“There’s really no one here. Even with Rude around, is this okay…?”

Kang Ihyeon, clad in white armor, entered the Migeum Station gate step by step and looked around, startled.

A checkered shelter visible upon entering. Inside the shelter, which seemed to have been created by Rude, survivors stood with blank smiles. Some were slumped on the floor, unable to control their bodies.

‘Seeing it in person, it’s even more chilling…’

Ihyeon now understood why rescue workers dispatched to gates where Rude operated shuddered at the mere mention of his name.

Rude’s trademark. The greatest skill that allowed him to operate as a solo hunter. ‘Subduing the minds of people trapped in gates to make them docile’.

While it was the most efficient rescue method for the tremendously evil-natured Rude… from the outside, it looked like an eerie scene as if everyone had taken some drug. And…

“Uh… I need to wake them up quickly.”

Rude’s mind control skill wasn’t good for people’s minds. Even if it was something that could be recovered from in a few weeks!

This was the analysis of the most knowledgeable cleric on evil tendencies in the country. Kang Ihyeon grasped the bars of the shelter.

[Trait :: ‘Master of Good and Evil’ is activated!] [Holy power gathers around you.] [The spreading evil energy is neutralized.]

Whoosh, golden holy power gathered around him like sacred fire. People trapped in the shelter began to regain consciousness one by one.

“Ugh…!”

Some of the people suddenly clutched their heads, complaining of headaches and nausea. Kang Ihyeon slightly frowned as he looked at those who still hadn’t regained focus.

“Ah…? Where is… Ah…”

Whoosh, the sacred fire he produced in the form of flames spread gently through the shelter. People began to complain of side effects one by one.

“W-who are you…? A hunter…? But until just now, it was a forest? I was dancing with a unicorn…”

Kang Ihyeon sighed and took out a bottle of water from his inventory, adding a few drops of his blood to it.

[Trait :: ‘Unquenchable Flame’ is activated!]

The drops of blood spreading in the water bottle soon turned into golden sacred fire. Golden sacred fire burning gently in the water. Ihyeon confirmed that the water had completely turned into holy water.

“Keep this and apply it to the forehead of anyone complaining of side effects. Please.”

He handed the bottle to the most lucid-looking person among them and dashed off.

This was a stage-type gate. Given Rude’s tendency to gather survivors in specific areas, there was a high probability that survivors from Stage 2 were gathered elsewhere as well.

And those people would all be under mind control too. If so… he needed to hurry and wake them up.

* * *

[Nari, just now…]

“I know. Who dared to interfere?”

Rude, who answered before the message window could fully appear, hardened his expression savagely and turned his eyes to the side.

While passing through the black forest of Stage 2, Rude, realizing that the mind control he had placed had been lifted, frowned and turned around.

‘How dare you undo my skill? You’ve got guts. Who is it?’

[It’s coming right behind, says the Lord of Chaos.]

Thud thud, the sound of armor clashing together was heard from behind. Rude frowned deeply and turned around.

“Mr. Rude? It is you, right?”

“Ah, you…”

A young man’s voice echoed through the forest. Rude raised his eyebrows in surprise. White armor, and golden holy power gently spreading around. The golden sacred fire of the country’s rank 2. It was Kang Ihyeon.

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

After a moment of silence, as they were choosing what to say, Rude spoke first with an annoyed attitude.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh? Ah…! Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Ihyeon. I belong to the Holy Order and my alias is…”

“No, I know that, but who gave you permission to undo all the skills I placed?”

“Ah, well… Mind control isn’t good for people, you know.”

“I don’t like using mind control if I can help it either. It feels terrible. But I placed that for a reason, why did you undo it on your own? Want to see something worse happen?”

“What? Are you serious?”

Kang Ihyeon’s eyes widened. Seeing Rude’s displeased expression, he seemed to realize he had made a mistake. He fidgeted with his fingers and carefully explained his reason.

“B-but that… It’s addictive, you know.”

Glancing, Kang Ihyeon looked at Rude. All the people rescued from dungeons Rude had entered complained of severe or mild mental distress, in days or weeks at the latest.

At first, they thought it was just a side effect of mind control, but Kang Ihyeon soon realized that what they experienced was different from other mind controls.

The aftereffects of Rude’s mind control seemed closer to ‘withdrawal symptoms’ rather than simple skill side effects.

If so, it meant Rude’s mind control was addictive, and someone unlucky enough to get trapped in gates frequently would eventually become addicted to Rude’s mind control and…

“So?”

“…Pardon?”

“What are you trying to say? That I shouldn’t use mind control?”

“Yes! That’s right! That’s it. It might not be the right place to say this in a dungeon, but… So the conclusion is…”

Although it was an urgent dungeon, this matter was also urgent. If not now, there might not be another chance to meet Rude and tell him about this!

If the addiction symptoms worsened, there was a risk that people might deliberately jump into gates again to receive Rude’s mind control.

“Ah. Yes, I’ve heard the immature young master’s statement well. Now get lost.”

“No, no no no! That’s not what I meant, I mean… Aah!”

Slash, as Rude swung his scissors once, vine tendrils shot out from the trees in the black forest and tightly wrapped around Kang Ihyeon.

Seeming very displeased, Rude, frowning deeply, laughed “Ha” and started talking.

“Listen well, immature young master. You know my tendencies, right? If not the best, then the lesser evil. Got it? There’s nothing more useless than idealistic bastards who keep saying this can’t be done for this reason~ that can’t be done for that reason~”

“No. There is a best method! Hey, let me finish…”

“You’re not getting it… Look here. I’m a hunter, okay? My job? To get people out of dungeons as quickly as possible, somehow. The job of clerics and doctors? To help people recover from the incidental damage that occurs there. I guess these days everything is my fault? The number one is going to feel wronged, should I just emigrate?”

“Mmph!”

The vine tendrils had somehow covered Kang Ihyeon’s mouth. Kang Ihyeon shook his head and stared at Rude. Rude looked at him once with an unimpressed expression and turned around.

Ah… What if the civilians see my skill as it is because that guy undid it. Whatever. It’ll work out somehow.

With such worries, Rude started moving his feet diligently again.

The castle was just ahead.

Pushing through the undergrowth, hunting monsters here and there and looting items, Rude arrived at the castle and was extremely surprised by what he saw.

“Waaah~! Help me! Save me!”

“Just try to come in here! This kid’s life is forfeit!”

On the outskirts of the castle, guard monster were threatening an elementary school student wearing a heavy backpack. Rude’s jaw dropped. No, why, why, why…!

“Why is an elementary school student here?! It’s past 10 PM now?! Shouldn’t elementary students be washing their feet and going to bed now?!”

[Don’t you know how much kids these days are running around academies since kindergarten? Saying that Korea is really going to the dogs, the Lord of Chaos shakes his head.]

“What?! Shouldn’t elementary students be eating Pi*achu and cup tteokbokki at the stationery store when school ends at 1 PM and then go to taekwondo?!”

[There’s no X*kachu and cup tteokbokki these days either, the Lord of Chaos shakes his head.]

“The world really is going to the dogs!”

Realizing that this was no longer a child-friendly society, Rude looked up in shock.

[Just use mind control on that kid too, Nari. Isn’t staying alive the priority? The Lord of Chaos looks at you.]

“But they’re so young?!”

How can I know what effect it will have on that child… Regretting his actions of talking back to the cleric earlier, he hit his head repeatedly.

[Well… Then do as you will. Our Nari-Nari isn’t an idealist, so you’ll do something, right? ㅎㅅㅎ The Lord of Chaos pokes you.]

‘Shut up!’

Rude, whose own words had come back to bite him, held his head and looked up.

‘What should I do.’

If he used his skill, that child wouldn’t be able to handle it.

But if he used mind control… that would be unmanageable in its own way. Honestly, if it was a high school student, he could manage somehow, but this was an elementary student…

Rude, who mostly operated at night or dawn, rarely encountered young children directly. Moreover, he had never directly applied mind control to just one young child, so he couldn’t gauge the level.

If not the best, then the lesser evil, but this was a situation where he needed to do his best. Thinking hard that he needed to come up with a brilliant plan quickly, Rude soon spoke with a determined expression.

“I’ll take a gamble.”

[‘Wait, you’re going to use ‘that’?’ The Lord of Chaos looks at you with a suspicious expression.]

“There’s no choice… This is the only way!”

[But… still, the aftereffects will be no joke… It’ll last at least a few months. The Lord of Chaos looks at you.]

“To save a child, I can endure a few months of aftereffects! Chaos-nim, use your power on me.”

Rude held out his hand like a cartoon character. The Lord of Chaos tried to dissuade him through indirect messages, but his resolve was firm.

There was no other way. This was an extraordinary measure. And it was a gamble that might or might not work!

“In this situation…”

[In this situation? The Lord of Chaos looks at you.]

“In this situation, I’ll go with the honey trap!”

‘I have to make those guys release the child on their own and then fight! That guy looks like a humanoid monster with intelligence similar to humans! Which means their aesthetic standards might be similar to humans too!’

And fortunately, Rude was… a handsome avatar with black hair, 175cm tall, 59kg with a model’s physique!

Of course, if it fails, he’ll suffer years of aftereffects. In the name of extreme embarrassment… But… As an adult, shouldn’t he be able to endure embarrassment to save a child?!

Hearing Rude’s firm resolve, the Lord of Chaos who had been listening displayed an indirect message.

[Heh, that’s our constellation’s avatar. The Lord of Chaos grins.] [Constellation Lord of Chaos exclusive skill :: Honey Trap]

Shalalag, as if like a game character, Rude’s charm increased. Honey Trap. It was the constellation’s power that maximizes the external charm of the person it’s cast on.

It wasn’t Nari’s skill but the constellation’s skill, and because it was cast on himself, it didn’t negatively affect others. The problem was that if it failed, Rude would become extremely embarrassed.

“Phew…”

Rude sighed and brushed up his bangs. With every breath, the scent of roses spread. Shalala, his bangs fell back onto his forehead like silk. His deep black eyes looked at the guards.

Thump! The guard monsters all blushed at once. Even the elementary school student blushed.

‘Yes! It worked!’

Rude spoke to them in a soft tone.

“That child… Won’t you let them down? I’m worried.”

Somehow it was an extremely suggestive tone, but the guards’ hearts were shaking violently.

“Ah ah ah, that’s right. Hey, you go home quickly. That person is worried.”

“That’s right… Quickly home… Gasp, hey! What are you saying! We should listen to our leader! How can we let them go!”

“But…”

Are they idiots? Glancing, Rude looked at them and cleared his throat again. The guards’ attention turned back to Rude. Rude looked up at them at a 45-degree angle and spoke.

“Darling, I… I’m not into monsters who threaten young children.”

“Gasp…!”

Hearts popped out of the guards’ eyes.

Charm had exploded…!