The Man with Hypnotic Powers Doesn’t Hold Back the Second Time Around

Chapter 178

**The 45th President of the United States. Kendrick Morrison.**  
He had been keeping an unusually close eye on South Korea lately.  

Even his covert intelligence network had been fully invested in monitoring the nation.  
His advisors began to cautiously ask, *“Is there something happening in Korea?”*  

But he was unwavering in his belief.  
The attention and concern he was devoting to the matter were far from excessive.  

—If the catastrophe of an **EX-Class Gate** was truly imminent.  

---

*[Four months into the future, she suddenly flipped out. What could possibly...]*  

*“The gate Sibylla foresaw before she lost her mind—it’s nearly here.”*  

At the beginning of the year, Sibylla, America’s only S-Class Awakened, had suddenly gone mad.  
Two months later, a young Korean man visited her, delved into her memories, and warned of impending annihilation.  

Yujin had initially assumed the disaster would come 15 years later, raising no immediate alarms.  
But Morrison knew better.  
Sibylla’s gate predictions followed a logical sequence, progressing steadily from the near future into the distant.  
The final gate she predicted before her breakdown was slated to appear four months from that time.  

In other words, Morrison deduced that she had foreseen *something* beyond the final gate, a vision so terrifying it had driven her insane.  
According to Yujin’s explanation, it was a perfectly logical conclusion.  

Thus, the President of the United States waited and observed.  

It was coming.  
A catastrophic EX-Class Gate.  
A calamity so irrational and devastating that neither America nor Korea, nor even Ninomiya Aika herself, would be able to resist it.  

*“Sibylla’s breakdown happened two weeks before the Pentagon Academy semester began… coinciding perfectly with the festival Yujin has been pushing.”*  

---

There was another piece of information fueling his unease.  

Five weeks ago, the Academy had suddenly begun preparations for the festival.  
And it wasn’t just a typical event—both Seol Hayeon and Yujin, two S-Class Awakened, were working in close cooperation to organize it.  

Would they go to such lengths for an ordinary celebration?  
Morrison was skeptical.  
As a president, he instinctively sought political motives behind every action.  

He surmised that they were preparing for something.  
For the disaster Yujin had warned about—the EX-Class Gate.  
That incomprehensible calamity.  

*“It’s a clever move. A festival is a perfect excuse to gather Awakened without raising suspicion.”*  

If they were to openly announce an EX-Class Gate?  
People would flee.  
No one would believe it, to begin with.  
After all, Sibylla’s existence as a gate forecaster was a tightly guarded U.S. secret.  

Hence, the festival.  
Gathering the world’s top Awakened in Seoul under the guise of a celebration, ready to mobilize them if necessary.  
Morrison couldn’t help but admire the brilliance of the plan.  

---

*“Why didn’t they tell me? Did they think low-level forces wouldn’t be of any help?”*  

The one thing that irked him was that he hadn’t been informed.  

…Though he could understand the reasoning.  
Sibylla was the only S-Class in the U.S., and even she lagged behind others in combat strength, being a foresight specialist.  
From Yujin’s perspective, there was no point in leaking sensitive information.  

Low-tier Awakened would only be a burden, no matter how many were mobilized.  
It was clearly more effective to rely solely on an elite force.  
Keeping the plan a secret from him made sense.  

---

*“Do they think all I can offer is manpower? Ha. They’re underestimating America far too much.”*  

But Morrison did not agree with Yujin’s assessment.  

While the saintess research unit he had ambitiously deployed had yet to yield results,  
and while the U.S. couldn’t provide direct assistance in countering an EX-Class Gate,  
they could certainly help indirectly.  
With overwhelming capitalist support.  
Weapons, artifacts, and supplies—at a scale that Korea could only dream of.  

*“I’ll prepare and send everything they need. Things are about to get busy.”*  

Thus, the world’s leading economy resolved to offer Yujin unlimited support.  
For the sake of preventing humanity’s extinction.  

---

-**Ding.**

“…Hmm? Yujin. The U.S. Awakened Association has sent a formal request to attend the Academy Festival.”  
“Oh, please approve it~.”  
*“Wow, Brother Morrison! You really came through!”*  

Yujin, of course, saw the support as a reward for his networking skills, but no matter.  

As time passed, just before the Academy Festival,  
a covert mission brought a team of U.S. Awakened to Korea.  
Led by none other than the country’s strongest Awakened.  

“…Mr. President? Why are the participants for the festival all A-Class?”  
“I cannot disclose that to you.”  
“……”  

Sibylla found herself in an awkward position, suddenly saddled with a group of Awakened.  
Morrison had kept the mission’s purpose a secret even from her.  

Considering her past mental instability,  
it wasn’t surprising that he would refrain from discussing an EX-Class Gate or anything of the sort with her.  
To avoid any potential risks, he had no choice but to keep her in the dark.  

---

*“Spend a week ‘touring’ Seoul. If nothing happens, return immediately.”*  
“Hmm…? And if *something* does happen?”  
“Then I grant you permission to reveal your rank. Respond as America’s S-Class Awakened, Sibylla.”  
“Understood.”  

-*Beep.*-  

*“Something’s going to happen. In Korea.”*  

Sibylla understood the implications.  

Something significant was brewing in Korea.  
The U.S. was secretly deploying Awakened, even risking exposure of her classified identity.  
A catastrophe worth such risks was imminent.  

---

Sibylla, despite her reserved demeanor, sharpened her focus.
The unfolding incidents—from the attack on Seol Hayeon to the looming threat of an EX-Class Gate—kept her on edge 24/7.

Even as the day of the Academy Festival approached, her unease only deepened.

“They’re going ahead with this despite everything? So this is what President Morrison was hinting at!”

Her thoughts raced as she clenched her fists tightly.

“Then… he must already know. He must know exactly what’s about to happen.”

For the first time, Sibylla fully grasped the subtlety of Morrison’s intentions.

Yujin hadn’t planned the festival for no reason.
Clearly, something was going to happen during the Academy Festival, and this event was designed to prepare for it.

“Could the attack on Seol Hayeon have been staged?”

Sibylla’s thoughts went a step further.

She speculated that the terrorist attack on Seol Hayeon had been orchestrated by Yujin himself.
As someone likely to be the next target, he needed a reason to gather Korea’s Awakened for his protection.

Her deductions weren’t entirely wrong—though they weren’t entirely correct either.

“Excuse me… Yujin? Could I have a moment?”
“Yes? What’s the matter?”

Sibylla cornered Yujin as soon as she arrived at the Academy.
She spoke in hushed tones, using her foresight abilities to communicate privately.

[President Morrison has secretly dispatched a team of Awakened. Is there some kind of special operation?]
“…Huh?”

Yujin’s eyes widened in surprise.

[Was the attack on Seol Hayeon fake? Am I right?]
[…!!!?]
“How the hell does she know that?!”

Yujin was understandably shocked.

He and Sibylla had barely interacted, only crossing paths occasionally during joint research sessions.
Frankly, she was someone he wouldn’t have remembered if he didn’t need to.

And yet, here she was, accurately pinpointing confidential details.
It was no wonder his expression betrayed him—especially when the success of his operation hinged on maintaining absolute secrecy.

“…Would you mind stepping into the chairman’s office for a moment?”
“Sure. Let’s talk slowly and thoroughly.”

Yujin decided to change locations.
If they were going to have this conversation, it would be as the acting chairman of the Association—not as the Awakened fighter Seo Yujin.

Before long, the two were sitting face-to-face in a secure room.

-Click.-

As soon as the door shut, Yujin’s tone grew serious.

[Sibylla, how did you find out? Who told you this information?]

His sharp gaze bore into her as he interrogated her.
The secret was known only to a select few—himself, Seol Hayeon, Ryu Sooyeon, and some hospital staff.
How had she managed to uncover it?

A sly smile crept across Sibylla’s lips.

“I was right after all!”

[It’s obvious. You’re gathering Awakened to—]

She began explaining her deductions to Yujin,
starting from a completely different premise but somehow reaching an eerily similar conclusion.

She outlined her theory: the attack on Seol Hayeon was a ruse to gather Awakened,
and Yujin was using the Academy Festival to prepare for the next disaster.

Her reasoning left Yujin speechless.

“I never thought of Pyemon as anything more than an occasional punching bag, but this interpretation… I’ve been caught off guard.”

While Pyemon wasn’t the focal point of his plans, the festival had indeed achieved its purpose.

Yujin decided to lower his voice, shifting the conversation toward containment.

[Does President Morrison know?]
[Not yet. I wanted to confirm my theory before reporting it.]
[And the U.S. Awakened sent here—was that your decision?]
*[Heh. That’s a secret.] *

-Swish.-

Yujin subtly leaned closer to Sibylla, his golden eyes beginning to gleam.

[A secret, huh? Well, everyone has a few things they don’t want revealed…]
[Of course. But speaking of secrets, what kind of operation are you planning—]
[That said, it seems unfair for you to keep your secrets while demanding mine, doesn’t it?]

-Slap.-

Yujin settled on the sofa next to her, deliberately closing the distance.
It was an uncomfortably close proximity.

[…?]
[The information you’ve uncovered is classified at the highest level. It’s not something an outsider should know.]
*[It’s just a deduction.] *
[Even so, now that you’ve learned it, do you expect me to just let it slide?]

His gaze grew colder, his tone descending into a calm but intimidating resonance.

Yujin, the former top-ranked S-Class Awakened, exuded an aura of raw charisma.

Even Sibylla, who was usually composed, found it difficult to ignore the overwhelming pressure of his presence.

“Why is he so ridiculously attractive when he’s staring at me like that? Could this actually be my type…?”

The truth was, it wasn’t so much his charisma as his unparalleled good looks that were doing most of the work.

Still, she was slowly being drawn into his pace.
Exactly as Yujin intended.

[So, choose.]
[Submit to my hypnosis and forget everything. Or…]
[Reveal your own secrets as well.]

[S-Secrets?]

[You Americans are good at this kind of thing, aren’t you? The whole “mutual assured destruction” concept?]
[You mean…?]
[Exactly. If we both hold secrets that could ruin each other, neither of us will be able to spill the beans. I could trust you with my plans then, couldn’t I?]

Seeing that she was starting to falter, Yujin slowly shifted to face her directly.

[So… spill it. Tell me your untold secret.]

“Come on, Sibylla. What’s Morrison hiding?”

As he spoke, his golden eyes shone more intensely.

-Ding.-

[The skill “Perfect Hypnosis” is now active.]

Of course, his hypnosis had already taken full effect.

Even Seol Hayeon hadn’t noticed this ability,
so Sibylla, with her lack of combat intuition, had no chance of resisting.

Her mental defenses crumbled completely.

“This is something I must never say aloud… but if it’s to gain Yujin’s trust…”

[W-Well, you see. I…]

As the two sat facing each other,
Sibylla squirmed nervously before she finally spoke:

[On important occasions, I… don’t wear underwear.]

“…What?”

Yujin tilted his head in confusion.

“Did she just say… underwear? What the hell?”

Sibylla’s sudden admission derailed the conversation entirely.

-[Prove it, if you don’t believe me.]*

“...!!!? No, no!! That’s not—!!”

Her innocent misunderstanding sent the conversation spiraling further into chaos.

While Sibylla awkwardly tried to defend herself,
Yujin found himself jumping to his feet in disbelief.

[If you want proof, I can show you—!!!]
[No, you crazy woman! Keep your clothes on!!]

And so, the two spent the next several minutes arguing over absurd misunderstandings.
It was, in every way, a conclusion befitting Yujin.

***

"Well then, I’ll leave it to you. Just remember, this is our little secret, okay…?"

-Creak.

"Disciple, what exactly are you doing with Miss No-Underwear over there? And what’s this about a ‘little secret’ between the two of you?"
"Hiiik!"

Yujin was swiftly met with the consequences of his actions.