"Mom! Mom! Here, here! Look what I've found in the forest!" a certain chubby brat shouting while he sprinted his way to a simple mud house.
When he opened the wooden door, there was a middle-aged woman with a simple and plain presence who smiled in welcome. She also had a bit weight on her body, it was inherited by the small boy it seems.
The boy held a green-feathered oriole on his chubby hands. There was a 'Y' shaped catapult hung on his neck. He presented his game to her mother.
"Ara ..., what a catch. My Little Zheng is really talented. I'll cook it for you, be a good boy and wait for it, okay?"
The mother took the bird from her son's hand and ruffling the unkempt hair full of grass blades.
The boy looked down and put a sad face. The mother who sensed his peculiar change of mood couldn't stop but asked.
"What's wrong, Little Zheng?"
"Mom ..., the bird, it's so pretty. I want to raise it in a cage, can't I?" the chubby looked up at his mom and carefully asked.
The mom put on a helpless smile, she put down the bird that was on the verge of dying on the table. She kneeled to match her gaze with her son and said. "Little Zheng ..., answer mom's question, when you sling the stone with your catapult. What is your intention? Is it to catch the bird to be food or pet?"
"I ..., I don't know, this bird is different from the brown bird I catch. I pity when I think I eat the bird. The feather is beautiful, mom!" the chubby boy trying to reason with the adult that was his mom.
"Every fowl, birds, pheasants, or even the beautiful peacock, when they butchered and their feather plucked, all of them will look the same. It's all the same ..., dead birds. I'll carefully pluck the feather so be content with it."
"But mom!!" the chubby boy still insisted, but he couldn't think reasoning or whatsoever with his undeveloped intelligence.
"Little Zheng ..., if you want to raise it to be your pet, I ask you, where's the cage? How do you feed it? And do you not feeling pity if such a bird imprisoned in a small cage. Plucked of their freedom. A bird is fated to fly if you take this fate from them ..., won't my Little Zheng sow bad karma then?" the mom trying to explain.
But the chubby boy caught something contradictory in her word. "Huh, wait a minute mom. Chicken and duck can't fly, right? So what are they, is it still a bird?"
The mom shrugged her shoulder and answered nonchalantly, "Some bird fated to not fly."
"..., I see, bird, how mysterious." the chubby boy nodded as if understand, then another realization struck on his mind, "mom, mom! If you're saying that I make bad karma when I caged a bird, then ..., when I shot the bird with my catapult, am I already doing a bad thing?"
"Oh ..., that's, then we got back to the first law of survival. Little Zheng remembers it right?"
"Uhmm ..., 'eat if you don't want to be eaten, hunt if you don't want to be hunted, and kill if you don't want to be killed', right?"
"That's right, my son is so smart! In this harsh world, you must have a heart made of steel, unwavering!" the mom praised his son.
"But ..., I don't think that this bird could eat me. Its beak is so small."
"Nevermind that, we'll die because of starvation if we don't eat anyway. So it is legit reasoning to hunt small critters like that."
"...," the chubby boy went silent.
He didn't quite understand his mother's reasoning. He gazed down and contemplated for a bit. Before he knows, he was already lying down on a bamboo bed.
His father came back, he didn't greet him.
That night, the diner main menu was an oriole soup. He felt unwilling to ate when he reminded with the beautiful bird. But when he tasted the dish, all of the hesitation gone and he ate the soup heartfully.
The next day, after done with his training routine, he catches another pretty bird. It was a lake luan that has the same height as him. He trapped the luan with a rope net he connected with a bent bamboo. When the trap triggered the bamboo will spring up and then captured the luan inside the net.
He butchered the bird without hesitation and dragged it back to his house.
Upon arriving in his home, he received a beautiful door decoration made from an oriole feather from his mother. He was happy.
That night's diner was a roasted luan. The skin was crispy with tender meat inside, delicious.
The chubby boy continues to hunt numerous birds in the forest, his way of capturing such a bird was developed and he even managed to capture a demonic bird. After a few months, he finally understands what his mother's words mean back then.
That in this world, the strong prey the weak. Even if the weak feel discontent with that, they can't do anything about it. The strong is the winner, and the winner receives all. A loser can object, but everyone else will hear it as weeping from a loser.
He thought about this conclusion because of his observation of wildlife. The predator that succeeds in preying a prey is the winner, the prey who was caught and killed is the loser. He hunts bird because he wanted to eat. He managed to catch the bird, thus he wins the hunt. As a result, he can do anything to the bird, the loser.
It was unthinkable, how the heck he was able to think about such a conclusion from just observing wildlife.
But, the chubby boy didn't realize that this rule not only worked on the wildlife. That this rule, the law of jungle also worked on human society.
Another diner, the chubby boy now become more and more proficient with hunting bird. Nine out of ten tries he always succeeds in catching it. Thus, every night, the diner on that house was a bird.
DOK! DOK! DOK!
A violent knock on the wooden door of the house. The father frowned upon hearing this. He looked at his wife and she nodded with a heavy expression. She led the chubby boy to hide on the cellar.
"Little Zheng. Be quiet and don't come out before mom told you to!" she rushed out back to her husband after the boy safely enter the cellar.
The only thing the chubby boy sees was the darkness of the cellar, but he clearly could hear what happened outside. There were at least three other people on the house, all adult males.
"Lu Piao! You've got big guts in provoking Young Master Zhuo! I've told you before, that this isn't over yet!"
"Shen Li! I always thought you as my brother! How can you turn your back and become that arrogant prick lackey!"
"Face reality! Lu Piao! In this world, only by relying on 'big tree', I can survive! Ehehe ..., tell you what, you know why I always so humble in front of you and help your house?"
"It's because of that thicc bitch! I thought she was a loose housewife who'll spread her crotch wide when I asked to, but to think that she is loyal to you, her husband! What a pity ..., but now! Young Master Zhuo has taught me how to get a woman. And right now and then, I'll show it to you Lu Piao! Brothers! Chop his limbs and tie that bitch for me!"
"Shen Li you bastard! I'll kill you!"
"Ahh ..., how I suppress my dark desire to rape you! It's unbearable now. I'll play with you in front of your husband! How's that? Sound interesting right?"
"N-nnooo!?!"
"Hiyahiyahiya ..., brother Shen, let us join the fun, alright? Don't hog her by yourself! We also want a share of that plump body!"
"Kekeke ...That's right, I am done with a cheap flat-chested whore! I want some meaty ass and breast to play with!"
"Ahahaha ..., no worries brother. I'll let you taste her. But of course, let me taste her first alright? I've waited for a decade for this moment."
"Hiyahiyahiya ..., you can do her first, but let us watch alright!"
"Buwahahaha ..."
"Kekekeke ..."
"G-go away! NO! STOP! SHEN LI! DON'T DO THIS! STOP!!! AHHHIII!!!!"
"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!! MOOOOM!!! NOOOOO!!!!" clutching his head because of the unbearable mental pain, Lu Zheng shouted hysterically.
"HUWAAAA!!!! YOU BASTARD OF A NOBLE!!! DAMN YOU CHEN FAMILY!!! I'LL KILL YOU ALL! I'LL GODDAMN F*CKING KILL YOU AND ANNIHILATE YOUR NINE GENERATION!!!"
"MOM!! NO!! PLEASE, MR. IMMORTAL!!! DON'T! DON'T CHOP HER HAND! NOOO!!!!"
"DAMNED ZHAO QIN OF ZHAO CLAN! YOU'LL BE DEATH TONIGHT!"
"DON'T COME! DON'T COME! NO! I'M NOT TASTY! NUUOOOO!!!"
"KURUUAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Inside the world of mist, the robbers let out a hysteric shout one after another. As if they met their worst nightmare and deepest fear, they let out a heart-wrenching shout.
Those that cried and shout in hysteria. Those who swung his weapon around and activating their battle technique as if seeing their fated enemies. Their reaction varied, but they were maddened when they inhale the mist.
It was a scene of mayhem.
"Dad! Uncle Lu! Uncle Lin! Aunty Zhao! Aunty Mu! What happened?! Why are you attacking each other." shouted the small girl unfitted with the chaotic scene.
'What a surprise ..., truly a surprise. You don't have any trauma at all. Just what life have you went through, little girl?' the mind mage widened his eyes looking at the little girl who was puzzled with the situation.
Reyhan was surprised because he knows himself that this girl has a wicked heart beyond measures. If not, then why she would be fine with this whole act and robbery thing? But she didn't have any trauma that or anything like that?
A person who did a crime must have some kind of motive. If not, then they are lunatic or a madman. Most of the criminal motive when doing a crime is something related to a personal grudge, out of desperation, and other things. There was also the matter of having a past trauma that led him/her to do the crime.
She is a smart and normal girl if we take the wicked heart out of the calculation. So, what kind of environment that made her grow to be this crooked? To be unaffected by the collective moral value of humanity. Perhaps she didn't see the thing that she had done as the wrong thing in any way.
'But, ignorance is also sin on its own.'
The magic Reyhan used was a Mind Magic: Mayhem enhanced with a series of Mist magic as an intermediary. Mayhem, it was the name of the basic spell. And as the name said, it caused the target's mind to be in a chaotic state. It awakened past trauma and reinforced it in any worst way possible.
The illusion that they saw was different from the thing that happened, yet they believed it as a truth. The life-like illusion moved their heart to such extent that they will kill everything they saw as if he/she was someone who raped their mother or killed their father. If they have weak willpower and didn't have enough spirit to retaliate, they will bend down and hugged their knee in a depressed state.
'Well, this experience itself will be her first and most unforgettable trauma.'
Even after he cast a spell that caused this very mayhem, Reyhan still calmly and apathetically observed everything. It was because he already used to this scene. And he grew accustomed to this. He was no longer surprised by the effect of his spell.
But really, this spell itself could cause a catastrophe.
If this spell was used in an army camp, then 98,823% of the soldier would be dead the next day. Only a few of the strongest would survive. The exact number gathered through numerous experiments and real-life statistics.
This was also the scariest, horrendous part of the Mind Mage. They play with the human mind, led them to their destruction, and then note down the result as if they just conducted an experiment.
It was a bizarre thing to do, even so in the magician society. Yes, the magician from other faction was also mobile heavy artillery on its own.
The Magician of Red can be considered as the one with the mightiest firepower. They could annihilate an army of a thousand men with a single spell when they attained a certain level.
The Magician of Yellow is the one who can raise earth and rock to pave their way. They are the most durable and have solid defense out of all magicians. As for means of attack, they could just send an earthquake or a sinkhole in the middle of a plain.
The Magician of Purple can awaken an army of undead to be their servant. As long as they could kill people and get their corpse, their supply of cannon-fodder never ceases to exist.
The Magician of Green is not that many, the one who wields the power of nature is rare and few. But when they truly appear, a calamity befell on earth. A single wind-blade could send their enemies' head flying, a typhoon could flatten a city, even they could grow a moss into an overgrowth tree.
While at it, the Magician of the Colorless Faction was also hard to found. They were incredibly rare and no one bothers to learn about such lost magic. Some magic spells from this branch could be found scattered across the ancient ruin of the Myscreat World, however, the Magician found it impractical and often ignored it. It probably has something to do with the magician ideologies and philosophy that couldn't accept the content.
The Magician of Blue, the conventional one and not the Mind Mage ..., is also ferocious. They can send a torrential rain and lightning storm, freeze the entire city into ice, or if they are on the coast a tsunami will be enough to destroy a city.
The Magician of White is different from the Priest/Holy Servant Class. Yes, they are also raised and trained by the Temple of Light. But their main focus was on the offensive light spell. The highest authority of the Temple of Light, the Nine-Eyed Seer can slice a city wall with his light magic as if it was butter with a hot knife.
No matter what and how strong these magicians are, they are not lunatic like the Mind Mage. They would never treat their enemies as a test subject. Or, at least not frontally.
The terror of Mind Mage started when the first and most dangerous of this profession came into being. The Promiscuous Mind Mage was what they call him. His name known as Beirunni, a lunatic that laughed while playing on peoples' minds with his magic.
He was a lunatic himself, but he drags everyone else to be a madman. This kind of opponent was the most troublesome.
'No matter how strong a person is, no matter what kind of spell or skill they've mastered ... as long as they have a trauma inside their deepest part of the mind. They are helpless in front of the Mind Mage(me).' Beirunni - The Promiscuous Mind Mage and the Progenitor of the [Mind Mage(B)] has stated so.
Despite his questionable pervert title, the first Mind Mage was a ruthless fellow. He treated human life no less than an ant, and he always comes up with a strange idea on how he would deal with his enemies.
Thanks to his perverted behavior of having sex with anyone he saw interesting, in his life he fathered six hundred sons and daughter. Before his life end, he managed to gather all of his children and left the legacy of Mind Mage to his blood-related descendant.
How can he f*ck so many women in his life? Is he some kind of prince charming or something? Not in the slightest, he was the most shameless pervert known to the world. The reason why he was able to gain so many women and even get a royalty to be his wife was, of course ..., Mind Magic.
He didn't brainwash them to be his living doll. He didn't like to f*ck such a thing. The only thing he did was affected their mind to gain a favorable impression on him. After that Beirunni would woo her unceasingly. And when he was able to get laid with them, he manipulated their mind and make them think that he was the only one that was able to give them protection, shelter, and satisfaction.
Actually, that was not any different than brainwashing them ..., but no, the target was still able to choose how will they walk in life. Whether she would follow him or not was up to her decision. Most of them followed him, but to those who came from high social status with their pride that rivaled the sky didn't allow such a thing.
Still, the last part of the mind manipulation was the utmost importance. Beirunni planted certain thoughts to their mind, that he was the only one who could give them satisfaction. This means they would never felt happy and only suffocate when they were unable to see Beirunni. And even if they tried to distract their mind by doing merry things such as sexual intercourse, it only hurts their genital and could not satisfy themselves.
Thus, all of Beirunni's targets always trying to find him to ask him to take responsibility. Of course, the Promiscuous Mind Mage accepted them all with an open hand.
For some unknown reason, he unabashedly took the title of the Promiscuous Mind Mage and thus recorded in the history with that name. Some see this lunatic as the darkest villain in history. Licentious harem lord who collected a vast array of beauties. And some treat him as a hero who saved the day. A savior who spread kindness.
Beirunni opened a new path in magic. He was a genius that crossed the borderline to be a mad magician.
The last Tome he wrote was considered as a taboo book for the al-Beirunni family if one didn't have enough willpower they would end up as a madman after reading it. This tome contains the most dangerous and most profound mind magic he developed at the brink of his death.
Unsurprisingly, Reyhan didn't have the necessary willpower to read such a taboo tome. He was a regular mind mage who showed a talent to pave the way in this path. A mediocre at worst, slightly talented would be a compliment.
He was considered and treated as a Young Master of the family. It was because not all of Beirunni's descendant has the talent to be a Mind Mage.
The chaotic mayhem continued ..., a husband and wife stabbing each other throat. The man who lusting on his friend's wife unable to contain his desire any longer. The sight of a teenage boy pushed down his own mother and trying to rape her. And the most active was Lu Zheng as if possessed by the devil, he swung his hammer to smash people's head.
The most interesting thing was the little girl despair watching this madness, crying powerlessly watched how the scene of carnage conclude. There were no longer hopes to be seen on her two lively eyes, it stares emptily at the scene in front of her like a broken doll.
This was the result of a single Mind Mage's spell. The horrendous horror caused by a mind manipulator.
'Hmm ..., the most fragile mind are those who have been broken. And that's the easiest mind to manipulate. This much will suffice.'
Reyhan proceeds to cast another spell, the Mind Magic: Memory Wipe.