"I wouldn't dare—I really wouldn't!"
Kurose Akira hurriedly waved his hands, making it clear that he had no such intentions at all.Making the Elf Queen submit to him… that kind of thing was something he could only ever imagine in a dream.
"Looks like I misunderstood you, little one~"
The Elf Queen revealed a gentle, elegant smile, though it seemed to carry a hint of deeper meaning. Her smile was as warm as ever, yet for some reason, Kurose Akira felt that today's Elf Queen was slightly different from before.
Could it be that she'd been affected by that strand of wicked intent?
"You've now seen that strand of wickedness within my heart with your own eyes."
The Elf Queen rose gracefully from her seat and walked lightly toward Kurose Akira. She lowered her gaze, looking down at him as he sat upright in the chair. A deep, probing light flickered in her eyes, as though she were peering into the depths of his soul. Slowly, she spoke—her voice gentle, yet filled with quiet authority.
"So, about her… what do you think? Would you be willing to share your thoughts with me?"
"She's too extreme," Kurose Akira replied honestly. "It feels like she's been completely intoxicated by power."
"And I don't think her methods really align with elven traditions or values. She's overly authoritarian, unwilling to listen to others, and gives off the impression of a dictator. That said… her motives are still rooted in concern for the future of the elven race."
As Kurose Akira explained his perspective, the Elf Queen listened intently, even nodding from time to time in apparent agreement.
"Mmm~ you're right," she said softly."She may be a strand of wicked intent, but she was born at a time when my heart was deeply bound to the fate of the elves. In her pursuit of absolute power, she's already descended into madness."
"Hypothetically—just hypothetically," Kurose Akira suddenly said, "if there were another way to seal or eliminate that wicked intent, wouldn't it be possible to avoid having one of you sealed within the World Tree?"
"This…"The Elf Queen hesitated, then explained gently, "If there were another method, I would have used it long ago. Unfortunately, to this day, I've found no way to completely erase her."
Hearing this, Kurose Akira's gaze sharpened slightly.
Perhaps sealing or erasing the Elf Queen's wicked intent wasn't easy—but if he could at least prevent it from running rampant…
He felt it was worth trying.
"Your eyes are telling me something," the Elf Queen said suddenly. "You have a… bold idea, don't you?"
She had caught the fleeting glimmer in his eyes the instant it appeared.
"Mm…"Kurose Akira hesitated, then nodded. Looking straight at the Elf Queen, he spoke in a low, steady voice.
"The results are uncertain, but it's worth attempting. However… it might offend you."
"Offend me?"The Elf Queen blinked in mild surprise at the word.
Then she laughed softly. "I grant you the right to offend me. But before that—could you tell me what you plan to do?"
"Cough, cough~"Kurose Akira cleared his throat and said, "Have you ever heard of the Eye of Domination?"
Naturally, he couldn't directly mention the [Corruption] trait. However, the power it exhibited was remarkably similar to the Eye of Domination, so he chose to use that term as a stand-in.
"I'm quite familiar with the Eye of Domination," the Elf Queen replied with a smile. "But your eye doesn't seem to be one, does it?"
She had instantly perceived that he possessed a special ocular power, prompting Kurose Akira to rub his nose awkwardly. Indeed, in front of an absolute powerhouse, concealing the power of a witch was nearly impossible.
"I don't have the Eye of Domination," Kurose Akira admitted, "but I do possess a similar power. If I can alter the way her wicked intent thinks, it might help you suppress her—or even separate her from your soul."
His words immediately caught the Elf Queen's full attention.
At the same time, they allowed her to finally understand why, during dinner, her body had unconsciously obeyed Kurose Akira's command… kneeling before him.
"The power of domination…"The Elf Queen murmured softly as she took a seat on the jade bed.
She lifted her head slightly, her sapphire-blue eyes fixed on Kurose Akira. Smiling, she said,"I trust you, little one. If you can truly accomplish this, I will grant you a special reward."
A special reward?
A faint glimmer passed through Kurose Akira's eyes. He couldn't help but feel a stir of anticipation.
Still, the Elf Queen was dignified and reserved—surely she wouldn't offer anything strange as a reward.
"I'll do everything I can," Kurose Akira promised.
"But~" the Elf Queen's voice trembled slightly, her eyes filling with concern."Can that power of domination truly suppress wicked intent? If something goes wrong, she could exploit the opening and subject you to endless torment within the dream—pain so unbearable it could last until your very end. I know her methods well, little one. Do you truly have the courage and strength to face that?"
"?"Her grave tone plunged Kurose Akira into brief silence.
"Hehehe~"The Elf Queen covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Just kidding. Even if you're killed in a dream, it won't affect reality—and~ I'll protect you."
"..."
Her smile faded as she continued seriously,"Although she can't kill you outright, her methods can still shatter your mind, plunging you into prolonged fear and agony. So if you truly wish to suppress her, I suggest starting with me. Our powers share the same origin. If you can dominate me… dominating her won't be too difficult."
Huh?
The moment Kurose Akira heard this, his emotions surged.
What? The Elf Queen was voluntarily asking him to corrupt her?
"Y-You're a queen," he said carefully. "Isn't this… a bit inappropriate?"
After all, she was the noble Elf Queen. If the elves ever discovered this—regardless of the reason—his name would probably be added to the elven race's kill-on-sight list.
But the Elf Queen merely smiled softly, unconcerned.
Calm and composed as ever, she said gently,"Don't worry. Be bold, little one."
"I came to you of my own will, and I'll bear all the consequences. And besides~"A trace of resolve appeared in her eyes."I must resolve the issue of wicked intent as soon as possible. The world… has been rather restless lately."
Her words gave Kurose Akira pause.
That "restlessness" was likely connected to the Demon Nests. The myriad races of the Magic Continent had battled the demon race for thousands of years—if they returned, catastrophe and war would inevitably follow.
Even if the danger was still far from the elven lands, no one could say when the flames of war might spread to the Elven Kingdom. As queen, she had to prepare for the worst.
"I can try," Kurose Akira said at last. "But I can't guarantee what might happen in the process."
"Mmm~"The Elf Queen nodded lightly, a gentle smile curving her lips."Then I'll be counting on you~"
To her, this was merely a dreamscape. Though the power within it could seep into reality, so what?
This small world was constructed by the power of the World Tree—and the World Tree was under her control. No matter how outrageous Kurose Akira's actions became, they could never truly touch her core.
Once the dream dissipated, everything within it would vanish without a trace. No one would ever know what had happened here.
As queen, she ruled over everything in this place.
"Then… shall I begin?" Kurose Akira asked.
"Mmm~" the Elf Queen replied softly.
Kurose Akira took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward her.
She sat quietly on the jade bed, smiling serenely—like an immortal fairy awaiting the bloom of a flower—watching him with gentle anticipation.
Countless thoughts flashed through Kurose Akira's mind. Clearly, the Elf Queen would be affected by the [Corruption] trait. From the very beginning, her wicked intent had been a part of her.
Still, he couldn't be sure how strong the effect would be on the holy Elf Queen.
Back then, her wicked intent had been almost completely corrupted—if measured by corruption value, it had to be at least over 90%.
What kind of impact would that have on the pristine Elf Queen herself?
After a moment's thought, Kurose Akira began considering where her corruption should begin.
For ordinary people, corruption usually followed a few paths—the most extreme being the Seven Deadly Sins.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
He looked at the Elf Queen and said tentatively,"How about… you squat down first?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the Elf Queen's body moved on its own, squatting down rapidly—even faster than her wicked counterpart had before!
"!?"The Elf Queen was clearly startled by the sudden change, surprise flashing through her eyes.
Kurose Akira himself was stunned.
What was going on?
Could it be that the Elf Queen's willpower was actually weaker than that of her wicked intent?
"This…"The Elf Queen was equally shaken. Her sapphire eyes were filled with disbelief as she looked at her own squatting posture, waves of turmoil crashing through her heart.
She couldn't understand it.Why was Kurose Akira's power of domination so strong?
Even though she had mentally prepared herself, her body had still been pulled down by an invisible force, utterly unable to resist.
How was this possible!?
She was the Queen of the Elven Kingdom—how could she submit so easily before a human?
She looked up at Kurose Akira, confusion filling her gaze. Just how powerful was the domination this human boy wielded? And how had it managed to erode her will so completely?
Was it just because of that single sentence?
His voice?
Impossible.
She hadn't sensed even the slightest trace of magical fluctuation in his words. It felt as though, without realizing it, she had already fallen under his control…
But when had that happened!?
"Are you alright?"Kurose Akira stood up and helped the Elf Queen back to her feet.
"I'm fine~"She shook her head lightly, her voice trembling as she said,"Let's try again. Let me feel your power one more time, little one."
"Alright…"
Kurose Akira released his hold, though he could feel her body still trembling slightly. The effects of [Corruption] on her seemed quite significant.
Was it because of her Holy trait?
He immediately brought up the Elf Queen's status panel, searching for answers.
[Elf Queen (Mythic)]Level: 96 (96000 / 96000) (Lacking Radiant Crystal)Race: ElfStrength: ? / Agility: ? / Mana: ? / Constitution: ?Growth: 15 (+15 to all attributes per level)Skills: (Expand)Traits: [Holy] [Pure Love] [Benevolence] [Kindness] [Passion] [?] [?] [Corruption (?)]
?
Looking at her panel, a flicker of surprise crossed Kurose Akira's eyes.
He could now see more information about her traits. And the reason the Elf Queen was so susceptible to corruption didn't seem to stem from [Holy] alone—it also appeared connected to [Passion].
He couldn't read the exact descriptions, but he could clearly see [Holy] and [Passion] linking with [Corruption (?)], indicating a mutually reinforcing relationship among the three.
"Come," the Elf Queen said firmly, as if she were fully prepared.
"Alright."Kurose Akira nodded, then issued another corruption command.
"Sing a song again."
The moment he finished speaking, the Elf Queen reacted.
"Ah~"
As soon as her mouth opened and a melodious voice began to flow out, she bit her lip, forcing herself to resist falling further under his domination.
Perhaps because the corruption element wasn't too strong, she was just barely able to restrain herself.
Her voice came out in broken fragments:"Y-Your domination… is it… tied to commands? If that's the case… (mm)~ you could issue even more excessive commands… (ah)~ I won't blame you, little one~"
Hearing this, Kurose Akira rubbed the tip of his nose and thought to himself:You said it yourself, Your Majesty.
He took a deep breath and issued a new command.
"Change into the cow outfit."
The instant his words fell, the Elf Queen was dressed in a cow-patterned outfit.
"Th—this…"She wrapped her arms around herself, a shy expression appearing on her face. Though she felt the outfit was embarrassingly indecent, the resistance in her heart had already vanished—replaced instead by a strange sense of intoxication with the outfit's allure.
Ah~
So this is what it feels like… to be dominated?
"Now,"Kurose Akira's voice rang out again.
"Kneel."
Thump—
The Elf Queen obeyed, dropping to her knees.
Her perfect curves and voluptuous figure paired flawlessly with the cow outfit, making the noble Elf Queen look like a true cow goddess—radiating a wild, intoxicating charm.
In that instant, Kurose Akira's heart pounded violently, as if responding to an uncontrollable surge of passion.
[Influenced by the (Sin of Lust – Original Sin), the full effect of your Corrupt Lust Mana is increased by 30%!]
A hint of confusion flashed through Kurose Akira's eyes. The prompt caught him off guard—he hadn't expected corrupt lust mana to be boosted in this way.
His gaze unconsciously returned to the Elf Queen.
She looked lost, her once-lively eyes now hollow with confusion. She couldn't comprehend what force had driven her into such a shameful posture.
Yet what unsettled her even more… was that she felt no resistance at all.
What was happening?
Was it because the corruption of wicked intent… had deepened even further?
Kurose Akira looked at her, his emotions growing strangely complex. An unfamiliar urge welled up within him—he found himself wanting to see the Elf Queen perform even more outrageous acts.
This must be the effect of the Sin of Lust!
Suddenly, a new prompt flashed through his mind.
[The 'Corruption' trait is evolving into 'Fallen Corruption'…][Current Progress: 30%]
"Hm?"Kurose Akira froze slightly. A forced trait could evolve?
If that was the case…
Then the trial involving the Elf Queen had to go even further.
"I'm going to continue, alright?"Kurose Akira looked down at the Elf Queen, who was kneeling on the ground with both hands supporting herself, and asked softly.
"Mmm… I feel okay…"She answered with effort, trying her best to restrain the corruption surging within her.
"Then~ can you make a couple of sounds for me?"
"Ah~ ah~"
[The 'Corruption' trait is evolving…][Current Progress: 40%]