Chapter 477 - 101: Mirage
「One month later.」
In the Holy City Mountain Belly, inside the core workshop district of Iscent Mountain, in a laboratory labeled C-1.
Soft light illuminated the room’s pristine white walls and polished floor.
In the center of the room was a slightly raised platform, its edges connected to several precision instruments with flashing indicator lights.
On the platform, a man appearing to be in his thirties, dressed in a simple linen shirt, sat quietly. Dozens of electrodes from an EEG cap were attached to his head to test his brainwaves.
The man’s name was Levi, formerly a Cultivator for the Church Court who was responsible for transcribing records. With a gentle personality and stable, though not exceptional, Spiritual Power, he was one of the "ideal" test subjects Edwin had found after a rigorous screening process.
Edwin stood before the main console, his fingers moving rapidly across the control panel as he pulled up the baseline data.
"Baseline physiological indicators are stable. Mental Force Field is calm and undisturbed. Emotion index is in the neutral range." Edwin looked at Levi. "Mr. Levi, please remain relaxed. We are about to begin the first Magic application experiment."
Levi took a deep breath and nodded. "I’m ready, Master Edwin."
Edwin gave a slight nod. He simply raised his right hand and pointed from a distance at Levi on the platform, and a wave of Spiritual Power instantly spread out.
Mechanical Mind.
This was a Defense Series Magic that acted upon the recipient’s state of mind.
Its effect was to temporarily suppress emotional fluctuations, drastically increasing the speed and precision of logical thought, and placing the recipient into a highly rational, almost absolutely objective "transcendent" state.
A faint, silver glimmer of Magic enveloped Levi.
His body trembled slightly. A flicker of confusion passed through his eyes, which was then swiftly replaced by an icy coldness.
The subtle expressions on his face disappeared, his breathing grew exceptionally steady and rhythmic, and he even adjusted his posture to be more perfectly upright.
"Magic is in effect." Edwin’s voice was still steady, but his speaking pace had clearly quickened. "Log: Target’s emotional fluctuation index has dropped by 92%. Estimated logical processing speed has increased by 300%. Concentration has reached its peak. Vitals are stable, but basal metabolic rate shows a slight increase, consistent with the expected rise in Energy consumption."
On the instrument screens to the side, a waterfall of data began to scroll by, and the various graphs fluctuated wildly.
"Maintain observation for thirty seconds. Collect steady-state data," Edwin ordered.
The surrounding researchers immediately bustled about, rapidly collecting and processing all the data.
Thirty seconds later, Edwin raised his hand, dispelling the effects of Mechanical Mind.
The icy clarity in Levi’s eyes quickly faded. He blinked, let out a long breath, and the lively expressions of a "person" reappeared on his face, though he looked somewhat fatigued.
"How do you feel?" Edwin asked.
"It’s very strange." Levi rubbed his temples, his voice a bit hoarse. "I felt like a machine. My thoughts were incredibly fast and clear, with no distracting thoughts. But it was also like being in a dream—I couldn’t feel myself, and my sense of time became blurry. Now that it’s over, I’m a little tired, like I’ve just done some high-intensity exercise."
"Your description matches our expectations." Edwin nodded. "Rest for five minutes. Prepare for the next test."
Five minutes later, a middle-aged man who had been standing on the other side of the lab, observing quietly, walked over. He was dressed in deep purple Archbishop’s robes trimmed with gold.
He was Archbishop Fabian, one of the Archbishops who had been exceptionally promoted to a core diocese for his outstanding organizational skills after Elizabeth implemented her new policies. He was also a participant in this research project.
"Next up is Inspiration. I will be the one to cast it." Archbishop Fabian’s voice was gentle. He walked to the front of the platform and gave Levi an encouraging smile. His expression then turned solemn, and he made a simple prayer gesture with his hands before his chest. A warm, bright power, filled with positive conviction, began to gather in his hands.
Inspiration.
This was a typical Priest’s Magic, originating from Divine Grace.
It worked by stimulating the recipient’s inner courage, confidence, and focus, dispelling hesitation, fear, and negative emotions. This indirectly achieved the effect of improving mental efficiency and enhancing decision-making abilities.
The "Rationality" it enhanced was more akin to a state of "unwavering will and single-minded focus," which was fundamentally different from the absolute Rationality of Mechanical Mind.
A warm, golden radiance flowed from Archbishop Fabian’s hands, enveloping Levi.
Levi’s body jolted again, but this time, his eyes quickly became bright and resolute. He straightened his back even more, and an aura of confidence emanated from within him.
The fatigue on his face was swept away, replaced by a vibrant focus.
"Log." Edwin’s voice rang out again. "Target’s emotional fluctuations show a positive increase. Confidence index and willpower intensity are significantly elevated. Logical processing speed has increased by approximately 15%, but this is far below that of Mechanical Mind. Concentration has also reached a high level, but is accompanied by distinct emotional undertones. Vital sign activity has increased, and the Energy consumption pattern differs from before, more closely resembling a state of heightened emotion..."
After another thirty seconds of observation, Archbishop Fabian withdrew the Divine Magic.
The light in Levi’s eyes slowly subsided. He let out another breath, but this time his face held the afterglow of invigoration, and he even broke into a slight smile. "That felt great! I feel full of energy, my mind is sharp, and I feel like I can overcome any difficulty. It wasn’t like sleepwalking, like before."
The researchers quickly recorded the data and began to perform a preliminary cross-comparative analysis.