As Ulsa finished her tea, Aric felt a surge of power coursing through him. The system chimed in his mind.
[Ding! A new target detected. Initiating mind control sequence. Do you wish to proceed?]
Aric's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Yes, proceed."
[Initiating mind control. Begin altering memories.]
Aric closed his eyes, focusing his mind on the task. He delved into Ulsa's memories, reshaping them to suit his needs.
First, he altered her memories of their past interactions. He implanted scenes of deep, heartfelt conversations where Aric confided in her, showing vulnerability and strength. He made her believe that he had always been there for her, supporting her through the toughest times.
In these new memories, Aric had always been her protector, shielding her from the harshness of the Lei household.
He was the one who comforted her during lonely nights, the one who showed her kindness and understanding when no one else did.
Ulsa now remembered moments where Aric defended her from the cruelty of other concubines, standing up for her with unwavering courage.
Next, he implanted a sense of deep, unconditional love. Ulsa now recalled moments of shared intimacy and warmth.
She remembered how Aric would bring her small gifts, tokens of his affection, and how he would spend hours talking to her, listening to her worries and fears.
Aric twisted her memories of Jarod, too. He made her believe that Jarod was the one who caused her suffering, using her status as a concubine to manipulate and control her.
She now saw Jarod as a selfish and cruel son, who never appreciated her sacrifices and always put his interests above hers.
Finally, Aric reinforced the idea that he was the only person who truly cared for her. In her altered memories, he was the one who loved her unconditionally, the one who saw her worth and beauty when no one else did.
She now believed that Aric was her savior, the only person she could trust, and the one she was willing to do anything for.
As the process completed, Ulsa's eyes glazed over momentarily, then refocused with a newfound clarity and devotion. She looked at Aric, her expression softening with genuine affection and loyalty.
"Aric," she said, her voice filled with emotion, "you've always been there for me. I don't know how I could have ever doubted you."
"But I has always loved you, Ulsa", Aric spoke.
Ulsa felt shy when she heard such beautiful words.
Aric took a vial from his pocket. It contained his blood. He wanted to ensure that everyone in that household becomes his pawn.
He gave it to Ulsa and told her to mix it in everyone's food and visit him at his villa in the night.
With the deed done, he left the place.
Soon after, Aric arrived at his villa and retreated to his room. During this time, he had asked the system to suppress any notifications.
[Ding! The host has successfully corrupted the mind of Ulsa Lei. Rewarding the host with +2 Intelligence.]
[Congratulations, host! You have successfully corrupted the mind of the protagonist's mother. Rewarding with +500 Villain Halo and +5000 Villain Points.]
[Ding! Host, your total Villain Points have surpassed 5000. The system shop is now open for you.]
[For your first purchase, you will be offered a 90% discount. Choose wisely, host.]
"And how much does the lottery cost?"
[Low-level lottery starts at 1000 points per spin. You can have a basic-level lottery at 10,000 points. A medium-level lottery costs 100,000 points. A high-level lottery will cost a million points.]
"Show me what items are available for purchase."
[Since the system shop is currently at Level 1, you have limited options. Based on your points, the system recommends the following products:]
Jade Sword (Heaven Rank) - 50,000 points
Mystic Wind Movement (Heaven Rank) - 60,000 points
Spirit Cleansing Lotus - 40,000 points
Blood Refining Brew - 50,000 points
Luck Upgradation Card - 10,000 points
"Explain all these to me."
[Heavenly Jade Sword: A blade that grows stronger with its wielder, absorbing the user's Qi to unleash devastating attacks.]
[Mystic Wind Movement: Enhances agility and speed, allowing the user to move as swiftly as the wind.]
[Spirit Cleansing Lotus: Purifies the user's meridians, allowing for smoother Qi flow and faster cultivation progress.]
[Blood Refining Brew: Enhances the purity and strength of the user's blood, increasing overall physical power.]
[Luck Upgradation Card: Upgrades your luck from Mortal rank to Heavenly rank for 30 seconds.]
"System, I want all of them. Can you give me a discount on all four and a loan too? You know as I grow, I will suppress the protagonist, but I need them."
[Host, the system really wants to help you, but I cannot give you these items for free or loan them. It's non-negotiable.]
"Can I get these items through the lottery?"
[That depends on your luck, which is very low at this time.]
After pondering for a while, Aric decided to buy the Luck Upgradation Card.
"System, buy the Luck Upgradation Card and then buy the lottery with the rest of the points."
[Ding! Host has successfully purchased the Luck Upgradation Card. Host's luck will be heaven-ranked for the next 30 seconds.]
[Ding! Host has purchased 4 low-rank lottery tickets. Do you want to see the rewards?]
"Show me."
[Congratulations! You received - Blood Refining Brew, Jade Sword (Heaven Rank), Mystic Wind Movement, Spirit Cleansing Lotus.]
"Haha! I never thought I could plan so well. It looks like the heavens are supporting me."
"But first, it's important for me to strengthen myself."
"System, teach me the Mystic Wind Movement technique."
Soon, a bulk of knowledge started pouring into Aric's mind. He began to understand the various movements of the technique. After half an hour, he felt he had absorbed everything.
He then started to absorb the Blood Refining Brew and the Spirit Cleansing Lotus.
After meditating for two hours, he had already broken through from Qi Refining 4th Stage to Foundation Establishment 2nd Stage.
This speed perplexed him.
"The system's rewards are of high quality. I should earn more points to strengthen myself."
"System, show me the details of Jarod."
[Name - Jarod Lei]
[Age - 18]
[Cultivation Level - Foundation Establishment (9th Stage)]
[Strength - 23 (Normal Human Limit - 10)]
[Agility - 19 (Normal Human Limit - 10)]
[Intelligence - 14 (Normal Human Limit - 10)]
[Charm - 12 (Normal Human Limit - 10)]
[Physique - Primal Chaos Physique]
[Bloodline - Bloodline of the Ancient Asura]
[Cultivation Techniques - Primordial Chaos Scripture]
[Skills - Shadow Step Technique, Asura's Berserker Rage, Asura's Soul Devour, Asura Slash (Advanced)]
[Protagonist Halo - 55,500]