Bonus chapter thanks to @GwhoisJ and @NianJKL from Ko-fi!
I observed Laurie from within the Workshop.
The Workshop wasn't Weaving in the traditional sense; it was an image stored within my skill from the beginning. Intruders who entered were easily visible to me.
'Seems like Laurie can't see the inside of the Workshop.'
When I first entered the Workshop, its interior was clearly visible. I knew it was a place where not a single ray of light could penetrate, yet it was bright inside.
However, that was from my perspective. It seemed different for Laurie, an outsider.
“The mana consumption… isn't that different, is it?”
The Workshop was essentially a storage space. To move the objects inside, additional mana was required.
More importantly, the enemy couldn't escape, and I could manipulate them from a safe position. It was quite wicked.
…Though I doubt this was its original purpose.
“Well then, shall we?”
I opened the Workshop door.
The door opened smoothly, without even the slightest creak. Perhaps that was only natural for the Workshop.
And as I slowly walked forward, before me was,
Laurie, repeating faint breaths for some reason.
She was bound by the weapons I had fired, her limbs unable to move. Most of the weapons were spears, and her arms and legs were each caught in three different directions, rendering her immobile.
To put it simply, it was like a mannequin hanging out to dry on a clothesline.
“Hmm, you look unwell.”
Laurie only lifted her head towards me when I spoke. Indeed, this place must have been too dark for her eyes.
But her eyes still held a spark. Even though she couldn't see my exact location, her eyes blazed with defiance and hostility towards me.
Well, that's how it should be.
“You're not hurt, are you? I aimed carefully to avoid hitting you.”
“…You let your guard down, Frondier.”
Laurie muttered something. A triumphant smile spread across Laurie’s face as she said she let her guard down.
The moment our eyes met, her green eyes shone brightly. Her pupils dilated, revealing a unique pattern within. Intense magical power surged from her eyes, rushing towards me.
“Frondier de Roach, release these restraints right now,”
“Sorry, but that won't work.”
I interrupted Laurie's confident words. Her expression instantly froze. The change was so drastic that I almost felt sorry for her.
Laurie's specialty was 'Hypnosis'. It was different from the emotional manipulation Edwin suffered from Hephaestus or Serf's business card. To put it simply, it was the ability to 'intoxicate' the opponent.
It didn't require special conditions like Hephaestus or Serf, but it also had less coercive power.
Laurie's hypnosis was still stronger than other common types, and when used for self-hypnosis, it was capable of creating new personalities.
“It doesn't work well on someone you already know. You need to catch them by surprise, and you failed at that too.”
Laurie might have thought that was a surprise attack, but for me, who already knew, it was nothing of the sort.
'…But I didn't expect it to be this ineffective.'
I was slightly nervous after reading the characteristics of hypnosis. Just in case, I had even activated my aura. I expected the hypnosis to work at least a little and was prepared to break free immediately.
However, it didn't work at all. If it had even slightly affected me, Laurie wouldn't be making that expression.
'Is this simply because Laurie's hypnosis is weaker than I thought?'
“…Kill me, you madman.”
Laurie relaxed her body as if giving up. It seemed like that hypnosis was her last resort.
I briefly examined her body. Hmm, there were some slight cuts on her arms, legs, and sides.
This wasn't my fault. She moved recklessly when I fired the weapons. If she had stayed still, she wouldn't have been hurt. It wasn't even from trying to dodge; she was already restrained, so there was no explanation other than being startled and moving instinctively.
“Are you still not going to talk?”
“I said kill me, kyaaaa?!”
I tilted the entire Workshop sideways. Literally, like pushing a rectangular Lego block to its side. The floor became a wall, and the walls became the ceiling and floor. I floated in the air, looking down at Laurie, who was hanging sideways, still bound.
“Kill me, kill me, for someone who sings that song, you sure scream a lot every time something happens.”
“How, how is this, this kind of thing…?”
I said it with the intention of teasing her a bit, but Laurie didn't get angry; she just mumbled in bewilderment. It seemed she had no time to be angry. From Laurie's perspective, it must have felt like the world was turning upside down.
'Laurie was being careless about me. She wouldn't have expected this kind of treatment while being restrained.'
In other words, I had some time.
Perhaps that was why Laurie's mental state was so shaken right now. She was captured by an unexpected person at an unexpected time and place, with no follow-up plan.
“Actually, I have no intention of killing you.”
Laurie frowned and looked at me. It was a look that said, "What nonsense are you going to spout now?"
But it wasn't nonsense.
“As you just tested, you can't escape from here. Right now, you're restrained and can't move an inch. If you don't cooperate properly, I'll just leave you here.”
Of course, there was some bluffing involved.
Weaving the Workshop consumed less mana than weaving other weapons, but it still required continuous mana expenditure. The same went for the weapons used to restrain Laurie. So, after a long time, the Workshop would disappear, and Laurie's restraints would be released.
However, the consumption was insignificant with my current state after consuming the Dragon Heart.
Moreover, humans naturally regenerated mana over time, and I, who had repeatedly depleted my mana, regenerated it much faster than others.
If I didn't use mana for anything else, considering my body's natural regeneration and the current consumption, it would take at least a week for this Workshop to disappear.
'A week wouldn't be enough to kill Laurie, but it's enough to make her believe this Workshop is eternal.'
I deliberately brought her into the Workshop, restrained her in a flashy way, and even tilted the Workshop sideways just now.
This was a psychological ploy aimed at Laurie. To make her believe that this unknown space was something I could control at will and would exist forever.
“The next time I come back here will be in a month.”