Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Bang Soso
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"Senior Brother! Are you okay? What did Master say...?"
Soso grabbed my arm with a face that looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.
The warmth and soft touch transmitted from her small hand. And the earnest gaze looking up at me with worry.
For a moment, the despair that had welled up to my throat seemed to ease a little.
I forced the corners of my mouth up, pretending as if nothing was wrong. I couldn't let myself crumble here. Especially not in front of this pure girl.
"She didn't say much. Just... to work harder."
"Liar! Your face is so pale! She must have said something to you, right? Right?"
Soso didn't believe me. She shook her head, gripping my arm tighter. With that motion, her ample breasts brushed softly against my arm before pulling away. It was an unintentional touch, but even in my distracted state, the tremendous volume and softness registered vividly.
"I'm really fine. Master was just worried, that's all."
"No! I heard everything! Last chance, no justification...!"
Tears finally welled up in Soso's eyes. It seemed she'd eavesdropped from nearby without going far.
"What did Senior Brother do wrong? You work harder than anyone! Everyone's all about medical techniques, medical techniques... but how amazing is your skill that puts people's minds at ease! No one appreciates it!"
She cried out in frustration.
The skill no one appreciated. Hypnosis.
The only weapon protecting me in this world, and at the same time, a bomb that could explode at any moment.
Soso was purely admiring it without knowing its true nature. Her innocence was touching, yet it pricked at my conscience.
'A skill that puts minds at ease.'
It wasn't wrong. But it could just as easily work in reverse. It could manipulate minds, distort memories, even turn a person into a perfect puppet.
"Soso."
I called her name softly.
"That's not an amazing skill. It's just... a little trick. In the Healer Immortal Sect, you have to prove everything with medical arts."
"Still!"
"I... have no talent."
Saying it out loud made me feel pathetic. To say in front of this girl what I couldn't even say to Hyehyang.
Soso's expression hardened. She fell silent for a moment, then gripped my arm even tighter.
"It's not that you lack talent. It's just... we haven't found the right way for you yet! There has to be a path. I'll... I'll find it with you!"
Her eyes were filled with unwavering faith in me, without a shred of doubt. That blind trust struck the weakest spot in my heart.
I stared at her, entranced. What if... what if I used this girl's pure faith?
A dangerous thought sprouted in my mind.
I tore my gaze away and shook my head.
"No. There's no way. This exam..."
"The exam! Right, the exam! I heard the format changed a bit this time!"
Soso suddenly shouted as if she'd remembered something.
"It's not just testing herb knowledge or acupuncture. They're bringing in a critically ill patient, and the task is to accurately diagnose the cause of the illness! If the diagnosis is spot on, the elders will help with the treatment...!"
Diagnosing a critically ill patient.
The moment I heard that, a path flashed through my mind like lightning.
If medical arts can't diagnose it.
What if I just ask the patient directly?
Enter the patient's deepest subconscious through hypnosis and read the pain signals from their body firsthand. The body doesn't lie. Even if they're unaware, it remembers the cause and progression of the illness completely.
This method... it could work!
I felt my heart pounding wildly with excitement. It was like finding a ray of light in the darkness.
The question was whether it would actually work. I was used to lightly manipulating minds, but extracting information like this was uncharted territory.
I needed practice. I needed certainty of success before the exam.
For that, I needed a test subject. Someone who could fully accept hypnosis, who trusted me completely...
My gaze slowly turned to Soso.
She was still looking at me with eyes full of hope.
"So, Senior Brother! Don't give up! For diagnosis, couldn't you use that amazing skill of yours somehow? Like soothing the patient's mind and gently asking about the cause...?"
Without knowing what she was saying, she was opening a path for me.
I swallowed hard. Could I use this pure girl? This wasn't helping her—it was blatantly using her as a tool for my survival.
But cornered on a cliff's edge, I had no other choice.
"Soso."
I crafted my voice as soft and sincere as possible, infusing it with subtle hypnotic waves.
"You might be right."
"Really, Senior Brother?"
Joy bloomed on Soso's face.
"Yeah. But... to do it your way, I need to train my skill deeper. It's not enough as it is."
"Training? Is there anything I can do to help?"
She took the bait without hesitation.
I took a deep breath and continued slowly.
"I need... help. I've trained alone until now. But to read someone else's mind, their cooperation is essential. Someone who opens the door of their heart wide and accepts me fully."
I looked straight into her eyes. Gentle waves of suggestion flowed from the depths of my pupils, seeping into her consciousness.
"Soso. Can you help me?"
Soso's expression went blank for a moment.
"...Huh? Me... help you, Senior Brother?"
"Yes. Among the people I know, you have the purest, clearest heart. You'd definitely be a huge help in my training. And of course, it'd benefit you too. Through this, your mind would become stronger and more serene."
I added a plausible justification.
Soso hesitated briefly. But soon, she nodded vigorously, as if resolved.
"Yes! Senior Brother! I love it! If it means helping you, I'll do anything! What do I need to do?"
There was no hesitation in her eyes. Only pure zeal to help me.
It was going according to plan.
"First... let's go somewhere quiet. People might see us here."
I said, looking around.
"I know a place! A small herb garden on the back mountain where no one comes...!"
Soso grabbed my hand and took the lead. Her hand was warm and soft.
As she led me along, complex emotions gripped me. Guilt for deceiving this innocent girl on one side, relief at grasping a lifeline for survival on the other.
And beneath all those feelings... a strange excitement and anticipation at testing this unknown power.
Soon, we arrived at a small clearing on the slope of the secluded back mountain. It was a cozy spot where sunlight filtered in well. It seemed like Soso's personal space for tending herbs occasionally.
"Here. No one comes at this hour."
Soso said, slightly out of breath. Her cheeks were flushed a lovely peach color from the hurried walk.
I stood facing her.
"Good. Let's begin. No need to be nervous. Just focus on my voice."
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
Soso nodded with a resolute expression and sat down properly. Her straight-backed posture made her enormous breasts stand out even more.
I sat facing her and steadied my breath. Now the real thing began.
"Close your eyes."
Soso slowly closed her eyes. I could see her long eyelashes trembling faintly.
"Now, deep breaths. I'll count, so inhale slowly, exhale even slower."
"One... inhale deeply... ."
Soso filled her chest with air. Her ample breasts swelled up full and round.
"Two... exhale slowly. Imagine all tension leaving your body with the breath... ."
A warm breath escaped softly from between her lips.
"You're doing great. Very good. Keep repeating."
I continued the suggestions, counting in time with her breaths.
"Your body is growing heavier. Like sinking into a soft cotton blanket, relaxed and drowsy... ."
"Your arms and legs... so heavy... too heavy to even twitch a finger... ."
With each word circling her ears, the tension drained from her body. Her rigid back softened bit by bit, shoulders relaxed. Like someone falling into deep, peaceful sleep, all expression faded from her face.
Before long, her body tilted slightly toward me. She looked precarious, as if she might topple over.
I carefully steadied her by the shoulders. Her body shivered faintly, but she didn't open her eyes.
"Now you're descending into a deep, peaceful space. Walking across an endless blue meadow. Warm sunlight and gentle breezes envelop you."
I began painting a vivid image in her subconscious. A landscape where she'd feel the most secure.
"Very comfortable, right? No worries, no concerns."
"......Yes...... ."
Finally, the first response slipped from her lips. A faint, drowsy murmur like sleep-talk.
Success. She'd entered a perfect trance.
For confirmation, I decided on a final test.
⚙ HYPNOSIS ACTIVATED ⚙ "Soso. When I clap from now on, you'll answer my questions honestly. And when I clap again, you won't remember any of this conversation. Got it?" "......Yes...... ." Clap! I took a breath. My heart raced wildly again. A shiver ran down my spine at the realization I'd completely dominated one person's mind.
This was my power.
The unique utility no one in the Healer Immortal Sect possessed.
I slowly opened my mouth. I posed the first question, aimed at the deepest recesses of her heart.
"Bang Soso. How do you feel... right now?"
Her lips parted slowly.
"...Warm... Being with Senior Brother... feels good... ."
That pure answer left me speechless for a moment.
Bang Soso's complete trust, her everything... was now in my hands.