Lia's gaze did not waver, her eyes locked onto his as though she were trying to tear the answer straight out of him through sheer will alone, the earlier composure now replaced by a quiet, simmering pressure that hung thick in the air between them.
"So you're saying," she began slowly, her voice softer than before yet far more dangerous, "that even after I've already uncovered the truth… you still have no intention of telling me how you created that false core?"
Ashan met her stare without hesitation, his expression calm, almost indifferent despite the situation he was in, as if the restraints binding him were nothing more than an inconvenience rather than a threat.
"Why should I?" he replied, his tone steady, lacking even the slightest trace of panic. "You already know what matters. Whether I explain the method or not doesn't change the outcome."
He leaned back slightly, as much as the wires allowed, his gaze sharpening just enough to carry intent.
"As an awakener… I have the right to keep my own secrets," he continued, his voice calm but firm. "Just like you do."
For a moment, neither of them spoke, yet the silence between them was anything but empty, filled instead with clashing intent, her curiosity pushing forward, his resistance standing unyielding.
Then,
A faint smirk curved along Ashan's lips.
"But I'll admit something," he added, his voice lowering just slightly, carrying a subtle edge that hadn't been there before. "I expected more from you."
That was enough to provoke a reaction.
Lia's brows drew together faintly, not in confusion, but in irritation.
"This is actually kind of fun.." Ashan continued, his gaze never leaving hers,
"You managed to spot the fake wall around my core, something I put real effort into constructing, and yet you still have zero idea how I actually built it. I half-expected you to at least throw out a clever guess by now… but seeing that look on your face tells me you're completely stumped. That's a little disappointing, Professor."
The shift in her expression was subtle, but real.
Ashan saw it.
And pressed further.
"If you keep approaching it the same way," he went on, his tone almost thoughtful now, as if he were analyzing her rather than the other way around, "you won't find the answer, no matter how long you think about it."
The air tightened.
"You can try as much as you want," he added, his voice quieter, more deliberate. "I don't mind waiting."
That,
That was the breaking point.
Not because of the words themselves, but because of the certainty behind them.
Because he wasn't bluffing.
Because he truly believed she couldn't reach it.
Lia's frown deepened. Heat crawled up her neck. She could feel her pride stinging like an open wound.
'He's mocking me. How dare he enjoy this so much? I need to know how he did it, but I can't exactly torture a student. Think, Lia. Think.'
Ashan tilted his head, voice dropping into that same lazy, teasing drawl.
"Here's something even more interesting: faking the outer wall of a core doesn't actually increase your mana reserves. So how exactly did a supposed D-ranker like me cast B-rank spells and skills so effortlessly?"
"Confusing, isn't it? There's one very specific reason I could create a wall of that quality and still perform at B-rank level… but you're not going to hear it from me. Keep dreaming."
That was the final crack.
Lia's composure shattered. Pride, caution, professionalism, all of it evaporated in an instant.
Right now the only thing that mattered was cracking open Ashan's secret.
'Fine. If polite conversation won't work, then I'll make him want to tell me.'
Without another word, Lia reached for her coat.
She began unbuttoning her long white coat. One clasp at a time. Deliberate. Almost ceremonial. When the last button gave way, the heavy fabric slid off her shoulders and pooled over her arms before she draped it across the nearby table with casual grace.
Beneath it was a fitted short black blouse that clung to the generous curve of her breasts and a high-waisted skirt that hugged her hips before flowing down long, toned legs. The sudden reveal of her hourglass silhouette made the air in the room feel noticeably heavier.
Lia took one slow step forward, then another, hips swaying with practiced, sultry confidence. Her heels clicked softly against the floor. She stopped just inches from him, close enough that he could smell the faint vanilla scent drifting from her skin.
Her fingers rose to the lace at the back of her head. One gentle tug and her long, glossy hair spilled free, cascading over her shoulders like dark silk and brushing against the tops of her breasts.
She tilted her head, letting a few strands fall across her face as she looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. A slow, inviting smile curved her lips; her teeth grazed her lower lip for a heartbeat.
The wires around Ashan's wrists and ankles loosened slightly, just enough to ease the pressure.
Ashan's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her.
He narrowed his eyes.
'What the hell is she planning?'
And then he understood.
You've got to be kidding me… she's actually going to use that?
Lia leaned in until her lips were a whisper away from his.
Her presence changed, not drastically, not in a way that could be easily described, but enough that the air itself seemed to shift around her, growing warmer, heavier, as if something unseen had begun to press down on his senses.
Ashan's instincts sharpened instantly.
'…So that's how you're going to play this.'
By the time she reached him, her hair had already fallen loose, cascading over her shoulders as she tilted her head slightly, her gaze softening into something far more inviting than before.
"Ashan…" she murmured, her voice lowering into a quiet, almost intimate tone.
And the moment she spoke,
He felt it.
Not physically.
But mentally.
A subtle pull, gentle at first, like a whisper brushing against the edges of his thoughts, urging him to relax, to lower his guard, to simply… let go.
[Velvet Command]
Her voice carried weight now, something unnatural woven into it, something that slipped past logic and pressed directly against instinct.
"Let's talk a little… alright?"
Ashan's brows furrowed slightly as he felt the pressure increase, the pull growing stronger, warmer, more persuasive, wrapping around his thoughts with a softness that made it difficult to resist.
'She's really using it…'
A flicker of annoyance surfaced beneath his calm.
'Succubus skill. I didn't think she'd stoop this low just because I bruised her ego.'
'You went this far just for an answer?'
Her fingers brushed lightly against his jaw, her touch slow, deliberate, reinforcing the effect of her ability as she leaned closer, her presence surrounding him completely.
"You're a good man, aren't you?" she continued, her voice soft, coaxing, each word carefully placed to slip past resistance.
"I just want to understand you better. That fake wall around your core… it's so impressive. You can tell me how you made it, can't you? Trust me."
The pull tightened.
Stronger now.
More insistent.
Ashan felt it trying to seep deeper, pressing against his thoughts, urging him to respond, to speak, to give in.
But instead,
His eyes cooled.
He pushed back. Hard.
Lia blinked, visibly startled.
'He's… resisting? Even at full power? His mental defenses are stronger than I estimated.'
She pressed closer, palm flattening against his chest, increasing the mana output until her voice became almost hypnotic.
"Come on, Ashan… we're alone. No one else has to know."
"Just let go. Touch me. Feel how soft my skin is."
Her free hand moved to the wires again, loosening them further, giving him back more movement. She molded her body against his, breasts pressing firmly to his chest, hips brushing his in a slow, deliberate roll.
"Tell me your secret," she whispered, "and I'll reward you."
Ashan's breathing steadied. His gaze turned cold.
"This feeling…" he said quietly. "You're using succubus power to force me, aren't you? Professor, stop. You're crossing a line."
Lia froze.
'He knows? How the hell does he know it's a succubus skill? Almost no one knows that I have access to it. The only succubus dungeon vanished decades ago; there's no way he would recognize it.'
Shock gave way to something darker. Determination.
'He knows too much. I'm not letting him walk out of here until I have every single secret he's hiding.'
She leaned closer.
She tightened her arms around him, pressing even closer, breasts flattening against his chest.
Her curiosity had already gone too far to retreat.
'I'll just push harder.'
Her mana surged again, the pressure intensifying as her presence closed the remaining distance between them, her voice dropping into something softer, heavier, more difficult to resist.
"Don't fight it…" she whispered.
Her hand rested against his chest, her touch lingering, reinforcing the influence as it pressed deeper into his mind.
"Just tell me."
Ashan's breath hitched despite himself; the sudden increase in skinship, her warmth, her scent, the soft weight of her curves. But his resolve didn't waver.
Lia's own composure was fraying faster than she expected. His clean, masculine scent filled her lungs. Heat climbed her throat. Her nipples stiffened painfully against the fabric. A shameful slickness gathered between her thighs.
'Why is my body reacting like this? He's supposed to be the one under my control… so why am I the one getting wet?'
Frustration boiled over. Her hands slid bolder, under his shirt, nails grazing the hard ridges of his abdomen.
That was the moment Ashan's patience snapped.
'Enough.'
He flexed suddenly, surging mana through his limbs. The remaining wires shattered like brittle strings.
"You crossed the line, Professor," he growled low in his throat.
Before she could react he wrapped both arms around her waist; tight, possessive, and yanked her flush against him.
Lia gasped.
'How…? He completely broke free. And he's still not charmed? What is he…'
[Nervebreaker Touch]
Ashan's skill ignited instantly.
A devastating wave of raw, electric pleasure slammed into Lia's nervous system. Every inch of her skin ignited at once. Her knees buckled. She clutched his shoulders to keep from collapsing.
'What… what is this absurd pleasure…?!'
S-rank traits meant nothing against the skill's direct intrusion. Her mind blanked. Concentration shattered. Velvet Command collapsed in an instant.
Ashan didn't hesitate.
His hands slid up her back, fingers tracing her spine with slow, deliberate pressure, finding every sensitive point and pressing just hard enough to make her arch involuntarily into him.
"How dare you try to use a succubus skill on me?" he murmured against her ear, voice dark and dangerous.
He cupped one breast through her clothes, thumb circling the painfully stiff nipple.
Lia moaned, sharp, helpless; her body trembling as fresh wetness soaked her underwear.
She had never let a man touch her like this before. The few fumbling experiences in her past had been nothing compared to the overwhelming, unfiltered bliss crashing through her now.
"Stop…ahh!" she gasped, cheeks flaming, breath ragged. "What are you doing…?"
Ashan leaned closer, lips brushing the shell of her ear.
"You told me to touch you, didn't you?" His voice was low, almost gentle, but edged with retribution.
"I'm only doing what you asked. Now… let's see how it feels when the tables are turned."