LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 70 - Dopamine (2)
Jeolggureuk!
With an incredulous gaze, Phantom Luna grasped at the leash now adorning her neck.
“Wh,what is this?!”
Jeolggureuk! Jeolggureuk!
“Take this off!”
“Didn’t you agree to sacrifice yourself?”
“No! Even if I agreed to sacrifice myself, this, this…!”
A flustered Phantom Luna attempted to free herself from the leash.
“Kkyah!!”
With a gentle tug backwards, I halted her efforts.
“…Rrgh…!! I said take it off!”
Perhaps embarrassed at being leashed and dragged along like a dog, Phantom Luna glared up at me with a reddened face.
“Won’t you be my pet…?”
Feigning a dejected expression while covering my mouth, I regarded her plight.
“No!”
“Then I’ll have to kill the civilians.”
“Hah!”
Removing my hand to reveal a transparent smile, Phantom Luna recoiled in revulsion.
“Rrgh…! Just kill me instead!”
“My, what an inflated ego you possess. Do you truly believe your singular life holds equal value to all the other civilians combined?”
“Rrgghh…!!!”
Watching her furious sputtering with amusement, I gave the leash another firm tug, bringing her closer as I whispered in her ear.
“And I’ve grown rather fond of you.”
“Wh,what is that supposed to mean?!”
“Your reactions amuse me, so I’d like to keep you.”
“…I’m not a plaything!!”
As I smiled wryly, Phantom Luna’s face flushed even deeper.
“…Y,you!! Guichok!! Bbaga!! Shine!!”
Glaring at me indignantly, she hissed curses in Japanese.
“In any case, this shall be your penalty. Become my pet for a brief period. It’s not a matter of life or death, merely enduring a bit of humiliation to safely rescue the civilians and yourself. What’s the issue?”
“You, you intend to make me your pet for who knows what depravity!”
“What depravity did you have in mind?”
“Eh.”
My remark momentarily silenced Phantom Luna.
Glancing around at the captive civilians, the nonchalantly snacking Pollia, and the camera she had set up, she let out an exasperated cry:
“…Gui.”
With a flushed face, Phantom Luna tightly shut her eyes and uttered a vehement “bbak” sound.
“Guichok!! Wh,what are you planning to do right in front of everyone?!”
“……”
“The worst! Kuso! Bbaga! I trusted you! Even as a villain, I trusted you Maker!!”
“…That.”
“N,now you intend to subject me to all sorts of indecent acts, like an erotic doujin!!”
“……”
“Like an erotic doujin!!”
“I have yet to say anything of the sort.”
“Tta.”
Why was she jumping to such conclusions on her own?
Regarding Phantom Luna with a genuinely exasperated expression, I continued:
“…Hick.”
Finally realizing her uncalled-for outburst, she hurriedly glanced around in embarrassment.
“Just what sort of fantasies do you indulge in usually…”
“Honestly, that was quite a sight…”
“A real spectacle…”
“Anyone get that on video?”
The hostages began muttering evaluations of the recent situation amongst themselves.
“Th,that girl is a total pervert.”
“W,well, that is…”
Pollia briefly glanced at the murmuring hostages before nonchalantly tossing out a remark while munching on popcorn:
‘And if I were to check the community’s real-time reactions right now…’
Walwalwal!! Eureureurung!! Kungkung!!!! Kreureureureurng!!!
Let’s do that again Jyu-in! Nangnangnang!!
Kreureur…can’t hold it in anymore!!
Quickly create a dual grip formation…! Illuwhite!
As expected, such were the responses.
Judging from the reactions of those present alone, Phantom Luna would likely be unable to withstand the full brunt if she were made aware.
“Did you wish for me to act indecently?”
Startled by my words, she gazed up at me apprehensively.
I smiled faintly while observing her trembling eyes.
“Like an erotic doujin?”
“…Hick.”
Phantom Luna hiccuped softly, lowering her head as tiny droplets began to trickle down.
“I,I’m not…not a pervert…!”
Aah.
This was truly a form of social execution.
Witnessing her socially annihilated in real-time elicited an amused chuckle from me.
Airport entrance.
“Welcome back, Ice Queen.”
Dressed in a suit, the man respectfully greeted the sunglasses-wearing dark-haired woman.
He then opened the rear door, ushering her into the car before taking the driver’s seat and starting the engine.
“Upon hearing of the Korean A-rank hero’s remarkable achievements in Russia, the Association President was overjoyed.”
“……”
“You have indeed elevated Korea’s…”
Tuning out the employee’s words, the woman checked her phone, where a news broadcast was playing.
[I am currently on location at an ongoing act of terrorism. While the identities of the captive civilians are still being verified, the hero deployed is the B+ rank Phantom Luna. The motives behind this A-rank villain Maker’s terror attack remain unclear…]
“……”
“You must be weary, so let’s return you home first…”
“Turn the car around.”
“Pardon?”
“A new destination has come up.”
The Ice Queen, her hair now bearing her trademark pale blue hue, regarded the Association employee with a piercing gaze.
Sarasarasara.
“St,stop petting me…”
Sarasara. Sak.
“I said stop petting me…!”
With reddened eyes, Phantom Luna attempted to evade my caresses.
But her reactions were too endearing for me to resist continuing.
“If, if only the civilians weren’t here, a fiend like you…! A fiend like you…!!”
“Shh, since when could pets speak human tongue?”
“I’m a person…! Being treated like a p,pet…!!”
“Well, if you aren’t a pet, then I may as well dispose of the civilians.”
“…Kkii,kkinggkkiingg…”
At my words, Phantom Luna immediately let out pitiful whimpers akin to a helpless puppy.
It was too amusing a sight.
‘Enduring such humiliation to rescue the civilians, she truly is a genuine hero in that regard.’
Like the Ice Queen previously tormented by tentacles, heroines seemed unwaveringly dedicated to protecting civilians.
Chalkchak! Chalkchak!
‘Although the very civilians they aim to rescue seem content exploiting heroes as mere playthings.’
Similar to the Ice Queen’s tentacle incident, this act of terror would likely become an unforgettable dark history for Phantom Luna as well.
Speaking of the Ice Queen, I wondered how she was faring.
The tentacles…ah right, she had attended the hero exchange program immediately after that concert hall terror incident. With around half a year having passed, she should be due to return soon.
‘She’ll probably try to kill me when we meet again.’
Considering how widely that tentacle footage had spread, the victim herself had undoubtedly endured considerable hardship from various parties.
…Hmm. An inexplicable chill.
‘It’ll be fine, probably?’
For now, I decided to shelve any thoughts about her and focus on the situation at hand.
“You’re quite diligent, Phantom Luna.”
“…Are you mocking me? You’re the one who made me do this!”
“Not many would genuinely comply when ordered. If it were me, I might have simply fled, civilian lives be damned.”
“…Because I’m a hero.”
After a momentary pause, she looked up at me resolutely.
“No matter how humiliating, if I can ultimately rescue everyone safely, I’ll endure it any number of times.”
“…Is that so.”
After her earlier pleas for death…
I barely managed to suppress the urge to retort, instead stroking her head to defuse the tension.
“Does that apply even if they were the ones in the wrong?”
“…As I mentioned before.”
Regardless of how wrong or villainous someone might be, I had no right to arbitrarily execute them, she had said.
Just as she had tried to stop me from killing the B-rank villain Pumpkin – no matter how wicked, her priority was to preserve life first.
“Punishment can come later. Our capable hacker heroes will thoroughly expose their crimes…”
“So you’re saying to release them for now.”
Phantom Luna silently nodded in affirmation.
‘Quite the virtuous soul.’
I stroked her cheek with a tender gaze.
Had it been me, I would have unhesitatingly disposed of such individuals.
Despite their status as criminals, she was averse to them facing undue lethal consequences.
Even after being wronged by both the civilians and myself, her resolve remained unshaken – admirable, indeed.
A part of me wished to applaud such conviction, and yet…
‘My role is to push heroes to the brink of breaking, after all.’
It was still insufficient.
She needed to ponder the essence of heroism further, emerging from that struggle reinforced.
Ceasing my caresses momentarily, I let out an amused chuckle, as if recalling something amusing.
“Could those words only come from an outside observer?”
“…Huh?”
While smiling outwardly, my eyes remained solemn, an undercurrent of subdued loathing seeping into my voice.
‘Doesn’t she just reek of hidden baggage?’
Maintaining my expression, I tugged lightly on the leash, signaling with a gentle tapping motion.
“Those hostages committed rather amusing acts while you were sacrificing yourself.”
Ttak!
With a snap of my fingers, several drones began mobilizing.
Approaching my vicinity, they projected holographic displays.
‘As expected of Glitch, a true S-rank hacker.’
He certainly didn’t hold back in aiding me.
“This is…”
“Comments they posted.”
At this juncture, her convictions likely remained steadfast, merely furrowing her brow slightly – an unremarkable reaction thus far.
However…
“And these are comments directed at you.”
“……”
“Posted in real-time, no less.”
What if the roles were reversed, transforming her from an admonishing authority into a victim?
I began reading aloud the texts displayed in the hologram, gradually:
[Live) The mop bitch whimpering before the villain lolololol]
[Ah ffs Maker is so lucky. Let me have a turn too.]
[As expected of an AV superpower, her ass is so easy lololol]
[Honestly looks like she’s enjoying it lol Pretending to resist for the civilians’ lives is so fkin gross lol]
[Yep slut ex-virgin~ Since she failed at the Mind Body Class, this bitch is a slut ex-virgin.]
…
Numerous other comments continued to flood in, unceasing.
“……”
“What’s…? Why are they saying that?”
“Why are you showing me this all of a sudden?”
“…No way.”
Some of the more perceptive hostages gradually paled, but it was too late to turn back.
“……”
“How does it feel to experience it firsthand?”
At my words, her body trembled violently.
A sense of betrayal? Fury?
With reddened eyes, Phantom Luna whipped her head towards the hostages.
Most of them seemed to grasp the situation, lowering their heads in silence.
She then turned her gaze back towards me.
“Do you still wish to rescue them?”
“……”
She remained silent in response to my inquiry.
“Can you truly embrace even those who vilify you?”
“…Stop it.”
I gently pulled her into an embrace, caressing her back soothingly.
“Aren’t you infuriated? I certainly would have been.”
“I, I…”
“Giving up is also an option.”
“……”
Tenderly wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, I continued:
“Well? If you give up, everything becomes easier.”
…Doridori.
Crumble, and then rise again.
Uphold your own justice, Phantom Luna!
Don’t give up!
While inwardly cheering her on, I persisted with my temptations.
“……”
“Do you still owe any obligation to those who disregard your benevolence?”
“B,but…”
“They all mock you, unaware of your efforts.”
“I…”
A form of tempering process.
Reheating and hammering a completed piece to further refine it.
So do not falter, Phantom Luna!
You can endure! Even if you completely shatter, I will find a way to restore you!!
“I…!”
Just as Phantom Luna seemed poised to assert her resolve, at that very moment!
Kwaaaaaaang!!!!
“Oh?”
Accompanied by a thunderous boom, the door was violently ripped open.
“…Ah.”
And then, slowly entering, was a familiar figure.
‘Why is she here?’
With her trademark pale blue hair and mesmerizing eyes that ensnared one’s gaze, she was a breathtaking beauty – yet currently the last person I wished to encounter.
“I’ve finally found you, Maker.”
Though her smile seemed amiable, an unmistakable lethal intent permeated her voice.
“…Long time no see.”
The Ice Queen.
Undoubtedly strengthened since our previous encounter, she had come to apprehend me.