The propaganda war

"You may have heard of my name, Alset Hasfa."

The dim chandelier swayed back and forth, obscuring the expressionless face in the interplay of light and shadow. The person hanging on the rack breathed heavily, their sweat-drenched face etched with unease and fear.

His confusion gradually cleared, and he realized his situation.

Secretly dispatched by the Starry Sky Council, they came to Distant Harbor to create unrest in response to the provocations of the Cathayan.

He remembered concealing his whereabouts, quietly scaling the city walls, and entering the city without being discovered by anyone. He felt that his stealth was flawless and he hadn't given anything away. He wandered around the city, looking for an opportunity to strike, but for some reason, he woke up to find himself captured.

He wasn't subjected to any torture or interrogation; they simply threw him into a terrible place.

A... terrible place...

He remained silent, letting the traitor sitting opposite him speak eloquently.

"I am a former spellcaster from the Azure Fleet, serving on the Hidden Friar. I am a Level 2 Legal Officer, a mid-level spellcaster, specializing in the Atmospheric School and Mental School. My certifications are: Level 5 in Storm Science, Level 6 in Lightning Science, Level 6 in Healing Medicine, Level 7 in Toxicology and Potions, Level 7 in Physiology and Anatomy, and Level 8 in Herakis Soul Science."

"Theoretical Psychology and Experimental Life Science... Level 10."

Upon hearing this, the person being tortured on the rack visibly trembled.

"Eight papers were collected by the Great Library, one of which was used for the intermediate-level professional title examination: 'On the Stopping Effect of Lightning-based Close-range Explosion Spells in Indoor Tactical Combat.'"

"There are two more papers, which are padded papers on maritime magical warfare written to secure a promotion to Level 2 Legal Officer."

"The other five articles belong to one large category, namely..."

His outstretched fingers crackled with electricity as Alset snapped them near the other's ear.

The faint crackling sound was indistinguishable from the howling of a demon to the other man, who screamed, "Don't let me hear that sound! Please! Please!"

Alset's voice steadily penetrated my ears. "The uses of mental magic in torture and judicial trials... and the auxiliary use of lightning magic in these contexts."

The prisoner screamed, "Please! You served in the Council before, please don't torture me like this! We were colleagues!"

Alset smiled. Based on his research over the past few days, he had been able to control the changes in the muscles on his face with extremely small streams of lightning. Combined with mental suggestion, he could make his face exude a terrifying and gloomy aura. In stark contrast to this expression was his calm and gentle tone.

"Three years ago, the Azure Fleet was ordered to suppress the labor riots on Zharena Island. During the suppression, I found that the Marines maintained extreme restraint and honor, but there were still a lot of casualties and losses in the process, because the local troops assisting us in the suppression showed unprecedented brutality. The targets of their atrocities were the very rebels—their own compatriots who spoke the same language as them."

"I am extremely interested in this phenomenon, and I have also found that in the same army, with the same treatment, new immigrants and their descendants tend to be more courageous and more eager for honor than Indigenous soldiers. This phenomenon is very broad, whether it is related to religion, immigration, work or something else."

"Later, in a casual conversation, my current lord proposed a pattern... He called this strange psychological trait 'convert fanaticism.'"

At this point, a terrifying smile appeared on Alset's expressionless face.

"I, too, have the fanaticism of converts."

"As a traitor who deserted the Council and joined Distant Harbor, I abandoned my identity as a mid-level spellcaster and naval officer in the Council, and pledged allegiance to the new monarch. I will no longer fight for the interests of the Starry Sky Council and the Council, but instead turn my weapons against His Highness Kang De's enemies."

"Before this, I Council for thirty-two years, but choosing to betray it and join Distant Harbor took only eighteen minutes. Even now, I have only served in Distant Harbor for a few months. I need to complete this new identity in the shortest possible time."

"This process will definitely be intense. In this constant process of persuasion, suggestion, and revision, my identification with and expression of my new identity will also be quite... radical."

Alset spoke calmly, as still as a deep pool, as if he were talking about someone else's affairs.

"Deep down, I know I am an outsider, not Cathayan, not a Distant Harbor, and certainly not Valentan People fought alongside His Highness Kang De. My subconscious fears that my more 'direct' colleagues might ostracize, question, and discriminate against me. I fear that I might end up like I was in the Council, receiving the cold shoulder, hiding in a rotten corner, living an unremarkable life from which I can see the end at a glance."

"Therefore, I will redouble my efforts to demonstrate my loyalty and competence in order to gain His Highness Kang De's favor and the recognition of my colleagues. Furthermore, I must sever ties with my former country and organization. The most effective way to do this is to be ruthless, resolute, decisive, and merciless when facing the enemies of my former homeland."

"And most importantly..."

He smiled broadly, a chilling smile that revealed his stark white teeth, inspiring inexplicable fear.

I can't stand to see you all doing well.

"Because I betrayed the Council."

"I need to convince myself that my choice was absolutely right, that deviating from the Council's decision was entirely correct. I want to see you Western Hills while Distant Harbor flourishes, because this place is fair, that place is unfair, this place is advanced, that place is not... I must follow His Highness Kang De and bring about this outcome."

"Now..."

His eerie smile slowly faded, like a blood-red flower slowly closing its bud.

"Do you think I'll go easy on you just because of your membership in the Council, Mr. Terrorist?"

Upon hearing this, the man trembled violently, a foul stench emanating from his trousers. "No... no... don't hurt me! Please!"

"Oh, judging from your eyes, I can tell you've misunderstood me. Rumors are always so bizarre. The rumors about me outside, even within the Ministry of Peace, are incredibly outrageous. Ordinary people only want to believe the simple things they can understand. For example, they think that Warden Alset, whom His Highness Kang De gave the name 'The Scourger,' is a pervert who enjoys using all sorts of torture to leave his interrogation targets with raw flesh and blood."

"But you're wrong. Perhaps I once had such thoughts, but His Highness Kang De guided me. Compared to me, he is the true master of fear."

"He told me that the human body is both fragile and resilient, and physical pain has its limits because the brain protects the body. When excessive mental stimulation reaches a certain level, the brain will actively reduce the body's sensitivity. The punishment of being torn to pieces is less about punishing the criminal and more about deterring onlookers, because the pain he experiences will inevitably become less and less."

"His Highness Kang De's advocacy for the abolition of human-operated physical torture is truly benevolent, for he believes that torture harms the mental health of the torturer. I think that since the Civilization on this continent, no ruler has ever considered this matter... I hold him in the highest esteem and admiration; he is a true monarch."

"As for the matter of torture, I am fortunate to share Your Highness's views."

"That is, the meaning of torture..." He leaned in close to the quail's ear and whispered, as if afraid of startling him, "... to destroy a person's spirit and personality."

"Your loyalty, your acceptance of the Council, your commitment to the mission—all of this will be shaken and even dissipated under repeated mental shocks and immense psychological pain."

"And to do that, I don't need to whip you with an iron whip dipped in chili water, nor do I need to lead a goat to lick the honey-smeared soles of your feet. I don't need to do anything to you that would affect my mental health. You've probably already experienced that despair. Guess how long you were in there?"

He chuckled, "An incredibly quiet, dark little house, controlled by a binding spell. You can't smell, see, touch, or perceive anything; you can only hear the continuous crackling sound of air elemental discharge..."

Alset snapped his fingers again, and a faint hum of electricity rang out.

The person being questioned suddenly trembled, revealing a look of terror and pain.

"Does this feeling still linger in your memory? Let me tell you what will happen next."

He glanced at his watch. "It's 5:40 now. I'll be off work in twenty minutes. After dinner, I'm going to the Crocodile Bar to watch 'Tom and Jerry,' and I'll treat a few friends to Qingdao beer, as I promised them. Then I'll go home and sleep."

"I will come to see you again at eight o'clock tomorrow morning—for the next fourteen hours, you, the criminal suspect who attempted to carry out terrorist activities in Distant Harbor, will be continuously detained and imprisoned in a cell, so..."

He raised an eyebrow, his two eyebrows twitching like snakes on his face, which was deliberately amplifying the uncanny valley effect to the extreme. "Guess which room your new home is?"

The man finally lost control and screamed in terror.

"No... no! Please!" he cried, "I can't... I can't..."

"Then tell me, tough guy," the warden smiled, "Why you can't?"

"If... if I betray them..." he cried, "They won't spare my family..."

"Yeah?"

Alset chuckled, "So do you think we will Anxion Lasta?"

The prisoner shuddered, looked up in horror, and all the color drained from his face.

"Don't underestimate my lord, you foolish little thief. Although the Shogunate has only been established for a short time, His Highness has already gained the loyalty of the entire city. Otherwise, why do you think you were all captured before you even had a chance to do anything?" he said calmly. "As His Highness's henchmen, the Traitor Suppression Society's will and roots have already reached every corner of the continent. You think your identities are secretive, but there's nothing His Highness doesn't know."

In fact, just five minutes earlier, Alset had received all of this guy's information through the headset.

Where did it come from?

Of course, it Brotherhood.

"Anxion of Rokya Town, we are giving you this opportunity precisely because we know you are a good man who values family. Among your accomplices are many die-hards and members of powerful families; you can imagine their fate. If you insist on refusing His Highness Kang De's mercy, we will kill all your family members and then lock you in that room until your brain ends its own life."

The chilling ultimatum ignited a furious despair.

"But if you're willing to cooperate with us and testify in court, then we can at least promise that Distant Harbor will use its media and propaganda machine to force the Council to hesitate and not dare to harm your family. If they suffer misfortune, we will let more and more of the Council's citizens know about this, shake the morale of the military, and destabilize the people. You know we can do it... We can kill, and we can save."

"Even, if you perform well..."

Alset patted the other man on the shoulder. "Then the Traitor Suppression Society will personally intervene to forcibly rescue your family and bring them to the Distant Harbor to start a new life."

"Before you were arrested, you wandered the streets for a long time. Did you like the chewing gum? How did the potato chips taste? Would you like to try the ice cream that's only for workers and soldiers? Would you like to own your own radio? If you cooperate with us, I can arrange for you, a former hunter who was sidelined for a mistake, to join the Traitor Suppression Society and start a new life."

"After all, the Council too corrupt and cumbersome. For those of us from humble backgrounds, the limit in our lifetime is only a mid-level mage, becoming a cog in this cruel national machine, with no possibility of ever rising above our station. The vast majority of resources are controlled by large families and conglomerates, the councilors are just nobles, while we fight endlessly for the occasional scraps of food they throw away, wasting our lives, talents, and even our very existence."

Gentle whispers corrode the wavering soul.

"Think it over carefully. If you don't cooperate, your family will die, and you will be tormented forever."

"If you cooperate with us, your family members will most likely survive, and there's even a chance we can rescue them. Your whole family can then enjoy the free and wonderful life in Distant Harbor together."

"And the worst-case scenario is that you survive, your family Council, but you still live, you have a chance to avenge them, which is better than them all dying... right?"

Alset gently patted the other person's back.

"Blind loyalty will kill everyone. Abandoning darkness and embracing light will likely lead to a happy future. At the very least, you yourself will survive..." He chuckled silently. "Weighing the pros and cons, why not take a gamble?"

Anxion's body stiffened, his eyes flickered, and he breathed heavily.

After a while, Alset checked his watch. "It's six o'clock, time to go home. Think it over tonight, see you tomorrow... Someone, take him to the dark room to reflect on his mistakes."

These words were the final dagger, piercing through the wavering heart.

"Wait a moment!"

The loud shouts did not stop the Scourger. Alset walked straight to the door, which opened, and two grim-faced jailers saluted the warden before heading toward the prisoners.

Anxion grew increasingly terrified, for his last lifeline was slipping away. The other world's level of development was truly underdeveloped, and he had never realized from beginning to end that his mind was being constantly guided and manipulated.

After all, he did not sense any invasion of soul power.

At this moment, he was filled with fear, and a nameless regret overwhelmed him, because he had spoken up too late! It was past six o'clock, and this brutal traitor would no longer pay attention to him! I should have spoken up sooner!

Unbeknownst to them, because of this regret, the idea that "we should cooperate with Distant Harbor" was subconsciously defined as "absolutely correct" amidst intense psychological fluctuations and extreme fear.

He shouted and howled until two jailers lifted him up, his inner fear reaching its breaking point.

Then, heavenly music filled the air.

"Etc."

Alset walked up to the other person.

Anxion shouted, "Don't go! I..."

The warden said calmly, "Shut up."

So the prisoner, who was in a heated argument, immediately shut up and became more docile than cattle or sheep.

"I'm supposed to leave work at six o'clock, so if you just want to agree to cooperate with us, then we can talk about it tomorrow." Alset glanced at his watch. "But if you want to perform well, then I'm willing to set aside a little time and work overtime for a bit. Now, give me a simple and clear answer."

"Are you trying to cooperate, or are you trying to perform well?"

Anxion shouted, "Well done! Well done!"

"Very good, release it," Alset said calmly. "You made the right choice."

Anxion stared at the man before him in fear. He believed that the cold, indifferent face under the dim light was etched into his soul and would become a nightmare he would never forget.

"I..." he said softly, "What do I need to do to be considered a good performer?"

"Your task list will be sent over shortly, but there's only one thing you really need to do, and that's to let me see your..."

Alset looked at the other person's fearful and hesitant expression. "--Fanatical convert."

Anxion murmured, "Yes... yes..."

"Okay, you've earned yourself warm water and a hearty meal. You have one hour to calm yourself down, adjust your mindset, report your family's exact location, and prepare to attend the 5:30 press conference with your colleagues who have also decided to switch sides."

Anxion nodded repeatedly, then froze. "5:30?"

Alset glanced at his watch. "It's 4:11 PM now. I used some interrogation techniques to try and persuade you, and the results were excellent. Even a hunter with strong mental fortitude and who has undergone painful training becomes no different from an ordinary person after some weakening, suppression, confinement, and suggestion."

"I must thank you. Your reaction is excellent material. The relevant interrogation conclusions can be written into a paper and published in the internal journal. This will earn me about thirty military merit points, which can be used to upgrade my 'Persuader' with an elemental amplification enchantment and add another fifty rounds of His Highness's specially made Spellbreaker Razor Bullets."

"So, if you want to watch Tom and Jerry tonight, I can take you and even buy you two cans of beer."

"Or..."

He raised his eyes expressionlessly. "You feel cheated? Shall we start over?"

"No, no, no..." Anxion murmured, "This is good, this is good..."

As he watched the other person being led to the lounge, Alset shook his head and smiled.

"See? Just as I said," Prince Horus's voice rang in my ears. "Father always has a way; he's very good with men."

"Every step has been exactly as my lord predicted, Lord Horus. This amazes me."

The convert responded fervently, "I spoke according to Your Highness's instructions and train of thought, as if Your Highness's great will had descended upon me, easily controlling this bewildered soul... My lord is the master of fear; before him, I am forever a humble and ignorant apprentice."

"Alright, that's enough."

Horus said, "You know, Father doesn't really like convert fanaticism."

"But Lord Horus, His Highness is His Highness because there are things he dislikes, yet allows to exist," Alset replied. "I enjoy everything I have now."

At 5:30, Distant Harbor held another press conference.

Reporters, informants, businessmen, and officials from all sides flocked to the scene. These days, the war of words Distant Harbor and the Council been quite an eye-opener for them, and they really enjoy listening to the crosstalk.

Today's news is even more explosive.

The Starry Sky Council dispatched assassins in an attempt to create chaos and massacre in the Distant Harbor. Their plans ranged from arson and poisoning of water sources to kidnapping children and storming the city hall. Their schemes were utterly depraved.

"The ten ruthless councilors of the Starry Sky Council are all bastards! Scoundrels! Dog shit! But these righteous people who have repented are not bastards! Not scoundrels! Not dog shit!"

Fourteen suspects, including Anxion, having witnessed firsthand the Civilization, prosperity, and friendliness of Distant Harbor, began to question and waver in their faith in the Starry Sky Council's orders. They eventually surrendered themselves, confessing all their crimes to the merciful Prince Kang De. These reformed individuals introduced themselves to the audience and Council's head.

This is really ugly.

It's ruined, it's a complete disaster.

The mighty Arcane Council and the Starry Sky Council personally ordered people to cause trouble and even went so far as to kill civilians. The assassins were even moved and publicly confessed their crimes and betrayed the council. It's shameful, utterly shameful.

Even if it costs some money, just spend a little, place an order with the Brotherhood, or even hire mercenaries.

As is customary, the Distant Harbor side mocked the Starry Sky Council, and then, just like many melodramatic CCTV and satellite TV programs, a group of elderly, weak, women and children with their families quietly emerged from behind the scenes. The terrorists trembled all over, shouted excitedly, and the families met, hugged and cried, creating an extremely touching scene.

The spokesperson explained the situation: Just half an hour ago, the Traitor Suppression Society used hyperspace jump to reach the homes of these "righteous men" and rescued the families of these brave men from the clutches of the Council.

Because the Distant Harbor will not let brave and upright people bleed and weep.

No matter who they are, where they come from, or what their previous stance was, as long as they have a conscience and are willing to join Distant Harbor and become partners of justice, Distant Harbor will continue to do everything in its power to protect the safety of the brave men's families, so that the heroes will have no more worries.

Such a declaration also caused a sinking feeling in the hearts of the intelligent people in the audience, whose expressions had subtly changed.

What happened today is just new material in the war of words between Distant Harbor and the Council. The related reports, interviews and programs can enrich the nightlife of Distant Harbor residents and increase their loyalty and recognition. But the hidden meaning behind it is enough to make the whole world take notice.

It's like Distant Harbor saying, "Don't worry about being a double agent, I've got the guts to cover for you."

The most embarrassed party was the Council. The hastily assembled spokesperson of the Starry Sky Council could only repeatedly accuse Kang De of kidnapping Council citizens and being utterly insane, while denying the terrorists and those orders. However, they still could not stop the spread of rumors.

Because the rumors were spreading not only throughout the city but also raining down from the sky, a large passenger plane Council had been flying over the vast stratosphere above the council's territory dropped drones. Space beacons that had adjusted their positions and arrived above the city suddenly deployed, and tons of propaganda materials rained down like cannonballs.

The businesses they took over from the United Kingdom included printing plants. They designed promotional materials, rolled up their sleeves, and started printing in huge quantities, everywhere, and they couldn't stop it.

--Because for ordinary people, this is paper of extremely high quality, clean and soft!

Whether you're using it to wrap things, stick it to the wall, prop up a table, or wipe your bottom, it's all good. Expensive paper is practically free now, so why not take it? After all, it's paper!

With no way to fight back and no options, the contents of these propaganda materials spread uncontrollably, and according to reports, even among the soldiers, the rumors were circulating.

The lawmakers could only send people to refute the rumors while simultaneously erupting in impotent rage.

Because besides refuting the rumors, there's nothing they can do; otherwise, it would be tantamount to admitting it.

A somber atmosphere once again permeated the Tower of All-Seeing.