“No… not here. At least in the bedroom…”

“With you already this wet? You’ll be dripping all the way there.”

Here she was, already soaking the training room floor. Could she really make it all the way to the bedroom?

“Ugh, you’re impossible…”

“How adorable.”

Reyna’s excitement rose with my teasing, and I noticed her eyes and tongue transforming. It seemed she changed like this whenever she got particularly excited. Damn, she really knew how to push my buttons. I slipped off her top and leaned in, pressing her down as I kissed her.

It was a deep, sweet kiss, our tongues intertwining as though they were dancing together, exchanging every bit of warmth. As we kissed, I discreetly slipped small shards of my dark energy-infused crystal into her mouth. Tiny as they were, Reyna likely didn’t notice them, but those pieces would gradually change her from within, embedding my energy deeper into her—especially since I’d already marked her.

“W-wait, this… it feels really good. This… ah♥ Wait, that’s… don’t lick me there!”

I trailed my tongue over her body, from her cheeks to her lips, down her neck, then lower, brushing over her chest. Teasing her with my tongue, I gently nipped at her sensitive spots.

“H-haah!?♥”

Reyna’s hips gave a slight tremor as she climaxed lightly. How could I stop now? And yet, it suddenly dawned on me—I came here aiming for her Dark Elf transformation, not just to satisfy my desires. I’d already infused her with enough of my dark energy, so what was missing?

Perhaps that opening, her core, held the key.

"Eun-ha?"

"What if I poured my dark energy directly into this opening?"

"What… what are you talking about?"

Enough of second-guessing. I placed my hand gently on her most sensitive spot and began to channel my dark energy directly into her core. The raw, potent dark energy of an absolute evil coursed into her.

In an instant, Reyna’s body arched like a bow, and a torrent flowed from her as if she were a fountain.

Splash!

"H-hyaaah!?♥"

Reyna’s body shivered uncontrollably as she reached an intense climax, looking anything but dignified. Could this really be a descendant of the noble Elves?

Unlike Choi Sia, who had her womb thoroughly marked, Reyna hadn’t been trained or prepared in the same way. If she reacted this strongly, maybe the mark itself had some kind of special effect. Curious, I pushed even more dark energy into her. Slowly, Reyna’s body began to change.

It was like watching a magical transformation. Her body shimmered, and a murky, violet aura wrapped around her.

"Well, look at that—grape?"

Her once vibrant, fair skin took on a pale lavender hue that was distinctly darker, giving her an unmistakable Dark Elf appearance. Oddly, I found this shade even more alluring than before. Her most sensitive area glowed in a striking shade of pink.

The most noticeable changes were her hair and ears. Her once golden hair transformed into a silver hue, and her ears grew longer, embodying the very essence of a Dark Elf.

"Wow, quite a difference."

The change in color brought a whole new aura to her appearance. She glared at me sharply, clearly irritated.

"What’s different, exactly?"

"How does that body feel?"

Reyna clenched and unclenched her hands, feeling the dark energy flow within her. A hint of pain might have crossed her face in the past, but now...

"I can definitely feel the power surging stronger than before. It’s much better than being some ambiguous outworlder like before—this feels good."

With a seductive smile that could rival that of any temptress, Reyna infused her dark energy into the World Tree’s bow. Immediately, the bow let out a shrill cry, a sound like nails scratching glass, as its radiant glow faded and it turned black.

"Even the World Tree’s bow, as just a mere weapon, shouldn’t dare to defy its owner."

Reyna laughed, mocking the bow, then turned and drew it toward a wall.

Thoom

A dark, sinister arrow, the same hue as her corrupted skin, formed on the string. When she released it, the arrow shot forward and exploded against the wall with immense force, obliterating part of it. Dark energy poured forth from the impact, enough that any ordinary Hunter would have collapsed just from exposure. If not for the protective barrier made from mana stones, the building would have likely collapsed.

"Wow, that’s impressive."

"But... I’d wanted to be an elf. Since you made me like this, Eun-ha, you’ll have to take responsibility, right?"

"Wait, what?"

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Dark Elf Reyna smiled wickedly, her gaze intense.

"After becoming like this, I absorbed a bit of the knowledge you have, Eun-ha."

Sensing that things might be taking a turn, I started to back away, but Reyna put away her bow, grabbed my arms, and held me firmly.

"So, now it’s my turn to thank you properly.♥"

It didn’t seem like I’d be able to escape this.

*

Hunter Association Headquarters

The recent broadcast from Bupyeong Station in the quarantine zone had become a hot topic at the Hunter Association. In response, guild masters and several S-rank Hunters had requested an emergency meeting, which Association President Choi Cheol-sik had to accept. With even the Blue House questioning if personnel had been sent into the quarantine zones, rejecting the masters’ proposal was not an option.

In the hastily gathered meeting, Seo Ji-yeon pointed accusingly at Choi Cheol-sik.

"What’s the deal? What kind of mess are you making? How does a nun in a smiley mask end up hunting villains?"

"Well, I mean, I’m not exactly young anymore..."

"How did a streamer even get out to Bupyeong? There’s no record of a transit pass being issued! Na-yoon told me everything!"

As Seo Ji-yeon yelled, Choi Cheol-sik was filled with a sense of regret. While he was aware of Yoo Eun-ha’s involvement, he knew nothing about this mysterious nun streamer.

"I’m telling you, I have no idea. I’m as clueless as anyone."

"This isn’t something you can just shrug off."

Cha Ji-eun of the Emperor Guild, who had been listening to the exchange, was visibly irritated. As the hero who had erected the barriers that protected Seoul from dark energy, she had a personal investment in anything related to the quarantine zones.

"Look, Ji-eun, I swear I don’t know anything about this. I’d stake my pride on it."

"With all due respect, sir, your pride is about as substantial as those few hairs left on your head."

Choi Cheol-sik lowered his head in resignation, and Yoo Jin-seok, watching the exchange, spoke up cautiously.

"If the Association truly has no information on this, it’s something we can’t ignore. Judging by the state of the nun in the broadcast, she seems well-supported and equipped with a drone for filming."

"Okay, but so what?" asked a blonde man named Baek Jeong-gang, somewhat gruffly.

Yoo Jin-seok sighed.

"Think about it—where in a quarantine zone would she be receiving this kind of support and acquiring that kind of equipment?"

"Oh."

"Since no transit pass was issued, it’s clear she obtained the equipment from outside."

There must be an area with at least some infrastructure within the quarantine zone.

"She seems to be a local, possibly Korean. There might even be a hidden city or settlement within the quarantine zone, equipped with administrative systems that we’re unaware of."

"That’s a plausible theory."

It was starting to sound reasonable. Although Yoo Jin-seok was doing well, most of Korea’s livable areas were limited to a few large cities.

"Then, perhaps we should consider assembling an exploration team?"

"Let’s not jump to conclusions. Why don’t we wait until that Baekhwa nun broadcasts again? She’s unlikely to stop at just one stream. We can track her activities and locations to predict where she might be based."

"Good idea, but we should still shortlist potential locations."

"Baekhwa struck at Bupyeong and Bucheon. Even for someone skilled, they likely wouldn’t travel far in the quarantine zone. She probably struck somewhere close to her base, so we should investigate Incheon."

The guild masters nodded in agreement with Yoo Jin-seok.

"Let’s proceed with that."

"But what do we tell the president?"

To conduct an investigation in the quarantine zone, they’d need permission from the Blue House. Would Han Jung-seok allow it?

"If he has any sense, he won’t oppose it. After all, we’ve got a nun streaming from the quarantine zone."

One of the reasons the Blue House had opposed quarantine explorations was the belief that only monstrous entities survived there. However, Baekhwa, the nun seen on the broadcast, looked healthy and well-fed, speaking with a lively, upbeat tone that was far from that of someone merely surviving.

And she had remarkable powers, no less.

"What about Hanseong Academy?"

Hanseong was another pressing issue.

"The Academy will need to undergo internal repairs for the time being. We don’t yet know the extent of the spread of the Fragments of Sin."

"And since this happened during the three-academy group competition, there’s no way to suppress public opinion. If it were just Hanseong, it might have been possible to keep it quiet."

If the group competition had been held solely at Hanseong, they could have investigated the fragments in secret. However, with civilians from all three academies in attendance, it was impossible to keep it hidden. The heads of the other two academies, not known for tact, had openly criticized Hanseong. Even though Kim Young-hee seemed to be attempting damage control, Hanseong’s reputation was currently holding on mainly because of Yoo Eun-ha, known as the “White Flame Sword Dancer.”

"Thanks to his sister’s efforts."

"Yoo Jin-seok, you’ve got quite a talented sibling."

"The siblings are an impressive pair, that’s for sure."

Yoo Jin-seok smiled at his colleagues’ praise, but he also felt concern, considering the burden this scandal placed on his sister due to Hanseong Academy’s tarnished reputation. Lately, she’d been working hard and fully embracing her role as a cadet, pride evident in her every action. Perhaps he and his allies could take some liberties to lighten her load.

After all, silencing public opinion with the collective influence of the country’s legendary heroes was a relatively simple task.

*

“I really feel like just ditching the academy.”

Getting a text saying that classes would resume in two weeks made my blood pressure spike. My reputation couldn’t sink much lower, but honestly, it’s tiresome and annoying. I’m plenty skilled already—why should I be going to that place at all? I have no pride in it.

More than anything else, I looked at Reyna, the Dark Elf, sprawled on the bed and still leaking.

“All I want is to stay here all day.”

In her Dark Elf form, Reyna’s desire was insatiable. To be honest, there were moments when I nearly found myself on the losing side. Apparently, with her transformation, she’d absorbed some of my knowledge—most likely due to the mark that appeared above her abdomen. The experience had been thrilling, though. This wasn’t just Reyna being dominated; this was Reyna pushing back.

“Whew, I almost lost there.”

If I hadn’t relied on strength and experience, and if her ears weren’t such a sensitive spot, it would probably be me sprawled out on the bed right now. Though the idea of using the mark on her womb with pure magic—not dark energy this time—crossed my mind. Pure, refined energy straight from my magic circuits.

I placed my hand over Reyna’s core and channeled purified magic into her. As expected, her body returned to its natural color after a while, although she remained in her pre-Dark Elf state rather than transforming back into a full High Elf.

“So, it’s like an ON/OFF switch. Not bad.”

The contrast between Dark Elf Reyna and her regular state was remarkable. Following the Elf path might allow her to switch between Elf and Dark Elf modes at will. As I watched her, Reyna started to regain consciousness, looking confused before exclaiming out of nowhere.

“Gasp! I had the most incredible dream! I dreamed I was a Dark Elf, rolling around in bed with you!”

“Oh, that wasn’t a dream.”

“What?”

“You can transform into a Dark Elf now. Think about it—that was real. Real enough to not be some ordinary dream, right?”

The state of the bed alone was evidence enough. This wasn’t just a fantasy.

“A Dark Elf… so that means…”

“Don’t worry. I can switch you between forms.”

Using a mix of both magic and dark energy through the mark on her womb.

“But I always wanted to grow up to be a respectable elf!”

“Well, we’ll be going to the Elven Ruins soon to find a way. No need to worry.”

“I mean, I can already become a Dark Elf, right?”

At first, I thought so too, but the potential here was much broader. This mark I placed could allow her to freely control her transformations.

“You’re back to your original form, aren’t you? You might be able to access both Elf and Dark Elf modes. In other words, you could be both a fallen Elf and a true Elf at the same time.”

“Fine, I get it.”

“And in Dark Elf mode, there’s something I need you to do.”

To operate under the Baekhwa persona effectively, I would need Reyna, in her Dark Elf form, to play her part in the organization.

“That villain work, right?”

“Yep.”

Dark Elf Reyna had such a different vibe and appearance from her normal self that she wouldn’t even need to wear a mask or disguise herself.

“Isn’t it a bit risky if I’m recognized?”

“Don’t worry. Sia and I will handle the actual filming. Just do what I ask, and you’ll be fine.”

“Understood.”

Once we reach the Elven Ruins, we’ll hopefully find a way for her to become a full Elf, rendering the Dark Elf form unnecessary. After all, the monster transformation inherently carries a theme of corruption; without proper control, it could easily spiral into something harmful to society. A little precaution never hurts.