Aqua Marine. Yet for some reason, upon hearing those words, her eyelids—which had seemed like they would never open—lifted far too lightly.
"Where…?"
The reason for the lake-like comfort she had felt when she first regained consciousness. No matter how much she turned her head, there was nothing around her. She stood in a space where only a lake reaching up to her ankles filled the floor. And when she saw her reflection in that lake…
"Ugh…?!"
A sudden, splitting headache began.
"Memories and emotions that someone tried to forcibly erase. But they're only firmly locked away."
"Memories and… emotions…?"
In an instant, countless memories flashed through her mind like waves.
"Ugh… aaagh?!"
The image of her childhood self, who had dreamed of becoming a hero after seeing cool heroes somewhere. The scenery of the Academy that had forced things no young student could possibly endure. The face of the former hero instructor who had recommended she participate in the experiments. The mysterious voice had called her 'Seo Ah-rin' because that was her name before she lost her memories and became an experimental subject.
"You remember everything now. Seo Ah-rin."
Someone had forcefully grabbed the handle of the large door in her mind that had been tightly shut and pulled it open, allowing her to recall everything she had forgotten.
"Ah… why… why even my memories…?"
The painful memories that flooded in brought even greater pain than when they had been locked away.
'I just admired heroes… and only wanted to become one…'
The very beings she had respected and longed for had used that earnest desire to steal away even her memories and name. She could only collapse in agony, tears pouring down.
"It's okay. You did nothing wrong. There are many children who admire and respect heroes when they're young."
The few stiff words of comfort from the mysterious voice. Thanks to that comfort, the flowing tears quickly subsided, but once they stopped, boiling anger began to fill the space they left behind.
"The desire for revenge."
And the mysterious voice spoke as if reading her mind.
"A liberating sense of freedom from no longer having to suffer. Cruel revenge against those who made you suffer. And the hope of living happily in eternal pleasure. A great being who can grant all of that is waiting for you."
"Revenge… liberation… pleasure…?"
- Thump…!♥
"Aah…?!♥♥♥"
The great being. Upon hearing those words…♥ her womb trembled wildly…♥ and she remembered everything she had been doing until she arrived in this space…♥ An immense power and beautiful body that felt stronger than any living creature…♥ And the overwhelming pheromone scent and sticky semen gushing from within…♥ The savior who rescued us—who had been living in pain, having lost even our memories and names—with obscene pleasure…♥ The great Master had been leading Seraphina and me down the path of complete corruption…♥♥
"Now… you know what you have to do, right? Magical Aqua Marine… no. 'Perverted Bitch Slave Devil Aqua Marine'."
Yes. Seraphina, who had led me down the path of corruption, and the great Master who had granted me new power and a new life…♥ I would go to where those two were waiting…♥
All I had to do was accept complete corruption…♥