Kamar-Taj: Wound
Wanda Maximoff trudged along behind them, the Serpent Bone Staff in her hand growing heavier by the moment.
The stairs of Kamar-Taj were a little too long for her. Compared to her previous experiences of sending her consciousness out of her body, she felt as though she were carrying a heavy sack of sand on her back. Even though she knew it was only a temporary illusion, having experienced the freedom of the mind, it was difficult to endure the weight of the flesh again. As she wiped away the beads of sweat falling like rain from her forehead, she silently recited the key points of the knowledge she had learned.
She was extremely nervous, because the Emperor and the Praetorian Guard had already rushed toward the Seventh Courtyard Nexus and were about to witness the results of her independent practical work. Whenever it came to instilling specific emotions into a mind, manipulating thoughts and dreams, creating illusions and auditory hallucinations, there were always countless details that required attention. This kind of arcane art was a wisdom of inward exploration. Before learning it, one often had to read extensive psychology texts, analyze the target's psychological model, and investigate their motives and inner drives.
The wisdom of inward exploration was just as profound as the wisdom of outward exploration. Techniques that appeared simple often required vast amounts of foundational knowledge, and their effects were closely tied to the Psionic's imagination and tactical thinking. For example, when the sharp blade in an enemy's hand was about to pierce a caster's throat, the enemy might suddenly become obsessed with stepping precisely along the cracks between the floor tiles. Or a certain impulse or emotion already present in someone's heart might suddenly be awakened, causing them to transfer their feelings toward a