Creating a cult has always been a very intriguing process to me. The process of creating a group of people so dedicated to you that they're willing to give up anything for you is what the peak of manipulation is. Unfortunately, I've never had the joys of creating or personally experiencing one. And although in my past world the Gods were objects of worship, that was an organized religion, which functions differently than cults.
When you do something for long enough, you begin to get an intuition for it. That was what manipulation was for me. I was able to take an accurate stab at what the answer to something was and garner my own ideas for it, which was why I was able to lay the groundwork for a cult well. However, when you're face-to-face with a master of the craft you're trying out for the first time, you ask for that person's interpretation. Not doing so would only be foolish. I was in front of such a master, a God himself, so of course I would take a swing at it.
Tzu took a thinking stance before looking at me with a conflicted stare. It wasn't long before he completely lifted his head with resolution and said to me, "I'm here to help you, so help you I shall. I just ask that you don't do anything too unbalanced with the information I'm about to give you."
He paused for a moment, creating dramatic suspense, before continuing, "I can break the process down into a few simple steps..." He raised his pointer finger into the air, "First, you must keep it vague and simple. If you wish to attract people, you must garner their attention, and this must be done through hazy and deceptive words. Promise them something great and transformative but also something as vague as can be. A great way to do this is by giving simple concepts fancy names; making up new words to keep it fresh and exciting. Being vague does make you lose all credibility, but being specific is worse, as any followers you gain will expect things from you. Also, keep in mind that people's lives are already so complex by themselves that keeping yourself simple will give them a sense of comfort. This is a rule that even something real like Taoism followed as I spread it across the Mountain Region. It's fundamental for belief, not just cultic settings."
Maybe he was getting antsy or something, but the old man began to stand up as he continued his explanation to me, "Even if you don't realize it, you've already completed the first stage through your recent triumphs. After the first stage, when you gain the attention of others, there will be people who are still skeptical or who grow bored of it.
He suddenly began spinning his cane around in a circle in front of him, creating a yin-yang symbol which was a critical symbol for Taoism, "To keep people's attention and ward off the cynics, you must partake in theater. Bring sensualism to yourself, not reason, for reason will make people see through you. If you can captivate the five senses, then you will begin to rule over them. It's as simple as that."
He slammed his cane back down on the ground, demanding my attention, and opened his mouth once again, "That'll lead you to the third step of a cult. At this point, your cult will be growing tons, so it's time to borrow a step from organized religion and create structure within your cult. You'll need to create a hierarchy and rank them in grades of sanctity. Give them titles and names that resound with religious undertones. Then you can ask for rituals that will fill your pockets and increase your power. If you are weak, this also acts as a good smoke screen for people not to realize that you are behind everything, but in your case, it's probably best if you make that fact known. After all, you are going to be the god of this cult."
He suddenly stopped moving and let his chin lean on this cane as he looked me dead in the eyes, "I choose to keep balance in my life, but there was a time when I didn't. I was sort of similar to you, so I know that when creating a cult one of your main goals is money. And in that case, it is important that you, or the people representing you, hide the fact that their wealth is coming from your followers. Instead, you'll want it to seem to come from your truth."
He slowly walked behind me his tone deepened, "Once you're here, things are going to seem smooth sailing, but don't get too comfortable yet. The final true step is to create an enemy. Right now, your followers should be unified under your word, but making an enemy for them to unite against will push them even closer together. In creating an enemy, however, it is best to create an enemy that won't be gone for a long time. Something ethereal could work, but it's best to keep it physical. For example, the dynamic in Stone Mythology of God and Satan created a powerful sense of belief back when mythology was in its prime. Of course, those are both real entities, so they have it easier than you, but it's a good idea to keep in mind."
He moved around me and ended up sitting back down in his seat, taking a sip of his tea, and then concluding his words, "These are general steps, but sometimes they won't apply completely, so it is best to keep these things in mind. One: People don't care about the truth in change. Two, always match the desires of your followers while aiming higher than ever before. And finally, keep in mind that groups are easier to trick than an individual due to the bandwagon effect. As long as you heed my words, things should be a lot easier for you."
I stared blankly for a moment, sucking in all of the information just exposed to me. Once I finished, I was only left surprised at how dense the information he gave me was. But it made sense. If he's a God, then he must have had his own fair share of leading religion.
I had a decent idea of some of the concepts he mentioned, but without him putting my vague ideas into direct words, I wouldn't have as good of a grasp on them as I do right now. I was good at what I did, but that didn't mean others couldn't be better than me, especially someone who has gone farther than me in this world of powers. I was confident in myself, not arrogant.
I already had an idea of how this worked, so instead of saying anything further, I waited for his question, and soon enough, his mouth opened, "Let's see now, how about this. I do wonder, what is your why? I already know of your hate for the Gods who hurt you, but you must have more than that. There must be something else pushing you because I know as well as you do that revenge isn't a sustainable drive."
... What pushed me?
The first thought that came to my mind was revenge. But that wasn't what he meant. If I managed to avoid death for long enough and eventually take my revenge, then what? What would be the point of living?... I didn't know. There was a point in time when I did know, long ago when I had changed for good and lived for nothing else but myself. However, I'd forgotten that feeling over the long years spent as an emotionless Demon King.
My period spent as the Demon King almost broke me. I was only able to hang onto the threads of consciousness by relying on my burning hatred for the Gods who had forced me into that body to begin with. So anything other than revenge was foreign to me. Everything I did, every move I made, was for the eventual day when I could lick the blood of the Gods who drained me of mine.
And, that was okay.
I may not know what else I can live for except for revenge right now, but I've lived a long time. I have seen the angles that life gives you, so I had a good idea of how things worked. I was sure, that eventually, along my path for excellence, I would stumble upon something else. Another reason for me to gain power.
At first, I wanted power because it seemed fun to have. Then I wanted power to protect the ones that I loved. And now, I want the power to kill the ones I hate. It's a cycle, and eventually, I'd move on. For now though, I'll keep going with my goal of revenge. Because to me, the things in life that I enjoy come from the revenge that I seek. And that's enough.
I closed my eyes, as I said to both Tzu and myself, "In Jungle Mythology, there was a man named Sisyphus. He led a life of power and even cheated death twice, but in the end, he was thrown into the Underworld, Tartarus, to endlessly roll a huge boulder up a hill. Once he finished this task, he'd be free of punishment, but Hades, the decider of punishments as such, enchanted the boulder to roll away just before it reached the top. A cruel and unusual punishment indeed."
I stood up from my seat and began to walk away from Tzu while finishing my thought, "You see, whether it's real or fake, a mystery of life can be found within this story. Even when it's forlorn, even when it brings absolute despair to the thought, hope pushes you forward. Right now, my hope is revenge. Later, my hope may be something else. And perhaps something else beyond that."
I turned around to face Tzu as he looked at me with a slight smile, "Right now, it is only revenge that pushes me forward, and nothing else. But I'm self-conscious enough to realize that it might not always be and that it shouldn't always be. New goals will arise as I move forward. I'll discover new motivations. Along this journey of power, more likely than not, I'll change as a person, and that's okay. Because Tzu, if there is one thing I've learned in life, it's that the only thing that never changes is change itself."
I took a deep breath as I stared at him dead in the eyes, "So no matter what my goal is, I know that the mysteries of life will give me hope to live."
"Everyone needs an excuse for living, and this is mine."
And like that, I left my Duranian.
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I opened my eyes and observed the gas around me with thoughts hot on my mind. This would happen every now and then. No matter how old I got, I always discovered new things about myself, and therefore, about humans. Everyone needs an excuse for living, even me... How interesting of a concept... Hold on. Isn't that just what manipulation is?
Everyone needs an excuse to live, but some are more powerful than others, otherwise, people wouldn't have more motivation than others. In fact, I'd even go as far as to say that most people don't have an excuse to live at all. Isn't manipulation taking advantage of the excuse that people want so badly? And if that's true, isn't a cult just the same thing but in abundance?
That would also explain the reason why some are more resistant to manipulation than others. Since manipulation uses the fact that people don't have their excuse for living figured out, the people who do have it figured out are much harder to manipulate than those who don't. Perhaps that was why I was so easily influenced during my first month here in the sect. I had just gotten out of the hell I was stuck in for over a hundred years, so I was much more lost than I am now.
The same can be said for Spiravit. He used to be easy to manipulate since he hadn't found a concrete reason for his life other than, "I am better than others." But now, he lives for more than that. I don't know exactly what it is that he lives for now, but whatever it is, it for sure makes it very unlikely that I can manipulate him...
I suddenly stood up, and began to walk away from the bubble of cultivation I sat in. I had decided the make a change in plans. Why? Well, the answer is simple.
I could feel my blood bubbling up in my legs, propelling them forward with each step. Like a flint and steel, my mind flashed sparks of fire eventually creating a fire of the utmost intensity. My hands began to feel clammy, as if not moving them would cause them to turn to stone, and my breathing turned short and sporadic.
I was ecstatic to try out this new idea I had.