Hypnotized and Brainwashed?

Ansu stared intently at the witch sitting on the desk, thinking to himself that it really did have to do with her...

A series of relevant plot points flashed rapidly through his mind.

[Witch of World Destruction - Cecilia], one of the major villains in the late game and the leader of the cult organization [Echo of Truth], also known as the "Black Magic Flame that Burns the World."

To be crowned with the title of "World Destruction," Cecilia's methods were naturally far from simple.

According to the lore, she was the most talented mage since the "Great Magic Collapse" a thousand years ago. In the late game, this wicked witch mastered forbidden magical powers capable of destroying the world, and she and her 'Echo of Truth' cultists caused chaos throughout the empire and beyond, making every nation on the continent tremble in fear.

Although she hadn't yet become a true cult leader in the current timeline, nor did she possess the overwhelming strength she would have in the late game, crushing him like an ant would still be effortless. However, what Ansu feared most right now wasn't her strength...

It was her as a person, or rather, her personality.

The witch Cecilia was a particularly nasty, trashy witch.

While this witch possessed top-tier beauty, her personality was volatile and capricious, finding joy in teasing and tormenting others. The main reason her reputation hit rock bottom was—

She murdered several popular characters in the game, causing countless players to grit their teeth in hatred and cry out, "It hurts! It hurts so much!" She was truly the type of character whose heaven-defying looks couldn't save her.

Of course, that excluded players whose XP favored bad women.

Ansu felt a lingering fear; fortunately, this was only a "Future Simulation," and there was still a chance to avoid her.

Otherwise, he would never, under any circumstances, want to have anything to do with this wicked woman...

While Ansu was deep in thought, Cecilia was also observing him.

Seeing that he neither struggled desperately nor begged timidly in such a situation, she felt a flicker of curiosity.

"His mental fortitude is quite good. Does he meet the requirements of our plan in other aspects?"

Mary nodded and reported: "Ansu Morris grew up in an orphanage with his younger sister Vera. Later, the two were adopted by Dr. Morris to form a family. Three years after his adoptive father passed away, he was admitted to Benalu Royal Academy."

"Compared to the wealthy children in the academy, this student has simple social connections and no background, making him very suitable as an eye you plant inside the academy."

As she spoke, Mary glanced at Ansu, who was tied to the chair, and added, "Even if he is exposed in the future, it will be difficult to trace the clues back to us after we silence him."

Cecilia nodded lightly in satisfaction, "Hmm, not bad."

"To avoid alerting the enemy, you can withdraw from the operation later; he can continue to execute the plan alone."

Mary seemed to heave a sigh of relief, "Understood, Lady Cecilia."

As the most highly regarded place for talent cultivation in the empire, Benalu Royal Academy was prestigious, and the risk of her lurking there as a teacher was simply too great.

Ansu had been eavesdropping on their conversation, thinking to himself that this was the purpose behind Cecilia kidnapping him.

Planting an eye, huh...

It was just unclear how this connected to the later cult sacrificial ritual...

"Alright, it's about time~"

Cecilia leaped lightly off the desk.

"Time to get down to business."

As she stepped toward Ansu, an uncomfortable aura of black magic, representing taboo and filth, began to spread.

Ansu noticed that the fair skin on her arms was rapidly growing textures like black scales. These textures spread from her elbows down to her slender fingers, and finally, her entire forearm radiated a gloomy black aura, like the claws of a demon.

By the time she reached Ansu, even more exaggerated physical changes were continuing.

Those purple eyes turned into blood-red pupils, and her black hair gradually faded, eventually transforming into a head of moon-like white-gold hair.

Except for the lack of a pair of black horns, she was almost indistinguishable from the appearance of the demons of the ancient era.

The reason the witch Cecilia possessed such powerful talent in magic was precisely due to this bloodline.

"Lady Cecilia..." Mary's body trembled involuntarily.

The mental corruption brought about by forbidden magic would rapidly erode a human's sanity. At her level, even the slightest contact would bring unpredictable negative effects...

"You may withdraw," Cecilia said indifferently.

"Yes..." Mary lowered her head and hurried out of the dim utility room as if fleeing.

Only Ansu and Cecilia remained in the room.

At this moment, a magic circle with complex runes faintly emerged around Ansu's chair.

Once this forbidden black magic known as [Soul Domination] was completed, Ansu would lose his own will and become a puppet completely at Cecilia's mercy.

But Cecilia hesitated to take the next step.

She stared at Ansu with some confusion, because this human did not show the same panic that Mary had just displayed; he seemed completely unaffected by the negative influence.

"Huh?" Cecilia couldn't help but lean close to Ansu's cheek, examining him with curiosity.

"Are you not afraid of me?"

"Every time I have cast forbidden magic in the past, you humans have almost always been scared to the point of a mental breakdown, but you..."

He had no reaction at all; he was even silent and calm to an excessive degree.

Ansu was actually quite confused himself; he had already resigned himself to his fate.

It was just a simulation, and whether he lived or died wouldn't affect reality. The reason he hadn't resisted at all was, first, that it was meaningless to face a powerhouse of this level, and second...

He was already researching how to make a run for it once he returned to reality.

He was well aware of the impact forbidden magic had on ordinary people. In the game, only the Chosen One, as a player, could ignore the corruption, but given his current status, could he even be considered a player anymore?

Strange...

"Could it be that you possess that bloodline as well?" Cecilia frowned slightly. "No, that should be impossible. Perhaps your will is simply strong enough; this is a sign of a very rare magical talent..."

If he truly possessed such talent, it would be a bit of a waste to turn him into a [Puppet]...

Watching Cecilia talk to herself, Ansu could sense her hesitation, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

"My lady! Please wait!!"

Her dark red eyes slowly shifted toward him.

"I apologize, I heard a little of what you two were saying just now..." Ansu acted very nervous, but his tone was sincere. "If you need someone to do things for you at the school, I am willing to cooperate! Please, just don't brainwash me into some kind of idiot..."

"Oh?" Cecilia raised an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't afraid at all."

"Of course I'm afraid!" Ansu remembered that in the plot, the Witch of World Destruction had not yet turned against the cult's leadership at this point; she was still building her own base... So, if he presented himself as having more utility, perhaps he could...

Live a little longer?

Once controlled by [Soul Domination], one's personality was effectively erased, which was no different from being dead.

Ansu did not know how long the simulation would last, so he wanted to extract as much information as possible, ideally learning the inside story of the school catastrophe that would occur in two weeks.

Otherwise, wouldn't his death be in vain?

The corners of Cecilia's mouth curled up slightly. "So, you are willing to join us?"

Ansu nodded hurriedly. "I am!"

Cecilia observed him with a hint of amusement. "Working for me is not easy. Do you know who we are?"

Ansu, of course, shook his head immediately.

Cecilia said slowly: "Our organization is called the Echo of Truth, the greatest enemy of the Church for the past thousand years. If you are exposed in the future, you will be immediately taken away by the Inquisition, and by then..."

"For you, even death might be a luxury."

Ansu displayed an expression of shock and terror at the appropriate moment.

In fact, to any ordinary person with a little knowledge of this world, the Echo of Truth cult was indeed a terrifying existence—in the words of another world, they were "enough to stop a child from crying at night."

"Uh... My lady, miss..." Ansu seemed to struggle internally for a long time before finally taking a deep breath.

"I don't seem to have a choice. As long as you spare me, I am willing to join..."

A faint, lingering fragrance drifted over. Cecilia leaned close to Ansu's cheek again and smiled. "However, humans are prone to betrayal. How do I know that you aren't just playing along and stalling for time?"

Ansu looked at her silently, thinking that was exactly what he was doing.

"Of course not!"

Ansu said quickly: "If you allow me to join your ranks, there will be no two suns in the sky! There will only be one sun in my heart!"

"I will be loyal to you forever!"

Ansu's intense desire to survive made Cecilia let out a laugh.

"Very well, since that is the case..."

Cecilia gazed at Ansu, her smile deepening, like a beautiful yet dangerous poisonous rose.

"Next, let's conduct a little test on you."

A test?

Ansu felt a jolt of alarm and was just about to ask what she meant, but the next moment—

His thoughts instantly became hazy.

Those dark red eyes staring directly at him seemed to carry some kind of magical vortex. Under the guidance of this power, Ansu's eyes gradually lost their luster.

[Soul Domination] and similar mental and spiritual magic were not just for brainwashing; it was a rather profound school of magic.

Cecilia, who was proficient in such magic, easily cast [Hypnosis] on Ansu.

"Speak your inner thoughts. Will you truly be loyal to me?"

She asked indifferently.

A hypnotized person would be led to reveal their true inner thoughts unintentionally.

"Of course not." Ansu replied with a vacant gaze.

This answer was within Cecilia's expectations. She had never expected someone under duress to suddenly "defect," but that was not what she was looking for.

A person with magical talent naturally had their own utility.

"Tell me, what were you thinking just now?"

Ansu, however, gave her an answer that exceeded her expectations.

"Villains die because they talk too much..."

"What?" Cecilia frowned. "What does that mean?"

Ansu replied with a stiff expression: "Presenting myself as having more utility, piquing your interest, and then extracting more intelligence..."

Cecilia remained silent for a long moment.

Then, she was directly amused to the point of laughter by him.

"Fine! You have certainly piqued my interest now!"

Her claws, radiating a black aura, pinched Ansu's cheeks as she continued to ask: "If I hadn't laid a hand on you, what would you have done after joining the Echo of Truth?"

"I would have immediately reported it to the academy's academic affairs department, then filed a report with the Church. Currently, several archbishops and the Church's Saintess are handling matters in Benalu City... Under the protection of such top-tier powerhouses, no cultist would be able to lay a hand on me..."

"Afterward, I could apply to join the Church with my younger sister, build connections, and live a life free of worries from then on..."

Cecilia was momentarily speechless.

Not only had this guy figured out how to deal with her, but he had even arranged his entire future life perfectly...

He was dreaming quite beautifully!

[Hypnosis] terminated.

Ansu's gaze gradually regained its clarity, and his thoughts fully returned.

Then, he saw Cecilia before him, watching him with a look that was half-smile and half-scorn.

"..."

Ansu did not know what had just happened, but that "all-seeing" gaze made him realize...

It's over!

"Should I call you clever, or stupid?"

Cecilia revealed a cruel smile.

"It seems humans are still not to be trusted. You had better continue being my slave!"

A filthy magical aura rapidly engulfed Ansu, and the light of a magic circle flared up suddenly.

"Wait, wait!"

The moment [Soul Domination] took effect, Ansu lost all his will and thoughts, and an ironclad mental seal against betrayal was deeply branded into the depths of his mind.

Ansu had completely become Cecilia's "possession."

After everything was over.

Cecilia patted Ansu's cheek, smirking maliciously.

"This is much better, good doggy~"

"Come on, call me Master~"