SSS Hypnosis: I Made the Heroines Beg for Forgiveness-Chapter 24: Mentor

The bright morning sun spilled into Benedict's room through the window, washing away the darkness and lighting up his face.

The golden rays hit his closed eyelids, making him groan in annoyance as he cracked one eye open.

The brightness felt intrusive, strangely unfamiliar and too intense after spending a night in that dark, suffocating cave.

Instinctively, he tried to rub his face with his hand.

But the moment he touched his skin, a strange chill crept over him. Cold and hard, not at all what he expected.

Then it hit him.

His left hand wasn't the same anymore.

He lifted it slowly, staring at it blankly.

It looked horrifying.

Only pristine white bones remained, courtesy of Miyabi's "Necro Healing" from last night.

A strange kind of healing... something that turned him into something not quite alive.

Benedict sat upright, scooting to the left side of the bed to avoid the piercing sunlight.

For some reason, the sunlight felt a little... wrong. Like it no longer fit with who or what he was.

He wondered if this was a side effect of Miyabi's Necro Healing. A fundamental change within him that he hadn't fully grasped yet.

His gaze shifted to the left wall.

A large crack stood out, remnants from last night. He remembered testing out his new skeletal arm after the healing was done.

He hadn't expected it to smash the wall so easily, leaving behind a very loud mark.

This new strength... was incredible. And he couldn't wait to see what else his new arm could do.

Stretching his body, he heard joints popping with odd little clicks, but felt no pain. His body felt lighter. Stronger. So unlike the deathly exhaustion he felt the day before.

He let out a yawn, then absentmindedly scratched his chin.

"What should I do today...?" he mumbled to himself.

He walked over to his desk and picked up an old, brown book. Its pages were blank and aged, their faded tan color hinting at its age.

He grabbed a feather pen from the corner of the desk, and the moment his eyes fell on the book, a red glow flickered in his gaze.

[SSS Hypnosis activated – Target: Benedict Veritas]

"Write down everything I know about this world into this book," he murmured, hypnotizing himself.

Instantly, his right hand moved on its own. His brain kicked into overdrive, so fast that even he couldn't keep up.

His hand flew across the page, filling an entire sheet in mere minutes before flipping to the next.

For the next few minutes, it scribbled down everything he knew about this novel's world.

Finally, it stopped at the last page. The pink glow in his eyes faded, and Benedict panted, a little winded from the mental strain.

He flipped the book back to the front.

The Chronicle of Enzo was written boldly across the title page. It worked. The hypnosis had transferred everything he knew into the book.

He skimmed through it, reading about the protagonist, the heroines, the villains.

Even the detailed plot at the Academy was included.

But of course, there was no way he could absorb everything in a single day. Ten or thirty pages was probably his limit for now.

"Seriously, what the hell is this unique trait Enzo has..." he muttered, narrowing his eyes at the description.

Indomitable Human Spirit: Each time the protagonist loses a fight, he levels up and gains 1000 Essence Points. All skill cooldowns reset.

Cooldown: Only once a day, and he must be genuinely defeated by the enemy, not a pretended loss

Benedict leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling with a sigh.

"A trait that sounds harmless... but it's insanely useful once he hits high level. Considering how expensive leveling gets past level 50..."

He kept reading.

Enzo was described as having messy black hair, dark eyes, and of course, a sword in hand. Classic protagonist material.

And now, Benedict had to steal all of his heroines.

This wasn't about romance, it was survival. If he failed this main quest, he'd be erased from existence. The Wish Ticket wasn't his real goal... at least, not for now.

"Yeah... maybe I don't need that Wish Ticket yet. But in the future? Who knows... I might have something I really want."

The room fell into silence as Benedict drifted into thought, imagining what wish he might ask for if he succeeded.

"Arghh, focus, Benedict. Focus on the present." He scratched his head with a groan.

"What am I doing today?" He absentmindedly brushed the feather pen against his face.

"Should I drop by Rafaela's cookie shop to get closer to Rafaela? Or grind a bit and visit her afterward for a little break?"

Weighing his options, he eventually made his choice.

"I'll grind first, then go to the shop to rest." He stood with a smile, stretching again. Twenty minutes at the desk had been long enough.

He turned to head for the bathroom, but just before his hand touched the doorknob, a strange noise came from near the window.

CRACK!

A sharp cracking sound snapped him into alert mode. He turned swiftly, ready for anything.

What he saw, however, wasn't what he expected.

A glowing, purplish-black crack in the air, shaped like a giant '+' grew and widened, forming a portal.

And from that portal... stepped out a red-haired woman with gold empty eyes, dressed in brown vest and a black long coat.

It was Alice.

"Good morning, Benedict Veritas," she said flatly.

"If you were coming here, a heads-up would've been nice," Benedict replied, smiling despite himself.

"Didn't I tell you yesterday that I'd see you again?" Alice tilted her head, seemingly confused by his reaction.

Yeah, I didn't expect you to show up literally the next morning, damn it.

"At least knock next time," Benedict muttered, his lips twitching into a mildly annoyed grin.

"What... you want me to teleport outside your room and then knock? That's a waste of time," Alice said, glancing around.

"Your room's tidy," she added, casually complimenting the space.

"What do you want, Alice?" Benedict asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Ah, right." She paused, clearing her throat.

"Do you want to become my disciple?" she asked, extending a hand.

Benedict's brain stalled.

What?

Her disciple?

Since when was she interested in taking a disciple? In the novel, she always wandered alone. Occasionally lent the protagonist a hand, nothing more.

"M-my what?"

"My disciple," she repeated, crossing her arms.

Her flat expression didn't help. It gave him no clue about her intentions.

"You serious?" he asked.

"You think I'm joking?" she replied.

Holy crap, a Celest-Tier Ascendant is asking me to be her disciple?

Do I just... say yes?

After a long pause, Benedict finally spoke.

"Why me?" he asked warily. "What's your reason for making me your disciple?"

Alice looked away, out the window, toward the blooming Veritas flower garden.

"I'm fulfilling a wish from a close friend," she said. For a brief moment, her expression shifted.

A close friend? That wasn't in the novel...

"That's it?" he pressed.

"Well... maybe when you're strong enough, I'll ask for your help once in a while," she added.

So she really does want to take me on.

Honestly, this is a golden opportunity. Anyone else would've jumped at the chance without thinking.

Hell, they wouldn't have thought at all.

"So... will you accept?" Alice stepped closer.

Benedict swallowed hard, then nodded with firm resolve.

"A-alright..." he said.

Alice gave a satisfied nod, then immediately grabbed his collar and yanked him into the portal.

"H-hey! I haven't even showered—!"

Before he could finish the sentence, she tossed him in.

Off on another adventure...