Chapter 170

Translator: penny

Chapter: 170

Chapter Title: Doll

After my [Sensory Release] skill reached level 5, I hadn't used it for a while. There just hadn't been any real need for it.

Obviously, I couldn't use [Sensory Release] when devouring women. Pulling something like that would ruin a person completely. The most recent time I'd bothered with it was probably torturing those druggie bastards at the clinic.

But the level 5 [Sensory Release] had one extra effect I'd gained upon leveling up. I hadn't found a reason to test it until now...

The new effect from level 5 was straightforward. It released senses restricted by someone else—anyone but me. Sounds complicated, but simply put...

'Dispels sensory debuffs.'

Like how that goblin shaman in the promotion exam cursed away my vision, it forcibly undid magic or curses limiting my senses, restoring them. And if Han Yuseong was right, this room suppressed mana affinity... in other words, my ability to sense mana.

That made it a sensory debuff.

-Boom!

"Eek!"

Familiar sensations returned in a rush. I channeled mana into my fist and slammed the door. The impact was worlds apart from a bare-handed punch—a deafening roar echoed through. The door was sturdy, though; even infused with mana, it only dented deeply without shattering.

'Then crank up the power.'

Power surged through my body. I poured mana into my fist again and swung. An explosion like a bomb ripped through the air as the door flew off its hinges. Han Yuseong stared at the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠scene with blank eyes.

As I stepped out, his eyes lit up, and he called after me desperately.

"H-Hey! Bro! Take me with you! I don't know why you came here, but you're escaping, right? Me too! Please take me! I'm useful! I can make potions, do housework..."

"Hold on."

I planned to bring Han Yuseong if I got out of here. No matter how you sliced it, his [Universal Synthesis] skill ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was straight-up broken.

...Even without that, seeing a fellow Korean in this state tugged at me uncomfortably.

"Stay put for now. Hard to fight while protecting you."

"Huh?"

The moment I left the mana-suppressing room, [Detection] went haywire, picking up hostility everywhere. I activated my [Scouting] skills to map the building roughly.

'Three... no, four floors? About twenty people inside... levels look decent. Manageable.'

"Over there! I heard something!"

Of course they'd come running after that door-smashing racket.

Han Yuseong's face drained of color at their voices. Without me saying more, he ducked back into the room, huddling and trembling.

"Uwaaa... Bro, run! Those guys are scary. They use magic, swords like pros..."

"Stay."

"What the? Where's that guy? How'd he get out? Sis said she nabbed a new one?"

"Grab him first!"

Drug-addled punks like these? Please.

"Come at me, you bastards."

"Ugh..."

*Ptui.*

Amid the sprawl of corpses, I spat out the blood pooling in my mouth. Level 7 [Regeneration] was no joke; I could feel my battered body knitting itself back to normal bit by bit.

'These fuckers were tough as hell.'

Luckily, most were doped up and off-kilter, or I'd have been the one toast if they'd been at full strength. I pulled a potion from my inventory to patch up, but Han Yuseong, watching me, handed over one of his own.

"H-Here, drink this. It's a potion."

"...Yeah, alright."

I considered refusing but curiosity about his skills won out. I took it meekly and chugged. Then regretted it.

"Urk!"

A fishy tang flooded my mouth. Made from monster bits, apparently—it was vile, coating my tongue. As I dry-heaved and shot Han Yuseong a resentful glare, the effect kicked in.

-Sizzle...

'What?'

And fast. Real fast.

'Instant recovery? Holy shit.'

Normal potions lingered, healing gradually. This one? Wounds everywhere sealed up the instant it hit my system.

'Insane skill.'

Tasted like ass, but damn effective. I turned to thank him, only to see his face ashen white, staring off somewhere.

"Hm. How'd you get out?"

'...Damn it.'

And from behind me came Witch Beatrice's voice.

I'd hoped to bail before she returned. Guess it wouldn't be that easy.

I motioned Han Yuseong inside with a glance, hauled my weary body up, pointed my sword at the witch, and sneered.

"Awkward. You kidnapped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me for revenge on your goons from the clinic, but now they're all wiped out?"

I'd pieced it from Han Yuseong's story earlier. Figured that's why she'd nabbed me.

"Hm? Don't care about that."

"...?"

But defying expectations, Witch Beatrice dismissed it outright.

"...What? Then why'd you kidnap me?"

"Kidnap?"

"...?"

She looked genuinely baffled by my words. Her expression seemed so sincere I briefly wondered if she hadn't kidnapped me at all.

"I was just storing the gift, wrapping and all. Kidnap? What?"

"...Gift wrapping?"

"Yeah! That bracelet! Vivian's gift to me♥"

Bracelet. She pointed at my inventory finger, beaming innocently. No, fuck.

"Why the hell is it a gift to you? It's mine."

"I know Vivian's heart well! Ung♥ She's shy!♥ She's been sending me gifts nonstop, excited for my potions!♥"

This "conversation" felt like parallel monologues. It was a magic tool Vivian gave me, but she claims it's for her? What?

"Look! All the gifts Vivian's sent me!♥"

She proudly showed off the jangling trinkets on her body. The ring from my teleport, necklace magic tools, earrings, hairpins... all of them.

Every one infused with Vivian's mana.

"...Okay, so why kidnap me? And what's with storing 'gift wrapping'?"

"Duh! Gifts from Vivian—gotta keep the wrapping too!♥ Wanna see?♥"

Like a kid bragging bugs to a parent, Beatrice gestured into the air. Space split open, and people tumbled out.

'People? ...No, not quite?'

They looked human enough. Eyes, nose, mouth, limbs—all there.

...But an eerie lack of vitality. Not corpses either—no deathly aura, no rot.

Yeah, like dolls.

"Cool, right? After Vivian's gifts, I made cute dolls from the wrapping!♥"

Dolls. She lined up what sure looked like human corpses and called them "dolls."

"This doll delivered these earrings from Vivian 140 years ago. This guy brought that ring 112 years back..."

Like a child showing off toys, she explained each one—people who'd somehow gotten Vivian's magic tools and delivered them. Her hand eventually drifted toward me.

"Gift wrapping for the bracelet Vivian made♥"

"...Fuck."

"Was gonna save it, unwrap later... guess I'll open it early?"

A chill surged up. Instinct took over—I surged mana into my sword and slashed.

-Clang!

"What?!"

A doll that'd been docile rocketed forward, batting away my strike aimed at Beatrice.

"This 'wrapping' fights back hard? Heehee♥ Fine. Vivian always wraps gifts so carefully. Unwrapping's fun, but..."

-Snap-snap-snap!

Purple mana rose from Beatrice. Similar hue to Vivian's, but far more savage.

'Threads?'

Shaped like puppet strings. The mana threads shot to the "dolls," binding them like marionettes, jerking them to life.

-Grind...

-Creak. Creak...

"......Fuck..."

The threaded dolls lurched as one, each drawing wicked weapons.

"Shall we unwrap? Keeheehee♥"