The End of Bewitchment (2)
Succubus and Incubus.
Also known as淫魔 or 夢魔, they were a type of demon that appeared in the dreams of the opposite sex to seduce them and steal their essence.
Being specialized in seducing others, they inherently possessed very attractive appearances and had a natural aptitude for illusions and enchantments.
‘I think this is the first time I’m using this ability so earnestly.’
And now that I think about it again,
Hela was also a mixed-blood inheritor of such succubus blood.
Not just any ordinary succubus, but she inherited all the superior genes from the Queen and the Demon King.
‘Well, in truth, I hadn’t really needed to use this ability until now. It only caused unnecessary complications.’
Why use tricks when I have the strength to solve things through sheer power?
Licking her lips, Hela surveyed the surrounding scenery that swayed like a mirage.
[Alright, let’s work vigorously today as well.]
This was a naturally inherited ability for all succubi, and the added effect of Hela’s “Lord of Bewitchment”—Dream Dive.
That was the reason she could be in the dream world like this now.
‘After all, in reality, there are always restrictions on actions. I didn’t expect to experience tasting rice in this way.’
Though she was following along considering various interests, the leadership of the Yoon Clan wasn’t foolish; they couldn’t just leave a disastrous calamity causing serious effects around them unattended.
In such a situation, the succubus’s ability to freely navigate nearby dreams was like giving wings to her movements.
‘There are even more people entranced than I expected. But it seems the end is in sight.’
Since she and Harley made an appearance in the Seongcheon Yoon Clan,
Hongsan Kingdom and Cheonghae Kingdom responded more swiftly than anticipated.
A large number of elite troops had moved to the borders with the Yoon Clan, even requesting the transfer of the suspect through official channels.
But of course…there was no way the Yoon Clan could entertain such requests.
It just happened to turn out this way; they weren’t originally capturing them with their abilities anyway.
In fact, they hoped that someone would take those troublemakers off their hands as well.
‘Thanks to the attracted attention, I’ve accomplished my goal of buying some time.’
Various factors intertwined and time wasted endlessly.
But that didn’t mean they could recklessly launch a preemptive strike; they had suffered greatly before, and the reputation of the Yoon Clan known to the public wasn’t something to scoff at.
In the end, everything was flowing just like Hela desired.
[Oh? Found another one.]
During the time she spent, Hela diligently traversed the dream world, saving the entranced young lambs.
[Now, let’s see… What kind of enchantment do you carry?]
In the process, there came the side effect that she unintentionally snooped into others’ private lives…
Well, it was something that couldn’t be helped, right?
She could only hope that they would understand it was an unavoidable circumstance.
[Oh dear, your fiancé you promised to marry cheated on you? And the target was… oh my! Your sister? Really? So you laid in wait and caught them in the act?]
Feeling so exasperated, as soon as she nudged the enchantment, the grievances burst forth.
Hugging a large popcorn bucket that appeared from thin air, Hela enthusiastically chewed on a fistful of popcorn, nodding her head in interest.
[…Goodness! The audacity! But you just left it alone? Hmm, hmm. So?]
In truth, infiltrating the dreams of practitioners with strong mental fortitude in the Yoon Clan’s domain, where various barriers were laid, wasn’t an easy task.
But with her abilities, things changed.
She had been visiting the dreams of the Seongcheon Yoon Clan’s members for five days without leaving a trace.
[You were rotting away alone because of those worthless ones. Even with your anger hitting the limit, you never crossed the final line. Truly admirable.]
– Sniffle… I don’t know what to do anymore. Every day I think about killing them and then killing myself…
[I understand your feelings, but it’s not a good thought. You should keep your mind steady at times like this. I have a good idea; would you like to hear it?]
As she visited the dreams, Hela enthralled them in various ways, making them into her minions.
It was easy to enchant those who were neither fully rational nor aware of whether this world was reality or a dream.
[All your worries, I will take them all away. When you wake up, you’ll feel clearer and more refreshed than ever. With that purified mind, do as I say.]
– Ah, aaaah—! Thank you, thank you! Sniff, but you are so beautiful!
[Hmm? Out of nowhere? Well, yeah… thank you?]
– I think I won’t need men in my life. Can I call you sister?
[…Hmm, I’m off now? Keep living strongly, even if difficult things come your way.]
– Thank you, sister! By the way, did you know? There’s a bakery that just opened next to the Terio Orphanage…
After absorbing the anguish and removing all traces of enchantment, Hela shrugged before moving on to the next dream.
Originally, dreams flowed chaotically along the stream of consciousness.
Rather, being trapped in one subject in a dream could be seen as being mentally ill.
‘When you look back coolly, what seemed like a serious problem feels insignificant. Over time, new worries will pile up again, but for now, it’s okay.’
Content with having helped another young lamb, she wiped her nose.
Of course, the dreamer would forget most of what had just happened the moment they woke up, retaining only vague memories.
That was how dreams worked.
But amidst that, one clear fact remained.
Even if they forgot everything, they would, without even realizing, come to fanaticize about Hela.
Just like when they were entranced.
‘Well, that much of a reward is just right. Visiting for consultations isn’t easy after all.’
Despite everything, she stood at the pinnacle of demonhood, the Demon King.
Free services didn’t satisfy her spirit.
However, unless something major occurred, she had no intention to issue any unreasonable orders…
– Who are you?
At that moment, a sudden voice filled with suspicion echoed.
Gasp!
Hela’s eyes twitched instinctively as she glanced around the new dream.
It was the first time someone had noticed her before she was aware of her own invasion after becoming somewhat accustomed to Dream Dive.
Could she have jumped the gun?
– This is my dream… How did you get here?
From the following words, she became certain.
That was directed at her, Hela.
‘This is as clear as if I were fully awake! This isn’t a mere lucid dream!’
Who could it be?
At the moment curiosity sparked, the surrounding scenery that had been flickering like a mirage began to sharpen.
Rubble of collapsed buildings and junk piled like a landfill.
A grey sky cracked and shattered, pieces lying about.
‘Where is this?’
Hela’s stiff expression met the gaze of a little girl in the middle of the ruins.
A small girl holding a tattered fairy tale book in her arms, looking up at her.
– …But it feels surprisingly familiar. Who are you really?
The cause of Hoon’s transition to this Sabacheon—Ramu frowned as she looked at her.
*
“Dimensional Control”
It was the name of the unique skill that Ramu had awakened.
‘From the name, I knew it had the ability to intervene in time and space, but…’
Who would have known it would apply to the “sleeping time” and the “dream” space as well?
This place wasn’t just an ordinary dream.
It would be more accurate to say it was Ramu’s unique world, entirely under the control of “Dimensional Control,” created as a god.
Above all, the biggest proof was that time in this area was over a hundred times different than outside.
– So in a nutshell… You’re wandering around trying to catch the bad guys sneaking a war, right?
[Yeah, yeah, you’re really smart!]
– Such flattering praise doesn’t make me very happy…
Ramu replied with a sulky face to Hela’s compliment.
Still, her wariness had diminished substantially since their first meeting.
– So you’re working with Hoon oppa? Masquerade?
[Yep, we’re like a problem-solving duo, crossing dimensions. In fact, we came here because we received a request for help. Ask later when you wake up.]
– Hmm, I had a slight feeling… that dragon named Horus was the same.
Since Hoon had previously mentioned Masquerade, she seemed to easily agree.
As she said, there was likely a sense of similarity.
However, despite Ramu’s attitude, Hela had to struggle immensely not to show the growing astonishment rising within her.
‘How long has it been since she awakened her unique skill to be at this level already?’
It had not been long since she woke from a long sleep.
Considering that while unique skills excelled in performance, accumulating experience was difficult, this was truly an absurd growth rate.
‘If I hadn’t received Karma Points for my achievements early on, there’s no way I could have operated “Avatar” to this level.’
Perhaps her original power to ‘transcend dimensions’ had influenced a bit.
If it weren’t for that, the level wouldn’t have been understandable.
But as she was listening, it became clear that it wasn’t the end of the story.
[You’ve been learning Chakra all this time? And you’ve already opened it?]
– Yes, well… Hoon oppa seemed busy, so I couldn’t just waste time alone, right? Then I met someone named Yoon So-so and learned the basics of Chakra…
She recounted her meeting with Yoon So-so as she was trying to seduce the ever-so-defensive Hoon to tackle his surroundings.
After learning the basics, she had quickly met the conditions for opening due to the time multiplier over a hundred times in the dream world.
At her words, Hela closed her eyes tightly in deep reflection.
She realized she had not paid enough attention to Ramu until now.
The very reason she had come here was for Ramu’s growth, yet somehow her priority had slipped down during the extended sleep.
‘Still, this exceeds my expectations? Can I expect even more going forward?’
With a soft voice, Hela looked at the child growing effortlessly without her intervention with admiration.
[So what Chakra are you mastering…]
– I don’t really want to say that.
At Ramu’s immediate response to keep her distance, Hela felt glum.
She only accepted that she was Hoon’s comrade, but the excessive approach into personal space was still met with caution.
‘Wait? Maybe this…’
Just as Hela had grown gloomy, she suddenly stroked her chin, deep in thought.
Right now, she was busy traversing dreams and removing enchantments while tracking those strands.
Since the enchantments were so well hidden, it would naturally take a considerable amount of time to find even one.
After five days of hard work, she still hadn’t left the vicinity of Seongcheon Yoon Clan, so it was evident.
‘But if that kid helped me with that?’
With her abilities, dragging one more person while entering dreams was no big deal.
Coupled with Ramu’s “Dimensional Control”…
‘Maybe I could find the dreams hiding the enchantments even faster. No, at the very least, if you adjust the time multiplier in dreams, it’ll be a huge help.’
Besides, there was one more benefit in that case.
‘If I could find and annihilate the mastermind behind it… Ramu would also receive considerable Karma Points. Then she could aim for faster growth.’
A revolutionary method that aimed for quick processing along with Ramu’s growth.
It was truly killing two birds with one stone!
Having organized her thoughts, Hela smirked subtly.
Then, looking meaningfully at Ramu, she opened her mouth.
[Hey, you want to do a job together with me?…]
– No, thanks.
…It seemed convincing this child would be the first hurdle in this grand plan.
*
As the seeds of enchantment scattered throughout the Seongcheon Yoon Clan began to be removed one by one.
‘Who is it? Is it that demon? They have this kind of ability too? This is becoming troublesome.’
The first feeling was a mix of annoyance and crisis.
His chakra was a type of power that rendered detection before activation nearly impossible.
Everyone, big or small, harbors worries within, and the seeds of enchantment he sowed burrowed deep and entered hibernation.
The moment the chakra activated was only when the seeds awakening from hibernation sprouted and bloomed according to his signal.
Once activated, the induced enchantment created subtle distortions in the host’s worries and cleverly guided their actions.
What he prided himself on was that even after activation, the host wouldn’t sense any uncomfortable feelings…
‘Tch, I guess I’ll have to give up on the seeds planted in the Yoon Clan.’
Until then, the stress felt from the situation gone awry felt burdensome.
While regretting the effort poured into the Yoon Clan, it was only a small part compared to the whole.
But then.
‘…What is this?’
A while later, he could no longer avoid the heightened sense of crisis he faced.
‘Why…?’
At some point, the seeds that had spread throughout the Yoon Clan were simultaneously eliminated.
Up to that point was something he could thoroughly comprehend, but the problem was what came next.
‘What is this insane rate? And the ever-increasing range…’
It wasn’t limited to just around the Yoon Clan.
What method had been used, but that unknown ‘area’ that began rapidly expanding soon engulfed the central continent, and eventually reached close to the capitals of Hongsan Kingdom and Cheonghae Kingdom.
‘…Damn it, what nonsensical situation is this?’
Ultimately, he had only one choice left.
To activate everything he had kept in reserve for effective use all at once.
Isn’t it better to do that than to completely lose the ability to use them?
—To sum it up.
That was the worst choice.
No matter how secretly chakra activated, there was a limit.
The more seeds activated, the more the flow increased.
And the connections that arose from that…
[Ah! Finally found you.]
It couldn’t help but be captured by the gaze of someone who had been waiting for this moment.
[Can you hold on for a moment?]
A voice echoed in his head—an irresistible, enchanting voice that once heard, would never be forgotten.
[I’m on my way to meet you. Teehee—]
A cold chill ran down the spine of the black hand that confidently believed he would never be discovered.
