RAGNA POV...
’I guess it’s going to take a while before the system renews its daily task,’
I thought quietly, my gaze unfocused as I calculated—almost instinctively—when the familiar translucent panel would descend again before my eyes, offering me another objective, another chance to grow.
I had always wanted my Attributes to rise evenly; that was why I had spent years grinding point by point with stubborn patience, enduring pain, exhaustion, and monotony just to maintain balance.
Yet now it seemed the system had begun redistributing them on its own, as if it had grown tired of my micromanagement and decided to take matters into its own invisible hands.
That realization unsettled me.
If I unlocked a new Attribute... would the system deduct my free points again without asking? Would it decide for me once more?
While my thoughts spiraled, the boys before me remained frozen, their bodies stiff and unmoving, like crude statues abandoned mid-craft, and if anyone were to compare their current state to how they had looked moments earlier, they would immediately realize something was terribly wrong—they were utterly incapable of reacting, not even a twitch betraying awareness.
I spent several seconds observing them closely, and only then did I notice it again: that faint, eerie blue halo nestled within their pupils, subtle yet unmistakable, glowing like embers beneath still water.
Even to me, it was unsettling.
Their expressions were locked in place, blank and rigid, and the sight sent a chill crawling up my spine.
As I watched them, questions began piling up in my mind about Cursed Charm.
The more I observed, the clearer it became that this skill was far more than a simple debuff or fear inducement—it was disturbingly close to outright mind control, capable of influencing not just actions.
But thoughts themselves, so long as the host—me—possessed sufficient Attribute points to enforce my will.
Still, I didn’t know how deep its influence went.
Could it erase memories, like the vampires in those old movies? Rewrite them?
Replace reality with something more... convenient?
The thought made my heart race.
If this skill truly worked the way I suspected, then wouldn’t that make me untouchable within the village? I could command anyone, shape their behavior with a word, and they would obey without hesitation or doubt.
I would be invincible.
That was when I realized it—I couldn’t afford to waste this opportunity.
As I stared at their stiff expressions, a cruel smile slowly crept across my face, uninvited yet impossible to suppress, and though they were immobilized, I could swear their bodies subconsciously quivered under my gaze, as if some instinct buried deep inside them still sensed danger.
I began imagining different scenarios, weighing what I could make them do for me, since I had no idea how long the daze effect of Cursed Charm would last.
My first thought was to force a confession about the ambush, but the more I considered it, the more it felt far too lenient—after all, this wasn’t just their doing; it was a scheme that involved several grown men as well.
No.
Letting them off like that would be a mistake.
What I needed... were loyal minions.
I had too many potential uses for them in the future, and loyalty forged through fear and domination was far more reliable than fragile guilt or regret.
I needed to brainwash them—make them loyal to me down to their very core—and even though I wasn’t certain it would work, I knew I had to take the risk.
This chance was golden. I wasn’t about to let it slip.
I decided then that I would forcefully brand myself into their minds as their master, instilling a single, absolute truth: betraying me meant death.
After a moment of deliberation, I resolved to test my new skill properly.
I walked toward them slowly, deliberately, each step heavy with intent, and when I stopped, I stood directly in front of the boy who seemed to be their leader.
’Unlike before... when I was the one being beaten, I thought coldly, this time you’ll all get a taste of my fury.’
The memory of how close I had come to dying ignited something dark inside me, and without hesitation, I raised my right hand and swung it with blinding speed.
My palm sliced through the air, leaving behind a faint blur before slamming solidly into the brown-haired boy’s face.
Crack!
The sharp sound of skin colliding with skin rang out like a firecracker, echoing unpleasantly as his body was sent reeling several centimeters backward despite his stiffened state.
The left side of his face quickly began to swell, bruising into an ugly mess with a distorted mouth and a half-closed eye, and I knew—without a doubt—that if I hadn’t been holding back, that single slap would have shattered his teeth and torn his jaw loose.
I stared at my right hand for a moment before lifting my gaze to the others, a smile bordering on madness spreading across my face.
’This is going to be pretty exciting.’
I moved to the next boy.
Then the next.
For several minutes, all that filled the air was the repeated, crisp sound of palms striking cheeks, each slap punctuated by the subtle ripple of flesh, and before I knew it, a deep, self-satisfying grin had settled onto my face as I relished the sensation—how their faces undulated like waves beneath my hand.
I couldn’t get enough of it.
For a brief, absurd moment, I even wondered if I had accidentally invented some kind of secret face-slapping jutsu.
"What should I do now?" I muttered, rubbing my chin thoughtfully.
’I guess I could try giving them direct orders... see if they listen.’
After a deep breath, I spoke, letting the words flow naturally, mixing intent with improvised nonsense, my voice steady and low.
"From now on, you shall be the ears in my slumber, the eyes in my blind spots, and the mouthpiece of my silence. Heed my single word and obey my command.
"You shall not act unknown to me, nor move behind my back. You shall answer my call, yet my voice will never break free of your will. So shall it be."
Will it work? I wondered, uncertainty gnawing at me despite everything I had seen.
The blue halos within their pupils began to shrink, slowly collapsing inward until they merged with their eyes, and one by one, their eyelids slid shut.
I watched closely.
Their brows furrowed, their expressions tightening as if they were struggling against something invisible, and I could feel it—a tenuous connection forming between us, fragile at first, then rapidly strengthening.
They resisted for less than a minute before their struggle faltered, and in the end, their resistance vanished entirely, crushed beneath my will.
After roughly twenty seconds, everything settled.
Their eyes opened again.
"Can you kneel?" I asked.
They hesitated, staring at me blankly, but only for a heartbeat before their bodies moved, bending down as they knelt without protest.
Honestly... I hadn’t believed it would work.
But it did.
’Seems my stockpile of Attribute points wasn’t wasted after all, I thought tiredly, and Cursed Charm might just become one of my greatest hidden aces.’
The moment it was over, exhaustion crashed down on me, both mentally and physically, and I allowed my body to relax.
[Cursed Regeneration has been activated]
[Host body is in a state of healing]
As my wounds slowly mended, I sat down quietly, watching the boys and waiting to see what they would do next.