Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Four Gut Punches to Clarity
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Four punches to the gut would make anyone come to their senses.
"Ugh..."
While the bitch stirred awake, I slipped on the mask from the desk.
"Ahem."
I checked my voice too. During the time it took to break this bitch in, I became someone else entirely. Age, birthplace, voice, job—you name it. I'd cooked up a perfect fake profile for a novelist character out of thin air and memorized it down to the last detail.
The bitch was starting to come around, mumbling nonsense. I had no interest in parsing her delirious babble, so I ignored it, grabbed all her stuff, and got up from my seat.
She'd ramble herself back to sleep anyway.
In an hour or two, when I came back, she'd be huddled in terror, fully aware and scared out of her mind. If I was curious about her waking up, I could watch via the security cameras, but with the plan wrapped up smoothly and my tension easing, all I wanted was a bit of rest.
It had been four hours since I'd left the basement and come up to the first floor. Looks like I'd dozed off on the sofa while watching the bitch on the security feed. More time than expected had slipped by. Time to start by making her grasp her new reality.
I opened the tightly shut basement door and stepped in. Through the bars, I saw the bitch jolt in fright. She'd probably pounded on them and screamed her head off while I slept. A few hours in a sealed space was plenty to drive anyone insane. But I'd slept like a baby. Soundproofing was perfect.
"H-Hey, excuse me."
I didn't bother answering.
"Where is this place? Some kind of holding cell?"
A fair assumption. In a rule-of-law country, only the state could confiscate all your possessions except your clothes and lock you up, stripping away your basic rights.
"You cops? I've never blacked out after two drinks... Even if I messed up from booze, does it make sense to lock someone up like this?"
"..."
"What agency are you with?"
"Pfft..."
What a moronic bitch. Delusions running wild, arms crossed like she's interrogating me, but she can't hide those trembling legs.
"You think this situation's funny? What's your name? You think I'll just sit here?"
"Oh, totally~ It's hilarious."
"What did you say!?"
Finally clocking it, huh? No sane cop would steal every belonging from a citizen and lock them away.
And a masked stranger staring silently sure as hell wasn't one. She just wanted to deny the horrifying truth: she'd been kidnapped and imprisoned.
-Kreeeeak
The bars let out a chilling screech as they opened. I hadn't oiled them on purpose. That sound would be its own kind of signal.
"Don't come closer! I'll report you!"
"Report me? To who? Go ahead, try."
I flashed a twisted grin and silently locked the bars behind me before approaching the bitch. She backed away, mouth shut tight now. The moment I closed in—
-Pssshht!
"Gah!"
I whipped my face away. A caustic liquid streamed down the mask's side, reeking harshly.
Pepper spray for self-defense? She actually had it.
Lucky it missed my eyes, but aerosol particles hit my lungs, burning like I'd snorted a fistful of pepper with every breath.
"You fucking..."
I seized her hand, twisted out the little ampule-sized spray, and slapped her cheek hard.
-Smack!!
"H-Hurk-!"
No cartoonish "Kyaa!" from some manga heroine.
That choked gasp—that was real.
I didn't want to mess up her face too badly, so palm instead of fist, but a full-force adult male slap was enough to scramble her mind in an instant.
"Wh-Who the fuck are you, shithead? Why are you doing this, you psycho? Cr-Crazy... What the..."
I looked at the bitch trembling like a leaf in the corner and said,
"How long do you think it'll take for you to snap out of it?"
"You crazy bastard, you fucking prick!... You think you can do this and get away with it? Wanna rot in prison for life?"
This bitch really had no clue what she'd done to me, huh?
Or maybe she'd fucked over so many people, it was par for the course?
Memories of the past flooded back, and bile rose in my gut.
My clenched fist trembled with rage.
No helping it.
I'd thought intense training was too soon, but...
If I were magnanimous enough to take it all, I wouldn't have kidnapped you in the first place.
I balled my fist tight—
-Thud!!
"Kek!"
I drove it full-force into the bitch's gut.
"Guhk, hack."
One hit.
The bitch doubled over, retching like her breath was cut off.
"Still not sure who's rotting in 'prison'?... Think about it before you open that mouth from now on."
"Hurk, guh-eup, heuk, h-heuk..."
I waited leisurely for her breath to return.
"Huu... huu-heuk."
Still ragged breaths, but she was recovering somewhat.
"So, back to my earlier question? How long till you snap out of it? Looks like you still haven't grasped the situation, the way you're rebelling."
The bitch glared at me.
"Crazy bastard..."
"Heh heh."
I hauled the bitch to her feet. No strength left to fight. Hyperventilation would've left her vision spinning already.
-Thwack! Thud!
"Grrrr... ugh... wehurk! Uwheeeek!!"
Two this time. She crumpled like a marionette with cut strings, vomiting everywhere.
Even a pretty bitch like her stank vilely of puke.
"Urk, reeks. Heh heh..."
I glanced at my wristwatch unconsciously.
"Not even five minutes, huh? You've taken a full generation's worth. Know what that means?"
The bitch stared up at me through tears and vomit, eyes quaking. Yeah, that terrified look.
Pupils dilated from the sudden violence.
It satisfied something deep inside.
I felt a twitch down below but ignored it. That joy came later. Highlights after proper warmup. Save the best for last.
I hadn't brought this bitch here in heat anyway.
"You get wha—what it m-means... No, wait."
-Thwack!
I grabbed her collar, yanked her up, and slammed another fist into her gut.
Her eyes still had a flicker of life.
I needed overwhelming terror.
The fear she might actually die!
"Guhk! Wehurk! Wheeeek!"
Nothing left to puke but stomach acid, but she couldn't stop. Physical shock triggered gag reflex beyond reason.
Her belly was probably bruised black and blue by now, the squeezing muscles amplifying the agony as she heaved.
"That's four now, right? Time for an answer... Wait, what was my first question? Hmm..."
The bitch could barely breathe.
My ugly sadism stirred; my dick twitched.
"Slow on the reply... Well, a few more and you'll answer properly, yeah?"
"W-Wait, please wait!"
She clutched my pant leg with shaking hands, dropped to her knees, and started groveling. Face a mess of tears, snot, and drool—her pretty features ruined long ago.
"Pl-Ple-Please, plea-hease stop. I-I'm sor-sorry, I did wrong, please stop, uheuk."
Four hits.
That was the limit of her pride—the bitch who'd crossed her arms, sneered like vermin, and barked demands for my affiliation. For a female shielded her whole life by laws and norms as a "victim," this pain was a first—a searing novelty.
Plus, despite awakening that rare Mental Barrier for psychic defense, she'd bragged in school she'd never do scary combat stuff. She only knew hiding behind strong guys, coquettishly tormenting others. Zero fighter spirit or mental fortitude—a worthless worm.
"Euk, I-I'm sorry."
"That's your answer?"
I grabbed her hair and yanked her up. At 45kg flailing wildly, it'd be tough one-handed, but scalp pain made her plant her feet with all her might—easy enough.
Key training technique.
Use minimal force to force "cooperation."
Possible because psychic Awakeners had normal strength.
"N-No, th-that's, that's..."
She tried meeting my eyes but instinctively looked down.
"One more hit then—?"
"Pl-Please, no!"
Before I finished, she wailed like a child, begging.
Thinks cheap tactics work on me...?
"Look at this."
I held up the self-defense spray she'd tried on me, bringing it to her eye level.
Flinch!
Guessed what I was about to do? She thrashed wildly.
"Pl-Please don't!"
"I really hate resistance."