Ch.154Episode 32. Ability Amplification Potion (2)

“What do you think?”

“What do you mean, ‘what do I think’?”

“Ah, I see. There was no need to worry about it. Then, despite my inadequacies, I’ll be in your care.”

“…Don’t just continue the conversation on your own.”

I stopped Bin Yoon-i as she was about to bow her head respectfully. In all my life, this is the first time I’ve seen a joke proposal.

“Geez. What kind of dream is that?”

“Hey! Are you dismissing my dream?!”

“I’m not dismissing it, but…”

I was already having headaches from my deepening relationships with Jung Yi-yeon and Yu Ah-ri.

Whenever we ate together, they were constantly keeping each other in check.

Previously, Jung Yi-yeon had provoked by saying, “I did it without a condom!” which led to me doing the same with Yu Ah-ri.

I was worried I might end up getting them both pregnant, and if Bin Yoon-i joined in, the situation would only become more complicated.

Of course, if she still wanted to approach me knowing this fact, I wouldn’t refuse.

But since I had no intention of making the first move, I opened my mouth thinking of a suitable excuse.

“I just think marriage is a bit vague to call it a dream.”

“…”

Bin Yoon-i stared at me silently for a moment, then gently hit her palm with her fist as if she had realized something.

“Ah! Come to think of it, Instructor, you already have Jung Yi-yeon and Senior Yu Ah-ri, don’t you?”

“…Huh?”

My mind went blank for a moment at Bin Yoon-i’s words. How does she know about this?

“If you’re worried about Jung Yi-yeon or Senior Yu Ah-ri, don’t be. I already know about your relationship with those two.”

“What?”

“I’m saying this even though I know.”

“Wait, you knew and still said that?”

I didn’t expect her to talk about marriage, even jokingly, knowing that I was a trash who was openly two-timing.

“It was obvious just from seeing how they react and behave around you. Did you think I wouldn’t know?”

“…”

“Those two are quite selfish, aren’t they? Trying to monopolize you. I want your attention too.”

Bin Yoon-i snorted and frowned with displeasure. I held back a bitter smile as I spoke.

“Alright, I get it. Now step back a bit. Your chest is touching me.”

Her breasts were already large, so even slight contact was inevitable. Honestly, they were the biggest I’d seen on any woman in my life.

“I’m close to you so they would touch, you know?”

What is this? Is she asking me to take her right here?

I had a feeling Bin Yoon-i wouldn’t refuse, but I wasn’t in the mood right now.

“Fine, whatever. It’s vacation soon, what are you planning to do?”

“I need to develop a new potion! Oh, and I’d like to go on dates with you too.”

“We already did that.”

“What we did at the academy doesn’t count as a date!”

A few days ago, I took her out for a meal saying I’d buy her something delicious, and we also went to an arcade. If that’s not a date, what is?

“That’s not how it works.”

“That doesn’t count. Later, let’s get an outing… no, an overnight pass and have a date outside the academy.”

Not just an outing pass, but an overnight pass.

Her intentions were too obvious. I was nodding along halfheartedly when a document caught my eye, making me frown.

I unwrapped her arm from mine and picked up the document on the table.

“The Dangers of Developing Ability Enhancement Potions.”

“…What is this?”

Even as I asked casually, I immediately understood what it meant.

This was a document related to the eX potion.

“Ah, recently, from that organization… Akcheon, was it? They said that something called the eX potion has effects similar to ability enhancement.”

I had heard about that too.

After investigating samples of the eX potion found in Paris’s laboratory, the Association discovered it was an ability enhancement potion that had been secretly developed in the past. I had also given some advice personally.

Anyway, noticing that villains were plotting something with the eX potion, the Association had been putting pressure on the Akcheon organization more quickly, but they hadn’t yet achieved the major success of capturing any executives.

Still, they had significantly disrupted Akcheon’s economic structure and recovered most of their funds, making it difficult for the organization to operate.

In other words, Akcheon would soon have no choice but to reveal themselves to maintain their organization.

And the Association was waiting for Akcheon’s executives to show themselves.

“There were experiments on ability enhancement potions in the past, and they say this has fewer side effects than before. If research continues based on this, it might be possible to develop an ability enhancement potion. Or I could research it myself.”

Her voice was filled with anticipation.

I couldn’t criticize her curiosity as an alchemist. However…

“…Have you been researching this?”

I unintentionally spoke in a reprimanding tone. Low and forceful.

“What?”

Bin Yoon-i flinched and examined my expression.

“Um… In-Instructor?”

“Sigh…”

I almost lost my composure.

If this potion was going to be developed anyway, someone would do it even if not Bin Yoon-i. I wasn’t in a position to tell alchemists what they could or couldn’t develop.

“The problem isn’t that it has fewer side effects. Even if all side effects were eliminated after extensive research…”

I hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“This is a potion that should never be developed.”

It was far too dangerous.

“Should never be developed?”

“That’s right.”

“Why? If we develop this and distribute it to heroes, they could subdue villains more easily than now.”

“Because the essence of this potion isn’t ‘strength.'”

While it might have been created purely in pursuit of strength in the past, now it was a potion whose essence had been changed by Akcheon’s involvement.

Why had Akcheon been so fixated on the eX potion and comfort?

It was because they could control people… more specifically, ability users.

In the original story, they had eliminated the side effect of dying cells, but the executives controlled the lifelines of those who had taken it, whether they were villains or heroes, forcibly suppressing them.

Heroes who had desired greater power had to side with villains just to survive, and villains flourished even more.

It was so bad that after this potion spread, it was said to have caused the highest number of casualties in history.

And the one who completed this worst potion was none other than ‘Bin Yoon-i.’

That’s why I had unintentionally become serious when I heard her say she wanted to research this document.

Although the possibility was significantly lower now since things had changed a lot from the original story, caution was still necessary.

“What do you mean it’s not about strength… This is an ability enhancement potion, isn’t it? Isn’t it taken to become stronger?”

Instead of answering, I took out my phone and showed Bin Yoon-i a video.

It was CCTV footage of me facing those who had taken the eX potion when capturing Henry, the leader of Paradise.

The footage existed because I had tipped off the Association President about the eX potion and advised him to preserve the CCTV recordings.

At that time, unable to kill them, I had only neutralized them.

Their strength itself wasn’t a major threat, but their recovery speed was similar to one of my skills, “Super Recovery.”

“What is this video? It’s you fighting, Instructor? The opponents look… really strange. Their muscles are too hypertrophied.”

“That’s what people who have taken the ability enhancement potion look like.”

“!”

Bin Yoon-i was startled and widened her eyes. She quickly turned her gaze back to the video.

“They recover even as their bodies burst…”

“That’s Akcheon’s modified version of the ability enhancement potion that was secretly developed. The effects are somewhat different, but… there are no reports of anyone who took that potion still being alive, then or now.”

What exactly is strength?

Why would someone pursue it to the point of sacrificing their life?

Perhaps this is something I, having possessed Yujin, cannot understand.

“B-but if we research it again and eliminate the side effects, wouldn’t it be fine?”

“Yes, that would be good if it could be done that way…”

I muttered, gazing intently at Bin Yoon-i.

As she said, if the side effects could be completely eliminated, this potion would be of great value.

But I was afraid. Afraid that heroes might be captured by villains because of the ability enhancement potion.

Yet I couldn’t completely let go either.

Currently, Akcheon was continuing the development of the eX potion. To counter that, this research couldn’t be abandoned.

And the most qualified person for researching and developing this potion was Bin Yoon-i, who was right beside me.

Could I really eliminate all the side effects of this potion without relying on her?

…No, that would be absolutely impossible.

In the original story, Bin Yoon-i had eliminated most of the side effects of the eX potion.

Considering how just one person joining Akcheon had created such a massive snowball effect, excluding Bin Yoon-i wasn’t an option.

However, part of me doubted whether entrusting this to her was the right choice. Knowing what catastrophe Bin Yoon-i had caused by developing the eX potion, I couldn’t help feeling anxious.

But I had to trust her.

In this world, Bin Yoon-i is not a villain. It wouldn’t make sense for her to suddenly become one now.

So it should be fine to entrust this to her.

If I was still worried, I could ensure her emotions were firmly tied to me.

So that she wouldn’t even think of becoming a villain.

“Bin Yoon-i.”

“Yes?”

As she turned her head from staring at the video, I pulled her close to my chest. She really is voluptuous.

“Huh? In-Instructor…?”

Bin Yoon-i looked up at me with a completely flustered face. Her cheeks were turning red. She was tense at the thought of me touching her, yet secretly excited.

But contrary to her expectations, I had no intention of touching her right now.

“Do you want to research the ability enhancement potion?”

“…Huh? Is that okay? You just said it shouldn’t be developed.”

“I would have been negative about it before, but now I think it’s fine.”

“Really?”

“I’ll talk to the Association President and ask for samples obtained from the laboratory. Give it a try.”

“R-really?!”

“But.”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder as I spoke.

“You must tell me if anything happens, okay? We can’t miss our dates if problems arise. Understand?”

“O-of course!”

Bin Yoon-i blushed but smiled broadly at the direct mention of dating.