"As long as anyone is still alive in this world, there can be no true peace," Xia Mu replied softly.
"Okay..." Shiina lowered her head, somewhat disappointed. "Everyone says that. I guess peace really is hard to achieve."
After saying that, she rallied a little and waved cheerfully at Xia Mu. "Bye-bye. See you tomorrow."
Watching Shiina's figure gradually disappear into the elevator, Xia Mu smiled.
What a sentimental girl.
Perhaps in the world she imagined, everyone really was equal and the world was at peace.
After unlocking the door, changing his shoes, and tossing his coat onto the rack in the entryway, Xia Mu flopped onto the bed.
Then he opened the system and checked his information.
[Host: Xia Mu
Skills: Wing Chun—Demon (Grandmaster) Chinese (Mastery) English (Mastery)...
Skill Points: 80]
The information was simple and easy to understand.
Eighty evolution points were equivalent to eighty years' worth, which would be enough for him to use for a while.
But he should still try to squeeze a few more out of Kikyo Kushida whenever he had free time.
After all, completing her missions was currently the only way to earn Skill Points.
"I feel like I can add a new ability."
Xia Mu stroked his chin as he thought.
And in this school, which put humanity and intelligence to the test, the most useful skill was...
Hypnosis.
That way, he wouldn't have to worry about being unable to get the answers he wanted, and it dealt magical damage, too.
Wing Chun was enough for physical damage. With thirty years of skill, he figured no one could withstand one of his punches.
He'd do it. If Skill Points turned out to be too expensive, he simply wouldn't buy it.
With that in mind, he opened his computer and searched for hypnosis videos.
In the first video, the speaker held a pocket watch and waved it back and forth in front of someone lying comfortably on a sofa.
The whole process lasted half an hour.
Before long, Li Mu had fallen asleep, too.
It was just too boring.
Xia Mu didn't wake up until some time later.
"Haah~"
He yawned, tears glistening at the corners of his eyes. That really was hypnotic.
[Hypnosis skill available to learn]
"Learn."
Xia Mu issued the command in his mind.
[1 Skill Point consumed. Hypnosis skill acquired: Beginner]
A warm flood of memories flowed into Xia Mu's mind.
He now had the most basic hypnosis techniques, such as the lecture hypnosis method and the airplane hypnosis method.
But these could only be used when the other person was relaxed.
They also had to be willing; otherwise, they wouldn't work.
"Keep going. Take it to mastery."
It didn't seem like it would cost many Skill Points, so Xia Mu decided to max it out.
[5 Skill Points spent. Hypnosis skill acquired: Mastery]
Next, Xia Mu learned many hypnotic techniques, as if he had studied them on his own for six years.
For example, wearing clothes with spiral patterns, using a pocket watch, and adding the regular sound of ticking.
Whether or not the other person resisted, if they stared long enough, he could lead them into their subconscious and get them to reveal the things he wanted to know.
"But..."
"It's not enough."
Xia Mu wanted to see what the hypnosis skill would become if he kept adding points.
"Keep adding points."
[10 Skill Points spent.]
[Acquired: Brainwashing]
[Brainwashing: Through prolonged, repeated psychological suggestion, you can change another person's subconscious. Once the skill takes effect, your voice sounds like the devil's whisper.]
The description was brief, but the ability had been greatly enhanced.
Xia Mu closed his eyes and quietly absorbed it. When he opened them again, his pupils gleamed.
His hypnosis...
No, his Brainwashing skill truly lived up to its name as a heavily modified ability.
If he wanted, he could now grab any girl at the school and hypnotize her.
For example, he could make her think she was his dog, the kind that obediently went "woof, woof."
However, this hypnosis didn't last very long, and he had to keep repeating it.
That was its only drawback, but it was more than good enough for practical use.
For instance, he could use it to question someone or add a little spice to a couple's private life. It was more than enough for that.
Besides that, he could make an opponent's mind go hazy in battle, causing them to lose focus temporarily.
And the hypnosis techniques had become much easier to use.
Still, simply sensing his abilities wasn't enough for Xia Mu to know just how powerful they were.
Talk was cheap.
"I really want to find someone to test this on."
Xia Mu felt a little antsy, but he still needed to buy some equipment.
But when he thought about how that equipment was used in battle, he felt a little weird.
Never mind. He didn't need to go all out with Brainwashing in his current fights.
He'd buy some basic things first, like a pocket watch or a black-and-white spiral pattern.
"Ahem..."
Xia Mu cleared his throat. "You're a dog. You're a dog."
His voice had grown low and magnetic, like an eerie, lingering melody that was subtly influencing its target.
That target was Xia Mu himself.
As he listened to his own voice, images from a low vantage point appeared in his mind.
It was as if he really were a dog, panting with his tongue hanging out.
"Crack!"
The next instant, a flash of white light burst across the scene, and Xia Mu jolted awake.
"Well, would you look at that..."
"It can even be used on yourself?"
Xia Mu had felt the power of hypnosis firsthand, and his forehead was already covered in sweat.
If he hypnotized himself into thinking he could go seven rounds in one night, each lasting an hour, while he was doing certain things, wouldn't that mean...
Just the thought of it was terrifying.
However, he could snap out of the hypnotic state whenever he wanted. His hypnosis ability, which had far surpassed max level, gave him resistance to hypnosis on an entirely different level.
"All right, placing the order!"
He ordered the things he needed through a shopping app, then lay down on the bed.
"Tomorrow, I'll start by testing this on Kikyo Kushida."
Xia Mu settled on a plan, took off his clothes, gave himself a suggestion to sleep until he was fully rested, and drifted off.
In his dream, he stood atop a towering throne. His pupils had become bottomless spirals. Wearing a trench coat, he held a pocket watch in his left hand and raised his right palm, like a magician.
Early the next morning, Xia Mu opened his eyes right on time and got out of bed.
"This state is incredible!"
He looked down at his palm. It seemed Brainwashing's limits weren't so simple.
After giving himself a sleep buff the night before, his body had fallen asleep, but his consciousness had actually stayed on watch.
How should he put it? It had been a hazy feeling, with time racing by like a twisted, blurry line.
"Yoshi! I'll go pick up the stuff I ordered yesterday, then give Kikyo Kushida a proper test!"
Xia Mu was so excited that he was mixing Japanese with Chinese.
He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and went running as usual.
He ran into Suzune again.
She glanced at Xia Mu, slowed down, and waited for him.
When the two of them were running side by side, she suddenly asked, "Want to race?"
From what she'd observed, Xia Mu hadn't missed a single day of running over the past few days. That showed he hadn't just gotten the urge out of nowhere or started running because he'd seen her.
That had piqued her competitive spirit.
After all, she'd been exercising since elementary school.
It was also around then that her brother had begun to grow farther and farther away from her.
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