Chapter 34 – A Charm of 999

"We have something to discuss. Please wait outside."

After sending Sang-hyuk out, Isabella, who was left alone with Seridwen, gradually regained her composure.

"Please, put this on."

"Thank you."

Seridwen, with the student council president's jacket draped over her shoulders, sat down and curled up in the chair. It was partly due to the shame of having shown such a vulnerable side to her junior from her alma mater, but her body, still ignited by their heated lovemaking, would not settle down. Her cheeks remained flushed, her heart raced, and Seridwen, who had been a virgin mere hours ago, found the sensation of him still inside her to be wholly unfamiliar.

"Ms. Seridwen, I came here after receiving a call. Are you feeling alright?"

"…Did I contact you?"

"Well, technically, I contacted you. It was silent for a long time, so I came because I was worried."

Now that she thought about it, she had indeed struggled to get near her smartphone.

In the end, Seridwen couldn't perform complex actions such as 'dialing a number.' Contacting Isabel was not her intention either.

As a call came through, she was rolling around in a jelly-like substance and merely slid the 'Accept Call' button.

Seridwen was utterly incapacitated. It was a hopeless situation unless someone came to her rescue.

At that moment, a helping hand enveloped Seridwen.

She felt a warmth that she would never forget. She thought it would be lovely to stay like this forever. The touch was so warm that it filled the void left by the loss of her limbs. The texture of each fiddling finger remained engraved in her heart, making her tremble with excitement.

"Do you know who that student is?"

"Yes. Kim Sang-hyuk. Ethol Academy, Class 2-F. His younger siblings are exceptional, but he himself has always been a D-grade student."

"He mentioned that as well."

"I am Kim Sang-hyuk. Ethol Academy, Class 2-F, a D-grade academy student."

Considering the circumstances, his self-introduction was amusingly honest.

It was as if they were on a blind date.

And then, in the most lascivious manner, his hips… Oh, the wickedness…

"Ah…."

The memory surfaced vividly.

That incredible lovemaking, it made Seridwen restless.

'All because of me. Even his guilt-ridden expression was so sexy…'

…It's maddening. I want to cover his entire body in kisses.

I wish I could hold him tight and tell him not to feel guilty because of me.

Until now, Seridwen's fellow hunters had always said she seemed uninterested in men, which made her believe she didn't care for them either. How wrong she was.

Her standards were just incredibly high!

Now, if someone didn't look as good as Sang-hyuk, she found it hard to even view them as a man.

"I said I'd heal you," she recalled.

"Mr. Seridwen, no matter how good the results are, this is not a situation we can simply overlook. We must follow the principles."

Even if Seridwen, who could be considered the victim, ended up feeling affection for Sang-hyuk as a result,

The fact of the crime would not vanish.

Especially since the 'principle' Isabella referred to involved isolating individuals with dangerous talents from society, and, in cases of non-cooperation, possibly even killing them.

The narrative is rooted in the Korean Villain Punishment Act. If the executioner holds a position akin to the head of the Villain Correction Department, making Kim Sang-hyuk vanish from the face of the earth starting tomorrow would be no challenge at all.

"…Ah."

"Do you plan to protect him simply because he's an academy student?"

"Why do you loathe him so much?"

"That's…"

"What was his ability? Have you heard about it?"

Isabella divulged everything.

The mechanism of "Personality Excretion."

The fact that Kim Sang-hyuk excreted Seridwen while striking the straw man, and even his deductions.

"However, the straw man story is likely a lie to mitigate his own guilt."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because that's what villains always do. Besides, Kim Sang-hyuk committed this act while his punishment was deferred due to accumulating over 100 penalty points for misconduct and sexual offenses."

Isabella has ample grounds to label Kim Sang-hyuk as an evildoer deserving of retribution.

In contrast to the passionate Isabella, Seridwen's demeanor turned rather icy.

"Well, wouldn't it have been wiser to not step forward if he wanted to lessen his guilt?"

"…"

Seridwen was well-versed in a variety of incantations and useful spells, capable of responding instantly to a sudden assault. Yet, this time, none of them proved effective.

"I'm ashamed to admit it, but I completely failed to identify the attacker, and no one would have guessed that the perpetrator was Kim Sang-hyuk."

"It's not a power that can be concealed indefinitely. Wouldn't he eventually commit a crime using that malevolent skill and end up on the list of suspects?"

"The notion that 'he would have committed a crime later and been caught anyway' is too much of a stretch. As it stands, Kim Sang-hyuk stepped forward to save me when he didn't need to."

If he had only been concerned for his own safety, he wouldn't have divulged his abilities to the student council president. It's evident that he prioritized Seridwen's well-being above all else.

And so, I wish to help.

"Even if the teacher intends to conceal it, I will bring it to light. It's far too dangerous a skill to be kept among the academy students."

"Calm down, Isabelle."

"Has your judgment become clouded simply because you're fond of him?"

"Isn't it your judgment that's clouded because you dislike him?"

Isabella firmly closed her mouth.

There was no reason to like a sexual offender, especially…

"I have no reason to look favorably upon the criminal who raped my respected teacher. Whatever you say, I will handle the situation according to the principles."

'Hmm.'

Persuading Isabella was no easy task.

She was not one to yield to evil…

'Of all people, it had to be Isabella who came… She's a bit stubborn.'

But, on the other hand, she understood.

She might be the one incapable of making a sound judgment, even though she left that possibility open.

Seridwen delved deeper into the conversation.

"What if it truly happened against Sang-hyuk's will? Can we still consider him a mere criminal?"

"The evidence is scarce."

"I have a lead worth considering. 'Personality Expulsion' – it's not a skill, but a power."

"A power? There's no way a D-class academy student could have…"

Power.

It was a power unmistakably separate from skill. Only a select few among SS-class hunters received the favor of external gods, allowing them to wield a power known as 'authority.' There were instances where skills were obtained through the 'blessings' of transcendent beings, but they were differentiated based on whether one used their own power or borrowed from an external god.

"I must have acquired it recently. If I could have controlled a power potent enough to neutralize me since my childhood, my situation would have been far more severe than it is now."

"Is that a judgment you're making as an SS-class hunter?"

"Isabella. It seems you have a point as well?"

Isabella pondered for a moment. The Kim Sang-hyuk she remembered was undeniably a despicable man who constantly engaged in petty acts of sexual harassment. Yet lately, he had been acting unlike himself. He even claimed he had lost his memory. She had allowed him some leeway to discern what sort of scheme he was employing, but now he had obtained this power?

The timing was impeccable.

Yes. It was reasonable to assume there was some connection.

"That power, considering the circumstances, appears to indeed be authority."

Isabella's tone grew somewhat gentler.

"Then it could truly be an accident. If it's merely a mischievous act by an external deity that grants excessive power, perhaps we should view it with sympathy."

"…"

Divine powers bestowed by external gods don't necessarily

meticulously assess the recipient's qualifications before granting them.

There are instances, though not many, where a person's ordinary life is shattered by the sudden acquisition of such power…

"Master Seridwen,"

"Yes?"

"Do you believe that what just transpired in this room was a clear act of 'rescue'?"

"…"

Seridwen nodded.

The perspective shifts depending on whether one perceives the act in this room as rape or as rescue.

"It was I who pleaded for more. There's nothing I can do."

"What if it wasn't your complete will?"

"There's no way to verify that now… I'm already a different person than I was a mere second ago."

Silence.

Isabella heaved a deep sigh. Her blue eyes glistened with moisture.

"Ultimately, I couldn't do anything. In the face of the teacher's crisis… all I could do was stand at the door."

"It's alright, Isabelle. I'm so glad that you're the one who came to help me."

"Teacher…"

"I'm not saying that Sang-hyuk is completely innocent, either. It's true that he possesses a dangerous power if left unchecked."

Sang-hyuk's friends may not understand the gravity of the situation,

but the ability to excrete personalities was a force that could create massive ripples in society.

Especially if it were used for evil…

"What will you do now?"

"I need some time to gather my thoughts. Can you wait a bit?"

"…Yes."

"Don't bother them. After all, they saved my life. We must acknowledge that, right?"

Nodding…

Isabelle nodded her head, disheartened.

"It's a complicated emotion, difficult to simply express gratitude."

"Nevertheless, please convey my thanks on my behalf. Today, I just don't think I can face them and talk…"

"Understood."

Will they understand, too?

Today had been overwhelming, and Seridwen desperately needed time to herself.

She felt on the verge of madness, not knowing what to request—perhaps something like, "Hold me all night."

Her womb had swelled, filled with his seed after their passionate lovemaking…

"I need to take birth control pills," she thought.

The academy, which was supposed to be a sanctuary like "home," had become the stage for their relentless affair. Seeking respite, Seridwen temporarily fled to a hotel.

After taking the contraceptive, she indulged in a warm shower. Catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, she felt a surge of pride.

"Even without the titles of SS-class hunter or master, wouldn't I still be worth it?"

She wondered if she had been enough for her lover.

Though the thought of being a burdensome older sister weighed on her mind, she couldn't help but feel that she was beautiful in her own right.

"But still…"

Recalling the maddening pleasure that made her cry out in ecstasy, and her eyes glazed and excited by his manhood, she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her.

"If I were a man, I think I would have awakened something within me…"

Seridwen wished to maintain her composure and grace even in the throes of passion.

But what could she do when her body betrayed her desires?

It was her first time realizing that sex could be such an extraordinary experience.

Does everyone undergo this kind of encounter?

'Uh, no…'

He must be special.

Seridwen suddenly found herself enveloped by a sense of longing she had never experienced before.

The jelly-like sensation had subsided.

She couldn't help but desire his touch once more.

'Oh no. Have I been brainwashed?'

And yet, she didn't dislike this newfound yearning.

Her heart swelled with the anticipation of seeing him again…

"Haah, hmm…"

This time, while looking in the mirror,

Seridwen carefully scraped off the thick semen with her fingers, recreating the enticing panting she had wanted to show Kim Sang-hyuk.

The viscous semen continued to flow…

'If I don't take the contraceptive, I'll definitely become pregnant…'

It kept seeping out, no matter how much she scraped.

It was almost astounding…