NOVEL WEB Chapter 85
“Why are you asking that?”
Minho’s expression, visible through the faint light, was filled with anxiety. But I couldn’t let his worry drag me down.
To draw an honest answer from him… I had to maintain my composure at all costs.
“I’ve come up with a hypothesis. Maybe this place moves by feeding off our fear?”
Minho muttered, “Fear?” as if a bit skeptical. It made some sense, but he didn’t seem convinced enough yet.
“Yeah, fear. This laboratory is where I end up whenever I have nightmares. It’s still… kinda creepy.”
My assurance that fear wasn’t just a theme but was crucial in maintaining the space came from the Room of Truth.
Recently instilled in me was the fear of exposure. It was pretty obvious someone was trying to exploit that fear.
…If I hadn’t got it right, I’d say by now Minho would be having visions of our first meeting with that person.
Or maybe I’d have knocked him out cold from behind or strangled him until he passed out.
It was uncertain whether his small frame could do that, but hey, he might have given it a shot either way.
That was something I definitely didn’t want to show him.
Well, if that person did show up now, it wouldn’t be a problem. I was back to my original self.
With the suit back on, if I just applied a bit of pressure to the back of his neck, I’d have him out cold in no time.
I didn’t really question why I’d returned to my original form.
I just thought maybe my fear had been cut off, leaving no opportunity for illusions to linger above me.
“So what you’re saying is, since you can’t pull anymore fear out of yourself, you’ll try to extract it from me?”
“Exactly. So, I’d appreciate it if you could tell me what scares you. Maybe I can help a bit.”
It wasn’t anything too extravagant; I just wanted to try out the simple hypnosis I learned from that person.
Maybe add some brainwashing techniques and a sprinkle of gaslighting. At least for now, I wanted him to forget his fears.
Though the info was given casually by that person, they didn’t skimp on quality, and I felt pretty confident.
“I’m not really sure how you plan to help.”
“There are always ways, so it’s alright to trust me.”
Despite being amazed by my return to my original form, Minho still shot me a skeptical look.
Hmm. Did the fact that I massacred everything affect his view? Even Minho might have felt uneasy about that.
Considering it was partly torture-murder, I had no room to complain.
“If you’re really anxious, I could help calm you down a little.”
As I said that, I approached Minho. He was curious about how I’d help but kept avoiding my gaze.
After grabbing his hand, I briefly placed it on my waist, then moved it to my neck.
“…Blanca?”
“This is a device to control my suit. If it breaks… it’s just a guess, but I could be instantly consumed by the suit.”
“Why would you let me touch that…”
Minho looked flustered as things went differently from what he expected. Did he think I was gonna let him touch something else?
“I’m entrusting my life to you. So, it’s okay to relax. I swear on my life that I will never harm you. So please trust me. I’m begging you.”
As I embraced him with a slightly expectant posture, I whispered into his ear.
Right now, this was the best way to earn Minho’s trust.
Without revealing my secrets, there probably wasn’t a better way to confirm that I was absolutely on his side.
“…Okay, I’ll trust you.”
“Thank you.”
Alright. I could say I had momentarily unlocked absolute trust, at least.
As long as I was trusting him with my life, he’d trust me.
“So, I’ll start now. First, just look into my eyes. Don’t look at anything else, just me. Relax. Let the tension go.”
As I stepped back a little while focusing on his eyes, I set up a simple groundwork.
Just focus solely on me, hear only my voice, and forget about everything else, I kept whispering to him in a calm tone.
“Breathe in… and out. Just like lying in bed, comfortably. Infinitely… cozily…”
Minho initially seemed a bit strange, but soon, following my words, he began to relax slowly but surely.
…Good. It worked, at least for now. Trust was crucial for hypnosis.
In that regard, Minho was perfectly trusting me. He definitely thought there was something to me.
Given that, it wouldn’t be odd for him to think I could hypnotize him at my leisure.
“Good. Let yourself go. Just like when you wake up, as if entering a beautifully warmed bed… you feel so comfortable that you could fall asleep at any moment.”
Minho was almost ready to sleep. If he really did, that would be game over, so now was the time to act while his mental shield was completely down.
“So now, tell me. What are you really afraid of?”
“…Blanca… the uncertainty you bring…”
Minho mumbled in a drowsy voice different from usual.
“Am I scary? Or is the uncertain future I bring that scares you?”
“The future… that leads me to an unknown future, you…”
He really was frightened. That’s why he had tried so hard to uncover my identity. Uncertainty and fear fade quickly once the identity becomes clear.
“It’s okay. I’ll always be on your side. Even if my actions might make you anxious… I won’t harm you.”
“My… side…?”
Maybe trust hadn’t taken root yet; he showed signs of waking from hypnosis, gazing at me with suspicion.
“I’m on your side. No matter what, I’ll be on your side. So there’s nothing to fear. You, without a doubt, will overcome whatever future comes your way.”
If that was hypnosis before, from here on, it was closer to brainwashing.
Of course, it would wear off soon. I lacked the charisma and eloquence that person had, and right now, I had no drugs either.
Still, I could manage to mimic that person, at least temporarily.
“Can I… really do it…?”
“Of course! You can do it. It’s because it’s you! You absolutely can!”
If I could just engrave in his mind, even if temporarily, that I wasn’t his enemy, then I’d fill him with baseless confidence and delusions to view the future optimistically.
“You are quick, strong, wise, and even cool. You’re truly someone who deserves to be called a protagonist. If you fail, who else in the world could succeed? Success exists for you.”
Sweet seduction while in a state of hazy judgment can become an irresistible temptation at times.
I could confidently say I understood that better than anyone else. So, I twisted some of the words I had heard and passed them on to him.
With no evidence, I kept whispering that he could do it infinitely.
“I can… do it…”
“Yes! You’re someone whom the heavens assist. How could someone like you ever fail?”
“I can’t fail…”
Let’s see. I think I’ve planted enough suggestions by now.
As I detached his hand from my control device with a gentle touch and pushed him away slightly, I snapped my fingers right in front of his face.
Minho, who had just been lost in the world of hypnosis, was jolted back to reality, shocked about what had just happened.
“It’s nothing much, just a little special encouragement. So how do you feel now? Still anxious and scared?”
“N-no, not at all. Wait a second…”
“Oh, come on! Don’t overthink it. Just focus on the present.”
I stopped him as he tried to generate unnecessary worries in his mind, telling him to maintain his current state.
“Umm… okay…”
Minho frowned, seeming a bit uncomfortable, but soon calmed down, thinking it couldn’t be anything serious.
That was the moment. It felt like a spine-chilling being passed close to us.
“It’s nothing. Really. Just felt a chill.”
It was a lie. That was probably the monster controlling this space. With my fear cut off, it probably crawled out to get a fix.
But what can you do? It was already too late. At least for now, Minho would follow my words obediently.
Minho remained here, without any worry, obediently until cracks began to form in the space.
Yeah. The space started to crack. When Minho asked what it was, I told him it was proof we were about to escape, and he seemed pleased.
“Take care, monster. We’re leaving first.”
Before long, the space began to crumble completely, and in an instant, we started bouncing back out just as we were pulled in.
“…Blanca?! Minho! Are you okay?!”
And not long after, we were able to return to reality.