Chapter 33 : A Wrong Encounter (3)

Clatter.

Clack.

“Um, Woobin… what are you trying to do?”

“Yeah, I’m curious too, so hurry up and explain it simply and clearly! What exactly are you planning to do to give this precious little dummy something to be proud of?”

Their questions hit my eardrums at the same time.

Since they were both asking the same thing, I answered as I finished tidying up the area.

“I made an elixir. I’m going to have you take it, Tsubaki.”

“Elixir? For her?”

“An e-elixir? For me?”

At the word “elixir,” both of them widened their eyes in surprise and stared at me.

Ryu Jia’s red eyes and Fuyuno Tsubaki’s gray eyes tinged with blue both focused on me at once, and I felt a little embarrassed.

“Yeah. Wait, did I not tell you? Hm, I guess I didn’t. Well, whether I did or not doesn’t really matter, does it? Either way, if I’ve decided you’re going to take it, then you’re taking the elixir.”

“W-well, that’s true… if Woobin says so, I have to…”

“Right. Now, come sit over here where I made some space.”

“Okay, Woobin!”

Without a hint of resistance, Fuyuno Tsubaki obediently followed my instructions.

“I’m sitting! What do I do now?”

Tsubaki came over and sat in the space I had cleared, large enough for about two people to sit comfortably.

She looked up at me.

Kneeling at my feet with sparkling eyes, looking up like that… she looked just like a loyal puppy devoted to its master.

…I may have saved her life and even rescued her from school bullying, but is it really okay in this world for a girl to show this much loyalty to a guy?

Fuyuno Tsubaki’s excessive behavior made me worry for a moment.

But even though I was concerned with how little time we had, it was honestly convenient that she followed my words without protest.

So I held back my unnecessary thoughts and responded.

“Your mouth—open it.”

“Uh, okay. Aaah—”

“…”

Even before I pulled the elixir out of my pocket, Fuyuno Tsubaki opened her mouth wide, sticking out her small, red tongue.

…Wow, look at that.

Even her uvula is trembling.

Do girls in this world have less shame because of the gender-reversed society?

“Wow. Is this for real? I’ve never seen a girl show the inside of her mouth like that to a guy before…”

“Ahh…”

Seeing Ryu Jia’s genuine amazement and Fuyuno Tsubaki turning bright red up to her ears at those words, it didn’t seem like girls here were less ashamed at all.

Which meant—despite feeling enough embarrassment to flush red all the way to her ears, Tsubaki was still obeying my instructions without a word.

I mean, I appreciated it, but… it was honestly a little overwhelming.

“Put your tongue back in.”

“Ah… okay…”

But in the end, because her obedient nature made everything easier for me, I simply told her to pull her tongue in and took the elixir from my pocket.

It was a red pill, the same hue as Ryu Jia’s eyes, sealed in a transparent acrylic case.

As I took it out, curiosity lit up in Ryu Jia’s eyes.

“Huh? That elixir… it feels kind of familiar somehow.”

“That’s right. It’s made from the flower I received after satisfying the department head. The flower that grew by absorbing the mana released by the department head in this very Volcanic Dragon Club Room, where she spends the most time. Its name is Volcanic Dragon Pill.”

A single flower blooming in the flowerpot of the Volcanic Dragon Club Room.

Commonly known as Volcanic Dragon Flower, it was a hidden piece in Reverse Hero’s Tale that could be obtained only by sneaking into the Volcanic Dragon Club Room without being detected by the hidden boss, Ryu Jia.

As previously explained, this flower grew by absorbing only Ryu Jia’s special mana, so even just consuming it in its raw form would slightly increase one’s mana capacity.

But instead of consuming it in such a primitive way, by processing it through a special method and turning it into a pill, its true value could be revealed.

“…You made an elixir using a flower that grew from my mana? You? Personally?”

“Yes. Me. Personally.”

“Hah… Cooking and massages—I mean, those were surprising, but still within the realm of possibility. But making an actual elixir… and a real one at that… How on earth?”

Ryu Jia, perhaps sensing the energy emanating from the Volcanic Dragon Pill, was genuinely shocked and let out a hollow laugh as she questioned me.

Without hesitation, I simply smiled and replied:

“Trade secret.”

This elixir, infused with all the distilled knowledge I’d gained as a long-time player, along with the delicate skills I’d honed growing up in both noble households, was the essence of everything Yang Woobin had to offer.

So yeah—there was no way I was sharing that secret.

“R-Right. Of course. It is an elixir, after all…”

Ryu Jia understood how valuable elixirs were in this superhuman society, so she didn’t press any further.

Having answered the question from the person who contributed the most to creating the Volcanic Dragon Pill, I turned to face Fuyuno Tsubaki, who was about to take it.

“Alright, I’m going to put this Volcanic Dragon Pill in your mouth now, but there are some things you must follow, Tsubaki. If you don’t, you’ll either die or, if you’re lucky, end up crippled. So burn it into your brain. Got it? If you understand, nod your head.”

“Mm-hm!”

Nod!

“Good.”

At my serious tone, Fuyuno Tsubaki opened her eyes wide with determination and gave a firm nod.

I nodded back at her admirable attitude and opened the container.

Fwooooosh—!

As soon as the lid was opened, the energy radiating from the Volcanic Dragon Pill instantly filled the entire club room.

“…A newbie made that?”

“H-H-Hee…”

Ryu Jia, who had probably experienced taking elixirs before, was left half-speechless, her mouth slightly open as she was awed by the overwhelming concentration of mana and energy packed inside the pill.

Fuyuno Tsubaki was completely dumbfounded, her mouth wide open in amazement.

I quietly enjoyed their reactions as I continued explaining the precautions.

“The effect of this Volcanic Dragon Pill is ‘Seal Release.’ The destructive mana possessed by our department head went through my hands, its nature slightly altered, and it gained the ability to break seals. It’s a custom-made elixir just for you, Tsubaki, so be grateful. If you’re grateful, nod your head.”

“Mm-hm!”

Nod!

“Good. Now I’m going to tell you how to take it properly. It’s actually just like any regular elixir. Just swallow it and keep your mouth closed and eyes shut until the elixir fully infuses into your mana core. Easy, right? If it sounds easy, nod your head.”

“Mmm-hm!”

Nod!

“Great. Then I’m putting it in now. Open your mouth properly.”

“Mm-hm! Aaah—”

After finishing the explanation and telling her to open her mouth, Fuyuno Tsubaki—whose mouth was already wide open—tried even harder to open it wider.

At the same time, seeing how she was diligently keeping her tongue inside like I told her earlier made me start to feel a bit proud of her.

Pop.

“Now close your eyes and shut your mouth!”

I placed the Volcanic Dragon Pill into Fuyuno Tsubaki’s mouth, then immediately grabbed her crown and chin, pressing them together from top and bottom.

With that forceful motion, her mouth snapped shut with a clack, and Fuyuno Tsubaki promptly squeezed her eyes shut.

Moments later, the power of Ryu Jia—once sealed within the form of a pill—began to rampage uncontrollably inside Fuyuno Tsubaki’s delicate body.

Rumble rumble rumble…!

“Ghk… uhgh… urgh…!”

With an impact like dozens of firecrackers going off at once, a stifled groan escaped from her sealed lips.

Seeing her clenched fists tremble and her whole body instantly drenched in cold sweat, I could guess what kind of pain she must be feeling right now.

“Hang in there. It’ll be over soon. Just keep your eyes shut and your mouth closed.”

Of course, I could only guess how painful it was—I wasn’t the one actually hurting—so I spoke like a dentist who tells a patient to raise their hand if it hurts, only to keep saying “It’ll be over soon” no matter how much they raise it.

After about a minute—a short time for me, but something that probably felt like an hour to Fuyuno Tsubaki—

“…Alright, it’s done.”

I checked her status window and nodded in satisfaction.

***

[Name: Fuyuno Tsubaki]

[Gender: Female]

[Age: 20]

[Trait: Silent Yin Body (EX)]

[Mana Sensitivity: B]

[Mana Capacity: 80]

With the seal broken, her previously hidden mana sensitivity was revealed, and by absorbing the mana within the elixir, her mana capacity—which had only been 3—was now raised to 80.

Fuyuno Tsubaki, once the weakest among the Transcendents—barely even qualifying as one—had finally taken her first true step on the path of a real Transcendent.

“Now you’ve got something to be proud of. Good job, Tsubaki.”

She must’ve been in a lot of pain taking in all that energy from the elixir, but she didn’t complain even once and endured it till the end.

I genuinely found that admirable.

Well—technically, she couldn’t complain since I was holding her jaw shut.

But hey, she didn’t complain, so that counts.

Anyway, as I praised her, placing my hand firmly on her ashy gray hair and giving it a good ruffle side to side, a spark returned to Fuyuno Tsubaki’s half-exhausted, vacant eyes.

“He, hehe…”

Apparently, she even liked me petting her head like a big dog, because she gave a bright smile.

“…Isn’t she more of a pet than a sidekick?”

I heard a comment from behind that I completely agreed with, but rather than respond to that, I focused on continuing the praise—because that was more important right now.

“Good job, good job, good job.”

“Ehehehehehehe…”

When I repeated “good job” three times in a row, Fuyuno Tsubaki let out the longest and happiest laugh I’d ever heard from her.

I smiled along with her joyous laughter, and after letting her enjoy the praise for a moment, I moved on.

“Alright, you’ve had your rest, right? You got your praise. Now it’s time to start training.”

After all, I went through the trouble of making her an expensive elixir—gotta make it count.