Caimon Comprehensive University, Lecture Hall 107
"Persona deconstruction is a critical area of research in the Psychic Discipline," the professor began, his voice echoing through the large classroom.
"For ordinary people—and even sorcerers—who lack an understanding of psychic principles, it's unavoidable to perform a 'pre-construction of persona' when meeting someone new. In simpler terms, this is what we call labeling. Wealthy and gentle. Poor and insecure. Strong and domineering. Weak and kind. We extract the most prominent traits from someone and incorporate them into our mental framework."
"Labeling is a natural mental activity. It helps us quickly determine the most appropriate way to interact with others. Be humble before the strong, exploit the weak. You could even say that labeling is a survival skill."
"But for a psychic sorcerer, this 'pre-construction of persona' becomes our prime opportunity to cast spells. Through persona deconstruction, we can subtly influence strangers, typically in two ways."
"The first method is the simplest: adaptive deconstruction. Ordinarily, after close interaction, people naturally adjust their perceptions of others. Simple labels evolve into more complex ones. For example, 'wealthy and gentle' might transform into 'wealthy but stingy to others, gentle but only to friends.' With limited information, people break down complex individuals into digestible concepts."
"Adaptive deconstruction involves feeding into the first impression you give someone, consistently revealing traits that align with their expectations. For example, if I dress as a wealthy, charming middle-aged man at a cocktail lounge and strike up conversations, the other person might assume I drive a luxury car. I then casually pull out a set of luxury car keys. They might assume I live in an upscale neighborhood, and I drop a hint about my home in Phoenix Gardens. Now, what do you think the outcome of my flirtation that night was?"
"By embodying the impression they desire and constantly providing details for them to fill in, you quickly earn their trust. Why? Because you haven't explicitly said anything. Everything about 'you' is what they have deduced. And people inherently trust their own judgments."
"Many victims of romantic scams fall prey to this technique, to the point where they genuinely believe in love. Personally, I don't recommend using this skill to deceive people, but if you must, at least don't take their money. Just have a good time for the evening."
"There are countless ways to use adaptive deconstruction. I won't delve into them here. For those interested, you can purchase my book, 108 Practical Persona Templates, available for download on the Veil."
"The second method is much harder: reverse deconstruction. Instead of focusing on the impression you give others, you craft a detailed impression of them. In short, through techniques like spell spirits, miracles, and rhetoric, you guide someone into embodying the persona you've constructed for them."
"If you believe someone is kind and generous, then they will act kind and generous in your presence. But you can't rely on simple labels; you must construct reasons behind their kindness or generosity and reinforce those ideas with subtle cues. Even if they subconsciously resist, they will find themselves aligning with the persona you've created for them."
"This may sound complex, but for those who've read The History of Social Evolution, you'll recognize this as a framework similar to an ancient social unit—yes, the family structure Fennanche mentioned last night."
"In the family system, male and female guardians often used reverse deconstruction to mold children into the 'ideal kids' they envisioned. It's said that, in ancient times, the easiest way to become a psychic sorcerer was to raise a 'perfect child.'"
"While we won't debate the validity of Fennanche's arguments here, it's undeniable that reverse deconstruction suppresses individuality and strips away freedom. This was one reason the family system was consigned to the trash heap of history. For psychic sorcerers, however, reverse deconstruction remains a lifelong study."
"Powerful psychic sorcerers don't stop at deconstructing intelligent beings; they deconstruct the world itself. 'The world revolves around me.' That is the ultimate pinnacle of our discipline!"
"And that concludes today's lecture. Class dismissed."
The bell chimed, and students quickly began to pack up and leave. Within moments, more than half the lecture hall had emptied.
Freya's friend, Adela, slumped over her desk with a groan.
"At this rate, when will I ever summon a psychic spell spirit to win at gambling? This elective is all about everything but actual knowledge."
Freya, wearing a breezy off-shoulder crop top, nodded in agreement.
Caimon Comprehensive University didn't have a dedicated Psychic Department. In fact, no university in the Blood Moon Kingdom did. The most they offered were electives like Psychic Analysis, which she and Adela were currently taking.
The professor might talk endlessly about theory and interpersonal strategies, but he never once touched on summoning spell spirits. Instead, he shamelessly plugged his books. Freya even suspected he used subtle suggestion techniques—likely through a spell spirit—to make students think his book, 108 Practical Persona Templates, contained summoning methods.
The course content was subpar, the professor's character was questionable, but the tuition was outrageously expensive. Just this one class had added a whopping 5% to Freya's student loans.
In this era, while basic knowledge was freely accessible on the Veil, profitable knowledge was neither free nor easy to come by. It was highly restricted and carefully guarded.
Take the Biology Department, for instance. The 17th century was the age of biology, and biological augmentation specialists were currently the highest-paid professionals. But to study the field, you had to become an apprentice to a biology professor, usually through a ten-year indentured contract.
As for the Psychic Discipline, its only publicly acknowledged profession was psychotherapy. But everyone knew that true psychic sorcerers were either criminals or politicians (often interchangeable). It was a high-risk, high-reward field, so the scarcity of psychic knowledge was to be expected.
If Freya weren't a siren with a natural aptitude for summoning psychic spell spirits, she might have taken her tuition money to a Mud Café for a few days of bliss instead.
Adela sighed.
"Wanna grab dinner at Salace tonight?"
"Broke," Freya replied lazily. "I just went to Frostfall last night."
"I'll treat."
"You won money?"
"Hehe." Adela grinned like a mischievous cat. "I placed a heavy bet on Fennanche during last night's Blood Moon Judgment and made a killing."
"How much did you make?"
"Let's just say if I'd lost, I'd be working shifts at a tea café for the next few months."