Can Someone (Anyone!) Please Turn Off the Auto-Skill Setting?! - Chapter 52
“Stop right there!”
Aaron grabbed Bije’s shoulder just as she was about to chase after Nancy.
“You’re the one who needs to stop.”
The coldness in Aaron’s voice sent a chill down Bije’s spine, even though she wasn’t the real Nancy. Aaron was clearly furious with her.
Bije had successfully fooled the hero into thinking she was Nancy, but now it was backfiring. Still, there was no need to worry. In moments like these, her specialty was draining energy by tapping into her target’s instincts.
Bije released her succubus pheromones, attempting to infiltrate Aaron’s mind. It was an irresistible scent—once someone inhaled it, they couldn’t escape its powerful allure.
“Aaron, I’m sorry I fell for Bije’s tricks for a moment.”
Bije had read Nancy’s memories and quickly realized that the two weren’t just ordinary comrades. They had a habit of getting intimate with each other at every opportunity, though recently they hadn’t been able to.
A man with strong desires who’d been holding back for a while was easy prey for her abilities. Plus, Bije had heard from her subordinates that Nancy lacked stamina, meaning Aaron did most of the moving.
If she could drain Aaron’s energy and wear down his strength, victory would finally be hers. Suppressing a smirk, Bije put on a remorseful expression.
“But I want you to know, I’ve never done anything that I’d need to apologize for to you…”
This was a new twist. Bije hesitated, caught off guard, just as Aaron grabbed her chin with a powerful hand.
“Ugh…!”
Bije grabbed Aaron’s muscular arm, trying to break free. Her sharp, thin nails scratched at him. Only when she saw her own real hands did Bije realize that her spell had failed, and she had reverted to her true form.
“Could it be that you’ve met Shije?”
“Shije?”
Aaron’s completely clueless expression made Bije curse inwardly.
“Who’s Shije? Is that another one of the Four Cardinal Guardians?”
“What are you talking about? Who is Shije?”
“Eije, Bije, Dije, Iije. I always wondered why there wasn’t a Shije in the middle. Do you have a hidden comrade or something?”
Aaron threatened to crush Bije’s jaw if she didn’t explain. Bije scoffed, mocking the hero’s threat.
“Do you really think I’d reveal anything about my family? Not even if my mouth was torn open!”
“Well, your mouth isn’t torn open, but you’ve already admitted that Shije is your kin.”
Bije broke into a nervous sweat. As a succubus, she had always been able to figure out exactly what her target wanted to hear through magic. So when her magic failed, she was clumsy with words.
“Th-that’s a lie! That person isn’t my kin!”
“Is Shije your younger sibling?”
“What? Do I look like an older sister to you? …Damn it! You sly dog, tricking me into spilling the truth with your clever tactics.”
Though she hadn’t intended to, Bije had let the information slip. She glared at Aaron in frustration.
“But if you don’t know about Shije, why is it that my magic doesn’t work on you?”
There wasn’t anyone whose magic didn’t work on him. Sure, Eije had made a potion to defend against mental attacks, but that was purely defensive. Yet Aaron had already been subjected to a mental attack.
Bije racked her brain to figure out the situation, but things only kept getting worse.
“Hey, fake! Bring it on!”
Nancy had returned, armed with a weapon.
Now it was two against one: an opponent immune to his magic and another who could easily tell he was a fake.
Bije wasn’t physically strong, so she had to make a quick decision about how to handle the fight.
“Nancy!”
Bije, now in Aaron’s form again, called out to Nancy for help.
Nancy was dumbfounded. Did she really think that by transforming into Aaron, she’d fall for it after what just happened?
She thought back on all the demons she’d encountered so far, from the low-ranking imps to the Four Cardinal Guardians like Eije and Bije.
Demons, she realized, were actually a bit simple-minded, almost innocent in a way. They tried to act malicious, but their inherent nature seemed to prevent them from being truly evil.
In fact, humans were probably more wicked than demons. Even if they didn’t steal money outright, many scam artists would slip malicious clauses into contracts in tiny print, only to act shamelessly when caught.
As soon as Nancy reached the conclusion that humans could be more dangerous than demons, a window appeared in her mind.
She had never thought that one of her skills’ automatic functions would ever be lifted. She vaguely recalled the condition for this: gaining the ability to see through people’s intentions.
Should she be happy about this or not?
Pushing her conflicted feelings aside, Nancy closed the window, and Bije began pleading with her again.
