The S-Rank Character Is My Alt

Chapter 3: Shin Bitnari (2)

“There really is no one here. Even if Lude is around, is this really acceptable…”

Clad in white armor, Kang Ihyun stepped into the gate at Migeum Station and glanced around, only to flinch in shock.

Right at the entrance stood a lattice-like shelter. Inside it, survivors smiled vacantly, their expressions dazed. Some could not even hold themselves upright and slumped limply to the ground. It was obvious the shelter had been created by Lude.

‘Seeing it in person is even more chilling…’

Now Ihyun finally understood why rescue teams dispatched to gates where Lude had appeared shuddered at the mere mention of him.

This was Lude’s signature move. The skill that allowed him to function as a solo Hunter. He took control of the minds of people trapped in gates, forcing them into docility.

It was certainly the most efficient rescue method available to someone of such overwhelmingly evil nature... But from the outside, it looked like mass drugging, a ghastly scene. And besides…

“I… need to wake them up quickly.”

Lude’s mental domination was never good for people’s minds. Even if the effects wore off after a few weeks, it was still dangerous.

This was the analysis of the nation’s most knowledgeable priest in matters of evil. Ihyun grasped the bars of the shelter with his hand.

[Trait :: Master of Good and Evil activates!]

[Holy power gathers around you.]

[The dispersed energy of evil is neutralized.]

A surge of golden holy light flared around him like a sacred flame. One by one, the people trapped inside began to regain their senses.

“Blegh…!”

Several clutched their heads, moaning with headaches and nausea. Ihyun frowned faintly as he watched others whose eyes were still unfocused, unable to come to themselves.

“Huh…? Where am I…? Ah…”

The golden flame he summoned spread gently throughout the shelter. More people began to show side effects.

“W-Who are you…? A Hunter…? But just a moment ago, I was in a forest. I was dancing with a unicorn…”

With a sigh, Ihyun pulled a bottle of water from his inventory and let a few drops of his blood fall into it.

[Trait :: Unquenchable Flame activates!]

The drops of blood within the bottle soon turned into a golden flame, glowing faintly as it burned in the water. The liquid had become holy water. Ihyun confirmed it.

“Please keep this with you. Apply it to the foreheads of those suffering side effects. I am counting on you.”

He handed the bottle to the one who seemed most stable, then quickly dashed away.

This was a stage-type gate. Given Lude’s tendency to gather survivors into specific sections, there was a high chance that the survivors of stage two were also clustered somewhere else.

And they too would certainly be under mental domination. Which meant… he had to hurry and wake them as well.

* * *

[Nari, just now…]

“I know. Some bastard interfered, didn’t they?”

Before the message could fully appear, Lude answered. His expression hardened grimly as his eyes flicked sideways.

While passing through the dark woods of stage two, he sensed his mental domination had been broken. Scowling, he turned.

‘So someone dared to undo my skill? Bold move. Which bastard was it?’

[They are right behind you, says the Lord of Chaos.]

Clank, clank. The sound of armor colliding echoed from behind. Lude spun around, irritation written across his face.

“Lude? Are you really Lude?”

“Oh, you…”

A youthful male voice rang through the forest. Lude raised his eyebrows in surprise. White armor, golden holy power faintly radiating all around him. It was Kang Ihyun, the Golden Sacred Flame, ranked second in Korea.

The young man in white armor and the young man in a black trench coat locked eyes.

There was a moment of silence. As each searched for the right words, Lude spoke first with an annoyed tone.

“Who do you think you are?”

“Huh? Ah…! It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Kang Ihyun. I belong to the Sanctuary, and my alias is…”

“No, I know that much. I’m asking who gave you the right to undo my skills without permission.”

“O-Oh, but… Mental domination isn’t good for people.”

“I don’t like using it either. It feels horrible to use. But I used it for a reason. Why would you release it without knowing my reason? Do you want to see something far worse happen?”

“Huh? Are you serious?”

Ihyun’s eyes widened. Realizing from Lude’s displeased look that he might have made a mistake, he fidgeted nervously and explained.

“B-But… it’s addictive, isn’t it?”

Glancing quickly, he studied Lude. Survivors rescued from his dungeons always reported severe or mild psychological pain, whether within days or weeks.

At first, Ihyun thought it was simply the side effects of mental domination. But he had soon realized the aftereffects were different from other mental controls.

Lude’s domination resembled withdrawal symptoms more than mere side effects. That meant it carried an addictive quality. And for those unlucky enough to be trapped in gates often, they’d become very addicted and…

“So?”

“...Huh?”

“What are you trying to say? That I should stop using mental domination?”

“Yes, exactly! That is it. I know this isn’t the right place to bring it up… but the conclusion is…”

The dungeon was urgent, but this issue was also urgent. If he did not say it now, he might never get another chance to confront Lude!

If the addiction worsened, people might deliberately throw themselves into gates just to fall under his control again.

“Right. Well, thank you for the naïve young master’s opinion. Now get lost.”

“Wait, no, no, nonono! That’s not what I meant, I mean that… augh!”

With a swish of his scissors, vines shot from the forest trees and coiled tightly around Ihyun.

Clearly irritated, Lude narrowed his eyes and gave a short laugh as he spoke.

“Listen carefully, spoiled young master. You know my nature, right? If you can’t choose the best, then you choose the next best. Got it? There’s no one more useless than idealists who say this can’t be done and that shouldn’t be done. They end up doing nothing.”

“No. It’s not that there is no best method! Please. Just hear me out till…”

“You really don’t get it huh… Listen. I am a Hunter. My job is to get people out of dungeons as quickly as possible. The job of priests and doctors is to help them recover from the damage. But these days, somehow everything is my fault, right? Tell me, how is Korea’s number one supposed to live like this? Should I just emigrate?”

“Mmmph!”

The vines covered Ihyun’s mouth. He shook his head furiously, staring at Lude. Lude looked back at him with an exasperated expression, then turned away.

Ugh… Now that he undid my skill, what if the ordinary survivors see my real power head-on? Whatever. It’ll work out somehow.

With that thought, Lude pressed on quickly.

The castle was just ahead.

He pushed through the undergrowth, fought monsters, looted items, and finally reached the castle. The sight there left him completely dumbfounded.

“Waaaah! Help me! Somebody save me!”

“Take one more step and this brat dies!”

Atop the castle walls, guard monsters held hostage a small elementary school student weighed down by an oversized backpack. Lude’s jaw dropped. Why, why, why…!

“Why is there an elementary school kid here! It’s past ten at night! Kids that age should be washed and in bed by now, shouldn’t they!?”

[The Lord of Chaos shakes his head, saying these days children are forced into academy schedules from kindergarten. Truly, Korea has fallen into the end times.]

“What?! Elementary kids should be eating Pikachu snacks and cup tteokbokki at the corner store after school, then going to taekwondo!”

[The Lord of Chaos sighs, saying even Pikachu snacks and cup tteokbokki are gone these days.]

“This world really is doomed!”

Shaken at the realization that society was no longer kind to children, Lude looked up at the wall.

[Just use mental domination on the kid too. Survival comes first, right? says the Lord of Chaos.]

“That child is far too young though!”

He could not predict what kind of damage it would cause… Smacking his forehead, he regretted the argument he had just had with the priest.

[Well… do as you like. But you’re not an idealist, are you, Nari? You’ll figure something out, says the Lord of Chaos with a smirk.]

‘Shut it!’

His own words had come back to haunt him. Clutching his head, Lude looked up at the child again.

‘What to do…’

If he used his skill, the child would not endure it. If he cast domination, the child could not endure that either. If it were at least a high school student, maybe. But this was an elementary schooler.

Lude, who usually operated late at night or at dawn, rarely encountered children. He had never directly used domination on one so young, and could not gauge the outcome.

If not the best, then the next best. But this time, he had to find the best. He thought deeply, then firmed his expression.

“I’ll gamble.”

[Wait, are you planning to use ‘that’? The Lord of Chaos narrows his eyes.]

“I have no choice. There’s no other way…!”

[But… the aftereffects will be severe... It will last for months at least, says the Lord of Chaos while gazing at you hard.]

“I can endure months of aftereffects if it means saving a child! Lord of Chaos, grant me your authority.”

Lude stretched his hand out like a cartoon character. The Lord of Chaos tried to dissuade him with a message, but his resolve was firm.

This was the only way. An extraordinary measure. A gamble that might or might not work!

“If it comes to this…”

[If it comes to this? repeats the Lord of Chaos.]

“If it comes to this, I’ll use a honey trap!”

He had only one option: to make the monsters release the child of their own will, then fight them afterward. They were intelligent monsters, similar enough to humans that they might share human standards of beauty!

Fortunately, Lude’s avatar was… a strikingly handsome young man, black-haired, with a model’s build at 175 centimeters and 59 kilograms!

Of course if he failed, he would suffer years of humiliation as an aftereffect... But… he was an adult. For the sake of a child, he could endure humiliation!

Resolute, Lude received another message from his Constellation.

[Heh. That is what I expect of my avatar, says the Lord of Chaos with a grin.]

[Constellation Lord of Chaos Exclusive Skill :: Honey Trap]

Shimmer. Like a game character, Lude’s allure skyrocketed. Honey Trap, a power that maximized outward charm.

It was not Nari’s skill but the Constellation’s, and since he cast it on himself, it caused no harm to others. The problem was that if it failed, he would be unbearably embarrassed.

“Whew…”

Lude exhaled softly and swept his bangs back. With each breath, the fragrance of roses spread. His silky hair fell smoothly back to his forehead. His dark eyes gazed deeply at the guards.

Thump. The monster guards blushed all at once. Even the elementary school student’s face reddened.

‘Yes, it worked!’

Speaking gently, Lude addressed them.

“That child… Could you put him down please? I am worried for him.”

His tone was unbearably syrupy, but the guards’ hearts trembled.

“Ahhh… Yes. You, hurry home. This gentleman is worried for you.”

“That’s right… Hurry home… Wait, no! What are you saying! We must obey the words of our master! How can we release him!”

“But…”

Was it not enough? Lude cleared his throat, drew their eyes back to him, and tilted his face up at a forty-five degree angle.

“Sweetheart… I don’t like monsters who use children as hostages.”

“Ah…!”

Hearts practically burst from the guards’ eyes.

His charm… was exploding…!