Reclaim Earth: Warriors Immune to Hypnosis (1)
Even when the Black Death swept through Europe, not every European perished. Even when a pandemic ravaged the world, not everyone fell ill. Even among those infected by the same disease, fatality rates varied from person to person. That's because resistance to viruses differs individually.
Hypnosis works the same way.
Kim Hoyoung's hypnosis had swallowed the entire world in just one year. Yet not everyone was vulnerable to it.
There were those with strong resistance to hypnosis... the last survivors clinging to their sanity in a mad world.
They had set up hidden bases like guerrillas in various locations, communicating among themselves and biding their time in secrecy. No, it wasn't just hiding. They were lurking in the shadows, dreaming of the day they would reclaim humanity from Kim Hoyoung.
Today was the day four female warriors—classified among the radicals—finally launched their D-Day operation.
The group, nicknamed the "W.L.K Rangers," was holding a clandestine meeting in a basement near Seoul.
They appeared to be young, pretty girls at first glance, but their true identities were warriors who had waited a full year for the chance to kill Kim Hoyoung.
"How long are we gonna keep dragging our feet? The guy's out there walking alone every day with no security whatsoever. We've got plenty of chances to take him out!"
The complaint came from a Western woman with superior physique, like a model from a home shopping channel. She was Scarlett Watson, born in America, 26 years old, over 170cm tall, an aspiring actress who had sensed the world going strange and come all the way to Korea to eliminate the cause—a woman of action.
"Don't jump to conclusions. It could be a trap set by Kim Hoyoung."
A girl with an intellectual image—horn-rimmed glasses and straight bob haircut—offered a cautious opinion. Her name was Park Jisoo, the only Korean in the previous generation of W.L.K. A graduate of Korea Foreign Language High School (top-ranked high school) and Korea University (top university), she had passed the civil service exam and worked as a public servant before resigning upon sensing the anomaly.
"Trap? What trap! Park Jisoo, you've been holed up in the base for safety and haven't even tried to get eyes on Kim Hoyoung yourself!"
"Just looking at him could risk hypnosis."
"Then you gonna kill him with telekinesis? We have to clash eventually, right?"
"And if we clash and end up as his slaves instead? Even if we're resistant to hypnosis, we don't know if we'll be safe face-to-face. It's the difference between distant radiation exposure and close-range fallout."
"You're just scared, that's all."
As the radical Scarlett clashed with the cautious Park Jisoo, a cute girl with a somewhat youthful face timidly raised her hand.
"This isn't the time for us to be fighting among ourselves, right? Even now, countless girls are being raped by scum like Kim Hoyoung..."
Fujiwara no Sumire, from a Japanese noble family. Even after the divine descent abolished the class system, her family boasted immense wealth as local magnates, producing generations of Diet members. Yet she was a girl with a warm heart, always thinking of the weak.
While attending Agucuin University—frequented by imperial and noble families—she received a call from her mother one day and realized the world had gone mad.
"Sumire's right. Our goal is singular: kill Kim Hoyoung. We didn't gather to fight each other."
Fujiwara no Himeko, Sumire's mother and current head of the Fujiwara family. Leader of a party classified as far-right in Japan, she was a radical politician advocating a return to imperial rule centered on the Emperor.
Was it because she championed Japanese superiority, despising and feeling superior to neighboring countries? Strangely, Himeko was unaffected by Kim Hoyoung's hypnosis. She herself concluded it was due to her "pride as a Japanese noble serving the Emperor," but... who knows if that's the truth.
In any case, these four had realized the world was under Kim Hoyoung's hypnosis and miraculously united to secretly advance their "Humanity Reclamation Plan."
"Unfortunately, the entire world has fallen into Kim Hoyoung's hands. If we openly rebel against him, we'll face concentrated fire from the very humanity we're trying to save. It's a rescue operation where the hostages don't even realize they're hostages. You all know how impossible a mission this is... right?"
"There must be more people like us—unaffected by hypnosis—out there somewhere, but they're probably pretending to be hypnotized while watching their surroundings. As long as they avoid direct contact with Kim Hoyoung, they won't suffer much. The problem is we can't identify them. It's not like we can hand out a national survey asking, 'Are you possibly immune to hypnosis?'"
"The fact that us four even banded together is a miracle. We should thank God."
Group leader Himeko and strategist Park Jisoo were perfectly in sync.
"So! We're just gonna keep watching from the sidelines forever? Then what's the point of us gathering? Without action, it's all just empty words!"
Scarlett, the most impatient, had reached her limit. Coming from America where gun ownership was legal, she had only one solution in mind.
"Snipe him from afar. The bastard's no Superman or Super Saiyan. Just an ordinary guy who knows hypnosis. A bullet will drop him dead. My dad's a cop, so he taught me to shoot, and I smuggled in a pistol."
Scarlett's blue eyes gleamed as she drew the pistol from her waistband and showed it to her comrades.
"If we just sit here planning forever, we'll never beat Kim Hoyoung or save Earth. Issue the 'Kill Order' on Kim Hoyoung already, Leader."
"…………."
Scarlett stared at Himeko with resolute eyes. Their operating funds came entirely from Himeko's personal wealth. From a rich family to begin with, Himeko had more than enough to support four jobless women for a year. Even Scarlett couldn't ignore the opinion of the one holding the purse strings.
But Himeko, head of a seasoned political dynasty, remained cautious.
"Kim Hoyoung isn't ordinary. He already knows there are people immune to his hypnosis."
"Himeko! Then how long—"
"I knew of a few groups like ours resisting him and was in contact. But none respond now. Know why? Even those with resistance got brainwashed by Kim Hoyoung. They were grinding their teeth in hatred toward him, but once hypnotized, they turned into loyal slaves. Seeing them praise him to my face... it was like a horror movie."
"I won't end up like that. I'd rather blow my temple with this gun."
"...The issue is how those hidden groups got exposed to Kim Hoyoung."
Himeko locked eyes with each comrade one by one, emphasizing her point.
"Surprisingly, Kim Hoyoung seems to have infiltrated them with spies. That's how the info leaked. I remember the last group I contacted—an elite unit of American cops and intel agents, planning an assassination just like you, Scarlett. They got brainwashed right before execution. If they'd moved even a day sooner, they might've killed him..."
"……."
Even Scarlett swallowed dryly at the news that an American unit had fallen.
"That time... I encountered Kim Hoyoung directly."
"!!??"
Her comrades perked up at Himeko's bombshell confession. Park Jisoo, who avoided even video footage of him for caution, showed particular interest.
"What happened?"
"Nothing. He tried hypnotizing me, but it failed. Seems I have special resistance to his hypnosis. Probably... the proud blood of a Japanese noble serving His Imperial Majesty refuses to submit to some Korean? But saving others was impossible. I barely escaped alone..."
"I see. So there are humans immune to Kim Hoyoung's hypnosis... valuable intel. You're worthy of being our leader. Maybe we're immune like you, Himeko."
Park Jisoo's analysis gave Scarlett a huge boost of courage.
"Yeah! So stop chickening out and let's kill the bastard! Himeko, you're immune, so you take this gun and do it!"
"...No. He knows my face. Too risky for me to step up front. He'd spot me."
"Then it's me! No more holding back. I'll save the world and humanity with this gun!"
Scarlett shot up from her seat, yelling at Himeko, who shook her head.
Like the singer of ancient Qi who sang, "Once I set out on this journey, I may never return," Scarlett departed with heroic resolve. Judging she couldn't be stopped, Himeko handed her an earpiece with a special device as a final plea.
"At least wear this. So we can track the situation through your voice."
"Fine. Too bad to hear Kim Hoyoung's death rattle alone."
"...Good luck."
"...Himeko."
With the earpiece in, her long blonde hair covering it, Scarlett looked back at her comrades with wistful eyes.
"Himeko, who quit her rising Diet career to support us. Park Jisoo, always fighting but smart enough to be reliable. Sumire, with a warmer heart than her princess upbringing... Without you, I'd have gone mad long ago... Once I kill Kim Hoyoung and reclaim the world, let's have a barbecue party together!"
"Scarlett..."
"Yeah, definitely."
"Scarlett sis, it will happen for sure!"
After a tight group hug, Scarlett set off on the path of no return.
Quick and decisive. Knowing Kim Hoyoung's address already, she headed straight there without detours. The guy followed a pathetic routine every morning, stepping out to hunt for pretty women. With his patterns known, failure was impossible.
Scarlett infiltrated near his house, waiting for the target to emerge. The tense situation transmitted live via earpiece to her comrades.
Crackle— With that final sound, communications cut off.
"...I warned her."
"Damn it. That idiot Scarlett! She deliberately yelled before shooting just to give him a piece of her mind! She should've just killed him!"
"Scarlett sis..."
Two days later, a video arrived for the despairing W.L.K Rangers.
With uneasy hearts, they played it. Scarlett appeared, smiling happily and waving cheerfully.
Her cheeks flushed with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. As Scarlett delivered her mission success message, the W.L.K Rangers harbored faint hopes.
But—
As the camera zoomed out to reveal her full body, those hopes shattered.
She was stark naked, her vaginal walls and thighs thickly coated in semen, her body scribbled all over with ballpoint pen in vulgar phrases like 'Master's Exclusive Cum Tank', 'Virginity Lost: Day 2', 'Hole That Permits Creampies', 'Arrogant Cunt Conquered After Defying Master', 'Ready for Use Anytime', 'Master-Only Meat Toilet'.
Himeko quietly closed her eyes, Park Jisoo spat curses and hurled her cup, and Sumire covered her face, sobbing.
Yet the video kept playing.