The Hypnotic Bear Claims Its Prey
There it was—a shabby chair set up on the stage. The audience members were seated in it, of course. They were excellent shills, prepared in advance by Bang So-un.
"What on earth are they planning to do, miss?" Hwa Mulin tilted her head.
"Who knows? Maybe they're planning to subtly hit a sleep acupoint or something?" Nangong Hwaran offered her own guess.
Sleep acupoint. A pressure point that puts someone to sleep. It was common knowledge among martial artists. But to ordinary folk, even fooling the eye would be impossible. If they secretly struck a sleep point and disguised it as a trick, it might fool the commoners well enough.
But to a martial artist's eyes, it wasn't some acrobatic feat worth showing off. It was just a scam.
"If that's really what they're doing, we can't just sit back and watch. They're building up all this anticipation just to toy with the audience."
"I agree."
The lady and her guard were in full accord. And so, they watched the stage with even colder scrutiny.
On the strangely atmospheric stage, the bear suddenly lowered its body. From upright bipedal stance to quadrupedal. And then.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
It began bounding noisily across the stage. If it were a real animal, it would be nothing special. But everyone knew a human couldn't easily move on all fours like that. Yet the bear dashed about swiftly and nimbly, looking just like a real beast.
Cheers erupted from the audience.
"Whoa, it's crazy fast!"
"Hahaha, that huge body scampering around on all fours."
"That can't be a real bear, right?"
"Waaah, so cool, Mommy!"
A solid reaction. This, too, was part of Bang So-un's plan. First, to hype up the crowd. Hype the mood, and immersion rises; higher immersion meant a better chance of reeling in the prey.
Thud!
The bear finally planted itself on all fours before the seated audience members. It didn't stand, matching eye level appropriately. Not just that—its massive frame would intimidate if upright. But lowered like this, it came off as comically approachable, easier on the eyes. It was even positioned at a side angle on purpose, letting the audience clearly see no tricks were involved. All part of Bang So-un's stage setup.
'Showtime.'
Bang So-un, quietly watching from a narrow gap behind the stage, wore a thin smile. How convincingly they performed for the shills could make or break the whole thing. It was that crucial.
But Bang So-un wasn't worried. He trusted Jang Il. And one more thing: the puppet troupe leader's direction.
"Well then, our bear has finally arrived. How does it feel?" Sin Choyoung asked the timid shill.
"Uh... well... it's kinda tense."
"Oh dear, oh dear. No need to be so nervous. Our bear never bites."
Wahaha—laughter burst from the audience.
"I'm totally fine! My mind's sharp as ever, so bring it on. No way I'm falling for it."
The bubbly shill clenched her fist confidently. Applause rang out from the seats—cheers of encouragement, no doubt.
"Perfect. Love that attitude. As troupe leader, thank you again for your enthusiastic participation. Alright then."
Sin Choyoung's eyes gleamed.
"Let's begin. Our trusty bear, start with that lady over there and give her a good nap."
The bear nodded vigorously as if to say it understood. The timid woman's anxious eyes wavered.
"H-how do I...?"
"Hehe, just sit back comfortably. Our bear won't use a single paw. Just by looking, it'll send you to sleep."
"Huh?"
The timid woman's eyes widened round. The audience buzzed.
"Just by looking?"
"No way that's possible."
"They pulling some other trick?"
"Right in front of everyone?"
Opinions flew. Then the bubbly woman shot her hand up.
"I'll watch with eyes wide open right beside her. If there's any funny business, I'll call it out."
More applause thundered. She was the perfect shill cheerleader. Bang So-un let out a low, satisfied chuckle. He was impressed anew by Jang Il's skill in handling such natural hypnotic puppets.
"Hehe, thanks for the enthusiastic support. Now, will our bear prevail, or will our lady audience member win? Let's get started for real."
Sin Choyoung stepped aside with a clap. The bear casually clasped its hands behind its back—a gesture showing no hands involved. And then.
Slump.
The timid woman's tense eyes blinked, and her head dropped in an instant. Her body went limp, nearly sliding off the chair. Snore. She was snoring outright, unmistakably fast asleep. No way a proper young lady would snore so shamelessly in front of a crowd.
"Wh-what?!"
"Sh-she's really asleep?!"
"That fast?!"
"No way!"
The audience buzzed in disbelief, faces full of suspicion. It was just that unbelievable.
"Hey, wait! What're you doing, Soso? Quit messing around and wake up!"
The bubbly woman called her friend's name, shaking her vigorously. But the timid one just lolled with the pushes, showing zero signs of waking. Not faking it—confirmed.
The audience fell into stunned shock.
"F-for real?!"
"Wh-what kind of trick is that?"
"D-didn't see them do anything..."
"Just looked, right?"
"No way just looking..."
"Impossible."
Among them were, of course, Nangong Hwaran and Hwa Mulin.
"...Miss, did you see anything?"
"No, nothing special..."
"Then how...?"
"Not a sleep acupoint, that's for sure."
"Yeah, but maybe drugs?"
"No signs of that either."
If it were drugs, Nangong Hwaran wouldn't have stayed quiet. But it wasn't. With curiosity and bafflement in her eyes, she bored into the stage, determined not to miss a single motion. Hwa Mulin did the same.
"Hehe, surprised? That's our bear for you. Glad you're all enjoying. Now, shall we try the next lady?"
Sin Choyoung shifted her gaze to the bubbly one. The woman looked a bit more tense than before. But she bit her lip, steeling herself.
"Bring it! Soso's a natural weakling who folded easy, but I'm different! No sleeping for me! I'll win that bet and claim the ticket price!"
Full of fighting spirit, her confident stance drew cheers and applause.
...But before the applause could even fade.
Snore. Snnnooore.
The bubbly woman threw her head back farther than the first, snoring even louder as she passed out. Her body nearly tumbled off the chair; Sin Choyoung had to catch her quick. Silence blanketed the stage. And then.
"Woooaaah!"
"Incredible!"
Genuine cheers exploded from the seats. The first shills had exceeded expectations.
The next two shills performed their roles perfectly as well. They were the last prepared ones, but it didn't matter. The crowd was already fired up.
This was the moment. In this atmosphere, she couldn't escape. Had to hook the prey before the hype cooled even a little.
"Hehe, second round goes to our bear again, sadly. But no worries—audience members still have time to challenge. Anyone want to volunteer?"
Some hesitated, but none stepped up. As expected—hard to take the stage with all those eyes on you. All accounted for.
"No takers? Then this time..."
Perfectly natural, Sin Choyoung's gaze swung to the prey. The only veiled woman in the seats.
"You ladies over there—mind if I ask a favor? It'll be a great memory."
Sin Choyoung's smiling hand pointed straight at Nangong Hwaran and Hwa Mulin. They looked caught off guard by the sudden callout.
"...Miss, what do we do?"
"Hmm, well..."
As they hesitated, applause erupted from the crowd.
Clap clap clap clap clap!
Cheers urging them on. Crowds wield special power. When the masses lead the mood, the few get swept up unwittingly. No exception for them.
"Mm..."
"Miss..."
"Sigh, don't wanna kill the vibe. With the veil on, it'll be fine."
Nangong Hwaran stood.
"Ah, yes. I'll follow you, miss."
Hwa Mulin, naturally, trailed after.
"Thank you, ladies."
Sin Choyoung greeted them with a smile. As Nangong Hwaran and Hwa Mulin descended to the stage.
"Was wondering what their secret was—perfect timing."
"Yeah. Let's see what trick they pull up close. Won't work anyway."
Hwa Mulin brimmed with absolute confidence that no trick would faze her. The natural assurance of a female peak expert on the cusp of absolute mastery. A master's body and mind were like steel. Incomparable to commoners.
"Right."
No need to say more for Nangong Hwaran, a peak female expert herself.
Nangong Hwaran and Hwa Mulin seated in the stage chairs. Their vibe was worlds apart from prior audience members. Backs straight, utterly relaxed.
"Ooh, these ladies seem different."
"Yeah, bet they'll give the bear a real fight."
"You got this, ladies! Wanna see that bear broke and crying after losing cash!"
The audience's eyes sparkled. Sin Choyoung smiled.
"Hehe, crowd's all hyped. That's the thrill of a bet, right? Our bear won't hold back either."
Thud thud!
The bear pounded the floor with its paws. The cute antics drew laughter.
"Go get 'em, bear! Win big!"
The bear advanced with gusto.
Hwa Mulin focused solely on observing the bear. Not the hands behind its back. Not the feet. Had to be the face.
'Sleep needle maybe?'
If it spat a tiny needle coated in slumber drug from its mouth, commoners wouldn't notice and drop like stones.
'Gotta stay sharp.'
Hwa Mulin stared unblinking at the bear's face. The bear stared back. Mouth closed. Still, couldn't let guard down. Might open anytime.
"Show us your power, bear!"
Sin Choyoung's words. The instant they ended, a change hit. The bear's plain eyes turned deep black.
'What?'
Hwa Mulin's face filled with doubt. Something felt off. Like being pulled in. But nothing that special...
Then.
The bear's pitch-black gaze swirled with ferocious intensity. Sucking in the whole world. Hwa Mulin felt sudden vertigo. Vision blurred. The world spun.
'Th-this... wh-what...'
As instinct screamed danger and she tried to rise—
A transmission voice hammered her mind.
-Sit your ass down, you bitch. Snore as ugly as you can.
..........
..........
..........
Consciousness was gone.
Snorrre! Snnnooore! Snorrre! Snnnooore!
Hwa Mulin slumped grotesquely in the chair, snoring loud enough to wake the dead.
"H-Hwa, Guard Hwa?!"
Nangong Hwaran beside her jumped in shock, calling out. No wonder. This was utterly unforeseen.
She didn't know what happened. But she sensed it was dire enough for immediate action.
Yet Sin Choyoung reacted faster.
"First win to the bear! Shall we go for a second straight on the next lady?"
The bear unleashed on Nangong Hwaran right away.
'My internal energy outclasses yours, bitch!'
They'd confirmed via Nangong Ji and Eun Hwa-yeong's intel: she was at early peak realm. Impressive for a young expert, but not mid-peak yet.
Jang Il's internal energy, meanwhile, neared mid-peak. The fruit of relentless training despite the hassle.
Now paying off. The black vortex exploded with suction.
'Th-this...'
Wobble.
Nangong Hwaran's form shook. She gripped the chair arms, fighting to stand.
But.
-Pass out now, bitch! Snore as ugly as you can too! Drool like a slob! Oh, and spread those crotch legs wide!
A brutal mental transmission slammed her skull.
..........
..........
..........
Nangong Hwaran's mind evaporated.
Snorrre! Snnnooore! Snorrre! Snnnooore!
The noble Nangong family's precious flower snored like a beggar. Saliva dribbled shamelessly from her gaping mouth.
And that wasn't all. Thighs splayed crudely wide. If in a skirt, her privates would be on full display. Pants or not, utterly indecent—crotch gaping open.
A posture no refined lady, not even a common girl, could bear sober.
"Pfft..."
Behind the stage, Bang So-un covered his mouth with his arm, bursting into muffled laughter. Under the bear mask, Jang Il stifled his own guffaws.
Inflicting such humiliation on highborn ladies before a crowd? A fine rush of pleasure.
'Could recycle that on another bitch sometime.'
Bang So-un mused. Not some tame all-ages show next time. A real one for men, stripping sultry flesh bare.
Anyway.
Not the point now.
'Finally.'
A satisfied smile curved Bang So-un's lips. The long-awaited prey had fallen at his feet.