Chapter 37: Elena with Sky Lens.

Choi Min-seo couldn’t come to her senses at the sight of the pink powder.

As the cherry blossom-colored powder swayed in the air, her gaze was locked on it, unable to look away.

“Our Min-seo, do you want to try this?”

“Yes, yes…”

She nodded eagerly, pushing her hips back like a puppy anticipating a treat.

A lighter was brought out, heating the bottom of the powder on a thin iron plate. The rising scent was wafted toward Choi Min-seo’s nose, and she stuck out her tongue, smiling ecstatically.

“Min-seo, do you want to dream?”

“Yes, yes. I want honey, I want honey.”

“Will you listen to me?”

“I will listen…”

“Then you should ask nicely. If you don’t, I won’t give it to you.”

When he hinted at withholding it, Choi Min-seo’s shoulders hunched, and tears welled in her eyes. Looking up at him with a pleading expression, she whispered, “I-I will listen to you… Oppa Ui-seok, I want to dream. It was so hard without you… Huh…? No, oppa is here. Yes. Please give it to me. Hurry, hurry.”

A straw was taken out and placed in Choi Min-seo’s nose.

Choi Min-seo flinched.

“Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.”

She inhaled the pink powder greedily, the substance rapidly absorbed into her body through her respiratory system, spreading instantly. The powder dissolved into molecules and penetrated her synapses.

“…Hah. Ueeee—”

Choi Min-seo’s body lost all strength, her muscles slackening. As her body sagged, a leash was pulled to keep her upright. Her toes barely touched the ground as she trembled.

“Haa—Ui-seok—Oppa—So—mi—Unnie—”

Her focus shifted to an empty space. She was hallucinating.

“Choi Min-seo.”

Her name was called in a low voice.

“Yes—Oppa—”

“Remember.”

“Remember—”

“On orders.”

“Obey.”

“On orders.”

“Obey.”

“On orders?”

“Bok—Jong—”

“And if you don’t obey?”

Bam!

A knee struck Choi Min-seo’s stomach.

“Uwup—Uwup—”

“If you don’t obey, you’re trash. A loser with no talent, no recognition. A failure at Hero Academy.”

“Ah, ah? Ah—”

Tears began to pour from Choi Min-seo’s eyes like broken faucets.

“Ah—no, no, no, no, no, I-I’m sorry—sorry—Hae-mi—An—Ah, ahhhh—”

Her voice cracked, scraping her vocal cords, before breaking into silence again. A vacant smile slowly spread across her face.

“Ui-seok-Oppa—Yes—I—Did well—”

“What about the orders?”

“Bok—Jong—”

More was done to Choi Min-seo, ensuring she was thoroughly broken under the influence of the drug. By the time the task was complete, she looked entirely lost, consumed by the substance.

She was placed inside a cage.

“Can you just leave her like that?”

“Of course not. I’ll have my subordinates watch over her and tend to her when she wakes up. There’s no point in wasting time here. Lua, let’s head back to the hideout.”

“Yeah.”

When Choi Min-seo woke up, her head throbbed.

She had no idea how much time had passed, but it didn’t bother her. She felt good.

“Min-seo, did you sleep well?”

A gentle voice greeted her, accompanied by Jeong Ui-seok’s face, holding a cup of warm coffee.

Choi Min-seo took a sip of the coffee, overwhelmed with emotion.

“You remembered how I like it.”

“Of course. It’s our coffee. Did you enjoy last night?”

“Last night…”

Choi Min-seo recalled the events vividly. Handcuffs had restrained her wrists, and a dog collar had been fastened around her neck. She also remembered being handled roughly.

Choi Min-seo blushed deeply.

What flustered her even more was how the rough touch had excited her. It was strangely pleasant. Her lower abdomen tingled with residual sensations. Unconsciously, Choi Min-seo stroked the area below her navel, where a dull throbbing ache remained.

“Now, go back to the association. Everyone must be worried.”

“Oh, yes. When can I meet you again, oppa?”

“Not too often. Let’s say in a few days? I’m a little busy these days.”

“Yes, yes.”

“And don’t forget to bring the things I lost next time. Do you want me to bring them all?”

“All of them? That’ll be a little difficult… There’s so much…”

“Min-seo.”

Jeong Ui-seok spoke in a low voice.

“As per orders.”

Choi Min-seo responded almost mechanically, as if under a spell.

“Obey.”

Jeong Ui-seok smiled affectionately.

“No, I’ll try…”

Choi Min-seo slowly left the seat.

“Chairman, the entire project process has been completed as scheduled.”

“Get ready.”

“Yes.”

After receiving the report, Yoo Chae-mi boarded the concealed elevator in the chairman’s office. This elevator led directly to the basement.

She activated the recognition-deterring equipment before the doors opened. Inside the basement, organization members stood in neat rows on both sides.

In the center, a luxury sedan awaited her.

As Yoo Chae-mi, now known as Elena, got in, the sedan began to move. Several escort vehicles surrounded her for protection.

She traveled through an underground passage before emerging onto the open road.

Elena lived a double life—she was both the chairman of El Corporation and Shin Sung-soo’s boss.

She had been leading Shin Sung-soo long before becoming chairman, so this life was second nature to her.

Her destination was in the south.

The Sky Lens Project was underway at a repurposed military missile launch facility. Elena had recently received a report that the research, which had consumed a massive amount of capital since the start of her chairmanship, had finally borne fruit.

‘It’s a happy day.’

Elena gazed out the window, her eyes betraying a subtle worry.

Under normal circumstances, there would be no cause for concern. However…

‘The Sky Lens Project will fail.’

The dragon’s words lingered in her mind like an ominous shadow.

Upon arriving at the site, Elena headed directly to the control room.

Beyond the reinforced glass, she could see it—a magnificent missile launcher towering 80 meters high.

Thirteen massive lenses were layered within a cylindrical structure, creating an impressive visual.

Beneath the lenses, there was an operating table, just large enough for a single person to lie down. It was an inefficient use of the expansive space.

“The preparations are flawless. There hasn’t been a single error in 1,200 simulations.”

The project manager stood beside Elena, providing a detailed report.

“The Sky Lens’s primary function is to evolve the ability user’s flowering mechanism, enhancing their abilities beyond their natural growth limits. The system is functioning perfectly.”

Elena nodded in agreement.

She had personally reviewed the formulas and inspected each piece of equipment herself.

“As you’re aware, the Sky Lens operation costs 1.12 trillion won per use.”

“It also takes six months to prepare. I originally thought the boss planned to use it right away, but…”

The manager trailed off.

Elena understood the hesitation. She had specifically ordered them to prepare a “test user” in advance.

The Sky Lens was something she had naturally intended to use herself. The cost of restarting it was irrelevant to her. However, this project had taken four years to prepare. Waiting another six months? Elena didn’t have the patience for that.

George.

If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have to worry about such delays.

“Boss, what should we do?”

“What about the tester?”

“They’re ready.”

At the signal from the person in charge, a woman wearing a gown appeared on the ground. She was of a similar age and build to Elena. After listening to the researchers’ instructions, she directed her attention to the prepared humanoid drone and muttered softly.

“Burn!”

A faint flame ignited on the drone’s shoulder.

“She’s a voice user, like the boss,” explained the researcher. “A low-level member of the Shin Sung-soo organization. As you can see, her powers are weak, and she only uses a single voice command, so she’s classified as a D-class villain. Still, I believe we can gather meaningful data.”

The female tester, who had been listening intently, glanced around and spotted Elena in the control room. Bowing respectfully, she declared with determination, “I will work hard! Thank you for giving me this opportunity!”

Elena hesitated, her decision wavering until the very last moment.

George’s face surfaced in her mind, stoking her irritation.

Knock!

She folded her fan decisively.

“Leave it to that child.”

“Understood.”

The general manager signaled with his hand, and the researchers sprang into action.

The female tester climbed onto the operating table. Straps secured her body, and a series of injections were administered. She looked visibly nervous.

Knock, knock.

The angles of the lenses were adjusted with precision.

It was midnight. No sunlight penetrated the facility.

“Start.”

The power was activated. Starlight began to converge, forming a thin, precise beam of light that struck the tester’s forehead.

1.7 seconds.

The entire process was completed in that short span of time.

Then—

Flash! Boom!

Light erupted from the tester’s body.

Elena furrowed her brow slightly.

A mysterious glow enveloped the tester, whose expression seemed lighter and more at ease.

The tester stood up. Researchers quickly assessed her condition and directed her to the drone.

“Burn!” she commanded.

At that instant—

Kwakwakwakwang!

The air itself seemed to ignite and explode, shredding the drone into fragments.

This was no ordinary burning. Her words had evolved to an entirely new dimension of power.

“It’s a success,” the project manager confirmed with a nod.

The tester stared at the glowing light surrounding her hands, disbelief written across her face.

…Tsk.

Elena clicked her tongue in frustration.

She should have used the Sky Lens herself.

To think she had been outmaneuvered by George.

A D-class villain could achieve this level of power. How much stronger would her SSS-class ability have become?

The thought was maddening.

But there was no point in imagining what could have been. It was too late.

George’s true objective had been clear—to delay her by six months and buy himself time.

Elena made a swift decision.

She would declare war on Vengeance and annihilate it immediately.

Ranked second in the Nameless rankings, George was an adversary she could no longer afford to ignore.

Just as this resolve solidified—

“Aaah—Aaaah!”

The light surrounding the tester abruptly vanished, and her body crumpled to the floor.

“T-what is this…?”

The person in charge and the researchers were stunned into silence.

Elena clenched her teeth as she stared at the fallen tester.

Half of the tester’s body was grotesquely disfigured, charred beyond recognition.

Elena shuddered, imagining the grim possibility—if she had made the wrong choice, it would have been her body that melted away like that.