Trier's southwestern district — inside the living room of a luxurious residence.
The vice president of the Secret Order, the "Scholar of Yore" Daphne Priestley, at this moment could no longer control her body; only her thoughts still belonged to her. She could only watch helplessly as she struggled to stand and bowed respectfully to the man who had suddenly appeared before her — the man accompanied by the marionette "Rena."
This state was not unfamiliar to her. When she had first turned Rena into a marionette and used "Spirit Channeling," she had heard a similar description from Rena herself — how both she and her former wife, the Saintess of White, Katarina, had been under Owen's control.
Back then, after the Sealed Artifact Owen used to control them was destroyed, both Rena and Katarina had regained their freedom.
I don't recognize this man, but since he can use the same methods Owen once had, he must be from the same faction!
What kind of ability is this? Why is my body obeying his commands?
This isn't the same as manipulation through the spirit threads… It feels like he's directly affecting the matter inside my body…
While Daphne tried to think of countermeasures and regain control of her body, all her attempts failed. She could only watch in growing terror and despair as she retrieved spiritual materials from her secret stash and began to set up an altar.
Only then did the man — Ebner — speak again with a calm smile.
"You guessed correctly. Owen and I do indeed come from the same organization."
I didn't say that aloud! Did he steal my thoughts, or read my mind directly? Most likely the latter. Owen belonged to the 'Psychological Alchemists' and was a 'Spectator' pathway Beyonder. This man must be from that same organization — probably a 'Lust!'
And all my attempts to resist just now… were under his watch the whole time!
As the preparations for the ritual neared completion, Daphne's heart grew more anxious than ever.
Sensing her rising emotion, Ebner turned his head slightly, smiled faintly, and in a low voice — the kind one would use to whisper blasphemy — said,
"As a return gift for your earlier actions, I'd like to introduce you to a great existence. I'm sure you'll be eager to hear His name."
After that, he smoothly took his place at the proper position of the altar and began to lead the ritual.
"Now, repeat after me…
'O Great Pure White Eye…'"
No! I don't want this! I don't want to pray to an unknown great existence! Daphne screamed inwardly. Each verse the man chanted seemed to push her one step closer to tragedy, one step deeper into the abyss, until even the faintest glimmer of hope vanished.
Yet she still could not resist speaking in unison with him — reciting a sacred title she had never heard before, yet whose very sound inspired primal fear:
"O Great Pure White Eye, Lord of Destiny, Emperor of Knowledge and Machinery;
I beseech Your grace…"
Sensing a new "spot" forming within the Unknown Land, Ebner split off one of his "Eyes of Wisdom," simulating the form of a "seed," and planted it within Daphne's psyche through her prayer.
This was a secret technique Ebner had developed himself — inspired by his study of the "blood-red crystal" Klein had given him from the Death Knell and the corruptive methods of the "True Creator," then enhanced through his own "cheat" abilities.
He casually named it "The Seed of Bryan."
Though he later admitted the name sounded rather odd, he never bothered to change it.
When he saw that Daphne had accepted the Seed of Bryan, Ebner finally exhaled in relief.
Controlling the entire bodily fluids of a Sequence 3 Beyonder through the wings of the Bloody Archduke and forcing them into obedience — it sounded simple, but in truth, it was immensely taxing.
Not only did it consume vast amounts of spirituality, but he also had to endure the backlash from the wings themselves. Even for Ebner, he was close to his limit — only pretending to be calm on the surface.
In fact, converting Daphne into his follower didn't have to be so complicated. All he needed was to make her recite the name Liu Bo, and he could have used that connection to channel the "Unknown" and twist her mind into the kind of fanatical devotion that had once consumed Flora.
But Ebner hadn't chosen that route.
His intuition told him that such a method would not yield his followers, but rather Liu Bo's — and though he was Liu Bo, he wasn't entirely sure that "he" and "himself" were one and the same.
Moreover, his spiritual intuition warned that creating too many pure "Liu Bo fanatics" might eventually bring about something… unfavorable to him.
That was why he instead used his own honorific titles through the ages to craft a similar yet independent secret art.
Though The Seed of Bryan couldn't turn its recipient into a mindless zealot who surrendered body and soul, it could create an effect similar to the loyal faith of those Popes who served the Pure White Angel.
When Daphne regained control of her body, her expression changed drastically. It was as if she were battling fierce inner conflict; even her "Clown" abilities couldn't suppress the shifting emotions on her face.
After about a minute, she finally lowered her head, looked at Ebner with a complicated expression, and said respectfully,
"Divine Emissary."
She remembered everything clearly — she knew she had been transformed by a great existence, and even understood it logically — yet her faith was absolute, her devotion instinctive, leaving not a shred of resistance.
Even if my Lord were to give me to Owen as a gift, I would loathe it emotionally, but still fulfill my Lord's test with obedience. As that thought crossed her mind, Daphne once again bowed deeply and said, "Please forgive my earlier offense against the believer of our Lord. I am willing to pay any price to atone for my sin."
Hearing that, Ebner nodded with satisfaction.
Not because of her words — but because his secret technique had worked perfectly.
Not bad. I merged the powers of "Charming Humans," the "Demonic Crystal," and "Control," and even integrated traits from three grand PUA pathways — the Hanged Man, the Beauty Goddess, and the Sun. Though the result still has some flaws, overall, it's functional enough.
Still, I should use this kind of technique sparingly — it does sound rather evil, after all.
If that "Scholar of Yore" from the Secret Order hadn't attacked Owen first, she wouldn't have had the honor of enjoying such a 'gift.'
And of course, if she had come after me instead of Owen, she wouldn't even have this luxury — I'd have simply killed her outright and handed her soul to Klein for spirit communication. Much simpler that way.
As these thoughts flashed by, Ebner turned his gaze to the now-devout Daphne and asked with interest,
"Why did you attack Owen?"
(End of Chapter)