“…Who?”
Han Sua’s lips parted, her voice laced with a subtle air of indifference.
Her tone was utterly flat, as if I held no interest for her whatsoever.
Her gaze remained fixed on her smartphone. ‘Wow, not even looking?’
“My name is Kim Woojin from the General Studies department. I have something I’d like to discuss with you briefly. Do you perhaps have a moment?”
“What kind of General Studies student…”
“Just leave it. Have there only been one or two like that? They don’t know Sua’s personality…”
The murmurs from those around us served as her answer.
Judging by their words, it seemed there was a whole truckload of people who, oblivious to their place, had tried to cozy up to her only to be brutally rejected.
‘Was I suddenly being treated as one of them?’
“Haa…”
Han Sua let out a deep sigh. Her palpable annoyance made it clear she, too, was unequivocally lumping me into that category.
‘Somehow, this situation has taken a strange turn, hasn’t it?’
“I’m sorry, but I…”
“?”
Just as Han Sua finally turned her head to utter a refusal, her lips abruptly pressed shut.
Her sudden change of demeanor was utterly baffling. Regardless, she simply continued to scrutinize me, as if dissecting every detail.
Then, ever so slightly, she gave a gentle nod, almost pulling her chin inward.
“What do you want to say?”
At Han Sua’s single utterance, a sudden commotion erupted around us. The murmuring, like a receding wave, soon filled the entire classroom.
Truth be told, even I was a little surprised.
‘This actually worked?’ Judging by her attitude, I had fully expected a harsh rejection.
I had even been contemplating more overt methods. ‘This certainly makes things easier.’
“It’s a bit difficult to talk here. Could we perhaps go somewhere quieter for a moment?”
“…Fine.”
Nodding readily, Han Sua led the way out of the classroom. Leaving the noisy room behind, I followed her.
****
After walking for some time, Han Sua led me to a utility room located down a sparsely populated corridor.
“So, what’s your business?”
*Drrrk, Thud!*
“I’d appreciate it if you’d get straight to the point. I don’t particularly enjoy wasting time.”
Slamming the door shut, Han Sua immediately snapped at me with a fierce tone. Her complete reversal in attitude, from initial indifference to outright aggression, was somewhat disorienting.
She then added, almost as an afterthought, “Your eyes were different from those dazed fools, so I thought I’d see what you wanted… but if your reason is trivial, you’d best be prepared.”
‘Huh.’
I let out a hollow laugh, utterly dumbfounded. So there was a reason she had deliberately sought out and led me to this secluded utility room?
‘Is a hero really allowed to speak so brazenly?’ Considering Han Sua’s true identity, however, it seemed quite fitting for her.
‘Perfect. This way, there’s no need to beat around the bush.’
‘I don’t particularly enjoy wasting time, either.’
‘Let’s get straight to it.’
“Han Sua, aren’t you being a little too brazen?”
I said, intentionally plastering a smile across my face. Han Sua subtly furrowed her brow, appearing utterly bewildered.
“What are you suddenly talking about…”
“No, it’s just that.”
Again, I deliberately cut her off, interrupting her mid-sentence. The more annoyed Han Sua became, the better for me. I viewed each interaction as a strategic move for what was to come.
I glanced at Han Sua’s expression. It was clear at a glance that she was offended by the unexpected insult.
‘At least, things are progressing well.’
I curled my lips into a sneer, crafting a voice brimming with mockery.
“Does it make sense for a villain to hide their identity and enroll in the Hero Department?”
“…”
The air around us instantly grew heavy.
Han Sua froze, her movements ceasing abruptly. Her crimson eyes, unblinking, fixed on me with a fierce intensity.
Then, with an even more chilling voice, she spoke.
“…What exactly do you mean by that?”
On the surface, it might have seemed like anger at a baseless insult, but I knew better than anyone that it was not.
Without a hint of concern, I calmly continued.
“Hwaryeon Group, it’s actually a villain organization, isn’t it?”
“…”
“Last week’s city hall bombing, that was your doing. Shall I list more? Three weeks ago, the C-Company headquarters raid, and last month, the cruise ship hijacking…”
‘This is why cheating is so convenient.’
‘All I had to do was rattle off what was in my notes.’
“I could list even more, if you wish. How could anyone live without fear? Huh? To think that Korea’s number one corporation was actually run by villains. And for their daughter to hide her true identity and even infiltrate the Academy (TL Note: ‘Yoram,’ a specialized hero training institution) pretending to be a hero…”
“…”
Han Sua remained silent, her chilling eyes simply glaring at me. Soon, a translucent something began to shimmer around her, as if heat haze were rising from her form.
Finally, Han Sua’s crimson eyes gleamed, and she spoke in a low voice.
“…How did you know?”
“Well, why should I tell you that… *Cough!*”
In an instant, a bizarre distortion unfolded before my eyes, as if space itself stretched and contracted.
I found myself slammed against the wall, my head reeling from the impact. My feet dangled uselessly in the air, thrashing repeatedly.
My breath came in ragged gasps, as if an invisible hand were squeezing my throat. An unpleasant sensation, like my lungs were being crushed, gradually consumed me.
With blurring vision, I looked ahead. Han Sua remained standing perfectly still in the same spot, merely glaring at me. Each time she extended her arm forward and clenched her fist in the air, the pain in my throat intensified.
‘Telekinesis.’
This was the power Han Sua possessed. It was also the source of her ranking among the top three of this batch of students.
Although her raw combat power might be inferior to Yuha’s, it was a versatile ability, useful for rescue, support, and many other applications.
‘It’s a darkly ironic joke that she, the wielder of such power, is not a hero but a villain.’
“*Gasp, choke…*”
Regardless, my initial objective had been achieved. Despite her seemingly calm exterior, Han Sua was clearly enraged.
Even as my breath was being squeezed from me, I subtly hid my trembling hand. Then, with all my might, I snapped my fingers.
*Click!*
[Skill: Puppet Show is being used on the target…]
[Failure!]
[The target is excessively powerful!]
‘What?’
‘Damn it all…’
I involuntarily swallowed a curse. ‘Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.’
I had thought that with her identity exposed and her anger ignited, her mind might be somewhat shaken. ‘Was this still not enough?’
“Tell me. How did you track me down?”
“Why should I tell you that… *Cough, choke…!*”
The force strangling my throat intensified. Han Sua, a cold smile gracing her lips, slowly took a step forward.
“Are you some kind of secret agent from the Management Bureau? Huh?”
“*Gasp, cough…!*”
“It seems you’d do well to speak quickly. What if you suffocate and die here?”
“*Cough…!* You’ve got some nerve… thinking you’d get away with murder inside the Academy…”
“Oh, that’s perfectly fine.”
Han Sua cut me off without a moment’s hesitation, as if no thought was needed.
“I can just say you were attacked by a villain spy.”
“*Cough…* You’re trying to pin that on me…”
“Do you know how much Hwaryeon sponsors the Academy every year? If I say it, they’ll believe me implicitly.”
Han Sua, now closer, whispered in an overbearing voice.
“So, tell me quickly. If you answer well, I’ll at least send you off painlessly.”
“*Cough, choke…* A corporate heiress… truly has no limits to what she’ll say…”
Yet, I merely grinned.
‘Did she really think I’d die in a place like this? I haven’t even accomplished a quarter of what I need to do for Yuha.’
“It seems you… *cough,* don’t really understand shame, do you…? Which would explain why you write such things…”
“…What?”
Han Sua abruptly halted her steps. Though her voice was seemingly calm as she questioned me, I could distinctly feel it.
Finally, the ripple that had fallen within her.
‘Indeed, that was the correct answer.’
“You… even if it’s anonymous, *cough!* Do you really think it makes sense to post articles praising yourself, not just once, but several times a day?”
“Uh, uh…?”
Her crimson pupils vibrated violently, as if an earthquake had struck. Her previously arrogant posture vanished completely, replaced by a shrunken, intimidated air.
The invisible force gripping my throat had also loosened. I regulated my breathing and calmly continued.
“You, it’s you, isn’t it? The one who constantly uploads posts praising Psyche on the Hero Minor Gallery.”
“H-how did you know that…!”
Han Sua shrieked in astonishment.
Seizing the opportunity, I snapped my fingers.
*Click!*
[Skill: Puppet Show is being used on the target…]
[The target’s mind is severely shaken!]
[Success!]
‘It worked.’
“W-what is this…!”
Han Sua, belatedly regaining her composure, cried out in a panicked voice. Her body, save for her face, remained utterly motionless, as if bound by an unseen force.
The telekinetic grip on my throat vanished instantly. I, who had been floating in mid-air, plummeted to the floor.
*Thud!*
“Ouch… What else could it be?”
I grimaced slightly at the pain in my back as I spoke.
“It means the tables have turned. Ugh, I thought I was going to suffocate… What a peculiar preference…”
Then, I returned a beaming smile to Han Sua, who was glaring at me with her fiery red eyes.
“Your self-love must truly be extraordinary. How can you write posts praising yourself so unashamedly? An ordinary person wouldn’t even dare out of sheer embarrassment.”
“*Hmph!*”
Han Sua’s cheeks flushed crimson. ‘So she isn’t entirely devoid of shame, after all.’
It was fortunate that my hunch had proven correct. No matter how I looked at it, Han Sua seemed to be the clear culprit behind those posts uploaded from the Academy’s public IP address at that particular time.
It was a clue I would have never discovered had I not accidentally seen Han Sua while passing through the corridor with Yuha.
“You filthy, creepy bastard…!”
Han Sua gnashed her teeth furiously. ‘This is absurd. Who is she calling what?’
“Release this, quickly…! While I’m still being nice…!”
“You’re being annoyingly loud. Why don’t you quiet down?”
*Click!*
I snapped my fingers once more. Instantly, Han Sua’s mouth clamped shut, and her eyes widened into perfect circles.
“*Mmmph, mmph!*”
“Well, the problem is that everything you post is a lie. Do you have no conscience? A villain, praising herself as such a great hero. The people who have died by your hand must be weeping.”
“…”
‘Somehow, the gaze from behind me feels sharp.’ ‘Why are their eyes like that? Anyone would think I’d defamed someone.’
I straightened myself and turned around.
Then, looking down at Han Sua, I said coldly.
“Tell me, villain. How many innocent civilians have you killed so far?”
“*Mmph.*”
‘Ah, right. I told her to be quiet.’
I snapped my fingers again.
Han Sua, with a somewhat indignant expression, immediately opened her mouth and replied.
“…Not a single one.”
I opened my eyes slightly, surprised.
[Skill: Puppet Show is being applied to the target…]
‘Hypnosis is definitely in effect.’
‘Which means her words are also the truth.’
‘This is somewhat unexpected.’ ‘Isn’t she the daughter of Han Yuchun, that great evil?’
I had assumed she would have killed a few people without hesitation. ‘Does this mean she hasn’t personally laid a hand on anyone?’
‘…Well, it doesn’t really change much, though.’
“Alright. Next question. Have you recently extracted any information from the Academy and transmitted it externally?”
“I recently hacked the entire internal database and… *Hmph!* What?!”
Han Sua, who had been rattling off her answers, cried out in surprise.
“Y-you, what have you done to me…! Why am I saying these things…!”
Regardless of her outburst, I remained absorbed in my thoughts.
‘So that’s how it was.’
‘Han Sua likely included information related to the Academy’s schedule among the data she handed over.’
‘The practical training raid must have been based on that.’
“T-that’s enough now! Quickly, release…”
“Shut up.”
I snapped fiercely.
“Where does a filthy villainess get off giving orders? Do you even know what this data will be used for?”
“…No. *Ugh.*”
[Skill: Puppet Show is being applied to the target…]
‘Truth, again.’
‘Perhaps she hasn’t received any further orders yet.’
‘For now, I should focus on the significance of having uncovered the cause of the raid.’
‘In that case, it’s time to decide Han Sua’s fate.’
I slowly turned my body. At this, Han Sua slightly gasped and flinched.
“W-what is it?”
“I’m contemplating what to do with you. I’m even thinking about just killing you.”
“*Hmph…*”
“Just kidding. I won’t kill you. You have a much better use than that.”
“U-use, you say…”
Fear flickered in Han Sua’s eyes. Her earlier arrogant demeanor had all but vanished.
In truth, I had already decided what to do with her.
I grinned.
“Han Sua. You’re going to become my puppet.”
“P-puppet…? What does that…”
Han Sua, who had been muttering blankly, suddenly seemed to realize something and snapped back.
“D-do you think I’d do something like that?! I’d rather bite off my tongue and die…!”
“We’ll see? Your mind might change in a little while.”
‘Once hypnosis is successful, turning her into a puppet is easy enough. But that wouldn’t achieve what I truly desire.’
‘What I need now isn’t a puppet with a blurred ego or will, but a subordinate who acts with clear reason.’
‘To achieve that, a prerequisite process is absolutely necessary.’
‘That is, genuine submission.’
‘And right now, I know exactly the right skill for that.’
“W-what are you… N-no, don’t come any closer…!”
I slowly approached her. Han Sua’s eyes trembled with fear.
I looked down at Han Sua and said kindly.
“Han Sua. We’ll talk after you’ve had a good sleep.”
“*Hiccup…* W-what are you going to do to me…!”
Then, before she could even get an answer, I snapped my fingers.
[Skill: Dream Manipulation is being used on the target…]
[Success!]
“Oh…? Where is this…?”
Han Sua’s eyes lost their light and blurred. She was now walking through a dream.
Dream Manipulation. It was one of Marionette’s frequently used torture methods. A skill that could show a target two kinds of dreams.
One was the memory of their happiest moments.
And the other, a truly terrifying nightmare.
Han Sua was currently experiencing a memory from her happiest times. I snapped my fingers once more.
To change her dream into a nightmare.
*Click!*
“S-suddenly, who… *Kyaaah!*”
*Click!*
“*Haa, haa…* Uh…?”
Dream Manipulation was a truly vicious method designed to break a target down to their very core. A good dream serving as a sanctuary from a nightmare was only a fleeting moment.
By alternating between good dreams and nightmares, the boundary between them would eventually collapse.
Eventually, she would realize that even her last sanctuary had been twisted into a nightmare, and ultimately, her mind would shatter, unable to find a moment’s peace.
And in that endless nightmare, she would come to know that there was only one person who could save her.
*Click!*
“*Heeek…!* N-no, don’t come…! Please…!”
*Click!*
“*Hmph, hmph…*”
Han Sua’s small face was now thoroughly stained with tears and screams. ‘A villain, yet she still had tears left to shed.’
No one could escape that place by their own power. I, too, had experienced it.
Han Sua. How long, I wonder, can you endure?
*Click!*
“G-go away! Go away, I said!”
*Click!*
“*Hmph,* w-where is this again… *Kyaaah!*”
*Click!*
“*Cough, cough… Hmph…* Please…”
*Click!*
“*Haa, haa…! Hmph…*”
*Click!*
………
……
…
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”
A voice choked with tears pleaded from below my feet.
Han Sua, clutching my ankle, bowed her head.
Less than ten minutes had passed.
