The Hypnosis App Was Fake – Chapter 5

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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Morning arrived.

Not the usual, boring, familiar morning, but a strange one, filled with a pressure in my chest and a pervasive anxiety.

“Huu… I’m more nervous than on a dungeon raid day.”

The reason for my anxiety was that I had to convince Ia Aris when I got to work.

Ia Aris was the only S-rank Awakened who treated me like a human being.

And I, once, just once, had used the hypnosis app on her.

At the time, Ia Aris had pretended to be hypnotized, and her acting had reinforced my belief in the app’s authenticity.

This meant that Ia Aris, knowing the app was fake, had still played along, participating in the scheme to socially destroy me.

However, the Ia Aris I knew wasn’t capable of such a thing.

Unlike those women who glared at me with murderous intent, Ia Aris was kind and compassionate.

Until I met Ia Aris, I’d believed that an Awakened’s personality was inversely proportional to their rank.

She was truly remarkable, someone who, despite possessing the power to look down on others, chose to meet them at eye level.

I couldn’t imagine someone like that rolling up her sleeves to join in this horrible plan to destroy a lowly F-rank Awakened like me.

Of course, this was all wishful thinking. I had no concrete evidence. In fact, recalling my first encounter with Ia Aris, it was more likely she wouldn’t be on my side.

I closed my eyes and remembered that day.

The day I first met Ia Aris, a recent transfer to Liar’s Trap, I’d carelessly revealed my relationship with Scarlet in response to her casual question, “Are you and Scarlet in the same cohort?”

Her previously indifferent gaze had sharpened, and she’d smiled, extending her hand.

“Oh? You’re childhood friends with Scarlet? You? Hmm… Interesting. Shall we become friends then?”

It was a clear attempt to use me as a stepping stone to befriend Scarlet. Her eyes, as she offered her hand, weren’t focused on me.

However, at the time, I hadn’t yet received help from the Doctor, and Scarlet’s antics had left me physically and emotionally exhausted. I was desperate for human connection.

So, despite knowing her gaze wasn’t on me, I took her hand.

The relationship that formed with Ia Aris, rather than providing the warmth I craved, only gave me the false hope that she might one day share her warmth with me.

That’s what I’d believed for the first three months.

But after three months, after Liar’s Trap’s first S-rank dungeon raid, in which both Ia Aris and Scarlet participated, Ia Aris stopped asking about Scarlet.

Instead, she started asking about me. What kind of food I liked, what my hobbies were, why I joined Liar’s Trap… deeply personal questions.

I didn’t know why she was doing it, but I was happy. For the first time since joining Liar’s Trap, someone was showing interest in me.

And so, Ia Aris became the person I felt most comfortable with in the guild.

Feeling comfortable with her meant wanting to trust her. I wanted to believe that the kindness she’d shown me over the past year and a half wasn’t a lie.

Today would determine whether that kindness was genuine or not.

“Oh, it’s already this late.”

Lost in thought, I realized it was time to leave for work. I took a deep breath and stepped out of my penthouse, on which I still owed tens of millions of won.

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Ms. Ia Aris, please. Please don’t tell me you’re on their side…!

Standing before the infirmary door, I closed my eyes, clasped my hands together, and prayed. My prayer was directed at Ia Aris, who was waiting for me inside.

I was so desperate that I found myself praying a prayer that would likely never reach her. My heart pounded with anxiety. What if… what if Ia Aris really was on their side?

If, just if Ia Aris sided with those women to destroy me… then…

“No, no. Don’t jump to conclusions, Faster. Nothing’s been decided yet. Even if it’s likely, it’s not certain. Life doesn’t always go the way you don’t want it to…”

“Hey, what are you doing there?”

Damn it…

A sharp, hostile voice came from behind me. The voice of a predator, chilling me to the bone.

Why was my life like this?

Cursing my life, which always seemed to go in the opposite direction of my wishes, I turned to face the owner of the voice.

“Hey, I asked you a question! What are you doing here?”

The owner of the incredibly hostile voice was Scarlet, the worst possible opponent in my life.

No, ‘opponent’ implied someone I could actually compete with. ‘Natural enemy’ was more accurate. Or perhaps ‘natural disaster’ or ‘cataclysm’. She was someone I couldn’t handle.

Even when I believed the hypnosis app was real, Scarlet was a tough opponent.

Now, knowing the app was fake and that Scarlet had been plotting my downfall all this time, she was pure terror.

“Hey, I’m asking you! What are you doing here?!”

Fear itself screamed at me. It was terrifying.

But I was here to secure an ally against Scarlet. So, I kept my mouth shut, exercising my right to remain silent.

Scarlet frowned, her eyes narrowed, glancing between the infirmary door and me.

“Ha…”

She let out a scoff, then fell silent.

But the temperature in the hallway began to rise. The rising temperature meant she was losing control of her mana.

Scarlet was so angry she couldn’t even contain her own mana.

Why?! Why was she suddenly so pissed?!

I desperately wanted to ask, but her rage was too intense. And it was all directed at me.

Scarlet glared at me, baring her teeth like a cornered animal.

“Hey… Come with me for a second.”

“Huh?”

Before I could respond, Scarlet grabbed my wrist roughly and strode down the hallway.

I couldn’t resist the strength of an S-rank Awakened, so I meekly followed. No, ‘dragged’ was more accurate.

I could have run away if I’d really wanted to, even from Scarlet, but I knew it would only make things worse.

Scarlet dragged me to the boiler room in the basement, a place where no one ever went.

The state of the art boiler, powered by magic stones, was so stable it required no maintenance.

Unless a bomb went off in the guild and directly impacted the machinery, there was no reason for anyone to be down here.

-Click.

Scarlet locked the door to the deserted boiler room and finally released my wrist.

Her grip had been so tight that it left a red mark, and my wrist ached as if it were sprained.

As I massaged my wrist and stretched it, Scarlet crossed her arms and questioned me in a domineering tone.

“What the hell were you planning to do with that crazy bitch… I mean, Ms. Ia Aris? Spill it.”

Scarlet’s overflowing mana felt like daggers pointed at me. She was a monster who could kill with her aura alone.

It felt like a knife was at my throat, but I couldn’t tell her the truth.

How could I tell her I was trying to find an ally to fight back against her scheme to destroy me socially?

Scarlet had always been incredibly adept at seeing through my lies. So, I remained silent.

“What? No answer? Cat got your tongue, huh? Don’t tell me… you were planning something you can’t tell me about with her?”

When I didn’t respond, Scarlet glared at me with furious eyes and strode towards me.

-Grab.

She grabbed me by the collar and shoved me against the wall, trapping me.

“Hey, are you trying to die? Didn’t I warn you? If you hide something from me, you’re finished.”

Scarlet tightened her grip on my collar, pressing me against the wall. Her voice dripped with malice, and her hand held the power to make good on her threat.

“Tell me! What were you planning with that crazy bitch!”

Her roar, likely my last, echoed through the boiler room. If I didn’t answer now, she would snap and who knew what she’d do.

But I couldn’t speak.

If Scarlet really tried to kill or hurt me, I could run then. Anyone could see I was the victim in this situation, so even if I ran, Scarlet wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.

Scarlet knew I could run if I really wanted to. That’s why, except when she completely lost it, she didn’t resort to unjustified violence.

Instead, she’d use her authority as team leader to call me for sparring, a perfectly legal form of violence.

And during sparring, she’d focus solely on grappling, refusing to use any striking techniques, just to prolong my suffering. She was a true devil.

Anyway, that wasn’t important right now. Seemingly realizing I wasn’t going to talk, Scarlet scoffed again.

“Honestly… This is ridiculous.”

Then, with a smug, condescending smirk, she began listing facts.

“Look, just because Ia Aris is nice to you doesn’t mean you have a chance with her. Know your place. You’re an F-rank, the lowest of the low. Ia Aris is an S-rank, like me. Normally, you wouldn’t even be able to look her in the eye.”

Scarlet had this devilish hobby of listing all the reasons why I was beneath her whenever I tried to make friends with someone.

I thought she was too angry today for this usual spiel, but she’d seemingly regained her composure and started her barrage of truth bombs.

“I don’t know what you were planning with Ia Aris, but I know one thing for sure. No matter what you do, the moment you leave, Ia Aris will forget all about it and go off and do all sorts of things with handsome… and capable, high-ranking Awakened.”

Scarlet’s face drew closer as she pulled me closer by my collar. I could feel her hot breath on my face with every word, each one searing itself into my brain.

“To Ia Aris, you’re just a unique pet. The only F-rank Awakened in Liar’s Trap. That’s all you are. Even the Doctor, who you consider your benefactor, probably thinks the same.”

The worst part about Scarlet’s tirade was that it was all true.

I already knew all of this, but she was forcing me to confront the facts I didn’t want to acknowledge.

“You should just stay with me. Come when I call, do as I say, just look at me, rely only on me. Your ability is useful, at least. I can put it to good use.”

Her barrage of truth always ended with this coercive offer to be her slave. But I had some self-respect. I wasn’t about to grin and agree to be her slave after hearing such insulting words.

“W-Who knows? If you work hard by my side, and earn my recognition… m-maybe you’ll earn the right to bear the name… ‘Rate’?”

I ignored Scarlet’s likely empty promise, discreetly slipping my hand into my pocket. My fingertips brushed against my phone.

I knew the hypnosis app was fake. But for the past six months, I’d used it to get out of situations like this.

This meant there was a high probability that Scarlet would play along, even if she knew it was fake.

If she saw the app and scoffed, “Ha, you still believe in that stupid app? Even the dumbest person would look like a PhD next to you,” then I would run. For real this time.

Knowing I could always run gave me the courage to act.

“Faster Rate… Th-That sounds… kinda nice…”

“Shut up and look at this!”

Gritting my teeth, I pulled out my phone and shoved the hypnosis app screen in her face.

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Is it gonna work? Gimme your thought guys🤔