Chapter 49: A Powerful Mental Attack
Korea’s top celebrity, singer, and hunter—Han Mi-na. With her stunning looks and enchanting voice, she had moved countless hearts. But right now, she was in deep trouble.
“Wh-where... wh-where did it go? I c-can’t... without that...”
Her body trembling, she searched every corner of her room. No matter how much she checked her arm, the item that should have been there was gone.
“It’s gone. It’s gone... Uuugh... Without it, I c-can’t... handle my schedule...”
She was desperately hunting for one thing: a sparkling purple bracelet she wore on her left wrist every day. It wasn’t an ordinary bracelet. Of course, it wasn’t some magical artifact with special powers either.
“With-without it, I c-can’t... do self-hypnosis...”
Her voice barely a whisper, she stuttered as she rummaged through the same spots over and over. Tears welled up in her shaking eyes.
The purple bracelet she’d lost was a symbol confirming her self-hypnosis had taken hold. It was what allowed her to maintain her sense of self even after hypnotizing herself. The reason was simple: when she wasn’t hypnotized, it looked purple; when she was, it turned pink. She didn’t know why the color changed. What mattered was that it helped her hold onto her identity.
That was how she could stay as Han Mi-na all day, even under self-hypnosis.
Korea’s top celebrity, Han Mi-na. It was just a mask created by self-hypnosis for a shut-in loner.
Active: Hypnosis (S)
Control a desired target.
An overpowered S-rank skill. Used right, it could make her more than just a celebrity—it could give her absolute dominance even at school.
But it had limits.
Daily Usable Points: 240P
Max points can be increased through training.
Hypnosis was powerful, but she couldn’t exceed those points. She could hypnotize the country’s richest person to hand over money, but it’d take at least 500 points. Minimum. Factoring in breaching layers of security to reach them? Way more.
So she’d figured it out: the most efficient use of her power. Hypnotize herself in the mirror. Give her unbreakable confidence to do anything.
Hypnosis on self is not permanent.
Costs 100P initially.
Consumes 10P per hour.
Thanks to this skill, she could be Korea’s top celebrity for 14 hours a day.
She didn’t realize it, but Han Mi-na had the looks, curves, and natural voice of a born idol. But...
“I c-can’t... It’s not working...”
Unable to find the bracelet, Han Mi-na curled up in the corner of her room, trembling uncontrollably.
Her body shook. No motivation. That’s just how I am. Knew it. Got cocky with success and lost it all. Never gonna be a celebrity again. All that sparkle... gone.
She’d become a celebrity partly because she hated fighting, but mostly because she yearned for a star’s glittering life. She’d finally found it—or so she thought.
Bzzz!
—Manager Kang Jung-hoon.
Her manager was calling. She couldn’t answer. Not this pathetic shut-in version of herself.
After several missed calls, a text came.
“Wh-what do I do...?”
She hated burdening others by missing schedules, but she couldn’t go out like this.
“S-sorry...”
Manager Kang kept trying to persuade her, but no dice. Without the bracelet, she couldn’t hypnotize herself. Fear of losing her fragile true self to hypnosis stopped her cold.
All she could say was sorry.
“Hoo... Phew, close call. That was almost bad.”
She’d find the bracelet later, apologize profusely. That’d fix it. With the immediate crisis averted, Han Mi-na pondered where it could be.
Not in the room. Not in her bag. So... outside? Manager’s car? No. Waiting room? Nope. She’d definitely had it on until yesterday’s schedule ended.
I checked my left wrist after the hypnosis wore off.
Not the shoot site. Then it hit her.
“Right... the convenience store...”
After hypnosis faded, she’d craved beer, mustered courage to buy some... and bumped into a guy. Must’ve dropped then.
“Ugh, you idiot Han Mi-na. How could you lose something that important...”
She stood, donned sunglasses and a mask, and headed to the store. Criminals always return to the scene. That guy would too. Probably.
But...
“Wh-what did he look like again?”
Head down, she hadn’t seen his face.
“Ugh, hope a store clerk picked it up...”
Even that was too much for a shut-in like her.
“Pluto’s Gem, huh. Weird trinket for a girl to wear.”
I examined the bracelet I’d picked up at the convenience store. Pluto’s Gem. Fancy name, but no special effects. It just changes color based on emotions: yellow when happy, navy when down, red when in love, purple when depressed. Shifts through colors depending on mood—treated like a novelty toy.
An out-of-dungeon artifact, yet pricey for what it is.
“Wearing outdated junk. Unique taste.”
Too hooded to see her face—regrettable. Couldn’t return it even if I wanted.
“Brought it home in a panic, though...”
No reason to keep it. I’d drop it off. It’s just the store next door. Clerk could hold it for the owner. Not my problem after.
“What a hassle.”
I hauled my heavy ass up. Gotta return it. Owner’s probably freaking out.
Off to the store. And there...
“Ex-excuse me, cl-clerk? H-have you s-seen... a bracelet like this...?”
I spotted a suspicious woman in mask and shades.
“What the hell?”
Thief? Nah, too obvious. Clerk looked troubled.
“Never seen it. If we find it, I’ll call. Leave your number...”
“Can’t do that!”
I approached the counter. Both turned to me.
“Ah! Y-you!”
The shady woman pointed at me—at the bracelet in my hand.
Incheon Airport. One of Korea’s few survivors post-gates, now Asia’s largest international hub. Amid the crowds, one figure drew every eye.
“Whoa! Korea! Garlic smell’s intense!”
A 2-meter blond giant with blue eyes. America’s S-rank hunter, Saint Guild exec, and Lee Kang-san’s best friend—Marcson Porter.
His build alone turned heads, but the loud Hawaiian shirt and baggy white shorts? Overkill. Whistling through shades, he breathed foreign air.
“Phew, overseas trip in forever.”
Marcson grinned. Looked like vacation, but he was on critical business. Officially: negotiating Daesung over the San Francisco S-rank gate. Unofficially: checking out the creep hitting on his buddy’s sister.
“Gotta hustle.”
Tourism later. As he muttered, a suited Daesung exec approached.
“Marcson Porter? I’m Yoo Hyung-chan from Daesung.”
Marcson’s smile vanished.
“Nice to meet ya. Marcson Porter.”
“We’ll escort you to HQ.”
No point refusing courtesy. Wouldn’t sway Saint Guild’s terms.
Marcson kept a poker face till Daesung HQ.
“70%. That’s Saint Guild’s cut.”
“But Porter, that’s way off our prior agreement...”
“Don’t like it? Thought there was no fixed split in the contract?”
“International law mandates distribution by contribution for joint dungeon/gate raids. Daesung sent 500 hunters to San Francisco, so...”
“Follows for A-rank gates. This is S-rank. International law doesn’t apply to S-ranks? Forgot how you begged to join for the XP?”
“...”
Bam!
Marcson slammed a dagger into the table—spirit wood, uncrackable without mana. Blade sank deep. He glared with murderous intent.
Silent threat: Take what’s given.
“Thank your stars Kang-san left you 30%. I’d have squeezed to 20%.”
In this era, gates weren’t just threats—they were tragedies and massive resource veins. Guilds and corps eyed new ones hungrily.
Ownership depended on spawn location. This S-rank: San Francisco. US federal land, Saint Guild turf.
Saint owned it outright. Daesung couldn’t push.
Tough luck? Beg for an S-rank on your soil.
“Uh, understood. We’ll draft the docs...”
“Good. Send ’em now. Got personal business.”
Nothing more. His job: relay Saint’s demands. They’d hoped for talks? Fat chance. This declared negotiations dead.
Marcson stood.
“Son of a bitch...”
He caught the exec muttering in Korean—Lee Kang-san’s go-to curse. Cute.
Daring to curse to my face?
“Better compose yourself. Mouth off without knowing your place, you might end up dead.”
Normally, his blade would’ve tasted blood. But Daesung was key Korea partner. No incidents.
Leaving the pale execs, Marcson stepped out grinning. Real work now.
“G-give me... the bracelet...”
I eyed the trembling woman reaching out. Mask, shades, deep hood—she shook like a leaf. Suspicious as hell. Stalker?
Demanding the bracelet outright. Owner, maybe.
I glanced at her phone. Screen swirled like a vortex sucking you in.
What the—kid’s toy video?
A powerful mental attack has struck.
Resisted thanks to SS-rank Charisma stat influence.
What? Mental attack? From what? That phone screen? Mind-type hunter? Over a trinket? Appraisal said ordinary bracelet.
Be cautious. System warned—this was serious skill use to snag it back. Without Charisma SS, I’d be done.
Story here. No way I’m handing it over.
“Why would I give you my bracelet? Who the hell are you?”
Her reaction? Priceless.
“Wh-wh-what? Th-this isn’t... working...?”
