CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER 56 - MINDRENDER

I also bought a barrier that can protect me from sudden attacks. It is a thin chain necklace with a circular pendant set with a purple, star-shaped gem. Its name is the Aegis Pendant.

I bought it just in case someone attacks me and I am too slow to activate my [Time Stop] or [Mind Control]. It would be ridiculous to die just because I was careless for a moment.

I then opened my System Interface.

________________

NAME: Adam Socheron

CLASS: Depraved Time Lord

LEVEL: 25

EXP: 90/350

Strength: 25

Agility: 35

Vitality: 25

Charisma: 4

Libido: 40

Available Stat Points: 15

SKILLS:

[Time Stop]

[Eye of Desire]

[Lustful Touch]

[Fertility Control]

[Mind Control]

ITEMS:

[Faceless Mask]

[Hymen Pill]

[Aphrodisiac Elixir]

[Mindrender]

[Dragonroot Rope]

[Aegis Pendant]

________________

I rubbed my chin with a faint grin. Fifteen unassigned stat points... probably better to use them all right now.

[Strength: 25 → 30]

[Agility: 35 → 40]

[Vitality: 25 → 30]

Exactly what I need at the moment.

Then I opened the information of the three new items I had acquired.

[Mindrender

→ An A-Rank sword that shaves away the target’s sanity with every swing. If the wielder’s mind isn’t strong enough, the blade will feast on their thoughts as well, slowly blurring the line between reality and illusion.]

[Dragonroot Rope

→ A mystical rope crafted from the roots of an ancient dragon’s nest. Strong enough to restrain a weakened S-Rank Hunter. Once bound, it siphons the victim’s energy and strength, leaving them helpless until the user decides to release them.]

[Aegis Pendant

→ An autonomous defensive charm capable of blocking three fatal attacks per day. Perfect for ambushes or any moment when the wearer loses focus. It can also be triggered manually if needed.]

I was quite satisfied with these purchases. The Aegis Pendant had nearly drained all my money. But was that a problem?

Of course not.

I smirked, thinking about how easy it is for me to earn money now. With Mind Control, the world is basically a walking wallet. No need for a job. All I have to do is whisper softly into someone’s mind:

Give me your money.

Pay me more.

Make it look natural.

And they would do it with a friendly smile, as if the whole thing was their own idea. As if I were someone truly deserving of such a gift.

But of course, I have to be extremely careful and not push things too far. I also need to make sure I get paid in cash—if the duration of my [Mind Control] skill runs out, they might report it and track me down through bank transfer records.

I glanced at Ruth.

Her face remained expressionless, not bothered at all even though she had spent so much money on me. It seemed like she was very wealthy, and buying two Rank A artifacts for me was nothing to her.

After we finished our business at the market, we headed to the HGA office to take care of something. I needed to register to become a licensed Hunter.

The process at the HGA office was fast and clinical. Ruth had already prepared all my fake identity documents, from family records to medical history and academy data. Everything was neatly arranged.

I only needed to sit down, sign a few papers, take a photo, and it was done. I was now officially a Hunter candidate. I only had to wait for the test schedule.

The entire process was so smooth that it made me wonder if the registration was too easy. What if the Awakener applying turned out to be an agent from the Abyss Syndicate or some other criminal organization?

The HGA must have considered that. They would screen everyone thoroughly during the Hunter examination.

Hunter exams usually last from a week to a month. Which means I will not attend the Academy during that period.

The Academy? Yeah... like I care.

I once disappeared from class for three whole months when I shut myself in my room, drowning in depression. And yet, I remained listed as an active student. I heard the headmaster was close to my stepmother back then.

Maybe that is why so many people dislike me.

After everything was settled, we returned to Ruth’s car. She had suggested using her hoverboard earlier to move faster, but I insisted on refusing. I did not want to end up in a pathetic situation like that again.

The result?

We were stuck in a sea of vehicles.

"Traffic jam..." I muttered as I stared at the long trail of red brake lights ahead.

Ruth sighed quietly, tapping the steering wheel in a restless rhythm.

"Why did you suddenly decide to buy a sword?" she asked, glancing at me. "Didn’t you say swords remind you of... him?"

I fell silent for a moment.

Car horns, engines, the noise of the city became the backdrop of my thoughts as old wounds began to open.

"I think I need to face him again," I answered quietly. "I... want to make sure that when I hold this sword, my hands will not tremble like they did before."

Ruth did not press the matter. She did not ask further. She must have known pushing me would be pointless.

I took a breath and cracked the window open. The city air slipped in.

Suddenly someone from another car shouted, complaining loudly at an officer blocking the road. The officer replied through a loud megaphone, his voice echoing:

"A Rank B Dungeon has appeared in the middle of Meridia Boulevard. Traffic is being diverted temporarily."

A dungeon in the main road? So that was the reason.

The appearance of dungeons was random. It was not the first time one spawned in the middle of a highway, so the public did not panic too much.

A few minutes later, the cars began to move again. Ruth stepped on the gas slowly. I thought things were returning to normal.

I was wrong.

A louder scream burst from ahead.

Creatures, some the size of dogs and some as tall as a grown man’s shoulders, rushed out from behind a collapsed road barrier. Lizards, or at least something that tried to be lizards, ran on two legs with sharp teeth glistening with saliva. Their dark green scales reflected the streetlights, and their yellow eyes burned wildly.

People panicked and screamed as they tried to flee.

Sirens blared through the loudspeakers, slicing through the chaos:

"Dungeon Break. Dungeon Break at Meridia Underpass. All civilians must evacuate the area. All available Hunters, assist with containment and evacuation immediately."

The announcement sent a jolt through my chest.

I lowered my gaze. A saber materialized in my right hand. Mindrender felt cold, but it pulsed faintly as if the blade were breathing. As if it was waiting.

I smiled. Just a small upward curl of my lips. "What a perfect coincidence. Looks like this is the right moment to test my new sword and warm up after years of not touching a blade."

I glanced at Ruth, who was still behind the wheel. "Aren’t you going to help?"

"That is exactly what I am going to do," she replied.

We exited the car together.

Ruth summoned her hoverboard. The futuristic board floated beside her as she hopped onto it. In an instant, she darted forward with blazing speed. A young woman had fallen in the middle of the road, surrounded by three lizard monsters.

Before they could pounce, a massive hammer appeared in Ruth’s right hand. With a fast horizontal swing, she crushed all three at once. Their skulls burst like rotten fruit, spraying blood and brain matter everywhere.

CRUNCH!

The sound of bone and flesh being smashed echoed through the uproar.

The young woman screamed in shock but was alive, trembling as she tried to thank Ruth. She did not get the chance. Ruth was already gone.

Her hoverboard accelerated again. She zigzagged through the monsters like a storm. The hammer in her hand kept shifting size, massive like a tombstone for crushing larger beasts and smaller for swift, precise blows.

CRACK.

CRUNCH.

SMASH.

Every strike meant death. Any monster that came close was turned into mangled remains. One lizard the size of a small truck leaped at her back, but Ruth spun midair and slammed her hammer into its ribs. Bones splintered. The monster was flung away like a broken doll.

Blood and flesh splattered everywhere behind her as she continued, an unstoppable whirlwind of annihilation. Her movements were elegant yet lethal, every action calculated, not a single motion wasted.

I watched, mesmerized by the spectacle. But I had my own business here.

A two-meter-tall lizard monster crawled toward me, saliva dripping from its jagged teeth. I raised Mindrender, feeling the blade respond to my grip like a living thing.

"Let’s see what you can do," I whispered to the sword and stepped forward.