Chapter 12: Unexpected Situation Part 3

‘First of all, there’s… no way out.’

The dome was tightly enclosing everything.

There wasn’t even the slightest gap to escape through.

‘Break the barrier?’ I wasn’t even sure if that was possible for me.

I looked at Serentia standing in front of me.

[Serentia: LV 62]

[A queen of succubi, a type of demon. She possesses powerful dark magic and charm abilities. She wields an exceptional power in manipulating the minds of others.]

[Status: She is displaying intense obsession and possessiveness toward you while simultaneously revealing her fury and madness over your rebellious and insolent remarks. If you’re not careful, you might end up locked in the basement forever. Good luck.]

‘I didn’t know the status window had a personality of its own.’

Of course, that was useless information at the moment.

Figuring out what this status window was wasn’t nearly as important as dealing with the immediate crisis before me.

Serentia’s level was 62.

I was only level 13.

There was no way I could take her on.

The succubi surrounding her… The strongest among them were around level 40, with the average being in the mid-to-late 20s.

‘Wow, is this even fair?’

Serentia had brought quite the elite force.

Even the top-tier predator, Beowulf, which went berserk in response to the scent of magic in the small demon town I had visited before, had only been level 17 at most.

Yet now, every single one of these succubi was stronger than that bear-like beast? Sure, their strength was more about charm and magic rather than brute force, but still.

I couldn’t help but ask in disbelief.

“Wait, but how did you find me so quickly? I was certain I was making a stealthy escape.”

The scope of the barrier wasn’t just this single wall.

Sure, I had assumed Serentia would be keeping an eye on the perimeter, but I was confident she couldn’t cover the entire thing.

At most, I expected some succubi stationed for surveillance.

That’s why I thought I could make a quick dash out, use time stop, and shake off any pursuers.

Even if the succubi spotted me, it would take time for them to report to Serentia, and in that time, I could escape.

I had considered the possibility that Serentia might be monitoring the barrier from somewhere, but this? This was as if she knew exactly where I was and trapped me immediately.

‘Did she have some kind of large-scale detection magic?’

“Of course, as you said, I can’t monitor the entire perimeter. But… Fortunately, or perhaps by the Demon God’s blessing, you just happened to run straight toward where I was waiting.”

“…”

Ah, right. I had momentarily forgotten.

My damn curse of misfortune and my luck stat of absolute zero.

What a delightful life I lead.

Am I supposed to scream “I’m so unlucky~” like that spiky-haired flag master from somewhere?

But just because my life is unlucky doesn’t mean I can afford to give up.

‘If I surrender here? Then I’ll be trapped in the basement forever, screaming until I’m squeezed dry and die.’

That’s not the ending I want. I needed to think—fast.

‘What do I do? How do I escape?’

Taking down Serentia was out of the question.

I absolutely couldn’t win.

Some might ask, “You have sensory enhancement, mind control, and time stop—how can you not win?”

Yeah, I still can’t win.

Time stop, which seems the most broken, doesn’t affect anything around me once activated.

At least, from what I’ve tested, that’s how it works.

Some of you might be thinking of some kind of omnipotent “space-time dominion” power, huh?

Reality sucks.

It’s not like some hentai game ability where I can freeze time and do whatever I want to women, nor is it the kind of power where I can stop time and beat people up while they’re helpless.

At best, it lets me and whoever I choose move freely while everything else is frozen.

That’s still a busted ability in a way, sure.

It basically lets me move faster than anyone else.

‘But in a situation like this, where I’m trapped?’ It’s just a stall tactic, nothing more, nothing less.

‘Mind control?’

‘Would that even work on Serentia, the queen of succubi? She’s practically the undisputed expert in mental manipulation.’

I’d try it, of course, but I wasn’t counting on it.

‘Sensory enhancement?’ Same problem.

Even if I cranked it up to 3000x like some adult game, Serentia could just manipulate her own mind and shut off her senses.

‘Then what?’ Nothing. Game over. My life, over.

‘Can she really do that in a heightened sensory state?’

Yeah.

Because sensory enhancement isn’t an “instant effect” buff.

It works by maintaining a link with the target I touch and then gradually adjusting their senses.

In other words, it’s not like I can just yell “3000x sensitivity!” and make Serentia go crazy on the spot.

It’s more like a hands-on ability that requires direct contact.

I figured that out while torturing Ember.

Alright, let’s assume getting close to her isn’t an issue.

Even if time stop isn’t all-powerful, I can still approach Serentia easily enough.

But the problem is, my skills don’t activate in stopped time.

That means I have to release time stop before using sensory enhancement.

And in that gap, Serentia would have more than enough time to react.

Given that she’s a master of mental manipulation, she’d likely shut off her senses the moment she noticed the change.

In short, my misfortune doesn’t just affect my situation—it applies to my skills too.

Not a single one of them guarantees an escape.

The only hope, however slim, was that my mind control might actually work on Serentia.

‘Hah… Well, I have to try.’

I cast a cold gaze forward.

***

“Capture the hero, Ain. As for the beast that helped him escape, discipline it again.”

“Yes, my queen.”

A few succubi swiftly approached me.

Serentia already saw me as prey—she might even be planning to end this right here and now.

But I clenched my fist naturally.

Even without a guaranteed way to win, I had to fight.

I stared at them with a quiet, focused gaze.

Ziiing—

—!!

The edges of my gray irises turned red.

[Mind Control]

For a brief moment, it felt as if the space around me warped.

And then—

Freeze.

The approaching succubi all halted in unison.

Serentia’s expression stiffened as she sensed something strange.

And sure enough—

“I command you. Stop Serentia.”

“…Yes.”

“Understood.”

“As you wish.”

The succubi who had been rushing toward me abruptly turned their backs to face Serentia.

Their eyes were blank and mechanical, but their intent was clear.

“W-What?”

“You—You all! What are you doing?!”

The other succubi, who had not been affected, shouted in confusion.

But the mind-controlled ones didn’t even blink as they raised their dark magic and began to cast spells against Serentia.

Serentia’s expression grew cold.

“Come to think of it, the same thing happened with Marianne. I wonder when you acquired such a skill.”

Even as she spoke, dark magic swirled at her fingertips.

‘To think he could control minds this easily… There doesn’t seem to be any risks or conditions either…’

Serentia had assumed that when Ain controlled Marianne, it required some kind of preparation—time, rituals, special conditions.

That was a reasonable assumption.

‘If he could do this from the start, he would have escaped long ago.’

‘But he hadn’t.’

‘So why now?’

‘Was this all an act from the beginning?’

‘What was his goal?’

Serentia’s pink eyes darkened.

She didn’t need to dwell on such thoughts.

The answer was simple.

The action she needed to take was clear.

She just had to capture him again and teach him exactly who his master was.

So that he could never escape again.

“Step aside.”

“Y-Yes! My queen!”

Having made up her mind, Serentia stepped forward.

The dark magic surging at her fingertips swiftly took form.

The succubi who had been blocking spells in front of her retreated, and Serentia’s magic unfolded.

[Chains of Demon Sealing]

Shhhhhhh!

“Ugh!”

“Kyaaa!”

Hundreds of chains slithered like snakes, instantly binding the succubi.

At the same time, their magic was completely sealed.

Ain frowned at the sight.

‘That pattern… what a pain.’

It had been the same during the boss fight—this magic was broken.

The moment the chains touched someone, they solidified the magic flowing within them.

Once fully bound, it became impossible to wield magic at all.

Since the chains were made of dark energy, they couldn’t be broken through physical strength alone unless an ally intervened.

Even in the game, if all party members were caught by this, it led straight to a bad ending.

The problem was that the chains were now coming for him too.

[Time Stop]

Vwooom!

Ain immediately activated Time Stop, ensuring that only he and Kkamang could move.

Ripples spread through the space, turning the world into a lifeless gray.

Kkamang.

As expected, Time Stop was absurdly overpowered—nothing except Ain and Kkamang could move.

Ain quickly stepped out of the chains’ reach and moved behind Serentia.

Then, he deactivated Time Stop.

Vwoom!

“!?”

Serentia hesitated slightly as Ain suddenly vanished before her eyes.

But only for a moment.

—Grrrrr!

Hearing the beast’s growl from behind, she spun around in alarm.

Clang!

Kkamang swung its front paw at Serentia.

The only problem was that Serentia was fast enough to react and conjure a barrier in time.

“What in the…?”

Serentia quickly retreated.

Ain was moving faster than she had expected.

‘No, had he really been that fast?’ She hadn’t even sensed any sign of his movement.

‘…No, it doesn’t matter.’

Serentia immediately prepared a spell to restrain Ain and Kkamang.

However—

[Mind Control]

Ziiing!

“!?”

Ain swiftly used Mind Control on Serentia.

For a brief moment, Serentia froze as she locked eyes with Ain.

The edges of her pupils turned red, glowing just like his.

‘Is it working?’

Ain felt a flicker of hope.

‘If his Mind Control worked even on Serentia… If this was truly that broken of an ability…’

[Target possesses extremely high mental resistance. Target is resisting.]

The message that appeared crushed his expectations in an instant.

‘Of course. Just as I thought.’

There was no way he could get away with cheesing his way out by controlling Serentia too…

[Comparing mental strength… Player holds the advantage.]

‘Huh?’

The new message made him pause.

‘Was this actually possible?’

But just as excitement started to build—

[Target’s level is significantly higher. Level difference: 49…]

[The level gap is too vast. Player’s current level is insufficient to control the target.]

“Motherf—”

Of course. Just as expected.

The status window had put him on an emotional rollercoaster only to send him crashing back down.

The situation was getting worse by the second.

Serentia, her eyes returning to normal, was now glaring at him while preparing another spell.

The succubi behind him were also snapping out of their daze, getting ready to restrain him.

Ain quickly turned and looked at the succubi surrounding him.

Ziiing!

[Mind Control]

Dozens of succubi immediately wore vacant expressions.

Ain felt a sharp mental drain, his head spinning from the strain.

Even so, he clutched his head and forced out the words.

“Stop Serentia!”

At his command, the succubi turned and blocked Serentia’s path.

However—

[Twilight Binding]

Serentia raised her hand, and a golden-dark magic circle formed in the air.

Soft, dim twilight light spread from the magic circle, wrapping around the succubi’s bodies.

At first, it felt warm.

Then, slowly, their bodies grew heavier.

Starting from their fingertips, their sense of touch disappeared.

Their legs gradually stiffened.

As if an invisible force was locking their bodies in place.

The succubi, still expressionless under Mind Control, tried to move.

But their bodies were sinking into an unseen mire, freezing up.

***

Brushing past the now fully immobilized succubi, Serentia slowly advanced toward Ain.

“This is getting ridiculous.”

As levels increased, their strength grew exponentially.

The difference between level 50 and 51 was smaller than the difference between 51 and 52.

Naturally, a level 62 Serentia had no difficulty neutralizing succubi in their 30s.

‘Still… I didn’t think they’d fail to buy me even this much time.’

He was once again reminded that reality wasn’t the same as a game.

After controlling so many succubi, Ain was too drained to use Time Stop.

Serentia was approaching, and both he and Kkamang were growing rigid under her magic, unable to do anything but watch her close in.

“This little game is over. Don’t you think you’ve caused enough trouble?”

“For the first time in a while… I’m truly angry.”

Serentia smiled quietly.

Her expression was serene.

But the intent behind it was ice-cold.

“So, Ain, from now on… You’re going to have a very difficult time.”

“You will never escape me again.”

“Everything about you will belong to me.”

She took another step forward.

Ain, his body frozen, could do nothing but stare at her.

“Whatever you desire… The right to have it is mine alone to decide.”

“Without my permission, you can have nothing.”

“Even your breath… will be taken only as I allow it.”

“Because you are mine.”

“I will shape you so that your only desires… are the ones I choose for you.”

“Finally, I can truly complete you.”

“As my perfect possession, moving only at my command.”

For the first time, Ain felt genuine chills run down his spine.

If this continued, he would be broken—driven into a cycle of pain and pleasure until his very soul was drained.

‘Was this really the end…?’

Just as that thought crossed his mind—

BOOOOOOOOM!!!

!!

The air trembled.

A deep, heavy impact shook the entire space.

Serentia narrowed her eyes, sensing an unfamiliar presence.

“…What is this?”

!!

CRASH—!

—!!!

A sudden shockwave rocked the barrier.

The dome quivered as if on the verge of shattering, cracks beginning to spread.

“What…?”

Serentia looked up at the dome just in time to see—

CRACK—!!!

KABOOOOOM!!!

!!

The dome shattered.

Like a torn sky, the ceiling split apart, and from the cracks, a dark crimson light surged downward.

A cloud of dust erupted from the impact, obscuring the view.

And from within that dust—

“Tch. That was one hell of a sturdy barrier.”

A deep, predatory voice, more beast than man.

Then, from within the dust cloud, a pair of glowing golden eyes pierced through the darkness.

“This might actually be fun.”

As the dust settled, the figure emerged—

A man.

With a low chuckle, he locked eyes with Serentia.

“So… entertain me!”

BOOOOOM!

With those words, he lunged at her.