Harboring Ill Intentions Toward the “Tenant”

"Why do you insist on learning from me?" Astrid asked in confusion. "You hypnotized me with just one look. Isn't that just as good as my methods?"

"Because of this." After speaking, Wude reached out and patted the marine on duty.

The man suddenly lost consciousness. Under Wude's control, he spread his arms, raised his brows, and threw back his head in arrogant laughter, like the "main character" of some overpowered protagonist drama.

A few seconds later, the marine on duty looked at him like life had lost all meaning. He was practically considering filing for a reassignment.

You two hypnosis big shots can't mess with people like this.

"Thanks for cooperating." After saying that to the marine, Wude turned to Astrid. "I want to develop it further."

Astrid's eyes lit up. She had become interested in Wude's two abilities as well.

"Sit, sit. Actually, I think if you work hard enough, you could fuse swordsmanship and Hypnosis together."

She wanted to trick... pfft, discuss cooperating and learning each other's techniques.

Yamakaji laughed heartily, patted Wude on the shoulder, then turned and walked out, leaving the two to talk.

He didn't understand Hypnosis, nor was he interested in it.

Being able to watch the younger generation grow stronger was gratifying enough.

Wude sat across from Astrid and listened as she perfunctorily explained some Hypnosis basics.

Unfortunately, Astrid had miscalculated. Those basics weren't a stalling tactic to him—they were genuinely useful.

Because he truly didn't understand any of it...

"I think you understand that this is the most basic part, but its importance lies in this: we must train the fundamentals until they're etched into our subconscious." Astrid solemnly spouted nonsense, trying to fool Wude into continuing with the basics.

Yet Wude quietly watched her explain the fundamentals, neither annoyed nor impatient, with a faint smile on his face.

Astrid lectured for a full four hours, and he listened for four hours.

Astrid: "This idiot is so easy to fool."

Wude: "That was explained well. Even a newbie understood it."

Wude poured Astrid a full cup of tea and continued absorbing knowledge like a sponge.

Astrid took a sip. "That's about enough for today. Tomorrow, it'll be your turn to teach me."

"Alright, see you tomorrow." Wude smiled and nodded, then stood and headed outside. "Where are you staying? I'll walk you back."

"Sure." Astrid chuckled softly and walked ahead. "Then walk me back."

Both of them harbored thoughts of swindling techniques from the other, chatting all the way with "fake smiles" on their faces.

"Alright, I'm staying here. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Wude watched Astrid enter the courtyard the Marines had arranged for her, then turned toward the distance.

Beneath the glow of the sunset, a graceful figure stood amid the thick shade of green trees. The branches rustled and swayed wildly in the early summer breeze, and the dense canopy danced in constant disorder.

Her heart was just as restless as that churning shade.

How many months had it been?

She had accompanied this guy through one brutal training session after another. At only fifteen, she had thought that meant they liked each other.

But after half a tiring day without Wude training with her, she saw him in the female soldiers' dormitory area, escorting another cute girl back to her residence.

"Boys are all fickle. Don't let him fool you, Hina. Want me to test him for you?"

Her roommate's words echoed in her ears. Hina's face turned cold as she shattered the image of her roommate in her mind.

"You like the cute type?" Hina watched Wude approach, her fingers cracking as she clenched them.

Hina was rational just like him, and she was confident too. She absolutely would not get jealous.

"Her hair isn't as cute as yours." Wude thought that if Hina so much as smiled, she would utterly outclass a whole crowd of cute girls.

"Was she that hypnosis master?" Hina glanced toward the courtyard. Her pink hair swayed gently in the wind as she gave a confident, icy smirk.

Crisis averted.

Cafeteria.

Wude and Hina sat side by side.

"What are you thinking about?" Hina asked, looking up.

"I'm thinking about whether Kuroh can gain another function." Wude looked at the IBM he had summoned.

Everything about Ajin actually came from that mysterious substance within their bodies.

Even the foremost experts in the Ajin world had only summarized a few patterns. As for truly researching and utilizing it, or discovering what it fundamentally was...

No one had managed that.

IBM was an existence formed from the substance he released, while the existence within the Devil Fruit also resided inside him—and couldn't even beat his black particles.

The two existences had already fought once.

So could he bring it out together with IBM when summoning it, then imprison it inside IBM's body?

Then find a huge pile of fruits, place them inside IBM, and let that existence choose one to be reborn in?

Wude's rogue idea was truly... shameless beyond measure.

When it came to relationships, he would only ever be devoted to one person.

But when it came to Devil Fruits, sorry, you were all his little fish!

"By the way, what did she teach you?" Hina asked.

"She taught me some Hypnosis basics," Wude said.

"She actually brushed you off!" Hina put a little force into the hand holding her fork, directly piercing the steak and cracking the plate.

"Why are you getting worked up? If I can't learn the basics, how am I supposed to learn her special techniques?" Wude lightly tapped Hina on the head with his chopsticks. He had felt killing intent just now.

"Oh." Hina responded coolly. "Then you won't be training with Hina for half the day anymore?"

"It won't take that long. From now on, she and I will only exchange knowledge for one hour a day." Wude shook his head. Hypnosis and the Illusion Fruit were merely means for him to grow stronger.

He used the fruit; the fruit would not enslave him.

He had not forgotten what truly mattered.

His daily training could not be reduced too much, or even a genius would fade into mediocrity.

"You're not using training as an excuse to trick girls again, are you?" Smoker teased as he sat down across from them.

Hina rewarded him with a look that said he had said something very good. She wanted to know too, but her cold expression made it inconvenient to ask.

"Smoker, why is your mind so filthy?" Wude shot him a disdainful look.

Hina also looked at Smoker with shared disdain.

"Sorry for disturbing you. I'll be leaving." Smoker picked up his tray and walked away.

Facing those two united against him, his fragile heart was already riddled with holes.

That night, in the dormitory, on the hammock.

Wude closed his eyes and gave Kuroh the same command over and over again: release Kuroh, then take Kuroh back.

Achieving his plan of bringing out the Devil Fruit would not be simple. It was practically "inferno dungeon" difficulty.

If one condition could not be met, it would remain nothing but a fantasy.

When Ajin used IBM, they only had IBM assist them in battle. At most, two IBM heads could collide to exchange memories.

But they had never considered whether, by directly recalling IBM, the particles that formed it could return to the body—then continue carrying out commands within the body.

He tried again and again, issuing the command to "surround the Devil Fruit soul" beforehand, then attempting to recall those particles.

At first, the particles simply dissipated into the air. One month after another passed.

Wude finally managed to successfully recall a small portion of IBM's particles into his body.

And that tiny bit of progress had taken half a year.

"Go. Attack it." Wude gave IBM the command, then recalled that minuscule portion of IBM particles.

Wasn't a peaceful coexistence treaty made to be torn apart?

Then Wude summoned another IBM...

[To be continued.]