fantasy novels Chapter 143 - 142 : Charm
Chapter 143 - 142 : Charm
As the bracelet fell from Arthur’s wrist to the ground with a soft clatter.
At that exact moment, a translucent blue screen appeared before him.
[ Charm: 110 ]
[ Warning: Charm has surpassed mortal limits. ]
[ Caution: Nearby individuals may become unnaturally drawn to the host. ]
[ Prolonged exposure may cause obsession, dependency, or loss of rational judgment. ]
The air changed.
It was subtle at first, almost impossible to notice. The pressure around Arthur shifted, becoming heavier, warmer, and strangely intoxicating. It was as if the entire world had taken a breath and forgotten how to exhale.
The minions surrounding him froze.
Only a few seconds ago, they had been advancing toward him with empty eyes and twisted devotion toward Tania. Their bodies had moved like puppets, their minds buried beneath the influence of her system.
But now, for one brief moment, their eyes cleared.
One of them staggered back and clutched his head.
"Where... where am I?"
Another dropped to one knee, trembling as both hands gripped her temples.
"What happened to me? Why am I here?"
Confusion spread through them like fire. Their expressions twisted with fear, disbelief, and panic. It was as if their rationality had suddenly snapped back into place, forcing them to realize they had been standing in a battlefield without knowing why.
They looked at each other, horrified.
Then their eyes slowly moved forward again.
And they saw him.
Standing before them was a boy with messy dark hair and crimson eyes.
Arthur.
For a moment, none of them could breathe.
His black hair fell carelessly over his forehead, yet somehow it only made him look more perfect. His face seemed sculpted beyond human standards, every feature carrying a strange, flawless harmony. His skin was smooth and pale, almost glowing beneath the dim light, untouched by dirt, blood, or exhaustion despite the chaos around him.
His crimson eyes were the most dangerous part.
They were deep, sharp, and mesmerizing, like twin pools of blood-red starlight. Looking into them felt like staring into something forbidden, something divine, something that should not belong to a mortal body.
His jawline was clean and elegant. His lips were calm, neither smiling nor frowning, yet even that stillness made him appear unreachable. His entire presence carried an impossible beauty, a charm so overwhelming that it did not feel natural anymore.
It felt sacred.
It felt absolute.
It felt like merely standing near him was a blessing.
The minions’ eyes began to cloud again.
Their breathing became uneven. Their fingers twitched. Their fear melted into fascination, and their confusion twisted into longing.
’What is this feeling?’
’Why does he look so beautiful?’
’If I could just touch him...’
’If he looked at me, even once...’
Their bodies began moving on their own.
One step.
Then another.
They were drawn toward him as if Arthur’s very existence promised salvation. As if a single touch from him would grant them Nirvana. As if kneeling before him was not submission, but worship.
Arthur’s crimson eyes narrowed.
"Don’t move."
His voice was calm.
But the effect was immediate.
Every single one of them stopped.
Not one dared to take another step.
Their bodies locked in place as if his words had become law. Their minds trembled, not from fear, but from obedience. To defy him felt impossible. To ignore his command felt like defying a god.
Arthur stared at them with a disturbed expression.
’This is getting worse.’
On the other side of the battlefield, Tania was not doing much better.
She staggered backward, clutching her head with both hands. Her breathing was ragged, and sweat rolled down her face. She forced her eyes shut, desperately trying not to look at Arthur.
’Don’t look at him.’
’Don’t look.’
’Don’t look.’
But even with her eyes closed, she could still feel him.
His presence pressed against her mind like a sweet poison. Her thoughts shook. Her system screamed. Her instincts begged her to surrender, while the remaining fragments of her sanity fought to stay intact.
Then her vision filled with system notifications.
[ Warning: Target’s Charm has surpassed mortal bounds. ]
[ Warning: Host’s mental resistance is being eroded. ]
[ Warning: Continued exposure may result in complete emotional dependency. ]
[ Emergency Recommendation: Escape immediately. ]
[ Emergency Recommendation: Escape immediately. ]
[ Warning : Escape immediately. ]
Tania’s eyes widened.
"No..."
Her voice trembled.
"How is that possible? How can someone break that limit?"
She clenched her teeth so hard her jaw ached.
"No. No, no, no!"
Forcing herself through the pressure, Tania slowly opened her eyes and looked at Arthur.
The moment she did, her body nearly collapsed.
Arthur stood there with a cold expression, his crimson eyes glowing faintly beneath his messy black hair. The sight of him struck her mind like lightning. For a second, every thought she had shattered.
Her system reacted instantly.
[ Emergency Countermeasure Activated. ]
[ Spending Charm Points to reinforce mental resistance. ]
[ Resistance duration: 5 seconds. ]
[ Charm Points consumed. ]
[ Charm Points consumed. ]
[ Charm Points consumed. ]
Tania gasped as clarity returned to her mind for a few brief seconds.
Her eyes sharpened.
’Now.’
She lunged forward.
Dark energy gathered around her hands, twisting like smoke and tar. The aura pulsed violently, filled with corruption and hunger. Her fingers curled as she aimed directly for Arthur.
’Activate Corruption.’
The dark aura thickened.
Tania forced herself to keep moving, even as every step felt like walking against a storm.
"I just need to corrupt him..."
Her voice came out strained, desperate, and shaking.
"I just need to..."
She was only a few steps away.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed.
Tania reached out.
Then her legs gave out.
She dropped to her knees in front of him.
The dark aura around her hands flickered and weakened. Her entire body trembled violently. Sweat poured down her face as her own emotions turned against her, overwhelming the artificial resistance her system had given her.
[ Warning: Resistance failing. ]
[ Warning: Host’s desire is exceeding suppression capacity. ]
[ Warning: Mental stability compromised. ]
Tania’s pupils shook.
In her mind, Arthur no longer looked like a boy.
He looked absolute.
Ethereal.
Untouchable.
His figure seemed to tower over everything, not physically, but spiritually. The world around him blurred. The battlefield faded. The minions disappeared from her awareness. There was only Arthur.
His face.
His eyes.
His presence.
Her lips parted slightly as her breathing grew unsteady. Her expression twisted into one of helpless reverence.
"Please..."
Arthur stared down at her, completely speechless.
Tania lowered her head, trembling.
"Please... take me as your slave."
For a moment, silence covered the battlefield.
Arthur’s mouth twitched.
He looked at Tania.
Then at the minions.
Then back at Tania.
’What the hell just happened to her personality?’
He stared down at Tania with cold, unimpressed eyes.
She was still kneeling before him, trembling, her face flushed with a mixture of fear, desire, and broken resistance. The overwhelming charm leaking from him had reduced her arrogance into something pathetic.
Only moments ago, she had tried to corrupt him, control him, and turn him into another one of her obedient puppets.
Now she could barely keep herself from worshiping the ground beneath his feet.
Arthur exhaled slowly.
"Begin the extraction process already."
The moment those words left his mouth, the air around Tania twisted.
A black and crimson light burst from beneath her knees, spreading outward like a magic circle made of broken chains. Thin threads of energy shot from Arthur’s body and pierced into Tania’s chest, forehead, and stomach.
Her eyes widened.
Then she screamed.
It was not a normal scream.
It was raw, inhuman, and filled with pain so intense that it seemed to tear through the entire magical space. Her back arched violently, her fingers clawing at the ground as if she wanted to rip herself away from the invisible force invading her soul.
"Aaaaaaagh!"
Arthur did not move.
He only watched as the system began its work.
[ Ultimate Scavenger System ]
[ Condition Fulfilled ]
[ You have successfully charmed Tania Draves instead of being charmed by her. ]
[ Extraction Link Establishing ]
[ Target System: Lust-Bound System ]
[ Resistance Detected: Weakening ]
Tania’s body convulsed.
Dark pink light flickered around her like a dying flame. It was the power of her system, desperately trying to protect itself, but the moment Arthur’s system touched it, that resistance began to collapse.
[ Extraction Link Established ]
[ You are now connected to Tania Draves’ Lust-Bound System. ]
[ Extraction Activated ]
[ Extracting one random ability from target’s system... ]
Tania’s scream grew louder.
Her eyes rolled back for a second as glowing cracks appeared across the air around her. Something invisible was being dragged out of her, piece by piece, as if her very existence was being searched, stripped, and robbed.
Arthur’s crimson eyes reflected the system windows floating before him.
Then, finally, the last notification appeared.
[ Extraction Complete ]
[ System Ability Acquired: Corruption ]
[ Reward Notification ]
[ Random Ability Extraction ×1 — Completed ]
[ Attribute Points +50 — Received ]
Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
For the first time since the bracelet had fallen from his wrist, he looked satisfied.
’Corruption, huh? Not bad.’
He flexed his fingers, feeling the faint presence of the newly acquired ability settle somewhere deep inside him. It was unpleasant, dark, and invasive, like a poisonous blade hidden beneath his skin.
But power was power.
And Arthur had never been the kind of person to reject something useful just because it looked ugly.
His satisfaction lasted only a few seconds.
Then he looked ahead.
The candidates who had once been Tania’s minions were still standing there.
Dozens of them.
Their eyes were hazy. Their breathing was unstable. Their hands twitched around their weapons as they stared at Arthur like starving beasts looking at salvation. They were barely holding on to the last threads of their rationality.
At any moment, they could lose control and rush at him.
Arthur sighed.
’This is exactly why I didn’t want to do this.’
He glanced at the broken formation around him, then at the crowd again.
’They probably don’t have any points left either. That girl must have already taken everything from them.’
Eliminating them is the only option left.
Then, suddenly, an idea entered his mind.
Arthur paused.
A memory from his past life surfaced. A certain character. A certain scene. A ridiculous command spoken with absolute authority.
His lips slowly curled upward.
’Why don’t I try that?’
The candidates shuddered when Arthur’s gaze swept over them.
To them, even being looked at by him felt like a reward. Their expressions softened. Some of them smiled unconsciously. Others trembled as if they had been chosen by something greater than themselves.
Arthur raised one hand dramatically.
His posture straightened.
His crimson eyes gleamed.
Then, with an absurd amount of confidence, he declared,
"I, Arthur Celestian, command you all to kill yourselves."
Silence.
For one heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then the candidates smiled.
Not with fear.
Not with despair.
With joy.
It was as if their entire lives had finally found meaning. As if every breath they had ever taken had only existed for this one command. Tears appeared in some of their eyes. Others laughed softly, overwhelmed by gratitude.
"Yes..."
"Of course..."
"As you command..."
"My life is yours..."
Then they moved.
One candidate raised his sword and drove it through his own chest.
Another slit her throat without hesitation, her face peaceful as she collapsed.
A third stabbed himself in the heart while smiling like he had received the greatest honor imaginable.
All around Arthur, the candidates obeyed.
Blades flashed.
Blood scattered.
Bodies fell.
Some pierced their own skulls. Some cut open their own throats. Some turned their magic against themselves, burning, freezing, or crushing their own bodies in an instant.
There was no hesitation.
No resistance.
No screams of fear.
Only obedience.
Within seconds, the ground was covered with fallen bodies.
Then, one by one, those bodies dissolved into motes of light.
The magical space absorbed them silently, turning flesh, blood, and weapons into glittering particles that drifted upward before vanishing completely.
Arthur lowered his hand.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Then he smiled.
"Wow."
His smile widened slightly.
"That was amazing."
He looked at the air in front of him expectantly.
"Now, where are my points?"
A notification appeared.
[ Arthur Celestian has gained 65 + 4 = 69 points. ]
[ Total Points: 65 + 69 = 134 points. ]
[ Current Ranking ]
[ 8. Arthur Celestian — 134 points ]
Arthur tilted his head.
"Eighth place, huh?"
He gave a small nod.
"Not bad."
Then his gaze shifted back to Tania.
She was still on her knees.
Her body trembled weakly, and her eyes remained fixed on him. Even after the extraction, even after the pain, she still looked at him with a disturbing amount of devotion. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but she could not find the courage to speak without permission.
Arthur stared at her for a moment.
"What should I do with her now?"
His voice was low.
’If this were reality, I would have already done what was needed for me to get stronger.’
He crouched slightly, looking down at her.
"So, how many points do you have, shorty?"
Tania’s eyes brightened the moment he spoke to her.
"Seventy-eight, my love."
Arthur’s eyebrow twitched.
"Seventy-eight, huh.."
He looked away, thinking.
’That’s not much. But if she doesn’t pass the exam, who knows what will happen? Someone else might take care of her, or I might never find her again.’
His eyes narrowed.
Tania Draves was dangerous.
Her system was dangerous.
Letting her disappear into the world without control would be foolish.
Arthur clicked his tongue and turned toward the ground.
The bracelet was still lying there.
For a moment, he thought it had shattered completely, but when he picked it up, he realized the artifact was still intact. The clasp had simply come undone from the pressure of suppressing his charm.
Arthur let out a small breath.
"Good thing it’s not broken."
He placed the bracelet back around his wrist.
The moment it locked into place, the suffocating aura around him vanished.
The divine pressure disappeared.
The intoxicating charm that had filled the air was pulled back into his body like a tide retreating from the shore.
A system window appeared.
[ Charm: 110 (-20) ]
Arthur looked at the notification and nodded.
"Good."
The effect was immediate.
Tania’s body stiffened.
The haze in her eyes began to fade.
Her pupils trembled as rationality slowly returned to her. The devotion twisting her expression cracked apart, replaced by confusion, horror, and then absolute terror.
She looked down at herself.
Then at Arthur.
Then at the empty space where her minions had once stood.
Her face turned pale.
"W-What..."
Her voice broke.
"What did you do to me?"
She scrambled backward on her hands, her entire body shaking.
"Stay away from me."
Arthur raised both hands slightly.
"Look, I have something to tell you."
Tania’s breathing became frantic.
Arthur continued casually,
"So I can kil..."
He paused.
Then corrected himself.
"I mean, take care of you later."
He had not even finished speaking.
Tania shot to her feet and ran.
Her face was twisted with fear. Her legs moved as fast as they could, carrying her away from Arthur as if he were the most terrifying monster in the exam. She did not look back. She did not hesitate. She only ran.
Arthur watched her go.
Then a sound cut through the air.
SCHLK.
Tania stopped.
For one brief second, her body remained standing.
Then her head slipped from her neck.
It fell to the ground and rolled once before stopping near Arthur’s feet.
Her body collapsed a moment later.
There was no blood for long.
The magical space immediately began erasing her. Her body, her head, and even the last traces of her presence dissolved into countless motes of light.
Arthur’s expression froze.
A figure stepped out from behind the fading particles.
Golden hair flowed over her shoulders like sunlight. Her posture was elegant, calm, and terrifyingly familiar. A faint smile rested on her lips as she looked at Arthur with eyes filled with amusement.
She held a blade in one hand.
The edge was still glowing.
Arthur stared at her.
The girl smiled.
"Long time no see, brother."
Arthur’s face darkened.
Arina Evna Imperius.
Of all the people who could have appeared at that moment, it had to be her.
Arthur closed his eyes for half a second.
’Give me a break, damn it.’