Hypnotized Leaf

“…Leaf, do you hear me?” Travis asked, coming a little closer and crouching about a meter or so away from the woman.

“…yes,” she said with minimal mouth movement, eyes still focused on the knife that he was holding. Her voice, previously so full of different emotions, was now… devoid of anything.

He took a closer look at her. After speaking the words she closed her mouth and even seemed to swallow saliva that previously was there. Her eyes were… blank, and not a single flicker of life could be seen. Like a house that somebody just left, ready to be plundered… or rearranged.

Travis felt his heart beat stronger. This felt... strangely horrid, but at the same time... amusing.

No, shake out of it. Travis felt pain pulse in his left thumb as he swiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. Now, he needed to convince Leaf not to kill him. But first, he needed to know.

“Why did you want to kill me?”

Leaf kept silent, seemingly resisting the urge to answer him.

“Answer me, Leaf. Why?”

“…I…” a single word came out of her mouth, but then she stopped.

‘This is going to get me nowhere.’ Travis thought as he took a deep breath. 'I need... to ease her up a little.' a quiet realization hit him from somewhere within his mind. “Hey. Do you know what’s going on?”

“No,” she replied fast unlike before.

“You are relaxed, Leaf. You’re safe,” he said in a coy voice, remembering what the information panel of Hypnosis said. ‘If I repeat the same thing, she’ll likely start believing it.’ “Nobody will hurt you.”

“I’m… safe… no…” a glint of light sparkled in her eyes as she shook her head. “You… Travis…”

“You’re safe, Leaf. You can relax. You can let go of your worries.”

“I… you… you’re a Psion…” she seemed conflicted and unsure of what to say. “You’ll bend my mind… to your will…” there was a glint of fear in her tone.

‘So she’s afraid of me?’ Travis realized. An idea popped up, telling him to make her terrified of him enough to run away from him, but he rejected it. ‘She seems accustomed to hiding her real nature from authorities. I could use her.’ for some reason, he felt a strange sensation in the back of his mind for a split second, but he did not ponder on that.

Instead, he repeated, “You’re relaxed, Leaf. I will not do anything to you.”

“I… am…”

“You feel free. You are safe. Say it.”

“I’m safe,” finally, she seemed to give in to his words, and immediately, Travis noticed how the tiny spark of fear from before disappeared, allowing her eyes to become blank sapphires again.

“I will not hurt you. You can trust me. I’m just like you. Say it.”

“You…” she hesitated, but this time, she didn’t seem to be able to put up much more fight.

“Say it,” he repeated.

“You’re… just like me. I… I can trust you.”

“Repeat it.”

“You’re just like me. I can trust you,” this time, while her voice was still not expressing any emotions, she didn’t hesitate.

“One more time.”

“You’re just like me. I can trust you.”

‘…looks like it’s working.’ Travis nodded at his thought. Still, he needed to make the most of what little time he had remaining. He wasn’t paying all the attention in the world, but he could feel certain that about 2 minutes had passed already.

“Why did you want to kill me?” he asked, and he couldn’t help but change his tone to a more aggressive one. “What did I ever do to you?”

“I… I wanted to save you," Leaf replied, a slight hesitance tinting her voice. Yet, Travis could not shake off the feeling that she speaking truthfully.

“Save me?” he frowned, surprised. "From who?"

“Psions are… always pursued. I wanted to… remove that burden from you.”

“…”

“…”

Travis looked at her with a surprised expression for a moment. Then, he put two fingers on the bridge of his nose, much like Redion did in their talk before. ‘Seriously, she’s not got it straight under the roof.’ he sighed at the thought and shook his head.

“You are like me, Leaf. I am like you. We both have classes that people don’t like. We should work together. You want to work together with me.”

“I want… to work… with you…” this time, Leaf repeated his words without any encouragement. “No… you will… kill me,” strangely enough, she seemed to resist again.

“I will not. I am like you, you can trust me. Say it.”

“You… will use me…”

“I will not use you. Say it.”

“You will… not use me.”

“Repeat it.”

“You will not use me.”

“You want me to trust you.”

“I… I want you to trust me,” the longer she was under, the easier it seemed for her to accept the new directives he was trying to impose on her.

“Repeat it.”

“I want you to trust me.”

“Again.”

“I want you to trust me,” she said again, and Travis could almost feel the conviction in her voice. Leaf was undeniably bending.

“Do you know how you will have my trust?”

“How?” Suddenly, her voice gained a bit of a curious tone to it. Was she actually interested?

“If you can promise to not hurt me again as you did before.”

“I wanted to save you,” she replied bluntly.

“And look how it ended up!” he replied sharply. “You attacked me! I have a broken thumb because of you! You want to save me? Then why did you hurt me?” He asked, and only after a second or so did he realize what he said.

“I…” she stopped for a moment. “I hurt you?” Leaf’s eyes widened and gained some reflectiveness, tears forming. “I’m… sorry,” she almost whimpered after a short moment. “I didn’t want to hurt you, Travis. I… I want you to trust me…”

“It’s your fault that I’m hurt. That’s why I can’t trust you. You shouldn’t have used that ritual on me,” he stated, remembering what she called that process before. “Say it.”

“It’s my fault… I’m sorry…” she repeated. “I shouldn’t have used that ritual on you. I want you to trust me.”

“Again.”

“I shouldn’t have used that ritual on you!” she raised her voice a little suddenly.

“And why shouldn’t you have?”

“Because it made you not trust me!” she said loudly, and he could swear she was on the verge of bursting into tears.

‘Is this an effect of Hypnosis?’ he wondered for a moment. She seemed to accept his words… a little too easily, almost. ‘Or... is it because she’s just not normal? Maybe it's better not to ponder.’ Travis took a breath. For some reason, he felt accomplished with this. It looked like Leaf was really sorry about what happened. But… he still felt that there were some seconds left of the spell.

Quickly, he said, “Calm down. You want to work with me. Say it.”

“I want to work with you,” she said, and her voice seemed once again devoid of any emotions.

“Do you really?”

“Yes,” she nodded a little.

“Why?”

“Because I want you to trust me.”

“And why do you want me to trust you?”

“Because you are like me, and I am like you, unwanted by society. People like us should work together.”

“Repeat that.”

“You are like me, and I am like you. People like us should work together.”

“Again.”

“You are like me, and I am like you. People like us should work together.”

“Good.”

He noticed how she made a coy smile at his answer. Was she pleased with his compliment?

Suddenly, Leaf started blinking quickly. She brought her hands to the side of her head, saying, “Ouch… what a headache. Huh? Travis?” she looked at him, and despite him holding a knife, she didn’t sound too afraid. “W-Why am I tied?”

“Do you not remember?”

“…not really?” she shook her head a little. “Aw, my tunic. Did I sleep with my mouth open?” she looked down at her breasts and noticed a stain.

‘Does she not remember what she wanted to do to me?’ Travis pondered for a moment, and decided to ask, “Say, do you trust me?”

“I… why wouldn’t I?” she raised an eyebrow.

“I’m a Psion. Doesn’t that scare you?”

“And I’m a Necromancer,” for a moment, she looked at him with a slightly annoyed expression. “We all have our things society doesn’t like about us. But that’s why we should stick together, no? You and I, Psion and Necromancer, are complete outcasts. Together we’re stronger.”

“…aren’t you afraid of my abilities?”

“…aren't you of mine?" she asked a question, but her tone made it appear rhetorical. "I... *Sigh* Yeah, maybe a little. But... I just trust that you wouldn't just use them on me. Now, can you please untie me?" she raised her hands slightly.

‘It seems like she’s believing what I told her.’ Travis couldn't help but feel a bit of a strange stir at the base of his skull. For some reason, this felt... almost too easy.

He got closer to her, and got hold of the ties around her hands momentarily, holding it with his left hand and cutting with the other. As she felt her hands be freed and parted them, she noticed something.

“Gods, what happened to you, Travis?!” suddenly, she got hold of his left wrist and pulled him a little bit closer to inspect. “How did that happen?!”

“…I was tied down.”

“Tied down…? Wait… it’s because of me, isn’t it? That thing that happened… it wasn’t a dream!” her face expressed something Travis did not expect to see; pure shock. This, however, quickly transitioned into a remorseful look aimed at the ground. “Gods, I’m such an idiot!” she gritted her teeth a little. "...why did I even...? How could I do this to you…” her eyes started to water as she sniffled a little. “I shouldn’t be alive…”

“Whoa, enough with those condescending thoughts, Leaf!”

“B-But I hurt you… h-how can you ever trust m-me like this…” a tear trickled down her nose and made its way onto her tunic.

“Enough of this,” he placed a hand on her shoulder. “What's done is done. You tethered my trust to you, but you can still rebuild it, Leaf.”

“…I c-can?” she looked at him, a glint of hope in her eyes.

“Yes,” he nodded, and a smile crept onto his face. “You can start by helping me find my bag. I have a healing potion in there.”

“Healing potions? I-I can help you with my ingredients, too!” she immediately seemed vivid once more, seemingly wanting to jump to her feet and run over to her bag. Had her ankles not been tied, she probably would've.

“…I didn’t notice any healing potions.”

“That’s because I use herbs!” she replied hastily. “I can really help you! Just... please, let me.”

‘She seems very eager to do it.’ he closed his eyes for a split second, conceding within his mind. Of course, he understood that it was the effect of her new conviction. She wanted to gain his trust, and she'd do anything to achieve it. But he wasn’t expecting <Hypnosis> to have as powerful an effect on her. Was it because she seemed a little tilted under the roof? He couldn’t dismiss that possibility. ‘Still, so long she doesn’t even think about hurting me, it’s alright whatever she does.’

“…can I have a guarantee you won’t try any tricks?” he asked, going for a final test on the waters. He was pretty confident that she wouldn’t even dare lie to him anymore but better safe than sorry, especially in this case.

“I-I promise!” She bowed her head. “I made a terrible mistake, Travis! Please let me amend it! I shouldn’t have tried anything on you! We’re alike, we shouldn’t fight among ourselves! Please…” she almost sounded like she was pleading.

‘I think <Hypnosis> worked a little too well… oh well, better for me. I'll still keep on my toes, but I'm rather sure she won't try to hurt me anymore. Come to think of it, if she did want to, she'd probably have had that bear attack me already...' he glanced around but did not find the black beast. Where could it be?

“Alright,” Travis gave her a quick nod and reached out to the tie around her ankles.

A few seconds later, Leaf got up and rushed to her bag. Within a dozen or so seconds, she was moving her hands skillfully, creating what Travis could only recognize as a semi-bandage structure made of some herbs. After no more than a minute, she was already turning to him, saying, “Give me your hand.”

Without much hesitation, he stretched his left hand. Leaf looked at his twisted thumb.

“This… I… I shouldn’t…” her hands shook as she released her hold on him.

“???”

“T-This will… hurt…” she looked a little away, not wanting to face him.

‘So, she doesn’t want to hurt me even though this will help me?’ Travis thought as he realized what she meant. It seemed that while his <Hypnosis> worked, it also created a loophole. Still, she needed to help him. There was his Daily Quest he needed to work through, and he would need both his hands for push-ups.

“Don’t worry. You’re fixing a mistake.”

“I…” She looked further away.

“Leaf. Look at me,” he said, but his tone made it almost sound like a command.

He noticed her sheepish expression as she **** herself to turn to him. In her blue eyes, Travis noticed the uncertainty that made her question what he was going to do. Noting how she was silent and awaiting his words, he continued:

“It’s better if it hurts only for a moment than for an entire day, right?”

“I…”

“And you’re not going to hurt me. You are fixing a mistake. You hurt me before, and now you can undo it.”

“Undo? Can I?”

“I never said you couldn’t,” he gave her a small, reassuring smile.

She still looked hesitant, but the sparks in her eyes clearly told Travis that she was now considering it deeply.

“Look at it like this. I want YOU to help me, not anyone else. Do you know what it means?”

“…that I’m the only one around?” she asked slowly.

‘Well, she’s not wrong.’ “No. It means that I want you to prove to me that I can trust you. It means that I WANT to trust you.”

“Y-You do?” a shake appeared in her voice again, but this time, it was clear that she was awaiting his response.

“Yes,” he nodded. "So, why won't you give me a reason to?"

“…alright,” she braced herself, taking a deep breath. “L-Let’s do this.”

He reached out with his hand. Leaf got hold of him in spots that shouldn’t hurt him (they did, but he wasn’t showing it), and prepared the bandage. Taking a deep breath again, she said, “Breath in, breathe out, Travis. This will hurt a bit,” she grimaced at the last words but didn’t shy away, not anymore.

“Alright,” he took in the air in his lungs and started to let it all out. As he was finishing, Leaf suddenly squeezed his hand and moved the twisted thumb a bit, bringing it into its righteous place. “…fuck,” he said breathlessly, feeling a wave of pain surge over him. Leaf quickly affixed the bandage on his hand, ensuring that it was placed properly. As she finished, she quickly removed her hands.

“T-There.”

“Thank you.”

Leaf’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he welcomed her help. For a moment, she seemed to turn into a kid as she got up and proclaimed with joy, “I scored a point in your trust!” she smiled widely as she made a turnaround, seemingly making a short stride of dance only she knew. “Hey, if I scored a hundred points, would you really trust me?”

“…?” ‘...Does she want to turn this into a game?’ he looked at her with a little surprised expression. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, that’s the easiest way for me to know if I do things right,” she explained. “The higher my score, the more I know I’m going about things the right way.”

“…alright, I guess. We can do it this way.” ‘If we’re going to stick together for now, I can put up with an antic or two of hers.’

“Haha!” she let out a cheerful laugh, throwing a hand to the sky for but a moment. The hair that cascaded down before was now flung upward as the elf woman jumped lightly. Travis could not help but let out a quiet chuckle.

Suddenly, she turned to him, her hair swinging gently. Her eyes appeared to glimmer momentarily, the color reminiscent of a shimmering coin. The smiling woman moved her lips silently. Travis's heart skipped a beat, a chill spreading throughout his body.

"Ka--" he tried speaking, but he was cut off by a sting of pain radiating from his hand. With a sound akin to a hiss, he focused his attention on the limb.

"Hey, don't move that hand!" Leaf quickly said. Meeting her gaze, Travis noticed a bit of concern within her sapphire eyes.

He focused on his left hand. The freshest pulse of pain was beginning to wane, pleasant coldness swirling in his muscles as the bandage started working its wonders. Inwardly, he felt the strain being slowly healed, which was reflected in his HP increasing as he summoned his status. Truly, he wasn’t expecting a lot from just herbs, but perhaps it had to do with Leaf being an elf. Different cultures and races had different ways of using certain things. Humans tended to melt plants down into potions and concoctions, less intelligent species like trolls or orcs would simply eat them, while elves utilized them in their own way.

‘RALS, can you tell me anything about this bandage?’

[Herb bandage

Rating: Epic

Durability: 18/20

*Heals ?-? HP every 14-18 seconds. Consumes 1 point of durability for every heal.

*Cannot be repaired.

Expertly made from common weeds, it brings forth the best qualities they have.

<Complete analysis is currently impossible. Raise your Sense stat or obtain an appraisal skill to analyze.>]

‘Huh. So, some items can't be repaired.’ he thought. ‘But... what level would Sense have to be for me to analyze it completely? Moreover, how much better is an appraisal skill than pure Sense? Would it be worth a skill point?’ a few questions he wanted to ask but decided not to. It wasn’t all that important at the moment.

-25 minutes later-

The two of them were walking down the road. Leaf gave Travis back his bag (which, as it turned out, was carried away by Berry), and she fixed her hair with her cosmetic arrow and prepared her bow. After hanging it on her shoulder, Travis had to admit, that there was no telling that she could be a Necromancer. She looked like a normal Hunter or the like.

‘Perhaps I could look into some clothing options once I get a chance.’ he pondered for a moment. Deciding to check his DQ, he frowned a little.

This time around, it required over 150 burpees and a rather modest run of nearly 3.5 kilometers, but what really was annoying him was the part with push-ups. Nearly 100 of them had to be done, and the fourth condition, the Plank exercise for about 10 minutes, didn’t feel like it would be worth the total of 6 stat points. He had already completed them partially before, but that didn’t mean he was looking forward to finishing them.

‘Some of those can be pretty annoying. Redion was right about my stat distribution. It's not perfect for much. I have plenty of Strength and Agility, and I think that raising Sense can wait for now. As good as knowing more about items sounds, what’s the point of it if I can’t use my skills or might die in a hit or two? Intelligence, Wisdom, and Endurance should be all increased to at least 30… I think I’ll start with Endurance and Intelligence. Wisdom, while it gives me a decent boost to WP, I think it can wait for just a little more. WP is important, but first I want some pool of MP. Then, once I get a skill point, I'll pick <Mana Bolt>.’ he kept on thinking for some more before deciding.

But… that made him think. ‘Daily Quests are not the only source of stat points. While leveling will have diminishing returns, gaining a few levels doesn’t sound like a bad idea.’ he glanced at Leaf.

“Say…”

“Hmm? Yes?” she turned to him, her sapphire eyes waiting with a glint of eagerness for his words.

“You’ve been hunting around with Berry, right?”

“Well… yes,” she replied but Travis noticed she let her head down a bit. "Why did you ask though?”

“Why did you hunt around here?”

“Well, Berry is still low-level. After getting killed by that knight from Chis Empire, he became a bit weaker. I only made him my soldier a month ago, so he’s still quite inexperienced. Why?”

“I see.” ‘That explains how Berry didn’t kill me in one hit, I suppose…’ “You know, I wanted to hunt some monsters. Would you and Berry like to participate?”

“W-Would you like our help?” her eyes widened momentarily.

“Sure, if you’re up for it,” he made a daring smile toward her.

“We’d love to,” she nodded, slowly getting a hold of her bow. “Should we go?”

[[Name: Travis Salliv
Class: Apostle of Tricks & Manipulation
Level: 5
HP: 200/200
MP: 15/34
WP: 9/238]

[Strength: 31
Agility: 36
Intelligence: 17
Endurance: 20
Wisdom: 15
Sense: 25
AP: 0]

[Possessed abilities: Suggestion lvl.1, Hypnosis lvl.1]

[Current status: No anomalies.]