The Price of Obedience
Using the Sky Lens, El-Lena watched as Choi Minseo lost all sense of self at the sight of the pink powder. As she swayed the cherry-blossom-colored clouds back and forth, Minseo’s gaze remained fixed, unable to look away. "My dear Minseo, do you want this?"
"Ye-yeah…." She nodded, her hips pushing back in a way that made her look no different than a hungry puppy waiting for a treat. I pulled out a lighter and heated the bottom of the thin metal plate holding the powder. As the scent began to rise, I brought it to Choi Minseo’s nose, and she stuck out her tongue, wearing an ecstatic smile.
"Minseo, do you want to dream?"
"Yes, yes. I want to, I want to dream."
"Are you going to listen to Oppa?"
"I’ll listen well…."
"Then you have to ask politely. If you don't listen, I won't give it to you, okay?"
At the mention of not getting it, Choi Minseo pouted and twisted her shoulders, looking up at me and whispering as if begging. "I, I’ll listen well… Uiseok Oppa, I want to dream. It was so hard without you… Huh…? No, Oppa is right here. Yes. P-please. Quickly, quickly."
I took out a straw and shoved it into Choi Minseo’s nostril. She flinched. "Ugh. *Sniff*. *Snnniiiff*." She greedily inhaled the pink powder. In an instant, it was absorbed through her respiratory system and circulated into her body. The powder became molecules, infiltrating her synapses.
"…Haa. Ughhh—" Choi Minseo’s body went limp, her muscles relaxing. Her entire frame began to sag, so I yanked the collar tightly to pull her back up. Choi Minseo stood there, trembling, with only the tips of her toes barely touching the ground.
"Haa— Uiseok— Oppa— Somi— Unnie—" Her focus was already fixed on the void. She was seeing hallucinations.
"Choi Minseo." I called her name in a low voice.
"Yes— Oppa—"
"Remember."
"Remember—"
"To orders."
"Obedience."
"To orders."
"Obedience."
"To orders."
"Obedience."
"To orders?"
"Obe— dience—"
"And if you don't obey?"
THUD! I drove my knee into Choi Minseo’s abdomen.
"Ugh— Ugh—"
"If you don't obey, you are trash. A loser with no talent and no recognition. A dropout of the Hero Academy."
"Ah, ah? Ah—" Choi Minseo’s eyes began to pour out tears as if they were broken.
"No, no, no, no, I, I’m sorry— I’m sorry— I’m sorry— Ah, ahhhhhhh—"
After scraping her throat raw, she suddenly stopped, a smile without a hint of worry spreading across her face. "Uiseok— Oppa— Yes— I— did well—"
"To orders?"
"Obe— dience—"
Afterward, I handled Choi Minseo a bit more. To be so completely lost to oneself, drugged and broken. Once the work was appropriately finished, I threw Choi Minseo into the cage.
"Is it okay to leave her like that?"
"It isn't. Have the subordinates watch her, and I’ll finish dealing with her when she wakes up. It’s a waste to spend all day on this. Lua, let’s go back to the hideout."
"Okay."
Choi Minseo woke up with a headache. How much time had passed? She wasn't particularly curious. Only a pleasant feeling remained. "Minseo, did you sleep well?"
A gentle voice reached her ears. There was the face of Jung Uiseok, handing her a warm cup of coffee. Choi Minseo took the coffee, took a sip, and fell into a state of deep emotion. "You remember my taste."
"Of course. It’s our Minseo’s coffee, isn't it? You were good last night, weren't you?"
"Last night…." Choi Minseo traced her memories. Handcuffs on her wrists and a dog collar around her neck. She also remembered being treated somewhat roughly. Choi Minseo blushed. What embarrassed her even more was that those rough touches had been quite exciting and pleasant. Her lower abdomen ached. Choi Minseo stroked below her navel without realizing it. A throbbing pain remained.
"Go back to the Association now. Everyone will be worried."
"Ah, yes. Oppa, when… when can I see you again?"
"Seeing each other too often is a bit much, so how about in a few days? I’m a bit busy these days."
"Yes, ye-yes."
"And don't forget to bring it next time? The item I lost."
"Ah, I understand."
"Don't bring it in pieces; you have to bring all of it, okay?"
"All of it? Bringing all of it might be a bit difficult… the quantity is large…"
"Minseo." Jung Uiseok murmured in a low voice.
"To orders." Choi Minseo answered as if bewitched.
"Obedience."
Jung Uiseok showed a gentle smile. "I, I’ll try…." Choi Minseo slowly left the spot.
"Chairman, all processes for the project have been completed as scheduled."
"Prepare it."
"Yes."
After receiving the report, Yoo Chaemi boarded the hidden elevator in the chairman's office. It was a direct line to the basement. She activated the perception-jamming equipment. When the doors opened, organization members were waiting in rows on both sides. In the center was a luxury sedan for her. As Yoo Chaemi, now in the guise of El-Lena, boarded, the sedan moved. Several vehicles escorted her without a gap. They moved through the underground passage and onto the road. A double life as the chairman of L Corporation and the boss of Shinseongsu. El-Lena had led Shinseongsu even before taking the chairman position. Therefore, she was accustomed to this life.
The destination was the south. The Sky Lens Project was being conducted by modifying a military missile launch facility. She had heard the report that this research, which she had invested massive capital into as soon as she took the chairman position, had finally borne fruit.
'A joyous day, indeed.'
El-Lena looked out the window with eyes filled with subtle anxiety. If it had been the original schedule, there would have been no worries at all. But.
'The Sky Lens Project will fail.'
Now, the words of that Yongin bothered her too much. Arriving at the site, El-Lena headed straight to the control room. She looked through the reinforced glass. An 80-meter-tall, magnificent missile launcher. In the cylindrical space, thirteen layers of giant lenses were installed. Below them, using the space very inefficiently, was something like a surgical table where only one person could lie down.
"Preparation is perfect. There hasn't been a single error in 1,200 simulations. 'Evolving the awakening mechanism of an ability user to strengthen their ability beyond the growth limit.' The Sky Lens operates ideally." The project manager reported to El-Lena. She agreed with that opinion. She personally reviewed every formula and piece of equipment.
"As you know, the operation of the Sky Lens requires a budget of 1.12 trillion won at once. It also takes 6 months of preparation. I knew the Boss originally planned to use it immediately, but…" The manager trailed off.
El-Lena knew the reason. It was because she had additionally ordered them to prepare a 'test ability user' a while ago. The Sky Lens was, of course, an item she was originally going to use herself. She didn't care about the money for re-operation. But this was a project she had prepared for four years. Wait another six months here? El-Lena didn't have that much patience.
'…Georgius.'
If it weren't for that man, there would have been no reason to worry.
"Boss, what shall we do?"
"What about the tester?"
"Prepare her."
Receiving the manager's signal, a woman in a lab coat emerged on the ground. She was similar in age and build to El-Lena. She listened to the researchers' instructions and whispered toward the prepared humanoid drone. "Burn!"
Weakly, fire ignited on the drone's shoulder. "She is a verbal ability user like the Boss. She is a low-level member of Shinseongsu. As you can see, her ability is weak and she only uses one verbal command, so she is a D-class villain, but I believe meaningful data measurement is possible."
The female tester, who had been listening to the researcher's explanation, looked around and discovered El-Lena in the control room. She bowed and expressed her ambition. "I will do my best! Thank you for the opportunity!"
El-Lena agonized until the very last moment. Thinking of Georgius's face made her irritation flare up again. SNAP! She folded her fan and steeled her heart. "Leave it to that girl."
"Understood."
The general manager signaled with a hand gesture. The researchers moved. The female tester was placed on the surgical table. Her body was tied with belts, and she was injected with all sorts of fluids. She had a slightly nervous expression. Clunk, clunk. The angles of the lenses were adjusted. It was the middle of the night. There was no incoming sunlight.
"Activate."
Power was supplied. Starlight gathered. A very thin, fine beam of light shone down on the tester's forehead. 1.7 seconds. The process ended in just that much time. Immediately after— FLASH, BOOM! Light erupted from the tester's body. El-Lena slightly frowned. A mysterious beam of light wrapped around the tester's body. Her expression had become much lighter. The tester stood up. The researchers checked her physical condition and took her back in front of the drone. The tester used her ability. "Burn!"
That moment. KWA-KWA-KWA-BOOM!! The elements in the atmosphere split and exploded as if shot, tearing the drone apart. It wasn't a burning phenomenon. Her verbal ability had clearly evolved into another dimension.
"It's a success." The manager nodded. The tester also looked at the light wrapped around her hands as if she couldn't believe it.
'…Tsk.'
El-Lena clicked her tongue. She should have used the Sky Lens herself. She had been played by Georgius. That was the extent of the enhancement when a D-class villain used it. How much would her own ability, an SSS-class, have been enhanced? There was no meaning in that imagination anymore. It had become useless. Georgius's goal must have been to delay her by six months to buy time. El-Lena judged quickly. She had to declare war on Vengeance immediately and annihilate them. From the fact that he took 2nd place in the Nameless ranking, Georgius was an enemy she shouldn't ignore. The moment she judged so.
"Ahhh— Ahhhhhhhhhhh?!"
A bone-chilling scream began to pierce the ears of everyone in the room.
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts— AHHHHHH!!!"
The female tester. Her body was melting, starting from the center, only on the left side. It was turning green. Holes were opening, smoke was rising, and it was twisting grotesquely. "I hate it! I hate it! I ha—"
Perhaps her pain had reached its limit, as the tester slumped to the ground, unable to even scream. The researchers approached to try and calm her, but she went berserk and began exploding everything around her. The bodies of several researchers were blown apart. The concrete collapsed, and vibrations occurred. Unable to bear it any longer, El-Lena opened her mouth.
"'Rotate'."
It was just one word. With an unpleasant sound, the tester's neck spun three times. The light that had wrapped around her was nowhere to be seen, and her powerless body slumped to the floor.
"Th-this, what on earth…."
The manager and researchers were speechless. El-Lena looked at the corpse of the fallen tester and gritted her teeth. Her hideous, ruined half-body. Imagining that if she had made the wrong choice, it would have been her own body that melted away like that.