Skipping the Tutorial
A dizzying pattern was etched across the purple cover, swirling in a way that made my head spin just looking at it.
The title, emblazoned across the front in striking crimson lettering, read...
“Introduction to Hypnosis & Brainwashing? What kind of naming sense is that...?”
A complaint slipped past my lips on instinct.
An introduction? What introduction? What's next, Applied Hypnosis & Brainwashing 101?
Since my own subconscious had probably come up with the title, I was basically spitting in my own face, but I couldn't help it. Did my subconscious really possess such atrocious taste?
“...If I'd known this would happen, maybe I should've visited more art exhibitions and galleries.”
Even as I grumbled useless regrets about a past long gone, I dutifully flipped through the pages. Seeing the nurse blank out and follow my instructions in the hospital room earlier had already given me a rough idea. Add in the examining doctor's hint about me being a Mental-Type esper, and... well, it would've been stranger not to figure it out.
“There's no actual substance in here.”
I had opened the book hoping to discover how to use my power, but the pages were completely blank.
Well, not entirely blank. It was just filled with glaringly obvious, utterly useless definitions like, 'Using this on a person allows you to interfere with their mind.'
“Ah... don't tell me it's blank because I don't actually understand my own power yet?”
I might be speaking and moving naturally, but the place I currently occupied was undeniably a space within my own consciousness. Since I had fallen asleep and opened my eyes here, it was probably something like a lucid dream. It seemed to reflect those dream quirks where checking a clock yields wildly shifting hours every time you look, or where numbers constantly scramble themselves whenever you try to read them.
Every time I closed the book and reopened it, some black text would appear, only to squirm and morph across the paper. Even when I tried to glean any useful information, it was nothing more than a meaningless jumble of characters, like the gibberish spat out by early generative AI. Completely devoid of substance.
“Haaah... So I really have to figure it all out by myself.”
Still, being able to confirm exactly what my power was served as a huge help. There was a world of difference between knowing something for certain and merely guessing at it.
“According to what I skimmed on my phone earlier, barely any Mental-Type ability users have ever appeared...”
Leaving the desk behind, I paced slowly through the void, lost in thought. It felt slightly ridiculous to ponder life so earnestly inside a dreamscape, but I mulled it over nonetheless.
“Wait... aren't I in way more danger than I thought?”
The fact that it was common knowledge how few Mental-Type espers existed meant, conversely, that there was an organization tracking down and cataloging people with powers like mine one by one. Whether that was a state institution or an association formed by superhumans didn't matter. The terrifying reality was that factions existed to identify and regulate my ability. That fact alone was chilling.
“And of all things, my power has to be Hypnosis & Brainwashing...”
An ability optimized for manipulating the minds of others. The moment I had subconsciously used it on the nurse earlier, I felt it instinctively: this works disgustingly well on ordinary people. I had barely just awakened and didn't even know how to properly wield it, yet it took hold effortlessly.
What if I actually trained it?
“...I'd get hauled away in handcuffs for sure, wouldn't I?”
Even untrained, it worked wonders on regular civilians. What would happen if I dedicated time to honing it? Wouldn't it reach a level where it worked on other espers too? If that happened... even in the absolute best-case scenario, wouldn't my ending be living under twenty-four-hour surveillance, strapped with tracking devices or an ankle monitor? You know, like that bald professor who kept insisting mutants could live peacefully alongside ordinary humans—he nearly ended up like that plenty of times.
“And that's if things go well...”
How many stories out there had the twist where the government or state agencies were the secret villains all along? Even setting fiction aside, looking at real-world history written by the Author of Earth, that kind of thing happened all the time. How could I possibly relax?
To make matters worse, this was a world where superpowers actually existed. Barely a single day had passed since I opened my eyes here, but I had gathered enough to understand. If there were heroes and villains, the sheer scale of madness would far exceed anything I could imagine.
'Do you... still... trust... people...?'
It was no coincidence that the dying words of that thrill-addicted old man flashed in my mind. The government might abduct me with a sneer, demanding I become a docile test subject before wiping all records of my existence. Or some psycho in a clown costume might kidnap me, scoop out my brain, and wire it up so a single click forces me to discharge my powers.
I had zero desire to live like that.
Someone might say there was no guarantee things would turn out that bad. But by that same token, there was no guarantee they wouldn't. I wasn't about to gamble my future on wishful thinking.
“Back when I played games, I was always the guy aiming for top-four placement to preserve rank...”
If you're going to gamble, you should place your bets on odds that are either reliable or offer massive returns. Walking into the open like this was a bet where the only outcome was a loss.
“Ah, but at least I'm not in some romance fantasy or bizarre medieval world. And it's not like I suddenly turned into a girl. Phew...”
Framing it that way made this world look a whole lot prettier again. After all, the scenery outside didn't look all that different from the world I had previously lived in.
“For now, keeping my power hidden is definitely the play. Ah, but once I get discharged from the hospital and go in for testing, I probably won't be able to conceal it.”
Throw a tantrum and say I don't want to go find out what my ability is? I was a seven-year-old squirt—all Mom had to do was drag me by the hand and it'd be game over. On top of that, if I suddenly acted completely different from how I had up until last night, even a loving mother would suspect her son had changed. Dodging the examination wouldn't mean a thing if I raised suspicions at home. What I wanted was to live without drawing anyone's suspicion in the first place.
'Let's sleep together tonight, my sweet boy.'
'Sleep tight, my precious baby~'
...Yeah, I really, truly wanted to avoid raising Mom's suspicions. Seeing that warm voice and gentle gaze turn to doubt and terror was something I never wanted to witness. At least not in this life...
“Come to think of it, since I have memories of a past life, wouldn't it be hard to act like a convincing child anyway? Wait, is it even a past life to begin with?”
I glanced around, but far from seeing another person, not even a shadow was in sight.
“Haaah, I don't know. Why are there so many things I don't understand? Isn't the starting difficulty a bit too high?”
Whatever I tried to do, the core problem remained: my ability was far too dangerous and versatile, while I, the wielder, was stuck in the body of a little child. If I were alone like in my previous life, I could have dropped off the grid or run away, but with this tiny body, even that was out of the question.
A sigh slipped out, and I dragged my hands down my face.
“...Wait?”
Drag down my face... Then, what if I... swept away my memories as well...?
“Wait, I think I'm onto something...!”
Clap. As I cupped both hands back over my face, an idea took root.
Aside from the faint light trickling between my fingers, my vision went pitch-black.
If the problem was that I couldn't handle my power right now, what if I just... put a lid on it? Until I grew up, became independent, and could fully control and wield my abilities... like burying kimchi underground for fermentation?
“Then, what if I use my power to hypnotize myself?”
The moment I focused on the idea of directing the ability inward, an instinctive sensation surged through me: I can do this.
No, I definitely could. My body was that of a child, but my mind belonged to someone who had lived for over two decades.
“I can do this...”
Then the key question was: until when should I keep it sealed?
“At least until I become an adult.”
If that proved too difficult, setting it to one year and renewing it annually seemed viable. Conversely, if I left the master switch with the 'me' being sealed away, I'd be able to forcefully break the seal and tap into my powers in a life-or-death emergency. For now, no one was targeting me, so staying by Mom's side was safe—but there was no telling how long that safety would last.
“Whew...”
I exhaled a long breath, then drew it back in. It was my first time formally using this power on a person, and to think my guinea pig had to be myself.
“Let's do this.”
The instant my resolve solidified, a strange resonance vibrated through the hands cupping my face.
Vwoooom, vwoom, vwooooom—
I dared to say that no one could ever experience what it felt like to tamper with a mind—and what it felt like to be on the receiving end—more vividly than this. When I opened my eyes again, I would be nothing more than a 'little brat who just awakened his ability.'
And that was more than enough.
All I needed was time. As long as I had enough time, I was confident I could make this power entirely my own.
“A tutorial with nothing but scripted losses? Skip, obviously.”
As the sensation gradually faded from my fingertips, my consciousness cut off right there.
Without artificial light, the dark, moonless night sky made it difficult to see even an inch ahead. The only saving grace was that this was a forest of skyscrapers rather than a mountain wilderness. At the very least, getting lost wouldn't result in dying a sudden, gruesome death.
Ta-at—
Naturally, those who moved beneath the shroud of such pitch-black darkness belonged to the sort who had no desire to reveal themselves to the world. Shadows descended onto the rooftop of a building where the only sources of illumination were streetlamps and the ceaseless glow spilling from the hospital's round-the-clock wards.
“—Looks like we're already too late.”
“What? Too late? The hell's that supposed to mean?”
A man's deep voice was followed by a woman's husky tone. Though the woman demanded an explanation in bewilderment, she fell silent when the man bent one knee, placed a palm against the roof, and closed his eyes.
“The ripple that was powerful enough to detect from two kilometers away just moments ago has vanished. Or rather... shrunk its radius. That would be closer to the truth.”
“...You're saying someone else snatched them up first?”
“I can't rule out that possibility. However...”
Rising back to his feet, the man tapped the toe of his boot against the concrete. Tap, tap.
“It seems they haven't left the hospital yet. Though the reaction has grown so faint that finding them immediately without tipping off others has become impossible.”
“What kind of nonsense is that...? A brat who just awakened their ability can pull that off?”
“Genius takes many forms, after all.”
“Tsk. This is why I wanted to get here faster.”
Crossing her arms without bothering to hide her irritation, the woman paused. "Hmm?" A thought seemed to strike her, and she opened her mouth.
“Wait, if we can't find them, doesn't that mean nobody else can either?”
“That should be the case. If someone can conceal themselves from me of all people... it will be impossible unless they intentionally reveal themselves.”
“Then that's fine. It's a shame we didn't get our hands on them, but as long as nobody else gets them either, who cares?”
“Are we leaving immediately?”
“Why? Someone chasing us?”
“Yes. They don't appear to be tailing us directly... they seem to have gathered after detecting the ripple, just like we did.”
“Rats? Pigeons? Or ants crawling in to scavenge for crumbs?”
“All of the above.”
“Ha! Look at them, drooling all over themselves while pretending they don't care. Acting like they're the cleanest, holiest bastards in the world.”
“You can complain later. If we're going to slip away unnoticed, it has to be now.”
Clicking her tongue with a sharp tsk, the woman cracked her neck.
Crr-rack—
A gruesome sound that should never come from a human neck echoed out, but she merely groaned in satisfaction—“Auuugh”—as if stretching like this was the only way to properly limber up.
“Even if we're leaving, there's a junior out there who might walk the same path as us. A senior can't just walk away without giving a proper welcome gift, can she?”
“...Haaah. Do whatever you want, Camilla.”
“Kuhahaha. Guess it's time to flex a little after so long, huh?”
Watching the man press a hand to his forehead as if he had expected nothing less, Camilla let out a sinister laugh and reached her hand toward the sky.
At that exact moment, the ground, the air, and the very fabric of space began to vibrate.
Her true power, unleashed now that there was no longer any need to hide.
A subtle token of encouragement for a 'junior' who might tread the same path.
And a thick, sticky malice directed at the sanctimonious hypocrites acting all high and mighty.
All of it blended together, condensing at the apex of the night sky where her fingertip pointed.
“—!”
“...!?!!”
“!!!---!!!!”
A Red Moon manifested in the night sky in the blink of an eye.
At the sudden, cataclysmic anomaly, the slumbering metropolis jolted awake in utter pandemonium.
Savoring the burgeoning chaos, the monster who no longer hid in the darkness laughed aloud.
“You really never know when to quit...”
“Kuhahaha! If I held back, we wouldn't get to watch those bastards run around like headless chickens, would we?”
“...Well, that part is admittedly entertaining. We've seen enough. Let's go.”
“Yeah, yeah! Using my power after so long worked up an appetite. Let's hurry!”
Humming a tune with light, bouncy steps right to the very end, she broke into a wide smirk and threw herself over the edge of the rooftop railing.
“Catch ya next time, junior!”