So Cute!

"You... what did you just say?"

Celia thought she had misheard. "You just said I'm..."

"So cute," Ansu replied with a dull gaze but complete honesty.

The atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.

Celia stared at the hypnotized Ansu in silence for a long time.

In truth, no matter what he said—even if it were something offensive—she would have expected it.

But this "so cute" had completely thrown her off...

Is there something wrong with his taste?

Is there really such a freak?

"C... cute?" Celia looked at him with a mix of awkwardness and amusement. "I'm an evil witch wanted across the world. Besides that, I'm even a..."

Her dark red pupils flickered slightly as she raised her hand, staring at the symbol of what was considered an "ominous bloodline."

"A demihuman."

"In your terms, I carry a sinful bloodline. I am a descendant of the demons who nearly brought humanity to extinction..."

If other races were disparagingly called "demihumans" by humans, then demon descendants were the most hated and loathed of all.

Celia stared at her demonic claws. The intricate black patterns were so hideous, and the dark aura they emitted was repulsive. When she was little, she didn't know how many times she had wanted to just chop off her demonic features...

She had grown up in the human world and had known the history from a millennium ago since she was a child.

It was a war of races and civilizations, a catastrophe where almost every power on the continent was destroyed by the demon army, eventually leaving the entire world in ruins.

But everything was relative. That war was also a Great Reset; the surviving humans rebuilt from the ruins and rose rapidly until they expanded to every corner of the world...

Therefore, hatred for demons had been rooted in human society since a millennium ago, continuing until now...

She just hadn't expected it.

Among humans, there would actually be someone who liked her like this?

"Do you really think, uh..." Celia awkwardly changed her wording, "Do you think I'm beautiful?"

"Yes," Ansu answered.

Celia felt somewhat helpless as she gazed at the motionless Ansu in the chair.

What she had cast was a profound magic inherited from the ancient era of magic. As long as a human was under her hypnosis, they could not tell a lie.

There was no doubt about that.

So... this was the first time in her life that she had heard someone praise her with such sincerity.

The feeling was a bit strange...

But she didn't hate it.

...

Ansu stared blankly at the conflicted Celia before him.

He could understand her current reaction. Because of her appearance, she had faced no shortage of discrimination growing up.

But that discrimination was mainly based on the social atmosphere; it wasn't that she was actually "ugly."

Anyone with eyes wouldn't think 【World Ending Witch - Celia】 was unattractive. At least among players, she wasn't just good looking. She was in the highest tier of beauty.

Back then, countless players who thought with their lower halves clamored to defect to her side. It was just a pity the game didn't have a romance route for her...

Not to mention...

This was white hair and red eyes!

If she changed back, Ansu would actually find it a waste. This was exactly his type!

Wait... no!

Ansu quickly discarded those stray thoughts and kept chanting in his mind, I'm not a monster girl fan, I'm not a white hair fan...

He absolutely couldn't be deceived by this wicked woman's appearance. He had to remember the mission and remain steadfast forever!!

"Sigh... whatever."

After an unknown amount of time, Celia finally stopped dwelling on it. A sharp glint returned to her eyes.

"Remember! You are not allowed to praise me like that again!"

She snorted coldly and leaned in close to Ansu, speaking in a threatening tone, "I still need you to do things for me. Be more professional, do you understand?"

Ansu answered stiffly, "Yes."

Celia nodded in satisfaction. "Good."

He was just a "tool" after all.

She, Celia, wasn't someone who could be moved so easily.

Did he think praising her would make her happy? Hah, no one will ever enter my heart!

"Now then..."

Celia curled her lips. "To ensure your loyalty, I'm going to implant a thought in you."

Her words sent a jolt through Ansu's heart.

Implant a thought? Was it that brainwashing into a puppet routine again?

Even though Ansu had the protection of 【Magic Immunity】, he couldn't help but feel nervous. According to the skill description, he could only negate one spell...

Based on his gaming experience, 【Hypnosis】 and 【Brainwashing】 were definitely not the same magical skill!

Ansu watched Celia's every move warily.

But next, Celia didn't activate the magic circle on the floor. Instead, the foul aura of forbidden magic began to gradually dissipate.

"This is a psychological suggestion. You must remember every word I say next..."

Celia smiled as she stared into Ansu's vacant eyes.

"You are now my property. You are something that belongs to me."

"You shall never be able to betray me!"

In the dim storage room, the atmosphere fell silent once more.

So that was the "implanted thought"...

Ansu understood a little. By using the 【Hypnosis】 way to brand this belief deep into the heart, some black mages in the game had done similar things.

But this method was far more difficult than brainwashing. Human thoughts were extremely complex, and a hypnotized person could wake up at any time. Therefore, it required day after day of persistent hypnosis to deepen the "brand."

Since she wanted to keep him by her side this way, he probably wouldn't be able to avoid dealing with her in the future...

Ansu felt helpless, but he still had to play the part.

He nodded stiffly. "Yes."

"I shall never betray you..."

Celia immediately revealed a joyful smile. She reached out in front of Ansu and lightly snapped her fingers.

"You can wake up now~"

A moment later.

Ansu looked around groggily, his eyes gradually widening.

"I..."

"What... happened just now?"

He widened his eyes and looked in surprise at Celia, who was standing not far away. As the power of forbidden magic dissipated, she had reverted to her original appearance with black hair and purple eyes.

"Lady Witch, what did you... just do to me? I can't remember anything."

"It was just a test," Celia said indifferently. "To see how your talent is and whether you meet the requirements to join us."

"Then... did I pass?" Ansu looked at her with slight nervousness. "Can I learn such powerful magic now?"

"It was mediocre!" Celia had completely lost the emotional look she had just now. She crossed her arms and let out a disdainful sneer.

"You're still far from the standard for joining us. But considering you have a tiny bit of talent, I'll reluctantly take you in!"

"That's great!" Ansu was genuinely happy.

He wasn't happy about joining a cult; he was happy that this ordeal was finally over...

He almost couldn't keep up the act anymore. Heaven knew how hard it was to maintain a vacant, foolish expression for so long.

"But remember, you haven't joined the Echoes of Truth, nor are you an outer member of ours."

Celia glanced toward the door and whispered her instructions to him, "You only answer to me."

Ansu was about to say yes when the storage room door was suddenly pushed open. Ms. Mary, who hadn't been seen for a while, rushed in.

"Lady Celia, someone from the church is here!"

"Oh?" Celia raised an eyebrow and subconsciously glanced at Ansu.

Ansu's expression remained unchanged.

"Through our informants, we've learned that the church has suddenly made a move. They say a high ranking official is coming to inspect the academy," Mary frowned.

"But it's unclear who exactly is coming. It's truly strange. Why be so secretive, and why now of all times?"

Ansu immediately thought of the note he had sent out. It seemed this so called high ranking official was most likely the Holy Maiden of the church.

Therefore, he didn't dare show the slightest anomaly.

"Is that so? And I was planning to take him back to the cult..." Celia couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed.

She hated people from the church. Moreover, since she had just taken Ansu in, she had wanted to bring him back to the cult stronghold to explain a few more things...

"Whatever. He can't run away anyway." Celia gave Ansu a meaningful look, then coldly commanded, "Let's leave first."

"Withdraw all our informants near the academy. After I leave, for safety's sake, you should lay low as well."

"Understood." Mary nodded immediately. "I plan to resign from the academy later."

Celia continued, "Subsequent missions will be carried out by Ansu on our behalf. Alright, untie his ropes first."

Mary pulled out a dagger and walked toward Ansu.

"Hey! Be careful..."

The sharp blade almost cut Ansu's skin. He gave Mary a helpless look. "Are you cutting the rope or trying to silence me?"

Mary looked at Ansu with great surprise.

Seeing how sharp his speech was and that he even knew how to complain, she couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.

"Lady Celia, did you... already complete that magic ritual?"

"No," Celia glanced at her. "Why?"

"Ah? But..." Mary looked at Ansu hesitantly.

Although she had known this kid would replace her as the cult's executor, Lady Celia was originally going to brainwash him. This was different from the initial plan.

"It was my decision," Celia said dismissively. "I need his ability to adapt and his intelligence, not just a pair of eyes."

"But... can we trust him?" Mary showed a shocked expression. What game was Lady Celia playing now?

Celia's face turned slightly cold. Her deep purple eyes stared at Mary without a hint of emotion.

"Since when did you dare to question my decisions?"

The atmosphere in the room seemed to turn icy. Mary's heart tightened, and she bowed her head in terror. "This subordinate wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare..."

She had almost forgotten that the person in front of her was someone no one in the cult dared to provoke...

If one made her unhappy, they would truly die...

Celia snorted coldly and walked toward the door.

Ansu watched eagerly for her departure.

But just as she was about to leave the storage room, she suddenly turned her head.

Her tense face softened just a tiny bit.

"Then... for our next meeting, let's make it at your house."